LOST Podcast: The Transmission

Download — **Trans 2011-07-25: LOST at Comic-Con 2011** Oct 23, 2011

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For those who missed it, we’re posting the audio from the special “LOST” panel at Comic-Con, which took place three months ago this week. *Entertainment Weekly*‘s Jeff â€œDocâ€ Jensen and Dan â€œDanâ€ Snierson brought in “LOST” creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and showed a **special deleted scene**.

Since we posted our final “LOST” podcast in May, we’ve been busy over at **Popspotting**. We’ve put out over 80 daily shows focused on movies, TV, music, books, and countless other topics, and we’ve even had weekly guests join us to share their picks. We hope you’ll check it out!

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To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/hawaii/pop20110725.mp3

54:26 : podcast, lost

Season Six and Complete Series DVD Release Aug 24, 2010

Today brings the much-anticipated release of “LOST: Season Six” on DVD (or Blu-Ray) and “LOST: The Complete Collection” on DVD (or Blu-Ray). The release brings what could be the last twelve minutes of the six-year “LOST” story with “The New Man in Charge,” a 12-minute epilogue showing a glimpse of what followed the final fade to white we saw in May. Of course, the discs include a ton of special features and other extras.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the epilogue, as well as the other goodies unleashed on “LOST” fans today. When we finally release our final podcast, we’ll be sure to include some discussion of this awesome material. Meanwhile, be sure to catch the Emmy Awards on Sunday, Aug. 29, which will be broadcast on NBC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. “LOST” and its cast and crew are up for an impressive twelve nominations.

Finally, another invitation to join us on Facebook. Over on our page’s “Discussions” tab, a number of fun conversations among fellow fans and friends.

Letting Go Jun 26, 2010

The last episode of “The Transmission” will take a little longer than planned to come together. Perhaps we’re having trouble letting go. Perhaps we’re just disorganized. Perhaps Ryan forgot that his mother-in-law would be in town. Either way, we appreciate your patience, and if you haven’t yet chimed in with your series-in-review comments, now’s your chance! Mahalo.

“LOST” in Review Jun 15, 2010

For the final episode of “The Transmission,” we want to take a special, wistful look back on the last six years of “LOST.” So much has happened since the moment Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on that mysterious island on September 22, 2004… both on the show, and in the “LOST” fan community. As far as “LOST” is concerned, we’d love to to get your pick for your favorite episode of all time. You could also tell us about your favorite character, or your favorite story twist. There are probably too many great moments to count. But we’re also curious to learn what “LOST” has meant to you. Simply top-notch television? A much needed escape? An excuse to connect with friends, or make new ones?

Tell us your “LOST” story. You can comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808. We hope to release our podcast on June 27. But we may take longer than expected to collect ourselves!

Photo from http://dispatchesfromtheisland.blogspot.com — **Aloha to Nunu** Jun 13, 2010

Nunu, the beloved dog of Jorge Garcia and Bethany Shady, **died last month** just as they all were preparing to leave Hawaii. Nunu had her own share of fans, and even appeared in an episode of “LOST” this season. We sent our condolences, and **memorialized Nunu** at the Memorial Day lantern floating ceremony the next day. But I felt the “LOST” fan community could do more.

Taking inspiration from Jo, I’d like to encourage “LOST” fans to pay tribute to Nunu by making a donation in her name to the **Hawaiian Humane Society**. If you donate $10 or more, we’ll send you a limited-edition pin from the “Sunset on the Beach” premiere of “LOST” in January.

Most of the people at the “Sunset on the Beach” event didn’t get these, whereas T-shirts were in abundant supply. But thanks to a generous benefactor, we have dozens available for this special cause. You can get a pin for every $10 donated, and you can have your pin sent to a friend as a gift… while supplies last!

Need more convincing? Here’s a **video montage** of Nunu that Jorge and Beth made in 2006:

Support the good work of the Hawaiian Humane Society and leave a great island legacy for Nunu. **Donate here**, and email us your receipt. Of course, be sure to include your mailing address. Mahalo for your consideration.

"LOST" Button — **Aloha to Nunu** Jun 13, 2010

Nunu, the beloved dog of Jorge Garcia and Bethany Shady, **died last month** just as they all were preparing to leave Hawaii. Nunu had her own share of fans, and even appeared in an episode of “LOST” this season. We sent our condolences, and **memorialized Nunu** at the Memorial Day lantern floating ceremony the next day. But I felt the “LOST” fan community could do more.

Taking inspiration from Jo, I’d like to encourage “LOST” fans to pay tribute to Nunu by making a donation in her name to the **Hawaiian Humane Society**. If you donate $10 or more, we’ll send you a limited-edition pin from the “Sunset on the Beach” premiere of “LOST” in January.

Most of the people at the “Sunset on the Beach” event didn’t get these, whereas T-shirts were in abundant supply. But thanks to a generous benefactor, we have dozens available for this special cause. You can get a pin for every $10 donated, and you can have your pin sent to a friend as a gift… while supplies last!

Need more convincing? Here’s a **video montage** of Nunu that Jorge and Beth made in 2006:

Support the good work of the Hawaiian Humane Society and leave a great island legacy for Nunu. **Donate here**, and email us your receipt. Of course, be sure to include your mailing address. Mahalo for your consideration.

Next: Season Six in Review Jun 02, 2010

Each season of “LOST” has a distinct personality. From the story arc to the tone, pacing, and of course a new storytelling twist. The sixth and final season of “LOST” brought us the last act of the island story, as well as the confounding “flash sideways.” With the entirety of the show now behind us, we’d like to know: How did you like Season Six? Which episode was your favorite? Which tested your faith? Do you have a favorite character moment, or plot twist, or scene? Let’s look at the journey from “LA X” to “The End” in our traditional season-in-review show!

Please comment below, send an e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808. We plan to release the podcast on Sunday, June 13, 2010, so we’d love your feedback by Friday, June 11.

Please Stand By May 30, 2010

“There’s a difference between doing nothing and waiting.” Unlike Daniel Faraday, we’ve got a pretty poor grasp of time, so our podcast will be a little late this weekend. While you wait, feel free to dive into the more than 1,200 comments that poured in on the series finale. And if you have any favorites, feel free to point them out! (The link to individual comments is embedded in the timestamp.) There are some great gems that are no doubt lost in the flood.

And don’t forget to connect with us and other listeners on the “Transmission” page on Facebook.

Next: “Across the Sea” (Episode 6-15) May 11, 2010

The “LOST” creative team took a huge risk this week, taking a sharp detour this late in the season and unabashedly plunging into fantastical mythology. And, given the payoff from “Ab Aeterno” earlier this season, we give them a great deal of credit for doing so. But “Across the Sea” seemed to fall far short of that ambition. It was a grand tale, but strayed into melodrama, and told us little that we hadn’t already been told. The good-evil polarization that had thus far developed with Jacob and the Man in Black became ambiguous again. And the one answer to a long-standing question was both overplayed, and underwhelming.

Last week’s episode put into stark relief the fact that our collective hearts are still closely tied to the timeline we’ve followed since season one, no matter how clever or resonant the flash-sideways exercise has turned out to be. Similarly, “Across the Sea” tried to give us insight into the two sides of an epic battle in which our survivors are apparently just pawns… and mostly convinced us that we’d prefer to follow the story of those pawns, rather than pick apart the game.

Yes, there’s something mystical on the island that connects to the very essence of man, or perhaps life. Yes, harnessing or exploiting that power inevitably drives man to destroy itself with greed. And yes, the island and this power has had a series of protectors, and a dark side that cannot be allowed to leave. Seeing all these things explored (and explained) on screen was interesting. But feels unnecessary. Only time will tell whether “Across the Sea” will be a key part of understanding the whole of “LOST,” or a curious distraction.

The character of Mother says that answers only bring more questions… a fact she embodies herself. She, too, was looking for a worthy successor, somewhere among the people who come to the island. What better candidates are there than innocent newborns? She raises two, chooses one, and welcomes her own death once the mantle has been passed. So we’ve now been shown the end of the preceding cycle, and know that “LOST” is leading up to the next transition. So where did Mother come from? And where did this eternal cycle begin? I guess, like a circle, there simply may be no such thing.

And the all important rules? The emphasis on the games that Jacob and the Man in Black made up tonight suggests that “the rules” are not rules imposed upon them by some higher power or construct, but some arbitrary set of restrictions they’ve set for each other.

After tonight, I’m no longer confident we’ll get a coherent explanation for the ultimate nature and overall purpose of The Island. Though “Across the See” makes me think I might prefer things left unexplained.

We did learn that Jacob and Man in Black were brothers, as many had suspected. And the rivalry and ultimate act of fratricide echoes the biblical tale of Cain and Abel. Jacob, the older brother, kills the Man in Black, who was the favored son. (Mother tells the Man in Black that he will never have to worry about death as a child, and she does not deny to Jacob that she loves the Man In Black more.) And we did enjoy the limited scenes the adult brothers had, which made up for the unfortunate reliance on child actors to carry the first half of the episode.

But after the events of “Across the Sea,” its hard not to again feel sympathy for the Man In Black, and question the assertions of Jacob. The Man in Black only wanted to leave the island, to leave the woman who killed his mother behind, and return to his true home, among people. Meanwhile, Jacob was a hapless mama’s boy whose worldview, however validated by Man in Black, was inherited from a woman who basically settled for him and who denied him any choice in succeeding her.

It was nice to learn that the Man in Black was the architect behind the Frozen Donkey Wheel, but now we’re wondering who eventually finished building it? When the wheel was imaged by the DHARMA Initiative in “Because You Left,” was it already assembled? At first I thought DHARMA must have connected the dots that the Man in Black left behind. But then I remembered that the wheel was working when Locke turned it, which was much, much, earlier. (Before, even, the well had been dug?) And why was the underground chamber freezing cold when Ben visited in 2004?

And we did like how “Across the Sea” suggests that “The Purge” of Season 3 was also part of the unending cycle of life on The Island. Perhaps the DHARMA Initiative, like the Man in Black’s people, were getting too close to “the light,” and had to be violently exterminated.

But did Mother destroy the village and slaughter its residents? As well as fill in a deep well and underground excavation? All before the Man in Black woke up? The moment when she slams his head into the wall of the well was violent enough that I could believe she has some kind of superhuman strength. But the scale of the destruction is so great, I couldn’t help think the smoke monster was involved.

But the smoke monster was created when Jacob cast the Man in Black into the light. Right? It somehow released his inner, darker, flawed essence, but left his body behind. A body that provided the form in which the Man in Black appeared (such as in the conversation with Jacob on the beach), until John Locke’s body arrived. And a body that Jacob could recover and leave in the cave with Mother.

And voila, there we have Adam and Eve.

As “LOST” reveals go, we have to be honest: learning the identity of the skeletons in the cave from Season 1 felt pretty hollow. To be fair, though, this is largely due to factors outside the show. It was one of the mysteries explicitly described as key, a reveal that would prove that the creators and writers of “LOST” had the endgame in mind when they introduced them in 2004. That they were a character introduced in Season 5 and his mother? It doesn’t give me the reassurance I was expecting. Locke described them as Adam and Eve. Jack said they were a female and male, and that they’d been there 40 or 50 years. We had time travel. We lost several couples. It would have been just as satisfying had they turned out to be Rose & Bernard, after all.

The anvilicious insertion of clips from “House of the Rising Sun” made the moment even more frustrating. Seriously, if you were a latecomer to “LOST” who didn’t know why it was significant that black and white stones were placed with two bodies laid to rest in a cave… would you have missed much without the flashback?

Last week’s episode felt like an episode of the last season of “LOST.” This week’s episode felt like a distraction. A sometimes beautiful, certainly daring tangent, but one that at least at first blush we feel like we could have lived without. We have only one more episode to get us back on track, and a series finale to wrap things up. We’re nervous, but still hopeful. We still love “LOST,” golden glowing caves and all.

The Man in Black’s lack of a name was already absurd coming into “Across the Sea.” When Claudia says she only picked one name, the whole conceit collapsed into ridiculous. Now we’re hoping he doesn’t have a name at all. It’s hard to imagine any name being satisfactory.
Seeing Mother smash Claudia’s skull moments after she gave birth was a shock. And, of course, both Jacob and the Man in Black end up getting raised by someone who wasn’t their mother, and both were clearly shaped in their own way by hardcore “mommy issues.”
Interesting choice to transition from Latin to English fairly quickly during the episode. It wasn’t a “Hunt for Red October” transition, but still noticeable. Especially when Mother switches back to Latin when she pours the wine for Jacob. Was that to show she was speaking a different language that Jacob didn’t understand?
Mother was tired and said her time was over, and handed things over to Jacob before he was ready. We can only assume she’d been the island’s protector for decades, if not centuries. But what brings about this inevitable decision to find a successor and check out? When Jacob let Ben stab him, was he also grateful for being released of this burden?
Mother distrusts people, and denies that there’s anything beyond the island. Why? It seems almost as if her kidnapping of the twin babies was part of a weird experiment to see if people could be raised absent evil? After all, they had to ask, “What is dead?” But even without the influence of people, whom the Man in Black lived among, Jacob exhibited jealousy and rage.
Mother tells the boys that she’s made it so they “can never hurt each other.” Except Jacob easily pummeled the Man in Black as a kid, and ultimately brought about the Man in Black’s death.
I’m not entirely sure why the golden glowing cave was so hard to find, yet so easy to find. I think we’re supposed to think that its waters are the waters of The Temple, which was probably built to keep people away. Meanwhile, the specific well (of many wells) that Man in Black worked with will end up beneath the Orchid. We did get a little “LOST” geography lesson tonight, whether or not it makes sense.
If Jack is indeed Jacob’s successor, who will administer his little cup of wine?
Why was Jacob unable to see the vision of his dead mother, while the Man in Black could talk with and follow her? She says the reason is because she’s dead, but that’s not exactly an answer. Now that the Man in Black is a disembodied smoke monster, he certainly has communion with the dead. But did this ability predate his transformation?
We were thrilled when we first heard the news that Allison Janey was cast for this episode. And given some of the lines her character had to deliver, its clear the role couldn’t go to a lightweight. (Frankly, the dialogue was often too heavy for even her.) Still, as an actress, she’s almost larger than life, and we have to admit it was a little distracting. It was the closest thing to “stunt casting” we’ve had on “LOST,” and we’re glad they didn’t make a habit of it.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the episode. Please comment below! Or, email us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a brief (about a minute) voicemail on the LOSTline at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “The Candidate” (Episode 6×14) May 04, 2010

Intellectually, we knew the stakes were life and death. We knew not all of our cherished survivors would make it to the final act. Yet, knowing is one thing. Seeing and feeling the sudden and tragic loss of beloved characters is another thing entirely. The skeptic in me, the spoiler addict in me, saw it all coming. Yet still, I was devastated. I thought I’d stemmed the flood of tears, until Hurley, Kate, and even Jack broke down on screen. Jen was a wreck, literally speechless, and ended her evening with the final thud. Cling as we might to the flash-sideways as a possible escape hatch to happiness, and as warm and wonderful some of those off-island moments have been, it’s obvious tonight that our hearts were with the characters on the island. The ones we’ve followed for half a decade.

Sun and Jin were reunited only one episode back, and it was a moment that felt incomplete, rushed. We voiced fears that their days were numbered now that their characters’ primary objective had been met. But so soon? So beautifully cruel? I stopped breathing the moment we saw that Sun was trapped. I tried to muster at least an eye roll, but it was too late. I was a goner. Giacchino’s powerful “Life and Death” theme was perfectly cued, a bullet to the heart.

I half expected, hoped, and even rationalized that Jin would indeed leave Sun one last time. After all, don’t all “go on without me!” scenes end that way? And what of Ji-Yeon? But he chose to perish with her, the two of them indeed together forever, entombed in a submarine. The parallels to Charlie’s death were not accidental… and surprisingly powerful.

And Sayid! His heart to heart with Desmond did light a spark of goodness in him, as we’d hoped. But moments after he confirms that he did not kill our damp Scotsman, he makes his final move, his selfless act, giving up his life to a bomb blast so that others may live. He wasn’t, after all, what everyone said he was. Say what you will about how weakly his character had meandered through most of this season, I now can’t help but look back over his first days on the island. An Iraqi, a former member of the Republican Guard, a torturer, a born killer. That this Middle Eastern character dies by self-inflicted bomb in an act of heroism is… eerily poetic.

(Though the much ballyhooed ethnic diversity of “LOST” was certainly thinned tonight.)

And a brief salute to Frank, the hapless pilot, always ready with a one-liner as he was dragged hither and yon. We loved how his eyes twinkled as they returned to the plane, ready for the still seemingly impossible challenge of getting it airborne. Alas, he died but a passenger inside another metal tube. Last words: “Aw hell.”

Deaths aside, the most powerful scene tonight was the showdown between Jack and Sawyer. Jack, realizing that they were exactly where Unlocke wanted them, insists that the bomb won’t kill them unless they do something to allow it to do harm. It directly referenced the amazing scene on the Black Rock earlier this season, when Jack bet his life that the dynamite wouldn’t blow because he lit the fuse. They can’t kill themselves, but they can kill each other… as previous arrivals to the island no doubt did. But Sawyer couldn’t bring himself to trust Jack, especially given what happened the last time he believed Jack’s plan. I could wholly identify with both of them.

Yes, Sawyer pulled the wires, and his action did accelerate and ultimately lead to the C-4 sinking the sub. Why did that happen, when the fuse Jack lit went out? Well, Sawyer did survive the blast. It killed people, including other candidates, but it didn’t kill him.

Meanwhile, an endless debate is born: was Jack right? Had Sawyer not acted, would nothing have happened? It seems a heck of a gamble on Unlocke’s part, putting a timer on a bomb on a submarine (a very direct act), with the expectation that someone would discover it and set it off for him. Just how indirectly do his actions have to be to cause the death of a candidate without breaking the rules?

The one other top-shelf reveal in “The Candidate” seems to be the fact that Unlocke is The Bad Guy. Full stop. No more ambiguous hints and sympathetic overtures. After weeks of being merely menacing and threatening, this week he’s downright merciless, walking right into a hail of bullets and killing without breaking a sweat. And his plan all along was, indeed, to eliminate the candidates. He wanted them all together because they’d be easier to kill together. But he knows some survived, and he’soff to finish what he started.

Does this mean that Unlocke The Man in Black, the smoke monster, what have you is actually the embodiment of a great and powerful evil? An evil from which the rest of the world must be protected? It would seem so. And given what Sayid said moments before he died, it sure looks like Jack is Jacob’s successor. He is The Candidate. He sure said that he’s not leaving the island enough times tonight. What else could his calling or purpose be at this point but to continue to confound Unlocke’s attempts to leave?

Desmond, though, remains key to the end game. And that’s something that Widmore seems to have known all along. And it’s Widmore’s role that remains a mystery to me. After all, the C-4 that blew up the submarine came from a booby trap on the plane, one that does seem to have been set by Widmore. If Widmore wanted to destroy the plane, he could’ve done so already. So, couldn’t he have helped Unlocke exterminate the candidates, had they all climbed aboard and turned the key?

Then again, Widmore did try to lock the candidates up in cages, telling them it was for their own good. If it’s as simple as that, though, what is Widmore up to?

As for the flash-sideways, more wonderful moments, to be sure. Just this week, they were greatly overshadowed by the island timeline.

