Wednesday, January 28, 2009

LOST: Jughead

I've got chills
They're multiplying

If the season premiere of LOST had us asking questions about every character left in the cast, then tonight's episode, Jughead, at least helped us start to make key connections.

And I have to admit that there were more than a few scenes when the hairs on my arms were standing straight up and chills were running down my spine.

Remember back in the old days when LOST would focus on one character with flashbacks in time of that person's life? Well, we didn't get flashbacks in this episode, but we learned a whole lot about Daniel Faraday, who went from nonexistent in the first three seasons, to our central character in Season 5.

In fact, we find out that he could be part of the cause of all that has happened on the island. He might have discovered time travel and then journeyed to the island where he used the power of an abandoned hydrogen bomb to give the island its unique power.

We learn that he is connected to Charles Widmore who he meets as a young man in the 1950s as one of the Others, and then Widmore later goes on to finance Faraday's time travel research.

We find out that Faraday has not only sent the minds of rats back and forth through time, but he also sent his own girlfriend through time, only to suffer the devastating consequences. Her body is now nothing but a shell while her mind is racing around and around on a neverending time loop.

I was majorly creeped out when Desmond pulled the blanket off Faraday's infamous chalkboard and then stepped on an old photo of him with his former girlfriend.

Finally, we get proof that Ms. Hawking just might be Faraday's mother when Widmore reveals that she has moved to Los Angeles and warns Desmond to get the heck away from her.

Might I point out that Daniel Faraday's lab rat was named Eloise, which is the same first name as Ms. Hawking?!?

I'm also thinking that the young blonde who holds Faraday at gunpoint in the 1950s is actually Daniel's mother because of the way he says she looks so familiar. This theory makes sense to me because she is in the same group as the young Charles Widmore when the two learn about the real possibility of time travel. (I also just found out that the young woman with the gun is named Ellie, so there you go.)

Richard reveals more of the island's history by telling us that 18 members of an army battalion showed up on the island along with their damaged H-bomb, named Jughead.

Richard said he had to kill the army guys because they refused to leave. He says he was just taking orders by orchestrating their deaths and we get a hint that his boss is, in fact Jacob, when Locke appears in a later scene.

When Faraday examines the bomb, he tells the chick with the gun that they are going to have to enclose it in concrete and bury it. Am I wrong or does this suggest that this thing will later become the infamous underground power source?

This brings us to Locke who has some of the creepiest lines of this episode. When one of the guards starts to give Juliet directions to Richard Alpert's camp, the other guy kills him. Locke says he doesn't shoot the guy because he says, "he's one of my people." What the heck did that mean?

When in time did Locke "get" people? And how does he know that he even has people?!?

That same guy turns out to be the one who reveals his name is Charles Widmore? If Widmore was one of Locke's "people" then why didn't Locke know his name? And what, if any, is the significance of the name JONES on his shirt?

Finally, in his final act of spine-tingling creepiness, Locke tells Richard that he is, in fact, his leader, who hasn't been born yet. He instructs Richard on how to find him in two years when he is born in the year 1956. And, we all remember when Richard did in fact find Locke when he was born. Yikes.

In other news, we learn that Faraday really does love Charlotte. (Duh.) And that despite his skinny tie and complete geekiness, she might have some affection for him. (Weird.) We also learn that her brain is probably exploding from the time travel. (Again, duh.) Like we didn't see that one coming.

And we find out that Desmond and Penny have a little boy named after Charlie. And since Penny made Desmond promise to never, ever return to the island, it seems pretty likely that he will.

Finally, more and more, Charles Widmore is looking like he could be the good guy in all of this. It seems he grew up on the island, learned about time travel, knows about the power source and then was there when something went wrong and he split with the powers that be. Now, he seems to be desperate to save Penny from any negative ramifications, even if it means he won't see her again.

I can't wait to find out how Widmore was seemingly able to set Desmond out in that boat on a course to find the island.

And of course, the huge questions:
Why is Richard always the exact same age?
Did he age up until the 1950s or has he always been that age?
Who is Jacob?
When did Ben Linus become the leader?
Is Ms. Hawking the young woman on the island? Is she, in fact, Faraday's mom, or is that just a big red herring.
And finally, WILL Daniel Faraday ever take off that horrible tie?

It was kind of sad to go through a whole episode without Hurley, but we did get this great line from Sawyer as pretty much our sole source of humor: "You want to stay here in crazy town or help me rescue the geek."

And on a personal note, I was glad to see Latin coming in so handy, since my kids will be learning the not-so-dead-if-you-happen-to-be-an-Other language, which is taught in their Classical Christian school. Good to know.



13 comments:

~*Michelle*~ said...

Oh YAY! A new Lost friend! Thanks for poppin over in my world. :)

Love your take on things too....and I giggled out loud when Sawyer made the "Crazytown" comment.

Have an awesome day!!!
xox
*~Michelle~*

Anonymous said...

Great insights in this post!
I figured that when Locke refered to "my people" he just meant the Others since Richard told him, just before the Island was moved, that he was to replace Ben as the leader of the Others.

