Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: C | 5 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT CJ Cregg Bested By Bai Ling
By Cindy McLennan | Season 6 | Episode 15 | Aired on 05.11.2010
A gentle stream flows toward lush thicket, dotted with red flowers. In the center, there is a tunnel -- a tunnel aglow with an alluring light. Georgia O'Keefe rolls over in her grave. Wide-eyed innocents, these pubescent boys don't realize they're looking at the Island's vagina, so Esau says, "What is this place?" CJ: "This is the reason we're here." CJ leads the boys for a closer look. The going is slow, in their bare feet. Jacob follows Esau right up to the vulva. They stop when CJ tells them not to enter it. Esau: "What's down there?" CJ: "The warmest, brightest light you've ever seen or felt, and we must make sure that no one ever finds it." When a captivated Esau proclaims it beautiful, CJ says, "Yes it is, and that's why they want it. Because a little bit of this very same light is inside of every man, but they always want more." Jacob: "Can they take it?" CJ: "No, but they would try. And if they tried, they could put it out. And if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere. And so I've protected this place, but I can't protect it forever." Esau: "Then who will?" CJ: "It will have to be one of you." Jacob, do you see the look on your brother's face? You'd better rig up the Island's chastity belt. Esau wants to pop its cherry. Commercial.
Sidebar: I walk a tightrope deciding how much of myself to bring to these recaps. Although I incorporate a good bit of criticism and analysis, this is primarily a recap -- a retelling of the story as I see it. When I share a little bit of my spirituality or politics, I do so gingerly, and only with the hope that it will help you understand what I'm seeing and possibly why. When you write back and share some of yourself and your understanding, it thrills me, even (and maybe especially) when our views differ. These recaps should always be about Lost, which spans eons, oceans, continents, world views and heck -- realities. My hope and belief is that you and I will meet somewhere in the story, even if we'd never meet in church, at the polls, or in the library. But I came to the show knowing a woman was supposed to be the lead, and the Jack character only survived and rose to prominence because the network thought a male lead would sell better. Now, admittedly, having Matthew Fox as that male lead distracted me just fine. But then I spent five and a half years watching Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby, Rousseau, Alex, Juliet and Sun die; Claire (like Rousseau before her) go crazy; Rose go missing (like Claire before her); and Kate go in circles. So now, to see five and a half years of Daddy Issues fade into nothingness, after only 40-something minutes of Mommy Issues -- A.K.A. THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL -- I'm feeling a little...prickly. So, while I'm sorry for hitting you over the head with the X(Y), the XX and the XXX, chastity belts and cherries, this is what comes naturally when I retell this episode. For a more serious, less naughty examination of these issues, please see Maureen Ryan's excellent analysis of "Across the Sea." Like Mo, I'm one of the few women included in Metacritic's Round-Up of Lost reviews, and this week I couldn't not let my sex inform this recap. Your mileage may vary, and if it does, you probably liked this episode a heck of a lot more than I did, which means you win. I'll try to behave myself like a good little girl, now. Let's get back to the show.