I am – Hercules!!
Ooo! No new episode of “Lost” next week. Or the week after. Or the next. Or the next. How will you cope?
The supposed author of the novel “Bad Twin”
– a fellow named “Gary Troup” - was supposedly on Oceanic 815 when it crashed into Dharma Island. A copy of the manuscript was aboard as well. Sawyer found it and was reading it before an angry and impatient Dr. Jack Shepard took it away and set it afire.
The book is dedicated to Cindy. Cindy was the Oceanic flight attendant who complained of Jack’s not very “strong reaction” to his drink in the pilot.
In the two-hour second-season finale of “Lost,” we were introduced via flashbacks to Charles and Penelope Widmore. They’re not mentioned in the novel “Bad Twin.”
However. “Bad Twin” IS all about a private detective dealing with a bunch of other people named Widmore. The P.I. is hired by wealthy Arthur, Vivian and Cliff Widmore to find the missing Zander Widmore.
Along the way, the P.I. grabs a bite at Mr. Cluck’s, has a long conversation about famed philosopher John Locke and stumbles across the Hanso Foundation, which is located (get this) in the Widmore Building. It turns out Arthur Widmore and Alvar Hanso are old friends and business partners.
Want to learn more about “Bad Twin”? Coax spy “FordPerfect” read the book:
Hello Herc, this is FordPerfect here and I have with me a review of Gary Troup’s “BAD TWIN”, you know the book that was written by a person who died in the crash of Oceanic flight 815. You know the guy whose name is an Anagram for Purgatory? Oh course you knew…everybody knew… Anyway back to the point. I have the review of Mr. Troup’s book BAD TWIN! I am not going to lie, I only bought the book because it was tied into Lost (I fucking love Lost) and I wanted to know if it offered any insight on LOST, the characters, or the organizations that are in the show. So here we go.
BAD TWIN is the story of a private detective named Paul Artisan whose is tapped by a very rich and very powerful family to track down their missing son. In the beginning you get a feel for the characters and what their purpose is. Paul Artisan is the Private detective, and his old college professor Manny Weisman, who is his mentor and best friend. Paul meets Cliff Widmore who wants Paul to find his missing brother Alexander (who goes by Zander) Zander is the identical twin to Cliff. Cliff’s father is a Scottish descendant named Arthur Widmore and is married to (very sexual wife number 3) Vivian Widmore. When Paul takes the case it will take him to all sorts of places factual and fictional across the globe. Paul travels to the fictional Peconiquot to find Zander’s friend Moth, which in turn lead him to Key West where he encounters the Zanders ex Sky. Sky points him in the direction of a boat captain that will take him to Cuba by the name of Crunch. In Cuba Paul encounters a strange drug lord type of man who doesn’t like the questions Paul is asking. This man has Paul escorted back to his boat and makes sure Paul leaves Cuba.
After a brief trip back to New York Paul heads to a small California town called Luna, which is described as a land locked island. After a conversation with a nudist colony leader named Elio (who has ties to the mob) Elio hesitantly points Paul to Australia. When Paul arrives in Australia he finds love and encounters danger along his journey. Once in Australia he heads to Lizard Island for the last leg of the search for Zander Widmore. Once he finds Zander Wilmore he doesn’t escape danger and won’t until he is back home and even then he doesn’t escape danger. What happens after he finds his mystery man is just as intense as the search for him. Is Zander as bad as his brother said he was or was his brother playing him all along? Is Cliff right or is he just wrong? Along this journey the people that are connected to Zander Widmore die shortly after they encounter Paul Artisan. It is a classic detective story with violence, suspense, & sex, told with the classic flow of Lost. The questions that are presented are followed by answers in the most intriguing ways possible. The answers are not given to you right away but after some personal thought and character development the answer will appear right before you, and it is a definitive answer not some assumed bullshit. You know for a fact what happened, and you see the truth in it all.
