3rd Season Lost - The Man from Tallahassee - 5 star poll - SPOILERS AHOY !

[Park Palmer]

"The Man from Tallahassee"
3-21-07 Lost
5 stars (Ernest I. Thomas)
0-1 stars (Richard K. Harte)
-George

The first thing that bugs the shit out of me is how the goddamn magic box
is - intentionally or not - a callback to fucking Felicity.

For the unfamiliar, Felicity had a gothy roommate who owned a mysterious
box. This never got past a running gag (except for one special outside of
continuity gag episode where it had twilight zone powers). Then, in the
final four episodes of this otherwise straight drama, her old roommate
cast a spell which sent Felicity back in time so she could choose a
different guy in a love triangle. Except she knew she had changed time
and it nearly drove her mad, until a dramatic twist indicated time might
enforce the original fate anyway. Desperate to escape this alternate
past, she finally located the man who wrote the spell, (named Korsakoff,
an echo of every author of mysterious documents and equations in JJ
stories). She woke up in the proper timeline and it was all a fever
dream...or was it? since a friend who had died was now alive.

I never saw these eps but I read the recaps because I couldn't believe JJ
Abrams wrote this tacked on WTF fantasy, clearly pulled out of his ass
because he had nothing else and riffed on his notions of time, fate,
coincidence and magic.

I forgot all this until Ben mentioned the magic box and now I can't
unthink it. Desmond is Felicity, which makes a lot of sense given his
hair, or perhaps Locke is, or maybe they all are. It's like Buffy and the
potentials, except suckier.

Did I mention Felicity had issues with her father?

Suddenly I hate this show even more for the way JJ and crew keep flogging
all these faux mystical items and moments (all connected to dudes with
ornate European names) which have facade of significance but are time
filling mcguffins grafted onto WB level dramatics. I'm sure that if Six
Degrees (which already has the coincidence thing) or What About Brian
managed to last they'd have some weird encounter with the Vanderlay
Document.

So here I am watching Felicity/Sydney (i.e. Kate) be told by
Felicity/Vaughn (Jack) he'll come back for her while Rousseau/Irina
silently watches Felicity/Sydney Jr. (Alex) from the shadows while Terry
O'Quinn as very very short haired Felicity prepares to blow up the sub.

And I feel really bitter. Because I was so into a show which seemed
innovative but is really just an extension of Felicity.

Did I mention they killed the only black character on Felicity (brought
her back in the last few minutes of the last ep, but still)?

Other thoughts: Had I stopped watching at the end of season 1 or near the
start of season 2, my response to this new Locke episode might be "it
doesn't quite fit but this plot hole is better than the others." It is,
however, too little too late. Too much stalling, too many tree frog /
bunny shake moments, too many Hurley is Fat character development, too
many too implausible moments and too many details we were encouraged to
examine which don't add up.

For example, in this episode I noticed Ben said nothing about Locke's
sojourn on a hippie pot commune which got busted by the cops, as if it
never happened despite being significant earlier this year and how did he
get from there to the box company anyway?

The Magic Mind Box might could have been like The Hellmouth had it been
introduced earlier, a blanket explanation for every plot absurdity ("Why
aren't people more curious? It's the Mind Box!"). Now it's a cop out. So
the magic box produced Locke's dad? Wait, I thought the ghosts were
creations of the smoke monster? What about the equation or the virus plot
in the web extras?

If the box is a metaphor for The Smoke Monster, then the island's
security system has suddenly become the essential magical item and I call
bullshit on the notion they planned this from the start because they've
admitted many times the monster was a hard to resolve. I can almost
respect this attempt to retrofit coherency, but again too little too
late.

The bitterness, it makes me want to go back in time and choose to follow
my true love to NYU instead of watching this show...or can I? Given the
time paradox, no I can't. There'd be a car accident and I'd end up
paralyzed, with the TV set stuck on this show.

Although I'm pretty sure Ben is Glory. Which means, boxwise, Jacob is
probably the Mayor...or is he? I'm certain, however, that Paulo is the
Key...except with the runs.

[rwgibson13]

Post by Park Palmer

"The Man from Tallahassee"
3-21-07 Lost
5 stars (Ernest I. Thomas)
0-1 stars (Richard K. Harte)
-George

<snip>

Post by Park Palmer
For example, in this episode I noticed Ben said nothing about Locke's
sojourn on a hippie pot commune which got busted by the cops, as if it
never happened despite being significant earlier this year and how did he
get from there to the box company anyway?

My thinking is that whoever is working/supporting the "Others" off of
the island sent Ben and company information about the Lostaways soon
after the plane crash. This is why Ben knows some information about
them, but not everything. But he's a good enough con man to use what
info he does have to convince the Lostaways (and us) that he knows
more than he actually does. That's why Ben seemingly knows nothing of
the Locke's "commune" days.

As for Locke and the box company, we've been shown the guy has had
many jobs before the box company job. This episode's flashbacks seem
to occur sometime between whatever happened at the "commune" and his
employ at the box company. He probably got that job while
rehabbing...

Post by Park Palmer
The Magic Mind Box might could have been like The Hellmouth had it been
introduced earlier, a blanket explanation for every plot absurdity ("Why
aren't people more curious? It's the Mind Box!"). Now it's a cop out.

Or he's just telling Locke what he thinks Locke wants to hear in order
to advance his latest "con."

Post by Park Palmer
So
the magic box produced Locke's dad?

Probably just another example of a lie/half-truth produced to further
whatever Ben is planning. He could have just as easily found out the
connection between Locke and Sawyer and had Cooper sent to the island
sometime before Desmond turned the failsafe key. Some here are
thinking he may have been on 815...

