Lost Virgin Diary – Have I just entered The Twilight Zone?

Join me for another Virgin Diary entry on my favorite stranded castaways. This time I’m taking on the remainder of Season 2, from Episode 18, “Dave,” to Episodes 23-24, “Live Together, Die Alone,” and the beginning of Season 3, from Episode 1, “A Tale of Two Cities,” through Episode 8, “Flashes Before Your Eyes.”

Oh my. I feel like Lost has been quickly unraveling since my last post. So many characters have died and there has been so much betrayal and confusion that I don’t even know how I feel about the show right now. While I always knew Michael would do anything to look out for himself and Walt first and foremost, I really didn’t think he’d be capable of murdering innocent people for no apparent reason.

I can’t say I’m really sorry Ana Lucia is no longer around, but Libby’s death made me sad for Hurley. I understand Michael wanted to get his son safely back and be rescued from the island, but how could he shoot two people in cold blood, pull the trigger on himself and then act like it was someone else who had done the deed? Shame, shame, Michael. I know Walt and he will probably be back at some point, but I don’t think I can look either of them in the eyes again.

And another one bites the dust? So the death count has been rather heavy in this bout of episodes. I’ve seen Ana Lucia, Libby and Eko meet their deaths, and the last episode I watched implies that Charlie’s death may not be as far off into the future as I would like. Lost really enjoys getting you attached to these characters and then suddenly yanking them away from you, huh? Did they have to kill off everyone from the other survivors’ camp except Bernard? Eko was beginning to grow on me and I’m upset that a black mist (no matter how powerful they made it appear) brought him down.

I really do not like “The Others” now that I’m getting an opportunity to observe them. I understand this will probably change by the season’s end as I’m shown more of their stories, but I don’t get their motivations at this point. I understand they wanted Jack to perform spinal surgery on their leader (I know “Henry” is really Ben Linus) and I get that they took Kate and Sawyer as bait to get Jack to comply, but why were they keeping them locked in animal cages and making them do seemingly pointless manual labor? It really angered me. Nobody deserves to be treated that way. It angered me last season when Jack’s group was being mean to Ben, too. The crash survivors have only been there a few months – I don’t want them turning into savages yet.

The first part of Season 3 showing “The Others” witnessing the plane crash from what appeared to be normal suburbia really surprised me. I was having trouble deciding if they were on a different island or not. I didn’t think the Dharma Initiative would have spread over multiple islands. But if they were on the same island, why hadn’t Rousseau ever found their camp and rescued Alex? That fact and the last bit I watched showing Kate, Sawyer and Alex’s boyfriend escaping by boat seemed to indicate I was wrong.

I’m having trouble visualizing “The Others” as leftover Dharma Initiative scientists now because they almost seem more like a cult. I guess I’m saying this because of their ritualistic-looking robes they were wearing as they said goodbye to Danny’s wife, followed by what they were doing to Alex’s boyfriend after he tried to escape. It looked like they were trying to brainwash him into being a better follower.

Ben acts like he could be a charismatic cult leader who rules with an iron fist to keep their faith in his leadership intact. His people all seem afraid of him. At times, it feels like no one wants to be there, from Alex and Juliette to maybe even Tom (the “bearded man”). Now that Ben’s surgery is over, I’m wondering what will become of Jack. Will Kate and Sawyer come back for him? Will Ben keep his word about letting him go?

Have the survivors bought a one-way ticket into The Twilight Zone? Desmond’s episode about time-traveling and trying to do certain things over but being unable to do so has certainly left me wondering. Everyone’s visions and dreams keep getting weirder and weirder, though I did enjoy Locke’s vision in the airport depicting Desmond as a dashing pilot flirting with the stewardesses.

Nothing seems to make sense anymore! I feel very disillusioned and the clue-deciphering is making me a little weary, but I vow to keep watching.

WTF Moments (Season 2, Episode 18 – Season 3, Episode 8):

• I was happy to see Evan Handler (Harry from Sex and the City) guest-starring as Hurley’s imaginary friend in the episode titled “Dave.” It would all make sense to me if everybody had been created in Hurley’s imagination and nothing on the island was real.
• Has everyone on the island had a drink with Jack’s father at some point? I’m only kidding, but both Sawyer and Ana Lucia did at least.
• The Pearl’s orientation video was interesting. It would make sense if they were conducting psychological experiments at the various stations, but the button business seemed real enough when the hatch imploded. Could electromagnets really have pulled down the plane? Was Desmond responsible for their crash?
• After seeing Walt in “The Others’” camp and hearing their questions, is it possible that Walt is a projector like the little boy on Insidious? It would make sense then that Shannon and Sayid saw him in the jungle while he was being held captive, and that would also explain their interest in running tests on him.
• With the ABC guest stars I’ve recognized so far (Julie Bowen from Modern Family and now Nathan Fillion from Castle as Kate’s cop ex-husband), I’m half-expecting to see Tom Bergeron appear out of nowhere telling them they’re on “Marooned with the Stars.”
• Sawyer slept with Ana Lucia … and then Kate?! I can’t say I blame the ladies!
• When Sayid, Sun and Jin were on the boat and saw the remnants of a statue, for some reason all I could think about was the Ancient Wonder of the World known as the Colossus of Rhodes. I pictured a giant statue guarding the island, but why did its foot only have four toes? I suppose the island could be some sort of sacred ground that ancients felt had to be protected, but giant statues really, really freak me out for some reason – always have. When I visited the Louvre as a college student, there were certain rooms that made me very uncomfortable.
• Lost is starting to feel like Hot Tub Time Machine. Every time I see it’s a Locke back-story, I can’t help but wonder if it’s finally going to be the episode in which we learn how he became paralyzed. It reminds me of Crispin Glover’s character in that movie – we knew he was going to lose his arm and we kept waiting for it to happen and it just never would! (LOL)

Memorable Quotes:

“We’re stuck in a bloody snow globe.” – Desmond

“Don’t mistake coincidence for fate.” – Locke

“The only way to gain a con man’s respect is to con him.” – Ben Linus (to Sawyer)

“My wonderful plan got shot to sunshine when you saw my damned x-rays and figured out I was dying.” – Ben Linus (to Jack)

“Ben is a liar and he is very dangerous. Some of us want a change but it has to look like an accident. And that’s up to you, Jack.” – Juliette’s recorded message to Jack

“Lift up your eyes and look north.” – Inscription on Eko’s stick that seems to have a meaning for Locke

“No matter what you try to do, you can’t change it.” – Desmond

Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Jul 09, 2012 @ 19:16 EST5EDT