3 X 05 : The Cost Of Living

I was pretty upset when they killed Eko. What a supreme dichotomy of good and evil wrapped into one character. But then I got to thinking… and I said to myself that the *only* way that I would accept that the writers know what they are doing is if the actor himself wanted out of this show. Well, what do you know? He did. You can read the full article here, but if you love this character you may not want to read it. He comes off sounding very arrogant. You are on the number one show on television and after just one backstory you don’t like what they are doing to the character and want out? Now his big project is an autobiography. Yeah, I am almost happy that he is moving off of this show.

That doesn’t mean that I want Ken and Barbie there, but I would rather Eko bow out of the story gracefully, or violently, before I know anymore about what kind of person this guy is outside of the show. I like my little pretend world where all the actors are *just* like their characters. Don’t spoil that for me!

1. I thought this was an interesting shot of the priest, only with half his body showing. Almost foreshadowing that Eko would be back although he would in his heart only be 1/2 priest.
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2. Interesting that they chose to have the eye this episode closed. Eko wasn’t blind to his *sins* any more than any other character on the island. Maybe, however, he was the only one that was making a concious choice to have his *eyes closed* because the pain of his life was too much and he didn’t want to face them.
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3. Thank goodness some of the writing is still alive. When Sayid is beside an unconscious Eko he asks Charlie what happened to him. Charlie responds, “Before or after we saved him from the polar bear cave?” Savid walks away in disgust. Ah, just like old times.

4. Poor Hurley. He asks Eko to stay alive. We know why. And we know what happens later on this episode.

5. Obviously from the way Eko was running around seeing things, Locke got to him with his special wacky paste. First of all, who put Locke in charge of making everyone let go of their past (Boone, himself, Charlie, now Eko)? Anyway, I wonder who was really standing there in the tent? My bet is Locke. The tent burns up. I doubt this was a mistake, I dont’ think, however, he meant to burn the tent down. But, Locke was forcing this vision quest for Eko. On the other hand, Shannon saw Walt inside of her tent before she died and I don’t think it was Locke in that case. Is someone on the island leading them to their doom by inducing hallucinations of people from their past?
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6. I still think it’s Locke in Eko’s *sweat tent.* He runs up right after the fire starts and asks where Eko is (making sure he got out?). Then when Charlie looks around and says he’s gone Locke doesn’t look too surprised. Locke also sends *Charlie* and *Hurley* to look for his tracks. Doesn’t sound like Locke was *that* worried what happened and where Eko went.

7. Ok so Ben just lets Jack wander about during Colleen’s funeral? Obviously it’s part of the mind game but get real, would they not have him somehow shackled?

8. I think for the first time since his appearance, Ben actually looks surprised when Jack mentions his tumor. Is it there, is it a set-up, who knows. But I believe that it was Juliet who put the X-rays there and Ben did not know about it. It’s her con that they are playing now. I do believe that she wants Ben dead but I don’t think it’s because he is some sort of tyrant leader but something more sinister with *her.*
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9. Not sure what to make of the white, I’m sure there is some religious significance to it. What is more important is that these Others know that their dead must leave the island. Think about it, Jack’s dad and Yemi both were not buried, their bodies disappeared then reappeared to the person who would know who they were and then led them somewhere. Eko died and Jack could have as he slipped off the cliff (Locke came and saved him). Is whoever is running the smoke monster resurrecting the bodies and using the image against the survivors?

10. Like the *family* Locke lived with back home, this group of Others is looking more and more like a cult. I doubt it’s religious, but imagine what the Hale-Bop gang would have done with some technology and an operating room. Creepy!

11. This dog is not Vincent, but where has he been? The dog always show up when there is trouble (like Scooby Doo!) so where is he? Maybe he’s with Rose, Bernard, Jin and Sun since we haven’t seen them either. Do the writers think we aren’t going to notice this? Forget writing for Ken and Barbie, keep the characters on screen that we know. Flesh them out more and forget trying to liven up the joint with a hot chick and a perfect haired man.
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12. The little swarm that swims around in the jungle is definitely different and another entity from the *big* black smoke. It seems almost as if it’s the look out, that finds something interesting to report back. As far as Eko’s hallucination of the people he killed in the church, first the little boy shushes Eko eerily similar in the way Walt did to Shannon. Then, to clear the record, he says “confess,” not something backwards. We know the meaning. End of comment.

13. What a stupid set-up about anybody coming along with Locke and then Ken and Barbie volunteer. Could they have just left it with Hurley asking because he’s too afraid or whatever cute and charming thing Hurley might be thinking? Barbie turns around, RAISES HER HAND and says, “I’ll go.” Enough said. *Insert groan of disbelief here*

14. Reflections. This one was the most symbolic so far to me. This is from when Locke was dipping his bottle for water. Very dark.
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15. ABC, can you please give Desmond more screen time? To me, he is now the most interesting character. True, we know the least about him, but he asks questions, he is doubtful of intentions, he pays attention, he does what the viewers keep yelling at the tv! If *he* runs across Danielle, I bet they will have quite a chat! Is Desmond the only one who truly wants to get off this island? For the record, however, Sawyer still gets the best lines.
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16. These must be some religious writers and cinematographers. This scene was like the Lord’s prayer all wrapped up in a nice screenshot. Oh yeah, except for the smoke monster part.
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17. The scene where the men come to the church for the vaccination is interesting. First you think that Eko is some bad-a** standing up for the church. Then you remember that he is a drug dealer after all and it looking to get his own cut. But then you remember that he has something to make up to Yemi so would he or wouldn’t he take off with the medicine?

