Follow along! The episode guide for “Three Minutes” is in Finding Lost, pp. 315-321.Oh, Michael. He’s one of the most controversial characters on the show, for reasons that are pretty clear to all of us. There are those who hate him for what he did – killing Ana Lucia and Libby and then marching his “friends” into the trap the Others had set on the other side of the island. There are those who say if you were a parent, you’d understand that you’d do ANYTHING to get your kid back. And there are those who are more in the middle, saying on the one hand, I understand his desperation to get his kid back, and I know I’d go nuts if it happened to me; on the other, if he’d talked to someone in the camp about it, they might have been able to lay their own trap to figure things out. Michael will leave at the end of S2, and we won’t see him again until S4, when he returns only to be killed. Harold Perrineau, who plays Michael, expressed his disappointment in the writers, who he said never allowed him to redeem himself in the eyes of everyone on the island. But for me, I believe he was redeemed in our eyes, and we know what he did, and he died knowing that he’d helped the very people he’d earlier hurt. It doesn’t need to be plastered on a billboard. You can tell by the way Walt asks after him in S5 when he’s talking to Locke that he cares about his father and has forgiven him, and is concerned about where he is now. I think he’s been redeemed in the eyes of his son, which is all he cared about. But anyway, back to “Three Minutes,” where we see the aftermath of his actions in “Two for the Road,” and find out why he did what he did.
Fun things I noticed:
• Eko left his shoes outside the hatch, just as John Locke did when he first entered it, as if this is a place of faith for both of them. Notice Eko didn’t take them off earlier, but only now, when he realizes this could be a very important place. Locke took them off the first time he walked in because he had already been convinced of the importance of the place.
• That guy who’s standing on the left guarding that fake door is REALLY strange-looking. I’ve always thought that when I see this episode.
• Regardless of how you feel about Michael, you have to admit that what they do to him is nothing short of EVIL. I put myself in his shoes when he was tied up in the hut, and imagined having lost one of my children and then they bring them in and promise me three minutes, reducing it to about one, where my kid is obviously scared and trying to tell me something and all I want to do is hold them, but I can’t because my hands are tied. All the while Klugh is threatening Walt that he’ll be put “back there” in some awful place that clearly scares him, and you must be thinking that they’ve been doing terrible things to the child you vowed to protect. Who does that to a child?? To a parent? This scene is the one that makes me unable to think of the Others as the good guys. I don’t care to what ends you thought you were working, or what good you were trying to spread – what they do to Michael is just evil. It’s like his ex-wife was pulling the strings or something…
• I realize that Bernard and Rose are not among the main cast, and they have to pay those actors more for every episode they appear in, but it made NO SENSE that they wouldn’t be at Ana Lucia and Libby’s funeral. They are to Bernard what Kate and Sawyer are to Hurley – the people he’s been with the entire time.
• Sawyer: “We were caught in a net.” HAHAHAHA!
• Notice Sun says, “Boat” and nothing else, which is the first word Jin said in English.
Things that have new meaning:
• Notice when Walt is brought into the room he sort of looks around wildly, realizes he can’t say anything straight-ahead, and then looks right at Michael and asks, “How’s Vincent?” He doesn’t ask it the way a child would ask about their dog; he asks it like he’s trying to tell Michael something. Is it possible that Walt, who we know has been astrally-projecting himself somehow on the island, can do it with Vincent? Could that otherworldliness that the dog possesses have something to do with Walt being an invisible puppet-master of sorts?
32 comments:
I’ve always thought that Michael and Walt are AMAZINGLY fast and accurate typists! (Or whoever is pretending to be Walt on the other end.)
Eko is so good at telling stories. I love the one about the boy who was afraid that the dog he killed would be waiting for him in hell.
We have another appearance of the mysterious vaccine in this episode. At first, when we were introduced to it, I was extremely curious about it and the sickness and the quarantine. But now I’m pretty sure that it must be a placebo, probably normal saline. Doesn’t it seem strange that Dr. Jack has never given an opinion about it? Has Jack ever even been in a scene with the vaccine?
That big rock with the square hole looks sort of like an ancient ruin to me. I wonder if it is the crumbled remains of a structure dating back to 4-toed Tawaret’s day.
The Others sure went to a lot of trouble setting up the decoy camp for Michael to find. So, they must’ve been tracking him, right? They would know exactly when he was about to see their camp for the first time, so they could all get into their first positions. “Places, everyone!” Weird.
