Stranger in a Strange Land

Okay, I am going to say it…WTF?!? I LOVE this show. With that said, tonight’s episode was a tremendous let down. I know they cannot tell us everything. But tell us something. Jack screaming at Cindy?!? No questions? I will try my best to figure out what I thought the episode meant and future implications.

Summary

See above. Not enough info? Ok. The episode was minor character development, answering questions we already knew the answers to from previous shows and the ABC promo, and basic filler. Can you feel my frustration? Sawyer had his typical lines: “Bobby”. “Captain Bunny Killer”. “Crying in the jungle!” “Sally Slingshot” “You got a map, Magellan.” Offered some much needed levity to this installment.

Connections

The song Sawyer was singing on the boat "Show Me The Way To Go Home" was the same song the men were singing on the boat in the movie Jaws right before they were attacked.

The Thai hello was similar to the Namaste greeting that Dr. Candle did on the orientation video.

Achara has a “gift” and so did Claire’s psychic.

Jack’s tattoo really means, “"Eagles high, cleaving sky." I think the show just took license with the tattoos. But a connection could be made about the real translation and him flying a kite that was in the shape of a bird.

The dharma logo of the hydra hatch was in the meeting room. I really didn’t see anymore connections. There were a lot of inferences and similarities, but no numbers or other clues.

Questions

Are you kidding? There were tons!

I think that Cindy and the kids were taken because they were easy to manipulate and convert to their way of thinking. If you believe that they were taken because they were special, were the other Tailies just left there to die or to be rescued? What happens to people who come to the island uninvited? Was this the first time? The bigger conspiracy is that Cindy is a true Other. She could have had access to the cockpit and that plane was brought to that area on purpose. Why were they so off-course? She could have been an Other like Etham.

I am sticking with brainwashed because the kids were ok with being there as well. They had memories (she asked about Ana Lucia) so why are they not missing their parents? The boy seemed not so brainwashed maybe because of his age. They were taking the kids to an execution. Reminded me of the book The Lottery, where the entire village, kids included, took part in a stoning.

Another quick point about time shift. Cindy was going to explain her association to the Others, but stopped short. I always thought the whispers were people talking on a different plane of time. Maybe they are “the Watchers”. It could all be a part of the bigger experiment.

Another note, Alex never answered Jack’s question when he asked if Ben was still in charge. She said, “what?” He repeated it and then added if the sheriff would still follow Ben’s orders. Alex answered yes to that, but not if he was still in charge. I believe because he ultimately is not.

Jack wasn’t allowed in the meeting room, much like he was not suppose to get the tattoo. He stepped over the line in Phuket but not on the island. Perhaps things to come. But the kids and Cindy were there which emphasizes her status with the Others. She is clearly not a higher up because she didn’t know about Ana Lucia. Also notice how Juliet’s hair was straight while she was in charge. But when she was in trouble it started to poof back up again and look ratty like when she was home. Another small indication that she is less like one of them, although I still don’t trust her.

The tattoo was significant in as much as it indicated Jack is a leader. Most of the time that is a positive trait but Achara reacted like it was bad. Was it because she felt that he would go through the struggle on the island to ultimately be a leader after a disaster? Possibly. “He walks among us, but is not one of us.” Describing his current status with the Others? Maybe also his status with the Losties, since they were “bad” and he is good? Or perhaps an indication of his future status as the leader of the island? More of a foreshadowing.

As far as Kate/Sawyer/Karl, why let Karl go? Learn as much as you can from him and then let him go. If he has been on the island all his life, then wouldn’t he just automatically go back? Is he supposed to wander in the jungle forever? I hope he runs into Rousseau! He believes in the island and their purpose, he just wants to be with Alex as well. There is definitely more than meets the eye about them leaving him. What if they sailed the boat around, would they have hit the Others home instead. Michael & Walt are supposed to be going home. Could it be “home”? Walt seemed off the last time we saw him, unaffected that the Losties were bound and gagged on the dock, much like the way the girl reacted to Jack being in a cage. Why is that? Simple brainwashing or do they know the bigger picture? More I think about it….they are in the Others home.

Why send your only doctor to investigate the Losties?!? Etham was obviously high up, so why expose him to not only the danger of being pretending to be a “survivor”, but of also stealing Claire? As always, no answers, more questions.

