(S03E17) Poor Desmond. I know that everyone on the island has a sob story, but Desmond is easily the most tragic Lost character. He continues to test himself and seems to be desperate for a sign that he is doing the right thing. Henry Ian Cusick delivered another brilliant performance, proving that he deserves all the screen time that he can get.
The Flashback
The newest piece of Desmond's back story answered a lot of questions about his past behavior. I have always wondered what kept Desmond in the hatch all of those years (besides fear). His preoccupation with purpose, sacrifice, and tests began in a monastery.
It was pretty brutal of Desmond to bail on his six-year relationship with Ruth (a week before the wedding, no less) without telling her where he was going. Greater calling aside, he had that punch coming to him. Desmond is developing a pattern of testing himself in intense ways. As he was explaining his feelings to Ruth, a lot of his statements still apply now. Desmond's gift forces him to put his own desires second to the welfare of others (saving Charlie this week, even if it meant losing Penny). He also sacrificed his relationship with Penny in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" by allowing a sequence of events to occur in the same way.
Desmond has had a tough life so far, and I hope for his sake that his sacrifices are rewarded. Brother Campbell (was that the head monk's name?) kept stressing the value of sacrifice to Desmond, and his efforts have to add up to more than just saving Charlie. Even getting "fired" by the monastery had its benefits. Desmond met Penny for the first time as she came to collect cases of the Moriah Vineyards wine for her father. The man loves rare alcoholic beverages, doesn't he?
The Beach
The great Sawyer-Kate-Jack love triangle has become a square, thanks to Juliet. Jack has to be the worst judge of character in the world. I was actually a little embarrassed for Kate as she engaged in dorky flirting over oatmeal with Jack. After being fairly cold to Kate, he ran off to dine with Juliet, and Kate had to "settle" for sex with Sawyer. Island living is brutal, isn't it? I love that Sawyer has become so desperate that he overlooked being second-best in Kate's eyes. He even stole Bernard's "Best of Phil Collins" tape for her!
At this point, I'm not that concerned with Juliet's role in the romantic tension on the island. If the Others show up in a week as Ben promised, Juliet's loyalties will be exposed eventually. There's no way that this relationship can last.
The Jungle
I would have gladly traded the entire beach romance subplot for more all-male camping scenes. Desmond was convinced that someone was coming to the island, and he was willing to sacrifice Charlie to make it happen. It's interesting that most of the crash survivors avoid the weekly jungle missions, but once Hurley called it camping everyone was on board.
We didn't get a Driveshaft sing-along, but we did get a Korean ghost story. The male bonding was cut short by the sound of the helicopter and its passenger. Was the splash in the ocean an indication that the helicopter crashed, or did it drop something into the water? It seems like a helicopter crashing into the ocean would make more noise, but what do I know? Someone also parachuted into the jungle, but Charlie had to ignore Desmond's hints and wait until daylight to check it out. Charlie really did not make the test easy for Desmond. No wonder Desmond was so conflicted.
I'd like to think that Desmond passed the ultimate test of putting someone else's life over his own happiness. When he saved Charlie from a brutal death (seriously, how awesome was that death scene?), he still thought the mysterious person was Penny. Desmond spent the majority of the episode agonizing over his vision, and I think he made the right choice by saving Charlie.
The mystery woman turned out to be Marsha Thomason, whose character is apparently named Naomi. Naomi knew Desmond by sight, and carried a photo of Desmond and Penny in a Portugese copy of Catch-22. Since the two men who detected the island's electromagnetic anomaly in "Live Together, Die Alone" were Portuguese, I have to believe that Naomi is working for Penny, too.
Final thoughts/questions:
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Sawyer was in rare form tonight. His references to afternoon delight and mix tapes convinced me that he has the emotional maturity of a teenager. But I loved that he called the Others "perverts" when he found out about the Hydra cage-cam. The best line had to be when he asked Juliet and Jack, "Arguing over who's your favorite Other?"
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Was Hurley's reference to the Chupacabra a shout-out to Season One theories about the monster?
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The campers had better bring that satellite phone back to the beach so Sayid can work his magic.
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Did you catch the photo of Mrs. Hawking in the monk's office?
Desmond's episodes are always a little depressing, but he's still one of my favorite characters. Besides Ben and Juliet, he's one of the only characters whose flashbacks I really want to see. All in all, I would give this episode a 6 out of 7. See you next week for "D.O.C."!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
4-19-2007 @ 1:03AM
Nola said...
The recap wasn't bad, but seriously where was Jack being cold to Kate? Where did you see that? Seems as though you're projecting your own thoughts there rather than fact, because they seemed pretty friendly, joking with each other. What's Jack supposed to do ask her permission to have dinner with Juliet?
