Lost 1.13: "Hearts and Minds"
Written by Carlton Cuse and Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Directed by Rod Holcomb
In which Boone finds himself on the receiving end of a lesson from Locke, while the rest of the survivors attempt to address a growing shortage of available food resources…
Status Report
Much like the previous episode, this hour is all about transition. Unlike the previous episode, however, the writers seem to struggle with the task. At least in part, this is due to an experiment with the series’ format. For the first time, the flashbacks aren’t related to the character getting the most development in the episode. Boone’s journey is as hard to understand for the audience as it is for the character, and that’s a gamble, from a storytelling point of view. But the writers don’t quite pull it off, and as a result, much of the momentum going into the last two episodes has been lost.
This should come as no surprise. It’s nearly impossible for a series to maintain the high standard set by the first half of this season, especially in the first year, when all the bugs are getting worked out of the system. And like many of the early episodes, there will be debates over whether or not this was a substandard installment or simply “misunderstood”. One thing, however, cannot be overlooked, and this is the scattered, almost sloppy structure of the episode itself.
Was this the intention of the writers, to shake things up by reminding the audience that these people are still searching for basic answers, even in the face of several serious issues? Much of what happens in the episode is about simple survival, as characters begin to understand that the prospect of rescue is waning. This is an important element of the overall plot structure, since it plays into the concept that each survivor has to make a choice, if they collectively come to accept that facing the challenges of the island is now a necessity.
The question is whether or not this process, individually or otherwise, is dramatized in the most effective way. One can’t help but wonder if there was a more exciting or compelling way to cover all these various subplots. Even when the content of a scene was ripe with potential, it felt like the writers and director were on two different pages, as though the vision in the writers’ heads never made it to the screen.
The most obvious example of the curious shortcomings for this episode would be Boone’s predicament. While Boone’s experience is ultimately meant to reflect on Locke’s motivations, it’s also rather obvious that Boone is reacting to whatever Locke smeared on his open wound. Not once was Boone’s journey convincing enough to believe as “reality”. What’s not clear is whether or not the writers intended for Boone’s experience to be so transparent; the intent seems to have been to make the audience wonder why Locke was putting Boone through it all. The director, certainly, seemed to want it both ways, and that left the episode with an odd dissonant tone.
As it is, the episode delves deeply into Locke’s psychology, and it’s wonderfully subversive. Up until Ethan’s betrayal, Locke seemed to exude confidence, as though the island was speaking to him directly, telling him what people needed to find their redemption. And since it worked, it was easy to assume that Locke was getting that subconscious level of communication. What this episode does is pay off Locke’s confusion and frustration in “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues” by showing the audience what happens when Locke begins grasping at straws.
Locke’s methods are really no different, from certain point of view, than what he did in “The Moth” or “Confidence Man”. Locke has always been ready to set the other survivors on a dangerous path, even to the point of manipulating Jack and Sayid into attacking Sawyer. But this episode, taken from Boone’s point of view, casts this influence in a far more negative light. Is it that Locke is receiving some kind of instruction from a higher power, or just that he believes it to be so?
If there is a higher power manipulating events on the island, to the point of making sure these specific survivors arrived when they did, then does it necessarily follow that Locke would fully understand the will of the island? Or was he operating out of some assumed confidence until Ethan was revealed to be outside of his knowledge? Locke has been questioning the extent of his shamanistic mandate, and part of that is the inevitable denial that he might be wrong. If Locke is meant to be the guide to the other survivors, then his self-doubt is causing him to fail in that task. His focus is fractured, especially considering how fixated he has become on the hatch and what lies beyond.
Locke’s frustration leads him to force the issue with Boone, who wasn’t having his epiphany about the island nearly fast enough for Locke’s satisfaction. Locke believes that his instinct is telling him to open the hatch and discover its secrets apart from the other survivors, and he wants Boone to understand that. So instead of letting events guide him to the apparent solution, Locke steps in and takes action on his own accord. This is metaphorically akin to the story of Moses, the man who led his people to the promised land but never made it there, because at the end, he allowed his faith in the instructions of God to lapse. Will Locke suffer the fate of Moses, and die within sight of the goal he thought the survivors were supposed to reach?
