Following the podcast of Anna and Wendy:
Episode 10 (1992-1995)
recap
Episode 010: Lots of stuff going on in Episode 010. We start off on a high note with Ben killing his father and the rest of the Dharma Initiative in the Purge, then follow that up with Hurley's father abandoning him, then Ben banishing Charles from the island. Very uplifting stuff. We then see Desmond join a monastery, and Daniel Faraday graduate from Oxford. Then there's an interesting scene where Desmond and Penny first meet. We then see Michael for the first time, crib shopping for Walt, Sayid putting his torturer skills to good use meets Nadia a ghost from his childhood, and we start our storyline with John Locke and his father, that ultimately concludes the episode when his father takes John's kidney and leaves.
Theme 1: Loss of Innocence Continues.
Hurley loses his dad and gains comfort from a candy bar. John Locke is torn apart. He gets coned by his own father, who embraces his long lost son only to steal his kidney and abandon him once again. Sayid is faced with his recent choices to embrace his dark side as he confronts a childhood friend in his torture room Sayid had not only depersonalized and dehumanized his victims but himself. Meeting Nadia forces him to face the erosion of his morality and see himself and his victims in a new light. He regains his morality and eventually frees Nadia. (Nadia was his real soul mate-take that Shannon). Michael faces his own loss of innocence when his baby momma, Susan Lloyd abandons him and tells him of his intention to leave and take their baby with her. And then there is Ben, I think this is when Ben truely loses his innocence. When he is first seen packing his things in his room, he stares at the wooden statue of his childhood friend Annie. I think Annie is still on the Island with the Dharma Initiative and the real choice he makes is to abandon the only real friend he ever had. I think the dead red headed young woman Ben encounters in Dharmatown after the Purge is Annie.
Theme 2: Daddy Issues:
John Locke / Anthony Cooper. A good man meets the devil and it's his own dad. Who ranks up there as a worse father figure? Anthony Cooper or Darth Vader?
Other daddy issues in this episode: Ben kills his dad, Hurley is abandoned by his dad, Faraday is screwed over by his only parent.
Just an interesting note:
We see Widemore getting escorted off the Island. This occurs after the purge. I believe this should indicate that it was Widemore who was still leader of the Others when the purge took place. Ben was still in the DI and not in a position to be the Other's leader. Also, I don't believe any leader of the Others could have ordered the purge. I am sure that Richard would have prevented such a murderous action had it not come directly from Jacob.
Enjoyment Factor:
This episode has some amazing scenes in it. Ben's involvement in the Purge, young Hurley with his dad, Desmond meeting Penny, the facedown between Ben and Widemore, when Widemore gets booted of the Island, Faraday and his bitch of a mom, Eloise Hawking and the gift of his future destiny, and of course the amazing introduction of John Locke to his father, Anthony Cooper. John's heart is broken and his second abandonment by his father will cause a scar with momentous implications. I find it interesting how integral is John's being duped and abandoned by his father is to the future story of Lost. John's missing kidney is essential to his surviving getting shot by Ben. John's obsession with confronting his faithless father and proving his worth leads to his getting tossed of a building and being paralyzed. His daddy issues and paralysis lead to his finding his true home on the Island and being able to completely commit to the Island. And of course his hatred of his father leads him to try and kill him in order to meet Ben's criteria. He eventually enlists James/Sawyer to do the deed and this is another pivotal moment in James' character development. He no longer is Saywer and for the first time since Jacob gave him that damn pen, is free to choose who he will be.
Photographic Review
Ben's decision (does he sentence his only friend, Annie to death?)
Wow!
Is this Jacob's doing?
IS THIS ANNIE?!?!?
We listen to Three Dog Nite's Shambhala as Hurley's Dad asks him to have a little faith
Faceoff between Ben and Widemore
Hi I'm Penny
Hello, I am no longer celibate!!!
Faraday gets c*ck blocked by his mom
Bitch!
Herein lies your destiny
Sorry, I still think Mike is SO gay!
Michael gets dumped
John looks so happy!
And then his crazy mother shows up
John is trapped like a mouse in a cage.
John meets his mom
You are special John. This is a sign of great things to come.
Hmm.
You don't have a father John...You were immaculately conceived!
Hmm... That explains a lot.
Sayid meets Nadia and comes face to face with his lost morality
John arrives in his hipster VW Beatle.
John meets his father (THE DEVIL)
A moment of happiness
See you on the other side Dad
Buddies for life!
What the ...
Crazy mom spills the beans
John is Lost again.