Lost 3.1: "A Tale of Two Cities"

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

@Antigen

But if they knew nothing about the plane before it crashed - although I must say, Gale reacted real fast in telling people what to do - how did they get so much info on the passengers so quickly? Asking Jack where the flight was from was part of the game they were trying to play, I guess, because they’d figured it out already. But how in the world do they get that much info on people?

Wasn’t one of the theories floating around that Dharma was following certain people around BEFORE the accident and that the plane was diverted to the island on purpose? I think that would answer why Gale was on top of it so fast and why they knew so much about a few certain people.

Oh! Maybe the plane wasn’t supposed to crash there but to come in a more orderly fashion and Desmond screwed that up and it ended up crashing instead? It seems like they were expecting certain people from that plane, thus the need to send two people in to get lists of names and nothing more.

I don’t know how much I believe that theory but it is starting to make more sense to me.

[Antigen]

@AttackOfTheSmurf

Wasn’t one of the theories floating around that Dharma was following certain people around BEFORE the accident and that the plane was diverted to the island on purpose?

The only problem I have with that is that we never saw any Dharma operatives in the flashbacks. Or did we and I forget? Or have some flashback people just not been “outed” as Dharmas?

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

@Antigen

The only problem I have with that is that we never saw any Dharma operatives in the flashbacks. Or did we and I forget? Or have some flashback people just not been “outed” as Dharmas?

It seems to me that Dharma is a pretty big organization. The Lost Experience stuff over the summer with the Hanzo corporation implied how larged it was. And I suppose they didn’t have to actually physically follow anyone with all the new ways to track people, right? Credit card activity, phone numbers, CCTV, blah blah blah.

[Wile_E]

Okay, one thing that bothered me … Kate had that really nice beachside breakfast and then she gets taken to a cage and has to take Sawyer’s hard earned fish biscuit? I was starting to like Kate a little last season and now they make her a greedy fish biscuit eater.
I enjoyed Bluebeard’s, “hey, you got yourself a fish biscuit!”, he seemed really happy about it.
I think “fish biscuit” is fun to say, too. Mmm, fish biscuit!

[edwino]

@Wile E

Okay, one thing that bothered me … Kate had that really nice beachside breakfast and then she gets taken to a cage and has to take Sawyer’s hard earned fish biscuit? I was starting to like Kate a little last season and now they make her a greedy fish biscuit eater.
I enjoyed Bluebeard’s, “hey, you got yourself a fish biscuit!”, he seemed really happy about it.
I think “fish biscuit” is fun to say, too. Mmm, fish biscuit!

I think it was implied, by the look on her face and the abrasions around the handcuffs, that she struggled and somehow forwent the breakfast.

I found this episode very slow. What did we learn? That the Others have a village? Absolutely nothing else. Very big let down for a season opener. Not even a good hook at the end of the episode to keep us watching next week.

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

@edwino

I found this episode very slow. What did we learn? That the Others have a village? Absolutely nothing else. Very big let down for a season opener. Not even a good hook at the end of the episode to keep us watching next week.

Agreed. It takes, what, 20 minutes to establish that they are going to test the three in different ways. Ok, got that. Then…what? I hope the next episode has more meat to it than just a rescue attempt. How about some subtle implications of some new mystery or something?

[running_piglet_cheese]

What’s the significance in not seeing Kate’s testing/brainwashing? Do you suppose she’s been tricked/forced into betraying/fooling Sawyer? He’s so suspicious that perhaps the only way through his defenses is thru Kate. Those manipulative bastards are real creeps. How can they spend their entire lives playing games with people’s heads?

Actually timed show time at 7 min between commercials, with the ads running as long as 4 min. in some cases (at least twice). I think I’ll tape it next week so I can fast forward thru the ads even if it means I’ll have to postpone my Lost fix for an extra hour.

[Mama_Tiger]

@t-mobileguy

I had to walk out of the room for a few min. During the show can someone tell me what I missed? I saw 4 amex commercials 1 rolaids spot and I think the rest were all abc promos. Did I miss any apperantly super important ads?

Sorry I know that was snarky but man what was the run time on this one like 18 min?

I don’t know if this spot ran anywhere else, but the D.C. affiliate ran a spot advertising positions in the NSA. I guess they figure that people who are into Lost are good candidates to become spooks? It was definitely surreal.

Fish biscuit!

[1point618]

Biggest WTF moment: when I still wasn’t sure where they were in the intro sequence, and we see just briefly Ethan jump out from fixing the pipes. I yelled “It’s Ethan” and knew instantly they were on the island.

As usual, the Jake flashback was just a little bit painful, maybe partially because I know how he is feeling and would likely feel and act in a similar way (though I hope not that badly).

A few questions:
Does anyone else think that the reason Kate took the fish biscuit and that her wrists were so badly cut up was that she hadn’t gone quietly at the beachside breakfast?

