Further Instructions
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"Further Instructions" is the third episode of the third season of the American
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television series ''
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''. It first aired on October 18, 2006, on the
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC), making it the 52nd episode of the series. The episode was written by showrunner
Carlton Cuse Arthur Carlton Cuse (born March 22, 1959) is a screenwriter, showrunner, producer, and director, best known for the American television series ''Lost'', for which he made the ''Time'' list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. ...
and supervising producer
Elizabeth Sarnoff Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of ''NYPD Blue'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Deadwood'' and ''Lost''. She is the co-creator of the Fox crime/mystery series ''Alcatraz''. Career Sarnof ...
and was directed by Stephen Williams. The series follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, on a mysterious tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. In this episode,
John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism ...
(
Terry O'Quinn Terrance Quinn (born July 15, 1952), known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He played John Locke on the TV series ''Lost'', the title role in '' The Stepfather'' and ''Stepfather II'', and Peter Watts in ''Millennium'', w ...
) recovers from the Hatch implosion and rescues
Mr. Eko Mr. Eko is a fictional character, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the ABC television series ''Lost.'' He is introduced in the second season episode " Adrift" as one of the plane-crash survivors from the plane's tail section. Flashbacks r ...
(
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...
) from a polar bear. Locke is featured in the episode's flashbacks. The episode featured the return of previous main cast member
Ian Somerhalder Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'', Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci ...
. It also introduced the characters of
Nikki and Paulo Nikki Fernandez and Paulo ( ) are fictional characters on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. American actress Kie ...
(
Kiele Sanchez Kiele Michelle Sanchez ( ; born October 13, 1977) is an American actress who starred in the A&E Network drama '' The Glades''. Previously, she had starred as Anne Sorelli in The WB comedy-drama ''Related'' and as Nikki Fernandez on the main cast ...
and
Rodrigo Santoro Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro (; born 22 August 1975) is a Brazilian actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Persian King Xerxes in the movie '' 300'' (2006) and its sequel '' 300: Rise of an Empire'' (2014). Other famous movies include ...
), who were added in the wake of some criticism that the series focused too much on the same fifteen survivors. An estimated 16.31 million Americans watched the episode upon its original broadcast. "Further Instructions" received mixed to positive reviews from television critics.


Plot


Flashbacks

Locke is a member of a
commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...
in Humboldt County,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. He considers its members his new family. One day Locke picks up a young
hitchhiker Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads have ...
, named Eddie Colburn (
Justin Chatwin Justin Chatwin (born October 31, 1982) is a Canadian actor. He began his career in 2001 with a brief appearance in the musical comedy ''Josie and the Pussycats''. Following his breakthrough role as Robbie Ferrier in the blockbuster ''War of the ...
), who tells him he is leaving home. Eddie joins the commune, but after six weeks, he asks Locke why he is never allowed to know what is going on in a greenhouse (into which he sees an exceptional amount of
fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
going). Eddie expresses his discontent with being kept out of the secret and affirms to Locke his desire to be in on "whatever you guys are trying to blow up". Locke laughs and says he will talk to the commune leaders, Mike (
Chris Mulkey Chris Mulkey (born May 3, 1948) is an American film and television actor. Career Mulkey played the supporting role of husband to Annie Potts's character in '' Any Day Now'' from 1998 to 2002. He has also appeared in '' Captain Phillips'', '' ...
) and Jan (Virginia Morris). Upon entering the greenhouse some time later, in which
marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
is grown, Locke finds Mike and Jan in the midst of a frantic preparation to flee. They blame Locke for bringing Eddie, whom they have discovered is an undercover police officer. Locke promises to fix the situation. He takes Eddie hunting and holds Eddie at gunpoint. Eddie says that Locke was chosen because his psych profile said he would be "amenable for coercion". Eddie walks away, stating that Locke will not shoot him because he is "a good man," though Locke insists that he is a hunter, not a farmer.


