Do you think he made up for his past sins?

Do you think he made up for his past sins?
I dunno, but he did what they told him to. It was like Jacob saying "I now restore you to real world vibrational frequency so you now can be killed by this most timely explosion" so dude wasn't invincible anymore...

Michael doesn't even know Christian, so that was bizarre. How did he appear to him??
I don't think you can really "make up" for murdering two people, but did Christian and/or Jacob think he did? I guess so.

Walt and Hurley seemed to think he's still alive in the future though?

Walt doesn't know that Michael (apparently) died in the explosion. Hurley simply doesn't clue Walt in.

I'm just glad that the son of a bitch is finally dead. It was too quick, though - a nearly instant death was more than he deserved.

Personally, I don't think he could ever atone for what he did. It's just that the island didn't need him anymore, not that he made up for the murders he committed.

This was the high point of the entire episode for me.

He didn't make up for it. His work was just done, in terms of the island. Although I hold out hope that Jin and others in the water might still be alive, I'm fairly certain the Michael's time on the show is done.

Yeah, I really liked this moment. I don't think Michael could be fully redeemed for killing two innocent people, but he did sacrifice himself to a certain extent and he finished his duty for the island. I thought it was good closure for his character.

But I'm still going to hope that Jin is alive ;)

Why make such a fuss about bringing him back only to have him serve almost no purpose at all? Unless he lives or becomes some sort of entity like Christian, the writer's did a piss-poor job on that one.

Walt and Hurley seemed to think he's still alive in the future though?

Walt doesn't know that Michael (apparently) died in the explosion. Hurley simply doesn't clue Walt in.
Yeah I'm pretty sure Hurley was just sparing Walt's feelings. How sad was it that Walt expected the survivors to visit him. :(

Why make such a fuss about bringing him back only to have him serve almost no purpose at all? Unless he lives or becomes some sort of entity like Christian, the writer's did a piss-poor job on that one.

He did serve a purpose: He saved Aaron, which is all important apparently. Besides, the Island (as seen through it's avatar CS) appears to only care about the ends, not necessarily the means. Michael was redeemed in the Island's eyes, which is all that matters on this show.

How sad was it that Walt expected the survivors to visit him. :(

Agreed. I love Walt and have missed him on the show, and that line was particularly devastating. Walt has been through so much :( :( :(

Call me sordid. but I laughed when I heard what Christian said. That was a funny way to take out Michael. I never thought Michael was going to be back in the series in a big way--having him come back tied up a loose end and contributed to the freighter drama. This was all I expected. Miss you again, Harold. But please come back and visit. Good luck, and thank you.

It definitely felt like Hugo was sparing Walt's feelings upon re-watching the scene.

He did serve a purpose: He saved Aaron, which is all important apparently. Besides, the Island (as seen through it's avatar CS) appears to only care about the ends, not necessarily the means. Michael was redeemed in the Island's eyes, which is all that matters on this show.

You don't bring back a major player in a big twist only to have him appear in a small number of episodes and, ultimately, die after doing nothing of importance. All he did was spray liquid nitrogen, which anyone else could have done. Since he contributed nothing to the overall plotline, I'm forced to realize that the writers are only aiming for twists instead of substance at this point. Don't get me wrong, I really like this episode, but it's just, again, piss-poor writing that creates something (Michael's return) that could create very good drama (Michael's reunion with the rest of the cast) but, instead, decides it would be better to ignore that plotline altogether and just blow him up, regardless of contributing nothing. Jin's possible death creates drama and a new plotline. As it stands, there was no point to bringing back Michael.

It's so simplistic to hate Michael for what he did. His last line to Jin said it all, where he said that he's a father now and he needs to take care of that. THAT'S the point. He did what he had to do for his son. Now he can die, because he knows that.

I don't hate Michael. He did an evil thing, but he was an amazing father for doing it. I know my father would have the same for me. He is redeemed by saving so many lives. Beautifully written. They did an amzing job with his character, assuming he is gone for good now.

The question remains, however: what WAS his purpose? Why did the island want him to save them, only to have the O6 need to return??

