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Episode Recap: "Ji Yeon"
My mind is just totally blown right now. I know I've said that before, but this time, I really mean it. I feel like Minkowski after his last fateful ride on the time-travel express. Between the frantic searching on the Internet for facts and names and the hysterics that came at the end of the episode, I hope I am able to articulate everything coherently. Be patient with me.
Tonight we learned that Sun is one of the Oceanic Six. Is that list now complete? If you include Aaron in the equation, Sun makes six survivors. But who the heck knows for sure? I am so beyond even trying to figure things out ahead of time at this point — I simply surrender to the manipulative story-crafting genius of Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. (Ben wouldn’t stand a chance against these guys.)
I guess that a person well-versed in Chinese and Korean would have known right off the bat that Jin’s story was unfolding in China during this episode. What was not so obvious (at least to me)? He was in China in the year 2000. Yes, folks, tonight’s twist was a double whammy — a flash-forward coupled with a flashback. Right off the bat, it seemed odd to me that Jin would not be by Sun’s side as her labor progressed. After all, it appears that the Oceanic Sixers received huge settlements, so it’s not like he would be working. The first tangible clue? The comment from the cashier about the stuffed dragon and the fact that it would be very popular during the year of the dragon. A quick look at the Chinese calendar confirmed for me that the dragon is celebrated every 12 years — the last one being 2000. At first I suspected that the island’s time-shifting was the culprit and that we had landed in 2012. Then I thought that we would learn this was Jin and Sun’s second child. Wrong and wrong. Jin’s story was actually occurring in the past, two months after he and Sun married and four years before the fateful flight. An additional clue? Jin’s older-model cell phone that he drops while trying to get into the taxi. (Props to my husband who caught that right away.) More on this later....
Getting back to the rest of the action... talk about burying the lead! Turns out that Michael is alive and well and going by the name Kevin Johnson. (No great shock there, since we’ve all been wondering when he would surface.) I will not leap to the conclusion that Michael is Ben’s man on the boat without further evidence, though that seems to be the case for the moment. I do think that his reluctance to run into Sayid indicated that he recognized him. (Correct me if I am wrong, but Desmond came on the scene after Michael was gone, so he wouldn’t recognize him.) Is Michael the one who has been providing aid to Sayid and Desmond and sabotaging the efforts of the crew? First, the door is left ajar. Then, the note that reads, "Don’t trust the captain." And how about this Captain Gault? A quick search on his name turned up some interesting info about the fictional character who shares his moniker. (Click here for more on that.) What are his motives? Why is Lapidus so fearful of his wrath? What is up with this “heightened case of cabin fever” that has his crew encasing themselves in chains and jumping to their watery deaths? (Regina was played by stuntwoman-actress Zoe Bell in what looks like the shortest guest stint since Fisher Stevens time-shifted his way to a brain aneurysm.) And what of his revelation that the black data recorder he possesses was recovered from the wreckage of Flight 815 along with the bodies of 324 victims? After explaining that his employer, Charles Widmore, spent a great deal of money to make that recovery, Gault offers up the following query to Sayid and Desmond: “Can you imagine what kind of resources and manpower go into pulling off a feat of that magnitude? Faking the recovery of a plane crash. Putting 324 families through a grieving process based on a lie. Where exactly does one come across 324 dead bodies?” The captain and his crew seem to believe that Ben is the one with the answers to these questions.
Back on the beach, Sun’s growing mistrust of Juliet (fueled by Kate) leads her to decide that Locke’s camp is the safer bet for her, Jin and the baby. Juliet’s concern for Sun and her knowledge of what’s in store leads her to come clean to Jin about Sun’s brief affair. (At first I was uncertain why she made the revelation, but then I realized that she was just trying to shake Jin’s faith in an effort to delay their departure.) I thought Jin’s fishing trip with Bernard and the talk between those two was well-timed and provided Jin with a chance to consider the options. “It’s all about karma, Jin,” Bernard explains as he details why he went with Jack in spite of Rose’s island-fueled remission. “You make bad choices, bad things happen to you.”
Just how bad do things get? Jin’s absence from his daughter’s delivery does not bode well. Sun not wanting to give up her wedding ring and only starting to ask for Jin as the medication made her woozy were definite clues. Then we got confirmation that Jin’s story is indeed a flashblack. As Hurley made his appearance at Sun’s door, I knew what was coming. Sometime between the island and his daughter’s birth, Jin dies. Hurley and Sun’s visit to Jin’s grave was heart-wrenching as Sun introduced their daughter (named Ji Yeon, as Jin requested) to his gravestone, naming 2004 as his year of death. (I tried to do a little research on Korean gravestones and didn’t have much success in trying to decipher the various dates. If anyone can shed some light, please chime in!)
