Erich: This may not have been the episode people were expecting, but I really dug it. For all the theories about Nikki and Paulo being part of an alternate timeline, or that they were working with The Others, it turns out they were just two people so focused on finding, and hiding, stolen diamonds that it finally killed them. Some may cry foul at the “buried alive” ending, but I think it was a twist worthy of shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents or The Twilight Zone. The beauty of this relatively stand-alone story is that the writers kept teasing us with connections to the mythology that just weren’t there: Nikki and Paulo met Ethan, but weren’t recruited to join The Others; they found the plane and the Pearl, but didn’t explore either; Paulo overheard Ben and Juliet plotting to kidnap Jack, Kate and Sawyer, but was so relieved not to have been caught that it went in one ear and out the other.
I think the producers introduced Nikki and Paulo, only to kill them off, as a way to have a little fun with the audience–with those who overanalyze the show’s mysteries. The writers knew we were going to hate Nikki and Paulo. They knew the messageboard venom would pour forth. They knew that for all the theories about these hated characters, we’d never guess the truth: that they had nothing to do with the island mystery (or were, at least, too self-centered to participate). They were just guest stars, and–as Nikki told us–”we all know what happens to guest stars.” Let’s face it folks: they got us good! In the spirit of Lost, Nikki and Paulo were part of a long con, and we got conned. Is it a coincidence this episode aired so close to April Fool’s Day?
There’s a message, though, in all the trickery. Lost is clearly inspired by pulpy mystery and science fiction programs of old, and, like those programs, is meant to entertain. This episode made that clear, by starting on the set of a cheesy TV action show (starring Billy Dee Williams!) and finishing it with one of the oldest twists in the book. If anyone missed the connection, perhaps they’re too focused on the “seriousness” of dissecting every last detail to have gotten the joke. We could talk about the mythology tidbits thrown in this week–about Ben and Juliet’s conversation in the Pearl, or the ramifications of Charlie’s confession to Sun–but that would miss the point. What point? Just ask Hurley: “It’s only the most awesome hour of television ever!” He’s right. Let’s all sit back and enjoy the ride.
Dave: Not much to say on my end, because, really, not much happened as per the greater arc of the storyline. But as a self-contained story with a few nods to the mythology, this installment of Lost from the Crypt proved to be entertaining.
Nikki and Xerxes were barely tolerable characters, so I’m hoping that sand gets packed down nice and tight. The back story was boilerplate, back-stabbing thievery and the contents of the bag was never in doubt (what else is worth that much dough and can fit in a teabag? Well, besides gold-plated air). I got a kick out of the new perspective on the events of the island, sort of like a “through the eyes of that guy and that girl.”
So, in the end, a fun diversion with some solid Hurley, Sun and Sawyer moments, though it felt like the episode would been more at home on a direct-to-DVD horror anthology.
