The Cost of Living - First Impressions
Well, many of us were right that Eko would no longer be with us after this episode. There are a lot of very upset fans right now.
And again, many of us were right, it is Ben that has the tumor.
One thing I found particularly interesting was early on in the episode when Locke told Desmond, "Don't mistake coincidence for fate," just like Eko had told Locke after Eko gave Locke the pieces to the Orientation film that he had found on the other side of the island. As they spliced the film together, Locke wondered at the odds of the two of them crashing on different parts of the island, finding each other, and having two parts of the same film. Eko replied with, "Don't mistake coincidence for fate." (Ep: 2x9, What Kate Did).
Biggest moment of the night: Juliet's movie with the secret messages to Jack. I trust Juliet and not Ben, but I think this might be a mistake. Perhaps Ben is the "good" one and Juliet is the one trying to lead Jack astray. Or perhaps they are in this together and staging this disagreement to manipulate Jack further. Agree or disagree (use the comments section below to voice your opinion)?
Comments
I found this to be a disappointing episode from most perspectives. They’ve now killed off all of the tailies except for Bernard who really is a minor character (not even seen this season.) This immediately makes me feel like the first episodes of season 2 were just a waste of my time. Why introduce the tailies only to kill them all?
I really dislike the two new characters of Nikki and Paulo. They seem totally out of place. We’re really to believe that they were part of the group’s inner circle all along? Don’t waste my time with them.
Ben’s tumor raises so many issues. First, why didn’t the island heal it? Secondly, why such an elaborate scheme to kidnap Jack just to brainwash him into operating on Ben? Why not just grab Jack early on by himself or when they had him with Locke, Kate and Sawyer earlier? Why does Julia feel the need for such an elaborate plot to kill Ben? Why not just let him die? If Ben is so ill, why did he let himself become a prisoner of the losties in season 2?
In short, at least with the Ben plot, there seems to be so many complex and convoluted plots just to get Jack to operate on Ben.
As much as I’d like to find something, I’m at a loss to see how Eko’s tenure on Lost did anything to advance the story. What did his story add to the overall advancement of the story?
The Honolulu Police connection continues. Get arrested as a Lost actor or actress and get killed off the show.
Yes, will miss Eko on the Island. His search for inner peace lead him to never repent for his choices, but smacking him to trees by an undefined smoke to let him go without interlocking his story to other characters in the past just dont cut it. On the other hand, letting Nikki come up with the idea for the tv’s when that was an obvious assumption from the begining, was kind of dumb. I agree that N and P were not cleverly introduced to the series as the other cast. They dont work as stuffing for my turkey. I hope Jack doesn’t disappoint me as to believe Juliet, cause the power battle is too simple for Lost. Something else is going on and we won’t know until 2007.
Great Blog Bonnie!
*OK, so Juliet now has about 15 TV queue card sized boards laying around the island where Ben won’t find them right? Right. And Ben and Juliet are fine with a command by Jack to Juliet to have the tape removed from the TV. Right.
*The whole play on Jack smacks of a “long con” which Ben so proudly stated to Sawyer the Others were very good at implementing.
*Nikki and Paulo? Pleeeaaassseeeee! How appropriate that the only attempt at toilet humor in the entire show was with this guy! They add nothing to the show.
*Eko was a great character. They lose him and add Nikki and Paulo?
*As for Locke’s statement “Don’t mistake coincidence for fate”, words originally shared between Eko and Locke, it’s interesting that Eko’s last words were “You’re next”, essentially condemning Locke to the same fate suffered by Eko. Hmmm…..
John, I disagree. I thought this was a great episode, not quite as good as last week, but almost.
The tailies were important. Ana-Lucia was important to the Michael plot. Libby was important to the Hurley plot, and we haven’t seen the last of her yet. Her story lives on in flashbacks.
Eko was important to Locke’s development. He was the dark to Eko’s light and vice versa.
I do agree with you on the new character, though. I think, due to time restraints, they were poorly introduced. They don’t feel like part of the group as it is, but in addition they just seem so clueless.
You bring up some good points about the tumor, with questions that I too have. I think it will play out, though.
Frances, I want Jack to believe Juliet, because I want to believe her. She is such a likable character, but I agree, something else is going on, like Bob said, it smacks of a long con.