Stranger In A Strange Land (309)

[GateWorld]

LOST SEASON THREE STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND EPISODE NUMBER - 309 Jack learns that Juliet's life is in danger because of what she has done, and he is the only one who can save her. Sawyer comes to a decision as he, Kate, and Karl make their escape from the second island. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >

[Oreo]

Great job ABC you just took the prize away from NBC! That was a hard thing to do but you did it!

What prize you ask, the prize for biggest ly in a preview / commerical!

THREE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED!!!

Umm.... did I miss something? The only thing answered was what the tattoo meant and no one gives a damn about that!

[AnUbIs2004]

THREE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED!!!

Umm.... did I miss something? The only thing answered was what the tattoo meant and no one gives a damn about that!

Quite true, I finished this episode just getting more and more annoyed with this show. Here is what I got answered:

1.) Do the writers know where this show is going? NO
2.) Do the writers know how to weave several storylines together and maintain our interest? No
3.) Do the writers know how to just make it so we have more questions asked than answered each episode? Yes

So you see, they did in fact answer three questions, just not the ones we wanted.

Clever writers could drag this out for a while, but these writers are not as clever as they are made out to be. Frankly I just get the feeling that they have no clue to where the story needs to go. This season is just getting too fragmented. Now we have:

1.) Jack with the others
2.) Sayeed, Jin and Sun doing god knows what
3.) Everyone still back at the beach
4.) and now Kate and Sawyer

Mix in the sometimes clever, mostly boring background stories we have had this season and I just am getting a little too tired of how slow this is going.

[SaberBlade]

I thought this episode was going to explain why Jack was in Thailand in the first place, but I guess I must have missed that part.


But is it just me, or does the Hydra symbol look oddly enough like a facehugger from the Alien movies?

[sgeureka]

For an episode that didn't explain anymore than the usual episode, I must say I really liked it. Despite the many scenes that were already available online before this episode aired, there were also several surprises that I didn't see coming.

So, Jack's tattoos that so many fans wanted to know about were merely a metaphor for what was happening in the episode. If the Thai woman doesn't turn out to be of the same group as Desmond's ring lady last week, I doubt that we'll ever hear about those tattoos again.

And Juliet and Jack can finally go "home". Too bad no-one ever told Jack that "home" is Ben's word for the settlement on the main island.

I still wonder what Karl has done. Since he said the others will kill him, and there was all this an-eye-for-an-eye vibe in this episode, my guess is he also murdered someone. But that can't have happened too long ago. Maybe he had something to do with the Others' kidnapping actions at the end of S2. Sooner or later, this will get answered. This has been a build-up for too long to neglect.

Also good to see the stewardess and the kids again for the court decision. I guess we will hear about them some more later on.

May we never see the Hydra island again...

[ItsDan]

We also learned why they take children, because they believe they can give them a better life, I'm sure there's some ulterior motive as well but it's something.

[FoolishPleasure]

I just want to reach through my screen, grab these characters by the throat, shake them fiercely, and yell, "ASK SOME GOOD QUESTIONS!"

Why didn't Jack ask Cindy some pertinent questions?

Why didn't Sawyer and Kate ask Karl some pertinent questions? When he made the comment about the kids, why didn't they keep asking for info? When he mentioned "projects" why didn't they ask him, "What projects?" Why didn't they ask him why the others wanted poor Karl dead?

Why didn't Jack ask about that brand thingy? What it was for, or why they do it? When you want to brand someone as a criminal, you place it on an arm, face, anywhere it can be seen by everyone all the time. Putting it on a covered part of the body is useless.

Why doesn't Jack ever ask these people where they came from or what they are doing on the island? You know - logical questions!

Why doesn't anyone ask any intelligent questions?

Show is getting too frustrating.

[Oompaa]

Loved the ep!!!
"He walks among us, yet he is not one of us" is that biblical?????
Great quote anyway.

One thing to say! When the story and all the loose ends get tied up, you won't like it. Want to know why? Simple, do you ever go into a movie and love the first half and then lose interest for the second. This happens because the first half builds up the story, and the viewer try's to imagine his own take on events. As soon as the writers take, on what the story is about unfolds, it gets dull and boring.
Thats why lost is so successful. You can keep on trying to imagine your own answers. As soon as that ends, no ones going to like it. For that reason, Lost will never be explained. And shouldn't!!!!!! If you don't like that, then don't watch!
But please don't complain about it. It's the main reason why you like it, your probably just too dumb to figure it out! lol no offence.

