Follow along! The episode guide for “Enter 77” is in Finding Lost — Season 3, pp. 89-96.This is the episode where Locke officially went batshit and many fans wondered what the hell was going on. His behavior could be summed up in many ways – mainly in that the guy’s been through a life-altering experience, where he was 100% convinced that he was right about something, only to be proven wrong, and he’s lost faith in himself, the island, and everyone around him. He believes in Eko’s stick, but Sayid mentions over and over again how completely stupid that is. But all of that said, his actions still come off as suspect in this episode and the next, and he withdraws into himself more than he ever had before. As we’ve seen in the rewatch, even when he’s a loner, he’s still very much a part of the group, but in this season Locke really begins to separate himself from everyone else. Not too much to say about this one again…
Fun things I noticed:
• We know Sayid is lying the moment he says he’d never torture a woman, because we’d seen him torture Nadia.
Things that have new meaning:
• Locke’s bearing north – 305 – is the same as the one Daniel gave Lapidus to get to the freighter.
• Is it possible Mikhail is immortal like Alpert? He asks Sayid to shoot him, as if dying is a blessing (would that back up my theory about Eko being given mercy by Smokey by killing him?) Does he know that he’ll come back to life somehow? Do you get Special Island Brownie points every time you’re killed on it and come back?
• Bea asks Mikhail to kill her, as if she, too, is looking forward to it. Is there some sort of resurrection ship floating nearby?!
27 comments:
I must admit, I like Paolo’s accent when he calls Sawyer “Hillbilly”. It’s near the beginning, when he’s offering to give him back the Guns & Ammo magazine.
Sayid: “Do you really think we’re just going to chance upon where the Others are?” And then a minute or two later, as he’s picking fruit (what were those yellow fruits, anyway?) he hears the cowbell that leads him, by chance, to The Flame. When we first see the farmyard with the animals, I was looking for DEFLATED GHOST CHICKENS!
When Mikhail was on the ground with the barrel of Sayid’s rifle against his neck, he said, “Finish it!” I wondered then (hopefully), if Sayid had killed Mikhail, would Charlie have lived? But then I realized that a course-correction, most likely in the form of Greta or Bonnie, would have still ended Charlie’s life down in The Looking Glass.
Damon and Carlton crafted one of the most moving scenes ever written for the end of this episode. Sami had tried unsuccessfully to beat a confession out of Sayid. But when Amira came in and just talked to him, and told the story of how she had rescued the cat and how she knew what it was to never feel safe, her quiet appeal broke him. Her forgiveness surprised Sayid (and us), but her understanding that everyone is capable of cruelty was even more surprising.
The day after I watched this episode this past week, my mother was over for a visit, and we were talking about TV shows we like, and how the writing is one of the most important things that keeps us tuning in. And I described the above scene to her, but then ended up dropping the disc into the DVD player and letting her watch it. She’d never seen any episodes of “Lost” before, and I could’ve selected many different scenes to illustrate my point, but I picked this one. And even though I’d seen it just the day before, I found myself getting choked up all over again. Powerful stuff.
I first watched this episode with the idea that Sayid was telling the truth about not torturing the woman. I rewatched it this time, after reading Finding Lost, looking at it from the perspective that he's lying. It's interesting, because it plays out in a fascinating way either way. Also, for me this is the point where Lost begins to gather momentum again after meandering for a while.
DEFLATED GHOST CHICKEN LIVES!
OMG DEFLATED GHOST CHICKENS!
I'd forgotten what a captivating character Mikhail is; it's a shame we only see him for a few select episodes this season before he bites the dust (for the THIRD time) with that hand grenade.
@ Marebabe: that scene with amira is brilliant. The actress playing her has settled perfectly into what i think would be the mindset of a torture victim. she's so tormented by what happened that it makes her physically and emotionally ill just talking about it. But it's been so longsince the torture that, at the same time, she's learned a valuable new life lesson from it, and it's that lesson that enables her to ultimately forgive Sayid, at the same time teaching him an important lesson of his own.
Great episode, except for what you pointed out, Nikki: Locke, who is my favourite character aside from Ben & Richard, just acts so strangely here. Like it says in FL, he gets distracted by the computer as if he were a child with ADD. Locke is such an intelligent guy, he would never have pulled a stunt like that in Season 1. I always root for Locke in the Jack-vs-Locke battles, but it becomes harder to do that when Locke keeps doing things this that prove Jack right.
Okay, first off, what is it with Locke and computer buttons? He's supposed to be watching Mikhail, and he wanders off into the next room to play chess???? And the graphics of the chess board sure look 1980s. Hasn't Locke heard of Play Station 2??? And if the computer cheats, and logic systems can't cheat (unless their AI like HAL) then maybe there's a human behind the system--Locke seemed to win too easily.
