One of the themes was good vs. evil. Most literature has this theme in one form or another. It is the basis for most conflict between characters and it gives a writer a redemption road map to change an evil person to change to good.
Jacob was protrayed in white. White is symbolic of good. MIB was dressed in black. Black is symbolic of evil. But things may not be as they appear.
There are various theories that have Jacob as the Bad Guy. And there is plenty of support for it.
Why would a good, immortal angel like Jacob walk up to Locke just after he was pushed through a skyscraper window to land crippled on the ground just to say he was sorry. Wouldn't a "good" supernatural being heal Locke - - - give him the miracle he was searching for?
Also, when Sayid finally found the love of his life, Nadia, in the O6 story arc, it was Jacob who stopped Sayid from crossing the street - - - which allowed Nadia to be killed by a motor vehicle. Wouldn't a good supernatural being protect Sayid - - - and stop both of them from harm?
And the clearest story of the series about Jacob came from Dogen. Dogen was the man who supervised the Temple. He said that he was a distracted father. He never cared much for his son. But after he was in a traffic accident, and his son was critically injured, Jacob came to the hospital and offered Dogen a deal. He would save his son in exchange for Dogen coming to the island to serve him.
Dogen made the deal.
He would not see his son again. But he knew that his son would live.
This story is a key foundational element that Jacob was not good. Why would someone good make a father chose between his own life and his son's? Logically, the bargain was Dogen's life for his son's. That means that Dogen would the substitute soul that the grim reaper was going to take to the underworld. That means that Dogen gave up his life in a bargain with the Devil. That Dogen gave up his life to follow Jacob to the island means that the island is Hell.
In Christian texts, the Devil was fallen angel banished from heaven after he had a jealous rage against God. The Devil vowed one day to return to overthrow God and rule paradise. But the Devil was never strong enough to do so. Other texts believe that the Devil was sent to Hell not as a punishment but to prepare human souls for their journey to Heaven. The Devil is a warden for those sentenced to Hell, the portal purgatory between life, death and the after life.
But even the job of being a warden would be a dull, thankless task. Dealing with the worst, immoral and corrupt people for eternity, far away from the paradise he once enjoyed, the Devil would want to find a "loophole" from God's service. The loophole he sought was a person who would take over his job and become the Devil - - - the guard of the island (Hell).
The candidates were good people who could do the thankless job of helping other people through their sins. But Jacob could not tell them. Each soul retains their own free will. For example, Ben's psychotic anti-social behavior did change after he killed Jacob. Jacob's own followers decided not to kill him - - - which gave Ben a chance to change to become a good person. Even in the sideways world, Ben's new attitude was that he needed to make amends for his past mistakes before moving on to paradise.
If one looks at LOST through the "prison" of various deals with the Devil, Jacob, it is interesting that most characters did achieve something that they were missing or looking for in their pathetic lives. Charlie got his own "family" in Claire and Aaron. Claire actually found a man who would love her unconditionally and never leave her. Locke found something he never had: a group of friends who believed and respected him. How each character got to their revelation moments is actually quite sadistic and dramatic, but there is that underlying theme that the characters were pushed into their decisions, deals, with Jacob for a greater purpose.
Showing posts with label deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deals. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
KATE AND BEN'S DEAL
A pivotal plot point was contained in the episode "A Tale of Two Cities."
Jack, Kate and Sawyer have been captured by the Others. Unknown to them, they have been taken to a secondary island, Hydra, and held in cells (Jack inside the facility and Kate & Sawyer in outside polar bear cages).
Jack wakes up in a holding cell. He sees chains across the ceiling. He seems to be on some kind of table. He looks at the inside of his elbow, which has a band-aid on it where something had been injected or blood given. He tries to open some kind of hatch/door but it is locked. Some kind of electronic device used to "communicate" is on the wall, but it does not seem to work. Jack sees another door on the opposite side of the room, but when he walks toward it he collides with a glass wall blocking his way. Water is dripping from the ceiling. Jack tries to break the glass, unsuccessfully. He shouts for Kate, but there is no reply.
Kate wakes up in a bathroom with "Mr. Friendly," Tom, standing over her. He indicates a clean towel, a new bottle of shampoo and an unwrapped bar of soap, and tells her to take "a nice hot shower." She refuses to shower in his presence, but Tom laughs and tells her she's not his type; he then leaves. Kate sees that she too has a band-aid on her arm.
Sawyer wakes in an outdoor zoo cage. He looks around and sees speakers and a big tube with an unknown DHARMA logo. Also, he notices other nearby structures, including a cage similar to his, with Karl inside it. Sawyer tries to get answers from him, but the man does not respond. Sawyer looks around his cage some more and sees a strange contraption/button inside that has a large "button" with a knife and fork painted on it. He tries to figure it out, and pushes the button. A "Warning" sound goes off. Sawyer pushes the button again, the same sound goes off. As he is about to push the button for a third time, the prisoner in the cell opposite warns him not to. Sawyer pushes the button anyway, and receives a painful electric shock.
We learn fairly quickly that Hydra station was for animal experimentation. It is also away from the main island, which adds another level of security and therefore danger to the castaways. Each castaway had been apparently "injected" with something in their arm. We would later learn that Sawyer has a chest scar, as Ben shows him that he is trapped on the island, that contains an explosive device set to go off with high blood pressure. Most people believe Ben was bluffing the con man, but Sawyer believed him enough to cooperate and control his anger and rage to escape.
It is clear that this episode shows the brilliance of Ben's evil mind. He has taken three strong willed survivors and put them into a situation where he can play each their fears, desires and self-interest off each other.
But the key plot point was the beach scene.
After Kate's encounter with Tom, she takes a shower. When she emerges, she finds that someone has taken her clothes and left her a dress instead. She puts it on, reluctantly. Tom and three Others bring her to a beach, where "Henry" is waiting at a covered table with chairs, freshly cooked food, utensils, and coffee, with a pair of handcuffs on the side. He tells her to handcuff herself or she gets no coffee.
She asks "what did you do with Sawyer and Jack?" But "Henry" notices that she started the question with Sawyer and not Jack. Kate asks for her clothes, "Henry" tells her they burned them. When she asks why he's doing all this, "Henry" responds that he gave her a dress to make her feel "like a lady," fresh food to make her feel at home, allowed her a view of the beach because her friends are seeing the same beach, and utensils to make her feel civilized. He tells Kate that he gave all those things to her so she'll have something to hold on to, because "the next two weeks will be very unpleasant."
