Lost in Chronologically Order

Following the podcast of Anna and Wendy:

Lost in Order

Episode 13 (1999-2001)

Episode 013, which features a lot of Sun, Jin, Charlie, Claire and Locke.  We start out with Jin working his job as a doorman, and ultimately quitting and meeting Sun for the first time.  Then we see Claire's storyline with her mother, as well as meeting her father, Christian.  There is a time flash in there that is one of the random ones that has no time period associated with it, so I decided to put it here.  We see Jin and Sun continue their relationship, get married, meet Jacob, and Sun gets blackmailed by Jin's mother.  Speaking of Jacob, we see Jack in surgery, who ends up getting his Apollo candy bar from Jacob afterwards.  Charlie and Liam are going strong in Driveshaft, although Liam's starting to get into heroin.  Meanwhile, John Locke is living alone, when he discovers that his father is trying to con another family, and after being confronted, we finish the episode with Locke being pushed out of a window.

Theme 1: John's storyline is complete. His being thrown out the window by his father and his soon to be shown paralysis are the final pieces that shape his character and illuminate his desperate search for some meaning to his pathetic life.

Theme 2: Charlie and Liam go from their best moment ever (hearing their song on the radio at their lowest moment), to the beginning of the end with Liam's betraying his brother over who sings their one hit song, and Liam's fall to heroin.

The writing is on the wall for the tragedy to follow.

Theme 3: Jacob's interaction with the Lost candidates? Some moved them on paths to the Island or manipulated who they were when they got there, but others seemed inconsequential.

James Ford's interaction with Jacob and his finishing the letter to "Sawyer" was pivotal in making him the man he was when he crashed on the Island. Without that interaction James could very well have turned out like the flash sideways, a cop seeking to bring justice.
When Jacob got Kate off the hook for stealing the lunchbox, he might have inculcated into her a thought that she could get away with anything, but more likely it cemented the love with her friend and partner in crime, Tom Brennan. It was this friendship and his death that shaped who she was when she crashed on the Island.
Jacob 'saving' (?) John Locke's life ensured that a key mover of events would get to the Island with just the emotional makeup to play the role Jacob needed out of Locke.
But the candy bar for Jack and Jacob showing up at Sun and Jin's wedding just seemed more like quick shots to show an interaction but without enough time to develop how he influenced them (although it's very possible he manipulated them behind the scenes).

Theme 4: Jack's big moment of decision, his 6 seconds when he turned into a hero.

Some see the interaction with his father as proof that Jack twisted the truth of this moment to make Jack out to be the hero when it was his dad's actions which seemed to 'fix' Jack. I disagree. Christian merely showed Jack the truth of the moment. He could either take responsibility and either save or kill the girl, or someone else would do it for him. It was Jack who choose to face his fear, go beyond it and risk killing his patient in order to save her. Jack never got any support from his father. He could have just as easily said: "She's your patient Jack, her life is in your hands. You can do it." (some small encouragement to go with the harsh reality of a surgeon's responsibilities.

Theme 5: The eyes have it

Lots of eye shots and eye acting in this sequence. We find out Christine Shepherd taught Jack to count to 5.

Theme 6: Jin is a nice guy and finds love, but it's not that easy.

Orange

Jin sneaks a peak 

 
  Perhaps the only good dad in all of Lost (Mr. Kwon)

Theme 7: Cool Island Time Jumping Scene

Jin has a headache

Geronimo Jackson Rocks

What if the Orchid isn't here now?

Look for the Well

Well I'll be damned, The Orchid is here after all.

Juliet Jinxs It

Fades to trouble 

Theme 8: John Locke's troubles and tribulations 

John has a sign

 John wants revenge

 

Theme 9: Jack throws a hissy fit and meets Jacob. Lamest touch ever!

Theme 10: Charlie and Liam have a great moment. You all everybody is on the radio!

Enjoyment Factor:

Great episodes and still enjoying seeing the concurrent action. Poor John!
Loved seeing the culmination of John Locke's story, some more interactions between Jacob and our Lost heros, and also loved seeing Jin's dad. Quite possibly the only good (and really extraordinary) dad on the whole show, and he may not have even been Jin's real father. Found Claire and her aunt's bickering to be shallow and annoying. Christian seemed to throw away any chance to have a relationship with his daughter just to try and force his medical opinion on what to do with her mom down Claire's throat.

Jacob's manipulations and Time Travel?

I think there is no way to explain Jacob's shaping of the Lostie's destinies without Jacob using some (or several) forms of time travel in order to examine and cultivate the motivations of those potential candidates he brought to the Island.