LOST 2:13 - The Long Con

[Karen]

springsummers said:

Rob:



Loved your review. Such a fun read. Even though I was kinda insulted by this:

Add 40 pounds and a few inches…of height (minds out of the gutter, ladies).

Well, I was insulted for my fellow female S’cubies, as I’m pretty sure you didn’t mean me.

Your description of Sawyer and his motivation for pulling that “con” on Jack & Locke and the others was PERFECT. The whole episode featured talk of isolation and alienation and break-ups . . . really pointed us to what motivates Sawyer. He easily feels hurt and outcast and marginalized – BETRAYED - and that turns, not into tears or recognition of the hurt and sharing of the hurt (and moving on), but into anger and a desire for vengeance. (Great distinction between vengeance and justice, and I agree, Sawyer is after the former.)

Loved your description of how he got to where he is, in this part: James Ford was the victim of the longest of long cons, literally decades in the making. The cardinal rule: love plus weakness spells opportunity for the kind of people with whom he associated…and as a result, the character we meet following the crash of Flight 815 is a reinforced Sawyer, now and forever. It would be no easy trick breaking through that shell.

I adore the Jim Croce quote!!

And of course, this ending: And…I’m spent. Hope you enjoyed.

Yes. It was good for me too.

#metoo#

#rofl1# (This fellow-S'cubie appreciates your support, Spring, however misguided it might be.)

Loved the review, Rob! I too found myself wondering:

One area where I instinctively find myself in agreement with Sawyer: why, exactly, are Jack and Locke automatically the most qualified people to control the ammunition? I could see Jack in charge of drugs. But the guns? Count me among those who would prefer Eko or Sayid in control of the weaponry.

For some reason, and don't ask me why, I find myself comforted by the fact that Sawyer has put the guns out of reach. I don't buy the need for Jack's 'war'. And self-defense? I figure there would only be more friendly fire with guns in everyone's hands.

And this:

Weak. Stupid. He’d become a mark again…to a self-satisfied little snot like Jack, no less. To think he’d actually taken pity on the arrogant bastard, showing kindness by sharing his experience with the Doc’s dad.

That is Sawyer! Much the same way Charlie felt justified in turning against Locke - after 'all he did for Claire and the baby - and Locke just waltzed in and took it all away', Sawyer felt justified in turning on Jack for taking his 'stuff' - (did he also see the kiss Jack and Kate shared, or maybe hear about it?), although, I think Sawyer has the weaker case (and that isn't condoning what Charlie did at all) - he did leave the island, most likely never to come back.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie - what he did to Sun, even if it was Sawyer's idea - there is no fanwanking that away.

Again - Hurley is The Man.

And so are you!

[Karen]

wnde1drs said:

The manuscript that Hurley found was entitled Bad Twin. It was written by Gary Troup. It is on sale at Amazon. Bad Twin

Here is the description:

Sometimes evil has a familiar face . . .

Paul Artisan, P.I. is a new version of an old breed -- a righter of wrongs, someone driven to get to the bottom of things. Too bad his usual cases are of the boring malpractice and fraud variety. Until now.

His new gig turns on the disappearance of one of a pair of twins, adult scions of a rich but tragedy-prone family. The missing twin -- a charismatic poster-boy for irresponsibility -- has spent his life daring people to hate him, punishing himself endlessly for his screw-ups and misdeeds. The other twin -- Artisan's client -- is dutiful and resentful in equal measure, bewildered that his "other half" could have turned out so badly, and wracked by guilt at his inability to reform him. He has a more practical reason, as well, for wanting his brother found: their crazy father, in failing health and with guilty secrets of his own, will not divide the family fortune until both siblings are accounted for.

But it isn't just a fortune that's at stake here. Truth itself is up for grabs, as the detective's discoveries seem to challenge everything we think we know about identity, and human nature, and family. As Artisan journeys across the globe to track down the bad twin, he seems to have moved into a mirror-world where friends and enemies have a way of looking very much alike. The P.I. may have his long-awaited chance to put his courage and ideals to the test, but if he doesn't get to the bottom of this case soon, it could very well cost him his life.

Troup's long-awaited Bad Twin is a suspenseful novel that touches on many powerful themes, including the consequence of vengeance, the power of redemption, and where to turn when all seems lost.