The fact that Locke can force Boone to have his experience cleverly begs the question: how much of the survivors’ experiences is the result of exposure to the natural compound that Locke used on Boone? At this point, it wouldn’t make sense for everything to be a hallucination, but it is rather intriguing that Boone’s experience began with hearing things. When Danielle said that there were voices in the jungle, and when Sayid heard them soon after, was that due to a minimal exposure to the same substance?
So through the process of Boone’s experience, Locke’s goals are revealed. Locke believes that his role is to show the survivors, sooner or later, what they need to “let go”. For Boone, it was the unnatural and incredibly strong desire for his step-sister. Locke understood that Boone would never be able to define his life on his own terms until he stopped placing Shannon at the center of his universe. This is no different than Locke’s decision regarding Charlie, but this time around, it feels a lot more sinister, playing on the mystique of the shamanic role. When a person represents the will of a higher power, can those around him truly understand his loyalties?
In terms of Boone’s experience, two interesting pieces of information are revealed. The first is just how cold and manipulative Shannon can be. At least part of her “spoiled little rich girl” routine is a ruse. This episode places the bickering between Boone and Shannon in context. Boone wants to deny his disturbing feelings, so he tries to pretend that Shannon is useless and unimportant, as if convincing himself in the process. Shannon, on the other hand, knows all too well what Boone is all about, and how far she can push him. Oddly enough, Shannon is far more interesting in this new light; Sayid had better be careful, because she could very well eat him alive.
The rest of the characters come in and out of the picture with little or no prompting, though much of it pertains to the growing food crisis and the question of whether Locke is paying attention. Like the semi-sinister shaman figure and the well-intended chieftain, Locke and Jack have a wonderfully guarded conversation with one another. It’s clear that Locke respects Jack, despite his flaws, perhaps because Jack is relatively easy to manipulate. But there are also indications that Jack is the kind of person to let negative emotions rage below the surface. He is clearly annoyed about Kate’s deception, but in this episode, he’s right back to his earlier flirtations.
While it hasn’t been very obvious, Kate is clearly beginning to consider what long-term residence on the island would mean. Perhaps finding the case was another step on the path to redemption for Kate. Whatever the reason, she is now helping Sun with agriculture, a situation that allows her to discover that Sun can understand and speak English. This is important, especially in light of the previous episode, since Kate must now wonder how much Sun overheard.
Sawyer doesn’t play much of a part in this episode, though he does show up unexpectedly in the flashbacks for Boone. This is likely the beginning of a series of revelations regarding the characters and how their histories interconnect. While this is simply a matter of Sawyer ending up at the same police station that Boone visited to get help for Shannon, it’s still building on the idea that these people were all part of the same world before they ever stepped on the plane.
Sayid’s attempt to make sense of Danielle’s maps is intriguing, because it uncovers something with potentially huge consequences. What if something on the island, perhaps going back several decades, is giving off a massive electromagnetic field? That would explain why the navigation systems of planes and ships were being directed to the island, especially if it were something that happened intermittently. That alone could cause an altered state of consciousness, and since psychic powers have been established in the “Lost” universe, there’s no telling what the combination would generate. It’s likely that this is only part of the mystery, but it’s also something that could be used to explain how various pieces of a “real world” puzzle could create a seemingly supernatural situation.
Charlie seems to be dealing with Claire’s abduction a bit better than in the previous episode, though his apparent re-evaluation of faith is not mentioned. He is one of the many survivors, however, to remind everyone in the audience that they are all looking to Locke to keep them alive in the coming weeks. This is, of course, a very dangerous and precarious situation. Somewhat more troubling is Charlie’s comment about dealing with heroin withdrawal. For someone apparently suffering it, he sure doesn’t show it!
After a rather minor role in the previous episode, Hurley makes a return to the spotlight, and as usual, it’s as a mixture of comic relief and necessary exposition. Growing concerns for food have been trickling into recent episodes, and now Hurley brings up the obvious drawback of an all-fruit diet. His misadventures with Jin were absolutely hysterical, and like Kate and Sun, it revealed something that could have long-term consequences for several characters.