After some experimentation, and with the help of a large rock Sawyer found outside the cell, he soon figures out the mechanism that delivers food and water. The water streams out a pipe into a trough, kibble falls on the ground as well as a large fish biscuit -- animal food. As Sawyer drinks the water, Tom returns and he puts Kate into the cell that Karl had occupied. He takes off her cuffs. She also has visible cuts from the handcuffs and Tom remarks "cut you up pretty bad, didn't they." Tom, noticing that Sawyer was able to obtain food, first congratulates him, and then mocks him by telling him that the bears figured it out in two hours. Kate is in the cell across from Sawyer's, and he tries to make her feel better by joking around. She seems distraught, so Sawyer asks if she wants something to eat. Kate says yes, so Sawyer throws her a biscuit which she eats pitifully.
And the unsaid aspects of the beach scene hover over the rest of this story arc.
Apparently, if Kate was still hungry upon her return to the cage, then she must have not eaten with Ben on the beach. That would mean that Kate decided not to cooperate with Ben. But what was the proposal(s)?
We know that Ben had risen to power by being brutal and controlling of the Others. But as king, he wanted to solidify his kingdom with a queen. Juliet had refused his romantic overtures, so Ben killed her lover and vowed to keep her a prisoner on "his" island. We could assume that in the beach conversation, Ben made a similar demand: Kate would work with him (or be his consort) or one of her loves would die. When Ben picked up "Sawyer's" name first in Kate's concern, Sawyer got the chest bomb. (Some could argue that was the plan all along since Ben really needed Jack to do spinal surgery on him.)
Ben had all the intel on Kate's past, so he probably used it against her. Criminal minds think a like, and Ben was a master of leverage. He could have used Kate's secrets to claim that he could turn her over to the authorities and receive maximum punishment if she did not cooperate. Kate was always a runner; a person who never wanted to face her responsibility or accountability for her actions. She also had in the past used then discarded her lovers when she needed to keep running from the law. Kate could have decided to cut a deal to "stay" on the island, i.e. to be Ben's double agent.
It would then make sense why Kate demanded to go on ALL the remaining missions. If she was Ben's inside spy, she could tell the Others exactly what the castaways were planning to do. Juliet was a later obvious choice as a triple spy, using Jack's affection for her to get herself into camp leadership and trust roles (as a medical professional helping Claire), but also to balance or confirm Kate's potential spy activities.
The deal could have also been that Kate had to choose between Jack or Sawyer. Ben probably pressed her to choose Sawyer, since he needed Jack to turn his back his feelings on her. And it worked. Out of character, Kate made a move on Sawyer which Jack "conveniently" saw on the bear cage monitors. With Kate choosing Sawyer as her island lover, Jack was heartbroken - - - and fell in line to help Ben.
It would not have been out of character for Kate to sell out Jack by pretending to bond with Sawyer. But like all Kate's decisions, she did not follow through very long with Sawyer (only enough to escape from the Hydra station.) There was conflict in Kate's mind since she immediately started to plan a rescue mission, but it was Jack who told her to NEVER return. When she did try a rescue mission, we saw the shock on her face when she saw Jack playing toss with Tom in the Barracks yard. Jack was suddenly integrated into the enemy camp - - - and he looked happy and content. Kate was shocked - - - and she was taken away with the impression that Jack was lost to her.
At that moment, Kate's "bad" decision in choosing Sawyer over Jack was apparent. It was a decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She would only "remember" the pain and deep love for Jack when she awoke her soul in the sideways afterlife. This is the only rational explanation of why Kate would be so clingy to Jack in the sideways church at the End. She got her one second chance to be forever in love with Jack - - - something that would have not happened if not for her "deal" with Ben on the Hydra beach.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
KATE'S DEAL
During Michael betrayal during the rescue of Walt, Kate, Sawyer and Jack were captured by the Others. Jack was separated from the polar bear cages. Juliet was to work him over to gain his trust so Jack would agree to perform surgery on Ben.
Sawyer and Kate were captured to be slave labor to help the Others build a runway in the jungle. This is the runway that the Ajira plane would crash land on in Season 6. Why or how Ben would have known that when Kate and Sawyer were captured is another one of those logic flaws in the main story line.
We learned many things about Ben's past. He did not have a happy childhood. His mother died in childbirth, and his father hated him. At a young age, he was taken to a mysterious island. In school, he had only one friend, Annie, who apparently left with a large group (women and children) prior to the Incident. Ben never had a very good social life in school or as a young adult. He did not have the personable skills to charm the ladies. We know that he came across as a stalker with his perceived relationship with Juliet. Ben's jealousy led to Juliet's lover's demise, and Ben's statement that he owned her. But she continued to reject him.
So when a new lady winds up in his camp, Ben takes it upon himself to try to impress Kate. Mr. Friendly takes Kate to the showers and gives her a new sun dress. She is taken to the beach to have a pleasant meal with Ben. He tries to lay on his charm; and infers that he can make her life better if she plays along.
Tom and three Others bring Kate to a breakfast meal with Ben; freshly cooked food, utensils, and coffee, with a pair of handcuffs on the side. Ben tells her to handcuff herself or she gets no coffee. She asks "what did you do with Sawyer and Jack?" But Ben notices that she started the question with Sawyer and not Jack. Kate asks for her clothes, but she is told they burned them. When she asks why he's doing all this, Ben states that he gave her a dress to make her feel "like a lady," fresh food to make her feel at home, allowed her a view of the beach because her friends are seeing the same beach, and utensils to make her feel civilized. He tells Kate that he gave all those things to her so she'll have something to hold on to, because "the next two weeks will be very unpleasant."
This scene is cut off before we learn the actual "details" of the deal Ben wanted to make with Kate. It is one of the holes in the story that could have set the stage for understanding the motivations of both Kate and Ben. We believe that Ben was trying to manipulate Kate in order to get her to convince Jack to operate on Ben. But it seems that this beach meal would have had more long term impact than just a manipulative promise - - - Ben was more effective at getting people to do his bidding out of fear than kindness.
We can infer that there was some mild pass made by Ben to Kate at the beach. That would explain why upon Kate's imprisonment in the bear cage, she had the carnal urge to jump Sawyer. Was this a reaction to a revolting deal ("be my island girlfriend") proposed by Ben?
But we know Kate was just as manipulative with her good looks to control men to do her bidding. In some respects, Kate and Ben are similar loners.
It could have been as simple as promising Kate that she would get off the island after Ben had his surgery. Or that she had to give herself to him in order to save her friends from certain death.
In the O6 story arc, when the helicopter crash survivors made it back to LA, and crazy Jack calls Kate to the airport, I always felt that when Kate said she had to leave to "go back to him," that she reluctantly meant that she had to go home to Ben. (In reality, Kate needed to go back to Aaron.) But if "he" was "Ben," would have been a major plot twist bombshell. It would have put the beach meeting at a whole different level of devilish intrigue. Whose side was Kate on? She got away with murder because she went with Ben. She would lead a rich but unhappy life because that was her deal with the devil. That would be her punishment. Ben would get what he always wanted: a home and family life as part of the deal (abet a loveless marriage).