About the Author
Bad Twin is the highly-anticipated new novel by acclaimed mystery writer Gary Troup. Bad Twin was delivered to Hyperion just days before Troup boarded Oceanic Flight 815, which was lost in flight from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles in September 2004. He remains missing and is presumed dead.

Sounds like the missing twin is very much like Sawyer.

Just for fun, Gary Troup is an anagram for purgatory.

Ha!

Oh, I was wondering about that script, Wendy! Thanks for looking it up.

Another little tidbit:


From: 3_Putt - view profile
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 12:09 pm
Email: "3_Putt" <[e-mail]>
Groups: alt.tv.lost

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1. The Glenn Miller reference
2. The reference to An Occurrence at Owl Creek" by Ambrose Bierce (the
book that Locke was riffling through) (Also: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.)”

3. The manuscript that Hurley was reading ("Bad Twin" by Gary Troup
from Flight 815)

One thing that all three (Ambrose Bierce, Glenn Miller, and the
fictitious Gary Troup from Flight 815) have in common: they all went
missing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce

"...he (Bierce) vanished without a trace, becoming one of the most
famous disappearances in American literary history. Subsequent
investigations to ascertain his fate were fruitless and, despite many
decades of speculation, his disappearance remains a mystery."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Miller

"... he(Miller) disappeared under mysterious circumstances during World
War II."


Further from Wikipedia, re Glen Miller:

Johnny Desmond and the Crew Chiefs were the singers.

[Rob]

springsummers said:

Rob:




Your description of Sawyer and his motivation for pulling that “con” on Jack & Locke and the others was PERFECT. The whole episode featured talk of isolation and alienation and break-ups . . . really pointed us to what motivates Sawyer. He easily feels hurt and outcast and marginalized – BETRAYED - and that turns, not into tears or recognition of the hurt and sharing of the hurt (and moving on), but into anger and a desire for vengeance. (Great distinction between vengeance and justice, and I agree, Sawyer is after the former.)

Loved your description of how he got to where he is, in this part: James Ford was the victim of the longest of long cons, literally decades in the making. The cardinal rule: love plus weakness spells opportunity for the kind of people with whom he associated…and as a result, the character we meet following the crash of Flight 815 is a reinforced Sawyer, now and forever. It would be no easy trick breaking through that shell.

I adore the Jim Croce quote!!

And of course, this ending: And…I’m spent. Hope you enjoyed.

Yes. It was good for me too.

Thank you for the nice comments, though the highlighted sentence above is the result of crappy proofreading. Love plus weakness equals opportunity. Love plus weakness actually spells loveweakness.

Writing mistakes aside, I'm glad you laughed once or twice. It wasn't easy finding any real humor in this episode (other than Hurley and Sayid's brief, but nicely played interactions).

[Rob]

karen said:

springsummers said:

That is Sawyer! Much the same way Charlie felt justified in turning against Locke - after 'all he did for Claire and the baby - and Locke just waltzed in and took it all away', Sawyer felt justified in turning on Jack for taking his 'stuff' -

No doubt Sawyer felt justified, though there's a fine line between justification and convenience, in his case. Jack's actions flung Sawyer right back into his comfort zone of "every man for himself." Doubtful he'd see it that way, though.

One note I forgot to include in the review...at least Sawyer showed brief glimpses of progress in his journey before this episode's regression.

In Season One, Sawyer was needlessly tortured over medicine. Obviously he wanted the pain and disdain...Sawyer felt he deserved to be punished, and this was one way to make it happen.

At this stage, though...I wonder if Sawyer would've reacted in the same fashion had Jack simply TALKED to him, rather than invade his personal space?

In other words, it seems like Jack hasn't progressed in the least. I've always considered him a generally decent guy, but his hubris and arrogance hasn't abated in the least.

Anyway, thanks for the nice comments. You're the man, too!

Well...you know what I mean.

[Rob]

One last serious review thought: the title was derived from a line in an old hymn called "On This Day, The First Of Days." The original Latin is translated as "The Best Of Gifts, Thyself Bestow."


