Interesting that both last night's
Lost and
Veronica Mars would deal with the issue of trust and violations of that trust. Sometimes there's just TV karma, I guess....
Lost: Fire + WaterFirst of all, I think
Lost missed the whole point of what baptism is. It's not an insurance policy to get you into heaven. From my understanding of what baptism is, it's an outward sign of an inward comitment and relationship with Christ. It's not a magic "get into heaven" free card as Locke and others on the island make it out to be. There was a better exploration of baptism and what it means on
Scrubs last week than we got here.
Of course, I'm assuming that the entire Claire gets baptised so she won't be separated from Aaron should they did plotline will never be brought up again. Mayhaps this will actually lead to something more from the Claire storyline and bring a bit more depth to her character. Heaven only knows I think she could use it since her character has been really under-utilized and barely explored since the last time we saw flashbacks about her. And let me also say this--for someone who's survived a plane crash, had a baby, had the child kidnapped and then got the child back, she's looking pretty good. And apparently the bunker had her exact make-up shades and colors since I noticed she was pretty well made-up throughout last night's episode.
OK, enough nitpicking and onto the big things.
I think part of me has a hard time working up a lot of sympathy for Charlie. Part of that is the personal agenda of jealousy that Dominic Monaghan got to star in
Lord of the Rings, lives in Hawaii, has this cool job and, oh yeah, is dating Evangeline Lilly. (OK, so maybe it's mostly the last one...)
Seems to me that the storyline is taking Charlie to a dark place. Charlie has all of the best intentions, but he just isn't so good on the follow through. On both the island and in the flashbacks, it ends with Charlie brutally beat-up. At least in the flashbacks it was only emotionally and not physically, such as happens on the island. I have to admit I was taken aback when Locke decked Charlie three times after Charlie sets the fire and takes Aaron. I wondered if Charlie was running for the ocean in an attempt to baptize Aaron (since he felt this was what he needed to do to save the Aaron) or to do something worse, such as the visions Batlar saw of Adama earlier this year on
BSG. Charlie's vision certainly do seem to set up Aaron as some type of Christ-figure on the show--we see images of Charlie's mom and Claire in the Virgin Mary attire, we have the dove coming down from the skies and we have Hurley as potentially a John the Baptist figure. (Does Hurley prepare the way for Aaron to be some type of prophet or redemptive figure for the island or am I reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into it here?)
Also, we see that Charlie sees redemption in a couple of things, both of which slip away--the pianio and Aaron. The dream sequence to start the episode hits that point home again and again with Charlie's mother saying that now Charlie can save them all via his musical gift and make the world right for everyone in the family. Meanwhile, a faceless father figure tells him that he won't amount to anything and should learn a trade. Basically, telling Charlie he his hopes and dreams have little value. Then on the island, we see this played out by the father-figure of the island, Locke. Locke suspects Charlie is using, catches him with the statues and then refuses to believe that Charlie was coming out in the jungle to destroy them. I do wonder why Locke didn't destroy the statues in the end, instead locking them up in the bunker. What is his plan for the statues? Will there be another test for Charlie later? He passed the first tempation but has succumbed to the later one. Will Locke test him again and that will be his redemption and acceptance back into the circle that is the group?
And is this strife within playing into the hands of the Others? If you are so busy concentrating on petty squabbles like this one, do you lose track that--oh by the way--this group of people on the island are out to get us?
Meanwhile, in lighter moments, it's like junior high school dating on the island. Kate is helping Sawyer with his rehab, Jack is flirting with Ana Lucia (which Sawyer points out to Kate and she goes all green-eyed monster. So what--does girl want to have all the men on the island to herself?) and Hurley, bless him, is jonsing for Libby but feels completely awkward talking to her. It even gets worse when Libby tries to encourage him a bit with some flirting... Hurley, my friend, I know exactly how you feel!
Veronica Mars: Donut RunFirst of all, UPN you are evil, evil, evil! I wound back my tape of
VM to watch it last night only to catch the last ten seconds of a preview for VM leading into the first new episode in weeks. I caught Keith saying, "You played ME, Veronica!" and looking pretty upset--which pretty much ruined the entire episode for me! I guess I know where all those guys went to do promos after FOX fired them for giving away too much about
24. Man, I avoid SPOILERS and promos for weeks and then five seconds before the show starts--ruined!
OK, now that my venting is done....well, at least for now...let's turn our attention to
Veronica Mars.What a way to come back after seven long weeks of no new
Veronica Mars. This episode, written and directed by series creator and the new Joss Whedon, Rob Thomas, ably juggles all the balls in the air this season and helps bring everyone back up to speed on what's happening. And along the way, it brings some resolution to one plotline. I'm assuming this will be the last we see of Duncan for a while and in a way, that's a good thing. I think his plotline had all but run its course and to see him go on the lam with his baby is a nice exit for him. And it does set up a lot of complications for Veronica as the rest of the season unfolds--most noticeably that Keith ain't gonna trust her. That should be good, esp. since we see how quickly Keith goes to bat for her, despite her betrayal of his trust.
I will have to say that I loved how Veronica played everyone in this episode. Boy, talk about plots within plots. But when she went to the apartment next door and found Duncan there, I fully expected the other detective to nab them both and thus ruin the entire plan. It just seemed so deliciously deceptive and the kind of twist that is right up
Veronica Mars' alley. But, it didn't happen.
But as one plot drops, another begins. We find out the real reason for Wallace's return and we continue to see Logan and Weevil's investigation. I have a feeling that investigation is a lot of one step forward, two steps back kind of thing. At least until we find out something truly devestating, which I have a feeling there is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off there.
Welcome back,
Veronica Mars. I missed you. Now, let's not have any more seven week gaps, please.
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/26/2006 08:09:00 AM |
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