Could You Repeat that in English?
Episode 1x6: House of the Rising Sun
Directed by: Michael Zinberg
Written by: Javier Grillo-Marxauch
Airdate:10-27-04
Summary: Jin beats up Michael for a watch. Charlie stands on a beehive. Jack and Kate break-up for the first time but not the last time.
Centric: Sun (and Jin)
Review:
Side note, Lost premiered seven years ago today. I can't believe it's been that long.
Anyway, it's our first Sun/Jin episode. I'm not a huge fan of these episodes, mostly because they never end up bringing a whole lot of relevance to the show, but this one I do like.
I don't miss the days when Jin was a bit of douche. And I feel like him beating up Michael, especially in front of Walt, is almost out of character for how he's portrayed not only in the future but in the flashbacks as well. Jin's actually a pretty good guy, so to see him all pissed off and angry is somewhat unsettling. At this point, as well, I feel like we've still got these stereotypes of the characters.
I read somewhere that both the actors weren't all that fond of how the Asians were being portrayed and I can't say I blame them. I don't like really like cruel husband/battered wife angle that's used here and at least Sun and Jin get to branch out a bit. Despite the clicheness used in the making of this episode, I actually like the plot.
The cool part is the miscommunication and not only how Michael doesn't understand why he's being beaten but how the Koreans are distant/cut off from the others because their lack of knowing English. It was a cool aspect to play and I'm glad the writers took a chance on having two characters primarily speak another language. I feel like it works well and, especially in these early episodes, it shows how these people are still strangers, how they stick with what they know, and how easily we as a society can alienate from each other. A big part of the first season was learning to cope with not only surviving a disaster but learning to live with those you're stuck with and becoming a part of society instead of distancing yourself from it. I give the writers props for that one.
Another aspect of the A-Plot I liked is that Michael and Walt are starting to bond. It's a slow process but I'm so glad that we get these little moments, such as Michael knowing Walt's birthday, because to keep the tension between the two of them would become insufferable. (granted, Michael's Walt call did become unbearable, so I guess be careful for what you wish for.)
Okay, so major plot twist here, Sun speaks English. It might have been a bigger moment had they not ruined it in the flashbacks. I'm glad, though, that they had one of them speaking English so that it wouldn't be impossible for them to communicate with everyone else. Anyway, I'm not sure if there's much to talk about regarding Sun and Jin's on island relationship. She stands by him even though he's coming off as a jerk over a meaningless item. It's kinda black and white and while the plotline of why is intriguing, I feel like there's not any overall depth on the Sun/Jin side of the episode. (though, the Michael/Walt does bring out the father/son issues as well as bringing up the racism card.)
Also, this also hints at the Michael/Sun possible romance but, again, I'm so glad that didn't really go anywhere. Then again, this episode kinda hinted at Kate and Sayid, too, which was weird. Makes me wonder how they would tie it up had they only had 13 episodes.
Okay, b-plot #1: Tension over the caves and Jack and Kate take a break part 1.
First of all, about the caves, I didn't really notice it the first time I saw the show, but something that has stuck out to me on rewatch is that all these issues over the caves seem irrelevant. I mean, why can't they have people taking turns going to the beach to keep the light going and staying in the caves? Jack does have a point, that the caves are a natural shelter. I'm not sure why they all decided it had to be one or the other, though it's obvious, the writers just wanted some tension within the group. I will admit, it does seem a little forced and Sayid's little temper tantrum about it seems a little over the top as well.
Anyway, about those bodies they found. I have to wonder what (who) the writers intended for them to be. I mean, after 2000 years, I'm pretty sure the clothes wouldn't still be there and I'm hard pressed to believe that Jack would be THAT bad at identifying the corpses. I don't know, I just feel like the real answer was sorta a let down (not that I really ever needed and answer to the question). I just figured that the original idea behind them would have been more interesting than what we ended up getting. Or, maybe they didn't know at all. But I assure you, they didn't know it'd be MiB and Mother.
What I don't understand is Kate. Like usual. I get her character doesn't do "taco night", which is kinda what moving into the caves is equivalent to. I get that she's a runner and wants off the island right away to run...to where? I don't know. That's the thing about Kate. Why does she do the things she does? And it's obvious, by the ending montage, that Kate misses Jack and Jack misses Kate but it seems so contrived when there's really no issue there at all. I mean, they act like they've completely broken up when there hasn't been anything to break up. So--brings me to the point that I feel like the romance would have been completely organic at this point and they should have let it play out. They still could have had their triangle, etc, but at this point it just seems like pointless drama.