This story doesn’t have many connections to the shows storyline, but it has some links to the show. (So I will explain the things that tie into Lost, because that is the only reason I am writing this and it is the only reason you are reading this.)
In BAD TWIN everything that happens takes place on an island, whether that island is real or fictional. It starts off in Manhattan, Long Island, Perconiquot, Key West, Cuba, Luna California, and Australia’s Lizard Island. Also in BAD TWIN Paul Artisans mentor Manny Weisman mentions (Side note: all literary references in BAD TWIN are very similar to all the books that are mentioned on LOST, and how they relate to the plot and story line as well) the philosopher John Locke and the beliefs John Locke held. Manny also talks about the complications of life and how it relates to a string of numbers. One of the biggest conversations in BAD TWIN was the idea of Purgatory. Purgatory is only mentioned once but is discussed in great detail. Manny gives us the idea that Purgatory is the second chance to receive salvation (or getting into heaven if you will) and everything that happens in Purgatory has meaning and a purpose and is no way pointless, and if you screw it up there won’t be another chance to redeem yourself. (This brings up interesting questions regarding the nature of the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors and their relationship to the island and to each other.)
Some of the other connections between BAD TWIN and LOST are, the sailboat Moth works on is named the Escape Hatch. It is not clear if this is referring to the Hatch from LOST or the name of Desmond’s boat. On his way to Luna California from L.A. Paul Artisan stops at Mr. Clucks to get some food. When Paul is heading to Sydney from L.A. on Oceanic Airlines he briefly meets a stewardess named Cindy (from LOST). Cindy also has the book dedicated to her, because she was engaged to author Gary Troup and the both disappeared on the Flight 815.
The biggest connections between BAD TWIN and LOST are the Widmores and the Hanso Foundation. Now, the Widmore Corporation has dealt with Paik Heavy a good bit and Zander had spent some time with that company in Korea. Now the Hanso Foundation is located in the same building as the Widmores (The appropriately titled Widmore Building) and Paul Artisan has a brief encounter with some Hanso employee’s on the Hanso Foundation floor. He describes them as being clean cut wearing white or green lab coats and being stoic and almost robotic like when they spoke. Arthur Widmore worked with Alvar Hanso years ago and the two made a ton of money together. Arthur respects Hanso because Hanso does things the way they were done in the old days and believes that’s how they should be done now. Cliff Widmore is friends with Thomas Mittelwerk from the Hanso Foundation and Cliff describes him as ambitious, while Arthur describes him as a man without morals. (Unfortunately there isn’t any more information about the Hanso Foundation in BAD TWIN) There is one thing about these Widmores that differ from the Widmores on LOST. The Widmores in BAD TWIN are not the same Widmores from LOST… Charles and Penelope Widmore are not even mentioned in BAD TWIN and Arthur, Vivian, Cliff and Zander Widmore have yet to be mentioned or appear on LOST. Only time will tell if these Widmores are related in anyway.
The way the story is told in this book is very similar to the story telling on Lost. One answer does not solve it all, and it isn’t that simple; it is a series of different answers that answer one question, and it all makes perfect sense once you discover the answer. But if BAD TWIN is any indication on how LOST will progress in the upcoming years or how LOST will end then we are all in good shape.
-FordPerfect
Make it so cheap! Paramount just cut the prices of four more “Star Trek” season sets!!
Star Trek: The Next Generation
$51.99 The Complete First Season
$51.99 The Complete Second Season
$51.99 The Complete Third Season
$51.99 The Complete Fourth Season <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$51.99 The Complete Fifth Season <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$134.99 The Complete Sixth Season
$134.99 The Complete Seventh Season
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
$55.99 The Complete First Season
$55.99 The Complete Second Season
$55.99 The Complete Third Season
$51.99 The Complete Fourth Season <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$51.99 The Complete Fifth Season <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$103.99 The Complete Sixth Season
$116.99 The Complete Seventh Season
