'Cause nothing gets me going like great TV
Brandawg had to go and post about Lost and the new theory relating to it that was published in the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. Naturally this has prompted me to come out of LJ hibernation to add my two cents worth.
EW's theory is very good compared to the "purgatory" idea (they've had the benefit of a season and a half worth of revelations) but it doesn't address two important aspects of the show.
1) Throughout the show (even more so second season) Lost bombards us with religious iconography and thematic tones. Both the Chah-lee and Adibisi episodes (The Addict and Mr. Eko for those of you who don't just love Claire's accent and never watched OZ) were chock full of Judeo-Christian imagery and overtones. I've neither the resources nor the inclination to probe further but based on what we've seen so far, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the island doesn't have a Biblical parable running through their back story. Mr. Eko is an easy hit when contrasted with the story of Cain and Abel. Charlie's episode was all about baptism and implied not only Claire's and Aaron's divinity, but reasserted Aaron's mysterious importance on the island.
2) Then there's the Dharma Initiative. Dharma, somewhat defined, is the broad based teachings derived from Indian faiths including but not limited to Buddhism and Hinduism. A very narrow view of Dharma, which seems very applicable to those on the island, (which coincidentally is also a teaching of John the Baptist, dun dun DUH!) is the teaching that the path to true happiness is not derived from self-centeredness but from elevating the importance of others above ourselves. Obviously everyone on the island has been forced to practice that whether they liked it or not (think first season Shannon) and those who haven't are adversely affecting the harmony on the island (hello, Sawyer.)
However, one thing about the Dharma Initiative that just doesn't jive is The Shark (s2e2) we saw swimming beneath the raft. Ask around and you'll find nobody has a very good explanation as why it had the Dharma logo tattooed (branded? stitched? Penned with a Sharpie?) on it's fin. The shark could just be a Red Herring (pun intended) or maybe the Dharma Initiative's experiments are more far reaching than the training film led us to believe.
Whatever the explanation, my TiFaux is set, my schedule is clear, and my couch is comfortable.
EW's theory is very good compared to the "purgatory" idea (they've had the benefit of a season and a half worth of revelations) but it doesn't address two important aspects of the show.
1) Throughout the show (even more so second season) Lost bombards us with religious iconography and thematic tones. Both the Chah-lee and Adibisi episodes (The Addict and Mr. Eko for those of you who don't just love Claire's accent and never watched OZ) were chock full of Judeo-Christian imagery and overtones. I've neither the resources nor the inclination to probe further but based on what we've seen so far, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the island doesn't have a Biblical parable running through their back story. Mr. Eko is an easy hit when contrasted with the story of Cain and Abel. Charlie's episode was all about baptism and implied not only Claire's and Aaron's divinity, but reasserted Aaron's mysterious importance on the island.
2) Then there's the Dharma Initiative. Dharma, somewhat defined, is the broad based teachings derived from Indian faiths including but not limited to Buddhism and Hinduism. A very narrow view of Dharma, which seems very applicable to those on the island, (which coincidentally is also a teaching of John the Baptist, dun dun DUH!) is the teaching that the path to true happiness is not derived from self-centeredness but from elevating the importance of others above ourselves. Obviously everyone on the island has been forced to practice that whether they liked it or not (think first season Shannon) and those who haven't are adversely affecting the harmony on the island (hello, Sawyer.)
However, one thing about the Dharma Initiative that just doesn't jive is The Shark (s2e2) we saw swimming beneath the raft. Ask around and you'll find nobody has a very good explanation as why it had the Dharma logo tattooed (branded? stitched? Penned with a Sharpie?) on it's fin. The shark could just be a Red Herring (pun intended) or maybe the Dharma Initiative's experiments are more far reaching than the training film led us to believe.
Whatever the explanation, my TiFaux is set, my schedule is clear, and my couch is comfortable.