"Show them what we are capable of"

[Writers_Strike]

Am I the only one disappointed at their capabilities? I thought they were going to make some sort of electrical or electro-magnetic anomaly appear around the camp. Instead they shot a mortar at their camp?  And why did Locke allow her to leave? Being such a bad guy, you would think he would just go smokey on her ass. He had no problem ordering Sayid to kill Des, why not have him kill her? That whole scene is bothering me.

[bluesmanjay]

I'm with ya. I totally thought there was going to be some amazing electromagnetic thing happening. Then when that didn't happen, I was expecting Locke to go all Smokey. Then that didn't happen. I thought the whole scene was a let down.

[Kurtis]

I don't see the point in showing Smokey they can blow sh*t up when they had appeared to know enough about him (re: his aversion to electromagnetic barriers). Seems like a contradiction. Why would a Smoke Monster care if you can fire mortars with some degree of precision?

[sobrien]

I was expecting a concentrated sound wave to blast into Locke and shatter his exterior veneer - leaving the smoke monster exposed and angry. 

I will say that immediately crushing the radio (which I presume they were using to "get a fix on the location") and sending Sayid to kill Desmond was an excellent reply to the Charles' overture of force.

[BobBX542]

I don't see the point in showing Smokey they can blow sh*t up when they had appeared to know enough about him (re: his aversion to electromagnetic barriers). Seems like a contradiction. Why would a Smoke Monster care if you can fire mortars with some degree of precision?

The smoke monster might not care, but the people following him probably do.

[WhatThe]

Am I the only one disappointed at their capabilities? I thought they were going to make some sort of electrical or electro-magnetic anomaly appear around the camp. Instead they shot a mortar at their camp? 

I felt the same way last week with Richard. Jacob tells Ilana that she should follow Richard because he'll know what to do...so it gives the impression that Richard's centuries of close connection to Jacob allows him to have a special level of enlightenment and knowledge that will cause him--above all others--to somehow "know" what should be done about MIB and his wanting to leave the island. But Richard's answer? "Let's blow up the plane" lol. Like NONE of the other Losties couldn't have come up with that same generic solution? That didn't seem like something that only Richard would or could come up with...I think Jack, Ben, Ilana and even Miles would have come up with that same solution.

Now this week, they have "Show them what we're capable of"...and they toss a mortar at their camp? Whoopdie fricken do. Yes, it will kill people, but it's not exactly the type of thing that you'd be expecting after hearing a set up like "show them what we're capable of".

[WhatThe]

And by the way, how did Widmore and his people know Desmond was NOT with FLocke when they started shooting the mortars at his camp? lol...What if FLocke had Desmond next to him and was about to call up Widmore when those shells started exploding all around him?

And how did they know exactly where FLocke and his group were in the first place? When Zoe first called back to Widmore's people, she said "Do you have a fix on my location" (or something like that)...which would seem to indicate that they needed to determine where SHE was before they could start shelling the area. But when they started shelling FLocke and his group at the end of the show, his group had moved at least 2-3 miles away, and Zoe wasn't with them. And neither was the phone, for that matter. So how did Widmore's people know exactly where to drop the mortar shells?

[Writers_Strike]

I think when she was holding Sawyer and the rest at gunpoint she mentioned somthing about having them "in sight".

[BobBX542]

And by the way, how did Widmore and his people know Desmond was NOT with FLocke when they started shooting the mortars at his camp? lol...What if FLocke had Desmond next to him and was about to call up Widmore when those shells started exploding all around him?

And how did they know exactly where FLocke and his group were in the first place? When Zoe first called back to Widmore's people, she said "Do you have a fix on my location" (or something like that)...which would seem to indicate that they needed to determine where SHE was before they could start shelling the area. But when they started shelling FLocke and his group at the end of the show, his group had moved at least 2-3 miles away, and Zoe wasn't with them. And neither was the phone, for that matter. So how did Widmore's people know exactly where to drop the mortar shells?

I think that's what she meant by "show them what we can do". Meaning that Widmore's people can get them at any time, because they can know where they are at anytime.

[opgelost]

I don't think the bombs will harm Smoky. But they will hit the people that stay near him.
The people that MIB doesn't want dead.
The people he brought to find water to survive the first day on the island.

[I_Am_Jacob]

I don't think the bombs will harm Smoky. But they will hit the people that stay near him.
The people that MIB doesn't want dead.
The people he brought to find water to survive the first day on the island.

Smokey's intentions on the first day they were on the Island and now are VERY different. He Needed people kept alive back then so he could find the person he would use as his loophole. Now that he has that body and Jacob is dead, he can go about killing all our Losties. He NEEDS them dead so no one will choose to replace Jacob and keep MiB on the island. He is going to use Jack and Sayid to do it too. Only Jack may not know he's working for MiB. MiB is "berry, berry snicky, sir"

[WhatThe]

And by the way, how did Widmore and his people know Desmond was NOT with FLocke when they started shooting the mortars at his camp? lol...What if FLocke had Desmond next to him and was about to call up Widmore when those shells started exploding all around him?

And how did they know exactly where FLocke and his group were in the first place? When Zoe first called back to Widmore's people, she said "Do you have a fix on my location" (or something like that)...which would seem to indicate that they needed to determine where SHE was before they could start shelling the area. But when they started shelling FLocke and his group at the end of the show, his group had moved at least 2-3 miles away, and Zoe wasn't with them. And neither was the phone, for that matter. So how did Widmore's people know exactly where to drop the mortar shells?

I think that's what she meant by "show them what we can do". Meaning that Widmore's people can get them at any time, because they can know where they are at anytime.

But they needed a "fix" on their location first before being able to do that, which is why Zoe asked via radio if they had a fix on HER location. Not sure why she needed to ask that if Widmore's people can know where Flocke's people are at any time.

[Madam P]

I also said "whoopie frickin doo", What The, when the explosion happened.

I totally expected Locke to cut loose with a "Whoooooo!" while raising his eyebrows and waving his fingers in the air, then give her a mango-eating grin and say "Wanna see what I am capable of?" and then tear her apart Smokey-style. 

Alas, my hunger for violence went unsatiated.   

[jamesl]

MIB is still workking on gaining everyon'e trust
they know who he is and what he's capable of, they know the destruction and death he caused in the temple, but they hadn't actually seen it because they had already left the temple
the last thing he needs to do is go Smokie and start ripping someone apart.
he still needs to convince everyone that he is really the good guy.

as for knowing whre to fire the shells, she didn't come to the camp alone. Someone came with her, but hid in the jungle. Then when Locke sent her back, she went back alone, but her companion stayed and followed to keep  an eye on them.

[CaseyMac]

First, if it was some weird crazy fictional death ray...I just think that would be too fanciful. The sonic fence is sci-fi enough. Plus it would start a bunch of new questions like "Is this Widmore from the future?" yada yada

Second, I've never been on the receiving end of artillery, but I've seen some videos and it is freaky as hell. It's partly why the term "shell shocked" began in WW1. Yeah, MIB didn't flinch, but he's been shot and stabbed so it was more to show that he is still invinsible.

Finally, I really don't want to sound like some military expert because I'm not, but as far as Zoe calling in her position before the explosion, when a soldier calls in artillery, the first thing they do is give their own position, so that way it doesn't land on them. Zoe may have just been making sure the warning shot would be far enough away from her.