Lost 3.2: "The Glass Ballerina"
Written by Drew Goddard and Jeff Pinkner
Directed by Paul Edwards
In which Sun must choose between Sayid’s desire to rescue Jack and Jin’s desire to return to camp, while Sawyer and Kate are tested by the Others and Jack receives an unexpected offer…
Status Report
Much like the season premiere, this episode focuses on a small subset of the larger ensemble. Curiously, it focuses on two characters that are, in the larger scheme of things, somewhat secondary to the main action. As interesting as Jin and Sun may be to some, it’s not easy to see how they intersect with the season arc at this stage of the game. The potential was there for another letdown like “Adrift”, the calamitous second episode of the second season. Thankfully, the writers had a better grasp of how to keep the arc moving forward while covering the character work.
Three plot threads are covered in this episode, and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. The major plot, of course, is Sayid’s decision to draw out the Others and stage some kind of half-baked hostage exchange. Jin disagrees, and Sun is placed squarely in the middle. The “B” plot is the continued manipulation of Sawyer and Kate by the Others. The “C” plot, barely touched upon in the episode, is the next step in Ben’s manipulation of Jack. (Sure, the second and third threads could be considered as a whole, but they are distinct in many ways.)
The main plot is incredibly simple, and for that reason alone, it had the potential to sink the episode. Simple plots aren’t necessarily a problem, but for a series known for complexity and depth, a straightforward tale can be deadly, especially this early in the season. In essence, Sayid wants to take Desmond’s boat, dock where he sees signs of recent human activity, and lure the Others into a trap. Jin insists that they return to the JackLocke camp. Sun effectively chooses Sayid over her husband, and Jin is not a happy man.
Much like “The Moth”, one of the less subtle episodes of the first season, the flashbacks cover a time when Sun was caught in her affair by her gangster of a father. He decides to correct the error by eliminating Sun’s lover. His weapon of choice? Jin, who has no idea why this man is so important, but gets coerced into playing the heavy. Knowing how important family and status has been in Jin’s mind, it’s not hard to see how Sun’s father manipulates him into committing yet another questionable act.
The writers weave past and present together in a manner that suggests Jin suspected Sun’s affair. This presents a rather annoying continuity problem. Jin has never questioned Sun’s fidelity before this point. His personality is too controlling to allow such accusations and suspicions to remain unspoken for so long. Watching the episode carefully, it’s clear that the writers were using the possibility of this knowledge to add tension to the episode, but once that tactic is recognized, it makes it hard for anyone to take the “betrayal” parallels seriously.
The net effect is that Sayid’s judgment can be questioned, since they’ve now lost Desmond’s boat, and there’s every possibility that Sun has killed one of the Others. This could make things worse for Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, though it’s hard to imagine how that could be the case. Ben already has a list of personal reasons to put them through the wringer, even setting aside the goal of all the manipulation. In terms of the Jin/Sun dynamic, it’s hard to determine what this episode was supposed to add to the knowledge in hand.
The Sawyer/Kate plot thread was a bit more interesting. Lest the audience forget that Kate is supposed to have “eye candy” qualities, they keep her in the revealing sun dress and make her do sweaty work that requires bending down a lot. Not only does this keep a significant segment of the audience attentive, but it provides Sawyer a great deal of incentive to keep working.
It would be easy to describe the Others as cruel in this episode, and they are quite violent with their methods. Yet it’s clear that they have a specific objective in mind, and they have come to the conclusion that dehumanizing their captives would be a great way to achieve that goal. They seem to be running classic conditioning techniques, using pointless physical tasks in an attempt to break down resistance and test responses to stressful stimuli. Beyond the obvious connections to the Dharma Initiative, it’s hard to imagine why they would do the horrible things they’ve done.
This episode does provide an interesting perspective, however, on the possible schism within the Others. One generation appears to be following a twisted version of the Dharma Initiative methodology, but another generation could be trying to stop the crazy. If Alex is to be believed, then the young prisoner in the premiere was not, in fact, a plant for testing Sawyer. There may be allies among the Others, especially if they’ve been turning on each other of late. It’s promising that Alex initiated contact with Kate. (Of course, it could all still be a test and a ruse, but that’s always the case with the Others.)
Sawyer’s character took a bad turn in the second season, and it wouldn’t be hard for the audience to forget that he can be clever. It took a little while for it to become apparent, but he was evaluating the Others for strengths and weaknesses, testing their responses, trying to throw them off balance. It wasn’t a bad move, and under different circumstances, it would probably work. Unfortunately for James, the Others are watching them 24/7, and that kind of chess move was exactly the sort of thing the Others wanted to see.
The subplot with Jack was more or less a framing exercise, marginally advancing Jack’s part of the story and peeling back another layer of the Others onion. Thankfully this provided a reason for Ben/”Henry” to steal another scene or two. The reminder about the decompressed timeline of “Lost” was beneficial, since it’s easy to forget that Ben was a prisoner of the JackLocke Tribe very recently from their point of view.
