Lost Season 4 Recap #2: Is Lost Ripping Off Twin Peaks

Confirmed Dead
written by Drew Goddard and Brian K. Vaughan
directed by Stephen Williams
My girlfriend has accused Lost's producers of ripping off Battlestar Galactica with their "Oceanic 6" revelations. I'm inclined to agree, and now I am wondering if Lost is not biting from another one of our favorites - Twin Peaks. It strikes me as though Lost may be building to some kind of good vs. evil battle, centered around religious mythology, much in the same way Twin Peaks did.

In Twin Peaks' final hours, we have the makings of an epic battle existing across dimensions between the white lodge and the black lodge. ("Whilst they're actual locations in Twin Peaks, they also seem to represent human capacities, the dark and the good side in everyone." - from Twin Peaks Theories). Lost is setting up potentially a similar battle.

Jacob's cabin is the white lodge - or a sort of gateway to heaven. I think of "Jacob's Ladder," described in the Book of Genesis as the ladder to heaven. Abaddon (introduced in the season premiere, and seen here in flashbacks assembling a team to send to the island to track down Ben) is the keeper of the black lodge. Abaddon is a Hebrew terms meaning "destruction" and I've learned from Wikipedia, "In Biblical poetry (Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11), it comes to mean "place of destruction", or the realm of the dead, and is associated with Sheol. Abaddon is also one of the compartments of Gehenna.[1] By extension, it can mean an underworld abode of lost souls, or hell."

Don't get all excited again you purgatory theorists - the survivors of Oceanic 815 are alive and well. Much like the haunting woods of Twin Peaks, where red curtains drape and allow you to enter the black lodge, the island, or maybe just parts of it, exist somewhere between life and death. This would explain why the simple rules of life and death do not apply on the island, whether it comes to cancer or pregnancy. This would explain why Jack sees his dead father - and later Hurley sees him, too. I initially thought - after this episode - that Jack's dad was in fact Jacob. But let's assume for a moment that Jack's (and Clare's) dad is simply a bridge to Jacob. He does have connections to several of the survivors (Jack, Clare, Sawyer, Anna Lucia). Remember the Man From Another Place ("I am the arm") in Twin Peaks?

When it comes to Lost, nothing is quite so simple as good and evil, so expect a more complicate battle. But consider season four to be J.J. Abrams's Fire Walk with Me. He's already introduced a series of new characters, some of whom possess special gifts in order to show that what is happening is something greater than just the island. Daniel, Frank, Miles and Charlotte are quite possibly the equivalent of Chester Desmond, Phillip Jeffries, and Sam Stanley. Unlike Lynch, however, it appears as though Abrams will have the opportunity to see their stories through.

Lost Season Four Recap #1

I've been meaning to write about - what I call - the "sexist politics of Lost." I know my girlfriend would like to see that up here, and I will write it someday. But, being somewhat hypocritical I guess, I am simply going to write about last night's episode and how much I liked it.

The Beginning of the End
Who cares about the monster in the smoke, anyway? The island of Lost still holds many mysteries, but at this point, they just don't seem all that exciting. But what is exciting - the new mysteries of Los Angeles, or what happens once they leave the island. Watching last night's episode, I was surprisingly reminded of of why I liked this show so much to begin with. It's not that all is forgiven - the first half of season three still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Furthermore, I don't need to hear any John Locke speeches every again - and (even more than before) I really don't give a shit about Jack, Kate or Sawyer. That being said, the episode did a great deal to keep the momentum from last season's finale and - I hate to say it - I actually have some faith in where this is going. (Or it could just be that there is a writer's strike going on and it's questionable how much pleasure I'm going to derive from Gone Country).

Why Last Night's Episode Worked: For one, it was about Hurley, and Hurley's plots are the best. The mystery surrounding "the numbers" and Hurley's bad luck has always been the most interesting to me, and Hurley's plot points have allowed the writers to delve into more Twin Peaks/Angel territory, which is the kind of television I love the best. Second of all, the flashbacks were fucking tired ... so when they threw us for a loop and revealed a "flash forward" in the last moments of season three, it was thrilling. Thankfully, they are keeping this up, and using flash forwards to entice us with more mysteries - "the Oceanic Six?" "Where are they?" "I think it wants us to come back.(?)" While it does beg more questions, I can't help but get a little chill at the thought of them.