Widmore is worried about Penny's safety because Ben, when he charged into Widmore's bedroom that night a while ago, vowed to kill Widmore's daughter because Widmore's goons had killed his daughter. If Desmond goes to LA, Ben is there - so Widmore has cause to be worried!

What a great show last night! I think this season is going to be the best yet.
Thanks again for the great post.

Cindi said...

Okay Em - I have a great blog for you to check out if you haven't seen it yet. It is the ultimate in Lost geek-dome. There are screen caps from the show & just above them you can click on "Comments" and see people's theories.
Its losteastereggs.blogspot.com
You are right Ellie is indeed Faraday's mom. The significance of Widmore's jacket saying Jones is that he killed a soldier named Jones.
Another interesting thing I read that I did not pick up on was "Theresa falls up the stairs, Theresa falls down the stairs." Remember that? That was Boone in season one talking about his nanny. The woman that Desmond went to see was named Theresa...coincidence? I think not!
I also read that the h-bomb is probably not the power source but will come into play for sure in some way. However the radiation it is leaking might explain some of the healing properties of the island (like Rose's cancer...)
As for Desmond promising never to return to the island, he didn't actually promise. He said "Why would I want to go back there?" He is definitely going back!
I still think Jacob is Jack.... I guess we'll have to wait on that theory!

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Excellent post...this is by far my favorite Lost review

Trina said...

Great recap, gosh I love this show!

Tales From the Eurovan said...

Lots of good thoughts! I have a couple of questions...
How do we know that Daniel had his (girl)friend Teresa time traveling?
Did the time traveling cause her to have all the physical damage?

I think Locke is referring to the future when he told Sawyer that the Other (the one he didn't shoot) was one of his people. Locke becomes the others leader last season towards the end when he joined their camp.

Ben Linus became the others leader when he killed his dad along with most of the dharma people.

I think you are right that the gun toting girl is Faraday's mom! Never put the two together last night!
Take care,
Julie

kisatrtle said...

I enjoyed your review. Last night's episode now seems more interesting to me. The time travel has been a little much for me.

everydayMOM said...

Hey everyone,

Between listening intently to the Illinois Senate, aka Life In Crazytown with the Delusional Governor, and poking around at everyone's LOST reviews, this day is going down the garbage can!

But just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who said they liked my Lost recap. It wasn't like I took it so seriously that I was actually typing notes during the show or anything. I would have to be SERIOUSLY living in Crazytown to do THAT!

Cindi: WOW! That deal about Boone really freaked me out! Did he really say his nanny fell up the stairs?!? I seem to have a vague recollection of this, however, I might actually be time traveling, so I'm not sure.

Can't wait to hear more about why you think Jack is Jacob. You got me on that one!

TFtheE: The guy who caught Desmond breaking into the Physics Dept. said something to the effect of "don't touch that machine" and Faraday was never seen again "after what he did to that girl".

I'm assuming he meant the girl in the photo, who looked like the girl in the bed. So, I'm thinking he sent her brain through time, just as he did to the dead rats.

Thanks also for your insight about how Locke knew Widmore was one of "his" people even though he hadn't met him yet. He knew he would become their leader, and therefore knew that they were his people even though he didn't actually know them.

I loved math, and this is much like if A=B and B=C then A=C. I wish I could remember the name for that formula. It's slipping my mind. Fortunately, my nose isn't bleeding so I think I'm OK.

Thanks again for all the great comments!

The Momma said...

The hair stood up on my arm too ---especially with the introduction of young Charles Widmore!!!

I love LOST so.very.much.
Can't wait to watch next week!!

Anonymous said...

Nice summary. I think that Jughead gets buried in a concrete bunker and then has to be defused every 108 minutes by pressing a button until the hatch blows up.

Also, John refers to the others as ‘his people’ because Ben was always telling him that he was going to be the leader of the others. He took over for Ben at the end of last season when he returned to Richard and the crew after Ben moved the island. Ben told John that Ben must leave and not come back because Jacob will not allow him back after he moves the island.

I had an answer to one of the questions about Ben. Remember that Ben was born in Oregon, I think his mom died in childbirth and his drunk dad took him to the island as part of dharma. I seem to remember that Ben (as a boy) met Richard in the woods during his difficult childhood and that Ben went on to gas his drunk dad in a dharma van and then gassed everyone else in Dahrma. (Dahrma and the others were in conflict prior to this).

everydayMOM said...

I like your theory about diffusing the bomb every 108 minutes. So once they failed to push the button, the bomb went off. Are you thinking that because it was underground it limited its power and didn't destroy the entire island?

Wani said...

I would not go as far as to say that Charles Whidmore is looking like a good guy. I am still convinced that he is not good. Ben is making me wonder. I think there are no good guys... just different sides and all sides are bad! This show totally has me hooked!

Cindy Keller said...

I SOOOOOO LOVE Lost!!! And guess what? Terry O'Quinn's (John Locke) brother lives in Lincoln, Illinois...I guess about a year ago he came to visit Tom here (Tom Quinn...his bro...Terry's last name WAS Quinn, but he changed it because I quess there was another actor with the same name...).

Nothing else to say...just excited about Lost starting again in about 5 and a half months! :)

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