Follow along! The episode guide for “What Kate Did” is in Finding Lost, pp. 225-230.More than any other episode so far, this one seemed to foreshadow the events to come in S5 and even S6. This ep had tons of potential foreshadowing for season 6… What Kate Did is the bridge episode between the action of finding the Tailies and what happened on that side of the island, and everything else that’s to come in S2.
Fun things I noticed:
• Diane Austen. Yet another candidate for Mother of the Year.
• Man, I remember the Jater/Skater wars that broke out after THIS episode. It was insane. Thank goodness THAT whole triangle has been cleared up, eh? *cough*
• Locke: “Boy, when you say beginning, you mean beginning.” Ha!!
• I always get a charge out of seeing Sayid on the television when Kate storms into Sam’s office.
• Sawyer: “Who the hell’s Wayne?” Ha!
Things that have new meaning:
• I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the horse is black. See also “Black, Man in.”
• When Eko is telling his story about Josiah, he says the ancients found a book called “The Book of Law.” That would be the very book that Alpert put in front of five-year-old Locke as one of the artifacts that “already belonged to him.” (That was called the Book of Laws, but close enough.) And, when Locke chose the knife, Alpert looked disgusted and packed up, his eye on the book instead. That was clearly the “right” choice, and Locke blew it. Now we can see when the book was given to him. Interesting that Eko said this book was what Josiah used to rebuild the temple. He hands a book to Locke, and it made me think that this particular book (the Old Testament) would be used to rebuild the Temple on the island. But how?
• Sawyer asks Kate, “Are we saved?” and she says, “Not yet.” It takes on a religious overtone in light of the story Eko had just told.
• This episode had that pivotal line from Eko, “Don’t mistake coincidence for fate,” which we’ll hear later directed AT Eko. Is Locke mistaking coincidence for fate, or is he right?
• In the film splice, Chang says that if they use the computer for anything else, it could lead to another Incident. Then Michael uses it for something else. In a way, one could argue that Michael’s action leads to everything else that’s to come, which ultimately forces some of them back in time to revisit the Incident.
34 comments:
This is the “Let’s all grab Kate” episode. I’ll admit, I didn’t immediately notice it all on my own. Evangeline Lilly talked about it somewhere. (Was it on Jimmy Kimmel, or maybe on one of the DVD bonus features? I forget.) Anyway, since it was brought to my attention, I paid close attention. First there was Wayne; then Sawyer with his “Why did you kill me?” line; Marshal Edward Mars; Jack, right before that great, smoochy kiss; and the Marshal again, right after the car crash. All of those touches were unwelcome. You could plainly see Kate immediately pulling away. But there were two others in this episode that were just fine with Kate, and the contrast was huge. She got a nice hug from her dad, Sam Austen. (I sure hope we’ll see more of him.) And when Sawyer was finally up and around, he held onto Kate for support. Most of the Kate storyline in this episode was tense and grim, so these warm and tender moments were good to see.
I think we can all agree that there are many all-black horses in the world. It’s an eerie coincidence that Kate encountered what seemed to be the same black horse both on and off the Island. It reminds me of the long-haired cat in the farmyard outside the Flame. It looked remarkably similar to the cat that was rescued by the woman that Sayid once tortured. (That’s coming up in “Enter 77” if I remember correctly.) When Sayid saw the cat at the Flame, it caught his attention and reminded him of all that stuff that happened before. I think the black horse might be on the Island for Kate for the same reason. Whose reason? Jacob’s? The Man in Black? What is the significance of all these tiny little details? And will they ever be explained?!
Marebabe- the "Let's all grab Kate" was on the DVD commentary for this episode. I remember because I've seen the commentary for this episode more than once.
I agree with you, Nikki, that the horse being black isn't just a coincidence.
I vividly remember watching this episode, and wondering what Kate did, before it was revealed.
The best part in this episode was when Eko told John the biblical story.
I wonder why Kate got to have an on-island black horse? I mean, if she was too damaged or flawed or what have you to be on Jacob's list - why dose she get the horse? Why was she brought there at all?
