Official "The Brig" Instant Reactions Comments Area

[Jason]

Enjoy.

[Sean]

For all of the hype that this episode got, I was underwhelmed.  I was really expecting some kind of history from the Others (Frankly, I thought we would see some kind of Smokey action), but we really got nothing.  All we got was a connection between two survivors that most of us had already put together (Locke's Dad=Sawyer).  I am really looking forward to what the hell is going on with Jack and Juliet ... what is that all about?

[Stef]

I really liked this episode!

For all of the hype that this episode got, I was underwhelmed.  I was really expecting some kind of history from the Others (Frankly, I thought we would see some kind of Smokey action), but we really got nothing.  All we got was a connection between two survivors that most of us had already put together (Locke's Dad=Sawyer).

Yes, the main action was between Sawyer, Locke and Cooper (which I enjoyed, as I have long been in the Cooper-as-the-real-Sawyer camp), but we also learned little tidbits that could have real significance.

We also got confirmation from Cooper on the "flight 815 has been found" story, so Naomi wasn't lying or just making it up. And we got that she was definitely hired by Penny to find Desmond, and that she flew in from a freighter just off the island. AND that the coordinates they had were for somewhere in the middle of the ocean - not a known island at all! I think that's all pretty exciting info for the big-picture story of the show.

[Di]

"Jack-Bauer-on-Fayed"--that's funny.  Brian is back in fine form, even with jet lag!  I guess strangling one's hated nemesis with chains is IN this year.  But I don't approve of what Locke did to Sawyer.  That was pretty cold:  "I need him dead but can't or won't kill him, so YOU do it."  Taking advantage of someone else's childhood trauma to further his vision quest...not good.

I'll be interested in hearing more speculation on what people think Ben et al are up to.  Are they testing Locke?  And what is "the right answer?"  I'm thinking that Locke may hurt his standing by killing.  Do these people really require some sacrifice like that?  And why did Alpert say that Cooper has to die?  Why did they lie to Locke and tell him that he brought Cooper there, when actually they seem to have arranged it?  Is it all just a mind game?  I would have liked to see Locke stand up to the Others and say, "I don't believe in killing and I don't have to kill the man to be free of him."  The Others are REALLY getting annoying.  What's this higher purpose that Alpert alluded to?

I think that Jack may THINK he and Juliet are working together on something, but I think Juliet has her marching orders from Ben.  And how did Ben get the recorder that Juliet left her message on--unless it transmitted somehow to another unit.  Tunnels?  Maybe Rousseau will blow them up!

And finally:  I want to see Ben's feet to count his toes!

[Heathers Brain]

OH THIS WAS A GREAT ONE!!!

Okay, i am so not getting it...if it was so darn important for Locke to kill his dad, how is it OK to HAVE hime killed?  Seemed to me it was about Locke getting rid of the issue not taking care of ti himself...that is by far not the same thing.

Anyway, I thought it was wrong too, how manipulative!!!

So, here we are asking more questions just like we always are...I can not wait to hear what the others may be up to...please share those thoughts...I am listening!!!

All i can figure is Ben is the real Jacob, OR Jacon does exist but not as we have thought of him...Ben uses his name to manipulate everyone.  It seems like Richard Alpert is not on Ben's side of this, so i am guessing Ben may have gone a little too far at some point and is using the power of manipulation to force them all to worship him in some way...ok, it is not all there in my mind but I feel something like this happening soon.

I see that the other seem to be waiting for their "savior" and it seems Locke may have fit that bill, but Ben couldn't let that happen so he humiliates him...so now they all think he is useless?  I don't know...I do not want to be a part of this cult...that is all I know for sure!!!

Later!

[hella_goodsd]

It was an interesting episode.  Even though I knew the whole Cooper is Mr. Sawyer thing, it was still goose-bump inducing.  My brain is spinning. Everybody on here always has such good reactions.  Someday I will have a really deep thought to share.  Tonight was not the night.  I'm somewhere in the middle between lame and witty.  I'm in limbo!!

Glad to have Brian back!  However, I think everyone did a great job filling in.

[Jason]

This is a copy of what I posted on the blog comments section for those who don't look there.

Not to be to religious but we all have seen the spiritual underlying theme that runs through the whole LOST with redemption, sacrifice, and other points.

