Smell that? It’s the faint scent of masculinity pervading the usually feminine Wednesday Preview atmosphere. This week, Maggie and I are making like Locke and Ben by switching places. I’ll be handling the preview duties (he he, duties!) and Maggie will swoop in tomorrow morning with a sleepless review. We’ll return to the usual format next week, but I needed some shuteye this week.
Wait. How do I write a preview? Damn. Didn’t think this one through. Without the usual overly-abundant wealth of plot to chew through, I’m like a ship lost at sea amidst an electromagnetic anomaly. Minus the nosebleeds.
But alas, my Dharma Blog Constant, Maggie, has provided me with some key questions to examine as we head into tonight’s optimistically-titled episode, “This Place is Death.” She posed a few questions to me earlier, and I’ll do my best to answer/theorize/fumble my way through each of them. Oh, and I’ll use it as a pulpit from which to spew…err…unveil…an all-new theory. Hang on to your tinfoil hats.
Maggie: How can Ben prove that Jin is alive?
Charlie: Well here’s why he can’t:1. I’m not sure Ben knows that Jin is alive. The story he must’ve gotten from the O6 was undoubtedly grim, as they saw Jin blown away on the Kahana as Sun lost her mind. And if Jin’s dead body has just been floating out around the ocean, how would anyone tell Ben? Hell, even if Richard knew, the Island’s communication systems are down. Plus, it’s a scientific fact that, when in a time warp, the most cell phone reception you can get is one bar. And it has to be with Verizon.
2. Even if Ben had undeniable proof, why should Sun believe him? She’d call “bull” (in Korean), sniff it out as a ploy to get her back to the Island – even though it wouldn’t necessarily be one – and, much like Hurley, would opt for safe over sorry by not returning. She’d call him a liar, maybe try to shoot him, then go back to Korea to purchase more tight-fitting businesswoman suits.
Of course, here’s how he can prove it:1. Time travel. Here’s a possible scenario: Team Locke, at some point in their time travels, come across Ben. They tell him everything that’s happened, including the bit about Jin being alive (once they find Jin). So say this little rendezvous takes place in the 1995 section of the timeline. Making a leap to believe that Ben can absorb and retain the knowledge his past self is obtaining (like a PDA syncing with a laptop), he would know about Jin.
2. Richard. While he can’t “communicate” with the outside world, he can travel there. Assuming Richard knows about Jin, I’m guessing the item would make his agenda when he inevitably meets up with Ben.
3. Locke/Jeremy Bentham. I want, more than anything, to see a Jeremy Bentham – Ben Linus confrontation. I don’t see how the writers could deprive us of this. If Locke finds out about Jin before he leaves as Jeremy Bentham, and finds Ben once he’s off the Island, then Ben knows about Jin.My bet: Everything logical tells me to say “he doesn’t know.” Which is precisely why I think Ben does know about Jin. And if Richard, Jeremy Bentham or some other time traveler can give Ben physical proof (like a picture), then he’ll have all he needs to convince Sun. And Sun will have all the motivation she needs to go baaaaaack.
Maggie: Why would Widmore send Sun the gun (hey! it rhymes!) since we already know there is some sort of rule saying that Ben cannot be killed? Or that Widmore/Ben cannot kill each other?
Charlie: First of all, great rhyme. Second, this little “rule” has puzzled me ever since it’s unveiling in last season’s The Shape of Things to Come.
WIDMORE: Have you come here to kill me, Benjamin?
BEN: We both know I can't do that.
WIDMORE: Then why are you here?
Did he mean “I can’t physically do that” or “I can’t ethically/morally do that”? If it’s physical, then that’s the end of the argument. If it’s an unspoken rule, then it might not be one for long. Don’t forget, Ben said Widmore had “changed the rules” when Keamy killed Alex last year. If the Linus-Widmore feud has a no-kill clause, it might be in jeopardy due to a breach of contract.
I’m going to assume the “can’t die” concept is ethical/moral in nature. If people on this show are immortal, the show is risking a trip into dangerously hokey ground. I think there might be some sort of Code of Honor that governs the Others and, by extension, its alumni (such as Ben and Widmore). Different as their intentions may be, Ben and Widmore’s loyalty to the Island binds them. And playing by its rules (for the most part) may be their way of respecting it. It’s like, no matter how much Shaq hates Kobe, there’s still refs. (Worst analogy ever).
