# Lost 1.21 "The Greater Good" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381 "2005-05-04T15:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/81 "2005-05-05T22:42:02Z")
All I know is, if they open the hatch and the Rimbaldi Device is in there, I’m going to hunt down J.J. Abrams and kill him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/82 "2005-05-05T22:50:11Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > All I know is, if they open the hatch and the Rimbaldi Device is in there, I’m going to hunt down J.J. Abrams and kill him. 🙂 How about they open the hatch and a naked Jennifer Garner and Mia Maestro pop out??? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/83 "2005-05-05T22:54:07Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > How about they open the hatch and a naked Jennifer Garner and Mia Maestro pop out??? Then I’ll hunt down J.J. Abrams and hug him. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/84 "2005-05-05T23:25:40Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Sending your hubby to another city works well for uninterrupted nerd-lusting, too, **rockle**. My husband has learned that _Lost_ and _Survivor_ nights are his nights to hang out at the fire house (he’s a volunteer). He actually did call me last night while _Lost_ was on (during a commercial, luckily!) )and asked, “Whatcha doin’?” and when I said, “Watching _Lost_!” He said, “Oh, that’s right. Okay, quick question…” He used to skip _TAR_ as well, but now has gotten hooked on it because the guys at the fire house were watching it, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/85 "2005-05-05T23:58:49Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > It’s just that the “brother,” the ostensible terrorist who was asked to deliver the device and commit the actual attack, was presented as a complete character instead of a simplistic villain. I don’t agree with that at all. All he did was express some doubts about blowing himself up, that makes him a complete character? He was a simplisitic villain, with doubts. Big deal. He was also moronically stupid in the extreme. Let’s see, I believe in this cause so much that I’m willing (even with my doubts) to blow myself up for it. But, uh oh, my supposedly trusted friend has betrayed me! The CIA will be here **in ten minutes**! I’ve got **ten minutes** before the CIA gets here, what shall I do? Do I a) take my ex-friend’s offer and hightail it out of here, to live and fight (and maybe die) for my cause another day? Or b) shoot the ex-friend who betrayed me, take advantage of the **ten minutes** that he so graciously has given me and drive the truck out and away and complete my mission? No, I’ll pick c) I’ll just shoot myself. **That’ll** show this bastard I thought was my friend! That’ll sure show him. Except that now I’m dead, the CIA gets their explosives back, and nothing has been accomplished to further the cause I believed in enough to die for a second ago. Yeah but at least I die knowing that my ex-friend will be wracked with guilt! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/86 "2005-05-06T00:15:06Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > I don’t agree with that at all. All he did was express some doubts about blowing himself up, that makes him a complete character? He was a simplisitic villain, with doubts. Big deal. > > He was also moronically stupid in the extreme. Let’s see, I believe in this cause so much that I’m willing (even with my doubts) to blow myself up for it. But, uh oh, my supposedly trusted friend has betrayed me! The CIA will be here **in ten minutes**! I’ve got **ten minutes** before the CIA gets here, what shall I do? Do I a) take my ex-friend’s offer and hightail it out of here, to live and fight (and maybe die) for my cause another day? Or b) shoot the ex-friend who betrayed me, take advantage of the **ten minutes** that he so graciously has given me and drive the truck out and away and complete my mission? No, I’ll pick c) I’ll just shoot myself. **That’ll** show this bastard I thought was my friend! That’ll sure show him. Except that now I’m dead, the CIA gets their explosives back, and nothing has been accomplished to further the cause I believed in enough to die for a second ago. Yeah but at least I die knowing that my ex-friend will be wracked with guilt! He wasn’t having doubts about killing himself, he didn’t want to go through with it because he didn’t think it was right to take innocent lives and the Koran says not to kill. Sayid talked him into going through with it because the CIA chick told him to. Hassan probably killed himself in the end because he was resolved to dying and he had nothing left to live for anyway, having lost the love of his life. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/87 "2005-05-06T02:12:19Z")
Someone should start keeping track of the number of times Locke has had to pick himself off the ground. Seems like every other episode, he winds up flat on his back. Consider: [ul][li]First episode: on his back on the beach.[/li][li]Gets knocked over by the boar that slashes Michael.[/li][li]Collapses while walking with Boone, when his legs give out.[/li][li]and this episode, falls backward after being grazed by a bullet.[/ul][/li]There’s probably a few I forgot, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/88 "2005-05-06T02:54:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Tonight I am trying something they call “Counter Strike Source.” I will let you know how that works out. Let me know how that works out, **rockle** ; I’ll be back in the same city with Papa T. shortly and he can only handle so much of my swooning. Fortunately, he doesn’t watch _Lost_ so at least my Sayid-love is safe. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/89 "2005-05-06T03:09:43Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > Someone should start keeping track of the number of times Locke has had to pick himself off the ground. Seems like every other episode, he winds up flat on his back. Consider: > [ul][li]First episode: on his back on the beach.