Lost 5x09: "Namaste"

[Agent Richard07]

Welcome to the grading & discussion thread for Lost 5x09: "Namaste".
[highlight]***SPOILERS AHEAD***[/highlight]



"Namaste"

"When some old friends drop in unannounced, Sawyer is forced to further perpetuate his lie in order to protect them." - Wikipedia

• "Namaste" Promo
• "Namaste" Video Podcast
• "Namaste" Pictures
• More Links

 

[Agent Richard07]

That was a really good episode.

- Christian is there in the flesh. Looks like he's also some manifestation of the smoke monster.

- Does Sayid know he's in 1977? If he doesn't, then he shouldn't know that the kid is a younger Ben.

 

[DarthPipes]

Above Average. It started off slow but picked up nicely as the story got going.

Loved Sawyer trashing Jack and Sun knocking out Ben. Christian's reappearance was cool and the abandoned Otherville had a very TZ-feel to it.

Don't go back to Kate, Sawyer! Nothing good can come from that.

 

[Brent]

Excellent, Seriously this episode deserves no less than Excellent

A lot going on tonight in both timeframes, I loved the reveal to Sun how everyone else was in 1977 through the photograph.

I have one question, WHERE do they house everyone that works for the DI? There aren't enough houses there. There were a LOT of people coming off that Sub, and I just don't see where they all live, there aren't enough houses.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Did anyone notice that when Sun was looking at the photo of the DHARMA folks, there was clearly a person lurking in the background, in the far background? it seemed pretty clear on my HD feed. Would like to see a screencap.

 

[cubbie]

Didn't notice that, Sisko! Wow, excellent episode again, this week.

 

[Trippy]

An Excellent from me!

Loved the little Saywer/Jack moment FU Jack!

 

[DarthPipes]

An Excellent from me!

Loved the little Saywer/Jack moment FU Jack!

Zen Sawyer is very amusing. And he destroyed Jack and what he's done in about five seconds.

 

[Brent]

Yeah, I loved Saywer's little talk with Jack, he hit the nail on the head, Jack just reacts to situations, Saywer actually thinks things through.

 

[QCzar]

As I said in the commentary thread, that was sweet. More importantly, it was well paced. It was frenetic, but not rushed. And no one was chewing up screen time with drivel.

I especially like the scene towards the end with Jack and Sawy...uh...I mean LaFleur. The tension was palatable and conveyed genuine ambivalence the characters have for eachother even more so now than before. And because I always like when Sawyer puts Dr Self-Righteous in check.

The Ben thing was expected, put the scene was still full of little Ben creepiness.

I also expected more antics from Kate and was pleasantly surprised at her non-angsty reaction to the whole thing.

Definitely an Excellent, especially when compared with some of the preceding eps.

 

[Mr Light]

Yet another 3.5/4 which I'm almost always giving this season!

While nothing earth-shattered happened in this episode, I'm still groovin' on seeing Dharma alive and in charge. And the tension of inserting the O3 into Dharma was very good. And we finally meet Radzinsky in the flesh! YEAH! Been waiting for that since the S2 Finale! And we got to see the Flame again... and mention of the Looking Glass... nice.

Nice to see the Ajira crash from Frank's POV. My biggest surprise of the night was the fact that Sun *didn't* get raptured off the plane like the rest of them. Hunh?! Was this just a random factor because they didn't bring Aaron back? Or because Jin made Locke promise not to take her back? Weird.

Geography note: many fan maps put Hydra Island off the southern tip where the Swan is, which I always disagreed with. Thankfully tonight confirms it's on the nothern tip where the Pala Ferry and the Barracks are. Thank you!

Was it just me or did Hydra Island look huuuuuuuuge? I thought it was only supposed to be a square half mile or something, it looked as big as the main Island!

I geeked out when Cerebus made a brief cameo in the trees, but I'm pissed we didn't get a follow through. So is Christian (and Jacob) the same thing as Cerebus then, since he appeared right afterwards with the whispers? And we get confirmation here that Christian has a physical presence, opening doors and holding picture frames and flashlights. So him not helping Locke up in the Donkey Wheel Chamber was just symbolic.

So Amy's baby is Ethan. I actually didn't expect that even though a lot of theories said that. Not important but interesting.

Where has Faraday gone to? Is he just working down in the Orchid?