And because you can have Jack and Kate drama without mentioning Sawyer, I have to ask--why is Sawyer so interested in where Kate's staying at this point? It seems a little premature for him to be asking about it. Though, I feel like it's hitting the audience over the head as to where they planned to go with it. *groans*
Anyway, b-plot #2: Charlie, Locke, and the beehive. This entire subplot is really just set up for the Charlie centric next episode. Locke is still coming off as weirdo mystery man, though at least this early in, he's attempting to do Charlie a favor. The whole purpose is to show that Locke knows Charlie is a drug addict and wants Charlie to decide for himself to stop using. I don't feel like there's much to say at this point since the next episode covers the real issues here. But Charlie does get the awesome lines of the episode and he is on his way to recovery. Also, I love that Charlie gets his guitar back because, well, I like guitars. Anyway, on the plus side, this is a step for Charlie's growth, which this early in I think is still entertaining. The negative side, Charlie growing up so fast means there's nothing for him to do later on--but that's season two.
Flashbacks:
The one thing I have to criticize the show for, it's the overuse of flashbacks and how they don't really stand up over time like the rest of the show does. But, I have to say, I do like and appreciate these first Sun/Jin flashbakcs more than I did when the show first aired. I suppose I've grown to enjoy Sun and Jin more than I used to. I kinda love their first flashbacks, showing how much they were in love with each other. They're so sweet and beautiful and I don't really care what you may say happened between point A and B, I feel like the on island Sun and Jin are just different people all around. But, I suppose, in a sense, they find their way back to who they once were. Maybe that's the point...
Anyway, one thing I didn't like...Sun's dad being apart of the Korean mafia or something. Really? Does he have to be an overbearing douche who hates Jin for no real reason, even if we don't even see him in this episode? I suppose the use of external issues putting pressure on their marriage instead of internal issues made it possible for them to reconcile eventually but I'm not sure how realistic that is.
Granted, what about this show is realistic?
Anyway, the flashbacks are very well done in this episode. (and how awesome is that that they're all in Korean?) The ending was sweet as well, when she can't leave him at the airport. You can convince me that Sun and Jin's relationship ended up being any healthier than the silly triangle but I think their moments of love and affection ring truer at times.
The Little Things:
*First mention of Jack's tattoos. I mean, okay, I feel like it's obvious that they belong to Matthew Fox. The writers should have dropped it at this. Why is it so unusual for a doctor to have tattoos? Why did anyone think that the audience would care what they meant? There are some mysteries that are should always remain mysterious--the tattoos were one of them.
*The show has done some rather violent things but Jin beating up Michael in front of Walt has always been at the top of the most uncomfortable list. I always want to fast forward.
*Jack and Kate ripping off their shirts because of the bees seems like gratitous nudity overkill. Humorously so. I mean, on a show about a bunch of people stranded on an island, I'm sure there are much better ways of getting your actors to take off their shirts.
*Well, now we know who the skeletons really belong to. Granted, I'm still not fond of the answer.
*Why did the writers feel the need to have Sawyer recap the episode so far? It seemed so unnecessary and somewhat insulting as the situation wasn't that difficult to understand.
*I still feel like it's Sayid, not Jack, who's doing a lot of the leading of the group. I suppose this dynamic, and the slight shift of Sayid's character, doesn't really happen until Solitary.
*Willie Nelson asks us is this where we want to be. We get it writers. We do...
Favorite Quotes:
CHARLIE: If you guys are finished verbally copulating we should get a move on.
KATE: Hey, Charlie. Ask Jack about his tattoos.
CHARLIE: Oh, you guys have an inside joke. How absolutely wonderful for you both.
KATE: It was, um, it was full of bees.
CHARLIE: I'd have thought C's, actually.
WALT: You don't know anything about me.
MICHAEL: I know a lot about you.
WALT: Yeah?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
WALT: When's my birthday?
MICHAEL: August 24th. When's mine?
MICHAEL: I know you can't understand a word, and normally I'm not the talking out loud type, but since I have a captive audience, I hope for your sake you pay attention. I'm not exactly having the best month of my life. I barely knew my son, and now, I gotta be his daddy. And then to top if off, I have a deranged Korean guy trying to kill me and for what?! Look, I get it, right [takes the watch out of his pocket]. It's the watch. Mine broke and I found this in the wreckage, and I figured, "hey, why let a $20,000 dollar watch go to waste"? Which is ridiculous since time doesn't matter on a damn Island!
Unanswered Questions:
The major unanswered question of this episode actually got answered, even if I didn't like the answer. So, I suppose I should ask, what were the writers originally intending with those caves?
More importantly though, why was Kate so hellbent on staying on the beach? I'm still not sure I fully understand that.
Grade: B+ It really is a fantastic episode. The main plot is incredibly intriguing, with a decent twist at the end. The contrived drama over the caves brings it down a little and Locke/Charlie storyline drags a little since it'll be the focus of the next episode. But one of the few S1-3 episodes where I don't feel like fast-forwarding through all the flashbacks.