These conversations remind the audience that a number of issues between Jin and Sun that haven’t been resolved. The writers are setting the stage for further exploration of their story in the future. In the same sense, there are hints regarding Michael and Walt, who haven’t been in the limelight very much of late. Michael’s pleasure at finding his own bag is a signal that answers should be forthcoming.
With so many plot threads getting a minor mention in this episode, almost to the point of obscurity, the final product feels disjointed. A huge portion of the episode is devoted to a fresh perspective on Locke’s perceived role on the island, and yet most of the balance of the episode is spent barely making any additional progress. The episodes leading up to Claire’s abduction provided a narrative momentum that the past two episodes have largely squandered.
The previous episode demonstrated that transitional episodes don’t have to be substandard, if the writers fully embrace the concept of transition as a necessary part of the story. The writers pull the trick off twice, but there’s a difference in terms of execution. The previous episode had a consistent flow to it, weaving in and out of subplots with a heft hand. This episode doesn’t quite come together as well, and as a result, the lack of any apparent advancement in the season arc is that much more noticeable.
Some ideas do work very well, however. Providing a new and disturbing look at Locke is a very good move, especially since Terry O’Quinn plays the role with such mastery. There’s also something to be said for playing against audience expectations. The first steamy scene took place under duress, when Sawyer tricked Kate into a lingering kiss. In keeping with that subversive tone, the first confirmed sex scene takes place between step-siblings. Clearly, the writers are all about the unnerving!
One can only hope that the past two episodes don’t represent the typical pre-sweeps slump in writing and production values, something that happens all too often. “Lost” is the kind of series that can’t toss out a couple of substandard episodes in the mid-season and get away with it. As it is, the writers need to remember that transitional episodes, however well written, need to actually transition into something else, or they ultimately fail to satisfy. This episode was flirting with that kind of disaster, and that means the writers need to regain the momentum, as fast as possible.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode doesn’t quite come together as well as it could have. While covering similar strong transitional elements like the previous episode, the various pieces don’t mesh into a coherent whole. The main element of the episode, concerning Boone, is rather obvious from the very beginning, with only the insight into Locke providing a saving grace.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Season Average (as of 1.13): 7.7
Directed by Rod Holcomb
In which Boone finds himself on the receiving end of a lesson from Locke, while the rest of the survivors attempt to address a growing shortage of available food resources…
Status Report
Much like the previous episode, this hour is all about transition. Unlike the previous episode, however, the writers seem to struggle with the task. At least in part, this is due to an experiment with the series’ format. For the first time, the flashbacks aren’t related to the character getting the most development in the episode. Boone’s journey is as hard to understand for the audience as it is for the character, and that’s a gamble, from a storytelling point of view. But the writers don’t quite pull it off, and as a result, much of the momentum going into the last two episodes has been lost.
This should come as no surprise. It’s nearly impossible for a series to maintain the high standard set by the first half of this season, especially in the first year, when all the bugs are getting worked out of the system. And like many of the early episodes, there will be debates over whether or not this was a substandard installment or simply “misunderstood”. One thing, however, cannot be overlooked, and this is the scattered, almost sloppy structure of the episode itself.
Was this the intention of the writers, to shake things up by reminding the audience that these people are still searching for basic answers, even in the face of several serious issues? Much of what happens in the episode is about simple survival, as characters begin to understand that the prospect of rescue is waning. This is an important element of the overall plot structure, since it plays into the concept that each survivor has to make a choice, if they collectively come to accept that facing the challenges of the island is now a necessity.
The question is whether or not this process, individually or otherwise, is dramatized in the most effective way. One can’t help but wonder if there was a more exciting or compelling way to cover all these various subplots. Even when the content of a scene was ripe with potential, it felt like the writers and director were on two different pages, as though the vision in the writers’ heads never made it to the screen.
The most obvious example of the curious shortcomings for this episode would be Boone’s predicament. While Boone’s experience is ultimately meant to reflect on Locke’s motivations, it’s also rather obvious that Boone is reacting to whatever Locke smeared on his open wound. Not once was Boone’s journey convincing enough to believe as “reality”. What’s not clear is whether or not the writers intended for Boone’s experience to be so transparent; the intent seems to have been to make the audience wonder why Locke was putting Boone through it all. The director, certainly, seemed to want it both ways, and that left the episode with an odd dissonant tone.