As far as Jack knows Kate and Sawyer are together. No one, least of all Kate has said otherwise to him, so I wish people would stop acting like he's doing something deliberately to Kate, and more than that I wish Kate would stop being such an idiot and running around acting like her feelings are hurt, over a misunderstanding that she caused and continues to perpetuate.
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4-19-2007 @ 1:06AM
Kiah said...
I loved how Desmond's story of Abraham and Isaac directly related to him feeling that he had to sacrifice Charlie.
Jewelry store lady in the picture with the monk.....spooky! Does that mean that she time traveled and made the man pick Desmond up off the street so that he would eventually push the button?
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4-19-2007 @ 1:39AM
hot zizzy said...
This was an OK episode - I give it a 6.5/10. Besides the end it wasn't that great though. I think most of Desmond's actions were pointless too, because if what he said to Charlie is correct then he can't really change what happens, he can only delay it. Oh yeah, and damn does Kate look fine in that black thong. Anyway, here's my full, much longer review:
http://www.arrogantics.com/2007/04/19/lost-season-3-episode-17-catch-22-review/
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4-19-2007 @ 1:51AM
Gap said...
You like Desmond? Wow... i hate him, i hope he dies instead of Charlie :)
But yes, that was a cool death scene, and it also answsered something. Because people thought that all of Charlie's foreseen deaths had to do with Claire, and that if he was with Claire they would keep coming, but today Claire wasn't even in it, so now we know it has nothing to actually do with Claire.
For some reason, i think saving Charlie and thus making it Naomi not Penny is a little off. But what do i know about Puzzles of the future? My gues is that Naomi does work for Penny, so it's not that bad of a trade off.... still think Desmond should die. I also dont find his flashback as depressing as you do, oh well. Everyone has their favorites, im not saying i didnt hate this episode, i loved it, it was good. Just not a HUGE fan of the Desmond.
Oh, i know what you mean by the Jack being cold to Kate. it wasn't that he was being cruel, it was just that he was like... well cold. Hard to explain.
And i know you thought it was immature, but i thought it was really cute when Sawyer said those things about 'mixed tapes' and such. when he first said that i was thinking 'it would be so cute if he actually made the tape/got it'
I wonder if LOST will ever get a 7/7 from you guys, hopefully at least the Season finale, but maybe even before that. Maybe the ben episode? or the Charlie? i dont really see the D.O.C getting a 7, but oh well, looks good.
I'm ramballing.
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4-19-2007 @ 2:14AM
Nick said...
Love Desmond. He's been of the bright spots of Season 3. He can say "brotha" everytime and I will never not find it cool.
I used to enjoy seeing Evangeline with little clothes on, but now I feel awkward for her after reading that interview where she claims she hates those type of scenes.
I enjoyed Charlie's "death" scene the first time, but I felt it was flashbacked to way too many times to the point where it lost the effect.
In keeping with the Bible theme, Naomi was a refugee who also believed women must find husbands to care for them. She's obviously come to find Desmond for Penny, but I'm very interested as to where the writers will go with this.
Was it just me or did the beach scenes seem particularly beautfiul this episode? I don't know, maybe I've been watching too much Scrubs and dreary hospital shows, but the shot of Jin on the beach and the clouds over the jungle were simply breathtaking.
That's all I got. And remember, "everybody loves marshmallows".
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4-19-2007 @ 2:16AM
BigTed said...
Did anybody really think it was going to be Penny under that Power Rangers helmet? Not much of a surprise there.
What I don't understand about Desmond's vision of the future is: If he wants things to go the way they're predestined to, why tell anyone or do anything differently at all? He was presumably going to take that trip into the jungle anyway, so he should have just allowed it to happen. (Unless he only decided to go on the trip because he had the future vision of it, in which case we're stuck in one of those infinite time-loops that don't make any sense.)
The best part of this episode? I have less interest than ever in the Kate-Jack-Sawyer triangle, but whoever put the clause in Evangeline Lilly's contract that she has to appear in her underwear at least once per episode should get a raise.
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4-19-2007 @ 2:19AM
BigTed said...
Okay, I just saw Nick's comment saying that Lilly hates those scenes. That kind of takes all the fun out of it.
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4-19-2007 @ 2:39AM
jonathan said...
THE NEW TATTOO?!?!?!
did anyone else see the new damn tattoo on Jack's inner arm?!?!?!??!?!?!
I feel like im taking crazy pills!!!!!!!!!! you see it faintly when he talks to desmond in the start, and a whole lot when he talks to kate!!!!!
people please!!!!
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4-19-2007 @ 2:37AM
RedStarRevolution said...
Desmond, Locke, and Ben are by far the best parts of this show, and always have the most interesting and revealing stories.
That being said, i found this episode to be kind of a stall until the real events leading to the finale start to kick in.
The splash in the ocean did seem to be a little weak for a helicopter, and it seemed as though the helmet Naomi was wearing would be more suited to a fighter jet than a helicopter, but that might be nitpicking, who knows.
