# Lost 4.01: "The Begining of the End" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458 "2008-01-29T15:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/181 "2008-02-02T06:15:42Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] Nah - that guy is a regular cast member on **The Wire**. He does not have an accent. He just has this very. deliberate. speech. pattern. that makes it sound like he’s trying to pound nails with his words. [/QUOTE] Weird. My wife and I both thought he had an accent. You’re probably right that he didn’t, but I don’t quite think this follows from the fact that he plays a non-foreign character on a different show. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/182 "2008-02-02T06:18:00Z")
[QUOTE=Crawlspace] I believe that was Jack. Hurley has had that car for a while (it was in the Tricia Tanaka is Dead episode) and it’s a rare car, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Jack to know it and put two and two together. It’s marketed as a mystery. I love the fact that it has great back stories, character development, and is well scripted/acted, but my investment in that mythology is based on the puzzle solving/mystery hook. I understand why they some times have to take a surreptitious route in order to introduce new facts/plot development, and can forgive the occasional slow episode because of that. But it’s terrible story telling to build the momentum to fever pitch and then, after 8 months, do absolutely nothing to resolve that tension. Give me something, anything, to think about. Hell, I would even take more build up or a false release. I keep watching because when they have their act together they put out some of the more compelling fiction around and they’ve promised that the series will end with a final, explosive episode. The logical part of me knows that since I’ve pretty much exclaimed, “Holy Shit” after every season finale, they’ll come through in the end. But everytime they over hype an episode like this, and get my hopes up for nothing, I become more cynical that they will actually tie up all the loose ends they’ve dangled before us. [/QUOTE] Also, the dialogue is not usually as well-written as the person you are responding to claims. Downright cringeworthy at times. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/183 "2008-02-02T06:57:36Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Weird. My wife and I both thought he had an accent. You’re probably right that he didn’t, but I don’t quite think this follows from the fact that he plays a non-foreign character on a different show. -FrL- [/QUOTE] Well what I’m saying is that I’ve heard that guy talk a lot on television and he has never sounded as if he’s had any sort of African accent, and when he appeared on Lost he had the exact same voice/accent as I’ve heard him use on the other show. He does have a recognizable voice - and if I saw him for the first time on a show where the other large, serious-looking, intimidating black characters were Nigerians I would definitely project on to him the idea that was also a Nigerian and perhaps hear a hint of an accent. But, with my frame of reference it did not seem to me at all that he might be a Nigerian by his voice. If his “Baltimore voice” is the same as his “Nigerian voice” then he’s either got a bad Baltimore voice or a bad Nigerian voice 🙂 Knowwhatimean? He’s also in a Cadillac commercial, FWIW. Same voice. Perhaps you’ll see it during the Super Bowl - the only time I’ve seen it was during a recent football game. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/184 "2008-02-02T07:35:34Z")
According to Wikipedia, imdb, etc., he (Lance Reddick) was actually born in Baltimore, so I’m guessing the Baltimore voice is probably pretty good. 🙂 (Incidentally, I’m still amazed, completely floored, that Dominic West is British. I mean, I know a fair number of people on that show actually are, but McNulty? I’d never have guessed.) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/185 "2008-02-02T07:53:21Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] Well what I’m saying is that… [/QUOTE] Like I said, I’m sure you’re right. I watched the episode along with 15 other people in a noisy room containing five noisy kids. It’s more than possible I misheard. -Kris ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/186 "2008-02-02T08:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Like I said, I’m sure you’re right. I watched the episode along with 15 other people in a noisy room containing five noisy kids. It’s more than possible I misheard. -Kris [/QUOTE] I just watched the relevant scene at [abc.com](http://abc.com) and I can see why I was misled. But you’re right–it’s a totally American accent. -Kris ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/187 "2008-02-02T16:17:20Z")
So, do we know the parachute guy? Have we seen him before? Jack looked like he was having a confused almost-recognition moment. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/188 "2008-02-02T19:01:31Z")
Why did the guy parachute down? Why not just land the helicopter? ---
**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:** [February 2, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/189 "2008-02-02T19:10:48Z")
I think “Oh. My. God.” is a bit of an exaggeration. I’d give this episode a “B”. As a season opener, I’d give it a “C”, since the previous two were pretty mind blowing. I mean, we really didn’t learn much here that we didn’t know from the season finale last year. OK, we know that 6 got off the Island, and that they are somehow sworn to secrecy. But we could pretty much get that from the Jack/Kate encounter in the finale-- when one of them (can’t remember which) talked about being tired of lying all the time and how Jack wanted to get back (obviously because some people were still there). I think we can be pretty sure now that the “he” Kate was talking about is someone watching her, not someone she’s involved with. And was it just me, or did anyone else think it really odd that the Beach crew never actually told Jack what Charlie’s message was? The first thing you do is sit him down and give a quick, but detailed summary of what happened at the Look Glass station. I kept thinking: WTF? There is also something very suspicious about the guy on the boat-- he talks in such a casual manner about a rescue that should be, by all accounts, a real sensation. One interesting thing, though, is that it’s clear that the “Oceanic 6” did not all come from the same splinter group. Also, this isn’t the first time the group has split up-- the same thing happened in season 1 (cave vs beach), as I’m sure we all remember. And… that was a pretty weak drink Jack fixed for himself-- just a little topper of Vodka. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/190 "2008-02-02T19:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Dominic Mulligan] Why did the guy parachute down? Why not just land the helicopter? [/QUOTE] Presumably, finding the island is hard enough, but the island doesn’t really like things landing on it, at least not in one piece. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/191 "2008-02-02T19:33:39Z")
