Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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Philosophy, Religion, Temporal Anomalies, and the Jackson Street Initiative!
What will become of Ben?
Radzinski's black light madness!
This may help!
Dan's character breakdown!
Christian Shephard:
Need I say more? This guy has done quite a bit of shepherding on the show, getting people to where they need to go (maybe like Abaddon?).
Jack Shephard:
Although there doesn’t seem to be a real-life philosopher counterpart for Jack, his last name says a lot about his character. He is the shepherd figure for the survivors of Flight 815. However, Jack once was called "Moses" in the Season 3 finale "Through The Looking Glass" by the first freighter visitor to The Island, Naomi. She makes this reference as Jack leads his people to the radio tower in an effort to contact the freighter and try to have his people rescued. The name "Moses" also ties Jack to Claire's son Aaron, Jack's nephew. In the Bible, Aaron was Moses' brother.
Furthermore, the first name "Jack" has been used for centuries in English stories as an archetype for "hero" (see Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack the Giant Killer, etc.) It also is commonly used as a short form of John in English, perhaps representing the similarities but differences between John Locke and Jack Shephard, both leaders in different ways. According to Wikipedia articles on name origins, some think that Jack derives from the French "Jacques," which comes from "Jacob." This is disputed, but whether true or not, the belief exists and may connect Jack Shephard directly to the Lost character Jacob and also to James "Sawyer" Ford (see James "Sawyer" Ford for more on the James-Jacob connection. So, in various ways, Jack's name ties him to John Locke, Sawyer, and Jacob.
John Locke:
This is the most obvious philosopher counterpart reference and the one that started my search for the connections between character names and real-life people. The philosopher John Locke is most famous for his beliefs that all people natural rights that include the rights to life, liberty, and property. Thomas Jefferson later exchanged "property" for "pursuit of happiness." Philosopher Locke also argued that government by human rulers is limited and when a government fails it must be overthrown by the people. A government fails when it fails to protect natural rights, and a rebellion is justified. Locke also argued that knowledge is derived entirely from direct sensory experience. This idea is part of the idea of empiricism, an idea also supported by the later British philosopher David Hume (for this, see Desmond David Hume). From this idea of learning, Locke argued that children learn best by doing. Locke argued against the old-fashioned notion that children are "little adults" and instead argued that they are very unlike adults in their emotional states, etc. Therefore, they learn best by doing rather than being told or by reading. The philosopher John Locke also lived during the reign of the English King James II in the late 1600s. Locke's theories helped bring about the liberal revolution that forced the Glorious Revolution in which King James II lost his throne and fled the country.
That's a lot, so how does the character John Locke fit into all that? The idea of natural rights is sort of elusive, but we'll just say that character Locke is a pretty fair guy. Character Locke best reflects his philosopher counterpart through the overthrow of Benjamin Linus. Ben had become tyrannical, and Locke's type of leadership offered a more enlightened way (philosopher Locke's ideas gave birth to the historical period of philosophy and science known as the Enlightenment). The Others (the people) realized that Ben had trampled on their natural rights (whatever they consider those to be) and that he must be cast out in favor of Locke.
The philosopher Locke's views on children resonate well with character Locke's relationship with Walt. While Walt's father, Michael Dawson, expects Walt to do as he's told, Locke cultivates a relationship with Walt where he allows the boy to learn for himself (e.g. Locke teaching Walt to throw knives, etc.).
Philosopher Locke's beliefs on empiricism seem to be opposite character Locke's. Character Locke accepts information from dreams and visions. As a "man of faith," character Locke plays foil to Jack Shephard's "man of science."
Aside from the significance of his name, character Locke seems to reflect Jesus Christ. His mother once told him (falsely?) that he was "immaculately conceived." And now, Locke has sacrificed himself (betrayed by the Judas-like Ben Linus) and returned to The Island resurrected.
The name "John" is thought to derive from the Hebrew name "Yochanan," which means "Yahweh is gracious." The name "Jack" is short for John and may connect the character John Locke to Jack Shephard, perhaps representing the similarities but differences between John Locke and Jack Shephard, both leaders in different ways.
