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Lost (US thread)

 
  

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Aertho
02:58 / 24.02.06
In Boboss's defense, he merely asked for consideration regarding that particular kind of information. He reiterated several times that he was aware that my "spoilers" weren't exactly "spoilers", but merely spoiled things for him. Granted, he's reading the US thread when he ought not to be... but Bobossy's ma frend.
 
 
Spaniel
09:37 / 24.02.06
Like Chad said, Keith, I did cover that, however if you're uncomfortable with my request feel free to ignore it. It wouldn't be impossible for me to come to this thread after shows have aired.

To reiterate, just because I'm a Brit and don't have immediate access to the trailers doesn't mean I couldn't choose to watch them (the trailers can be downloaded). In that way I think my situation is more than comparable to yours: you can choose whether to watch them, it's not compulsory. Following that logic, I'm assuming that I'm not the only poster to this thread that chooses not to. Especially given the fact that the trailers - from what I've heard - can be incredibly revealing. So much so that, in last week's podcast, Damon Lindeloff and Whatshisface (the show's creators, for God's sake) made tacitly disapproving comments about ABC's willingness to lay bare major plot points.

Personally I think such behaviour from the network is inconsiderate and possibly bad for the show, but then it seems to me that American networks don't often work in their shows' best interests, hence the current two week break and the subsequent month long hiatus.

Buncha berks, if you ask me.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
13:30 / 24.02.06
Oh hey, no ill will to anyone...I don't have a problem with curbing some of the spoiler-y qualities of those previews. It's just that it's more than likely that a lot of people have seen them, so it's hard to manage what someone is going to let slip through the course of discussing what might be coming...

they certainly are a little more revealing that I'd like, but odds are dead-on that what is revealed is in that preview is ALL that is going to happen next week, haha. I think we can surmise that there are other stations on the island before this next episode.
 
 
_Boboss
13:44 / 24.02.06
so i keep hearing and hearing and hearing (well, in the guardian and the bookseller, both in the last half hour)about how sales for the third policeman have rocketed since it got a brief cameo on lost recently. lost script dude is all 'it makes things a lot clearer'

so they're all dead / in a bardo then? spoil that motherfuckers.
 
 
Spaniel
13:46 / 24.02.06
We did indeed.

A caduceus, eh? I'm inclined to think there's no singular symbological reference point for all the stations (like Mel's aforementioned "love"), 'cause I suspect all the stations serve slightly different purposes, and I'm inclined to think that it is those purposes that are represented by the symbols.

Course the caduceus is often associated with medicine...
 
 
Aertho
13:53 / 24.02.06
Well, right. And the main bunker is a Chernobyl-esque nuke facility with magnetic properties, gun storage, and a mysterious countdown that-will-end-the-world(maybe). I'm wondering if anybody, anywhere has a frame of reference why such a place would be denoted "The Swan". Literary, mythological, cultural, etc. Anyone?
 
 
Spaniel
13:54 / 24.02.06
Are they dead? Hmmm, it it is the most obvious explanation, and for a while I was sold on it, but I'm inclined to think that the existence of the viral websites points to them being alive (at least in some sense of the word), as the websites clearly position themselves in a fictional world beyond the island. The Hansos and the Dharma Corporation and Oceanic Airlines have all been given a life beyond the Losties experience - a life that we can access

That said, whilst the viral campaign seems to suggest that they are still alive who's to say the creators won't trample all over their own internal logic?
 
 
Spaniel
13:55 / 24.02.06
I'm wondering if anybody, anywhere has a frame of reference why such a place would be denoted "The Swan". Literary, mythological, cultural, etc. Anyone?

I've tried to come up with something satisfactory, but so far zilch.
 
 
Aertho
13:58 / 24.02.06
Which makes you wait for the others, to build a pattern or a system to decode. Arrow & (what appears to be) Caduceus... And that's where my head explodes.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
18:42 / 24.02.06
I'm wondering if anybody, anywhere has a frame of reference why such a place would be denoted "The Swan". Literary, mythological, cultural, etc. Anyone?