You don't bring back a major player in a big twist only to have him appear in a small number of episodes and, ultimately, die after doing nothing of importance. All he did was spray liquid nitrogen, which anyone else could have done. Since he contributed nothing to the overall plotline, I'm forced to realize that the writers are only aiming for twists instead of substance at this point. Don't get me wrong, I really like this episode, but it's just, again, piss-poor writing that creates something (Michael's return) that could create very good drama (Michael's reunion with the rest of the cast) but, instead, decides it would be better to ignore that plotline altogether and just blow him up, regardless of contributing nothing.

Disagree STRONGLY. It's powerful, adept writing here. Imagine Harold came back and said "I understand you want to do more with my character, but I'm not interested in staying on the show permanently, can you do what you want in one season?" His storyline at this point was simply to address the issue of what he had done, and I feel they did that brilliantly.

Has anybody analyzed the whispers in this scene yet?

He did serve a purpose: He saved Aaron, which is all important apparently.
And Desmond. :)

Yeah, I really liked this moment. I don't think Michael could be fully redeemed for killing two innocent people, but he did sacrifice himself to a certain extent and he finished his duty for the island. I thought it was good closure for his character.

But I'm still going to hope that Jin is alive ;)

:shesaid: I think it was great closure for him and the fact that he told Jin to go was a big deal in terms of his atonement. I don't think he would have ever completely atoned for what he did but it was something.

I wondered why Hurley didn't tell Walt (going by Aaron now :eek2: ) that Michael was most likely dead.

I wondered why Hurley didn't tell Walt (going by Aaron now :eek2: ) that Michael was most likely dead.
Yeah, that's strange. It's kind of cruel to let the kid believe his parent is alive if he's never going to see him again.

Why make such a fuss about bringing him back only to have him serve almost no purpose at all? Unless he lives or becomes some sort of entity like Christian, the writer's did a piss-poor job on that one.

That is something I was wondering. I wonder if that phrase was meant for us to think that Michael could die now, but it could have meant that Michael could go off the freighter now.

I agree that ultimately Michael's return was overhyped. A big reveal, a flashback episode, with some foreshadowing, and then... nothing really came of it. A minor scuffle with Sayid and the Captain, he fixed the engine and stalled the bomb a little. The foreshadowing and setup of Ben's big plan for him amounted to nothing. But I'm a generous guy. I'm going to assume that they had a little bit more planned for him but that got scrapped in the wake of the writer's strike.

Didn't Miles say the same thing to the ghost of that kid in his first episode?

If he's dead the writers have failed to use his character properly upon his return. Wasn't there a quote somewhere, perhaps Comic Con, where Damon and Carlton said that he was back for the rest of the show and was going to return in a BIG way? Not just to be killed off? I swear there was...

For what it's worth I think his storyline worked well while it lasted. The only thing I think should've been done differently about the scene was to get Libby (or Ana-Lucia) instead of Christian to say "You can go now" .

I can understand Christian being set up as the main manifestation of Jacob - but using Libby as the announcer of Michael's death would've been a deliciously ironic twist, I'm sad they didn't pursue - or if they did, sorry they couldn't pull through with it :)

If he's dead the writers have failed to use his character properly upon his return. Wasn't there a quote somewhere, perhaps Comic Con, where Damon and Carlton said that he was back for the rest of the show and was going to return in a BIG way? Not just to be killed off? I swear there was...

I think they said that he wasn't just back guest-starring in a couple of episodes, but as a season regular. There was no mention he would be a season regular for the rest of the series though. I

This excerpt from the Comic-Con transcript might be of interest for this issue in particular:


HAROLD: And its the same here, its been one of those long tricky like, I mean, they've had more information than I've had and so, I've made choices and then finally its all worked out, and I'm really really excited to go back to Hawaii and hang out with a bunch of my friends. And now we know when its going to end so this time if Michael goes away, he's going to be gone.
CARLTON: Michael's story is for us one of the most becoming storylines on the show because here's a character who obviously, you know, took- undertook some very extreme actions in order to basically get his son off the Island and then when he sailed off in that boat I think everyone was very curious about what happened to him, what is his fate, and in a series that deals a lot with the powers of redemptive on the Island and what these characters need to do to redeem themselves, we really feel that Michael's story will be a really compelling part of the Season.
DAMON: And, you know, we can confirm that Harold is not coming back for a quick pop in an episode, he is gonna be a series regular, he is rejoining the cast.
(Loud claps)
DAMON: We are- we're not going to tell you when, but it is going to be early in the fourth Season, because I think the way that we're doing it is going to be fairly awesome. (Crowd laughs) So er feel free to direct your questions to Harold.

