LOST REACTIONS
Season 4, Episode 8 - "Meet Kevin Johnson"
Friday, March 21, 2008
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7 comments:
So before “Meet Kevin Johnson” started, I went through my usual routine of watching last week’s episode (“Ji Yeon”) for a second time. This time I went looking for what I might have missed since Tyler considers it one of the better episodes this season.
Ultimately, I ended up feeling pretty much the same way as I initially did last week. If anything, I thought it was worse than I originally proclaimed because it seemed like the writers tried to manipulate the audience far too much (as soon as Sun is given drugs for the birth she immediately calls out for “Jin” and continues to all through the childbirth and Jin himself is asked if he’s heading to the maternity ward. It just seemed forced.)
Then we get “Meet Kevin Johnson,” EASILY one of the best episodes of the season… if not the entire length of the series.
I’ll say right now that Michael jumps into my top 2-3 characters on the show. Not favorite person on the show, but definitely one of the most interesting storylines. Waiting to see if he’ll at all be redeemed for the killings of Libby and Ana-Lucia will be a fascinating storyline. Plus, the guy seems hell bent on getting himself killed, which is something the other Losties would probably be all-too-willing to help out with, In this episode alone he wrecks his car, pulls the trigger of a gun pointed at his temple and he was even totally ready to blow up a whole freighter of people just to off himself. Crazy.
But yeah, from the moment Michael declared that he was there to die all the way until the firestorm of bullets at the end which possibly takes out both Karl and Rousseau? Brilliant stuff. The writers were totally wrong when they said this is not a good episode to start the break on. This is a perfect episode for that. I’m totally thrilled and desperate to get to the next chapter, plus, it’s your typical Lost cliffhanger.
Anyways, to the specifics… thought it was totally believable how they managed to talk Michael onto the boat and liked that the rift between Michael and Walt was caused by Michael’s overactive conscience. And it’s always great to see Mr. Friendly (a.k.a. Tom), plus is it me or are the Lost writers getting funnier? Having him turn out to be gay? I was laughing my ass off at his sweater and wine glass. Hilarious.
They still have Ben acting like a good guy too. I believe that he thinks he’s doing good (for the island at least) but he “doesn’t kill innocent people?” Need I bring up the gassing of the Dharma Initiative again? Or the murder of his own father? Hello?
Plus we get Sayid turning Michael over to the captain as a spy, making either the captain or Michael’s future in doubt and the knowledge that the Flight 815 wreckage was placed by Whidmore and not Ben?
Also, is it a coincidence how good this episode is and the fact that Jack, Kate and Juliet are not even in it? Excellent show last night. More of these please.
Now see I just thought it was okay. I mean it was still a great episode and I loved Michael's flashback, but it didn't knock me out like I was hoping.
I will agree that "Ji Yeon" manipulated us too much, but I think that was the intent of course. But I felt I got more coherence as opposed to here.
Why would you tell your 10 yr old kid you killed two people in order to get yourselves off the island? I know he wants to place blame on others in order to help ease his pain, but if he loved Walt like he says, than he wouldn't have been that stupid.
Why go through that whole bomb thing only to not do it because you want to prove that you wouldn't kill innocent people unlike the Widmore crew would?
Why suddenly make Tom a gay character? He's dead! Unless he ends up having a more pertinent role in this whole Mythos, why show that side. Just made me laugh that he seemed to have a gay sex slave.
Sayid doesn't think things through. What benefit will it be to him to turn Michael in already? This guy may have been a good soldier, but like he showed in "Glass Ballerina" he isn't a good leader.
As soon as I saw Karl in this ep. I knew he would die. Rousseau didn't surprise me either.
Okay its already a bit much to believe that this island cures cancer, paralysis, has a smoke monster, causes time travel when coupled with radiation, and creates cabin fever among those miles off shore, but it now prevents the death of Michael all the way in NYC. "The island won't let you die." That's kind of ridiculous in theory.
That said I still liked and am definitely excited about where it is going, but I just hope for a bit more logic next time.
I'm loving the ride though.