18. Smokey retreats here. But is it because Eko startles it by standing up to it or is it because Locke & co. are coming? I think that this thing somehow feeds off or can sense fear and Eko startles it.
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19. What is up with this cheeseburger? This chick is psycho and probably did kill the cow, etc… But Desmond appeared to be eating eggs that weren’t really eggs so who knows what the cheeseburger might *really* made of. “Soylent Green is people!” lol
lost_cheeseburger.jpg  Click to enlarge
20. Ben vs. Juliet. Ben comes in and *reveals* to Jack what the con was going to be. For the record, I don’t think that Juliet looks like Sarah. Anyway, all part of the con Jack, WAKE UP BUDDY! The two are obviously at odds. Is Jack that naive?

21. Here is my sister’s theory, and I like it! What if Jack cuts open Ben and doesn’t find the tumor? Jack won’t kill him, I don’t believe it. But Ben will awake and tell Jack that it was the only way to get him to believe that the island heals. Of course, Ben is hoping that as a scientist Jack will want to stay and as a surgeon who desperately wants to fix everyone.

22. But, what if that X-Ray actually was Locke’s? Or someone else we don’t know about? Jack would believe the con. Especially with Ben’s big speech about God dropping a surgeon out of the sky. Come on Jack! Has he forgotten that Kate and Sawyer are caged too?

23. I’m not going to discuss the rolling away of the stone from the plane. It’s been discussed to death on all the boards.

24. I was expecting more of a reaction from Desmond over going down into the hatch. He spent *years* down in one and I would think that a person would have some post traumatic stress from that! The writers missed a big chance here. Of course, they found it more important to show Ken coming out of the toilet. Yeah, good choice ABC.
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25. The patched man. I think he’s running smokey. He’s the *wizard* behind it. I have a feeling that after meeting him we will truly start believing that Ben’s Others are *not* the bad guys after all!
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26. Juliet supposedly puts in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” One of the major themes of the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird is an exploration of human morality, and presents a constant conversation regarding the inherent goodness or evilness of people.” Pretty obvious meaning there.

27. Could this be a field of poppies? Ironically, it is the same type of field where Hurley met Dave. It is also from a famous scene in the Wizard of Oz. Hallucinogenic possibilities?
lost_field_eko.jpg lost_field_hurley.jpg wizardofozpoppies.JPG Click any image to enlarge

28. This is so creepy because whoever is messing with Eko put on this burnt suit to trick him. What I love about this show was right on track in this scene. When Yemi says, “You speak to me as if I were your brother,” they were right on track. Of course we were all saying, “What the….” just like we love from this show. I don’t want to know right now all the answers. I don’t want the obvious resolution to who Fake Yemi is. I want to keep guessing!
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29. Eko finally appears afraid of old smokey. That is why I think he dies.
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30. I don’t think that smokey is really just smoke. This is a machine, to use my daughter’s words, “shrouded in smoke.” I couldn’t have put it better. I think that we see the bigger part of the machine rise up from the ground and then a mechanical arm reaches out for Eko. I think that Mr. Patch is running the thing, too. Remember when it had Locke by the leg it didn’t look like smoke had him.

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31. “We’re next.”
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4 Responses to “3 X 05 : The Cost Of Living”

  1. Heather Says:

    I’ve had a huge problem with this season for various reasons, myself. Anyway, haven’t read your whole post yet because I got sidelined by the AAA article. I have to disagree with you on that one; he seems like a cool guy who felt it was time to move on. I sensed nothing even remotely arrogant in in anything he said. Sure, he’s not Mr. Eko — but that only shows what a great actor he is. All I got from the interview was the impression that he’s forthright and loves to gab. Anyway, on to read the rest of your post! :)

  2. Heather Says:

    OK, just wanted to say that:

    1) AGREED re: everything you’ve said about Barbie & Ken. What the hell is the point? Why intro two vapid new survivors and try to convince us that they SUDDENLY want to be part of the “inner circle”?
    2) I didn’t think Juliet looks anything like Sarah, either. Oooh, she’s blond. So’s Sawyer.

  3. holding onto hope. Says:

    i know this theory was widely talked about in earlier seasons AND i know the writers have even gone as far as to say that it isnt true AND i know with what we know now there are currently some major holes in the theory BUT im STILL not convinced that they are not in purgatory.

    every time i convince myself that this theory is impossible, things happen that would make so much sense under this theory.

    im not gonna bore you with all of the details because they were documented all over message boards through season 1 and into season 2 but this whole thing about confronting your sins and all of your issues from the past just has me wondering once again …

    like i said - i know there are holes all over the theory (penny and the arctic guys from end of last season are the biggest holes for me personally) but im just not fully convinced that we are not watching them all struggle through purgatory.

  4. Gtisie Girl Says:

    Heather: I still think the guy has a big head. I am all for standing up in what you believe in, but this guy wasn’t a big time actor before this show and as much as we as viewers are told to stick with the story, why couldn’t he? He says he left the show because he was upset over sterotypes, but his autobiography sounds just like the sterotype he’s trying to fight. Maybe I’m just bitter because I didn’t want him to leave the show. That is probably more the problem…

    Holding on to Hope: There is also a theory out there that says there is some sort of circular magnetic force that is pulling the redemption that these characters find into it and then releasing it into the world to make it a better place. Then whatever happened to the Loop Theory? We could go on and on with these but none seem to be very plausable. I am holding out that they keep telling us not to mistake coincidence for fate as a signal that there is no more meaning to the chance meetings of the characters beyond simple fate.

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