I started this thread during the show and couldn't get back on last night to read it, until now.

Lot's of interesting views on this. I believe Micheal was finally redeemed. We all know he was on a suicide mission from the moment he reappeared on the show. But he couldn't kill himself because he had work to do. He did his work and did not have to commit the ultimate unforgivable sin of actual suicide. He died saving others.

Michael was redeemed and I thought he had a good arc, but some things that I wanted to see didn't happen. There definitely should've been some kind of a reunion with Jack, Sawyer and Hurley and some other characters too... I'm a little disappointed also that they used him so extremely little this season. He missed EIGHT out of fourteen episodes and that is like WHOA. Lots of missing. Looooots of missing.

Do we know Michael is truly dead? Sure, we know the island no longer has use for him, but could he have survived? Maybe Michael decides to want to live and has found a purpose or decides that what he's done isn't enough to atone for what he's done. Though I admit it's unlikely, I have to cling to something like this because I cannot believe they'd have HP return to the show for such a minor part. We barely even see him.

Is there such a thing as "truly dead" in this show?

Which dead Lostaways have NOT been seen after their death? I don't think Shannon or Eko appeared after death. (Unless we count Eko playing chess with Hurley.) Boone, Charlie, Ana Lucia and Libby were all seen after their deaths.

Do we know Michael is truly dead? Sure, we know the island no longer has use for him, but could he have survived? Maybe Michael decides to want to live and has found a purpose or decides that what he's done isn't enough to atone for what he's done. Though I admit it's unlikely, I have to cling to something like this because I cannot believe they'd have HP return to the show for such a minor part. We barely even see him.

I think he's pretty much dead... actually I think he's completely dead. I see a lot of folks think Micheal coming back was a small part when in fact we learned a great deal we would not have known without his re-appearance. The really big one being that the island has great power beyond it's boundaries. When the island believes you must do something... well by golly you MUST do it. No way around it. This has revealed many things to us as we move into the next phase.

Why make such a fuss about bringing him back only to have him serve almost no purpose at all? Unless he lives or becomes some sort of entity like Christian, the writer's did a piss-poor job on that one.

Seems to be Harold Perrineau's take on the matter as well: http://www.tvguide.com/news/lost-harold-perrineau/080530-03

They could very easily never show Michael or Walt again, but I think it is a travesty if they do not give them a proper ending in the Lostiverse. Walt, being special, ought to know that Michael is now part of the otherworld...and with dead people showing up all the time, it would only be fitting if Michael appears to someone.

There had better be a Walt/Michael story wrap up somewhere down the road. I don't completely agree with Harold Perrineau's POV- he's an actor and got drug through the emotional mud to come back and play Michael (on a boat- despite his fear of water no less!), only to be offed for a second time- but I do agree that the writers (at least at this point in the narrative) have really let the Walt and Michael story down. Not to seem bitter because I still love this show, but it's not the first time that they let down the B and C team characters.
100%
Didn't Miles say the same thing to the ghost of that kid in his first episode?

Yup. Are you saying that Michael was a "ghost of a person"? :rolleyes:


...because he certainly was. ;)


Though as to why Christian- it was the island that wouldn't let Michael die, once Michael's "mission" for the island was complete the island (through Jacob's speaker, Christian) let him go. I don't see the big mystery there.

He had no work left to do.

Do we know Michael is truly dead? Sure, we know the island no longer has use for him, but could he have survived? Maybe Michael decides to want to live and has found a purpose or decides that what he's done isn't enough to atone for what he's done. Though I admit it's unlikely, I have to cling to something like this because I cannot believe they'd have HP return to the show for such a minor part. We barely even see him.

He was the closest to the bomb at detonation- an explosion which turned a freighter into nothing but swirling oil and refuse. I think it's safe to say that Michael, in mortal body, is gone.