What Lies Beneath: As usual, their seem to be clues from last night's episode that require freeze-framing and a closer look. My brother informs me - and others seem to confirm it - that the man Hurley saw in Jacob's chair was ... Jack's father (that dude never goes away). Someone else was staring at Hurley in the mental institution besides the Ghost of Charlie. Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen says, "Season 4 Burning Question No. 1: If the Oceanic 6 are six survivors of Oceanic 815 who made it off the Island (and became famous for doing so), and we know that three of the six are Jack, Kate, and Hurley, then who are the other three?" Will Benham says, "Season 4 Burning Question No. 2: Will I succumb to message boards." No, probably not likely.

Sopranos Finale Spoofs

Hillary Clinton's:


The Pittsburgh Pirates':


My Personal Favorite:

I Finally Watched The Sopranos finale

I know I'm a tad late to the party, but I've finally seen the much-talked-about Sopranos' series finale. I also managed to do so without having the ending spoiled. Needless to say, there is a tension that builds throughout the final episodes, leading to an anticipation of Tony's imminent death and the downfall of the Sopranos crime family. In the final scene, with at least one conflict resolved, writer/director David Chase builds the tension even more ...

Like most viewers I'm sure, the seconds following the cut to black constituted a "what the -" reaction, followed by two re-watches. Realizing that this was the ending and not a technical glitch, I took to the internet to find a few theories. And a few theories there are - the cut to black means Tony dies or Tony actually died in the previous episode and this one is all a dreama dream. Similarly, that last scene is all a dream and Tony's "Last Supper."

But I reject the Tony death theory, as well a the similar dream ones. The Sopranos has frequently shown Tony dream sequences and established its own "dream language" - and these were not along those lines. As for the "Tony dies" hoopla - Hillary and I discussed it and came up with our own theory - "life goes on."

David Chase is a smart guy, who over the past ten years has been changing the nature of television with this show. It is doubtful who would conform to the audience's standards of finale expectations with an all-conclusive ending. That is not what this show is about anyway. He certainly plays with tension in this scene - the stress of Meadow trying to park, Tony's hyper-awareness (and subsequently ours) of everyone in the diner. Seeing as how just a day before he was in hiding, one could imagine Tony still being a tad tense, and thus viewing strangers with at least a certain degree of suspicion.

The Sopranos is not concerned with television or how things are expected to end, and while the show leaves many questions unanswered, it does leave us with the simple message that life - through good times and bad - must go on. In that dinner conversation, AJ reminds Tony of when he said "focus on the good times." This is an allusion to season one's finale - which finds the family simply sharing a simple, yet significant family dinner together. In this final scene, we see that shows heart lies not within the mafia, but within the family.

And, so, life keeps going - AJ is settled at a new job, though probably still prone to fits of depression; Meadow is engaged; Tony and Carmela are getting along; the threat on Tony's life has been temporarily removed than an indictment seems near. In life, there are good times and bad, friends come and go. But, it does keep going - unlike television. And so, Chase asks us to "focus on the good times."

Showtime's The Tudors: History For Dummies or Cultural Critique?

And so ends the first season of Showtime's ambitious Henry VIII drama, The Tudors, a show which I have inexplicably been unable to blog about until now. For those who did not religiously watch the show every Sunday - its first season very slowly chronicled the demise of Henry's relationship with his first wife, his courtship of Anne Boleyn, and the increasing popularity of Lutheranism within the king's court. All very interesting stuff, actually.

History buffs would probably scoff at the show's "history for dummies" approach, with even star Jonathan Rhys Meyers claiming an 80% accuracy rate. Up until the finale, the show moved at a rather laborious pace, essentially jumping between Henry being betrayed by an emperor (either France's or Spain's) and his constant desire to bone Anne (who is being pimped out by her father). I'll call this series "Deadwood meets Hercules: The Series." The dialogue was at times embarassingly clunky, with Meyers seemingly in over his head on more than one occasion. Thus, many laughs throughout the season were rather unintentional.