I’ve always wondered what was going on with Sawyer talking to Kate as if he were Wayne. What’s up with that? If freaked me out almost as much as it did Kate.
I’d nominate Kate’s mother as worst parent. The woman was being beaten by a man, her daughter kills him, makes sure her mother has insurance for the house she blew up, and the mother turns her in? WTF? I hope she didn’t get the insurance money!
I think someone has already talked about this, but is that really Walt on the computer or the Others conning Michael? Why? Are they watching from the monitoring station (I forget, is it the Pearl?) and know its Michael? I think it must be the Others. How would Walt know to write to Michael?
On a more serious side: I’ve been reading all of Nikki’s posts and your comments for a couple years (but always seem to be a little too late to comment). Everyone makes great comments and interesting insights, but one person stuck out to me a few weeks ago when Katey indicated that her 18th birthday is coming up. I couldn’t believe she is so young and could write so well. I only post this now because I know that Katey isn't reading right now (Katey, of course you're reading! Just play along!), so lets keep this a secret! Katey said she doesn't have any of Nikki’s Finding Lost books and has asked for them for her birthday. Depending on when that is, if its before Nikki’s 5th book comes out, or even if after, I propose that anyone who would like to, send Nikki a few bucks (amount will depend on the number of people) and I’ll ask her to send the 5th Finding Lost book to Katey for her birthday, from all of us. Of course, we'll need to know exactly when Katey's birthday is and her address, but since Katey isn't reading this right now :o), she could send that information directly to Nikki! If any of you are interested, please email me at “peacockblue-you know the preposition that goes here-sympatico-insert period-ca” in secret and I’ll coordinate.
Eko's story of Josiah, which he tells to Locke, what is its purpose? Let me be honest, I really just like hearing Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje deliver a monologue. Is it a reflection what Kate did? Eko's story is about the building of the Temple on the Book of the Law: Kate's life is built on defying the law. Is it a foreshadowing of the island Temple itself, the purpose (Law) on which the Others act? Is it that the Dharma Initiative has no Law at its basis, even though its name means Law or Way? Or does Eko's story have a meta-narrative appeal, that LOST is itself based on stories from the Old Testament?
I like to think Eko's story is directed at Locke, that he points to the absence of "Law" (guidance/a center to his psyche) in Locke's personality. Drop Locke's mother in his way, and he immediately follows; put his con-artist father in front of him, and he can't swerve away onto a different path (no leap of faith)--without someone to guide him (like Abaddon), Locke is at sea emotionally, eventually failing at his task. In some ways Locke reminds me of Piggy, in "Lord of the Flies." Locke is smart, but not wise; Piggy can be physically abused by the other boys, while Locke can be manipulated easily by others. In the end, Piggy's death is just a case of violence by the hunters (i.e. Jack), just as Locke's death is perpetrated by his own 'Jack'/Ben Linus.
But what's the point of Eko's story--to get us to see the missing film, telling us communication through the computer is not allowed? It looks like the writers had to fill some ten minutes, and, hey, they had this great actor at their disposal. Actually, I'd have been happy if the film said, garbage is picked up each Wednesday, as long as I could hear Mister Eko talk for ten minutes.
The horse Kate and Swayer see is just part of the horses we later get to see on the island. Mikail had two horses outside his station. Later we see Widmore riding a horse, when he strickes down Jack and Kate in the 1970's outside the camp. So the horse, Kate and Sawyer saw was one of these horses running round the island--don't mistake coincidence for fate.
@ Fred: very insightful Lord of the Flies analogy. I read that book six years ago and it STILL creeps me out to the effect that I'm not sure I'm ready to read it again.
Question: when Jack hears Sawyer mumble, "Where is she? I love her", does anybody else think that this is actually Wayne talking here? That maybe he's asking for his daughter, whom he loves despite what happened between them?
@ Nikki: I agree that black horse and man in Black are a very obvious allusion, but something doesn't sit right with me. If Not-Locke is indeed the monster/the horse/the boar, why is he going through all of the trouble of helping the Losties confront their inner demons? it seemed he made it pretty clear to Jacob in "The Incident" that he thinks humans are a lost cause, a waste of time.