Regarding Charlie and the Virgin Mary statues, I LOVE his line to Vincent: “Are you kidding me?” And it’s nice to see him pitching them all into the ocean. Was Charlie unaware that Locke was sitting on the beach a short distance away, watching him? I mean, Locke was RIGHT THERE. I suppose that if Charlie were intently focused on his task of getting rid of all the heroin stash, he might not have noticed anyone else around him.
Speaking of Locke, when he took off his shoes the first time he entered The Swan, I had always assumed he did it so he could tiptoe extra quietly. But I like your take on it, Nikki, that he did it out of reverence for the place.
Seeing Sawyer mourning Ana Lucia was not as surprising as when he admitted that Jack was about the closest thing he had to a friend. At first I was surprised, then I felt sad for Sawyer.
Nikki, I agree that it’s strange how Walt opens up the conversation with “How’s Vincent?” It almost seems like a coded message, but I also think that he was intent on steering the conversation away from certain topics, because he and Michael were under such close scrutiny. Interesting notion, that Walt might somehow be controlling Vincent’s behavior.
It's in this episode that Charlie redeems himself for me. The scene where he throws the statues into the water is my favourite in this episode.
Even though I'm not Michael's biggest fan, I do like this episode a lot.
@ Marebabe's first comment about the vaccine: I agree. I always thought it was just some placebo of some sort. Although, I think that Juliet's vaccination does work.
I also love the scene where Walt comes into the tent to see Michael. It's a really heartbreaking scene knowing that Walt eventually cannot face Michael after he finds out what Michael did to get him back.
I really hope Walt comes back in some way for the final season. I think it would be a real letdown to finish his story the way it did in the Jeremy Bentham episode.
Now, I have a little FUN CHALLENGE for anybody on the blog who's interested. Our next episode is the finale, "Live Together, Die Alone". As I was watching it, I was thinking about all of the awesome names the writers have given to episodes, and how the names of season finales always stand out as being super-interesting, this one being no exception.
SO...
How would you guys feel about a game? For the next recap (Live Together, Die Alone) each of us comes up with at least 1 idea for what we think will be the name of the absolute, ultimate, FINAL episode of Lost. I'll write down all of the submissions, and then in May 2010 we can see who came closest.
I think that'd be pretty fun, and let us stretch our creative juices a bit.
What does everybody think of that?
Oh, and Nikki: the line about Susan pulling the strings with the Others had me in stitches :) EEEEVIL.
@The Question Mark: Personally myself, I like the idea of the title contest. I'll participate, and I just have a couple questions. You said "at least" one suggestion from everyone. So, could someone suggest 30 possible titles? Also, we're just playing for bragging rights, right?
@ Marebabe: hmm. ya, 30 may be a bit much LOL. Let's make it 1-5.
And yes, totally for bragging rights. :)
@The Question Mark: One more question about your proposed contest. Shall we say that the time limit on entering your title challenge is one week, from 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, October 1st thru 8:00 p.m. October 8th?
Cool idea, Question Mark! My guesses: Omega, That's All Folks, The Really Long Con, Thanks for Playing, The End.
I just wanted Michael to plead, 'Please, can I see my son? Please don't hurt us, etc.' His approach of demanding to see his son right then wasn't going to get him very far. But then most of the characters seem to have forgotten how to ask nicely.
@Marebabe - I have had the same thought about the vaccine every time it makes an appearance! They consult Jack about every other health problem but no one thinks to ask him if it's safe to inject an unknown liquid into their body? I can't remember a scene with Jack and the vaccine. It seems to be a placebo and a scare tactic for Dez to make him stay put - Kelvin knew there was no risk to going out of the hatch so was he still taking the vaccine to trick Dez? Did we ever see Kelvin take the shot? But do the Others really believe it has some effect since they gave it to Aaron en utero? Were they hoping Claire would remember the shots and thus be tricked into thinking they were necessary for her baby's health?
@ tiasabita: I really, REALLY hope that it's actually "Thanks For Playing". LOL
@ Marebabe: I was originally thinking for the finale post tomorrow, but a week gives us much more time to mull it over. Next Wednesday night it is!
I think Damon & Carlton have confirmed that Walt is typing, but I personally think the Others are telling him what to say, after all he is leading Michael into a trap.
Klugh's comment - you don't seem to know much about him (Walt) - is similar to Juliet's later comment to Kate about Jack. These Others seem to think that knowing a list of facts about a person defines how well you know him.