Jeremy Bentham (aka John Locke):
Locke used this alias after he left The Island in search of the Oceanic Six. Actually, Charles Widmore gave it to him and pointed out the irony of the name. Because of this, the British philosopher counterpart Jeremy Bentham may tell us more about Widmore than Locke. The philosopher Jeremy Bentham is one of the first proponents of utilitarianism, the idea that actions are validated as long as they serve the majority of people (Spock's catch phrase "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few. Or the one."). At this point, it is unclear who we can associate most closely with Bentham, the character John Locke or Charles Widmore. However, both participated in the quest to return the Oceanic Six to The Island, and instance of looking out for the good of the majority (all those left on The Island, maybe even the world) at the expense of the minority (the Oceanic Six living in the real world).
Interestingly, Jeremy Bentham disputed the philosopher John Locke's idea of natural rights as it was being used for revolution in France and America during his lifetime (late 1700s and early 1800s). Bentham renounced the American Revolution, even authoring an opposing response to the Declaration of Independence. Bentham at first supported the French Revolution, but opposed it after the Jacobins took power in 1792 and continuing using violence to obtain their goals. The Jacobins of the French Revolution are different than the Jacobites of the English Civil War mentioned under the James "Sawyer" Ford listing, but both derived their name from a (Jacobins from the street where they first met, the Rue St. Jacques; Jacobites from the Latin form for (King) James (II), Jacob). Whether or not these Jacob references are tied to the character Jacob from Lost remains to be seen.
Another similarity between the real Jeremy Bentham and the character John Locke may be that Jeremy Bentham requested in his will that his body be preserved in a cabinet (I'm not kidding). The body is on public display at University College London as an "Auto-Icon," although the head was damaged during preservation and a wax head sits atop the corpse now. The damaged head inhabited the cabinet for a while, but numerous college pranks (like stealing it) forced the university to remove and lock it away. Interestingly, the Lost character also had some strange things done to his corpse after his death. We could sort of say that both had their corpses preserved in rather strange ways.
Also, we can relate Bentham to both Charles Widmore and the character John Locke. Bentham was a child prodigy (apparently, he began learning Latin at the age of 3), and this seems to be a prerequisite for becoming the leader of the Others.
James "Sawyer" Ford:
There's a lot to work with when you have three names. Let's first look at the name "Sawyer." James Ford took this nickname from John Locke's father, Anthony Cooper. Cooper spent his life as a con man and sometimes used the alias "Tom Sawyer" because the ladies seemed to like it. James Ford's mom liked it, and Anthony Cooper conned her into giving up the Ford family savings. James Ford's dad killed his wife and then himself after he discovered this bombshell. When Sawyer became a con man himself as an adult, he took the alias "Sawyer."
Sawyer can be connected directly to Tom Sawyer, a character invented by Mark Twain. Twain's character shared many simple character traits with James "Sawyer" Ford. He was a southerner whose parents died at a young age. Like James Ford in the early seasons, Tom Sawyer was sometimes portrayed as selfish and racist. Also, the word "sawyer" defines a person who saws timber as a profession. In Season 1, Sawyer often chopped the firewood for the Flight 815 survivors.
Second, let's look at the last name "Ford." This can be tied loosely to the concept of Fordism. Near the turn of the twentieth century, Henry Ford established the assembly line system for manufacturing cars. This inaugurated a new society based on mass production and consumption. James Ford reflects this attitude in his hoarding of consumer goods on The Island and his interest in living in The Barracks left by the Dharma Initiative. It's a loose connection but a connection nonetheless. Sawyer definitely reflects a hardcore consumer of produced goods.
Third, recent events have shown James "Sawyer" Ford to reflect the biblical character James. If Locke reflects Jesus Christ, then Sawyer reflects Jesus' brother James. Although James' place as Jesus' brother is disputed, it is often accepted that James was the biological son of Mary and Joseph. Paul wrote that James was one of the apostles who saw Jesus after the resurrection.
If Locke represents Christ (a birth foretold, a sacrifice for others, and a resurrection) then Sawyer represents James. Here's the brother connection. Both Locke and Sawyer had their lives ruined by the father figure Anthony Cooper. For Locke, he is a biological father. For Sawyer, he is the metaphorical father for what Sawyer becomes—a con man (like Cooper) driven by a desire for revenge. This connection becomes clear when Sawyer murders Cooper on The Island at the request of Locke. This ended both of their lifelong pain. Now, Sawyer awaits his "brother's" return to The Island much as the biblical James awaited the resurrection of Christ. The philosopher John Locke also lived during the reign of the English King James II in the late 1600s. Locke's theories helped bring about the liberal revolution that forced the Glorious Revolution in which King James II lost his throne and fled the country.
