They’ll go for the ex Iraqi Republican Guard with special training on the best ways to make people “communicate”.
Sadist: "We need to talk. "
Masochist: “Goody!”
I was a little disappointed. Do we have to have another “good but flawed” character? Why couldn’t Sawyer be bad… just because he’s bad? Why does he have a “past” that “explains” his behavior, a past that makes him to be as much a victim as a victimizer? :rolleyes:
Honestly, I would’ve been much happier had he turned out to be some regular low-life coke dealer or something, a person who is a slime and will always be a slime. Now there’s going to be “understanding”, there’s going to moments of “openness” with Kate (whereupon he’ll clam up again - as soon as Jack walks into frame most likely), there might even be a Big Heartwrenching Moment when he repents for all past sins and joins Sayid, hand-in-hand, for a walk on the beach.
Yuck!
I agree, JohnT. Like I said above, I was disappointed when it became clear he was going to knuckle under when his conscience attacked at the sight of the kid. I think it would have made him a much more interesting character to have him see the kid, suffer severe pangs of conscience, almost give in, and then say “fuck it” and go ahead anyway. Much more human, and much more interesting dramatically.
Heh. I’m a straight guy and I think Sayid is yummy.
Because the show is Lost, not Irredeemable. The main conceit of the show is that everyone on the passenger list was in some way ‘wandering in outer darkness’ before they boarded the plane, and this is their opportunity to find their way back to themselves.
If that idea doesn’t appeal to you, expect a lot more disappointments.
Because Nuture has a stronger influence than Nature. Always has, always will.
Very few people, if any, are “bad” from the start. Hell, even Sauron had a “good” side a one time.
Should we have an Official List of Jargon? Or proposed jargon? (Re-reading old threads I was getting confused).
You know, like:
- TCM = Tree Crusher Monster
- Adam and Eve = Two bodies found in caves
- Redshirts = generic survivors like Steve and Scott and the drowned woman
and I propose (for issues like the Voice of the French Woman or ‘whoever was on the island 16 years ago’)…
-
MIPUM = Mysterious Island Person of Unknown Motives
Anything else we need?
[/QUOTE]
I tell you I don’t NEED to have to have a notepad with the “Lost Jargon” next to me when I read the **Lost ** postings.
Damn good point. And thus the series title itself lends itself to the “dual or multiple meaning” conceit that the episode titles have had so far. Everyone is “lost” – their whereabouts unknown – and they’re trying to find themselves, coming to grips with, perhaps, their true natures. Amazing I didn’t see that sooner.
eenerms, I modestly propose that the titles themselves be officially considered spoilers since they have so far had added extra layers of meaning that include information later revealed in the episode.
We can call them MEMEs– for Multiple Etymologies for Episode titles.
Yes, yes we will… 
Regarding Locke blaming Sawyer for knocking Sayid on the head: If we take Locke out of the picture for just a moment, who ELSE would we suspect would do it? Sawyer’s really just the obvious choice, considering that he’s attacked Sayid once before already (and considering that he beats the crud out of Boone in this episode). He’s dishonest, sneaky, violent, and an ass to boot. Heck, the argument could be made that he’d knock Sawyer upside the head in a sneak attack just to get even with him from their previous fight.
I don’t think Sawyer did it, but I don’t think Locke had an ulterior motive in fingering him, either. I think he just suspected Sawyer did it and figured out how it could be done under the circumstances (distance, fuse, etc.)
Definitely headed to Singapore first. When Jin and Sun are waiting in line to check in, we hear over the PA “Last call for Oceanic to Singapore.” (paraphrase) I immediately wondered how they were going to make the plane if they’re stuck behind Jack arguing about getting his father’s body on the plane and then they still have to get through security.
What do you make of “Confidence Man,” then? Before the episode, I thought it would be about Jack, some sort of plotline dealing with his possibly shady history, and his tendency to inspire confidence in others. When it turned out to be about Sawyer, a Con Man in one sense only, I gave up on the double-meaning theory.
(Of course his marks had confidence in him, but that’s inherent in the usual, ordinary meaning of “confidence man” anyway, isn’t it?)
Eucalyptus grows in SoCal, I know; its presence on the island doesn’t mean the island must be near Australia, I think.
That plant is very distinctive for its appearance as well as its smell. I didn’t quite buy Sun’s sniffing it to make sure – or at least, her not appearing 90% sure Michael had gotten it right at first sight of it.
I took the airport PA call for the flight to Singapore to refer to another flight. Jin looked pretty in control of the situation; I don’t think he would have shown up that late at the airport for an international flight, and seem quite unruffled about it.
That would seem logical enough, but then the Polar Bear Factor kind of complicates that bit of reasoning.
So every episode title has had a double meaning. What’s the double entendre of “Confidence Man”? One of them is that Sawyer was a huckster - a confidence man. What’s the second meaning? Does it refer to Sayid and his lack of confidence in himself, or something else?
Could be that the episode reveals that Sawyer lacks true confidence in himself, although he puts on the act as if he is in complete control. In a sense, he’s still trying to con people, as well; he let them all think that he had the inhalers in order to get what he wanted.
OH No!
Why don’t we use UFLA (Useless Four Letter Acronyms)?
Sawyer took Kate into his confidence, telling her frankly what sort of man he was. Kate isn’t about to blab this to the rest of them, either.
He’s a “confidence man” who cynically cultivated his marks’ confidence[1] in him, and he shared this confidence[2] with Kate.
That’s a good point, but the fact is it is very Movie-Of-The-Weekish and a cliche as old as TV networks themselves.
Aw, geez, eernerms, I was being SERIOUS! That’s what I get for being all cute and clever by trying to coin an acronym that itself meant “information”. I still think “Multiple Etymologies for Episodes” is pretty good.
Larry Mudd and others have hit on other meanings of “confidence” that applied to Sawyer in this episode… including the subtly brilliant use of the word in his dealings with Kate… He shook her confidence (certainty) with his initial “I’m a bastard” story by making her read the letter aloud and making her think it was about what he did to destroy some family; he played a dangerous confidence game (theft by misdirection) with both Jack and Sayhid just to win a kiss from Kate, by promising something he never had; Kate later inserted herself into his confidence (secret trust) by pointing out that, because of the letter’s postmark, he had to be the little boy who wrote the letter… and guessed correctly that his name’s not really “Sawyer.” Thus we have a self-loathing confidence man who’s at a crossroads with his nature: does he continue to exploit people’s fears, greed and hopes to his own benefit? or will he do something else with his life?
I’m sure it’s rather older than that – it’s probably as old as storytelling.
I think when it’s done well you can see ten thousand permutations of it and it will still seem fresh. Of course, sometimes it’s just going to be trite.
Myself, I had very low expectations for this episode, because I think so far Sawyer has been the thinnest character. I liked it a lot better than I expected to, although I still winced at some of the dialogue. (“Is that all you’ve got?!” Jesus, one might ask the same of the writers.)
Anyway, I’m just saying we can expect a whole lot more subplots about people coming back to themselves. (Ooh! We have a ready-made metaphor in “Losing their baggage.” Hey! Stop hitting!) So, if “good but flawed” characters bother you, this show is just going to get more and more annoying – because they’ve all got stuff to deal with and they’re all going to get their chance.
Reading the last few posts, I was reminded of this comment early on.
I think, in reality, there are probably very few “all-dark” people.
Maybe I am a blind optimist, but I think most people are more gray than black or white.
Most people are either pretty decent, or somewhere on a sliding scale of partly dark.