Lost 1.18: "Numbers"
Written by David Fury and Brent Fletcher
Directed by Dan Tallias
In which Hurley finds a startling connection between his life before the island and the French woman’s notes, leading him on a quest for answers to the riddle…
Status Report
If the previous episode seemed to be ushering in the “resolution” period of the season arc, then this episode expands on that promise. In an episode that could have easily been played purely for laughs, some plot threads begin coming together in completely unexpected ways. As usual, the answers transform into new questions, but the intent shouldn’t be overlooked or minimized. It might seem like the writers/producers are playing the usual games, holding off on true resolution with no conception of how to finish out the tale. It’s closer to the truth to say that they have the destination in sight, but the journey has been crafted to maintain a high level of mystery.
This is definitely Hurley’s story, but in a completely unexpected turn of events, his story connects to several open plot threads. In particular, the numbers at the center of the episode (4,8,15,16,23,42) become critical to the mystery of the island itself. A connection has been found between at least two survivor groups (Danielle’s science vessel and Oceanic 815), and it all seems to pertain to whatever is hidden behind the hatch that Locke and Boone found in “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues”.
While many fans might still feel like answers haven’t been provided, this is a profound piece of information. It’s one thing to have an answer; it’s quite another to have a sense of context. This episode begins to fill in the context, effectively giving the audience a roadmap for future plot exploration. In fact, one can begin to see how the pieces are supposed to fit together, even if it’s still not clear why all of it is happening.
Here’s what this episode reveals:
At some point, more than 16 years earlier, a radio tower was erected very close to something on the island that Danielle has called “the black rock”. That transmission consisted of a single set of numbers, repeated again and again: 4,8,15,16,23,42. The French science expedition run by Danielle’s team heard this transmission and changed course to find the source; this is what initiated the strange loss of contact and eventual arrival on the island that she described in “Solitary”.
If Danielle is to be believed, when her team arrived at the island, they followed the transmission source to the radio tower near “the black rock”. While the source of the transmission was found, and Danielle was able to record a new repeating transmission, the meaning of the original set of numbers and why it had been sent in the first place was never discovered. Before that could happen, something happened to the rest of her team (they were “exposed”), and she was forced to kill them all.
At the same time, two men (Sam and Leonard) picked up the numbers while working a listening post on a remote island of the Pacific. Sam used the numbers for personal gain, and in short order, terrible things began to happen in his life. The progression was such that he eventually wound up in Australia, but he killed himself, since he was the only person in his life to remain unscathed by the “curse”. Leonard happened to be at the same psychiatric clinic where Hurley was once a patient (for reasons still unexplained).
Hurley used the set of numbers when playing the lottery, and sure enough, while it brought him riches, it left him with a series of terrible events to live through. He eventually became convinced that the “numbers” were cursed, and he felt an intense desire to find a way to break that curse. That desire drove him to Australia, to the widow of the man who killed himself under similar situations, and thus placed him on Oceanic 815 on the way back to the United States.
Several things can be deduced or speculated based on this information. Danielle seems to have concluded, in a sane fashion or otherwise, that the transmission was meant to draw her vessel to the island (this is speculated based on the context of her comments). One could also speculate that Ethan’s camp was also brought to the island “by the numbers”. The question is whether or not Ethan’s group is one of these three: the same as Danielle’s group (she only thought she killed them, perhaps), a group that came to the island before 16 years ago, or a group that arrived less than 16 years ago.
In two cases, the numbers could have directly brought Ethan’s group to the island, one way or another. If Ethan’s group is Danielle’s group, then the story is already told. If it was before, then another question emerges: is Ethan’s group related to those who started sending out the numbers to begin with, or are they another group brought to the island, and then corrupted when they failed to answer to the better angels of their nature?
