I have watched each and every episode of Lost. I'm not a Lost-phile, in fact, I like to pick on it, like anything else. Through gitsiegirl I read up on the latest translations of cryptic writings on a blast door.
"A bad plan that can't be changed" -- something could be said there.
Anyway, I would believe that survival would be the first and only thing important at any time with wild beasts, limited food and no real prospect on rescue. They have guns, metal from the wreckage ... seatbelts for roping and high-chrome finish parts for mirrors. If only they had weapons ... oh, yes. They have guns and ammo. I would try to slay the polar bears, the boars -- as they mastered fire, they can smoke the meat, not that 40 some people would take long to eat any of that. They have golf clubs -- lightweight clubbing weapons; effective range 1-4'. Lock brought knives. They found a "natural" rock structure for shelter.
They haven't gone searching for the others as a whole group of 40, nor have they hunted the animals. They could all -- though smelly, be comfortable in the hatch, away from the rain and black smoke beast (as it were) as well as any known and unknown pests, and insects that would naturally abound there. In any other situation, the area around the campsite (or hatch here) would be more and more depleted of fruit and supplies, so a circle of destruction (blight) would grow out from the hatch.
This would clearly show where they are, but it seems obvious that the others know exactly who and where they are. They seem disinterested in killing them but have threatened their lives. They did the impossble (with real fire torches), instant ignition and extinguishing. Smoke and mirrors -- really.
The underlying theme of general distrust is okay, considering their fiction shows that they don't talk -- the 30 some people never introduced are not integral to the plot whatsoever -- why have them?
On top of all the supplies they do have -- including heat and power that they don't exploit, they could wonder around the coast for anything else. In a military theme, a clean line of 40 people is a difficult target to truly eliminate. There were some supplies on the Black Ship -- apart from volitile dynamite. Why not recheck everything you know.
It implied that the next episode would have the masses battling for the mound of supplies, the origin os which undeclared. They have a battery there -- a beacon. They had flashlights, from the flight and from the medical hatch -- they know the location there too. The bright balloon -- for what good it is, would make a great signal or shelter or rain catcher -- fresh water?
The paints, sitting idly by could be used to discolor a tree or two on the coast line to clear mark habitation or need of assistance. I'm no survivalist, but 40 some poeple, with supplies and a desire to leave would improvize and think of anything to survive.
A lying other sits in a vault, though beaten, reasonably better off than those who could be snatched out of the shelter, no one being the wiser. He even got milk-less cereal -- a luxury denied their airline brethren. The hidden stash of Charlie's heroin, mixed with saltwater, could be used as a simplified truth serum, as beating lead to no real results. The only other options would be fish-feeding, burning, or bear baiting.
An armed, crazy Danielle who slayed her own party, might be better used as an ally rather than a second anchor.
If I go on, it'll turn into a very heated, argument with people emotionally bound to the show berrating me, so I'll quit here. I met the same reaction to Matrix, where people defended it like a religion -- emtionally involved in it. Personally, I sum Matrix up to be bad fiction.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Lost interests
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2 comments:
OK, you roped me in on this topic. :)
First, they have hunted, killed and have eaten the boar in Season One. Also, we have been shown Locke eating various animals from the island. There was something rat-like (can't recall exactly what) that Shannon happened across Locke while he was skinning the thing. Also, they are using other resources such as Sun's garden. One point you make on the food from the hatch, we know now they got a new food drop, however, earlier in Season Two Hurley distributes the food from the Hatch to all of the survivors so they all would have had a chance to eat the Hatch O's or ranch dressing.
As far as the survivors joining as one what I see the group seriously lacks is a leader to come up with a plan or to discuss what each splinter group has discovered. Sure there is Jack but he doesn't want to be the leader and only reluctantly serves in the role when there is a dire need (such as funerals). So who will step up and bring them together? There has been one attempt to build a raft to escape and we all know how that went. I don't think these survivors are meant to leave the island and that The Others have them trapped in some type of psychological experiment.
There are still plenty of people living on the beach because they still believe that a plane or ship will come by and they don't want to miss it. This has been discussed on the show amongst the characters and the beach dwellers refuse to leave for fear of missing their ride and would not go to the hatch. They have had a signal fire burning since they landed, also. But again, no one is stepping up to bring them together as one society. Also remember that on the show they have not yet even been there for two months.
Overall, I personally enjoy the discussions that the show brings each week. People from all demograpics come together to analyze not the latest outfit Paris Hilton is wearing, but something that makes you really deconstruct the images each week and link them together from previous shows. Get the old noggin out of deep freeze.
Apparently your clause, "... starts interesting discussions, de-constructing pictures ... better than Paris Hilton [banter]" is true.
Okay, I guess what I should have written was, apart from a solid, definitive leader, you have all the survivors at present. Most of them don't know about or where is the hatch. Still more, it is presumed, don't know about the other hatch, although the man and his wife were re-united and the entry of Ana, Libby, Echo had to be from somewhere isolated and "safe".
If they pool their limited resources together, though could skip the signal fire and go with more permanent displays showing where the survivors are, like a cleared path and painted archway (arrow). They have felled trees with something, therefore they have that ability. They have paint cans, and even in mostly dry, can be re-hydrated poorly with saltwater after rupturing (also a fuel source). Most paint could be used for adhesion of surfaces -- glue, as it were.
Loose parts would blow away in typical tropical (subtropical) storms and coastal wind, therefore the balloon is ill-advised as a permanent display as such.
Getting into the hatch -- safety, you would find 40 some people. There would be several leaders, however not wishing to "take over" arise.
Given 10/12 people, there might be a weak or okay leader. Given 40, probability states that there would be a leader. Jack, grudgingly took the role, because of his versatility, being a doctor and in good shape -- absent of malice. He is full of regret, but not vengeful, like Locke. When Locke was hobbled, he was weaker, more subdued, but angry. Now stronger, more confident, still angry.
The hut building is typical, but facing the reality and perpsosterousness of it all, I see an Indiana-sized island. This island isn't on a map? This island can't be found? The plane obviously, is missing. They aren't going to be rescued. Duh!
You are now on a survivor island, as it were. You have hunted and killed boar. Good for you. Some others have taken people when they are few. If you ally to each other, staying always in the group, or groups of 10, 2 armed. You represent a suitable force with which to contend. This isn't military strategy, it's a survival strategy.
Name a time in the show when the forty people were successfully attacked when together? That's right ... it hasn't happend. We, as the audience, can gather that there are fewer of them than there are of survivors.
The others have hanged Charlie, shot Sawyer (non-mortal wound -- I wonder why.) They generally, do not kill, but take. Many people have been taken, but there aren't bones, clothes, or other debris indicating cannibalism, murder, torture or the like. Claire was captured, then (audience found out) told that she had to leaves sans her child (Aaron -- biblical).
If there are two hatches, there have to be more. There is more water and power. It is foolish to not exploit the assets that you have to survive.
Sun has remained reltively safe gardening, except for Charlie dragging her around, masked and beaten -- left minorly injured, but okay. Sayid intelligently remarked that the others don't leave people like that, except for Charlie for whatever reason.
Anyway, they have reasons for doing what they do, but it stands to reason that 40 have a better chance to survive and discover than do 10/12 with the other survivors -- living, somewhere, off camera.
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