No Attempt to 'Humanise' Keamy

[D-Roc]

I'm surprised that the creators of Lost didn't take their chance to humanise the monster that is Martin Christopher Keamy.

Keamy has become Lost's most violent and bloody character..he has been unflinching and unremorseful over his actions. All too ready to follow "protocol", the man seemingly had the disconnect button on his morals firmly OFF.

Which surprises me slightly, since all other characters in Lost have at least some sympathetic strand to them. Think of season 2/3 Ben, before you guys loved him, even he had his tangible sympathetic moments..as did Friendly Tom. Even Widmore seems to have more sympathy than keamy - which is rather ironic seeing as he is the instigator, the puppet master of so much bloodshed. But then, that is the purpose of puppets, and this is partly why I have so much respect for Ben. He doesn't hide..he toes the line himself..coming to see Locke in Season 2 when he could easily have sent Tom or someone. Going out to intercept the Losties in the season 3 finale, when he could have simply scuttled off the the Temple and hoped for the best.

Anyway, back to my main observation - The writers had the perfect chance to 'humanise' Keamy at a crucial moment in the episode. It came as Keamy and his band of brothers were marching Ben to the helicopter. Ben asked Keamy whether it was his decision to murder his daughter, or whether it was a specific instruction from Widmore. Keamy being keamy (hey, he's not big on talking, as he said) refused to answer..and subsequently lost any sympathy that he might otherwise have gained.

I just thought it was extremely interesting that the creators decided to do that - it makes sense of course, but it's a rarity in Lost that a character lacks 'any' shade of grey.

[lost-lover]

I noticed this too. Despite his almost robotic nature and seemingly automatic killing instinct I found him to be a quite powerful character. I guess the writer's just wanted him to be a character without any human aspects of conscience, a totally ruthless character. I guess the strike might have had an impact on charcetr developm,ent too.
Amazing really, that when we first saw him on the freighter I thought he seemed like a good guy!

[D-Roc]

Yeah, when we first saw him he seemed like he 'could' be a gentle giant.

true, I guess they really needed an out and out bad guy..someone who didn't blur the lines whatsoever. And it worked. It allowed fans of both campes (Losties and Others) to have a common enemy right there on the island.

That said, I wonder what they could have done to humanise him, had they wanted?

I guess a guy like Keamy kinda makes us appreciate other characters..even people like Jack, because despite his bad points, he is actually trying to do what he thinks is right..whereas Keamy is just doing what he's paid to do..he's not even thinking about it..he's just doing it. I guess the only time when Keamy did show signs of questioning what he's being paid to do was when he asked Ben why Widmore would go to such lengths to capture him alive. I guess Keamy really seemed puzzled by this - I would like to think a part of his bemusement was his conscious asking him 'what are you doing Martin!? This is crazy!"..but I guess everyone is curious..

[lost-lover]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of that. Especially how it unites all the fans groups, someone for everyone to agree on, because that person threatens both groups of characters and therefore both groups of fans.

I think really, that when Keamy was taunting Ben over the "dead man's trigger" amd how he'd killed Alex he'd lost his last chance for sympathy to be honest. Then again, one could argue that he lost the right to sympathy after he killed the doc and the captain on the freighter just to get Frank to fly him back to the island.

Yeah, I noticed that little bit too. Maybe he was concerned about just what Ben had done that made Widmore so desperate to find him, or was he just curious, or even goading Ben a bit? Even mecenaries get curious it seems, even if they don't all have a conscience. If he does, it was very deeply buried inside him.

[Beach Crew]

Keamy had been in the army right? (Prepare yourselves, I'm about to make an Eastenders comparison ) I can't help but wonder if the things he did, and the things he saw may have altered his character into the monster that we saw. Take Sean from 'Enders - the stuff that happened to him in the army has changed him from a fairly normal person to an animal.

I'm not redeeming Keamy at all, but I'm just wondering if the army stuff is important as part of his character development?

