LOST Recap and Discussion: 6.15 Across the Sea

If you haven't watched this week's episode, you might not want to read this.

Despite appreciating a week solely devoted to the history of the island, it's hard to believe we have only a few episodes left with our beloved LOSTies!

Okay I'm going to say it...I wasn't crazy about this episode. I feel like I was supposed to be all appreciative for answers, but I still feel so much was so very vague. Perhaps I'm just a bit thick.

Let's review what we learned. Jacob and MIB are brothers--twins in fact! Jacob was always the good one, but MIB was favored. Their adoptive mother was the guardian..she made it so they couldn't hurt each other. I assume that this is the same as being touched by Jacob. What are they guarding? The source of life--the most beautiful and holy light--there's a little bit of it in everyone, but they always want more. They can't exactly get "more" but they can make it go out.

After this one moment of revelation, apparently they never went back. MIB can see the dead like Hurley. His birth mother (murdered by their adoptive mother) appears to him and tells him that indeed, the thing he has always wanted, to get off the island, is possible. So he leaves the nest of Jacob and fake mom and goes off to be with his people, the others. :)

Until one day he discovers the power of the island and plots to leave. When fake mom discovers this, she tries to stop him and hustles off to convert Jacob into the new guardian. Jacob is reluctant at first, but she tells him he has no choice. He drinks of the cup. (ooooh!)

Interestingly enough, there's this sort of parental tension between Jacob and fake mom and fake mom and MIB that is so ever-present on LOST. Jacob knows he's not favored and it clearly bothers him. MIB knows he's been lied to and fake mom killed real mom and obviously that's a source of tension.

Anyway, after her attack on MIB, when he comes back around, he realizes his escape route through the well has been destroyed and so has his village--everyone is dead. Did Jacob do it? Did they do it to each other? Huh? At this time, MIB kills fake mom and Jacob comes and sees this and is filled with grief and rage. A fight. Jacob brings MIB to "the light" and shoves him in. (we learned earlier it would be a fate worse than death) And lo and behold ladies and gentleman...the smoke monster is born.

Jacob buries his fake mother and the corpse of his brother as well. In the cave. Not trusting that we all found the question "who are Adam and Eve" one of the biggest LOST questions, they felt it necessary to include the clips from the first season to hammer this point home. (I was not a fan of this AT ALL)

This is quite possibly my least favorite episode of the season. I actually didn't find the narrative terribly compelling and while we got some answers, I wouldn't have minded that either A) They made more sense or B) They weren't so clearly delivered. I found the scene toward the end where Jacob was fighting MIB and the music was soaring to be, well, overly dramatic. I'm a huge fan of the LOST music normally, but I didn't appreciate it tonight and felt it cast too heavy and almost cheesy of a tone to the scenes as they unfolded.

I hate to be so negative! I think getting back to the regular characters and seeing what unfolds will be best. Jace of Televisionary tweeted that this episode should have aired earlier in the season and I completely agree with this assessment. I'm actually sitting here battling a wave of grief that one of my favorite stories is coming to an end and irritation that this episode was so lackluster for me.

*How boring to be the protector of the island!
*Apparently the protector of the island gets to make up the rules.
*I felt hints of both Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau in the this pair of brothers (and probably many others I'm missing)

In more positive news, I am attending a special event this week at UCLA called LOST Live. I will be treated to a live orchestral performance of the music of LOST conducted by Michael Giacchino, appearances by some of the cast, and a screening of next week's episode. I'll blog about it at the LOST books challenge blog later this week.

Did I totally get this episode wrong? Tell me what you think and what I missed!