Lost 2.11: "The Hunting Party"
Written by Elizabeth Sarnoff and Christina Kim
Directed by Stephen Williams
In which Michael goes after Walt on his own, forcing Jack, Locke, and Sawyer to form a hunting party to bring him back, but the effort hits a major obstacle when the party finds someone else…
Status Report
This is one of those episodes with very little in the way of forward momentum, but plenty worth talking about. Two aspects of the episode are fairly critical to the overall “Lost” world: the revelation about Jack’s marriage issues and the first face-to-face with the Others. Enjoyment of this episode therefore hinges largely on interest in Jack as a character, since clearly, the revelations about the Others are few and far between.
The flashbacks don’t say much about Jack that wasn’t already apparent: he feels a crushing responsibility for nearly everything, and that means he’s always looking for something to fix or make right. And as his father warned him before his marriage, that can lead to bad decisions, especially when the thing he wants to fix is a person. Much of this episode is devoted to the idea that Jack was lured by the incredibly hot daughter of a new patient, but that’s only the symptom of the disease.
Jack is certain, thanks to his success with Sarah, that he can make another miracle happen. And that is fed by the faith that his patient has in him. His more pragmatic approach to reality is overcome by this desire to make everything better through sheer force of will. That’s never a good combination, because it never ends well. And in this case, it meant longer hours, time away from the wife, who needed more than just physical healing and “fixing”.
The real kicker is that Jack understands that something is missing, but he doesn’t know what it is and so he doesn’t know how to address it. It shows up big time, however, when he finds a very attractive woman with something of an infatuation, ready and willing to show appreciation. He doesn’t take it too far, but it’s far enough for him to realize something needs to change in his marriage to make up for some lack. But it’s too late, because Sarah has already found her own solution.
This is one of those situations where Jack could be seen as a willing fool. He knew that Sarah was with someone else before he “fixed” her, but apparently never considered why she wouldn’t leave him just as easily. The entire situation also reinforces another flaw in Jack: not only does he like to “fix” things, but he also obsesses over controlling them. He doesn’t like it when he “fixes” something and then it changes in unexpected ways.
Hence, his huge issue with Kate. He’s clearly attracted to her, and he feels an amazing amount of bitterness towards Sawyer for having feelings of his own. Yet he could never have a solid relationship with Kate as he is, because she’s not looking for someone to tell her what to do. Even if, to a certain extent, that’s exactly what she needs: someone who’s willing to push her into some form of stability.
For those who prefer to see Locke within the box of the philosopher’s tenets, this episode fits within that category. This is probably because Jack is in serious “control freak” mode, which is not something that Locke particularly appreciates. Locke is concerned, in a general sense, with individual freedom (when he’s not trying to impose his own concept of destiny on the entire camp), so of course he’s more than happy to let Michael do what he has to do. But Locke also pushed Jack into assuming the leadership role, so there’s a bit of hypocrisy there.
While Michael triggers this episode’s events, this episode is all about how Jack finally chooses to respond to everything that has happened since the end of the first season through the confrontation with the Others. Both camps were victimized to some degree or another, and that has finally come to a head. The question is how this will divide the camp and cause internal conflict. Jack doesn’t need a new avenue for his controlling ways, and commanding an army falls into that category.
This brings up some interesting “Lord of the Flies” possibilities. Jack wants to create an army to fight the Others, ostensibly in terms of self-defense, but as history demonstrates, an army means administration/government which means the society needs to contribute and support that function. Suddenly the dynamic changes and some will gain power they don’t necessarily deserve. Hence the comments in this episode that some people are considered more “important” than the rest.
It’s also interesting that Jack turns to Ana Lucia for this effort. Granted, she was involved in a long-term campaign to protect her people against the Others, but Sayid has practical experience within the military. For that matter, Locke has been pushing the tribe into pulling together a defense since the middle of the first season. They could probably get Danielle involved if they played their cards right. But there will be those who dislike any offensive posture, and ultimately, they cannot ignore that Walt was abducted and Michael is now also missing.
How will Jack resolve his “control freak” flaw and find some sense of peace if he’s putting together an army? For that matter, is he destined to fail and become a victim of the island? On the other hand, will this give Ana Lucia something to focus on, above and beyond her own history. Ana’s path to redemption may require Jack to cover some very dark territory.
Considering how important this turn of the story really is, the confrontation with the Others is remarkably weak. Not only does it fail to do much more than draw lines that were already effectively drawn, but it does nothing to add to or subtract from current speculation. The references to the hatch by “Zeke” suggest that there is a connection between Dharma and the Others, and certainly Walt’s “special” nature, but one thing to keep in mind is that “Zeke” is in a position of complete strength and confidence. He doesn’t have to speak the truth or clarify anything, and so anything he says must be taken with a grain of salt.
