Preview: The Shape of Things to Come

The day has finally arrived. Lost is back. For reals.

It has been a long six weeks, huh? I've tried to fill the void with other shows...namely The Bachelor: London Calling. However, when I call Charlie and ask him if he thinks Shayne is really in it for love, or if Chelsea's dress was just a little too low-cut, or if Amanda's "meeps" seem a little too contrived...well, he doesn't return my phone calls, texts, or emails. I just don't get it.

But we're back in the saddle and back on the trail. All signs point to a dramatic, intense, suspenseful, unpredictable, sad, exciting, crazy, helluva six weeks (see Charlie's previous post for the remaining schedule).

And it all starts tonight.

The Shape of Things to Come is the title.

There are conflicting reports about the "centricitiy" (pretty sure I made that word up) of the episode. The two prominent predictions are either Sayid or Ben. Either way, it is safe to say this episode will set up the shape of things to come (mua ha ha, brilliant play on words). If you've seen the previews, it looks like there will be some serious action sequences...one of which involves a fire-fight in the barracks? I hear gunfire in the previews and see explosions...looks like it won't be a calm day at the beach.

H.G. Wells: Father of Science Fiction
Since we all know that Lost writers love to read random books, I'd like to take a moment to look at the literary references that come with the episode title. The Shape of Things to Come is a work of science fiction by H. G. Wells, published in 1933, which speculates on future events from 1933 until the year 2106. It is not a novel, but rather a fictional history book or chronicle.

The book is dominated by Wells's belief in a world state as the solution to mankind's problems. Wells successfully predicted World War II, although he envisioned it dragging on into the 1960s, being finally ended only by a devastating plague that almost destroys civilization. Wells then envisions a benevolent dictatorship arising from the controllers of the world's surviving transportation systems (the only people with global power). This dictatorship promotes science, enforces English as a global language, and eradicates all religion, setting the world on the route to a peaceful utopia. When the dictatorship finds it necessary to kill political opponents, the condemned persons are given a chance to emulate the ancient philosophers Socrates and Seneca and take a poison tablet in a congenial environment of their choice. Eventually, after a century of reshaping humanity, the dictatorship is overthrown in a completely bloodless coup, the former rulers are sent into a very honorable retirement, and the world state "withers away" (as was predicted by Marx). The last part of the book is a detailed description of the Utopian world which emerges.

So what does this mean for tonight's episode? It could mean absolutely nothing. However, it could be a whole lot of somethings. Wells's belief in dictatorship as the ultimate form of government certainly has implications in the Lost world. In the most obvious sense, a dictator "dictates" what those under him/her will do and can do. We have seen many characters (three in particular) step in and out of a dictator role throughout the seasons:

Ben: Ever since the Purge, Ben has been in a leadership position among the Others. While he says he is not be the ultimate leader, he sure has a lot more power than, say, Goodwin. Whether or not Jacob is really giving Ben his orders remains to be seen. However, the Ben we have come to know is absolutely the dictator of the Others, in control of just about every aspect of their lives. Juliet's transformation from 6 month guest to 2 year prisoner is perhaps the best example of this.

Locke: The ongoing struggle between Jack and Locke for leadership of our 815'ers seems to have reached a temporary standstill. Their two separate camps are now operating independent of each other, at least for now. Locke seems to be running his camp like a dictator, although in "Meet Kevin Johnson" when Locke called a "camp meeting", he looked like a democrat, if just for a moment.

Jack: There are certainly times when Jack's usually all-inclusive leadership style snaps and he demands things of the individuals around him. It is yet to be seen how Jack will react when his leadership is tested by the individuals on the freighter (if they ever arrive...).

Whether or not Wells's book correctly predicts events of tonight's episode or not remains to be seen. However, I can't help but see a correlation between the end of the book's Utopian society and our island. Ben (and possibly Widmore?) appear to think the island is, indeed, a utopia...and want to keep it that way. Is that the end of the series? A Jurassic-Park like escape on a helicopter, leaving our island untamed, unmanned, and unchanged? I wouldn't go that far. At least, I don't think I would go that far.

Nadia is back
From the cast credits of tonight's episode, we know that Nadia will return. I think it would be helpful to review what we know about Nadia in order to fully grasp the significance of her appearance.

Noor "Nadia" Abed Jazeem is Sayid's former childhood friend and long lost love. Though coming from a background of wealth, she chose to join an insurgent group against Saddam Hussein's regime, which caused her to become the subject of repeated captures and interrogations by the Iraqi Republican Guard. With Sayid's promotion to the Intelligence Division, he was reunited with Nadia while she was imprisoned, and was tasked with her interrogation. However, the little time they had together only gave them a chance to reconnect, and drove Sayid to try to help her get her charges dropped. When his superior officer, Omar, ordered her execution, Sayid resolved to instead help her escape. During the attempt, Sayid had to shoot Omar, who caught up with him and Nadia. As a cover story, Sayid shot himself in the leg and let Nadia escape with his gun. Before escaping, Nadia frightfully begged Sayid to come with her. When he refused, she left him her photo with the Arabic inscription; "You will see me in the next life, if not in this one".

Nadia's escape was successful, and later in Los Angeles she met and hired John Locke to inspect a house she was buying. Through the few words they exchanged, she revealed that she was not married. At some point, Nadia was in England, where Charlie spotted her being mugged in an alley. After he confronted the mugger and drove him away, Nadia thanked Charlie and told him that several other people noticed what was happening but just walked by. She told him that he was a hero and to not let anyone else tell him otherwise. Charlie later regarded this as one of the best moments of his life in the amazing episode "Greatest Hits."

Her whereabouts were later used as a lure by the CIA to get Sayid to work for them (the episode, "The Greater Good", was in late season 1). Eventually, they informed Sayid that Nadia was working in Irvine, CA, as "a lab tech in a medical testing company". When Sayid was held prisoner by Rousseau, he told her that Nadia was dead because of him. He never mentioned the source of this information, how she died, or how he had anything to do with her death.

It remains unclear what he meant by this comment...and whether or not Nadia is alive or dead. Could tonight's episode finally give us this answer? I think that is a distinct possibility.

The Body that Washes Ashore...
ABC's promo for this week's episode says: "Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore." Altogether now: HUH?? A body? My money is on whoever got into the boat Minkowski talked about...the guy who "never came back." Of course, it could be Regina, who bound herself with chains and jumped overboard. I'm assuming Jack would recognize Mikhail (McPatchy), but maybe it is him. Or one of the Looking Glass Girls (yes, Charlie, dreams do come true). Or, let's be honest: it could be another passenger of Oceanic 815 whose body finally washed ashore.

Let's just say this. After thinking "who on Earth could this body be," I've realized we actually know about a lot of bodies that are out there in the ocean, as ridiculous as that sounds. So, it is either someone we know...or, in true Lost fashion, a new character. And a new mystery.

Final Thoughts
As you watch tonight's episode, savor every minute. The six hours left in Season 4 are going to go fast. And, from all the interviews with the Lost producers I've read, we're going to be getting answers left and right from now until the end.

The biggest reveal, of course, could happen at any time.

"What are you talking about, Maggie?" you ask.

We're going to find out who is in that darn coffin before the season is up.

Oh. Hell. Yes.

Namaste,
Maggie