An alliance between Kate and Ben would have been a devious under-the-radar thread that would have turned viewer heads around like in the Exorcist. Clearly, they would have been the island power couple (which would mirror the theme when Eloise and Widmore were in charge of the island inhabitants).
The Kate and Ben beach scene could have led to much different and dynamic story line than what finally happened in both Kate and Ben's story arcs. Why Kate returned to Jack in the end really does not make sense, since her memories of living with him in LA ended badly. She only wound up with Jack because Sawyer had found Juliet (which itself was odd because it took a time traveling passage for Sawyer to find a woman who made him grow up and take some responsibility.) But nothing was worse than Ben's apparent pining over Rousseau and his affection for Alex. Ben's sideways quest to have a happy life with Rousseau and Alex seems insane, because their island memories of him would be toxic. It would have been quite the twist in the church if Ben did go inside with Hurley, with Ben taking his place in a warm embrace with Ben (leaving Jack and Locke to mirror each other alone in the front pews of the church).
Sawyer and Kate were captured to be slave labor to help the Others build a runway in the jungle. This is the runway that the Ajira plane would crash land on in Season 6. Why or how Ben would have known that when Kate and Sawyer were captured is another one of those logic flaws in the main story line.
We learned many things about Ben's past. He did not have a happy childhood. His mother died in childbirth, and his father hated him. At a young age, he was taken to a mysterious island. In school, he had only one friend, Annie, who apparently left with a large group (women and children) prior to the Incident. Ben never had a very good social life in school or as a young adult. He did not have the personable skills to charm the ladies. We know that he came across as a stalker with his perceived relationship with Juliet. Ben's jealousy led to Juliet's lover's demise, and Ben's statement that he owned her. But she continued to reject him.
So when a new lady winds up in his camp, Ben takes it upon himself to try to impress Kate. Mr. Friendly takes Kate to the showers and gives her a new sun dress. She is taken to the beach to have a pleasant meal with Ben. He tries to lay on his charm; and infers that he can make her life better if she plays along.
Tom and three Others bring Kate to a breakfast meal with Ben; freshly cooked food, utensils, and coffee, with a pair of handcuffs on the side. Ben tells her to handcuff herself or she gets no coffee. She asks "what did you do with Sawyer and Jack?" But Ben notices that she started the question with Sawyer and not Jack. Kate asks for her clothes, but she is told they burned them. When she asks why he's doing all this, Ben states that he gave her a dress to make her feel "like a lady," fresh food to make her feel at home, allowed her a view of the beach because her friends are seeing the same beach, and utensils to make her feel civilized. He tells Kate that he gave all those things to her so she'll have something to hold on to, because "the next two weeks will be very unpleasant."
This scene is cut off before we learn the actual "details" of the deal Ben wanted to make with Kate. It is one of the holes in the story that could have set the stage for understanding the motivations of both Kate and Ben. We believe that Ben was trying to manipulate Kate in order to get her to convince Jack to operate on Ben. But it seems that this beach meal would have had more long term impact than just a manipulative promise - - - Ben was more effective at getting people to do his bidding out of fear than kindness.
We can infer that there was some mild pass made by Ben to Kate at the beach. That would explain why upon Kate's imprisonment in the bear cage, she had the carnal urge to jump Sawyer. Was this a reaction to a revolting deal ("be my island girlfriend") proposed by Ben?
But we know Kate was just as manipulative with her good looks to control men to do her bidding. In some respects, Kate and Ben are similar loners.
It could have been as simple as promising Kate that she would get off the island after Ben had his surgery. Or that she had to give herself to him in order to save her friends from certain death.
In the O6 story arc, when the helicopter crash survivors made it back to LA, and crazy Jack calls Kate to the airport, I always felt that when Kate said she had to leave to "go back to him," that she reluctantly meant that she had to go home to Ben. (In reality, Kate needed to go back to Aaron.) But if "he" was "Ben," would have been a major plot twist bombshell. It would have put the beach meeting at a whole different level of devilish intrigue. Whose side was Kate on? She got away with murder because she went with Ben. She would lead a rich but unhappy life because that was her deal with the devil. That would be her punishment. Ben would get what he always wanted: a home and family life as part of the deal (abet a loveless marriage).
An alliance between Kate and Ben would have been a devious under-the-radar thread that would have turned viewer heads around like in the Exorcist. Clearly, they would have been the island power couple (which would mirror the theme when Eloise and Widmore were in charge of the island inhabitants).
The Kate and Ben beach scene could have led to much different and dynamic story line than what finally happened in both Kate and Ben's story arcs. Why Kate returned to Jack in the end really does not make sense, since her memories of living with him in LA ended badly. She only wound up with Jack because Sawyer had found Juliet (which itself was odd because it took a time traveling passage for Sawyer to find a woman who made him grow up and take some responsibility.) But nothing was worse than Ben's apparent pining over Rousseau and his affection for Alex. Ben's sideways quest to have a happy life with Rousseau and Alex seems insane, because their island memories of him would be toxic. It would have been quite the twist in the church if Ben did go inside with Hurley, with Ben taking his place in a warm embrace with Ben (leaving Jack and Locke to mirror each other alone in the front pews of the church).
Friday, October 19, 2012
REBOOT EPISODES 53-56
POSTING NOTE: Due to work changes, I may not be able to post updates on Tuesdays after Monday night marathon G4 reruns, but updates will occur later in the week.
LOST REBOOT
Recap: Episodes 53-56 (Days 70-73)
When Colleen, who was shot by Sun, is brought back to the barracks, Jack cannot save her life. As a result, many of the Others want revenge because Colleen was not saved by the doctor. Ben cons the con man, Sawyer. Desmond sees a vision, and builds a lightning rod to protect Claire and Aaron, which leads to friction with Charlie.
Locke assumes a leadership role. He takes a group to the Pearl Station. Eko sees a vision of his brother and goes off but is killed by the Smoke Monster when Eko refuses to repent for his life’s sins.
Jack finally volunteers to operate on Ben’s back to help his friends. Kate and Sawyer go from flirtation to animal lust. Jack stops the Others, Danny whose wife Colleen died and Jason, from killing Sawyer out of revenge.
Jack and Tom complete Ben’s surgery; Juliet is not convinced that Ben will keep his word so she helps Alex, Karl, Kate and Sawyer to escape the Hydra Island.
Science:
States of Matter
There are five main states of matter. Solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, and Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) are all different states of matter. Each of these states is also known as a phase. Elements and compounds can move from one phase to another when specific physical conditions are present. One example is temperature. When the temperature of a system goes up, the matter in the system becomes more excited and active. Scientists say that it moves to a higher energy state
A "phase" describes a physical state of matter. The key word to notice is physical. Things only move from one phase to another by physical means. If energy is added (like increasing the temperature) or if energy is taken away (like freezing something), you have created a physical change.
