Thoughts on Episode 2x16: The Whole Truth
This was a good episode with lots of things to think about. Obviously, my theory that Henry Gale is not an Other is now highly doubtful but I’ll discuss a few hints that might show I’m still right. Also, this is the first episode in quite awhile where a character’s back-story related to an island mystery. This episode also featured another allusion to the Widmore Company— though slightly more visible this time. As usual with LOST, everything that was revealed brought up ten new questions.
This episode made me think I was wrong about Henry Gale’s innocence. While I still have some lingering doubts about Rousseau’s involvement with his capture, his most recent behavior was not fitting into my model of an eccentric millionaire trying to talk his way out of prison.
His behavior remains ambiguous; it doesn’t totally conform with a marooned man nor does it totally fit what we know about the Others. After elaborately describing an entrapment scenario he casually remarked, “Luckily I’m not one of them.” If he is an Other, why would he bother to deny that fact after admitting his master plan to John and Jack? (Once Anna Lucia discovered Goodwin’s identity, he didn’t continue to deny who he was.) If he isn’t an Other, why did he risk alienating the castaways by mocking their fears about the Others? Either way, that story certainly didn’t earn him any new friends.
Henry Gale’s most recent comments support the theory that he is an Other because they are very similar in tone to things Goodwin said. Both Henry and Goodwin have made statements suggesting that the Others are not bad guys. Goodwin told Anna that the kidnappings on the beach didn’t mean that the Others were “attacking” them. Likewise, Henry referred to the Others as “people that you seem to think are your enemies.” Both comments imply that the castaways don’t understand the Others.
There is still a chance that Henry might not be an Other, though I admit it’s not likely. Henry’s setup story was manipulative because it played on the animosity between John and Jack. (Sawyer also capitalized on their mistrust of each other to steal all the guns.) Perhaps Henry is attempting to further divide his two guards in an attempt to escape, just in case Anna can’t find his balloon. Also, his story about how, if he was an Other, he would direct Anna to an obscure part of the island so that his friends could ambush her is a little too elaborate to be believed. It suggests a massive conspiracy that just doesn’t seem plausible.
The biggest problem is that Henry says the Others will capture Anna at the secluded spot (the clearing). If he was truly captured unawares by Rousseau, how would the Others know to look for anyone in the clearing? The only way that the Others could know Henry would be sending someone there would be if his capture had been prearranged. (In that scenario, Rousseau is either an Other or is being compelled to cooperate with them—perhaps with bribes of being reunited with Alex.) However, that plan is slightly outlandish for two reasons. First, the Others have always simply snuck into the camps to take people. They’ve had a few mishaps in the past but they if they were careful they could take anyone they wanted. Second, his stated goal in sending someone to the clearing is a prisoner exchange. Why would the Others go through all of the bother of sending him to the Castaways only to trade for him three days later? Henry hasn’t learned anything about the castaways that the Others don’t already know (Mr. Friendly’s jungle conversation with Jack, John, and Sawyer revealed that he knew names and that they were in the hatch).
Of course, any theorizing about Henry Gale is going to change episode to episode as new information is divulged. My posts such as In Defense of Henry Gale are probably going to prove completely wrong by the end of the season but at least they will serve as a journal of my LOST thoughts. Maybe a few other people will find them interesting as well.
After a few episodes with lackluster back-stories, we finally get one that advances the mystery of the island. First, we learned from Sun’s flashback that her baldheaded friend, Jae Lee, did not stay in America with the woman he moved there for. My money says that this woman is on the island or connected to someone on the island. Second, we learned that Jin wasn’t producing sperm and was unable to have children. Nonetheless, Sun has become pregnant, an event that Jin describes as “a miracle.”
Ever since Walkabout revealed that John Locke had been paralyzed prior to the crash, I have wondered if the island miraculously cured anyone else. Now it appears that like Locke’s lame legs, Jin’s lame testicles have been repaired. However, the circumstances of Locke’s miraculous healing bring up a few questions about Jin’s increased sperm count. Locke wasn’t truly cured of his paralysis. While he can move his legs, he can’t feel them—as the large shard of wood in his leg in episode 1x19 showed. Also, his paralysis has come and gone at least once since being on the island. When the Nigerion drug plane was first discovered, Locke was going to climb up the cliff to examine it but his ability to use his legs suddenly vanished—requiring Boone to climb to the deathtrap plane instead. This suggests that some outside force is granting him the ability to walk and that that force didn’t want him to die in the plane.
Is the same force giving Jin the ability to produce sperm? The seemingly irrelevant circumstances of Claire’s kidnapping indicate that it is. After Claire escaped from the medical hatch, Ethan returned to retrieve her. However, since Aaron’s birth, the Others have made no attempt to take him. For whatever reason, they seem to want a baby that is born in their facilities. Since Jack has admitted that he and Kate are not “hitting it,” the Others may have needed to help Jin with his problem because he and Sun were the only people having sex on the island.
Also, although the exact significance of the company is not yet known, the Widmore name on the pregnancy test suggests that someone was planning for a person among the castaways to get pregnant. As Kate pointed out, most people don’t take pregnancy tests on airplanes. Someone may have been planted the Widmore test in the wreckage or made sure that it got onto the plane.
The most intriguing part of this episode is Henry Gale’s accusation that Jack and John are lacking in curiosity. I will post an essay devoted to this subject tomorrow.