I haven’t seen any mention (maybe I missed it?) of the writing on Charlie’s hand when Hurley hallucinates in the holding cell. They Need You ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/192 "2008-02-02T19:50:36Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] And was it just me, or did anyone else think it really odd that the Beach crew never actually told Jack what Charlie’s message was? The first thing you do is sit him down and give a quick, but detailed summary of what happened at the Look Glass station. I kept thinking: WTF? [/QUOTE] It’s not just you. I think it was just bad writing. The story called for a tense, dynamic, action scene at that point: Desmond breathlessly relays his Not Penny’s Boat message, followed by conflict between Locke/Ben (stay) and Jack (go), and the Losties choosing sides. But instead, the writers went for an emotional scene with Hurley talking about Charlie. It made no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/193 "2008-02-02T20:01:40Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] And… that was a pretty weak drink Jack fixed for himself-- just a little topper of Vodka. [/QUOTE] He hasn’t gotten to the bearded stealing-House’s-pills stage yet. Give him time. 😉 Is it just me, or did anyone else find it slightly odd that in the scene with Jack and Hurley at the end, Hurley kept nailing each single shot? I don’t think he missed a single basket, and I thought for a moment it was a sign of another hallucination. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/194 "2008-02-02T20:17:44Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] Is it just me, or did anyone else find it slightly odd that in the scene with Jack and Hurley at the end, Hurley kept nailing each single shot? I don’t think he missed a single basket, and I thought for a moment it was a sign of another hallucination. [/QUOTE] Hurley’s had a thing going with luck for awhile now. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/195 "2008-02-02T20:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] Is it just me, or did anyone else find it slightly odd that in the scene with Jack and Hurley at the end, Hurley kept nailing each single shot? I don’t think he missed a single basket, and I thought for a moment it was a sign of another hallucination. [/QUOTE] Hurley is a very lucky guy. Not only that, but when good things happen to him, bad things happen to those around him. Didn’t you notice that Jack missed every shot? ---
**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:** [February 2, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/196 "2008-02-02T20:45:25Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] He hasn’t gotten to the bearded stealing-House’s-pills stage yet. Give him time. 😉 [/QUOTE] You forgot “scruffy” beard wearing. And what kind of guy goes around saying “I’m thinking of growing a beard”. Just grow the beard-- don’t muse over it or talk about it. Jack can be such a chick sometimes! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/197 "2008-02-02T21:05:37Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] And what kind of guy goes around saying “I’m thinking of growing a beard”. Just grow the beard-- don’t muse over it or talk about it. Jack can be such a chick sometimes! [/QUOTE] Well, I won’t argue with you on that point. But the comment (I’m sure) was their shorthand way of telling us that this flashforward occurs prior, chronologically, to the last one we saw. Otherwise we’d be burning bandwidth trying to sort them out. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/198 "2008-02-02T21:19:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by SenorBeef > The Losties had to go back to the beach for rescue, because obviously a wide open, elevated area with a LARGE RED AND WHITE TOWER on an island devoid of artificial landmarks is an unsuitable place to be found from the air. [QUOTE=Pazu] I thought everyone assumed that a boat (“not Penny’s”, of course) was coming. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=SenorBeef] Oh, that makes sense. I assumed that they’d use their helicopter to ferry people (obviously a freighter isn’t going to park at the beach, but they might have smaller boats aboard) but that might’ve been a bad assumption on my part. [/QUOTE] I think that the entire audience was expecting a helicopter because of Desmond’s vision. However, he and Charlie certainly didn’t share that info with the rest of the survivors. They just know about a boat. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/199 "2008-02-02T22:15:27Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] Well, I won’t argue with you on that point. But the comment (I’m sure) was their shorthand way of telling us that this flashforward occurs prior, chronologically, to the last one we saw. Otherwise we’d be burning bandwidth trying to sort them out. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I get that. But you have to admit that it wasn’t out of character for Jack to say something stupid like that, too. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458/200 "2008-02-02T22:21:03Z")
[QUOTE=Rucksinator] I think that the entire audience was expecting a helicopter because of Desmond’s vision. However, he and Charlie certainly didn’t share that info with the rest of the survivors. They just know about a boat. [/QUOTE] True. And given how we know Losties absolutely refuse to discuss practical matters, I suppose it never occured to anyone to ask the potential rescuers: “So… are you going to pick us up by air or sea?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-01-the-begining-of-the-end/435458.md?page=11)