A compound or element can move from one phase to another, but still be the same substance. You can see water vapor, in the form of steam, over a boiling pot of water. That vapor (or gas) can condense and become a drop of water. If you put that drop in the freezer, it would become a solid piece of ice. No matter what phase it was in, it was always water. It always had the same chemical properties. On the other hand, a chemical change would change the way the water acted, eventually making it not water, but something completely different. If you added a carbon (C) atom to a water molecule, you would have formaldehyde (H2CO), and that is nothing like water.
All matter can move from one state to another. It may require extreme temperatures or extreme pressures, but it can be done. Sometimes a substance doesn't want to change states. You have to use all of your tricks when that happens. To create a solid, you might have to decrease the temperature by a huge amount and then add pressure. Some of you know about liquid nitrogen (N2). It is nitrogen from the atmosphere in a liquid form and it has to be super cold to stay a liquid. What if you wanted to turn it into a solid but couldn't make it cold enough? You could increase the pressure to push those molecules together. The opposite works too. If you have a liquid at room temperature and you wanted a gas you could use a combination of high temperatures and low pressures to solve your problem.
CHEMISTRY TERM PHASE CHANGE
Fusion (melting) Solid to Liquid
Freezing Liquid to Solid
Vaporization (boiling) Liquid to Gas
Condensation Gas to Liquid
Sublimation Solid to Gas
Deposition Gas to Solid
Phase changes happen when certain points are reached. Sometimes a liquid wants to become a solid. Scientists use something called a freezing point to measure the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid. There are physical effects that can change the freezing point. Pressure is one of those effects. When the pressure surrounding a substance goes up, the freezing point and other special points also go up. That means it's easier to keep things solid at higher pressures. Just remember that there are some exceptions. Water (H2O) is special on many levels. It has more space between its molecules when it is frozen. There's a whole expanding effect when the molecules organize into a solid state. Generally, when temperatures get colder, solids shrink in size. They become more dense.
Improbabilities:
The meatball spinal surgery on Ben. A complex, delicate operation which needs sophisticated technology, machinery and staff to accomplish would be impossible to accomplish in an abandoned Hydra animal experiment station. In addition, Ben waking up in the middle of surgery would have been an alarming, if not fatal, event.
Mysteries:
How can the Smoke Monster be seen in various states of matter? In the smoke or gaseous form it appears as a instinct-only monster. In a human or solid form, it appears to be an exact duplicate of an intelligent human being, an aware animal or moving object.
Themes:
Religion: Judgment of Sins. Eko is defiant in his refusal to confess any sins; he believes he did what he did to save his brother; the ends justified the means. But his judgment by the Smoke Monster (Yemi) was a violent death, and in his last breath, tells Locke “you’re next.” The Island afterlife as a test of a person’s soul, heart and sorrow are recurring elements.
Cons. Ben believes he is the master of con, besting Sawyer in the pacemaker illusion to keep him in line. One could also think that Ben was behind the complex double and triple cross betrayals of his own surgery, just so Jack would actually do the surgery in order to save someone (Kate, Sawyer or Juliet).
The Magic Box. If you wish it, it will come true. Ben will tell this to Locke on the Island, that it can make anything happen. When Juliet is recruited in Miami, she wishes her ex-husband would be hit by a bus. Alpert, Jacob’s right hand man, makes it happen in the most direct manner. It may be part of a con, since Ethan is seen leaving Juliet’s sister’s room just before she claims to be pregnant. Did Ethan plant the evidence or change the test results in order for Juliet to leave her sister and research to join the Others? Probably, since we see how devious the Others can be in getting what they want (and ironically, Juliet, after 3 years of captivity, has learned those same devious skills).
Clues:
Jack asks Ben if he is having symptoms of numbness and tingling to his fingers and toes, yet the tumor on his X-ray is assessed to be over the L4 vertebra and is clearly lumbar (would only have paraesthesis in upper extremities if it was a cervical tumor). Some believe this is a continuity error and not a clue that this is “all make believe.”
Juliet is shown scans of a woman’s womb. She looks at it and believes it to be a 70 year old woman. She is told by Alpert that it is a 26 year old female. How could that be? That is the hook Alpert has to lure Juliet to the Island. Is it true? It could be a con. Or it could be a “real” issue for the Others, whose women could not come to term with their pregnancies. In the concept of an ‘other” dimension as the setting for the Island, such as the afterlife or dementia, a 70 year old woman could have the “illusion” of being her 26 year old self - - - and thus unable to have children.
When Desmond has a vision, he builds a lightning rod in camp. Was it truly a vision, or was it something he believed would happen - - - and if he believed hard enough it would become real. A person could manipulate events to make them real, like the sudden storm and lightning hit as Demond did. Desmond realizes that the Island is not tied to Earth’s natural laws. Mental manipulation of events is possible on the Island, which is a great source of ultimate power.
“She was dead before you put her on the table,” Jack said to Juliet after Colleen died of a gunshot wound. This may be another reference to reincarnated souls trapped on the Island hell waiting for judgment.
Ben asks if Jack believes in God. Ben believes the “proof” is that two days after his spinal tumor diagnosis, a spinal surgeon falls into his lap by the plane crash. But Locke tells Desmond do not confuse coincidence with fate. Are events caused by guardian forces at work or mere coincidence? This also may be a clue to the video game premise, in which Ben is playing a different level trying to “save” himself and the new game element of the 815 crash gives him tools to solve his personal mission of survival.
Discussion:
“ Thoughts are but dreams till their effect be tried. ”
— William Shakespeare
Wonder the purpose of the black smoke monster as it begins its killing spree . . .
black, a color associated with evil; smoke, an element associated with destruction;
monster, an inhumanly cruel or wicked person.
No one can tell what was the smoke monster. Was it really smoke? Doubtful, since it is well believed that the smoke monster could change forms, into physical human form (like Flocke). Was it super-technology, like a swarm of nano-robots? If one thinks that the Dharma experiment stations dealt with polar bears in tropical climates, why not with sci-fi robotics? A machine collective that escapes in the wild amuses some fans. Is it “evil incarnate?” As in the Devil, his minion, its hellhound or metaphor for grim reaper spirit - - - but at times with total rage but at other times total cunning and mental manipulation.
The introduction of the smoke monster at the end of the pilot episode turned a normal survivor-castaway drama into a major mystery, sci-fi dangerous thriller. The island was not safe. It would dominate the human emotion for rescue. But it is a contradiction that is never answered properly: for those characters who allegedly leave the Island (and be saved from danger), all have an unnatural desire to “go back” to the Island. The smoke monster is like a symbolic addiction of a person’s worst personality traits. There are many people who are only happy or content if they are miserable or despondent. The smoke monster is the catalyst for those broken personalities to reinforce their negative brainwaves.
