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GET
A weekly commentary of the television showby Carlos R Savournin
3 - 14: Expose
*This commentary contains spoilers. Do not read if you have not seen the above mentioned episode.*
In what is the season’s…actually, the series’, biggest throw-away episode, we learn of Nikki and Paulo’s past. Who? you might be asking yourself. Yeah. Exactly.
Their back story took us 84 days into the past where Nikki was working as an actress (alongside Billy Dee Williams) in a show called, appropriately, Expose. Having relations with the much older and much richer director of the show was just a red herring for the real plan; poising him for a treasure with the help of Paulo. Yes – real shocker here, people. There are more conmen on the island! Cut to a plane ride (and crash) later, they are on the island, and in an attempt to tie them into the stories of the other castaways, we were taken back to day one of the crash. Luckily, for us, we were once again graced with the presence of some deceased castaways such as Boone, Shannon, Dr. Artz and Other Ethan. Sure, it was nice to see them and some pivotal scenes (such as the opening scene of the pilot) again, but what was the purpose?
No one cared for these characters, and when they show up dead on the island, Hurley, Charlie, Sun and Sawyer band together to try and solve the mystery as to how and why. Theories bounced back and forth; they were poisoned, the smoke monster did it, the Others killed them – they sounded much like the fans of the show do when a new mystery arises. In the end, we discover that they’re not dead at all – they’re simply paralyzed thanks to Artz’s Medusa Spider. One bite, and you’re turned to stone. It made their burial intense, but when Nikki’s eyes popped open just as Sawyer and Hurley throw that first shovel of dirt on top of her, I nearly cheered. I don’t mean to be…mean, but really, I’m glad they’re off the show. We knew nothing about them, they appeared out of nowhere, and though the attempt of making it seem as though they were on the island from day one was entertaining enough, it completely slowed the entire show down.
Where’s Locke and his father? What’s going on with Kate and Jack? How’s Juliet dealing with the fact her one chance at getting off the island went up in flames? These are the stories we want; not some stand alone episode about two characters that were just introduced this season only to be background fodder and then killed off. The episode itself poked fun at the fact that these two characters were nobodies. In a flashback, Nikki herself says, in reference to her own show, that all guest stars are there for one reason; to be killed off. And on the island, every time she and Sawyer crossed paths, his final words to her were always “Who the hell are you?” In the end, we…just…don’t…care.
The episode did involve one revealing scene, however. As Sun is explaining her belief that the Others might have killed Paulo and Nikki, she claims that she, herself, would have bee a victim had she not escaped her attempted kidnapping. A guilt-stricken Charlie then confesses that he was the kidnapper – and that it was all Sawyer’s idea – an idea to create fear in season 2’s spectacular episode The Long Con. After confronting Sawyer, she slaps him in the face, then walks away. Yeah, he got off easy.
Hopefully, next week’s episode Left Behind will put us back on track with the stories we want to see. Enough with the stand alones. Let’s get down to some real Lost-drama.
Until next time, get LOST.
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© Savournin, 2007
All pictures are property of ABC Television and the Walt Disney Company