Also, did anyone else fear for the other prisoner’s life when Tom had the two other guys drag him off? One had a high powered rifle, and it looked as though he’d already been beaten up badly.

Where was Beatrix (Ms Klugh)?

Obviously: what has happened to Mike and Walt? Hurley? Sayid et al.? John, Desmond and Eko?

A few final observations:
For a brief second I thought the woman at the AA meeting was Locke’s Hellen, but from her voice I don’t believe it was the same actress.

The Bears (in Saywer’s cage) == polar bears?

Sharks (and dolphins!) in the aquarium.

For “everyone will die”, they sure closed that door easily.

What is up with Bob/Fenry Gale? Is he a hated leader? Do the others fear him? And why was he not invited to the book club?

Josh (Saywer’s actor) is looking a bit more filled out, his face especially.

And finally:
It’s so good to have it back on :-D.

[Antigen]

@running piglet cheese

What’s the significance in not seeing Kate’s testing/brainwashing? Do you suppose she’s been tricked/forced into betraying/fooling Sawyer?

You saw the teary eyes? Yup, she’s gotta betray him and she’s totally guilt-ridden.

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

@running piglet cheese

What’s the significance in not seeing Kate’s testing/brainwashing? Do you suppose she’s been tricked/forced into betraying/fooling Sawyer? He’s so suspicious that perhaps the only way through his defenses is thru Kate. Those manipulative bastards are real creeps. How can they spend their entire lives playing games with people’s heads?

I had assumed that was all part of her testing with the cage in the end to play her off of Sawyer? Although the bit with the handcuffs cutting into her hands does beg the question. Flashback!

[fiddlesticks]

@edwino

I found this episode very slow. What did we learn? That the Others have a village? Absolutely nothing else.

Well, the Others are living quite the suburban/resort community life. The pirate getups were revealed to be costumes last season, but there was no indictation that they were living so comfortably. What’s generating the electricity? Are the Others getting food via airdrops too or other sources?

Animal experimentation was going on on the island at one point, but the experiments have since been abandoned. That’s only been covered by the various Lost/Hanso websites. Presumably that really was a horse that Kate saw after all. And the “shark” that stalked the remains of the boat with the Dharma logo on its fin? I guess it was really a dolphin.

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

@1point618

Also, did anyone else fear for the other prisoner’s life when Tom had the two other guys drag him off? One had a high powered rifle, and it looked as though he’d already been beaten up badly.

I think that guy was a plant and it was part of the test for Sawyer. He is probably one of them.

@1point618

What is up with Bob/Fenry Gale? Is he a hated leader? Do the others fear him? And why was he not invited to the book club?

Was he not invited or just not interested in the book?

[Oslo_Ostragoth]

@Monstre

I’m holding out hope that it will end with the Dharma shark leaping onto the boat and eating Michael.

Me, I’m looking forward to the scene where Hurley smacks him down and sits on him.

[AttackOfTheSmurf]

So this idea that maybe Ben/Gale somehow got Kate to betray Sawyer, that’s starting to sound awfully juicy to me. I’m thinking maybe they threatened Jack’s life if she didn’t do whatever it is they want her to do…maybe force her to choose between them? Or two choose something horrible happening to Sawyer but ulimately still letting him live?

Could be fun all the way around!

[ZipperJJ]

@fiddlesticks

Animal experimentation was going on on the island at one point, but the experiments have since been abandoned. That’s only been covered by the various Lost/Hanso websites. Presumably that really was a horse that Kate saw after all. And the “shark” that stalked the remains of the boat with the Dharma logo on its fin? I guess it was really a dolphin.

You think Sawyer was in Joop’s cage?

[Antigen]

Did anyone catch the title of the Stephen King book? Or recognize it from its cover? Probably means nothing, but I’m dying to know. Screencaps? Anyone?

[Foldup_Rabbit]

It’s rehabilitation centre for people who are impolite!

Or, you know, whatever.

Jack closing the door sort of irked me. Physics, man. If they were opening a door that led to the underwater, then wouldn’t have been harder to open (and close)? Fine, whatever, I can suspend my disbelief.

I do love that Sawyer.

“You got yourself a fish biscuit! It only took the bears two hours.”
“Yeah, how many were there?”

[vivalostwages]

@AttackOfTheSmurf

I think that guy was a plant and it was part of the test for Sawyer. He is probably one of them.

Was he not invited or just not interested in the book?

I thought the Plant Guy was the one who had been working on the plumbing at the beginning of the ep. Or was that Ethan? I barely caught a glimpse before they ran off after the plane crashed and Fenry told them to haul ass.

[BobT]

Didn’t “Henry Gale” ask for a Steven King book to read when he was captured by the Losties and given “The Brothers Karamazov” to read instead?