There's No Place Like Home, Part 2 & 3

LOST Season Four Finale

I would like to thank you all for once again helping me have a great season finale party. I’ve have heard it called "The Best One Yet!" We didn’t get a chance to play the quiz but Lost Scattergories was a blast! I will think up new categories by Feb 09 as well as change things around a little bit. But thanks to all who attended and for the best line of the night, “Knees!!!”. You will have to show next time to find out what that means!

Last Friday there was all kinds of drama going on in my life and I wasn’t sure why I was even involved and why it bothered me so much. And then it dawned on me. It’s gone. For the next 8 months, I will have to rely on my own life to get me through. I was overanalyzing everything going on in the world around me because I don’t have my guilty pleasure to do it with anymore (And why does that sentence sound so naughty?!?). I will suck it up so that we can complete this season off right, knowing that as soon as I hit save, it's over.

Before I get into the final episode, I’d like to say that I felt the shortened season due to the writer's strike still packed a punch. It’s hard to remember all the oohs and ahs but they were lots of them. I have compiled a list of the top 10 events of season four – in my humble opinion. I think once we reflect, then we can really move on.

10. Michael’s return – Even though we new it was coming since it was the most hyped return of a character in quite some time, it was great to see him turn around on the freighter. Of course now he is screaming racial discrimination because they killed off key black characters. Too leave a great show like this, I would be pissed too! But there are no guarantees and everyone is potentially expendable. Michael (Howard) better shut it up before he goes the way of Isaiah Washington. The TPTB still had nice things about him and wished him well. He even got a new job on ABC. That was smart on ABC's part to squelch the potential media storm. But it was the answer we needed and a story line that definitely needed tying up.

9. Jin and Sun – They had 3 great moments. When Jin found out she cheated, when we realized that it was a flash forward and flash back in the childbirth episode, and Jin’s “death” scene. They are a great couple and to see how far their characters and relationship has grown has been extremely satisfying. I don't think Jin is dead and am waiting for him to appear at the end of an episode in season five and then the fade to black w/ LOST written in white and the Dum!

8. Oceanic Six - Before all the crap about Aaron being one of the six (not going to get into it again!), it was exciting to learn exactly who was and wasn’t part of the Oceanic Six. Guessing the who, what, when, where and why of it all was part of many hours of debate. As each week unfolded and another one was revealed, it was great tv.

7. Time shift confirmation – The test with the rocket and the death of the doctor confirmed time shift. That was exciting to learn that that theory was correct. It also set up questions as to how it all would eventually fit together. The actual island disappearing in a flash of white was magnificent. Even though we saw it coming, it was great.

6. Miles – He has proven to be a great new character this season. All his freaky moments and connection with the dead are what the island needed. I like that fact that he has sort of an attitude and a chip on his shoulder. He is also a multidimensional character that can use his powers for good, evil, or not at all. Sort of like Sawyer...the anti-hero hero.

5. Christian as Jacob’s representative – We were unclear last season when Locke and Ben saw him. When Hurley saw him, we guessed correctly but still were not completely sure. When Locke SPOKE with him we were floored! Add in Claire sitting there all cryptic, fantastic!

4. Alex being murdered – You thought that Ben would find a way to talk his way out of the hostage situation. Then Keamy shoots her in cold blood. My heart stopped. And THEN Ben’s revenge with the smoke monster. Brilliant even if the monster didn’t kill them all off. It was a powerful scene that left my mouth wide open and my finger on the rewind button.

3. Sayid working for Ben – As he was being patched up in the vet office and is speaking to his employer. Then the slow camera pan to that employer being Ben was a jaw dropper. To find out that not only was Ben off the island but had manipulated Sayid into working for him. Wow!

2. Aaron being passed off as Kate’s son – Shocking is all I remember when she first spoke his name. Some of us believing it was Sawyer’s baby and she was impregnated on the island. All the questions, Is it hers? Is it adopted? Where is Claire? That moment was spectacular.

1. Locke in the coffin – Although in some ways not as shocking as the other 9 events were, this one may take a minute to develop. Ben right behind Jack made me jump. And if I hadn't been an information whore and let the story unfold, this would have been an extremely shocking moment. But I am willing to wait for all the questions and doors this event opens up for everyone off as well as on the island. It is still significant moment for this season.

Thank you for coming along with me down memory lane. Now…on with the show!

Summary

They filmed 3 alternate endings to the show to throw the spoiler sites off. It didn’t work very well. Based on the dialogue, it really only could have been Locke in the coffin. The other scenes had Sawyer and Desmond. I’m glad it wasn’t Desmond because someone has to have the happy ending. And Sawyer had just sacrificed himself for Kate, that just didn’t make sense. I read one thought that it was Ben behind Jack and then Ben in the coffin. That would have been cool! But still Locke being dead raises so many questions. It was a good episode for this time in the series.

Connections

Jeremy Bentham is the name of an English philosopher in the 1800’s who advocated for economic freedom, end of slavery, discrimination against homosexuals, the right to divorce and the freedom of expression. This is Locke's alias off of the island. Remember that commercial for Octagon Global Recruiting? That was a recruitment video for the Dharma Initiative. Funny, we saw it and joked about their request for teachers. The job fair is in San Diego July 24th - 27th…the same days of Comic Con. Too cool! When Hurley was playing chess with the ghost of Mr. Ecko, he was on the black chess pieces side and Mr. Ecko was on the white. The black logo on the funeral home is the same as the white logo on the Pearl station. When Sawyer whispers to Kate in the helicopter, he says “I have a daughter in Albuquerque, you need to find her. Tell her I’m sorry.” The voice on the phone speaking to Kate says,”The island needs you. You have to go back before it’s too late.” Sawyer uses more nicknames, calling Jack “Sundance” and Frank “Kenny Rogers.” I love that Charlotte was revealed as being on the island before. I believe that she could have been a Dharma kid and she was either taken off the island so her mother wouldn’t die or after. But who’s kid could she be to be that significant? Maybe the bodies in the cave?

Questions

The island moving was cool. If we base it on the Orchid Video, when it shifted forward in time if “disappeared” but is still in the same place it was. It only appeared to disappear and if you were on that same heading you could no longer see it because its on another plane in time. Just like the whispers. I think its people trying to talk to them but they cannot understand because of the time difference. Desmond goes to the past to tell Penny to wait for his call in the future. They speak then and again while Desmond is on the freighter. So she is on her way. Ben turns the wheel and the island moves further in time and takes the freighter and the raft with it. The helicopter is off course and is not caught up in the time shift. So Penny finds them after the crash and they are now on the same plane in time as the rest of the world. They didn’t leave the island the island left them. I guess Ben still had to move the island because Widmore knew the coordinates and Penny's boat was close. Since the underwater station was still considered part of the island, I see why the freighter was still visible and why Faraday's raft will still be there.

It was scary when Kate found Claire next to Aaron’s bed. Claire, “don’t bring him back to the island.” Who is “him”? I thought Aaron. But now I am starting to think she means Ben. Ben is obviously working the angles. He doesn’t care about them as evidenced by him allowing the freighter to blow up. He has always thought of them in relation to how they can help him. He must need them so that he can go back. This brings me back to the Ben Widmore meeting. Ben can't kill Widmore. Does that mean Ben can't be killed either? If Locke is a leader, why has he presumably been killed? Also "I know who you are boy." That line always made me think that Widmore was much older than Ben. Perhaps centuries. Also this line: That island's mine, Benjamin. It always was. It will be again. What if Widmore spun the wheel, tricked by Ben, and can't go back? They both want to go back - but how if it was Jacob's wish for Ben to leave in the first place? So many questions.

When Locke asks if the vault was the black box, Ben is like No you idiot. I think they traveled back and picked up Locke’s dad and made it seem more mystical than it actually was. When Ben entered the vault, that was the island working its magic. I think its funny how even now Locke can't tell Ben's lies apart. I found a timeline and Ben ended up landing 10 months into the future, since that is when he sees Sayid on the television carrying Nadia’s coffin. So I'm not sure if the island moved forward or if it moved back sense Ben moved ahead in the real world.

Locke in the coffin was a good way to end things. I guessed it was him after analyzing the part about the funeral director saying “Friend or family of the deceased”. I was thrown about him being survived by a teenaged son since he didn’t have any children that we knew of. I assume Walt but it didn't seem that they had enough contact for him to be considered a father figure. He was found hanging from a beam according the obituary in the season three finale. He was the leader of the Others and had everything he thought he wanted. Why would he have left the island? Why would he visit them and try to convince them that they needed to go back? What went terrible wrong after Jack left? I HOPE they can tie this up neatly in 2 mini seasons. Even though these 13 episodes were more than enough to move things forward.

