TVGuide.com had a very interesting interview with Lindelof and Cuse where they asked them what’s the deal with Lost’s alternative timeline and is it too much for fans to handle? Carlton Cuse’s answer might surprise you. He stated that “We're still doing the same thing we've always done on the show, which is island storytelling and off-island storytelling. It just now starts to take on a different form in the final season. Like every season, each season is a distinct entity, so by the end of the premiere, you should have a sense of what Season 6 is shaping up to be like.” (link)
I secretly hoped the detonation of Jughead would not prevent the Oceanic flight 815 from landing, because let’s be honest, how exciting of a storyline would there be if everything from the past five years was just wiped away. Then again, how do you explain an atomic bomb going off and all of our favorite characters still being alive (and since when does an a-bomb sink an island)? While Jin’s explanation that our Losties had simply time jumped seemed to placate most viewers, I’m still perplexed on how to explain the fact that the Losties’ Dharma van time jumped too. I guess because they were in it/touching it meant the van got to time jump as well?
Regardless, I feel like we’re getting the best of both worlds with Lost’s new Flash Sideways. We’re not losing 5 years of continuity, and yet the plane did in fact land in LAX just as many people predicted. Even the most cynical of Lost fans had to enjoy watching that awesome scene between Boone and Locke on the plane. I got chills as Boone told Locke if they ever crashed on a deserted island he’d stick close by him. It was also really nice seeing Rose and Bernard so happy and in love on the plane. I’m really interested in seeing how the Jack/Locke relationship ends up playing out in the Alt-Universe.
But let’s get to the most interesting part of “LA X.” I’m going to refrain from commenting on all two hours of the show because I know everyone and their mother is already dissecting Lost’s season premiere, but there is one topic I have to discuss: Sayid. For some reason everyone’s jumping to the conclusion that Sayid is now possessed or inhabited by Jacob. Most are pointing to the fact that since the MIB is now Locke, it would make sense for Jacob to become Sayid (and his sudden accent change would suggest it’s not the same Sayid we’ve all come to know and love).
But there’s just one little problem with this rationalization, the MIB did not possess Locke, he just took his appearance. Locke’s dead body is still lying in the sand for everyone to see. Now I’m not saying it’s not possible Jacob has possessed Sayid, I just don’t think MIB’s appearance as Locke means it has definitely happened. The Others stated saving Sayid might have consequences, but Richard made this same caveat when he agreed to take young Ben to the Temple after being shot by Sayid.
Now, it doesn’t appear that Ben has ever been possessed by anyone, and he was resurrected by the Temple’s waters. Why would Sayid be possessed now when Ben wasn’t then? Although, I do like the way the Lost writers set this all up! First Ben is mortally wounded by Sayid and subsequently resurrected by the Temple’s waters, and then Sayid is mortally wounded by Ben’s father and now he too is saved by those same Temple waters. It made for some great foreshadowing didn’t it? Remember, while off the island it was Sayid and Ben who worked together to take down Widmore and protect the Oceanic 6. What does all this mean? I have no idea but it’ll be fun to find out!
Now, for all those supporters of the belief that Sayid is now Jacob, I think Sayid’s rebirth relies heavily on the truth behind Christian Shephard’s rebirth. You see, there are now two different schools of thought regarding Christian’s roaming the island. On the one hand Christian could just be another manifestation of the MIB/Smoke Monster, but maybe his dead body was possessed by Jacob similar to how many believe Sayid’s body is now inhabited by Jacob. We’ve still never seen Christian’s dead body right?
Regardless, the question everyone should be asking now is whether Christian is a force of good or a force of evil? I’m torn…my guess would be he’s the MIB and that’s why he told Locke he’d have to die to return to the island. But he did appear in Jacob’s cabin and we know the smoke monster could not enter Jacob’s cabin because of the ash circle, right? Then again we have no idea when the ash circle around Jacob’s cabin was broken. As an aside, I don’t remember where I read this but I think it was a great theory: the ash circle around Jacob’s Cabin wasn’t to keep Jacob in the cabin but to keep the MIB out. That way the Others could be sure they were speaking with Jacob when in the cabin and not the MIB in disguise.
I could go on and on, like about how awesome Locke's line to Ben was "I'm sorry you had to see me like that," but I’ll wrap this up with five questions to ponder until next Tuesday:
1. Did Rose, Bernard and Vincent the dog jump into the present with the rest of our favorite Losties, and if so why has Jacob not sent the Others to bring them in?
2. What is the real connection between the Others and Jacob/MIB. While the Others are followers of Jacob, we learned after Alex’ murder that the Others had the ability to communicate and summon the smoke monster (see: Ben calling the smoke monster to kill Widmore’s mercenaries). Seems weird they would be so cared of the MIB and yet still call him for help when they need him.
3. What do the mysterious whispers really represent? I always assumed the whispers meant the smoke monster was coming, but Kate heard them in the temple before the Losties were taken by the Mayan Others. Does this mean the whispers are different than the smoke monster’s click-clacks, or are the one in the same? If so, maybe there’s more similarities between the smoke monster and the Mayan Others than we think!
4. Richard knew who the Locke was right away and told everyone not to shoot, but why? Many people have guess the smoke monster can’t attack you until either you’ve attacked him or you’ve been judged, but then why did the smoke monster snatch the pilot out of the plane in the show’s first episode?
5. Regardless of whether Christian Shephard is the MIB or Jacob, why either of them need Claire and leave Aaron behind? There is obviously more to this story, but it’ll be interesting to find out who the real bad guy is, the MIB or Jacob.