But this also suggests an interesting direction for the season arc. Ben reveals something very important to Jack: the existence of the outside world. Producing a dossier with up-to-date information is one thing; a recent transmission of time-stamped is another. Ben is offering Jack hope of rescue. So the question is: what is the motivation for telling Jack this information?
If one were to speculate, it would appear that Ben and the Others are in real-time contact with an outside organization funding and supporting their existence on the island, utilizing existing Dharma facilities and methods. One might suspect the Widmores to be deeply connected to the post-Dharma colony. The Others might see the JackLocke Tribe as a threat to their way of life and long-term goals. As such, Ben may be trying to convince Jack to join the cause: leave the Others alone, let them do what they need to do when the time comes, and reap the rewards of cooperation.
If that is the intended direction for Jack, then they still have some work to do. That’s where Sawyer and Kate come into play. They are testing and manipulating Sawyer and Kate, and one effect of the joint manipulation is bonding. Sawyer and Kate have a common purpose, and that may lead to something more as it builds on the existing attraction. More than once, the writers have demonstrated that Kate has an effect on Jack’s psychology. If the Others were to manipulate Kate into some kind of deeper relationship with Sawyer, isolating them from Jack for that very purpose, then revealing that relationship to Jack under the right conditions could push him over the edge. The effect, if played right, would be converting the current leader of the JackLocke Tribe into one of the Others.
Long-term, that could be a powerful source of drama. Jack might be manipulated into certain conclusions, but they would draw him down a path of selective reasoning to get him there. He would be convinced that his choice was the logical, rational choice. In the meantime, who will lead the JackLocke Tribe? The answer is obvious, though that process could take time as well, starting with the next episode.
Will all of this speculation add up in the end? It’s far too early to say. But giving the audience enough new information to digest and contemplate is a wise move. Had the episode focused entirely on Jin and Sun, it would not have worked very well. Frankly, little was learned, and the usual concerns about the creativity of the writers in terms of the flashbacks will doubtless be raised. In this instance, the subplots kept the episode afloat.
(As a sidenote: There is a podcast associated with the various science fiction reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Lost”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com to listen to the show!)
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was not quite as focused as the season premiere, and the main plot thread lacked a solid punch. Thankfully, there was enough focus on the plot elements introduced in the premiere to keep the season arc moving forward, with new information and complication stirring up the mix. The ending of this episode in particular will fuel a great deal of speculation.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Directed by Paul Edwards
In which Sun must choose between Sayid’s desire to rescue Jack and Jin’s desire to return to camp, while Sawyer and Kate are tested by the Others and Jack receives an unexpected offer…
Status Report
Much like the season premiere, this episode focuses on a small subset of the larger ensemble. Curiously, it focuses on two characters that are, in the larger scheme of things, somewhat secondary to the main action. As interesting as Jin and Sun may be to some, it’s not easy to see how they intersect with the season arc at this stage of the game. The potential was there for another letdown like “Adrift”, the calamitous second episode of the second season. Thankfully, the writers had a better grasp of how to keep the arc moving forward while covering the character work.
Three plot threads are covered in this episode, and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. The major plot, of course, is Sayid’s decision to draw out the Others and stage some kind of half-baked hostage exchange. Jin disagrees, and Sun is placed squarely in the middle. The “B” plot is the continued manipulation of Sawyer and Kate by the Others. The “C” plot, barely touched upon in the episode, is the next step in Ben’s manipulation of Jack. (Sure, the second and third threads could be considered as a whole, but they are distinct in many ways.)
The main plot is incredibly simple, and for that reason alone, it had the potential to sink the episode. Simple plots aren’t necessarily a problem, but for a series known for complexity and depth, a straightforward tale can be deadly, especially this early in the season. In essence, Sayid wants to take Desmond’s boat, dock where he sees signs of recent human activity, and lure the Others into a trap. Jin insists that they return to the JackLocke camp. Sun effectively chooses Sayid over her husband, and Jin is not a happy man.
Much like “The Moth”, one of the less subtle episodes of the first season, the flashbacks cover a time when Sun was caught in her affair by her gangster of a father. He decides to correct the error by eliminating Sun’s lover. His weapon of choice? Jin, who has no idea why this man is so important, but gets coerced into playing the heavy. Knowing how important family and status has been in Jin’s mind, it’s not hard to see how Sun’s father manipulates him into committing yet another questionable act.
The writers weave past and present together in a manner that suggests Jin suspected Sun’s affair. This presents a rather annoying continuity problem. Jin has never questioned Sun’s fidelity before this point. His personality is too controlling to allow such accusations and suspicions to remain unspoken for so long. Watching the episode carefully, it’s clear that the writers were using the possibility of this knowledge to add tension to the episode, but once that tactic is recognized, it makes it hard for anyone to take the “betrayal” parallels seriously.