In the third case, however, Ethan’s group would be roughly equivalent to Oceanic 815: brought to the island not by a direct transmission, but rather, by the passing on of the numbers to someone involved. This has a number of implications, and they are almost all disturbing. The fact that the numbers were inscribed on the metal near the hatch discovered by Locke and Boone suggests that there is something present on the island, technologically or otherwise, that gives the numbers a meaning or power. As someone once said, “If you take anything that's inevitable, and you move it back a couple of years, it becomes a coincidence.”
In other words, just because the very bad things in Hurley’s life (and the life of the man who killed himself) seemed like coincidence, that doesn’t make it coincidence. If those events were all coincidence, then it would also require all of the connections between the main characters prior to the crash to be coincidental. It would also require nearly everything related to Walt and Claire and their apparent connection to psychic or paranormal events to be coincidental. Sure, it’s possible, but it is damned unlikely.
If the island was the site of an experiment during or following the Second World War, then those numbers could pertain to a code related to the experiment. For instance, it could be the key to an encryption placed on a control mechanism. What if the original science team leading such an experiment wanted to give out the code to anyone who might make it to the island, in hopes that the experiment can be turned off or reversed using that code? (Or perhaps, notes or information can be decoded that would then reveal information about the experiments?)
None of which, however, would explain the significance of the numbers, or why all of the survivors seem to be on the island for the purpose of being tested. As the previous episode seemed to suggest, it’s possible that the experiment on the island does nothing more than alter perception, making people susceptible to the suggestion of a deeper meaning. Could the numbers themselves, or the repetition thereof in a certain fashion, be linked to the altered perception?
If there was an experiment that led to the numbers themselves (code or otherwise), and if that experiment involved something like the extremely-low frequency (ELF) system once used for submarine communications, then perhaps whoever initiated the first transmission inadvertently carried the signal within the transmission. According to conspiracy theorists, the ELF system was responsible for altered state of consciousness in certain people, causing things like the Taos Hum and unusual behavior.
The transmission would have affected Danielle’s science team, Sam and Leonard, and then in turn, Hurley, who listened for some time to Leonard repeating the numbers as he heard them over that transmission (or so it would seem). It’s a stretch, but what if Hurley was similarly affected, even second hand? It’s improbable, sure, but it could provide a scientific explanation for at least part of what’s happening on the island.
There’s still the open question of the white and black stones and their meaning, where Ethan’s camp came from, how the survivors survived, what the unseen creature in the jungle is, what the deal is with Claire and her baby, and how all these interconnected individuals could be pulled together without a “higher power” behind it all. Even if that “higher power” isn’t involved, the events of this episode would also mesh with something the writers have emphasized: from a certain perspective, regardless of the circumstances, the characters are still choosing their own path and making their own choices. These are all questions that still remain unaddressed, and will probably factor into the final six episodes of the season.
With all the plot elements explored in this episode, it’s easy to overlook the charm of Hugo Reyes as a character. His light-hearted and deeply comic presence masks a possibly dark past. His involvement with the psychiatric clinic is never defined, but it’s hinted (perhaps for deceptive intentions) that he was a patient. He seems to be using humor as a means of maintaining his sanity, and this episode demonstrates that he’s not above taking unusual and unnecessary risk when that sanity is threatened.
As with most things Hurley, the humor is very finely tuned, and in this case, it has all the hallmarks of David Fury’s writing style. David Fury knows ironic comedy from his years with “Buffy” and working with Joss Whedon, and it definitely shows in this episode. This episode was made all the more memorable by the expert melding of exciting plot revelations and comic character dialogue. The flashbacks themselves were simply golden.
From a character perspective, Jack continues to provide the survivors with a de facto leader, but once again, his support is beginning to waver. “Homecoming” suggested that his most obvious rivals were Sawyer, Locke, or Sayid, with Kate and her stash of guns giving Jack something of an acquired authority. In this episode, everyone looks up to Jack as the one in charge, but that distinction is not always looked upon favorably. Sayid, for example, has no qualms about facing Jack down when he thinks that Jack is playing games. One begins to wonder if Sayid is beginning to question whether Jack is the right man for that particular role.
