“Cabin Fever”
May 8th, 2008
Last week’s episode was a “Jackflash,” but I would contend that it really wasn’t a story about Jack. It was a story about the impact of the island, and the struggles of being haunted (Something that is apparent especially considering recent theories surrounding Claire). Similarly, the flashes in “Cabin Fever” are on the surface a story of John Locke, but in reality are much more a story of his relationship with the island, and its current gatekeepers.
What felt right about this episode was that it was a fantastic reference point both for the series as a whole and the future of our storyline. It wasn’t an episode that spent much time with plot, although there were certainly some intriguing developments on both sides of the Ben/Widmore battle; rather, it was an episode that reminded us of the narrative thus far. Our brief glimpses into the history of Locke’s missed connections with his destiny on the island is something that we need right now, a return to the power struggle that we were forced to abandon after we lose Nestor Carbonnell to CBS’ Cane.
It’s the perfect fit, however, for the action at hand: as Widmore makes his final stab at the island, Locke is called to action at a pivotal moment. His discovery of the cabin is not particularly action-packed, but its subtle humour combined with the meaningful flashbacks creates an episode that makes me extremely excited as we march onto the finale.
Cultural Learnings 