I like that Jack knows himself well enough to see how strange it is that he’s compelled to learn why Locke doesn’t want an operation. Helen asks why it isn’t enough that he saved his life, and Jack says, “Because it’s not.” Seeing the once intimidating Anthony Cooper reduced to an invalid was a surprise. Discovering that it was Locke who caused his father’s paralysis, as well as his own, in a plane crash was cool twist. Locke had his crossover moment, mumbling “push the button” and “I wish you believed me.” And then Jack makes a connection, telling him the same. Their chat in the hospital hallway, when Jack tells Locke to let go even when he can’t let go himself, was great.

What of the music box from Christian? “Catch a Falling Star” has followed Claire around from the beginning. Will Christian be revealed, so very late in the season, as someone else who knew or saw “the truth”?

Two more Tuesday nights. Then, the two and a half hour (yes, they announced the extra 30 minutes tonight) series finale on May 23. There’s not much “LOST” left. I have to say, even if on a purely visceral level, “The Candidate” is the first episode of this last season to feel like I expected this last season to feel like. It shocked me. It angered me. It hurt me. I expect nothing less over the final hours of the best show on TV.

Is it shocking to kill off several main characters in one episode? Yes. Is it unexpected? No. And stepping back a bit, I’m glad they hit us late and hard, rather than killing off one character every few episodes. Back in the early seasons, there was a “Survivor” like element as we bet on who would be the next to buy the farm. The deathwatch mindset kind of trivialized things. Sure, more characters will be lost over the next few hours, but in this last act, that comes with the territory.
Flash-sideways Jack is increasingly likable. Standing there, looking dashing in his scrubs as Helen thanked him for saving Locke’s life, he seemed almost ready for a guest appearance on “Gray’s Anatomy.”
All season long, the writers go out of their way to say, “We don’t know whether Sun or Jin is the candidate.” With both killed off, it looks like we’ll never know.
Kate, meanwhile, hears twice that she’s not a candidate and not needed. The more that’s emphasized, the more it feels like she’s being set up to be a spoiler.
Neat “mirror moment” with the music box, when we see both Claire and Jack reflected.
Sawyer’s nickname for geeky Widmore thug: Dougboy. Jen had been calling him Pugsley.
Locations: The hospital and care home were both the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific in Liliha. Bernard’s dental office was Kahala Dental Care in the Kahala Office Tower (adjacent to Kahala Mall).

What did you think? Please comment below! Or, you can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com or leave a brief message on the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

Blog Rewatch: “Because You Left” and “The Lie” Apr 26, 2010

As proposed in last week’s thread and mentioned in our latest podcast, several blog regulars are organizing a re-watch of the two-part Season Five premiere of “LOST,” which includes “Because You Left” and “The Lie.” As we endure a one-week break during the show’s final season, it should be fun and interesting to revisit the past knowing what we know now.

Some helpful links:

Watch the episodes via ABC.com: “Because You Left,” and “The Lie.”
Watch the episodes via Hulu: “Because You Left,” and “The Lie.”
Our initial-reaction blog post and podcast episode covering the Season Five premiere.
Lostpedia entries on “Because You Left,” and “The Lie.”

Comment below and join the conversation!

Next: “The Last Recruit” (Episode 6-13) Apr 20, 2010

Not once, but twice in relatively quick succession, Unlocke observed tonight that there was a lot of catching up to do. He wasn’t kidding. “The Last Recruit” moved briskly, touched on a myriad of mysteries, and served up more explosions and twists. But the delicate balance of plot and character definitely felt askew, and along with all the forward velocity, there were moments that seemed to lose traction. At the end of last week’s episode, we felt the stage was set for the final sprint. Tonight’s tale had a lot of flash, but it still feels like we’re waiting for the big show. And with a week off before the next new episode, “The Last Recruit” definitely left us wanting more.

In the flash-sideways, the inevitable collision of our wayward survivors was aggressively accelerated. Sun makes her connection with the island world when she spots Locke on the next gurney. And Jack gets his hands on Locke’s dural sack without a consult. And by the close of our multi-faceted tour of Los Angeles, Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Sayid, Jin, Sun, Jack, Claire, Desmond, Locke, and Ben are clearly interconnected. But can they all be unified and even embark on a plan in the few hours ahead?

I did like Jack’s renewed connection with David, as well as the interplay between cop Sawyer and fugitive Kate, perhaps the strongest character moments in the episode. Seeing Ilana turn up as a lawyer the week after she was blown up on the island was fun, but It still doesn’t make up for her untimely end. Desmond’s actions are again curious, though. Why was he going to see a lawyer? At first we guessed it was just a ruse to point Claire toward Jack, drawn from post-flash omniscience. But he knew Ilana, and had an appointment. Perhaps she’s just corporation counsel for Widmore Industries?

On the island, our unified camp of survivors doesn’t last long, as Sawyer executes his plan and separates Unlocke from several of his precious candidates. It serves the Man in Black right for entrusting a key part of his plan to a con man. Of course, on “LOST,” it can’t be that simple, and after another long look at the ocean, Jack decides that his work’s not done, and jumps overboard. As soon as he returns to the island, Unlocke is there to claim him.

Is Jack “The Last Recruit”? He seems pretty set on confounding Unlocke, but he is also told twice that he’s already “with” him. Claire told Jack that his mistake was letting Unlocke speak. And after Unlocke rescues a dazed Jack from a huge explosion reminiscent of Claire’s crossing over in New Otherton he also tells Jack, “You’re with me, now.” I’m wondering if Unlocke is now back to square one… or if there’s a chance that Jack was really the only candidate he needed.

In terms of answers, Unlocke confirms to Jack that he had appeared as Christian Shephard soon after the crash. As with the explanation of the whispers last week, though, the answer seems to bring more questions. Was the Man In Black portraying Christian in Jacob’s cabin? (Probably.) Visiting Jack off the island? (Probably not?) Telling Locke to turn the donkey wheel? (Probably.) Talking to Sun and Frank about the DHARMA Initiative? (Probably not, since at the same time, the Man In Black was Unlocke with the Ajira crew, and supposedly “stuck” in that form.) And a few weeks ago, it seemed significant that Claire described her father and her “friend” as two separate entities. Did she just not know she was in the middle of a puppet show?

And while Unlocke’s darker nature seems even more pronounced now, I’m struck by what he told Jack: he appeared as his father to lead him to water. In retrospect, it does seem to be what the vision accomplished way back in Season 1. And Unlocke also brought water and food to Richard at the Black Rock. Of course, he wanted something from Richard, and still wants something from Jack. But I found the tiny shard of implied benevolence interesting.

Jack was trapped on the island before he even got there? Absolutely. All the Man in Black wanted to do was help them leave? I’m not sure. I think Jack is right to question why he wants them gone, and just how their continued presence is a threat.

While Sawyer was ready to write off Claire and Sayid, both seemed to get a glimmer of hope tonight. Claire’s homicidal urges toward Kate seemed to subside (again) as she was welcomed aboard the escape boat, and Sayid’s hesitation after returning to Locke suggests that talking to Desmond may have reawakened some humanity within him.

Sayid’s character is definitely an empty one now, with even Sawyer dismissing him as a zombie. We’re hoping for a tragic and sad end, or a heroic final turn, but this blank-faced moping around has got to stop. At least Hurley suggests that redemption is possible, invoking what seems to be a contractually obligated “Star Wars” reference. (A reference that pop-culture wise-ass Sawyer inexplicably doesn’t recognize.) Anakin Skywalker turned against his dark lord in a climactic battle, so perhaps Sayid will do the same.

And, yes, at long last, Sun and Jin were reunited. As we’d feared, the overextended separation and the episode’s rushed pace robbed the moment of much of its dramatic power. Actually, the portable sonic fence on the beach seemed to have been purposely situated between them as they ran toward each other, and we were half expecting there to be yet another cheesy contrivance to keep them apart one more week. Fortunately, they embraced and declared their love… but the writers let Lapitas channel David Caruso with a smirking one-liner that deflated whatever emotional power was left in the scene.

Why did Widmore call off the deal with Sawyer? Why does anyone on Team Widmore think missiles are an effective weapon against Unlocke? Where has the spirit of Jacob been all this time, and what is Unlocke’s ultimate plan? And how are we going to survive two weeks before getting our next shot at answers?

The conversation between Unlocke and Jack was a powerful one. When Unlocke said John Locke was stupid, and a sucker, at first I felt it was just adding insult to injury when it came to one of the most interesting and promising characters on “LOST.” But then I started to think (or hope) that they were actually setting John Locke up to be vindicated somehow. I hope so.
Off the island, we learn that Locke’s wheelchair actually saved his life. Jen said it reminded her of how losing his kidney saved his life when he was shot by Ben.
Flash-sideways Kate emphatically insists she’s innocent. And if the flash-sideways are going to ultimately suggest happier lives for our survivors, it would make sense that she is. Notice that Sawyer offers Kate an apple in the police station. A reference to Eve and the Garden of Eden? Or is it just an apple?
Sawyer’s observation that it’s “weird” how he and Kate ended up crossing each others paths reminded us of Jack remarking to Kate in “316” that it was “crazy” to see that they were all back together on an airplane.
We loved how cool Unlocke was when the first warning missile struck in the jungle. The huge explosion behind his unflinching figure called to mind the moment he blew up the submarine in Season 3.
Zoe’s conversation with Unlocke, in which Unlocke says he has no idea what she’s talking about, is a direct mirror of the conversation Unlocke has with Widmore over a similar situation in “The Package.”
Miles says his last name is Straum. So even though he’s got a good relationship with his museum-managing dad, Dr. Chang, there’s still a kink or two in that family tree.
Ilana’s last name is Verdanski. Couldn’t think of how that might be significant, if only in comparison to Radzinski and Minkowski.
Hurley says, “People are trying to kill us again.” Just like old times.
Sawyer gets of at least one notable nickname: Chesty. It was funny how he referred to Lapitas as a guy who looked like he stepped out of a Burt Reynold’s movie… but it was an unusually clunky line of dialogue where “the pilot” probably would have sufficed.
Locations: The office building where Claire, Desmond, Jack, David, and Ilana came together was Pauahi Tower in downtown Honolulu. The hospital where Sun and Jin and Jack and Locke turned up was the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific (though I think the ambulance bay and emergency entrance was Kuakini Hospital). The house where Sayid was captured by Sawyer and Miles is on Waiohinu Drive in Kahala. The “old pier” where Jack and his group boarded the Elizabeth was Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay.

How did you like “The Last Recruit”? Favorite moments? New theories? Please comment below and join the conversation. You can also call and leave a brief (ideally, one-minute long) message on the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808, or email us at lost@hawaiiup.com.

Next: “Everybody Loves Hugo” (Episode 6-12) Apr 13, 2010

“Everybody Loves Hugo” brought some memorable moments, from touching to downright shocking. We got a good dose of pyrotechnics, and a surprisingly blunt explanation to the perennial mystery of “the whispers.” Once again we saw some of our characters part ways, but we also saw our candidates come together sooner than we’d anticipated. And perhaps in keeping with the inherent intensity of this final season, this Hurley-centric episode was fortunately not overloaded with comic relief. Yet, on the heels of an epic Richard Alpert tale and a brain-busting Desmond episode, this week’s entry felt more like the sharp intake of breath before a grand declaration, a mechanically necessary repositioning of game pieces for the few chapters remaining ahead.

On the island, Unlocke unpacks a little bit more of his game plan… or at least fleshes out his cover story. The candidates’ return to the island was possible only together, and so then must they be reunited to leave. I’ve been wondering if Widmore’s return was to exploit the island, rather than to do the right thing… but now that Unlocke says Widmore is only after power, I’m more inclined to think he might actually be trying to save the world, after all. It seemed telling when Unlocke agreed with Desmond that the island had it in for everyone. And UnLocke, of course, had it in for Desmond. The way Terry O’Quinn’s face twitched moments before pushing Desmond down the magnetic well sent shivers down Jen’s spine. But despite Desmond’s fall, I’m confident we’re not quite done with our favorite Scottsman.

I enjoyed Hurley’s double bluff, first pretending to back Richard’s plan (only to blow the Black Rock to bits), then pretending to get direction from Jacob. It was great to see Richard called him on the ruse (“Jacob never tells us what to do”), and to see Hurley still play it cool. And in terms of repeating themes and scenarios, we again see sides chosen, and a group dividing in the forest. Miles and Ben follow Alpert, while Jack, Sun, and Frank follow Hurley. It’s a nice coincidence that Hurley’s fellow candidates chose to go with him, and that doesn’t bode well for what may be our last splinter group.

Jen is definitely warming up to Jack, though I’m not sure how to read his turn in this episode. He also knew Hurley was bluffing, but still went along with him because he’s concluded it’s time to trust other people. There are some things he can’t fix. That’s a good lesson for control-freak Jack, I suppose, but the epiphany sounds very similar to the one he had in Season 5. During his DHARMA days, he decided not to act, but rather wait for his moment. That didn’t turn out so well, so… now he’s going to take even less initiative? That’s not going to work, since Jacob told Hurley that Jack indeed has something he needs to do.

Michael’s return was odd. It provided some catharsis in his apology to Hurley, but the big “reveal” seemed really underplayed. Tonight, Hurley suddenly concludes that “the whispers” are essentially the voices of the dead “who can’t move on,” and Michael says he’s right. Is that it? The island is purgatory, after all? Over the past five seasons, there seemed to be some significance to when and where the whispers were heard (by people who don’t otherwise have communion with the dead), and a fair amount of theorizing was based on meticulous transcripts of what they were saying. My favorite theories involved DHARMA experiments or some other group of “observers,” or maybe a side-effect of time travel (or even the flash-sideways). I’m hoping there’s more to them, but probably not.

Even odder was the abrupt departure of Ilana. Kudos to the writers for avoiding another Arzt joke, but her death certainly frustrates people like me, who had just begun to accept that this “new character” was key to the bigger picture through her off-island connection to Jacob. The writers even let Ben comment on this curious development. But, he concludes, the island was merely done with her, and it will likely soon be done with everyone. We’re definitely sensing a theme, here.

And what to make of Miles? He finally has another conversation with Hurley about talking to dead people, but his own expertise is not even mentioned. And while Hurley seems to conclude that “dead people are more reliable” than the living, I’m wondering why Hurley isn’t more skeptical. His first reaction to Michael seemed the natural one. But something changed Hurley’s mind, and led him to blow up the Black Rock. What was in the bag he found in the camp? And while trying to blow up the plane was a plan that was apparently going to get everyone killed, walking right into Locke’s camp was also a heck of a gamble.

Their arrival was, in fact, foretold by Unlocke when he told Sawyer, “There’s a difference between doing nothing and waiting.” He knew the other candidates would come to him. And I was glad to see both groups reunited tonight, though. I’d assumed we’d have to wait for the finale. Can Sun and Jin’s reunification be put off much longer?

For those clamoring for a resolution to the Libby storyline, the flash-sideways in “Everybody Loves Hugo” brings direct relief. It doesn’t explain how she came to be in the institution with Hurley in the original timeline, but who cares? It was worth it to see Hurley struck by lightning in the Mexican restaurant, and to see him finally see “the truth” on their long-delayed picnic on the beach. In some respects, the flash-sideways felt like one giant checkmark on the long list of “LOST” mysteries. But Jorge Garcia and especially Cynthia Watros sold it. The date was nice, but I was actually a bit misty-eyed during the rec room scene when Libby again heard that Hurley had no memory of her. It’s hard to imagine what depth her character might have brought to the show had Libby survived beyond Season Two.

The final scene, though, was a hell of a twist. The tension was built masterfully, with Ben rightfully suspicious of a man staking out a school parking lot, and Desmond’s fixation on Locke as he wheeled his way past. Then, bam! Locke is flat on his back, in shock. I was half expecting the scene to close with a close up of his toes.

It is curious, though, that Desmond was content to subtly suggest that Hurley go with his instincts in his curiosity about Libby, but then decides to take a much more direct role in Locke’s introduction to “the truth.” Whereas Hurley’s connection with Libby echoes the “love” invoked for Charlie and Claire (and Desmond and Penny, and Daniel and Charlotte), poor Locke had to get the “near death experience” treatment instead. Presumably, “love” would be less effective for Locke, given his good relationship with Helen in the flash-sideways, but… how would Desmond know? And how is he, so far, picking out our island survivors from among the hundreds of presumably innocent or uninvolved people aboard Oceanic 815?

Notes and Notions:

The opening slideshow, narrated by Dr. Pierre Chang, was fun. It seemed to include a few real-world photos of Jorge Garcia. He got his dog, Nunu, onto “LOST” via the shot of him in front of the Hawaiian Humane Society (its logo clearly visible). And I’d bet those were real baby pictures, too.
I liked how even “lucky” Hurley was intimidated by talking to women, a trait that goes back to Starla at the record store in Season Two. I don’t know what happened to his blind date, Rosalita, but it was also nice to hear that Grandpa Tito is apparently still around in the flash-sideways.
Jen loved how subtly Henry Ian Cusick played the faint moment of confusion after Desmond immediately came up with the name “Charlie” for his son when confronted by Ben.
It’s a small thing, but I love how one of the extras (a long-haired Asian woman) looked perplexed in the scene where Hurley meets Desmond in the Mr. Cluck’s restaurant. Hurley yells, “What?” And we see her clearly reacting as if Hurley might be yelling at her, rather than Desmond. A lot of times, background extras in scenes are a little too oblivious to the action we’re watching. It was a nice touch.
The creepy boy, who Desmond saw, is back to haunting Unlocke. His smile was disconcerting, taunting, in the same vein of his earlier admonition, “You know the rules. You can’t kill him.” The more we see of him, the more he seems like a young Jacob. Gloating Jacob.
After Locke’s “Blow Up Everything That Can Get Us Off The Island Tour,” tonight we had the “Blow Up Everything (and Everyone) That Can Blow Up Everything That Can Get Us Off The Island Tour.”
What is Unlocke the Wood Whisperer carving? Claire already has a crib for her scary squirrel baby. Part of me would like to see him recreate Mr. Eko’s carved “Jesus Stick.”
Looks like Richard’s back to declaring, “We’re dead, we’re all dead!”
Books: The Russian book Hurley found among Ilana’s belongings was “Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Wikipedia says it is considered by many to be the world’s first existentialist novel.
Locations: The awards ceremony was filmed at the Koolau Golf Club/First Presbyterian Church in Kaneohe. The “fajita fieldtrip” to Spanish Johnny’s was filmed at Bandito’s Cantina at Pearlridge. The Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute was again the YWCA on Richards Street downtown, and Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack was again the Popeye’s Chicken on Dillingham Boulevard. The beach where Hurley and Libby had their date was the west end of Ala Moana Park. And the parking lot where Desmond met Ben and hit Locke was August Elementary School in Waipahu. And, of course, the slideshow included shots of the Hawaiian Humane Society, the Honolulu Zoo, and the box company exterior at Gentry Pacific Design Center.