On the Island

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism ...
wakes up in the jungle and sees a naked
Desmond Hume Desmond David Hume is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'' portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick. Desmond's name is a tribute to David Hume, the famous empiricist philosopher. Desmond was not a passenger of Flight 815. He had been ...
(
Henry Ian Cusick Henry Ian Cusick (born 17 April 1967) is a Peruvian-Scottish actor of television, film, and theatre and a television director. He is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in the ABC television series ''Lost'', for which he received a Primet ...
) run by, but Locke cannot speak.
Mr. Eko Mr. Eko is a fictional character, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the ABC television series ''Lost.'' He is introduced in the second season episode " Adrift" as one of the plane-crash survivors from the plane's tail section. Flashbacks r ...
's (
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...
) stick falls from above nearly hitting him. In the frame of Eko's church, he builds a
sweat lodge A sweat lodge is a low profile hut, typically dome-shaped or oblong, and made with natural materials. The structure is the ''lodge'', and the ceremony performed within the structure may be called by some cultures a purification ceremony or simply ...
and convinces
Charlie Pace Charlie Pace is a fictional character on ABC's ''Lost'', a television series chronicling the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island. Played by Dominic Monaghan, Charlie was a regular character in the first three seasons, a ...
(
Dominic Monaghan Dominic Bernard Patrick Luke Monaghan (born 8 December 1976) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in Peter Jackson's film trilogy ''The Lord of the Rings'' (2001–2003), and Charlie Pace on J. J. Abram ...
) to stand guard. Locke takes a
hallucinogenic drug Hallucinogens are a large, diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorized ...
and enters the lodge in order to "speak with the Island". There,
Boone Carlyle Boone Carlyle is a fictional character who was played by Ian Somerhalder on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the south Pacific. Boone is introduced in the pilot episode ...
(
Ian Somerhalder Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'', Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci ...
) appears to help him "find isway again, so that ecan bring the family back together". Locke (mutely) apologizes for the day Boone died, and he accepts the apology, however, in a taunting and seemingly sarcastic manner. Locke's hallucination takes him to
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
airport. Boone wheels Locke through the airport where he tells him someone is "in serious danger". Locke sees his fellow survivors, and is told by Boone that he must "clean up isown mess". Locke finds Eko's stick covered in blood and Boone tells him "they have him, you don't have much time". Upon exiting the sweat lodge he sees a flash of a
polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
. He recovers his ability to speak and tells Charlie that he is going to save Eko. Locke and Charlie track Eko, who Locke believes has been captured by a polar bear. They pause at a large pit in the ground where the hatch imploded. They encounter
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes Hugo "Hurley" Reyes is a fictional character on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Lost (TV series), Lost'', played by Jorge Garcia. For most of the show's run, Hurley served as the show's comic relief, but occasionally, an ...
(
Jorge Garcia Jorge Garcia (born April 28, 1973) is an American actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show ''Becker'', but subsequently became best known for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley ...
), who tells them that Jack, Kate, and Sawyer were kidnapped by the Others, and that " Henry Gale" is their leader. While continuing back to the camp alone, Hurley finds Desmond naked and lends him a tie-dyed t-shirt. Desmond says the electromagnetic anomaly may have been destroyed, and Hurley questions why Desmond was not destroyed. Desmond mentions Locke's speech and his plan to save
Jack Shephard Dr. Jack Shephard is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ABC television series ''Lost'', played by Matthew Fox. ''Lost'' follows the journey of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on a mysterious island and their attempts to survive ...
,
Kate Austen Katherine Anne Austen is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'', played by Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly. Character biography Prior to the crash Born in 1977 and raised in Iowa, Kate is the daughter of diner worker Diane ...
, and
James "Sawyer" Ford James Ford, better known by the alias "Sawyer" () and later as "Jim LaFleur", is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'', portrayed by Josh Holloway Josh Lee Holloway (born July 20, 1969) is an American actor best known ...
. However, Hurley responds, "What speech?", as Locke has yet to give any such speech. Desmond seems confused, and drops the whole matter. Locke finds the polar bear's cave and rescues Eko from the polar bear. While Charlie fetches water from a stream, Locke apologizes to an unconscious Eko for his lack of faith. Eko appears to briefly awaken and tells Locke that he must rescue Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Upon arriving at camp, Hurley informs the camp that Jack and the others have been captured. As an explanation, Locke announces to the survivors that he plans to rescue Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, as Desmond indicated to Hurley earlier. Hurley mentions to Charlie a sense of
déjà vu ''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is a French loanword for the phenomenon of feeling as though one has lived through the present situation before.Schnider, Armin. (2008). ''The Confabulating Mind: How the Brain Creates Reality''. Oxford Univer ...
.


