Sun and Jin in the Airport

[colonelmustard]

I just rewatched the concludion to season 1, Exodus parts 1 and 2. I searched the site several times for previous discussions on this with no success so I will just post my thoughts/observations. I hadn't noticed this before so this was new to me but might be old to everyone else. In the airport scene with Sun bringing Jin coffee.....Sun clearly leaves the top on Jin's coffee off (i originally thought she put it back on), she is definitely flustered upon her return, and Jin questions her about what took so long. Then she put the food in front of Jin and looks at him ( i originally thought she was looking back at those touristy type people who were talking about korean women and marriages, but it is pretty obvious that she is checking to see if Jin notices anything fishy with her behavior) and then knocks the coffee onto her lap. Then she easily is aware and points out to Jin where the bathroom is without much thought or searching. I don't really know if this is all significant but I am convinced that Sun spilled on him purposely and with that in mind, I have to ask why would she do that. Putting together all the other information, I conclude that she was purposely sending Jin to the bathroom and the only reason could be so that the american looking korean speaking guy could threaten Jin. Why, I don't know.....knowing all we do about Sun not actually planning on getting on the flight it doesn't seem like it could be a deep plot but perhaps when she went to get the coffee, she was threatened by one of Paik's guys and told that she needs to get Jin to that bathroom so they can deliver a message to him. Anyone have any thought on all this? Did everyone else notice all this right away? Is this insignificant?

[Matthew.Lann]

That's some crazy stuff you just found. Nice.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Hey, does Smuckers make mustard?

;)

I think that's a bit far-fetched, but maybe it'd open up an opportunity to another airport fb?

[Cadetak]

Your theory could be correct but I don't think it will ever be shown again. Showing another Flashback just to show that Sun spilled the coffee doesn't really effect the story at all...unless something else happened.

[Rocky Raccoon]

I'd watch it. Coffee is a menace.

[yoyoj06]

i have to agree with rockyraccoon, i think the idea is way out there, and you never know, and im sure the produders KNOW we want another airport flashback

[LVT]

Second-guessing apparent subtleties in acting is a haphazard hobby. Subtleties like this come more from acting and editing choices than from directions written in the script by the writers, who are, after all in charge of the answers you are seeking.

This is similar to people I've seen analyzing the bird calls (pigeons) that they have heard in the ambient audio track, and trying to assign canonic storyline significance to it. Or look at the misfit's (http://themisfitishere.blogspot.com) blog for a tongue-in-cheek version of such analysis.

As one more example, remember Benry Gale's "The Look" while he was a prisoner, and sent Locke screaming? Michael Emerson the actor likely had no idea what was coming next (i.e. who his character really was) at the time he rehearsed the script and performed the part for the filming of the episode-- yet when we go back and look at his performance, we perceive it as being "so perfect." That's showbusiness.

Of course Yunjin knocked it over on purpose. As far as Sun is concerned, what you are really wondering is whether your interpretation was something 'hardwired' into script directions by the writers. Also remember the writers (and even casting) can go back and change any inconvenient canonic past that they wish to.

[colonelmustard]

Second-guessing apparent subtleties in acting is a haphazard hobby. Subtleties like this come more from acting and editing choices than from directions written in the script by the writers, who are, after all in charge of the answers you are seeking.

This is similar to people I've seen analyzing the bird calls (pigeons) that they have heard in the ambient audio track, and trying to assign canonic storyline significance to it. Or look at the misfit's (http://themisfitishere.blogspot.com) blog for a tongue-in-cheek version of such analysis.

As one more example, remember Benry Gale's "The Look" while he was a prisoner, and sent Locke screaming? Michael Emerson the actor likely had no idea what was coming next (i.e. who his character really was) at the time he rehearsed the script and performed the part for the filming of the episode-- yet when we go back and look at his performance, we perceive it as being "so perfect." That's showbusiness.

Of course Yunjin knocked it over on purpose. As far as Sun is concerned, what you are really wondering is whether your interpretation was something 'hardwired' into script directions by the writers. Also remember the writers (and even casting) can go back and change any inconvenient canonic past that they wish to.


What are you talking about? The things I mentioned were clearly intentional, 1. the dialog suggested something else had happened while she was getting the coffee (no reason to suggest it took her a long time to get coffee for plot reasons normally)
2. the editing, shooting to Sun looking directly at jin clearly indicated she was watching to see if Jin was watching her closely or not
3. the acting indicated Sun was flustered picking up coffee (not normally something that flusters someon,
4. the props and their interaction with the actors indicated she purposely spilled the coffee on him as she clearly did not put the top on the coffee solidly and the editing shot to a close up of her not putting the top on the coffee solidly

I am sure that this was all intentional and part of the plot, Just wondering if anyone sees anything coming from this or a future flashback perhaps showing what happened when she went to get the coffee....maybe she was confronted by paik or his henchmen in some way.

[volney]

At the time I assumed that these actions were simply ways to create getaway opportunities for herself. I see no reason to assume anything else was going on, but the question remains as to why she continually failed to take the opportunities she created.

