It’s only fair for as much as I’ve demanded from Lost that I acknowledge when the show’s creators actually pull one over on me.
I’ve been griping for some time that the writers and producers don’t know where they’re going. Tonight’s episode surprised me on several levels, and it proved me wrong twice.
When I heard a few weeks ago that we were in for a ‘Nikki and Paolo’ episode I just cringed. Who cares about Nikki and Paolo? The few times they’d shown them this season I felt as though the writers were foisting more unnecessary detractions from the mysteries on us. My how wrong I was.
Tonight’s episode showed that indeed everything they had the annoying Barbie & Ken couple do had a payoff in this episode. Even Paolo’s extended trip to the head in the Pearl station had deeper relevance than most of us could have guessed.
I may be overreaching on the coincidences, but given that this is the Lost universe, I’m betting not. A few episodes ago we were introduced to a Russian character, and tonight’s plot hinged around diamonds hidden within a Matryoshka doll; a popular Russian toy. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a flashback tracing the diamonds’ journey from our cow-herding Russian to the poor dead Aaron Spellingesque character.
That’s how you write for television. I hope the writers can continue to tighten up their stories so they give us more gems like this.
Of course, I don’t know if I can type up my Lost thoughts without throwing in a little bit of snark. See, writers, how much fun we had watching this episode? I can’t help but think the near-total absence of Angsty Jack and Petulant Kate had a lot to do with the show being fun. I haven’t quite decided if the problem lies more with the writing staff or with Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly. But it’s become quite clear there’s a weakness to the show whenever one of these two is on screen. So if you can keep them to a minimum, writers, that’d be great. Thanks!
So they really were on there all along?? My sister and I were on the phone during the episode (our way of watching together without one of us having to drive the 400-something miles across Tennessee and North Carolina) and we (and her husband) were carrying on about how she was gonna have to break out season 1 again and see if they really were there (I think those were re-shoots, because Shannon’s hair looked longer to me). But we did remember the whole long bathroom trip and the “extra” girl in the room.
It was also fun to watch the writers/actors poke a little fun at themselves at the beginnning, where Nikki knows the extra always dies, and the joking about bringing her back to life.
But the end was the killer to me. Yikes!! Do you think we’ll see sand encrusted Nikki wandering the beach in a few weeks? That’ll freak out Hurley.
I yelled at the tv, “No! Open your eyes! Show that you’re alive! Oh my God! They’re going to be buried alive! NO! That’s awful!!!” I swear that after I watched last night’s episode, I thought “I can not wait to read what Kat Coble says about this show.”
Listen, all I can say is two things:
Think back on Locke’s one appearance last night:
“Paolo, things don’t stay buried on this island.”
and then the symbolism of the Russian nested dolls (dolls buried inside larger dolls) with Paulo breaking the innermost doll. Right there he determined his fate.
I’m still going with the Island providing whatever people need. In the case of Nikki and Paolo they needed to pay for their crime. They both tried to bury the diamonds. The Island said “Okay. You want the diamonds buried? They’ll be buried. With you.”
I knew those nestings dolls were Russian, but just now realized (thanks to KC) that ties in with the Russian guy that’s dead.
The spider thing is a bit fallable, seeing as they’ve been on there 80 some-odd days and only now are people being bitten….. just saying.
I wonder who the dead guy’s (the one N&P poisoned) wife is (remember, he’s cheating on her with Nikki) — any guesses?
After the past two weeks, this one was OK, but not great. It felt like they were working too hard for it to be retrocontinuity to me…