"We'll never be apart again." - Jin
Ok, so Jin was depressingly on the mark with his statement upon reuniting with Sun, as their reunion was cut short by the mischievous doings of Man in Locke (MiL).
My first reaction was that Jin should have swam away. He had a responsibility to his daughter, which he couldn't fulfill if he went down with his wife. Apparently other viewers got riled up about his decision, much more than I did, but the show's exec producers defended their decision on the basis that it was a split second decision and he probably wasn't seeing the whole picture.
In retrospect I understand his decision and can't argue with his choice to live up to his promise.
This was the reunion I'd been doubting since Jin was captured by Widmore's crew. I really thought it would be a "better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all" sorta thing. I should have realized that we had a variation of that with Sawyer and Juliet, who actually did die.
Ultimately, I'm satisfied with the end to the Kwons. My co-worker George isn't nearly as content with the result, which he characterizes as a poor payoff after investing so many seasons waiting for their reunion. He thinks that it doesn't matter anyway, as they'll get to live their lives together in the sideways world. He doesn't think the island reality is meaningful, and that ultimately it will be revealed to be a distraction akin to purgatory. (I think he has things backwards, but I'll get to that later.)
The main disappointment in the conclusion of the island story of the Kwons was the fact it didn't mean that much to me. Sure, it hit at my emotional core a little, peaking when Jin spoke to Sun in Korean. But it wasn't nearly as gut wrenching as Juliet's demise in the end of season 5 (the opening of season 6 never happened), which still tugs at my heart strings during the eighth viewing.
I think my steely reserve stemmed from my general willingness to part with these two characters. When I honestly remember the history of the Kwons I'm reminded of all the times i found them insufferable, both together and as individuals.
Jin may have evolved into a very likable character with comedic delivery and heroic tendencies, but there was a time when I thought he was annoying and unwatchable. Apparently something was lost in translation back then, because he eventually shed the awful perception i had of him. I remained pretty indifferent towards Sun, who never really got enough screen time to fall into my good graces. She was just there, maybe practicing ancient Asian medicine or secretly hitting on Michael, but never really winning me over.
Then again, maybe that's the point. They were just an ordinary couple with an extraordinary bond. Yeah, they would have been content living like Rose and Bernard, who found a nice piece of island property to shack up on. Things just didn't work out for them, though, with barriers and challenges constantly popping up.
I thought I would have more to say about the Kwons, and I really don't. Unlike Sayid, who died with purpose, they were casualties of love. Sun would have been safe if she never came back and Jin would have lived if he had swam away.
(Editor's Note: We waited for this? I could have been reviewing the pages of the erotic novel i'm editing, but instead I wasted time on this crap. If anything this killed my boner.)
So while I mourn the Kwons and Sayid, I'm left with an empty feeling about Lapidus, who was denied a definitive conclusion. Is he dead? I think he is, but this uncertainty is quite annoying.
This is a guy i'm really going to miss if he's gone. He didn't need a back story or character development, just a solid one liner and a new Hawaiian shirt each week. The man was useful in a pinch and always on the right thing of sides. He deserved better than death by a door. Unless of course, the gray man returns even more powerful as the white wizard! (Was that Lord of the Rings reference a stretch???)
As for the final direction of the show, I think tonight's episode will give us more context about the island and hopefully set the stage for the final 3.5 hours. I think we'll learn more about the "rules" of the game, and what the game really is.
On tonight's episode Allison Janey will make an appearance, presumably as the crazy mother who ruined the Man in Black. Although i'd prefer it if she came back as her press secretary character from the West Wing, so she could just lay things out in a comprehensible manner. (Then again, you can trust a press secretary as much as you can trust the Man in Black.)
I firmly believe that the island reality is the reality of the show, and that the sideways world is either a consequence of the bomb blowing up or something that hasn't happened yet.
So excited about tonight.
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