Wednesday, December 23, 2009

5.04 The Little Prince

Follow along! The episode guide for “The Little Prince” is in Finding Lost — Season 5, pp. 37-48. (Followed by a chapter on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.)

Do you remember the excitement of the end of this episode the first time? Jin! Rousseau! GAAAHHH!! Ah, good times, good times.

Fun things I noticed:
• Kate tells Jack it’ll take longer than 2 nights to get used to sleeping in a regular bed, but she’d been sleeping in a regular bed in Dharmaville when she was living with Claire.
• Kate says to Jack, “I have always been with you.” At the time I remember joking about it (“Except when I was sleeping with Sawyer in a bear tent”) but it’s an interesting comment. Does she mean that every time she’s been with Sawyer she was actually with Jack in some way, either trying to make him jealous or thinking of him or trying to save him? (By the way, I’m asking these as neutral questions, not attempting to ship one way or the other.)
• So who do you think took the pictures of Ben and Jack and trying to shoot Sayid? Was it Widmore’s people? Does that mean Ben didn’t finish them off the way he said he had? Was it just Ben screwing with Sun to get her to the marina, too?
• I believe that the island is controlling the bloops, and that they showed the beam of light to Locke to show him his lowest moment, perhaps to spur him on to keep going, reminding him of how far he’s come.
• Oh, how I love Sawyer. “Who came in these? Other Others?” “I TAKE IT BAAAACK!!”
• Again I feel like the writers slightly sacrificed the story in the name of plot. Norton probably would have briefed Ben on the Kate issue (but he didn’t because that would have given away the surprise ending) and Mrs. Littleton would have had her settlement shipped to her in Australia, she wouldn’t have had to fly to LA to sign a few documents. That’s ridiculous. But in the name of storytelling, I’ll take it!

Things that have new meaning:
• Kate looks into Jack’s eyes and then tells him what’s up, just like in the finale when she looks into his eyes and then agrees to go along with the whole bomb-dropping thing. There’s something about the look in Jack’s eyes that she 100% trusts.

34 comments:

Marebabe said...

I liked how a simple phone call from Hurley got Jack out of a butt-chewing at the hospital. How convenient! And speaking of the hospital, Sayid got up off that hospital bed so fast it’s like he’s magic or something. The man’s got lightning reflexes! Sure comes in handy in combat situations.

I beg to differ. Sawyer could not either have reached out and touched Kate or Claire while Aaron was being born. He was standing back a long way, which you can plainly see in some of the wide shots during that scene. And if he had been close enough to touch, he would most likely have been seen.

Jack would’ve had a tan line on his face after shaving off such a long beard. I really noticed this when Jack was talking to Kate in her car. There was full sunlight, and Jack was looking all tanned and handsome. Not quite realistic.

Lack of communication is still a big problem for our Losties. A thing that happened over and over in this episode was that someone would be asked a direct question in front of the whole group, and they would give an extremely vague answer, or ignore the question entirely. Then in a little while, he/she would answer the question in a hushed voice to one person only, making sure no one else could hear. All very private and confidential. I guess it’s progress, in that at least some information is being shared in this cautious and secretive group.

OK, funny story. My husband is not a Lost fan, but he has seen enough of the show to know who the major players are, that Hurley is his favorite character, etc. He certainly knows that Ben Linus is not to be trusted. So, he walked through while I was watching this episode, just in time to hear Ben admit that he was the one who sent the lawyers to harass Kate. And without missing a beat, my husband yelled, just like Daffy Duck to Elmer Fudd, “Shoot him now! Shoot him now!” (when Daffy was jumping up and down and pointing at Bugs Bunny). And I laughed and told him that Sun was actually bringing a gun to this little meeting at the marina. Clearly, my husband agrees with Sayid, that Ben Linus “needed killin’!"

Verification word: Marie. Um...that's my given name in French. Rather an odd coincidence.

Susan said...

I think one of the most significant lines of the series occurs in this episode. Sawyer asks John why he didn't go to his past self and warn him of what's coming. John replies, "I needed that pain to get to where I am now." I think this will be true of all the survivors, that their island experiences are so important in shaping who they will become by the end of the show.

