Lost 6x14: "The Candidate"

[Agent Richard07]

Welcome to the grading & discussion thread for Lost 6x14: "The Candidate".
[highlight]***SPOILERS AHEAD***[/highlight]





"The Candidate"

"Jack's suspicions about Locke make his decision more difficult
after he is asked to complete a difficult task." - TV.com

Spoiler: The Candidate

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY68YNvnrQU[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWK-GbXuO8[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcEct9EMNYw[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdDYaokHi_U[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK6nerse3RI[/yt]

Pictures | More Links​

 

[coolghoul]

So, is this the ep where we will get the name of the MIB/SmokeyLocke? I still think that there's a chance that MIB was not Christian Shephard. I guess if this and the next ep goes by, without a mention of that, then we can consider it as "answered" and that it was SmokeyLocke after all.

Also, why exactly has Widmore turned up here? I am a little confused as to why people would want to be in the Others (or a leader-in-name of the Others). If Linus could leave and come to the main world, why does he keep going back to the Island? What has changed that he would agree to leave the island? If we say that Alex was keeping Ben Linus coming back to the island, I'm sure that he could have left in a sub with her. After all, he's the leader. I really don't understand the purpose of the hostiles vs Dharma and why even after Dharma was exterminated, people still not only stuck around on the island but actually brought doctors/fertility shamans and what-not from the outside world onto the island. Similarly, we need to know why Widmore wanted to come back to the island too.

Seeing the Others great efforts in keeping the island populated, I really don't understand why Smokey wants to escape either. Seems like there are a lot of people who actually want to setup their life on the island rather than back in the normal world.

We need some answers. I predict, we will not learn Jack's wife in the sideways-universe but will come to know why Locke and Cooper are on friendly terms in the sideways-universe.

Anyways - are we frelling there yet?!

 

[trekkiebaggio]

Given that sneak peek I really hope we see that damned boat chase!

 

[SJA]

I'm a tad apprehensive about this one - sounds like it might be one of those fabled 'game changers'

 

[label]

So, is this the ep where we will get the name of the MIB/SmokeyLocke? I still think that there's a chance that MIB was not Christian Shephard.

Are you suggesting Flocke lied about appearing as Christian? Don't know..........perhaps but every piece of advice "Christian" has given Locke has lead to these events which is what Flocke has worked long and hard to make happen so it seems pretty clear cut.

Still, who knows, it's Lost and they may yet pull the rug out from underneath us...........

 

[coolghoul]

So, is this the ep where we will get the name of the MIB/SmokeyLocke? I still think that there's a chance that MIB was not Christian Shephard.

Are you suggesting Flocke lied about appearing as Christian? Don't know..........perhaps but every piece of advice "Christian" has given Locke has lead to these events which is what Flocke has worked long and hard to make happen so it seems pretty clear cut.

Still, who knows, it's Lost and they may yet pull the rug out from underneath us...........

Yes, I was suggesting that he lied to Jack. It's just too much of a change I see - From the time of Ab Aeterno when he was killing almost everything he could see in the boat, to actually leading them to water in the caves?!!

I guess it stems from what happened in the intervening years, the Hostiles/Others and also Dharma and all that. I am a little concerned that it will never be laid out what exactly his plan had been in assuming Chris Shephard's (or the horse) form and what he wanted to achieve in any manner that can be considered coherent and not insanely far-fetched planning a thousand-moves later strategem.

Oh well... I worry too much...

 

[Jenee]

I'm with you, coolghoul. He's either a mindless mass murderer, or there are other forces at work which have yet to be revealed to us.

 

[Danny99]

Poor

If killing off four main characters is the writer's way of ending this, I am extremely disappointed. I never watched BSG, so I won't get those references, but this was just horrible writing. If they weren't dying, they were spitting out heavy handed dialogue in heavy handed scenes.

 

[Geck]

I voted excellent. I'm not entirely sure I like what it stood for from a storytelling standpoint (I'll have to see where the last few hours take it), but....holy hell. As an hour of television, that was pretty fantastic. Wonderfully directed, acted, and produced, with possibly the best music I've ever heard on the series.

 

[Mr Light]

3.25/4 Wow. Killing off so many character all at once... it's just too much to take in. I can't really feel sad about it. Even though one of my favs was killed, he'd been turned into an evil zombie so I pretty much stopped caring about him. Plenty of action, though. It's funny how there was all this set-up about needing the plane, and the moment Locke gets to it he promptly gives it up because he found a bomb on it. And I still, with only four hours left, feel that the flash-sideways are a colossal waste of time.

