Interview and fanfic links; Lost 6.14 The Candidate
Before I review the most recent Lost episode, a couple of links related to other fandoms:
A Patrick Stewart interview, in which he talks about Shakespeare parts and sci-fi, and is awfully nice about his co-stars, for example:
re: Ian McKellen:
BE: Obviously, you two have worked together in the past, but how did you come to team up for that particular production?
PS: I believe that Ian said, “Yes, I will do ‘Waiting for Godot,’ but I want to do it with Patrick.” (Grinning) Whether it’s true or not, that’s the story I’m putting out there. And it was the experience of a lifetime. It nearly killed me, but it was the experience of a lifetime.
Re: David Tennant:
BE: Have you ever been in the midst of a Shakespearean production and found yourself caught up in someone else’s performance almost to the point of distraction?
PS: Oh, often, yes. Often. I used to watch (David) Tennant at times and find myself just completely focused on him. Oh, often, yeah. It’s dangerous, because you forget where you are! David, certainly, did that to me a lot.
X-Men/Marvelverse:
Vacations in the Stratosphere, which is an absolutely adorable take on one of the few couples I'm completely shippery about, Hank McCoy and Abigail Brand, in the wake of recent events. Reading this just leaves me with a stupid smile on my face for hours.
Now, on to Lost.
Least important observation first: I think it's the fourth or fifth episode in a row and I still like Jack instead of having interludes of my old dislike surfacing. Huh. Which is fortunate in this particular ep as we're in his pov in both 'verses. Of course, it helps that in the Primeverse, he's throwing Locke's faith into Smokey's face (even leaving aside Smokey's actions in this episode, his contemptuous words about Locke in the last one really made that a great compe-uppance), and in the Rebootverse, he's saving Alt!Locke's life and trying to return the favour that Locke did him in the season opener by offering emotional healing as well. Dr. Shephard, what can I say? Keep it up, please.
Now, on to the big stuff. That was one of the most artful placements of Chekov's gun I've seen. Because not only do we see Smokey pick up the wrist watch from the dead guard early on and show us (and Our Heroes) the dynamite, but we even get the explanation of what advantage it has to have all characters confined in a closed space helpfully spelled out to us by him. And yet I didn't suspect until Smokey, after thrown in the water by Jack, makes no attempt to go for the sub when resurfacing but shoots the Widmore folks in pursuit instead. Kudos, scriptwriters. That's what I call playing fair and yet hiding in plain sight.
The effect of Smokey's actions are of course dreadful and yet I don't feel them emotionally yet, probably because by now I'm really sure that a) the versions of our characters in the Rebootverse are in fact the genuine articles, i.e. the characters we've been following all along these years, just with altered memories, which means that b) Sun, Jin and Sayid are still alive. Just as John Locke (the real one) is. (I'm also prepared to give Desmond the benefit of the doubt because clearly the near-death accident did trigger some of Locke's memories, though he's still repressing most. Locke, when out of it, muttering "push the button" and "I wish you had believed me" was a moment of wonderful frisson - as was Jack returning the phrase to him at the end.
Given that Locke is in a wheelchair in the Rebootverse, that Sawyer/James Ford still has the backstory of Anthony Cooper conning his parents (meaning Alt!Cooper can't have suddenly turned into a nice guy), but that Locke appeared to be on good terms with his father, the big mystery was how Locke got crippled in this timeline. The revelation here is a good twist and makes emotional sense in lights of this Locke's insistence on accepting his disabled state instead of seeking healing. So in the Rebootverse, Anthony Cooper was still a con man, but before he could hurt his son, the accident with the sports plane happens, and so instead of feeling angry and exploited, Locke feels guilty and in need to atone. (BTW, given Anthony Cooper's state, I don't think we have to worry about James Ford killing him in this 'verse. One look, and James will be satisfied.) He still has issues, but there are different ones. The exchange with Jack near the end about their mutual inability to let go and acknowledgment of the need to was great, and gave me some hope that even though Locke can't yet, he will. (I also wonder whether his Rebootverse ability to fly a plane will come in handy later when/if the 'verses merge, given that poor Frank's fate is currently looking less than good.)
Also of note: Christian Shephard's body is still missing in the Rebootverse, and his post mortem gift for Claire there contains a mirror. Like, you know, the Lighthouse had in the Primeverse.
Given the demonstrations of Smokey's indestructibleness in this episode by weapons, and the fact that the remaining Primeverse versions of Our Heroes simply leaving the island and restoring the status quo of him being trapped there would not exactly make a big climax and a defeat, given that Sayid told Jack where to find timeline travelling Desmond and further the way this show generally likes to emphasize that characters working together = good, let me reiterate a few guesses. The key to Smokey's defeat will be in Reboot- and remaining Primeverse characters interacting, and in Smokey being locked, no pun intended, now in either his Smoke form or Locke's body. At the grand climax, he'll seemingly be able to leave BUT only in Locke's form, having to give up on his smoke-form indestructibleness for a few crucial moments. At which point real Locke will cross 'verses, and since he can't exist dead and alive in the same timeline at the same time, this will rob Smokey of any body altogether.