Certainly The Ugly Duckling story as mentioned above by Mr. Tulpa, right? It seems that this fits in nicely with the "not good people/in a better place/human advancement" talk of the Others/Hanso, especially that conversation Secret Other Guy had with Ana-Lucia before she stabbed him...
 
 
Spaniel
19:19 / 24.02.06
Weird Lost sychronicity23!

I came to this thread with the intention of posting about the Ugly Duckling, and what do I find?

Such a bloody obvious possibility, and it's taken me this long to think if it - too busy looking at mythology websites and suchlike.
 
 
Aertho
19:26 / 24.02.06
Well YEAH, Ugly Duckling. But a nuclear reactor tied to a recurring countdown. How does that compute?
 
 
Spaniel
20:12 / 24.02.06
I dunno, just playing with a theory.

Maybe it's not a nuclear reactor.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
20:20 / 24.02.06
Yeah, I figured it was some sort of electromagnetic wave thingamabob. You know, one of those.

Plus (I can't access the actual Hanso website), but the Wikipedia page says that The Swan station was "originally designed to be a laboratory where scientists could study the unique electromagnetic fluctuations in that sector of the island." Was that in the Orientation film?
 
 
Eskay Uno
23:16 / 24.02.06
I read on another site that the heiroglyphs most likely mean/refer to death. But that can be like the Tarot death, which is more indicative of change/transformation, right? And the nuclear reactor is powering something big...
 
 
doglikesparky
08:53 / 25.02.06
I'm not so sure. I just don't buy the Ugly Duckling theory, it just doesn't sit comfortably with me. I don't know why but it just seems, well, wrong.
As was mentioned (and what I'm more inclined to go with) it seems that each of the stations' symbols have something to do with their individual function.
As we've seen, the Swan station is the one that deals with electromagnetics and with that in mind, perhaps it's been named with something like this in mind.
Although, more likely, within the shows own mythology, they've probably just been named after the scientists that originally designed them and this one was built by Professor Swan or some such and we just haven't been told that yet.
 
 
Spaniel
09:16 / 25.02.06
Can we just hold back on the nuclear power plant thing, 'cause there is absolutely no solid evidence that that's what we're dealing with.

As for the Ugly Duckling, what I think you're missing, Sparky, is that in this show everything is brought back to the characters. Whatever the Swan is, it is tied to their development (for good or ill or both) in some way, and that's why the Ugly Duckling theory is so appealing. That's not to say, however, that I am utterly sold on it (it does seem very very obvious, perhaps overly so), just that it makes sense in terms of how the show has worked up 'til now.

I suspect - although I'm not convinced - that the names of the bunkers won't simply map across some internal mythology, mainly because the show's creators seem to be very keen on making references to real world art and culture.

Oh, I still think the names of the bunkers are linked to their use.

Onwards. Thinking about it Jack would certainly recognise, and probably know something (if not a lot) about the history and symbological meaning of, the Caduceus.
 
 
doglikesparky
10:34 / 25.02.06
From Wikipedia : The caduceus is used interchangeably with the Rod of Asclepius, especially in the United States. Historically, the two astrological symbols had distinct meanings in alchemical and astrological principles.

Alchemical and astrological could (very) tenuously lead us to Science vs Religion which, of course, brings us back to Jack and Locke.
I do get that maybe I'm reaching a bit here but I thought it was interesting...
 
 
Spaniel
11:16 / 25.02.06
I don't think Locke represents a religious force, particularly. More the power of will and faith.

Eko's the religious character.
 
 
doglikesparky
11:43 / 25.02.06
That's fair enough. I said religion but perhaps should have gone with faith instead.
Even so, I'm still reaching.
 
 
Aertho
17:25 / 25.02.06
Don't forget Locke's name.

So far, everybody's name means something... James Ford, Kate(Catherine) Austen, Walt Lloyd... etc. So names of things, like the Black Rock, Flight 815, The Swan... would mean things too.

