"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Friday, March 21, 2008

More About Lost Season 4: (i) Baby Aaron and the Oceanic Six

I've been debating about whether to write about what the coming attractions at the end of Episode 8 of Lost revealed last night - mainly because I don't like coming attractions settling debates that are going on among fans. Such debates are, after all, one of the joys of watching and loving a television show these days, when you can discuss your interpretations with other fans. Lost, from its very beginning, was always intertwined with the Web.

But the coming attractions were so unmistakable on one crucial point that they cannot be ignored. The voice-over says the Oceanic Six have been revealed, and we see pictures of Jack, Sayid, Sun, Hurley, Aaron, and Kate. I was hoping that maybe there was a quick shot of Michael, or Sawyer, just before or after - but that just isn't there. The only conclusion we can come to, unless the coming attractions were deliberately lying to us, is that Aaron is one of the Oceanic Six.

I've always loved babies - being a beaming father, as well as uncle - but I've got to say that I don't like Aaron being among the Oceanic Six. Yes, we've learned that the whole Oceanic Six story is a lie - this was clear at Kate's trial - but weaving Aaron into it just doesn't add up. Is part of the lie that Claire gave birth to him on the plane? I guess that could work, since Aaron would at that point have become a passenger - not on the manifest, but still a passenger - but if Aaron is said to have been born on the island, then he was in no legal sense a passenger on the plane. True, Aaron would have survived the crash, and I guess that would give some logic to his inclusion in the Oceanic Six.

We do know that Aaron is the reason that Jack can't get together with Kate. And we've yet to see under what circumstances the Oceanic Six leave the island. Depending upon how those issues are resolved, Aaron's inclusion in the Oceanic Six would make a bit more sense than it does now.

Until then, count me as skeptical and not happy about Aaron being the sixth - and coming attraction producers on ABC - next time keep your traps shut ... :)

See also...

Further Questions about Lost 4.4: Jack and Aaron, Kate and Sawyer
... and More About Lost 4: (ii) Michael and Ben, Good and Evil, Alias Echo

1. Lost's Back Full Paradoxical Blast 4.1 ... 4.2: Five Flashbacks and Three Rational Explanations ... 4.3: Thirty Minutes and Big Ben ... 4.4: Kate and ... ... 4.5 Desmond 1 and Desmond 2 ... 4.6 The True Nature of Ben ... 4.7 Flash Both Ways ... 4.8 Michael and Alex

and

2. More Thoughts On Lost 4.1: Those Who Went with Hurley and Those Who Stayed with Jack and Two More Points about Lost 4.1







special 60-minute jumbo podcast reviewing first 8 episodes of Season 4






The Plot to Save Socrates


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6 comments:

Jessica Knapp said...

I just listened to the Lost podcast at abc.com. Here's why the producers said they ran that promo. In a past podcast, they said viewers would know who all of the Oceanic Six were at the end of episode 7. They said, after viewers saw Sun and saw Jin's grave, they had no idea, so many viewers would still be debating who the total six actually were. They didn't want to confirm the six on a podcast because they don't want television viewers to feel like they have to listen to the podcast to know what's happening on the show. But they also didn't want podcast viewers to feel like they had been lied to. So, they ran that promo as a way to compromise all interests. The producers also mentioned that in a future episode, there will be a shot of all Oceanic Six together at once to end speculation once and for all.
It's still a little weak to find out in a promo, but I think that helps explain it.

Jo said...

Amen. I totally agree with your perspective about who the Oceanic 6 are and how they were promoted/revealed. Love your Lost posts, Paul!

Paul Levinson said...

Thanks, Jo - you have a great Lost blog - everyone, I highly recommend it - (you can click on Jo's name and get there).

Welcome to Infinite Regress, Jo!

Jessica - yeah, I heard that ... it does provide more context, and confirms that the coming attractions aren't the producers' fault ...

But it doesn't get them off the hook for making Aaron one of the O6...

Carrin Mahmood said...

OK, I seriously didn't know you could click on someone's name and it would go to their blog. Good job Jo! Huh! Everyday with the learning!

There are a million Lost sites out there!!! It's kind of like watching a different newscast when you're use to your own anchors, the others just seem a little off!

Wow Jo has to be taking notes! amazing detail!

Anonymous said...

DocH said:

Paul, I like much of what you said, mostly because I said the same thing as I watched S4E8... but I have one thing to add - I think the S3 Finale where Kate says she has to "get back to him" - I really don't think the him is "Aaron" that Kate is concerned with while meeting Jack at the end of the runway. I believe it is one of the power brokers associated with the island. In all likelihood - Ben. We've seen Ben 'after-island' with Sayid. Perhaps the little SoCal love nest (equipped with nanny) was part of her "condition of release" from the island. Future Ben is off-island, footloose and needs an anchor point from which to operate. His daddy issue would make Kate the perfect trophy wife and Aaron the ideal foster kid for his magnanimous return to the real world. Ben doesn't like Kate talking to Jack about "we have to go back!" no..? si..?
-DocH

Carrin Mahmood said...

Oooooh! Good one DocH. So many possibilities, and you have a good point, would the writers really have Kate say..."I have to get back to him" and then answer it so easily with Aaron? (Although maybe there is enough mystery in that!) Shortest hour of my week!

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