 

[Joe Washington]

Great episode. Great, sad episode.
The MIB is truly a monster. After this, it totally makes sense why the MIB was so intent on having the Candidates together in one place. I think Claire is beginning to open her eyes about her surrogate father figure.
Sun, Jin, Sayid, and Lapidus. Let's take a moment to mourn these losses.
....
I wonder who's going to raise Jin and Sun's child?
I don't take we're going to have a reset button at the end of the series. Even the creators said that they have no intention of erasing the past six years of the show.
I hope Sawyer starts listening to Jack after this and I'm truly loving Jack this year. He seems to be getting more and more on the right page with each passing episode.
I can't wait to see what happens next. And in my opinion, this is way better than the final season of Battlestar Galactica. And killing off the four characters this episode was a gusty, emotional move.

 

[DarthPipes]

I voted excellent. I'm not entirely sure I like what it stood for from a storytelling standpoint (I'll have to see where the last few hours take it), but....holy hell. As an hour of television, that was pretty fantastic. Wonderfully directed, acted, and produced, with possibly the best music I've ever heard on the series.

My thoughts exactly. An excellent hour of television.

 

[Trippy]

I hope Sawyer starts listening to Jack after this and I'm truly loving Jack this year. He seems to be getting more and more on the right page with each passing episode.

Yes, seemingly Jack is 'getting it' finally. He's taking the old Locke role by contemplating his role on the island. Jack used to be a reactor.

Sawyer is just reacting now-possibly since the death of Juliet. He was a contemplater while in Dharma.

 

[Mr Light]

Oh that reminds me, isn't it a little selfish of Jin/Sun to let their baby be raised without a parent? Shouldn't Sun have said Jin you've never even seen your daughter yet you have to survive to raise her!

 

[Dar70]

Poor

If killing off four main characters is the writer's way of ending this, I am extremely disappointed. I never watched BSG, so I won't get those references, but this was just horrible writing. If they weren't dying, they were spitting out heavy handed dialogue in heavy handed scenes.

BSG had a disappointing ending as well. All the main characters ended up kind of tragically as well. The writers had written them in a corner.
Regardless if these characters continue to live in the alternate reality with their memories intact. The original essence of what they are is gone. So they are dead. Damn two good shows ruined by disappointing finales.

 

[Velocity]

So where has Widmore been through all this? Many of his people were killed and his sub destroyed, but where has HE been? Sitting around a campfire with Ben, Miles, and Richard?

 

[startrekwatcher]

This episode held my attention but like a lot of this season I felt like something has been missing. Maybe my expectations were so high based on the previous seasons but this one hasn't clicked like I envisioned. I think I was expecting a more sweeping season long build-up and more of a focused approach.

It is certainly better than the last season of many shows--nBSG, TXF etc--but I have definitely felt like it was drawn out with a lot of detours meant to stall until the very end when the last pieces could come out so in that way it is very reminiscent of the early years. Also at times it could feel a tad repetitive with the repeated attacks on various camps and running all over the islands. It hasn't had the narrative urgency or purpose as previous seasons in my opinion.

Also I'm still unimpressed with the alternate universe flashes. I don't really care for those characters or the situations they are in and find myself tempted to fast forward through them.

We saw the possible end of Sun, Jin and Sayid which was as abrupt in its execution as Ilana's exit a few episodes back. Sun and Sayid were two of my favorite characters on the show but I'll freely admit their deaths didn't make a chink in my emotional armor. I think it had to do with the whirlwind of events and the way they occupied such a small sliver of the hour that it just didn't emotionally resonate.

And I didn't find Sayid's arc this season all that well handled. He was suppose to be corrupted and evil but that seemed to be dropped without much satisfying explanation and then tonite he was back to old Sayid diffusing bombs. Same could be said of Claire's about face.

I definitely think this season will benefit from being watched marathon style one episode right after the next because as individual installments they don't feel like a whole lot.

And while the show has answered most of its questions there are still several I want addressed and I'm a little worried that with only four episodes left that the writers might not be able to get to everything.

This episode I think earned an Above average overall though. Still LOST is the best show on tv right now.

 

[Kira's Mom]

Excellent and sad.

 

[McCoy]

I liked the BSG finale, and I'm loving this one too.

 

[zengoth]

despite the abruptness of the bloodshed, it makes sense: the island was through with them.