"LOST" RETROSPECT: (2.11) "The Hunting Party"I may be a bit picky about my tastes in television viewing. But I must admit there have been a few television episodes either dismissed or lambasted by critics and fans alike, but which I have come to like. One of those episodes is the Season Two episode of "LOST" called (2.11) "The Hunting Party". This eleventh episode from the series' second season picks up not long after the previous episode, (2.10) "The 23rd Psalms" left off. In the previous episode, Michael Dawson believed he had managed to contact his kidnapped son Walt Lloyd, while using the twenty year-old computer inside the DHARMA Swan Station. He also recruited the help of fellow castaway, John Locke, to teach him how to use a rifle. When "The Hunting Party" began, Dr. Jack Shephard found an unconscious Locke on the floor of the station's armory. Before he could do anything, Michael appeared with a gun trained on Jack and in a desperate tone, revealed his intentions to find Walt. Michael forced Jack to remain by Locke's side, before locking both of them inside the armory. When other castaways Kate Austen and James "Sawyer" Ford go to the station to have the latter's bandages changed, they free both Jack and Locke. Jack immediately reaches for a rifle and state his intentions to find Michael and bring him back. Both Locke and Sawyer volunteer to join him. Kate also volunteers, but Jack curtly orders her to remain behind and be ready to punch in the numbers for the station's computer. The three men leave without her. Despite Jack's refusal of her help, Kate recruits Hugo "Hurley" Reyes and Charlie Pace to monitor the station's computer for her, while she heads out into the jungle to join the hunting party.The episode's flashbacks start with Jack and his father, Dr. Christian Shephard, diagnose a middle-aged Italian man with a spinal tumor named Angelo Busconi. The two Shephard surgeons inform Signor Busconi and his daughter, Gabriela that his tumor is too far gone and that he is not eligible for surgery. However, Signor Busconi and Gabriela insist that they are interested in recruiting Jack's help. They had learned of the miracle he had achieved after performing surgery on his wife, Sarah Shephard, before their marriage. Much to Christian's dismay, Jack agrees to perform the surgery on Signor Busconi. The older surgeon also notices the attraction between Jack and Gabriela. And Jack also continues spending more time at the hospital, either ignoring or evading Sarah's company at home.Despite the opinions of other "LOST" fans and critics, I have always liked "The Hunting Party". I found the plot regarding the Losties' hunt for Michael very interesting. And believe it or not, I rather enjoyed the flashbacks regarding Jack's attempt to save Angelo Busconi and his troubling marriage to Sarah. But for the likes of me, I have always had difficulty making the connection between the on-island plot and the flashbacks. Exactly what is the connection? Was Jack's difficulties in his relationship with Kate and her attraction to Sawyer a reminder of Sarah's infidelity and the end of his marriage? Was his decision to embark upon a near impossible task - finding Michael and bringing him back - similar to his decision to accept Signor Busconi as a patient? Did I hit the mark regarding the episode's main plot . . . or what? After eight years, I am still confused.But I still like "The Hunting Party" . . . very much. It is one of my favorite Jack-centric episodes. The hunt for Michael showcased an aspect of Jack's personality that has been problematic - his inability to let go. The problem with Jack was he lacked a real instinct on whether to give up on an impossible task, or to continue it. On one hand, he never realized that Locke was right about letting Michael go. The choice to leave the Losties' camp and go after Walt was up to Michael, not Jack or any of the other castaways. I think Jack took his "live together, die alone" mantra a bit too far in his determination to get Michael back. However, it seemed a pity that he and the other Losties never extended that mantra to Walt. In the case of the flashbacks, I suspect that the Busconis' stroking of Jack's ego led him to accept Angelo Busconi as a patient. Even though the Italian father and daughter were grateful toward Jack's willingness to take a chance on the former, I cannot help but wonder if that was a chance Jack should have ignored.Both the on-island plot and the