(Note: This is my second post today. For my other entry – my Super Bowl XLII pick – scroll down or click here.)
I was a little worried about this episode. Sure, it’s been hyped by ABC to no end and the television critics (whatever their opinion is worth) have been raving about it for weeks. But I was worried about the flashforwards working as well as the flashbacks.
The flashbacks have been great because they’ve added depth to the characters, made us care about them, and helped us understand why they act the way they do.
But the flashforwards work differently. They don’t really add any depth or more knowledge to the characters. Rather, they work to add to the mystery. It’s almost like the writers are telling a different tale now – one where the main story is what’s going on in the future and the flashbacks being on the island.
This isn’t a bad thing. I loved last night’s episode. (More on that in a minute.) But I foresee problems unless these flashforwards are handled just right.
My main worry is that we won’t learn enough about the “rescuers” who have come to the island that they’ll will become stock, bad guy characters. You know people that are serve no purpose other than to move the plot along. Like Naiomi. We know little about her other than she had a picture of Desmond and really didn’t care about her when she finally died after reprogramming the satellite phone. Yep, she died. Who cares? Quick, Kate, find Jack.
But look how much better flashbacks make even evil characters. Even though Ben, the leader of the Others, is very one of the most despicable characters on the show, we at least sympathize with him somewhat because we know a lot about his background and how he was treated by his father.
So far the writers have made very few errors so I’m going to see how they work with the flashforwards before I pass judgment. I hope they can find away to make them work so that the people who are coming to the island aren’t more than a) evil scientists, b) greedy businesspeople, or c) secret government agents all trying to harness the island’s power that we don’t care nothing about. There’s nothing wrong with the rescuers being one of the above (or something else), so long as we at least understand their motives and know enough about them that we can understand their motivations – even if we don’t agree with them – instead of a clichéd stock characters.
As for the episode last night, wasn’t it wonderful? It had me on the edge of my seat. And did you get that it was Jack’s dad sitting in Jacob’s chair? I really think that Jacob is somehow held hostage by Ben and Others and somehow he’s going to be the one that brings Jack, Kate, Hurley, and the other three castaways back to the island.
I was also surprised but glad the episode focused on Hurley. Because of Hurley’s previous flashbacks, (see how effective they are!) we know to be skeptical when he sees Charlie but can’t help but wonder if the island is trying to communicate with him. More than anything, I just want him to be happy. His brief respite from troubles ended the moment Desmond told him Charlie was dead.
Great episode and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens to those who stay on the island. Could we see genocide of some of the no name passengers from the “rescuers”? Cross your fingers that the writers give us some in-depth bad guys!