Conclusion

I will keep you posted regarding any information I learn about LOST at Comic Con. I will send an email letting you know when I am going just in case you want to come along. Also anything new during the off season will be put on the blog and emailed out. There are tidbits and lost seasons popping up from this season so I will be sure to direct you to the correct links.

Thank you all for visiting the site and sharing my favorite past time with me. Be safe and hope see you all again Feb 09 for the season five season premiere of LOST. C-ya!

There's No Place Like Home

The cardinal sin. The delay of the LOST blog. I hear you all and I know! I would say I was busy and blah, blah, blah. But I really think I have psychological issues and I am trying to delay the loss of Lost. After next week’s episode…it’s gone until February 09. 2009!!! I don’t think I can deal with it. I really don’t. So once I write the blog its over. So the delay is my way of hanging. Crazy. I know! But that is my only real defense. I was camping and dancing and fighting the heat. But the main reason is that I want to hang on to the show as long as I can. So that is my excuse…on with the show!

Oh the double edged sword. How badly the wound bleeds.

This would have been a great episode…had we not known about 98% of it before it happened. But leave it to Lost to make the other 2% awesome.

So my issue with the episode is that it seemed to pause as if to allow for the laughing of a laugh track. But instead of laughing we were all supposed to go OMG! I found myself smiling in delight…but no real shocking moments. They landed in Honolulu, ok. Sun socks it to her dad, ok. Hurley sees fruit from the island and hears whispers, turns out to be a surprise party. Ok. Nadia and Sayid are reunited, ok. Jack finds out the Claire was his half sister, ok (although it was nice to find out I was right about when Kate asked Jack if he wanted to come by for a visit. It was to visit his half brother). I am sure if you were someone who didn’t hyper-analyze every episode, this would have been a damn good episode.

Summary

So let’s get to the 2%. The first one for me was the ominous way the door on the freighter slowly closed behind Sun. I have maintained that that Jin is still alive, but that slow look behind was much like the scene between Desmond and Charlie before he died. After confronting her father, she mentions 2 people responsible for Jin’s death. Seemed way more than act and much more like grief to me. I think Jin dies! Next cool scene, when Sayid and Kate were confronted by the Others. That was great. Maybe we finally get to see the temple? Doubt it from the previews but one could hope. Not to mention Richard Alpert cool as a cucumber. Next great scene, the explosives making it clear that the freighter can’t get anyone off the island. I believe Keamy put them there. I guess he only planned for only himself, Ben and a few others getting off the island in the helicopter. The rest where on an unknown suicide mission. I believe the device on Keamy’s arm is the trigger for the explosives. Kill him, freighter goes boom. Maybe thinking they are doing a good thing by killing him without knowing the other consequences. Sound familiar? Sounds like a running theme on the island. I miss Sawyer. I hope to see more of him next season. If he dies, all hell will break loose.

Connections

The numbers were everywhere this episode. The odometer on Hurley’s car, the amount of days the Oceanic 6 were missing (108), on clothes and the number of decorations at Hurley’s party. Hurley was eating from Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack. Best lines….I loved it when Sawyer said as he went with Jack, “You don’t get to die alone.” A take from Live Together, Die Alone and the fact that they must stick together. I also liked when Hurley’s dad says to them, “What are you talking about? Building a fire, hunting down boars?” The Losties paused and looked around nervously. Sawyer had his trademark lines, “New Otherton” (The Other’s barracks), “Hold on Shaggy” (To Lapidus) and “Genghis” (referring to Miles). Love it!

Questions

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4bTvAUVPyLI

I have provided a link to the Orchid station orientation video that was shown at Comic Con last summer. Notice the reference to the “leap” and the fear of rabbit 15 getting close to the other rabbit 15. I think they were experimenting with time travel and accidentally caused the rabbits to be in the same time. The only reason why I think its important is that to move the island either means to shift time or the movement of the island also causes a shift in time. I have always maintained that the whispers are echoes from the past or future.

My main questions for this week’s finale:

Did Desmond see Claire get on the chopper with Aaron? This is very simple to explain. Either he mistook the woman holding Aaron as Claire, or what he saw happens in an alternate set of circumstances or he lied. I think he mistook the woman holding Aaron. We shall see.

Is Claire dead? What truths could Christian have told Claire to make her at ease? Sure she was happy to see her dad. She doesn’t know he is supposed to be dead. I think it’s more likely that she died and what they were seeing was a manifestation. That is why Miles kept wanting to take Aaron from Claire. I would rather her be alive.

How do those 6 get off the island? It’s a simple thought that they all make it back to the beach, jump on the raft and sail away. But with them all spread out and now in different camps, it will be interesting to see how they get this done.

Finally, how does Locke move the island? He seems to be gloating with Jack in the previews about what he is about to do. How will this affect the Others, people on the beach, people on the freighter, and our heroes in the jungle?

I’m both excited and scared to see how this all turns out. It could be very shocking and Lost worthy…or one big disappointment. I am trying to temper my excitement but its not working. How will the show continue if time catches up? TPTB stated a while back that flashbacks and flash forwards will no longer be important soon. That is a cryptic comment. Could mean that everything is in real time. NAW! Probably means that we won’t know what is a forward, back or side to side.

Conclusion

Mind you there are a ton of spoilers on the net and I have not read any of them. Stay away from them. Someone wrote a blow by blow of the finale. That really sucks. Some people cannot take the suspense!

Season finale next week. Party at Chez Clark. Look for another email with the specific details. Until then, C-ya!

Cabin Fever

Side note: I am really bad about telling you about non-show Lost stuff. However last week, producers were on Jimmy Kimmel show discussing the season and because Jimmy is a huge fan. He tried to grill them but the other guest, Terrance Howard, kept interrupting. Jerk! But here is the link if you would like to hear what they had to say, no spoilers.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/05/kimmel-grills-the-lost-guys-video/

Cabin Fever

Hello everyone. It’s hard to write this because I am in an empty building and it’s so quiet I can hear the ticking of the clock. It’s annoying as hell! I think I need the constant “Are you done yet!?!” and the loud of voices to be able to focus. But how could I not do okay because it was a GREAT episode. There was so much to ponder and theorize about. I am not sure I have had enough time to truly sit down and reflect. But I will do my best.

Summary

I loved the fact that it seems as though they are bringing back old Locke. I hated how he seemed to falter and now has a renewed sense of self. The gun shot and his legs temporarily becoming paralyzed were signs that he was falling out of favor with the island. His question to Jacob was perfect! It meant that he had found his way and was the new true leader. Ben is still powerful but become obsessed with his own power, controlling the Losties and his daughter and lost focus of the true nature of the island. Locke scenes still move at a snail’s pace. I am screaming at the tv, “hurry up!”. But this week was great because you can see the build up to the season finale.

Hurley’s character is the perfect medium. His problem is that despite the fact that he is good and deserves all he receives, he still believes he’s cursed. He is the one I am not sure of his path. That goes double for Jack. Both flawed in a way that makes them repeat history.

Connections

The scene after the commercial break opened with the eye which is a recurring theme. Locke as a kid was playing backgammon which he also played with Walt on the beach. Locke was also on the white side of the game board. Locke said, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do” yet again, which is his Achilles’ heel. Ben’s mother was also named Emily like Emily Locke. Locke’s mom was locked up in the same mental institution (Santa Rosa) as Hurley (we see her again when she is running a con on Locke with his father for his kidney). Horace Godspeed cutting down the same tree over and over is like the biblical story for Sisyphus pushing a bolder uphill, only to have it roll back down again. Locke being asked to choose and item from Richard is like the choosing of the Dali Lama. Each item is similar to an item Locke either had or was given on the island. Not sure about the comic book just being about a lost island or if perhaps Walt had a copy of that comic too.

Questions

This is going to be a long one.

#1: Why is Keamy trying to blow up the island? The Captain and the commando kept saying that they thought it was a simple extraction mission. Why would Widmore want the island to be blown up? I thought he wanted the island for himself? That makes no sense to me. Kill everyone, ok. But why torch the island? Widmore never really wanted Ben because when Ben was in his bedroom, their focus is still the island. Ben is a means to an end. What Keamy was reading from the safe was a Dharma document. It had the same logo that was on Ben’s parka. Maybe Widmore thinks he needs Ben out of the way so that he can destroy the island. Maybe start anew. But why?!?