Ben isn't the only Other who is an expert at manipulation. Bea obviously intending all along to let Michael see Walt, I mean, why else would he be waiting right outside the tent? After Walt was taken away, Michael plays right into Bea's hand, saying he'll do anything.
When we watch this episode, we have to laugh at Sun's sudden loss of proficiency in the English language. Instead of saying, "Hey, look, there's a boat out there," she just says "Boat." Yes I know it matches Jin's first English word, and I know it's for dramatic effect, but it's still funny.
I think the disease and vaccine are fake, because the only "disease" we've seen is Danielle's team, who she thought were infected but were most likely possessed by Smokey. Also, Claire's "disease" was artificially caused by an implant.
@Nikki: Concerning Walt and Michael, three minutes being one minute, and who does that to a father and child? When I saw this a second time, I began to think what if Walt's pretending? I've heard rumours they filmed Walt's character in different scenes before he suddenly became "tall," to put it in Locke's words. So what if we get a few minutes (the extra 2) and we see Walt preparing outside the hut where the Others have his dad. Like the scene were we see Alex holding Michael and Kate, while Jack, John and Sawyer are talking to Tom. So what if Walt is playing a role the Others want him to play on Michael? I keep wondering about that scene. He tries to give Michael a clue, when he says they aren't what they seem. Was that Walt blurting something out, or was he prompted to say something like that? Anyway, just a wild thought.
What I did notice is Micahel using a compass. Whose? Locke's? And is it really pointing north? What gives?
@Marababe: So right. How many mistakes I've made just typing, and I type slowly. LOL.
When I saw the blood on the hatch floor and Michael cleaning up, it reminded me of Issac's studio in Heroes. Too much cross over between the shows.
Also Michael trying to get the four to go with him reminded me of Ben trying to get the 6 to board Ajira Airways. And where was Locke heading at the funeral of AL and Libby? I can't remember. He doesn't attend it. You'd think he would.
These guys have a habit of apologizing before hurting each other - Eko head butting Locke, Alex knocking out Michael, and of course, Michael before shooting AL.
This was a good one and I agree it was evil. Total manipulation. The camp was set up for Michael so they could manipulate him into getting the four there so they could send back Hurley and use Kate and Sawyer to manipulate Jack......I'm getting ahead of myself.
Question: How did Tom get the light up if there were only four of them there. sorry if this was already exposed.
Also - you know the Dharma station is fake because it doesn't have its own logo!
Yes, Nikki, I laugh at "boat" every time.
@The Question Mark: cool idea. Here are my 5:
"The Book of the Dead"
"The Magic Box"
"The Dreaming" or "The Last Wave"
"Metamorphoses"
"Punishments and Results"
I had thought of a few others, but they seemed more likely to be candidates for mid-season titles.
Well, Question Mark, folks are already jumping into the fray with great suggestions for the Series Finale title. So here goes. My five are “The Road Not Taken”; “I’ll Miss You Most Of All”; “Sail Away Home”; “From End to Beginning”; “Prophecy”. Thanks for coming up with this fun little diversion.
@tiasabita: I especially like the title "Omega". so fitting for a show with so much religious overtones in it.
@Marebabe: Really touching with "I'LL Miss You Most of All" as a sort of Swan song to fans.
Maybe if Nikki puts together a Season 6 for Lost, she'd include some of these titles. Afterall, fans have been such a big part of this show, and it will be a really big loss when its gone. I watched the pilot for "Flashforward", and I'm sorry to say it just didn't grab me like the pilot for "LOST". In some ways it felt a little contrived, with the kangaroo, the back of the news paper, and other little clues. I don't quite know what I was hoping for with Flashforward, but what I got was decent, but not really WOW! great.
@Question Mark
My entry is 'The Beginning' I need some more time to think of the other 4!
1. The Beginning
2. Pilot Part 3 & 4
3. Tomorrow is Another Day
4. Any questions?
5. Trust Me.
@Ali: I say you win, hands down. "Any Questions?" is total and utter awesomeness wrapped in deliciousness. And bacon. I hope Darlton read this blog and use that name for the finale. Kudos, my friend. KUDOS!
Thanks BatCabbage *blush*
Question Mark: I think the contest is a great idea! How about rather than posting them all here, I'll do up a separate post that will appear before tonight's post where we can all answer it there, and that way we can devote this one to talking about the ep. (Great titles so far, guys! Man, I've got to come up with a good one...)
