Lost - ‘Confirmed Dead’ - 4.2
Good news. For the last week or so, there have been numerous rumblings from all ends of the Earth that the Writer’s Strike is on the verge of being settled. Many believe that the strike will officially come to an end this weekend - when the Writer’s Guild meets with its members. By Monday morning, they could all be back to work.
Why do I bring this up in my Lost dispatch? With the ‘End‘ beginning on such a high note, the truncated 8 Episode Season seems like pure torture. This mystery continues to deepen and it would be a shame if all we got were six more eps and then out. Granted, there is bound to be some sort of layover as the production needs to ramp back up but I’ve read rumors that the Lost crew actually had the scripts for all 16 Episodes completed - only 8 had been delivered and filmed. That may prove to be good news as the script is arguably the most important ingredient when it comes to this show. Irregardless, the stike’s end is good for all.
Enough with that - on with the show.
1. ‘Confirmed Dead’ got right something this show has stumbled a bit with in the past - dropping in newcomers into the established ensemble in a way that makes them as compelling as our regulars. While Ben, Juliet and Desmond were effortlessly introduced, the likes of Nikki and Paulo deserve to remain buried. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised with how the four rescuers were introduced. It says a lot that I immediately want to know more about each one of them.
2. The first rescuer is Daniel Faraday - whom we initially meet as he is mysteriously moved by footage of a recovered Oceanic Flight 815 in the Indian Ocean. (Wait - Indian Ocean??? I’ll get to that in a minute). Daniel is trembling with emotion and doesn’t know why. Fist off, perfect casting with Jeremy Davies in the role. Davies is a regular in the independent film world but his most widely known role is as the cowardly soldier/reporter in Saving Private Ryan. He brings a nice, unhinged intelligence to his role as a brilliant physicist. Loved his observation - “The light… it doesn’t scatter quite right.”
3. The second one we meet is the angry Ghostbuster Milo Strom. Milo has a gift - the ability to speak to spirits - which ought to come in handy on this island of a few dozen corpses. Plus, with a teleporting haunted shack creeping around, a mystic is exactly the sort of guy needed for this job. The thing is, Milo appears to use his powers for evil or at least, his own benefit, as we see when he is contracted by the grandmother of a slain drug dealer. He helps rid her home of the unwelcome visitation but also liberates the specter’s sercet cache. At least he tosses the grandmother a bone by giving her half-off.
4. The third rescuer is Charlotte S. Lewis. (C.S. Lewis?!?!?) We first meet her in Tunisia where she is investigating a mysterious discovery in the desert. As with the others, she has a mysterious connection to Flight 815 (a quick line of dialogue reveals she is obsessed with digesting every detail of its mysterious discovery). More mysterious is what she unearths in the desert. A polar bear skeleton. As if that weren’t odd enough - it’s a Dharma Polar Bear as evidenced by the Hydra Station collar it’s wearing. How the hell did a Dharma Polar Bear make it all the way from Lostralia to Tunisia? Could some of those mysterious electromagnetic island properties that Dharma was experimenting on been used for radical experiments? Teleportation? That might fit in nicely in explaining how Desmond traveled through time and back again following the Hatch meltdown. I’ve got one other thing to discuss about Ms. Lewis but I’ve to get to the final rescuer.
4. Frank Lapidus, the helicopter pilot, is played by Jeff Fahey. Fahey has elevated Direct-to-Video works for years and really is a perfect actor to join the fold here. He brings a grizzled intensity to every role he’s inhabited and here, with the years starting to manifest, there’s some palpable history that he brings along with this newcomer. Frank’s flashback reveals a key element to this mysterious discovery. He correctly intuits that there is something off with the wreckage found at the bottom of the ocean. He knows the pilot (Greg Grunberg sporting a kick-ass Photoshopped 70’s Porn Stash) and doesn’t believe that the pilot featured in the cockpit video is the same guy that should have been flying the plane. In addition, he reveals another connection to Flight 815. He was supposed to pilot that bird.
5. Before I get into some of the other observations, I’ll wrap up the A-Team introduction with a few words on the 2nd appearance of the creepy Matthew Abbadon. Here we see Abbadon is the man who pulled this team together - presenting these disparate individuals to Naomi as her dream team (she calls them “a basket case (Faraday), a Ghostbuster (Strom), an athropologist (Lewis) and a drunk (Lapidus).)” It’s fascinating getting all of this background and then wondering why this particular group was pulled together to apparently liberate Ben from his island.
6. I think Lewis has some real connection to the Dharma initiative. When she unearths that Polar Bear she seems to have expected it to be there which leads me to believe this is part of a Dharma experiment. The fact that the polar bear is fossilized adds more credence to the time travel theory. Did Dharma send the polar bear back in time but couldn’t quite get the destination right? Or did they send it so far back that it made it to a point in prehistory where the island land mass was once connected to Tunisia (I’m too lazy to consult a map so I have no idea how far Tunisia is from the water). And to what ends would they care about time travel? I’ve often posited that Dharma is dedicated to making the world a better place and that they are soldiers in the battle against building evil. What if they are seeking to reset time - to transport everything back as a do over - and the polar bear was just one step in this experiment.