The net effect is that Sayid’s judgment can be questioned, since they’ve now lost Desmond’s boat, and there’s every possibility that Sun has killed one of the Others. This could make things worse for Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, though it’s hard to imagine how that could be the case. Ben already has a list of personal reasons to put them through the wringer, even setting aside the goal of all the manipulation. In terms of the Jin/Sun dynamic, it’s hard to determine what this episode was supposed to add to the knowledge in hand.
The Sawyer/Kate plot thread was a bit more interesting. Lest the audience forget that Kate is supposed to have “eye candy” qualities, they keep her in the revealing sun dress and make her do sweaty work that requires bending down a lot. Not only does this keep a significant segment of the audience attentive, but it provides Sawyer a great deal of incentive to keep working.
It would be easy to describe the Others as cruel in this episode, and they are quite violent with their methods. Yet it’s clear that they have a specific objective in mind, and they have come to the conclusion that dehumanizing their captives would be a great way to achieve that goal. They seem to be running classic conditioning techniques, using pointless physical tasks in an attempt to break down resistance and test responses to stressful stimuli. Beyond the obvious connections to the Dharma Initiative, it’s hard to imagine why they would do the horrible things they’ve done.
This episode does provide an interesting perspective, however, on the possible schism within the Others. One generation appears to be following a twisted version of the Dharma Initiative methodology, but another generation could be trying to stop the crazy. If Alex is to be believed, then the young prisoner in the premiere was not, in fact, a plant for testing Sawyer. There may be allies among the Others, especially if they’ve been turning on each other of late. It’s promising that Alex initiated contact with Kate. (Of course, it could all still be a test and a ruse, but that’s always the case with the Others.)
Sawyer’s character took a bad turn in the second season, and it wouldn’t be hard for the audience to forget that he can be clever. It took a little while for it to become apparent, but he was evaluating the Others for strengths and weaknesses, testing their responses, trying to throw them off balance. It wasn’t a bad move, and under different circumstances, it would probably work. Unfortunately for James, the Others are watching them 24/7, and that kind of chess move was exactly the sort of thing the Others wanted to see.
The subplot with Jack was more or less a framing exercise, marginally advancing Jack’s part of the story and peeling back another layer of the Others onion. Thankfully this provided a reason for Ben/”Henry” to steal another scene or two. The reminder about the decompressed timeline of “Lost” was beneficial, since it’s easy to forget that Ben was a prisoner of the JackLocke Tribe very recently from their point of view.
But this also suggests an interesting direction for the season arc. Ben reveals something very important to Jack: the existence of the outside world. Producing a dossier with up-to-date information is one thing; a recent transmission of time-stamped is another. Ben is offering Jack hope of rescue. So the question is: what is the motivation for telling Jack this information?
If one were to speculate, it would appear that Ben and the Others are in real-time contact with an outside organization funding and supporting their existence on the island, utilizing existing Dharma facilities and methods. One might suspect the Widmores to be deeply connected to the post-Dharma colony. The Others might see the JackLocke Tribe as a threat to their way of life and long-term goals. As such, Ben may be trying to convince Jack to join the cause: leave the Others alone, let them do what they need to do when the time comes, and reap the rewards of cooperation.
If that is the intended direction for Jack, then they still have some work to do. That’s where Sawyer and Kate come into play. They are testing and manipulating Sawyer and Kate, and one effect of the joint manipulation is bonding. Sawyer and Kate have a common purpose, and that may lead to something more as it builds on the existing attraction. More than once, the writers have demonstrated that Kate has an effect on Jack’s psychology. If the Others were to manipulate Kate into some kind of deeper relationship with Sawyer, isolating them from Jack for that very purpose, then revealing that relationship to Jack under the right conditions could push him over the edge. The effect, if played right, would be converting the current leader of the JackLocke Tribe into one of the Others.
Long-term, that could be a powerful source of drama. Jack might be manipulated into certain conclusions, but they would draw him down a path of selective reasoning to get him there. He would be convinced that his choice was the logical, rational choice. In the meantime, who will lead the JackLocke Tribe? The answer is obvious, though that process could take time as well, starting with the next episode.
Will all of this speculation add up in the end? It’s far too early to say. But giving the audience enough new information to digest and contemplate is a wise move. Had the episode focused entirely on Jin and Sun, it would not have worked very well. Frankly, little was learned, and the usual concerns about the creativity of the writers in terms of the flashbacks will doubtless be raised. In this instance, the subplots kept the episode afloat.
(As a sidenote: There is a podcast associated with the various science fiction reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Lost”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com to listen to the show!)
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was not quite as focused as the season premiere, and the main plot thread lacked a solid punch. Thankfully, there was enough focus on the plot elements introduced in the premiere to keep the season arc moving forward, with new information and complication stirring up the mix. The ending of this episode in particular will fuel a great deal of speculation.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
posted by John Keegan | 17:32
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