It is interesting, however, that the Others don’t immediately kill any of the four “hunters”. It suggests that the Others have a purpose for letting them live. This still plays into the speculation in earlier reviews, while giving the main characters something to think about. As will the mention of Alex, which very likely refers to Danielle’s daughter, mentioned more than once in the first season.
As much as this precipitates forward momentum, it’s simply not very substantial. The audience doesn’t know anything new; it’s just the characters that are basically being forced to accept a reality that they have been avoiding for weeks. And the Others make a very good point: the survivors of Oceanic 815 have been on the island less than two months, yet they take action as if they are the ones with the right to all the resources.
Despite all the emphasis on Jack, there’s still plenty of time given to the rest of the cast, even if it’s just one short scene. One thing that’s not as effective as it could have been is the parallel between Jack’s past and Kate’s present. Without previous context, those scenes would have been hard to pin down. Locke was pushing the rights of the one over the needs of the many again, but as mentioned earlier, it’s a bit disingenuous, since he pushed Jack into that leadership role because he saw the need for it.
It’s good to see Sawyer, because he brings something special to the mix with his sarcastic cynicism. When it comes to Jack and Sawyer, Locke slips right back into “shaman” mode, pushing their buttons to get a sense of their motivations. Sawyer, especially, is begging for another episode devoted to his past choices.
One interesting thing is Sayid’s reaction to being left out of the “hunting party”. In the first season, he would have probably been one of the first survivors approached. Now, he seems to be on the outside looking in, and that cannot be easy. Charlie, too, is feeling the isolation. Jin, on the other hand, is torn between his duty to his friends and his duty to Sun. It’s an interesting turn for the character, who has come so far in just 30 episodes.
Charlie’s jealousy over Locke’s rather casual friendliness towards Claire and Aaron now has even more bitterness, but that should become more prominent in the next episode. On the more amusing side, Hurley seems to be very interested in Libby, who will hopefully get herself cleaned up sometime soon. Wouldn’t be interesting if she turned out to be one of the staff at the institution where Hurley used to reside?
Had the confrontation with the Others been more substantial, this would have been a much stronger episode, on the same level as the previous installment. As it was, the character exploration was interesting, but not enough to make up the difference. This wasn’t a terrible episode, but it’s one that certainly didn’t live up to its full potential.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode had a great deal of potential, but one of the more important scenes didn’t have the necessary impact. The events themselves are fairly substantial in terms of long-term impact, however, and the character in focus could go a in very dark direction as a result. This episode seems to struggle like so many this season: it has the same level of potential, but something in the execution is just not the same.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Directed by Stephen Williams
In which Michael goes after Walt on his own, forcing Jack, Locke, and Sawyer to form a hunting party to bring him back, but the effort hits a major obstacle when the party finds someone else…
Status Report
This is one of those episodes with very little in the way of forward momentum, but plenty worth talking about. Two aspects of the episode are fairly critical to the overall “Lost” world: the revelation about Jack’s marriage issues and the first face-to-face with the Others. Enjoyment of this episode therefore hinges largely on interest in Jack as a character, since clearly, the revelations about the Others are few and far between.
The flashbacks don’t say much about Jack that wasn’t already apparent: he feels a crushing responsibility for nearly everything, and that means he’s always looking for something to fix or make right. And as his father warned him before his marriage, that can lead to bad decisions, especially when the thing he wants to fix is a person. Much of this episode is devoted to the idea that Jack was lured by the incredibly hot daughter of a new patient, but that’s only the symptom of the disease.
Jack is certain, thanks to his success with Sarah, that he can make another miracle happen. And that is fed by the faith that his patient has in him. His more pragmatic approach to reality is overcome by this desire to make everything better through sheer force of will. That’s never a good combination, because it never ends well. And in this case, it meant longer hours, time away from the wife, who needed more than just physical healing and “fixing”.
The real kicker is that Jack understands that something is missing, but he doesn’t know what it is and so he doesn’t know how to address it. It shows up big time, however, when he finds a very attractive woman with something of an infatuation, ready and willing to show appreciation. He doesn’t take it too far, but it’s far enough for him to realize something needs to change in his marriage to make up for some lack. But it’s too late, because Sarah has already found her own solution.
This is one of those situations where Jack could be seen as a willing fool. He knew that Sarah was with someone else before he “fixed” her, but apparently never considered why she wouldn’t leave him just as easily. The entire situation also reinforces another flaw in Jack: not only does he like to “fix” things, but he also obsesses over controlling them. He doesn’t like it when he “fixes” something and then it changes in unexpected ways.
Hence, his huge issue with Kate. He’s clearly attracted to her, and he feels an amazing amount of bitterness towards Sawyer for having feelings of his own. Yet he could never have a solid relationship with Kate as he is, because she’s not looking for someone to tell her what to do. Even if, to a certain extent, that’s exactly what she needs: someone who’s willing to push her into some form of stability.