#2: I wasn’t freaking out when I saw Christian in the cabin, because we had already guessed it was him from the previous season. But, Claire? OMG! 2 options. She is dead, Christian is dead and that is how the island communicates with the living. OR Claire just drank the kool-aid as Cindy and the kids did. Remember when Cindy and the kids were looking at Sawyer in the cage? They were like business as usual, not shocked at all. So she has either understood the bigger picture or is dead. I don’t know. But her creepy smile was freaky.

#3: Richard Alpert. “Which one of these belongs to you already?” Great question. As to say, “In your past incarnation, which one of these is yours.” Is time moving forward, backwards or in a loop! Just like the Matrix, Neo can change the future only when he has exhausted all of his choices of free will. But every choice creates another new choice. And if he didn’t learn from the last path, he will end up in the same place. Perhaps Locke answered correctly before and was taken to the island sooner. Next time, not until he was a teenager. I think it’s more likely that he chose wrong as a kid and then Ben was recruited. But when Ben started to go astray, they gave Locke another try. Is Richard ageless or is he a clone? They dropped all that cloning business and the rabbit stuff awhile ago. But is it still significant?

#4: Matthew Abbaddon. I thought he was a bad guy since he seemed to have been working for Widmore and gave the instructions to Naomi. He still could be. Since Richard focused on Mittelos school and science camp. Matthew just wanted Locke on the plane. Maybe Widmore found out John was important and thought if he could get him on a plane over the island, the island would in a sense, reclaim him? I can’t see how Matthew and Richard are on the same side. Not too mention, Matthew asking Hurley if they were still alive. Richard already knows since he is still on the island, supposedly at the temple. The more I type, the more confused I am. Remember when Matthew was talking to Hurley and asked, are they really dead? What if Matthew got Locke on the plane, hoping the island would claim him. Now they are gone, missing. Then these 6 people make it off. He is asking Hurley if they are really dead, but really wanting to know if they found the magical island Widmore has been looking for and Locke is alive on it. Hmmm. Need to chew on that a little while. Still a little tough. Matthew and Richard may be the same type of entity, but working on different sides.

#5: So we know that Locke is the new leader because he wants to protect the island, basically finally answering correctly and now on the right path. How, why, who….still big questions. Maybe the electromagnetic event causes the islands coordinates to be altered? If that is so, all they would need to do is cause a breech. The explosion of the hatch is what caused Penny to believe she had found Desmond and the island. But what if its move the island in time not space? Someone mentioned it online and now that I am thinking about it, that is way cooler. Perhaps the 6 that leave are supposed to go to ensure the island can’t be found. The island (or smoky) cannot kill the commandos. It tried. And the island doesn’t ask to the losties to kill the commandos, much like Ben killed Dharma. To protect it, it must be moved. So move it off the radar, recloak it, send survivors back so that noone keeps looking. May still be too many questions. Again Matthew finding Hurley and asking if they are really dead. People seemingly following Sun.

But what if the move is in time? Maybe those 6 go back to alter events so that it cannot be found. OR if they return means they can't be found. I thought they accounted for all the bodies in the crash? Was there a bigger investigation of the hoax OR was the past changed (the island is future so past for off the island?). It’s a way off idea that I cannot even begin to conceptualize. But there may be something there.

The questions mount!

Conclusion

All around, great episode. I did watch the preview for the coming weeks and noticed some BIG little things in the scenes. I am sooooo excited. Just to remind all of you, I am still planning the season finale party at my new digs in North Park. Start time is 7:30 to allow for dinner, drinks and trivia. The date for that is May 29^th. And now that I know the owner of L & L Hawaiian Barbecue (she lived next door to me), score! So be sure to pencil it in. That’s it for today. Have a great week. Talk to you soon. C-ya!

Something Nice Back Home

This is going be a quick one because this episode seemed more like a set-up for things to come. I didn’t love the episode because it hinted at a direction on the show that I hope it doesn’t continue. The title, Something Nice Back Home, is from when Bernard was talking to Jack and said wouldn’t you rather be dreaming about something nice back home, instead of awake for the surgery. That hints at the fact that the flash forwards are not real and are dreams. Add in that Hugo thinks they are all dead off the island. I don’t like that. And if it’s not a dream, then possibly the island is living and off the island is purgatory. I would hate that. And the producers still maintain that within reason, events are rooted in reality. I hope for their sake that remains true because them all being dead or this is a dream or someone’s subconscious projection will cause riots in the streets!

I loved Jin as a bad ass. He can go between good guy and bad guy so easily. It seems as though he understands on some level that him and Sun won’t both get off the island. All he wants is for Sun and his baby to make it. That was really sweet. So I will accept this meandering episode…but I don’t have to love it!

Connections

We had some nicknames…Sawyer called Miles “Donger” from Sixteen Candles. Charlotte was referred to as “Red”. The opening scene was of an eye which is a reoccurring theme. Jack is reading about a Red Sox game that took place the end of August 2007, that is the potential date stamp for the flash forward. Jack stepped on the Millennium Falcon toy from Star Wars. I definitely believe that Sawyer is Hans Solo. I’m not sure about the further implications of it because RG (yes, you got a shot out!) is not here to bless me with is Star Warian theology. I think it was the constant need for both Skywalker and Hans to save Princess Lei. Jack feels he has by rescuing her off the island. But it may have really been Sawyer. He stayed so she could go, much like Jin staying so that Sun could go.

We had another parallel with Alice of Wonderland. Jack reading the story to Aaron, especially the chapter about Alice in transition from the real world to Wonderland. Much like Hurley seems to now be stuck. Jack’s assistant calling him reminding him about his appointments because he has issues with time. That refers to the potential time distortion and off the island. The x-ray Jack was looking at had the same tumor on the L4 vertebrae that Ben had. I started to get worried there because the whole subconscious dream thing, but hopefully it’s just coincidence.

Questions

On the boards, folks were mad that the smoke monster didn’t kill all the freighties. It mainly just distracted them so that the Losties could get out of the barracks. I’m ok with that because we still don’t really know what the smoke monster is all about. Also the smoke alarm going off and then the smoke monster appears in the form of Christian Shephard. It thought it was more like an alert. But that is a cute connection. Claire made the comment that she was glad she is no longer seeing this. This was based on a scene that was cut. It seemed too sudden that she sees Christian and then goes off with him. Blame that one on the strike. It was better explained and further developed but cut due to the shorter season limitation. With Claire gone, not sure how Jack makes the connection that it is his half sister. That is what I am waiting for.

Hurley had the best line with “You’re not supposed to raise him.” Is that because no on who is related to Aaron is supposed to raise him? Remember the psychic said that Aaron had to be raised by another. It is sad to think he can’t be with Kate even if he got his addictions cured. The way he said, “He isn’t even your blood” indicated that he knows that Aaron is his nephew. Again, that is the scene I am waiting for.

Kate, when talking on the phone, was making plans to visit with someone because Jack wouldn’t be home until 6. Jack, being paranoid, came home earlier than expected to catch her. I believe Kate was making plans to check on Clementine, Sawyer’s daughter. Of course from Jack’s fight with Kate, Sawyer obviously chooses to stay. But why?

Miles had some great moments. He is the only one that can understand the whispers. That is big. Is that because the whispers are of the dead or because he just has a heightened sense of awareness? He knows that something happens to Claire and that is why he kept wanting to take Aaron for her. One theory is that Claire is really dead. The house explosion killed her and she is just a manifestation. That is why she seemed so odd after the explosion and why Miles was looking at her strangely. I don’t think I like that idea but it does make sense in relation to Miles. Miles obviously saw her with Christian and knows that Christian is dead. So why did he allow her to go? If she was dead too, then she was supposed to leave. But if not, why would he allow her to walk off with a ghost? I am digging Miles right now.

Conclusion

Just erased what I typed because some of you don’t watch the previews. Let me just say it gets more confusing next week. Great. I think I like the supernatural aspects of the island the best. I was also digging the scenes with Juliette. She’s one sharp chick. Not only reading Jack like a book about his feelings for Kate but calling him out for being awake while they were talking. Loved it! Of course the Neanderthals online could only talk about Kate’s ass when she leapt into Jack’s arm. On one hand I am disgusted and rolling my eyes as I read the comments. On the other I am renewing my membership at the gym. J

I am looking forward to the end of this season because we are really getting closer to some real answers. I also have to fight back the depression that it almost over. We’ll hang in there together. Until next week….c-ya!

The Shape of Things To Come

I feel completely inadequate summing up last night’s episode. Echos of “We’re Not Worthy” from Wayne’s World drifts through my mind. How great was almost every single frame of that episode! I loved it! Welcome back everyone. Let’s get to it.