But Sun. Sun can kill Ben. I just don’t think she will. I think this ruthless bad-ass act she’s putting on is just that: an act. She has been vulnerable and submissive almost her entire life, and no event – no matter how catastrophic – can so instantly trigger her killer instinct. She may think she’s going to kill Ben. But if he has something even mildly compelling to change her mind (cough proof of Jin cough), she won’t go through with it.
Maggie: If Widmore knows about Mrs. Hawking (where she is, maybe what she is doing) then how is Mrs. Hawking working for Ben? Or more simply, where is her allegiance these days?
Charlie: I’d like to take this time to thank Maggie. For she is about to launch me into my new pet theory. It goes something like this.
Here comes pure conjecture. A theory, yes. But I promise it's possible and well-founded. Either way, please put on your tinfoil hats, then hold the eff onto them.
Here's what I think: we know Ms. Hawking much, much better than we think we do. First off, her name is Eloise Hawking (as proved by the “enhanced” LOST episodes this year). The rest of this is just my sick mind at work…
Ms. Eloise “Ellie” Hawking is Daniel Faraday’s mother. Daniel named his lab rat after her, since she inspired his love for quantum physics. Because Eloise Hawking used to live on the Island. It was 1954, and she went by Ellie. This is also why Daniel could just swear Ellie looked familiar in 1954. She worked under Richard Alpert, and feuded (but secretly admired) her arrogant, brash, male counterpart, Charles Widmore.
Eventually, Charles ascended to supremacy within the Others. Unsatisfied with confining the Island’s power to his group of Others, Charles founded – with the financing of the Hanso Foundation and Paik Industries (Sun’s father’s company) – the Dharma Initiative, recruiting two grad students (the DeGroot’s) to head up its pseudo-scientific exploits.
Ellie loved Charles. But she disagreed with his exploitation of the Island via the Dharma Initiative. This was made more difficult by the fact that she was carrying his child. But ultimately, she decided to leave the Island to save her unborn child (and herself) from prenatal Island doom.
Shortly after Ellie (again, that’s Eloise Hawking) left the Island, Widmore was ousted by Richard and company to make room for their new wunderkind: Benjamin Linus. This is the root of the Widmore-Linus feud. So Widmore leaves the Island (or is forced off). When he reaches the mainland, he searches for Ellie and their child. But, how do I put this? Ellie didn’t have a child.
She had two children. Twins. One boy. One girl. She named the boy Daniel Faraday, after her favorite physicist, Michael Faraday. The girl? She named her... Penny. It was an homage to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, who faithfully awaits her husband's return while he is lost at sea. In a way, Eloise Hawking named her daughter Penelope as a tribute to her own faithfully awaiting of Charles' return from the Island.
Still with me? I’m almost done. Charles and Eloise have a falling out, and they decide to split up the twins. Eloise takes Daniel, and Charles takes Penny.
Each parent raises their respective child separately, but the other parent meddles a little bit. Eloise intervenes in Desmond’s time-traveling adventures to affect his fate with her daughter, Penny. Charles intervenes in and funds Daniel’s all-important research with Theresa, then funds her hospice care after he fries her brain.
Remove tinfoil hat
And that, my dear Maggie, is how Widmore knows where Ms. Hawking is. He keeps the address of his “very private” ex-wife. And I don’t think he knows that she’s working with Ben (perhaps to spite him).
And yes, ladies, I’m single.
Maggie: How will the O6 reunite with the rest of the survivors on the island? I mean, if the island people are time traveling, will the O6 just have to wait around until they flash to the present?]
I’m already getting REALLY wordy, so I’ll keep this short: I think the Oceanic Six’s return to the Island will stop it from spinning time, and that’s why they need to return.
Remember when you were a kid and you spun a globe and you stopped it with your finger and said, “I’m gonna live……….here!”? That’s basically what the O6 will do when they return. The Island will settle in whatever time period it happens to be in when the O6 makes landfall. My guess, they land in whatever mid-1970s point they were in when we saw Daniel Faraday infiltrating the Dharma Initiative in the first episode of season 5. Remember that? When he was down in that cave? That was sweet.
Again, that’s pure conjecture. But before the Oceanic Six returns, John Locke will try to stop the time warps all by himself. That’s why he wants to go back to The Orchid. Which brings me to tonight, and the conclusion of this unexpectedly wordy post.
“Locke takes on the burden to stop the island's increasingly violent shifts through time. Meanwhile, Ben hits a roadblock in his attempt to reunite the Oceanic 6 and bring them back to the island.”
