Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
When the poet Horace wrote those words many years ago, he probably had no idea I’d be using them on a blog about a television show. But then again, he probably had no idea that pretentious nerds like me were both writing and watching TV.
The pretentious nerds who write Lost named a character in tonight’s episode “Horace Goodspeed” and I swear to you the MOMENT I heard his name, I knew the dude was a goner. Come on. “Goodspeed” of course means good-bye. And naming a character Horace pretty much means that this dude will die in service to his country. That famous phrase from Poet Horace means “It is Sweet and Becoming to Die for one’s country.” It’s on tombstones of fallen soldiers from half the countries on earth. So I figured that poor Horace Goodspeed would be yet another casualty on Daddy Issue Island.*
What I didn’t figure on was that I would spend at least twenty minutes arguing with myself about the writers. I went back and forth and back and forth. Did they mean to steal ninety percent of their story from Carnivale and hope nobody noticed or did they plan this as an out and out homage to that (vastly superior) show? I swear to you, when Management Jacob talked and didn’t speak with Linda Hunt’s voice I was more than a little bit surprised. [Author’s Note: You can catch Carnivale on HBO OnDemand if you are really looking for some good mythic tv that gives ya answers.]
I did think it was clever that Management Jacob seemed to save his urine in jars just like Howard Hughes and I also thought it was interesting that he seemed to have a chair similar to the final resting place of Mom Bates. What wasn’t so clever was Locke turning his back on yet another adversary. You’d think once his Evil!Dad pushed him out of a window, our baldpated but earnest hero would have learned his lesson. But noooooo. Instead he ends up as yet another (possible) casualty piled in Ben’s Genocide Pit.
Seriously. Ben Linus is one messed-up dude. No offense intended to Mr. Abramson or any of the other fine men I know whose name is “Roger” , but that was Ben’s dad’s name and after tonight’s episode I realise just how appropriate a name it was. On the other side of the Atlantic, “Roger” is a slang term for, well, um, anal rape. So naming a horrible dad character “Roger” is basically saying “this man will frak his son up, but good.” Not that the Lost writers are heavy-handed or anything. Nosiree. That whole speech about “I can’t celebrate your birthday because this is really the day you killed your mom” did really soft-shoe around the central point, didn’t it?! Of course, I’ve figured for awhile now that “Ben Linus” would be a guy abandoned in some way by his mother and betrayed by the men in his family. So I knew he had it bad. I guess I should have figured that he’d have a Daddy Issue, what with this being Daddy Issue Island* and all.
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[Editors’ Note: The above paragraph was yet another rant on how stupidly smugly superior Jack is and how the Author wishes he would get gutshot and left in a heap of bones instead of Locke, who is a much more interesting character. But we, your editors, think that the Author spends far too much time Hatin’ on Jack, so we made her take that paragraph out. ]
Well, since They won’t let me write about Jack and Kate (notice how both of their names are four-letter words….? Yeah. Me too), I guess I’ll just move to my free-form Nerd Ponderings.
- Hmm. People must age differently on the Island. Notice how Richard hasn’t really changed at all, other than losing his Jesus haircut.
- The Lost Writers must have watched the same Jonestown movie I saw a couple of weeks ago, because how much did that camp of dead Dharmites look like Jonestown (with less money for extras)?
- Knowing that Shambala was playing when Ben took his Mean!Dad Roger for one last generic beer sure does give a creepy new meaning to the lyric “wash away my troubles / wash away my pain”, doesn’t it?
- Exactly how many episodes will it be before they hit us over the head with Annie’s little “Ben” doll? You know, where the doll turns up in some creepily unexpected way and we all go ::Gasp!:: “That’s the OTHER DOLL from Ben’s Birthday Present! How cool are the writers for springing this on us?” Yeah. Word of advice, writers. We see that shoe droppin’ from here.
- Speaking of those dolls, did anyone else get a wierd Boo Radley vibe off them, or was it just me? I wonder if Ben keeps his in a box with an old spelling medal and some gum.
- Was that a painting of a DOG in
ManagementJacob’s Creepy Hut, or were my eyes deceiving me?
- The salt/ash circle around
ManagementJacob’s Creepy Hut makes me think that he’s being held there by some sort of spell. And that perhaps Jacob has something to do with Dharma.
I’m sure I’ll think of other things after I sleep on it, but this is all I came up with off the top of my head. (*And I would love to give credit to the person who first called it Daddy Issue Island, but I can’t remember who it was or where I saw it. It was most likely a commenter at Alan Sepinwall’s joint. )
UPDATE: OMGOSH! I can’t believe I forgot this most important part!
