Lost 3.11 "Enter 77"

[MovieMogul]

[QUOTE=wasson]
Wow, seriously? We learned a lot here. We saw a new station, The Flame, which was hinted at in the Dharma map and seen in the Pearl. We got to know the eyepatch guy, who we’d previously only seen a split second of and always wondered who he was.
[/quote]
We already knew the station and the guy existed, and learned little else new about either, really.

We learned about The Flame station and it’s duties… communicating with the outside world. This is obviously true even though we learned it from a liar. The satellite, the computer with the Dr. on it… all obviously about outside communication. We learned that this computer is probably the one that’s been used to call out when they need a new food drop. And it’s probably what The Others have been using to get all their information, but hasn’t worked since the sky turned purple.

Again, we knew the Others used something for this purpose already. Learning it was this particular station wasn’t particularly revelatory. The most interesting thing about the station was that it was booby-trapped, but now that it’s gone, that’s the only thing we’re likely to learn about it.

Oh, and they had a cow, horse, and cat (2/3 of which are also dead now).

We learned what the huge wire that Sayid found in the first season was all about. Where it went and why. Again, even though it was a liar talking about it, I think we can assume this was true.

This was the one major development (in addition to the map that leads to the compound).

This show would suck if it answered EVERYTHING in one episode. I thought this one was the perfect balance of answering a bunch of old stuff and introducing just 1 or 2 more questions into the mix. By the end, I think a lot of our mysteries were solved. This was my favorite episode of the season so far, by far.

Oh, I’ve been one of those voices regularly decrying having everything given away so quickly, but since the last several episodes have yielded virtually nothing of value, I was hoping that getting to the heart of a new hatch would yield something more meaty than “Confirm - check; confirm - check, etc.”

[wasson]

[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy]
We already knew the station and the guy existed, and learned little else new about either, really.
[/quote]
Like I said before, we learned it’s purpose, it’s size, it’s occupant, it’s location in relation to the beach, etc. We knew it existed, but so what? We also know a monster exists, but we know virtually nothing about it. Now we know a lot about The Flame.

And the eyepatch guy? Before all we knew is that he was somewhere, and he had an eyepatch. Now we know he’s an Other, he occupies The Flame, he’s Russian, and we even know his birthday.

Again, we knew the Others used something for this purpose already.

Again, so what? We knew the Others “somehow” communicated with the outside world, somehow getting food drops, baseball games, CDs, cartoons, meat… now we know how they communicated and where from. I think that was a really cool development and revelation. By your logic we already know “some” about everything… the cool part is filling in the gaps, which they’ve done here.

Oh, I’ve been one of those voices regularly decrying having everything given away so quickly, but since the last several episodes have yielded virtually nothing of value, I was hoping that getting to the heart of a new hatch would yield something more meaty than “Confirm - check; confirm - check, etc.”

Yeah, I think this episode confirmed a lot of stuff, answered a lot of questions, and continued the story in a really interesting way without asking any more annoying questions without answers. In fact, instead of speculating more about The Flame and hoping one of the Losties would investigate more, it’s now completely gone. So we also know The Flame doesn’t play a part in their discovery, and isn’t particularly important to the overall mythology of the island.

And I think the capture of the Patchy is going to really be an interesting development

(assuming he doesn’t die at the Other’s security system in the next episode) , as is finding the map to the barracks, etc.

Yep, I think this was the best episode of the season by far.

[Fiver]

Mikhail said he and Nadia Comaneci share a birthday. She was born November 12, 1961, for those of you who are looking for meaning in everything. None of Hurley’s numbers are in that date, for what that’s worth.

In fact, none of the numbers Locke entered last night are among the “cursed” set of numbers.

[Gfactor]

[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy]
I was hoping that getting to the heart of a new hatch would yield something more meaty than “Confirm - check; confirm - check, etc.”
[/QUOTE]

1. Checked hatch out, but only scratched the surface.
2. Left all kinds of goodies in there with no justification.
3. Kaboom.