Kate doesn’t play much of a role in this episode, other than a short scene with Sun, which made reference to the aftermath of the previous episode. Since Kate featured prominently in “Outlaws”, the writers seem to content to leave her in the relative background for a little while. After all, until the question of survivor leadership comes up or her own back story pertains to “current events”, it would be awkward to force her into the story just because of her popularity.
Charlie continues to act on his feelings of friendship, even when he gets frustrated. He’s been chummy with Hurley since very early in the season, so it makes sense that he would want to look after the guy. He is also growing into a very responsible individual, taking ownership of his past mistakes, and he has embraced his chance at a new and better way of life. That said, if it comes down to a power struggle, as much as he points out Jack’s leadership role in this episode, he’s already thrown in with Locke (“Hearts and Minds”).
Claire still doesn’t remember much, and as time goes by, her memories are feeling more and more like a time bomb. How soon will she remember, sending the characters into action? Logically, this would intersect with revelations about the numbers on the hatch and more information about Danielle’s paperwork. But her baby is also coming very soon, presumably by season’s end, and that could also play into those plot threads.
As already mentioned, Sayid is not very happy in this episode. Much of this must be a barely-hidden fear related to his initial contact with Danielle, since it was easily one of the most disturbing moments of his life. But he also doesn’t like the idea of Jack pushing him into moving ahead of his own timetable regarding the information he took from Danielle. It’s interesting that Sayid seems to have dismissed the connection he made in “Homecoming” regarding Black Rock and Claire’s dreams, though that could have been his attempt to prevent an expedition that he wasn’t ready to support. Of course, once it became a question of rescuing Hurley from himself, Sayid did what was necessary.
Sawyer continues to look after his own self-interest, more or less maintaining his own status quo following “Outlaws”. Shannon is clearly deepening her relationship with Sayid; could this become a problem if Sayid and Locke vie for control, and Boone is on Locke’s side? Given Boone’s relationship with Shannon, that’s distinct possibility. Michael and Jin continue to work on the new raft, even if they don’t always agree with one another, but that speaks to common purpose: getting away from the island and back to the concerns of their old lives. Jin seems content to remain on the island and explore her new situation, though not without regret. Walt, while helping with the raft, may still be unconsciously derailing its success; did that “rope” really slip on its own?
Locke continues to forge key relationships among the survivors. In this case, he makes an effort to get closer to Claire, and one has to wonder if that has something to do with the baby and its possible destined role on the island (or Locke’s perception thereof). Locke certainly comes across as rather friendly in this episode, but previous episodes have suggested that his goals come before the comfort of those around him. For that matter, it would be interesting to know what Locke thinks about Hurley, since the writers hint that Hurley owns Locke’s old place of employment.
When it comes to a series like “Lost”, the overall audience seems to fall into three categories: those who watch the series and effectively enjoy it “as is” with patience (even when pointing out what they disagree with), those who watch the series with little or no patience for getting answers to questions (those who really should just watch episodic TV without plot or character development), and those who simply want to tear something down because they don’t understand it (or don’t care to try).
Those who want to bash the series mindlessly, possibly because it’s popular and it doesn’t fit their preconceived expectations, often cite the lack of answers and measured pacing as a major flaw. Equally, those who have no patience for storytelling look at this episode and claim that it doesn’t provide any answers or (inexplicably) that it doesn’t advance the story at all. It’s hard to tell if these people are even watching the same series. To claim that this episode doesn’t advance the plot is ludicrous. It might not give all the answers, but as many fans have pointed out: if the writers provided all the answers, they wouldn’t have anything left for the future.
This episode is a nice compromise position. Connections are made between plot elements that were previously established, but the meaning and broad context is left undefined. This is not a mistake or a flaw, but rather, a very smart storytelling device. This series is unfolding like a massive novel, and this season is effectively the first volume of that story. That means that there are short-term answers and long-term answers. Not everything is going to be revealed in this season, just as the character threads won’t be fully explored, either.
