TUIW Conversation: Lost – “Ab Aeterno”

Each week, after taking a couple days to digest the episode and read what the blogs are says, we’re going to have a TUIW Conversation about Lost to try and unpack the episode, bounce theories off each other, and see if we can’t figure out what’s going on with our favorite group of TV castaways (sorry Gilligan!)

Jonah: So, not much happened this week, huh? You know, except for the major chunks of mythology, massive reveals, and moving emotional beats. We’ll get into all the corks, bottles, and evil wine in a bit, but first let’s just take a moment and appreciate this episode as an hour of television. The writing, directing, and especially acting were all spot-on and, more than anything else, Nestor Carbonell really just knocked it out of the park. There was obviously a lot of pressure to get something this highly anticipated by Lost fans right and I think everyone stepped up their game (can you think of any other Lost episodes not written by Cuse and Lindelof or directed by Jack Bender that are this good?) and came through. What did you think, Michael? Was Ab Aeterno everything you were picturing from that first time Richard Alpert stepped out of the 1970s jungle looking exactly the same age he is in the 2000s?

Michael: I think it was. It was an incredibly significant episode, and I really don’t think it could have been done much better. What more could you want? It became even more clear that Smokey’s best ploy is using someone’s loved ones against them, here with Isabella. He promised Richard his departed wife in the same way he promised Sayid his, and it took a major beat down from Jacob to change his mind (more on that in a second). On the other hand, there’s Hurley, who communicates for the dead. It seems like while Smokey promises the person back, though in sinister form, Jacob gives the person a voice (in Hurley) that is true, another parallel to wrap your mind around. The mythology was so rich, and we got more of Jacob in this episode than I think we may ever have. But before “Ab Aeterno,” we saw him incredibly calm and stoic. Yet when Richard comes to him, he goes crazy on him. At first, I thought it was a defense mechanism, but it evolved from that as Jacob dunked him in the water three times “baptizing” him and proving he wasn’t dead. What do you make of this? Was it a baptism? Why was Jacob so crazy and then calm again? Do we have a better idea of who Jacob and Smokey are?

J: I think Jacob’s more aggressive response may have been due to the fact that this was the first time Smokey actually tried something like that. It makes me wonder what changed between then and now to make his reaction to Ben so much calmer and measured (maybe, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, he knew it was time to step aside for his new apprentice/candidate). I almost wonder if this was as big a moment for Jacob as it was for Richard. Up until that point, it sounded like he had kept the people on the island at arms length, so maybe it meant something to him to make a connection with a person who was not a homicidal pillar of smoke. As for the baptism, what I liked about this episode was how it seemed as intent to undermine the religious imagery as use it. To put it another way, is Jacob asking people to put aside their selfishness and embrace their inner decency, or is he forcing people to an island against their will and rewarding them by allowing them to be his servant for eternity? Meanwhile, we got a lot more insight into Smokey (or as much as we can from a character who seems to lie about everything). He, once again, showed a keen sense of how to manipulate people (appealing, not just to Richard’s love of Isabella, but his belief that they’re in Hell). What do you make of the fact that he described Jacob exactly the same way Dogen described Smokey? And of the fact that he actually acted pretty decently towards Richard (even after Richard joined Team Jacob)?

M: I think the “don’t let them talk” thing is more a defense mechanism to keep the other from persuading that person. Remember, Jacob and Ben actually talked to one another before Ben stabbed him, so I don’t think it’s the same as when Sayid stabbed Flocke. My current theory is that the sides are determined based on an inherent good or evil within each character that is also seen in the FlashSideways. Ben did the right thing in AlternaLA, so he’s on Team Smokey on the Island. On the other hand, Sayid is inherently evil in AlternaLA, so naturally, he’d join up with Team Smokey. Meanwhile, you also have characters like Eko, who refused to repent for his sins, and was killed by Smokey, yet there was Locke, who stood toe to toe with him, and was saved. What the hell am I talking about? Remember that kid that told Flocke he couldn’t kill Sawyer? Perhaps who/whatever he was was alluding to a rule that Smokey can’t kill anyone that is “good” in the same way that Jacob can’t directly influence anyone to reform. But both can get someone else to do it for them. That’s why Ben could kill Locke and Jacob needs Richard to be his right hand man. That’s also why Smokey wasn’t so mad at Richard; he couldn’t really do anything about it because it was against the rules. Is that absolutely crazy? And to pose a question back, what do you make of the small parts with Jacob visiting Illana? Did he know he’d die?

J: If we’re sharing AlternaTheories, how about this one: getting Richard to interfere with the candidates didn’t go the way Jacob hoped it would so he’s decided to put forth one final test to the remaining candidates: would they do the right thing in a world where there is no island? The Sideways, then, are just Jacob’s final test (although I’m kind of partial to the idea that they’re what the world is like if Smokey gets off the island). I’m also operating off the theory that Jacob knew he’d die: remember he gave Hurley the ankh too (although Miles said he didn’t think Ben would stab him). But I can’t believe we’ve gone this far without talking about the cork! Finally, someone who knows something sat down and explained what the island is. And yet, I somehow think that Smokey wouldn’t describe it the same way. Someone pointed out to me that corking wine isn’t just meant to keep it from spilling out; it protects the wine from impurities. Maybe the island isn’t protecting the world from Smokey; maybe its protecting Smokey from the world (perhaps Crazy Mom made it for that purpose and tasked her other son, Jacob, with making sure Smokey stays put). What do you make of the first real explanation of what’s going on we’ve gotten on Lost. And if we carry the metaphor through to the episode’s ending, what would smashing the bottle entail?

M: That was certainly something else. I like that idea about keeping Smokey away from the impurities of the world, but it seems like he’s killed all the impurities of the world (Freighter Folk, Eko, Russeau’s jerky pal), so I don’t know. As for breaking the bottle, maybe the destruction of the Island is Smokey’s goal. Perhaps he wants to leave the Island and then destroy it, so as never to trap anyone there again. I wish that I could tie it in a little better to the FlashSideways, but unfortunately, I’m at a loss. I’m not sure what I make of the concept of the Island being a stopper for letting evil into the world. I actually think we got further from figuring out the nature of the Island than we ever had. I really think that a lot boils down to who exactly Jacob and Smokey really are. That mystery, more than any left, is the one I want to know the most about, and hopefully we will soon.