An Implant Rant
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By AngeloComet
- An Implant Rant
- Created: Nov 29, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 2.14: One of Them
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
I thought the whole implant thing was a crock.
— AngeloComet
You know that episode where Claire suddenly became ill because of the implant that had been ‘activated’ in her? I thought that whole implant thing was a crock. It smacked of a writing contrivance designed to facilitate one thing; Juliet’s acceptance in the camp and the surprise reveal of her duplicitous infiltration. It bugs me no end and, if I may, I’d like to explain why.
Since Claire was implanted during her term of capture with The Others we are posed two questions. Was the implant the sole purpose of Claire’s capture, or was it a security by-product, like a failsafe? I have to believe it’s the latter because the former is revolting. The Others went to the trouble to send Ethan in so he could risk himself (he’s their surgeon!) to pull a con to implant an innocent woman from the survivor’s camp? Doesn’t make sense (and nor does Ethan’s subsequent mission of reclaiming Claire that resulted in his death) if planting the implant was the chief aim.
Look, let’s be clear: Claire was kidnapped for her baby. Full stop. No arguments. If the goal had been to plant an implant then they could have drugged Claire unconscious, put the implant in and then left her in the jungle somewhere. The elaborate staging of a Staff Station and a nursery… Give me a break. Ben is fertility-obsessive, for crying out loud! He went to the trouble of capturing a pregnant woman to stick an implant in her and then release her? No he didn’t.
But what’s really repugnant about the idea of the implant, to me, is that there was no way it was part of the writing plan when they first had Claire kidnapped. Don’t tell me the writers had this implant idea in mind when they had her kidnapped, when they showed Claire in the Staff Station and Alex breaking her out. Don’t tell me the writers knew back then this implant was what was really going on. So, are we agreed? The implant was not the original intention.
So back to the moment of the implant’s introduction. The writers of Lost have a problem, see? They’ve got Juliet worming her way into the affections of Jack, and trying to bond with Kate, but they need her to be accepted by the Oceanic 815 camp. Imagine you’re a writer staring at a blank page. How do you achieve that goal? How do you make an entire camp of people accept an Other into their midst and make it play? Furthermore, make it play so that the audience doesn’t see the surprise ending coming that shows Juliet is actually double-bluffing? That was the problem the writers had (tough one, too - try and find an alternative way around it), and the implant was their solution.
The writers, don’t get me wrong, they do a great job on Lost. Way better than I could ever manage. But I still think that implant idea was a crock. It solved a problem at the expense of the past. You know, like that moment Hurley turned out to have kept a stash of food for himself (do not get me started on that utter cheating crock!).
Notice how we don’t get details. I mean, how exactly did that implant work? How did they get it in there? (Injection? In Claire’s head?) How did they activate it? (Remote frequency that’s not inhibited by the electromagnetic anomaly or distress signal or Looking Glass?) How does it cause Claire’s pain? And how does the vaccine Juliet give Claire manage to stop it? Is the implant de-activated now? Or just on standby? Good grief. . .
Who else is implanted now, by the way? Jack and Kate? Michael? When it appeared blood had been taken from them was it really just implants being put in? I guess when Ben was fake-putting-in-pacemaker for Sawyer he quickly had an implant popped in there, too. Why not? You never know when an implant comes in handy! Whether you’re an Other just looking to make some friends, or a writer in a fix, those implants’ll do the trick!
Rant over.
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.16 | One Of Us | 4-11-2007 | Juliet | 84 |
I was thinking the whole time reading this that I should bring up the rabbit/sawyer implant but I got to the end and you had it there :). +1 because it IS all b.s. and Ben probably told Juliet to tell them about an implant because it worked on Sawyer (did I get the timing right?). Juliet can manufacture truth as well as Ben but her intentions seem to be MUCH better. I think the writers wanted us to disbeleive her story (after?) the incident with Sawyer. Anyways good point.
ok i just watched the episode where claire remembers everything about her kidnap and when alex breaks her out she says to her ”you are going to die they are going to cut him out of you” so why bother to implant someone your going to kill. besides that what other use does the implant play??? it has no use other then to save juliettes ass so i am with you!
+1 btw forgot to say!
BTW read through the Lemuria theory if u haven’t already. It’s a GREAT story! Very thoughtful.
Nice rant AC. Heard pretty much all of it before but the refresher is nice. +1
No doubt about it, the implants are problematic almost as much as Hurley not remembering the numbers.
The only way i have ever come close to terms with it is, if we consider the implants to be the sickness. I can start to theorize that implanting is standard practice when ever the others have the chance.
That said it’s difficult to consider how they would be activated, it would have to be on an individual basis because otherwise the supposed implants in Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley? would also activate. Nah this is a sucky theory and I agree the implants suck.
Angelo, I, too, have thought the implant story contrived and unnecessary, especially after seeing what Ben did with Sawyer. +1
I’m not as sure as you are that the writers didn’t know what they were doing when they started the story, but another great theory just the same!