In previous reviews, references were made to the three “phases” of a typical season arc. This is applying the general rules of a written story to a season of television, when the writers are clearly trying to tell a story in this fashion. Examples would be “Babylon 5”, “Buffy”, “Angel”, “24”, “Alias”, and so on. As anyone might remember from English class, stories can be broken down to five key elements: introduction, rising action, complication, resolution (climax), denouement (falling action). One can usually take a book or story and break it down, roughly, into thirds: “introduction”, “complication”, “resolution”. (For multi-volume works, the denouement is usually tied to the introduction of the next volume.)
In books, if one takes a 300 page novel as a basis, on average, the structure is fairly common: the first 100 pages or so cover the “introduction” (including “rising action”), the middle 100 pages or so cover the “complication”, and the final 100 pages cover the “resolution”. (And often the “resolution” gives up page count to the “complication”, but the lines aren’t always clear cut, either.) In television, this translates (according to the writers and producers themselves) to a certain number of episodes: about 7-8 for the “introduction”, about 7-8 for the “complication”, and about 7-8 for the “resolution”. (Note that the overlaps and final episodes just happen to coincide, during a typical network schedule, with the sweeps periods!)
So this episode would, to complete the analogy, bring this season of “Lost” to about page 225 of the first volume. With 75 pages still to go, who expects the author to give all the answers with that much left to the story? Especially when it’s only “Book One”? On the other hand, one would expect the plot and character threads to start coming together, and that’s exactly what this episode accomplishes. There are few enough series on the schedule where patience is likely to be rewarded (and precious few where the writers get to tell a long-term story). The audience should be patient and let the writers tell the story at their own pace. They’ve certainly earned that level of confidence.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a whirlwind of strong comic character exploration and amazing plot developments. Unexpected connections were made in this episode that give the mysteries of the island a very strange but rich context, and there are indications that even Hurley may not be the person everyone thinks he is. The writers continue to defy expectation, which after 18 episodes, is quite an accomplishment.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Season Average (as of 1.18): 7.9
Directed by Dan Tallias
In which Hurley finds a startling connection between his life before the island and the French woman’s notes, leading him on a quest for answers to the riddle…
Status Report
If the previous episode seemed to be ushering in the “resolution” period of the season arc, then this episode expands on that promise. In an episode that could have easily been played purely for laughs, some plot threads begin coming together in completely unexpected ways. As usual, the answers transform into new questions, but the intent shouldn’t be overlooked or minimized. It might seem like the writers/producers are playing the usual games, holding off on true resolution with no conception of how to finish out the tale. It’s closer to the truth to say that they have the destination in sight, but the journey has been crafted to maintain a high level of mystery.
This is definitely Hurley’s story, but in a completely unexpected turn of events, his story connects to several open plot threads. In particular, the numbers at the center of the episode (4,8,15,16,23,42) become critical to the mystery of the island itself. A connection has been found between at least two survivor groups (Danielle’s science vessel and Oceanic 815), and it all seems to pertain to whatever is hidden behind the hatch that Locke and Boone found in “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues”.
While many fans might still feel like answers haven’t been provided, this is a profound piece of information. It’s one thing to have an answer; it’s quite another to have a sense of context. This episode begins to fill in the context, effectively giving the audience a roadmap for future plot exploration. In fact, one can begin to see how the pieces are supposed to fit together, even if it’s still not clear why all of it is happening.
Here’s what this episode reveals:
At some point, more than 16 years earlier, a radio tower was erected very close to something on the island that Danielle has called “the black rock”. That transmission consisted of a single set of numbers, repeated again and again: 4,8,15,16,23,42. The French science expedition run by Danielle’s team heard this transmission and changed course to find the source; this is what initiated the strange loss of contact and eventual arrival on the island that she described in “Solitary”.
If Danielle is to be believed, when her team arrived at the island, they followed the transmission source to the radio tower near “the black rock”. While the source of the transmission was found, and Danielle was able to record a new repeating transmission, the meaning of the original set of numbers and why it had been sent in the first place was never discovered. Before that could happen, something happened to the rest of her team (they were “exposed”), and she was forced to kill them all.