[/li][li]Gets knocked over by the boar that slashes Michael.[/li][li]Collapses while walking with Boone, when his legs give out.[/li][li]and this episode, falls backward after being grazed by a bullet.[/ul][/li]There’s probably a few I forgot, too. Jack’s flying wedge tackle of him at the funeral. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/90 "2005-05-06T04:50:25Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > :eek: Are you people nuts? Have you forgotten the first rule of _Lost_? > > **THOU SHALT NOT ANSWER THE PHONE WHILE _LOST_ IS ON!!!** > > 😉 What about the Second Rule? VCR is running, immediately after closing credits rewind and watch episode again in case you missed something. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/91 "2005-05-06T11:49:15Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Let me know how that works out, **rockle** ; I’ll be back in the same city with Papa T. shortly and he can only handle so much of my swooning. Fortunately, he doesn’t watch _Lost_ so at least my Sayid-love is safe. Pretty good. Almost too good, actually, as hubbie did not come to bed until almost midnight, long after I had passed out. Too bad for him, though – once I’m sprawled out asleep, I ain’t movin’, so I had most of the bed to myself. I give it a 7 out of 10. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/92 "2005-05-06T14:37:35Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > How about they open the hatch and a naked Jennifer Garner and Mia Maestro pop out??? You’re all missing it. The key word is “hatch.” When they open it, naked Richard Hatch will emerge. Why else would Walt be so horrified? ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/93 "2005-05-06T17:45:48Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > He wasn’t having doubts about killing himself, he didn’t want to go through with it because he didn’t think it was right to take innocent lives and the Koran says not to kill. Ok, hair-splitting accepted, so I’ll rephrase: Having doubts about taking innocent lives in the name of his cause does not make him a complete character, it’s just simplistic. > [@Wile E](#): > > Sayid talked him into going through with it because the CIA chick told him to. Hassan probably killed himself in the end because he was resolved to dying and he had nothing left to live for anyway, having lost the love of his life. Nothing left to live for? He **could** have gotten away; he **could** have lived to continue the fight for this cause he supposedly believed in; he **could** have taken revenge on the ex-friend who betrayed him; he **could** have used the time before the CIA were to arrive to go and complete his mission. That he didn’t take any of those options is my point: as written, the character was one-dimensional and a complete idiot. Having him kill himself was the easy, obvious way to write that scene, it shows zero imagination on the part of the writers. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/94 "2005-05-06T23:57:37Z")
They need to devise a sling for Claire. Given that she was kidnapped and they killed Charlie over this baby, her fears are pretty justified, no? Not to mention the Tree Thumping Monster (forgot his board name) that has inexplicably gone MIA. Honey, if that were me, they’d take my baby away from me over my cold and lifeless body. (Like Boone’s!) Besides, when they’re newborns there’s no reason that mama and baby can’t take many siestas together. Me and wee Pundit did that all the time. 🙂 Oh, and it bears repeating that Matthew Fox made me swoon again. He does a great blood-deprived hero, no? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/95 "2005-05-07T04:33:32Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > You’re all missing it. The key word is “hatch.” > > When they open it, naked Richard Hatch will emerge. Why else would Walt be so horrified? 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/96 "2005-05-07T04:45:50Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > Nothing left to live for? He **could** have gotten away; he **could** have lived to continue the fight for this cause he supposedly believed in; he **could** have taken revenge on the ex-friend who betrayed him; he **could** have used the time before the CIA were to arrive to go and complete his mission. Actually, if he’d killed Sayid, he also could have completed his mission. Because Sayid said “I’ll give you 10 minutes to get away BEFORE I call them (the CIA)”. Sayid hadn’t even called them yet, so if his friend went ahead and put the bullet into Sayid’s head, Operation Exploding Terrorist could have proceeded as planned, likely without CIA intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/97 "2005-05-07T04:49:11Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > You’re all missing it. The key word is “hatch.” > > When they open it, naked Richard Hatch will emerge. Why else would Walt be so horrified? My god. You’re right. That also explains the numbers. They’re measurements (in inches)… 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 (Penis, hat size, shoes, collar, inseam, waist) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/98 "2005-05-07T12:15:49Z")
That was the biggest newborn I’ve ever seen-- and where’d they get the cute baby blanket? very clean, too… But it’s obvious those folks have never heard the five S theory about keeping newborns quiet-- except for the ‘Shhh’ rule, which is why Sawyer’s loud, grating voice works to keep turniphead quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/99 "2005-05-07T13:39:32Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > That was the biggest newborn I’ve ever seen So **that’s** what Ethan and cronies did! Injected the baby with steroids… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381/100 "2005-05-07T15:17:32Z")
We should vote (or guess) on Turniphead’s new name. I nominate Dave Bowman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-1-21-the-greater-good/302381.md?page=6)