You could be right, AC, but I wouldn’t write the implant plot device off just yet. Even if it was a somewhat last-minute addition to the story it could still fit into a deeper plot device that HAS been on the writers’ minds since the beginning, but which thus-far hasn’t been fully revealed. For example, such an implant would be advanced technology by today’s standards, and perhaps “advanced technology” will soon play a more important role in the overall plot.
AC—
This is one awesome rant! I love ranting on the writers as much as complimenting them b/c we all love Lost so much that we forget to realize that the show is, after all, produced and written by mere mortals. These mortals, like you and I, make mistakes.
This implant idea was a very big mistake the show makes.
HUGE +1 from Kirby!!
(I, too, hope to be posting another rant of mine later today. But if you have more, AC, I’d love to hear them! BRAVO!!!!)
Who cares? Why would you pick on such a small detail? In no way does it hinder the show, or ruin the story line. Rant somewhere else, or invent Lost-rantings.com because people here should be more interested in theories.
JacoblovesyoU—
Actually, I have to disagree with you (as only a LOST ranter would!).
Rants are important. Even if not for the sake of the detail which you’re ranting about, it is important to recognize in general that while Lost does contain some very hidden messages and ideas, the show does stumble. It is these shortcomes which help us realize that the show is not necessarily as fool-proof as we might think.
Indeed, it is entirely possible, that when the show ends and all the smoke clears (no pun intended!), we will all look back in disappointment, saying, “not the ending I was hoping for…”
It’s important to note sometimes that truly the writers are often times as clueless as to how this is going to play out as you and I are. I, for one, do not believe that the writers had ALL THIS in mind when they initially proposed and created the show. A lot of the goings on as the series has progressed has been “ad libbed”, with the writers getting ideas popping into their minds and going with it.
Again, the writers don’t know if the show is going to be successful or not when they begin writing it. As such, they cannot have ALL THIS in mind, plotting every detail and incident, and then be told, “you’re show stinks. The audience is not watching it. You’re cancelled.”
That’s show biz!!!
Also JCU a bit of a rant can lead to theories and answers. AC posted a defence of Hurley that was in direct response to a rant i’d had. Now whilst I’m not 100% happy with the defence, it is good enough to allow me to get past and move on from something that was previously really annoying to me.
The implants are and will be an intregral part of the goings on of the island. We know for fact that the writers are tied to the idea of advanced technology as a vital element of the storyline. I would agree with ProfO in the idea that we will see more and more advacements in technological devices as the show progresses. BTW there is absolutely nothing wrong with rants and raves.
AC, I happen to agree with Proffie, who is the voice of reason! The implants in the story line, is designed to suggest something further as it pertains to the bigger picture in Lost. Also, Sawyer was led to believe that he too, was implanted, and perhaps he was. I refuse to believe that this was ignorance on behalf of a brilliant writing team. To suggest that the writers don’t know what they are doing, is, ludicrous!
There, that’s my rant!
dabiatchishere—
I have to disagree with you.
Sure, it is a great writing team, but even the best make mistakes.
This is clearly a big mistake.
But I like your comments.
Thanks, Kirby. Please call me Dab, it’s easier. But, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. No problem!
+1, spot on, and well written!! I always thought that the rationale for Juliette’s arrival to the others camp was really weird. I thought that I may have just missed something during season one. I think the writters used the injection because they did not really give full details of Ethans abduction of Claire.
You seem to put alot of clarity in the eps, AC. Keep us posted with all your rants and raves! Maybe the writters will read your post and fix what they messed up.
I agree with you AC, +1
I am providing a link to DarkUfo’s site in the Continuity section, as it might prove helpful in future.
http://lostcontinuity.blogspot.com/
I’m with Tharde. The implants aren’t that suss to me. I think its entirely plausible that they had this in mind when they took Claire.
Good ranting skills though. +1
I’m not inclined to believe the in the implant business either. What kind of implant can be injected with a needle? In order to work, it would have to be attached to something that actually controls the body as a whole, like the brain, or site specific, such as Sawyers supposed inplant. Being in the bloodstream or the muscle fibers doesn’t cut it. It would have to be a very smart implant to find it’s destination, Fantastic Voyage smart.
I’ve seen nothing to indicate that the others/hostiles are so super-advanced. In fact, Juliette appears to be their only claim to advanced technology, and she’s stumped herself, in area where she is the foremost expert. Their computers/info gathering, nothing futuristically advanced about that.. They are making do with Dharma leftovers. The advanced technology might be there, but I doubt if it’s in their hands.
I’m curious about Lost. I want to know where it’s going, but I don’t care for the writers. That scene where they had Hurley do a cannonball for no other reason particularly than to see a fat guy run the beach. Or where they had Bernard introducing Karma to Jin, idiotic. Things like that. Gets on my nerves.