Interestingly, the name "James" derives from the same Hebrew word for "Jacob" ("Ya'akov"). The word means "holds the heel" because Jacob was born grabbing the heel of his brother Esau (see the "Jacob" listing for more on this). As a matter of fact, the English movement to place James II on the throne in the first place was called "Jacobitism" (Jacob being Latin for James). Hmmm...
Katherine (Kate) Anne Austen:
Kate Austen's philosopher counterpart must be Jane Austen, an important English writer in the early 1800s. Jane Austen's novels usually critiqued a society in which women relied on marriage as a means to success in life. Kate's character follows Austen's critique. She refuses to marry or settle down, and unlike women of Jane Austen's time, Kate takes a prominent role in an action-oriented world previously reserved for men.
However, Kate may have several real world counterparts. In the Season 3 episode "Left Behind," Kate meets Sawyer's former girlfriend, Cassi, in a flashback. Kate is using the alias "Lucy." (Interestingly, Jane Austen had a sister named Cassandra.)Why does Kate use this alias? Because Lucy is a saint (patron saint of the blind), and Kate memorized all the names of saints in Sunday school. It's no surprise then that Kate's first and middle names are shared by saints.
"Katherine" means "pure" (although Kate is far from pure) and is derived from an early Christian martyr, St. Katherine. Interestingly, St. Katherine also had marriage issues, refusing to marry anyone who was not her physical and intellectual superior. She apparently dreamed that she was brought to heaven where she married Jesus Christ, symbolic of her conversion to Christianity. When she converted some Roman women to Christianity (including the emperor's wife) she was condemned to death and was killed on a spiked wheel (a torture device eerily similar to the so-called "frozen donkey wheel" from the end of Season 4).
"Anne" means "favor" or "grace" and comes from the Greek "Hannah." In Christian mythology, she is believed to be the mother of the Virgin Mary. She is the patron saint of housewives and women in labor. This is interesting when compared to the above notions of marriage embodied in Kate's other names. Also, she delivered Aaron. She was there when Claire gave birth in a patron saint sort of way. Also, there are the childbearing issues on The Island. And we all know this Island really needs a patron saint of women in labor. Plus, if Kate truly is pregnant with Jack's child as Hailey theorized, there may be more to this connection with St. Anne.
Desmond David Hume:
Desmond has another clear connection to his philosopher counterpart, David Hume, via the duplicated name. David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and political theorist. He did it all. His beliefs and/or life are reflected directly in Desmond in many different ways.
First, they are both Scottish. But there are many more important connections. Hume argued against the Principle of the Uniformity of Nature, which states that because we know how events have occurred before that we know how they will progress in the future. This relates to Desmond's fight against the universe course correcting (e.g. saving Charlie) and to the statement that the "rules don't apply" to Desmond and that he is "unique." Yet, Hume also believed simultaneously in determinism (things caused by outside forces not related to human will) and free will, and this definitely relates with Desmond's ability to change the future through free will even though the future "can't be changed" according to Faraday and his mother.
Also, philosopher Hume discussed the nature of causality using a story that involved a man stepping off a street corner and being killed by a passing horse-drawn carriage. He discussed different possible outcomes if the man had left home later or if he done this or that differently. In fact, in the Season 4 episode "The Constant," Faraday told Desmond, "I'd be careful stepping into the street if I were you" in direct reference to David Hume's work. Compare this to Desmond who sees flashes of the future in Season 3 and changes those outcomes by acting differently. In the case of Charlie in Season 3 and finding Ms. Hawking in Season 5, Desmond uses free will in a deterministic universe to change fate.
Although this connection may not relate ultimately to Lost, it is worth noting. In real life, David Hume based much of his science and philosophy on the empiricism that can be said to have originated with the philosopher John Locke. Plus, the real David Hume still lives, indicating that Desmond might be immortal himself (OK, that last sentence was fake).
[that's probably the worst summary ever of the philosophies of David Hume, but he's pretty dense and abstract and I'm only doing this because I'm interested in a TV show...]