My theory on Jacob…in fact on most of the Island is that only those who have killed their fathers can see Jacob. (Sort of like Thestrals. In the Bible, Jacob was favoured by his mother, but not his father. He is the father of Benjamin in the Hebrew scriptures, and may serve a role as Ben’s spiritual father on the Island. Perhaps important to the Lost mythology is the fact that the Jacob of the Bible deceived his dying father into granting Jacob the birthright due his brother Esau. While it isn’t murder, that deception of his father seems to fit in with the central theme of Daddy Issue Island.
At least we know when it will end. I hadn’t heard of this until a few moments ago and the press release was issued on Monday. Roughly two months in internet time. I don’t understand how I missed it.
I don’t understand how I missed it.
Nobody mentioned it on Twitter.
I don’t think Richard ages like normal humans.
Just like Wolverine, wouldn’t Locke’s superhuman healing powers being kicking into overdrive right about now? Why didn’t Ben put one in his brain before walking off like Dr. Evil?
Shouldn’t that old, stale, hot beer be covered in the residue of whatever chemical agent Ben filled the VW with?
Almost forgot…
As TV Squad put it, “I think I would have issues, too, if my Dad was Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite.”
Not my favorite episode.
Coincidentally enough my kids saw ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for the first time tonight before I watched LOST. At ten and twelve I think it’s a shame this was the first time they had seen it, but at least the countless pop culture references over the years made them *think* they had seen it. I didn’t know how to answer, though, when my older son said “is everyone in this movie gay?”
Some LOST observations:
– That did look like a picture of a dog in Jacob’s cabin. I’ll have to check out the TiVo later.
– Remind me who Annie grows up to be? Ben’s first wife?
– I don’t appreciate when shows or movies think they have to overtly remind us of symbolism (Ben mentions “The Wizard of Oz” at least twice).
– Is Jacob simply this Oz character who everyone believes in but nobody has seen? Is Ben the man behind the curtain?
– Richard doesn’t age. We’re going to see much more from him.
– This series has a larger wig budget than even “Mr. Show”. Kind of like the orange smoke budget for “Wizard of Oz”.
– Do you prefer the period inside or outside the end quote?
– Why did the native(s) on the island speak perfect American English?
– Can’t a falling house from Kansas fall on Jack, please???
Sarcastro,
All I could think was UNCLE RICO when Roger was on. And the whole aging process with Richard Albert just wigged me. I insta reacted on it last night. I thought it was good.
And I don’t think Locke’s dead. I think, for lack of a better word, evolving.
And why didn’t Tom or Richard stop Locke from kicking the shit out of Patchy?
The thing about the aging…Locke looked way older than his Daddy, Older Ben looked (to me, even though they make-up aged Roger) to be about the same age as his Daddy, and then there’s Richard who (obviously) plays a much larger role in all of this than we thought. What I want to know is why Ben is “in charge” and not Richard or one of the “natives” that offed the Dharma gang.
After the show was over last night, I turned to David and said something to the effect of, “Jack is such an irritating prick!” What’s with the, “I hadn’t decided what to do about it yet”??? Serious delusions of grandeur if I do say so myself.
Has there ever been a more appropriate metaphor for this show than an empty chair in the room where “everything” will be explained?
I thought the picture was a polar bear, but didn’t record it to check.
I’m so glad all y’all take the time every Thursday to explain it all to me! Heh. I didn’t even notice the picture of the dog/polar bear, but it was probably because I was working on my new laptop. I’ll have to rewind and watch it again. Help me.
Just like Wolverine, wouldn’t Locke’s superhuman healing powers being kicking into overdrive right about now?
They are. The Island will heal Locke. But we’re meant to think he’s a goner. Unfortunately, Terry O’Quinn has not had a drunk-driving arrest and therefore cannot yet leave the show’s employ.
Why didn’t Ben put one in his brain before walking off like Dr. Evil?
Because, like the writers, Ben is just cunning enough to create chaos, but not wise enough to see it through to a satisfactory conclusion.
Shouldn’t that old, stale, hot beer be covered in the residue of whatever chemical agent Ben filled the VW with?
I gathered that since the chemical weapon was short-acting enough that Ben and Richard could take their masks off after entering Jonestown Jr. that any residue left in the Death Vanagon would have long dissipated before Hurley, Sawyer and Jin drank the skunked beer.
– Remind me who Annie grows up to be? Ben’s first wife?
I don’t remember an “Annie”. I almost wonder if Benocide didn’t off her when he killed the rest of the Dharmites.
– I don’t appreciate when shows or movies think they have to overtly remind us of symbolism (Ben mentions “The Wizard of Oz” at least twice).
Yeah. That really annoyed me muchly. Because it was so trite. Even the episode was called “The Man Behind The Curtain.” Of course, when Carnivale did the exact same thing, they just shut up and showed us the curtain. We amazingly figured out the symbolism on our own.