The smoke monster could be the Boogie Man of a child’s nightmare. Instead of being under the bed or hiding in the closet, the Boogie Man is anywhere and everywhere. It is the irrational thought pattern drawn out to an extreme level of fear.
If the smoke monster was the judgment mechanism for the Island to weigh the heart of a person’s soul against their sins, the great inconsistent demise of characters makes the whole concept hypocritical. Example, Eko refuses to acknowledge his sinful life - - - he refuses to accept a redemptive change - - - and is slaughtered by the smoke monster. Then, Ben who killed dozens of Dharma people in the Purge, including killing his own father, is never judged by the Island monster. Two evil characters who did awful deeds get two different fates for no apparent reason.
So at the molecular level, does the smoke monster actually know what is doing or is it purely a responsive wild animal? If it is a living being, then what does it “feed” on? Does it harvest only “evil” souls that cannot accept redemption? Does it feed on the pure emotions of fear in human beings - - - and Eko refused to submit to the fear, he was killed because the smoke monster had no use of Eko if it could not suck out the evil energy of fear from him.
The great mystery is how the smoke monster could change, move about the Island, and how it actually “killed” someone. Was it a wave of electromagnetic energy generated by a swarm of evil gnats? Or was it a shape shifting spirit beast? Or was it an illusion? The monster had the stage presence of a great actor. It has some intelligence to interact in its “solid” state human form, but pure emotional anger in its “gaseous” smoke state. If we use chemistry to analyze the change in appearance, from solid to gas is “sublimation” which means (especially in psychoanalytic theory) “to divert or modify instinctual impulse into a more acceptable activity.” Clearly, Smokey is under much more emotional control in a solid state, as in his appearances as Yemi to Eko. “Disposition” means “the inherit qualities of the human mind or character,” which infers that in a gas state, Smokey’s true character is displayed (as a violent killer). But it would appear that the character traits of Smokey’s physical traits are opposite on the Island - - - but it makes perfect sense if one is looking into a mirror - - - a theme in the series.
It also brings the concepts of the mind again to the forefront of the story foundation. The balancing of instinct, emotion, intelligence is how one’s character is formed. If a person is delusional or has mental problems (characters again mention “do you think I’m crazy?” in response to questions), the inner conflict could be symbolically represented by the Smoke Monster in the mind of a troubled person, such as Eko.
If it was an illusion - - - the mind of a person takes over and forces the weak person to commit mental suicide. One’s mind can create the most dangerous creature. One’s mind can harm you deeper than any mystery monster.
We see Room 23 - - - where Karl is strapped in with an IV, light glasses, blaring audio and flashing images. We have previously discussed the concepts of brain washing, and this is a vivid example of it. As Karl is being rescued, Sawyer begins to fall into a trance at the images and the words - - - change, God loves you like Jacob. He snaps out of it to carry Karl to the boat. This is also the first subliminal reference to Jacob, who will also hear his name from angry Danny who claims “Shepard was not on Jacob’s list.” In retrospect, that is a damning statement, a real inconsistency. Jack’s name was on the lighthouse with the other castaways, including Kate. But Kate did not make the final list of candidates (which was known early in Season 3?) That begs the question - - - why the story shift? Did Jack replace Eko (for real world contract issues) or Walt (who literally outgrew his role)? It is a bit of circumstantial evidence that the writers were winging it as the season’s went by, not careful to keep a storyline with real continuity points.
Another truly bothersome story line is how in The End Kate winds up with Jack as her soul mate. One would have thought after the cage love session, Kate would have wound up with Sawyer in the church. Or, if the flashback is true, Kate would have wound up with her true love, her husband, Kevin the Florida police officer. There is no rational basis for Kate to re-connect so strongly with Jack. So in the end, whose fantasy is fulfilled?
Magical/Supernatural/Elements:
The Smoke Monster returns to confront Eko, which dire consequences. Is this the Island balancing the “loss” of Colleen’s life with Mr. Eko’s?
Last lines in episodes:
EP 53:
BEN: It's from Of Mice and Men. Don't you read? Come on, let's get you back to your cage.
EP 54:
LOCKE: He said, 'We're next.'
EP 55:
JACK: Kate, dammit, RUN!
EP 56:
JULIET: I've been on this island for 3 years, Jack. 3 years, 2 months, and 28 days. He said that if I let him live and I helped you -- that he would finally let me go home.
New Ideas/Tests of Theories:
Deal with the Devil. Juliet wants to go “home,” which may be metaphor to leave purgatory and into the next level of existence - - - since in the End she winds up with Sawyer and not her flashback family (including her ex-husband who she still pined for in her own way).
When Ben is told he has a cancerous tumor on his back, he cannot believe it because no one of the island ever got cancer. The question becomes whether the electromagnetic energy (which later would be termed “Life Source” contained in every living thing) “cures” cancer or “causes” it.
The fake healer told Rose in Australia that the Earth has different energy pockets - - - the one in the outback could not cure her, but another pocket could. The question is whether the Island’s EM is one of those “pockets” and if so, is it really electromagnetic energy or spiritual energy. The latter is a new concept here because after the crash, Rose was at peace even though her husband was missing and presumed dead. She always thought Bernard was okay. Rose also knew that her cancer was “gone.” But gone in what way? If this “pocket” was a spiritual place, there would be no place for diseases because they live in the human world. If this place was the afterlife, again, diseases would have no place in an “energy” not carbon based existence.
If the Life Force of the Island is a healing power, Desmond’s fail safe implosion would have stopped all healing on the Island, including Ben’s back tumor. That would mean Rose’s terminal cancer would have stricken her, caused her pain and suffering because of its advanced stage. But none of that happens. But if people on the Island “believe it to be true” then it may be true in a dream world where reality is what the individual’s mind.
Are the forces in the Island split into the light (Life Force from the cave) and dark (the smoke monster) as the balance between good and evil? And when the Hatch was taken out, did that create the Island realm imbalance - - - with more darkness and evil that needs to be contained by those characters led by Jack?
It occurs to me that when Tom says since the purple sky, the Island has lost communication with the mainland. This must mean that the Island has “moved” itself as part of the fail safe release of EM. Is this the real reason Ben could not leave the island for medical help, or merely an excuse to get Jack to do something voluntarily but against his free will?
Since the Hatch was the “cap” on the Island’s massive energy force, it also occurs to me that this is the Third Attempt to control it. The first was in the Light Cave, where a large rock with Egyptian hieroglyphs, contained the energy. The second was the Frozen Donkey Wheel from the Roman era. On those glyphs, there is mention to “side gates” to Earth which infers Island movement in time, space or dimensions. The third was the Hatch, a modern American science station. What do all three things have in common? Each place was created by the great civilizations of Earth by its greatest engineers of their time: Egyptians (pyramid builders), Romans (military conquerors) and Americans (moon landing).