If Desmond and Penny’s love story represents the hope that is waiting at the end of the story, Sun and Jin (beautifully portrayed by Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim) have provided a tale of people rediscovering their love and their purpose in the midst of horrible circumstances. The crash of flight 815 provided these two with a second chance, and tonight we seemingly received the sad confirmation that a happy ending is not in store.
Some other tidbits to ponder:
— What the heck was the deal with the blood on the wall? Another case of cabin fever?
— As Sayid comments that the boat isn’t moving, the doctor replies, “Well, if you say so.”
— The name on the side of the freighter is "Kahana." From my quick research, that seems to be a city on the island of Maui. What’s the significance of that name?
Despite the ups and downs of the last few seasons, I have continued to be consistently entertained by this show. The continuity of the storytelling and the emotions that are coming to the surface in these eight episodes have me convinced that the best is yet to come. What do you think?
Dying to see what happens next? Not sure you will make it to next Thursday? Click here for Matt Mitovich's interview with Juliet herself, Elizabeth Mitchell. And check out the Online Video Guide for full episodes and previews.
For another take on this week's Lost, read Cheers & Jeers.
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Mar 14, 2008 12:16 AM
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It was 9-22-04, the date of the crash. So it says he died in the crash.
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Mar 14, 2008 12:28 AM
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Zombie overboard!
It was more Jin's behavior that made me think that he was in a flashback, but not until near the end. He was definitely the "old" Jin.
Absolutely LOVED that Bernard just came along and had that heart to heart talk with Jin. They have not used Bernard and Rose nearly enough.
The inside man is Kevin Johnson- we never saw that coming, oh wait, he's really Michael - we all saw that coming.
The big surprise was Hurley showing up at Sun's place in Korea. He seemed to be glad that nobody else was coming - is that more than just a brotherly interest that our boy Hugo has on his fellow sixer?
I don't think three days is enough time for me to get so hungry that I'd eat cold raw lima beans from a can. I would not eat them on a boat, I would not eat them with a goat.
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Mar 14, 2008 12:39 AM
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Great recap as usual Trish.
You know, when Sun was fixing her makeup and packing her bag, I was thinking that she ends up leaving Jin after the rescue. Then, all the comedic scenes with Jin and the Panda made me think that he would die before he got to the hospital. I never considered the idea of a Jin flashback and a Sun flash-foward in the same episode. It is amazing to think that one of the first images we had of Jin was of him ordering his wife to button her sweater shortly after the crash. But as we got to know him, we saw that he has such a pure heart, and a sort of childlike quality. It is sad to think that he won’t be around to see his daughter grow up. Kind of makes me wish he had died on the island. And what was with Hurley being the only one to show up? They all have those golden passes, so they all could’ve gone down to support Sun. That was sort of strange.
So, I guess we’re supposed to take Jin as being one of the two deaths that Jack referred to? Maybe someone who reads Korean can translate the writing on his tombstone. It would also be cool to know what Ji Yeon means.
Why would Michael continue to sabotage the boat after seeing what is happening to the crew? Regina jumping to her death was plain creepy. I still wonder though why would you introduce characters like Minkowski and Regina over a few episodes, then kill them as soon as they appear onscreen. I was totally expecting Regina to thrash around on the ship’s bow for about twenty minutes before jumping back on the deck and attacking the captain with a blunt object.
I guess it would kind of make sense if Ben is behind the fake 815 wreckage. Keeps people from accidentally finding the island while looking for survivors. So, did he gas those people too? Did Ben cook up this plot after he found out about Widmore or before? And when Abbadon told Naomi there were no survivors, did he really think that, or was he just repeating what they wanted the public to continue believing?
Did anyone else think it was strange when Lapidus brought the boys the lima beans in a brown paper bag? He could’ve just put the cans on a tray or something. The bag made it seem like he was hiding something alongside the food.
I haven't watched the season three finale in a few months, but wasn’t John part of the name in the obituary? I thought it was a first name, but maybe it was part of a last name, which would seem to reference Kevin Johnson. I’ll just go ahead and thank you for the answer in advance Rose. Lol
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Mar 14, 2008 12:44 AM
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That was a cool feature to have Sun have a forward and Jin a flashback but it’s sad that he died. It will suck to know that no matter what we see him doing he will die. It’s something that’s happened with other characters (in flashbacks), but not series regulars, unless you count Charlie but once he died Dominic Monaghan was gone from series regular status whereas Daniel Dae Kim can keep it for as long as it takes to get to the point of his death. Then he can still appear just like anyone else can when needed.
Did he die in an accident, was Sun’s father involved in his death, was Sayid/Ben involved, were Widmore's goons involved? etc. I’m sure there will be theories about him faking his death. That or he was left behind and going to his grave is her symbolic way of talking to him. Since the grave didn’t list a more recent date maybe he’s not dead at all but the world thinks that he is.
I still wonder though why would you introduce characters like Minkowski and Regina over a few episodes, then kill them as soon as they appear onscreen.