Penelope Widmore:
Penelope's first name relates directly to The Odyssey. In this ancient epic Odysseus' wife Penelope waits for her husband for ten years as he tries to return from Troy after the Trojan War. Penelope Widmore also waited years for her true love to return after being lost at sea.
Charles Widmore:
The only possible counterpart I can think of relates to the English Civil War. Here's the short version of that event. In 1648, Charles I (the son of King James I; remember the name "James" is derived from "Jacob") was deposed and beheaded. Then, Oliver Cromwell became England's dictator for twelve years until he was deposed and Charles' son, Charles II, became the English king. When Charles II died, his brother James II became king. This could reflect Widmore's loss of The Island to Ben (Cromwell?). See the Jeremy Bentham listing as well.
"Jacob":
The mysterious cabin-dwelling, technology-hating ghost (?) who apparently runs The Island (at least sometimes). Although this seems to be all we currently know about the character Jacob, there is a wealth of possible connections to the biblical character Jacob. Only time will tell how these connections pan out.
First of all, Jacob's grandfather was Abraham, informed by God that he will father God's chosen people and they will live in Israel. God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mt. Moriah (This is the name of the wine from the monastery where Desmond unsuccessfully attempted to become a monk. Desmond commented on the story of Abraham and Isaac.), but God told him the sacrifice wasn't necessary, that it only was a test. Isaac (Isaac of Uluru who tried to heal Rose in Australia?) fathered twin boys by his wife Rebekah, Esau and Jacob. The first popped out all hairy like man, and they called him Esau, which means "fully developed." The second came out holding the heel of his brother, and they called him Jacob, which means "holds the heal" or "he who follows." As they grew, Esau was an outdoorsman and a hunter ("not a farmer"?), but Jacob was simple and "a dweller in tents" (or cabins?). When their farmer Isaac was old and near death, Jacob tricks his brother out of his inheritance and ends up as master over his father's possessions.
Jacob eventually flees the wrath of his brother. During his flight, he witnesses a vision of Jacob's Ladder (angels ascending a ladder into heaven) and meets his future wives Leah and Rachel (Juliet's sister is named Rachel and Jacob apparently cured her of cancer himself, according to master liar Ben Linus). When Jacob later returns to his family land, he hears that Esau will attack him with an army. He leaves his family to wait while he goes ahead. Alone, he encounters an angel (or God in some interpretations) and wrestles with him all night with no winner. The angel finally touches Jacob on the hip, which ends the battle and makes Jacob limp from thereafter. The angel (God?) renames him "Israel," meaning "one who has prevailed with God."
Anyway, Esau actually welcomes him back along with his wives and twelve sons (who will become the namesakes of the 12 Tribes of Israel). The twelfth son actually is born on their way to the elderly Isaac's home. The twelfth son, Benjamin, is born before they arrive, and his mother, Rachel, dies in childbirth (just like Ben Linus' mom during his birth).
[FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, SEE BENJAMIN LINUS LISTING BELOW!
Charles "Charlie" Hieronymus Pace:
We get our first connection to a philosopher counterpart with Charlie when Desmond befriends him in an attempt to save Charlie from imminent death. In the Season 3 episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes," Desmond seems to travel back to the early 1990s but with some knowledge of his life after that. After Charles Widmore tells he shouldn't marry Penny because he's a coward and all that, Desmond walks outside to find Charlie playing the guitar on the street for money. On a sign by his guitar case, we see Charlie's full name: Charlie Hieronymus Pace. This is a connection with the painter Hieronymus Bosch.
Hieronymus Bosch was a Dutch painter known for grizzly depictions of his subject matter. As a painter in the 1400s and 1500s, we can sort of call him the rock star of his day and compare him to Charlie in that respect. But his choice of subject matter applies to Charlie's role in Season 3. Many of Bosch's paintings deal with the crucifixion of Christ or his birth. We can look at this as Charlie's wish to sacrifice himself for baby Aaron and to save the rest of his friends. Bosch also deals a lot with Heaven and Hell (Island/real world?), death (Charlie's many possible deaths prevented by Desmond), wasted life (heroin addiction), and the Garden of Eden (The Island?).
The name Charles derives from a German word ("churl") that described a free person who did not belong to the nobility. In a sense, Charlie was a second-tier Island leader below the "nobility" of Jack, Locke, Sawyer, Kate, Sayid, etc. That interpretation probably reaches but, hey, it works, right?
