Lost - Confirmed Dead

 

**** / ****

Confirmed Dead had so much to absorb! The second episode of the fourth season of Lost introduces fresh characters, returns to flashbacks to give us insight into four outsiders landing on the island. Even dead Naomi has a flashback, talking with the same man who came to visit Hurley in the mental hospital with an offer to provide him with better accommodations! Naomi considering the four that would eventually go to the island by helicopter to find Ben discouraging, her services better suited for the mission, such irony results from this. It is her that ultimately suffers from the visit to the island while the others she was assigned to protect and guide avoid a similar fate...as of this episode!

I had plans to watch maybe three episodes of Lost on Thursday, but there was just so much involved in Confirmed Dead, I had to spend some time dwelling on the content.

Four characters from the freighter aren’t as menacing as I was anticipating considering the build to their appearance. Benjamin Linus might have had something to do with that. There was no emphasis on a rescue mission and news reports on the Oceanic 815’s discovery in the bottom of the ocean seemed to indicate that all on that flight were dead. Those in the helicopter (piloted by alcoholic Frank (Jeff Fahey)) arrive on the island not to locate survivors to take back to the freighter (although they seem willing to do so)—at least not their initial intentions it seems—as much as find Ben for reasons not yet explained. This revelation is quite a lure, a juicy-looking minnow dangling on a hook just beckoning for our teeth.

Miles

Frank

Daniel

Charlotte, with Locke

Frank was supposed to pilot 815, calling to inform the authorities that the supposed pilot named in the plane crash was not the one so named. When landing the chopper on the island, Frank climbs up a hill to find a cow (Mikhail’s cow, it might appear!) and shoot his flare gun. Soon Jack, Kate, and two visitors from the freighter also introduced, Miles and Daniel Farraday, come to Frank’s position. Just seeing that helicopter, rested safely on the island, gave me a surprise gasp. It just has magnitude when established to Jack and Kate from a distance. On the island, Kate and Jack wondered if they would ever be rescued. And there is a method of escape, right before them. It is very real to them.

Miles surprises Jack by pointing a gun at him. Prior to this Daniel watches on television at the Oceanic 815 discovery underwater drone footage (the drone footage that kicks off the episode) while weeping for reasons he can’t quite explain. Daniel tells Jack he is a physicist. He lands rather abruptly, literally pushed out of the helicopter. Jack surprises Daniel. Daniel doesn’t get much of a chance to even take a breath, really. Daniel seems totally sincere that he’s not a threat to them. The entire episode seems to reiterate that he’s willing to help them. Miles arrives at a mother’s house, is paid, goes upstairs, and communicates with the spirit of her son! He seems to be haunting the house, as Miles talks to him. Miles sure finds a stash in that murder victim’s room. Miles is immediately established as sketchy. He’s pointing a gun at Jack, wanting to see Naomi’s body, with Jack and Kate trying to calm him down. Daniel doesn’t see Jack and Kate as responsible at all (“They’re good people.”) while Miles waves the gun around. Of course, eventually Sayid surprises Miles and his gun changes hands. Frank tells them that the helicopter was struck by lightning, but Sayid confirms that it is sound after checking to make sure nothing was too damaged. It all seems to be coming together.

But Charlotte, an anthropologist who found the remains of a polar bear in Tunisia (!) and a Dharma Station insignia, is eventually “picked up” by Locke’s party, essentially taking her prisoner against her will. Charlotte is surprised by Locke and his party (which includes Claire, Hurley, Rousseau, Ben, etc.) when mentioning rescue to them, and seeing them react in opposition of it. Ben knowing who she is, giving off her exact history, it certainly is enough to startle Charlotte…and rightfully so! But Ben telling Locke that he has his own plant on her freighter is quite the reveal, as if he’s learned of their operation to retrieve him much earlier and has prepared for this occasion for some time. But who told him? How did he know they would be coming for him? Is the reason there were gas masks and gear in that box dropped off the helicopter Daniel is a bit anxious about once Jack goes towards it directly tied to Ben? Perhaps the Oceanic passengers being alive and well were an unexpected surprise for those on the helicopter. Naomi sure wasn’t expecting them when she was tended to by Mikhail as Hurley, Charlie, Des, and Sayid stood watch.

Naomi introduced to us and the Oceanic passengers the news that they were supposedly found dead. It set up in our minds this strange lie perpetrated by someone involved in concealing the Oceanic 815’s disappearance. But why would such an elaborate hoax be staged? Or is it an elaborate hoax? I had so many questions!

Jack and Kate make sure to assure Miles that it was Locke that killed Naomi, not them. Locke’s actions, not condoned by many of them, borne out of supposedly protecting them from the dangers of the freighter could result in severe consequences. Jack and Kate are so close, it does seem, towards escaping this island…but should they leave? According to the “flash ahead”, neither should have.

Ben’s knowledge of the freighter’s inhabitants and fear of them finding him has been a chief motivator in him doing whatever he can to present Charlotte as a threat to all of them. Charlotte, though, seems genuine in wanting to help them get off the island, but with Locke sure those she represents are not who they say they are convincing him otherwise appears futile. And why wouldn’t Locke want to stay on the island? He’s walking. And the kidney given to his father being absent resulted in a bullet fired from a gun held by Ben intended to kill Locke actually kept him from dying…so why wouldn’t Locke believe the island was worth remaining on? Locke trying to find Jacob’s cabin (and Hurley nearly slipping out his own experiences with the cabin which would have encouraged Locke and Ben’s attention to him) as Charlotte insists they locate Frank presents a dilemma to be considered. Sawyer pummeling Ben for his attempts to get under his skin (that face of Ben’s sure is a punching bag!) as Locke appears to be on the verge of shooting him, the tensions are rising!
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Picture in possession of the Freighter Four

Juliet must diffuse an immediate confrontation with the Freighter Four regarding her ties to Ben because she wasn't on the Oceanic. Frank knows the manifest by heart.

Abaddon recruits Naomi to lead the Freighter Four. But why invest in the capture if Ben?

Sawyer is itching to put a bullet in Ben. Ben sure will put a bullet in Charlotte! Luckily she had a best on! A best she borrowed!

And what about that kidney being removed actually helping Locke ultimately?! That's the genius of Lost: it's ability to connect inexplicable dots. If I wasn't even reminded from time to time about Locke giving his father his kidney I'd probably forget. Yet the very location of where he is shot by Ben is where the kidney should be. So for all his father did to him, losing the kidney HELPED him! Just brilliant.

Frank is found after firing the flare

Locke is not amused

Sawyer is tired of Ben's big mouth

Abaddon

Abaddon securing Naomi's services proved to be mostly a disappointment. She does help with exposition regarding possible rescue efforts, but she didn't have a sister so Miles is not trusting of Jack and Kate. Abaddon seems to be a character of a certain agenda not quite elaborated.

Since Juliet is an Other, she's asked about Ben

And yet she tends to Frank's wound

The helicopter is a sight to soak in.

Dharma station insignia found near polar bear remains in Tunisia!