Production

"Further Instructions" was written by showrunner
Carlton Cuse Arthur Carlton Cuse (born March 22, 1959) is a screenwriter, showrunner, producer, and director, best known for the American television series ''Lost'', for which he made the ''Time'' list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. ...
and supervising producer
Elizabeth Sarnoff Elizabeth "Liz" Sarnoff is an American television writer and producer. She has written episodes of ''NYPD Blue'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Deadwood'' and ''Lost''. She is the co-creator of the Fox crime/mystery series ''Alcatraz''. Career Sarnof ...
; Stephen Williams served as the director. As the third episode of the season, "Further Instructions" was the first episode to feature the fate of the main cast camped on the beach, as well as the first to begin resolving the Hatch storyline from the season two finale. Leading up to the third season's broadcast, ABC attempted to reveal as few details as possible to the public.
Ian Somerhalder Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'', Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci ...
's return was one piece of information that press releases included. Somerhalder, a former series regular, was credited as a guest actor to play his character
Boone Carlyle Boone Carlyle is a fictional character who was played by Ian Somerhalder on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the south Pacific. Boone is introduced in the pilot episode ...
in Locke's hallucinations, as his character died during the first season. Guest star
Justin Chatwin Justin Chatwin (born October 31, 1982) is a Canadian actor. He began his career in 2001 with a brief appearance in the musical comedy ''Josie and the Pussycats''. Following his breakthrough role as Robbie Ferrier in the blockbuster ''War of the ...
made his first and only appearance in the episode. Other guest stars included Virginia Morris and
Chris Mulkey Chris Mulkey (born May 3, 1948) is an American film and television actor. Career Mulkey played the supporting role of husband to Annie Potts's character in '' Any Day Now'' from 1998 to 2002. He has also appeared in '' Captain Phillips'', '' ...
as the commune leaders Jan and Milke, and Dion Donahue as Kim. The polar bear was mostly depicted by having stuntman Jonathan Arthur inside a bear suit.
Kiele Sanchez Kiele Michelle Sanchez ( ; born October 13, 1977) is an American actress who starred in the A&E Network drama '' The Glades''. Previously, she had starred as Anne Sorelli in The WB comedy-drama ''Related'' and as Nikki Fernandez on the main cast ...
and
Rodrigo Santoro Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro (; born 22 August 1975) is a Brazilian actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Persian King Xerxes in the movie '' 300'' (2006) and its sequel '' 300: Rise of an Empire'' (2014). Other famous movies include ...
make their first appearances as
Nikki and Paulo Nikki Fernandez and Paulo ( ) are fictional characters on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. American actress Kie ...
in this episode. Prior to the third season, the producers of the show were often asked what the rest of the plane-crash survivors were doing because the show only focused on approximately fifteen of the survivors, and the characters of Nikki and Paulo were created in response.White, Cindy, (January 22, 2007)
Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse Promise That They Have Found the Plot Twists That Will Bring ''Lost'''s Viewers Back
" ''
Sci Fi Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...
''. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
Reaction to the characters was generally negative because of their abrupt introduction onto the show. Nikki and Paulo's original introduction onto the show was deleted for time from the final cut of the episode. They were supposed to be accidentally found by
Claire Littleton Claire Littleton is a fictional character played by Emilie de Ravin on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Claire is introduced in the pilot episode as a pr ...
in Jack's tent having sex in the middle of the episode. They were instead introduced at the end of the episode when Locke makes a speech. The deleted scene was included on the third season DVD. The DVD also contained another deleted scene of Locke returning to the commune and seeing Mike and Jan getting arrested.


