Lost’s “Greater Good:” OK-ish Fine

January 7, 2020March 21, 2020 ~ Piece, of the Sky

Simultaneously, I understood Shannon’s grief and anger, and I also wanted Shannon to forgive Locke – if only to set her own heart free. Shannon should have gotten some flashbacks, after Boone’s funeral. Shannon was totally justified here, in seeking justice for Boone, and in dumping Said. Shannon deserved so much more here. No one is on her side, and her only family, in the entire world – her brother – just died, and seemingly no one is at fault, and no one really seems to care.

Locke got off easy, for his unintentional role in Boone’s death. Some facets of his reintegration happened way too fast. Locke continued to play coy, and hide the Hatch from people, even when that omission cost Boone his life. Said and Locke are both on journeys, involving wholeness – that are currently going in opposite directions. Said lost Nadia. Locke regains the use of his legs. But spiritually and ethically, Said is more whole, while Locke is only really connected to the Island.

Said isn’t perfect, however. He doesn’t listen to Shannon or comfort her or relate to her. As a cute meet they work, but once Boone dies, Said isn’t emotionally there for Shannon. To Said’s credit, he doesn’t know what to do or how to help her. They are no longer equally yoked, and they temporarily go their separate ways. Heartbroken, Said then gets Locke to take him to the Hatch. Locke can’t manipulate or push around Said, like he did to Boone.

Locke becomes the Losties’ mercenary, their meat shield, against the Others. Rightfully, no one trusts Locke anymore. Even Walt gives up on him. Somewhere, on the road to perdition, paved with good intentions, one passes the greater good fallacy and the problem of evil. Locke passes the moral event horizon, when Boone dies.

Boone was a person. He was even an OK person – definitely not an evil person. He died a hero, but he didn’t deserve to be sacrificed, for the so-called “greater good.” The stakes were higher. He wasn’t just some random, part-time lifeguard; he was a member of the Losties’ tribe. Boone’s death wasn’t about Jack, or Shannon, or Locke, or even Said. It was about Boone.

The Genius: Season 1 – Seonggyu and Eunji

January 2, 2020January 3, 2020 ~ Piece, of the Sky

Kyeongran (경란) Eonni (언니) was onto Seonggyu (성규), from Episode 1. He seemed all jolly and happy, like Charlie, on Lost – but there was an exceptional and crafty mind, beneath that cheery veneer, beneath the mask.

Seonggyu won the Expression Auction. He granted Sangmin (상민) Oppa (오빠) immunity. Then, Jinho (진호) Oppa, who lost, picked Eunji (은지) in the Death Match. It was the mercenary, Jinho Oppa, versus Eunji, the lone wolf.

Eunji should have never given Seonggyu 8 garnets, at the beginning of the episode. Even Sangmin Oppa was aghast. Seonggyu should have gotten 2 and Sangmin Oppa, 1 – that’s it. Why did she give Seonggyu 8 garnets, and then Sangmin Oppa 6, and then another 2, to Seonggyu?

Seonggyu wasn’t even grateful. 48 Laws of Power. Never try to win people over by holding people in your debt. Never appeal to graciousness or mercy. Always appeal to greed and self-interest. Seonggyu didn’t owe Eunji any favors.

Seonggyu, and his producer, wanted to run the second horse race, in Episode 10, with their huge amount of garnets, and trick the other teams, with false bets. This created a real underdog situation, for the other teams. Karma did Kyeongran Eonni a solid, in helping her team win immunity.

Seonggyu tried to buy the race, by buying up all the expensive hints, but Sangmin Oppa’s loyalty was to many other people, in the game, than to just him, and he lost the Main Match and went home, after losing in tactical yut nori (윷놀이).

Buying the expensive decks, in Open, Pass, worked – but Sangmin Oppa, was only loyal to Seonggyu, in the beginning of the season. By Episode 11, the rising tide of Kyeongran Eonni and Jinho Oppa, could no longer be denied.

By spending too much money, too early, Seonggyu put a huge target on his back. He became the one to beat, instead of the dark horse. This happened to Eunji too, before her final Main Match.

She immediately began wasting her assets, on paying off people, like Seonggyu. At the end of the episode, she didn’t have enough garnets, in Indian Poker, to save herself, and Jinho Oppa eliminated her.