A Couple of Bandaids, A Bottle of Peroxide by Luhks

[luhks]

Lost Theories: A Couple of Bandaids, A Bottle of Peroxide by Luhks
A Couple of Bandaids, A Bottle of Peroxide: An essay that searches for the meaning underlying the Sawyer-Kate-Jack love triangle. This analysis explores the different arguments in favor of Sawyer and Jack as Kate's love interest.

I have chosen to address this topic even though it has generated supreme controversy for some, and has generated extreme boredom for others. I speak, of course, of the infamous Sawyer-Kate-Jack love triangle, one of the recurring plotlines throughout all three seasons. Within my other posts on the Theories section, I have always approached Lost as a work of art that functions not only to entertain but also to enlighten. Our interpretations of, preferences for, and reactions to the drama onscreen reflect our own values. Some readers have even been offended and called me out for extending judgments beyond the show and onto the audience members. I stand by my assertion that Lost does not represent pure entertainment, but instead serves as a looking glass with which we can learn about ourselves and others. The dramatization of moral conflict allows us to explore the depths of human decision making. To me, the show’s love triangle does not carry any intrinsic value on its own, but remains important because it helps reveal our concepts of love and life in general.

As a medium, Internet message boards might not provide the ideal forum for discussing some of the show’s more complex and ambiguous issues such as this one. More often than not, people need to resort to unfair labeling, insults, exaggerations, over-simplifications, and other tactics in order to try to ‘win’ an argument in the space of a short paragraph. A common strategy is to try to phrase your conclusions in absolute terms, in order to overstate both the merits of your case and the flaws of the opposing view. Even in longer works such as recaps, bloggers tend to ignore possible counterarguments and focus upon offering only a one-sided view of complex issues. The adversarial system may work well in courtrooms, but, most often, this cycle tends to make all of us look like obsessed fools here.

Here are a few ground rules for my discussion, and I would recommend that all subsequent posters follow the same. I will not use any phony words (such as ‘Sawkat,’ ‘Jater,’ or ‘shipper’) intended to put a label on any group of people or point of view. I will try not to insult the intelligence, morality, or psychological underpinnings of any particular perspective. I will also not make any appeals regarding the relative quality of the actors and writers, nor will I treat any comments by the producers as evidence. Indeed, the debate in its current form seems rather ill-defined and needs clarification. I will attempt to analyze the discussion in terms of three general questions. First, whom will Kate choose by the end of the series? Second, which man would represent the better choice for Kate? Third, whom does Kate truly love? Each of these questions has three possible answers worth considering: Sawyer, Jack, or neither.

For the full article, click here: Lost Theories: A Couple of Bandaids, A Bottle of Peroxide by Luhks


For more theories, criticism, and analysis by Luhks, visit the following links.

Lost Theories: Man of Science, Man of Faith Theory by Luhks

Lost Forum: Supporting Actor Showdown: Michael Emerson vs. Terry O'Quinn by Luhks

Lost Theories: Good Men vs. Great Men by Luhks