Lost Season 5, Episode 13
Some Like It Hoth
Lost viewers learned a lot about Miles Straume in this episode. In addition to providing more details about his supernatural abilities, Some Like It Hoth revealed the character’s primary desires: money and a relationship with his dad. Both motivations were illustrated by his interactions with the father of the dead teenager, and, fortunately for Miles, he managed to obtain both on the island.
After a $1.6 million fee convinced him to travel to the island, a second journey — this time to the 1970s — gave Miles the opportunity to meet his father, Dr. Pierre Chang, star of the Dharma Initiative orientation films. Although the older Chang initially seemed like a “douche,” his conversation with Hurley and the sight of him with baby Miles made it clear that he cares about his son.
This evidence directly contradicts what Miles’ mother told him about his father, so there must be more to the story. For now, though, Miles seems ready to take Hurley’s advice and pursue a relationship with his father. Indeed, the normally harsh Miles seemed genuinely moved when he saw his infant self with his dad, and he was obviously pleased to hear Chang say, “I need you.”
Will the Changs Change Time?
Like many events during this season of Lost, Miles’ interaction with his father raises new questions about the logistics of time travel. Could adult Miles change the course of the relationship between baby Miles and Dr. Chang? And what would happen if Miles interacts with his young self? Or are these questions irrelevant because all these events are preordained?
Hurley still seems to think that he could have an effect on the future by writing a new and improved version of The Empire Strikes Back. Perhaps he’ll take his logic a step further by attempting to stop the construction of the hatch. It may turn out that neither Miles nor Hurley has the power to change time, but this episode provided an interesting comparison of their abilities to communicate with the dead.
Miles’ power is limited by his proximity to a body, but he seems to be able to “hear” any corpse that he comes into contact with. Hurley, on the other hand, can communicate more fully with the dead, but he can only speak with people who have died on the island, which further contradicts Ben’s declaration that “dead is dead” there.
LaFleur Loses His Cool
Miles may be able to communicate with the dead, but he apparently can’t erase a security tape. After Kate created suspicion with her attempts to comfort Roger Linus and Jack made things worse by trying to make them better, Phil discovered the hard evidence connecting Kate and Sawyer to little Ben’s disappearance.
And it seems that LaFleur is out of ideas — instead of talking his way out of the situation, he opted to punch Phil in the face and tie him up. After three years, it looks like the time travelers’ cover is finally blown, as Juliet acknowledged with her resigned “Here we go,” after Roger discovered that Ben was missing.
New Lost Mysteries
This episode revisited the mysterious group that asks, “What lies in the shadow of the statute?” Who are they, and what “team” are they playing for? And how will the Dharma initiative harness the magnetic power of the Swan, which can apparently pull a filling through a man’s brain? And, most importantly, where has Daniel Faraday been all this time?
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