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes:
I think Hugo relates Hurley to French author Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Toilers of the Sea. In the first two books/plays, Victor Hugo tackled social injustice. In some ways, we can look at Hurley as the arbiter in the early seasons in that he helped get fair treatment for everyone. The third book discusses a group of shipwrecked survivors on a deserted island. I haven't read it, but a synopsis says that it also deals with the effects of the Industrial Revolution (substitute Dharma Initiative?) on the island while the main character attempts to gain the friendship and approval of his fellow castaways. (Seriously, that 's Hurley and that's what the book synopsis says!) Definitely a tie to Victor Hugo. I don't know if this means anything, but in Spanish "reyes" means "kings."
His nickname may be a nod to another similar show, Twin Peaks, in which two characters had the last name "Hurley."
Danielle Rousseau:
Rousseau's philosopher counterpart might really define the entire series in certain ways. Jean-Jacques Rousseau basically argued that civilization is bad but democratic participation in government can dampen its tendencies to corrupt a person. However, he argued that humans attained their greatest potential for goodness and purity in nature. This idea has been called the theory of the "noble savage" (A lot of people argue over whether or not he actually believed this but most have always thought that he does). Rousseau believed that man in nature will not be corrupted because he has no evil influence but this does not mean that he is essentially good. He is selfish and takes care of his own needs. Danielle really represents that noble savage. She worries about only herself, even so far as to steal a baby. She's not really evil but not really good.
Also, I find an interesting connection to the characters Jack Shephard and John Locke with Jean-Jacques Rousseau's first name, French versions of John and Jack. Danielle's first name is the female version of Daniel, meaning "God is my judge" or "judgement of God." In a way, Danielle Rousseau could be seen as Daniel in the lion's den (the Others/Hostiles), alone with only the judgement of God.
Ana Lucia Cortez:
Her last name possibly refers to the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Cortés arrived in the New World into a land that he perceived to be filled with primitive and hostile people despite the fact that these primitives had not harmed any of his men. Although the Others kidnapped some of the Tailies, they actually didn't hurt anyone, so Ana Lucia's actions sort of reflect the conquistador's actions. Cortés attacked Tenochtitlan just as Ana Lucia killed Goodwin and swore to kill any others. Also, she (like Cortés) killed innocents (Shannon).
Michael Dawson:
Michael Dawson relates to a gold rush town in Alaska's Klondike region in the 1890s. No, just kidding. Not much here. But there are some interesting connections with his first name and the archangel Michael. According to tradition, Michael was the general of the Lord's army. He supposedly cast Satan from Heaven. In the book of Daniel, he is portrayed as Israel's protector, much in the same way that Michael Dawson protected The Island (Israel) from the freighter people (Satan?). I guess he didn't really because he blew most of the "Israelites" up after the mercenaries already got to "Israel," but he tried. That's all I've got with that. Sorry, Michael. You get the short treatment as usual. "You can go now."
Walter "Walt" Lloyd:
He could be linked to either Walt Whitman, Walter Scott, or maybe even Walt Disney if anybody, but God knows how! However, the name Walter comes from two old German words, "wald" and "heri." The first means "rule" and the second means "army, warrior."
Mikhail Bakunin:
This is the patch-eyed Russian who worked at the Flame hatch where the satellite dish was. His philosopher counterpart is easy: Mikhail Bakunin, an anarchist philosopher. I don't know much anarchy he accomplished watching satellite TV but...
Martin Christopher Keamy:
This one's pretty cool and very fitting. A guy named Bob Sassone of the TV Squad blog called him the "Boba Fett of Lost." Nice one, Bob. Nice. First of all, I've heard that his name is an anagram for "karma enmity" (Martin Keamy), meaning that he is opposed or hostile to karma, a prominent part of the Lost world. But this is karma in the technically religious sense. Definition: the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences" (Mac dictionary). I'm a little confused by this but it works well with the dharma angles we've discussed before.
I've also heard (not sure if it's true) that "cimi" or "kimi" means "war" or "war god" in Mayan, but the first name "Martin" sometimes means "warlike" and is derived from the Roman god of war, Mars. Christopher means "Christ bearer" but this hardly fits (or does it?), but I believe they combined Martin and Christopher to make his first two initials M.C. in a nod to the actor who played Tom (aka Mr. Friendly), M.C. Gainey. Maybe not, but I don't see Keamy as a "Christ bearer."