flashbacks also featured Jack's problematic relationships with the two women in his life. Two episodes ago in (2.09) "What Kate Did", Sawyer unconsciously expressed his love for Kate, while Jack was tending him. This bedside confession conjured feelings of jealousy within Jack, who must have recalled the kiss that Sawyer and Kate had exchanged in the Season One episode, (1.08) "Confidence Man". In "What Kate Did", Kate kissed Jack in a confusing moment and ran off into the jungle in tears. Between her action and Sawyer's confession, I suspect Jack found himself wondering if Kate ever loved him. This so-called "love triangle" must have reminded him of his previous marriage. The problems in Jack's relationship with Sarah proved to be more straightforward. Flashbacks in an earlier Season Two episode called (2.01) "Man of Faith, Man of Science" revealed how Jack and Sarah first met - she was a victim of a car accident that eventually killed Shannon Rutherford's father, and Jack was the surgeon that prevented her from becoming physically disabled. In the Season One episode,(1.20) "Do No Harm", flashbacks revealed that some time after Jack's successful surgery on Sarah, they got married. I never understood why those two had married. Was it gratitude on Sarah's part? Had Jack been caught up in the emotional relief over saving her? Who knows. But the flashbacks in this episode revealed that their marriage had slowly deteriorated to the point that it led to Jack spending most of his time at the hospital . . . and Sarah committing adultery and later, leaving him. Some fans had complained about the quiet manner in which their marriage had ended, despite the erotic moment between Jack and Gabriela Busconi. Actually, I found it very realistic . . . and very common among relationships.There were other aspects of the episode I found interesting. Locke revealed to Sawyer and television viewers, the latter's real name - James Ford. This revelation proved to be a mild shock, considering that viewers had already learned back in Season One that Sawyer was an alias. This episode also saw the return of the "Bearded Man" aka Tom Friendly, who had kidnapped Walt in(1.24-1.25) "Exodus". Tom and his fellow Others had trapped the hunting party before convincing them (actually through coercion) to return to their camp. Not only did the Losties' encounter with Tom provided another bump in the road for Jack and Kate's relationship; it also reminded viewers that Sawyer blamed Tom for shooting him (one of the members of Tom's party had shot him, when he reached for his gun). For the first time, Sawyer declared his intentions to seek revenge for what happened to him, proving that of all the series' characters, he was a master at combining revenge with murder in order to alleviate his pain. There was one aspect of this episode that I found . . . perplexing. Throughout most of the episode, Locke questioned Jack's decision to go after Michael, spouting free will as an excuse. And yet . . . he had decided to accompany Jack on this expedition, anyway. Locke was also not above enforcing his own will upon others. So, why did he join this hunting party in the first place? Even the state of the Kwons' marriage ended up affected by Jack's hunting party. When Jin learned about Michael's flight into the jungle, he considered joining the hunting party, until Sun stopped him. For the first time, Sun truly got her way since the beginning of the series. In a marvelous scene, she put her foot down and revealed her opposition to Jin's intentions. She also revealed how she had felt about his past controlling behavior toward her. The Kwons' marriage took a new step above the resentments, anger and lies that marred their relationship in the past."The Hunting Party" featured some solid performances from cast members such as Terry O'Quinn, Josh Holloway, Evangeline Lilly and Naveen Andrews; and guest stars that included Julie Bowen, Ronald Guttman, Monica Dean and M.C. Gainey. But in my opinion, the best performances came from guest star John Terry, Harold Perrineau, and especially, Matthew Fox. It seemed a pity that Perrineau never received any nominations for his outstanding work. And I find it laughable that Fox had to wait another four seasons before the Hollywood community was even willing to nominate him for his work on "LOST". But if many of us are truly honest with ourselves, acting and production awards are usually based upon popularity contests, not upon any worthy endeavors.I wish I could say that I consider "The Hunting Party" to be one of the best episodes that aired on "LOST". The narrative written by Elizabeth Saranoff and Christina M. Kim allowed for strong characterizations and some interesting subplots. Unfortunately, I found the connection between the on-island plot and the flashbacks rather weak. Even worse, the episode ended with Jack proposing Tail Section survivor Ana-Lucia Cortez that they create an army to deal with the Others. And this potential subplot never went anywhere, in the end.