– Is Jacob simply this Oz character who everyone believes in but nobody has seen? Is Ben the man behind the curtain?
I think Jacob exists in some form or another. Of course, that’s because I confused the last half of this show with Carnivale. (yes, I keep harping on that…sorry.)
– Richard doesn’t age. We’re going to see much more from him.
I’m still not sure about what Richard IS.
– This series has a larger wig budget than even “Mr. Show”. Kind of like the orange smoke budget for “Wizard of Oz”.
No doubt. This show has done more for wigmakers than the Gabor sisters and more for the Fake-Dirt make-up guy than, well, anyone.
– Do you prefer the period inside or outside the end quote?
Depends entirely on the context of the quoted material. If I’m writing a piece of dialogue, I’ll go with the period inside the quotes, a la the CMOS. But it doesn’t seem logical to me to keep it in the quote marks if you’re using the quote marks as an emphasis. So then I put it on the outside like the Grammar Rebel I secretly long to be.
– Why did the native(s) on the island speak perfect American English?
See under : Writers, Lazy
– Can’t a falling house from Kansas fall on Jack, please???
Really, I would also accept a falling house from any other place, a falling piece of frozen airplane sewage, a bolt of lightning or even Santa and his reindeer.
All I could think was UNCLE RICO when Roger was on
Clearly I need to actually make it through more than the first two minutes of Napoleon Dynamite
And why didn’t Tom or Richard stop Locke from kicking the shit out of Patchy?
I think they realise that Locke is a serious contender for replacing Benocide and much prefer him to Benocide. So the let him double-down on Comrade Patchy.
What I want to know is why Ben is “in charge” and not Richard or one of the “natives” that offed the Dharma gang.
Because out of everyone there Benocide is the only person who has killed his father, so he’s the only person qualified to take direction from Jacob and so therefore is “in charge”.
What’s with the, “I hadn’t decided what to do about it yet”???
And at that point I about cost us our main TV. Jack is just like many of the pricks who’ve made it to Congress and confuse their role as an elected representative with some sort of anointing from God. If I were one of the other Beach Boys I’m afraid it wouldn’t be too many more days before Jack had a very bad “accident”.
Has there ever been a more appropriate metaphor for this show than an empty chair in the room where “everything” will be explained?
A-freaken-men.
I thought the picture was a polar bear, but didn’t record it to check.
Now I’m gonna have to bedoop around my recording to double-check.
I’m so glad all y’all take the time every Thursday to explain it all to me!
Well, someone’s got to try to make sense of this farkakte mess.
My theory on Jacob…in fact on most of the Island is that only those who have killed their fathers can see Jacob.
Those that haven’t can only hear him?
– Why did the native(s) on the island speak perfect American English?
See under : Writers, Lazy
Or, see under : Natives, not really “natives.”
Whatever they are, we now know for sure that natives != Dharma, but also that Dharma (for some reason) thinks things are still going on somewhat as planned (since they do food drops.)
Have you seen the eleven frames of Jacob?
http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/2007/05/11-frames-of-jacob.html
Check out that site in general. It was a dog in that picture.
Katherine,
Best run down EVER.
I’m smiling.
I never saw Carnivale, so any similarities/references are lost on me. I don’t get HBO or Showtime.
I think it’s significant we didn’t see Annie among the dead Dharmites. Horace got a farewell from Ben, but no touching goodbye for her. Which makes me think a) she was already dead or gone by that time, b) he took her somewhere safe, or c) she had joined the Others/Hostiles as well.
Interesting theory that only those who’ve killed their fathers can see Jacob, but maybe it’s not so limited. Only those who have killed, period, can see him. As far as we know, Locke’s never killed anyone. But Sawyer has. And Charlie. And Michael (wherever he is). And Kate. And Sayid. That’s all the Losties I can think of at the moment.
Okay, here ‘s a question. Is there something special about Locke that would make Jacob WANT his help? Maybe because he hadn’t killed daddy-o he is capable of helping him.
And help him do what? Or save him from what?
I’m with you. Put Jack and Kate on a boat and tell them to row to safety. Or not.
Am I the only one who saw a big gaping hole in the side of Jacob’s head? Dude, what’s up with that?
Finally, maybe the “invisible jacob” trick is related to the “invisible whisperers” around the island. All I know is that the payoff to this series HAD BETTER BE HISTORY ALTERING or there’s gonna be some ‘splaining to do. If it all ends up being Hurley’s dream I’m going to form an angry mob and start handing out torches.
Jason
How about this for the “invisible Jacob” explanation:
Richard – not aging. He’s a “hostile.”
Jacob – not aging. He’s a “hostile” too.
At some time in the past, everyone on the island stopped aging… and Jacob stopped aging at the exact moment that he was dying… leaving this ethereal, stuck between worlds presence.
hbo’s oz…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….