Lost 5x14: "The Variable"

Discussion in 'Lost' started by Agent Richard07, Apr 29, 2009.

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Grade the episode...

  1. Excellent

    54.5%
  2. Above Average

    31.8%
  3. Average

    12.1%
  4. Below Average

    1.5%
  5. Poor

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. DeafPoet

    DeafPoet Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    This is the first confirmation, but it's been widely speculated that this was the case since "Live Together, Die Alone."

    Less obvious but totally plausible. If this is the case, I hope Juliet has some hand in making it happen. Talk about irony.
     
  2. chrisspringob

    chrisspringob Commodore Commodore

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    Assume she's 18 in 1954. That would make her 41 in 1977. According to IMDb, the actress who played her in this ep is 37, so it's actually not that much of a stretch.
     
  3. chrisspringob

    chrisspringob Commodore Commodore

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    I've argued that the bomb is going to be important for a while, though other people may have done so as well. I started this recent thread about whether the logic of the US military bringing the bomb to the island made any sense:

    http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=88869
     
  4. Chocolate Log

    Chocolate Log Captain Captain

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    So does this mean Eloise's future knowledge is likely based on her finding Faraday's journal as her younger self, and is that why now she has no knowledge of what happens next?
     
  5. gh4chiefs

    gh4chiefs Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    This not a spoiler because I don't know anything, but just speculation. Somehow I'm betting we haven't seen the last of Daniel. This is the island afterall and if John Locke can come back from the dead, or if young Ben can be "fixed", well anything is possible.
     
  6. Gertch

    Gertch Admiral

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    Jan 4, 2004
    I suppose Richard could bring him to the temple. But we've never seen an older version of Daniel hanging around. Might be cool if he was the invisible one in the cabin chair and not Jacob.
     
  7. AvBaur

    AvBaur Captain Captain

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    One thing that confuses me a bit about Daniel being the child of Charles Widmore and Eloise Hawking: How come two blonde Brits have a dark-haired child who speaks with an american accent? ;)
     
  8. exodus

    exodus Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Fairaday grew up in the States, not Britian.
     
  9. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Above average. Lost continues to crank out above average episodes with incredible consistency! Each week is a great ride!

    Once we saw how much his mother was pushing Daniel and comments about creating time, I knew he was going to be the main character who dies. It's too bad, I really liked his character. His mother is an excellent creepy weird and much more evilly manipulative than I first imagined.

    So, I guess the big question is can and should they change history. From the Losties point of view, why should they? They don't have much incentive to do that if it's possible.

    Mr Awe
     
  10. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Honestly, I don't think you just leave an H bomb lying around without it coming back into play. That was a major sign post.

    Mr Awe
     
  11. Jenee

    Jenee Dancing Goddess Premium Member

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    I was really enjoying the show up to this point.

    Now, I'm just angry.

    Fucking bitch never let her child have a childhood, no fun, no girlfriends, always work, work, work. Then, turns around and sends him to - not just his death - but killed by his own mother.

    I may never watch the show again.
     
  12. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Not only that but being able to change the past was the big point of this episode, including it's title, The Variable. Someone needs to pay a bit more attention while watching! ;)

    Mr Awe
     
  13. Mr Light

    Mr Light Admiral Admiral

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    My take is that Faraday was deluding himself thinking he could change the past after three years of desperation, and that it will be proven you CAN'T change the past. That's another thing I'm pissed we don't get to see! Daniel with the DeGroots in Ann Arbor for three years! Man why did they have to kill him?!
     
  14. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^^^ I don't buy that. These are people armed with knowledge about events to come. If they want, they can change things. You can argue that the consequences would be so severe that they wouldn't want to change things. But, that's very different than saying they can't.

    I was dissappointed with Ben being saved because it seemed like a lot of wasted time and drama just to get to the point that we already knew. I was hoping for a twist.

    I'll be even more dissappointed if that happens with the incident, etc. If we go through a lot of rigamorole only to end up with what we already knew. I'm hoping for a twist.

    I'd be happy with a resolution where you can change history but it's very difficult. But, there's no reason why people armed with foreknowledge can't use that to change things.

    Mr Awe
     
  15. Mallet

    Mallet Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I think the big question now is why did Eloise send back Jack & Co. if she knew they wern't supposed to go? Is she actually a bad guy? Or was she also trying to change the past and possibly save Dan?

    Maybe in the original timeline Jack & Co. never returned to the Island, so Dan wen't out to find the Hostiles by himself and got shot. Maybe Eloise hoped that by sending Jack & the rest back that she could change the outcome, but unfortunately she didnt.
     
  16. Spot's Meow

    Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I voted Average. I also listened the podcast where Lindeloff and Cuse talked about being really proud of this episode and seeing it as a complement to The Constant. So I was expecting a really awesome episode. Unfortunately it just told us things we already knew, nothing really shocking or mind-blowing. I don't like the character of Faraday's mother and I'm not particularly interested in her story. I'm glad we learned a little more about the Incident and about Faraday's desire to change the past (or future, or whatever you want to call it), but overall the episode seemed to have a lot of filler. Them sitting around in Sawyer's living room, walking through the jungle, Faraday's flashbacks where we learn his parents are bitches...I just didn't find it all that exciting.
     
  17. Jenee

    Jenee Dancing Goddess Premium Member

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    Or, maybe she figures if Jack and Kate find the diary and change the past, then she, Whidmore and Daniel can live out their lives as intended having never left the island.

    that's the only thing I can even remotely grasp for her actions.
     
  18. The Evil Dead

    The Evil Dead Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I voted Average as well, I think I was too fixated on the notion of it being a companion episode to The Constant (My favorite hour of TV ever!) and when it ended up just being a fairly straight forward flashback episode I was disappointed. A lot of the 1970s hijinks have been underwhelming to me.

    For the record, my favorite episode so far this season is Dead is Dead.
     
  19. Adm. Bonz

    Adm. Bonz Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Loved it, above average for me.

    I'm sad Daniel is dead, but I don't think its the last time we see him.
     
  20. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    What makes you think they weren't supposed to go?

    Daniel said they weren't, but he was simply referring to his plan to change the future then. As far as the closed loop goes, they're absolutely supposed to be there.

    That's why Eloise told Ben it would be bad if he couldn't get them all to go back. In that case it would cause a paradox and destroy the entire universe!

    (Granted that's a worst-case scenario. The destruction could be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy.)