Summary

I am loving myself some Hurley and Sawyer. Hurley throwing that ottoman through the window. I love it when he’s badass. Sawyer having a gun drawn on him, “Have you lost your mind?” He’s badass. Ben pulling that gun out of the piano bench. HE is badass. Loved it! The killing of Alex was one of the most shocking moments on the show. Ben was in mid-manipulation when the gun went out. How terrible that he couldn’t trick his way out of it and that his last words to his daughter that he didn’t care about her. A lot of people think Ben is a monster because of it. And they are right. He feels he has no choice to make the decisions that he does. But there is always a choice. He always chooses the island, no matter what the cost.

The other big thing that happened was the time travel. Now Ben arrived in the Sahara in a parka (the translation of what the men on the horse say is, “He doesn’t have a trail. Where did he come from? Down from the sky?”). His disorientation and nausea are also clues The parka had the name Halliwax on it. During Comic-con last summer, Exec Producers Damon and Carlton (now known as Darlton), showed the Orchid Station video. Halliwax is an alias for Dr. Marvin Candle. That station is believed to be used for teleportation. I believe Ben traveled to the Antarctic (hence the parka) and then to the Sahara. Once at the hotel where he had been before and had a standing room, he saw Sayid on tv. I believe that is when he concocted the plan to get Sayid to be his killing machine. I don’t believe Widmore had his man kill Nadiya. I believe he was sent there to watch Sayid, Abbadon was sent to watch Hurley and perhaps someone else watching Sun at the hospital. I think they are sent to learn about the island but not to harm. I think Ben manipulated Sayid into thinking her death was a murder and that Widmore was responsible.

Time travel came into play again because of the morse code (I want to learn that. Never know when I will need it!), stating that on the boat the doc is alive but on the island the doc is dead. What happens to the freighter and how do they get off the island? We know they don’t get off the island with their help because it was not their mission and because Ben asking Sayid if he remembered Charles Widmore. If Widmore was responsible for their rescue, Ben would not have had to ask Sayid if her remembered him. It was only a year and a month ago.

Three words: the smoke monster. That was awesome! The way it moved and struck. I don’t believe Ben controls it but he definitely summoned it. I think it didn’t touch them because it had already scanned them before. I guess at the moment, they all were seen as the good guys.

Connections

The numbers were on the license plate of the car Ben was driven in to meet Widmore. Alex punched in 1623 for the electronic fence. The Black Rock ship was in a painting in Widmore’s bedroom. He was also drinking MacCutcheon whiskey as before. They were playing the game of Risk and there were several references to game playing: “Changing the rules”and “She’s just a pawn.” When Ben was in Widmore’s bedroom, his face was shown half shadowed. The same with Widmore eluding to dark and light or good and evil. Claire’s legs were sticking out from the rubble of the house basically falling her just like the Wizard of Oz. Also factor in the season finale is called “There’s No Place Like Home”. Ben is playing Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C Sharp Minor on the piano. It is also referred to as “The Day of Judgment”. The name of the episode, The Shape of Things to Come, is also the name of a book by H.G. Wells which is written in the form of a history book from the future.

Questions

I mentioned a few already. How do they get off the island? What happens to some of the key Losties? Where are the Others? All things we won’t find out anytime soon. The biggest this episode is the connection between Ben and Widmore. I feel as though their relationship is much like on X-Men with Professor Xavier and Magneto. They share a common bond, the island (X-men its being mutants). They will fight to the death to protect it from the outside as well as from each other. I am not sure how Jacob figures into all of this. If Jacob is a manifestation of the island and Ben has been doing its bidding. How was Widmore connected to the island? Was it just part of his family history? Could he be a Hanso? It would make sense since Ben purged them all from the island. Widmore could be trying to reclaim what belongs to the family. It will be interesting to see how Desmond figures into Ben’s quest to kill Penelope. Ben can’t kill Widmore because of his importance or connection to the island or the time space continuum. But he can hurt those around him. There’s more but I am tired! J This was a great episode but it definitely stretched my mind.

Conclusion

Great, great episode. We have 4 more episodes left. I want to state now that I have moved to North Park and would love to host the season finale party at my new pad. I know it’s on late but what are you 50?!? You can stay up late 1 night that week. So I will just pencil you all in now.

Looking forward to next week. The way this show is going, it just might be one of the greats of all time. Oh how far we have come since the first season! Remember when Jack was the man? Then Sawyer? Then Locke? Now its Ben, Ben, Ben. I truly hope that they fix what’s wrong with Locke. He seems so weak and pointless now. Walt said he was still needed. I hope they start to show us that. Well, until next week, C-ya!

Update - Lost Podcast

After hearing the podcast from the producers I need to update the blog. Please scroll down to post below for this week's blog (which I wrote earlier today!).

Oceanic 6: Jack, Kate, Hurley, Aaron, Sayid, Sun. Official.

TPTB were vague because they wanted you to be surprised a the end of the Ji Yuen episode to learn that Jin died in the crash. If they had confirmed that Aaron was part of the 6, we would have seen that episode and figured out too soon that it was a flashback AND fast forward episode together. They didn't mean for us to question Aaron, but be surprised that it was not Jin. Does that make sense? I get it now.

So Aaron was rescued from the island. Question: It’s Claire’s but do people think she is raising Claire’s baby or that it’s hers? If they think it’s hers, how can the baby be that old but Sun is just now giving birth?

Other stuff: They showed Mr. Friendly’s lover to tie up the comment that he said to Kate that she was not his type. No other significance.

The bearing to and from the island is important to prevent “the sickness” that is affecting the Freighter crew.

That’s basically it. They were answering fan questions but people, like the Losties, ask some pretty stupid questions. Things that are obvious “Did Miles have the grenade in his mouth for 4 days?” “Is Charlotte an Archeologist or Cultural Anthropologist?” “Rick Lapidus wrote the script to Nikkie’s tv show Expose. Any significance to Frank Lapidus?” (By the way, no. Writer just likes the name!). So stupid, stupid questions.

So that is it. Sorry for my angry blog earlier. I will have to marinate on that episode some more! C-ya!

Meet Kevin Johnson

Summary

I’m sorry. But I did NOT like this episode. I am still trying to figure out why? I am sooo glad that we have more shows this season. This closed an arch but not as neatly as I think the producers thought. They gave us in these last 8 episodes the Oceanic Six, intention of the Freighties and what happened to Michael and Walt. You WOULD think that was fantastic. But I think what is upsetting me is I don’t like the answers!

Oceanic Six: So Aaron is one of the Oceanic Six. This would be a good thing if it was clearly revealed. Half of the people out there think it was. Promo said it would be revealed and we were shown a baby (We already knew Kate was one). Case closed. But it makes little sense if Aaron is Claire’s and how a convicted felon got custody of a baby. OR if everyone thinks its Kate’s and the baby was not an Oceanic passenger but just covered under the media frenzy when they were rescued and he was included in the term “Oceanic Six”. It further complicates things when you think of Jack’s testimony that 8 survived, 2 died. Because that means that was a separate story entirely and has nothing to do with who ultimately was an Oceanic Six.   It still doesn't make sense!!!!  But fine.  I don’t have to like it without further explanation.

Freighties: So some are good and some are bad. Make me a list….sound familiar? Same thing that happened to the Losties is happening to the Freighties. Infiltrated by an Other, some are deemed worthy and allowed to live. Ok. No more mystery there! If Frank said Widmore believes him that it’s not Oceanic 815 at the bottom of the ocean, he is either playing Frank or Ben put the fake plane there. I think that it is more likely Ben because has more to loose than Charles if the island is found.

Michael & Walt: So Ben didn’t lie and allowed Michael and Walt off the island as he said he would. Michael is fighting demons (just like Jack. Makes sense why Jack couldn’t kill himself…more work to do?). Walt is normal and not “ghost Walt.” Some Others can move on and off the island. Sayid turns Michael in and perhaps this is why he ends up working for Ben in the flash forward. This seems like a bad move.

Mr. Friendly being gay, which was already suspected, why is that important? What a So What moment! I think Ben set up Karl because of the way he was touching his daughter. Sure the Freighties were on an “errand”, but they had machine guns. Not precision guns with silencers. I think it’s more likely that it was a protection system around the Temple, much like the electric fence around the barracks. Why kill 2 women and a young man without provocation? I think it’s the Others who would know to kill only Karl and Rousseau. But I could be wrong…seems to be a growing trend!

Connections

Michael turned the radio to a volume of 17, 1+7=8 the numbers. Mr. Friendly told Michael to meet him at the Hotel Earle which is a reference to the movie Barton Fink. That is a strange hotel a writer stays at while he wrestles with writer’s block. The significance of the game show on the tv in Michael’s apartment was a reference to Kurt Vonnegut the author of Slaughterhouse Five. Slaughterhouse Five has been referenced in the brainwashing scene with Karl. Another Stephen King book the Shining was mentioned. Also the Mama Cass song when Michael attempted suicide. Karl says “I have a bad feeling about this”, just like Hans Solo in Star Wars.

