Is Anyone Wearing a White Hat?

[texgeekboy]

This isn't about the great Light and Dark Duality thread from MikeNY, it's in reference to the old-time westerns where the good guy always wore a white hat.

If we look at the people/groups on the island that are 'leaders' and still alive, it doesn't seem like there are any 'good guys'. Here's my bad guy assessment:

1. Richard/the Others - They wiped out the DI lock, stock, and barrel. Surely a lot of innocent people were killed
2. Ben - Most recently he took out dozens on the freighter, not to mention his own father simply because he didn't like him
3. Locke - One word, Naomi
4. Jack - Was going to shoot Locke at point-blank range, but the island wouldn't let him.
5. Kate/Sawyer - Both are off-island murderers
6. Widmore - One nasty dude
7. Sayid - More notches on his pistol than Wyatt Earp
8. Jin - A hatchet man in his pre-island days
9. Paik - Told Jin who to hatchet
10. Abaddon - Organized the science team for Widmore
11. Michael - Murderer, but we won't see him anymore
12. Hurley - Ran over the guy with the van (but that was self-defense).
13. Juliet - Shot Danny Pickett (perhaps self-defense)
14. Sun - Shot the lady on the boat
15. Desmond - Killed Kelvin (accidentally)
16. Claire - May be at fault for the accident that put her mom in a coma (but I think Claire's dead)

I originally had some people in the good guy pile, but the good folks on the 'lage reminded me of the naughty things they've done.

There's no one on the whole damn island that is totally a good guy!

I'm not counting the second tier people (Bernard, Rose, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, Frank, Penny, etc.), the kids (Walt, Aaron, Ji Yeon), nor the zombies (Christian, Charlie, etc.)

I know that 'Lost' has a bit more of a story than a 'B' Western, but still, who's supposed to be the hero? Are we supposed to overlook the serious crimes each of the characters committed. Who are we supposed to root for?

[LostisGenius]

Originally Posted by texgeekboy

This isn't about the great Light and Dark Duality thread from MikeNY, it's in reference to the old-time westerns where the good guy always wore a white hat.

If we look at the people/groups on the island that are 'leaders' and still alive, it doesn't seem like there are any 'good guys'. Here's my bad guy assessment:

1. Richard/the Others - They wiped out the DI lock, stock, and barrel. Surely a lot of innocent people were killed
2. Ben - Most recently he took out dozens on the freighter, not to mention his own father simply because he didn't like him
3. Locke - One word, Naomi
4. Jack - Was going to shoot Locke at point-blank range, but the island wouldn't let him.
5. Kate/Sawyer - Both are off-island murderers
6. Widmore - One nasty dude
7. Sayid - More notches on his pistol than Wyatt Earp
8. Jin - A hatchet man in his pre-island days
9. Paik - Told Jin who to hatchet
10. Abaddon - Organized the science team for Widmore
11. Michael - Murderer, but we won't see him anymore
12. Hurley - Ran over the guy with the van (but that was self-defense).
13. Juliet - Shot Danny Pickett (perhaps self-defense)
14. Sun - Shot the lady on the boat

So the following may be the only ones that are good guys, but IMHO they aren't leaders (yet);

1. Desmond
2. Claire (but I think she's dead)

I'm not counting the second tier people (Bernard, Rose, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, Frank, Penny, etc.), the kids (Walt, Aaron, Ji Yeon), nor the zombies (Christian, Charlie, etc.)

I know that 'Lost' has a bit more of a story than a 'B' Western, but still, who's supposed to be the hero? Are we supposed to overlook the serious crimes each of the characters committed. Who are we supposed to root for?

Great question, I don't know yet, maybe we will never know. With the redemption angle then maybe we're suppose to root for all of them turning their lives around. Maybe the show is like real life sometimes, no matter what we do things don't always work out for the best. The whole situation in LOST is just a stop along the way, nothing more nothing less. Life goes on.

[99cbr]

Originally Posted by texgeekboy

I know that 'Lost' has a bit more of a story than a 'B' Western, but still, who's supposed to be the hero? Are we supposed to overlook the serious crimes each of the characters committed. Who are we supposed to root for?

I think the writers don't want you to overlook their mistakes, but they rather gave them mistakes to make them seem human. I am not implying that we would think Jack as some alien if he didn't try to kill John, but the fact that he made that mistake I believe makes him easier to relate to.

[texgeekboy]

Originally Posted by 99cbr

I think the writers don't want you to overlook their mistakes...

I can't quite buy murder and attempted murder as mistakes.