I don't think he could ever make up for his past sins but his mission was to kill everyone on the boat and he accomplished his mission (sort of...he might have been trying to stop the bomb but it still went off, therefore accomplishing his mission) so his time was done.

Michael doesn't even know Christian, so that was bizarre. How did he appear to him??
I don't think you can really "make up" for murdering two people, but did Christian and/or Jacob think he did? I guess so.
Locke didn't know Christian either. What can we say -- Christian has more talents than just drinking and surgery. I don't think Christian and/or Jacob necessarily thought he had made up for it. They were just letting him know that they were done with him. Just a courtesy call.
100%
Agreed. I love Walt and have missed him on the show, and that line was particularly devastating. Walt has been through so much :( :( :(
Locke visited him though. He's always been good to him. Maybe he'll adopt him after he gets resurected.

Yes Micheal's death (and now I'm certain of it) and Locke's apparent death (not quite as sure about that one) leave Walt hanging out there. I wonder if walt's specialness is still intact? He met with Hurley... Hurley is special too since he could see Jacobs cabin. Maybe this is why Micheal had to die. To allow these two to get together (hurley and walt that is). hmmmm interesting.

Ok, so while this may be the end for live Michael, I sure hope they still utilize HP in some fashion. I'm still going to cling to a notion that perhaps he's not dead and while the island is done with him, the writers are not ;)

Michael aside, they better NOT drop Walt. He was one of the pivotal mysteries in Season 1 and I'm still dieing to know what exactly happened to him during his time with the Others. I'm hoping he'll become a regular next season.

Maybe I'm dense, or call it playing devil's advocate, but I don't think Michael is dead. Just like I don't think Charlie is dead. Jin may be dead because his story is wrapped up, though I hope there's more to that as well. It makes sense at this point that the writers would talk like he's dead because that's how it appeared, and they want to stick to that and not give anything away. So, I can't even say that the comments in the above article from the writers seals it for me.

In my mind Christian showing up and saying, "You can go now" meant he was taking him off of the boat. That made me think that Christian could have 'popped-in' to take Charlie before he was completely gone. He is capable. And remember that while Hurley referred to an empty chair as "Mr. Ecko", other people could see Charlie. Christian has already claimed Claire. We know that Michael is at least important enough to be kill-proof, and not just to freeze a battery on a boat a few months down the road if you ask me.

Michael doesn't even know Christian, so that was bizarre. How did he appear to him??
I don't think you can really "make up" for murdering two people, but did Christian and/or Jacob think he did? I guess so.


I guess that means Sawyer can't make up for murdering three people. Or Kate can't make up for murdering her dad, no matter how long she plays Super Mom. Or Sayid can't make up for murdering that soldier so that he and Nadia could escape.

Walt doesn't know that Michael (apparently) died in the explosion. Hurley simply doesn't clue Walt in.

I could be wrong, but isn't Sun the only member of the O6 who saw Michael?

For what it's worth I think his storyline worked well while it lasted. The only thing I think should've been done differently about the scene was to get Libby (or Ana-Lucia) instead of Christian to say "You can go now" .

Ooh, that would have been good because like a previous poster said, Michael's return was not to provide some big action plot line. His return was all character-driven, it was about redemtion, of trying to make amends. He can not totally make up for taking two lives because Ana-Lucia and Libby are both gone forever. What he CAN do is try to make sure no one else dies. So yeah, if Libby had been the one to tell him he could go would have been like she had forgiven him too.

I too was wondering exactly what the island needed Michael to do since it wouldn't let him kill himself on the mainland but I think I may have answered my own question. If the island is about second chances, maybe it wouldn't let Michael die before he had that second chance to do the right thing. Maybe that's why Jack never made it off that bridge either. He can't just die while he is at his lowest point because, like Michael, he has to have a second chance to raise himself up.

I could be wrong, but isn't Sun the only member of the O6 who saw Michael?

Yes I believe you're correct. Although Jin certainly was with him but wasn't one of the O6 since he apparently died in the blast too. Then there's Desmond, again not an O6er. I think that about covers it. Because the chopper with the O6 on board landed on the ship only briefly to get some fuel. I dunno without watching it again but I think Micheal was freezing the battery while the re-fueling was going on.