[Baraqiyal]

The one major revelation that I got out of this episode is that the Others are not Dharmas, but “Hostiles”. This is the first I’ve heard that there was a group living on the island before Dharma, and that the two groups went to war. The fact that no one has really mentioned this probably means that this was already known, but it was news to me.

[Thirty-Nine]

[QUOTE=Dante]
Easily the worst computerized security system ever devised.

IT Guy #1: “How 'bout a long assed game of chess!?”
IT Guy #2: “How 'bout a username and password?”
IT Guy #1: “THAT’S NOT MYSTERIOUS ENOUGH!”
[/QUOTE]

Nicely put… Also having a video as part of the GUI on a 80s era computer was a little :dubious:.

No wonder the Dharma initiative was wiped out.

“Oh no, the hostiles are here! Quick, I’ll keep them occupied while you go and play chess!”

I liked the episode though. I don’t think Locke it was stupid to press 77, but leaving Mikhael to play chess was.

[SenorBeef]

As far as the Locke stupidity goes, entering 77 wasn’t nearly as stupid as what no one seems to have specifically commented on: Locke got there, and they met someone who claimed to be from Dharma, and discovered a new base, and what did Locke do? Talk to the guy? Look through documents? … No, he decided “hey, cool, computer game!”

Weak, weak writing. The behavior made no sense, and only served to bridge the gap to getting to the Dr. Candle screen.

By the way, I didn’t stare at the board long, nor am I an especially good chess player, but the move the computer made prior to Locke getting checkmate didn’t make sense.

The computer could’ve taken his queen for the cost of a rook, and not put itself in check.

[Fiver]

[QUOTE=Baraqiyal]
The one major revelation that I got out of this episode is that the Others are not Dharmas, but “Hostiles”.
[/QUOTE]
From the doctor on the video, we do know that there are Dharmas and “Hostiles,” yes, and that they’re separate groups.

We also know that Mikhail claimed to be with Dharma, and opposed to the Hostiles, before he was found out by Sayid, Kate, and Locke.

However, the encounter with Mrs. Klugh and Mikhail’s reaction to the map told us that he is a part of the same group as Ben, Juliet, and the rest of Jack’s captors.

So, are the Others Dharma, or the Hostiles? That question was not answered by this episode.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

[QUOTE=SenorBeef]
The computer could’ve taken his queen for the cost of a rook, and not put itself in check.
[/QUOTE]

If I remember the layout correctly, taking the queen would have allowed the rook Locke had just moved to take the white rook (not the one that took the queen) putting white king in check, which could be blocked only by moving either the rook (the one that took the queen) or a bishop into the path, both of which could be freely taken by Locke’s rook, each time leaving the king in check (I may be mis-remembering the board, but I think moving the knight was a decent move for a bad position). Then the game jumped forward a few moves before they next showed Locke move for checkmate.

[SenorBeef]

Also, did anyone else almost roll their eyes when they saw the binder that said “Dharma Operations Manual”?

2 years ago, I might’ve had a sense of “oh, cool, new information!”

Now, I’m cynical enough about the show that I thought “gee, how is that going to be lost or destroyed before they even crack it open?”

He should’ve immediately put it in his backpack, at the very least. Maybe he did, and we’ll see it pulled out next week, but I very, very much doubt it.

Oh well. I guess having it blow up is slightly less jarring than simply having no one be curious about it, or accept “it’s complicated” as an answer.

When eye patch gave his little “sometime you’ll let your guard down…” speech, was I the only one that thought “kick him into an engine!”?

[SenorBeef]

[QUOTE=Long Time Lurker]
Then the game jumped forward a few moves before they next showed Locke move for checkmate.
[/QUOTE]

I don’t remember that part. It seemed like consecutive moves, and since the upcoming checkmate was obvious, it seemed like an inexplicable move.
Not that it’s that important, it just seems like a small effort to get right.