Questions

Does this change who is in the casket? Michael could have completed his task and then allowed to die. Of course how did he end up in LA when he was last living in New York. I am not sure I even want to know anymore. I think it’s another example is the more we learn the closer to the end we are getting.

Conclusion

So we are off until April 24th. But back at 10pm, boo! I have really liked the 9pm start time, 10pm will be difficult. Instead of hoping for more answers, I just look forward to this show playing itself out. The highs and lows are driving me crazy. One week I am cheering and screaming at the tv, the next I am staring in disbelief and scratching my head. I will update the blog if I find out anything new while the show is on break. I hope to hear the podcast from the producers and that it will hopefully clear a few things up. We shall see. Until April….c-ya!

Jin Yeon

Good morning everybody. I thought last night show was a really touching episode. Of course not too many surprises…but I still felt giddy when you-know-how came on the screen. I also had the sinking realization that it’s almost over. As we get closer to answers, we get closer to the end. But I hope the writers keep it coming because this has been one of the best seasons ever!

Summary

The show does couples extremely well. Charlie/Claire, Desmond/Penny, Kate/Jack & Sawyer, and even back to Shannon/Sayid. Jin and Sun are my favorite couple. I like how strong Sun can be at times. You felt her fear when Juliet was spilling the beans, and the betrayal Jin felt and the shame when Jin came back to forgive her. The show does feelings and emotions right. Loved seeing Hurley with Sun. I’m not sure if Hurley was glad not to see ghosts, the Oceanic Six or what?!? At least he was there for her.

Even though you knew he was coming, even though you saw him down the hall, even though this was the worst kept secret in LOST lore, wasn’t it GREAT to see him! Michael…er…Kevin is back! So many questions. So we shall save it for the questions discussion.

Connections

I initially believed Sun was Oceanic Six but Jin was not. I knew the minute Sun pregnant, Jin did not make it. Then when I saw him, and thought oh, he made it. Then when I saw his old phone, I crossed it out, he didn’t make it. On his way to the hospital, perhaps he made it but they are no longer together and it’s a “new” wife. But when Sun called out for him, I new he didn’t make it. It seemed too familiar to when Jack was drunk in the hospital and screaming for his father. The look they gave him and the look they gave Sun were the same. Pity. Pity because the person that person needs right now is dead. It was also clear when the store owner said to take the Dragon because it was the year of the dragon. Year of the dragon was in 2001.

Other connections: Expose starring Nikkie was showing on the tv set when Sun was leaving the room. The taxi cab that left Jin had a license plate 2369 that includes the numbers 23, 6+9=(15). The doctor and nurse were the same one in the flashback with Jin and then were with Sun post island. I believe Sun’s father is connected to the island since Paik Industry is a heavy metal manufacturer. I believe he made the freighter and is connected to Widmore through business. It seems Rousseau was correct and most people who come to the island are overcome with a sickness. Could cause paranoia, confusion and people to be suicidal.

Questions

Time: If Sun is going to start getting sick in 3 weeks and she is off the island the island by the time she gives birth, does that speak to the time shift? Island time they would be there less than 7 more months. But Kate’s mom said she had been waiting 4 years for her. How does Aaron’s age speed up but Sun is just now giving birth. Would seem to be that the babies would be closer in age.

“Good.”: Who was Hurley glad he was avoiding? The other Oceanic 6? I felt as if Sun missed Jin, but not because he was dead, because he wasn’t with her. She also seemed to be speaking to him. It reminded me of when Juliet was shown a video of her sister playing with her son. Perhaps Jin is still on the island, and she Sun is speaking to him. Why that day of all day? Hurley flew in to see the baby….but also because they had to visit the grave. Again, why that day? Was Hurley there for assurance?

Children: I think its interesting that Aaron is off the island but Claire is not. Jin Yeon is off the island but Jin is not. Did people have to sacrifice who left? Were they chosen or was it due to circumstance?

Headstone: In China, the husband and wife share a headstone. So the first date is Sun’s DOB. The last 2 dates are Jin’s DOB and date of death. The date listed is the day of the crash. So we can assume that he was not part of the 8 that survived the crash and then he died because the date would be later. So like the others, they are lying and saying that he died in the plane crash. Why?

Final question: Michael obviously working for Ben. Ben is still using Walt to manipulate him to keep anyone from leaving the island and from anyone coming to the island. How did he get on the ship? The freighters seem to know about everyone else, why not Michael (aka Kevin Johnson)? And where is Walt?

Questions, questions, questions!!!

Conclusion

The spoiler photo I did not happen and I confirmed it was not real. So LOST films scenes to throw fans off the scent. Damn them! Actually I am very glad what I thought was going to happen did not. I liked the way it played out way better. So watch out for spoilers or hints. They could be a ruse.

One more episode before the month break. Its focused on the freighter so that should be good. I am so glad that this is not the end and we will still have more episodes this year. It’s been great! Have a nice weekend and until next time, c-ya!

The Other Woman

Summary

They lied to me!!!  There wasn’t a big reveal this week. I guess that’s what I get for peaking at spoilers. I thought it was a good episode, more character development. Ben was extra creepy. I liked the way that they showed him throwing a tantrum because he wasn’t getting his way. I also like Juliet a lot. She has become a very solid and complex character. I knew the minute I saw her hair that it was a flashback episode. Even though it made you think it was about her, Ben really stood out. There were also some really good lines: “It’s really stressful being an Other.” “Trust me, Jack, you don’t want to see my file.” And Ben’s twisted, “Take as much time as you need.” Kate was extra stupid. Yeah…let me bend over and turn my back to you while investigate why you are lying to me. Dumb! I, like many other people, am not feeling the spark between Jack and Juliet. Him and Kate? Hot and heavy. You can feel the longing for one another. Him and Juliet? Not so much.

Connections

Ben is reading the Valis book still (see previous blog). The combination to the safe was 36, 15, 28. 15 is a number and 36-28=8, a number. The name of the new Dharma station is the Tempest. This name is taken from the William Shakespeare play. Very basic overview of the plot: the Tempest or storm crashes a ship onto an island and the survivors as well as the inhabitants of the island intermingle. Once they leave, they are changed forever. Island has mystical powers. Some one is a sorcerer. English majors, forgive me. I think when Harper said to Juliet, “You look just like her”. I think she was referring to Ben’s mom. Everyone on the island has some issues with parents. Ben’s whole obsession was trying to solve fertility issues on the island because his mom died during childbirth. And also a psychologist is basically pointing out his off center Oedipus complex issue with Juliet. Not too mention his love Annie was a brunette and his mom looks similar to Juliet. Dr. Harper has a degree in Experimental Psychology and worked for the Hanso Foundation as evidenced by the awards she had on her wall. I couldn’t understand any of the whispers at all! I have searched for a possible translation but couldn’t find one. I listened to it online and still could not make out anything.

Questions

I thought the entire “we-are-going-to-defuse-the-gas-but-lie-to-you” was dumb but than I thought about it. The Freighties are still not sure who they can trust and were afraid someone was going to try and stop them. Which is exactly what happened. I don’t think it was Ben that manifested Harper to Juliet. I think it was the smoke monster at the behest of the island. I think the island has its own security system. And if it thinks there is a threat, it tries to stop it. I don’t think that Ben couldn’t get to Juliet. I just still believe in the mysticism of the island and think that it didn’t want its main defense against outsiders disabled.

It wasn’t a major shock that Widmore is the man behind the Freighter. I think that was hinted on pretty hard before by him buying the Hanso diary. But Ben rarely tells the whole truth and it’s often twisted. So what are we missing? Were they working together and then are now enemies? Not sure but there is more to that story.

Who is the man on the ship? It has to be someone that would shock Locke, so it has to be someone from the island or someone he knows. Here are 4 potential (and wild) choices, ranked in order of weirdness:

#4 - Locke’s Dad. Sawyer killed him. But what if he was working for Ben before he came to the island. There is a time differential. I can barely argue this one because it’s the most far-fetched to me. I would think it was the dog before I thought this one was plausible.

#3 – Sayid. We know he works for Ben in the future. This could be the start of it. Factor in the time differential theory again and it could make sense. But I think this would be plausible to Locke, thus not shocking like Ben alluded to.