Conclusion

It was hard to read everyone slamming LOST last week, especially since I thought last week’s episode was great. And then they had to go and air this one! The ABC promo people need to stay out of it and are in many ways frustrating fans. I think they came up with something to grab viewers but if the episode doesn’t hold up, it causes more damage. But it’s still my show and I love it enough to allow it one ok week. I really like Alex and Karl and look forward to seeing how that all pans out. So until next week…

Flashes Before Your Eyes

Yes! Yes! Yes! How can someone NOT like this show?!? They just don’t get it. Each spine tingling episode…I love it more and more. Time travel!!! But not really. Love how it is but not that at all! Does your brain hurt? Let’s begin our journey…

Oh one point from last week that I missed. Mittlelos Lab could be a subsidiary of Hanso Foundation since Dr. Thomas Mittelwerk took over for Alvar Hanso. Not sure if that is fan fiction or actually part of the story. But it is easier for me to connect the dots if it is true.

Summary
So you can’t believe the previews at all. No Sawyer or Kate this episode. An excellent episode nonetheless. I like Desmond and anything with him is welcome. I hope they don’t get rid of Charlie any time soon…but you know Lost. Anything can happen. And he is dating Kate in real life. Not good. Once the relationship is over, one of them is dead. Charlie had a cute line, “That is why we don’t do drugs”. Definitely before Drive Shaft.

Connections
Lots of easy ones so that we see clearly the connections Desmond is suppose to make. 1:08 on the alarm clock, beeping on the microwave matched that in the hatch. Delivery guy had delivery at 8:15. MacCutcheon whisky was the same on the island as in Widmore’s office. Make your own kind of music on jukebox is the same song playing in the hatch when Desmond was exercising. We see the origins of the photo Desmond carries around. The picture on the wall of Widmore’s office had a polar bear on it and “Namaste” written backwards from the orientation video. Also the Greek words and symbols from the hatch were on a painting in Desmond and Penny’s apartment. Hieronymus is Charlie’s middle name. Painter known for his works depicting sin and human moral failings. The jeweler’s name is Ms. Hawkings like Steven Hawkings from the book that the guard was reading last week. She is also wearing an Ouroboros broach which is a dragon in a circle eating its tail. A metaphor for a vicious cycle. Receptionist at Widmore office was also an EMT during Jack’s wife’s car accident. In the background of the soccer match on TV, you can see ads for Oceanic, Mr. Clucks Chicken Shack, Apollo Candy Bars and Hanso Foundation. Charlie singing that song to Desmond on the street with the lyrics, "Maybe.....You're gonna be the one that saves me", I searched and I think the song is called Wonderwall. Okay…maybe y’all already knew that since it was Oasis. I never liked the feuding brothers! The book, Laughter in the Dark, that they found in Sawyer’s stash, was a Lolita-type book, so not sure how that ties in at all. Lots of repeating lines: You’re a good man, its’ not the end of the world etc.

Questions
4 theories (All in his head, all in his head AND premonition, the island-smoke monster, time travel-reliving his past,)

The logical explanation is that he bumped his head and dreamed about the past. He then incorporated themes from the present, as dreams often do. The jeweler was his subconscious re-affirming that he was doing the right thing. The blast gave him a heightened sense of awareness instead of the ability to preconceive things. If things are suppose to happen, they will whether or not he intervenes, in the end. This ability is his way to make up for his past wrongs of the past, which they all try and fail to do, and he will too also fail. Boring!

The other take is the above, but add that he has the ability to see the future after the blast.

If we say it’s the island trying to keep him on path and that the dream was really his manifestation of the smoke monster. The people on the island see their manifestation on the island, perhaps for Desmond it had to not only be routed in the past but reinforce his premonitions. The jeweler was another manifestation of the smoke monster, much like Ecko’s brother was.

I like Time Travel, Time Shift, and Parallel Universe. To me it explains it all! From Walt (Have you ever seen Walt in places he was not suppose to be), to the whispers and backward talking (perhaps speaking on another plane of time). Remember Penny at the end of Season 2? I think Desmond traveled back and told his friend, who told Penny, who hired a team to look for the EMP anomaly and there she would find Desmond. Why an EMP, why not a sailboat? I think its logical that Desmond’s friend, after realizing that Desmond was right about the soccer match, tells the story to Penny once Desmond is missing for some time. Add that and with the fact that we’ve all seen Terminator. He had to be naked to travel through time.

Another take is that Desmond has lived through this and it is not a premonition but he is seeing his past. The jeweler was like the oracle in the Matrix (side note: could they make any more movie references, Final Destination, Terminator, The Others, Slaughterhouse Five, and Matrix-Damn! What if they were suppose to die in the plane crash, a la Final Destination, and now they are being killed one by one based on where their name was on the manifest? Nope, then where did the Others come from and why do they still exist? Oh well). She tries to tell him that he cannot change the past, which his really his present. He keeps trying to by saving Charlie. But its not the future but really the past.

