Last week, honestly, I was too concerned and upset and hormonal about CPSIA to blog about LOST. I’m still concerned and upset, but I’m past the hormones. So, this week you get a two-fer. My thoughts on last week’s episode, This Place Is Death, and this week’s, 316.

This Place Is Death:

Dare I say, this episode is about Death. Lots of death. the French girl Nadine is killed by the smoke monster. The other three French guys get some sort of evil disease, and Rousseau kills them. Charlotte dies. John Locke goes back to not-Island time and place, and we know that he dies. Sun almost kills Ben. But maybe the Island is Death. Have you noticed that nobody has died off-island, except for Locke? Michael had to go back to the Island, or nearby, before he could die. Lots of people have died on the island, but none of the people who left have died —yet. As for Locke, why does he have to leave the island? He doesn’t really gather up all the Losties and bring them back. Instead, he dies. Does he have to leave the island in order to die?

What does it mean that the Island is Death? Are we back to purgatory? Nope, that theory was denied several seasons ago by the writers. And if the Island is a place of Death, it’s also a place where people are healed, come back to life. Rose at least thinks she’s been healed of her cancer. Locke could walk again. For some people. the island is Death, and for others it’s Life? By the way, I read somewhere that the name on the side of the van Ben is driving in this episode, Canton-Rainier, is an anagram for “reincarnation.” Not a coincidence, but I’m not sure what it means either.

316:

Numbers. The LOST numbers, the “cursed” numbers are 4 8 15 16 23 42. The original plane that crashed was Oceanic Flight 815. Now, the Oceanic Six are returning to the island on Ajira Flight 316. Why not 416, to go with the numbers? Because the numbers “316” mean something new. I googled and 316 is the title of a Van Halen song, an instrumental number that Van Halen named after the birthdate of his son. 316 also evokes the Biblical reference John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

I don’t think the writers are preaching (yet), but that Biblical reference does tie into the whole theme of “believing.” “I wish you had believed me,” read John’s note. Jack’s still not sure he believes. Ben (of all people) comes nearest to preaching when he retells the story of the apostle Thomas who had enough faith to follow Jesus to his probable death, but not enough to believe in the resurrection. Ben’s priceless line, “We’re all convinced, sooner or later, Jack” echoes Philippians 2:8-11:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: hat at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

On the one hand, I like all the Biblical and Christian references, but on the other hand, I like my religion “pure and undefiled.” There are also references on LOST to reincarnation, psychics and astrology, numerology, TIbetan Buddhism, and and who knows what else. I hope they’re not throwing everything in there helter-skelter, Matrix-style, and hoping that everyone will fixate on what fits with their belief system and ignore the rest. Or hoping for some sort of religious/philosophical syncretism that doesn’t really work, even in a fantasy. So, I would agree with Ben, that we’re all convinced sooner or later, but convinced of what? It matters not only that one believes, but also WHAT one believes. Or to (loosely) quote the latest episode of House that I also watched today, “Quit saying A truth! A truth! There is only one truth.

We keep being reminded that Ben is NOT a good guy and not trustworthy. Jack asks Eloise Hawking if Ben is telling the truth, and she answers, “Probably not.” Jack asks what is going to happen to all the other people on the plane, and Ben says, “Who cares?” Jack asks Ben how he can read, and Ben lies, for absolutely no reason, saying “My mother taught me me how.” (Ben’s mom died at his birth.) I think Ben went to kill Penny as his “loose end to tie up” because he promised Widmore that he would kill his daughter in retribution for the murder of Alex. Why is Ben on the plane anyway? I think he only kept the Oceanic Six alive and helped them go back because it was HIS only way of returning. I don’t think he was supposed to return; I’m not sure he was “supposed” to be the Leader of the Others. In other words, I think Ben is the fly in the ointment.

By the way, I haven’t read Ulysses, don’t plan to read it, especially not since Ben was reading it on the plane. It must be an evil book.

I can hardly wait to find out the story of how and why Sayid, Hurley, and Kate changed their minds and got on the plane. And what’s Jin doing in a Dharma suit?

Oh, I love the Narnia references, and even the Star Wars and Star Trek nods. Charlotte said the only other language she spoke was Klingon. The underground Pendulum Station was called The Lamppost. Locke returns in next week’s episode(?), hooded and looking just like good old Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Thinklings discussion of LOST 316: “I don’t know how comfortable I am with John Locke being a Christ figure, but that certainly seems to be where they are going with this. How do you feel about that? ”

Rocks in My Dryer: “We learn that Mrs. Hawking and her crew have been hanging out in a bizarre laboratory with a giant swinging pendulum that searches for The Island. I think I may have missed a few important plots elements at this point, because I was distracted by the way all the characters walked right around the pendulum perfectly gracefully, and I wondered when it was going to knock someone over. PLEASE, WHACK BEN!”

SO, what did you think of this week’s episode of LOST? What did it make you think about? Leave a comment, and I’ll link.