Lostpedia guide for trivia, etc: Lostpedia
Directed by: Michael Zinberg
Written by: Javier Grillo-Marxauch
Airdate:10-27-04
Summary: Jin beats up Michael for a watch. Charlie stands on a beehive. Jack and Kate break-up for the first time but not the last time.
Centric: Sun (and Jin)
Review:
Side note, Lost premiered seven years ago today. I can't believe it's been that long.
Anyway, it's our first Sun/Jin episode. I'm not a huge fan of these episodes, mostly because they never end up bringing a whole lot of relevance to the show, but this one I do like.
I don't miss the days when Jin was a bit of douche. And I feel like him beating up Michael, especially in front of Walt, is almost out of character for how he's portrayed not only in the future but in the flashbacks as well. Jin's actually a pretty good guy, so to see him all pissed off and angry is somewhat unsettling. At this point, as well, I feel like we've still got these stereotypes of the characters.
I read somewhere that both the actors weren't all that fond of how the Asians were being portrayed and I can't say I blame them. I don't like really like cruel husband/battered wife angle that's used here and at least Sun and Jin get to branch out a bit. Despite the clicheness used in the making of this episode, I actually like the plot.
The cool part is the miscommunication and not only how Michael doesn't understand why he's being beaten but how the Koreans are distant/cut off from the others because their lack of knowing English. It was a cool aspect to play and I'm glad the writers took a chance on having two characters primarily speak another language. I feel like it works well and, especially in these early episodes, it shows how these people are still strangers, how they stick with what they know, and how easily we as a society can alienate from each other. A big part of the first season was learning to cope with not only surviving a disaster but learning to live with those you're stuck with and becoming a part of society instead of distancing yourself from it. I give the writers props for that one.
Another aspect of the A-Plot I liked is that Michael and Walt are starting to bond. It's a slow process but I'm so glad that we get these little moments, such as Michael knowing Walt's birthday, because to keep the tension between the two of them would become insufferable. (granted, Michael's Walt call did become unbearable, so I guess be careful for what you wish for.)
Okay, so major plot twist here, Sun speaks English. It might have been a bigger moment had they not ruined it in the flashbacks. I'm glad, though, that they had one of them speaking English so that it wouldn't be impossible for them to communicate with everyone else. Anyway, I'm not sure if there's much to talk about regarding Sun and Jin's on island relationship. She stands by him even though he's coming off as a jerk over a meaningless item. It's kinda black and white and while the plotline of why is intriguing, I feel like there's not any overall depth on the Sun/Jin side of the episode. (though, the Michael/Walt does bring out the father/son issues as well as bringing up the racism card.)
Also, this also hints at the Michael/Sun possible romance but, again, I'm so glad that didn't really go anywhere. Then again, this episode kinda hinted at Kate and Sayid, too, which was weird. Makes me wonder how they would tie it up had they only had 13 episodes.
Okay, b-plot #1: Tension over the caves and Jack and Kate take a break part 1.
First of all, about the caves, I didn't really notice it the first time I saw the show, but something that has stuck out to me on rewatch is that all these issues over the caves seem irrelevant. I mean, why can't they have people taking turns going to the beach to keep the light going and staying in the caves? Jack does have a point, that the caves are a natural shelter. I'm not sure why they all decided it had to be one or the other, though it's obvious, the writers just wanted some tension within the group. I will admit, it does seem a little forced and Sayid's little temper tantrum about it seems a little over the top as well.
Anyway, about those bodies they found. I have to wonder what (who) the writers intended for them to be. I mean, after 2000 years, I'm pretty sure the clothes wouldn't still be there and I'm hard pressed to believe that Jack would be THAT bad at identifying the corpses. I don't know, I just feel like the real answer was sorta a let down (not that I really ever needed and answer to the question). I just figured that the original idea behind them would have been more interesting than what we ended up getting. Or, maybe they didn't know at all. But I assure you, they didn't know it'd be MiB and Mother.
What I don't understand is Kate. Like usual. I get her character doesn't do "taco night", which is kinda what moving into the caves is equivalent to. I get that she's a runner and wants off the island right away to run...to where? I don't know. That's the thing about Kate. Why does she do the things she does? And it's obvious, by the ending montage, that Kate misses Jack and Jack misses Kate but it seems so contrived when there's really no issue there at all. I mean, they act like they've completely broken up when there hasn't been anything to break up. So--brings me to the point that I feel like the romance would have been completely organic at this point and they should have let it play out. They still could have had their triangle, etc, but at this point it just seems like pointless drama.
