(S02E19) Tonight's episode, S.O.S. (or as I like to call it: Couple's Night), centered around two
characters' back stories which we've all been longing to see (or at least Ryan has as he's mentioned it in nearly every
single one of our Lost podcasts): Rose and Bernard. Rose and Bernard aren't just an interracial married couple
marooned on an island. They would seem to be symbolic of lots of the dichotomies going on in Lost land. One of
them was a front-ender and the other a tail-ender, so to a certain degree they are the link that brings the two
non-Other "tribes" of the island together. In the opening scene, we also discover that they represent another
all-too-common dichotomy of the island: those who want to escape from the island and those who are satisfied to stay and
begin building a life on the island. Bernard very vocally notices to Rose that while his end of the plane were fighting
to survive, her end was busy building kitchens on the beach, and he claims that they've "given up on being
rescued."More, with spoilers, after the break...
Now before I get back to Rose and Bernard and why I think they're important, I want to further explain why I call
tonight's episode "Couple's Night." The second main story line to this episode involves Jack traipsing off
into the jungle to confront the Others and try to set up an exchange, a fair trade: Henry Gale (the man in the bunker)
for Walt. And who does Jack choose to take along on this trip? Kate of course. There are lots of interesting moments
between the two in the journey worthy of note. As they walk along they have the typical married couple-esque bickering
that we see mirrored in Rose and Bernard's disagreement throughout the episode. This bickering revolves around
different topics, like how Kate never told Jack about finding the other bunker with the makeup kit and the beard, and
how Jack has excluded Kate from the group dealing with Henry Gale, locked in his box in the bunker.
Also,
Kate ignores Jack and walks into one of Rousseau's traps. They are both stuck in a hanging bag, face to face, bodies
pressed together, and they are both awkwardly trying to avoid inconveniencing the other in the most "we're about
to kiss any minute" way. They don't of course because this is T.V. and the T stands for tease. They both try to
shoot the rope and set themselves free and Jack succeeds after a nice little "listen to me . . . no give *me* the
gun" tug of war that is again the same bickering / flirting that Kate is so good at with both Sawyer and Jack.
At the end of the episode, they are both sitting at a campfire where Jack has shouted himself hoarse taunting
the Others and asking them to come forward and make a trade. Kate says, "I'm sorry I kissed you." Jack looks
at her and says, "I'm not." And then they exchange an indecipherable look and would appear to just start to
think about leaning into each other when Michael comes running out of the woods with a torch, collapses, and the
episode ends.
Whew! Now that that story line is done with, let's get to the more interesting bits: back to
Rose and Bernard... oh, wait, I forgot to mention the Locke subplot. After we leave Rose and Bernard at the very
beginning and before Jack runs off into the woods, we are presented a view of Locke, sitting in front of the computer
in the hatch, obsessing over a piece of paper where he's trying to remember what he'd seen on the wall when the door
came down on his leg, all the while as the timer has started it's final countdown and there is a beep beep beep. Jack
jars him back to reality and he enters the numbers, but stares ruefully at the clock as it resets. So, the whole
episode, Locke obsesses about the drawings on the wall and whether or not Henry actually entered the numbers and hit
the button. At one point he goes up to the door where Henry Gale is locked up and asks him if he really didn't push the
button. We see Henry smiling at this point, because he realizes he's managed to get to Locke. Anyway, this subplot
wasn't really enthralling. Basically, Locke is shown losing his faith in the whole number button business (and he tells
Ana "It's not my button" when she presses it for him while he's out wandering about the island). But he seems
to recapture some of his love of the island from season one, before he was locked up in the hatch all the time, and
this seems to occur because of a shared experience with none other than Rose.
So, thankfully, rather than
using different actors to play a young Rose and a young Bernard and giving us a whole big swatch of their lives, we
simply receive their lives since they met one another, which as it turns out would appear to be under a year ago. They
meet when her car is stuck in the snow and he helps her get it out, her protesting all the while that she would have
gotten out of it by herself (again playing up the bickering flirting like Jack and Kate have). But then as he starts to
leave, she takes the initiative and offers to buy him a cup of coffee. Then the next flashback, they are sitting with a
view of waterfalls and Bernard gets down on one knee to propose to her, a mere 5 months after they met, as he's been a
lifelong bachelor and yet he feels as if he's known her forever. This occurs immediately after she is admonishing him
for not admiring the view. And as he is down on his knee she reveals that she is dying of cancer with only a year to
live. He presses on with his proposal despite her news, and she accepts.