See? I told you he’d try to stop it himself. But I don’t think he’ll be able to. And when he can’t, he’ll realize (perhaps with some ghostly guidance from Claire, Christian Shepherd or Nikki & Paolo [kidding on that last one]) that the only way to really make it stop is to get Jack, Kate and the rest of the deserters back to the Island. And that will require his death, as foretold by the prophet Richard. Maggie and I have our own budding little theories as to why the O6’s return is so necessary for the Island, but I’ve theorized enough for today.
As I’ve noted throughout this young season in my reviews, we’re seeing a self-actualized John Locke really begin to develop. He’s returned to Season One levels of confidence, and his “leader” role seems to be fitting him well. I believe tonight we’ll see the first test of Leader Locke’s resolve. Things aren’t going to go as he planned, or as he wants them to, and we’ll see if the twist of fate shatters his faith (as it has so many times before) or reaffirms and redirects it (as he wants it to).
I can’t wait for it. I think last week was a slow episode development-wise, and usually when LOST does that, it’s to set up a mind-bender. And with a name like “This Place is Death,” what’s not to get excited about?
Tune in tomorrow, as Maggie takes to the intertubes with a review. Until then, a gold star for the first person to map out – in Microsoft Paint – the aforementioned Hawking-Widmore family tree.
Namaste.
Charlie
I’m going to assume the “can’t die” concept is ethical/moral in nature. If people on this show are immortal, the show is risking a trip into dangerously hokey ground. I think there might be some sort of Code of Honor that governs the Others and, by extension, its alumni (such as Ben and Widmore). Different as their intentions may be, Ben and Widmore’s loyalty to the Island binds them. And playing by its rules (for the most part) may be their way of respecting it. It’s like, no matter how much Shaq hates Kobe, there’s still refs. (Worst analogy ever).
But Sun. Sun can kill Ben. I just don’t think she will. I think this ruthless bad-ass act she’s putting on is just that: an act. She has been vulnerable and submissive almost her entire life, and no event – no matter how catastrophic – can so instantly trigger her killer instinct. She may think she’s going to kill Ben. But if he has something even mildly compelling to change her mind (cough proof of Jin cough), she won’t go through with it.
Maggie: If Widmore knows about Mrs. Hawking (where she is, maybe what she is doing) then how is Mrs. Hawking working for Ben? Or more simply, where is her allegiance these days?
Charlie: I’d like to take this time to thank Maggie. For she is about to launch me into my new pet theory. It goes something like this.
Here comes pure conjecture. A theory, yes. But I promise it's possible and well-founded. Either way, please put on your tinfoil hats, then hold the eff onto them.
Here's what I think: we know Ms. Hawking much, much better than we think we do. First off, her name is Eloise Hawking (as proved by the “enhanced” LOST episodes this year). The rest of this is just my sick mind at work…
Ms. Eloise “Ellie” Hawking is Daniel Faraday’s mother. Daniel named his lab rat after her, since she inspired his love for quantum physics. Because Eloise Hawking used to live on the Island. It was 1954, and she went by Ellie. This is also why Daniel could just swear Ellie looked familiar in 1954. She worked under Richard Alpert, and feuded (but secretly admired) her arrogant, brash, male counterpart, Charles Widmore.
Eventually, Charles ascended to supremacy within the Others. Unsatisfied with confining the Island’s power to his group of Others, Charles founded – with the financing of the Hanso Foundation and Paik Industries (Sun’s father’s company) – the Dharma Initiative, recruiting two grad students (the DeGroot’s) to head up its pseudo-scientific exploits.
Ellie loved Charles. But she disagreed with his exploitation of the Island via the Dharma Initiative. This was made more difficult by the fact that she was carrying his child. But ultimately, she decided to leave the Island to save her unborn child (and herself) from prenatal Island doom.
Shortly after Ellie (again, that’s Eloise Hawking) left the Island, Widmore was ousted by Richard and company to make room for their new wunderkind: Benjamin Linus. This is the root of the Widmore-Linus feud. So Widmore leaves the Island (or is forced off). When he reaches the mainland, he searches for Ellie and their child. But, how do I put this? Ellie didn’t have a child.
She had two children. Twins. One boy. One girl. She named the boy Daniel Faraday, after her favorite physicist, Michael Faraday. The girl? She named her... Penny. It was an homage to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, who faithfully awaits her husband's return while he is lost at sea. In a way, Eloise Hawking named her daughter Penelope as a tribute to her own faithfully awaiting of Charles' return from the Island.