What did you think? We’d love your thoughts for our podcast. Please comment below, and share your reaction, thoughts, theories and theories with fellow fans. Or, you can email us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTline at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “Happily Ever After” (Episode 6-11) Apr 06, 2010

After a near half-season absence, Desmond returns to the foreground this week, and not surprisingly, his story is once again a game changer. As the only person to survive a cataclysmic magnetic event, he is key to Widmore’s plan on the island. And in the flash-sideways, he gets a taste of “the truth” from Charlie, and will be the one to finally bring our wandering, disconnected survivors together. In this final chapter of “LOST,” the end game has never been in sharper focus. And yet we’re still confounded as to what happens next.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” So love is all you need… to see beyond the edges of the universe. Charlie, choking on his drugs, sees (presumably) Claire from the original timeline and realizes that nothing else matters, that nothing else is real. Desmond, after nearly drowning and getting zapped in an MRI machine, sees Penny and the birth of Charlie. Daniel falls in love at first sight with Charlotte, and he gets a brainload of quantum physics. I would guess that the intensity of premature labor and natural, maternal love is what connected Claire with the name Aaron earlier this season. And now Desmond wants to share his revelation with the rest of the passengers on Oceanic 815.

Forgetting for a moment that few people will be receptive to an invitation to have a near-death experience (breath-holding exercises? elective MRI scans?), it bears noting that not everyone in the flash-sideways world would give up their lives for the ones we know they had in the original timeline. If “redeemed dad” Jack somehow gets a glimpse of “Oceanic Six” Jack, for example, I don’t think he’ll be as convinced as Charlie and Desmond that the vision is “the truth.”

In fact, now that our flash-sideways characters are becoming aware of the original, island timeline, the question is whether the opposite will happen. Will Unlocke or Jacob show our LOSTies a glimpse of their sideways selves? Will the final sides in the war be determined by which timeline each character wants to win out?

And the fact that Desmond has a plan in the flash-sideways now suggests that the fate of our characters might not only be decided on the island. Widmore’s high-powered test tonight suggests that his final play involves another failsafe-level release of magnetic energy. But his insistence on a timeline, coupled with how things may soon unfold in the flash-sideways, make me think that something big will happen on both sides simultaneously.

Finally, Eloise. She still seems to be the most in-the-know in any timeline. Her shock at seeing Desmond, supposedly for the first time, was palpable. And the way she turned from surprisingly understanding to angry and frustrated was telling. Desmond is not ready. And for him to start asking questions is not just wrong, but a “violation.” A violation of rules? Of time and space? We shall see.

Notes and Notions:

“Intense” is the word of the evening. Desmond enduring the energy test was as wild as any climactic moment in “LOST,” and could easily rank as an iconic image through all of science fiction. And Desmond’s claustrophobic MRI flash scene was also powerful.
Seeing flashes of Charlie drowning once again still put a lump in my throat. But that’s an emotional card the writers probably can’t play much longer.
The contrast between Desmond’s two lives globetrotting businessman with no attachments versus loving husband and father could have probably been drawn a little more subtly. Why would he want Charles Widmore’s approval more than anything else in the world, if there wasn’t a Penny to motivate him? Still, the moment where Widmore let him have a sip of MacCutcheon was great.
On the other hand, was there something more to the fact that Desmond had no family to declare as an emergency contact? His lack of daddy issues, or even mommy issues, remains one of the biggest blank spots among our characters’ backstories.
The MRI machine definitely had a little bit of smoke monster in it, at least in terms of sound design. And actually, the smoke monster probably has more in common with MRI machines than you’d initially think.
I’m not entirely clear if sideways Daniel thinks setting off a bomb was a good idea or not, though he definitely doesn’t want to do it again. He does seem to know that Jughead did detonate, and that it was key to creating “some other life.”
Daniel is a Widmore, and Penny is not (if she was, indeed, the “Penny Milton” of the mysterious guest list). And the two are half-siblings, as many suspected was the case in the original timeline. Presumably Penny is still Widmore’s first daughter by another woman, but the whole family seems to be pretty even keeled.
Will we ever learn who Penny’s mother is? I’m not sure. I think giving her the name “Milton” is a way of saying it doesn’t matter. John Milton is the author of “Paradise Lost.”
I’m not sure there’s much more to George Minkowski turning up as Desmond’s driver, either. But I’m a fan of the cameos.
With Daniel now a musician, the number of likely suspects for the person who programmed the computer in The Looking Glass underwater station has doubled. It always seemed poetic that Charlie be somehow responsible for the “Good Vibrations” code, but Daniel works too.
On the island, I’m not entirely sure why Desmond went with Sayid so willingly. Maybe you just don’t want to mess with a killer with a knife? But the way he was so at peace after the energy test makes me think he’s now absolutely convinced of his importance in the universe, and simply doesn’t see Sayid (or anyone) as a threat.
Locations: So many! The baggage claim was at Honolulu International Airport. Widmore’s office was built inside King Kalakaua Plaza, also known as the former Niketown Honolulu building, in Waikiki. The Airport Courthouse was the State Attorney General’s Office building on Queen St. off Punchbowl St. The bar, “Jax,” was Anna Bananna’s near University Avenue. The marina where Charlie and Desmond drove into the water was the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor behind the Ilikai Hotel. The hospital where Desmond, Charlie, and Jack turned up was Hawaii Medical Center East on Liliha Street. The museum where Eloise was staging her concert was Bishop Museum. And the stadium where Desmond met Penny was Aloha Stadium.

But that’s just us. How did you like the episode? We’d love your feedback! Please share your reactions, theories, favorite moments and other thoughts from “Happily Ever After” below, and join in one of the best post-episode conversations you’ll find anywhere. You can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a brief message on the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “The Package” (Episode 6-10) Mar 30, 2010

Last week’s lavish, lingeringly shot episode was a tough act to follow, but “The Package” still satisfied. For those seeking forward momentum on the island, we certainly got some, and the flash-sideways brought some great moments. Overall, it was a fun ride, but one with an undercurrent of uneasiness… both in the narrative and in “LOST” fandom. Just why is Sayid’s dead soul best prepared for what’s to come? And just how will everything be untangled in the next six episodes? It may be the drugs talking (I’m battling bronchitis), but I’m at peace. The many ways in which this final season has evoked the drama and richness of the first one is more than reason enough for me to surrender to whatever happens.

Locke and Widmore’s confrontation on the beach brings us our declaration of war, and Jin’s first look at Ji Yeon reduced me to a puddle of goo. And as suspected, Widmore’s arrival does bring some solace to those eager for some “science” in their science fiction, with Zoe the physicist asking about the island’s pockets of magnetism. The long-overdue final reveal that Desmond is apparently the key to Unlocke’s defeat ((telegraphed pretty bluntly with “it’s not a what, it’s who”), is at once thrilling and perplexing. Will the mere presence of Desmond cause a rift in the space-time continuum? Is Desmond the only person who can wield the dagger against an otherwise invincible Unlocke?

And what does “cease to be” mean? As a description of the dire consequences, it rings a little hollow. It sounds less like Armageddon, and more like a “Back to the Future”-esque nullification of existence.

One answer, four more questions.

The fact that Sun cut her hand while gardening cannot be insignificant. And having her lose her ability to speak English seems a move straight out of daytime soap operas, so I’m hoping there’s more to it. Coupled with the post-Unlocke pursuit blackout, I’m wondering if she might soon follow Sayid’s path.

I also loved Unlocke’s conversation with Claire, at once rationalizing why he saved Kate from her rage earlier, and resetting the stage for another confrontation. His disavowal of whatever might happen adds another sinister point against the Man in Black being merely a misunderstood prisoner.

Off the island, I was about to roll my eyes in frustration at just how hard the writers were trying to point out how not together Sun and Jin were (“Two rooms! Not married!”), when of course Jin’s discomfort was merely preemptive defensiveness all along. Turning the iconic fight over Sun’s blouse buttons into a seductive move was a brilliant one, in my book. And I’m glad that even in the flash sideways, escaping together was part of the plan. Mr. Paik, though, is one cold dude.

I liked Keamy’s turn this week, from his dismissiveness toward Omar to his fleeting moment of compassion for star-crossed Jin. Jin shooting Mikhail’s eye out was a gruesome yet amusing twist. The way the restaurant confrontation connected with Sayid’s earlier story was a nice touch, but it seems deliberate that he was, at best, only indifferently helpful to Jin.

And Sun, pregnant? But of course!

Let’s ponder the line referenced tonight from Widmore to Locke: “Because there’s a war coming, John. And if you’re not back on the Island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win.” Is it safe to assume Widmore meant real Locke, not Unlocke? If so, is the wrong side going to win? Or did Widmore just find another out with Desmond?
Claire was not on the list. Kate is no longer on the list, but is vital to collecting those that are. So, why does Unlocke need three more people to get on the plane? Or does he merely need to dispose of them together?
So, Sawyer tells Jin that the double-cross deal with Widmore was the real deal, not the double-double-cross deal he seemed to make with Unlocke upon returning to the main island. Is it as simple as that? I guess so, given his disappointment in Unlocke’s return. I think I liked it better when his allegiance were more ambiguous.
Miles’ cruelty toward Hurley, harping again on his weight, was upsetting. But I couldn’t be mad for long, with Frank’s admonition: “Hey. Don’t talk about bacon.”
Jen’s favorite line: “No, ’cause that’d be ridiculous.” Ah, the powers and limits of the Smoke Monster, always fun to ponder. I think it echoes a Miles line from the time travel period, but I’m not sure.
Unlocke telling Sun that he’s not going to make her do anything, and that he’s merely asking her, is yet more emphasis on free will. The line between “forcing” and “asking” seems pretty fuzzy though. Is it just the candidates whose choices must be pure?
Top anvilicious moment? The brief dialogue between Unlocke and Jin about the list of names. Now, after all these seasons, they explicitly point out that conversations happen off-screen? That people mysteriously learn facts we didn’t see them learn? It felt awkward.
The night-vision moment that opened the episode was also a bit cheesy. It would’ve been cool if they’d depicted infra-red heat signatures, with everyone glowing except for Locke (and Sayid), but… no such luck.
Speaking of which, I also couldn’t help wondering why the darts worked on Sayid and Claire. Just how human are those two? The attack, Jen felt, was reminiscent of the hail of flaming arrows last season… just less funny.
Who’s Danny? Keamy and Omar’s associate, of Mikhail’s mutual acquaintance. The only Danny we can think of is Daniel Faraday.
Locations: The airport where Jin is released is Pier 2 near Restaurant Row. The hotel where Sun and Jin stay in Los Angeles is the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. The bank where Sun and Mikhail try to withdraw funds is the main branch of the Bank of Hawaii on S. King Street. And the kitchen where the showdown takes place is at the Koolau Golf Club.

We want your feedback on this episode! Please share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments below. You can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a one-minute-or-so message on the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808. Mahalo!

Next: “Ab Aeterno” (Episode 6-09) Mar 23, 2010

It was the best of episodes, it was the worst of episodes. A tale of two LOSTs came to us tonight, and the chasm between fans who liked it and fans who didn’t will probably never be wider. Perhaps “Ab Aeterno” was a breathtaking, deep, and daring voyage into the heart of a man and, therein, the heart of the whole series. Or, perhaps it was merely an extended flashback for a secondary character that ended with absolutely no forward momentum on the island.

We choose the former. We loved this episode.

If only for tonight, we forgot about numbers and vaccines and time travel, and immersed ourselves in the story of Ricardus the rich Spanish settings, the lingering moments of terror and despair aboard the Black Rock, the eternal chess game between the Man in Black and Jacob, and throughout, Nestor Carbonell’s fantastic performance. When Richard is visited by the form of Isabelle, we were enthralled. We couldn’t believe this eerie scene was part of the same show that started with a plane crash five years ago.

Before we even thought about where the pieces fit, “Ab Aeterno” reaffirmed our love of the picture being painted. In the end, will it be incomplete, fragmented, and confounding? We have no doubt. But six seasons in, “LOST” is still taking chances, posing big questions, and for that, we still think it’s the best show on television.

Nonetheless, the puzzle pieces demand some study.

No, the island is not hell, nor purgatory… yet it is the closest thing to it, in both the corporeal and metaphysical sense. Indeed, Alpert’s early declaration that they’re all dead is not entirely untrue. Souls come to the island to be tested, and have so far unanimously failed. Sounds like hell to us. We also learn that the island is a “cork” that keeps malevolence and evil contained, and that our survivors are pawns in an epic battle between darkness and its captor.

So: Before the Man In Black escapes, can the last of the candidates prove Jacob’s case? Can they demonstrate that people can choose the right path?

That seems to be “LOST” in a nutshell. The players and stories are simply human. Jack, Kate, Hurley, a Kwon… Their pasts don’t matter, yet obviously inform their future. But stakes are huge. Biblical, global, and universal. It seems impossible for “LOST” to satisfactorily resolve these grand themes in the next seven episodes, let alone a million other frayed threads. We’re afraid vindication may only come after re-watching the series from the beginning, after seeing everything through Season Six eyes.

Interestingly, we saw a distinct parallel between Richard’s failed attempt on Jacob’s life and Sayid’s failure to kill the Man in Black. The fact that both sides may be intent on murder certainly muddies the “good versus evil” waters. Also, even though we still don’t know what rules are in force (and thus what “loophole” Ben stepped through to finally stab Jacob), I was surprised by the suggestion that Alpert was the first to try. Coming to the island in the 1800s, his story already began much more recently than I’d assumed. Which means that the conflict has only recently turned ugly, maybe as Jacob’s candidates have started to run out.

On the questions checklist, meanwhile, we can cross out both “what destroyed the statue” and “how did the Black Rock end up in the jungle” with the same stroke. The physics seem a little iffy, but then again, there’s also a smoke monster on this show. Speaking of which, it’s now clear that said smoke monster “scans” people to find their motivations and weaknesses, if not also their usefulness. Conjuring dead wives, or daughters (Alex), or brothers (Yemi) is a useful power to get people to do things for you, and it’s a power that Jacob explicitly admits tonight that he lacks.

He can, however, grant immortality. And I’m curious why Alpert became Jacob’s ageless intermediary, when all who came before and after him were merely candidates to test. I’m guessing Alpert was a candidate himself, explaining why was he the only person on the Black Rock that the smoke monster didn’t kill. But did he end up extra special because he was the first to come at Jacob with a dagger, demonstrating to Jacob that he needed a helper?

And now, decades later, Richard is weak and tries to join the Man In Black. His dead wife, through Hurley, puts him back on track. Like Ben, he’s nearly led astray, but sticks with Jacob’s team. But also like Ben, I now wonder what else is left for him to do. I don’t know who’s going to be the last man standing against the Man In Black, but I’m pretty sure it’s not either of them.

We’re glad “LOST” took us on a ride into the past this week. But next week, we better rack up some serious mileage on the island.

Notes and Notions:

Jen’s now fixated on Anthony Cooper. The man who appeared mysteriously on the island, and whom Ben prodded Locke to murder. With a knife. Quickly, before he had a chance to think. Was that whole scenario yet another “move” between Jacob and the Man in Black? And if so, who’s side did Anthony Cooper represent?
Alpert’s backstory was almost flawless. But the ease with which the greedy doctor was killed was a bit silly. Coupled with Kelvin’s noggin knock at Desmond’s hands, it seems skulls on “LOST” are especially fragile.
Now that we see even more significance and history to Alpert’s character, it’s hard not to think about some of the things he’s done in seasons past. The fact that he was merely a thug for Ben in “The Brig” seems ridiculous, as does his apparently pivotal role in “The Purge.” Was he acting in Jacob’s interests then? And how does that jive with his efforts to sustain a truce further back in 1977?
Richard’s devotion to Isabella was well acted, but I couldn’t help but think it was an interesting choice to motivate him with his love for a spouse, rather than for a parent or especially a child. With all the generational issues explored on “LOST,” hanging things on a husband and wife bond seemed almost quaint.
Some great, lighter moments: Richard’s almost girlish giggle when he’s asked what to do. Hurley telling Jack it’s not about him. And the look on the Man in Black’s face when Alpert hands him the white stone.
The captain of the Black Rock was one Magnus Hanso. Presumably related to Alvar Hanso of the nearly forgotten Hanso Foundation, which funded the DHARMA Initiative. I wonder if this one mention of the Hanso name will be all we’ll see in the show from the Season 2 ARG? Or will the arrival of Charles Widmore open the door to a little more Hanso/DHARMA backstory?
Lots of overtly Christian elements this week. God, the devil, a bible, a cross, sin, absolution and forgiveness, penitence… There was a lingering shot of Luke 4:24-29, in which Jesus asserts that prophets are often rejected in their own neighborhoods, and angers the people of Nazareth by telling them not to expect any special treatment even though he’s from their town. I’ll leave it to more qualified scholars to tease out how the passage applies to “LOST.” I’m also sure the nail Richard found on the Black Rock was symbolic, but don’t know how.
At the end of Season 5, Jacob and the Man In Black see a ship sailing on calm seas in the middle of a bright, sunny day. Yet we now know the Black Rock arrived on a stormy night… delivered by a huge wave, no less. Presumably the first ship wasn’t the Black Rock, but one of many other vessels that Jacob has summoned.

What did you think? We’d love your feedback! Share your thoughts, theories, and reactions to “Ab Aeterno” via a comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “Recon” (Episode 6-08) Mar 17, 2010

“Locke tasks Sawyer with a mission.” We’ll blog our thoughts as soon as we can (Ryan just landed back in Honolulu and may not be fully conscious), but we want to know what you thought about tonight’s episode. Share your feedback, thoughts, theories and questions by posting a comment below, e-mailing us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or calling the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “The Lighthouse” Feb 23, 2010

This 108th episode of “LOST” took us back to the first few hours of this incredible show. We still don’t know whether “LOST” will succeed in answering enough questions and resolving enough loose ends. But the feel of the show, the growing sense of coming full circle after half a decade of storytelling, is fantastic. The spirit of “White Rabbit,” episode five from season one, was all over “The Lighthouse.” Jen thoroughly loved it. I enjoyed it. To me, some of the exposition and dialogue was a bit flat, and the ever clever fan-inspired commentary of Hurley was a bit too clever. But perhaps such things are unavoidable given the immense amount of explaining “LOST” will have to do in the limited time left. They need to spell it out for us, and they need to acknowledge how ridiculous some of it all sounds.

While on-island Jack is once again reaching a breaking point, off-island Jack is perhaps conquering his demons (his mom praises him for turning down a drink), acknowledging his daddy issues, and making amends with his son. His son! David plays piano like Jack, suffers under an overbearing father like Jack… and “has a gift,” perhaps also like Jack. But the big mystery now is, who is David’s mom? Whose house did Jack visit (and enter thanks to a key hidden under a white rabbit)? And why did she, frankly, miss David’s recital? David’s blue eyes made Jen think of Juliet immediately. Could we see her moving on, later this season, asking Sawyer out for coffee?

Jack’s inexplicable confusion over his appendectomy scar was intriguing. His appendix was removed by Juliet on the island, which could be one reason he doesn’t remember it in the LA X timeline. But his mother does. And seeing Dogen as a fellow parent was a nice touch. He perhaps is not as mysterious, special, or even immortal as we might have thought, if a twist in time leads him to being a dad in Los Angeles.

Mirrors and reflections continue to play a big part in this final season, perhaps never moreso than in “The Lighthouse.” There were literal mirrors, of course, but our requisite book reference is again “Alice in Wonderland.”

On the island, we find the lighouse, a major island landmark that nobody noticed because nobody was looking for it. Inside, another list of names, most of them crossed out, save for our dear survivors. Is it a different list than the one Unlocke showed Sawyer in the cave? Part of me thinks they’re the same list, and the cave scrawlings represent the efforts of Unlocke/Man In Black to track Jacob’s candidates. On the other hand, we see some names we didn’t see in the cave, most notably, “Austen.”