The next flashback occurs while
they are on their honeymoon in Australia and Bernard has arranged for Rose to see a healer without her knowing about
it. This section is particularly interesting because it begins with them driving through the outback, Rose saying
"We're lost" and Bernard, who is driving, maintaining "We're not lost." This was very layered, as
it's a comment on their future lives on the island, as well as a slight reveal that Bernard had an agenda to have her
see his healer. But ultimately they were both simultaneously right. They weren't lost, because Bernard knew where they
were going, but they were lost because the healer worked by pulling energies from the earth and the spot in Australia
wasn't the right spot to heal Rose. Rose tells the healer thanks anyway and resolves to tell Bernard that it worked and
that she was healed.
The next flashback occurs right before the flight. At the airport, as they prepare to
leave their honeymoon. They're newlyweds. I still cannot get over that. Anyway, Bernard walks off and she drops her
medicine out of her bag and who should roll by in his wheelchair to hand her her dropped drugs, but Locke.
There's an interesting moment in this episode when Rose walks up to Locke sitting on the beach and says, "You're
sitting in my spot." As they are sitting there talking, she notes that he'll be back up and walking in no time, and
he says to her: "Jack says four weeks." She responds, "You and I both know it won't take that long."
She knows that the island healed Locke's legs and that it will do so again, and she also knows that the island has
healed her too and she tells Bernard this at the end and he promises her that they will never leave the island. He
gives up on his futile effort to build a big S.O.S. in the sand. So, again, they are lost and found at the same time.
Lost on the island, but found in each other and her health.
All in all it was an interesting episode,
although I'm not really sure what Locke is thinking of his entire exchange with Rose or about the hatch and the numbers
at this point. Also, the show went for the song montage ending showing different couples hanging out. Another reason I
call the episode 'couples'. Notably, Sawyer's partner was the dog. Is someone going to die soon?
The Dharma Initiative wants you - VIDEO - Comic-Con Report
Forget the Knight Rider movie, say the series creators - TCA Report
Giveaway Monday: TV Funhouse
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-12-2006 @ 11:49PM
Vince said...
a little easter egg(is it?)that caught my eye:
When Locke was drawing his map on a piece of paper I recognized the poem by Alfred de Musset here it is:
36. SUR LES D?UTS DE MESDEMOISELLES RACHEL ET PAULINE GARCIA
Ainsi donc, quoi qu'on dise, elle ne tarit pas,
La source immortelle et f?nde
Que le coursier divin fit jaillir sous ses pas;
Elle existe toujours, cette s? du monde,
Elle coule, et les dieux sont encore ici-bas!
A quoi nous servent donc tant de luttes frivoles,
Tant d'efforts toujours vains et toujours renaissants?
Un chaos si pompeux d'inutiles paroles,
Et tant marteaux impuissants
Frappant les anciennes idoles?
Discourons sur les arts, faisons les connaisseurs;
Nous aurons beau changer d'erreurs
Comme un libertin de ma?esse,
Les lilas au printemps seront toujours en fleurs,
Et les arts immortels rajeuniront sans cesse.
Discutons nos travers, nos r?s et nos go?
Comparons ?oisir le moderne et l'antique,
Et ferraillons sous ces drapeaux jaloux!
Quand nous serons au bout de notre rh?rique,
Deux enfants n?d'hier en sauront plus que nous.
?jeunes coeurs remplis d'antique po?e,
Soyez les bienvenus, enfants ch?s des dieux
Vous avez le m? ? et le m? g?e.
La douce clart?oit b?e
Que vous ramenez dans nos yeux!
Allez! que le bonheur vous suive!
Ce n'est pas du hasard un caprice inconstant
Qui vous fit na?e au m? instant.