"NORTHANGER ABBEY" (2007) ReviewAs far as I know, there have only been two screen adaptations of Jane Austen's 1817 novel, "Northanger Abbey". The first adaptation aired back in 1986. And the most recent aired on Britain's ITV network back in 2007, as part of a series of dramas called Jane Austen Season. "NORTHANGER ABBEY" followed the misadventures of Catherine Morland, the 17 year-old daughter of a country clergyman and Gothic novel aficianado. She is invited by her parents' wealthy friends, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, to accompany them on a visit the famous spa city, Bath. There, the friendly and somewhat naive Catherine becomes acquainted with Isabella Thorpe (who becomes engaged to her brother James), and her crude brother, John. She also befriends Eleanor Tilney and falls in love with the latter's brother, the witty and charming clergyman, Henry. The Thorpes are displeased with Catherine's friendship with the Tilneys, due to John's interest in making her his future wife. Both sister and brother assume that Catherine might become the future heir of the childless Allens. But when Catherine's relationship with the Tilneys - especially Henry - grows closer, a jealous Mr. Thorpe plays a prank by falsely informing Henry and Eleanor's father, the tyrannical General Tilney, that Catherine is an heiress. The joke leads the Tilney patriarch to invite Catherine to spend some time at the family's estate, Northanger Abbey. There, Catherine and Henry's relationship become romantic. However, between her penchant for Gothic novels, her overactive imagination and Mr. Thorpe's lie; Catherine's stay at Northanger Abbey threatens to end in disaster.My review of the 1986 version of Austen's tale made it pretty clear that I harbored a low opinion of it. Fortunately, I cannot say the same about this 2007 version. Mind you, there were aspects of it that I found troubling.As in the 1986 television movie, a castle (this time Lismore Castle in Ireland) served as Northanger Abbey. Was finding an actual estate with an abbey that difficult to find? Also, screenwriter Andrew Davies seemed determined to inject some form of overt sexuality into his recent adaptations of Austen novels. In "NORTHANGER ABBEY", he allowed the engaged Isabella Thorpe to have sex with the lecherous Captain Frederick Tilney, instead of simply flirting with him. My biggest problem with the movie turned out to be the last fifteen minutes or so. Quite frankly, I found the finale somewhat rushed. For some reason, Davies decided to exclude General Tilney's reconciliation with Catherine and Henry.Frankly, I found the movie's flaws rather minor in compare to its virtues. I thought "NORTHANGER ABBEY" was a fun and delicious soufflé that proved to be one of the most entertaining 93 minutes I have ever seen on television. It is a wonderfully funny and elegant tale about the coming-of-age of the 17 year-old Catherine Morland. Andrew Davies did a pretty good job of conveying not only the charm of Catherine, but also the personal flaws that prevented her from opening her eyes to the realities of the world. But her acquaintance with the Thorpe siblings, General Tilney's vindictiveness and Henry Tilney's practicality finally opened those eyes. Another aspect of "NORTHANGER ABBEY" that I truly enjoyed was the array of interesting characters that participated in Catherine's journey to young adulthood. And it took a cast of first-rate actors to bring these characters to life.Unlike other Austen fans, I had not been impressed by Sylvestra Le Touzel's portrayal of Fanny Price in the 1983 miniseries,"MANSFIELD PARK". Her performance as the giddy Mrs. Allen is another matter. Le Touzel gave a deliciously zany performance as Catherine's flighty and social-loving benefactress. And it is amazing how the actress' skills had improved after 24 years. Liam Cunningham made an impressive and rather foreboding General