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Once again we have people venturing off in the jungle without guns. I realize Ecko thinks he'll need the axe but why did no one suggest Ecko and Locke take guns? Afterall, don't they all think they are tracking Henry who has a gun and has just killed one person and shot 2 others? Where's the common sense?
Showing Ecko falling off the cliff in the previews and having it turn out to be a dream was a cheap move by the marketing/promo dept. They topped the time they showed Jin speaking English only to have it turn out to be a dream.
Libby appears in Ecko's flashback? So what. These "easter eggs" are boring and tiresome. This seems to be another flashback that is mostly filler to take up time. We were 40- 45 minutes into the show before things really started to happen.
Obviously the high point of the ep was Ecko and Locke going into the ? hatch. Thankfully, it didn't take them 12 episodes to get into this one like it took Boone and Locke to get into he first hatch.
As cool as the info was in the ? hatch, I find it a bit ridiculous that they expect people to watch the monitors and write down - in longhand in notebooks- what they see - without any real instruction of what they're looking for (people can type faster than they can write, hands would severely cramp after an hour of writing). How could you watch for 8 hour shifts and record everything you see. Do you record when someone gets a drink or uses the bathroom? WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT? And what's up with that air-powered tube that they are supposed put the rolled up the notebooks in and send? Haven't I seen something like that on a Bugs Bunny cartoon?
Finally, Locke and Ecko's discussion about the button. It seems obvious from what they saw that there's no need to push the button and Locke is right (that may not be the case but according to the Orientation film, there's no point in pushing the button). What I found stupid was Ecko's argument to push the button (which I assume TPTB are setting up a logic/faith debate)
When Locke aske why they should push the button, Ecko said, "We do it because we believe we are meant to". Huh? Didn't you just see the orientation film? Ecko goes on to justify his opinion of pushing the button, by telling his story about Yemi crashing on the same island that he is on. Well, I'm glad he shared this info but how does that have ANYTHING to do with pushing the button? They know that wierd, mysterious things are happening but there's no indication that the button is part of that. At least, TPTB haven't done a good job of showing it is mystical in any way. They seem to be setting up Locke and Ecko for a "should the button be pushed scenario" but frankly they haven't done a good job of it.
Colin, I've agreed with you in the past (I'm a regular in these threads), but, man, I think you're watching the wrong show. This one clearly isn't for you. This was one of the better episodes I've seen. It seems like you're just looking for things to hate. I won't get into a debate here because I know why this thread exists, and debate isn't the nature of it.
I just wanted to say that I feel that if you didn't like this episode, you probably aren't going to like much more from here on out. You may want to find a new show to watch, otherwise you're going to blow a gasket.
And what's up with that air-powered tube that they are supposed put the rolled up the notebooks in and send? haven't I seen something like that on a Bugs Bunny cartoon?
Personally, I thought of the movie Elf- "Ooo sucky!"
I actually liked this episode (at least on first viewing but the fact that I even want to watch it again makes it better than most this season).
What did bug me was, why did Kate looked so disgusted that Jack would force Sawyer to show his stash where the guns are? I mean, ok no, it's not a nice tactic. But you've got one dead person, two wounded people, and a group of crazy islanders who could obviously damage you anytime they want- and she's UPSET that Jack would resort to such measures TO GET THE ONLY PROTECTION THEY HAVE BACK!? Even Sawyer didn't seem too upset by it. Annoyed, yes, but he didn't howl about being the sheriff or anything nonsensical like that.
I was also annoyed by Locke so casually mentioning Boone's death. His nonchalance about Boone making the plane fall ticked me off. And then when he said that idiotic line about Boone being a "sacrifice the island demanded" I wanted Mr. Eko to hit him again. I actually liked Boone, so I realize I'm a little biased here, but the guy died, what, a month ago? So to brush off his death with such nonchalance when they had been such jungle pals really bothered me.
Other than those two things though, I found myself mostly enjoying this episode, but eh, it could have been better
Colin, I've agreed with you in the past (I'm a regular in these threads), but, man, I think you're watching the wrong show. This one clearly isn't for you. This was one of the better episodes I've seen. It seems like you're just looking for things to hate. I won't get into a debate here because I know why this thread exists, and debate isn't the nature of it.
I just wanted to say that I feel that if you didn't like this episode, you probably aren't going to like much more from here on out. You may want to find a new show to watch, otherwise you're going to blow a gasket.
Actually, I rated the last ep above average but went on to discuss what I thought could have been better in that thread. I would say the same of this ep. This ep was above average (although my expectations of Lost have been severely lowered this season) but I had some problems with it. Most of the problems are things TPTB continue to do (people going into the jungle without guns).