The lighthouse and its various degrees suggest that it was where Jacob “watched” his candidates, and perhaps guided them to the island. But rather than investigate further, angry Jack smashes the mirrors. At first it seemed ridiculous to me, how once again a major potential source for answers is conveniently destroyed. But in the narrative of Jack’s life, it makes sense.

In “White Rabbit,” Christian Shephard tells young Jack: “Don’t choose, Jack, don’t decide. You don’t want to be a hero, you don’t try and save everyone, because when you fail, you just don’t have what it takes.” We’ve seen Jack try to be the hero, and everything fell apart once he got off the island. We then saw Jack return to try and wait for his purpose to reveal itself, only to end up executing a plan that was apparently a catastrophic failure. Now, he finds a list of names that suggests that he’s part of a larger plan or game, and is also probably one of the last players still standing. That’d probably be enough to make anyone snap.

Of course, we’re still not convinced “Shephard” means him. Jacob’s first line to Sawyer after his name was pointed out on the cave wall was, “He’s not the only one.” And even though the mirror showed Jack’s childhood home, that house also belonged to Christian. Heck, we don’t know if the image of the house was from Jack’s past, or from the “LA X” timeline. A pity he had to smash the mirrors to bits.

And Claire. Creepy Claire. Jen said she was even scarier than Rousseau. And now the parallels are numerous. Claire, like Rosseau, has spent years living in the wilderness, setting traps, surviving, living in conflict with and hiding from The Others. And she’s also obsessed with finding her missing child. But it’s interesting that there’s a lot of old Claire in there, despite whatever sickness or darkness may have consumed her.

She says her father and “her friend” told her The Others have Aaron. Whether or not on-island Christian Shephard and Unlocke were one and the same (I wonder what form Unlocke took prior to the arrival of Ajira 316), I’m curious why they’d want her to believe her son was still on the island. Are they trying to encourage her to go to The Temple, or discouraging her? They’ve fed her paranoia and mistrust for three years, but to what end?

After what she did to Justin, we believe her when she says she’d kill Kate if Kate raised Aaron. But the whole conversation revives questions about how important Aaron actually is to the island, and also, why it matters who raises him. If Kate is truly motivated solely by reuniting Claire with Aaron, and Claire remains obsessed with finding her son, it looks like the kid will be key at the end of Season 6. Jin went out of his way to remind Claire how old Aaron is, which only made me think about the clearly older blonde boy that’s now haunting Unlocke. Taller Ghost Aaron indeed.

This episode is at least the second time Hurley is given a message from an apparently departed spirit that is so important, he has to write it down. Charlie made Hurley write down his message for Jack in “Something Nice Back Home.”
Jack’s son’s name is David. We’ve noted the role of Davids throughout “LOST.” Libby says her late husband’s name was David. Hurley’s dad was named David, as was Charlotte’s father. And Hurley’s imaginary friend was Dave.
David is listening to music, but says it’s something Jack wouldn’t know. Easiest guess? Driveshaft. But if Driveshaft is a “one hit wonder” from a band led by a “bloody rock god,” why wouldn’t Jack know them? Since David is also a classical music buff, I’d like to think that in the “LA X” timeline, “Driveshaft” is a moody, artsy, acoustic indie band or something.
What funeral was Margot and Jack talking about? Presumably Christian’s, meaning they eventually proceeded without his body. I’m wondering how much time has now elapsed since Oceanic 815 landed.
Speaking of classical music, David’s choice of Chopin is the same as Daniel Faraday’s in “The Variable.”
In addition to “White Rabbit,” this episode ties well to “Something Nice Back Home” from Season 4. It’s the episode where his appendix comes out, where his domestic bliss with Kate crumbles, and where he reads from “Alice” to Aaron.
Shannon’s inhaler? Didn’t see that coming. The whole skit with Jorge Garcia at Comic-Con last year was apparently part of the master plan.
Hurley fires off so many pop-culture inspired lines, I don’t know where to begin. He lied to a samurai. He described Jacob as being like Obi-Wan Kenobi. And he tells Dogen he’s a fan of “Indiana Jones.” But I’ll take any of those lines over the groan-worthy chat with Jack over Kate.
Locations: David’s school, “St. Mary’s Academy,” is St. Louis School in Kaimuki. The “Williams Conservatory” recital hall is Central Middle School near downtown Honolulu. David’s mother’s house is a private residence on Malama Place in Manoa. Watch for updates on my Lost Locations website.

What did you think?. We’d love your thoughts, theories, and feedback below. You can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com or call the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “The Substitute” Feb 17, 2010

“Inside joke.” A great line. A provocative line. A dangerous line. Through some uncharacteristically straightforward expository scenes, this episode pulls back enough to give us the best view yet of the chess board. The game is afoot, our survivors are pawns, and presumably, despite the Man In Black’s plan to quit the island, there’s another showdown brewing. Yet, is it just a game? A battle between two eternal rivals? On many levels, this makes sense. Since Season 1, we’ve envisioned the entire show as an epic, but simple, contest between two sides. But will it be enough? Jen’s worried it may not be. I’m expecting there’s much more to the story.

The Man in Black is trapped. He sees only futility. He says Jacob is wasting lives to protect an island that doesn’t need protecting. Yet as he says this, we think immediately of the sunken island we saw in the premiere. Perhaps the island is not so invincible. And could its destruction bring about a greater, even global, calamity? Possibly.

Do we want this Man In Black running amok in the real world, in any case? Probably not.

Meanwhile, as we piece together this conflict, it’s less obvious that either Jacob or the Man In Black is noble, or good, or right. Jacob has certainly destroyed many lives in the name of protecting the island. And when The Man In Black learns that Jacob never gave Richard the whole story, his sympathy seems real. Neither player seems innocent. The scale with the black and white stones was a nearly too literal illustration of the balance between both sides. A balance that the Man In Black has apparently disrupted. And a balance that I think will prove to be necessary. No matter how frustrated or flawed, whatever forces Jacob and the Man In Black represent, we probably need them both to stick around.

Who was the young boy who appeared in the jungle? My daughter, fixated on his blonde hair, says Aaron… apparently through yet another twist in the space-time continuum. Maybe he was an embodiment of Jacob, in his original or now recycled form. But the way he reminded the Man In Black of the rules, and the way the Man In Black protested with Locke’s signature line, made me think he may actually represent something bigger, or on a higher plane, than MIB and Jacob.

Or maybe he’s just “special” in the way Walt was, giving some hope that there might be some explanation as to what was going on with him throughout the first half of the series.

We also see “The Numbers.” As MIB said, Jacob has a thing for numbers, and each of our iconic numbers is assigned to one of our survivors, who are merely the latest batch of “candidates.” There are other names on the cave wall, with different numbers, all crossed out. Is this the extent of the explanation we’ll get for the numbers? As someone who thought “The Numbers” might just be a McGuffin, I’m fine with that. But I’m hoping there’s just a little more to them.

The dialogue and flashbacks suggest that “Shepherd” is Jack, though it’s fun to think it could mean Christian, or Claire, or even Ray. The stated ambiguity of Kwon (Sun or Jin) is an interesting twist. And if we’re willing to entertain the thought that the boy in the forest is Aaron, why not add Ji Yeon to the list of possible name interpretations. Not depicted in the cave wall roll call? Austen. I’m not sure if that means anything, though, since there were a lot of names we didn’t see, and there were a lot of people on Oceanic 815 that probably didn’t make the list.

And MIB crossed out Locke, his current and apparently semi-permanent human form. He explains to Richard that he took Locke’s form to get to Jacob… but I don’t think that was “the loophole,” since it was Ben who did the stabbing. I also figure this can’t be the first time MIB took the form of a “candidate.” I really like the theory a listener shared on our “LA X” podcast that “the loophole” meant Jacob could only be killed by someone carrying his essence (i.e. Ben, infused in the temple spring). I still think, however, it has something to do with who’s the “leader” at any given time. “Unlocke” was allowed inside Jacob’s lair because everyone thought he was the real Locke and thus the island’s current leader, but the highest ranking person was actually Ben, who was therefore capable of killing him.

What does it mean, though, that MIB is “stuck” looking like Locke? He did change into smoke monster form in the premiere, and apparently again tonight in the eerie island flyover. (They definitely cranked up the mechanical elements of the smoke monster’s sound.) If he just can’t look like another person, can he still become a horse? An inanimate object?

The interplay between Sawyer and “Unlocke” was great. As many predicted last week, Sawyer with nothing to lose is a dangerous thing indeed. Having him allied with MIB makes things much more interesting, and I suspect we’ll see more of our survivors choosing different sides. Yet, for all MIB says about Jacob manipulating people, he conned Sawyer pretty good himself. Tapping into his vulnerabilities, offering answers, and even saving his life. It seems clear that dramatic ladder sequence on the cliffside was orchestrated by MIB to earn his trust.

Notes and Notions:

It was nice to see Jacob’s off-island visits with our survivors pay off, but really, Jacob’s “master plan” to push all of them to the Island was only introduced in the Season 5 finale. I’m hoping the writers do a little more, and reach a bit further back, to illustrate that they knew where everything was going from the beginning. Until then… it’s still interesting to note that some of his visits were pre-crash, and some were after the Oceanic 6 returned. Why?
The off-island stuff is still surprisingly compelling. Locke living with Helen, but ready to give up miracles? A wedding where his father would be welcome? An alarm clock that sounds like the Swan hatch? Hurley slams Randy and offers Locke a lifeline. We see both Hurley’s psychic and Rose at the temp agency. And Benjamin Linus as a whiny European History teacher was spot on.
On the “miracles” question, we’re of two minds. On one hand, it seems like Locke’s life off the island is devoid of worth and meaning. Yet what Rose and Helen tell him aren’t exactly “give up.” The message seems more an argument for reason, practicality, comfort and peace. He rips up Jack’s card because he’s done resenting his disability and daydreaming, and ready to start living.
Jen asked if Locke somehow never saw Rose on Oceanic 815. It would’ve been great for there to be a glimmer of recognition in their scene together, which of course could be interpreted different ways.
The temp agency scene? That was filmed in my office. They took over our entire IT department. Take a look at all the detail work that went into setting up the cubicles shown briefly in the background… even though you didn’t see any of it on screen!
Other locations: Locke’s house with Helen is on Alelo Street in Waikele, literally across the street from the home Locke inspected for Nadia. The box company office where Randy fired Locke was in the Hawaiian Telcom building downtown. The parking lot where Locke met Hurley is behind the Gentry Pacific Design Center in Iwilei, across the street from my office. For details, check out my new site, LOST Locations.
Books & Music: It was great to hear Sawyer talk about “Of Mice and Men” again. And Jen was impressed in Sawyer’s punk rock playlist: “Search and Destroy,” by Iggy and the Stooges.

What did you think? Please share your thoughts on “The Substitute” (Episode 6×04)! Commenting below is the best way to have your say. You can also email us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTline at (815) 310-0808.

Next: “What Kate Does” (Episode 6-03) Feb 09, 2010

Josh Holloway, you broke our hearts. Bravo. We had lowered expectations for this presumed “Kate episode,” and on most related points, we were right for having them. But for all the complaints we could readily recite from the cliché of Kate going after Sawyer actually being remarked upon to a largely flat and somewhat surreal off-island destraction we did not hate “What Kate Does.” We both actually liked it.

And for Jen to say this about an episode with Kate’s name in the title, frankly, is no small feat for “LOST.”

On the character front, Sawyer’s crushing confession hit hard. We remarked last week that Josh Holloway’s descent into nihilism was a powerful turn, and our love for his talent only grew this week. Even saddled with on-the-nose lines like, “Do what you want with him, or anybody else,” he made us believe that this nearly redeemed man now had absolutely nothing to lose. And Dogen? Not since the introduction of creepy Benjamin Linus in Season Two have we been so confused yet simultaneously charmed by a new character. He’s mysterious and brooding, yet wry and funny… in a dignified way.

Jen thought Dogen’s pill presentation was very “Matrix.” And pointed out that Dogen’s leadership strategy, using a translator to add some distance between him and the people he leads, is something that Ben probably should have considered.

It’s a shame to think that this leader has to work with knuckleheads like Justin and (the now late) Aldo. But their two line debate over whether Jin is “one of them” or not was telling. The way Dogen was clearly concerned with Sawyer’s safe return, along with the recitation of names that Dogen called for when our losties were first brought to the temple, it’s obvious there’s something special about these specific people. Our people.

And on the mythology front, the reappearance of Claire before the final thud wasn’t even the most interesting clue. It was the diagnosis of poor Sayid, who’s not a zombie, but will possibly become one in due time. He, like Claire, has been “claimed,” and a darkness is growing within him. It seems that Claire is already lost to the dark side of the force, and the question is, who else has been so infected? The late Christian Shephard seems a good guess. These would be the agents of the Man In Black.

Claire did seem to be channeling a bit of Danielle Rousseau in her half second on screen, and she’s obviously been setting Rousseau-like traps. Also, the way Justin (or Aldo?) said Rosseau had been dead for a while seemed to suggest that perhaps our crazy Frenchwoman had a share of darkness within her as well. On the other hand, out of everyone on the island, she seemed most wary of “the sickness,” and the similarity between Sayid’s torture test and Rosseau’s car battery interrogation in Season 1 is obvious. I’m going to say Rosseau managed to steer clear of infection, just not of bullets.

One thing that stood out this week? Our friends at the temple seem to be big on free will and choice. After more than one physical scuffle with Jack, the burly guards obediently step aside when he finally decides he wants to talk to Dogen. And Dogen said Sayid had to take the pill the poison pill willingly. Indeed, the way Dogen asks Sawyer to stay, coupled with the way Hurley was told the alarm wasn’t to keep them locked in, suggests that our losties aren’t entirely the prisoners they think they are.

And what of the off-island storyline? There’s no doubt Kate had several moments of deja vu, from spotting Jack at the airport, to pulling the stuffed orca out of Claire’s backpack (the same whale that Aaron clutched in “Something Nice Back Home”), to hearing Aaron’s name. A name that even surprised Claire. So we get that there are links between the world where Oceanic 815 crashed and the world where it didn’t. But honestly it still seems like a distraction, a writers’ flight of “what if” fancy, particularly when the story we all thought we were following is still unfolding on the island. Sure, it was awesome to see Ethan again (talking about needles, no less), but we didn’t even see Unlocke, Alpert, Ben and friends this week. I can only hope to be wonderfully surprised with a big payoff further down the line.

The zombie conversation was hilarious. But Miles topped it with, “We’ll be in the food court if you need us.”
Dogen’s dry answers to Jack were great. “What’s that?” “A baseball.” “What’s this?” “Tea.” Reminiscent of Alpert’s explanation of a compass to Locke: “It points north, John.”
Doc Arzt pulls the ~~“Taxi Driver”~~ “Midnight Cowboy” line, “I’m walkin’ here!” Just like Sawyer did when Christian hits him with the car door in “Two for the Road.”
In contrast, Kate had some real clunkers. Her astonished lines with Sawyer in the temple as they looked at Sayid were, it seemed, practically a re-run of the same astonished conversation in the same dark corner as last week.
So is this the end of the Kate-Sawyer side of the love triangle? I hope so. I’m not sure if I can take another go ’round. There definitely seemed to be some heat on the Kate-Jack side. I don’t care who Kate chooses. I just want her to choose and be done with it.
It’s great to see Jin speaking English. And his desperate search for Sun is understandable. But they’ve been kept apart so long, I’m starting to forgetting the chemistry they had, and I’m afraid their reunification will be less Rose and Bernard and more “Waaalt!”
Locations: Honolulu International Airport (LAX), Koapaka Street (where Kate left, then came back for, Claire), Hawaii Medical Center West (where Kate took Claire) and a home in Kahala (Claire’s would-be adoptive parents’ home).

What did you think of “What Kate Does”? right now! Commenting below is the best way to submit feedback, so you can share your thoughts with fellow listeners immediately. You can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTline at (815) 310-0808. We love hearing from you.

Next: “LA X” (Episode 6-01/02) Feb 02, 2010

“LA X” was a fitting opener to the final season of “LOST.” It had a reassuring focus on character with a generous topping of mythology. It had moments of strong emotional resonance, and a few gasp-worthy reveals. And it sets the stage for the epic battle between Jacob and the Man In Black that has apparently simmered beneath much of what we’ve been studying for the past several years. Sure, with yet another storytelling “twist,” we have no idea what’s going on… but since when has that been a problem?

Okay. So Jen’s a little nonplussed with the “parallel storyline” structure, and I can see why. On one hand, it’s clever. We get to see both outcomes of the Jughead argument. And the little differences we spot range from amusing hat-tips to a deeper exploration of a person’s fate. On the other, it seems just a little cheap to not commit to one answer… at least this late in the game. It also raises the troubling specter of having to switch between two worlds for several more episodes, when we really want the writers to just pick a path and let the rubber finally, finally hit the road.

And intellectually, I can see many reasons to dismiss or even dislike the universe where Oceanic Flight 815 lands safely in Los Angeles. Through that lens, they’ve thrown out five years of character development and regression. So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Sure, some of the touches were more fan bait than plot (Frogurt at the taxi stand, Doctor Arzt being annoying), but other moments felt right: Jack and Locke talking at the airport lost and found, with Jack taking interest in Locke’s condition. Jin returning to his darker, meaner self, and Sun already rebelling. Sawyer flirting with Kate, but more tellingly, not interfering with her escape from the airport. Hurley being confident and lucky. And Charlie, once running from death, now almost exhaustedly chasing it. I guess I’m more curious about the “what if” scenario than I thought I was.

Besides. The island is underwater? A development that comes about sometime after New Otherton is built? (A development that, sadly, could’ve used a few more days in the CGI rendering farm?) Just like watching a magic show, independent of everything else, I now simply have to see how they explain that. My guess is that it sank when Ben moved the island, a moment that is at the other end of whatever branching we’re now seeing. But I can’t even begin to explain what I actually mean.

Meanwhile, the new on-island world (universe, storyline, timeline, what have you) so far certainly seems to be custom-built to feed the fans obsessed with the mythology of the show. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” says Unlocke, while Richard says, incredulously, “You!” If the Man in Black and the smoke monster are one and the same, we now have a whole new prism through which to reexamine the last five seasons. I only hope things hold up under such scrutiny.

Learning what was in the guitar case so early in the season was a pleasant surprise, and the giant Ankh was certainly an impressive prop, regardless of the fact that a sealed envelope would’ve probably worked just as well.

Finally, we see the temple, and meet a whole new group of characters. It’s a good thing Hiroyuki Sanada is so good at being mysterious, because these original recipe Others (shunning technology and performing rituals) could very well have been too much, too late. Instead, Sanada seemed a perfect disciple and ally of Jacob, and through him, the Others again seemed to be a tribe to be reckoned with. An intimidating air that was reminiscent of the first two seasons, before Kate found the costumes.

What of the temple spring? Apparently it’s supposed to heal, as the Island itself does, though that power went missing as the water turned cloudy. Sayid, instead of being revived, apparently died. But that was likely always Jacob’s plan. I bet that Jacob now has a new agent or vessel in Sayid, given the unfamiliar voice with which Sayid asked, “What happened?”

But with word that Jacob is dead, the Others at the Temple prepare for battle with “him.” Their flare alerts Alpert, who’s sadly pummeled by Unlocke/Man In Black, and I guess the battle is on.

