Lost- Season Finale- The Incident
WOW! Before this episode, Leah was talking abouut how she hasnt enjoyed the show as much since they have gone into the whole time travel thing. I thought it was more that there wasn’t as much mystery in the show, like there used to. Well, in comes last night and I have to say the mystery IS BACK! That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the previous episodes, but nothing like this. I’ll leave more comments later, but here is your opportunity to leave thoughts. I believe my mom has some interesting thoughts to say…
BethsMomToo said,
May 14, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do have a great theory about Jacob and anti-Jacob. Since the Egyptian theme appears to be the oldest on the island, and since Jacob has incredible powers ["you brought them here"], I was reminded of the Seth/Osiris story. It’s the basis for the primary Egyptian myth. Seth and Osiris are brothers. Osiris has predominance (firstborn?) and Seth is jealous of his brother, hating him to the point of committing murder. [a la Cain and Abel]. I believe he tries more than once, but is successful after chopping up Osiris’ body and distributing it around the Near East. But Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris, and their other sister search far and wide until they recover all the pieces… well, all but one, but we won’t go there… and put Osiris back together. He becomes the “living dead one”. You always see him painted with green skin (i.e. “dead”) and wrapped in a shroud, yet alive. He becomes the ruler of the underworld, which is where you always find him in the Egyptian paintings.
Tim pointed out that when we first meet the two men, Jacob is dressed in white and the anti-Jacob is dressed in black. Throughout the episode, Jacob is kind every time he approaches one of the Losties. [Interesting... he has actually chosen them. We had always suspected there would be a link among them. Apparently Jacob was engineering it.] The anti-Jacob/pseudo-Locke encourages Ben to murder ["It's all about me!"], which did seem rather unlike Locke. I admit that had me confused.
So where does this leave us? The smoke monster is apparently tied to the anti-Jacob ["Don't even think of trying to kill Locke" again] and apparently Jack’s Dad. He must have inhabited THAT dead body also. Locke needed something of Jack’s Dad’s in the casket… in order to come alive? That would mean Mrs. Hawkins would also be influenced by the anti-Jacob. And has Claire gone over to the dark side? That would explain her odd behavior in the cabin. Jacob hadn’t been using that cabin in a long time… but the girl said someone else had – Jack’s Dad/the anti-Jacob.
What will happen next? Well if the story follows the myth, Jacob will come back alive and surprise the bejeebers out of his brother. Jacob will end up in control. I got the feeling none of this was a surprise to him, but part of his overall plan. He knows what he’s doing.
My question… did the Losties actually cause “the incident”? That must have been why the anti-radiation suits were worn outside the hatch. Was it a good or bad thing to detonate that bomb? Please tell me Juliet and Sawyer will live happily ever after… Kate will be redeemed and Jack will be controlled by his better side… Hurley will have confidence… I could go on and on.
Beth said,
May 14, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I love your Osiris Seth idea mom- I bet you’re right. Seth found a “loop hole” and returned/ came back to life.
I knew it was dead Locke’s body in the box (although I assumed it was in the casket) when they showed the pilot. I had doubts that it was really Locke ever since the smoke monster incident. Now the question is- did Jacob know this was coming and gave the woman this job- or Jacob recruited this team of people and she figured out there was a problem.
Is the smoke monster connected to anti-jacob- or jacob and anti-jacob inhabitated the island for it’s powers and they both have to limit the monster and monster/ island wants them off as well. Does anyone remember when the powder line around Jacob’s cabin was broken?
I kind of think Jacob is a type of god- he is soveriegn over the events on the island- he picks the Losties. He hands out people their lot in life – and apologizes. He knows the larger plan. It’s interesting because the Losties etc. are trying to change the plan- use what information they have and change things (and it’s messy and agonizing), but I think as some of the people in the group are saying- you can’t change anything. I think Faraday was wrong and mind-reader guy is right. I think the explosion at the end was an EMP and potentially another time travel for the Losties et al.
so who do we have as sides?
Jacob w/ Richard the other’s can we include Widdemore? Losties recruited by Jacob
smoke monster/island
anti-Jacob, Claire, Mrs. Hawkings, Ben, Widdemore- maybe he turned at somepoint- why? Dharma initiative
Why did Jacob recruit all the Losties? He has a master plan- what is their role? Save him when he needs their help- bring him back to life? Why them?
Anonymous said,
May 15, 2009 at 9:39 am
I had another idea. Alyssa (?) – the new character Jacob visited in a Russian (?) hospital.. the one who captured Sayid and got him on board the Ajira flight… seemed to have a long relationship with Jacob. She knew him… which means he had been communicating with her. She was willing to do whatever he wanted… which suggests a Richard-like relationship with Jacob. Her appearance suggests possible Egyptian ancestry, although Jacob himself is certainly NOT Egyptian. So I’m thinking she may have the “Isis” role. She’s probably a long-lived servant of Jacob, like Richard.
