LOST: Season 3 Greatest Hits

I have just finished watching Season 3 of "LOST" - a day earlier than anticipated, too. I have updated my Quick-Binge schedule to reflect the updates in my pacing. Although, overall, Season 3 is not likely my favorite season in the series, there are some pretty awesome moments - the best of which I would like to count down, appropriately, in a list of "Greatest Hits." We begin with Number 5.

5. The introduction to Dharmaville and Sawyer's polar bear problem

When Season 3 kicks off, Jack, Kate and Sawyer have all been abducted and taken to what will later affectionately become known as "Dharmaville," the home of Benjamin Linus and the Others. This portion of the season gives us a good look at how the other half lives, so to speak, and we start to delve into some of the mystery and lore behind the Dharma Initiative. I, for one, love the freaking Dharma Initiative, so I am all about this stuff.

One of my favorite parts comes while Sawyer is being held hostage in one of the polar bear cages. Sawyer, ever the curious one, discovers that there are several pushable buttons in the cage, and he slowly begins tinkering with them to see what they do. After much trial-and-error, Sawyer finally solves the puzzle.

Behold, one of my favorite scenes in the entire series - Sawyer solves the polar bear puzzle. #LOST pic.twitter.com/FeIHvniWQE

— Aaron Christensen (@atownmania) July 28, 2018

Sadly, the only thing he got out of it was a little bit of water and a fish biscuit. But his reaction beforehand was priceless.

4. Jack watches the Red Sox win the World Series

When Jack is being held at the aquarium by Ben and Juliet, Ben tries to convince Jack to operate on his spinal tumor. He tells Jack that if he cooperates, he will allow the doctor to return home. Jack is skeptical that there is even a "home" to go back to. Ben intends to prove to Jack that "home" still exists by stating several facts that had occurred in the real world since the time of the Oceanic 815 crash: George W. Bush got re-elected, Christopher Reeve passed away and the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Jack laughs at the idea, telling Ben that, if he wanted to trick him into believing that the real world still existed, he should have picked a different team. Moments later, Ben wheels in a television and shows Jack the final play of the 2004 World Series.

I love this scene from "The Glass Ballerina" for several reasons:

1. As a life-long sports fan, I can only imagine what this experience would be like. Jack and his father are both die-hard Boston Red Sox fans. They are also incredible pessimists who are certain that the Red Sox were "made to suffer," as I have discussed in a previous blog. At the time that "LOST" originally aired, the Red Sox hadn't won a World Series in 86 years. Jack must have assumed they'd never win another championship again, with that kind of luck. I think Matthew Fox does an incredible job of acting in this scene. If I had been stranded without technology or communication for two months and somebody told me that the Jazz had won the NBA Finals while I was gone, I'm sure I would have been similarly incredulous. Sometimes truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction. Great stuff.
2. It proves that, contrary to somewhat popular opinion, the Island is real. It's not a dream, it's not Hell or Purgatory. It's a real place, and the real world around it is still ticking.

3. Hurley restores the Dharma van

"Tricia Tanaka is Dead" was the episode that made me consider watching "LOST" for the first time. In 2008, I had just returned from a Mormon mission, where I hadn't watched TV at all for two years. When I got home, my family had been using a DVD rental service from this store that used to exist called "Blockbuster" to watch "LOST," one DVD at a time. I didn't have any interest in watching with them - they were in the middle of the show's third season, apparently, and I was too busy trying to figure out how to use Facebook. But when I heard "Shambala" by Three Dog Night playing multiple times in one episode, I admit that it made my ears perk up a little bit. Surely, any show that played Three Dog Night couldn't be that bad. I began watching with my brother several episodes later.

"Tricia Tanaka" is one of my favorite episodes of the whole series. I could spout off a huge list of reasons why this episode is great - from Hurley telling the Korean-speaking Jin that he sucks at charades to Hurley's mother covering the ears of her Jesus statue before telling a disgusted Hurley that she "has needs." More than anything else, this episode is one of the funniest - and happiest - episodes of the series. The reactions of Hurley, Charlie, Sawyer and Jin after they get the Dharma van started makes me happy. It's sheer elation from a group of guys who have been down on their luck and, as Hurley would say, really needed a victory. Toward the end of the episode, composer Michael Giacchino wrote a gorgeous orchestral rendition of "Shambala" that is such a fitting conclusion to a beautiful, fun, different episode. What's not to love? I really think that these might be my favorite five minutes of the entire series.

2. Charlie Pace dies a hero's death

For the better part of the first three seasons, Charlie is kind of a weasel. He's a drug addict, he's a bit annoying and he's not someone who can generally be trusted. But he surely redeems himself in the final three hours of Season 3. "Greatest Hits" is undoubtedly Charlie's best episode, showcasing the rockstar's finest moments instead of dwelling on his hard-drug habits or his sibling rivalry. Charlie leaves the beach by telling Baby Aaron that he loves him and kissing Claire, and then, although his methods may have been questionable, by protecting his best friends, Hurley and Desmond.

Charlie gets all aboard the "Destiny" train as he swims down to The Looking Glass. He believes that this is his mission - and his alone - and that by flipping that switch, he will save the Survivors. Ultimately, with a little help from Desmond, Charlie un-jams the off-Island communications and unexpectedly discovers that it was, dare I say, "NOT PENNY'S BOAT." Charlie gave his life for his friends - the noblest of ends for a character that needed redemption perhaps more than anyone.

I do have one question, though. Why did Charlie have to seal the door to the communications room? The two women working at the station had previously clarified that the equipment down there was waterproof, so the flood wouldn't have ruined anything, whether Charlie had flipped the switch or not. Why didn't he just book it out of the room once the grenade went off and swim out with Desmond the same way that they came in?? This all could have been prevented! But hey, what do I know?

1. The Flash Forward

Let's be honest - there are some episodes in Season 3 that are not great. This one season not only gave us "Expose," but also the episode all about the meaning behind Jack's stupid tattoos! Ugh. Why? But the two-part season finale is so good. So good. I could write an entire blog about all of the awesome stuff that goes down during "Through the Looking Glass," but let's just talk about the concept of the Flash Forward.

First of all there's Jack's beard, which is classic. Matthew Fox actually plays a really good drunk. Jack is in a really bad place, physically and mentally, in this episode. Despite being referred to as a "hero" several times throughout the episode, the guy is just out of control. Something is bugging him, bad. He keeps making phone calls to somebody, who I suppose we would assume is his ex-wife Sarah, if we haven't seen the show before. He's super depressed about it and he is even driven to the brink of suicide. In the midst of all of this, he's flying all around the world during an epic alcohol bender and he visits the funeral of somebody that nobody apparently loves. Who is this person? What has got Jack so bent out of shape? And who does he keep calling?

It turns out to be none other than... KATE AUSTEN?! Jack knew Kate before the Island? But wait... this isn't pre-Island. This is... they... he... THIS IS POST-RESCUE! Jack and Kate have already been to the Island, and Jack is sure that they have made a mistake by leaving. He tells Kate that he prays that his cross-continental flights will crash. He actually says that. But hang on a second - didn't they find the plane in the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of dead bodies inside it? So what is up with that?? Why does Jack want to go back? Why doesn't Kate? Whose funeral was it? Why did nobody want to go? And who is going to be wondering where Kate is? What is she talking about? Oh man. Terrific.

"We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!!"

Until next time,

Namaste... and good luck.