The point of my brilliantly clever wordplay was this: in many ways, Sawyer is conning himself into thinking his inner self shouldn't change, regardless of his surroundings...when, in fact, it already has. He's going to continue fighting it tooth and nail, however, 'cause there's a powerful need for self-flagellation. He wants this reinforced by those around him, and the current circumstances weren't feeding the psychological beast.


The reason I edited the above out of the actual review was how little sense it made when I read it back to myself aloud.

I'm having that same problem right now, actually. Oh, well.

[Rob]

yorick said:

Rob.

You rock. It is my fervent hope that some day I write a review half as funny as one of yours. And I really enjoyed your observations about Sawyer's issues with love and trust as they relate to his actions in this ep.

Did I mention you rock?

You did. And thanks.

Maybe someday we can collaborate. You bring the insight, I'll bring the funny.

Or, you know...not. Your call.

[Lola m]

Rob! #clap#

I'm in the same boat with a lot of others it seems - admiring and loving how you brought the funny while also providing most excellent insights into the ep and Sawyer's character in particular.

You really got into his head very accurately, I think.

…but love’s an insidious little bugger, no matter how much Sawyer tried to deny its existence.
And hey! Look what it made him: Sawyer became the murderer of an innocent man. Even worse (to his way of thinking), it made him a mark.

Goddamn it, he’d fallen for it again! Sawyer had actually been stupid enough to form cautious bonds with some of these people, and it was biting him in the ass. Jack and Locke were busy hogging all the real power for themselves, while he’d grown complacent. Reluctantly buying into the illusion that he’d become part of a real family for the first time.
Weak. Stupid. He’d become a mark again…to a self-satisfied little snot like Jack, no less.

When Sawyer describes himself as a bad person, there’s little regret to be detected in his voice. This is who he is supposed to be. He doesn’t want any person’s respect or trust…or, worst of all, love, that invisible killer. You trust what’s in front of you; a guy can’t count love in a wallet or load love into a gun.

You really helped me see why it was inevitible that he would choose Charlie as his co-conspirator and how this ep matches the one before it a lot more than I thought at first!

Bullet points were wonderful! Much agreement over: questioning why Jack and Locke get to control the guns; love for Hurley the "stealth hero" ;D ; and feeling that Charlie has crossed over a line.

Bravo, Rob! Bravo!

[Lola m]

yorick said:

Random observation:

I'm finding it interesting that while last year all of our castaways seemed to be confronting their demons and moving forward, even if only a little bit, this season we're watching some of them--like Charlie and Sawyer--regress.

In Sawyer's case, I'd agree with Kate in that he seems to want people to despise him. He played the self-righteous card during his little monologue, knowing that if any one of them had been on the raft in his stead he'd have plundered their belongings faster that you can say "stash"--and, I suspect, knowing those listening would see his hypocrisy almost immediately. Moreover, he claimed he wasn't a good person--yet we know that, only a week or so earlier, he did a very good thing in relating what Dr. Shepherd said of his son to Jack. Not to mention the con he called off when he realized a kid was involved.

Myself, I have to wonder if he didn't come up with the idea for such a con when Kate told him no one hated him anymore, and solidified what he plan would be after Jack's confrontation with the Others. Hmmm...

Maybe that's the island "disease"? The opportunity to slip back into the worst aspects of yourself?

[Lola m]

wnde1drs said:

The song that Hurley and Sayid picked up on the radio was, as everyone knows, Moonlight Serenade. This is one of my all time favorite songs, Glenn Miller's version being my favorite.

In 1944, Glenn Miller recorded propaganda broadcasts in England with his Army Air Force Band and aired in Nazi Germany and throughout Europe. A female announcer speaks (mostly in German); Miller alternates between German and English, and Johnny Desmond sings quite effectively in German. This album is titled: Lost Recordings

These recordings were made just weeks before his plane went missing while flying over the English Channel.

Two songs that catch my attention on this album are,

Moonlight Serenade and
Tail-End Charlie.


I actually prefer the instrumental version, but in case anyone is interested, here are the lyrics:

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night
The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade.

The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and I sing you a Moonlight Serenade

Let us stray till break of day in love's valley of dreams.
Just you and I, a summer sky, a heavenly breeze kissin' the trees.

So don't let me wait, come to me tenderly in the June night.
I stand at your gate and I sing you a song in the moonlight
A love song, my darling, a Moonlight Serenade.