However, The Tudors may be one of the most accurate reflections of the postmodern view on history. The Tudors is less concerned with historical accuracy and more concerned with similarity. The excessive sex scenes and the sensationalist portrayal of religious corruption and scandal serve less to comment on a time we know little of, and more to comment on our present day situation. This is an era where a Republican administration can bypass democracy and popular opinion completely, in favor of their friends in big business, while religious leaders wield great power on social issues. In those terms, then Henry is just a more fit G.W. He arbitrarily appoints friends to high positions, yet turns on friends at the slightest hint of betrayal, is easily influenced by those more articulate than he, while managing to convince himself that what he's doing is God's work. Not to mention (and maybe this is just Johnathan's fault) - he doesn't seem too bright.

Oh, Gilmore

Recent news that this would be the final season for Gilmore Girls was not shocking - but it was a bit sudden. I was concerned that, with little time to produce an actual series finale, we may be stuck with a cliff hanger. Thankfully, we got just what we needed - a sentimental, yet charming and moving finale.
Gilmore Girls ends after seven (relatively) strong seasons - though I did not start watching until season six, catching up on the early years through DVDs and ABC Family reruns. I had initially just written the show off as merely a "family" program, yet when I actually sat down to watch it, I realized there was a great deal more to it. In its early years, Gilmore's flow was less like that of a television show and more like that of a novel. The dialog was always quick and witty, and the indie rock references could not be beat (see one of my earliest posts - Gilmore Girls Got That Indie Cred). Of course, while the show was very much about the girls named Gilmore, the most distinctive touch would have to be the brilliant supporting cast. The quirky locals populating the town of Star's Hollow really made the show what it was. After six seasons, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino departed over contract disputes, and this season dearly missed her. After a rather disappointing first half, the latter part of the season picked up dramatically, all leading up to a fantastic conclusion, which left plot points exactly where they should be.

My biggest concern now is ... with Gilmore gone, Veronica Mars on the way out, Battlestar Galactica not coming back for a million years, what the hell are we going to watch?

Veronica Mars Rumoured Cancellation

Seasons one and two of Veronica Mars were some of the most gripping hours television has produced in recent memory. This transitional third season has been a bit of a mixed bag, drawing ire from many feminists for both a misinformed episode regarding the "morning after pill" (read more at Feministing, and a rather one-dimensional portrayal of a campus women's group. Having actually been a part of my college's women's/feminist group, the portrayal has been a little disheartening. For a show that stood out for its diverse cast and strong female lead, the show's distancing from feminist politics, as well as relegating its racial minorities to bit players, has caused a little less enthusiasm for the show from the N&UR camp. Nonetheless, its still heads and shoulders above what most teen genre shows offer, and we're a bit sad to hear the rumours of the shows' cancellation. Pink is the New Blog linked to a story on ComingSoon.net with one of the show's stars confirming the cancellation.

But all may not be lost. E! Online reports that, while chances of the show returning in its "current format" are unlikely, creator Rob Thomas is shooting a trailer/featurette for a fourth season that would take the show in a new direction. The story states, "It is currently considering a different format for the fourth season. From what I hear, that format would leap four years into the future and focus on Veronica as an FBI agent. Aside from returning star Kristen Bell (duh), the rest of the cast is yet to be determined, but it isn't likely that many of her current costars would be on hand." Thoughts? I don't really care much for this proposed new direction, but I can imagine we'll still give it a chance.

