The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ season 5 finale
May 14, 2009 at 11:22 am by Allison Keene in movies & tv, the televangelistLIVE TOGETHER: or Die Alone
First thing’s first: SPOILERS ABOUND. Second thing: What lies in the shadow of the statue? A whole lotta win. “Lost” certainly delivered another one of its trademark “epic” season finales. The episode titled “The Incident” should be renamed, in hindsight, “Because of Jacob.” Because of Jacob our Losties are all on the island in the first place. Because of Jacob we have a reason for all of this madness and a real chance at a great final season. Most importantly, because of Jacob, Richard “Ricardos” Alpert was made immortal and non-aging in all his attractive glory, and for that we are truly grateful.
The cast list this week was immense, but “The Incident” closed more doors than it opened with former and current cast members. Another alternate title for the episode might have been “Vincent’s Return,” a situation pondered by fans since the whole frozen donkey wheel mess began. Never fear, Vincent is living happily with Rose and Bernard (who inhabit what later becomes Jacob’s cabin). Wisely, the two want nothing to do with the rest of the Losties, but instead are retired in a cottage living each day as it comes and unconcerned about death. Black-and-white rock/Adam and Eve, anyone?
Pretty much everyone on the original Oceanic 815 flight got a shout-out tonight, mostly in regard to Jacob’s role in his/her past, which helped bring them to the island. Plenty of questions answered there, one of the biggest being how Hurley was released from prison and gained access to Charley’s guitar.
As far as closing chapters, we seem to be out of Dharmaville for good, now. Juliet, in possibly the most heartbreaking scene in “Lost’s” canon (with Charley’s death coming in a close second), releases everyone from the shackles of ’70s living by hacking an unfathomably sturdy plutonium core with a rock, causing a counter-explosion to the release of electromagnetism on the island, effectively doing … what exactly? Negating the fifth season?
Other heart-wrenching moments included Ben’s flood of insecurities while confronting Jacob with “Why not me? What’s wrong with me?” and Jacob’s cold, unfeeling response, “What about you?” That helped Ben find the courage to kill him but -doh!- what about this bad dude standing to your left, Ben? No, that’s not John Locke. And speaking of sad, John Locke actually appears to be dead, his life of “not amounting to much” seems to have … not amounted to much.
Backtracking a bit, last night’s episode introduced us to … Jacob! (aka Julie Benz’s drug addicted husband on “Dexter”) as well as a mysterious antagonistic figure most message-board users have come to regard as Esau. For those of you who need a Biblical refresher:
Rebekah bore Esau first and Jacob was birthed second, holding onto Esau’s heel. Thus, this subsequent occurrence traditionally entitled Esau to inherit the wealth of his father after his death. Genesis 25:29-34 shows him willingly selling his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a “mess of pottage” (meal of lentils). Controversy has surrounded this scripture, in that some have noted that Esau may have been in danger of starving to death and was taken advantage of by Jacob in a vulnerable moment.
The Esau theory has merit — after all, the-man-now-referred-to-as-Esau seems as ancient as Jacob as well as his opposing figure, and most likely the force behind Olde Smokey. From the opening dialogue we might surmise he views himself as a protector of the island, or at the very least takes a very pessimistic view of those who visit it. Speculation now is fun but pointless, and though I don’t like guessing where “Lost” is headed (since I’m usually wrong), I will go out on a limb anyway and say Richard, Jacob and Esau’s roles and relationships are probably going to be a strong secondary theme throughout the final season.
“The Incident” was like a giant camera pan-out in narrative structure. “Lost’s” main struggle isn’t between Jack and Locke (or Jack and Sawyer, or Jack and himself, or Jack and audience), or Ben and Widmore, or Jacob and Esau, but maybe between salvation versus damnation, or good versus evil. Maybe it’s about how no matter what circumstances beyond your control brought you to a place or a time, it’s up to you to define yourself through your choices and through your actions. Season six will undoubtedly explore such themes more deeply, having most likely left Faraday and the time traveling island behind. In the end, it will be about personal struggle between the two greatest forces in our universe, which reminds us sometimes the oldest stories are the best. For now, “they’re coming” …. fade to white.
Musings and Miscellanea:
- Speaking of ancient things, some people have pointed out that the statue looks like it has a crocodile head, possibly as a goddess of a fertility known for protecting mothers. Did the statue’s destruction cause the fertility problems on the island?