I always get worried about characters getting killed off whose stories seem to be concluded, and therefore i really don't think Des is going to bite it this season. he has a lot more to work out in his story with Penny, and we also need to find out why he was in that military brig to begin with.
On the other side of that coin, there is supposed to be 5 deaths coming before the end of the season, and at least 1 or 2 that will be major. I think it's time to discuss the possibility that Jack might be the one taking a dirt nap, as we have been flooded with enough flashbacks and Jack stories to choke a horse, and without some gigantic game-changer, like Jack is Jacob or something to that extent, his story seems to be concluding with the epic season finale this year.
Same goes for Sayid, Juliet, Sawyer after Locke takes him to Anthony Cooper, and to an extent Charlie as well. All of these characters should be on death watch as I cannot imagine another viable flashback episode for any of them, as their backstories seem to be completely wrapped, or soon to be wrapped.
All in all, an iffy episode as far as Island mythology goes, but after 'One of Us', quite easily the most revealing episode so far this season, maybe in the show, that is to be expected. We did get the parachutist, and her saying Desmond's name was a trip, but with the pace we've been accustomed to the last few weeks, this ep fell a little flat for me.
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4-19-2007 @ 2:52AM
DaveTehWave said...
All I have to say is that 'Freckles' is hawt!
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4-19-2007 @ 3:15AM
Ryan said...
Desmond's ex-fiance is named Ruth. The new visitor to the island is apparently named Naomi (in the credits, I've heard).
In the Bible (which was heavily referenced tonight), Ruth and Naomi are related, and were the central characters of the Book of Ruth, in which Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi deal with live as widows. Coincidence in the names?
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4-19-2007 @ 3:51AM
david o russell said...
What did you guys think about the picture of Mrs. Hawking in the monk's office? What do you think the connection will be there?
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4-19-2007 @ 4:20AM
Curt said...
And why was this Naomi flying at night with the sun shield down on her helmet? Dramatic reveal for the show, I know... but did we really think that Penny flew a helicopter herself to the island? Really?
And as far as the splash size, it could've been a copter. I just thought it was far enough out into the water to not seem so big... but then how did Naomi end up so deep in the island? There's no ejecting in copters, maybe she bailed way earlier than we thought. But then that means her trajectory was overshooting the island anyway.
Meh. Only 4 more episodes? That sucks. And didn't I hear they're not bringing it back until January? Between this and BSG, I'm not going to have any TV to watch until January.
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4-19-2007 @ 7:19AM
Bill said...
BigTed raises a good point as to... like if his vision of Penny arriving came just after they found the cable on the beach, why does that mean that forcing them to find the cable on the beach would somehow force her to arrive? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Also: http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/races.html
For anyone curious about actual races between the Flash and Superman.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/
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4-19-2007 @ 9:12AM
Hugeliver said...
I am intrigued by the paradox that Desmond seems to create. If you have a vision and then force that vision to come true, is the outcome still the same?? CHANGING the vision can end up that way especially since he sees one result. But if you have the vision and then MAKE it happen does that change it? Him saving Charlie may not have resulted in the sequence of events...him forcing the vision may have.
Just a theory.
LOVED this episode though. It's funny how Desmond is such an interesting character, yet our first glimpse was just some guy running in a stadium that Jack ran in.
In keeping with TV Squads whacked rating system, I give this a 7 out of 12.
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4-19-2007 @ 8:54AM
Kyle Beasley said...
The Korean ghost story was awesome...does anyone have any idea what it was about? Korean speakers help me out here.
http://kylebeabo.blogspot.com/
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4-19-2007 @ 9:15AM
Dan said...
Great Ep.
But I kept shouting at the TV: "Charlie, why aren't you protecting your guitar from the rain?!"
I loved the way the arrowhead was still in the neck of the guitar at the end.
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4-19-2007 @ 9:27AM
Steve said...
I thought it was a good episode. But overall, the show is gonna have a tough time getting viewers next season.
I like how Sawyer stole Bernard's Phil Collins tape, yet we haven't seen Rose or Bernard all season.
How could the helicopter find the island? Doesnt the huge magnetic field screw up all navigational equipment even if they have the coordinates from last season?
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4-19-2007 @ 11:17AM
Jamus said...
#12.. I also was wondering about the glare shield on the pilot helmet.
I think were some side-eject ideas tossed around for helicopters at one time, but I don't think any made it to the real world. However, I do have my own idea about the aircraft: Osprey.
It would have the multi-rotor noise like we heard, but it could have been flying in plane mode. I don't know if they have ejector sets or not, but you can get a good look at them here:
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003431.html
(including a nifty flight video)
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4-19-2007 @ 10:32AM
Kevinc said...
Maybe I missed this, but how does Charlie know Penny?
And why did Desmond believe it was Penny? It could have been anyone and he fixated completely on Penny.
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