At the same time, two men (Sam and Leonard) picked up the numbers while working a listening post on a remote island of the Pacific. Sam used the numbers for personal gain, and in short order, terrible things began to happen in his life. The progression was such that he eventually wound up in Australia, but he killed himself, since he was the only person in his life to remain unscathed by the “curse”. Leonard happened to be at the same psychiatric clinic where Hurley was once a patient (for reasons still unexplained).
Hurley used the set of numbers when playing the lottery, and sure enough, while it brought him riches, it left him with a series of terrible events to live through. He eventually became convinced that the “numbers” were cursed, and he felt an intense desire to find a way to break that curse. That desire drove him to Australia, to the widow of the man who killed himself under similar situations, and thus placed him on Oceanic 815 on the way back to the United States.
Several things can be deduced or speculated based on this information. Danielle seems to have concluded, in a sane fashion or otherwise, that the transmission was meant to draw her vessel to the island (this is speculated based on the context of her comments). One could also speculate that Ethan’s camp was also brought to the island “by the numbers”. The question is whether or not Ethan’s group is one of these three: the same as Danielle’s group (she only thought she killed them, perhaps), a group that came to the island before 16 years ago, or a group that arrived less than 16 years ago.
In two cases, the numbers could have directly brought Ethan’s group to the island, one way or another. If Ethan’s group is Danielle’s group, then the story is already told. If it was before, then another question emerges: is Ethan’s group related to those who started sending out the numbers to begin with, or are they another group brought to the island, and then corrupted when they failed to answer to the better angels of their nature?
In the third case, however, Ethan’s group would be roughly equivalent to Oceanic 815: brought to the island not by a direct transmission, but rather, by the passing on of the numbers to someone involved. This has a number of implications, and they are almost all disturbing. The fact that the numbers were inscribed on the metal near the hatch discovered by Locke and Boone suggests that there is something present on the island, technologically or otherwise, that gives the numbers a meaning or power. As someone once said, “If you take anything that's inevitable, and you move it back a couple of years, it becomes a coincidence.”
In other words, just because the very bad things in Hurley’s life (and the life of the man who killed himself) seemed like coincidence, that doesn’t make it coincidence. If those events were all coincidence, then it would also require all of the connections between the main characters prior to the crash to be coincidental. It would also require nearly everything related to Walt and Claire and their apparent connection to psychic or paranormal events to be coincidental. Sure, it’s possible, but it is damned unlikely.
If the island was the site of an experiment during or following the Second World War, then those numbers could pertain to a code related to the experiment. For instance, it could be the key to an encryption placed on a control mechanism. What if the original science team leading such an experiment wanted to give out the code to anyone who might make it to the island, in hopes that the experiment can be turned off or reversed using that code? (Or perhaps, notes or information can be decoded that would then reveal information about the experiments?)
None of which, however, would explain the significance of the numbers, or why all of the survivors seem to be on the island for the purpose of being tested. As the previous episode seemed to suggest, it’s possible that the experiment on the island does nothing more than alter perception, making people susceptible to the suggestion of a deeper meaning. Could the numbers themselves, or the repetition thereof in a certain fashion, be linked to the altered perception?
If there was an experiment that led to the numbers themselves (code or otherwise), and if that experiment involved something like the extremely-low frequency (ELF) system once used for submarine communications, then perhaps whoever initiated the first transmission inadvertently carried the signal within the transmission. According to conspiracy theorists, the ELF system was responsible for altered state of consciousness in certain people, causing things like the Taos Hum and unusual behavior.
The transmission would have affected Danielle’s science team, Sam and Leonard, and then in turn, Hurley, who listened for some time to Leonard repeating the numbers as he heard them over that transmission (or so it would seem). It’s a stretch, but what if Hurley was similarly affected, even second hand? It’s improbable, sure, but it could provide a scientific explanation for at least part of what’s happening on the island.