The horse is a Chinese zodiac symbol, the Western equivalent is Gemini (Claire's take on Kate). The number 8 is associated with it.
Romans believed the horse to be a symbol of the continuity of life and would sacrifice a horse to the god Mars (Marshall?) every October.
I associate the black horse with death and funerals. I am older than dirt and remember "Black Jack" the black riderless horse from JFK's funeral procession.
Doesn't the black horse represent something/someone from Kate's past (Wayne/Diane and her self-loathing for being his offspring and for Diane choosing him over her) that prevents her from living freely in the present?
So does Sawyer lose consciousness and go offline (like Desmond) allowing Wayne's "ghost" to take up residence and mouth lines like "I love her" and "You killed me". The whisper transcripts also imply that Boone and Duckett are moping about the Island too. In "Hunting Party" when Jack says something like "Yeah, I know you love her" Sawyer seems to be clueless.
So is it actually Walt communicating with Michael on the Swan computer. During this time it would seem that he was either locked in Room 23 on Hydra Island or a prisoner at the "fake camp" on the main Island. Would he have access to a computer terminal? As "special" does he even need access to a computer to communicate with Michael? Perhaps our little EM generating kid can jack-in without the hardware. Might explain Michael's blank screen once Jack comes around to see the computer screen.
About this time Ben and Juliet have moved from the Hydra (after Juliet shows Ben the dead birds outside Room 23 window. Birds navigate via magnetic fields. Maybe Walt screws them up?) to the Pearl to catch a little JackTV. Paulo eavesdrops their conversation about using Michael to draw Jack to them. I suppose they continued on to Othersville were Ben would probably have a terminal available.
Jacob? I think he's a weaver not a console jockey.
So does Kate have 9 lives? 3 car accidents and a horrendous plane crash and she hasn't even been scratched.
@Fred: A couple of the things you brought up really had me nodding my head in agreement. I love how Mr. Eko tells a story. His accent, and his slow, careful delivery are very pleasant to listen to, and I'll keep quiet and pay attention as long as he keeps talking.
Maybe it's time I read "Lord of the Flies" again. It's been a long time since 7th grade honors English!
And thanks for pointing out how many horses we've seen on the Island. Don't mistake coincidence for fate indeed!
@The Question Mark: That's a very intriguing idea that it may have been dead Wayne speaking through Sawyer, saying, "I love her". Even an abusive, drunken jerk of a father can feel love for his child. But how would that work, exactly? (I know, impossible to answer.) Still, stranger things have happened on the Island. WHAT IF it was Wayne?
@peacockblue: I think the producers confirmed that it is Walt on the computer, but they didn't say whether he was communicating on his own or on the Others' instructions (which is what I think).
@Question Mark: I used to assume it was Sawyer saying "I love her" but lately I too started to wonder if it was Wayne.
@The Question Mark: another link to "Lord of the Flies" is that Golding was concerned with the possibility of a nuclear war following WWII. Most people of the time thought so too. Then it seems fitting the island has its own nuclear bomb, in Jughead. If the writers follow Chekov's maxim, if there is a shotgun over the mantle piece, it has to go off before the end of the play, then I think Jughead has to go off before the end of Season 6.
@Variabull: loved all those symbolic meanings of the "black horse." Since you brought up Paulo, I always thought of Nathan as the Tailies' Paulo. Ana-Lucia asks where he is, and he says he was going to the bathroom, just like Paulo in the Pearl.
@variabull: Thanks for sharing all the horsey info! (Chinese, Roman, etc.) And I hadn't even thought to associate the black horse with death and funerals. I have only childish memories of JFK's funeral and certainly never noticed the riderless black horse. My memories of that time are mostly that it was boring, and that my Saturday morning cartoons were pre-empted.