Votre m? ici-bas, c'est la Muse attentive
Qui sur le feu sacr?eille ?rnellement.
Ob?sez sans crainte au dieu qui vous inspire.
Ignorez, s'il se peut, que nous parlons de vous.
Ces plaintes, ces accords, ces pleurs, ce doux sourire,
Tous vos tr?rs, donnez-les-nous
Chantez enfants, laissez-nous dire.
It is a bit too long to translate but there is something interesting(that's the verse that was visible on the page):
Young hearts full of antique poetry
Be welcome, children deared by the gods
You have the same age and the same genius
Be blessed the sweet clarity
You bring back to our eyes
the last verse is also interesting:
Obey without fear to the god that inspire you
Ignore, if possible, that we talk about you
These complaints, these agreements, these tears, this sweet smile,
All your treasures, give them to us
Sing children, let us say it
That you bring back to our eyes!
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 12:06AM
Maurice Tift said...
I liked the way Ana Lucia said "I pushed your button."
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 12:20AM
station3 said...
watch the preview for 2x20
http://www.dharmasecrets.com/forum/index.php?topic=2791.0
OMG in 2 weeks!!!
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 1:05AM
Chris Devers said...
That wasn't just "some waterfall" that Rose & Bernard were having dinner at -- it was Niagara Falls. Note that in the scene where he helped her get her car out of the snow, she had New York plates, so Niagara isn't necessarily far from home.
And that also wasn't just them being "lost in the Outback" -- they were heading towards Ayer's Rock, officially known as Uluru. Note that the healer's name was Isaac Uluru -- the last name was a clear hint, and the first name means "the child of promise".
Both Niagara and Uluru are ancient geographical features where unique and powerful geographic forces have been at work for a long, long time. And while I'm not aware of such claims about Niagara Falls (please correct me if I'm uninformed here), the Aborigines see Uluru as a sacred place. (But even if Niagara doesn't hold any mystical meaning, it's still an important source of hydroelectric power for New York and Ontario.)
Clearly, the implication is that the island is another such geologically (and mystically?) unique place, at which great powers have been at work long before humans came along. We didn't create these powers, but we've been trying to harness them. So it is with the island as well...
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 1:11AM
Chris Devers said...
That wasn't just "some waterfall" that Rose & Bernard were having dinner at -- it was Niagara Falls:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls
Note that in the scene where he helped her get her car out of the snow, they had New York plates, so Niagara isn't necessarily far from home for them.
And that also wasn't just them being "lost in the Outback" -- they were heading towards Ayer's Rock, officially known as Uluru:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru">Uluru.
Note that the healer's name was Isaac Uluru -- the last name was a clear hint, and the first name means
"the child of promise":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac
Layers and layers of meaning there...
Both Niagara and Uluru are ancient geographical features where unique and powerful geographic forces have been at work for a long, long time. And while I'm not aware of such claims about Niagara Falls (please correct me if I'm uninformed here), the Aborigines see Uluru as a sacred place. (But even if Niagara doesn't hold any mystical meaning, it's still an important source of hydroelectric power for New York and Ontario.)
Clearly, the implication is that the island is another such geologically (and mystically?) unique place, at which great powers have been at work long before humans came along. We didn't create these powers, but we've been trying to harness them. So it is with the island as well...
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 1:26AM
Roberto said...
Everything about Michael being gone so long just gives me the really strong feeling that he hasn't been captured by the others...he's JOINED them.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 2:46AM
Walt said...
First off, a note to the LOST producers: Don't make the show four minutes longer unless you're going to put four minutes of stuff worth watching in that time. Face it -- you stretched the material for a time stunt. The 90 seconds at the end could have indeed been the end of the show, if you'd have just cut the crap out of the preceeding 10 minutes. /EndRant
Now, my big complaint: I hate to see Rose, one of my favorite actresses on the show, be used in such a "filler" episode. This show was just a connector, and it lost quite a bit of emotional steam from the previous eps. There had better not be a filler show in two weeks when the next one ep airs.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 2:50AM
Chris Arndt said...
I get the feeling that Michael has actually been gone for less than a week.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 6:36AM
Dr. Funbags said...
