This week’s episode of LOST, “Ab Aeterno,” was what I imagine LOST fans everywhere have been waiting for this season. Answers. Ab Aeterno, which is Latin for “since the beginning,” was an almost full-length flashback episode telling the story of Richard Alpert, the never-aging adviser to the Others. Unique, in that it was almost an entire episode devoted to a flashback, it also significantly advanced the Jacob/Nemesis plot and answers scores upon scores of questions. Let’s do this…
Tonight’s episode of LOST is about Richard, one of the great mysteries of the island. Ironically, it feels like it’s been ages since we first met Richard. Back then we didn’t really understand much about him. He was an advisor to Ben, the leader of the Others, and seemed to wield significant power in his own right, but we didn’t know much more than that. Since then, we’ve learned a lot.
I’m going to go ahead and skip the recap elements of this week’s review and get straight to the analysis, there’s a lot to go over. As always, I’ll bury any spoilers after the break.
OK, so I’m seriously still reeling. Last night’s episode of LOST was simply the best this season. As Maria suspects, it’s only going to get better from here on in. Let’s debrief.
This week’s episode, titled “Dr. Linus” unsurprisingly followed Ben Linus through both the present timeline and the alternate one. In the alternate timeline, we learned previously, he’s working as a high school history teacher. In the present timeline he’s, well, himself. But despite being, literally, worlds apart, these two Bens are forced to make very important choices. Crucial choices.
This week’s episode of LOST, like last week’s trip through the jungle, felt a little bit like old times. Instead of moving forward the theory-based plots and revealing more about the nature of the island or Jacob and his nemesis, the story revolved around action and adventure. Easily the most action-packed episode of the season, it hearkens back to an older kind of LOST, before we got mixed up in all these wild theories and speculations—be that what it may, let’s debrief.
What I absolutely love about a show like LOST is how caught up you can get in it. Ever since the very first season—which Maria and I watched, in its entirety, during one winter weekend—the show has been wholly captivating. I love the layers. Every week I try puzzle it out, try to figure out what just happened, where the pieces fit, and the more you think about it the deeper you get. There’s so much depth to this show. As a disclaimer, I’m not an expert in Ancient History or Mythology—my History degree is mostly in modern, war-time history. Still, I’ve done some research and I want to take some time, maybe for the first time, to flush out some interesting mythological illusions and connections in LOST.
Since pretty early on in the show there’s been a lot of religious and mythological imagery both subtle and overt. Since the end of last season, when the island began to be revealed in a brand new way, it became obvious that there are distinct and clear connections to ancient mythology and, perhaps, ancient civilization. We’ve now seen the Temple, the wheel that moves the island, and the giant statute where Jacob lives. But there are plenty of more subtle nods to mythological ideas or creations, too.
My head is spinning. This week’s episode of LOST was pretty incredible. Lots of questions are being answered, bringing up, of course, lots of more questions but I feel like the story is really moving forward. Let’s break things down.