There’s still the open question of the white and black stones and their meaning, where Ethan’s camp came from, how the survivors survived, what the unseen creature in the jungle is, what the deal is with Claire and her baby, and how all these interconnected individuals could be pulled together without a “higher power” behind it all. Even if that “higher power” isn’t involved, the events of this episode would also mesh with something the writers have emphasized: from a certain perspective, regardless of the circumstances, the characters are still choosing their own path and making their own choices. These are all questions that still remain unaddressed, and will probably factor into the final six episodes of the season.
With all the plot elements explored in this episode, it’s easy to overlook the charm of Hugo Reyes as a character. His light-hearted and deeply comic presence masks a possibly dark past. His involvement with the psychiatric clinic is never defined, but it’s hinted (perhaps for deceptive intentions) that he was a patient. He seems to be using humor as a means of maintaining his sanity, and this episode demonstrates that he’s not above taking unusual and unnecessary risk when that sanity is threatened.
As with most things Hurley, the humor is very finely tuned, and in this case, it has all the hallmarks of David Fury’s writing style. David Fury knows ironic comedy from his years with “Buffy” and working with Joss Whedon, and it definitely shows in this episode. This episode was made all the more memorable by the expert melding of exciting plot revelations and comic character dialogue. The flashbacks themselves were simply golden.
From a character perspective, Jack continues to provide the survivors with a de facto leader, but once again, his support is beginning to waver. “Homecoming” suggested that his most obvious rivals were Sawyer, Locke, or Sayid, with Kate and her stash of guns giving Jack something of an acquired authority. In this episode, everyone looks up to Jack as the one in charge, but that distinction is not always looked upon favorably. Sayid, for example, has no qualms about facing Jack down when he thinks that Jack is playing games. One begins to wonder if Sayid is beginning to question whether Jack is the right man for that particular role.
Kate doesn’t play much of a role in this episode, other than a short scene with Sun, which made reference to the aftermath of the previous episode. Since Kate featured prominently in “Outlaws”, the writers seem to content to leave her in the relative background for a little while. After all, until the question of survivor leadership comes up or her own back story pertains to “current events”, it would be awkward to force her into the story just because of her popularity.
Charlie continues to act on his feelings of friendship, even when he gets frustrated. He’s been chummy with Hurley since very early in the season, so it makes sense that he would want to look after the guy. He is also growing into a very responsible individual, taking ownership of his past mistakes, and he has embraced his chance at a new and better way of life. That said, if it comes down to a power struggle, as much as he points out Jack’s leadership role in this episode, he’s already thrown in with Locke (“Hearts and Minds”).
Claire still doesn’t remember much, and as time goes by, her memories are feeling more and more like a time bomb. How soon will she remember, sending the characters into action? Logically, this would intersect with revelations about the numbers on the hatch and more information about Danielle’s paperwork. But her baby is also coming very soon, presumably by season’s end, and that could also play into those plot threads.
As already mentioned, Sayid is not very happy in this episode. Much of this must be a barely-hidden fear related to his initial contact with Danielle, since it was easily one of the most disturbing moments of his life. But he also doesn’t like the idea of Jack pushing him into moving ahead of his own timetable regarding the information he took from Danielle. It’s interesting that Sayid seems to have dismissed the connection he made in “Homecoming” regarding Black Rock and Claire’s dreams, though that could have been his attempt to prevent an expedition that he wasn’t ready to support. Of course, once it became a question of rescuing Hurley from himself, Sayid did what was necessary.
Sawyer continues to look after his own self-interest, more or less maintaining his own status quo following “Outlaws”. Shannon is clearly deepening her relationship with Sayid; could this become a problem if Sayid and Locke vie for control, and Boone is on Locke’s side? Given Boone’s relationship with Shannon, that’s distinct possibility. Michael and Jin continue to work on the new raft, even if they don’t always agree with one another, but that speaks to common purpose: getting away from the island and back to the concerns of their old lives. Jin seems content to remain on the island and explore her new situation, though not without regret. Walt, while helping with the raft, may still be unconsciously derailing its success; did that “rope” really slip on its own?