Possibly for the same reason that they did it with Goodwin which is to tell us who they are then tell us more about them in flashbacks. Michael, Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, Frank, and maybe even Widmore if he ever gets a flashback are characters whose flashbacks can feature those two. I don't think that we've seen the last of either.
wasn’t John part of the name in the obituary?
It was Jo then we don't know and something antham. It could be an alias but didn't indicate the word Johnson.
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Mar 14, 2008 12:57 AM
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My guess is that the $3.2 million mentioned earlier is related to the cost of the salvaging. Or something like that.
Atleast Desmond now knows that it's not Penny's boat. It's her daddy's.
The date did indeed indicated that Jin died in the crash. Obviously, that didn't happen, so that means there is more scandal to the "Oceanic 6."
Didn't the previews say we would learn both remaining Oceanic 6 members? Obviously Jin doesn't count.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:04 AM
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Great recap!
How great of Hurley to come and see the baby! But why did he say "Good" when he found out no one else was coming? And WHY was no one else coming? I can understand Sayid and Kate, even, she probably couldn't (even though this was probably before her trial, the police wouldn't let her up and leave anytime she wanted to.) But why wouldn't Jack come? I don't get that.
So, does this mean that the Oceanic 6 get off the island in the next three weeks? According to what Juliet says, I guess we might think that.
I understand why the spoilers all said that this was not a traditional Lost death. We know Jin is dead but we still don't know when it will happen and he will still be on the show, at least for a while, I hope. He dies before they get off the island but because of the "big lie" the O6 have to perpetuate, Sun has to say he died in the crash. Looks like the tombstone says 1980-3-20 on one side (which must be Sun's birthday) and 1974-11-27 then 2004-9-22 on the other side--Jin's side. (That's my best guess, by the way--got the image paused on the screen right now.)
I am thinking that Desmond might know Michael after all. I had to go look this up to be sure--they saw the sailboat the day of Libby and Ana Lucia's funerals and they brought Desmond ashore that night. Michael was there with them and then the next day, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sawyer left with Michael to go to Ben's camp while Sayid, Jin and Sun left on the sailboat to sail around to the other side of the island. Desmond was drunk when they found him, so he might not remember who it is. I am sure he has been told about Michael, though.
Next week looks awesome! Can't believe we have to go an entire month again without LOST after that!
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Mar 14, 2008 1:05 AM
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according to wikipedia ji yeon means Heavenly Patience. did anyone else catch "Expose" on Sun tv in the background?
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Mar 14, 2008 1:07 AM
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Here's hoping Jin is not really dead. Especially since the date on the tombstone is the date on the crash.
For a moment I thought Hurley was a Dharma guy the way he asked the question. the show has me constantly questioning everyone's motives.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:12 AM
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Oh, Dysturbed, I love your theory! Maybe Jin is not dead at all but the world has to think he is! Of course, she would be crying about it either way--if he was left behind on the island or if he died, she just had their baby and wanted him to be there! Maybe that's why nobody else came to visit Sun--guilt ridden for leaving Jin and the others behind; same reason Jack won't visit Aaron and Kate. I am hoping that means Claire is still alive on the island, too.
Wow, what a show.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:14 AM
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Im heart broken. I was so excited at the thought of Jin AND Sun making it off the island.....but somehow I sort of knew this was not meant to be. I think it was when Jin started screaming about ripping the guys head off. They are such incredible actors....so wonderful. And Bernard giving Jin his version of small talk was enchanting. Sam Anderson is also wonderful in something that could be a cartoon...and he makes it real andsweet. But Jin dead? That just breaks my heart.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:15 AM
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Wow. Lost seriously has me held tight in its twisty (but awesome, and slightly comforting) grasp. Not only was my mind blown with the double flashback/forward trick, but then my heart was completely broken when they visited Jin's grave. It was such a beautiful scene, and I hope that Jin's upcoming death is full of all the grace and dignity of Charlie's recent passing. This show just can't get any better. Really. Just, perfect, perfect television.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:19 AM
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Trish, great recap.
I'm fairly sure Jin's flashback also happened in Korea. The conversation between Jin and the shopkeeper was in Korean, and the transaction was done in Korea Won, not Chinese Yuan.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:19 AM
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Hold on a second -- are you sure Jin was in China? Why would he be meeting the Chinese ambassador in China? (My assumption was that he was the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea.) And 2000 was also the Year of the Dragon in Korea. The writing on the walls in the toy shop and the hospital appeared to be in Korean, not Chinese. The shopkeeper and Jin were speaking Korean in the toy shop. The nurse and Jin spoke Korean in the hospital.
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Mar 14, 2008 1:20 AM
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Yes, Hurley's "Good!" was creepy and odd. And are we to assume that this takes place before Hurley's flashforward meltdowns? I guess so, huh?
Jin could be "dead" in the sense of left behind on the island. It's possible Sun might think he's dead, but in Lost terms, who knows?
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Mar 14, 2008 1:20 AM
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