Why Subtext Made Season Six Better Than Any Other Season by James Hughes

In one my earlier postings "WHY 'THE END' WAS THE GREATEST FINALE OF THE MODERN ERA' which was fortunate enough to be read out during the final lostcasts podcast, I mentioned The Vending Machine scene as one of Lost's finest moments because of subtext.

Subtext played a big role in Season Six, and here are just two scene examples:

THE VENDING MACHINE - from 'The End'
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1) Sawyer looks at the ring hanging from her necklace. A spark of recognition but he doesn't realise it may be the same ring he was going to propose to her with. He is not ready to remember....

2) Sawyer then takes the plug out and all the lights go out. What's just happened on the Island? Desmond has taken the plug out and 'the light' has gone out. But this doesn't make Sawyer remember either....

3) Then Sawyer looks at Juliet crouching down offering him a candy bar. The very first time he connected with her, was at the end of Season 4 when he swims back to shore and she is below him holding out a whisky bottle. We get a real sense that they are meeting for the first time in that scene. And same again in the Vending Machine scene and this time it is a candy bar with the number 23 on it. But still Sawyer doesn't remember...

4) Then Juliet says "It worked" which is what Miles tells Sawyer were Juliet's last words AFTER she had died. But still Sawyer doesn't remember...

5) Only when they physically connect and touch hands does he remember. Proving once again that Lost is about connection.

6) Then we get the dialogue about "we could go dutch" showing us that this scene was conceived way back in the Season 6 opener LAX. And it is very hard to make two scenes have such resonance when they are 15 episodes apart.

7) Sawyer's last line 'you got it Blondie' was the last thing he said to her when she dies in the LAX season opener....which made Juliet remember...that she too had died.

Magnificent scene because of all the subtext. Unfortunately a lot of people missed the subtext and took it at face value. But make no mistake this was one of the greatest scenes Lost has ever done.


THE WHISPERS - from 'Everybody Loves Hugo'

At face value this scene was merely there to explain the Whispers. But after watching the finale it is quite clear that's not why this scene was included, and here's why:

1) Michael says "We Are Stuck And Cannot Move On" And the subtext of this is that it was used as a big clue as to what the alternate reality was that they showed in the very next scene off island, in which Hurley is on the beach with Libby and is stuck and cannot move on until he connects with her and remembers.

2) If you watch Hurley's expression throughout this scene you can see he is slowly becoming Jacob. The Actor had clearly been told the end game before filming this episode.

2) Hurley asks Michael what is the one thing he can do for him. Michael says 'Don't get yourself killed.' And the subtext of the scene is '...because you are meant to stay here and protect the Island Hurley.'

Like many scenes in season six, this scene wasn't about what you may of thought it was about at face value, it was ALL about the subtext.

And Kudos should be given to the writers for delivering SO MANY scenes that are not about what you think they are about upon first viewing. There are stacks of them in the Temple during the opening couple of episodes. Too many to discuss here, but it's the subtext that will make this season stand the test of time and be so enjoyable for years to come...