…Had Things Been Different

9:34pm – No substantial comment here; just liked this shot of Sawyer and Zoe on the beach with 316 in the background.

Zoe continues her probing, obvious questions, making it more clear by the minute she’s not who she says she is.

9:36pm – And we have that confirmed: Zoe’s an agent of Widmore, along with some rifle-toting guys in flannel that, for some reason, reminded me of “Lord of the Flies.” I think that pudgy kid had something to do with the correlation.

9:40pm – “Stupid would be you, your friends and family!” So sayeth an elderly woman caught on tape yelling at her damn kids. All this and film at 11 on a special Channel 9 Eyewitness News Orlando report. Oh, sorry, got distracted for a sec.

9:41pm – Locke and Kate on the beach. Taking what Esau says at face value (always a dangerous proposition), we get some much-needed insight to his mysterious past.

• “My mother was crazy;” “a very disturbed woman.”
• “I had some growing pains [as a result]…problems I’m still trying to work through; problems that could have been avoided had things been different.”

I continue to refer to Smokey as “Esau,” due in large part to his nemesis’ having the name, “Jacob,” which immediately evokes Biblical imagery. Let’s post the Wiki info I shared in my recap of last season’s finale, when we first met the two:

Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebecca after 20 years of marriage.

Rebecca was extremely uncomfortable during her double pregnancy and went to inquire of God why she was suffering so. The Midrash says that whenever she would pass a house of Torah study, Jacob would struggle to come out; whenever she would pass a house of idolatry, Esau would agitate to come out.

She received the prophecy that twins were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives, and after they became two separate nations. The prophecy also said that the older would serve the younger; its statement “one people will be stronger than the other” has been taken to mean that the two nations would never gain power simultaneously: when one fell, the other would rise, and vice versa. [Genesis 25]

So let’s assume Esau’s mother is Rebecca. Rather than quote the whole article here, I encourage you to read one particular section of Rebecca’s Wikipedia page: click here.

Rebecca deceived Esau in favor of her preferred son, Jacob. If I’m an angry kid who felt he got slighted (and rightfully so), one might paint my mother as a disturbed lunatic who caused all those “growing pains.” Esau, given short shrift simply because God told her the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). God’s directives probably should probably be taken with a bit of faith, but if I were a kid who felt wronged, I’d be pissed.

9:42pm – Widmore’s crew brought their own mobile sonic fence pylons, clearly aware of what they’re dealing with and what Smokey’s weaknesses are (as far as they know).

9:43pm – Ford watches an episode of “Little House in the Prairie,” during which father Michael Landon tells one of his daughters the importance of living each day to the fullest and not wasting time worrying about what one doesn’t have instead of embracing what you do have, “laughing and loving each other” everyday. Sawyer’s dwelt on the man that destroyed his family for so long that he can think of nothing else and has no real life to speak of because of it.

The scene was capped off by Landon saying those no longer with us aren’t really dead, as “their memories are still with us.” Apt for this show, I’d say.

9:45pm – I loved that Sawyer’s attempt to ask Charlotte’s forgiveness included a giant sunflower and a six-pack.

I would’ve gone with Colt .45, James.

9:46pm – What’s in that locked compartment? Widmore’s got an ace in the hole that Smokey may not be ready for (assuming he can avoid the sonic fence pylons).

9:47pm – Widmore tells Sawyer he and his crew weren’t responsible for the deaths of the 316 survivors. I’m inclined to believe him, for some reason, and thus I’d pin those deaths on Smokey.

9:52pm – Claire, shed of her single-minded focus on an “enemy,” seems much more together and “sane,” dare I say. As I said earlier, perhaps the “infection” is nothing more than a sort of brainwashing Esau can use as he sees fit. Once she came face-to-face with the enemy and resolved the conflict, I’d guess the sickness went along with it. Too early to say for sure, though.

9:58pm – So Sawyer seems to be neither with Widmore nor Locke/Esau, but he certainly gave Smokey all the details he could muster. “I appreciate your loyalty, James.” Do you, Esau? Terry O’Quinn is sure doing a hell of a good job this season — I’m guessing he’s enjoying the heck out of his new role.

10:00pm – Not a terrible episode, but it smacked of “treading water” in a season few fans will want to accept such a story. Next week looks solid with a Richard-centric episode, but we’re in the home stretch here, writers, let’s get moving.

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