Notes and Notions:

I guess we had to get “closure” with Juliet, but having to basically see her die twice was wrenching. Josh Holloway, hands down, gave the performance of the evening.
From beyond the grave, Juliet says, “It worked.” So can she see the other timeline? Is it even, really, another timeline? After all, in Los Angeles, it’s 2004. On the island, it’s 2007 or so. Maybe the writers can somehow connect the two into one single timeline? Does that even make sense?
The Man in Black’s tribute to the late John Locke was a bittersweet one. He spoke the truth about our sad, defeated friend, and our would-be hero. But perhaps not surprisingly, Terry O’Quinn’s “menacing” look is incredibly effective, and I’ll gladly let John Locke go in favor of seeing what the actor does with a whole new soul.
The Man in Black wants to get off the island, and go “home.” I guess it’s fair to ask where or what “home” is, but I think the real story is why he (and likely Jacob) are trapped on the island. His reference to Alpert’s chains, meanwhile, hint strongly at the suspected link between Alpert and the Black Rock.
Hurley can see Jacob, but Jin can’t, though Jacob touched them both. Therefore, Hurley is special, and seeing the dead is simply his thing. Indeed, he seems almost too suddenly fine with it, barely reacting when Jacob tells him he died three hours prior, and talking warmly to the recently deceased Sayid. Miles, too, got to let his freak flag fly, and this time his communion with the dead came with a great deal of dramatic flourish. Sometimes, I can’t believe this is the same show we were watching in Season 1.
Great lighter moments. Hurley saying he knows how to use a gun, or arguing about trademarking the word “Outback.” Locke telling Boone he’s not pulling his leg, and Boone telling Locke he’d follow him to stay safe on a plane. And, of course, a Sawyer nickname: Earhart.
Richard said, “Asking me what’s in the shadow of the damn statue doesn’t mean you’re in charge.” He flippantly referred to a line that, up until now, was infused with significance and weight. Kind of like, “Live together, die alone.”
Fun with pointy things! Jack was again looking for a pen to save someone’s life. And how great is it that a character named Bram dies via a stake through his heart?
Book: “Fear and Trembling” by Soren Kierkegaard, a retelling of the biblical story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac.
Locations: The Temple interior is on the Hawaii Film Studio sound stage, but the impressive exterior is in Manoa Valley. The plane interior, and the collapsed hatch tunnel, was also on the studio lot. The Swan site is in the jungles of Heeia Kea in Kaneohe, and the foot of the four toed statue was Makua Beach. LAX is, of course, Honolulu International Airport.

We’d love your feedback for our podcast this weekend! Comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at 815-310-0808.

Skipping Through Time Nov 23, 2009

Unfortunately, the Season 3 rewatch podcast scheduled for today will have to be postponed a week. Consider it a Thanksgiving dessert. We’ll discuss “One of Us” (Juliet), “Catch 22” (Desmond) and “D.O.C.” (Sun) by Nov. 29, or hopefully earlier. Then the third and final “LOST Master Class” will follow on Dec. 6. We’re sorry for the delay. But don’t worry, we still have lots of time to wrap up our review before the season premiere of the sixth and final season of “LOST” on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Groundhog Day.

Here’s the updated hiatus schedule.

Podcast Update Aug 17, 2009

We know we’re overdue for an update podcast, but the fates have conspired against us over the last two weeks. Watch for a short show in the next few days, tying a bow on Comic-Con and setting the stage for the rest of the hiatus. We’ll also announce how you could win a limited edition Benjamin Linus bobble-head doll from Entertainment Earth.

In the mean time, we wanted to post our schedule for the Season 3 review. Three episodes every two weeks, hopefully a leisurely enough pace to leave some wiggle room for us, to get some great feedback from you, and still finish before Season 6 begins in January 2010. We hope you’ll join us!

Sept. 6 (comment by Sept. 4):
1. A Tale of Two Cities (Jack)
2. The Glass Ballerina (Sun & Jin)
3. Further Instructions (Locke)

Sept. 20 (comment by Sept. 18):
4. Every Man for Himself (Sawyer)
5. The Cost of Living (Mr. Eko)
6. I Do (Kate)

Oct. 4 (comment by Oct. 2):
7. Not In Portland (Juliet)
8. Flashes Before Your Eyes (Desmond)
9. Stranger in a Strange Land (Jack)

Oct. 17: Special “An Evening with Damon & Carlton”

Oct. 25 (comment by Oct. 23):
10. Tricia Tanaka is Dead (Hurley)
11. Enter 77 (Sayid)
12. Par Avion (Claire)

Nov. 1: Special “LOST Master Class 1”

Nov. 8 (comment by Nov. 6):
13. The Man from Tallahassee (Locke)
14. Expose (Nikki and Paulo)
15. Left Behind (Kate)

Nov. 15: Special “LOST Master Class 2”

Nov. 29 (comment by Nov. 20):
16. One of Us (Juliet)
17. Catch 22 (Desmond)
18. D.O.C. (Sun)

Dec. 6: Special “LOST Master Class 3”

Dec. 13 (comment by Dec. 11):
19. The Brig (Locke)
20. The Man Behind the Curtain (Ben)
21. Greatest Hits (Charlie)

Dec. 27 (comment by Dec. 25):
22 & 23. Through the Looking Glass (Jack)

Season Five in Review May 18, 2009

Jacob falls. Jughead blows. Fade to white. Season five of “LOST” was a dizzying mix of sci-fi time travel, classic character flashbacks, and island mythology. All in all, a great ride, and one that has us hanging on for the sixth and final season in 2010. Though “The Transmission” is going to take a break for now, there’s too much to talk about to simply disappear into a magnetic pocket. We invite you to sound off on the season we’ve just seen, and continue the conversation with us and other listeners.

One More Show?

Depending on your interest, we may be able to assemble a “listener special” between the finale and Comic-Con in April. Of course, we want you to do all the hard work. You can share your thoughts here and via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, but we’d love it if you’d contribute your voice via the new LostLine at (815) 310-0808. For best results, let us know who you are and where you’re from, and briefly answer one of the following questions:

What did you think of Season 5 overall?
What was your favorite moment… or least favorite moment?
Top unanswered question going into Season 6 (and your favorite answer)?
Favorite lines, quotes, or quips?

Even if a “listener special” doesn’t materialize, the comments here should offer great food for thought. Watch this space for news as Comic-Con approaches! As always, thank you for your support and participation. It makes everything worthwhile.

Next: “The Incident” (Episode 5-16/17) May 13, 2009

The Season 5 finale gave us the widest view yet of what’s been unfolding on the The Island, and for that, I’m thrilled. But the Season 5 finale also honed in on some of our character’s most petty failings, and for that, we’re both somewhat annoyed. Frankly, Jen was livid. I like the suggestion that we’ve been watching only the latest round in a perpetual battle between light and dark one in which our survivors finally opened a “loophole” for the dark forces to gain the upper hand. I don’t like the idea that the huge, dramatic, cataclysmic detonation of the Jughead core we’ve been building up to all season came only as the result of more twists in the “para-love-ogram.”

Let’s start with what I liked. Though “like” is dependent entirely on the foolhardy presumption that my interpretation of what we’ve seen with Jacob is right. Based solely on the opening scene, no less. To wit:

Jacob is light, goodness, benevolence. His nemesis, yet unnamed, is dark, petty, judgemental. Perhaps for an eternity, they have battled on The Island. But they cannot vanquish each other directly. The Island is largely the chess board, and the pieces are men. Imperfect, flawed humans. By the time the Black Rock arrives, they’ve been through the cycle many times. Jacob summoned another group, believing they might avoid self destruction. Darkness says, “It always ends the same.”

So the Black Rock, the Dharma Initiative, perhaps even The Others, and most certainly the survivors of Flight 815… each group came to the island, struggled over leadership, and self destructed.

Richard Alpert, perpetual advisor, serves Jacob by trying to guide and protect whomever is the leader: Eloise (who Richard called his leader in 1977), Ben (whom Richard and perhaps Jacob felt was ultimately an inadequate leader), and Locke (who Richard presumed to be special, even if it was Locke that gave him that idea in the first place). Darkness, meanwhile, acts through visions, or actually possessing the form of the dead. Christian Shephard. Alex. Perhaps Claire. And, yes, the late Locke, whom we now know isn’t Locke. We’ll call him Dark Locke.

Jacob is compassionate and feels for these flawed people. He visits them, literally touches them, perhaps merely knowing their path, or perhaps steering them. However the cycle ends, he knows it must end.

But something happened with Oceanic Flight 815. Something about this last cycle was different. And the why and how are, most likely, part of what awaits in Season Six. Nonetheless, the combination of The Incident, of Desmond turning the failsafe, of Eloise sending them back on Ajira 316 but scattering them through time this whole convoluted series events, the entirety of the last five seasons of “LOST” has led us to the loophole. The loophole that allowed Darkness to vanquish Jacob, with Ben as his instrument.

What is the loophole?

I can only guess by guessing at the rules. Only the leader can enter the temple. There can be only one leader. And the leader, essentially, decides who wins. Darkness, through manipulating the leader with visions and the reanimated dead, has probably brought the leader to Jacob dozens or hundreds of times. Each time, the leader has probably arrived, ready to reject and kill Jacob. But once inside, alone, Jacob appeals to the leader’s better self, gives them a choice, and they always choose light.

Darkness found his loophole through Locke. I’m not sure exactly when, but Locke had been the key for a while. Locke eventually died. And, yes, Locke is still dead. But with his body returned to the island, Darkness was able to take the form of Locke, becoming Dark Locke, and bewilder everyone including Ben and, curiously, Richard with his knowledge of The Island. He asserts many times that he is the leader. And he repeatedly taunts Ben for never having made the cut with Jacob.

Dark Locke brings everyone to Jacob. He, the supposed leader, goes into Jacob’s lair, and insists on bringing Ben. Why? Because Ben is the leader. Ben’s been the leader ever since he returned on Ajira 316 and woke up in the infirmary, because Locke is still dead. That’s the loophole. And Dark Locke, having goaded Ben during the entire journey, looses his jealousy and insecurity and rage, and Ben, the leader, stabs Jacob and throws him into the fire.

The end?

Of course not. With his last breath, Jacob says, “They’re coming.” Who? My guess, perhaps obviously, is that “they” are everyone misplaced in time, back in 1977, who are near the Swan and subjected to the universe-twisting combination of electromagnetism and a hydrogen bomb blast. My guess for Season 6 is that everyone is reunited in 2007, but Darkness rules The Island, and the epic battle will be these imperfect, flawed humans trying to vanquish him.

But I could be completely wrong.

For example, where does the smoke monster fit? Is it an agent of Darkness? I’m inclined to think so, since it does stand in judgment of men, finding them unworthy and destroying them much as I imagine Darkness would. It could also be the agent through which Darkness assumes the form of the dead, such as both Alex and Dark Locke in the temple. Jen’s question, though, is how Ben became familiar enough with it to use it for his own means. It may be more likely that the smoke monster is a free agent.

Where do Bram and Ilana fit? Given the riddle, I guess they’re aligned with Alpert, and therefore presumably Jacob. What role will they play? I certainly hope it’s something more significant than teasing viewers with a mystery box for half a season. And if we now know that Ilana always knew Locke was in that box, she was obviously not surprised by seeing Dark Locke eating a mango in “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham.” How can she not be surprised by Dark Locke, but Alpert be apparently merely suspicious? And could they actually be agents of Darkness? After all, in the opening scene in the ancient past, it’s Darkness who calls Jacob “my friend.”

And if we’ve actually been watching pawns on a chess board, manipulated by Jacob and Darkness, it’d be somewhat disheartening to imagine that the longstanding battle between crafty and clever Ben and rich industrialist Charles Widmore is essentially insignificant. There has to be more to it.

Yet, Ben was goaded into killing Jacob after decades of servitude simply by becoming a petulant, whiny, sore loser. Juliet reverses herself halfway through the “Stop Jack” mission, simply because Sawyer looked at Kate funny. And Jack admits that his talk about destiny was all a crock: he wants to detonate a deadly hydrogen bomb simply because he blew it with Kate. Sayid is shot, valiantly rigs the bomb to go off on impact, but it doesn’t. Juliet dies, but doesn’t, but does, because Jack didn’t detonate the bomb, she did. And Miles gets the throwaway line about how their actions are creating the events they’re trying to stop… all bringing us to the big dramatic blast that wasn’t, because it was effectively “defused” by all the character machinations that led up to it.

The preceding paragraph is essentially why Jen went to bed angry. Here’s hoping she’s feeling a little more charitable by the time we record our podcast.

Notes and Notions:

Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse hinted that the end of this Season 5 finale would be like the end of the Season 1 finale, and it was. Just as we saw nothing at the bottom of the hatch after Locke finally blew it open, we saw nothing after the bright white flash of Jughead. It’s a cliffhanger in only the faintest sense of the word. No tangible piece of what may come in Season 6 beyond “they’re coming.”
If the “what’s in the box” teases weren’t enough, what’s the deal with Hurley’s guitar case? We know Jacob gave it to him, which is great, but… really? Will we just not know? Or will it be blasted into 2007 alongside Hurley to taunt us in Season 6?
When Juliet said, “Live together, die alone,” didn’t you want to punch her in the face?
Juliet’s death was wrenching, but probably would’ve been moreso if she hadn’t essentially dumped Sawyer two scenes earlier. It doesn’t look good for Sayid, either. And while it was good to see Phil get skewered, I really felt Sawyer deserved to have his death under his belt, rather than a random pipe.
I’m not sure whether Jacob’s visits with all our characters were meant to direct them to their fates or change them. They made a point of showing him physically touch each of them, tapping Kate on the nose, holding young Sawyer’s hand a moment when handing him a pen. But it seems odd that Jacob helps revive Locke after falling from a high rise, but doesn’t do much more than give Jack an Apollo Bar.
I really liked how Rose and Bernard were handled, even if I’m pretty sure this is the last we’ll see of them (beyond perhaps more explicit confirmation that they’re the “Adam and Eve” skeletons from Season 1). Their dismay at being found was hilarious. They got the lives they always wanted, they retired from the cycle of violence, and they’re happy to die as long as they’re together. Aww…
We saw Vincent, too, but he’s now a mystery to me. If he survives the hydrogen bomb blast in 1977, he’s not likely to still be around in 2007. Unless he’s thrown through time along with Jack and friends. I can’t think of any other way Vincent makes it to the end of Season 6, as the creators seem to suggest he will.
I liked how Bram called Frank a “yahoo.” Since it turned out that Frank was only pretending to be unconscious, I would’ve enjoyed having him pop up to respond to the word like he did in Season 4. He also got the great line, “In my experience the people who go out of their way to tell you they’re the good guys are the bad guys.”
Talk about writing themselves out of a corner. Jughead already shrunk by several feet between “Jughead” and “Follow the Leader.” But after talking so much about its size and weight, turns out all we need is the core, which conveniently fits in a backpack. Now we can walk it over to the Swan!
Some of the flashbacks were so short, and linked so plainly to the scenes that followed, I would’ve rather not seen them. Juliet’s parents got divorced, so that’s why she dumps Sawyer! Sayid watched Nadia die in the street, so that’s why he’s ready to die after being shot! Jacob recruited Ilana, and Jacob put Hurley on Ajira 316! It felt off.
When Locke was thrown through the window, didn’t he bring a cascade of broken glass with him? The way he drops, singularly, with a thud before Jacob walks up seemed a bit strange. And were they suggesting Jacob saved Sayid’s life by pulling him back off the street?
I can forgive Miles’ anvilicious “what if this causes the incident” epiphany because he also had the great line after Jack said the plan is not to go back in time. “Right, because that would be ridiculous.”
Snarky Ben is fun. “I’m a Pisces.” Or, “I lied. It’s what I do.” Or when Sun asks Ben if he expects her to believe he doesn’t know about the statue. “Not really.”
I liked that Sun found Charlie’s Drive Shaft ring in Aaron’s old crib, and that Charlie was mentioned in Jacob’s conversation with Hurley (along with Libby). Interesting how some long lost characters still get shoutouts, while many others don’t.
Book: “Everything that Rises must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor. Interestingly, Jen’s working her way through an anthology of O’Connor short stories right now.
Locations: Too many to list completely. Sun and Jin got married at the Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe. Locke fell out of the Waikiki Landmark highrise on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. Young Kate shoplifted from a small store near Haleiwa (the name escapes me at the moment, but we mentioned it on our podcast). Young Sawyer’s funeral was at a church in Ewa Villages. Hurley was released from the Oahu Community Correctional Center on Dillingham Blvd. Nadia was killed at the corner of Auahi and Kamani streets off Ward.

What did you think? Comment below, call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, or e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com.

Next: “Follow the Leader” (Episode 5×15) May 06, 2009

Each season, the penultimate episode is usually given the sad assignment of being the doormat for the season finale. And, like those that have come before, “Follow The Leader” had its share of trekking and shuffling and exposition, as the various chess pieces are moved into place for the final showdown. But as these “setup episodes” go, we really liked this one. Great character moments, solid conflicts, noticeably vibrant cinematography (about which we only periodically rave), and brisk pacing. We’re satisfied, and properly pumped up for next week.

True, we had not one, but two “recycled” moments last night. The first? They replayed the “Ellie Shoots Faraday” scene from Jack and Kate’s perspective. And to be honest, I briefly feared that the writers would pull a “magical moving bullet hole” trick, a la Ben. Instead, they went out of their way to show us that Faraday is truly dead… right down to the “hand over the eyes to close them” cliche that’s everywhere in movies and TV. But the second re-run moment was unexpected: Locke brings Ben and Richard to meet Flashing Locke at the drug plane. It was awesome to watch, but prompted the night’s biggest headache as we tried to plot out where and when Richard and Locke were, and when they knew what. Frankly, I wonder if they just wrote in the scene to solve the “infinite compass” question. Either way, though, it was fun to watch.

I loved Michael Emerson’s Ben this week, exasperated and snarky. His scenes with Locke were fun, yet significant, throwing the two “leaders” into sharp relief. I also liked the brief moments of chemistry between Ben and Alpert, both familiar and awkward. The scene where Hurley is outed as a time traveler was, of course, hilarious… especially since he’s stumped when asked who the president is in 1977. He asked that very question to Sawyer in “Namaste,” but Sawyer groused, “It’s not a damned game show.” But that same scene carried unexpected warmth, as well, when Miles admits to Dr. Chang that he’s his son… and Dr. Chang accepts it.

As far as chemistry goes, I was loving the interplay between Sawyer and Juliet. From the violent interrogation to their conversation on the dock (where Juliet says she’s still glad Sawyer talked her into staying, and he hatches a plan to get rich via Microsoft), it’s great how the show’s most out-of-the-blue coupling remains one of its most strong and mature.

Until, of course, Kate drops in, and is handcuffed next to Juliet, the two of them conveniently across from Sawyer. That moment was so cheap and forced, I actually thought I heard a cartoony needle-scratching-off-a-record sound effect in the back ground. And here I thought we’d at least make it out of Season 5 without returning to Season 1 romantic melodrama.

And I was just starting to warm up to Kate again, too. She’s assertive, skeptical, perceptive… a lot of the things she’s often not allowed to be for the sake of a twist. She’s the first (followed by Sayid) to point out that the last three years of their lives is not something to be discarded lightly. I liked her look of exasperation when Jack admits to being with Faraday, and her answer to Ellie when she asks whether Jack knows what he’s talking about: “He thinks he does.” She stands up to, and parts ways with, Jack, soon after delivering one of her best lines in recent memory: “Since when did shooting kids and blowing up hydrogen bombs become okay?” Evangeline Lilly’s acting was solid, not screechy, her glassy eyes tonight taking me back to Kate’s strong Season 1 moments. Alas, she then marches off… right back into a soap opera.

