Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Everybody In The Death Pool!



There's a scene midway through Jaws where Richard Dreyfuss' character Matt Hooper is looking for Rob Schnider's Police Chief. He arrives in bedlam as hordes of fishermen have decended on Amity Island to claim a $3,000 reward for catching the shark.

Hopper runs into the Chief amid the chaos who enlists his help in trying to stop eight fishermen from piling into a tiny motorboat. Hooper tells them they're overloading it, but they casually brush him away.

Dreyfuss then, with a masterfully sarcastic delivery, utters one of my favorite lines in all of moviedom:

"Hahahahahahah! They're all gonna die!"

Since Lost has such a penchant for killing off characters, regardless of their popularity (see Eko, Mr.), I'm kinda wondering who's going to kick the bucket next season. We know Jack and Kate make it off the island, but everyone else is squarely in the crosshairs.

Here are my top five candidates for horrible island death (with odds):

1. Michael (even) - The most hated man on the island returns. With all those weapons around, don't you think someone's going to take some revenge? Maybe Dave will get Hurley to do something way of out character for him. Maybe the Monster will make him pay for his sins.

Either way, I bet he'll be screaming at the end.

2. Rose/Bernard
(2:1) - I'm shocked, shocked I tell you that one of them didn't die in the finale. They are actually the perfect candidates: They'd create a huge emotional response, but it really wouldn't overly affect the show since they're so minor. Plus, Rose's cancer could easily make a return allowing for a death scene with a weepy Bernard. Book it - one of them won't make it off the island.

3. Jin (5:1) - Many of the main characters have already had their complete stories told, so they're pretty much fair game for the writers' sickle. Sun already has a date with death in Season 6 unless the Losties figure out why pregnant women die midway through, so that leaves Jin as odd man out here. He's one of the the more likely of the main characters to die, his death would have an incredible emotional impact and it would create a lingering plot point with Sun. Of the remaining first season Losties, I think Jin's the most likely to go.

4. Sayid (10:1) - On the other hand, there's Sayid. His story isn't fully told (what happened to him in Basra), he's extremely popular and his military/electronic/torturing abilities has made him an excellent deus ex machina for the writers. Losties in a tight spot? No problem! Sayid to the rescue.

However, because Naveen Andrews has such a budding film career, I think he make make a date with death himself; if he's killed, it's because he asked the writers for out. But if he goes, he's definitely going down in a blaze of glory. No going gentle for this English gent.

5. Danielle (25:1) - We know we're supposed to get her story this season and, if we do, I can see her being offed once her story's been told. She's been reunited with Alex and would likely do anything to protect her now. I'm betting she dies saving Alex's life.

Honorable Mentions, in order of death likeliness (and why they won't end up dying)

1. Claire - Partially because Jack doesn't know she's his half-sister yet. But mostly because them someone else would have to take care of Aaron all the time (and Christian Shepherd's grandson ain't going nowhere). Locke has no time for babysitting.

2. Hurley - You can't kill the funny guy. That's just lame, dude.

3. Sawyer - They'd lose 95% of their female audience

4. Desmond - They'd lose the other five percent. Besides, he can see it coming.

5. Sun - Too important a plot point

6. Juliet - Ditto. Besides we haven't seen her whole story yet

7. Ben - Because I'd hunt down the writers and kill them.

8. Richard
- Too new a character to kill. Besides, he's got some killer eyeshadow.

9. Locke
- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. To think some people thought he was dead last season. Locke will be here until the end.

10. Vincent - Since he's the evil mastermind of the island, he's not going anywhere.

Who do you think's going to die in Season 4? Everyone? No one? Just the new guys? Discuss?

14 comments:

memphish said...

Fun topic. Last year TV Squad did a LOST death pool and I finished tied for 3rd or 4th. I can't remember. So maybe when we get closer something like that can get going again.

As for what you actually said --
Michael ain't dying on Island because as I have often asserted he is in the coffin. Which means he is dying, but not by Hurley or any other Islander's hand, but by his own.

I agree that Claire can't die until they get to some baby formula and it doesn't seem that Future Jack is worried about taking care of his nephew, so I guess Claire and Aaron survive as in Desmond's vision.