But seriously, when the episode begins, Hurley (dressed in a red shirt--how many times is that?) is helping organize people carry in the pingpong table. The way he talks to Sawyer, the music in background, its like a funeral dirge. And then Hurley's lightly sarcastic remark to Sawyer about where Kate is: "She's not back yet. Hmmm." These guys were feeling so good about the day before. Got to admit, the whole table tennis match was comic fun.
Mikhail says his job in the Russian army was to serve at a listening post, just like Sam Toomey and Leonard Sims, and those two Portuguese guys for Penny.
My guess why Locke punched in 77 into the computer was he hoped it would send a message to Dharma off the island that the station had been compromised. This way, Dharma would send people to investigate.
Interesting, this time watching the scene when Ms. Klugh tells Mikhail to shoot her, after Mikhail tries to commit suicide (didn't really see that the first time). Locke wrestles the gun from him before Sayid gets Mikhail to the ground.
Locke degenerated into a belligerent teenage boy in this episode; unable to resist a computer game (to the detriment of his colleagues), impudently admitting he lied when he said he didn't know the place was wired (when *did* he take the explosives, anyway?), and sarcastically daring Rousseau to put the C4 on the pylon.
He's really pissing me off.
A lot has been said already about how out of control John gets in this episode. Most of his actions and decisions are based on his current state of mind - believing in the island or not believing in the island. He rarely has anyone else's interests in mind.
One thing that bothered me. When Sayid has Miss Klugh and Mikhail has Locke at gunpoint, John tries to tell Sayid not to let them talk to each other. Sayid doesn't do anything about it, and it ends up with one of their hostages being killed. John has so little combat experience but even he knows you don't let your enemies confer together (especially when you can't understand them).
On a humorous note, if you have the season 3 DVD, there is a funny scene in the bloopers where Sayid says "not every nook and cranny John" in such a weird dramatic voice. It's hilarious, and then you have later takes where Ev. Lilly and Terry O'Quinn can't help laughing.
@Marebabe: I wondered then (hopefully), if Sayid had killed Mikhail, would Charlie have lived? AH! That is EXACTLY the same thought that went through my head.
Something odd I noticed, both in this episode and the next, with the mention of "the purge". Here Mikhail says that Dharma set out to attack the Hostiles in what the Dharminians calle "the purge". But from what we see in Ben's flashback later, it seems that the hostiles attack the Dharminians in what they call "the purge". So which is it? Or is it both? Did the Dharminians have a plan to purge the Hostiles, so the Hostiles acted first, through Ben, and performed their own purge against the Dharminians?
I know Nikki mentioned this in her book, but it amazes me how freakin' long it takes Locke to come to the door when Sayid and Kate are fighting with Mikhail. Like, hello? What? You had to finish your game first?
And I would just like to say, one more time.....
COMPASSES DO NOT WORK ON THE ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP USING THEM AS IF THEY DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I think compasses do work now that the hatch has im(ex)ploded. Didn't that dissipate all the excess magnetism?
Umm... yeah, I guess that might have done it. ::sheepish grin:: Okay, so I'll give them a pass this time, but it doesn't explain all the other times they've gone traipsing around with a compass while the hatch was still intact.
@Susan: I followed your recommendation to look at the DVD bonus features again. It had been a long time since I watched any of them. You're right, they were great fun!
In honor of our Deflated Ghost Chickens, I would like to point out that one of the extras is all about chickens around the set. It happens to be one of those (annoying) Easter eggs, so for those who don't already have a cheat-sheet on how to find them, here's what you do:
On Monitor #2, while highlighting "The Next Level - Inside the Video Game", press left three times and then select it to view a clip about the chickens at the Hydra location causing problems for the crew.
I stumbled across the directions for finding the Easter eggs on Dark UFO or some other Lost site. I'm sure that there are plenty of Season 3 DVD owners who have no idea that there is even hidden content. I truly wish that everything was always plainly listed on the menu.
Echo everything on John's self absorbtion and distraction. And we now know that he blew up the station because he doesn’t want anyone to leave the island. Even so, did he have to let Kate and Sayid fend for themselves? And the question for later speculation is, what if they hadn't of left the island?
Bea Klugh and Mikhail seem much more militant than the rest. Why did she have to die, seems extreme. If Henry could take the torture, they probably could too.
I like how Danielle is just so matter-of-fact about whether Mikhail killed the other 2, and is not so broken up about it.
Sonshine is a woman of passion!
"Hey, Sonshine, can you help me read this compass, please?"
"Get that out of my face, YOU FOOL!" *slaps the compass away*
:)
@Joan: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sorry :) The compass inconsistency has been my greatest pet peeve of the rewatch (in case you couldn't tell :P)
@ Susan: that nook and cranny thing is my all-time favourite Lost blooper! LOL Sayid just belts out the line like he's doing melodrama Shakespeare. And O'Quinn's reply is equally priceless.