Okay--sorry I'm so late on this one! It sucks cause this is one of my favorite episodes to analyze buttt, I started school today--first day of senior year and I only got 3 hours of sleep last night because, for some reason, I was freaking out and kept jerking awake, gah, I hate that terrible "night before". Anyway, I came home and crashed and then had to embark on the wonderful "first-day of school" homework load! Calculus! Government! Syllabus signing! Whooh! :|
Anyway, that's why I'm late. I'll post all my thoughts that haven't been said first, and then I'll go through and comment on all y'alls. ;)
Thoughts:
*** First off, I LOVE these flashbacks, I loved seeing, at long last what Kate actually did to warrant everything she's been through! In all honesty, when I was watching it the first time, I was extremely surprised in the fact that...it wasn't very surprising. It was kind of easy to guess from the beginning that she'd murdered someone and as it turned out, the story was much less mysterious and much more heart-wrenching than it had been built up to be. I had braced myself to be disillusioned to Kate (who'd been a favorite character up till then) because she'd actually done some heartless, unimaginable thing, but really it made me love her character even more.
*** Jin = HOTTEST BOD EVER! :O Dude, that man is just ripped.
*** It was especially chilling hearing everyone calling Kate "Katey" and "Katherine" in this episode--I was like "I didn't do anything! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! STOP CALLING MY NAME!" >_>
***When are we gonna see Alvar Hanso? I know the writers have assured us that we'll get to meet him at some point, I'm excited to see what that means. He's been one of those weird things that you forget about until his name is tossed into the conversation now and then.
***There were some great lines in this episode!
Sayid:"Why aren't you with him now?"
Kate:*blinkblink* "'Cause I'm going crazy."
"So Rose's husband's white--didn't see that one coming."
Wayne: "what's that smell?"
Kate: "probably your breathe"
Wayne: "cha' right?"
XD
***If I were Kate, I would STOP leaning in to unconscious men--that's the second time they've woken up from the near-dead to strangle her. Sheesh.
***I think I brought this up a long time ago in Season One, but me and a few people on the abc.com boards had a very in-depth and fascinating discussion about Kate's past and what exactly Wayne did to her. From the opening flashback you can clearly tell that it's common for a drunken Wayne to come on to her in inappropriate ways but--do you think she was ever sexually abused? One of the woman I was talking to on the boards was a psychologist and she validated my observations that Kate's personality, her "need to run", introversion, and refusal to "dig in" along with the glaringly obvious fact that, whenever she doesn't know what to do---she jumps a man and does it, are all signs of a victim of sexual abuse. It really explains why Kate is Kate, but yet she says to the Marshal "he never touched me!"...? That's a lie in itself since Wayne grabbed her several times, not in a sexual way, but not in an appropriate way either... Anyway. I wonder if there isn't more to Kate's story than we've seen. I mentioned this a few episodes ago, but something about her story just seems...disjointed, but purposefully. Like elements of just don't add up quite right...
***It was awesome to see Jin free of his handcuff after all this time--and to see how far he and Michael of come (not that that lasts long. :| )
***Is it just me, or was anyone else severely disappointed by the Dharma video splice? I was expecting, like, the secrets of the island and all we got was a lousy ten seconds shpeal about not using the computer for chatting. I'm guessing that's coming to come back but at the time I was like "seriously? That's it." And who would cut it up and put it in a bible anyway? It seems unnecessary...
Katey, yes on Jin's handcuffs coming off -- I love that scene -- and yes on the video splice -- ok we can't use the computer for anything else...so tell us something we don't already know!! lol
More Thoughts:
***When Sayid was talking at Shannon's funeral about how, if it weren't for the island, they would never even have spoken a word to each other--I kept thinking to myself "oh, but you did" and thinking of Shannon's jerkface episode in the airport when Sayid asked her to watch his bag. :'(
***FINALLY someone told Jack to back off in all his "I'm so good and perfect"ness. Not quite the scenario I would have imagined, but still--at least he got a taste of what his attitude looks like to the outside world. I love him, but he needs to lighten up.
***My interpretation of the "kiss and run" dealio is thus: Kate kisses men. Kate kisses men often. Kate kissing men usually means she's using them. But she doesn't go after Jack, ever, in that way because she feels he's "too good, too perfect" (Jack interprets this as her not loving him when in fact, it's the opposite). So she, knowing full-well the effect her "womanly woes" have on the men she uses, is horror struck when, in a moment of severe weakness, she plants one on Jack--guilty and horrified at the what she's done, she gives him that "asylum escapee" look and runs for the jungle. And the Jaters lament.