Cool!!! Thanks so much to you and Karen for all the info on this!

Lost recordings, lost/missing people, Johnny Desmond.

[Lola m]

fish1941 said:

mcamason said:

ROB! You rock like a rocking thing. I hadn't considered the affect that bit of trust-giving would have on Sawyer, in relation to Jack digging through his "stuff."

And VERY well done, on the observation about how love was used against him, in the longest of long cons.

My question is . . . how Sawyer got his hands on the medicine (which should have been with other medication) in the first place? What was he doing with it? The island is a different situation than "Back in the World". Why was Sawyer hoarding it in the first place?

I found this description of grifters from www.losttv-forum.com:

Grifters are social creatures, but are in reality sociopaths. We have seen Sawyer at work in "Confidence Man", and though I am not a psychiatrist, it is clear that he suffers from antisocial personality disorder, a trait all grifters share. In that episode, he let himself be tortured, and in "The Long Con" showed indifference to the consequences of his actions.

Interesting description of grifters - and rather apt for Sawyer.

I often wonder how things might have gone differently if the entire group had been more . . . group-sharing with everything, right from the start. Pooled all the resources, had everyone share in not only the things from the plane but the decisions about the organization of the group and so on. If they'd talked to Sawyer instead of assuming he'd stolen the drugs and then tortured him. Etc. etc.

If the group dynamic didn't reinforce Sawyer's isolation and contempt of the others, would he be able to maintain it? He might still have, but it might have been harder.

[Lola m]

karen said:

wnde1drs said:

The manuscript that Hurley found was entitled Bad Twin. It was written by Gary Troup. It is on sale at Amazon. Bad Twin

Here is the description:

Sometimes evil has a familiar face . . .

Paul Artisan, P.I. is a new version of an old breed -- a righter of wrongs, someone driven to get to the bottom of things. Too bad his usual cases are of the boring malpractice and fraud variety. Until now.

His new gig turns on the disappearance of one of a pair of twins, adult scions of a rich but tragedy-prone family. The missing twin -- a charismatic poster-boy for irresponsibility -- has spent his life daring people to hate him, punishing himself endlessly for his screw-ups and misdeeds. The other twin -- Artisan's client -- is dutiful and resentful in equal measure, bewildered that his "other half" could have turned out so badly, and wracked by guilt at his inability to reform him. He has a more practical reason, as well, for wanting his brother found: their crazy father, in failing health and with guilty secrets of his own, will not divide the family fortune until both siblings are accounted for.

But it isn't just a fortune that's at stake here. Truth itself is up for grabs, as the detective's discoveries seem to challenge everything we think we know about identity, and human nature, and family. As Artisan journeys across the globe to track down the bad twin, he seems to have moved into a mirror-world where friends and enemies have a way of looking very much alike. The P.I. may have his long-awaited chance to put his courage and ideals to the test, but if he doesn't get to the bottom of this case soon, it could very well cost him his life.

Troup's long-awaited Bad Twin is a suspenseful novel that touches on many powerful themes, including the consequence of vengeance, the power of redemption, and where to turn when all seems lost.

About the Author
Bad Twin is the highly-anticipated new novel by acclaimed mystery writer Gary Troup. Bad Twin was delivered to Hyperion just days before Troup boarded Oceanic Flight 815, which was lost in flight from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles in September 2004. He remains missing and is presumed dead.

Sounds like the missing twin is very much like Sawyer.

Just for fun, Gary Troup is an anagram for purgatory.

Ha!

Oh, I was wondering about that script, Wendy! Thanks for looking it up.

Another little tidbit:


From: 3_Putt - view profile
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 12:09 pm
Email: "3_Putt" <[e-mail]>
Groups: alt.tv.lost

show options

Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | View Thread | Show original | Report Abuse | Find messages by this author

1. The Glenn Miller reference
2. The reference to An Occurrence at Owl Creek" by Ambrose Bierce (the
book that Locke was riffling through) (Also: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.)”

