While Ji Yeon was very heartfelt with its flashback and flash-forward sequence revolving around Jin and Sun, again this week I couldn’t help feel that the entire episode was nothing but setup for future events. Most of what we learned and saw tonight will probably play out over the remainder of the series, but with the 4th season more than half over isn’t it time to start hitting us viewers with more answers on a regular basis?
Random Thoughts:
The flashforward flashback trick’er’roo – Was it just me or did they make it too easy to smell the Silence of the Lambs Jin’s not knocking on the hospital door you think he’s knocking on? They made such a big deal out of Jin and how his English has progressed early on in the episode so his English would most likely be much better 7 months later off island. Why would he be speaking Korean to Sun? and why would he be speaking into an old Nokia cell phone if he was in the future with Sun? Because he wasn’t speaking with Sun. Plus the dead giveaway was the shop keeper trying to talk Jin into the Dragon instead of the Panda. The last year of the Dragon ended in Jan. 2001 and not 2005 when Sun was giving birth.
Is Jin Dead? Or still on the island? Or somewhere else? Or “stuck” in another time? The date on his headstone was the same date as the flight 815 crash ( September 22nd, 2004). If he did get off the island what’s with the “bogus” date? Is he really dead and it’s all a part of the cover story? Sun seemed very “real” in her scenes at the grave so was it sadness for Jin’s death or sadness for not being able to be with him right now knowing he is not dead? Perhaps Jin’s family or even Sun’s family had the headstone made when they learned the flight had crashed with no survivors so it was there prior to Sun returning to Korea and serves as a way to see him?
But how and when would Jin have died? Let’s say Jin doesn’t make it off the island and the crash date is used because it’s an easier story to sell to the outside world. Afterall we know he is alive after the crash date. The problem with this theory is the Oceanic Six are famous. Really famous. So when Sun checked into the hospital and they knew she was a member of the Oceanic Six wouldn’t they know Jin was her husband and was dead? Wouldn’t she be the famous Oceanic Sixer who lost her husband? No one questioned her when she said she was waiting for him. The Doctor’s and Nurses said Jin is not here yet. Which means he died in secret ( recently ), is still on the island or went back to the island either with or without Sun knowing…… hmmmm…… or maybe something doesn’t add up time line wise…hmmmmmmm
Do we now know who the Oceanic Six are? We now know Sun joins Sayid, Kate, Hurley and Jack to make a total of 5 that have been confirmed as members of the Oceanic 6, but who is the 6th member? We have seen Aaron off island as well as Ben and depending on how the Jin “death” plays out he may also be a candidate. At this point anyone else could be the 6th member. HOWEVER – The Nurses and Doctors not questioning Jin’s whereabouts make me think he is one of the Oceanic Six or at least at some point was one of the Oceanic Six.
Maybe I am over thinking this but stay with me for a second. Sun is an Oceanic Sixer. Sun was married to Jin. Sun’s father is VERY famous in Korea and coupled with the fact she is an Oceanic Sixer ( famous all over the world) means people would know if she was married and who she was married to and if she was now a widow. She was found alive either a widow or still with Jin. If she was a widow why wouldn’t the hospital question her when she mentions Jin’s name??? If she was with Jin where is he now? and is he really dead?
As it stands though we know for sure we have five down and one to go. Most likely Aaron is the sixth member.
Michael is back – Michael is back as a crewmember on the freighter ( assuming Michael is Michael and not a grown-up Walt..hmmmmm). We got our first glimpse of Michael when Regina jumps overboard with chains on caused by what Captain Gault said was cabin fever ( remind never to get on that boat). Michael had a hoodie on and if you blinked you missed him. Then with about 10 minutes to go in the episode we find out he goes by the name Kevin Johnson now. We learn this when the Doc introduces him to Sayid and Desmond. Obviously this opens up a TON of questions. See below for more on this.
Why all the island hate? Sun and Hurley are still close but Hurley is glad that no one else showed up in Korea to visit Jin’s grave. Say what? Why all the post island hate? Why are Sun and Hurley still tight but not the rest of the group? I wonder if no one showed up because they are BACK on the island at this point…. Hmmmmmmm.. Conspiracy theory of the night. Hurley does NOT go back to the island but knows the rest of our Losties did and covers for them in saying “glad no one else showed up.” Maybe Hurley being so casual about going to Jin’s grave means he knows Jin is alive. My gut feeling is Sun thinks Jin is dead. Time will tell if that is indeed the case.
The Black Box Part 1 – This idea will become clearer next week ( I think ) when we learn how Michael is on a boat as a crew member going by the name Kevin Johnson. It would seem we are REALLY about to dive into the time travel pool and best guess is we will learn that depending on what direction you leave the island you emerge from the storm clouds in a different time. Hypothetically you leave due South and you wind up in 1998. Leave due North and you emerge in 2001 etc etc. Ben gives Michael specific coordinates to have Michael end up in America prior to the crash and uses Walt as leverage to get Michael on the boat. If this is the case then there are two Michael’s. hmmmmmmmmmm… and you can’t have two of someone. One of the Michael’s has to die, right?
The Black Box Part 2 – The crash to this point sure seems like a cover-up, but in the world of Lost if you can have two or more Michaels why not two different plane crashes with the same people. One crash is what we know and the 815’ers are alive. The other is what the world knows and our Losties are dead at the bottom of the sea?
Bernard – Glad to see him get some screen time.
Don’t Trust The Captain – This coming from the guy we know we can’t trust working for a guy we REALLY know we can’t trust.
Nikki Sighting – Remember Nikki of Paulo and Nikki fame? Did you catch her on tonights episode. She was on the TV Jin was watching from her show Expose. That show she was in where she played a character named Corvette. The same show that featured Billy Dee Williams.
Is the island/Ben/Jacob rewarding those with loss by letting them leave? If Jin is in fact dead then Sun lost Jin, Hurley lost Libby and Sayid lost Shannon. 3 of the 6 Oceanic Six with a “connection.” Could this mean Jack loses Juliet and Kate loses Sawyer? hmmmmmmmmmmmm
What’s Ben Up To? On paper why would Ben want the ship to stick around? Michael is Ben’s man on the boat and appears to be sabotaging the engine so the boat can’t leave. Why would Ben want the boat to stay? Aren’t they the same people he tried to warn Jack not to invite to the island….. hmmmmmmm
One last parting shot to wrap your head around. If Ben does send Michael back in time, so to speak, how does Ben know when and where to send him and why to send him? To do this Ben must have access to the future. He has seen it all play out. I can’t help but think of Ms. Hawking and her telling Desmond the universe course corrects itself. Maybe Ben keeps working backwards and looking forward to fix the endgame. An endgame that he doesn’t like the outcome of and every step he takes is to try and alter things to his desired ending. Each time the universe course corrects and he has to try and change fate.. .over and over again.
Until next week….