I get the feeling that Rose and Bernard are the "Adam & Eve" that they found first season. Lets do the Time Warp again!
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 8:33AM
Guido said...
Same old Same old.. except worse.
This show broke away from the usual 80% back story 20% progress we are used to .. to a whopping 95% back story and 5% progress.
As much as I love have to read on the Internet the next day what the hell happened in the backstory that *may* mean something to the overall story.. it doesn't make for good TV.
I hope the producers read these blogs and understand we can handle maybe a 50/50 split with backstory and progress, but crap like last night is way to much. I'm close to done with this show, this is turning in Days of Our Lives, where nothing happens for months at a time.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 8:46AM
Tom said...
All I know is I jumped for joy when I saw Wayne Pygram's name in the openers. Go Scorpius! Even if it was a small role!
Anyway, I didn't find the episode too amazing. It's weird, though. So many people seem to get so ANGRY at a less than great episode. So it was kinda crappy. Who cares? Every show's gonna have its ups and downs. Chill. You'll live longer.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 8:58AM
Kira said...
"hope the producers read these blogs and understand we can handle maybe a 50/50 split with backstory and progress"
Please don't use the word "we"...as you don't speak for everyone. I love the backstory and am not in any hury to rush through the storylines of this show. I am happy going along for the ride, as is most everyone I know who watches this show.
If you don't like it, thats fine, but please don't speak for everyone.
Loved the show, thought there were lots of things to chew on last night, and glad to see Micheal back. Should be interesting.
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4-13-2006 @ 9:27AM
joe said...
i think my only real problem with this episode was my disappointment in discovering that the actors playing bernard and rose, sam anderson and l. scott caldwell, just do not have very much on-screen chemistry together. it really stuck out for me once the show switched to the kate/jack storyline and we could see real sparks fly between them.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 9:59AM
Chris W said...
I really liked the episode and I do think that Rose and Bernard have a lot of chemistry... I think it's just that they're older and a bit more jaded, but their intimacy jumped out of the screen at the end.
I get such kicks from seeing such pettiness from people marooned on a desert island. "Why didn't you tell me? Cause you didn't tell me!" Very entertaining.
Glad to see Locke changing his tune a little bit; he'll be more useful now. Sawyer feels dissed, something's going to go down soon. Something's fishy about Michael... in the previews Michael seems very adamant about taking Jack & co to the Others (sounds a bit like a trap to me). I think Desmond should come back and whip our Losties into shape.
Quote of the episode:
Bernard (to Eko): "I liked you better when you were hitting people with your stick"
Charlie (to EKo): "I like you just the way you are."
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 10:24AM
Su said...
I work on thursdays and for the last two weeks I haven't been able to because I am too busy obsessing over finding out as much as i can about what is going on or what other people are thinking about. I can work today....(after i finish writing this)...I enjoyed last nights episode and i really like that they finally started the Rose / Bernard story.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 10:25AM
Toby OB said...
Sorry for the bad symbolism, but Bernard and Rose don't throw off sparks like Jack and Kate because they're more grounded.
I only apologize once. 8^)
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 10:28AM
Gordy said...
I love the Rose character. Very enjoyable episode.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 11:00AM
Billy said...
Thank all of you for helping to understand a little bit about what's going on. I love the show and NEVER miss a single one. I can't wait for the day they reproduce it on DVD so I can go back and forth through all the episodes. I know I am missing so much (see above for details I missed especially by the blogger.)
lol
Billy
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4-13-2006 @ 11:15AM
TuckerKatt said...
Nice to finally see someone trying to get rescued...odd to see how hard it was to convince other people to help, and disappointing to see it die on the vine. Why is nobody concerned with being rescued (apart from Rose & Locke who are benefiting from being on the island)?
Rose and Bernard are one of those classic 'opposites attract' TV relationships that make no sense.
Another boring episode. Wake me up when something finally happens on this show.
Reply
4-13-2006 @ 11:59AM
Aaron Peck said...
HAHA, well whoever was talking about a filler show in two weeks, sorry but the one at the beginning of May is going to be one of those recap episodes. In order for us all to have a 2 hour season finale, sorry!
Reply