May 6, 2009

How well did Lost 'Follow the Leader?'

What did you think of 'Follow the Leader?'

Post your observations, theories and rank speculation in comments.

7 comments:

Joyce Saenz Harris said...

OK, how did John Locke get from [apparently] believing in Jacob to wanting to kill him? Does Locke just not want to take orders from anyone any more? Is this why the Oceanic 6 were getting messages from Charlie and Claire, saying things like "You're not supposed to raise him" [from the dead?] and "Don't bring him back!" [to the Island?]

I'm also confused about the 1977 timeline. Surely Dan Faraday was more than 30 years old in 2004-07, even if he WAS the youngest doctorate ever at Oxford...he had worked in his lab with Widmore's funding for 10 years, right? He should have been a small boy in 1977, when Eloise shot his older self. Yet at the Others' camp, Charles Widmore was whispering to a 40-year-old Eloise, expressing concern about her "condition." Which can only mean that she was pregnant. Pregnant with Daniel? That would make him way younger than his 21st-century self should be, by my reckoning.

My big disappointment with this episode was that although it was supposed to be Alpert-centric, we did not find out nearly enough about Richard. Actually, we found out nearly nothing new, except maybe that he can build a ship in a glass bottle. Ben described him as a sort of advisor and said that he'd had that job for a long, long time. But that was it. So Richard the mystery man is still a mystery.

Jen Emily said...

There were some great lines and delivery in this episode. Although, I do agree with Joyce that we didn't learn a lot.

Except that Richard Alpert sees some of the Oceanic Six die?!?!?! Is this true? Can it be changed? I'm very curious to see if we'll find out the answer to that in the season finale.

Is Locke becoming as power hungry as Ben and Widmore?

Very interesting how accepting Dr. Chang was of them being from the future. And a total Back to the Future reference with Chang asking Hurley to name the president. And now, Miles knows that his father never deserted them. He lied to save them.

Great to see Sayid again. Next week we should find out what happened to Rose and Bernard.

So, how are they going to get the gang together again?

And, how pissed did Juliet look when Kate got on the sub?

Stella said...

Jen, I agree with you that there were some great lines. I loved it when Hurley says, "Ok, dude, we're from the future." or something like that and when Locke tells Richard that he did in fact die. The look on Ben's face was priceless. And finally when Kate boards the sub -- awkward!

I really enjoyed this episode but like you, Joyce, I would love to know more about Richard. I want the backstory.

I wonder if Locke's somehow been possessed. In other words, even though that's Locke, the physical person, could it actually be someone or something else inhabiting his body? Some sort of evil force, which wants to go head to head with Jacob. How else could "Locke" manage to and possibly successfully kill Jacob? Am I over thinking this?

Beth said...

Obviously the leaks saying this would be an Alpert episode were false. We learned so little about him. In fact, this was no one person's episode. Very big picture, group stuff.

I got the sense that Chang ordered the evac on his own and Radzinsky and Phil were just too busy to interfere. I think Radzinsky will go right ahead drilling and ignore Chang. He's got a big ego.

Stella: I think you are on to something with Locke. Very intriguing. Why would the real Locke want to kill Jacob. In fact, Jacob asked Locke for help. I'm leaning toward this new Locke being something (someone?) else. Poor Sun. She's all alone and trusting someone who is not on her side.

So who do you think is right, Kate or Jack? He wants to avoid the crash and save the people they love. (Though avoiding the crash means he never knew any of them, much less cared about them.) I think I'm on Kate's side -- even the bad stuff in life makes us who we are. You have to accept it all.

Can't wait to see how Sawyer, Juliet and Kate get off the sub.

Favorite lines: We'll buy Microsoft. We'll bet on the Cowboys in the '78 Super Bowl.

Joyce Saenz Harris said...

"We'll buy Microsoft. We'll bet on the Cowboys in the '78 Super Bowl."

Beth, I loved that line of Sawyer's, too! His con-man side speaking, and thinking like Biff in "Back to the Future II"!

I tend to agree with Kate that Jack's a little nuts to think he can change everything. Even if he did change everything, how does he know the future wouldn't change in a way that would be completely different from what he envisions? Talk about "the butterfly effect" -- what about the H-bomb effect? How did Daniel expect to set off an H-bomb and not have it change the course of history in ways he hadn't imagined?

Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom said...

I thought this was a great episode! I think it's definitely clear that Locke is not just his regular old self, who oh yeah, was dead for a bit -- I think he's officially one of the island's "undead", like Christian and the smoke monster apparitions. How else would he have known exactly when/how to orchestrate his own meeting with Richard during the flashes??

I posted all kinds of ideas about Locke's whole "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to kill Jacob we go" deal -- I'd love opinions! I think it drastically shifted the whole character of Jacob, and potentially altered our entire understanding of what makes the island "tick"...

Kevin said...

I don't think Locke is evil. Misguided and overzealous perhaps but not even in the same category as Ben. I think Jacob, if he really exists, is the evil mastermind who is manipulating events and people on the island. The new, reborn Locke feels he will finally put an end to it if he kills Jacob. After all, if Ben shows admiration and reverence toward Jabob, he MUST be evil. I hope Locke succeeds.

random thought #1: how many times have Jack and the gang been captured at gunpoint on the island and roughed up? I think it happens every 3rd day.

random thought #2: I think I might approach a stranger on the street tomorrow, look him intensely in the eye and say: "I'm from the future. You cannot cross this street!"

If anyone wants to see a great movie about time travel, check out "Primer" (shot in Richardson, TX). This is no Back to the Future. It'll blow your mind. Just make sure you watch it at least 3 times.