As it is, the episode delves deeply into Locke’s psychology, and it’s wonderfully subversive. Up until Ethan’s betrayal, Locke seemed to exude confidence, as though the island was speaking to him directly, telling him what people needed to find their redemption. And since it worked, it was easy to assume that Locke was getting that subconscious level of communication. What this episode does is pay off Locke’s confusion and frustration in “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues” by showing the audience what happens when Locke begins grasping at straws.
Locke’s methods are really no different, from certain point of view, than what he did in “The Moth” or “Confidence Man”. Locke has always been ready to set the other survivors on a dangerous path, even to the point of manipulating Jack and Sayid into attacking Sawyer. But this episode, taken from Boone’s point of view, casts this influence in a far more negative light. Is it that Locke is receiving some kind of instruction from a higher power, or just that he believes it to be so?
If there is a higher power manipulating events on the island, to the point of making sure these specific survivors arrived when they did, then does it necessarily follow that Locke would fully understand the will of the island? Or was he operating out of some assumed confidence until Ethan was revealed to be outside of his knowledge? Locke has been questioning the extent of his shamanistic mandate, and part of that is the inevitable denial that he might be wrong. If Locke is meant to be the guide to the other survivors, then his self-doubt is causing him to fail in that task. His focus is fractured, especially considering how fixated he has become on the hatch and what lies beyond.
Locke’s frustration leads him to force the issue with Boone, who wasn’t having his epiphany about the island nearly fast enough for Locke’s satisfaction. Locke believes that his instinct is telling him to open the hatch and discover its secrets apart from the other survivors, and he wants Boone to understand that. So instead of letting events guide him to the apparent solution, Locke steps in and takes action on his own accord. This is metaphorically akin to the story of Moses, the man who led his people to the promised land but never made it there, because at the end, he allowed his faith in the instructions of God to lapse. Will Locke suffer the fate of Moses, and die within sight of the goal he thought the survivors were supposed to reach?
The fact that Locke can force Boone to have his experience cleverly begs the question: how much of the survivors’ experiences is the result of exposure to the natural compound that Locke used on Boone? At this point, it wouldn’t make sense for everything to be a hallucination, but it is rather intriguing that Boone’s experience began with hearing things. When Danielle said that there were voices in the jungle, and when Sayid heard them soon after, was that due to a minimal exposure to the same substance?
So through the process of Boone’s experience, Locke’s goals are revealed. Locke believes that his role is to show the survivors, sooner or later, what they need to “let go”. For Boone, it was the unnatural and incredibly strong desire for his step-sister. Locke understood that Boone would never be able to define his life on his own terms until he stopped placing Shannon at the center of his universe. This is no different than Locke’s decision regarding Charlie, but this time around, it feels a lot more sinister, playing on the mystique of the shamanic role. When a person represents the will of a higher power, can those around him truly understand his loyalties?
In terms of Boone’s experience, two interesting pieces of information are revealed. The first is just how cold and manipulative Shannon can be. At least part of her “spoiled little rich girl” routine is a ruse. This episode places the bickering between Boone and Shannon in context. Boone wants to deny his disturbing feelings, so he tries to pretend that Shannon is useless and unimportant, as if convincing himself in the process. Shannon, on the other hand, knows all too well what Boone is all about, and how far she can push him. Oddly enough, Shannon is far more interesting in this new light; Sayid had better be careful, because she could very well eat him alive.
The rest of the characters come in and out of the picture with little or no prompting, though much of it pertains to the growing food crisis and the question of whether Locke is paying attention. Like the semi-sinister shaman figure and the well-intended chieftain, Locke and Jack have a wonderfully guarded conversation with one another. It’s clear that Locke respects Jack, despite his flaws, perhaps because Jack is relatively easy to manipulate. But there are also indications that Jack is the kind of person to let negative emotions rage below the surface. He is clearly annoyed about Kate’s deception, but in this episode, he’s right back to his earlier flirtations.