For those who prefer to see Locke within the box of the philosopher’s tenets, this episode fits within that category. This is probably because Jack is in serious “control freak” mode, which is not something that Locke particularly appreciates. Locke is concerned, in a general sense, with individual freedom (when he’s not trying to impose his own concept of destiny on the entire camp), so of course he’s more than happy to let Michael do what he has to do. But Locke also pushed Jack into assuming the leadership role, so there’s a bit of hypocrisy there.
While Michael triggers this episode’s events, this episode is all about how Jack finally chooses to respond to everything that has happened since the end of the first season through the confrontation with the Others. Both camps were victimized to some degree or another, and that has finally come to a head. The question is how this will divide the camp and cause internal conflict. Jack doesn’t need a new avenue for his controlling ways, and commanding an army falls into that category.
This brings up some interesting “Lord of the Flies” possibilities. Jack wants to create an army to fight the Others, ostensibly in terms of self-defense, but as history demonstrates, an army means administration/government which means the society needs to contribute and support that function. Suddenly the dynamic changes and some will gain power they don’t necessarily deserve. Hence the comments in this episode that some people are considered more “important” than the rest.
It’s also interesting that Jack turns to Ana Lucia for this effort. Granted, she was involved in a long-term campaign to protect her people against the Others, but Sayid has practical experience within the military. For that matter, Locke has been pushing the tribe into pulling together a defense since the middle of the first season. They could probably get Danielle involved if they played their cards right. But there will be those who dislike any offensive posture, and ultimately, they cannot ignore that Walt was abducted and Michael is now also missing.
How will Jack resolve his “control freak” flaw and find some sense of peace if he’s putting together an army? For that matter, is he destined to fail and become a victim of the island? On the other hand, will this give Ana Lucia something to focus on, above and beyond her own history. Ana’s path to redemption may require Jack to cover some very dark territory.
Considering how important this turn of the story really is, the confrontation with the Others is remarkably weak. Not only does it fail to do much more than draw lines that were already effectively drawn, but it does nothing to add to or subtract from current speculation. The references to the hatch by “Zeke” suggest that there is a connection between Dharma and the Others, and certainly Walt’s “special” nature, but one thing to keep in mind is that “Zeke” is in a position of complete strength and confidence. He doesn’t have to speak the truth or clarify anything, and so anything he says must be taken with a grain of salt.
It is interesting, however, that the Others don’t immediately kill any of the four “hunters”. It suggests that the Others have a purpose for letting them live. This still plays into the speculation in earlier reviews, while giving the main characters something to think about. As will the mention of Alex, which very likely refers to Danielle’s daughter, mentioned more than once in the first season.
As much as this precipitates forward momentum, it’s simply not very substantial. The audience doesn’t know anything new; it’s just the characters that are basically being forced to accept a reality that they have been avoiding for weeks. And the Others make a very good point: the survivors of Oceanic 815 have been on the island less than two months, yet they take action as if they are the ones with the right to all the resources.
Despite all the emphasis on Jack, there’s still plenty of time given to the rest of the cast, even if it’s just one short scene. One thing that’s not as effective as it could have been is the parallel between Jack’s past and Kate’s present. Without previous context, those scenes would have been hard to pin down. Locke was pushing the rights of the one over the needs of the many again, but as mentioned earlier, it’s a bit disingenuous, since he pushed Jack into that leadership role because he saw the need for it.
It’s good to see Sawyer, because he brings something special to the mix with his sarcastic cynicism. When it comes to Jack and Sawyer, Locke slips right back into “shaman” mode, pushing their buttons to get a sense of their motivations. Sawyer, especially, is begging for another episode devoted to his past choices.
One interesting thing is Sayid’s reaction to being left out of the “hunting party”. In the first season, he would have probably been one of the first survivors approached. Now, he seems to be on the outside looking in, and that cannot be easy. Charlie, too, is feeling the isolation. Jin, on the other hand, is torn between his duty to his friends and his duty to Sun. It’s an interesting turn for the character, who has come so far in just 30 episodes.
Charlie’s jealousy over Locke’s rather casual friendliness towards Claire and Aaron now has even more bitterness, but that should become more prominent in the next episode. On the more amusing side, Hurley seems to be very interested in Libby, who will hopefully get herself cleaned up sometime soon. Wouldn’t be interesting if she turned out to be one of the staff at the institution where Hurley used to reside?
Had the confrontation with the Others been more substantial, this would have been a much stronger episode, on the same level as the previous installment. As it was, the character exploration was interesting, but not enough to make up the difference. This wasn’t a terrible episode, but it’s one that certainly didn’t live up to its full potential.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode had a great deal of potential, but one of the more important scenes didn’t have the necessary impact. The events themselves are fairly substantial in terms of long-term impact, however, and the character in focus could go a in very dark direction as a result. This episode seems to struggle like so many this season: it has the same level of potential, but something in the execution is just not the same.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 6/10
posted by John Keegan | 15:12
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