To me Michael's return to the show seemed incomplete and lacking...I know he was needed to save Aaron but for all the hype they put into him returning to the show his storyline had very little importance or substance...Ben put him on the boat to "spy" on them but he ended up failing completely in his mission...the mercs still got on the island, etc...also, they show Michael trying to talk to Walt and the grandma refuses...that's the end of it? I could see why HP was pissed off in the tv guide interview...

While I, like others, find myself disappointed in the way that Harold was utilized this season (I was expecting, I don't know, just more-interaction with the rest of the cast, telling everyone what went on when he left, saying to Hurley "I'm really sorry I accidentally killed your girlfriend", maybe?), the only thing I'm still scratching my head about is why Christian, of all people, told him he could go? I don't believe that Michael should continue on a never-ending atonement spree (possibly because other characters have killed on this show, possibly because I think Michael was doing what he had to do to save his son, or possibly because I hated Ana Lucia with a fiery passion), but it would have been more fitting for Libby or Ana Lucia to "free" him if thats truly what the phrase was meant to mean.

Originally when watching the scene, I thought "you can go now" meant more like "I got this from here, you go on ahead and jump off the boat". It wasn't until later on (and reading the TV Guide interview) that I saw it as more of a release- "your job is done now, the island doesn't need you alive anymore".

I just find it odd that Christian went from a virtual non-entity (in physical presence/major player status, not so much in the mind/heart of Jack) to the keeper of the cabin, spokesperson for Jacob, guy who puts Claire in a creepy fog, and now he who can release people of their sins.

Basically, I just ranted on for about 5 minutes, and still have no answers. :confused:

The part about Michael's storyline that disappointed me was he barely got to interact with the rest of the cast. I wish Jack, Kate, Sawyer and others had spoken to him at some point.

I thought it was a great way to send off the character. He was applying his engineering skills and allowed Desmond and the Heli to take off. A lot of substance was revealed in his flashback (not dieing/relationship with Walt).

The scene itself reminded me of The Stand. Randall Flagg visiting someone just before they die.

Christian is the reason for any 'bad' happening since S4. He killed Jacob and is too pissed to control the island

So was Jacob using CS to appear before Michael saying that now he could die?
I'm thinking now that those words "you can go now" were saying like okay, you can die now.

I could be wrong, but isn't Sun the only member of the O6 who saw Michael?

Sayid was the first member of the O6 to see Michael .

It is too bad about Michael. I have the feeling that the strike may have affected some of his involvement in the storyline and once the season was wrapping up the writers realized they were going in a different direction. He just wasn't needed anymore.

yeah, I think a part of it was the mixed reaction from Meet Kevin Johnson. It was a good episode but it was nothing amazing (The Constant, The Shape of Things to Come)

[re: Walt]
Locke visited him though. He's always been good to him. Maybe he'll adopt him after he gets resurected.

That might explain the obituary for Jeremy Bentham from last year's season end that referenced the teenaged son.

I could be wrong, but isn't Sun the only member of the O6 who saw Michael?
Is there any significance to only Sayid and Sun seeing him? I mean...in the future/real world?

It is too bad about Michael. I have the feeling that the strike may have affected some of his involvement in the storyline and once the season was wrapping up the writers realized they were going in a different direction. He just wasn't needed anymore.
I don't think it was that they didn't need him...there were more episodes planned for the middle of the run that were cut out because of the strike. I mean...hell...Harold Perrineau was a cast regular this season but didn't get introduced on air until the last episode before the writers' strike hiatus. Darlton said that they still were able to tell the story arc they wanted to this season but they had to cut a lot of extra character stuff out. I'm sure Michael's character bore the brunt of that more than any other character.

I'm really disappointed in Darlton because they made such a big deal at Comic Con last year (pre-strike, granted) of Harold Perrineau coming back to the show as a regular, about how Michael and Walt's story would be folded back into the show, how Michael was very central to this year's arc, about how they're still not done with Libby (please tell me Michael's visions weren't *it*), but then, bam, strike! Screeching halt in the middle of production. Fortunately, "Lost" already had 8 shows in the can and Darlton came back assuring everyone- oh don't worry, we'll still tell the story we meant to tell but there won't be any big Jin-Hurley ping pong tournament, nyuk nyuk nyuk. Well- it seems that if they knew they were cutting back significantly on the "character stuff" that they should have at least allowed for development necessary for Michael to have a proper send off. Instead it looked like they were building up to something only to half-*** hurry it at the end.