While it hasn’t been very obvious, Kate is clearly beginning to consider what long-term residence on the island would mean. Perhaps finding the case was another step on the path to redemption for Kate. Whatever the reason, she is now helping Sun with agriculture, a situation that allows her to discover that Sun can understand and speak English. This is important, especially in light of the previous episode, since Kate must now wonder how much Sun overheard.
Sawyer doesn’t play much of a part in this episode, though he does show up unexpectedly in the flashbacks for Boone. This is likely the beginning of a series of revelations regarding the characters and how their histories interconnect. While this is simply a matter of Sawyer ending up at the same police station that Boone visited to get help for Shannon, it’s still building on the idea that these people were all part of the same world before they ever stepped on the plane.
Sayid’s attempt to make sense of Danielle’s maps is intriguing, because it uncovers something with potentially huge consequences. What if something on the island, perhaps going back several decades, is giving off a massive electromagnetic field? That would explain why the navigation systems of planes and ships were being directed to the island, especially if it were something that happened intermittently. That alone could cause an altered state of consciousness, and since psychic powers have been established in the “Lost” universe, there’s no telling what the combination would generate. It’s likely that this is only part of the mystery, but it’s also something that could be used to explain how various pieces of a “real world” puzzle could create a seemingly supernatural situation.
Charlie seems to be dealing with Claire’s abduction a bit better than in the previous episode, though his apparent re-evaluation of faith is not mentioned. He is one of the many survivors, however, to remind everyone in the audience that they are all looking to Locke to keep them alive in the coming weeks. This is, of course, a very dangerous and precarious situation. Somewhat more troubling is Charlie’s comment about dealing with heroin withdrawal. For someone apparently suffering it, he sure doesn’t show it!
After a rather minor role in the previous episode, Hurley makes a return to the spotlight, and as usual, it’s as a mixture of comic relief and necessary exposition. Growing concerns for food have been trickling into recent episodes, and now Hurley brings up the obvious drawback of an all-fruit diet. His misadventures with Jin were absolutely hysterical, and like Kate and Sun, it revealed something that could have long-term consequences for several characters.
These conversations remind the audience that a number of issues between Jin and Sun that haven’t been resolved. The writers are setting the stage for further exploration of their story in the future. In the same sense, there are hints regarding Michael and Walt, who haven’t been in the limelight very much of late. Michael’s pleasure at finding his own bag is a signal that answers should be forthcoming.
With so many plot threads getting a minor mention in this episode, almost to the point of obscurity, the final product feels disjointed. A huge portion of the episode is devoted to a fresh perspective on Locke’s perceived role on the island, and yet most of the balance of the episode is spent barely making any additional progress. The episodes leading up to Claire’s abduction provided a narrative momentum that the past two episodes have largely squandered.
The previous episode demonstrated that transitional episodes don’t have to be substandard, if the writers fully embrace the concept of transition as a necessary part of the story. The writers pull the trick off twice, but there’s a difference in terms of execution. The previous episode had a consistent flow to it, weaving in and out of subplots with a heft hand. This episode doesn’t quite come together as well, and as a result, the lack of any apparent advancement in the season arc is that much more noticeable.
Some ideas do work very well, however. Providing a new and disturbing look at Locke is a very good move, especially since Terry O’Quinn plays the role with such mastery. There’s also something to be said for playing against audience expectations. The first steamy scene took place under duress, when Sawyer tricked Kate into a lingering kiss. In keeping with that subversive tone, the first confirmed sex scene takes place between step-siblings. Clearly, the writers are all about the unnerving!
One can only hope that the past two episodes don’t represent the typical pre-sweeps slump in writing and production values, something that happens all too often. “Lost” is the kind of series that can’t toss out a couple of substandard episodes in the mid-season and get away with it. As it is, the writers need to remember that transitional episodes, however well written, need to actually transition into something else, or they ultimately fail to satisfy. This episode was flirting with that kind of disaster, and that means the writers need to regain the momentum, as fast as possible.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode doesn’t quite come together as well as it could have. While covering similar strong transitional elements like the previous episode, the various pieces don’t mesh into a coherent whole. The main element of the episode, concerning Boone, is rather obvious from the very beginning, with only the insight into Locke providing a saving grace.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Season Average (as of 1.13): 7.7
posted by John Keegan | 18:25
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