Post by Park Palmer
Wait, I thought the ghosts were
creations of the smoke monster? What about the equation or the virus plot
in the web extras?

I'm hoping they'll at least get back to the virus thing before the
series ends...

Post by Park Palmer
If the box is a metaphor for The Smoke Monster, then the island's
security system has suddenly become the essential magical item and I call
bullshit on the notion they planned this from the start because they've
admitted many times the monster was a hard to resolve. I can almost
respect this attempt to retrofit coherency, but again too little too
late.

As the recent interview with Jack Bender once again tells us - this
show is written as a patchwork way, with "cool" moments introduced
with little or no actual idea of how they'll eventually be resolved.
Yeah, it's not exactly the best way to run a serial, but I think it's
also part of what makes it a watercooler show and one that fills up
the newsgroups and websites with comments on episodes of "Lost," when
episodes of other shows are forgotten minutes after they air.

Post by Park Palmer
The bitterness, it makes me want to go back in time and choose to follow
my true love to NYU instead of watching this show...or can I? Given the
time paradox, no I can't. There'd be a car accident and I'd end up
paralyzed, with the TV set stuck on this show.
Although I'm pretty sure Ben is Glory. Which means, boxwise, Jacob is
probably the Mayor...or is he? I'm certain, however, that Paulo is the
Key...except with the runs.

heh, JJ has "father issues." Sounds to me like you've got "Felicity"
issues :-)

RWG (just kidding :-)

[Captain Infinity]

Post by Park Palmer
The first thing that bugs the shit out of me is how the goddamn magic box
is - intentionally or not - a callback to fucking Felicity.
For the unfamiliar, Felicity had a gothy roommate who owned a mysterious
box. This never got past a running gag (except for one special outside of
continuity gag episode where it had twilight zone powers). Then, in the
final four episodes of this otherwise straight drama, her old roommate
cast a spell which sent Felicity back in time so she could choose a
different guy in a love triangle. Except she knew she had changed time
and it nearly drove her mad, until a dramatic twist indicated time might
enforce the original fate anyway. Desperate to escape this alternate
past, she finally located the man who wrote the spell, (named Korsakoff,
an echo of every author of mysterious documents and equations in JJ
stories). She woke up in the proper timeline and it was all a fever
dream...or was it? since a friend who had died was now alive.
I never saw these eps but I read the recaps because I couldn't believe JJ
Abrams wrote this tacked on WTF fantasy, clearly pulled out of his ass
because he had nothing else and riffed on his notions of time, fate,
coincidence and magic.
I forgot all this until Ben mentioned the magic box and now I can't
unthink it. Desmond is Felicity, which makes a lot of sense given his
hair, or perhaps Locke is, or maybe they all are. It's like Buffy and the
potentials, except suckier.
Did I mention Felicity had issues with her father?
Suddenly I hate this show even more for the way JJ and crew keep flogging
all these faux mystical items and moments (all connected to dudes with
ornate European names) which have facade of significance but are time
filling mcguffins grafted onto WB level dramatics. I'm sure that if Six
Degrees (which already has the coincidence thing) or What About Brian
managed to last they'd have some weird encounter with the Vanderlay
Document.
So here I am watching Felicity/Sydney (i.e. Kate) be told by
Felicity/Vaughn (Jack) he'll come back for her while Rousseau/Irina
silently watches Felicity/Sydney Jr. (Alex) from the shadows while Terry
O'Quinn as very very short haired Felicity prepares to blow up the sub.
And I feel really bitter. Because I was so into a show which seemed
innovative but is really just an extension of Felicity.
Did I mention they killed the only black character on Felicity (brought
her back in the last few minutes of the last ep, but still)?
Other thoughts: Had I stopped watching at the end of season 1 or near the
start of season 2, my response to this new Locke episode might be "it
doesn't quite fit but this plot hole is better than the others." It is,
however, too little too late. Too much stalling, too many tree frog /
bunny shake moments, too many Hurley is Fat character development, too
many too implausible moments and too many details we were encouraged to
examine which don't add up.
For example, in this episode I noticed Ben said nothing about Locke's
sojourn on a hippie pot commune which got busted by the cops, as if it
never happened despite being significant earlier this year and how did he
get from there to the box company anyway?
The Magic Mind Box might could have been like The Hellmouth had it been
introduced earlier, a blanket explanation for every plot absurdity ("Why
aren't people more curious? It's the Mind Box!"). Now it's a cop out. So
the magic box produced Locke's dad? Wait, I thought the ghosts were
creations of the smoke monster? What about the equation or the virus plot
in the web extras?
If the box is a metaphor for The Smoke Monster, then the island's
security system has suddenly become the essential magical item and I call
bullshit on the notion they planned this from the start because they've
admitted many times the monster was a hard to resolve. I can almost
respect this attempt to retrofit coherency, but again too little too
late.
The bitterness, it makes me want to go back in time and choose to follow
my true love to NYU instead of watching this show...or can I? Given the
time paradox, no I can't. There'd be a car accident and I'd end up
paralyzed, with the TV set stuck on this show.
Although I'm pretty sure Ben is Glory. Which means, boxwise, Jacob is
probably the Mayor...or is he? I'm certain, however, that Paulo is the
Key...except with the runs.

It seems to me that you are bring your own interpretation to the show and
allowing yourself to get pissed by it, all out of proportion to what has
actually been shown. I've read your description of Felicity and I have seen
Buffy, and I really don't see the resemblance. You may be judging things
too quickly. Let events play out in *this* show before you make a decision.


**
Captain Infinity