@JW Also, for me this is the point where Lost begins to gather momentum again after meandering for a while.
I feel the same way. There's quite a few episodes to go, but is the episode that really feels like the march to the finale has begun.
@Sonshine Music Did the Dharminians have a plan to purge the Hostiles, so the Hostiles acted first, through Ben, and performed their own purge against the Dharminians?
You know, that makes a lot of sense. It would certainly fit with the Others' assertion of being "the good guys": if Dharma was planning an attack on the Others, their utter massacre of Dharma could (from their perspective) be deemed an act of defense, thus maintaining their "good guy" status.
Add the details of the Purge to the ever growing list of Dharma-related items that still need some clarification.
@Teebore: Dharma attacks first. I think we get a sense that Dharma already had big plans for the island when Sawyer found the map indicating there was going to be a road built around the island to the Swan. We already know from Season 5, the Swan was outside the line the Dharma/Others had established. We also know from richard, that the Others asked the 1950s U.S. soldiers to come over to their side, but that didn't work. I imagine the Others tried the same thing with the 1970s Dharma group, but people like Radzinsky were so monomaniacs they never bothered to consider joining in with the Others or seeing what their point of view was. But it sure took a long time, as the Purge doesn't happen till 1993 or so. So I guess the Others have a short fuse.
Of course we've seen this between the Losties and Tom. But its just Jack who has to push over the line each time.
Deflated Ghost Chicken: Awesome band name, or awesomest band name ever?
Joan, I have to say that your comment kept me giggling all day long. I'm walking through the stacks at work and suddenly break into a huge grin thinking, "Get that out of my face, YOU FOOL!" hehe. Makes me laugh even now. Oh...
Okay I must check out these extras and bloopers and such. Sadly I never got around to it! LOL!
@Fred-If you remember way back in the Season 1 finale, Jack asks John if he likes to play games. His response was "Oh yeah". We also know his love for backgammon, Risk, etc. so to me he is just a gaming junky that can't resist an opportunity to play a game, any game.
Also, you mentioned that the purge took place in 1993. Does this mean that Ben was moonlighting with the others when he kidnapped Alex back in 1988/1989?
Another question I had was, with the explosion of The Flame. Was this a result of Locke pushing 77, or was it when he pushed 77, Dr. Chang told him to detonate the C4?
@crazyinlost: the consensus is that Rousseau and her group arrived sometime in 1988, before the Purge. So when Ben was moonlighting, he was apparently acting on his own, because Widmore had wanted him and Ethan to kill both Rousseau and Alex. Ben didn't believe the order came from Jacob, but was Widmore's alone.
If Locke pushed 77, he'd have had to go below to get some C-4 before doing so. We know Kate and Locke went back to collect whatever. Before leaving, Locke must have entered 77 on the computer. Having seen the C-4, Locke would have known from playing various games the likelihood his actions would entail.
Some things to notice: the numbers Chang gives, in 2 cases are reversals of the numbers from the Swan--24 food drop is 42; and 32 station up-link is 23. What is more important is the desperateness the number 77 suggests. At some point Dharma must have thought its stations could be overrun--hence the C-4 and 77 code. The bones Locke found in the polar bear cave suggest some Dharma people may have run there from one of the stations seeking to hide in the caves, only to meet with the polar bear. The only place one could hide was the Swan--but even there that might have been always under surveillance from the Pearl. And I suspect, the Others did need the button pushed to keep the island secret. I don't think the Purge was a single event at the Barracks, but it might have been more of a concerted attack across the whole island. Maybe this will be revealed in Season 6?
@Fred- Thanks. Your explaination isnt making sense to me right now. I must be tired. I'll re-read it again tomorrow.
@Fred- Ok, after rereading this when my brain is actually working makes more sense. Also I remember someone else commenting about the Dharma people in the polar bear cave before (in Further Instructions?)
Thanks again
I'm not a womens' libber or anything but it struck me as odd that they allowed Kate to go over the sonic fence first. Yes, she's one of the guys and she came up with the idea to go over in the first place and they know how hell-bent she is, but neither John nor Sayid volunteered to be the guinea pig. I guess of the three Kate is the most expendable character!
Yes, the scene with Amira and the cat was powerful stuff. I like the way Nikki phrased it in her book - 'Her husband doesn't need to come in and finish the job of destroying Sayid: she just did.' The first time watching I was duped, however. I truly believed Sayid was innocent of torturing this partcular woman. Now I automatically distrust everybody!
@tiasabita-I was thinking the same thing about Kate! Maybe John knows she'll just pitch a hissy-fit and do it first anyway, so he didnt even bother to offer to go first. As for Sayid, maybe has something to do with his culture not being chivalrous (is that right?) so he doesnt feel the need to check it out first. But then again, he has always treated Kate very equally-hmm
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