Locke continues to forge key relationships among the survivors. In this case, he makes an effort to get closer to Claire, and one has to wonder if that has something to do with the baby and its possible destined role on the island (or Locke’s perception thereof). Locke certainly comes across as rather friendly in this episode, but previous episodes have suggested that his goals come before the comfort of those around him. For that matter, it would be interesting to know what Locke thinks about Hurley, since the writers hint that Hurley owns Locke’s old place of employment.
When it comes to a series like “Lost”, the overall audience seems to fall into three categories: those who watch the series and effectively enjoy it “as is” with patience (even when pointing out what they disagree with), those who watch the series with little or no patience for getting answers to questions (those who really should just watch episodic TV without plot or character development), and those who simply want to tear something down because they don’t understand it (or don’t care to try).
Those who want to bash the series mindlessly, possibly because it’s popular and it doesn’t fit their preconceived expectations, often cite the lack of answers and measured pacing as a major flaw. Equally, those who have no patience for storytelling look at this episode and claim that it doesn’t provide any answers or (inexplicably) that it doesn’t advance the story at all. It’s hard to tell if these people are even watching the same series. To claim that this episode doesn’t advance the plot is ludicrous. It might not give all the answers, but as many fans have pointed out: if the writers provided all the answers, they wouldn’t have anything left for the future.
This episode is a nice compromise position. Connections are made between plot elements that were previously established, but the meaning and broad context is left undefined. This is not a mistake or a flaw, but rather, a very smart storytelling device. This series is unfolding like a massive novel, and this season is effectively the first volume of that story. That means that there are short-term answers and long-term answers. Not everything is going to be revealed in this season, just as the character threads won’t be fully explored, either.
In previous reviews, references were made to the three “phases” of a typical season arc. This is applying the general rules of a written story to a season of television, when the writers are clearly trying to tell a story in this fashion. Examples would be “Babylon 5”, “Buffy”, “Angel”, “24”, “Alias”, and so on. As anyone might remember from English class, stories can be broken down to five key elements: introduction, rising action, complication, resolution (climax), denouement (falling action). One can usually take a book or story and break it down, roughly, into thirds: “introduction”, “complication”, “resolution”. (For multi-volume works, the denouement is usually tied to the introduction of the next volume.)
In books, if one takes a 300 page novel as a basis, on average, the structure is fairly common: the first 100 pages or so cover the “introduction” (including “rising action”), the middle 100 pages or so cover the “complication”, and the final 100 pages cover the “resolution”. (And often the “resolution” gives up page count to the “complication”, but the lines aren’t always clear cut, either.) In television, this translates (according to the writers and producers themselves) to a certain number of episodes: about 7-8 for the “introduction”, about 7-8 for the “complication”, and about 7-8 for the “resolution”. (Note that the overlaps and final episodes just happen to coincide, during a typical network schedule, with the sweeps periods!)
So this episode would, to complete the analogy, bring this season of “Lost” to about page 225 of the first volume. With 75 pages still to go, who expects the author to give all the answers with that much left to the story? Especially when it’s only “Book One”? On the other hand, one would expect the plot and character threads to start coming together, and that’s exactly what this episode accomplishes. There are few enough series on the schedule where patience is likely to be rewarded (and precious few where the writers get to tell a long-term story). The audience should be patient and let the writers tell the story at their own pace. They’ve certainly earned that level of confidence.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a whirlwind of strong comic character exploration and amazing plot developments. Unexpected connections were made in this episode that give the mysteries of the island a very strange but rich context, and there are indications that even Hurley may not be the person everyone thinks he is. The writers continue to defy expectation, which after 18 episodes, is quite an accomplishment.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Season Average (as of 1.18): 7.9
posted by John Keegan | 09:04
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