So far, Season 6 of LOST has not disappointed. I want to focus primarily on the redemption stories in the series as we follow the characters through the rest of the adventure.
The parallel universes has confirmed one thing: These characters were “lost” whether or not they ever landed on an island. They are, first and foremost, spiritually lost. In this episode, we had Kate helping Claire with her pregnancy (like on the island), and Ethan stabbing Claire with needles to care for her during pregnancy (like on the island).
The quest for redemption in each character’s life is at the heart of this 6th season. Here are the glimpses of being “lost” and “found” from episode 3:
Kate: This was primarily a Kate episode, and we get three key insights: (1) Even without the island, Kate’s good-heartedness is evident as she risks recapture to help Claire. (2) On the island, Kate seeks Claire to bring her back to Aaron, and this is her primary reason for returning. (3) Her search for redemption through relationship with Sawyer continues to be futile, and will likely always be so.
Jack: The “shepherd” wrestles with some much-needed self-doubt, and in the midst of it, makes one of his most important decisions yet: risking his life to protect his friend by swallowing the poison pill. (Note that he proclaims, “I don’t trust myself. How am I supposed to trust you?” right before swallowing the pill. This is true humility leading to self-sacrifice.) This opens up a big lost/found redemption plotline, which I’ll explore below.
Sawyer: His discovering the capacity to love has put him on the brink: He’ll either discover that his time with Juliet was better than not finding love at all, or he’ll become cynical and jaded. Bet on the former, but the tension of the latter has been introduced: “I think some of us are meant to be alone.”
Sayid: After coming back to life mysteriously, he is “tested” by torture and found to be infected by an all-consuming darkness (if those in the temple are right). This is the most important newly-introduced topic.
It’s important, because we’ve got a tension set up now. Sayid has been taken over by this darkness, and once it reaches his heart, he will be fully claimed by the darkness (which we must assume is in some way related to Smokey – or now, Smocke). We’re told the same thing happened to Claire, and then we meet Claire, who has quite obviously taken the place of Rousseau.
If the Others are correct in their religion, we should now assume that “Christian Shepherd” is a manifestation of Smocke, and Claire was lured by him into following and being consumed by the darkness. Sayid will supposedly following. Sawyer introduces the legalist’s cynicism early on in reacting to Sayid’s resurrection: “He’s an Iraqi torturer who kills kids; of course he deserves another chance.” The grace needed for redemption is lacking there, and it appears the temple religion follows Sawyer’s belief in “justice.” Sayid is condemned, because he should be condemned.
But since the re-cap show last week so heavily leaned toward free will being able to trump the tyranny of “fate” via Juliet’s sacrificial death, look for the religion of the temple to be exposed as an oppressive hoax (whether its followers know it or not), or perhaps an organization that has lost the way of Jacob (the importance of free will), for Claire and Sayid both to rise above and defeat this inner darkness, and for Jack to lead the way by further acts of self-sacrifice. Claire’s being consumed by darkness is the key here. We might be ready and willing to accept that an Iraqi torturer would deserve to be consumed by darkness and claimed by evil, but we wouldn’t think the same about Claire.
Best line of the episode: “Dude, you’re not a zombie, are you?” ~ Hurley. He always gets the best lines.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Great thoughts, Travis. The whole redemption theme is most compelling to me this season too, especially after that “Amazing Grace” promo I started seeing a few months back.
So good to see the old Jack returning, but with a needed dash of humility. His swallowing of the pill truly was an awesome moment, a heroic compromise between Man of Science and Man of Faith.
Very worried about Sawyer; he’s in a really dark place now. But like you, I think he’ll come out of it eventually. But it’ll be a slow process. Loved seeing Ethan in LA. Curious what further role he’ll have to play, if any. I’d like to think the sideways story offers him a new lease on life.
The Hurley line was great, as was his huge bear hug when Sayid came back to life – hug first, ask nervous questions later. Very Hurleyish. But my favorite line was when Jack comes into Dogen’s chamber and he’s sitting there twirling the baseball around, and Jack asks, “What’s that?” and he replies, “It’s a baseball.” I love it because half the people watching were probably thinking the same question; I know I was. And I think the writers wanted to poke fun at our ardor for examining tiny details and remind us that “Sometimes a baseball really is just a baseball.”
Great post, Travis. Smocke–love it. I believe that choice and free will versus fate and destiny, in addition to redemption, are strong themes this season.
I’m currently reading the novel Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer (basis of the ABC show, but very different). There is an involved discussion of Minkowski’s (remember the character so named on Widmore’s boat, the first time-traveling character we met?) blocked time, Niven’s Law, alternate timelins, and Shrodinger’s Cat (with its interpretations), which would resonate with any Lost fan and helped me to understand the various time theories.
What a hoot to see Ethan. In Alta 2004, I think we can presume that Amy and baby Ethan, like many other Dharma-ites, left the Island before the Incident and never returned. What a wink to his kidnapping of Claire to The Staff.
Erin, this is only the first day of Sawyer’s traumatic loss of Juliet and he’s had to lose her twice! His repeated statement, “We had a life here” is heartbreaking. I think he’s in a dark place of grief, anger, and bitterness, but it’s understandable and not the same darkness as the Sickness. Sayid has been building up his tragic darkness for a long, long time.
Claire as “infected” was a huge surprise. I think we must assume that something happened at the New Otherton house explosion. The Rousseau angle is intriguing.
Hurley has always been my favorite character. If Locke was faith and Jack was science, Hurley has always been the heart of the group, and has been the most emotionally insightful. And he’s hilarious.
I find it difficult to connect the temple Others with Ben. If Sayid has been building a “darkness,” Ben has been a most amoral killer. I’m certain that those he had Sayid murder had nothing to do with the castaways’ safety. Which makes me wonder what really happens to people baptized in the Temple Spa.
Ah, the fun of Lost.
I am amazed that I have never watched this show with everyone telling me how intricate and thoughtful it was. Dang, I guess I will have to start renting past seasons. Of course I am a faithful follower of another plot dense an intricate show (Heroes), so hopefully my brain won’t explode.
Oh, it will explode all right. But you’ll enjoy it!
Arabella, thanks for the recommendation on time travel. I definitely need a source to get familiar with time travel theory in fiction.
I think Jack’s journey is the journey from “man of science” to “man of conscience.”
Flashforward centers around the argument over, as you say, “free will being able to trump the tyranny of ‘fate.’” The book explores several theories about time travel, alternate timelines and realities, and destiny vs. free will. Definitely in the Lost zone. Plus it’s an intriguing book so far.
Another book with Lost resonance is Replay by Ken Grimwood, where a man must live his life over and over, and does so differently each time (hat tip on this one to Jeff Jensen). Weirdly enough, the man on the cover looks a little like Ben.
I think differently about Jack. I see him as historically overburdened with conscience to the point of becoming a miserable control freak and messianic fixer. I believe his journey is from proud “man of science” to being simply human, accepting his and others’ flaws and limitations with humility. This will make him a free man, having a balance of reason (science) and faith.
We’re saying the exact same thing, but using the word “conscience” differently. I’m using “conscience” to refer to the logos epistemology, the true balance of heart and mind in the spirit (what Harry is to Ron and Hermione).
Duh, slap forehead. Logos/conscience. As Hurley would say, “I knew that.”