#2 – Walt. Perhaps this was why he wanted him in the first place. He allowed Michael to leave knowing he would be picked up by the freighter. And then he would have someone on the inside. Not only someone working for Ben, but also someone whose information the Losties would trust as well.

#1 – Michael. We all know he is coming back. It makes sense that he was picked up on the freighter and knows he cannot get back to civilization until what ever happens between the Freighter and Ben happens. Maybe he is guilt ridden and by working for Ben is trying to help the Losties. Ben turned Sayid, he could of course turned Michael. This would be shocking to Locke because he thinks Michael actually got off the island and wouldn’t think he would be working for Ben. It makes sense that it’s Michael if you think of the story as a whole and weren’t into reading about the show, finding out Michael was coming back and analyzing and interpreting every episode. Some people guessed the Aaron thing and I was blind-sided.

Conclusion

I accidentally clicked on a site and saw who the Oceanic Six was. I am hoping I am wrong and that it was a flashback, but if not, damn! It’s so hard now because now that LOST is hot again, information is everywhere. 2 more episodes before the month break. It has been soooo good. Have a great week and until next time, c-ya!

LOST Mid-Week Update

Stay away from the lastest issue of Tv Guide. Spoilers galore!!!

I didnt read it and want to wait and see it when the show comes on.

I am going to start referring to Carlon Cuse and David Linderloff (The geniuses behind LOST and the executive producers) as TPTB (The Powers That Be).

They answered these questions but if we wanted to wait we will know who the Oceanic Six is (March 13th), what happened to Michael (March 20th), and who was in the coffin (by the end of this season).

ALSO that we should be less concerned about what date is on the island or in the flash forwards BUT how much time has passed. So that must mean that Aaron appearing older than he was on the island AND ghost Walt seeming older might have been part of the story!

Love it. Until tomorrow...c-ya!

The Constant

I am so very, very sorry for the delay of my weekly devilish pleasure. I was working late Thursday night and...gulp…didn’t watch LOST. Yes, it’s true. I have to be in the right mood mentally and I had work on my mind. I needed to wait until I had a quiet space to watch, review and reflect. And yes, to your next question…I am insane.

Summary

I have mixed feelings about this episode. I think it wasn’t so much of a hit out of the park like the rest of the episodes have been this season. I am trying to see the significance of it. Maybe because it has been in line with what I guessed, I didn’t find anything shocking. It was definitely entertaining.

Connections

There were a lot of connections this episode, mainly to the numbers. The numbers again are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42. Penny’s address was 423. The code Daniel tells Desmond is 2343. The Black Rock diary was item# 2342. Desmond’s flash is 8 years ago.

Water is always a major theme on the island. It typically means that something bad is going to happen. For Desmond, they are a connection to his flashes. Most of his flashes with Charlie focused on him dying either by drowning or by lightening during a thunderstorm. Desmond flashes occur either in the rain or like in the bathroom when he came in contact with the water.

The Black Rock is another big connection to Widmore and Hanso Foundation. Magnus Hanso was the captain of the Black Rock. Alvar Hanso, head of the Hanso Foundation, is his great grandson. Tovard Hanso wrote the diary that has not been seen by anyone outside of the family. Widmore has now purchased the diary. Is this how his connection and interest in the island begins or is it to keep anyone from learning about it?

George Minkoswki’s dying words are, “I can’t get back”. It is close to Jack’s line at the end of season 3, “We have to go back”. The entire time differential may be why Kate says they can’t go back. Maybe not only because they lied and its part of the conspiracy, but they may physically not be able to get back.

Daniel seems to be suffering from the long periods of exposure to radiation. While at Oxford, his memory is not impacted. But by him not protecting his head, it can be assumed that it eventually does. He writes the note to himself about Desmond being his constant, not knowing if time shift will happen to him to. He writes it in his journal BEFORE he documents the correct coordinates as a result of his contact with Desmond. . If you noticed, he flips backwards in the journal to find the entry.

Questions

It is interesting that Daniel instructed Frank to leave on a bearing of 305. But Ben told Michael he had to be on a bearing of 325. Ben has never wanted anyone to leave the island. So we assume that Ben lied to Michael. But it also makes me think that Ben gave Michael the coordinates to the freighter. I think both Michael and Walt are on the Freighter. One working against anyone leaving, destroying the radio. The other trying to help them, such as opening the door. Which is which? I think Walt is working for Ben. Knowing they cannot leave, he destroys the room and goes to Locke in a vision. Michael still wanting to get back to the real world helps Sayid by opening the door. Or it could be Michael working for Ben as Sayid does in the future and Walt trying to help the Losties get off the island.

Time Shift

What we know is that any shifts in time cannot change the future. It can make you aware, but most people are going to continue on their path. The flashes are mental and physically the person does not change. Example, when Desmond writes the address on his hand on the freighter its not there in the past. Desmond appears catatonic, but still present.

What does this all mean? Why is this important? I don’t think it is. I think this episode was character development for Daniel and Desmond. The only significant thing that happened is to know that people experience time differently on and off the island. Ok.
What else did we learn? We knew that Desmond time shifts. We now know that it was probably activated by the explosion of the hatch. Penny is an important part of his life. Daniel knows of the time shift and has been working on the theory for years. Uh huh. And that Widmore is connected in someone to the island and perhaps the freighter. Continued father issues. So again, entertaining but more development of how Daniel is connected to the island and now that Charlie is dead, Daniel’s connection to Desmond. Also Desmond’s love for Penny.

Conclusion

I am excited to get back to learn what is going on back at the barracks. I hope to learn more about Sayid and the freighter, but understand that although they have given us a lot, they have to save some of it. I am loving this season. Until next week…c-ya!

Eggtown

I am going to have to type fast since work is a real bear today. Excuse all grammar and spelling mistakes in advance. First a “Pre-Lost” blog and then to the episode, “Eggtown”.

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are writers/executive producers on LOST. They are terrific! I always knew of them but didn’t know how great they really were until Comic-Con last summer. They typically due a weekly podcast (which I have heard only once!) but I am going to be tuned in as soon as they start them up again. They really listen to the fans and respond in a fun and informative way. I love them both! They sat down for an interview with Entertainment Weekly (which is a magazine that absolutely LOVES Lost) and kind of checking in after the writer’s strike was over and commented on the new season. I am going to summarize the important points in case you don’t read this particular magazine. If you love pop culture, you should. It’s a great by the pool read.

Sometimes a bracelet is just a bracelet. The bracelet that Sayid was looking at on Naomi and then on the Elsa was just a plot device. He was supposed to see the bracelet on Elas and be reminded of Naomi. Nothing more. They appreciate how we (the fans) dive in and analyze everything, but we were off on this one. No subplot or connection with R.G. between the 2 of them.

Flash forwards are not possible futures, they are written in stone. So it’s not like if they do something different they change the future. Bad Jack is gonna be Bad Jack. There is no way to alter what we are seeing. They compared it to the television show Heroes. On it, they were trying to stop a nuclear bomb. People had visions of the future. They were able to band together and stop it (Season one). Not on Lost. They want you to feel as if the characters are in jeopardy. If at the end it was all a dream or not real or could be changed, that’s a rip off. So again, if we see it on a Flash Forward, it has happened.

It was Jack’s father in the cabin, Christian Shepard. The guy in the rocking chair. They were vague about whose eyeball it was in the window but it is MUY IMPORTANTE! Jacob is supposed to be believed to be an omnipotent entity, which I think we can agree on.

Charlotte Lewis is a reference to C.S. Lewis and is an important clue to where Lost is going at the end of the season. I only know the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe so I can’t help here. I will do more research and see if I can see any connections with CS Lewis and Lost.

The Orchid Video – which was played at Comic-Con – is important. I don’t remember all the pieces anymore and I am not sure when they are going to show. It’s on YouTube. I might take a look over the weekend and it may spawn a mid-week blog.

Finally, they are PRO time space continuum pending but anti-paradox. Huh? I guess I am correct about time shift being a major factor in the show. However they stress again that although there is time-space bending, its done as a way as to not contradict itself. I don’t get this, especially after last night’s episode. I will touch on this later.

That’s it as far as the article. On with last night’s show…

Summary

I was screaming. I didn’t see it coming at all!!!! After the show I go online and chat. Many people did guess it right away. I’m still not there yet. I think that’s a good thing because the surprise is sometimes the best part of the show. So the last second of the show floored and confused me, yet again. I get it, but in the context of the bigger picture, I’m LOST the second week in a row. Some great one-liners: “You just Scooby Doo’d Me”. “Bruce Lee from the Freightor”. “Montezuma’s house”, referring to Hurley.