***Kate is my idol for beating the CRAP out of that Marshal, I almost feel sorry for him, getting beat to a pulp by a 110 pound Iowa farm girl...almost....
***So Sawyer, the answer to the question is apparently "Boxers", not briefs. ;)
***I love how, at the end of the episode, Ana Lucia is carving, like, a stake. Hahah! She cracks me up sometimes. It's like Jack with his leaf airplane back in the pilot--it's just something something AL would do. "Everyone hates me--I'll just turn this tree branch into a lethal weapon to drown my sorrows."
@Marebabe:
I thought about Sayid's cat thing too! It's definitely fishy...coincidence hardly seems like an adequate explanation for how a jet black, wild HORSE managed to find itself in the jungle on a time-traveling, impossible-to-find island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. The two things definitely seem to have something in common. I wonder if the "Hurley-bird" is actually something from Hurley's past...that would be funny.
@peacockblue:
First off, you made me blush--so nice! I don't deserve all that though, but at least I guess I can restore some faith in the younger generation--we're not all air heads who only speak chat lingo =P. But anyway, I'm totally with you on the Wayne/Sawyer thing. My initial mental reaction was: What. The. Bleep. That whole deal was realllly bizarre even by Lost standards. I mean, at least Jack actually saw his father--weird, but visually reassuring, Eko actually saw Yemi, Shannon actually saw Walt, etc, etc, but Kate gets a random unconscious ghost-inhabitor who somehow takes over her feverish friend and tries to strangle her? How's that work? I hope they shed some light on how exactly and why exactly that all went down...
on the "I love her" thingy
I've been wondering that too recently--seems fishy. I don't see why it would be Wayne, but at the same time...that's pretty much equally random for half-conscious Sawyer to be mumbling, especially since the last time Sawyer saw Kate was him exposing her as a criminal in front of everyone and then saying he wasn't going to apologize and that there was "nothing worth staying for". It's not really till season three that he seems to fall in deep for her...either way, that line just makes no sense to me!
Great post and great comments. Interesting, I always thought it was the compass "that belonged" to John and what he supposed to choose. I completely forgot that Eko gave John The Book Of Laws. Now I wonder which one Richard expected/wanted him to choose?
Thanks.
I was so mad when Michael used the computer for something else! I know, I know, he was desperate to get Waaaaaaalt back, but he knew that using the computer to communicate with him could bring serious harm to the rest of Losties—and he doesn't care. I often found Michael selfish, and this is one instance that illustrates this part of him. I think it also shows that when it came to Waaaaaaaalt, Michael rarely thought with a clear sensible head. What if, in using the computer, he had caused an incident that caused himself to die? Or worse yet, Waaaaaaalt to die?
Oh Michael! What will we ever do with you? Oh, wait....I guess we don't have to worry about you anymore:(
I always love the Kate flashbacks and this one revealed so much about her.
I love that opening sequence with Jin, Sun and then Hurley - It always makes me smile.
Naveen's performance at the funeral is so heartbreaking.
How can Diane give up her daughter? Not in the sense of, how can she DO that? but in the sense of, she wasn't a witness and Kate never comes straight out and says she did it, so all she has are suspicions. Was there other evidence that directly tied Kate to Wayne's death? Or is it all circumstantial? Would that have been enough? Might Kate have been fine if she just hadn't run?
Jack got on my nerves again with his attitude toward Kate when she runs away because of her supposed hallucinations. Does he not remember chasing his DEAD FATHER and running off and leaving everyone and everything?
The Marshal should have worn his seatbelt. Ha!
@Katey: in rewatching this episode I was thinking the same thing about Kate and Wayne. The interchange between them when she helps him into bed is so charged and the way she reacts so violently to the suggestion that he abused her seems to point to the exact opposite. It would also help explain her comment to Tom on the tape in the box, about always wanting to run away.