I’m certain that the fake-out, when Kate briefly thinks she’d been shot, is simultaneously a low- and high-point for those who aren’t a fan of her character.

And Locke. Something’s up with Locke. If Locke’s even Locke. Richard immediately notices something’s different about him, and I don’t think it’s because he has a “purpose” now. He’s confident and resolute, but he’s something else… and when he dismisses out of hand Sun’s hopes of reunification with Jin, I got a cold chill. And he wants to kill the allmighty Jacob, if he’s allmighty at all. Is doing so in service of a grand plan that Locke is executing? Perhaps. Or is it simply the folly of a man who thinks he’s ascended to a level higher than he has? There’s a dark side to the new-and-improved Locke. And while I said earlier that I didn’t think I could take one more rise-and-fall cycle for his long-tortured character, I feel as if another reckoning is coming for him.

Jen observed: Kate is turning into Jack, skeptical and assertive. Jack is turning into Locke, a blind believer. And Locke is turning into Ben, all-knowing but perhaps overconfident. My contribution? Sun is turning into Michael. Her one-dimensional “have you seen my husband” path of the last several episodes are becoming this season’s “Wa-a-a-a-a-alt!”

Finally, does Jack detonate Jughead? I’m still of the opinion that he doesn’t, or that whatever happens, it isn’t what you’d typically expect of a blast from a 40,000-pound hydrogen bomb. Indeed, tonight we learn that Jughead is actually parked right underneath Othersville. You know, the cozy cottages and grassy fields that still exist, intact, in 2007?

Notes and Notions:

“LOST” has good hair days, and bad hair days. It also has good special effects days, and bad special effects days. I have to say, the dramatic departure of the Galaga falls into the latter category. It was pretty weak, which I guess has to be expected given a weekly show and budget. It would’ve been better for us just to assume its departure based on the activity inside… but I guess they had to show the submarine under way else we draw the conclusion that it doesn’t move at all.
The casting for Younger Eloise is great. (As was the casting for Young Eloise in “Jughead.”) Alice Evans is absolutely believable as the precursor to stoic Mrs. Hawking. Her character’s struggle to process what Faraday said was great. And her motivations for helping Jack seem deliciously unclear. Does she really want to undo the death of a son she never knew? Or is the prospect of just blasting the Dharma Initiative to smithereens just too tempting?
In 2007, Alpert makes brief mention of another group of Others/Hostiiles at The Temple. Meanwhile, we know on Alcatraz (a.k.a. Hydra Island), Ilana and friends are up to something as well. I think both of these largely unexplored parties will play a key part in the season finale.
Sayid is back. He seemed to take the fact that Ben survived surprisingly well. I mean, he of anyone, now, should have a strong opinion as to whether what they’re doing (and what they’re about to do) is really changing anything at all.
So, Jack is seizing his moment. But Jen wonders, as do I, when his epiphany took place. He seemed to more roll into his current mission than blast off from a specific spark of inspiration or realization. I was expecting considerably more fireworks to celebrate the instant he decided to act.
Radzinkski is a vile man. And apparently can stage a coup just by telling Horace he’s in charge. At least we seem to know how his story ends, as a stain on the roof of his precious Swan. Given what Phil did to Juliet, I don’t suspect he’s long for this world, either.

What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a message on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

Next: “The Variable” (Episode 5×14) Apr 24, 2009

If the size of the post-thud headache is a reliable metric in evaluating the quality of an episode, “The Variable” may take top prize for Season 5. Jen and I are still trying to sort out the possibilities and impossibilities presented tonight. The man who preached emphatically that you can’t change the past finally returns, now emphatic that you can. Even our characters recognize the insanity of undoing everything that’s happened (essentially erasing the entirety of “LOST” to date). But just as Daniel Faraday gets rolling, he’s shot dead. By his mom. A mother who knew, in 2007, that he was sending his memory-addled son to that very fate.

My theory, such as it is? Faraday’s Jughead plan was doomed to failure, and will ultimately not change anything. But his death, his mother’s sacrifice, will instead be the key, the real “incident” that sets everything else in motion.

Why is Faraday wrong? Because he ended up telling Charlotte to leave the island, even though he didn’t want to, thereby closing the loop on one of his own “whatever happened, happened” moments. Because his supposedly radical conclusion that people, and free will, are the key variables is undercut by the fact that we’ve been shown that the meddling of our Losties in 1957 and 1977 were always part of the island’s history. And because, I think, we see him realize, with his last breath, what his mother was up to. He was never meant to go to the island to be healed or to save anyone. He simply had to die.

He simply had to die… for the first time. I’m struck by Eloise Hawking’s conversation with Penny, where she says with an obvious sense of wonder, “For the first time in a long time, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.” And she later tells Charles Widmore about sacrifice, about how she sent her son to the island knowing full well he would be killed (by her). Sacrificing her son, it seems, was something she only just barely found the strength to do. Something she’d never done before, which somehow allowed her to always know the future.

Yes, it’s still an attempt to change history, or change destiny, and I’m still not convinced it can be done. But if I ever suspected that Widmore and Hawking were playing at a wholly different level than any of the other characters, I’m convinced of it now. I only hope that whatever Hawking wants to change, it’s not erasing everything we’ve spent the last five years dissecting. That might be a bold move for the end of Season 5, but one that would ultimately be disheartening.

No question, the big questions raised in “The Variable” are worthy of a long conversation. But character wise, story wise, plot wise, it was… merely a good episode. One of those “set up” or “bridge” episodes, if you’ll pardon the expression. It brought a mix of reveals and confirmations, as we suspected Widmore might be Faraday’s father, and that Widmore planted the fake wreckage (meaning Miles’ chat with the dead guy in “Some Like It Hoth” was a fake out). The dramatic stakes were raised, once again via the separation of our Losties into two groups. We see things spiraling out of control, Faraday’s “four hour” countdown conveniently making the rest of the season a near real-time experience.

I was mostly disappointed in Faraday’s story. It simply felt rushed. We flew through his life, from his youth (torn away from the piano) to his graduation, through his experiments and expulsion from Oxford, to deciding to getting on the freighter. Theresa was but a mere blip, and the whole “Memento”-esque memory condition seemed awkwardly shoehorned in. (We did get our hint last season, though, via his memory test with Charlotte.) I mean, this is not the first time we’ve had an intriguing character with some key knowledge and connections… who ends up dying just when their significance begins to emerge (and at the end of a paint-by-numbers flashback episode).

Jen doesn’t want Faraday to be dead, but frankly, he better be. Another Ben-like resurrection at this point would be downright comical. I’d like to think we’ll still learn more about Faraday and his experiments (perhaps in flashbacks for Hawking or Widmore). His still unexplained tears at the sight of the fake wreckage suggests to me that, in true “Constant” fashion, a part of Miles’ scrambled brain was already in touch with his future self.

Notes and Notions:

Jaters rejoice? Sawyer asks “Freckles” to come with him to the beach to start over, and Juliet immediately gives up the code to the sonic fence. Sawyer asks if Juliet still has his back, and her response is only to ask if he’s got her back. If they’re going to go back down that path, I only hope they save it for Season 6.
I liked how young piano-playing Faraday told his mother that he could “make time.” Or how he, back on the island, knew when Dr. Chang would arrive at The Orchid, “right on time.”
We still haven’t seen Jack’s “moment,” but it was amusing how he noted that it was lucky he was a janitor when they suddenly needed the keys to the gun safe. As one of our listeners noted weeks ago, maybe that was always Sawyer’s plan.
Speaking of moments, Jack’s little speech to Kate about hers was pretty anvilicious. We know the both of them have yet to fulfill some grand plan, but to have that spelled out so melodramatically was jarring.
Tonight brought a great reminder that some of our Losties spent some time in the 1950s, with Hurley’s line, “Like, Fonzie time?”
Sawyer’s still got it in the nickname department. “Twitchy” suits frantic Faraday just fine. Bonus points for the straight-faced delivery of the line, “Your mother is an Other?”
Not to be outdone, Miles tells Faraday, “I thought you’d gotten rich inventing the DVD or something.”
Any numerologists want to sort out the significance of 141717?
Locations: Oxford was, again, St. Andrew’s in downtown Honolulu. The Indian restaurant where Daniel got his notebook was Grand Cafe on Pauahi St. Can’t place the “Marina Medical Center.”

We definitely need help untangling this 100th episode of “LOST.” Please comment below, e-mail lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

**Trans: 2009-04-18: “Some Like It Hoth”** Apr 18, 2009

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This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the thirteenth episode of Season 5, “Some Like It Hoth.” We recap the story in under eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we take a quick look at upcoming episodes.

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Segments:

0:00:45 Introduction

0:01:19 “LOST” in 8 Minutes

0:08:47 Discussion

0:27:52 You All Everybody

1:07:10 The Forward Cabin

1:10:52 Closing

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Got a comment about something **mentioned in this podcast**, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the main listener discussion about “Dead Is Dead” **on the previous post**.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

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1:12:12/66MB MP3 : podcast, lost

Next: “Some Like It Hoth” (Episode 5×13) Apr 15, 2009

After aligning herself with the minority in being disappointed in last week’s episode, Jen said tonight that she loved “Some Like It Hoth.” We both agreed it was hardly a deep, rich exploration of characters and mythology. It was a generous helping of fan fodder, chock full of little epiphanies and truly golden one-liners to keep us grinning throughout. Wrapped in the comfortable and traditional flashback structure, we finally get some of Miles’ backstory. We cross a few items off the “mystery” checklist. We get a glimpse of the coming “war” and the likely collapse of our survivors’ DHARMA ruse. And at the closing thud, Dan Faraday returns, likely with a hell of a story to tell… in two weeks.

First, the fun stuff. The unlikely buddy team of Hurley and Miles was as great as we’d imagined (and as was hinted during the time travel debate a couple of weeks ago). Miles was the straight man, but still wickedly wry. And Hurley was in top form. From stopping global warming to pre-writing “The Empire Strikes Back,” from possibly bringing us the closest to a “fart joke” we’ve ever seen on this show to his gleeful meddling between Dr. Chang and Miles, Jorge Garcia has never been more funny, and perfectly in sync with “LOST” fans. Was it a bit much? A touch of pandering? Jen doesn’t think so… though I can see how a grumpier fan looking for more forward motion might have felt a bit annoyed.

I thought Miles’ journey was well presented, though necessarily compressed. Tortured by his ability as a child, he grew to exploit it. He was also, like just about everyone on “LOST,” simmering with daddy issues. (Jen and I agreed, young punk Miles was wonderfully depicted.) Bram’s pitch in the black van didn’t penetrate his armor, but Hurley’s “Star Wars” metaphor at the DHARMA van did. And the scene where he sees his father reading to him was powerful. Dr. Chang has consistently been depicted as a grouch (and a “douche”), a reputation that even guarded Miles must have been familiar with. So to suddenly see him genuinely happy, perhaps only when he’s with baby Miles, said a lot. When Dr. Candle comes out to tell older Miles that he needs him? When Miles’ voice falters? Yeah, they got me.

Did Dr. Candle throw his wife and son out, or off the island? I’m thinking no. Perhaps she fled with baby Miles. But from what?

As for the reveals? They were doled out with great efficiency. Miles is Dr. Chang’s infant son. It’s possible to see yourself in the past (but physical contact may still be a problem). Miles wanted $3.2 million from Ben as he was trying, for the second time, to double his money from Widmore. Widmore was genuinely investigating the faked plane wreckage… though whoever was behind it is still unclear. And is that mysterious person or group behind trying to talk Miles out of joining Naomi’s expedition? Because that entity is also behind Ilana’s mission in 2007 (linked by the brilliantly-named Bram).

“The Reconstituted DHARMA Initiative” of the futurepresent is as good a theory as any.

It was a fun ride. But the path ahead looks to be a deliciously treacherous one. First of all, Kate is back to form, flapping her gums and toppling the first domino of doubt that’ll likely lead to our survivors’ expulsion from the DHARMA Initiative. And, yes, Daniel Faraday is back, returning from Ann Arbor as a Swan-assigned DHARMA scientist. How and why he ended off island will be almost as interesting to explore as what he’s ultimately up to. We only know he arrived, broken, in Othersville in 1974, and sometime later got inside The Orchid just as the frozen wheel was discovered. Is he trying to change something? We’re told “whatever happened, happened,” but if anyone’s going to break that particular rule, it’s him.

Favorite Hurley moment? His interaction with Dr. Chang where they discus polar bear feces. Favorite Hurley line? “It all could have been avoided if they just… communicated.” No truer words are there for “LOST” or for just about any dramatic story.
I can’t wait for Jack to find his moment, to be “activated” a la Ilana… because his shuffling around is seriously getting on my nerves. The scene where he delivers his intel to Sawyer then quietly walks out left me scratching my head. And his defense of Kate to Roger was pretty weak. What could he have said to chill Roger out? How about, “She had a son, but lost him. She doesn’t ever want to talk about it. She just feels deeply for Ben, and for you.”
Lots of numbers in this episode, including (finally) the numbers, being stamped into the hatch. There was the $1.6 and $3.2 million, of course, and the 3:16 on the microwave in the opening scene. Mr. Vonner was found dead in apartment four. They also clearly showed Miles’ older, bedridden mother lived in apartment 7… but earlier it seemed as if she came running from an apartment a few doors down from apartment 104.
Music was prominent in this episode, too. Albert Hammond’s “It Never Rains In Southern California” and Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.” Plus a reference to Miles Davis. Dr. Chang loves country (hence “Shotgun Willie” in the opening scene of Season 5).
Locations: The apartment complex and the taco stand are both in Aiea, makai of Pearlridge, next to Pearl Kai Shopping Center.

Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, April 17.

Next: “Dead Is Dead” (Episode 5×12) Apr 08, 2009

In terms of character drama, tight writing, memorable performances, and the general art of quality television, “Dead Is Dead” was not the strongest episode of Season 5. But who are we kidding, this was a Ben episode with the smoke monster. With a token mention of the whispers, even. For the mystery and mythology of “LOST,” this week’s episode was a feast. It filled in a few blanks: we see how Alex was taken, we see the exile of Widmore, we see why Ben preempted a suicide with murder, and we see what went down at the dock. And it definitely laid the groundwork for the future: the “smoke monster” is the ultimate judge (and can conjure corporeal people) and it wants Locke to succeed, but Ilana has been “activated,” or something, and something big is afoot.

Doing things in service of the island, and what the island wants, were definitely the themes of the day. Was Alex supposed to live or die? Ben’s sparing Danielle and taking Alex seemed to be the right and compassionate thing (the same compassion that gave him pause on the dock, long enough to let Desmond get the jump on him). Yet if Alex was supposed to live, and Ben caused her death, you’d think the smoke monster would have judged Ben more harshly. Given that Charles Widmore, at his exile, calls Alex’s survival into question, I like the idea that perhaps Alex was always fated to die on the island. Hence Ben only prolonged the inevitable before she reached the end of her path.

But then again, if Alex was fated to die, why does Ben say her death broke “the rules”? And that Widmore was the one who broke them? After all, one of the personal epiphanies Ben apparently has in this episode was that he, not Widmore, killed Alex.

Speaking of “rules,” apparently Widmore’s leaving the island regularly and fathering a child with an outsider is grounds for exile. Who’s the “outsider”? If “Ellie” is Eloise Hawking, she’s an insider, and the mother of Daniel Faraday. So the child is Penny, and the outsider is… someone else. Have we met Penny’s mother somewhere, and just don’t know it?

I like that we see more hints that Ben’s reign as leader of the Others was not all that great, in the island’s eyes. Way back in Season 3, Alpert tells Locke that many of the Others are frustrated with Ben for getting distracted from their greater purpose. Tonight, we hear more of the same. Locke smirks at Ben for leading his people from behind a desk. And Locke also lectures Ben for moving the Others from the jungle to the cozy domestic comforts of Othersville, something the island wouldn’t like. Basically he got distracted by the trappings of “modern life,” and lost touch with the “native” way.

Ben’s knack for lying while sounding completely earnest is deliciously confounding. When he’s seeding Caesar’s mind with doubt about Locke, you’re cursing him, yet at the same time cheering for him for being so good at being bad. The question is, was he surprised to see Locke alive again or not? Jen and I think he was genuinely shocked, and for now we’ll believe him when he tells Sun that “dead is dead,” and that seeing Locke resurrected truly does scare him.

Is future Ben really surprised to see the photo of Jack, Kate, and Hurley in the Dharma Initiative? We haven’t seen young Ben interact with them, but the only way he’d truly not know they were there is if he doesn’t get returned to the Dharma Initiative until after our friends have left. I wouldn’t think the Others would hold onto Ben so long, so that would suggest something happens soon to break up the “Class of 1977.”

It was good to see the return of Confident Locke. I’m somewhat with Ben, though, in questioning how quickly he came to know everything and be so sure of himself. I guess coming back from the dead can do that. But Locke has waffled so many times between resolute and unsure. Is Ben truly going to follow him now? Or, more to the point, could we stomach seeing Ben rattling Locke to his core one more time?

So what lies ahead for Locke? “Reuniting Sun and Jin” would seem to be the next thing on his to-do list. Is that task one of the things that Ghost Alex had in mind when she told Ben to follow Locke’s every word? Or is there a bigger job ahead? I like the idea that, somehow, reuniting Sun and Jin is actually more important than anyone can imagine, that whatever it entails is entwined with Locke’s greater destiny. I just haven’t figured out how.

And obviously Ilana and friends and their mysterious crate will stand between Locke and Ben and Frank and Sun and whatever they have to do.

Notes and Notions:

Who is Ilana and company working for? Widmore seems the most likely guess, even though he told Ben there was no way back on the very day Ajira 316 left Los Angeles. If her coded question references “the statue” we’ve seen, it would have to be someone with a deep understanding of the island’s history. Someone who set them up with whatever’s in the crate to do something big.
No question the island’s most ancient artifacts are Egyptian in influence, if not origin. The hieroglyphic representation of the smoke monster visiting Anubis was a nice touch. Does this confirm “the statue” was Anubis?
We definitely didn’t expect to see Ben shooting Caesar so suddenly. They can’t really be done with him, can they? Jen thinks they are, just to defy our expectations.
What’s up with Ilana’s henchmen? Two new guys suddenly get face time and lines? Somehow their introduction seemed more jarring than all the new faces in the Dharma Initiative we saw in the 1970s.
The way Ben hesitated upon seeing Charlie on the boat reminded Jen of how Sawyer reacted when he suddenly realized there was a child involved when he was pulling the very first con we’re shown in Season 1. The preservation of young innocents is definitely a theme we’re revisiting, ever since children were taken from the 815 survivors in Season 2.
Kudos to the production team for attempting to have a single actor portray the same character across several decades… but Ben’s mid-30s wig tonight was among the worst we’ve seen in a show that’s suffered from a lot of bad wigs (see Jack, Kate, Sun, Boone…).
Ben was sent to kill Danielle, but didn’t when he noticed baby Alex. But why take baby Alex? He asks Danielle if she wants her child to live, so I guess he knew things outside the world of the Others weren’t a safe place for an infant. And I guess the whispers were one manifestation of that threat.
Keeping track of how many canoes there are and where they end up is becoming a fun puzzle game. Three canoes were hidden on Alcatraz. Frank and Sun take one, Ben and Locke take another. Then Frank returns. That’s two canoes on Alcatraz. We know two canoes end up at the old beach camp on the main island eventually… so how do they get there? Frank makes a break for it, Ilana and friends follow, then chase him around in the jungle long enough for the time jumping team to steal one and get shot at? And keep in mind, that time jumping team includes a Locke, but not the resurrected Locke of Ajira 316. My head hurts.