I thought it was hilarious how Jack just walks away from the supervisor in the middle of her speech. Cell phone rudeness has made its way into the Lost universe!

Marebabe said...

Nikki, your mention of Mrs. Littleton being in LA to sign a few documents got me to thinking, what was the date of Christian Shephard’s memorial service when we saw her speaking to Jack about Claire? And what was the date when Jack and Kate saw her at the motel? I don’t know how to research this, because all we know about “There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1” is that the events of that episode took place on Day 100, which was December 30, 2004. There were many flashbacks and flashforwards in this episode that make it difficult for the average viewer (like me!) to piece together a chronological sequence. And right now I can’t get into Lostpedia. Grrrr! It’s locked up or broken down or something. What I’m getting at here is, could it be possible that Carole Littleton made only one trip to LA and accomplished many different things during her stay? Were the memorial service and her meeting with her attorney perhaps really close together, within a few days? Then her presence in LA to sign the documents would make sense. And she would have plenty of time for touristy stuff in between, making the best use of her vacation!

Nikki Stafford said...

Marebabe: Excellent idea (and that would have made PERFECT sense) but Kate is holding Aaron as a baby at the memorial service, and at the service Jack mentions that 10 months earlier he'd been boarding a plane and trying to come up with his speech, so we know it's about 6 months after the rescue, and probably 2.5 years before the events from this episode. So it seems Mrs. Littleton's a bit of a jet-setter! :)

JennM said...

Nikki:

I really liked your write-up for the novel "The Little Prince," that was in your book. While I'm not sure it was 100% parallel to the episode, I can see that there are many similarities. I always the book write-ups that you include in your books and on your blog, but I found this one the most intriguing, because—aside from the books that I had actually already read—this is the one that stood out as a must-read. I hope to be able to read this book sometime in the future:)

Marebabe said...

Here's an item that will interest many of you. In the December 11 issue of Entertainment Weekly (with Best of the Decade on the cover), there is a review (p. 120) for the brand-new "The Little Prince: Deluxe Pop-Up Book". $35.00 from Houghton Mifflin. The story "...becomes even more magical here by the addition of spectacular paper mechanics. For kids of all ages." That includes me. :) I'm thinkin' it's high time I included this title in my personal library, and I think this will be the perfect edition to get.

Verification word: esseur - the French form of "ess".

Marebabe said...

Nikki, of course! (Duh.) The key to understanding the whole timeline thing is Aaron. It was Baby Aaron at the memorial service, and Toddler Aaron when Kate was being harassed by Ben's lawyer. I've got it straight now. Thanks!

Fred said...

Sayid goes all commando on those attacking him and Hurley. Yet each of these guys has a dart gun. Obviously, they were intending to just tranquilize him, much like the Others did to Jack, Sawyer and Kate on the island. It's Ben who has pushed Sayid to be ruthless, and he just goes along with it. So it could be Widmore that wants to talk to Sayid. On the other hand, I wouldn't put it past Ben to hire these guys, but use tranquilizers becuase they have to keep Sayid alive and unharmed.

Anonymous said...

Fred, it makes perfect sense that the guys with the dart guns were working for Ben. Sayid was the most resistant to going back, so that would have been the easiest way to get him on the plane. (Isn't Sayid the only one on the plane against his will when they go back? They never did convince him.)

EvaHart said...

I have to agree that it was probably Ben who arranged the guys to tranquilize Sayid, it would explain how they knew that Sayid was at the hospital as Jack probably told Ben. So does that mean the man watching Hurley was also employed by Ben?

I have to admit that I was convinced it was Jack who was the other person Sun blamed for Jin's 'death' and that it was him she was surveilling. The way she said 'I don't balme you' to Kate and then 'How's Jack' right after seemed pretty sinister.
Of course it was Ben who was responsible for the boat being blown up, but there is no way she could know that Ben stabbed Keamy knowing that the C4 would go off. From her view it would be Widmore's fault as he sent the boat in the first place and yet she seems happy to work with him.
Strange...

So who is in the boat that shoots at the losties? I don't think it was ever shown, but I could be wrong.
I was convinced that in the fianle it would be the other Ajira passengers, yet they only come to the main island in one boat if I remember correctly, so how will the second get there?