- New Kids on the Block lunchbox, holler! The first time Kate’s shown good judgment.
- Greatest Ben quote of the night: “I changed my thinking ever since my dead daughter threatened to destroy me if anything happened to you and I don’t do what you say.” Dead daughter was likely Olde Smokey manipulating Ben twice — once there and once again as Locke!
- Second greatest Ben quote: “I’m a Pisces” (another lie, his birthday is December 19!)
- Regarding Jacob and Esau, recall the season one Locke quote: “Two players, two sides, one is light, one is dark.”
- Speaking of Locke, Will the real John Locke please stand up? “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” He really did die though, it seems.
- Understatement of the year by Sayid: “Don’t shoot, I’m carrying a nuclear device.” Although, that thing was shot at, fallen upon, dropped and hacked at before it exploded. Poor craftsmanship!
- I am ignoring the setup for the Sawyer-Kate-Jack triangle to continue out of respect for Juliet, the HBIC (RIP). If anyone is still on the Kate-Sawyer ship at this point you are in serious denial, explain yourself.
- Richard’s Latin response to “What lies in the shadow of the statue?”: ILLE QUI NOS OMNES SERVABIT: “He who will save us all”
- Ben was portrayed as especially vulnerable and unknowing in this episode, as opposed to prior seasons when he seemed more or less omnipotent. We learned that he lied about seeing Jacob that time in the cabin, and was just as confused as Locke when things started flying around. But it was just Ben being Ben. “I lied. That’s what I do.”
(Photo courtesy ABC)
May 14th, 2009 at 11:25 am
My anti-spam word was “whoa” – appropriate!
I wanted to correct the Latin translation may also be “he who protects us all”
Theory-share time!
May 14th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I think the struggle, at it’s core, is the core of all JJ Abrams stories: The story of Free will vs. Destiny.
Do you, or I, or anyone, have the power to choose, or, has everything been written?
What’s interesting is that the man-in-black (Destiny) should have always known that Jacob (Free Will) would die due to his interactions. By exposing the “Loophole” – he is changing the “destiny” of events.
Love this show – thanks for the summary!
May 14th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Oh, I dunno: last night’s season finale reminded me of the Season 1 finale, which built up to the opening of the hatch without revealing what was actually INSIDE it; or the Season 2 finale, which ended with our heroes captured by the Others, but didn’t reveal anything actually ABOUT the others that we didn’t already know by then. I appreciated the Jacob/Esau/Locke’s casket information, but having the bomb (supposedly) detonate without revealing what happened struck me as huge tease.
May 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Good info on Esau. not having seen every episode of every season i felt very confused by the whole initial exchange btwn Esau and Jacob on the beach (not to mention the 18th-century shipwreck-chic beachwear even though they were talking like it was 2009)
i find it so creepy that jacob was sneaking around during their childhoods (for the most part) no doubt we’ll find out why he chose these particular people in the final season
ben stabbing jacob was kind of funny. very basic instinct shower scene.
how jack managed to hold off all those gunmen at Dharma camp with just a little gun is beyond me
PS i really enjoyed watching Sayid work on dismantling that nuclear device…
May 14th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Two other things:
1. So where is Claire? Is Emilie de Ravin off the show, or still being paid, or what?
2. Remember last week, when Locke took Richard and Ben to the ‘unstuck in time’ moment of Locke and Richard’s encounter? Initially it seemed like Locke was giving himself helpful advice from another time-line. Now that we know Locke wasn’t really Locke, it was probably Esau’s way of *setting up* Locke to die.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:06 am
It was great to see the side of the statue and to realize that it is SOBEK, the crocodile god. “Sobek’s ambiguous nature led some Egyptians to believe that he was a repairer of evil that had been done, rather than a force for good in itself, for example, going to Duat to restore damage done to the dead as a result of their form of death. He was also said to call on suitable gods and goddesses required for protecting people in situation, effectively having a more distant role, nudging things along, rather than taking an active part.” – wiki
May 15th, 2009 at 11:45 am
So, I’m a little late — I watched the finale online last night. But I’ve read several recaps already and I’m surprised no one has mentioned anything about Jacob’s tapestry and the Fates weaving the Tapestry of Life. It seemed kind of like an obvious symbol, but then it’s at odds with Jacob being “Free Will.” So maybe I’m stretching.
