The Russian connection
1 year, 10 months ago by CeciliaRead more: Episode Thoughts
I’m not sure what others thought, but while I was watching this episode, I was thinking this was one of the best ones in recent memory. Maybe it’s just my personal preference for episodes that reveal a few more answers about the mythology of the show. And then, of course, they had to show us that everything Mikhail said was a lie, and blow up The Flame. I think we did get enough of a teaser of how some of the mysteries could be answered, at least.
I know one of the things I was thinking while watching this episode was about the Russian. Fortunately, the translations didn’t take long in coming, now that Lost is an international phenomenon. Thank you “Evilwombat” and others who contributed to this.
Klugh: Mikhail. Mikhail! You know what to do.
Mikhail: We still have another way [out].
Klugh: We cannot risk. You know the conditions.
Mikhail: There is another way.
Klugh: They captured us. We will not give (or let, or betray) [unintelligible].
Klugh: You know what to do. It is an order.
Mikhail: We still have another way!
Klugh (in English): Just do it, Mikhail.
Mikhail: Forgive me. (shoots)
So, by the looks of it, Ms. Klugh and Mikhail already had a suicide plan if they were ever captured. More intriguing still, was the document found in Mikhail’s typewriter, which references Afghanistan, mujahideen, and the names “Nadji” and “Andrey”.
Oh, and then there’s that really, really creepy cat that reminds Sayid of the one from his flashback, and also is named Nadia (same name as his former love).
More conspiracies afoot?
-Cecilia
Update: The second Russian name in Mikhail’s document is Andrey, not Audrey.
Comment 1, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I agree, best episode in a while now. Makes Sayid my favourite even more.
Comment 2, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
If Mikhail killed Klugh. The eye for an eye thing would apply if he felt they were going to kill him. I don’t think much of what he siad was a lie. I think the only lie he told was that he was part of Dharma. But the part about the War and how Dharma recruited and How it’s their island I believe to be true.
Comment 3, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Not “Audrey”, but “Andrey”, it’s Russian male name. This name was red-lined on the text with an interesting mark “I’m Andrey too”.
Comment 4, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I’m with downthehatch… I think Cuse & Lindelhof had said a couple weeks back that we’d find out the connection between the Dharma Initiative and the Others in this episode, which would be true only if Mikhail *wasn’t* lying (except claiming to be a member of Dharma).
Comment 5, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I thought killing Miss Klugh was cheap and easy. The diversity of the cast and its ensemble nature made the show interesting, different, and refreshing for the first two seasons. Miss Klugh was the island’s last meaningful or interesting black character. (Rose has not been compelling since the first season before her husband resurfaced. Moreover, where is she?) Right now, Lost reminds me of an old school horror movie during which you know the black person will be the first to die. In addition, killing Miss Klugh eliminated (at least momentarily) another good opportunity for some answers: How did Michael and Walt get off the island? Why do the others need children? What was so special about Walt?
Along the same line of thought, in the first two seasons, the show was not afraid to kill off popular characters, like Libby, Boone and his sister. Now, when Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are in harms way, the moment does not feel trully threatening because one senses an unwillingness of the writers to just kill one of them. The moment lacks tension.
Comment 6, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I thought this was the best episode yet.
While watching it one thing kept running through my mind and i am wondering if anyone else felt this way. What if Sayid is working for Darhma? He sure knows how to get info out of people!
Comment 7, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Andrey, eh?? Perhaps Andreas is part of the conspiracy! :O
Comment 8, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
You never know, but considering that I only know one word of Russian - Strasvodje - meaning “Hello/How are you?”, I don’t think I’m “Andrey”… unless I’m lying of course ;)
Comment 9, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I think it’s a bit silly to insinuate there is a racial undertone to any development in the story. The diversity of the cast was an interesting element, but Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje wanted out and Harold Perrineau’s contract dispute precluded their exit from the show. To imply some kind of coordinated offing of black characters is just looking for something that isn’t there.
Comment 10, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Yes I agree, a great episode! Plenty of stuff for us die-hards to sink our teeth into :).