I'm not offended by fictional violence. I think Lost is the best show ever. It's just that I can't figure out who the good guys really are. As we debate who's the 'good' group for the island (Richard/the Others, Ben, Widmore, Abaddon, Locke, the Shepard clan), when you lift up the covers a bit you see some nasty stuff.

Perhaps TPTB made everyone flawed so as to hide who the true hero of the story will be. Some people will overlook Jack's flaws, some will overlook Locke's, etc., and cheer on their choice as the hero of the series.

[99cbr]

Originally Posted by texgeekboy

I can't quite buy murder and attempted murder as mistakes.

I'm not offended by fictional violence. I think Lost is the best show ever. It's just that I can't figure out who the good guys really are. As we debate who's the 'good' group for the island (Richard/the Others, Ben, Widmore, Abaddon, Locke, the Shepard clan), when you lift up the covers a bit you see some nasty stuff.

Perhaps TPTB made everyone flawed so as to hide who the true hero of the story will be. Some people will overlook Jack's flaws, some will overlook Locke's, etc., and cheer on their choice as the hero of the series.

Well they are either a mistake or it isn't wrong. There are bigger mistakes than others, but the fact that they are abandoned on an island with other people kidnapping them, most smaller actions that would be considered mistakes would probably be forgiven.

[addictedfan]

Originally Posted by texgeekboy

This isn't about the great Light and Dark Duality thread from MikeNY, it's in reference to the old-time westerns where the good guy always wore a white hat.

If we look at the people/groups on the island that are 'leaders' and still alive, it doesn't seem like there are any 'good guys'. Here's my bad guy assessment:

1. Richard/the Others - They wiped out the DI lock, stock, and barrel. Surely a lot of innocent people were killed
2. Ben - Most recently he took out dozens on the freighter, not to mention his own father simply because he didn't like him
3. Locke - One word, Naomi
4. Jack - Was going to shoot Locke at point-blank range, but the island wouldn't let him.
5. Kate/Sawyer - Both are off-island murderers
6. Widmore - One nasty dude
7. Sayid - More notches on his pistol than Wyatt Earp
8. Jin - A hatchet man in his pre-island days
9. Paik - Told Jin who to hatchet
10. Abaddon - Organized the science team for Widmore
11. Michael - Murderer, but we won't see him anymore
12. Hurley - Ran over the guy with the van (but that was self-defense).
13. Juliet - Shot Danny Pickett (perhaps self-defense)
14. Sun - Shot the lady on the boat

So the following may be the only ones that are good guys, but IMHO they aren't leaders (yet);

1. Desmond
2. Claire (but I think she's dead)

I'm not counting the second tier people (Bernard, Rose, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, Frank, Penny, etc.), the kids (Walt, Aaron, Ji Yeon), nor the zombies (Christian, Charlie, etc.)

I know that 'Lost' has a bit more of a story than a 'B' Western, but still, who's supposed to be the hero? Are we supposed to overlook the serious crimes each of the characters committed. Who are we supposed to root for?

I don't consider her a criminal but in a way, Claire is responsible for the car crash that left her mom in a coma....she was fighting with her mom while driving. I think though she and Hurley are the only "good guys". Des,possibly...although he spent time in a military prison. But "good" is a relative term.
They are all human and apparently the Island grants them "tabula rasa" and a chance at redemption.

I think Sawyer has made the biggest changes and is def. on the way to redemption...maybe already there. I believe he and Juliette would make good co-leaders for rhe Losties left behind.

[jane_eire]

Is anyone wearing a purple hat? Come to think of, is anyone wearing any kind of hat?

[robb2035]

The show's creators are big Stephen King fans. There are never any true "good guys" in his stories, alot of drug addicts, murderers, you name it. It's actually the reason I like his books. More like people with the potential of being good.

[atlas1212]

I think Jack and Locke are "real" people in the TV sense. They are far more good than bad. But I don't think we're going to see clear cut good and bad guys.

[texgeekboy]

Originally Posted by addictedfan

I don't consider her a criminal but in a way, Claire is responsible for the car crash that left her mom in a coma....

I forgot about that. I imagine that if she was criminally responsible for that act in Australia, the show may have had her spend time in prison in a FB. That would have been interesting. However, since we didn't see that I'm assuming there were no charges.

I tend to agree with Atlas, that Jack and Locke are about the closest to the old-time definition of heroes that we have. The guys in the white hats had to take the bad guys out once in awhile, so Jack's and Locke's actions were the least hard-core.

Abaddon is a major unknown. While he organized the scientific team for Widmore, he picked people that were not overly dangerous. Even Naomi was not a true mercenary. Perhaps he will, in the end, be the guy with the white hat.