Why make such a fuss about bringing him back only to have him serve almost no purpose at all? Unless he lives or becomes some sort of entity like Christian, the writer's did a piss-poor job on that one.

*cough*Ecko being saved in one episode only to die the next*cough* :mad:

I'm really disappointed in Darlton because they made such a big deal at Comic Con last year (pre-strike, granted) of Harold Perrineau coming back to the show as a regular, about how Michael and Walt's story would be folded back into the show, how Michael was very central to this year's arc, about how they're still not done with Libby (please tell me Michael's visions weren't *it*), but then, bam, strike! Screeching halt in the middle of production. Fortunately, "Lost" already had 8 shows in the can and Darlton came back assuring everyone- oh don't worry, we'll still tell the story we meant to tell but there won't be any big Jin-Hurley ping pong tournament, nyuk nyuk nyuk. Well- it seems that if they knew they were cutting back significantly on the "character stuff" that they should have at least allowed for development necessary for Michael to have a proper send off. Instead it looked like they were building up to something only to half-*** hurry it at the end.



You took the words right out of my mouth. It doesn't make any sense to me for Cuse and Lindehof to bring an actor back as a "regular" on the show . . . only to kill off his character after five or six episodes. They could have shown Michael dealing with being part of the Losties community again, following his return. There would have been plenty of drama in that particular story. Instead, they simply got rid of him in a cheap way.

I don't know, I was ALWAYS expecting Michael to return just long enough to fill in his story and redeem himself with a heroic death. It never occurred to me that he could survive into the final seasons. And I think Walt's attitude had been made pretty clear, so I wasn't expecting a reunion or forgiveness.

*cough*Ecko being saved in one episode only to die the next*cough*

Well, I, for one, hated Eko, so I didn't care too much about that.

However, the actor ASKED to be removed from the show, so I can understand. Harold, however, was excited to be on the show again, even after all the crap that he was put through when they were trying to get him back. And then he was only in four episodes and was killed. I doubt the strike had ANYTHING to do with it. The strike only took out a few episodes. . .Michael's story would have been just as non-important and half-donkeyed.

ETA:

I don't know, I was ALWAYS expecting Michael to return just long enough to fill in his story and redeem himself with a heroic death.

What heroic death? He stopped nothing, did nothing important, and, ultimately, was simply used (as Harold said) to sate the bloodlust of the people who hated Michael. I've always loved the character. Easily 2nd or 3rd best character ever on the show, and by far the 1st most fleshed out, real, and in-depth character.

Well, I, for one, hated Eko, so I didn't care too much about that.

However, the actor ASKED to be removed from the show, so I can understand. Harold, however, was excited to be on the show again, even after all the crap that he was put through when they were trying to get him back. And then he was only in four episodes and was killed. I doubt the strike had ANYTHING to do with it. The strike only took out a few episodes. . .Michael's story would have been just as non-important and half-donkeyed.

ETA:



What heroic death? He stopped nothing, did nothing important, and, ultimately, was simply used (as Harold said) to sate the bloodlust of the people who hated Michael. I've always loved the character. Easily 2nd or 3rd best character ever on the show, and by far the 1st most fleshed out, real, and in-depth character.

First off I believe you are mixing up actors wants with the writers and creators needs. Of course an actor wants to be a part of a hit show. That goes without saying. Did Harold want to be a big part of the show? Obviously from his interview he did. Did the writers and creators need him for more than they used his talents? Obviously they didn't.

Now on to the heroic death part. Yes I agree a lot of the audience may have wanted him to die, or at the least to be punished for his murders. Of course the writers want to please the viewers because that's why they write the show. That and to sell advertising for ABC whom writes the big checks they deposit in the bank and keep the show going... you know for us, the viewers. Maybe they should do the same for the other killers on the show but that wouldn't leave many characters left now would it? But as far as putting his butt on the line to save the lives of his fellow survivors, he was the ONLY person in that room (with the C4 bomb) who understood what to do.

