Oceanic 816: Vincent explains it all
KCFreePress.com's irregular 'Lost' column returns
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Greetings and welcome back to Oceanic 816, the only Lost column produced exclusively for Kansas City audiences by the show's leading canine, Vincent.
Sorry it's been so long since I barked at ya. Internet access is spotty on the island, and all the Dharma stations' wireless accounts are either password-protected or blown to pieces. Plus, typing is slow when you have paws.
You might wonder what a dog is doing writing a Lost column. Good question, but obviously I'm not just any dog. I spent several years in Hawaii with some of ABC's biggest stars. I'm the only character who can travel through time without getting a nosebleed, and the only cast member not to get a DUI during filming. Besides, I have a funny way of sniffing things out on set. Here's a few kibbles, bits and pet theories I've picked up along the way.
Lost-related videos
A real-time, split-screen depiction of the Oceanic 815 crash from various perspectives. Think "Timecode," but for Lost.
A trailer made for Spanish television that picks up on the whole chessboard/endgame theme. Great use of Radiohead. Also in English.
One of the better Lost/Hannah Montana mash-ups I've seen yet: Party in the USA (hat tip to the D Rules, who keeps up his own Lost recaps)
Character notes:
The lines have finally been drawn, the pieces are being claimed, and the body count is only going to increase. Who is going to be next, and who is going to follow whom? Guess we'll have to watch and find out.
I'm glad Richard didn't die. Such a nice man, and such wonderful eyebrows. When fake Locke said, "Good to see you of those chains, Ricardos," early in the season, I thought it was a reference to some centuries-long S&M game between Jacob and The Man in Black in which Ricky was only a pawn. Turns out he was just a captive on the Black Rock.
Dogen, we hardly knew ye. Lost finally gives us an Asian martial-arts scene (Jack getting beat up by Thai thugs doesn't count) and 10 minutes later the hero is found face-first in the fountain of his own temple. Even though he might be a better fit for "Double Dragon" than "Lost," I feel a bit cheated, and I'm sure much of Japan feels the same way.
We found out at the end of last week's episode that the person (or at least one of the persons) coming to the island is Charles Widmore. My previous guesses were Aaron, Michael, Walt, Jin's dad and Hugo's dad, but I'll admit that those last two might just be wishful thinking.
Claire looks like she's been on Phish tour too long and accidentally took some "bad drugs" in the parking lot. She's covered in dirt and she no longer does that cute shrug-and-half-smile thing. I miss that.
Insights from Oceanic 816 commenter Bobby Boy last month:
Pressing Question = How will the seemingly disparate timelines reconcile themselves?
Keeps Me Hanging On = ...the greatest collection of slowly revealed, interwoven and well-staged mysteries in any series ever.
Finale Forward = I look forward to seeing how Jack keeps Lucifer/Fallen Angel/MIB from leaving the Island.
Character Kinship = Ever since the Desmond reveal at the beginning of Season 2 (which I am convinced is the single coolest revelation in any show ever), I have always been a Desmond supporter. After all, he is a man who will never give up, through time, through heartbreak, through hardship.
Some questions:
I've got my own pet theory on these, but would rather put them up for general discussion:
Who are the Adam & Eve skeletons?
Who is Jack's wife in the alternate timeline?
Why are Locke and company going to the Hydra?
Will Sun ever find her husband, and/or is everyone too annoyed with her asking to even care anymore?
What does it mean at this stage to 'leave the island'?
Random thoughts:
The first-person shots of Smokey traveling across the island were pretty scary — and awesome. It got me to thinking that there should be a "Smokey" app on Google Maps and Streetview. Could be called GoogleSmokey, or maybe SmokeyCam. Would be a heck of a way to explore your childhood neighborhood or scope out traffic directions.
There are a lot more books being referenced in Lost than just Alice in Wonderland and The Holy Bible. Read more about them and how they relate to the story at Lost and Lit, one of the best all-around Lost blogs I've come across.
So far Locke's camp appears to include those swayed by fear, false hope, abandonment, anger and doubt. The followers and successors of Jacob are guided by their faith, togetherness and a belief that everything happens for a reason.
Meanwhile, in the parallel reality, the characters all seem to be given opportunities to redeem themselves, whether it's Jack letting go of the anger toward his father or Ben sacrificing his ambitions for the good of Alex. Fitting that Sawyer was singing "Redemption Song" on the raft in Exodus: Part 2 — and exciting that tonight's episode will be Sawyer-centric.
I hope the best for Sawyer and all of my cast-mates, but in the end it's their choice what happens to them (or at least that's what I'm told). Good or evil, it matters little to me. I'm still man's best friend.
Want to take part in Oceanic 816? Jump in the discussion in the comments or submit your Lost-related questions, insights, parodies and links to Oceanic816@kcfreepress.com.
Legal disclaimer: Vincent the Dog is the sole creative property of ABC Studios, and should they take notice or legal action, this column's authorship will be officially resumed by this site's editor-in-chief.
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