Still with me? I’m almost done. Charles and Eloise have a falling out, and they decide to split up the twins. Eloise takes Daniel, and Charles takes Penny.
Each parent raises their respective child separately, but the other parent meddles a little bit. Eloise intervenes in Desmond’s time-traveling adventures to affect his fate with her daughter, Penny. Charles intervenes in and funds Daniel’s all-important research with Theresa, then funds her hospice care after he fries her brain.
Remove tinfoil hat
And that, my dear Maggie, is how Widmore knows where Ms. Hawking is. He keeps the address of his “very private” ex-wife. And I don’t think he knows that she’s working with Ben (perhaps to spite him).
And yes, ladies, I’m single.
Maggie: How will the O6 reunite with the rest of the survivors on the island? I mean, if the island people are time traveling, will the O6 just have to wait around until they flash to the present?]
I’m already getting REALLY wordy, so I’ll keep this short: I think the Oceanic Six’s return to the Island will stop it from spinning time, and that’s why they need to return.
Remember when you were a kid and you spun a globe and you stopped it with your finger and said, “I’m gonna live……….here!”? That’s basically what the O6 will do when they return. The Island will settle in whatever time period it happens to be in when the O6 makes landfall. My guess, they land in whatever mid-1970s point they were in when we saw Daniel Faraday infiltrating the Dharma Initiative in the first episode of season 5. Remember that? When he was down in that cave? That was sweet.
Again, that’s pure conjecture. But before the Oceanic Six returns, John Locke will try to stop the time warps all by himself. That’s why he wants to go back to The Orchid. Which brings me to tonight, and the conclusion of this unexpectedly wordy post.
This Place is Death
Here’s the Tivo-ready preview of tonight’s episode from the good folks at ABC:“Locke takes on the burden to stop the island's increasingly violent shifts through time. Meanwhile, Ben hits a roadblock in his attempt to reunite the Oceanic 6 and bring them back to the island.”
See? I told you he’d try to stop it himself. But I don’t think he’ll be able to. And when he can’t, he’ll realize (perhaps with some ghostly guidance from Claire, Christian Shepherd or Nikki & Paolo [kidding on that last one]) that the only way to really make it stop is to get Jack, Kate and the rest of the deserters back to the Island. And that will require his death, as foretold by the prophet Richard. Maggie and I have our own budding little theories as to why the O6’s return is so necessary for the Island, but I’ve theorized enough for today.As I’ve noted throughout this young season in my reviews, we’re seeing a self-actualized John Locke really begin to develop. He’s returned to Season One levels of confidence, and his “leader” role seems to be fitting him well. I believe tonight we’ll see the first test of Leader Locke’s resolve. Things aren’t going to go as he planned, or as he wants them to, and we’ll see if the twist of fate shatters his faith (as it has so many times before) or reaffirms and redirects it (as he wants it to).
I can’t wait for it. I think last week was a slow episode development-wise, and usually when LOST does that, it’s to set up a mind-bender. And with a name like “This Place is Death,” what’s not to get excited about?
Tune in tomorrow, as Maggie takes to the intertubes with a review. Until then, a gold star for the first person to map out – in Microsoft Paint – the aforementioned Hawking-Widmore family tree.
Namaste.
Charlie
10 Snarky Comments:
I just wanted you to know that I look forward to your bloggings every week, both on Wednesday morn, and Thursday afternoon. Also, I have a question. Has all of this time travel happened before? How do they know what they are supposed to do to save the island if it hasn't happened before? The look on Ben's face when the sky turned violet in season two was a look of sheer terror, did he know what was about to happen?
I also know that you hate Charo-lette, but I don't think they are gonna off her that easily. I mean, she has been looking for this place her entire life.
"What do you mean"
Miles-"What DO I mean?"
Ps-Miles is slowly becoming one of the best new characters. I don't know why, but I have a strange feeling about him.
Joe Smith
I LOVE the Penny-Daniel theory. I buy it 100%. Wonder why we have never heard about Penny's mother? Maybe we will get an explanation during a tender Mommy-Daddy-baby Charlie moment soon? Penny always longing after the mother who died or abandoned her ... her own fierce love to protect her child because she never felt protected by her parents?
Man. Our blog SMELLS like BOY today, Charlie. Gross.
