1x09 Solitary

[blacxthorne]

Originally Posted by CameraOne

I had a lot of problem with the continuity problems in Season 5 with Danielle, and also with a different actress playing the role. But after rewatching this for the first time, I can see a little spark of this older Rousseau possibly once being like the younger Rousseau, though I still think the younger Rousseau was written to be too innocent and unthreatening. I still believe the writers could have tried a lot harder to mesh this episode's events with the Season 5 events. They should have watched "Solitary" over and over again to ensure very little, if anything, would contradict.

I don't think they would write anything about Rousseau without checking what they did here. Her story was overall quite consistent with the events--in fact, more consistent than I expected: For example, I totally forgot that Sayid was going to shoot her and she said Robert also tried and failed.

Different actors playing the same character--well, they're 16 years apart so that's not so weird. Actually it's better than having the actor wear a wig and act younger.

Finally, about innocence... I believe that was the point: That she stayed there for 16 years in grief, loss, hopelessness and paranoia, which ultimately made her so tough and crazy.

Any other inconsistencies are minor, and could even be intentional... For example, people are saying that she saw Ben but said never saw anyone. Well, she says that she didn't see anyone in 1x09, and she also thinks Sayid is an Other and is asking about Alex in 1x09. It's not like the idea that Alex being taken was conceived in Season 5. It's clear that they already knew Alex was taken from her.

The only question is whether she saw them take Alex. It could be either way, either they thought it was exactly as it was in S5 and she didn't remember due to trauma or lied, or at first they thought Alex would have been taken at night and Rousseau wouldn't see, but then changed it so Ben would say "if you want your baby to live, whenever you hear whispers, turn around and run" so there would be a good enough excuse why she didn't look for Alex (or find her in 16 years if she did look for her).

And that much inconsistency, for two parts of a story told almost half a decade apart, is still great in TV standards.

[Jesus_Stick]

Originally Posted by flight316

I totally agree with you. I think the writers introduced the mystery and kind of realized that they didn't have an answer for it and that it didn't really fit in with everything else going on on the island. They seemed to play around with the idea for awhile then just dropped it.

But i think they felt pressure from the fans to show rousseau's story, so they made up an answer on the spot and put it in This Place is Death. Thats my main problem with that episode, it just really doesn't fit in with what we heard in Solitary.

I personally thought she was pretty constant in the way she described the sickness "It took them, one by one" is pretty much on par with the fact that the monster was shown to take one of her crew into the hole with them come out with completely different personalities, something which she clearly warns Sayid about, although with him not having known anyone befoe is kind of redundant.

Overall I'm happy with the closure of that loop so to speak.

Somthing I picked up on, which I am not sure if it's intentional or not is that during the first golf course scene, (starting with Michael and Jack discussing their problem) in the background you can here sound effects very similar to when the time flashed were happening in Season 5. Does anyone else hear this or am i going mad?

Edit: the other thing I noticed here for the first time is that Danielle only starts to believe that Sayid may not be an other when he asks her an Alex related question and refers to Alex as "He", i thought this was great in its subtleness and great acting on Mia's part!

Edit 2: Was it Ethan who gave the Golf Clubs to the Losties rather than them actually being in the plane? In the missing pieces we saw him give Jack a bag full of medication. Could this be a similar thing?

[Heartless_Castaway]

I used to love Danielle's character but the more I think about her, the more I realize she's a total mess.

She lived on the island for 16 years after Alex was taken. What exactly was she living for? She didn't want to leave the island. Wouldn't you rather die trying to get Alex back rather than just do nothing for 16 years and eventually die. For someone who cares so much about Alex, she could've made a bit more of an effort.

[blacxthorne]

Originally Posted by Heartless_Castaway

I used to love Danielle's character but the more I think about her, the more I realize she's a total mess.

She lived on the island for 16 years after Alex was taken. What exactly was she living for? She didn't want to leave the island. Wouldn't you rather die trying to get Alex back rather than just do nothing for 16 years and eventually die. For someone who cares so much about Alex, she could've made a bit more of an effort.

Unless she took Ben's threats seriously and was afraid he would really kill Alex if she didn't do as he said.

[razzie]

This was one of my favorite episodes of Season just because of meeting Danielle. Meeting the "French lady" after hearing her 16 year transmission was awesome! Makes me sad all over again that after surviving on her own for 16 years she was taken out so easily by Keamy's team.

At this point the sheer mystery of her character is great. Her team, Alex, the others - great IMHO. As a huge Danielle fan, I think while she was "crazy" from being alone all those years, most of what she has said is true. She tells Sayid "there's no such things as monsters".......hmmmm. When she brings Benry to Sayid in S2, "he will lie, lie lie", etc.

Here is the first time we hear the "whispers" - scary stuff.
Also I noticed how Locke is not playing golf with everyone else.

[Jack Shephard's twin]

Ah this episode hit home how far we've all come in five years of LOST. A scary amount of information we take in every week during the show, and now re-living it back again, makes you realise what an awesome show this really is.

Meeting Danielle for the first time is a huge pull for the show and this episode in particular. Of course we don't get to know the exact reasons why she is who she is, and the way she is until after she's dead, but I was satisfied with the start to the show she have, a very mysterious if slightly loopy lady, just what LOST needed!

As for Sayid, this episode also put a lot more purpose to his story, he wasn't just another surviver, that Sawyer was indeed wrong in 1x08 (Confidence Man) "I think your lying, I don't think you've torchered anyone in your life", little did we know one of the people he was charged with torchering was the love of his life. Really in-depth episode all in all, and put a lot more mystery into the island, what with the whispers and stuff.

[MPVLOST]

Originally Posted by Jack Shephard's twin

Ah this episode hit home how far we've all come in five years of LOST. A scary amount of information we take in every week during the show, and now re-living it back again, makes you realise what an awesome show this really is.

Meeting Danielle for the first time is a huge pull for the show and this episode in particular. Of course we don't get to know the exact reasons why she is who she is, and the way she is until after she's dead, but I was satisfied with the start to the show she have, a very mysterious if slightly loopy lady, just what LOST needed!

As for Sayid, this episode also put a lot more purpose to his story, he wasn't just another surviver, that Sawyer was indeed wrong in 1x08 (Confidence Man) "I think your lying, I don't think you've torchered anyone in your life", little did we know one of the people he was charged with torchering was the love of his life. Really in-depth episode all in all, and put a lot more mystery into the island, what with the whispers and stuff.

Um, the word is spelled "torture".