I've read on here some people poo poo his efforts as just a guy who froze a battery but y'know what he was also the ONLY guy who understood that by using the liquid nitrogen to slow the battery was the only way to delay the inevitable explosion. Micheal knew it was only a delay and he also knew (by way of insisting that Jin leave) that it wouldn't last very long and that he would perish in the process. He didn't buy much time but he did however buy enough time for those on the chopper to re-fuel and leave a certain death on the soon to explode ship. He saved them (the O6 + Desmond and Frank) in the process. Unfortunately he may not have saved Jin.

Recall that Micheal was more than prepared to blow the ship to bits before it got to the island but was thwarted by Ben's plan (the "Not Yet" flag on the bomb). So what did he do? he sabotaged the ship's engine in hope they would never reached the island. In this he failed but he did, however, try.

In the end Micheal died trying to show his son Walt that he was not a blood thirsty killer.

First off I believe you are mixing up actors wants with the writers and creators needs. Of course an actor wants to be a part of a hit show. That goes without saying. Did Harold want to be a big part of the show? Obviously from his interview he did. Did the writers and creators need him? Obviously they didn't.

I was just pointing out the difference between Eko's and Michael's deaths. Eko was written out because he asked. Michael was written out because the writers didn't think about what they were doing (Harold was put through Hell by the writers because they insisted he was necessary to the show). In the end, he was only in four episodes, and didn't do anything that someone else couldn't have done. Desmond had bomb training--they could just as easily have had Desmond do that. And the writers could have just as easily let Michael leave the room rather than stand there like an idiot. He froze the battery already; he could have just run out of the room and maybe could have survived.

In short, the writers went for the cheap thrill of bringing Michael back, then failed to deliver on what that meant.

As it stands, there was no point to bringing back Michael.

Bringing him back brought closure to the question of what happened to he and Walt when they left the island. It established that some of the others could come and go as they pleased, and that the island could influence events in the rest of the world, even to the extent of preventing death/prolonging life. It provided conflict and tension between characters when Sayid found out he was on the freighter. I'd say there were several good points to bringing him back.

-steve

There was. It finished up an unresolved storyline. I would have rather had him back then leave a loose thread like Libby or Danielle for example.
I'm beginning to wonder if we'll actually get to see their backstories (I highly doubt it) or if Darlton is just going to explain it after the show ends (much more likely).

You just made me think of something! In "Lock's" obituary It states he is survived by a teenage son? Maybe Lock did adopt Walt before he died? BTY..obituary also claimed He was found hanging from a beam in his living room ????

Call me sordid. but I laughed when I heard what Christian said. That was a funny way to take out Michael. I never thought Michael was going to be back in the series in a big way--having him come back tied up a loose end and contributed to the freighter drama. This was all I expected. Miss you again, Harold. But please come back and visit. Good luck, and thank you.


who knows maybe he will be playing chess with hurley, lol

who knows maybe he will be playing chess with hurley, lol

Nah... connect four or whatever that game is they were playing when the mental patient went totally off the wall about "the Numbers". He also uttered something about the magic box and how it should never be opened (as he was dragged away). I have to go back to the DVDs and watch that one again. Maybe he had been on the island too and turned the donkey wheel (thereby banishing his self from every returning?)

You don't bring back a major player in a big twist only to have him appear in a small number of episodes and, ultimately, die after doing nothing of importance. All he did was spray liquid nitrogen, which anyone else could have done. Since he contributed nothing to the overall plotline, I'm forced to realize that the writers are only aiming for twists instead of substance at this point. Don't get me wrong, I really like this episode, but it's just, again, piss-poor writing that creates something (Michael's return) that could create very good drama (Michael's reunion with the rest of the cast) but, instead, decides it would be better to ignore that plotline altogether and just blow him up, regardless of contributing nothing. Jin's possible death creates drama and a new plotline. As it stands, there was no point to bringing back Michael.

