Lost - Some Like It Hoth - 4/15

So of course, prior to last night's airing, it had been a major discussion point as to who or what "Hoth" was. We assumed it was something/someone of great importance, seeing as an entire episode was titled after it. Yesterday afternoon, the ever informative Doc Jenson quoted a fan's theory that it was a reference to The Empire Strikes Back, to the icy planet Hoth, since 1977 was the year Star Wars was released. I, and others, dismissed this idea on the belief that the writers would never attempt to name an episode after a Star Wars reference. As I was falling asleep last night, after being handed the not entirely unpleasant surprise (after all, I am a Star Wars fan myself) that the writers did in fact title an episode after a SW reference, I mentally smacked my forehead in self-exasperation. Of course they would title an episode after Star Wars! How swiftly I had forgotten who we are dealing with here: comic book and sci-fi nerds. Which, in my opinion, are the very coolest of all nerd types. The writing and creation of last night's episode can be described as a nerd's greatest dream come true (for all nerds out there, I use "nerd" as a term of endearment). I can mentally picture the creators, producers and writers of LOST sitting around a table, animatedly discussing the abounding father issues, etc that can be found in the Star Wars movies and then being able to do what very few from their noble caste can do; personify their passionate Star Wars theories, arguments and discussions in an adorable, intelligent and totally awesome character (Hurley) on a beloved television show (on an international scale, no less). I guess it's true what they say, the Force really does connect everything.

So in hindsight, should we have really been all that surprised that they titled a whole episode after a planet from Empire Strikes Back? Yeahhhhh...no.

Miles To Go Before We Sleep

In a recent interview, Ken Leung (who plays Miles) talked about how even though he (and we) knew very little about Miles and his past, it was obvious that he is carrying around something heavy (perhaps an uncommonly heavy chip on his shoulder), that he is hurting from something that occurred in his past. Last night's LOST illuminated the pieces that we were missing and at the same time validated one of this season's biggest theories; that Miles was Dr. Chang's itty-bitty baby boy. I have to hand it to Brett. He was the first person I heard voice this theory, immediately after the first scene of the season that shows Pierre Chang in his Dharmaville house with his baby son. "I bet that's Miles!", Brett exclaimed. I remember brushing that thought under the rug; it was still too early for any crazy theories like that. But, as it turns out, he was correct and I'm all pride and satisfaction at his brilliantly deduced, early-season conjecture. But I digress...

Obviously, Widmore wanted to hire Miles in order to have him "speak" to the yucky pile of purge-ifed Dharma bodies thrown into the jungle pit where Locke once laid, waiting to die from the bullet wound Ben kindly gave him. I'm not really sure what Miles would have learned from those bodies since clearly they were clueless as to Ben's and The Other's plans because, well...they were DEAD. If they had known anything of use, they probably wouldn't be lying dead in a ditch, but we'll just roll with it.

Question: Who were Bram and his gang of kidnapper-wanna-bes working for? Brett pointed out that Bram was one of the men from Ajira 316 who was helping Ilana take over the Hydra Island castaways. This was confirmed when he echoed Ilana's riddle to Lapidus, "What lies in the shadow of the statue"? So, that's an interesting development but who are they working for? If they are against Widmore, it would be easy to assume they work for Ben, but if that's so, then why didn't Ben recognize them on the plane? If they aren't working for Ben, who are they working for? Ms. Hawkings perhaps? And honestly, what DOES lie in the shadow of the statue?

My Father's Gun

I found it difficult to concentrate on the Kate/Sawyer/Juliet/Roger/Jack storyline, what with all the minor reveals to the Dharma/Others mythology that the Miles story brought out. I keep forgetting that most of the characters don't know how Ben's father treated him as a kid. Every time they converse with him, especially in recent episodes where he is being all dramatic about the loss of his son, I just keep chanting, "smack him, smack him, smack him...". I feel like Ben's daddy issues should be the catalyst of all the other daddy issues that we've seen in this show. Brett and I ticked them off on our fingers last night: Locke, Jack, Miles, Sun, Jin, Claire, Kate, Sawyer...pretty much everyone has daddy issues on this show and I just can't help blaming Roger for each and every one of them, even though that's hardly rational. Still, he's stands there, all blubbery and hysterical about his bleeding and now missing son and if Jack could just smack him and yell "Since when do you give a damn?!?! This is ALL your fault!" for me, that would just be sugar and spice.