I do love Eko telling the story about Josiah, but, as is true with most of his retellings throughout the series (and the 23rd Psalm as Nikki will mention on the next episode) it is a little bit off. I think they did such a good job of having him know enough without knowing too much. It's like he has the main ideas down, but is obviously not really a priest. Just a nice little detail to help round out his character.
A few more thoughts..... (I decided to break it up a little so as not to have a monstrous post)
I LOVE the look on John's face when he pulls the film out of the Bible and realizes what it is.
If everyone is on the roster for rotation in the hatch (like John says) how come we NEVER EVER EVER see anyone else there?
I absolutely love Sam Austen and think the part was played well. You can tell he really loved her and just wanted to protect her.
Where does Jack get the little bottles of alcohol - He had to send Kate for them when Boone was dying and she broke most of them when she tripped. Hmmmmm..... Does he have a private stash too?
Oh, and something else about the Wayne/Kate thing - if it WAS Wayne saying I love her, then that's really messed up if he did abuse her.
I still think Widmore should have shown up on the black horse in S5. THAT would have been funny.
@Katey: I was like "I didn't do anything! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! STOP CALLING MY NAME!" >_>
That seriously made my day. HA!
I was disappointed with the film splice too, but if you notice it jumps at other places too. I guess I was more disappointed that they didn't find even more pieces at other stations to fill in the rest of the missing spots.
Came across this in wikipedia. Josiah tried to reestablish the exclusive worship of Yahweh by outlawing all other forms of worship. He had the bones of dead pagan priests exhumed from their graves and burned on their altars. Remind you of the Others?
I completely forgot about this...
There is a children's book that was written back in 1872 called "What Katy Did". I read it ages ago, but I thought of it when I heard this episode title.
I looked up the plot on Wikipedia to refresh my memory, but the basic story line is a young girl named Katy who is a tomboy, very impulsive and mischievous. She dreams of being important and going on grand adventures and of being truly good.
Then, in an accident, she is injured and becomes bed ridden for years during which time she must learn to be patient and kind.
I just thought there were some interesting parallels between that story and Kate's here.
I think the biggest thing that stood out to me is Katy's desire to be good and important and how that seems to be one of Kate's greatest desires. When she tells Jack she's not good like he is there's a desperation in her voice that she wishes she could be good.
It isn't until after a tragic accident (well, several of them, but I'm thinking specifically the plane crash) that she is finally able to work through a lot of her problems and by S5 she has become one of the most stable of the lot - being a good mother to Aaron, being a voice of reason back on the Island. Her trials have helped to redeem her and it will be interesting to see the direction she goes in S6.
My theory on the film splice issue:
(IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THE COMIC-CON VIDEOS FOR SEASON 6 AND DON'T WISH TO KNOW THEIR CONTENTS, DON'T READ AHEAD)
So, the videos played at Comic-Con, as well as the poster displayed there for Losr 2010, all made it quite clear that the timeline of the show is gonna be shaken up a bit, thanks to Jack's actions with the bomb.
In my opinion, this change is going to turn out to do much more harm than good, and I think the season will revolve around the Losties themselves trying to pull a major course-correction.
Michael used the Hatch's computer for "something other than its intended purpose" by talking to Walt, which led to him going after the Others, which eventually led to jack, kate & Sawyer's capture and everything else that followed. Basically, Michael was the gunshot that started that whole race.
So, if the Losties need to course-correct their actions at the incident, perhaps somehow (and I've got no clue how it would get to this point, I'm just speculating-LOL) Locke realizes that in order for things to happen they way the should, Michael must talk to walt on the computer. So Locke himself splices out that section of film so that Michael could never watch it.
If he doesn't watch it, he doesn't know Dharma's rules, starts messing around with the computer, and Bingo! Instant messaging with Walt!
This is just my crazy, wacky theory. I'm thinking of Marty McFly, who is trying to undo his own mistakes and getting his parents to fall in love all over again; basically, the Losties have made their bed and now they've gotta weasel out of it.
Agree? Disagree? Think I'm nuts? Me too :)
Thanks Susan. I think I do remember that.