Connections

I don’t know who the guy was who was yelling at Kate when she got to the court. He seemed out of place. He said something like, “How could you do it” something along those lines. I am sure we will see him again somewhere. The episode opens with a view of Locke’s eye, which is an ongoing theme. Locke gave Ben the book Valis (Vast Active Living Intelligence System). It is about the characters vision of God, which is that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect spirit. Sawyer’s book was the Invention of Morel, which is the story of a fugitive who hides on a deserted island somewhere in Polynesia. Tourists arrive and he is afraid of being discovered but falls in love with one of them. He wants to tell her but can’t due to something paranormal that goes on on the island. Hmmm…sound familiar? The image at the top of the blog is of the painting in Aaron’s room. Look at the lower corner? What do you see? Not sure why its there but it is!

Questions

Aaron

Ok. Here we go. Aaron!!!!! I heard a spoiler that Kate was not pregnant and thought it was a lie. So she wasn’t pregnant and she is raising Aaron as her own.

Option #1: Kate is raising Aaron for Claire.

Jack didn’t want to see Aaron. Kate said, “why don’t you follow me, come by for a visit.” It wasn’t to see her, but Aaron. She declined when he only wanted to see her. If it was her baby with another man, he wouldn’t have been that callous because the man is obviously gone. So why would Jack want to go by and visit a baby? Because it’s his nephew. His response was not to say no, but that he was too busy right now. He felt guilty. Obviously not about the lie because he had just taken the stand and perjured himself. Maybe because of his father and his relationship with Claire. Kate was saying when you are ready to face the past, I’ll be waiting. 2 people died on the island, according to the lie. So 1 could have been Claire, hence Aaron. Why would the lawyer want to use Aaron in court? Because she was a single mother or because she has adopted the child of one of the survivors that died on the island? Showing again how she is a hero. But she is a murderer etc. Not sure they would allow her to keep someone else’s baby.

Option #2: Kate is raising Aaron as her own son.

Why would Kate’s mom want to see Aaron if it was not her grandson? If it’s hers, when did she get pregnant? Before the crash and then had the baby on the island. If so, the baby looked younger than 4 years old (mom said had been given 6 months to live for the last 4 years). If it was after the crash, she got pregnant from one of the 2 dead survivors? Then Aaron is not one of the Oceanic Six, as the promo said would be revealed this episode, and there are 2 more spots.

I don’t know which one is correct. I am leaning towards option 2.

Was Desmond lying about the vision to Charlie? Was he just saying that Claire would get off the island just so Charlie would die, thus ending history from repeating? Claire being rescued was the only vision we were not shown of Desmond’s vision. He couldn’t kill Charlie but knew that he couldn’t keep saving him. Charlie had to die of his own choice. Kinda cruel, if true.

Daniel Farady
Everyone is on the island for a reason. The woman with Daniel at the beginning of his flashback was his caretaker, not wife. When asked why he was crying, he said he didn’t know. I think that’s because he suffers from memory loss. He needs someone to take care of him, he was crying because the news was sad but forgot what he had just seen. Add that to Charlotte working on a memory game with the cards. He barely remembered after just turning them over and that was an improvement. He is there to study the time-space issues on the island…but also maybe also to heal his memory issues as well.

Helicopter

Not sure if that was a trick or the real thing in regards to the helicopter. It definitely keeps them on the island longer to say the helicopter never arrived. Perhaps they didn’t fly back on the exact coordinates there were supposed to? We will find out next week!

Conclusion

I have been terrible at not looking at spoilers. I am going to work harder this week. I watched the preview for next week, which is going to focus mainly on the time shift. But where and when is the questions! Some of you don’t watch those so I won’t give it away. I slow motioned it and its going to be another What?!?! Episode. I cannot wait.

I am thinking about doing a mini-season finale party since Lost will be going off the air for a month. When it comes back, it will be at 10pm, which makes a party harder for working folk. So if you would be interested in food, drinks, games, discussion and the show – let me know and we can do this. It would be, I believe, March 13th. I may even look into a location more central to San Diego. Let me know!

Until next week….c-ya!

The Economist

For the very first time in my LOST television history…I am completely…LOST. What a great frickin episode that was!!! I am loving this season. But this threw me for a loop. This entire blog will basically be me recalling and connecting what miscellaneous dots I found. I knew there was going to be a shocking pairing at the end, but I did not see that coming! Of course when I heard his voice I knew it was Ben, but until that point, no clue. Ben is Sayid’s boss in the future?!? The amount of questions this episode gave us is great because it showed the edges of the bigger picture.

Summary

I loved Hurley’s line, “Oh great. The freighter sent us another Sawyer.” Loved it! And who the hell is Miles to name call?!? I like the Sawyer/Kate thing more than Jack/Kate. I am glad they are hooking up next episode. But of course…it won’t be for long. Another Sawyer nickname, “Gizmo”, referring to Ben as a gremlin. I have never been a Sayid fan but he looked hot off the island. Although I was surprised he could pull a girl that quickly and it made more sense that it was set up. I like the new characters but it sucks that we don’t get to see much of our old favorites (Jin, Sun, Claire).

Connections

The bracelet that Naomi was wearing is similar to the one Elsa was wearing. Frank and Daniel clearly recognized the last name Widemore. The numbers on the rocket had the numbers in them. When Sayid killed the man on the golf course, the sprinklers came on. Water=danger. Always raining before the violence on the island. Also on the golf course, Sayid was wearing a white glove and the other dude black ones.

Questions

Time difference: I have always maintained that time shift plays a major factor on the island. I think the whispers are people on another point in time talking and that is why we can hear them but not clearly understand what they are saying. The experiment that Daniel performed showed that time on the island was 31min 20 sec off. I think that is why Daniel warned Frank to stay on the exact coordinates when leaving. I am not sure what it all means but I am glad Daniel is there to figure it out. Here is me taking a big leap….I watched the show Journeyman (which was excellent!) and it had a guy that time traveled and had to resolve situations in peoples’ lives (and no it was very different from Quantum Leap!). Anyway he always had to make sure he had the correct clothes and money when he jumped. I think it’s interesting that Ben had very basic clothes in his closet as well as different denominations of money. Denominations that were only printed during specific time frames. That is how the dude in Journeyman got caught by the FBI because he used money that was not in circulation at the correct time. Ben has some old money in the drawer. Of course, none it of it (that I saw) was from the future. But it may be another key.

Roles: Each person on the Freighter was sent for a reason. Miles perhaps for the cosmic or paranormal aspect on the island. Maybe eventually the smoke monster. Daniel for the electromagnetic force on the island. Charlotte for the archaeological aspect such as the 4-toed statue and the Dharma carvings. Frank’s connection is to Oceanic as he was supposed to have been the pilot. Naomi was after Ben. It makes sense that Michael may have been on the sailboat and run into the freighter as they were searching for a way to contact the island. He may be the plant on the boat. Or maybe it’s even Walt. Maybe he was able to project himself to Locke to warn him. Ben already knew of the danger and he needed an ally, Locke. But he needed someone he could trust like Walt. Who knows! The more it seems to make sense, the more confused I get.

Ben: WTF! I think what’s most shocking about him is that he is more powerful than first thought. We knew he was a master manipulator and controlled everything on the island. But now we know he also controls things OFF of the island and in person! Why does he need currency and passports for different countries? What is he looking for off of the island, not just in the future but before Sayid found the room? How does he get Sayid on his side? It not THAT surprising because Sayid always did what he was supposed to do, whether or not he wanted to. Remember he was forced into it back in Iraq. He seemed like a little boy being scolded. Like someone how the fate of everything rested on him working for Ben. Why is it just the two of them working together?

Oceanic Six: Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, person 5, person 6. #1: It sounded as if Ben was manipulating Sayid into killing for him to help his friends. What friends? Most of the people he seemed to care about are already off the island with him. And we still have 2 more people to go. So what could make Sayid think it was ok to kill off who I am assuming are people connected to the crash? #2: Who is person 5 & 6? Claire is supposed to be one according to Desmond’s vision. He didn’t say she would be saved by a boat, but be loaded into a helicopter. That is pretty specific. Aaron wouldn’t count because he technically wasn’t a passenger on Oceanic 815. So let’s say its Claire and ? Everyone else is a couple so I can’t see them leaving without the other person. It really has to either be Sawyer or Locke. Locke would be absolutely shocking!!! I would like it to be Jin, Sun, Claire. But again, why would Sayid kill and Charlie visit Hurley and say they THEY need your help. Who would be left to care about?

We now know that Ben was able to get off and on the island after the submarine was destroyed. So why can’t the other Losties leave that way as well? I am so excited!