It’s a lot to chew on. NO ONE knows what is the correct one, so it is fun to hypothesize about it! I’m sticking with time shift/parallel universe. Time travel seems too extreme, but in the world of LOST, so would a smoke monster killing a grown man!

Conclusion
So next week, we finally learn about the children. Now I said last week that if the children were all grown up, definitely time shift. But I think they haven’t aged because Cindy looks the same. Same clothes even if I’m not mistaken. Whatever is going on….I can’t wait to watch it unfold. Good night! (now morning..)

LOST #1

Gabcast! LOST #1

Not in Portland

So did anyone actually watch it last night?!? 10 p.m. was a killer for me! I am getting soooo old. I did manage to watch it but fell asleep typing. It all sounded like gibberish by the morning. And I broke my noon rule. So let’s just get to it. Same format: Summary, Connections, Questions, Conclusion.

Summary

I thought it was a good show last night. It was a pretty typical character development episode. We learned about Juliet (Julie, Jules etc) and her history. She is a brilliant fertility scientist, but scared, timid and controlled by the man in her life. Explains why now she is a forceful, killer. Even her hair looks stronger. Very interesting to know that she is stuck on the island as well, if we believe her. It does make sense that she would want to leave the island and be back with her sister. We will probably learn more in future flashbacks. Sawyer had the best lines, glad we didn’t loose that over the hiatus. “Glad to meet you, Sheena.” “Don't get mad at me, just 'cause you were dumb enough to fall for the old Wookiee prisoner gag.” My favorite was when Kate was on the walkie talkie with Jack and he said, “Yeah tell him I said hello…will you come on!!!” Loved it.

Connections

Numbers – the monitor showed 108 on the screen, the medical lab was in lab 5. The number 4 was on her security card. Karl was being held in room 23.

-Kate was in Miami in her wedding flashback.

-The plane when Juliet opened the blinds was an oceanic flight.

-We all saw Ethan when Juliet walked down the hallway to her sister’s apartment. Much like the walk down the hallway when he was keeping Claire.

-The anagram for “Mittlelos” lab as is Time Lost or Lost Time.

-Rachel’s pregnancy test was a Windmore, just like the other ones.

-When Juliet said, “Whatever you think I am, I’m not.” Ben said the same thing while in the hatch.

-The whole brainwash room was like Clockwork Orange. Pretty straight forward crazy Others stuff. The only thing that stuck in my mind was the “God loves you as he did Jacob” sign. Only because of the whole “Shepard wasn’t even on Jacob’s list”. In my mind, the slide was trying to reinforce the superiority and maybe divinity of Jacob. Also noticed the last scene of the slide show was of a scientist, probably a De Groot.

-Aldo the guard was reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. It’s a book about cosmology, black holes etc.

Questions

I think Juliet’s sister Rachel perhaps had ovarian cancer and could no longer conceive due to organs being removed. Juliet’s experience with impregnating a male mouse would fit that. The aging womb to me reinforces my time shift theory that perhaps people are aging at different rates on the island. If we see a couple of teenagers, those are the children from the plane! That is too wild for me. I am not sure how far and deep the time shift is but it is prevalent.

I liked how the company was stalking her to get her on the island. Maybe some are chosen and others get there by chance. I don’t think they killed her husband, although pretty cool nonetheless. It reminded me of the movie Final Destination. BUT it was similar to how Michael was hit by a car when he was crossing the street after threatening to take Walt.

Ben is Alex’s father. I believe he took her from Rousseau, like they wanted to do with Aaron, and he raised her as his child. She is obviously a higher up since everyone let’s her go. She is a lot like Rousseau as she knows the jungle, tricks and traps. I would be curious to know why they don’t want her and Karl together. Why did they feel the need to re-program him? I don’t think Rousseau knows that Alex is her daughter. I think she is so crazy that she is still probably looking for a baby instead of a full grown girl.

Do we believe what Danny said that Ben would never want them to leave? Did Juliet kill him on purpose? I think some of what she told Jack is true…not all of it. She wants to leave. She is being kept there. But still, something else is missing.

Purple sky comment. Jack asks why they didn’t take him off the island? Tom starts to explain, “Every since the sky turned purple….”, what does that mean?!? If that means they couldn’t get him off the island, then Michael and Walt haven’t really left. And why would they need Jack, Sawyer and Kate if they were going to take him off the island? (Purple sky was after they were taken). Ben has never been off the island. Would he really leave for a surgery?

Conclusion

I am glad to see in next week’s episode that they are going back for Jack. Live together or die alone. Even though the hiatus was rough at first, it is going to be nice to have week after week of LOST. I think that the show will continue to build momentum. So until next week….c-ya!