And because you can have Jack and Kate drama without mentioning Sawyer, I have to ask--why is Sawyer so interested in where Kate's staying at this point? It seems a little premature for him to be asking about it. Though, I feel like it's hitting the audience over the head as to where they planned to go with it. *groans*
Anyway, b-plot #2: Charlie, Locke, and the beehive. This entire subplot is really just set up for the Charlie centric next episode. Locke is still coming off as weirdo mystery man, though at least this early in, he's attempting to do Charlie a favor. The whole purpose is to show that Locke knows Charlie is a drug addict and wants Charlie to decide for himself to stop using. I don't feel like there's much to say at this point since the next episode covers the real issues here. But Charlie does get the awesome lines of the episode and he is on his way to recovery. Also, I love that Charlie gets his guitar back because, well, I like guitars. Anyway, on the plus side, this is a step for Charlie's growth, which this early in I think is still entertaining. The negative side, Charlie growing up so fast means there's nothing for him to do later on--but that's season two.
Flashbacks:
The one thing I have to criticize the show for, it's the overuse of flashbacks and how they don't really stand up over time like the rest of the show does. But, I have to say, I do like and appreciate these first Sun/Jin flashbakcs more than I did when the show first aired. I suppose I've grown to enjoy Sun and Jin more than I used to. I kinda love their first flashbacks, showing how much they were in love with each other. They're so sweet and beautiful and I don't really care what you may say happened between point A and B, I feel like the on island Sun and Jin are just different people all around. But, I suppose, in a sense, they find their way back to who they once were. Maybe that's the point...
Anyway, one thing I didn't like...Sun's dad being apart of the Korean mafia or something. Really? Does he have to be an overbearing douche who hates Jin for no real reason, even if we don't even see him in this episode? I suppose the use of external issues putting pressure on their marriage instead of internal issues made it possible for them to reconcile eventually but I'm not sure how realistic that is.
Granted, what about this show is realistic?
Anyway, the flashbacks are very well done in this episode. (and how awesome is that that they're all in Korean?) The ending was sweet as well, when she can't leave him at the airport. You can convince me that Sun and Jin's relationship ended up being any healthier than the silly triangle but I think their moments of love and affection ring truer at times.
The Little Things:
*First mention of Jack's tattoos. I mean, okay, I feel like it's obvious that they belong to Matthew Fox. The writers should have dropped it at this. Why is it so unusual for a doctor to have tattoos? Why did anyone think that the audience would care what they meant? There are some mysteries that are should always remain mysterious--the tattoos were one of them.
*The show has done some rather violent things but Jin beating up Michael in front of Walt has always been at the top of the most uncomfortable list. I always want to fast forward.
*Jack and Kate ripping off their shirts because of the bees seems like gratitous nudity overkill. Humorously so. I mean, on a show about a bunch of people stranded on an island, I'm sure there are much better ways of getting your actors to take off their shirts.
*Well, now we know who the skeletons really belong to. Granted, I'm still not fond of the answer.
*Why did the writers feel the need to have Sawyer recap the episode so far? It seemed so unnecessary and somewhat insulting as the situation wasn't that difficult to understand.
*I still feel like it's Sayid, not Jack, who's doing a lot of the leading of the group. I suppose this dynamic, and the slight shift of Sayid's character, doesn't really happen until Solitary.
*Willie Nelson asks us is this where we want to be. We get it writers. We do...
Favorite Quotes:
CHARLIE: If you guys are finished verbally copulating we should get a move on.
KATE: Hey, Charlie. Ask Jack about his tattoos.
CHARLIE: Oh, you guys have an inside joke. How absolutely wonderful for you both.
KATE: It was, um, it was full of bees.
CHARLIE: I'd have thought C's, actually.
WALT: You don't know anything about me.
MICHAEL: I know a lot about you.
WALT: Yeah?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
WALT: When's my birthday?
MICHAEL: August 24th. When's mine?
MICHAEL: I know you can't understand a word, and normally I'm not the talking out loud type, but since I have a captive audience, I hope for your sake you pay attention. I'm not exactly having the best month of my life. I barely knew my son, and now, I gotta be his daddy. And then to top if off, I have a deranged Korean guy trying to kill me and for what?! Look, I get it, right [takes the watch out of his pocket]. It's the watch. Mine broke and I found this in the wreckage, and I figured, "hey, why let a $20,000 dollar watch go to waste"? Which is ridiculous since time doesn't matter on a damn Island!
Unanswered Questions:
The major unanswered question of this episode actually got answered, even if I didn't like the answer. So, I suppose I should ask, what were the writers originally intending with those caves?
More importantly though, why was Kate so hellbent on staying on the beach? I'm still not sure I fully understand that.
Grade: B+ It really is a fantastic episode. The main plot is incredibly intriguing, with a decent twist at the end. The contrived drama over the caves brings it down a little and Locke/Charlie storyline drags a little since it'll be the focus of the next episode. But one of the few S1-3 episodes where I don't feel like fast-forwarding through all the flashbacks.
Lostpedia guide for trivia, etc: Lostpedia
Labels: lost
posted by spaceorphan @ 10:01 PM
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