Every plan ever hatched on this show has relied on an ability to predict the unpredictable with near-psychic accuracy. For a while, it was driving me crazy, because every plan that the Others executed only worked because they were magically able to predict that, for example, Ben wouldn’t get an infection and die, or that neither Libby nor Ana Lucia would survive long enough to gasp out a “Michael did it,” or that Sayid wouldn’t think to cover the boat…
Then I just let it all go, and I enjoy the show much more now.
And the ‘carrying cost’ is sooo small. It’s not like you are going to wear yourself out dragging 50# gold ingots around. What could those diamonds weight? Maybe a half-ounce including the pouch? I’d be willing to wear it around my throat for years on the chance I might get back to civilization.
Plan A was to get the gun from Sawyer, but he wouldn’t give it to her. Of course, this all proves that Nikki is nowhere near as smart or resourceful as Ana-Lucia. She managed to get the gun away from Sawyer pretty easily.
It was interesting seeing Ethan listening to Jack’s “Live together or die alone” speech; he looked like he might actually be a little impressed.
When Ethan was introduced to the show, he seemed to be almost a superhuman menace, and people started speculating on whether the “Others” might all be physically and mentally enhanced by the island’s weird environment. But mostly, they seem to have the capabilities of ordinary human beings with unusual training and experience. Now and again one of them seems stronger than they should be – like when Julia decked Jack. I think this is another area of ambiguity where the writers haven’t really worked it out.
How? The only ones who know about the spider’s poison (Arzt, Nikki, and Paolo) are dead.
I was horrified (but in a good, omg I Love Stephen King way) by this episode. When I saw the previews I was a bit WTF, why are they doing flashbacks about minor characters…but it was interesting to see past scenes from a new perspective.
I would imagine if they didn’t suffocate they would have been crushed by the weight of the sand.
Something did happen this episode that might turn out to be an important plot point, Sun’s changed relation to the Others. Before she thought she was shooting a member of a group that had already violently assaulted and threatened her. Now she knows that wasn’t what happened. Of course Jin is still going to react to the others as the people who attacked his wife the next time he encounters them. I don’t remember if the Others know that it was Sun who shot that woman.
So who was feeding and caring for the insects in Artz’ collection after his untimely demise? Nikki?
Good episode over all. I really didn’t think they’d have the balls to have them be buried alive. I was pleasantly surprised that they did. I hope they aren’t brought back, but if they are it won’t bother me too much. They’ve laid the groundwork for such a possibility.
Didn’t the writers (kind of) cover the spider/ornery thing by having Nikki shake the shit out of the jar before opening it?
I got to watch it again last night. My wife hadn’t seen it and I really enjoyed wathcing her reactions.
Great episode. Probably a top five (certainly a top ten) all time.
I could stand about 2-3 of those self contained (beginning, middle, end) stories every now and then.
It kind of reminds me of how a comic series will have a 6-8 issue arc and then throw in a one shot story to break things up before going into the next arc.
With the Stephen King/JJ Abrams connection now, I wonder how long before King starts having input into the episodes? The buried alive bit was something that’s a bit more creepy for this show than normal.
Well as far as the Losties knew, he single handedly defeated Claire and Charlie, carried them away from camp, and hung Charlie from a tree. Of course, if he shot Charlie with a dart, and had a few of the other Others there to help him cart away the bodies and hang Charlie, then it doesn’t seem so superhuman as it did at first.
However, didn’t a producer say, regarding Nicki and Paolo, that they would be some huge element that tied everything together? Or am I totally misremembering?
I remember them saying they would be important, but it doesn’t seem like they ended up being that important. The episode had many little hints suggesting that N&P were involved with the Others and that they were killed by the monster but neither turned out to be true. However! I found it interesting that Paulo told Nikki he thought Ethan would be more helpful than Arzt, after Ethan kidnapped Claire. So maybe there is more that we haven’t senn yet…
Right after the scene where Nikki asks Artz for help in determining where the bag landed they are walking through the jungle and Paulo says something like “We should have asked Ethan for help instead.”