As for the rest, I guess Jin's story is the most complete, but I for one would be very sad to see him go. I really like how Jin has contributed to the group dynamic. If it weren't for his fishing they'd have all died long ago. And ever since he found out Sun was lying to him he's been a great community member, willing to sacrifice himself for the group. One heartbreaking twist could be Jin dying to save Sun only for the Island and its effect on pregnant women to kill her as well.

You know part of Jack's guilt could be choosing to save Kate over Sun even though he knew Sun would die if he left her.

The person I want to die first is Juliet. I can't stand her and her out for herself attitude. And I don't think there's much more to her story other than how she learned martial arts skills. That I'm writing off to the Island providing you what you wish for and Pickett training her.

Unknown said...

The TV Squad pool is what gave me the idea for the title. While I found it too late to enter last year, I certainly plan on doing so this season.

I forgot about Desmond's vision of Claire and Aaron - you're probably right that that would rule them out.

I'd be sad if Jin died as well, but I love Juliet and would be absolutely crushed if she went. Elizabeth Mitchell so got robbed of an Emmy nomination. :(

Capcom said...

Mr. Eko's death was Adewale's fault. :-(

Unknown said...

Yeah, I know Adewale forced their hands. They should have forced him to stay - enticed him with some super Jesus Stick powers or something. :)

Cool_Freeze said...

SUPER JESUS STICK powers indeed! I wonder where the story would be right now if he wouldn't have left...

Well, I am guessing that Richard, Sun or Jin, Rose or Bernard, OR Walt dies this season.

That is what I am going to say..that is to say that Walt isn't already dead.

CF

Missie said...

I would give up Sawyer in a New York minute for Sayid. Although I would miss the nicknames.

Missie said...

And while we may be stuck with Locke at the end (although I'm hoping we've left pathetic hatch-obsessed Locke behind...) I'm betting Locke never gets off of the Island.

Unknown said...

Actually Miss, there will probably be several people left behind on the island in the end, including (your proper assessment of) Locke. There's no way he's going back to wheelchair land. Same with Rose and Bernard, provided they survive.

And then there's Adam and Eve. I still think they're a time displaced pair of our survivors. Since Jack and Kate are off the island is it Desmond and Penny? Or could it really be Rose and Bernard. They did have those black and white stones, after all. Hmmm...

Capcom said...

I know, Adam and Eve! We need to get a good view of their clothes, that would tell all!

memphish said...

I don't think I ever considered Bernard and Rose as Adam and Eve despite that literal interpretation of the stones. Hmmm.

Unknown said...

Didn't Adam and Eve have really old style clothes on? That couldn't really make them Rose and Bernard.
I agree Memphish that I think Michael is in the coffin too.

However, my theory about Sawyer, is that I think they will have him die at the very end of the series. I think Kate will get pregnant and he risks himself for her and the baby at the end and that the person Kate was anxious to get back to in the flash forward was a child. It couldn't be a guy. My first instinct was that she would be in a hurry to get back to a child. So I think they will keep Sawyer for a long time on the show untill the end when he does something good to redeem himself. Just my feeling!

Capcom said...

Boohoo Carly, but you could be right. And I too thought that maybe the "He" who will wonder where Kate was, would be more like a child wondering where their Mommy was, rather than just a possessive guy. Having a child could also keep Kate from ever wanting to go back as well. We'll see.

lost2010 said...

I'm with Carly. Sawyer will live out the series, but will die a hero's death before leaving the island. Although, I tend to think he'll end up sacrificing his life to save Jack. He'd die to save Kate already. It'll take a few more seasons before he's ready to take a bullet for Jack.

Jin will die soon- he has that DUI thing. It's like a Lost death sentence.

For my longshot, I'm going to say that Claire will die and the 'he' Kate has to get back to is Aaron. There's got to be a Dharma milk supply there somewhere - these people were stealing babies after all. Claire dying to save Aaron - that would be a tear jerker and a half. Besides, without Charlie, what are they going to do with her?

I'm betting on Rose and Bernard as Adama and Eve. Based on the fact, that the Rose and Bernard storyline was rumored to have been the original story they concocted for the leading lady - or some variation thereof.

Anonymous said...

Ahaha... interesting to go back and read your opinion on Locke's invincibility. Strictly speaking, he was dead at the end of Season 3. :)