The Island is clearly “testing” the characters’ own character. The push to get people to admit their mistakes, to be truly “sorry” for their actions, is a purgatory of the soul. On the other hand, the supernatural elements and manipulative mind control show that there is a hard attempts to modify behavior by external sources (such as the unseen physicians - - - whose form may take on Smokey - - - at a mental hospital treating our character patients).
It also seems that the entire story focus now changes to the Others against the 815ers in a life and death chess match. In reality, there was no reason for the Others and the 815ers to begin as mortal enemies. The Others and Ben’s paranoia and freakish desire for control of the Island creates an unnatural conflict. Are both the Others and the 815ers merely pawns in the Jacob and MIB game of human Senet?
LOST REBOOT
Recap: Episodes 53-56 (Days 70-73)
When Colleen, who was shot by Sun, is brought back to the barracks, Jack cannot save her life. As a result, many of the Others want revenge because Colleen was not saved by the doctor. Ben cons the con man, Sawyer. Desmond sees a vision, and builds a lightning rod to protect Claire and Aaron, which leads to friction with Charlie.
Locke assumes a leadership role. He takes a group to the Pearl Station. Eko sees a vision of his brother and goes off but is killed by the Smoke Monster when Eko refuses to repent for his life’s sins.
Jack finally volunteers to operate on Ben’s back to help his friends. Kate and Sawyer go from flirtation to animal lust. Jack stops the Others, Danny whose wife Colleen died and Jason, from killing Sawyer out of revenge.
Jack and Tom complete Ben’s surgery; Juliet is not convinced that Ben will keep his word so she helps Alex, Karl, Kate and Sawyer to escape the Hydra Island.
Science:
States of Matter
There are five main states of matter. Solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, and Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) are all different states of matter. Each of these states is also known as a phase. Elements and compounds can move from one phase to another when specific physical conditions are present. One example is temperature. When the temperature of a system goes up, the matter in the system becomes more excited and active. Scientists say that it moves to a higher energy state
A "phase" describes a physical state of matter. The key word to notice is physical. Things only move from one phase to another by physical means. If energy is added (like increasing the temperature) or if energy is taken away (like freezing something), you have created a physical change.
A compound or element can move from one phase to another, but still be the same substance. You can see water vapor, in the form of steam, over a boiling pot of water. That vapor (or gas) can condense and become a drop of water. If you put that drop in the freezer, it would become a solid piece of ice. No matter what phase it was in, it was always water. It always had the same chemical properties. On the other hand, a chemical change would change the way the water acted, eventually making it not water, but something completely different. If you added a carbon (C) atom to a water molecule, you would have formaldehyde (H2CO), and that is nothing like water.
All matter can move from one state to another. It may require extreme temperatures or extreme pressures, but it can be done. Sometimes a substance doesn't want to change states. You have to use all of your tricks when that happens. To create a solid, you might have to decrease the temperature by a huge amount and then add pressure. Some of you know about liquid nitrogen (N2). It is nitrogen from the atmosphere in a liquid form and it has to be super cold to stay a liquid. What if you wanted to turn it into a solid but couldn't make it cold enough? You could increase the pressure to push those molecules together. The opposite works too. If you have a liquid at room temperature and you wanted a gas you could use a combination of high temperatures and low pressures to solve your problem.
CHEMISTRY TERM PHASE CHANGE
Fusion (melting) Solid to Liquid
Freezing Liquid to Solid
Vaporization (boiling) Liquid to Gas
Condensation Gas to Liquid
Sublimation Solid to Gas
Deposition Gas to Solid
Phase changes happen when certain points are reached. Sometimes a liquid wants to become a solid. Scientists use something called a freezing point to measure the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid. There are physical effects that can change the freezing point. Pressure is one of those effects. When the pressure surrounding a substance goes up, the freezing point and other special points also go up. That means it's easier to keep things solid at higher pressures. Just remember that there are some exceptions. Water (H2O) is special on many levels. It has more space between its molecules when it is frozen. There's a whole expanding effect when the molecules organize into a solid state. Generally, when temperatures get colder, solids shrink in size. They become more dense.
Improbabilities:
The meatball spinal surgery on Ben. A complex, delicate operation which needs sophisticated technology, machinery and staff to accomplish would be impossible to accomplish in an abandoned Hydra animal experiment station. In addition, Ben waking up in the middle of surgery would have been an alarming, if not fatal, event.
Mysteries:
How can the Smoke Monster be seen in various states of matter? In the smoke or gaseous form it appears as a instinct-only monster. In a human or solid form, it appears to be an exact duplicate of an intelligent human being, an aware animal or moving object.
Themes:
Religion: Judgment of Sins. Eko is defiant in his refusal to confess any sins; he believes he did what he did to save his brother; the ends justified the means. But his judgment by the Smoke Monster (Yemi) was a violent death, and in his last breath, tells Locke “you’re next.” The Island afterlife as a test of a person’s soul, heart and sorrow are recurring elements.
Cons. Ben believes he is the master of con, besting Sawyer in the pacemaker illusion to keep him in line. One could also think that Ben was behind the complex double and triple cross betrayals of his own surgery, just so Jack would actually do the surgery in order to save someone (Kate, Sawyer or Juliet).
The Magic Box. If you wish it, it will come true. Ben will tell this to Locke on the Island, that it can make anything happen. When Juliet is recruited in Miami, she wishes her ex-husband would be hit by a bus. Alpert, Jacob’s right hand man, makes it happen in the most direct manner. It may be part of a con, since Ethan is seen leaving Juliet’s sister’s room just before she claims to be pregnant. Did Ethan plant the evidence or change the test results in order for Juliet to leave her sister and research to join the Others? Probably, since we see how devious the Others can be in getting what they want (and ironically, Juliet, after 3 years of captivity, has learned those same devious skills).
Clues:
Jack asks Ben if he is having symptoms of numbness and tingling to his fingers and toes, yet the tumor on his X-ray is assessed to be over the L4 vertebra and is clearly lumbar (would only have paraesthesis in upper extremities if it was a cervical tumor). Some believe this is a continuity error and not a clue that this is “all make believe.”
Juliet is shown scans of a woman’s womb. She looks at it and believes it to be a 70 year old woman. She is told by Alpert that it is a 26 year old female. How could that be? That is the hook Alpert has to lure Juliet to the Island. Is it true? It could be a con. Or it could be a “real” issue for the Others, whose women could not come to term with their pregnancies. In the concept of an ‘other” dimension as the setting for the Island, such as the afterlife or dementia, a 70 year old woman could have the “illusion” of being her 26 year old self - - - and thus unable to have children.