Sun-Hwa Kwon and Jin-Soo Kwon:
I don't about this one. If Sun had Jin's middle name we've have a match: Sun Tzu. But alas... Could be a Raekwon the Chef reference but... I don't know. You decide. Looking at Jin's middle name written out explains why Sun always calls to him "Jin sushi." It's not sushi, it's "Jin-Soo she." At least that's one mystery solved.
Neil "Frogurt" Frogurt:
"Frogurt" means "enjoyable, flaming death" in ancient Mandarin Chinese.
Bernard and Rose:
These semi-expendable characters probably don't merit attaching significance to their names even though they merited a flashback episode. They perhaps have the most shadowy back story, and Bernard may be meant to rule not just The Island but maybe the entire world. Casting aside dentistry for a power grab always makes for great television. I believe the name "Rose" derives from a flower of some sort.
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ReplyDeleteI think I have a theory of why Ben and Sun cannot travel to 1977. Is Sun still pregnant? If so then maybe the same DNA cannot share the same space in time. Young Ben prevents old Ben from returning and if Sun is pregnant with Jin's baby then that would prevent her from traveling to 1977. Is this totally off? I cannot remember what happened with her baby.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, where are Rose and Bernard? And now where is Farady?
ReplyDeleteDan, I was looking at your work regarding the character names and I was thinking about people called Jack really being named John, and how we discussed Jesus (Locke) and James (Sawyer) and I thought about jack being John the apostle, but John the Baptist seems better. John the Baptsit was Jesus' cousin and paved the way for Christ. Maybe Jack is in 1977 to do some legwork for Locke to swoop in and save the day. And to be imprisoned and beheaded after serving his purpose.
Sun had that baby and she cold ditched it in Korea with her mom That was sorry. You may be right about Ben not being able to be in the same time twice, but I don't know how that works for Sun. And what about Lapidus? How come he didn't flash back?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBecause he was the pilot?
ReplyDeleteIf Lapidus would've flashed back who would have landed the plane? Maybe, also, because he wasn't one of the original oceanic crew.
ReplyDeleteWas Radzinski the one who painted the black light hatch art work?
ReplyDeleteChristian acted like Sun had to get back to the 1970s. Hawking said it might be unpredictable because it wasn't like the first trip on Oceanic. Maybe Sun didn't believe like the rest. She was still skeptical maybe.
ReplyDeleteRicky, I like that John the Baptist thing. Ben also referred to Jack as Thomas. I do think that Locke's purpose on The Island is to be some sort of supernatural guide (I still think he's Jacob), and Jack is supposed to be the Others' leader.
Who knew the baby was Ethan... It crossed my mind, but he didn't seem important enough.
Oh, and Horace's wife Amy mumbled, "Sarah" when Juliet woke her up. Jack's ex-wife is named Sarah. I talked to Haley, and she proposed that maybe we'll see more of Sarah's mysterious new husband. They never said his name and you can barely see him in the Season 3 premiere. Last time we saw Sarah, she was pregnant. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI knew little Ben was on The Island already! Scary little bug-eyed kid!
That lady that Ceaser woke on the plane that just crashed also mumbled Sarah.
ReplyDeleteShe said it too? Wow!
ReplyDeleteHey, that time line Morgan posted has some interesting theories too! One says Alpert was a descendant of the Black Rock and that he traveled back to 1900 after several years.
Morgan just posted some more of the character analyses. A few more will be coming soon.
ReplyDeleteI like the meaning of Frogurt's name. Is that for real?
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely for real...
ReplyDeleteNo, it's fake.
I think they called him Frogurt because he owned a frozen yogurt shop back home.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just read somewhere that a main character will die soon this season. They say it's not a fake death like Locke either. I know who it's not, but I didn't want to be too spoilerish. Just wanted you to prepare yourselves. If you want to know who it's definitely not, e-mail me.
ReplyDeleteJack= Dharma Janitor
ReplyDeleteKate= Motor Pool
Hurley= Chef
Already, Jack has a much more laid back approach to things.
The time Sun and Lapidus are in seems to be another "future" possibility. Looks as if Dharma-ville was never inhabited by Ben and the Others.
