>: Lost Recap--Fearful Symmetry--4.13 "There's No Place Like Home, Part 2"
Posted By SonyaLynn on June 3, 2008 2:12 AM - (16) Comments | Permalink | Category - Lost Spoilers |
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Well, well, well...many of the usual cohort of amateur recappers and analyzers still have yet to be heard from after last Thursday's freighter-fragging, Island-moving, O6-rescuing, rip-roaring season finale. (The pros like EW's Doc Jensen, E! Online's Kristin, BuddyTV's Oscar Dahl, and our own dear DocArzt have all weighed in, of course.) I'm not surprised...there was just so much there to digest that even a "mere" recap could all too easily turn into War and Peace. So, this kind of makes it hard for me to zero in on my usual "little things" that others have neglected, so I'll muse on something different for now.
One Lost influence and antecedent that has been simultaneously trumpeted (Damon Lindelof called it "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced") and downplayed (no direct and only few oblique references on the show) is Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' graphic novel nonpareil, Watchmen.
One of the 12 original issues of Watchmen, entitled "Fearful Symmetry" (itself a reference to William Blake's poem, "The Tyger"), is actually laid out symmetrically, so that every page and every frame after the middle spread of the issue deliberately mirrors those before, so that the end takes us back to the beginning.
So, too, did "There's No Place Like Home" serve as a mirror to all the previous season finales (and noteworthy set-pieces throughout the series to date) of Lost. Virtually every iconic image or scene has its distorted reflection in these 3 hours of cerebellum-detonating television.
Let's look at a few of them, shall we?
Triumph and Tragedy
I feel terribly remiss about this, but I'm unable to find the prescient article which correctly predicted that, as "Through the Looking Glass" contrasted the apparent apotheosis of Jack (making the call that would, in theory, rescue the castaways) with his post-Island malaise, so would "There's No Place Like Home" contrast Locke's own moment of triumph--moving the Island--with his tragic end, thereby one-upping Jack's mere suicidal tendencies with what certainly looks like one seriously corpsified Locke-in-the-box.Â
Likewise, the member of this particular dyad that was "weak" in the on-Island storyline was pretty directly flipped (bleeding Locke staggering out of the jungle to knife Naomi in season 3, bleeding Jack staggering out of the jungle to fetch Hurley to the chopper in season 4).
"Boom."
Sawyer, Jin, and Michael were on a boat that blew up in the season 1 finale, "Exodus", and sure enough, there they were again and with more besides in "There's No Place Like Home". Only this time, again, the stakes were raised. Michael is certainly doomed, Jin's fate is uncertain but not looking terribly good, and Sawyer once again staggers out of the drink.
On the plus side, the newly-minted raft-dwellers who escaped the explosion of the freighter and the crash of the chopper had a vastly improved experience of coming upon a boat in the night. Despite the dread-inducing visual similarities between this boat and the Others' skiff in "Exodus", this time it actually was Penny's boat, there to actually do what the original rafties had been hoping for 3 seasons ago.
'Scuse Me While I Kiss the (Purple) Sky...
As in "Live Together, Die Alone", we were treated to a "purple sky" event. But, as with the other reflections and echoes from season finales past, this one, too, was distorted. The original "purple sky" event caused by Locke's trashing of the Swan's computer and Desmond's turning the fail-safe key was unintentional. The Man of Faith no longer believed, and the Island was going to show him a little something to put him back on the path.
But not this time. This time, Locke and Ben went with intent and firm resolve, Locke going so far as to boast to Jack, "Wait'll you see what I'm going to do!"
But, again, the reflection is the worse for poor John Locke who did right by doing wrong in season 2 and did wrong (in a sense) by doing right (or so he thought) in season 4.
Journey to the Center of The Earth...Or At Least the Island
Iconography is huge in Lost, and who can forget the iconic moment of Jack and Locke staring down the dynamite-blasted hatch and into the unknown?
So, again, are we treated to a character--the comparatively new Ben--staring down a yet-deeper hole. This time, the hole extends below DHARMA's Orchid Station, literalizing the penetration into the deeper mystery of the Island, past the onion-skin stratum of DHARMA's "silly experiments" to something older, more powerful, and altogether more frightening.