When Desmond has a vision, he builds a lightning rod in camp. Was it truly a vision, or was it something he believed would happen - - - and if he believed hard enough it would become real. A person could manipulate events to make them real, like the sudden storm and lightning hit as Demond did. Desmond realizes that the Island is not tied to Earth’s natural laws. Mental manipulation of events is possible on the Island, which is a great source of ultimate power.
“She was dead before you put her on the table,” Jack said to Juliet after Colleen died of a gunshot wound. This may be another reference to reincarnated souls trapped on the Island hell waiting for judgment.
Ben asks if Jack believes in God. Ben believes the “proof” is that two days after his spinal tumor diagnosis, a spinal surgeon falls into his lap by the plane crash. But Locke tells Desmond do not confuse coincidence with fate. Are events caused by guardian forces at work or mere coincidence? This also may be a clue to the video game premise, in which Ben is playing a different level trying to “save” himself and the new game element of the 815 crash gives him tools to solve his personal mission of survival.
Discussion:
“ Thoughts are but dreams till their effect be tried. ”
— William Shakespeare
Wonder the purpose of the black smoke monster as it begins its killing spree . . .
black, a color associated with evil; smoke, an element associated with destruction;
monster, an inhumanly cruel or wicked person.
No one can tell what was the smoke monster. Was it really smoke? Doubtful, since it is well believed that the smoke monster could change forms, into physical human form (like Flocke). Was it super-technology, like a swarm of nano-robots? If one thinks that the Dharma experiment stations dealt with polar bears in tropical climates, why not with sci-fi robotics? A machine collective that escapes in the wild amuses some fans. Is it “evil incarnate?” As in the Devil, his minion, its hellhound or metaphor for grim reaper spirit - - - but at times with total rage but at other times total cunning and mental manipulation.
The introduction of the smoke monster at the end of the pilot episode turned a normal survivor-castaway drama into a major mystery, sci-fi dangerous thriller. The island was not safe. It would dominate the human emotion for rescue. But it is a contradiction that is never answered properly: for those characters who allegedly leave the Island (and be saved from danger), all have an unnatural desire to “go back” to the Island. The smoke monster is like a symbolic addiction of a person’s worst personality traits. There are many people who are only happy or content if they are miserable or despondent. The smoke monster is the catalyst for those broken personalities to reinforce their negative brainwaves.
The smoke monster could be the Boogie Man of a child’s nightmare. Instead of being under the bed or hiding in the closet, the Boogie Man is anywhere and everywhere. It is the irrational thought pattern drawn out to an extreme level of fear.
If the smoke monster was the judgment mechanism for the Island to weigh the heart of a person’s soul against their sins, the great inconsistent demise of characters makes the whole concept hypocritical. Example, Eko refuses to acknowledge his sinful life - - - he refuses to accept a redemptive change - - - and is slaughtered by the smoke monster. Then, Ben who killed dozens of Dharma people in the Purge, including killing his own father, is never judged by the Island monster. Two evil characters who did awful deeds get two different fates for no apparent reason.
So at the molecular level, does the smoke monster actually know what is doing or is it purely a responsive wild animal? If it is a living being, then what does it “feed” on? Does it harvest only “evil” souls that cannot accept redemption? Does it feed on the pure emotions of fear in human beings - - - and Eko refused to submit to the fear, he was killed because the smoke monster had no use of Eko if it could not suck out the evil energy of fear from him.
The great mystery is how the smoke monster could change, move about the Island, and how it actually “killed” someone. Was it a wave of electromagnetic energy generated by a swarm of evil gnats? Or was it a shape shifting spirit beast? Or was it an illusion? The monster had the stage presence of a great actor. It has some intelligence to interact in its “solid” state human form, but pure emotional anger in its “gaseous” smoke state. If we use chemistry to analyze the change in appearance, from solid to gas is “sublimation” which means (especially in psychoanalytic theory) “to divert or modify instinctual impulse into a more acceptable activity.” Clearly, Smokey is under much more emotional control in a solid state, as in his appearances as Yemi to Eko. “Disposition” means “the inherit qualities of the human mind or character,” which infers that in a gas state, Smokey’s true character is displayed (as a violent killer). But it would appear that the character traits of Smokey’s physical traits are opposite on the Island - - - but it makes perfect sense if one is looking into a mirror - - - a theme in the series.
It also brings the concepts of the mind again to the forefront of the story foundation. The balancing of instinct, emotion, intelligence is how one’s character is formed. If a person is delusional or has mental problems (characters again mention “do you think I’m crazy?” in response to questions), the inner conflict could be symbolically represented by the Smoke Monster in the mind of a troubled person, such as Eko.
If it was an illusion - - - the mind of a person takes over and forces the weak person to commit mental suicide. One’s mind can create the most dangerous creature. One’s mind can harm you deeper than any mystery monster.
We see Room 23 - - - where Karl is strapped in with an IV, light glasses, blaring audio and flashing images. We have previously discussed the concepts of brain washing, and this is a vivid example of it. As Karl is being rescued, Sawyer begins to fall into a trance at the images and the words - - - change, God loves you like Jacob. He snaps out of it to carry Karl to the boat. This is also the first subliminal reference to Jacob, who will also hear his name from angry Danny who claims “Shepard was not on Jacob’s list.” In retrospect, that is a damning statement, a real inconsistency. Jack’s name was on the lighthouse with the other castaways, including Kate. But Kate did not make the final list of candidates (which was known early in Season 3?) That begs the question - - - why the story shift? Did Jack replace Eko (for real world contract issues) or Walt (who literally outgrew his role)? It is a bit of circumstantial evidence that the writers were winging it as the season’s went by, not careful to keep a storyline with real continuity points.
Another truly bothersome story line is how in The End Kate winds up with Jack as her soul mate. One would have thought after the cage love session, Kate would have wound up with Sawyer in the church. Or, if the flashback is true, Kate would have wound up with her true love, her husband, Kevin the Florida police officer. There is no rational basis for Kate to re-connect so strongly with Jack. So in the end, whose fantasy is fulfilled?
Magical/Supernatural/Elements:
The Smoke Monster returns to confront Eko, which dire consequences. Is this the Island balancing the “loss” of Colleen’s life with Mr. Eko’s?
Last lines in episodes:
EP 53:
BEN: It's from Of Mice and Men. Don't you read? Come on, let's get you back to your cage.
EP 54:
LOCKE: He said, 'We're next.'
EP 55:
JACK: Kate, dammit, RUN!
EP 56:
JULIET: I've been on this island for 3 years, Jack. 3 years, 2 months, and 28 days. He said that if I let him live and I helped you -- that he would finally let me go home.
New Ideas/Tests of Theories:
Deal with the Devil. Juliet wants to go “home,” which may be metaphor to leave purgatory and into the next level of existence - - - since in the End she winds up with Sawyer and not her flashback family (including her ex-husband who she still pined for in her own way).