As I said, the ? hatch was cool but the whole thing about writing down what you see in longhand in notebooks is dumb. But no, that's not that big of a deal.
I do think the obvious set up of a "should the button be pushed debate" is contrived however. As I said, Ecko's "reasoning" for pushing the button makes no sense.
As I said, the ? hatch was cool but the whole thing about writing down what you see in longhand in notebooks is dumb. But no, that's not that big of a deal.
Yeah, but maybe this hatch is yet another experiement. Who knows why they requested longhand? Yes, it's dumb, but only if we assume that there's not some reason for it. Maybe there is...
Every episode has its problems. Theoretically, every episode "could have been better", even MOS,MOF (I'm not sure how, but I suppose it could have been better), but that doesn't mean it wasn't great. There's room for improvement in every episode, sure... so technically everyone should always be posting in this thread.
I just feel like you gotta stop hatin' at some point when the writers FINALLY deliver. If they get slammed even when they deliver a great episode like tonight, how can they take criticism of true bombs like Fire + Water seriously? It all needs to be relative, here. If you go after the flaws in superb episodes like Lockdown and ? just as viciously as you go after the steaming piles like "...and found", then how can anyone distinguish what you really think is a decent episode and what is another "Whatever The Case May Be"?
I suppose I just feel that sometimes, you need to give credit where it's due.
Yes, this episode was not perfect, but none has been.
Yeah, but maybe this hatch is yet another experiement. Who knows why they requested longhand? Yes, it's dumb, but only if we assume that there's not some reason for it. Maybe there is...
Every episode has its problems. Theoretically, every episode "could have been better", even MOS,MOF (I'm not sure how, but I suppose it could have been better), but that doesn't mean it wasn't great. There's room for improvement in every episode, sure... so technically everyone should always be posting in this thread.
I just feel like you gotta stop hatin' at some point when the writers FINALLY deliver. If they get slammed even when they deliver a great episode like tonight, how can they take criticism of true bombs like Fire + Water seriously? It all needs to be relative, here. If you go after the flaws in superb episodes like Lockdown and ? just as viciously as you go after the steaming piles like "...and found", then how can anyone distinguish what you really think is a decent episode and what is another "Whatever The Case May Be"?
I suppose I just feel that sometimes, you need to give credit where it's due.
Yes, this episode was not perfect, but none has been.
I get your overall point but like I said, I think the ep was above average so I don't feel I am "hatin'" or really "slamming" them. However I'm not going to look away when they continue to do stupid things like sending someone into the jungle without a gun. Does that ruin the episode? No, but it's still dumb and they do it often.
Writing in longhand in notebooks without much direction as to what is to be written is also dumb but does it ruin the episode? No, but when you say maybe they'll give a reason for it, I doubt that. I heard the same thing when we had the scene where Sawyer killed the frog. Too often fans are giving TPTB a free pass thinking something is going to be explained and make sense later. There are too many of these things piling up.
I do think the Locke/Ecko debate about pushing the button was weak. It's as though they had to really stretch things to come up with some twisted reason to have Ecko beleive the button needs to be pushed. Is this is big deal? Well, maybe depending on how it plays out. Will Locke tell everyone about the new Orientation video? Will he take it and show them? Common sense would seem to say yes, but as we've seen again and again with Lost, common sense and logic doesn't matter much. Those of are kind of things that really bother me.
And let's face it, there's always going to be plenty of people posting in the Loved It thread and praising each ep of Lost as the greatest thing ever to appear on TV. When I like something, I really don't feel the need to go into those threads and add my voice to that discussion.
but how does that have ANYTHING to do with pushing the button? They know that wierd, mysterious things are happening but there's no indication that the button is part of that.
I agree. if I were Locke, I wouldn't go into that hatch again, except to use the facilities. If Eko feels so strongly about this, let HIM push the button.
I enjoyed the show a lot...I only come into this thread cuz I like to read the differing opinions and points of view. But I agree w/ Colin that some of it seemed contrived. But that's only upon reflection--while I was watching the show, I was very caught up in it. Only a couple things brought me out of my reverie. One thing was, like Colin said, the idea that the Watchers should write *everything* in longhand (I'm a writer, and I know what it feels like to write for over an hour nonstop), and the other was the idea that Eko could talk Locke into continuing to push the button. At the end of the ep, I was yelling, "No one touch that button!" I think they were all in varying degrees of shell-shock, and so the time was going to run out.
I love all episodes of Lost but this one was very different. It brought about too many New questions and didn't answer any old ones. The show seems to be getting a new "flavor " to it. It WILL come back around!!!
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