What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by noon on Friday, April 10.

Official "LOST" T-Shirt — **Trans 2009-04-05: “Whatever Happened, Happened”** Apr 06, 2009

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This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the eleventh episode of Season 5, “Whatever Happened, Happened.” We recap the story in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we cover (really!) the last week of filming for Season 5.

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Segments:

0:00:45 Introduction

0:01:36 “LOST” in 8 Minutes

0:08:44: Sponsored by Audible.com

0:09:52 Discussion

0:29:46 You All Everybody

1:09:28 The Forward Cabin

1:13:45 Closing

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Got a comment about something **mentioned in this podcast**, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the main listener discussion about “Whatever Happened, Happened” **on the previous post**.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

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1:15:33/69MB MP3 : podcast, lost

Next: “Whatever Happened, Happened” (Episode 5×11) Apr 01, 2009

“Evangeline Lilly was very good in this episode.” Those are eight words that I never thought I’d hear come out of Jen’s mouth. But I have to agree. This was a character-driven episode, another conventional flashback setup, but I dare say I liked its execution and the performances at least as much as last week’s Sayid story. And considering the grief we’ve given Kate’s character over the years, that’s saying something. Her loaded conversations with Cassidy, her compassion for young Ben and disdain for Jack, and her confession to Carole Littleton were adeptly handled. For the first time, I believed how deeply Kate felt for Aaron… and thus how devastating it was to give him up. Giving Aaron to Carol and resolving to return for Claire, says Jen, are perhaps the two most selfless things she’s ever done in this series.

The brief scene in the supermarket, where Kate goes from fear to nearly seething rage to overwhelming relief? Evangeline sold it. (Of course, probably every parent can identify with that kind of panic.) And I’ll confess it got a little dusty in the living room when Kate said her final goodbye to sleeping Aaron.

Tonight’s episode also prompted Jen to retract her declaration on last week’s podcast that Roger Linus is the worst dad ever. His brief (and somewhat creepy) interactions with Kate tonight humanized him. Basically I was happy to see characters behaving in ways I’d expect them to behave: Cassidy was skeptical and spiteful, which she should be, given how Sawyer’s actions looked from her perspective. Roger was worried and remorseful for his parenting, as any dad would be with a son near death.

And Jen and I agree that the conversations about time travel between Hurley and Miles were fantastic. They alone would’ve redeemed the episode, which fortunately didn’t need much help. The dialogue was clearly and wonderfully directed at us fans. I felt like I’ve been having the exact same conversation with friends each week. I loved the way Hurley triumphantly says, “So your theory is wrong!”

Only Jack, in Jen’s book, continues to frustrate and disappoint. Frankly, I can’t bring myself to type the things Jen said about him. Fortunately, both Kate and Juliet challenged him on his motives and his lack of initiative, and the hits landed so soundly that I’m confident that this shiftless “new Jack” is headed toward a reckoning. Hopefully one that will kickstart his character into the reluctant but effective leader and hero of Season 1.

Like in most character flashback episodes, though, there was limited forward motion in the “present.” But what we see is pivotal, and again, well played. We now see that it was the intervention of our dear 815 survivors that literally brought Ben to join the Others. And, in fact, Sawyer and Kate come to this chilling realization the moment Richard Alpert explains what lies ahead for the boy. And where does Alpert take young Ben? Why, to The Temple, of course.

And the 30 second scene in the “future” that closes out tonight’s episode was brilliant. Ben wakes up to see Locke watching him. Both Ben’s shock and Locke’s confidence were palpable. Things can only get better from here.

Notes & Notions

So, Hurley asks why Ben doesn’t remember Sayid. And Alpert later explains Ben will forget everything. I guess that’s the official answer to one of the biggest questions out there, but it’s not really satisfying. It was a lot more fun thinking Ben always knew Sayid shot him.
A listener recently praised how much the actors on “LOST” convey, merely through their faces. I felt that this week. In Evangeline Lilly’s performance, of course, but also in Elizabeth Mitchell’s scenes as well. Her confrontation with Jack, for one, but especially when she realizes just who could help young Ben.
Locations: Cassidy’s house is on Kuhana Place in Waipahu. Interestingly, I know the nephew of the couple that live there. Having 75 people swarming your home over several days is not as fun as it sounds. The supermarket was Times Supermarket on S. King Street. Interestingly, they had put up a “Tim’s Supermarket” sign up and filmed some exterior shots, so I guess they cut those out.
Music: Kate continues to affirm that Patsy Cline is her leitmotif. (So Jen says. I had to look it up.) And once again, “Catch a Falling Star” reappears. That song has inexplicably followed Aaron from before the day he was born.

Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a voicemail on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

Next: “He’s Our You” (Episode 5×10) Mar 25, 2009

“Things begin to unravel when one of the survivors goes rogue and takes matters into their own hands — risking the lives of everyone on the island.” We probably won’t be able to blog our thoughts on tonight’s episode, so you’ll have to wait for the podcast for our take. But we’re very interested in your thoughts and theories. Please post your comments below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine and leave a voicemail comment at (808) 356-0127.

Next: “Namaste” (Episode 5×09) Mar 18, 2009

For the gears of “LOST” to turn, you need some nuts and bolts not sexy, but necessary. Tonight’s episode polished off the inevitable reunification with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid in 1977, and laid out how things went with the Ajira Airlines survivors in the distant future. Basically, everyone was plotted neatly on a map to make clear the movements and machinations to come. “Namaste” offered few surprises, then, but was still meaty and enjoyable.

Jen’s favorite moment? In her words, “It was good to see Sawyer take that sanctimonious jackass down a peg or two.” Definitely a great back and forth between Sawyer and Jack. It would be very much like Sawyer to have rehearsed that little speech, mind you, but it paid off. It’s a pity that there’s no way in hell Jack will be able to resist forcing himself into the thick of things. I wager he’ll go off script as soon as next week, simply to spite Sawyer, and send things spiraling out of control.

I loved Frank and Sun’s eerie visit to the main island, from the smoke monster-ish rustling on the dock to Christian Shephard’s tour of the dilapidated processing center. The door blowing open with a cloud of smoke was a nice touch. I like how Sun learned that over 30 years separate her from her husband, as well as Christian’s suggestion that reunification may still lie ahead. The elder Shephard does seem to have a fondness for abandoned and decaying spaces, and I’m enjoying pondering what he’s been up to on the island since Locke turned the frozen donkey wheel.

We finally meet Radzinski, a guy who Jen says reminded her of “Comic Book Guy” on The Simpsons. We see now that he was instrumental in constructing The Swan, the station in which he’ll ultimately end up going mad and killing himself. I’d love to learn the story of how he ends up inside, quarantined. I also love that he must have been ultimately successful in hiding The Swan from the “Others,” affirming that its existence was indeed a mystery to Ben and friends when we first found it in Season One.

Having Juliet meet baby Ethan was great, knowing as she does where his path ultimately leads. And Sayid meeting little Ben was fantastic. First, it demonstrates that little Ben has indeed been within the Dharma Initiative concurrent with our integrated Losties (suggesting that Sawyer and friends must’ve really kept their distance). Secondly, it’ll be interesting to see how Sayid interacts with a boy who grows up into a man that Sayid deeply despises.

Notes and Notions:

The runway raises all sorts of questions. Did Ben and the Others anticipate the arrival of Ajira 316? So soon or even before the arrival of Oceanic 815? Radzinski suggests that the arrival of an airplane is unlikely, but not impossible, in 1977.
Why is Sun in the future, and not with Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid in 1977? I previously thought it may have something to do with “the list” that Michael used in Season 2, but Sayid wasn’t on it.
A leading fertility doctor ends up working as an automotive mechanic, and it’s cool and almost sexy. A spinal surgeon ends up a janitor, and it’s simply hilarious.
Hurley’s reunion with Sawyer was great. “Kong. I actually missed that.” He also raises the spectre of “The Purge,” although I’m convinced that’s over a decade away. It’s “The Incident” that I’d be worried about.
I was dismayed that Sun was apparently throwing her lot in with Ben… and stoked when she clobbered him. She delivered the line, “I lied,” with Ben-like perfection.

What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

Next: “LaFleur” (Episode 5×08) Mar 04, 2009

I liked this episode more than I probably should have. And Jen? She says “LaFleur” is comfortably within her top ten favorite episodes of “LOST” ever. While I wouldn’t go quite that far, obviously “LaFleur” clicked for us even when it probably shouldn’t. After all, last week’s episode only covered a couple of weeks, chronologically, yet felt both rushed and by-the-numbers. Tonight we get an episode that not only spans three years, but jumps back and forth relentlessly. It played games with our expectations, and it gave us even more new characters. But somehow it worked. It had heart. It had velocity. It had everything from the four-toed statue (sort of) to Jin speaking English. And Sawyer? Why hasn’t this guy been in charge from the beginning?

While we’re largely treated to a Dharma Initiative history lesson, the shadows of the larger arc are always looming. Faraday promising himself that he “won’t tell her” (hoping to prove false his assertion that “whatever happened, happened”) to the fantastic encounter with the mysterious Richard Alpert. Juliet reminds us that her people, her time, were post-Dharma… and that both “The Incident” and “The Purge” lay ahead.

But the character interactions were the best part of “LaFleur.” And Josh Holloway sold every scene. From blowing Richard Alpert’s mind to settling down with Juliet, from selling Horace a tall tale to rising to be the town sheriff, Sawyer shined. I lamented, when we saw Sawyer and Juliet spooning in bed, that we were moments away from Kate showing up and ruining it all. And when Sawyer finally saw Kate step out of Jin’s van, Jen said, “If Sawyer leaves Juliet for Kate now, I’m going to stop watching.”

Well, not really. But it’s surely a testament to the performances of both Josh Holloway and Elizabeth Mitchell (who looks great as a mechanic, by the way) that we needed only that scene on the dock by the sub to believe just how well things worked out for them “three years later.” One episode sold them as a couple. While the “love triangle” (or quadrangle or whatever) will inevitably return, for the moment I’d like to pretend it won’t.

There are more than a few questions raised by “LeFleur,” of course. Why did Alpert want Paul’s body? The Island obviously works some magic with the deceased. Where does the smoke monster fit in? Alpert suggests with some dismay that the sonic fence is an effective deterrent, so perhaps it’s working in concert with the hostiles. Do we know who Horace and Amy’s son is? Jen’s of the opinion we haven’t met him yet, which is less satisfying but opens up more possibilities. I guess, if you believe Daniel, the baby was always meant to be born, but part of me likes the idea that Juliet’s intervention did change something… for better or worse.

Notes and Notions:

The mention of “The Black Rock” was great, too. Though now I’m wondering where Charles Widmore is by this time. He said his people protected the island for three decades before Ben exiled him. If that period began around when we first met him as a young whippersnapper in the 1950s, he could conceivably still be around in the 1970s. Right?
Loved the “needle drop” using the reel-to-reel tape player (“Candida” by Tony Orlando & Dawn). How many more music playback devices are left?
I really enjoyed Miles’ snarkiness this episode, especially as Sawyer had to mostly elevate himself to leading man. His complaint about “the only two plans” (the beach vs. the Orchid) was quite apt.
The Ankh necklace that Amy saved from Paul was a nice touch of symbolism. Signifying “eternal life,” its Egyptian roots also line up nicely with the motifs suggested by the back of the statue.
Sawyer was overflowing with nicknames, but Jen’s favorite was “Enos,” which is a “Dukes of Hazzard” reference.
Jen was also happy to see Kevin Rankin, who plays Herc on one of our other favorite shows, “Friday Night Lights.”
So Horace and Amy had a baby. But what happened to Olivia, the woman Horace was with when they discovered Ben’s mother in Portland?

What did you think? Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, March 6.

**Next: “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” (Episode 5×07)** Feb 25, 2009
“Lockeâ€s fateful mission off the island as Jeremy Bentham is revealed.” We’ll post our initial reactions after the episode airs here in Honolulu, but we’d love to have your thoughts and theories for our next podcast. **Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 27.**

Next: “316” (Episode 5Ã—06) Feb 17, 2009

Jen didn’t quite know what to make of this episode. She said it was weird, she said it was surreal, she said it seemed like a dream. To be sure, “316” took its time, compared to the breakneck pace of the last few episodes, and except for the fantastic opening scene stayed entirely off the island with the Oceanic 6. There was a definite eerie tone throughout. And I, for one, liked it. The wailing strings of Giacchino’s score throughout took me back to Season 1. It was a good feeling. And that fantastic opening scene? I was thrilled that the show went there. Back to Jack’s eye, back to Jack on his back on in the jungle, back to the incredible “LOST” pilot. But it also made us doubt our prediction of how the entire series will end. Much like the return of the Oceanic 6 to the real world, this twist came earlier than expected, and is making us redraw our mental map of “LOST.”

If I have to give up on a variation on the time-loop theory, though, the otherwise odd and sudden appearance of Roy makes me pay more attention to the fans who are convinced all of “LOST” is tangled up in the Shephard family tree. Christian, Jack, Claire, Aaron… I mean, Roy says that one day he’ll escape and never be found. Where do you suppose he might go? Jack’s grand-dad gave off just the right level of creepy. And Jen said the casting, as kin of John Terry, was spot-on.

Either way, no other episode so far has made it more clear that this is the penultimate season of “LOST.” From the montage of our friends boarding another plane, to Jack’s explanation of Christian Shephard’s tennis shoes, the connections to the show’s beginnings are foreshadowing its end. We still have no idea what it will be, but now we can feel that it’s there.

The prominence of shoes triggered Jen’s memories of other key shoe scenes. The white tennis shoe is, of course, the first thing Jack sees in the Pilot. Kate removes shoes from a dead body in Season 1, then takes her stepfather’s shoes off before blowing him up in Season 2. Locke removes his shoes before entering the Swan station for the first time. And Hurley’s visions of Dave also featured a shoe. (Here’s a much longer list.)

A theme of faith was hammered home tonight, and specifically of Jack finally making the leap. His astonishment at how Sayid and Hurley ended up on the airplane was a bit much, but his “conversation” with Locke’s body was great. If he could only see the “Man of Science” now. The religious references are back in the spotlight, with Ben’s invoking Thomas the Apostle (and the episode’s title brings to mind “John 3:16,” a pivotal verse in The New Testament).

I was more struck by the “Chronicles of Narnia” link with the name of “The Lamp Post” Dharma station. (A lamp post is a major landmark in the “Narnia” story.) In “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a character is instructed to bring his brothers and sisters through the magical wardrobe. Why? To fulfill a prophecy in which the return of the two sons of Adam and the two daughters of Eve will end a witch’s reign, and crown the character king. Sound familiar?

Of course, “316” is hardly subtle about planting new questions. Why did Kate change her mind, and what happened to Aaron? Why is Sayid in custody, and why would he be transported to Guam (or Honolulu)? Why did Hurley sign on? And what happened to Ben? There’s no question the promise and “loose ends” he had to attend to was the murder of Penny. We can only hope that his battered condition means it didn’t go very well. All of these things, I expect, will be revisited in flashbacks while things unfold back on the island. Which makes me wonder if the final acts of “LOST” will mirror the show’s first couple of seasons in structure.

Hurley was right to freak out about Ben being on the plane, though. I don’t think that’s part of the master plan. And given Ben’s adversarial relationship with Widmore, and Christian Shephard’s frustration with Ben’s actions last week, it would appear that Sayid was right when he said that the only side Ben is on is his own. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to.

And the closing scene, where Jin drives up in a shiny Dharma van wearing a Dharma uniform, was pretty great. It simultaneously tells us that the Oceanic 6 returned to the island in a much earlier time, and that Jin (and presumably the rest of the left-behinders) has been living in that time for a while. My secret hope? That the Dharma Initiative hired Jin and provided him intensive language courses in Latin… and English. Talk about a great way to save Daniel Dae Kim from spending the rest of the series speaking Korean.

Notes and Notions:

Just how closely were they able to recreate the conditions of the original flight? On one hand, much attention was paid to the little detail of Christian’s shoes. On the other, the plane was practically empty. No step siblings, no rockstars (save for a guitar), no cops or African warlords, and no high school teachers. Oh, and no pregnant women, unless Kate’s mysterious visit to Jack was for more than a little comfort.
Hurley’s decision to bring a guitar is yet another thoughtful homage to Charlie. Along with “Simon’s Butcher Shop,” it sure seems like the writers are going out of their way to make sure he’s not forgotten.
I loved that Hurley bought out the rest of the flight. I also loved the cold way Ben says, “Who cares?” when Jack asks what will happen to anyone else on the plane.
Looks like we have a few new characters, provided they survived whatever happened to Ajira Airlines Flight 316. May they be handled with a little more grace than Nikki and Paulo.
The brand of milk Jack served Kate is Meadow Gold. It’s available in many states, including Hawaii… but not California.
The way Kate was found on the rocks in the lagoon, Jen noted, seemed to directly mirror the way Jack found her on his bed.
The new and improved Frank Lapidas (Jeff Fahey) made Jen swoon.
Guaranteed the song that was playing in Jin’s Dharma van is a Geronimo Jackson track.
Locations: St. Andrews Cathedral housed The Lamp Post. Simon’s Butcher Shop is a real butcher shop in Kalihi. Roy’s care home is the Arcadia apartments, a real senior living facility.

Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 20.

Next: “This Place is Death” (Episode 5×05) Feb 10, 2009

With “LOST,” can there ever be too much of a good thing? The return of the smoke monster. The return of Christian Shephard. A glimpse of Rousseau’s early madness. Jin’s reunification with the left-behinders. Sun’s reaction to Jin’s wedding ring. Charlotte’s death. Ben being his sneaky self but with a flash of emotion. And yes, Mrs. Hawking, Eloise, and Daniel’s mother are one and the same. If this were season two, we would’ve had to watch three, four episodes to get such a bounty of plot twists and clues.

I was dizzy with glee at the closing thud, but Jen was a little less impressed. “It felt like a connecting piece,” says she. “The kind of touch-all-the-bases episode that usually came before a season finale.” And I can see her point. When once we lamented how the show dragged out the mysteries, I actually think we now miss some of that indulgent meandering and dramatic depth as we cover so much ground so quickly.

In terms of mythology, two characters’ last words carry the most promise.

First, Robert, speaking as a believer to a skeptical Danielle, explaining that the smoke monster is not a monster, just a security system protecting “the temple.” So the temple and the smoke monster are interconnected… and when the smoke monster isn’t on a murderous rampage, it has some pretty persuasive mojo. How awful, yet wonderful, was it to see just how Montand lost his arm (and Jen certainly didn’t feel bad for the guy)? What a delicious twist that Robert turned his gun on Danielle first? And that it jammed, as guns on “LOST” are wont to do, when the target still has work to do?

Secondly, Charlotte, flashing back to her youth on the island, suggesting a rushed departure with her mother as a child, and an early encounter with a scary man that was probably Daniel Faraday. I’m confident we’re going to meet a young Charlotte soon, reciting the very same lines about Hannibal and chocolate. The question is whether we’ve met Charlotte before? I still don’t believe Charlotte is young Ben’s doll-making Annie, but her final scene is certainly tantalizing. We’re pretty crushed that Charlotte died, as usual, just as she was getting really interesting: but we’re also confident her story has some missing chapters left to be told.