First things first: Great preview, my dear Charlie. You’re absolutely right that preview-writing is a fine, learned art. There are few of us who can successfully write engaging and thoughtful posts on a weekly basis….
….Welcome to the fraternity, bro!! (wow, that sounded lame) I think you did a fantastic job on your preview. Here’s my take on your answers to my questions (wow, lots of possessive adjectives in that sentence):
Ben knowing Jin is alive: Consider me on the bandwagon of “Ben DOES know Jin is alive because Locke/Bentham told him.” P.S.: I’m starting to think Richard has written Ben off, actually, and will be a serious roadblock upon Ben’s return to the island.
Sun and the Gun: Yeah, you are probably right. Sun probably CAN shoot Ben, but won’t because she is still quiet, dejected, scared little Sun…albeit with a killer wardrobe. (Pun not intended.) I also buy that Widmore broke the “moral rules” by killing Alex…which means that there are no rules. Eek. Scary.
Widmore and Mrs. Hawking, sitting in a tree…: I wonder if we’ll see an Others Sock Hop when a pimple-y Widmore goes up to the gorgeous Ellie and asks her to do the Hand Jive with him. Or the Stroll? Or maybe the Bop? (cue awkward pause) But seriously, I’ll buy your crazy theory for now. (Even though I’m pretty sure your Penny-Danny twin theory proves that you, indeed, watch “The Parent Trap” too often. Don’t deny it.)
O6/Island Survivors Reunion: I think your theory definitely has some potential. But to be honest, I am still really confused about how this will go down. I don’t get it.
In other news, I’d like to pose an extension theory to your family tree theory, Charlie. Try this one on: what if Charles Widmore, like Christian Shepherd, had a little extra-marital affair in Australia? What if said woman (no idea who she might be) had a child as a result of this relationship? And what if that child was Thomas, Claire’s boyfriend? What would that mean? Well, it’d mean that Aaron has two extremely dangerous and crazy Grandpas: Grandpa Widmore and Grandpa Christian.
And that, my dear Charlie, would connect these two VIP characters…through Aaron. Confused? Well, I constructed said-family tree; I’ll try to post it on the blog later today….
Holla back, yo.
Oh, and Charlie? I know this is…kinda awkward to write this on the blog comments. But. Well. I mean. With Valentine’s Day coming up and everything. Well. I mean. I was just wondering. I mean. If you don’t want to, like, that’s fine. But. I thought maybe. Well…. CHARLIE: WILL YOU BE MY CONSTANT?
love the family tree. LOVE it. i've long (2 weeks now) been a believer that widmore is faraday's father, but i had not thought of the twin theory...i'm a fan and until i have reason to doubt it, i'm going to go with it!
also, i read an article yesterday from EW about LOST and they note that in tonight's episode the nosebleeds take a tragic turn...who do we think dies? i wish it were charlotte, but i don't think it is. like the guy a couple of comments up, i think there is too much to explore with charlotte at this point. any theories?
Why does everyone hate Charlotte so much? She's not nearly as bad as Juliet. Hopefully the tragic nosebleed loser tonight is Juliet.
I'm with Batman. I like me the redheaded Charlotte. Juliet needs to find her Romeo and drink the Friar's potion.
Charlie--wonderful Ellie/Darth Vader theory. It's straight beautiful. That becoming validated in this episode would be a wonderful Valentine's day gift.
That and jewelry.
I was wrong and I'll admit it. Although, what was the business with Faraday telling Charlotte she would die if she came back?
When did that happen? How did that happen? That Faraday is pretty sneaky.
Joe Smith
I can't say I've read everything on here but one KB told me I should send through a question to Charlie so, here it is. Have you guys looked at how Daniel's namesake appears to be, more or less, a much older Daniel? I was reading a recent article on wireless electricity in Fast Company magazine and Michael Faraday was referenced by name as the father of the concept. Is this just a Lost connection to nowhere or does it actually mean something?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday
Christian
Christian,
First of all, is this Jack's dad? Ahh!
Probably not. But yes, I'm pretty sure Dan Faraday's namesake is not at all a coincidental parallel. It's very intentional, as are so many of the names associated with LOST (Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Faraday, Hawking, even Christian Shepherd might have some biblical parallels).
But yes, there's a connection. While they may never explicitly flesh it out on the show, knowing a bit about the real people behind these names might help you understand some more about their related characters. In short, get your Wikipedia on.
:)
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
Post a Comment