Episode 406

Discussion of this post, as always, available on http://groups.google.com/group/lost-book-club.

Oh, and FYI: I've added a few new things from last weeks episode based on the enhansed version shown tonight. Check those out at the google group linked to above.

- So what's the deal w/ the whispers? Those have been around since the beginning of the show, all the way back to Season 1 when Ruseau talks about being able to hear them in the jungle. Based on what happened in tonight's episode, I wonder if its somehow connected to a teleportation device. Maybe something related both to the rabbits in the unaired DHARMA training video (available on youtube and the LOST website) and the Polar Bear located in Tunisai, Africa in the beginning of this season. Who knows, just a guess

- So it seems that we've now identified the two main power players in the season: Ben and Widmore. I don't really know who to root for. I don't like Ben; he's manipulative, posessive, power-hungry, and arrogant. Yet Widmore is selfish and down right mean. It wouldn't surprise me if in the next few episodes they try to make Ben a bit more sympathetic, but right now I'm not buying it

- Juliet references "Jack & Emma" who seem to be kids. My guess is those are the kids from the plane that the Others kidnaped, but I honnestly don't remember. Does it seem weird to anyone else that they take these kids and then the perspective of Ben is that eventually they'll just "stop asking" about their parents?!

- So is it now official that Jack's w/ Juliet and Kate's w/ Sawyer? The kiss from Jack sure seemed to make it seem like that, but then agian, in the flash forwards we've seen Jack and Kate, and Jack says he still loves her. So, does something happen to Juliet (like she dies) or does she just stay on the island?

- That reminds me of something from the beginning of the episode that I thought was really cleaver. The whole opening scene w/ Juliet and Harper where you don't really know if she's one of the Oceanic 6 or not...they play it up as if she is, but then she's not. While, yes, its sorta' predictable, you have to be honnest and admit that you can't really KNOW which way its going to go because the LOST writers don't follow a formula.

- Oh, did I mention that I don't like Ben? He thinks Juliet is HIS? Does that not bother anyone else?

- The other thing that bothers me a bit in this episode is that, like the title, Juliet is the "other woman." On the one hand, there are consequences to this that she has to live with, but on the other hand, she's chapioned as the heroine (please tell me there's just the one spelling and that I didn't just make a big mistake), even though she's in the wrong. Seems to tipify the moral relativism that is common in our culture. Her wrong isn't as bad as that of Ben's, so its not that big a deal. Also, Harper is a jerk, so that justifies Juliet's actions...I'm just not ok w/ that.

- End credits, the notice said that next week we learn the "last of the Oceanic 6". I don't know if that means there are 5 we should know now, or if we get to know the last 2 next week. I'm going to assume the latter, since I don't count Ben or Aaron, for several reasons, including info gleaned from the Podcasts I've listened to recently. : )

Sad thing is that we only have 4 more episodes before the end of the season, but I plan to enjoy every one of them!