Nikki Stafford said...

Marebabe: there is a review (p. 120) for the brand-new "The Little Prince: Deluxe Pop-Up Book".

I actually saw that and bought it! I just looked at it last night and it's gorgeous. It's unabridged, and each of the pictures is hidden behind a flap or moves. It's completely brilliant. A friend of mine bought me the pop-up Alice in Wonderland one they did a few years ago and I loved it. I highly recommend these versions to fans of the books. :)

Nikki Stafford said...

EvaHart: Of course it was Ben who was responsible for the boat being blown up, but there is no way she could know that Ben stabbed Keamy knowing that the C4 would go off. From her view it would be Widmore's fault as he sent the boat in the first place and yet she seems happy to work with him.

I remember thinking EXACTLY the same thing. What I'm thinking is, she and Widmore had a longer discussion that we haven't yet seen, and while Widmore did send the boat, it was because he was trying to find Ben. If Ben hadn't been on the island, the boat wouldn't have been there. And maybe Widmore's convinced her that Ben is so evil that she believes him and is on his side, and blames Ben.

That's pretty much the only explanation I've been able to come up with.

Susan said...

I also think the writers tried to get us to think Sun blamed Jack because maybe they felt Ben was so obvious they wanted to send us in a false, different direction, so we would be surprised when it was Ben.

Fred said...

I've always believed Sun's identification of the two men responsible for Jin's death were first her father, Mr. Paik. But the choice of Ben was odd. Like most on this thread I agree, why wouldn't she be upset with Widmore, if she shows some resentment to Jack and Kate (that line where Sun asks Kate about Jack, it's like she knew already Kate and Jack had separated, but Sun wanted to dig the knife in deeper).

I can only imagine she blames Ben because Ben could have simply let them all get off the island from the get go, but he played this little game, and in effect tried to keep them marrooned. Ben's men blew up the raft Jin was on, nearly drowning him. Ben turned Michael, and did not allow Michael to get help from the authorities to rescue them. Sun's impression on confronting Colleen on the Libby is that Colleen will kill her, if given the chance. Sun may have transferred this intention to Ben, that he is ultimately out to kill all the survivors. But I think the best reason is the dear she has when she loses her ring--here she has made a committment to Jin, and anything or anyone that gets in between them, beware.

Now that I've had this little break, back to wrapping gifts.

The Question Mark said...

@ EvaHart: I was also totally convinced that Sun blamed Jack, which would have made for some interesting dramatic tension between the two of them. People not trusting Ben isn't exactly news; to have seen Sun whip out a gun and point it at Dr. Giggles' face would have been shocking and exciting.

THE CHOCOLATES = DELICIOUS!!!

And speaking of delicious, I think that this is the hottest Kate has ever looked in the history of the show. :)

Rebecca T. said...

@Nikki: I believe that the island is controlling the bloops, and that they showed the beam of light to Locke to show him his lowest moment, perhaps to spur him on to keep going, reminding him of how far he’s come.

The thing I find interesting is that Locke keeps coming back to this moment and it continually either renews or disrupts his faith.

Sawyer has a couple of really telling lines in this episode. He says, "It doesn't matter what I want." And that's pretty much been true throughout his life. I think he feels like so much has been decided for him - that "fate" has handed him a raw deal. Later, when asked what he saw in the jungle he says, "It don't matter, it's gone now." Also very true about his life. Everything he's ever cared about has been taken away. First his parents, then his stability, Cassidy (whom I believe he truly cared about), his daughter, Kate and - yet to come - Juliet.

I really want to know who was shooting at them in the boat!

Susan said...

Sonshine Music, while I agree with you that Sawyer really cared for Cassidy, I don't think she was taken away from him. He made a conscious choice against her and lost her because of his own doing.

Rebecca T. said...

@Susan: My view on Cassidy is that Sawyer left her in order to protect her from the man who threatened both of them. I could be wrong, but if that is the case then she was taken from him by his partner (or whoever that guy was).

Susan said...

That's true SonshineMusic, but if he really cared about her he would have quit the con when she caught him the first time.

Rebecca T. said...