-- volney

[DreaminLost]

I assume it was because she still loved Jin. She was torn between leaving and staying. When it came right down to it, she chose to stay.

[Smartypants]

I'd watch it. Coffee is a menace.


That's just crazy talk.

[GerfalconCP]

At the time I assumed that these actions were simply ways to create getaway opportunities for herself. I see no reason to assume anything else was going on, but the question remains as to why she continually failed to take the opportunities she created.

-- volney

Yup, that. It was just a chance for her to escape if she wanted to.

[mrpayne112]

maybe it was just another way for her to get outside and get to her getaway car.

[colonelmustard]

At the time I assumed that these actions were simply ways to create getaway opportunities for herself. I see no reason to assume anything else was going on, but the question remains as to why she continually failed to take the opportunities she created.

-- volney

Her opportunity had already passed...the tickets had been purchased, Jin had flashed her the rose already and Sun had decided to stay.

[colonelmustard]

maybe it was just another way for her to get outside and get to her getaway car.

You guys aren't thinking this through. Her car was long gone by now. In addition, why wouldn't she have just left when she went to get the coffee as Jin sat and read the paper....instead she returns with a plan to make him go to the bathroom so she can get time to run away. She would have just disappeared into the food court crowd if that was her motivation.

[DreaminLost]

Colonel, do they show us Sun's face/reaction after Jin returns from the men's room?

Or does the scene end with Jin at the bathroom sink?

[NotInKansasAnymore]

Could be the hot coffee that helped Jin's boys swim better, too. A shock like that may have jumpstarted something instead of the island actually having healing powers. Or maybe Sun was thinking lawsuit like McDonald's.

[GrahamK]

Interesting thoughts.

My personal take on the scene is that Sun was flustered because;

a) until a few minutes earlier she'd been planning an elaborate escape;

b) until some short time earlier she'd been conducting an illicit affair with Jae and was still unsure how much Jin knew;

c) she was eavesdropping on a conversation in English and was worried any reaction might alert Jin to the fact that she'd been learning the language secretly.

This 'flustration' could lead to her not putting the coffee lid on properly, watching Jin's reactions intently and eventually spilling the coffee.

You're correct that the dialogue draws attention to the fact that getting the food took an unusually long time. I took this as meaning Sun had used the opportunity to contact the people who were supposed to be collecting her from outside the airport and explained that she wouldn't be following through on the plan.

[colonelmustard]

Colonel, do they show us Sun's face/reaction after Jin returns from the men's room?

Or does the scene end with Jin at the bathroom sink?

I think it ends with him at the sink....

[colonelmustard]

Interesting thoughts.

My personal take on the scene is that Sun was flustered because;

a) until a few minutes earlier she'd been planning an elaborate escape;

b) until some short time earlier she'd been conducting an illicit affair with Jae and was still unsure how much Jin knew;

c) she was eavesdropping on a conversation in English and was worried any reaction might alert Jin to the fact that she'd been learning the language secretly.

This 'flustration' could lead to her not putting the coffee lid on properly, watching Jin's reactions intently and eventually spilling the coffee.

You're correct that the dialogue draws attention to the fact that getting the food took an unusually long time. I took this as meaning Sun had used the opportunity to contact the people who were supposed to be collecting her from outside the airport and explained that she wouldn't be following through on the plan.


I guess that is all plausable but I think that the writers would have just had Jin say, I have to go to the bathroom instead of the whole coffee thing. Jin was relaxing reading a paper even though he was planning a new life in USA running away from a brutal mob-like boss....yet he was not shaking as he read the paper. I don't buy that she was worried Jin woud know that she knew english because some people were speaking it near them.....I am sure that had happened many a time before and she never seemed flustered on the island as everyojne around them spoke english. Also, the people had not started talking about them until after she sat down and after she had already been flustered....after she had already loosened the top on the coffee.....they didn't start talking until after she sat down. I don't even think there is any indication that she heard them at all.

[Hodgepodge]

Colonelmustard, believe me, you're not the first member to come up with a nefarious twist to this scene. Was she really working for her father, Mr. Paik? Maybe she was next in line to run the company/cartel?

Should we also believe this scene took place after the Pilot episode scene? Where they're waiting in a check-in line. I know, I've arrived at an airport to early to check in, and got something to eat and drink.

Also, I'm going to move this thread to the newly created Character Interactions (http://www.losttv-forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=121) forum. Lets continue the discussion there.

[clayseason1]

I agree with you Colonelmustard. (see my earlier theory Paik's Plan (http://www.losttv-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21825))
I am convinced that while Sun was away getting the food, she was approached by Paik's man/men and told to get Jin into the men's room so they could "talk" to him privately. Perhaps they threatened to tell Jin about Sun's affair with Jae to get her cooperation? IMO, Sun would do anything to keep her lies from being found out.

There's no doubt in my mind that the coffee-spill was a ruse to get Jin out of the public eye, so Paik's man could "deliver a message".