(Hell, even the "Frozen Donkey Wheel" ended up being quite literal...and let me assure you, I had to pause my TiVo and confuse my friends by having a long, loud laugh at that one. Nice one, Darlton...nice one!)
A Crash, A Splash, and Jack Does What Jack Does Best
No, not be all emo or sport a beard deserving of its own Emmy category (both of which he does very well, of course!)...I mean saving people in a life-threatening crisis.
The splashdown of the chopper and subsequent awakening of Jack underwater took us right back to the opening moments of the Pilot episode, right down to Jack doing a bit of CPR (on Desmond rather than Rose this time...and really, people, don't do that to me! My heart skipped way too many regularly-scheduled beats while I waited for the waterlogged Scot to sputter back to life...).
The Pieces are In Place
Lastly, much as the original crash arrayed the chess-pieces of our unwitting Lostaways on the board of the Island, so did "There's No Place Like Home" re-align the pieces in a new configuration off the Island.
The previous Man of Faith is dead and Jack is losing (by which I mean, "gaining") his religion under the manipulative tutelage of Ben Linus. The manipulated Sun has become the manipulator, and apparently aligned herself with Widmore. Sayid has plucked Hurley from Santa Rosa, but is he still Ben's man? It certainly didn't sound like a return trip to the Island was in his plans, but he looked like he would have said anything to get Hurley out of that room just then. Kate gets mixed messages in the form of her backmasked answering machine message saying she had to return to the Island before it's too late and White Rabbit Claire saying "don't you dare bring him back". And what of Desmond, Penny, or even Frank Lapidus, who confounded my predictions by not going heroically into that good night?
So, be on the lookout...once we went "Through the Looking Glass" and season 3 ended, we started into the warped reflection of the first 3 seasons. Somehow, some way, we will have gone full circle and yet not exactly, when the final smash-cut appears on our screens and negotiations start for a show in 2020 about Walt, Aaron, and Ji Yeon called Lost: The Next Generation.
(Just kidding about that last...I hope.)
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What a great read. This is the reason fans like myself go so far beyond watching a show. Blogging, podcasting, wiking. There’s a level of depth in lost reserved for novels (graphic included).
The downside of fanaticism is all the terrible theories. The moon landing wasn’t staged and neither was flight 815. Every time I hear a time travel theory I die a little inside.
But we need the light and the dark as much as lost does. The juxtaposition of the season 3 finale and the incredible writing since has made lost a literary masterpiece.
My lasting hope for Locke is my belief that faith cannot not be defeated by science. They must find balance for the universe to course correct for our lost souls to truly return home.
Nice Job, SonyaLynn.
great read, very well written and some really good insights.
Great analysis. I suppose in the same way that Jack was trying to get people off the island this season, he'll be struggling to get people BACK to the island next season. And there will be many obstacles of course, just like before. It's no wonder he's going crazy(er).
On an slightly unrelated note...I'm still wondering why Hurley apologied to Jack for not going with him (when Jack visits Hurley in the hospital and they play basketball), what difference would it have made? It's not really clear anymore if Hurley wants to go back or stay.
Good analysis and fun to read.
What happened with the different times between the island and the boat? They killed the doc on the island but on the boat they didn't.
But the explotion of the boat was at the same time!! WTF
Someone explain this to me!!
My friend came up with a great idea for a Lost spin off...and i just had to post it lol
"Weekend At Johnny's"
Ben and Jack parading around L.A. with a dead John Locke, trying to figure out how they're going to get his body on a plane with out anyone noticing he's dead.
"Slap-stick comdey for the whole family"
As I was reading this, I realized something weird... There is an X-files episode from season 2 titled "Fearful Symmetry" where zoo animals are disappearing and are being returned invisible at a point in the near future. When I remembered this episode I immediately thought about comparisons to the Island. The Island has now disappeared and will presumably re-appear at some point in the near future (at least that's what I'm thinking based on the Orchid video, just like the bunnies in Dharma's 'silly experiments'). So, will the island re-appear invisible?!? I doubt it, but I thought that was an interesting parallel.
uh, togabot, you do realize that those ridiculous time travel theories that cause you to die a little inside turned out to be correct, right?