Cultural references

Hurley worries that the Hatch implosion turned Desmond into the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
, a
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
character who turned large and green upon being exposed to
Gamma ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...
s. The Bible verses seen on Mr. Eko's stick include Romans 6:12, which says "Do not obey the lusts of sin" and John 3:5, which says "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit'." Hurley's numbers are also partially visible.
Dominic Monaghan Dominic Bernard Patrick Luke Monaghan (born 8 December 1976) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in Peter Jackson's film trilogy ''The Lord of the Rings'' (2001–2003), and Charlie Pace on J. J. Abram ...
as his character Charlie, says, while trying to figure out who Locke needs to speak to: "Trees? Yea I heard they are wonderful conversationalists", a reference to Monaghan's work in ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'', in which he talks to Ents, tree- like beings.


Reception

"Further Instructions" was originally scheduled to air October 11, 2006 as the second episode of the show's third season, but swapped with another ''Lost'' episode, "
The Glass Ballerina "The Glass Ballerina" is the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Lost'', and the 51st episode overall. The episode was written by Jeff Pinkner and Drew Goddard and directed by Paul Edwards, and premiered on October 11, 2006, on ...
". Upon its original broadcast on October 18, 2006 in the United States on the
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC), "Further Instructions" was watched live by an estimated 16.31 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, ''Lost'' received a 6.5/16 ratings share, helping ABC place first for the night when compared to the other major networks. The episode has received mixed to positive reviews from television critics. Chris Carabott of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
wrote that "Further Instructions" was "an entertaining hour of television. The episode certainly offers its fair share of excitement, but as with any typical ''Lost'' episode we are presented with more questions than answers". Carabott also called it an improvement over the preceding episode, "
The Glass Ballerina "The Glass Ballerina" is the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Lost'', and the 51st episode overall. The episode was written by Jeff Pinkner and Drew Goddard and directed by Paul Edwards, and premiered on October 11, 2006, on ...
." Andrew Dignan of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' expressed relief in having Locke "back to the way we fondly remember him--as a wide-eyed, knife-wielding, face-smeared madman", but disliked his flashbacks, calling them a "largely under-developed affair". Dignan was also pleased to have Hurley back at the camp and referred to him as "someone howill keep the show grounded", but concluded his review by unhappily noting the sudden emergence of Nikki and Paulo as "a colossal misjudgment on the producers' part" and "a dangerous precedent that bears keeping an eye on." Writing for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Christine Fenno believed the episode had "false starts" but still "enjoyed the trippy places the writers took us." While disliking the initial scenes with Charlie and Locke, Fenno thought the episode "found its groove" after Locke entered into the trance, and called the final scene between Eddie and Locke the episode's "strongest moment." ''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...
'' gave a negative review, noting that "Unfortunately, 'Instructions' seemed devoid of everything that made 'The Glass Ballerina' hum. It was disjointed, it was graceless, and it seemed filled with gaping holes and not terribly helpful information." In a 2008 review, Ryan McGee of Zap2It gave the episode another negative review and considered it the weakest of the season's first three episodes. He explained that after watching it for a second time, it "just feels off to me in hindsight. Maybe it's the lack of forward movement, maybe it's the lackluster flashback, maybe because the central plot is rendered moot in just two more episodes...I can't quite say."


References


Notes


Bibliography

*


External links


"Further Instructions"
at
ABC.com The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Califor ...
* {{Lost episodes 2006 American television episodes Lost (season 3) episodes