Katey, Wayne/Sawyer, eh? Weird. I’d like an explanation in S6, but it seems too insignificant to bother with . But why would Kate see a horse and not Wayne? I thought her seeing the horse was almost as weird. It caused a crash that freed her, but really wasn’t that important in her life.
And Katey, its not just that you can write in complete sentences and use full words, you’re very articulate and obviously intelligent. You do restore my faith in the education system. I hope you’re not insulted being assumed to be older! I think at 18 I considered it a compliment, which this is. (Its somewhat less of a compliment now at 47!) Have a Happy Birthday!
Sonshine Music re the rotation for hatch duty:
I have wondered about that too. I guess you could say that with so many people available, we just happen to see only a few doing the job. What I like to think, though, is that many of the beach people said "no thanks" when offered the job. This would help explain the lack of curiosity later on when John has Ben prisoner in the hatch and few people are allowed to know he is there.
Isn't it the compass Locke was 'meant' to choose?
Eko is a great character and it's great to see how he could've been a major character on the show. Shame he didn't [strangely] like Hawaii?
In real life he has an accent like Naveen :) Cockney!!!
Just to point this out, the "Book of Law" in question, in the story of Josiah, would be the Torah (i.e. the first five books of the Old Testament), and specifically the Mosaic law found in the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. It may have connections to the "Book of Law" from Lost, but it's not the "very same book" that Richard Alpert has later. It is, in fact, a part of the Bible that Eko is about to hand to Locke.
Next to Left Behind this is one of my favorite Kate flashbacks. I wish we'd seen more of this part of her past in s1 instead of her robbing banks to steal toy airplanes. I love that Darlton made her anything BUT an innocent woman who'd been wrongfully accused. Nope, not only did she do it, but she did with no remorse. Awesome.
One of the things I've always liked about this episode is the way that it answers the central question (what Kate did) in the teaser.
It's the kind of revelation that, normally, would have been built up throughout the episode and then revealed in the last few seconds, but the producers decided to flip that on its ear and answer the question right away, and then focus on the ramifications of it. It's a change I always find refreshing.
Re-watching this episode, I was under the assumption that Radzinsky spliced the film, but now I'm left wondering where I got that idea. Was it from Darlton in a Podcast? A later episode? Am I just making stuff up now?
I also love Sayid on the TV behind Sam Austen, but I've always been curious WHY he's on that TV. Sam is working as an army recruiter, but the kinds of things the army recruited Sayid to do wouldn't show up in any recruitment film. It must just be intended as a neat Easter egg in the scene.
@Soshinemusic:
That's very interesting about the children's book "What Katy Did"! That's the most fascinating thing to me about Kate--and all of the characters who end up being my favorite--the duality of their personalities in the "good/evil" cycle. It's one of those philosophical things that's just so unexplainable, because--there's no doubt that Kate cares for people, loves deeply and truly, is not a psychopath or a heartless killer bent only on destruction, but do any of these things surpass her crimes to make her "good" despite the actions she takes? Is it enough to want to make the right choices and be good badly enough even if instinct inevitably brings us away from that? Is it enough to do bad things for reasons that are truly meant for good in one's heart? Is actually more honorable to take on sin for the sake of someone else (like Eko killing the old man in the stead of his brother)? It's an unknowable! Gahh, it gives me goosebumps. That is one of the singularly most fascinating subjects to me, in anything, I love studying the duality of human personality. Kate is such a perfect study subject too. So complex, and yet simultaneously simple and innocent and instinctual.
@variabull:
Interesting comparison with the story of Josiah burning the pagan priests and the Others. I've had that whole "burning bodies" thing on my list of clues to research for a while now. It somehow seems connected in my mind to the ring of ash around Jacob's cabin, but, maybe not.