Nice try jimyy, but either you or your friend stoled it.. I know cause I saw in FishBisquitLand the same sentence and a pic.. so give credit where is due..
anyway, great recap Sonya.. had me thinking, which is always a good thing :0)
mari said:
"What happened with the different times between the island and the boat? They killed the doc on the island but on the boat they didn't.
But the explotion of the boat was at the same time!! WTF
Someone explain this to me!!"
OK... my understanding of it is that the body of the doctor washed up on the shore of the Island coming in on a different bearing than 305. Because the body floated to the Island on this other bearing, it appeared to the people on the beach, that he had washed ashore before actually being killed. Also, Faraday told Jack & Juliet in "THE CONSTANT", that their perception of how long it took the chopper to get to the freighter, isn't actually how long it took. So... going to and from the Island, time is perceived differently from people in different situations.
The reason the people on the beach could see the explosion is because the boat was, by this time, close enough for them to see it themselves without binoculars. It just wasn't close enough to be "moved" with the Island.
There are certain aspects of this show that should be explained with a scientific reason, (like these basics of time travel) and there are others that should remain a mystery. Explaining the Numbers, or even the whispers, I think, would take away a lot from the enigma that this Island is, that this STORY is.
I think we need to start figuring out what's next...
I mean, seasons 1, 2 and 3 left us with something to think about what's happening next.
season 1: what's in the hatch?
season 2: what's going to happen with them?
season 3: are they finally going out the island?
season 4: ...
We know they're going to try to get back to the island and stuff... but how are they gonna keep the story on-island. It's not going to be the same without jack and kate messin' around. WITHOUT BEN.
what's next...?
who are the next bunch of people arriving to the island?
It dawned on me recently that we are supposed to believe that Desmond was having his “constant” problems because he had a massive dose of radiation before leaving the island, presumably because he was in the hatch when the failsafe key was turned. After talking with Faraday he was able to adjust this and keep his mind from jumping in time back and forth. Locke had the same dose of radiation and did not have any interaction with Desmond or Faraday after this had come up in the show. If he tried to leave the island couldn’t he have had the same problem with nobody that cares about him and no knowledge of how to fix this issue.
Remember, Jim, that Desmond could also see "FLASHES BEFORE (his) EYES" before getting "unstuck" in time while leaving the Island. The way the writers are playing out Desmond's story seems a little different than anyone else's, and it seems to me that they have yet to conclude his story, especially in regards to consciousness/time travel. The Hatch implosion/explosion affected Des differently than it did Locke and Eko. Desmond may yet have some significant experiences in time/flashes. Will he "see" Ben kill Penny? Will he be able to stop it? If he can, what of the "course correction"? We also, still, do not know how Locke left the Island, it is possible that John had some side effects, but we don't know any of the details of his departing the Island and contacting the O6... so let's see how Locke and time play out. I think as far as major characters go, Desmond will be unique in his ability to "flash" from time to time. Which should be particularly dramatic considering Ben promised to kill Penny.
What about Faraday and the other people on the Zodiac raft? What if they were on the edge of the area of the Island that was "moved"? What if something very different happens to him/them?
I've never really been a huge fan of time traveling stories, but these guys have certainly made this the MOST compelling time travel saga I've ever experienced.
really enjoyed the analysis, a toast to you, SonyaLynn!
loved the following:
"Somehow, some way, we will have gone full circle and yet not exactly, when the final smash-cut appears on our screens and negotiations start for a show in 2020 about Walt, Aaron, and Ji Yeon called Lost: The Next Generation."
heee! haaaaa! awesome!!!!
Awesome analysis! and being a Watchmen fan(hope they don't ruin it in the movie)couldn't say less. Mytheory is that Desmond fullfilled his purpose,with the island.He started having flashes with the elec. anomaly, and then ended them with the storm(can anyone tell me what is the significance of the storm they saw way to the boat? Island border?)Maybeif he wouldn't have gone to the boat, then Claire would have been in the chopper. And it pisses me off,when Jack says Hurley 's crazy. Does he not see his dead father in the hospital,so he shouldn't say Hurley is the only one. How does Ben know that Jack has been flying expecting to crash? did he talk to Kate?. Yet it is the best show ever,thanxguys.