Apologies for the shortness of this entry; I’m tired and I wanna go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago and it went straight to my head. Plus, there’s not too much to analyze this episode, outside of some general thematic stuff. The major theme of tonight’s episode seemed to be one of belonging. The Others are a family–a dysfunctional one, to be sure–but a family nonetheless, led by a still firmly-in-control Ben. Each of the Others belongs to something larger–a singular purpose (which we have yet to discover). Sawyer and Kate. Jack and Juliet. Karl and Alex. All have grown closer to the other, each searching for someone they feel they belong with. The castaways that the Others kidnapped, in the brief glimpse we got of them, look to have become a part of the Others–and comfortably so. Perhaps they found that sense of belonging after being told the truth about what the Others are there on the Island for. Then again, maybe they had a few sessions in the brainwashing chamber.
Regardless, after so much conflict and anguish on both sides, everyone is looking for someone they can identify with and trust. If nothing else, tonight’s episode cemented already existing relationships while establishing new alliances between former adversaries (Ben and Jack, Jack and Juliet) that will make for the kind of environment that’ll generate some answers for the impatient viewing audience. After last week’s mindf**k episode with Desmond, this week couldn’t help but be a letdown. After this lovey-dovey relationship crap, I’d like to get back to Dharma & Co.
Quick Hits
- I didn’t have my closed captioning on, so I’m not sure of the spelling of our Thai tattoo artist, but if it’s Achira, then I have used all my Googling powers to find this:
Canna achira is a generic term used to describe the cannas that have been selectively bred for agricultural purposes. Cannas are used to extract many undesirable pollutants in a wetland environment as it has a high tolerance to contaminants. [Wikipedia]
EUREKA!
- We finally find out just what Jack’s tattoo means–at least part of it. The ‘5’ and images above it have yet to be explained, but the Thai/Chinese characters below it translate to “he walks amongst us, but he is not one of us.”
I think Isabel took it as a religious reference, but we know different. Kinda ties in with that whole theme of belonging I mentioned in the open. Jack didn’t belong in Phuket, and he sure doesn’t belong walking amongst the Others.
- We meet a new Other elite, Isabel, whom Tom describes as the “sheriff.” She appears to be the law enforcement in the Others enclave, enforcing the rules that Ben makes mention of in his note commuting Juliet’s death sentence. I’d like to take a look at those rules of theirs.
- Instead of a nasty death sentence, Juliet instead is marked with a strange symbol, one we’ve not seen any iteration before on Lost. What it means is anyone’s guess, and there ain’t enough info to speculate on what it means quite yet.
- I should mention something I missed last week: that sinister old jeweler woman’s name was Mrs. Hawking, as in Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time. BLACK HOLES!
Other Stuff from Other Sites
- Nada so far. Come back later.
Again, mucho regretto for the short entry. I’m operating on about 4 hours of sleep in the last two days. See you next week.