I don’t know about you guys but I have serious concerns about where this is all going after last night’s episode, The Last Recruit.
Is it just me or has MIB/Flocke turned out to be the most useless ultimate villain ever or am I missing something? At the beginning of the episode he had most of his ducks in a row finally (Desmond in a well, all the candidates with the exception of Jin in his camp and Sayid primed to carry out his evil deeds) but then through a series of schoolboy errors it all went wrong. Or did it?
He gave Sayid a mission to kill Des (I have no doubt Sayid bottled on that one) and failed to check his work and then he left the group long-enough for the lads to do a runner. Where are your super-powers MIB or even your cop-on?
Claire, in her strangely unemotional reunion with her brother, told Jack that you let him (Flocke) talk to you so you’ve already made your decision and joined him. There is very little evidence to suggest that Flocke is that compelling. The only person who seems to have fallen under his influence for any significant length of time is Claire herself and let’s face it she was lonely and just a little crazy. Hitler could have befriended her. Even in Claire’s case a promise of ‘I’ll get you home to Aaron’ by Kate quickly broke the spell last night. Finally I see hair conditioner in her future.
The only other Flocker in the gang is Sayid (he died so he has an excuse sort-of) and before Des had even opened his mouth from the well he hesitated. Clearly Sayid himself had doubts about the order and Desmond’s question to him “So what will you tell her?” presumably sent him into a tail-spin! Desmond lives I am sure!
So back to the strangely un-menacing and ineffectual Flocke! Have we gotten it all wrong? For that past few weeks I have been working under the assumption (probably false now I think) that Flocke can be released from his island prison only by killing all the candidates to replace Jacob. We know he cannot kill them himself (thanks to the boy in the woods for that information) so his plan I thought involved him gathering them together and either having Sayid dispose of them and then finding a way to dispose of him, crashing the plane with all the key players on board or using Widmore’s team to have them wiped out in a final showdown.
After last night’s episode I am beginning to wonder if that was all nonsense and that the search for the other candidates was a McGuffin. I am sensing that Jack is the key player and central to Flocke’s true mission to get off the island. He didn’t seem too concerned that the others had sailed to Hydra Island. Is that because Jack is the one he really needs or perhaps he knows more about Widmore’s intentions that we do? Certainly I didn’t like the welcome party they had laid on for the gang.
Perhaps Claire was right in Jack’s case – Flocke spoke to him and that seemed to influence his actions last night. In their key encounter at the beginning of the episode, Flocke answered Jack’s questions willingly and knew he wanted to know about his father. When Jack said to him “I don’t even know what you are” Flocke responded “Sure you do”.
Now what the heck does that mean? And when he says “sure you do” does that mean everyone knows or just Jack and if so then why just him? Jack has always been a man of action which in the past has seen people die (Juliet) but this season he has allowed himself to be led (following Hurley briefly). Last night he toyed with the idea of following Sawyer’s plan but on balance he chose faith over action. “The island hasn’t finished with me yet” followed by a quick dunk and a near-death experience. “You’re with me now” Flocke informed him at the end of the episode.
So who is pulling Jack’s strings – are his decisions informed by his past island experiences or is he being manipulated by Flock or indeed Jacob?
And speaking of Jacob – where has he disappeared to? Yes I know he is dead but that hasn’t stopped him playing a key role in the early episodes of the season. If this is ultimately a battle between Jacob & MIB (arguing brothers) then where the heck is Jacob’s influence? I don’t think Widmore is representing him but rather representing his own interests at this point.
I am also wondering if MIB and Jacob are equally just pawns in the bigger game with perhaps their crazy mother pulling the strings from a distance. Everytime I try to figure out who really knows what’s going on I keep coming back to “she of the big hair and Irish accent” - Eloise Hawking. My head hurts! Maybe I just need to relax and enjoy the ride!
So what else happened last night?
We finally got our long-awaited reunion between Sun and Jin – it didn’t raise the tear I expected however. The resolution of their LA story was also strangely unsatisfying and rushed. “Yup you and the baby are going to be grand and you also seem to have got over that nasty fright the man in the other trolly gave you on the way in.”
We also learned that the LAPD seem to be frighteningly efficient managing to identify Keamey’s killer using CCTV and making it back to his gaffe before Sayid has even time to pack his bag. “What did you do Sayid” Nadia asked. Killed several people and then took a bus tour of the stars’ home in Hollywood apparently. They don’t make assassins like they used to!
Claire, who wasn’t at all creeped out by Desmond’s strange behaviour, has had an unusual introduction to life in LA - hijacked at the airport, ditched by her baby’s prospective adoptive parents and meeting her half-brother by a bizarre twist of fate.
Again the tying up of loose ends in LA-land seems very rushed and does weaken the final season.
Lunch is calling lads even though there’s probably much more to say. I mean can you believe Sawyer did not know Darth Vader’s true identity? Clearly his career as a con-artist has seriously impacted his cinema-going.
Anyway how was it for you?
Bree Treacy
By the way just a quick reminder that there is no episode of Lost this week (Thursday, April 29). The next episode, The Candidate, will air on RTÉ Two on Thursday, May 6.