The reason that Michael told Walt is, as far as I inferred it, because of the overwhelming guilt on his soul. I can totally see that - in the absence of anyone else to open up to - Michael trying to find vindication, or sympathy or even just relief by exposing his sins to his son. He knows he can not be redeemed, but he's looking for some type of understanding. He did unimaginable things, but he did it because he felt that he was helping Walt in the long run. And now that he's home and there's a rift between the two, he can't take it any longer and he's gone on the warpath trying to off himself. I dunno, I thought it played beautifully.
As for the bomb, I didn't think it was totally worthless either. That bomb will still explode, I just felt that it was another instance of the island preventing him from killing himself before he's fulfilled his true mission (which he himself doesn't even know the extent of yet). Plus, to see Ben's reaction? To see him say, "You pushed the button" with incredulity? That was great and completely underscored the frame of mind of Michael's character. At this point, having been a lost soul, irredeemable... he's willing to take anyone down with him to just end it.
Then there's that whole suspension of disbelief thing you've got a problem with. Although, I don't know how you can make the leap that the island can render a reincarnation of Charlie off the island and present him to Hurley, but you can't fathom that it has a way of controlling the fate of the people who have inhabited it? I don't have much to defend this because we don't know much about it yet, other than that it's totally awesome and seems in keeping with the role of fate and destiny on this show. I buy it.
Now, Mr. Gay Friendly. I actually felt like this was clever. Not to mock the character or anything, but to reveal something that he keeps hidden on the island. To let you in, to let you know that the "Others" aren't just these arbitrary killer types on and off the island. They are taking orders and wearing masks on the island as to who they really are. Off the island, they can be anything they want to be and be unaffected by it.
And my last little spiel is on Sayid. He has no reason to completely distrust the freighter crew at this point. I felt like he was just tipping his hand, revealing Michael to the captain, to see what happens. It goes a long way to speed up the process of what these people are willing to do to spies and reveal if this is a war we're heading into or not. It also throws into doubt the whether either the captain or Michael will make it out of that room alive the next time we see them.
I was totally gripped by it. Maybe not as good as "The Constant" but easily by #2 episode of the year and still in my tops for the series. Brilliant stuff.
I'd agree that it's one of the best of the season so far. I'm not a huge fan of Michael but this past episode has certainly made me more interested in his story line. I'm curious to know how the island can keep him from dying once he's off. Does that mean that once you've been on the island you can't die? If that's true then who was in the coffin that Jack went to visit? And what about Jin? Maybe it's got something to do with the island letting you go as opposed to escaping the island?
I can't believe Sayid turned him in. I mean, I can, but I can't. I felt like usually Sayid makes thoughtful decisions and this time he acted out of emotion. Kind of surprising.
I don't want to wait til the end of April for another one...this sucks.
Although "Lost" is on hiatus til April, do not fret because The Hills is back TONIGHT! Yes, you heard me right and let's all not be ashamed to admit we love this terrible, yet addicting reality series.
I think we can all agree that a weekly discussion on this great early twenties, melodramatic show will have to suffice for now. JUST KIDDING....but really no. haha. I'm psyched guys. ;)
So who's with me?
How long do we predict Spencer and Heidi will actually last? Are we looking forward to Lauren kicking Brody's *ss for dating another woman while she's away in Paris? I don't care if I live vicariously through hollywood glam-it's fun to mock their lives even though we probably all wish we had it that easy.
As for “The Hills” - besides the fact that it has no business under the "Lost" post =) - let me just say welcome back… to my Monday night 10:00 p.m. bedtime.
Good lord I hate that show. And I hate myself for knowing names like Lauren, Spencer, Brody and Heidi. These people are *actually* worse than Paris Hilton. At least Hilton is trying (badly) to do something… acting, singing, you name it. These people are famous for living while rich.
That said, I understand it's a guilty pleasure for you love. You like to watch it and laugh at how stupid these people are. I like to pretend they don't exist.
And keep trying to get that weekly recap going, I know Ty's a big closet "Hills" fan. Just bring it out of him.
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