If anything, we've got another representation of philosophical battles. Sawyer's an opportunist/capitalist, John's obviously inner faith and self-drive, and Eko, though seemingly tied to conventional religios faith structures, may see bigger pictures than any of them.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
13:56 / 01.03.06
Apparently Entertainment Weekly has a theory. Not sure I buy it.

This link doesn't have any spoilers in the open, but it has inviso spoilers if you choose, fyi.
 
 
Spaniel
14:41 / 01.03.06
I might have to swear off this thread for a while as I'm thinking about saving up a few episodes and watching them back -to-back. The breaks are really getting to me, and really spoiling my fun.

Course, I might not be able to resist.
 
 
Bear
15:14 / 01.03.06
The breaks are getting very annoying. New episode tonight and then another break of 4 weeks, is that right?

Think I might do the same thing although I doubt I'd last until the end of the season without giving in and watching what I've collected.
 
 
Spaniel
15:31 / 01.03.06
I don't intend to wait until the end of the series, just until I have enough saved to weather any future gaps between episodes
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
19:35 / 01.03.06
yeah, i agree it's getting really tiresome this season. not sure why they think this is a good thing to do...i would even rather they hold this episode tonight until they can do the rest of the season in one nonstop go...

unfortunately I'm a TV junkie, so sitting down tonight to watch a hour is all too easy.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
01:07 / 02.03.06
well, shit yeah! that was a good episode. girl's night out accomplished more than saayid, locke, and jack ever have, haha.

lots of...not answers...information in this one, not the least of which was a better idea of just who the Others are and what they want people to think they are.

interestingly, only the second episode of the series with island-location flashbacks, too.
 
 
Yotsuba & Benjamin!
01:18 / 02.03.06
So, officially, it's a given. Every single thing regarding the Others has been fabricated.

What next? Personally this episode was the tipping point, the mythology could have gone totally lame or totally rad. It went way beyond rad. It showed us an ENORMOUS amount about how totally made up the Zeke Others are but still left the fundamental mysteries unsolved. Levels on levels. This show is dangerously teetering on the brink of unequivicable amazingness. We'll see what happens.
 
 
Aertho
01:47 / 02.03.06
So Gale's an Other. Yes. Yes he is.

And Locke's LOSING it.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
02:42 / 02.03.06
do you suppose that Zeke was referring to Alvar Hanso himself?
 
 
Yotsuba & Benjamin!
02:54 / 02.03.06
I'm quite certain whoever He is, He either hasn't been introduced yet, or is Dr. Marvin Candle.

They're being very clever with giving themselves an enormous amount of room to throw in whatever the hell they want as the season and further seasons progress. It's pretty much been their MO all along and as we saw tonight, it works nigh-flawlessly. When they wrapped up the Danielle/Scratch storyline last season, is this what they had in mind? Possibly. But probably not. Yet it goes together so smoothly. It's clear that years of reading comics has taught them how to properly leave room for a retrofit.
 
 
Colonel Kadmon
23:55 / 02.03.06
Y'all seen this?

srigenetics

Haven't quite worked this out yet. The life-extension stuff is intriguing. As is the drug to keep you awake... so you can type a code every 108 minutes?
 
 
iconoplast
01:57 / 03.03.06
Why am I looking at a page about Zombies and Vampires?

Here is an analysis of that page from 2004. I don't think it's part of the Lost universe. Or else I *really* haven't been paying enough attention.
 
 
Spaniel
09:01 / 03.03.06
It's pretty much been their MO all along and as we saw tonight, it works nigh-flawlessly. When they wrapped up the Danielle/Scratch storyline last season, is this what they had in mind? Possibly. But probably not.

Er, why probably not? I mean, I prepared to believe that they didn't plan it this way, but I think it's more than plausible that they did. Okay, so the details probably weren't entirely thrashed out last season, but the idea that Claire escaped with some help from Danielle isn't particularly revelatory or creative if you ask me, and doesn't seem to be a response to recent and inconvenient (narratively speaking) revelations (as things usually are when retroactive continuity is put into effect).
 
 
Spaniel
09:01 / 03.03.06
Oh, you can see that I have a will of IRON!
 
  

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