Now the Egyptian thing… it’s possible that Jacob is older than ancient Egypt, but that their civilization could have been the earliest to recognize him… interact with him. Or at least it’s as far back as the average viewer’s knowledge can go! [Not many people have a working knowledge of the Sumerians!] And I’m guessing the tapestry Jacob made is significant. I can see he’s represented the Aten [sun with rays with little hands on the end], as represented by Akhenaten. There are also familiar agricultural scenes commonly seen (e.g. reaping wheat). But UNLIKE Egyptian art… there is Greek lettering! I tried to read it from your screen shot, Tim, but all I can see is “Gods (theoi)” at the beginning and “douen’? at the end. That’s not a word I recognize. If they are all caps, the the “V” has to be an upsilon, not a nu. I can’t find it in either Lexicons for the NT or the LXX. Having an “…en” ending makes me think it’s either 3rd person singular Imperfect verb ending or 2nd Aorist 3rd person singular verb ending – either way -a Past Tense Verb, 3rd singular (he/she/it). I’ve seen another shot where I can make out “…and the…” after “Gods”. So we’ve got “Gods and the….. douen (?)” Can you find another screen shot where the entire tapestry is shown?
And the answer to “What lies in the shadow of the statue” is Latin. Let’s hear it for ancient languages … which tells us Jacob has been around for a long time [a "true" ET character]. That would go along with the silly stuff about aliens teaching the Ancient Egyptians how to build the pyramids lore.
The free will/sovereignty issue is interesting, too, though the opening conversation scene between Jacob and anti-Jacob brought in the idea of people “learning/evolving” over time. Becoming LESS violent? Apparently not!
BethsMomToo said,
May 15, 2009 at 9:42 am
oops… that was me. I forgot to sign in first.
BethsMomToo said,
May 15, 2009 at 9:55 am
I just saw a little more in another screen shot “theoi de toi(s)….douen.”
And/but/now gods to/for the …. I suppose toi(s) could also be Instrumental (“by means of”) or Locative (“In”). We need the next word!
It’s interesting there is no article for “gods”. In the NT, if it’s referring to THE God, there is an article. Without an article it refers to pagan gods.
BethsMomToo said,
May 15, 2009 at 11:14 am
hmmm… now that I think about it “douen” can’t be a Past Tense Verb… no augment. [...could be a neuter Participle. Or I suppose it could be a stand-alone conjunction or particle.] I just don’t know. But then… I’m only familiar with Koine. It ’s more likely this is Classical Greek… and off my radar. But find me a screen shot of the entire tapestry!
BethsMomToo said,
May 15, 2009 at 12:09 pm
… just keeping you up to date… the next to the last word looks like “phobia” (fear)
BethsMomToo said,
May 15, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Sorry for all these posts… I should have waited until I had it all together, but it’s exciting! I finally found high resolution shots and discovered I was off on a few words. And it’s an odd form of uncials.
There are actually TWO registers on the tapestry with Greek writing. The first is at the very top of the tapestry, above the Aten. The two lines are quotes from Homer’s Odyssey [quite appropriate, as the Losties are on an Odyssey themselves!].
The top line says, “may the gods grant thee all that your (singular) heart desires”:
The lower line says, “may the gods grant you (singular) happiness”
Now that HAS to be significant! It’s also similar to Psalm 20…
v.1 “…May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!” [hmmm ...the God of Jacob...]
v.4 “May He grant you your heart’s desire And fulfill all your counsel!”
OK… now I’ll be quiet….promise.
Beth said,
May 16, 2009 at 7:28 am
Mom you should write LOST editorials for papers. I was looking around about what people were writing for the LOST finale and there are some editorials written by people who are totally confused and have no Egyptian knowledge.
BethsMomToo said,
May 18, 2009 at 10:57 am
That’s not to say, of course, that my theories are correct! I don’t believe there is any ONE influence on the LOST storyline… but many influences. I do feel pretty confident, however, that what happened is exactly what Jacob wanted to happen and the anti-Jacob just didn’t understand that part, similar to His enemies not understanding the greater significance of Christ’s death.
I suppose we could call the anti-Jacob by the name “Esau”, as many have done, but the story line doesn’t really go with the biblical story of Jacob and Esau. It’s funny to read people’s renditions of the story of Jacob and Esau … which they pretty much don’t get the larger significance of. They don’t see any connection to God’s election of Jacob and rejection of Esau. They only see the immediate story of two brothers… not the bigger story at all.
As for Egyptian knowledge, I’ve only scratched the surface. [There's a reason I always read those explanations in museums. Ha! ]