- Locke's father was tied up to the pole/smokestack with his arms spread like he was on a cross. This is symbolic of him being a sacrifice so that locke can be saved much like Jesus is viewed as a sacrifice to save the world to christians.

- Locke carried his father's dead body on his back. This also is symbolic in multiple ways.
1.) We all carry the burdens of our lives on our back/shoulders. It is not something we can simply get rid of. The fears and doubts we have though we may try to "kill" them will always remain a part of us, though they may not have the same full power over us.
2.) The phrase the straw that broke the camels back comes to mind when watching locke carry his father's body.
3.) Along the religious lines Christ was forced to carry his own cross on his back to where he was crucified for at least part of the way. Someone else was recruited to help him carry his burden the final distance, much like Sawyer was recruited to help Locke overcome his own burden of killing his father.

[renee]

Here is my copy of what I posted on the blog:

When Locke hoisted his dad onto his shoulder, I had the same feeling when Patchy "died". I hope he's really, really dead!

Since Sawyer did the dirty work for Locke, maybe Sawyer is the special one... Now they are both free.

I love it when Sayid starts asking questions!!!

(I caught the Jack Bauer chain-strangle too! What a way to go... )

[Alec]

I hear you, Sean -- I was a little underwhelmed, too, but also very entertained. And the episode did answer a few things, as others have noted.

As for the 815 crash footage, my thought until now was that staging a whole crash would be impossible -- we've all seen how the authorities put together every little piece of the plane after a crash, and test DNA, etc. But this gives us the perfect way around all that -- it's probably relatively easy to stage footage of an underwater "crash", given computer graphics these days (or even those days -- I guess it's a couple of years ago, Island time).

And dealing with Locke's dad in the episode -- even though we all saw it coming -- was a sort of dramatic necessity, too. We all knew that Locke's dad was the real Sawyer, but they still had to reveal it and deal with it.

I'm torn about Locke. I've been thinking of him as an up-and-coming island deity of sorts, but he really showed how human he still is -- he's not much better than Ben, it seems, manipulating others to do his bidding. I can't imagine the island will be happy about that.

[Jerry P.]

First I have to say WOW!! Great episode.

Second, during the show I had a couple of weird flashbacks myself. The first one was when the file on Sawyer showed up to reveal that he killed a guy the night before the flight. I thought back to "Highlander" the tv show and "The Watchers" that kept tabs on all the immortals. Does the Others or Dharma have a "Watchers" department. It would help to explain how they where following Cooper and how they abducted him off the highway.

The other flash back was when Naomi said that Penny gave them the coordinates that were in them middle of the ocean and the only out here is water. Then when she was flying back to the boat the clouds opened up and she saw the island right before her copter malfunctioned and she bailed out. Are our survivors in a camouflaged "Turner Show" globe and that when the cloud cover lifted it sorta opened the roof and was exposed to the rest of the world. That could be why Desmond boat kept bringing him back to the island.

I know, way to much TV watching.

ALso the Juliet & Jack plan better come out in the open before Sawyer gets back with the recorder or she's getting strung up by the rest of the group.

JerryP.

[renee]

Jerry P.~ The Watcher theory would sort of explain the "whispers" (see Lostpedia)

[Jerry P.]

I meant "The Truman Show" not Turner.  Sorry

[Matt]

For the record, Lost last night was AMAZING! I think we can put to rest the purgatory theory. They're messing with us. How else do you explain the "transplants" to the island, like Juliet? I suppose she could of died when they gave her that drink, but how would they have been able to GIVE her the drink. It doesn't add up. Plus, they would have to know that she would end up in purgatory upon death. Even "watchers" can't be certain that all her deeds in life were questionable. Further,  I agree that the plane crash was staged. I think the Others brainwashed Cooper to tell Sawyer (Sorry, JAMES) that fact. I also think that Naomi  is knowledgable of the Others, (She told Patchy last week: "I'm not alone" in Italian) and therefore is misleading the survivors, as well. By the way, Welcome back, Brian! Can't wait for the full analysis!

[SinkingDeeper]

What if JACOB is Just A Cloud of Black smoke...

[renee]

SinkingDeeper~ I like that!!!