Notice that Ben was faking his injury? He tossed his cast/sleeve off and had no problem with it and was going to row a boat by himself. Is that just a general purpose deception to make himself appear non-threatening to the O6 on the plane, in light of his injuries from his tussel with Des?

 

[Brent]

Oh yeah, a cool bit there about The Swan, it wasn't built yet, that was the model of it that was shown in the video.

 

[DeafPoet]

Above Average.

There was some really good stuff this week. It loses out on an Excellent though because the stuff in the present (minus the cool plane crash) just wasn't doing it for me. I realize it was a necessary evil and I'm glad they managed to restrain it to a B plot, but any time Christian comes out of the woodwork and it isn't really that cool is bad news.

The 1977 stuff kicked ass though. Sawyer's machinations keep getting cooler and cooler. Seeing the whole crew jumpsuited up was a little surreal too, which is nice. We finally meet Radzinsky! I already don't like this guy. I have a feeling that by the end of the season I'll be praying for him to become that stain on the ceiling of the Swan!

I don't know where this is going with Sayid and Young Ben. Sadly we didn't get any promos this week. I have a feeling that someone needs to brief Sayid on the rules of time travel though. Since I get the feeling he's going to attempt something rash.

Also, was I the only one who thought for a second that Juliet fucked Kate over and left her off the phony baloney manifest? That would have been cool. And just.

Can't wait for next week!

 

[Samurai8472]

I have this weird feeling the season finale will involve Old Ben and young Ben going back in time to kill Jack.

 

[DarthPipes]

That pilot being impaled is a reminder of the cost of getting the Oceanic Six back to the island. Hopefully it's for a good reason, otherwise they got a couple of people killed for nothing.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Another episode and another Excellent. If Season 5 keeps this up, it'll be just as good as seasons 1 & 2.

I have to say that I really like the character of Sawyer this season. Before Season 5, I was indifferent about him and hoped that he'd get killed off because he didn't seem to add anything to the show except sex appeal for the women and nicknames for everyone else. But this season the writers have really saved his character and gave him more depth. When he dissed Jack, I was cheering Sawyer on, something I would never have done in the previous 4 seasons.

I do have one worry about this season that this episode does not ease and that is the dreaded love triangle. Kate and Sawyer better not "fall in love again". The same goes with Juliet and Jack. Jack should remain with Kate and Sawyer should remain with Juliet.

- Does Sayid know he's in 1977? If he doesn't, then he shouldn't know that the kid is a younger Ben.

Considering the Dharma Initiative is on the island and the kid named Ben bears a striking resemblance to Benjamin Linus, I'm sure Sayid knows he's in the past.

 

[Mr Light]

Interesting. I did not notice an extra person in the background of the Pala Ferry building. Jacob?

I actually found Sawyer's hostility towards Jack a little strange. Wasn't he faithfully waiting for them all to return for three years? Hasn't he matured into a better leader and person now? Or was he only looking for Kate and Locke?

So at this point in Ben's timeline he's arrived at the Island and met Alpert after chasing his dead mother, and was told he could join the Natives but he has to be patient. So for Young Ben this is a rare chance to meet one of his otherworldly heroes in the flesh. So interesting that Sayid first meets Adult Ben when he's a captive, now Sayid first meets Young Ben when HE is the captive.

 

[Chess Piece Face]

Great episode...I love Sawyer in charge and of course all things Dharma.

 

[Brent]

Where has Faraday gone to? Is he just working down in the Orchid?

Until we hear otherwise my theory is that he is off the island, via the sub. Perhaps he left, and told his Mother everything, and that is how she knows all the future events that will happen and how they have to happen, cause he tells her everything 30 years in the past. Just a theory, but even if that isn't the case, i still think Faraday is off the island at this point.

 

[DeafPoet]

Where has Faraday gone to? Is he just working down in the Orchid?

Until we hear otherwise my theory is that he is off the island, via the sub. Perhaps he left, and told his Mother everything, and that is how she knows all the future events that will happen and how they have to happen, cause he tells her everything 30 years in the past. Just a theory, but even if that isn't the case, i still think Faraday is off the island at this point.

I'll buy that he left the island, but I don't think he's Ellie's source of info. She knows a bunch of stuff that Daniel had no way of knowing. If he's already gone then he should have no way of knowing how the O6 came back.

Ostensibly, he shouldn't know any details about Desmond's past life either. Then again, all bets are off where Des is concerned so there's some wiggle room there.