So something has dramatically altered the fate of the island.
Ive always proposed the timeloop theory, that the Swan's button was keeping the island in a loop, and perhaps the Fail Safe key was to freeze the island in time. But since the wheel got turned and knocked of its axis, it skipped and is now reset back to the 70s.
That runway they crashed on last night. In the beginning of Season 3, when Sawyer and Kate are prisoners busting rocks for the Others, they're told they're building a runway. What if the Others knew the Ajira flight would crash in the future, and built it for that purpose?
ReplyDeleteThats what Im thinking Dan.
ReplyDeleteEspecially since Jin is looking for Sun, they will eventually figure out that there is a time jump, and Im sure the will make sure a runway gets constructed in the future.
That baby being Ethan was lame, but a good reaction on Juliete's part. just thought it would be more significant. Ethan also looks older than early 30's.
The finale will be 2 parts, see as one 2hr episode on May 13th.
ReplyDeleteWanna know the title!?... email me.
Or let me know if its okay to post it.
Dont want to spoil, but I think you may have a good idea where this is going.
Post it! It will not bother me. Don't forget about the poll either.
ReplyDeleteRemaining Episode Titles:
ReplyDeleteEp:10 He's Our You
Ep:11 Whatever Happened, Happened
Ep:12 Dead Is Dead
Ep:13 Some Like It Hoth
Ep:14 The Variable
Ep:15 ???(not released yet, its not titled ???)
Ep:16 The Incident pt.1
Ep:17 The Incident pt.2
The Incident parts 1&2 will be seen as one episode back to back on May 13th, so its likely there will be yet another break before the finale.
In the season 2 finale; Michael trades Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley to get Walt back.
ReplyDeleteThese are the same 815ers that worked for Dharma in the "past".
But that does exclude Jin.
Not sure if this is relevant but its a plausible connection.
Just had me thinking, if they were building a runway on faith that Ben would one day need it to get back, then maybe thats why they choose who they did for the Walt swap. And this is possibly a way to get Sawyer and Kate to connect so Ben can keep Sawyer away from Juliete in the past/future.
Not sure why Hurley was sent away, but Jack was obviously kept for Bens surgery.
Well if Ben cannot return to the 70's because he is already there as a child, wouldn't that make it impossible that Miles is Chang's child as some believe? In that case, it would make more sense that Sun is somehow Chang's child since she, too, did not travel back. But that would be seemingly improbable since we have most of Sun's background.
ReplyDeleteAlso after last night's episode I thought that maybe the whispering heard by certain characters is some kind of echo effect—two time periods within the same location. When Sun arrived at the Dharma camp, where the others are located thirty years prior, she begins to hear the whispering that has been heard by several other characters in the past.
Also, I discussed this with Dan, but what is everyone's opinion about the war that Widmore warned about? I still think that the outcome of the Purge could possibly change with some knowing that it is coming. So maybe The Purge could end up being more of a war?
On the matter of the Season 2 prisoner exchange... I don't know how this works exactly, but Jin, Sun, and Sayid went to "rescue" Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and "Hurley" (in quotes because he didn't really need rescuing). That puts all of those people who are in the 1970s (assuming that Sun makes this long journey Christian told her about) on their way to the Others at the end of Season 2.
ReplyDeleteI think the Others intended to kidnap Jin, Sun, and Sayid as well when they stole the sailboat, but maybe Sun killing Picket's wife Colleen screwed everything up. I don't know if that makes sense.
I like the whisper-echo time overlap idea, Haley. It would explain all of that.