Bring on the next episode!
A Patrick Stewart interview, in which he talks about Shakespeare parts and sci-fi, and is awfully nice about his co-stars, for example:
re: Ian McKellen:
BE: Obviously, you two have worked together in the past, but how did you come to team up for that particular production?
PS: I believe that Ian said, “Yes, I will do ‘Waiting for Godot,’ but I want to do it with Patrick.” (Grinning) Whether it’s true or not, that’s the story I’m putting out there. And it was the experience of a lifetime. It nearly killed me, but it was the experience of a lifetime.
Re: David Tennant:
BE: Have you ever been in the midst of a Shakespearean production and found yourself caught up in someone else’s performance almost to the point of distraction?
PS: Oh, often, yes. Often. I used to watch (David) Tennant at times and find myself just completely focused on him. Oh, often, yeah. It’s dangerous, because you forget where you are! David, certainly, did that to me a lot.
X-Men/Marvelverse:
Vacations in the Stratosphere, which is an absolutely adorable take on one of the few couples I'm completely shippery about, Hank McCoy and Abigail Brand, in the wake of recent events. Reading this just leaves me with a stupid smile on my face for hours.
Now, on to Lost.
Least important observation first: I think it's the fourth or fifth episode in a row and I still like Jack instead of having interludes of my old dislike surfacing. Huh. Which is fortunate in this particular ep as we're in his pov in both 'verses. Of course, it helps that in the Primeverse, he's throwing Locke's faith into Smokey's face (even leaving aside Smokey's actions in this episode, his contemptuous words about Locke in the last one really made that a great compe-uppance), and in the Rebootverse, he's saving Alt!Locke's life and trying to return the favour that Locke did him in the season opener by offering emotional healing as well. Dr. Shephard, what can I say? Keep it up, please.
Now, on to the big stuff. That was one of the most artful placements of Chekov's gun I've seen. Because not only do we see Smokey pick up the wrist watch from the dead guard early on and show us (and Our Heroes) the dynamite, but we even get the explanation of what advantage it has to have all characters confined in a closed space helpfully spelled out to us by him. And yet I didn't suspect until Smokey, after thrown in the water by Jack, makes no attempt to go for the sub when resurfacing but shoots the Widmore folks in pursuit instead. Kudos, scriptwriters. That's what I call playing fair and yet hiding in plain sight.
The effect of Smokey's actions are of course dreadful and yet I don't feel them emotionally yet, probably because by now I'm really sure that a) the versions of our characters in the Rebootverse are in fact the genuine articles, i.e. the characters we've been following all along these years, just with altered memories, which means that b) Sun, Jin and Sayid are still alive. Just as John Locke (the real one) is. (I'm also prepared to give Desmond the benefit of the doubt because clearly the near-death accident did trigger some of Locke's memories, though he's still repressing most. Locke, when out of it, muttering "push the button" and "I wish you had believed me" was a moment of wonderful frisson - as was Jack returning the phrase to him at the end.
Given that Locke is in a wheelchair in the Rebootverse, that Sawyer/James Ford still has the backstory of Anthony Cooper conning his parents (meaning Alt!Cooper can't have suddenly turned into a nice guy), but that Locke appeared to be on good terms with his father, the big mystery was how Locke got crippled in this timeline. The revelation here is a good twist and makes emotional sense in lights of this Locke's insistence on accepting his disabled state instead of seeking healing. So in the Rebootverse, Anthony Cooper was still a con man, but before he could hurt his son, the accident with the sports plane happens, and so instead of feeling angry and exploited, Locke feels guilty and in need to atone. (BTW, given Anthony Cooper's state, I don't think we have to worry about James Ford killing him in this 'verse. One look, and James will be satisfied.) He still has issues, but there are different ones. The exchange with Jack near the end about their mutual inability to let go and acknowledgment of the need to was great, and gave me some hope that even though Locke can't yet, he will. (I also wonder whether his Rebootverse ability to fly a plane will come in handy later when/if the 'verses merge, given that poor Frank's fate is currently looking less than good.)
Also of note: Christian Shephard's body is still missing in the Rebootverse, and his post mortem gift for Claire there contains a mirror. Like, you know, the Lighthouse had in the Primeverse.
Given the demonstrations of Smokey's indestructibleness in this episode by weapons, and the fact that the remaining Primeverse versions of Our Heroes simply leaving the island and restoring the status quo of him being trapped there would not exactly make a big climax and a defeat, given that Sayid told Jack where to find timeline travelling Desmond and further the way this show generally likes to emphasize that characters working together = good, let me reiterate a few guesses. The key to Smokey's defeat will be in Reboot- and remaining Primeverse characters interacting, and in Smokey being locked, no pun intended, now in either his Smoke form or Locke's body. At the grand climax, he'll seemingly be able to leave BUT only in Locke's form, having to give up on his smoke-form indestructibleness for a few crucial moments. At which point real Locke will cross 'verses, and since he can't exist dead and alive in the same timeline at the same time, this will rob Smokey of any body altogether.
Bring on the next episode!