[lost-lover]

Yeah, he'd been in the army. I can't really comment EastEnders style army-turning-him-into-a-monster thingcause I don't know much about it (I haven't seen EastEnders in ages), but I'd agree that it's all important in the way of character development.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by lost-lover

Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of that. Especially how it unites all the fans groups, someone for everyone to agree on, because that person threatens both groups of characters and therefore both groups of fans.

I think really, that when Keamy was taunting Ben over the "dead man's trigger" amd how he'd killed Alex he'd lost his last chance for sympathy to be honest. Then again, one could argue that he lost the right to sympathy after he killed the doc and the captain on the freighter just to get Frank to fly him back to the island.

Yeah, the senseless murder of Ray was just chilling. And as you say the taunting just took it to another level. I mean doing it is one thing, but to taunt someone over the execution of their 16 year old daughter..man that is deep.

Yeah, I noticed that little bit too. Maybe he was concerned about just what Ben had done that made Widmore so desperate to find him, or was he just curious, or even goading Ben a bit? Even mecenaries get curious it seems, even if they don't all have a conscience. If he does, it was very deeply buried inside him.

Yeah, it could have been his way of making Ben feel small..almost mocking him in the fact that he could cause Widmore so much trouble, perhaps.

Yeah, ultimately I do think he was just curious.

Originally Posted by Beach Crew

Keamy had been in the army right? (Prepare yourselves, I'm about to make an Eastenders comparison ) I can't help but wonder if the things he did, and the things he saw may have altered his character into the monster that we saw. Take Sean from 'Enders - the stuff that happened to him in the army has changed him from a fairly normal person to an animal.

I'm not redeeming Keamy at all, but I'm just wondering if the army stuff is important as part of his character development?

lol, good cultural reference! EE gives me joke.

Anyway, that's interesting..I can certainly buy that notion - war must surely change a person..I guess it could either make you lean more towards peace..or it could push you over the edge and turn you into a monster. It could be that he's seen so much blood and misery that he's lost all faith in the world, God, people..whatever. I guess that if you have nothing precious to hold onto then it could destroy you..the knowlegde of what you've seen could eat away at you from the inside (to use a Locke quote ).

I can certainly buy that..I just find it interesting that the creators didn't decide to show us any indication of this..I guess he didn't have the benefit of a flashback etc, so perhaps we'll never know whether Keamy had any 'excuse' (for want of a better word) to do the things that he did in such a monsterous way.

It's interesting to consider how they could have made him more sympathetic though - another way could be by having him reference his family..perhaps giving us a little indication that he was doing it for them..perhaps Widmore was holding them hostage or something? Of course this is complete fabrication..but it makes you think of ways that a monster could have been made more understandable.

Good stuff guys.

[Reed]

I think it was good to have that one character where TPTB did not try to make us sympathetic toward them as they have done with lots of characters. There was no debating on the matter, which was refreshing.

[lost-lover]

I agree. It's good to have at least one character everyone can agree on. Even if it is only to hate them.

[Reed]

Originally Posted by lost-lover

I agree. It's good to have at least one character everyone can agree on. Even if it is only to hate them.

Precisely, though I completely understand where D-Roc is coming from though as we have come to expect even the most vicious characters have a softer side. I suppose Keamy may have had such a side but it was never going to be on show.

[lost-lover]

It's possible, as I've said before, that certain parts of the show were cut from the show due to the writer's strike, like "don't trust the captain". Maybe when the strike happened they decided to leave Keamy as a killer without a conscience. I like the idea that he was meant to be this way anyway though.

[Reed]

Originally Posted by lost-lover

It's possible, as I've said before, that certain parts of the show were cut from the show due to the writer's strike, like "don't trust the captain". Maybe when the strike happened they decided to leave Keamy as a killer without a conscience. I like the idea that he was meant to be this way anyway though.

Good point actually. Perhaps there would have been a Keamy flashback. Oh was that supposed to be an episode title?