[jmw326]

Great episode. I thought that this was one of the better ones. I love how they give info but ask even more questions at the same time with the answers. That to me is what made this show great in the first place. If they answered all of the questions that everyone wanted to know it would become the same as everry other show on TV instead of keeping you guessing. I love this show becuase it lets you use your imagination and doesn't spoon feed you every little detail.

[memnarch]

Wow, people are getting wayyyy too frustrated here...I for one was glad to finally figure out what Jack's tattoos say (in real life, Michael Fox's say something entirely different). "He walks among us, but he is not one of us." Though Isabel (the sheriff woman) comments on the irony that Jack is there among the Others with that tattoo, Jack retorts that that is not their intended meaning. I find it fascinating that they're a mark of his leadership, but also of his being scared of being so isolated. It's a great summing up of his character.

Also, I disagree that mysteries weren't solved. We found out what happened to Cindy and what happened to the kids (partially). I agree that that we don't have all the answers yet, like why Walt was treated differently than Zach and Emma and why instead of kidnapping people, the Others just could've talked to the people they took who they "wanted to give a better life." But I think that's okay. Part of what makes the show great is the search for answers and the questions that arise.

Overall, *** stars

[Thermonuclearboy]

Well, technically the promo didn't lie. Three questions WERE answered...Jack's questions to Alex.



It's been a long time since Eastern Religion class, but isn't there supposed to be a very powerful chakra located at the base of the spine? If so, I think it's hardly a coincidence that that's where Juliet was "marked."

[g8torgurl]

Personally, i didn't like the episode... i was so worked up for the past week "three questions... answered... omg... can't wait... can't wait... can't wait" and then, well, Jack's tattoos have always had that nagging question of "what do they mean!?" but that hasn't been bothering me recently...

I think the three answers we got were:

1) what Jack's tattoos mean. (Leadership...)
2) why they take children (to take them to a better place)
3) how to go "Home" (Ben's idea of little suburbia in the middle of another island)

we also know they have a nice, pretty, big boat now too.
I am curious now about:

1) How many islands ARE there?
2) What happend to Karl?
3) What type of doctor/surgeon was Ethan? and why didn't Ben get his spinal surgery earlier, when Ethan was still around?
4) Other than pain, around "the others", what does "being marked" mean?
5) Are Michael and Walt on this new island as well?
6) The girl Jack met, her "gift", is it like Desmonds? and the jewelist lady (Ms. Hawkings)?

Those are basically my views on this episode...

[jonno]

As an ep, it was all fine and dandy.

But. 9 episodes. 5 and a half have been about Jack and/or Kate and/or Sawyer + others. And in those the rest of the cast have pretty much never been seen. Claire has had ... about 5 minutes all season. I can only remember Jin being in one episode. Same with Sun. Hurley's appeared in a handful of scenes. Sayid less still. Locke, Desmond, Eko have had one and about a half episodes each. Charlie has had one or two half episodes.

Quite frankly - i'm bored with it. I much prefer our original Island. I like Hurley, Charlie, Desmond, Eko, Sayid. I quite like Claire. I prefer Sawyer when he's interacting with many people rather than just one or two. Above all, I like to see all the cast for at least a little bit, AND see them interacting with different people each week. Can we please have Kate and Sawyer back with the rest. Could Jack escape and get back too soon. Please.

[Oreo]

Well the ad shows Whiney and Whiner get back to the other plane people this week. Am I the only one that though that was also included in a commercial 2 weeks ago?

[Nyarlathotep]

I enjoyed the ep as usual however it was somewhat of a let down after last weeks.

The most annoying thing, as FoolishPleasure pointed out, was the retarded questions Jack was asking... I thought the exact same things at that point - why the hell aren't you asking "What projects?" and "Wtf is all this about?". Not that they would have told him of course but he certainly should have asked!

Same with Kate and Sawyer - they've got Karl with them who knows much about what is going on and yet they don't press him for answers, just listen to the little bits of stuff he spouts and then ignore it... beat the damn answers out of him!!