7. One other thing about Charlotte. When she comes to (trapped in the tree) she appears familiar with the place. When she first lands in the water, she is outright giddy. This can be read one of two ways - either she’s been there before and has returned home again (back to Narnia!) or she’s been searching for this place her whole life and at last has found it.
8. The wreckage. It is obvious that there is a major conspiracy at work to deter any further searches for Flight 815. But who could pull off such a massive undertaking (actually sinking a plane with real corpses on board) in a bid to get people off the trail. All we know is - that Flight 815 is not the real Flight 815.
9. I read online that one of the viral Lost games that ran over the Fall involved a salvage crew looking for the Black Rock in the Indian Ocean. The video footage we see during the opening is apparently from that crew. I thought that was a cool tie-in by the creators to link their expanded universe into the main show.
10. Sawyer brought his A game. Loved his reference to Locke as Colonel Kurtz and Ben as Yoda. He sure does love him some Star Wars.
11. What do you make of Locke and Ben’s reaction to Hurley’s slip that he too has seen the cabin? Ben was looking like he may need to take another potshot (once he gets done perforating Charlotte) and Locke seemed like he was pleasantly surprised that someone else had seen into the island’s mysteries. Or… he could feel threatened that what makes him special may not be as special as he thought. Maybe this is the reason Hurley later regrets having joined Locke’s cause?
12. It was a nice touch that Locke’s lack of a kidney was what saved his life. That and the Giant Walt.
13. And then there is Ben’s final words that he has someone on the freightor? Who, how and why?
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This post has 11 comments (now closed):
Saturday, February 9, 2008 12:01 pm
Why do you think Hurley was so quick to cover his comment on the cabin? How did he know that he should? And was anyone buying that?
Saturday, February 9, 2008 1:20 pm
I think he covered his comment because he already thinks he’s crazy with the prior visions he’s had (his imaginary pal Dave) so seeing a teleporting haunted cabin might make his fellow castaways think he was nuts.
Saturday, February 9, 2008 5:41 pm
I too think Hurley tried to cover the comment out of fear of being seen as crazy to the others, or perhaps, he thinks maybe he really didn’t see what he saw for reals because of Dave.
I’d say whoever is behind the Dharma Initiative is responsible for the cover-up wreckage, etc. Either that, or it is whomever Ben, Richard, et al are in league with. He’s clearly been photographed off-island. The NTSB guy on the phone seemed upset with Lapidus’ call, so is the government in league as well?
I think this reveals the secrecy around the Oceanic Six. They weren’t supposed to have survived given the wreckage reveal. They probably put out a story that just the six survived on a raft or something.
As for the “rescue” crew, I think all, or at least half of the four were supposed to be on Oceanic 815. We know Lapidus was supposed to pilot it, but I think Charlotte was so interested in the clipping because she was also meant to be on it. Not sure about the Ghostbuster or the geek, but certainly, Milo would seem like a perfect fit given all the spirits (hello Jacob!) floating about the island. Either that, or they have been recruited by Dharma to take back control by eliminating Ben? Or, maybe some anti-Dharma group. Charlotte certainly seemed to know what she was looking for at the polar bear dig. And, I’m with you, it’s a teleportation or time travel experiment gone awry. I’m thinking more teleportation given my Looking Glass theory. I don’t remember them saying how old the skeleton was…
Finally, I agree on the introductions. I liked the flashbacks happening before the island intro.
Lost: Confirmed Dead :: OB1og
Saturday, February 9, 2008 5:48 pm
[...] far, so good. Left my comments over on Ed’s post. I am starting to think of adjusting my six. I might change out Desmond for [...]
Monday, February 11, 2008 6:46 am
I heard that the repeat of this episode will be on at 8 on Thursday…ENHANCED with new scenes…
Monday, February 11, 2008 9:21 pm
I finally watch this episode on Sunday. I enjoyed the quick back stories on the folks. Just to get a feel for them. It is funny that at least three of the four seem to have type of connection with flight 815. All except for Milo. Who seems very bitter about everything. Even the spirts he asks to leave this world. He is one strange dude and deserves watching.
I also thought the look that Hurley got from Ben and Locke when he mentioned the cabin was telling. It must be pretty rare for folks to see that and they both seemed surprised. I also find it strange that Locke feels the need to find jacob again. What did the taller Walt tell him?
The one question they didn’t ask Ben after he told them they were there looking for him was why???
Also, my pick of Juliette as one of the six has to be off. The way Lapidus (and then Milo) reacted when she gave her name and they realized she was a “native” was interesting. Milo then said they were looking for Ben, again not saying why. I think they are going to have a lot distrust in her as it appears that Ben has been built up as something/someone bad by Abbadon. Plus as Lapidus said, she wasn’t on the manifest, so how could she be one of the six!