@The Question Mark:
I don't no exactly how the sequence of events is going to go down, but I definitely think you're right in the idea that many of the things we've seen so far will be discovered as things set in motion by the Losties themselves--that's a theory I've had for a while too. Like the ideas we passed around in "Numbers" of how maybe it was Hurley himself setting the radio tower transmission in order to set all these events in motion. It seems to me though, that there can't really be any one particular point where everything began. In away, every single action that anyone takes is the beginning point and the ending point of the cycle--it's all one giant loop and ever choice and action simply reestablishes it. I'm really excited to see exactly who's behind the splicing--I really like your idea that it's Locke! Or would that be Fake-Locke? I guess we'll see! :D
@the book of law
My cousin and I noticed that when we were watching the Richard test thingy and since then, we've been wondering--who has the Book of Laws? Lots of people mention the "rules" and it always seems so elusive and yet somehow, everyone knows what these "rules" are. Like Ben saying the Widmore "changed the rules" by having Alex killed and Richard is always talking about the rules--especially in the finale where Fake-Locke/Flocke says "I get the feeling you just make these rules up as you go along." It feels to me like that Book of Rules and the things it contains is what everything is all about--in there are the rules to this two-sided "game" and perhaps, just exactly how that game is played. I suppose Richard keeps the book...or maybe it has a special place in the temple? Hm.
@peacockblue:
Yeah--that puzzled me too: the fact that the horse really wasn't a key figure in her life. Sure, it inadvertently saved her (unless somehow it was Jacob/AJ intervening and we just don't know it yet) but...that was hardly the turning point in her story. Hm, well, it probably is too much to hope for as an answer in Season Six, but--I'm going to hope anyway. Ya' never know!
And thanks--I definitely don't take it as in an insult! That kinda made my day actually...week maybe! =P My birthday is still a month and a half away actually--mid October (best month ever!) but thank you for the well wishes! :D I'm still 17--honestly, unlike most kids, I'm not that eager to grow up. I wouldn't mind coasting for a while in the teens if only I could. Alas, time moves on. We've just got to make due. :)
Perhaps Sayid's appearance in the recruitment film serves as an example of "the enemy."
Question Mark: I like your theory about the spliced film. There seems to be no logical reason for any of the "Dharma" people to have spliced it. And what a lot of trouble to carve out the pages of a book in order to hide the film. As an altered book artist, I can tell you it takes a *lot* of time and patience (and not more than a little muscle!) to carved out a niche that large and deep in a book. Apparently the splicer wanted that film kept out of harm's way and well-preserved. But for what purpose?
@Katey sez:
Like the ideas we passed around in "Numbers" of how maybe it was Hurley himself setting the radio tower transmission in order to set all these events in motion.
Okay, I've been rolling with the idea of the "future" Losties attempting to change the past via the film splice, the transmission, etc. Buuuuut...if it were possible for them to do so, why engage in all that subtlety? Why not leave a giant, explanatory note on the Dharma film...broadcast a transmission that explains the whole situation...call everyone and tell them not to get on the plane...
I just want to point something out. I don't hate Kate anymore. I stopped hating her when she finally admitted to Claire that it was wrong of her to claim Aaron as her son.
But I have to point something out. I don't blame Diane Austen for calling the police on Kate. Kate had WRONGED her . . . terribly. Yes, Wayne was an abusive husband. But Diane loved him, for better or worse. Kate HAD NO RIGHT killing him. Kate didn't kill Wayne to protect her mother. She killed him, due to her own insecurities when she found out that he was her real father.
Kate had wronged Diane badly. And I think that what happened to her and Jack in the end, was cosmic payback for killing her father and not realizing that she was wrong to do so.
Katey . . .
Kate Austen was never sexually abused by her father. She even admitted in her little soliloquy in this episode. I realize that many people want to justify her murder of Wayne. But she doesn't have a reason.
How can Diane give up her daughter? Not in the sense of, how can she DO that? but in the sense of, she wasn't a witness and Kate never comes straight out and says she did it, so all she has are suspicions. Was there other evidence that directly tied Kate to Wayne's death? Or is it all circumstantial? Would that have been enough? Might Kate have been fine if she just hadn't run.
Let's see. Kate murdered her husband in cold blood. Used her as a part of an insurance scam, so that Kate could pretend that Wayne's death was an accident. While "apologizing" for Wayne's death, lied about the real reason she murdered him in the first place. And then got pissed off when said mother didn't buy her lie.
Yeah . . . I can see why Diane pushed Kate away.
Post a Comment