Obviously most of my attention has been diverted to Find815.com, but what better way to conclude the Missing Pieces mobisodes just how they started, featuring Christian Shepherd. Only one problem - this time he is having a conversation… with Vincent (yes, the dog)… on the Island, just after the initial crash of Flight 815 and prior to Jack awakening.
Given the various comments Lindelof and Cuse have made related to Jack’s father, I am not 100% sure what to take from this. It either reinforces the Island’s ability to severely distort reality or perhaps is intended as a misdirection for us leading into Season 4. I am interested in getting your thoughts.
Here is the latest installment, in its infinite glory… The infamous Doc Arzt returns to present his sad story related to how he ended up on Flight 815:
I am not sure what to take from this other than the irony and humor associated with Arzt Match.com date gone awry. Enjoy!
In this particular mobisode, we get a little more Michael & Sun interaction, further blurring the lines associated with the question of “Did they or didn’t they?”. In case you have not seen it:
Obviously the suspicion has been there for sometime, but this provides further reason to believe that there could be more to this relationship:
Sun: He’s not the man I fell in love with (referring to Jin).
[Michael hugs her.]
Michael: Maybe he just needs a little time. It’s been hard on all of us. It’s ok. It’ll be ok.
[They pull apart and begin to stare at each other. Michael’s hand is on Sun’s face and as they lean towards one another to kiss, Vincent comes up and barks, ruining the elicit opportunity.]
Again, it will be interesting to see how Michael is interjected back into the story line and how most of the cast will act towards him, now that he is a known murderer and someone that generally turned his back on them. Will Sun have anymore feelings for him, other than contempt?
This definitely contained many more characters than the previous episodes we have seen thus far (Hurley, Jin, Sun, Michael, Dr. Arzt), but aside from comic relief, I’m not really sure what to take from this mobisode, though it was written by Lindelof so maybe there is something here. Arzt mockery of Jack is probably the high point:
Hurley - Hey, if Jack says it’s a good idea, maybe we should, like, trust him.
Arzt - Why? You tell me. Because he’s a doctor? Is that what qualifies him for leadership here? How do we know he’s not a nut case? I want to tell you something. [leaning down and speaking quietly to Hurley and Michael] The other day I’m in the jungle, and I’m taking a leak, and Jack runs through the jungle, crying for his Daddy.
In the sixth installment, we get a glimpse of a conversation between Juliet and Ben, regarding Walt, who is obviously being held in Room 23. The dialogue here is fascinating, because you can definitely get a sense that the majority of the Others are frightened by Walt’s unique abilities, as Ben gives reference to Jacob as well:
JULIET: This is your responsibility. You were the one who wanted him here.
BEN: Jacob wanted him here. He’s important. He’s special.
JULIET: He’s dangerous.
BEN: He’s just a kid Juliet. He’s a child.
JULIET: He’s just a child? Come see.
We then get to see a pile of dead birds, which Walt presumably caused via his abilities. The sets up for Season 4 nicely, as we got a glimpse of Walt during the finale, but obviously will see much more of him during the story arch this season. I think it will be interesting to see where he aligns himself within the framework of the show (the obvious answer is with Locke, but we’ll see). If you have yet to see this mobisode, you can find it here.
Operation Sleeper features Jack & Juliet, and more specifically the conversation where Juliet informs Jack that she is still working with/for Ben. In terms of an episodic timeline, this would have occurred between D.O.C and The Brig, and it is interesting to see how Juliet breaks the news to Jack. We get to see Juliet question whether or not Locke actually blew up the submarine and basically reinforce the amount of time she has been on the Island:
Jack - So you’re only here because he sent you here?
Juliet - Yeah.
Jack - Why are you telling me this now?
Juliet - Last night with Sun, we saw the baby growing inside her. If she’s still on this island in about a month, both of them will be dead. I’ve been living Benjamin Linus’s dream for three years. Three years. It’s time to wake up.
Interesting that this is now the 3rd Missing Pieces (out of 5) to feature Jack in some form or fashion. I am not sure that really has any implication on what we will see in Season 4, but as fan of his character, I hope so. However, with roughly 7 of these left, I do hope we will get to see more on Locke, Sawyer, Kate, et al.
As many of you know, Season 4 Trailers are now starting to show up in in cinemas, and I confirmed that with some friends who saw one prior to a showing of Beowulf this past weekend (though they said the digital 3D trailers were all a bit distorted). I have not been able to find anything online yet that looks 100% legit, but here is something I found which looks comparable to what they saw:
Another good mobisode, in my opinion. If you have not yet seen “The Deal”, you can view it here.