The whole fake plane is interesting. Who would have done that. They would have had to have know it landed on the island or else why cover it up. Why did it need to be found? I have way too many questions and not enough answers, which I like/expected in the first couple of episode. But I agree with Ed, how much more are they going to be able to shoot now that the strike is over? I think they will shoot enough to tie this arc off cleaning before starting another one. I just hope they didn’t shoot the first 8 knowing they might not return and rush the story along.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:38 am
@Chris - From what I am reading, Lost should be able to complete 13 episodes this season. 8 are already in the can and they have the time and ability to complete 6 more. Their original order was for 16 so we’ll only be losing two. As each season usually features a couple puff pieces, here’s hoping they jettison the filler. The good news is - when the producers lobbied ABC for an end date (May 2010) they set up an arrangement for 3 seasons of 16 Episodes each. Supposedly, they then crafted blueprints for the full arc (meaning they know how they want the show to end and what story beats they want to hit in the middle). In other words, they have a defined plan. So I don’t think we’ll get a rushed story as they’ll only lose 2 eps this season (and who knows - maybe they’ll just add 2 to one of the following 2 seasons or make a couple 2 hour eps).
@ Everyone - Here’s something creepy/weird/cool that I just read online in numerous forums (yet I haven’t been able to confirm for myself as I deleted the ep from the DVR).
In the scene where we meet Miles (I keep calling him Milo but the more I think about it, I think he’s Miles). Anyway, in that scene, when he first enters the grandmother’s house, the camera focuses on some pics of her grandson on the wall. We see this and assume it’s just to give a face to the ghost he’s busting (of course - we don’t know he’s a ghostbuster yet). Here’s the important thing - all of the pics have wooden frames.
After Miles does his job, he comes downstairs and gives the grandmother her discount. As he’s leaving the camera focuses on the pics again. I remember thinking it was weird that they did that but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. It just seemed random. Apparently, all of the picture frames are now metal. The pics are the same but the frames are completely different.
Now - you could argue it’s a continuity error but why would they set up props in wooden frames and then in metal frames. Seems like an easy thing to keep track of - especially on a show so consumed with keeping continuity. The weird thing is, the camera focuses on these pics on 2 separate occasions (before he goes up - after he comes down). A lot of people are reading this to be confirmation of the whole alternate time line/time travel/worm hole theories that are starting to pop up. Maybe Miles has the ability to not bust a ghost but to access altered time lines. Access a time line where that ghost doesn’t exist there anymore. Or perhaps his ability affects time in some way (as an after effect). That would explain why whoever Abbadon works for, would want him. I don’t know. I don’t have any answers. But that seems like a very deliberate thing they did. They know how obsessive fans are and wanted them to find that. What it all means? Who knows?
One other thing - I think Abbadon works for Widemore Industries - the company owned by Penny’s father. In some of the ancillary media (the viral games, the book Lost Twin) there are references to Widemore being a a founder - and later a competitor - of the Hanso Foundation - which ultimately created the Dharma Initiative. That would explain why they want Ben and would also explain why Naomi also had a pic of Desmond and why Penny didn’t know about the boat.
Just a thought.
See - this is why I love shows like this. All the guessing and wondering.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 4:24 pm
I still have the episode on DVR, so I will check that frame thing tonight…
And what do you think we could accomplish in the world if we all put THIS much time in figuring something out??? Maybe master a little time-travelin’ ourselves??
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 8:44 pm
So, based on the math and several references to losing two episodes only, I assume that first number should be 14 and not 13. Just want to make sure. That said, I don’t see why they can’t absorb 2 episodes without much effort.
As for time travel and Miles/Milo… I think my head will soon explode. Still have no idea what that tricked out dustbuster was doing… perhaps that shunts him back in time/dimension so that he talks to these people when they are alive somehow, but he also remains in the present… or it simply allows him to communicate across time or it is just something to scare up some Slimers…
@Chris: Don’t assume because they are the Oceanic Six that only six come back. It could be six from the plane and untold others. Juliet and Ben perhaps. The more I think about it, the more I think it will be Ben in that box and not Locke, however, he might sooner die than leave the island for good…
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 8:08 am
@ Sean - I read that the “dustbuster” was actually a tool used by supposed real-life ghost hunters. It actually expels cold air (sort of like a high-speed cool mist humidifier or air purifier). Apparently they use it as the cold air supposedly makes communing with the dead easier. So it was just one of Miles’ tools of the trade.
As for the coffin, my guesses on the body in the box are Ben or Locke. Thanks to the web, people have analyzed the newspaper clipping that Jack carried with him to the funeral. It mentions that the person took their own life - so it has to be someone who absolutely wanted to be on the island. My bets are one of those two are taken from the island against their own free will. The fact that Kate says “Why would I go?” infers that it is someone she (and Jack) would supposedly hate. It would be great drama to have Jack completely broken up over the death of his enemy as he has to be feeling guilt for calling the freightor. His actions effectively ruined everything.
Lost: The Economist :: OB1og
Sunday, February 17, 2008 2:52 pm
[...] my thoughts on who leaves from my comment back to Chris rang true, which makes smack-the-forehead sense. The Oceanic Six would have to be people from the [...]