One of the most pressing questions that season three of LOST left
fans with was the issue of whether or not Sun Kwon would survive her
pregnancy and successfully give birth. I didn’t expect an answer so
soon, but through the use of flash-forwards, LOST has provided
key insight into her fate. That’s not to say that mysteries don’t still
swirl around her character, and one can only hope that the writers will
decide to showcase her more often than they have.
When I first started watching LOST,
it took me a while to connect with Sun and Jin. They were so cut off
from the others, separated by a language barrier and Jin’s stubbornness.
The Sun figure from the second series of McFarlane figures inspired by
the show captures the young Korean wife in a moment of defiance,
exhibiting an independent streak that would eventually allow both her
and her husband to be fully integrated into the group of crash
survivors.
It’s a little strange to see Sun in a skimpy,
two-piece sky blue bathing suit with striped accents, since throughout
most of the show, her clothes are quite modest. Here, she dares to leave
herself exposed, disregarding her husband’s stern reproofs. A midnight
blue blanket whips in the wind behind her shoulders. In terms of the
figure, this blanket is problematic; it stubbornly resists being placed
into her hands in such a way that it will stay put, almost as if to
emphasize her desire to be free from unwanted coverings. Maybe it was
intentional on the part of the sculptors. More likely it was just
imprecise design; it’s frustrating to have an object that clearly
belongs at a certain spot within this little diorama and be unable to
place it there.
Sun’s feet, like most of her body, are bare,
and they stand on a sandy expanse that probably is uncomfortably hot.
The expression of her face is mostly one of serenity, with a flash of
anger. Unlike the series one figures, there is no specific backdrop for
Sun; instead, there’s a generic green, vaguely leafy-looking piece of
cardboard included with all the series two figures. Also included is the
life-size sleeve of her Oceanic boarding pass.
As with the
other series two figures, the black box containing sound clips from the
show is integrated within the stand rather than attached to a backdrop.
Though the second is the only one of the English clips directed at Jin,
all of Sun’s quotes involve him in some way:
* "Have you never lied to a man you've loved?"
* "I was going to leave you... I was going to get away"
* "My wedding ring ... it's gone!"
The final quote is in Korean, which is a nice touch, and translates as
“I'm not saying you should go alone. I'm coming with you,” which is, of
course, spoken to Jin. The black box takes two AAA batteries, and the
clips are accessed by pressing down on one of the rocks on the beach.
The focus of this figure in Sun’s relationship with Jin, which makes
sense, but it would have been nice to see something that featured her
working in her garden, which both provided her some relief from her
initially aggravating husband and gave her a purpose, allowing her to
help her fellow castaways even though most of them did not yet know she
spoke English. Probably my favorite season one Sun moment occurs when
she finds some eucalyptus and uses it to help the asthmatic Shannon
breathe. Later, she stands by Jack in her tireless effort to aid the
injured Boone. I think the figure’s creators might have done well to
incorporate her role as a nurturer.
Still, Sun is a very nice
figure for fans of one of television’s most complex couples, and the
fact that she has been cast in plastic is an acknowledgment of the value
she brings to the show. Here’s hoping the writers agree!
No comments:
Post a Comment