The little expansions on the Dharma projects/mythology (the building of the Swan and Orchid, the hint towards the Island's magnetic energy pocket via the dead guy and his fatal filling, etc) were nicely balanced with the subsequent emotions of Miles dealing (or not dealing, essentially) with his father issues and the shock of discovering he has known about him for the past three years. It's always disconcerting to learn that a character knew something vital before you, the viewer, knew of it. It's a good way to throw off your audience, considering that the opposite is usually the case. While we were distracted by things like Jack's uncharacteristic inaction, the Kate/Sawyer/Juliet doomed romance, Locke's Jesus move, Faraday's suspicious absence and thoughts of eating Hurley's yummy ham sandwiches, Miles had known for years (episodes in our time) of his father's fan-sought-after identity. I think that deserves another mental forehead slap, don't you?

Still, we are obviously being driven to one conclusion when it comes to Dr. Chang and what happened with his family. My assumption is that once the "incident" happens, Dr. Chang starts believing that the Island isn't safe anymore and he sends his wife and young son away to keep them safe. He either tells his wife he doesn't love her anymore to get her to leave or Miles' mom lied to him about the event in order to keep him safe and away from the Island. Either way, it;s obviously that Chang loves his baby boy and that Miles should take the opportunity to get to know his father while he can.

I Hate To Say I Told You So...

But seriously, I told you so. Firstly, DANIEL IS BACK!!!! Wippie!!! I'm really am excited because he is one of my favorite characters and I've missed his cute absent-minded, professor face. Secondly, in your face! I knew he was up to something! This backs up my theory that Daniel has something to do with "the incident" and possibly even the not-so-great future of the castaways. He's been doing experiments off-Island! That part was a surprise and I was totally wrong about him being under the Orchid, experimenting on the Island's power core, but still!! What has he been doing? Are the scientist back because of the work on the Swan? Has Daniel been doing all the science stuff in order to save Charlotte or for some other helpful purpose? Or, is he still secretly working for Widmore? Who's side is he really on? The Others, Widmore's, Ben's, Ms. Hawkings, Dharma's??? I almost don't care, because I'm sticking to my guns that he's going to end up a major player in the season's finale episode involving "the incident".

And All That Jazz

- Some quick thoughts

* Radzinsky? Yeah, still an ass. And it still doesn't get old, knowing that he will eventually splatter his brains all over the ceiling of his beloved Swan. I'm sorry, was that a little insensitive? I just really hate that guy...

* It's nice to see Miles show some emotion other than critical disdain, sarcastic annoyance and blank superiority.

* Jack's still sitting on his hands and I'm still pacing the line of whether I like it or don't like it. I guess it all hangs on whether he's making the right move by not moving or if he's been duped into being a mere lemming by the scheming Benjamin Linus. One guess as to the answer to THAT one.

* Hurley is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. I love that they are giving him this outward appearance of unimportance, but that he always ends up saying the one most important thing in any single episode. This seems very Tolkien to me. You know the whole Hobbit thing, "the smallest person can change the world" yadda yadda. Hurley comes off as the least important character in the group, often times sitting on the bench while the real action happens, but he is the heart of the group, the comic relief and the one person who you can count on to be completely honest and sincere. He is just as important and Jack or Sawyer or Kate and this episode reminded us of that.

Alrighty, that's it for this week. We have another dark and pointless LOST-less week next week, but hopefully we will all meet alive and well the following week for a new LOST. Until then, sate your LOST thirst on this, a new Lost Untangled.

Aloha!