When Ben is told he has a cancerous tumor on his back, he cannot believe it because no one of the island ever got cancer. The question becomes whether the electromagnetic energy (which later would be termed “Life Source” contained in every living thing) “cures” cancer or “causes” it.
The fake healer told Rose in Australia that the Earth has different energy pockets - - - the one in the outback could not cure her, but another pocket could. The question is whether the Island’s EM is one of those “pockets” and if so, is it really electromagnetic energy or spiritual energy. The latter is a new concept here because after the crash, Rose was at peace even though her husband was missing and presumed dead. She always thought Bernard was okay. Rose also knew that her cancer was “gone.” But gone in what way? If this “pocket” was a spiritual place, there would be no place for diseases because they live in the human world. If this place was the afterlife, again, diseases would have no place in an “energy” not carbon based existence.
If the Life Force of the Island is a healing power, Desmond’s fail safe implosion would have stopped all healing on the Island, including Ben’s back tumor. That would mean Rose’s terminal cancer would have stricken her, caused her pain and suffering because of its advanced stage. But none of that happens. But if people on the Island “believe it to be true” then it may be true in a dream world where reality is what the individual’s mind.
Are the forces in the Island split into the light (Life Force from the cave) and dark (the smoke monster) as the balance between good and evil? And when the Hatch was taken out, did that create the Island realm imbalance - - - with more darkness and evil that needs to be contained by those characters led by Jack?
It occurs to me that when Tom says since the purple sky, the Island has lost communication with the mainland. This must mean that the Island has “moved” itself as part of the fail safe release of EM. Is this the real reason Ben could not leave the island for medical help, or merely an excuse to get Jack to do something voluntarily but against his free will?
Since the Hatch was the “cap” on the Island’s massive energy force, it also occurs to me that this is the Third Attempt to control it. The first was in the Light Cave, where a large rock with Egyptian hieroglyphs, contained the energy. The second was the Frozen Donkey Wheel from the Roman era. On those glyphs, there is mention to “side gates” to Earth which infers Island movement in time, space or dimensions. The third was the Hatch, a modern American science station. What do all three things have in common? Each place was created by the great civilizations of Earth by its greatest engineers of their time: Egyptians (pyramid builders), Romans (military conquerors) and Americans (moon landing).
The Island is clearly “testing” the characters’ own character. The push to get people to admit their mistakes, to be truly “sorry” for their actions, is a purgatory of the soul. On the other hand, the supernatural elements and manipulative mind control show that there is a hard attempts to modify behavior by external sources (such as the unseen physicians - - - whose form may take on Smokey - - - at a mental hospital treating our character patients).
It also seems that the entire story focus now changes to the Others against the 815ers in a life and death chess match. In reality, there was no reason for the Others and the 815ers to begin as mortal enemies. The Others and Ben’s paranoia and freakish desire for control of the Island creates an unnatural conflict. Are both the Others and the 815ers merely pawns in the Jacob and MIB game of human Senet?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
S6E6 DEALMAKERS
Throughout the show, there has been numerous "deals" or "promises" for the characters to act a certain way, do a certain mission, etc. In Sundown, we see the two types of deals that Jacob and MIB have played in the past.
Jacob gave Dogen a "deal" to save his son whom he killed in a traffic accident: he would save his son in exchange for Dogen's eternal service as temple master.
Flocke/MIB offered Sayid a "deal," too. He asked Sayid to enter the temple and deliver his message in exchange for granting him anything that he wanted (a genie's wish). It is similar to Ben's comments about a "magic box" granting anything one desired to Locke when suddenly Locke's father, Cooper, showed up on the island (proclaiming to them that he was dead and this was hell).
In the theory that LOST will turn into a battle for Heaven pitting Satan's army against God's angels (with the Island being the nexus point between the two realms), if we look at the standard operating procedures of Satan and angels we find the following:
1. Satan was a master of temptation and bargains. He built his followers by corrupting them with sins by enticing them into actions with adverse consequences. Example, Satan as a snake prodding Eve to eat the apple (of knowledge) from the forbidden tree, and thereby getting both Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden. They became sinners and their offspring (mankind) subject to the corruption of Satan. So goes the saying "making a deal with the devil" in order to some mortal temptation fulfilled while damning one's soul to Satan as part of the bargain. The human soul does not achieve freedom or paradise in the end. In some respects, he is worse off than not taking the deal.
2. God builds his followers through the promise of paradise through the process of redemption through faith. If you follow his rules, you will be safe. A person has free will to choose one's path, good or bad. And even if you were bad, there are means to confess one's sins prior to the moment of final judgment. In the end, one is protected against the forces of darkness.
And the debate lies in whether Jacob is representing the forces of good and MIB the forces of evil or vice versa. In the Dogen example, Jacob's bargain seems to be selling Dogen's soul and servitude to the devil. In Flocke's message to the Others, if you follow me you will be saved, may be considered a (wrathful god) calling back his people to the fold.
Jacob gave Dogen a "deal" to save his son whom he killed in a traffic accident: he would save his son in exchange for Dogen's eternal service as temple master.
Flocke/MIB offered Sayid a "deal," too. He asked Sayid to enter the temple and deliver his message in exchange for granting him anything that he wanted (a genie's wish). It is similar to Ben's comments about a "magic box" granting anything one desired to Locke when suddenly Locke's father, Cooper, showed up on the island (proclaiming to them that he was dead and this was hell).
In the theory that LOST will turn into a battle for Heaven pitting Satan's army against God's angels (with the Island being the nexus point between the two realms), if we look at the standard operating procedures of Satan and angels we find the following:
1. Satan was a master of temptation and bargains. He built his followers by corrupting them with sins by enticing them into actions with adverse consequences. Example, Satan as a snake prodding Eve to eat the apple (of knowledge) from the forbidden tree, and thereby getting both Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden. They became sinners and their offspring (mankind) subject to the corruption of Satan. So goes the saying "making a deal with the devil" in order to some mortal temptation fulfilled while damning one's soul to Satan as part of the bargain. The human soul does not achieve freedom or paradise in the end. In some respects, he is worse off than not taking the deal.
2. God builds his followers through the promise of paradise through the process of redemption through faith. If you follow his rules, you will be safe. A person has free will to choose one's path, good or bad. And even if you were bad, there are means to confess one's sins prior to the moment of final judgment. In the end, one is protected against the forces of darkness.
And the debate lies in whether Jacob is representing the forces of good and MIB the forces of evil or vice versa. In the Dogen example, Jacob's bargain seems to be selling Dogen's soul and servitude to the devil. In Flocke's message to the Others, if you follow me you will be saved, may be considered a (wrathful god) calling back his people to the fold.
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