Episode 5.5 "This Place is Death"

This was maybe my favorite episode of the season so far, just because it was kinda creepy. Here's random thoughts:

BONJOUR AND ADIEU, FRENCH SCIENCE CREW: Well, Rousseau's science expedition didn't last long. I was kind of hoping we'd get to see more of their story. I feel like if the producers hadn't made an agreement to end the show in two seasons that we would have had several episodes of Danielle's saga. Or at least more than a fourth of an episode. With everything happening this quickly it kind feels like the writers are going down the checklist, wrapping up lose ends. Or split ends, as the case may be. HAIR JOKE! But I kid Danielle. Anyway, even if the show is now somehow moving a little faster than I'd like, at least we're getting answers and not "Hey let's play ping pong or golf this episode. Oh, we already did that? Hey, a Foosball table washed up."

So, here's what we learned about Rousseau's misadventures: The Monster attacked and took Montand down what is officially known in geekdom as a "Cerberus Vent", or Smoke Monster Hole In A Temple for the rest of the world. (The blast door map in the hatch called the monster "Cerberus" and labeled several places "CVs" which the producers later revealed stood for Cerberus Vent. Read up on the monster here.) Then the rest of the crew went in the hole (except Danielle, thanks to Jin). Flash to a what can't be more than 2 months later (because Rousseau is still pregnant) and we see that Danielle has killed all of her crew except Robert. Robert tells Danielle that the monster is actually a security system, so now we know why Danielle said that back in Season 1. Then she has to shoot possessed Robert, but apparently keeps the nice music box he gave her.


WERE THE CREW POSSESSED? I don't think they were smoke monster apparitions because you could shoot and kill them. Maybe breaching the temple infected them somehow, and made them want to kill anyone not infected. Weird. I hope we get more explanation on that temple and the cause of the "sickness".

FOR THOSE OF YOU WONDERING HOW JIN SURVIVED THE BOAT CRASH: He gave a very succinct answer — "Water." Um, ok. The writers then clarified through Daniel that he was blown away from the boat deck by the blast. Whatever, I'm glad he's back.


CHARLOTTE'S PAST: So, via some wacky time travel of the brain variety we learn that Charlotte was definitely raised on the island. Is it confusing that they're traveling through time while Charlotte's mind is traveling through time on it's own? Yes. She mentions that her mom raised her, and that her dad died on the island, so I'm thinking my earlier theory that her dad was Horace Goodspeed is right on the money. Especially when she mentioned Geronimo Jackson, a band that fans are pretty sure Horace was in, based on pics from the album cover. The album was first seen in the hatch. She then dies right after delivering the shocker that Daniel will one day see her as a child and tell her to never come back to the island.


THE WELL, THE TEMPLE: We're getting to see a lot of crazy old buildings with hieroglyphics lately. I have no idea what it means, but I think it obviously points to an ancient civilization that has lived on the island for some time. Richard's people perhaps. For the record, I don't think this temple is the same one that Richard and the Others were hiding at during the end of last season, but just because it doesn't look big enough. Maybe it keeps going or something.


CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD, AGAIN: Ok, so the monster either likes to appear as Christian Shephard or Christian's ghost is somehow alive and linked to Jacob or my brain just exploded. Either way, a shocking twist for me even though I saw the actors name listed on the credits. Notice he has a lantern and not a flashlight, which you will remember Jacob HATES with a passion. I'm guessing he's an apparition and not there physically since he couldn't or wouldn't help Locke up. Christian/The Island/Jacob's spokesperson tells Locke basically that Ben tricked him yet again. Locke told Ben that he was instructed to move the island, and Ben told Locke that the island meant Ben had to do it. Never trust Ben. It's also very possible Ben was lying about not being able to come back to the island after turning the wheel. Christian also tells Locke that dying is part of his "Sacrifice". I think this is a subtle answer to Locke's question from Season 1. Locke had a dream that the island demanded a sacrifice, and then when Locke acted on the dream, Boone died. So he thought Boone was the sacrifice. But, I think this statement from Christian means that Boone just died, but LOCKE was actually meant to be the sacrifice all along. Kinda cool.


THE FROZEN DONKEY WHEEL, AGAIN: So Locke turns the wheel that Ben turned, and it's obviously jumping in place a bit. Will this fix the time jumps? I hope not because I want to see more of the island's past. Also, we know Daniel keeps moving in time a bit, or at least goes back to see Charlotte and that Marvin Candle guy, so I can only assume the Losties keep time jumping for a bit.

MEANWHILE, OFF-ISLAND: Kate and Sayid bow out of going back. Sun listens to Ben, who tricks her into going back even though I think he knows that Locke promised not to bring her back. Then Desmond shows up at Ms. Hawking's LA church and even Ben looks confused. So we know that Ms. Hawking is for sure Daniel's mom, and most likely Ellie from The Others because her first name is Elouise. Ben slamming the brakes on the van and telling Sun and Jack that he's been protecting them was... suspicious. Can that be true? And obviously he's not protecting them for any other reason than helping himself.

Ok, here's some random theories:


THE RUNWAY: Heard this theory on The Jay and Jack Lost Podcast. Way back in Season 3, the Others were making Kate and Sawyer help them build a "runway." Later, Sawyer asked Juliet why they were building it and she jokingly said "for the aliens", and then admitted that she didn't know. Obviously Jacob told them to do it. Is the runway where the Oceanic Six will land on their return to the island? And did Jacob know that long ago?

GARDEN OF EDEN: So for a while I've wondered if the island is actually the Garden of Eden, not meant to be discovered by man. After Adam and Eve were kicked out for eating from the tree of knowledge, God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword to prevent them from reentering. Is the island the forbidden garden, and the Monster is the cherubim protecting it from the sinful humans who are entering it without permission? Is that why some people are on Jacob's list and some aren't? That they're "good" and "bad" people? And is that why Locke sees the monster as a beautiful light and Eko saw it as terrifying? If so, there's definitely some questionable theology in place (since the Bible teaches that no one is "Good" except God) but it is an interesting idea. Richard could be some kind of archangel, like Michael. Jacob could maybe be the actual Jacob from the bible, but that's even more confusing. Biblical stuff keeps coming up, so I do think this theory is a possibility.


RANDOM FACTS ABOUT JACOB: The name Jacob means "Usurper", someone who takes a position that belongs to someone else. (Like Ben does to Locke.) In the Old Testament, Jacob had a son named Benjamin, and Aaron was his great-great grandson(!) On a side note, some folks think this is the guy who played Jacob, in that brief glimpse of him sitting in the chair in the cabin. But, when asked if Jacob had been cast yet, one of the producers acknowledged that there was indeed someone sitting in the chair, but that the role had not yet been cast. Mysterious. Read up on what little we know on Lost's Jacob here.

NEXT WEEK'S PREVIEW: The next episode is entitled "316". Interesting, see my last post on The Little Prince and Anjira Airlines for a 316 reference. In the clips we see folks getting ready to go back to the island, including Hurley, and we see what appears to be Jack in a suit diving off a waterfall. Naturally. We also see that Kate's back already and smooching Jack to boot. For the record, Kate and Sawyer make a better couple. Jack should stick with the reliable, pouting Juliet.