But when Cassidy caught him the first time he barely knew her. After that they spent months or at least weeks together and he fell in love. By then he was in too deep and his partner threatened both of them if he didn't follow through. Also, there's nothing to show that the partner wouldn't have done the same thing if he'd tried to back out at the beginning.

Of course, it's not explicitly laid out there, so it's all up to personal interpretation. Either way could be, this is just my opinion.

verification: weedess - a female weed

M9 EGO said...

Can someone help me out and remind me why Kate and Claire on the 'birth' timeline do not see the white flash when the island jumps YET in other flashes people from two differnet timelines have seen the the white flash ? Is there anything that determines which timeline 'jump' and which don't ?...I hope this question makes sense !

Susan said...

As far as I can tell, Desmond is the only non-jumper who can see the flashes, and remember, he is special.

glf said...

This is the great thing about the Rewatch, some things seem simpler and clearer now. Example - One annoying titbit Q from S5 was who were Gabriel and Jeffrey (mentioned by Ben to Jill in "The Lie")??
It seems obvious to me now that they were the dudes with the stun guns and then the one in the hospital after Sayid. Therefore, Ben was behind the majority of the things happening to the O6.

crazyinlost said...

@M9EGO-I think Rousseau mentioned something when Jin disappeared, so maybe Kate and Clair were otherwise 'occupied' and weren't paying attention. Also, I believe RA mentions John disappearing in a flash of light also.

crazyinlost said...

Sorry, said 'also' twice!

Susan said...

Danielle just says Jin "disappeared." Richard did see the flash of light, but everyone saw it, including the Oceanic 6, because it was the flash from Ben's turning of the wheel.

Blam said...

Fred: Sayid goes all commando on those attacking him and Hurley.
Okay, so my immediate thought is, "How does Fred know that Sayid isn't wearing underpants?" Ah, colloquialisms...
...
Verification word: cable — Uh...

Fred said...

@Blam: Of course Sayid isn't wearing underpants. Who else but a cool, action hero kinda ninja-moves, death defying Iraqi superman would wear underwear. It would just bunch up--and besides if his enemies knew he had underpants on, they'd try to give him a super weggie.

crazyinlost said...

@Blam-"How does Fred know that Sayid isn't wearing underpants?"
hahahahaha, I KNEW you were gonna say that!

tiasabita said...

super late to the party here but just got my s5 dvd on the 31st!!

my question - does kate know that jack is aaron's uncle? in the car at mz. littleton's hotel jack says that aaron is my family too and kate nods. does she know they are related by blood or just thinks they're family due to all they've been thru together? and in sawyer's time jump watching kate and claire and kate says "this baby is all of ours", pretty deep!!

tiasabita said...

super late to the party here but just got my s5 dvd on the 31st!!

my question - does kate know that jack is aaron's uncle? in the car at mz. littleton's hotel jack says that aaron is my family too and kate nods. does she know they are related by blood or just thinks they're family due to all they've been thru together? and in sawyer's time jump watching kate and claire and kate says "this baby is all of ours", pretty deep!!

crazyinlost said...

@tiasabita-I'm pretty sure Kate knows about Jack and Claire, since in "Something Nice Back Home", he says to Kate, concerning Aaron, "Your'e not even related to him!" And also, in "Eggtown" Kate tells Jack she understands why he feels uncomfortable around 'him' which I've always believed to be Aaron. IMO, Jack told Kate right after the funeral, since he was so shaken up about it, and Kate was there for him to console in.

RosieP said...

I found Kate and Jack's reaction to Carole Littleton's presence rather interesting. They were the ones who had illegally kept Aaron from his true family, yet they were regarding Claire's mother as some potential kidnapper. Real interesting.

The Rush Blog said...

Before this episode had aired, I thought that Jack was behind the lie regarding Aaron and Kate. Then I discovered that Kate was behind the lie . . . for her own selfish reasons. I wonder how anyone can live with him or herself for keeping a child from his family for so long? Two-and-a-half years! Even worse, Kate and Jack never bothered to find out if Aaron had any relatives still living.

To make an innocent child a victim of one's deception or crime is the worst thing possible. It's just awful.