[McDeath_the_Mad]

Slightly off topic, I was thinking about CFL last night.

When they captured Henry last season, CFL had shot him with a cross-bow. She wanted to kill him, but Jack? didn’t.

Did she give any indication that she knew who Henry was? Is there a chance he was her husband and the biological father of Alex?

Or do you think CFL knew that Henry was acting as a pseudo-father to Alex?

Just curious…

[Frylock]

“HOSTILES” = “H LOSTIES”

Well… anyway…

-FrL-

[Long_Time_Lurker]

[QUOTE=SenorBeef]
I don’t remember that part. It seemed like consecutive moves, and since the upcoming checkmate was obvious, it seemed like an inexplicable move.
Not that it’s that important, it just seems like a small effort to get right.
[/QUOTE]

Found a photo: Chessboard

Take the following with the caveat that I’m not a great chess player.

If instead of moving the knight:
White Rook takes Black Queen
Black Rook takes White Rook: Check
White can block with bishop or rook. If with rook, black rook takes white rook: Check (leading to a loss of the bishop, which must move to intervene, and then the knight when the king moves out of the way), if with bishop, other black rook takes white rook (leaving white down in points, and in a bad position).

This was the next time they showed the screen, it jumped forward a bit in the game: http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1261&pos=602

[brianmelendez]

[QUOTE=Fiver]
Mikhail said he and Nadia Comaneci share a birthday. She was born November 12, 1961, for those of you who are looking for meaning in everything. None of Hurley’s numbers are in that date, for what that’s worth.
[/QUOTE]
November 12 = 11/12
11 + 12 = 23

[BubbaDog]

[QUOTE=randwill]
How would he know that there was a delay between pushing the button and the explosion?
[/QUOTE]
Based on the second line of my post -

“He might still be clinging on to the idea that the island is “communicating” and healing him.”

In other words, his flaw of recklessness isn’t centered in stupidity. It comes from too much faith.

[Risha]

[QUOTE=brianmelendez]
November 12 = 11/12
11 + 12 = 23
[/QUOTE]
I’m all for obscure connections but… :dubious:

[Frostillicus]

[QUOTE=brianmelendez]
November 12 = 11/12
11 + 12 = 23
[/QUOTE]

Man, they ought to make a movie about the number 23! That would be cool.

[shimmery]

[QUOTE=Baraqiyal]
The one major revelation that I got out of this episode is that the Others are not Dharmas, but “Hostiles”. This is the first I’ve heard that there was a group living on the island before Dharma, and that the two groups went to war. The fact that no one has really mentioned this probably means that this was already known, but it was news to me.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, and this makes me remember what I used to think was so interesting about Lost. It was interesting as a Lord of the Flies type thing. How will people put into this (lawless) context react and what will they do? We saw one charismatic person take on leadership, basic rules and norms emerge - then they started interacting with a foreign community. It’s interesting to take a step back now and think about Losties vs. Others that way. So far, we’ve found that the Others have many more amenities. Does that make them more advanced? Hm..

Also, I’m inclined to cut Sayid some slack on the Operations Manual. After all, he took at least one map, and presumably, several other documents. The Operations Manual is probably where they keep the emergency plan and phone trees and stuff. I guess that would be still be useful for the Losties, but are not pieces of information that I, as a viewer, have been dying to learn.

[Carnick]

I buy the chess password gimmick. If it was a normal login screen it would attract the attention of hackers, but no one would suspect a chess game held secret info. Kinda like hiding your valuables in a fake book. A chess game can be won pretty quickly in the right circumstances, can it not? If someone knew the right moves to take against the AI they could enter it quickly enough with little memorization. It makes sense in a TV show sort of way.

So we know Russian guy is an other, but are we sure he’s an Other other? He said he’s not part of Dharma, which means spooky video Asian dude is not part of Dharma. Unless he’s not the original occupant of the bunker.