The premise of “The Deal” centers around a discussion between Michael and Juliet, and the title is an obvious reference to what Michael had to do to save Walt. The dynamic of their conversation is interesting, specifically after Juliet reveals some information about the deal she had to cut with Ben to save her sister’s life. We, again, see Michael’s somewhat self-centered perception of reality come out, in the following dialogue:
Juliet – I guess you are. I made a deal with him too.
Michael – Then why are you still here?
Juliet – Because he saved my sister’s life.
Michael – And where is she?
Juliet – Miami.
Michael – But you had to stay? What’s the point saving her life if you can’t be with her?
Juliet – Wouldn’t you do anything to save Walt?
Michael then just blankly stares at Juliet… I find this interesting because we know Michael’s past, specifically his initial reluctance in which he accepted Walt into his life. This definitely has me even more intrigued with how Michael will be injected back into the storyline during Season 4.
And by the way, this also means ABC thinks the new season of Lost is so good, it warrants such play. I’ve heard from Alphabet-net insiders that the upcoming eight episodes filmed so far are “crazy good” and will “even satisfy the haters.”
Not that any of us expected less, but this obviously bodes well for what we will get starting in February.
Though it has not yet been posted on ABC.com, the third mobisode can be found here. In my opinion, this is the most interesting thus far, given the characters involved (Jack and Ben), the setting (a chess match), and the dialogue, as noted below:
Ben - It’s been a long time since I had anybody with a little skill to play against. I don’t suppose there’s anything I could do to convince you to stick around. Relax Jack. Just an idle question. We have a deal. I fully intend to honor it.
Jack - Intend to, or you will?
Ben - It’s not entirely up to me. If the island doesn’t want you to leave, it won’t let you.
Jack - What the, the island’s going to sink the sub?
Ben - No. No. I promise you I won’t do anything to prevent you from getting home. But if you do leave this place, the day may come when you want to return.
Jack - Never.
Ben - I’ve learned never to say never. And if that day comes, I hope you remember this conversation.
Ben - Was a nice try though.
Obviously, this conversation turns out to be prophetic in two very obvious ways. One, though the Island does not physically sink the ship, Locke does, and we all know that Locke has some mysterious bond with the Island itself. Further, at the end of Season 3 we all remember Jack in his miserable, addicted state-of-mind, constantly jumping on flights hoping for another crash, and then finally, desperately pleading with Kate that they had to go back to the Island.
*Also, here is an interesting article from the New York Times that depicts why these particular mobisodes (if that is what you call them) might be a good case study in how Hollywood should deal with the WGA.
In an interview Mr. Cuse said that while it took five months to reach an agreement, he believes the “Missing Pieces” deal could serve as a template for resolving at least some of the dispute over payment for online use of material.
“I think it is a pretty good model,” he said last week. “What it shows is that there is basically room for a partnership between writers and the studios in a new medium. It’s where I wish we were headed instead of being stuck in this standoff.”
As most all of you know, you can now find the first two Missing Pieces episodes on ABC.com. I would recommend watching them, if for no other reason than it’s new content and we are still a few months away from the premiere. You can find a brief summary below, along with my thoughts:
“The Watch” - This takes place just before Jack & Sarah’s wedding, and we actually get to see Jack and Christian having a functional, somewhat emotional, father and son moment. It’s interesting to see this dynamic between the two, given that the vast majority of what we have seen to date is turbulent at best. Christian gives Jack a watch that his father passed down to him on his wedding day, and unlike his father, Christian believes Jack is making “the absolute best decision” by marrying Sarah.
“The Adventures of Hurley & Frogurt” - This basically takes a 180 from the first episode. A funny, satirical exchange takes place between Hurley and Neil, referred to as “Frogurt”, a character that has been mentioned before, but until this episode never actually appeared on Lost. Nothing earth shattering here, but again, an interesting, condescending exchange. After seeing Hurley take some DHARMA Cabernet from Bernard & Rose’s tent for his picnic with Libby, Frogurt basically tells Hurley he needs to take the next step in his pursuit of her, or move out of the way so he can have his shot. Hurley let’s Frogurt know that he is well beyond “doing laundry” with Libby.
I’m not sure you can read into these too much other than for the sake of character development, but at this point I am interested in ANYTHING new related to Lost. We will continue to get one of these per week, leading up to the premiere for Season 4 in February.
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