Lost – ‘Catch-22′ – 3.17
I’m a little behind so I am going to catch up in two quick posts.
Catch-22 was Desmond-centric and while not as stellar as the mind-bender ‘Flashes Before Your Eyes’ it still offered up enough little details to keep me interested the whole way through. Besides, any episode that begins with Charlie getting an arrow through the trachea is one worth settling down for. And when that episode decides to replay the slaying numerous times over… well, that’s just pure bliss.
All right – on with the show.
1. As I mentioned above, this episode began with Charlie taking an arrow through the throat (courtesy of Roussaud’s ’security system’). He then died a particularly nasty death in Desmond’s arms as he choked on his own blood. Then we were hit with a mosaic of scattered images and the truth became known – this was just one of Dezzie’s flashes. The twist here was the entire montage was capped with images of a stranded parachutist (is that a word – what the hell, I’m not looking it up so as far as I’m concerned, it is now) – anyway Des decided that based on the image of Penny that capped his future recap, he was spying his long-sought reunion with his beloved Pen and thus he decided, that if things were going to unfold as he had seen them, then Charlie had to die. Yes – Des is finally one of us.
2. In Desmond’s flashbacks, we learn that he was once a monk – or rather – on the road to joining the order. While it appeared this was just another stumble in Desmond’s rambling, booze-soaked former life, a little Easter Egg spied later in the episode tips the creators’ hand a bit. Perhaps, Desmond’s indoctrination and subsequent firing were all part of a grand plan. More on that in a moment. At the very least, we now know why Desmond calls everyone ‘brother’.
3. The little exchange Des had with his sponsor Monk regarding the name branded on the Abbey’s wine and its relation to a biblical story involving God’s tests of man is an apt metaphor for Desmond’s later adventures. His entire life – especially landing on the island and being forced to push a button for 3 years – is one major trial. Again, I call back to my Oddyssey theory - where Desmond is Oddyseus and is tasked with numerous trials set before him by the Gods in his bid to be reunited with his beloved Penelope.
4. It took me 3 days to figure out the tune that Jin, Charlie and Hurley were whistling. It’s from Bridge on the River Kwai, right? Joe will know.
5. Although Sawyer only got a few quick quips, I loved his “What are you two lovebirds arguing over? Who’s your favorite Other?” Sawyer cracks me up. ”What, do I have to make you a mix tape?”
6. Of course, if you show Charlie’s death in the opening sequence you just know it’s never going to happen. When he dies (not if – we all know it’s bound to happen) it will occur somewhere later in an episode and will be staged for maximum tragic or dramatic effect. Or maybe he’ll go out a hero. He should go out a punk.
7. The book Desmond found in that package was Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 – albeit an edition written in Portugese. The interesting thing there is in the Season 2 finale – when we got that glimpse of the outside world where the camera settled on two guys in some Arctic research station – the two guys were speaking Portugese and as we now know, were looking for Desmond with Penelope bankrolling them. That’s one thing I like about this show – the attention to detail.
8. When Desmond finally finds the person from his vision, he discovers that it is not Penelope but someone who has been sent to find him. At least that’s the way it appears through her only spoken line - “Desmond“.
9. Last piece – and this one is a big one. When Desmond turns in his cloth, we spy a picture on the monk’s desk which features him and… the old woman from Desmond’s time trip who explained to him the order of his universe and what he was destined to do. Who she is – I have no idea – but that is why I say that perhaps there are no accidents involved in Desmond’s predicament (and this lends credence to some higher power directing all of these little coincidences), which allows all of the various cross-connections that these former strangers have shared to make a little bit of sense.
Next week (or rather) in a little while – the Sun/Jin-centric ‘D.O.C.‘
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This post has 4 comments (now closed):
Sean
Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:55 pm
When I first watched the episode, I missed the opening bits, so I didn’t catch the Charlie stuff until the next time they showed it. I was all kinds of excited that they were finally going to do him in, with an interesting and difficult moral choice for Des to make. The flashes have you believe he must choose between saving Penny or Charlie… well, not much a decision to make there, but still, you are deliberately allowing someone else to die to save another and keeping that truth from them. Of course, were Des to let Charlie in on it, I doubt he’d choose to sacrifice himself for Penny.
It is too bad that they didn’t just get it over with here. Me thinks they’ll still take care of it before season’s end.
I caught the photo when watching it originally, but to see it in the screen grab above is funny. I think Michael Scott could have done a better job of Photoshop than that. It was an interesting touch throwing it in there though. Makes you wonder even more who that woman will turn out to be. The photo of the monk looks like a mug shot, which is funny.
I think you are right about it being from Kwai. I recognized it, but that does sound right. I couldn’t think of where it was from either.
:: Lost: Catch-22 :: OB1og
Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:59 pm
[...] has posted about the Desmond-centric episode, Catch-22. It features the origin of “Brother” and a lovely appearance by the dear [...]
Ed
Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:33 pm
Here’s one thing I know – in looking at the episodes ahead – here’s the batting order on flashbacks:
3.19 The Brig Locke (supposedly his flashbacks are all on the island – meaning we’ll flashback to what he’s been doing with his new pals)
3.20 The Man Behind the Curtain Ben
3.21 Greatest Hits Charlie
3.22 Through the Looking Glass Jack
Anyway, saving a Charlie flashback for the second to last episode makes me think he’ll buy it in that episode.
Incidentally, I came across this on TV Guide from their Rumor Guy – Michael Ausiello:
“I’m told there will be at least five deaths on Lost during the month of May.”
If Charlie is one of them, who are the other 4. My guess is The Others lose a couple so let’s go with Tom and Carl and on the beach – Charlie, Bernard and Rose. At least that will explain where they’ve been. Buying life insurance.
Joe
Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:12 am
Yep – you got it right – the whistle was from Bridge On The River Kwai