Good work on the character stuff Dan. If I may be so bold as to offer some additional information (I'll give the facts as I know them, and leave the application to you). Walter Lloyd was an author in the 1800s who penned a work titled "The Hope of the World: An Essay in Universal Redemption." It hits a variety of topics including Justice, Mercy, Sin, Salvation, Sanctification, Deliverance, Faith, Hope, Charity, Pending Wrath, and Judgement. I tried to sift though some of it, but it's a tough read--a lot of thous, haths, and so on. Also, Walt's middle name is Andrew, so you've got think of Andrew Lloyd Webber--Broadway guy who wrote Cats, Phantom of the Opera and . . . are you ready? Jesus Christ Superstar. Ding ding ding that (if my understanding is correct) portrays Judas not as a traitor, but as a victim of fate if not all out hero--someone had to betray Christ, so we could all be saved. Shouldn't he be applauded for this sacrifice? Also Webber wrote Joseph and the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat. This is a mirror of the biblical account that tells of *Jacob* and his 12 sons, who are jealous of Joseph and sell him to slavery, but tell Jacob he was killed by wild animals. Joseph goes to Egypt and wins favor with Pharaoh, while his brothers in Israel are stricken by a famine. They travel to Egypt to escape the famine and Joseph (not recognized by the brothers) gives them food and water and sends them away, but he places a cup in his brothers sack to frame him for robbery. That brother is Benjamin. Ultimately, Benjamin is accused, but the remaining brothers agree to trade themselves if Benjamin ca go free joseph is moved by this sacrificial behavior, reveals himself, and sends them all home to fetch his father Jacob for a big family reunion. I may have gotten off point there, but it was some interesting ties with the names I wanted to share. Again, excellent work on the names.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricky. Wow, I can't believe I missed the Walter Lloyd connection! That's awesome! And I still was working on the Ben Linus one, but I basically was going to tell the story of Joseph and his brothers to make that Jacob connection. I always thought that it was cool that Joseph interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh as well. The only thing I could add to Benjamin is that the name means "son of my pain," "son of the right hand," or "son of the left hand" depending on the interpretation. "Son of my pain" is because his mother Rachel died while conceiving the biblical Ben (like Ben Linus).
ReplyDeleteAnd the left-hand, right-hand debate is really cool too because it either means good or bad (like Ben Linus). The Latin for "left" (sinistra? something like that) is the origin of "sinister."
We need to change the Walt info, but I need to figure out how to do it. I'm gonna use your info from above for Walt and Ben. I need to add some insights that Waller gave me into Jeremy Bentham also. Matt said he was gonna compile the freighter scientists' stuff. I love the name significances on the show (obviously, I just wrote some huge paper on it)! After I spent a day working on that I realized that I have a real paper to write this week...
And by the way, the blog is rockin' Morgan. Thanks for doing this.
Proposal for the next Quiz question:
ReplyDeleteWhere are Rose and Bernard?
a)dead
b)living in the caves
c)living with The Others
d)working for Dharma, we just havent seen them yet
e)didnt flash to the 70's and are living in the Baracks with Christian
f)found a way off the island
To address the "sarah" comment that is supposedly spoken by Illana(the woman escorting Sayid) on 316.
ReplyDeleteShe does not say "sarah", she says "Jarrah".
she says it with an accent so it does sort of sound like sarah, but its actually Jarrah, which is Sayid's last name, which makes much more sense.
Ahh, that does make more sense for her. But Horace's wife Amy did say Sarah. This couldn't be Jack's ex Sarah... Or could it?
ReplyDeleteWhen does Amy say Sarah?
ReplyDeleteI watched the episode again and I didnt ever hear her say "sarah".
when she wakes up in the hammock, she just rolls over and says "Juliette".
Double check that, Im not hearing it... or is it in another episode?
In the "LaFleur" episode, Jin tells Sawyer he had just completed a search of some section or other. He says something like, "No sign of them." Maybe he wasn't talking about the return of Locke and the Oceanic Six. Maybe he was talking about Bernard and Rose. They are the only ones known (or thought) to be still on The Island. Maybe (hopefully) they've been looking for Bernard and Rose all this time. I could see them living in the caves, but it would be cooler if they were living with the Others/Hostiles. Rose is special like Locke in that The Island cured her cancer.
ReplyDeleteOK, you're right, Matt. I must be insane or something. I checked both "LaFleur" and "Namaste." Amy never says Sarah. I must have misunderstood what Ilana said and then transposed it over to Amy. That's all I can figure. I still predict that we'll see Sarah again in some important role. Remember, she refused to tell Jack her new boyfriend's name, and we only see him from afar. Not close enough to make out too much. The last time we saw her she was pregnant.
ReplyDeleteBut nobody said her name. I'm crazy.
I just read that the name of the old lady in Juliet's book club (beginning of Season 3 and in one Missing Pieces mobisode) was Amelia. Amelia Earhart maybe? She would be over 100 years old, but maybe The Island kept her from aging much. Probably won't ever hear anything about this, but it would be cool.
ReplyDeletewhere be waller?
ReplyDelete