3. The manuscript that Hurley was reading ("Bad Twin" by Gary Troup
from Flight 815)

One thing that all three (Ambrose Bierce, Glenn Miller, and the
fictitious Gary Troup from Flight 815) have in common: they all went
missing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce

"...he (Bierce) vanished without a trace, becoming one of the most
famous disappearances in American literary history. Subsequent
investigations to ascertain his fate were fruitless and, despite many
decades of speculation, his disappearance remains a mystery."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Miller

"... he(Miller) disappeared under mysterious circumstances during World
War II."


Further from Wikipedia, re Glen Miller:

Johnny Desmond and the Crew Chiefs were the singers.

#clap#

[Jan]

lolam said:

karen said:

Ha!

Oh, I was wondering about that script, Wendy! Thanks for looking it up.

Another little tidbit:


From: 3_Putt - view profile
Date: Fri, Feb 10 2006 12:09 pm
Email: "3_Putt" <[e-mail]>
Groups: alt.tv.lost

show options

Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | View Thread | Show original | Report Abuse | Find messages by this author

1. The Glenn Miller reference
2. The reference to An Occurrence at Owl Creek" by Ambrose Bierce (the
book that Locke was riffling through) (Also: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.)”

3. The manuscript that Hurley was reading ("Bad Twin" by Gary Troup
from Flight 815)

One thing that all three (Ambrose Bierce, Glenn Miller, and the
fictitious Gary Troup from Flight 815) have in common: they all went
missing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce

"...he (Bierce) vanished without a trace, becoming one of the most
famous disappearances in American literary history. Subsequent
investigations to ascertain his fate were fruitless and, despite many
decades of speculation, his disappearance remains a mystery."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Miller

"... he(Miller) disappeared under mysterious circumstances during World
War II."


Further from Wikipedia, re Glen Miller:

Johnny Desmond and the Crew Chiefs were the singers.

Rob, your review was as good as everyone has already said. I laughed. I cried "Aha!" Chewy bullet points.

Also, all you guys rock.

It never would have occurred to me to check out "The Lost Twin" and the fact that it exists as a book sold by Amazon and the description of the writer--I'm amazed at the thoroughness of the writers.

I had pretty much just started focusing on the characters in watching this series, but the book thing has so increased my respect for the planning and purposefulness of the writers that I'm back to getting excited about the "details."

I knew about Glenn Miller and Moonlight Serenade and Miller's disappearance, but I'd forgotten that Johnny Desmond sang with his band.

It crossed my mind that they didn't show us by accident the title of the book Locke was riffling, but as I was no longer noting details, the Bierce/missing connection went right by me.

So anyway, now that I'm back into the details, I reread "The Incident at Owl Creek Bridge." A site with the complete text and an excellent commentary is here: extend.unb.ca/wss/1145demo/owl2.htm#ironic

If you make the window narrow enough, the commentary will line up with the text. The whole thing took me only a few minutes to read.

So now I think the writers want us to think that the entire story is happening only in the brains of the characters--or one of the characters (the only one with an altered physical characteristic, the one holding the book: Locke? )--as they die in the crash. Is THAT the "Long Con?"

Other than that, the man being hanged was lured on the fatal mission by an enemy masquerading as a compatriot.

[fish1941]

If they'd talked to Sawyer instead of assuming he'd stolen the drugs and then tortured him. Etc. etc.

I believe that Sawyer has only himself to blame for this situation. If he had been more willing to share supplies from the beginning, instead of looting them and using them for bargain, he would have never found himself being tortured by Sayid and Jack, last season, or have Jack snatch the medicine he had looted in this last episode.

[Lola m]

fish1941 said:

If they'd talked to Sawyer instead of assuming he'd stolen the drugs and then tortured him. Etc. etc.

I believe that Sawyer has only himself to blame for this situation. If he had been more willing to share supplies from the beginning, instead of looting them and using them for bargain, he would have never found himself being tortured by Sayid and Jack, last season, or have Jack snatch the medicine he had looted in this last episode.

Sawyer, yes, but also the whole group dynamic. They all have this tendency to hide things and ideas, to keep secrets (sometimes very important ones), etc. And it's hurt the group and individuals within it at different times.

Now, that's very human behavior, so it makes for realistic and interesting watching.

[Spaced Out Looney]

Everyone in this episode is very trusting of the Others; no one doubts that they might break their word about leaving the group alone. However, everyone is very distrustful of each other.