Lost 2.21: "?"

Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse
Directed by Deran Sarafian

In which Eko has a dream about his brother that leads him to take Locke on a quest to find the station at the center of the island, and both men find their faith tested in the process…


Status Report

All season long, Locke has been struggling with his faith in the island and the destiny he believes it has presented to him. Since finding his way into the hatch, however, that faith has been tested. He hasn’t received any of the answers he expected, and within a week, there was someone else with a more serene and intense belief, challenging his role as tribal shaman. In other words, it’s been a bad few weeks for John Locke’s mental stability.

It has all been building to a showdown between Locke and Eko, and this episode begins to heat up the conflict. This is accomplished through a very nice turn of events. On the one hand, a number of seemingly mystical or unusual elements in the series’ mythology are suddenly questioned and possibly rendered mundane. Yet all of this is discovered because one man is following instructions from a dream. What seems like a crushing victory for science and reason is quickly matched by a resurgence of faith.

What’s ironic is that Eko pulls a near-complete 180. Eko was the one who warned Locke not to “mistake coincidence for fate”, and yet he could easily be accused of doing the same thing in this episode. There’s no guarantee that “Station 5” is, in fact, at the center of the island, so it doesn’t necessarily match Eko’s dream. The pattern on the ground could have been seen by anyone who happened to climb that cliff and stand in that spot. Locke added nothing to the actual expedition, and his map was completely useless.

In other words, Eko didn’t find anything that couldn’t be found by anyone looking for another station with plenty of time to do so. The fact that a dream prompted his desire to look for a station is just his reason for making the search. It has no bearing at all on the fact that he actually found something. If one chooses to look at the situation from a strictly rational point of view, Eko had no idea what he was looking for and thus attached importance to what he discovered based on his own psychological needs.

Yet there are aspects of Eko’s past experience that lend themselves to such an interpretation. Eko’s investigation into the miracle leaves him with a reason to believe that there is something more at work, and that his brother is trying to lead him to some sense of redemption. In short, he has developed a sense of destiny. The question is: can the miracle and the message be explained rationally?

It’s interesting to note that the same “psychic” who warned Claire in “Raised by Another” to ensure that she be the only person to raise her child shows up in this episode, defaming himself in the process. Either he had a startling and genuine psychic experience when he encountered Claire, or something more sinister was at work. After all, if he was just tossing around fake readings, why pursue Claire so adamantly?

Similarly, why would the psychic’s daughter make such an effort to find Eko and give him that message? Either she had the experience that she claims to have had, and the psychic was doing everything possible to deflect attention from his family, or something more sinister was at work. After all, if he were to get on the plane without that message, wouldn’t he have a very different perspective on events?

The answer is somewhat obvious in light of other recent revelations. It’s quite clear that the Hanso Foundation is active and thriving, and that aspects of the Dharma Initiative are still in play throughout the world. There has been evidence that Dharma personnel positioned some of the passengers to be in a particular mental state and then engineered the plane crash to ensure that there were survivors on the island. Could the “psychic” and his family been part of that effort?

After all, Claire’s entire psychology is built around her own insistence that she has prophetic dreams (which hasn’t really been explored) and Eko is apparently susceptible to that as well. The “psychic” could have been tasked with pushing Claire into belief, while the daughter could have been tasked with seeding Eko with the idea of a brother sending messages of importance from beyond the grave.

What makes this so effective is that there’s not enough information to draw definitive conclusions. The “psychic” was lying to someone; however, it’s not at all clear who he was lying to (Claire or Eko). It’s still entirely possible that the paranormal elements are still very much in play. It’s very easy to take the most recent information and presume that it is, in fact, the truth, even when there’s no reason to accept it as more valid than the information previously revealed.

Science and rationalism would point towards the intervention and machinations of Dharma behind everything that has happened. Faith and belief would point towards some greater meaning and purpose behind it all, Dharma inclusive to that. Locke is now at a point where he has lost faith, where strict rationalism is fed by bitterness. He does not consider, for a moment, that Dharma could be lying to the subjects in Station 5 as well, which is a cynical yet reasonable suspicion, especially since he had a dream that matched Eko’s expectations. (Not to mention that if “the island” wanted Boone to die right there, why not to point Locke towards Station 5, where he could see what was in the hatch? See how all this twists and turns?)

Eko, on the other hand, isn’t operating with any more clarity or self-awareness than Locke. If anything, Eko has jumped to some odd and worrisome conclusions. He may have internalized what the “orientation” film revealed, but he took it all one step further. He may believe that there is more to Dharma’s story and purpose, but he attaches an almost holy reverence to that purpose. What Locke has abandoned, Eko has embraced.

In a way, the writers are taking the audience through a psychological journey by suggesting, for each season, some “entity” that is making everything happen the way it has. In the first season, it was “the island”, and this season, it’s “Dharma”. Even as the characters find their beliefs and assumptions challenged, each viewer is given reason to believe that there is a rationale behind it all.

It’s a bit of a dangerous game, if that is the underlying strategy. The producers and writers have made it clear that they know why everything is happening and they have a plan for how the series will unfold. A large chunk of the audience accepts this. Another large chunk of the audience is absolutely certain that there is no plan, and that connections are developed and suggested over time. The rest of the audience is caught in the middle. It reflects the questions at play in the series itself. Is it possible that the producers themselves have taken the faith vs. reason concept to a completely new level?

One thing is very clear: in tandem with everything “Henry” told him about the button, Locke now has every reason to let the countdown hit “000:00” and see what happens. Eko is now completely adamant, however, that it never happen. Logic dictates that this philosophical conflict come to a head in the season finale. At this point, however, Eko has staked his claim as the spiritual leader of the tribe.

Jack, on the other hand, is straying into dark territory of his own. His reaction to Ana’s death and administering over Libby’s painful decline is to focus on payback. Jack’s evolution from doctor to warrior has been a fascinating and disturbing journey, and it places him in a perfect position to be manipulated by Michael, who spends the entire episode worrying over the possibility that Libby might reveal the truth.

In many ways, these deaths are more horrific than Boone’s death or even Shannon’s death. Not everyone knew about “Henry”, and now Jack and Locke could find their decisions questioned harshly. Whatever the case, the time is swiftly arriving when the JackLocke tribe will need to deal with all the indications that they are being used and abused. Will the tribe still be willing to follow Jack on some crusade against the Others, or will Locke emerge as a possible challenger, armed with his new bitter cynicism? It’s equally possible that the season finale will give Locke a reason to renew his faith.

Some will no doubt complain that this episode didn’t do anywhere, and that the story isn’t moving fast enough. But there were little plot elements added to the mix. Why were there 9 screens in Station 5? Why was the screen for Station 3 the only one operating? Was the hatch the only entrance point for the observation room? How long had the room been abandoned, or has it been abandoned at all? Did Locke’s little map go to someone, and will that prompt any action? How does that translate into “nothing happening”?

On the contrary: this episode advances something that has been brewing since the beginning of the season. Just because a single day passes in the series’ timeline doesn’t mean that progress wasn’t made. Progress is not just measured by advancement in time. This is a series about character, and this episode does much to advance two central characters in a significant way.

Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was another strong character study, continuing the return to form that has marked the second half of the season. The underlying theme of faith vs. reason continues to play out, and two characters finally have a moment of confrontation. The writers may be taking their time, but when it leads to strong and complex storytelling, it’s worth it.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

(Season 2 Average: 7.4)