But alas, Michael came to die... and why not with a bit of redemption...some bad karma reduced? He also needed to be the one on the freighter as he was the one who came up with freezing the battery and just like Desmond pushing or not pushing the button.... he had to be there so said the island. His job done, he can go... he can die and if you remember that's what he came to accomplish.

How do we know that Walt knew where his Dad was? When Walt asked Hurley why everyone was lying and Hurley said it was to protect them, Walt said something like, "And my Dad?" meaning, we're protecting my Dad too?

I got the impression that Walt and Michael weren't on speaking terms, so how would Walt know that Michael was on the freighter? His "gift" maybe?

I also thought it was sad when Walt said no one tried to contact him; so does this mean Walt knows more than he's been told? How would anyone who was on the island know where Walt is now? The last they saw him he was leaving on the boat with Michael, with the heading Ben gave them.

I think I'm in the camp that maybe Michael's role isn't done yet. Because Christian said "You can go now." versus "You can die now." or "You are free now.", it seems more like he was saying Michael could leave the room/freighter. When I rewatched the episode, there was no one on the deck of the freighter when it blew up. Jin should have been at the very end of it, waving at the helicopter, but he wasn't there.

You can go now Michael, means that he is free to die like he should have done on Flight 815...

I think all of them need to die in order to set things right.

He also needed to be the one on the freighter as he was the one who came up with freezing the battery and just like Desmond pushing or not pushing the button.... he had to be there so said the island.

But the writers didn't need it to be Michael for something so trivial. Hell, Desmond had some bomb training. . .they could have just as easily had him come up with the idea (and then do the smart thing--run out of the room after the bomb is triggered).

Christian said "You can go now." versus "You can die now." or "You are free now.", it seems more like he was saying Michael could leave the room/freighter.

That phrase "you can go now" kept resonating in my head over and over because it sounded so familiar. Then it hit me! When Miles was "communicating" with the lady's grandson, after finding the money he said, "you can go now" and left.

I remember thinking that sounded so callous, just as Christian saying those exact words to Michael sounded callous and heartless. Here's Michael giving up his life for redemption and Christian merely dismisses him with some tossed off words.

So, what connection are we supposed to make between live Miles dismissing the dead grandson and dead Christian dismissing the very much alive Michael??? :39:

You can go now Michael, means that he is free to die like he should have done on Flight 815...

I think all of them need to die in order to set things right.


You know . . . I think you're right. It does make sense.

doesnt that mean christian blew up too? All the people on the island... the others and the socalled "smokie humanizations" are Ghosts

This was a great scene in the finale.Christian to me, is like the island taking a human form. The island had a plan for Michael and the island wont let him die. When the island was finished with him it told him 'he can go now' and that's when he died.

I think Michael made up for his past sins, but I think he still has more work to do...like getting his son back.

I loved it that Michael finally got the heroic death he'd been seeking, BUT his very last thought was one of Lostian confusion: "Who the hell are you?" It reminded me of the "What?" video.

I loved it that Michael finally got the heroic death he'd been seeking, BUT his very last thought was one of Lostian confusion: "Who the hell are you?" It reminded me of the "What?" video.

Yes I thought about this upon second view. Poor guy had to get a major freak-out just before dying. Well maybe he's kind of used to that sort of thing by now with all he's been through.

I posted in another thread about the irony of Micheal needing to keep the battery frozen and the place where Ben turned the wheel was more than frozen. Interesting. Not sure it means anything, just interesting.

While everyone is concerned with Michael's quick departure and it's apparent lack of reason other than "bloodlust" or "redemption", it seems that the real connection is that now Walt believes he has a reason to get back to the island - to find his father. I think that's the idea that Ben has at the end of the finale - a way to find the island and get back. They will use Walt. It wouldn't be the first time that Ben lied to get what he wants. He convinces Walt that Michael is alive (and maybe he is although based on the TV Guide article this is unlikely) but nevertheless Walt's special and I think they will use him to get back to the island.

But couldn't he have just as easily held Michael alive to do the same thing, if that were the case?

Do you think he made up for his past sins?

I don't know if he made up for "sins," but it sure seemed cruel for him to be dismissed in such a way...maybe that was his punishment for his "sins," to die a horrible death still unreconciled with his only son that he killed and betrayed others to save.