The Variable

The Parent Trap

Does anyone on this show have a normal relationship with their parents? Okay, maybe not normal, but perhaps less than strained? Less than miserable? Relatively honest and open? Something?

In this episode, we got to see the relationship between Daniel and his mother, the elusive Ms. Hawking. We watched her basically crush Daniel’s interest in the piano, even though he promised to make time. She blatantly snubbed Theresa Spencer, Daniel’s girlfriend and research assistant. Why? Because of destiny. And because “The women in your life will only be terribly hurt.” What every son wants to hear from his mother, I’m sure.

We also watched, suspecting without confirmation until the end of the episode, Daniel’s relationship with his patron and father, Charles Widmore. It seems that they only met once, shortly after the “wreck” of Oceanic 815 was found. Because of the holes in Daniel’s memory, he felt no qualms letting his son in on the secret, Widmore planted the evidence (this would have been a bigger reveal had it not already been announced the week before in the retrospective on the Oceanic 6). Besides, Widmore wants to offer Daniel a job (won’t he forget that too?), a job that will also heal Daniel.

And then the jaws shut. Eloise visits her son, having heard about Widmore’s opportunity. Daniel doesn’t believe that he can actually do the job, but his mother also promises healing. Further, she’ll be proud of him if he goes. He then nods and agrees to go.

We know, of course, how Daniel ended up in 1977. He studied the time travel issue at length at Ann Arbor, and developed some theories (more on that in a later post). Then, somehow, he learned about the upcoming Incident. Perhaps he thought his mother sent him back to prevent the Incident. Perhaps he thought that he could manipulate the actors to achieve a new end result. He had a clear purpose on the island, and found Kate and Jack willing to help him. Still, he walked alone into the Hostile camp. He holds Richard at gunpoint, demanding to know where Eloise is. And she shoots him, with what looks to me a mortal wound. It then hits Daniel. “You knew. You always knew. You knew this was gonna happen. You sent me here anyway.”

Suddenly Eloise’s behavior through the episode made some sense. She clearly looked upset when she told Daniel he could no longer play piano. And there’s her note in the journal she gave him, "Daniel, No matter what, remember, I will always love you. Mother." But her behavior in talking with Daniel’s father, Charles Widmore, telling him, “Sacrifice? Don’t you talk to me about sacrifice, Charles. I had to send my son back to the Island, knowing full well that…” She didn’t finish her sentence, as Widmore protests, “He’s my son too.” He fully deserved the slap she gave him.

Why did Eloise and Widmore have to send Daniel back to the Island? What does she get out of it? I’m sure that there must be some reason, and I look forward to learning it. But at this point, it looks to me that Daniel was murdered, and not in 1977 when his mother shot him, but in 2004, when his parents encouraged Daniel to go to the Island, knowing what eventually awaited him. Daniel had no idea what he was facing, but they did.

You may be uncomfortable that I assume that Daniel is dead. I do. Nor am I alone. A lot of people on the web seem to take it for granted that Daniel met his death at his mother’s hands. I must believe this, because an injured son is not much of a sacrifice. He already considered his mother to be difficult, and I felt that there had been periods of estrangement between the two in the past (well, his past, 1977 Eloise’s future). I think that Eloise, in 2004, knowingly encouraged her son to go to the Island, with full understanding that in the past she unwittingly shot her son to death. And that is her sacrifice.

Other questions about this unholy family: When was Daniel conceived and born? No, we don’t know his date of birth. Was he born on the Island? Where did Hostiles go to give birth? Was young Daniel on the Island in 1977, just as baby Miles is? Will young Daniel see his own corpse? What were the circumstances of his conception?

Beyond this, how did adult Daniel learn that his mother was a Hostile? How did he learn so much about the Incident? What does he have written in his journal?

The episode offered a little more than just Daniel and his parents.

Desmond and Penny

Penny met Eloise Hawking while waiting for Desmond’s doctor. It is in Eloise’s conversation with Penny that we learn that, for the first time, Eloise has no idea what will happen. Could Eloise see into the future, like Desmond apparently once could? Or is all her knowledge of the future learned in 1977 or thereabouts. Perhaps she learned about the future from Daniel’s journal?

The scene where Desmond told Penny that he would never leave her might have had more resonance had we not just learned about the sexual harassment suit against Henry Ian Cusick.

Oddly enough, a lot of people were very upset that Penny left Charlie with a nurse while she saw Desmond. I didn’t even think about it. I just assumed children are not allowed in recovery rooms.

Pierre Chang

We got to relive the scene we saw in the first episode of the season, this time, from Daniel’s perspective. We learn that Daniel wants to prevent the Incident, which will happen in 6 hours if nothing is done to stop it. Chang doesn’t believe him, especially after Daniel tells him that he’s from the future. It doesn’t help that Miles refused to confirm that he was Chang’s grown son.

The Party’s Over

The scene in Sawyer and Juliet’s living room was cool, if only because we got to see so many of our characters together in one room. Phil has caught on to Sawyer’s deception, and Sawyer sees only two choices for the Lostaways: commandeer the submarine or hide in the jungle. No surprise that Jin wants to stay on the island, but I loved Hurley’s reason – it would seem kinda wishy-washy to leave so soon after arriving.

Daniel’s desire to find the Hostiles shows the cracks in this alliance. Sawyer finds himself alone in refusing to help “Twitchy”. It was this scene where Jack came back. And y’all know that I’ve been waiting for that for a long time. I’m not sure what exactly sparked it, but it was effective.

Sawyer’s plea to Kate “Come with us, Freckles,” clearly fractured his relationship with Juliet, who quickly gave Kate the code to the pylons. Juliet’s ostensible reason was “It’s over here for us anyway.” Which “us”, Juliet? You and Sawyer? That would make me incredibly sad. And rile up those of us who are anti this particular romantic quadrangle. You know who you are! The fracture in their romance was observable later when, after Sawyer asked if Juliet still had his back, she asked, “Do you have mine?”

Daniel and Charlotte

And at last, the girl Charlotte meets her crazy man.

The Gunfight

I knew I didn’t like Radzinsky. The scientist who clearly walks around armed was upset because Daniel was armed. That didn’t make much sense.

I got to tell ya, I rarely pay attentions to fights. Even on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my brain basically shuts off while the characters fight over whatever it is they are fighting over. I appreciate that the fights are often physical manifestations of inner psychological conflict, but I find them so boring. I paid no attention to it.

There’s clearly more to discuss about this episode, but it is late and what remains to be said will take much more contemplation than I have in me right now. As a precursor to how my thoughts are going, I found myself thinking about fate and free will. This theme was more present in this episode than in any other episode we’ve seen so far this season.

What did you think?