Deus Ex Machina

I'll refrain from writing a serious review, because I'm kind of running off emotion after Deus Ex Machina and I'm not really interested in analysing the semantics of what makes Lost a great show. It clearly is, I'm sure everyone watching/who has watched knows that, but there's something special about this series whenever it focuses on John Locke. To my understanding, I have never seen the actor who plays him in anything before, but the man is a marvel, an absolute wonder to behold. Sure, he's been given some amazing source material to play with - the character of Locke is so well-written, so easy to root for, so easy to fall in love with - but his performances across this first season have been nothing short of spectacular. He is hypnotising every time he's onscreen. This is the best episode of Lost yet, by a considerable margin, and a worthy follow-up to Walkabout in its exploration of John's backstory. God, the concluding 15-20 minutes of this are just brilliant, so emotionally involving that they'll wring your neck out if you allow it. It sums up where I'm finding the most enjoyment in this now 20-year-old series, not necessarily the island's mysteries, but the characterisation, the individual drama. And John Locke really is one of the best characters I've ever seen portrayed on the television screen. Amazing.

Deus Ex Machina (a term derived from Greek drama and generally used to describe some kind of plot contrivance at the end of a story, especially in genre films and TV shows) is a landmark Lost episode in that it marks the first collaboration between Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who went on to become show-runners for the remainder of the series and form what is arguably the best writing duo in sci-fi television after Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga (the ones who made Star Trek: The Next Generation really good and wrote the First Contact movie). It's also the show's second Locke-centric episode, with more revelations in store for the most intriguing of the survivors.

Finally dealing directly with the hatch subplot, the episode sees Locke and Boone trying to break the window, with pitiful results. Locke, who is starting to lose feeling in his legs, asks for a sign from the Island, and has a dream (presumably what the title refers to) that leads him and Boone into another part of the jungle, where they find a crashed plane containing Virgin Mary statues filled with heroin, a dead body and a radio that actually works. While the two make a shocking discovery, Jack has to help Sawyer, whose headaches indicate he needs glasses to correct near-sightedness.

The flashbacks reveal more about Locke's tormented past, taking place before his paralysis but showcasing another traumatic event: having been observed for days by a woman (Swoosie Kurtz), John finally confronts her and finds out that she's his mother, Emily Locke. Following their encounter, he decides to track down his father, and eventually comes face to face with Anthony Cooper (Kevin Tighe), who appears willing to reconnect with John. The comes the day when Anthony needs a kidney transplant, and Locke makes a decision that will have dire consequences.

Aside from the literary implications, the title Deus Ex Machina is also important in developing Locke's Island-related personality, establishing him as a man of faith, whose opinions clash with those of other survivors (most notably Jack, who as a doctor believes in science). It also relates to the notion of destiny and higher powers that has been introduced in the second half of the season, providing the show with a metaphysical angle that complements the philosophical allusions. The flashbacks are also very satisfying, with Terry O' Quinn playing the past Locke as totally different from the present one and the intimidating Tighe adding lots to the show's emotional weight. As for Somerhalder's work in the closing scenes... ouch!

John Locke unsuccessfully tries to open the mysterious hatch in the woods with the support of Boone Carlyle. Meanwhile, he recalls his past,when he was approached by a weird old lady, who claimed to be his biological mother. After the DNA examination proving their bonds, he decides to look for his wealthy father, where a huge surprise waits for him. Locke and Boone find a crashed airplane on the top of a tree, and Boone has a serious accident.

"Deus Ex Machina" is an excellent episode, with a sordid tale of manipulation of human emotions. The dramatic story has a deep plot point that certainly will surprise the viewer. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Deus Ex Machina"

Note: On 22 March 2013, I saw this episode again.

WHAT??? This episode has got to be my favorite lost episode, and I know I'm near the end of season 3 and this episode is going to get obliterated by through the looking glass, but oh well. And the last 5 minutes or so are some of the best tv has to offer. These 5 minutes had me feeling so much emotion, it was amazing. And the acting, it was so (I'm trying to think of a word other than amazing) magnificent, it was a sleeper pick for this man to win an emmy. Overall, 10/10 episode, no other tv show has had me as close to crying as this.

"Deus Ex Machina" is the first "Lost" script to be penned by the writing team of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (both had written for the show previously, but not together), and although it is action-packed and entertaining I am going to have to declare "Deus Ex Machina" as slightly overrated. This is a very good episode with strong handling of themes, but it comes off, at times, as a failed attempt to match the emotional punch that "Walkabout" has. The final scene features not only similar devastation for Locke, but very similar music to that used in the "Walkabout" finale.

"Deus Ex Machina" features some of my favorite island-oriented scenes, in particular with Locke's faith being tested, the Nigerian drug plane dream sequence which I will fondly remember for causing the online fan community to go absolutely insane with theories and speculation. The interaction between Boone and Locke is typically excellent and of course there's no such thing as too much Locke in one episode.

The flashback, this time centered on John Locke, should be excellent but somehow manages to feel a bit too derivative and predictable, and even trying too hard to make us feel sorry for Locke. Let's just say it isn't my favorite flashback. Of course, it goes without saying that Kevin Tighe's Anthony Cooper is instantly one of the most despicable characters on "Lost" and genuinely hard to watch. Tighe's performance here is truly outstanding.

"Deus Ex Machina" is often regarded as second only to "Walkabout" among Locke-centric episodes but I found it too derivative and manipulative to stand out amongst other episodes. Still a very good episode with some key character moments and some interesting stuff about the island.

8/10