This episode made me think I was wrong about Henry Gale’s innocence. While I still have some lingering doubts about Rousseau’s involvement with his capture, his most recent behavior was not fitting into my model of an eccentric millionaire trying to talk his way out of prison.
His behavior remains ambiguous; it doesn’t totally conform with a marooned man nor does it totally fit what we know about the Others. After elaborately describing an entrapment scenario he casually remarked, “Luckily I’m not one of them.” If he is an Other, why would he bother to deny that fact after admitting his master plan to John and Jack? (Once Anna Lucia discovered Goodwin’s identity, he didn’t continue to deny who he was.) If he isn’t an Other, why did he risk alienating the castaways by mocking their fears about the Others? Either way, that story certainly didn’t earn him any new friends.
Henry Gale’s most recent comments support the theory that he is an Other because they are very similar in tone to things Goodwin said. Both Henry and Goodwin have made statements suggesting that the Others are not bad guys. Goodwin told Anna that the kidnappings on the beach didn’t mean that the Others were “attacking” them. Likewise, Henry referred to the Others as “people that you seem to think are your enemies.” Both comments imply that the castaways don’t understand the Others.
There is still a chance that Henry might not be an Other, though I admit it’s not likely. Henry’s setup story was manipulative because it played on the animosity between John and Jack. (Sawyer also capitalized on their mistrust of each other to steal all the guns.) Perhaps Henry is attempting to further divide his two guards in an attempt to escape, just in case Anna can’t find his balloon. Also, his story about how, if he was an Other, he would direct Anna to an obscure part of the island so that his friends could ambush her is a little too elaborate to be believed. It suggests a massive conspiracy that just doesn’t seem plausible.
The biggest problem is that Henry says the Others will capture Anna at the secluded spot (the clearing). If he was truly captured unawares by Rousseau, how would the Others know to look for anyone in the clearing? The only way that the Others could know Henry would be sending someone there would be if his capture had been prearranged. (In that scenario, Rousseau is either an Other or is being compelled to cooperate with them—perhaps with bribes of being reunited with Alex.) However, that plan is slightly outlandish for two reasons. First, the Others have always simply snuck into the camps to take people. They’ve had a few mishaps in the past but they if they were careful they could take anyone they wanted. Second, his stated goal in sending someone to the clearing is a prisoner exchange. Why would the Others go through all of the bother of sending him to the Castaways only to trade for him three days later? Henry hasn’t learned anything about the castaways that the Others don’t already know (Mr. Friendly’s jungle conversation with Jack, John, and Sawyer revealed that he knew names and that they were in the hatch).
Of course, any theorizing about Henry Gale is going to change episode to episode as new information is divulged. My posts such as In Defense of Henry Gale are probably going to prove completely wrong by the end of the season but at least they will serve as a journal of my LOST thoughts. Maybe a few other people will find them interesting as well.
After a few episodes with lackluster back-stories, we finally get one that advances the mystery of the island. First, we learned from Sun’s flashback that her baldheaded friend, Jae Lee, did not stay in America with the woman he moved there for. My money says that this woman is on the island or connected to someone on the island. Second, we learned that Jin wasn’t producing sperm and was unable to have children. Nonetheless, Sun has become pregnant, an event that Jin describes as “a miracle.”
Ever since Walkabout revealed that John Locke had been paralyzed prior to the crash, I have wondered if the island miraculously cured anyone else. Now it appears that like Locke’s lame legs, Jin’s lame testicles have been repaired. However, the circumstances of Locke’s miraculous healing bring up a few questions about Jin’s increased sperm count. Locke wasn’t truly cured of his paralysis. While he can move his legs, he can’t feel them—as the large shard of wood in his leg in episode 1x19 showed. Also, his paralysis has come and gone at least once since being on the island. When the Nigerion drug plane was first discovered, Locke was going to climb up the cliff to examine it but his ability to use his legs suddenly vanished—requiring Boone to climb to the deathtrap plane instead. This suggests that some outside force is granting him the ability to walk and that that force didn’t want him to die in the plane.
Is the same force giving Jin the ability to produce sperm? The seemingly irrelevant circumstances of Claire’s kidnapping indicate that it is. After Claire escaped from the medical hatch, Ethan returned to retrieve her. However, since Aaron’s birth, the Others have made no attempt to take him. For whatever reason, they seem to want a baby that is born in their facilities. Since Jack has admitted that he and Kate are not “hitting it,” the Others may have needed to help Jin with his problem because he and Sun were the only people having sex on the island.
Also, although the exact significance of the company is not yet known, the Widmore name on the pregnancy test suggests that someone was planning for a person among the castaways to get pregnant. As Kate pointed out, most people don’t take pregnancy tests on airplanes. Someone may have been planted the Widmore test in the wreckage or made sure that it got onto the plane.
The most intriguing part of this episode is Henry Gale’s accusation that Jack and John are lacking in curiosity. I will post an essay devoted to this subject tomorrow.
posted by Chris at 5:43 PM
2 Comments:
The castaways' mistrust of Henry seems reasonable. For me, "there is still a chance that Henry might not be an Other."
Studying a person's coping skills can be instrumental in revealing a great deal about his true character. Assuming a truthful balloon story, is it possible that everything foul about Henry results more from his recent multiple traumas and his true nature?
In the list of LOST themes, miracles seems like an important one. Assuming Sun's doctor told the truth the second time, during the conversation on the side of the road... I'm wanting Jin to be the father of Sun's baby.
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