And what’s up with Jacob visiting Kate, Sawyer and Juliet as kids but everyone else as adults?
And who the hell are those weirdo “what lies in the shadow of the statue” people?! There are too many factions on this damn island to keep track of.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Tara – yeah, I think the Tapestry was important but no one yet knows WHY … clearly (as Gayle pointed out) there’s a great deal of Egyptian mythology that seems to be driving everything … but of course even that is in question!
Curt – I feel ya with the hatch-like ending, but I also thought it was appropriate for this season. Also ABC is afraid of Lost continuing to lose viewership, so I’m sure they were thrilled at such a giant cliffhanger that will at least bring everyone in for the premiere in January
The Others are still a huge question for me. Are they all decedents of the Black Rock? Just a rag-tag bunch of redshirts? Jacob creeping around the lives of the Losties was strange, but it was noted somewhere else that he physically TOUCHED each of them … perhaps protecting them in some way? (note that Juliet was not included in that)
As for Claire, I heard she was definitely a big part of season six? That may just be a rumor. I thought Emilie de Ravin went off to do a film or something during this season? Unsure.
(sigh) what am I going to do until January?
Thanks everyone for commenting!
May 15th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Or is it Taweret?
http://www.scifiscoop.com/news/michael-emerson-identifies-losts-four-toed-statue/
May 17th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Thought 1:
“But when he asks to see you, he gets marched right in here as if he were Moses?”-Ben
Locke gives a sly look.
If experience has taught me anything about Lost, it is that if we are sure that something is going to be true, it usually isn’t. Plus Esau is supposed to be so hairy that Jacob can pass for him only by putting a goat skin on. Creepy guy at the beginning is definitely not very hairy
Thought 2:
A. Jack wasn’t even on Jacob’s list.
B. “Somebody else has been here”. Somebody else is Christian Shephard( actually ghost Christian Shephard/ possibly smoke monster/Jacob’s nemesis). Ghost Christian Shephard sent Locke back to the world, so that Ben could kill him, so that smokey could inhabit him, so that possessed locke body could convince Richard to save him and talk regular Locke into going back, so that Ben could kill Locke, get locke’s body sent back, so that smokey could inhabit said body (a body that he has been using his powers to build Richard’s trust of) and Richard would send that body in to kill Locke.
Are the Shephard’s bad guys? Good guys? Unimportant Pawns? What does Jack’s tattoo mean? How did he wake up so far from the plane the first time it crashed?
I hope Jack is a bad guy.
I hope that made some semblance of sense, I didn’t read it after I typed it.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
By the way, you said that Jacob touched all of them except Juliet… he didn’t touch Jack, just handed him the candy bar…it looks like no physical contact…yes, I checked.
May 25th, 2009 at 3:59 am
dekalb, no Jacob didn’t “touch” Jack, however, he did hand (leave) something with each of them: lunchbox to Kate, pen to Sawyer, candybar to Jack, and guitar case with Hurley. Maybe giving something to each of them was a sort of ‘protection’ for what the future would hold.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:12 am
and he handed a map (or paper) to Sayid
May 31st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
jacob did touch each of them. watch closely, jacobs fingers touched jacks as they exchanged the candy bar. same with sayid…jacob brushed him, they touched. as you know he touched kate, and also hurley on the chest. sawyer too. so he gave them each something, and touched them as well.
June 1st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I loved it, too, but I had serious problems with the final ep. It was the “It’s-All-About-Kate” Show. Really? Everyone’s motivations for blowing up the bomb or not blowing up the bomb all revolve around Kate?
Don’t get me wrong– I’ve been a Jater all along, but for Jack to state that he wanted to blow the island to kingdom come and change the course of events– and all because he just wanted Kate? I just didn’t buy it. I thought that Jack, as a doctor, would be excited by the chance to instantly save the lives all the people who died on Flight 815 when it crashed. But no, it was only because of Kate. Pathetic.
I understand it better in Juliet’s case. She knew she’d never ever have James’s whole self, that he would always be entangled with Kate somehow, and that broke her heart. It was an emotional response from a normally very cool-headed woman, and I bought it for that reason.
I don’t think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Inhabiting-John’s-Body? is Esau. Jacob and Esau ultimately forgave each other and reconciled– I don’t see that as a possibility for these two.