Could it Be? Lost Good Again

So, we've been hating on Lost pretty much all season, what with their running in circles plotline and frequent killings of women and anyone with dark skin. While we're not quite ready to forgive it on the latter, we did find ourselves getting a little bit hooked once more after indulging in a three-episode marathon last night. Positive points - the show's re-introduction of that great big cast they've been neglecting (remember Sayid, Locke and Hurley?) and less emphasis on the boring regulars (the dreaded Jack, Kate and Sawyer - enough already!). Seeing Jack play football with "the others" was probably the best cliffhanger that show has dropped in forever and totally made up for that lame Jack/Claire connection we all knew was coming. There are still a lot of questions to be answered, but at least for a little while, the show is not quite as frustrating.

"Gilmore Girls" Got That Indie Cred

In her review for "Music From The O.C. Mix 5," Pitchfork critic Amy Phillips writes, "everybody knows that the indie kids don't watch 'The O.C.' anymore. They watch 'Gilmore Girls'. Now there's a show that needs a box set." At first, this just seems funny, but the real truth of the matter is that "Gilmore Girls" has a voice that represents the indie rock community in a way that "The O.C." doesn't.

When "The O.C." first premiered, it proved popular not only with a teenage demographic, but with hipster college kids who enjoyed the overblown drama in a "half-ironic" kind of way. It was cool to watch it religiously, but not cool to take it seriously. At the center of all this was Seth Cohen, the indie-rock loving outcast whose sarcastic humor spoke to these college hipsters. Upon finding the audience, it was then exploited - excessive soundtracks populated with indie faves like A.C Newman, LCD Soundsystem, and Spoon, but also corporate clones like Jet and the Subways. They even tried to pass off Weezer wannabes Rooney as the "it" band. As the exploitation continued, the show got worse - the drama went from ridiculously funny to ridiculously sappy and unwatchable. Now the show resembles an after school special. The independent voice is gone, but it may never have been there.

(left: Gilmores touring the Claremont Colleges)








"Gilmore Girls" has never begged for credibility - it's always had it, whether you've known about it or not. Early "Gilmore" episodes established the framework - a show that was not plot-driven, but instead a series of conversations strung together, many taking place in a small New England town populated by quirky characters (like Sally Struthers). Characters speak to one-another at rapid-fire paces, frequently referencing literature and pop culture. It is rare on television to find a show where the characters are actually engaged with culture.

Supporting character Lane is the indie music source. Her mom's a real strict Korean Christian, and up till season 5, had no idea of Lane's love for rock and roll. In one episode she stresses because the circumstance of her being grounded means she will not be able to buy a Belle and Sebastian single on the day of its release. She forms a band in season three, with Adam Brody of all people, and they perform covers of Blur, Rancid, and the White Stripes. Brody did a lot to win over Lane's mom, including having his buddies pose as a Christian rock band.

Brody left after just one season, with Sebastian Bach - that Sebastian Bach - taking his place. That is so "Gilmore..." to have hair metal rocker Bach join the cast as a deli-owning failed rocker. And it totally works. In another bit of "inspired casting," Lane's band played a show for label heads in a recent episode, and Joel Gion (former maracas player/hype man for Brian Jonestown Massacre) made a cameo in a scene that totally reenacted one from "DiG!" Genius!

You won't see the Killers or Death Cab for Cutie playing at some nonexistent hotspot on "Gilmore Girls." The Shins did stop by briefly and there are the frequent appearances of Grant Lee Phillips as the town troubadour. Often in important scenes, a fitting song will play and then the camera will pan over to reveal that Phillips is there, at that moment, playing the song.

So, where are all my ramblings about my favorite "Gilmore" moments going? I guess the answer is that "Gilmore Girls" anticipates, and even demands, a certain level of intelligence from its audience. Even though the characters live in a town that is its own world, they are still engaged with mass culture. The character of Lane is clearly one who knows her music history, so hearing her talk about her favorite bands is like talking to a really cool record store clerk - you care about what they have to say. Furthermore, musical guests like Grant Lee Phillips, the Shins, Joel Gion or Sebastian Bach, are all in line with an independent spirit - they are not simply guest starring or trying to sell the latest faux hot band. "Gilmore Girls" is indie rock because it is genuine, it is authentic.

("Gilmore Girls" airs Tuesdays @ 8 on the WB, while seasons 1-5 are available on DVD)