Tilney. In fact, he struck me as so intimidating that a black cloud seemed to hover about every time he appeared on the screen. William Beck, who portrayed the brutish John Thorpe, did not strike me as intimidating . . . only sinister. From a physical perspective. Yet, the moment the actor skillfully embodied the character, his Mr. Thorpe became a gauche and desperate loser who injected a "demmed" in nearly every other sentence that left his mouth. Carey Mulligan was wonderfully radiant, sexy and scheming as the manipulative Isabella Thorpe. She almost seemed like an intelligent Regency sexpot, whose lack of impulse control led to her downfall. And Catherine Walker made a charming and intelligent Eleanor Tilney.However, it seemed quite obvious to me that "NORTHANGER ABBEY" belonged to the two leads - Felicity Jones and J.J. Feild. The role of Catherine Morland proved to be Felicity Jones' first leading role as an actress. And she proved that she was more than up to the challenge. She did an excellent job of portraying Catherine's development from an innocent and over-imaginative bookworm to a slightly sadder and wiser young woman. More importantly, her chemistry with J.J. Feild literally crackled with fire. Speaking of Mr. Feild, I can honestly say that his Henry Tilney is, without a doubt, my favorite on-screen Austen hero of all time. Everything about his performance struck me as absolutely delicious - his charm, his pragmatism, his wicked wit and occasional cynicism and especially his voice. Pardon me for my shallowness, but Feild has one of the most spine-tingling voices among up and coming actors, today. I also have to commend the movie's production values. David Wilson's production designs did an excellent job of conveying viewers back to the second half of the Regency decade. He was ably assisted by Mark Lowry's art direction and Grania Preston's costume designs, which struck me as simple, yet elegant and stylish. But it was Ciarán Tanham's photography that really impressed me. The movie's colors were rich and vibrant, yet at the same time, rather elegant. Tanham's photography did much to project the movie's elegant, yet colorful style.I would never consider "NORTHANGER ABBEY" as one of the heavy-hitting Jane Austen adaptations. But it has such an elegant, yet witty aura about it that I cannot help but enjoy it very much. I was also impressed by Andrew Davies' development of the Catherine Morland character, which lead actress Felicity Jones did a great job of transferring to the screen. "NORTHANGER ABBEY" is, without a doubt, one of the most likeable Jane Austen adaptation I have ever seen, hands down.
"WHEN IRISH EYES ARE TALAXIAN"Part 8Tom accompanied B'Elanna all the way to Engineering. In fact, he felt tempted to remain there and assist in completing the repairs. Until he remembered that he had a ship to run and a missing captain to find. Besides, one glance inside the bustling Engineering section told him that he would simply be in the way. Tom exchanged a brief kiss with his wife and left. Ten minutes later, he reached his quarters on Deck 3 and strode inside. He heaved a sigh of relief and began to unfasten his jacket. Then he spared the chronometer a quick glance and gasped. In another three hours, Gamma shift would end. Which meant he, Ayala and the others assigned to Beta shift had been on duty for nearly thirteen long hours. Hopefully, the other crewmembers will recover from the Valax just as fast as B'Elanna and Megan. And those who had been on duty for nearly two shifts will finally get the rest they deserved. What he deserved.A noise from inside the bedroom interrupted Tom's thoughts. He frowned and strode toward the other room. Unless B'Elanna had transported from Engineering, there was no way she could have . . .Tom stopped short at the sight before him. Sprawled on the large bed was Kathryn Janeway, clad only in a 19th century petticoat skirt and camisole. Unbelievable! First Harry, Seven and Jenny and now, this. Only, Tom suspect that he was not meant to be a voyeur in this situation. "Captain?" his voice croaked. "What . . . uh, what are doing here?"Janeway slithered off the bed and walked toward the stunned pilot. "What does it look like, Mister Paris? I'm here to see you." One of her slim, pale hands began to caress Tom's forearm."Uh . . ." The words caught in Tom's throat failed to break free. He found himself in one of those rare moments in which he could not speak.A seductive smile