Wow, these are all sweet title suggestions, guys! I'm lovin it!
And thanks so much, Nikki! A new post for the title game would be great!
@Nikki: It’s like his ex-wife was pulling the strings or something…
Hahaha! This theory is backed up by the fact that Klugh asks Michael the same kinds of questions his ex-wife's lawyer asked. EVIL!
Compasses DON'T WORK! How is Michael using one? The inconsistency on this one little thing drives me crazy.
I really hate how they don't think we can figure out what is present day and what is before. the "13 Days Ago" and "Today" drive me crazy.
I love how Eko takes over the random-story-when-someone-asks-a-simple-question role from Locke. Eko really is like the other side of Locke.
And someone please tell me why on EARTH only Sayid questions Michael's sanity. Jack has completely no baloney radar. He talks to Michael quite a bit and agrees with him. Sayid talks to Michale for like 2 seconds and immediately knows something is wrong.
Why does Jack use the net for an excuse for being gone so long. They were up in it for like 2 minutes. Totally a lame excuse.
This episode really is the turning point for Charlie to go from being the selfish jerk-face he's been all season 2, to the hero he will be at the end of season 3.
@The Question Mark: I love the idea of a contest. I'll have to really think about it now. hmmmmm...
Another great hindsight: the look on Sayid's face when Michael tells him he can't go on the rescue mission; that it has to be only those certain people. Sayid suddenly becomes very quiet and gazes at Michael with an expression of deep sadness. At the time, you presume it's sympathy for Michael's plight. But in hindsight, that was likely the exact moment Sayid figured out Michael was lying and that he had killed (or at least had a hand in killing) AL and Libby. Great stuff!
Speaking of Sayid's expressions, my favorite is his look of wry amusement. It's very subtle; just a slight upturning of the mouth and a little twinkle in his eye. We first saw it when Shannon was telling him how she learned to speak French. It always tickles me because it's so very different from his usual serious countenance.
So...why didn't Jack question Michael's choice of having Hurley along on the search & rescue party? He's slower than the rest and refuses to use a gun; he would be more of a hindrance than an asset on this particular mission.
Darn, forgot to mention this before. If Michael is actually convinced that the Others are filthy, primitive hut-dwellers, how does he resolve this with the fact that walt's been communicating with him *on a computer*???
how does he resolve this with the fact that walt's been communicating with him *on a computer*???
I imagine he probably figures it's like the Losties and their computer. He thinks the Others have a hatch, so he probably just figures it's a hatch with old equipment in it, including a low tech computer like the Losties.
How's Vincent?
Perhaps Vincent isn't an astral-walt projection, but a secondary being of great importance/power? Walt is asking how he is to ensure that he is ok because he is aware of vincent's power/importance?
Just throwing it out there. Myself—still not sure what to make of Vincent. Dog? Not Dog?
It’s like his ex-wife was pulling the strings or something…
Nikki, you silly goose, you know Michael and Susan were never married. ;)
I think Michael lied about what he saw, maybe underexaggerated the capabilities of the Others so he could convince Jack et. al. that it would be an easy task to get Walt from them.
@JW: Nikki is not the only silly goose. We all know perfectly well that Michael and Susan were never married, but their custody battle was the same sort of thing that a divorcing couple would go through. So it FELT like we were witnessing the messy dissolution of a marriage, and it got stored in our brains that way. Show of hands... how many of you failed to notice Nikki's little goof? (My hand is up.) And JW, your team gets 10 points, and you advance to the next round!
(hand up) I certainly didn't catch it ROFL
Although I believe what Michael did was wrong in killing Ana-Lucia and Libby, I managed to sympathize with his situation thoroughly. After all, if there is one thing I do not want to experience is watch a loved one be taken from me by force, right before my eyes.
As for Michael turning to Jack and the other Losties for help . . . I can see why he didn't. They sat on their collective butts throughout most of Season 2 doing nothing in helping him get Walt back. They tried to prevent him from finding Walt in "The Hunting Party". And Jack tried to meet with Tom in that most idiotic manner in "S.O.S.". But the Losties didn't really bother about Walt's fate. And for that, I had just as much difficulties in dealing with their lack of action when it came to Walt, as I did with Michael's killings. Which is probably why I didn't sympathize with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer, when they finally became prisoners in the S2 finale.
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