Conclusion

I watched the vodcast after the show. It was Ben and Sayid this week. They of course did not give away anything but it was fun to see them. Michael Emerson did say that although Ben is like an evil manipulator, when all is revealed about him he will be shown to be the one standing in between good people and their destruction. I believe that. I think although Ben can have a skewed and self-centered view of things, he is also looking out for their best interest.

An update now that the writers strike is over, Season 4 is going to be re-written and instead of 16 episodes it’s going to be 13. We will see 5 more in a row, LOST will go on hiatus for a month and then back for 5 more episodes. The 3 episodes we are technically losing are going to fit somehow into season 5 & 6. With all the shows coming back, after the hiatus, LOST is moving to 10pm on Thursday nights. It sucks but they cannot go up against AI and people would Tivo it anyway. LOST lends itself better to Tivo since people like to speed through commercials and re-watch. If you miss AI live, you can’t resist hearing who was voted off. I like 9pm…but I understand.

Next week we get to see the Oceanic Six and the media storm. Not sure if another or all will be revealed. I like the straight through episodes even though LOST took forever to get here. It was absolutely worth the wait. Until next week, Cya!

Confirmed Dead

Good afternoon all! Another fabulous episode of Lost. I am glad to hear that the writer’s strike should be over by the end of the weekend. Not sure what that means for the show but at least there is hope. I liked the flow and the speed of this episode. They were building character development, much like they did in season two. It can be slow at times, but also helps connect pieces of the bigger picture later on. Anyway, on with the show.

Summary

So the roles have changed. The Losties are the Others and the Freighties are the Losties. Not sure what that makes the Others? The Freighties would ask direct questions and the Losties were vague and guarded. I liked that. I was worried when I learned they were bringing four new characters that it would not flow smoothly into the storyline. Paulo/Nikkie=sucked, the Freighties=exciting. I especially think Miles Straume. Someone who talks to the dead! On that island?!? He is going to need office hours!

Sawyer was back to his old self, nicknames and all (Tall Ghost Walt). Kate was back to her whiny self (who cares how they got the upper hand!). Sayid back to his warrior status and Ben being as manipulative and cunning as usual.

Connections

The numbers were everywhere this episode. The coordinates of the underwater robot, phone number on the tv, posters in the dead kid’s room and model number on the helicopter. We know that its a fake corpse of the plane captain because he was killed on the island. Faraday is the last name of a famous chemist. He has a theory regarding electromagnetism and light. Miles was trying to contact Minikowski, which is the last name of a famous physicist who developed the theory of the 4th dimension of time and space. Sawyer referred to Locke as Captain Kurtz, which is a reference to Brando in Apocalypse Now, who was insane, took control and lead people into the jungle.

Questions

Who staged the crash site? The pilot was killed on the island. The plane is still on the island. Why go through so much trouble to make it seem like there were no survivors? Possible answers: Dharma didn’t want it to be known that the natives (with the aid of Ben) killed everyone on the island. The Losties are the last link to it. So the plane went down, no survivors, secret safe. Why get Ben now after all these years? They could have gotten him after the surge. I think the Dharma Initiative was letting them live on the island and then the Losties crashed causing the secret to possibly be revealed.

Oceanic Six? How do they explain only six survived? Possible answers: To get off the island they had to keep their mouth shut about the island. We can guess that from the secrecy. Would you lie to save yourself?

Who is the “They” in “Are they still alive”? Abbaddon asks Hurley if they are still alive. So it’s clear to Hurley that he knows about the island, of which he is not supposed to ever mention. Abbaddon seems to know a lot about the island so why doesn’t he know if they are alive or not? The Losties must not actually leave with the assistance of the Freighties in the end. Does he mean the Freighties, survivors or the Others?

Side not: This adds to my belief in another dimension or time shift. Why Jack keeps flying over and hopes he crashes again. It speaks to me like he is trying to find the right time, place, moment and then he can go back. If the Freighties found the coordinates once, why can’t someone else again and simply go to the island. What is the common thread with these 4 people?

Why are the Freighties there? They are sent to get Ben – get in and get out. They are told there are no survivors but are not shocked that there are. So fine, you survived, so what, we are not here for you. What is their fascination with the flight 815 before getting the assignment? Possible answer: they were supposed to be on the plane. Why would Ben know so much about Charlotte, much like he know so much about Jack and Sawyer etc. I think the 4 were chosen for their gifts as well as for their connection to the flight. I think that is their common thread. Why Charlotte kept reading about the crash, Miles listening to the coverage on the radio, Daniel watching the recovery effort on the tv and getting an eerie feeling, and Frank who was supposed to be the pilot. But what about Desmond? Naomi had a picture of him. How does he fit in? Was he a side mission based on the instructions of their primary contributor – Widmore Corporation (dum, dum, dum – shocking music!). Who knows! Oh yeah…the striking writers!

Who is Ben’s inside man on the boat? I was thinking Richard Alpert, because he has been seen on and off the island. But what about Michael? We know he comes back, but how? Walt would know that the people were bad because he is (or was) with his father on the boat and now possibly on the freighter. Why would he work with Ben? Maybe because Ben is a master manipulator. He had the girls in the hydro station jamming communication. People do what they are told or persuaded to do.

What is the smoke monster? I don’t think Ben really knows. He knows more than he is saying, but still in the dark. Juliette said they didn’t know what it is but that it doesn’t like the fence. Why was that Locke’s first question? Ben seemed surprised too, like with all you could ask me, that’s what you wanted to know!

All guesses and no answers! The wonderful, wonderful world of Lost.

Conclusion

I stayed away from all spoilers this week and it was definitely hard. There is so much out there about the show. It’s a very exciting time to be a fan. I look forward to see if the helicopter will get anyone off the island safely. Charlie’s vision was of Claire but that remains to be seen. I suggest they protect that helicopter with their life because if Locke and Ben get a chance, they will destroy it. Have a great week. Cya!

Extra thoughts about Lost and Season Premiere

(Make sure you click on February to the right to read the blog regarding the season 4 premiere of Lost)

Ok. I have a problem. I think some may call it an addiction. But its free, legal, I can’t die from it and it cannot make me gain weight. With that said…I feel MUCH better. I think this mornings blog was off. I was rusty! But I definitely have my groove back. So I have been reviewing and re-watching and just processing. Sometimes you have to take a step back from just reviewing the episode and look at the bigger (or sometimes smaller) pieces.

Why is Christian Shephard in the chair? We can all agree that Jacob is in control of…whatever. He allowed Locke to hear him and Hurley to see the cabin. I don’t think Christian Shepard is Jacob. But I do believe that he can manifest what the person needs to see. So why would Hurley need to see Christian? Perhaps because Christian is Claire’s dad. She has lost Charlie but there is something else for her to gain. A brother. Perhaps through Hurley is how the secret will be revealed. Instead of saying "they need your help", implying for them to tell about what happened and get everyone off the island. Charlie says, "They need you."

The questions (without answers!) are who is "they" specifically and why do they need Hurley? Or was he just the easiest one to approach once back in the real world? Jack was not affected until later and Kate, so far, not at all.

Back to the questions - who is in the coffin. Another reason why I think it’s Michael in the coffin – if the Oceanic 6 are mini celebrates, wouldn’t someone be at the funeral? News crew, Extra…someone? What if he got off the island on his own. He then dies because he doesn’t exist anymore – new identity.

Damn! Just read something that blew a hole in that…When the funeral director asked friend or family. If the guy in the coffin was black, would he be open minded enough to entertain that Jack was family? I think the urban area is intentionally misleading and the guy in the coffin is white. So my first choice is Locke. He was close to Walt. Perhaps he became a father to him? Ok…I am going on record saying my first guess is Michael. My 2nd guess is Locke.

The transcript of the whispers have been posted online. All I heard was “Desmond” and “I see somebody”. They never make sense to me

I got this from another site…I missed it and have to re-watch it:

The smoke monster made a big appearance this episode, and I’m going to tell you where to look for it. Ready? Good: It floats out the door of the mental ward. Think you missed it? No way… because the smoke monster this episode was Matthew Abbadon. Think back to the episode where Mr. Eko died - think back to his last visions of Yemi. Remember that moment where Eko realized he wasn’t really looking at his brother? Abbadon had that same look. That same startling, bug-eyed, blood-chilling ‘Yemi-stare’. “Are they still alive?” – he says it with the same toneless inflection as Yemi asking Eko to beg forgiveness. If you don’t believe me, watch as he leaves through the door. You never see him exit, you only see a shadow. A shadow that dissipates from left to right, disappearing through the doorway in much the same way the smoke monster moves.

Ok. I am officially done until next week. Good night!