curled Janeway's lips. "Cat caught your tongue, Tom?" She leaned forward, her mouth inches away from his. "Lucky cat."To Tom's horror, Janeway moved in for the kill. She swiftly planted her lips on the pilot's. Tom tried to pull away, but the Captain grabbed hold of his tunic front and jerked him forward. "Don't fight me on this, Tom," she whispered in a husky voice. "You don't know how long I've waited for this mome . . .""Tom!" The familiar voice from the cabin's main room immediately chilled Tom's blood. B'Elanna. "Tom, if you're still here, could you search for my lucky sonic spanner? Tom?"Panic finally spurred Tom into action. He grabbed Janeway and her discarded clothes. "Computer," he ordered in a desperate tone, "lock onto my combadge and initiate a site-to-site transport to Deck Two, Section Five, Cabin 2b." To his relief, a familiar tingle surrounded him and Janeway, transporting them to the latter's cabin.The auburn-haired woman giggled. "That was exciting! Talk about a close call!" She thrust her face in front of Tom's. "What do you have planned for an encore, Lieutenant?" Her hands roamed suggestively over his broad chest.Tom gently pushed the Captain away. She pouted. "Sorry Captain, but I don't have any encores planned at the moment."A secret smile replaced the pout. Before Tom knew what happened, Janeway hooked one of her legs around his, causing Tom to fall on the deck. Janeway then threw herself upon the hapless pilot before he could recover. "Now I've got you!" she purred triumphantly. "You are one difficult man to get, Mister Paris. But not anymore." She lowered her mouth upon his.For a brief moment, Tom felt a shot of desire. But only for a moment. He also remembered that: 1) the Captain was intoxicated; 2) he was married to a jealous and possibly very possessive half-Klingon; and 3) although Captain Janeway's lips felt great, he preferred to feel his wife's, instead. Keeping these thoughts in mind, Tom mustered up a great deal of determination and wrenched his mouth away from his commanding officer's."What the . . .?" Janeway's gray eyes slitted dangerously. "Why are you being so difficult, Mr. Paris? I must tell you that you're not helping your career."Think, Paris, think! Find a way to keep this woman from ravishing your body and get her to drink the Doc's little concoction. Tom gently forced Janeway to roll off his body and stood up. Then he took the Captain's hand and helped her to her feet."Sorry about that, Captain. I . . ." He heaved a heartfelt sigh. Giving the older woman the benefit of his eyes, he continued in a gentle voice. "Don't get me wrong. I think you're a very attractive woman." Tom smiled wistfully. "I always have. It's just that . . . well, you're the Captain. And you really took me surprise with that little maneuver, a few minutes ago."Janeway stared at him with a longing expression he found embarrassing. "Huh?" was the only word she managed to croak."What I'm trying to say, Captain, is that although I find you attractive, I have to consider other matters. Like you being my commanding officer. And my marriage." Dear God, Tom thought, please, please let her see the light! And allow me to escape from this room.However, no amount of prayers seemed to help Tom. Kathryn Janeway seemed determine to keep her chief helmsman by her side - and for her pleasure. She threw herself into Tom's arms, knocking him onto the sofa. "Oh Tom! Surely we can forget about all that? At least for tonight. Can we?" She began planting small kisses all over Tom's face. And much to his embarrassment, he found himself becoming aroused. I have to end this now, he thought desperately. Before everything goes out of control. Okay, Tommy Boy! Time for the performance of your life.Tom broke away from Janeway's embrace. "I . . ." He hung his head low and dramatically bit his lower lip. "I guess I can." Sheer delight lit up Janeway's eyes. She leaned forward and planted a few more kisses. Until he stopped her with a few choice words. "But let's not rush into this," he said once again searing the older woman with his best puppy dog gaze. "Not now." Tom added in a seductive voice, "How about a little drink to start with?"Again, Janeway purred. "Hmm, good idea. Too bad I don't have anymore Valax." She pressed a slim hand against Tom's chest. "Maybe we can replicate some wine. Say, a bottle of Bollinger '51?""How about Irish coffee?"Janeway's eyes blinked. "Irish coffee? That doesn't . . . exactly . . . sound . . . romantic."God, it's me again. Please make sure that B'Elanna never learns what I'm about to do. Tom leaned toward the auburn-haired captain and unfastened camisole's top button in a lightning move. "You mean, you've never huddled in front of a roaring fire, sharing cups of Irish coffee with a loved one?" he whispered in a husky voice. "For shame."Janeway let out a gust of breath. "Well . . . maybe . . .""Neelix made some for today. With Valax." Tom unfastened the next button. Janeway's chest heaved in and out. Then Tom lightly caressed the small patch of soft flesh revealed by the gap in her chemise.A moan escaped from the Captain's mouth. She gulped and whispered, "Irish coffee sounds like a fine idea.""Great!" Tom jerked away from the Captain, unaware of the sudden frown on her face. "I'll replicate two cups for us." He shot up from the couch and walked over to the replicator. "Meanwhile, why don't you change into something, uh, more comfortable?"Janeway shot back, "What could be more comfortable than this?"Tom glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Use a little imagination." Janeway grinned back. Then she stood up and headed for her bedroom.A moment after the bedroom door closed behind her, Tom's grin disappeared. He tapped his combadge. "Paris to Neelix. Where are you?"The Talaxian responded, "Neelix here. I'm in the Mess Hall."Tom sighed with relief. "Good! Is there anymore of that coffee left?""Yes, of course. I have some left over . . .""Beam two cups of that coffee to the replicator inside the Captain's private quarters," Tom ordered.A pause followed. "You've found the Cap . . .""Later Neelix," Tom interrupted. "Just beam it over. Now!"Less than a minute later, two cups of coffee materialized inside the replicator. The moment Tom grabbed hold of them, the bedroom door slid open. His eyes nearly bugged at the sight of Kathryn Janeway clad in a sheer pink pegnoir that revealed every inch of her body in all of its glory. If only Chakotay could see her now, Tom thought. Then he remembered that the First Officer had already experienced a similar moment in the Hydropondics Bay. Too bad the poor sap will never remember."You like?" Janeway purred, as she struck a pose in the doorway.Tom almost responded with an enthusiastic, "Me like!" Until he remembered his goal. And the wedding ring on his finger. Instead, he gave the Captain his most seductive smile. "Very nice. And very lovely. Your drink, Captain." He handed her one of the cups. "Sorry, no whipped cream.""It would only get in the way." Janeway stepped forward, her body millimeters away from Tom's. "By the way, you forgot to stop calling me Captain. Remember, my name is Kathryn. And your name is Tom." Her mouth inched toward his.Panic filled Tom. He had to do something to prevent another mouth-to-mouth contact. In a desperate move, he raised his cup to his lips. "A toast?"Janeway heaved a frustrated sigh. "All right. If you must. What shall we make a toast to?""To the best captain in Starfleet," Tom declared, grinning like a schoolboy.Auburn-colored brows arched upward. "That's it? Not the most attractive woman?"Tom quickly added, "That too." He took a sip of coffee. It took a great deal of effort not to gag from the nauseating concoction.On the other hand, Captain Janeway seemed to enjoy it. "Hmm, this is delicious!" she declared. "A first for Mister Neelix's coffee. He has really outdone himself, today. Perhaps it is the Valax." She took another sip, followed by one more. Before long, she had drained her entire cup. "My! That was delicious! Don't you agree?" Then Janeway heaved a sigh and swayed a bit, before she finally passed out on the floor.The pilot immediately placed his coffee mug on a nearby table. He then picked up the unconscious woman, carried her to the bedroom and gently lowered her on the bed. Mission accomplished. Tom felt his spirits soar. He could finally put the nightmare of Neelix's Talaxian whiskey behind . . ."Tuvok to Paris."Ah, relief! A silly grin appeared on Tom's face. "Paris here. I gather you are awake, Commander. How did you get your combadge back?""I did not. I am using Ensign Lang's combadge. However, I do wish to know one thing," the Vulcan continued."Shoot."Silence. "I beg your pardon?"Tom sighed. "Never mind. What do you want to know?"Tuvok continued, "Could someone please explain why I am inside Mister Sullivan's establishment, on the holodeck? Wearing only my undershirt and trousers?"END OF PART 8