The one thing that has been playing on my mind over the last few episodes, and especially during Enter 77, is the apparent effect of the electromagnetic dam being blown (so to speak). I wonder if the twist to this scenario is going to be that it isn’t the Islands communications that are faulty but instead the rest of the world has gone off the grid. Could the pressing of the button really have been ’saving the world’? Considering the existence of technologies such as Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) - there could be all kinds of interesting effects for the rest of the world that wouldn’t necessarily mean the world has come to an end.
However due to the fact we have a line of story off the island (Penny/Widmore/Antarctica) I doubt the effects will have too serious of an effect. Especially considering that the Antarcticans were able to make a phone call to the UK(?) directly following the hatch explosion, which at least suggests that if changes have occurred in the rest of the world, they didn’t occur instantly.
A theory could be that maybe some or all of the world’s satellite communications have been taken out. Considering what the hatch can do to an aircraft, perhaps even some satellites could have been pulled out of their orbit and subsequently destroyed?
Comment 11, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Another thought is that perhaps ‘the sickness’ was Dharma’s attempt to purge the island of The Hostiles? The Dharma employees would be given the vaccine whilst the virus was unleashed onto the rest of the island. Again there is evidence against this theory as well - in the form of the Jigsaw Puzzle clues.
Comment 12, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I’m curious to know what Mikhail was typing in Russian on the sheets from his typewriter. Does anyone read Russian?
Comment 13, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
You might not be a great cat lover mate, but i really felt affection for the poor cat from THE FLAME. Did you notice how wet her eyes were and the desperate look in her face when she looked up to Sayid in the final frame? Very touching stuff.
Cheers,
D
Comment 14, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Brandon, the link is already in the article… just click “document”.
And yes, the creepy cat was kind of cute in the end, too. But then again, I am a cat lover, too :)
Comment 15, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
The AFAmerican girl had spoken way better Russian than this “whanabe” russian (born in Ukraine by the way).
They already broadcast in Russia, why wouldn’t they find a proper actor… silly …
Comment 16, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Do you think the russian guy is the original mijkail bakunin living in the island for more that a hundred years? I wonder if Elvis and Hitler are also living there. That would be cool.
Comment 17, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
hi. im from russia/ its really interesting episode for russian viewers of LOST. There are 2 marks “I’m Andrey too†and “i so much forget about Afganistan”.
Actor who played Mihail has russian accent. Its very interesting i think
Comment 18, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Yes, definitely the best episode ever, in my opinion. Thanks for the Russian translation.
Comment 19, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
J Woods has an excellent analysis at Powells Books website and goes further with the Russian information by translation of the document in the Flame. An interesting read for the die hards.
Comment 20, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
They are cashing in all the Africian American stars on the show for one really cool one.
Comment 21, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Lesley wrote:
Just read Wood’s analysis and it is indeed pretty interesting!
powells.com/blog/?p=1899
Comment 22, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
Uatu wrote:
I don’t think the person you are commenting on was implying that the producers hate Black people or anything like that, only that it’s a shame the diversity of characters on the show is waning, and especially that the most interesting Black characters are being killed off. It’s simply a fact that they are being killed off (unless Ms Klugh’s death was faked). And it’s simply an opinion that it’s a shame. An opinion I share.
Comment 23, posted 1 year, 10 months ago - Quote and reply
I was thinking “Why would Klugh and Mikhail choose to speak Russian?” Compared to English and other lanuages Russian is very hard, and I think unless Klugh grew up speaking Russian, it h cases thwould be easier to choose another lanuage to use in cases such as the one we saw in this episode, like German. But then the thought occured to me that besides speaking Russian because Mikhail is Russian maybe they choose to speak Russian because the chances of the Losties knowing what they were saying would be slimmer. Maybe the Others know lots of lanuages, and if you think about it they have lots of time on their hands (when a plane hasn’t recently crashed on the island that is) to learn them. I don’t know where this takes us except knowing that the Other’s are culturally diverse.
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