As for Christian Shepherd? Talk about leaving science behind. I loved it, though. “Since when did listening to him get you anywhere worth a damn?” And Locke was supposed to turn the wheel, not Ben. How would things have turned out if Locke woke up in the desert? I especially liked how Christian said he couldn’t help Locke to his feet. He is, after all, but a vision.

Jin’s sudden exposure to the flashes was well done, his reunion with Sawyer was heartwarming, and his demand to Locke to tell Sun he’s dead was especially intense. And Jen loved that his wedding ring went with Locke as proof of his death, but was ultimately used by Ben to convince Sun of his survival. How that ring came to change hands remains a mystery, and as Ben wiggled his way out of explaining, I got the distinct sense that he knows quite a bit more about Locke’s death than he’s let on.

Ben had some great lines. “I didn’t account for traffic,” or, “That’s true, Jack. I went to see him.” But his brief outburst in the van was great. His frustration with everyone trying to kill him was palpable, and the weight of his mission was clear. Whatever the moment, Michael Emerson is pitch perfect. He totally sold Ben’s surprise at learning Mrs. Hawking was Daniel’s mother, even if we weren’t surprised.

Other favorite lines: Miles bristling at the assumption he can translate for Jin, saying “He’s Korean, I’m from Encino.” Sawyer’s many quips, including, “Expecting a subway?” Or Charlotte’s love of Geronimo Jackson and fluency in Klingon.

But to us, little things gave “This Place is Death” some dramatic heft, despite all the mythological reveals. Danielle and Robert arguing about Alexander versus Alexandra. Jin pausing to get water from a leaf, and the reappearance of Danielle’s music box, which Sayid fixed in Season 1. And the almost too disarming smile Locke — or Terry O’Quinn — sneaks in just before he descends down the well. Go back and watch it. Golden. The magic is still there, and we love it.

What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 13.

Next: “The Little Prince” (Episode 5×04) Feb 03, 2009

Another great episode of “LOST,” the kind that leaves your brain all tingly. Like last week’s outing, “The Little Prince” delivers sweet epiphanies and connections that definitely reward long-time fans. Though I’ve been wary of the Oceanic 6 storyline, tonight’s episode suggests a faster pace and stronger tension there. And as for the time jumping left-behinders, the spreading epidemic of nosebleeds means that we better enjoy the time-travel reveals while we can.

Who wasn’t thrilled to see Jin, alive… shipwrecked with young Danielle Rousseau and her crew? I gasped when I realized we were revisiting “Do No Harm,” the beam of light from the hatch that was essentially the icon of the show’s brilliant first season. Having Sawyer watch Kate help Claire deliver Aaron, meanwhile, gives us a pretty good theory as to “the whispers” that plagued our survivors from the beginning. And I’m confident the jump that brought them to the dilapidated camp and canoes is in the future, very likely beyond the “present” we’re seeing now. I harbor a not-so-secret hope that the mysterious figures in the other canoe are, in fact, the just returned Oceanic 6.

Ever since Daniel keep the left-behinders moving from site to site in the Season 5 premiere, I got the feeling the “LOST” writers were delicately trying to steer around any time-travel paradoxes. Tonight, Locke literally sidesteps the possibility of running into his past self, and Sawyer comes up with a conveniently heartwrenching reason for why he didn’t scare the living daylights out of Kate and Claire. They can’t keep this up, right? The depiction of this avoidance is so blatant, I can only imagine that we’ll ultimately see the unthinkable or impossible happen. And I’m excited to think about what that event will involve.

Still, Locke’s line about needing the pain of the past to get to where he was at that moment was significant. Not only does it suggest the linear persistence of someone’s experiences, but it seemed to be yet another tantalizing hint that Locke has known about many things on the island since the first time we met him in the pilot.

Those into the show’s relationships had a lot to be happy about, from Locke asking Sawyer if he wants to bring “her” back, to Kate saying she was “always with” Jack, to Juliet prodding Sawyer into opening up about Kate. And while I’m not entirely sure what Juliet’s up to in that scene, I like it.

Speaking of curious motives, Sun is still sending off suspicious vibes. When she tells Kate she’s helping her because “it’s what any friend would do,” I got chills. Sometimes I’m sure she’s in cahoots with Widmore to kill Ben. Sometimes I’m sure she’s actually working for Ben.

Jen particularly liked the fake-out with Carol Littleton. It seemed so obvious that Ben was the one behind the lawyer, simply flushing Kate out of hiding. When Claire’s mother showed up, we were glad to be wrong. Then glad to have actually been right all along.

By the way: “Besixdouze” is a French transliteration of B612, which is the name of the asteroid on which “The Little Prince” lived.

Locations: Downtown L.A. was downtown Honolulu, the intersection of “Wilshire and Olive” actually the intersection of Bishop and South King streets. (Watch my video from the shoot.) The hospital exterior was again Hawaii Medical Center East on Kalihi St., and the interior again Kahuku Hospital. The motel was an apartment complex adjacent to Keehi Lagoon Park near the airport. Hurley’s jail hallway was inside the Kaneohe District Park building. And the open ocean, where our left-behinders paddled their canoe and where the French crew recovered Jin? Why, that was in the Kaneohe District Park swimming pool. (Watch my video from that shoot, too!) I brought Jen to watch that scene unfold, and she was giddy for weeks.

What did you think? Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a short message on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 6.

Next: “Jughead” (Episode 5×03) Jan 28, 2009

At the closing thud, Jen proclaimed “Jughead” her favorite episode ever. While I’m nowhere near ready to bestow that crown, I’d certainly agree that it was a fantastic chapter in “LOST.” And, like many Desmond-centric outings, probably a pivotal one. So many threads connected, such satisfying epiphanies, I imagine “Jughead” reaffirmed the loyalty of sometimes skeptical fans. Revisiting the lines alone make my brain tingle. “I assume you’ve come back for your bomb?” “Put the gun down, Widmore.” “If you don’t believe me, come and visit me.” And “You are my life now… you and Charlie.”

It was Locke that sent Alpert to visit him at birth, and as a small boy? Awesome. Though if Alpert did indeed keep that compass to show young Locke, there are some space-time knots to untangle. Widmore as a young, somewhat daft Other? Fantastic. So does he fall for Ellie, and do they conceive Penny? Who is Mommy Widmore, anyway? And yes, it seems all but a given that Mrs. Hawking is Faraday’s mother (as tonight solved the “how could Ben be visiting her in London” questions). If so, it’s a building non-surprise that is probably the only thing that disappointed Jen tonight. They could surprise us, but I’m just hoping it’s not as drawn out as, “It was Michael on the freighter!”

That Daniel confessed his love for Charlotte was sweet, but it was also obvious things weren’t going to go well for them. I was more struck by how Desmond paused when the Oxford clerk asked him what year he visited. It was more than a simple case of forgetting, I think, which is admittedly understandable if you’ve been unstuck in time. I think he used to know, but realized at that moment that he forgot. Just as Charlotte couldn’t remember her mother’s maiden name. The harder Desmond insists he won’t go back to the island, the more likely that he’ll have to.

Theresa was an interesting development. Obviously, Faraday turned his purple lamp on her and dislodged her brain in time. But why is she still alive, and why is Widmore invested in her survival? And the fact that her name is Theresa takes us back to the recently referenced vision Locke had of a bloody Boone reciting her name, “Theresa falls down the stairs, Theresa falls up the stairs…”

The absence of the Oceanic Six in “Jughead” was conspicuous, and frankly, refreshing. As with last week’s pairing, it was clear tonight that the best stories are on the island. But now I fear a future episode will be spent entirely off island. I love Hurley, Ben, Jack, Sayid, and Kate, but I think the “LOST” creators were right when they said the fans would revolt if they spent all of Season 5 trying to return.

Notes & Notions:

Is “Jughead” what’s behind the Chernobyl-like concrete Sayid finds below the Swan? It’s a distinct possibility. But the Swan was tapping a massive magnetic force. Unless “Jughead” caused it to develop, it seems like a pretty unlikely spot to bury a hydrogen bomb.
The show isn’t even sheepish anymore about showing us redshirts that invariably meet an untimely end. Two more are dispatched within a minute or two of us asking, “Who are those guys, anyway?”
Ageless Alpert remains a mystery. “He’s always been here,” Juliet says. Yet, he seemed pretty baffled by Locke’s time travel explanation.
Locations: St. Andrew’s (Oxford), Honolulu Brewing Co. on Queen St. (Theresa’s home exterior), Manoa Valley Inn (Theresa’s home interior), Keehi Boat Harbor (seaside village).

What did you think? Join the conversation below and share your thoughts, as we’d love to include them along with our more detailed analysis in the next podcast. Please post a comment here, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a short voicemail on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Jan. 30, 2009.

Next: Season 5 Premiere Jan 21, 2009

A domestic scene. A needle drop. At first familiar, “LOST” wastes no time disorienting then delighting us, and getting right to a central (and perhaps controversial) premise for Season 5: time travel. Jen and I will share our full reaction to tonight’s episodes on our podcast, but here’s our first take.

“Because You Left”

Jen: The opening scene of the fifth season pretty much left me speechless. I like it even better than the first glimpse of Desmond we got back in Season 2, and that’s saying something. The worker’s remark to Daniel, “Time travel… how stupid does that guy think we are?” verbalizes what the audience is thinking. They let you know right away that you’re in for a serious dose of sci-fi right from the beginning. No playing around. The reappearance of The Swan fuels the time-loop theory, as does Richard’s comment to Locke: “The next time you see me, I won’t recognize you.” I’m more convinced than ever that we’re going to wind up right back where we started, with Jack on his back in the jungle.

Ryan: There are rules. Time is like a record, or a street. If it didn’t happen, it can’t happen. Not only have we been taken straight into time travel, but we’re told up front how things work. Or should. I’m still not convinced we’re in a paradox-free narrative. I’m sure this development will drive some fans away (particularly those who believed the creators when they said “LOST” wasn’t a time travel show), but personally I’m happy to go along for the ride. Certain things just resonated. How Alpert observes, “What comes around goes around,” after Ethan shoots Locke. The compass that Alpert gives Locke (“It points north, John.”), which is one of the artifacts Alpert showed Locke as a young boy. The fact that Locke witnesses the crash of the Nigerian drug plane, when it was he who saw that same plane crash in a creepy Boone vision way back in Season 1. Come to think of it, from Daniel explaining what’s happening to Locke’s solo flashing, most of the best stuff happened on the island. Though it was good to see Desmond re-enlisted, we’ve done the “find me in the futurepast” before. And having followed the Oceanic 6’s long journey off the island last season, their mission to return now doesn’t seem as compelling.

“The Lie”

Jen: Is Sun evil? I am convinced she ratted out Kate. She’s as good an actress as Libby. It’s going to be Sun and Widmore vs. Everybody Else. “The Lie” is in many ways a much weaker episode, in my opinion. Apart from Ana Lucia’s appearance and Frogurt’s untimely demise, nothing about this episode really lingered in my mind. I cannot take Cheech Marin seriously. I don’t buy him as a concerned father, and the scenes with him felt like too much comedy shoved into what’s supposed to be an intense, dramatic episode. The scenes with Sayid sacked out on Hurley’s couch reminded me of “The Princess Bride.” I have to admit, though, that Frogurt’s death is pretty great in a shocking, twisted, hilarious way. We’re expecting Nikki and Paolo, but we get Dr. Arzt. Loved it.

Ryan: Agreed. Frogurt’s death makes it all worthwhile. It was telegraphed a bit, since they made him overwhelmingly and instantly annoying, but still. Best “LOST” death ever. And I actually hope Sun’s newly vengeful character gives Yunjin Kim a chance to relish seething evil. Compared to all the mythology in Episode 1, Episode 2 was character driven. And while I love, love, love Hurley, a lot of the drama rang hollow. Maybe the opening scene just soured me? First, Jack is just finishing up what must be a heck of an explanation of why they must all lie — an explanation that, frankly, seems pretty flimsy considering the toll it takes. Then, Hurley spells out exactly how he won’t help Sayid someday because Sayid won’t back him up, foreshadowing that’s about as anvilicious as any scene we’ve had to date. I did enjoy Hurley’s encounter with Ana Lucia, his 90 second recap of the whole series, and the flying Hot Pocket. But even the big reveal of Ms. Hawking didn’t hit me as hard as I feel it should have. The robe, the chalkboard, the old computer… the sequence felt like a mashup of Harry Potter and the Wizard of Oz. At least we now know the Oceanic 6 will spend only three days running around before heading back.

Notes & Notions

Before he’s interrupted, Marvin Candle explains that The Arrow is to defend against and conduct surveillance on “The Hostiles,” the indigenous population of the island. Given the four toed statue, I think this brief mention suggests we’re going to get a lot of pre-DHARMA history this season.
Daniel says that the time is dislodged in time, the way a record skips. I can only imagine that this doesn’t happen indefinitely… else this show may become entirely impossible to follow. As Charlotte’s getting the Nosebleed of Doom already, a timer seems to be set on solving the whole flashing problem.
Lots of great lines. “By the way, Libby says hi.” Sawyer yells, “I’m the ghost of Christmas future!” Miles says, “That chick likes me.” And Sawyer’s nicknames, of course (Dilbert, Ginger, Whiz Kid), including one that Miles corrects (Mr. Wizard). Both Jack and Sawyer say, “Son of a bitch,” but only Sawyer’s utterance is separated by a span of, oh, several years. And the phrase, “God help us all,” first from Marvin Candle at the start of Episode 1, and then from Ms. Hawking at the end of Episode 2.
Sawyer seemed a bit erratic, but entertainingly so, and he lets slip that he’s broken up over losing Kate. His reaction to all the flashing, frankly, seemed most realistic. Though I thought the slap he gave Daniel was a bit odd.
Locke’s leg is injured once again. There seems to be a pretty explicit and unsubtle connection between Locke’s faith and resolve and his ability to walk.
Music: “Shotgun Willie” by Willie Nelson opens the season. “Dream Police” by Cheap Trick plays in the gas station where Hurley gets his shih-tsu T-shirt.
Locations: We see the famous Rainbow Drive-In, in a wonderful onymous cameo. The safe house is in Makiki (1818 Anapuni St.). The airport is inside the cruise ship terminal at Pier 2, at the Foreign Trade Zone makai of Restaurant Row. Hurley is pulled over by Ana Lucia on Waialae Ave. in Kaimuki, about two blocks from the gas station where Hurley gets his shirt and where Kate gets a call from Sun. Hurley’s dad meets Jack in an underground parking lot in Waikiki (below Niketown), and takes Sayid to Hawaii Medical Center East (2230 Liliha St.). And we returned to Kate and Hurley’s homes in Kahala.

“The Transmission” is powered by you! Please share your thoughts on the Season 5 Premiere (both “Because You Left” and “The Lie”) by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, e-mailing us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or by commenting here, by Friday, Jan. 23, 2009.

Next: “Live Together, Die Alone” (Episode 2×23) Jan 05, 2009

After discovering something odd just offshore, Jack and Sayid come up with a plan to confront “The Others” and hopefully get Walt back. Meanwhile, Eko and Locke come to blows as Locke makes a potentially cataclysmic decision regarding the “button” and the hatch. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Saturday, Jan. 10.

Next: “Three Minutes” (Episode 2×22) Dec 21, 2008

A determined Michael convinces Jack and several castaways to help him rescue Walt from “The Others.” Meanwhile, Charlie struggles with Eko’s decision to discontinue building the church. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Saturday, Dec. 26.

Next: “?” (Episode 2×21) Dec 15, 2008

Mr. Eko enlists Locke to help find a secret location he believes houses answers to the island’s mysteries. Meanwhile, Jack and the other survivors struggle to cope with the horrific situation in the hatch. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Dec. 19.

Next: “Two for the Road” (Episode 2×20) Dec 07, 2008

After finding an exhausted Michael in the forest, Jack and Kate bring him back to the main camp. When he finally wakes up, Michael has some new details about “The Others.” Also, a lovestruck Hurley plans a date for Libby. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Dec. 12.

**Next: “S.O.S.” (Episode 2×19)** Nov 18, 2008
Libby lends Hurley support when he begins to think the island is having a strange effect on him, and Lockeâ€s sense of purpose is shaken when the prisoner provides new information about the hatch. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Nov. 28.

ODI LostCast Interview Nov 13, 2008

Jen and I recently joined Anil (a.k.a. “The ODI“) and Karen for a conversation about “LOST” filming on The Island, the titles of the first six episodes of Season 5, and the recently released Season 5 promo from ABC. The conversation starts out with a more general discussion, and includes plenty of warning before we dive into the spoilers. You can check it out here!

Next: “Dave” (Episode 2×18) Oct 29, 2008

Rose is opposed to husband Bernard’s plan to create an S.O.S. signal, Jack and Kate rekindle old feelings on their jungle trek to offer a trade to The Others, and Locke questions his faith in the island. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Nov. 28.

Forward Cabin Open Thread (Spoilers) Oct 23, 2008

As Season 5 approaches, the spoilers in “The Forward Cabin” are getting juicier, as are the many other “LOST” news reports spreading across the web. This open thread is for freewheeling discussion of this spoileriffic stuff among anyone who wants to talk about what lies ahead. Please limit discussion of spoilers, previews, promos, Season 5 news and the like to comments on this post. Have at it!

Next: “Lockdown” (Episode 2Ã—17) Oct 10, 2008

Locke is trapped inside the hatch, with his legs crushed under the doors. Unable to escape, he is forced to trust Henry to go for help. Meanwhile, Ana Lucia, Charlie and Sayid find the site of the balloon crash, along with a marked grave, and finally discover the truth about their mysterious captive. We’d love to feature your feedback in the podcast. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Oct. 17.

Q&A with The Others Oct 06, 2008

“LOST” is the source of inspiration for the Easthampton-based band “The Others,” a side project of “The Thungs” spun off in 2006 during the second season of the show. Later this month, “The Others” will be releasing their debut double-album, entitled “Seasons 3 & 4”, focusing on character story arcs through the last two seasons. The songs are more than recaps they’re musical companions to each episode.

Thomas Foster of “The Others” took some time out from music making to answer a few questions from “The Transmission.”

Who are “The Others”? How many of you are there in the band?

There are five of us in “The Others.” Shannon writes the songs, sings and plays guitar. Gabe Sullivan sings and plays percussion. Blake Girndt plays the drums and records the songs. Eric Lee plays the violin and occasionally the guitar. I play the bass.

Is “The Others” your only musical outlet? What kind of bands were you in previously, if any?

“The Others” is not our only musical outlet. Shannon, Gabe, Blake and I have been playing together as “The Thungs” for several years. Eric joined the band about a year and a half ago. We are the same band, but we sing about things other than Lost. The two bands have really blended together and “Thungs” shows feature many of our favorite “Others” songs. We have non-Lost related songs available on our Myspace page.

What are your musical influences? Do your influences come through in “The Others” songs?

Our musical influences vary widely depending on which member of the band you ask and what mood they are in at the time. We have a few constants, but we really pull a bit from everywhere. That’s been one of the best things about doing these songs. We are writing and recording a song every week and we
try to make it sound different from the last, and it helps to have a broad musical base. Some times the episode guides us. Some times Shannon comes in with an idea, but usually when the recording starts the song takes on a life of its own.

When did you start writing Lost songs? Did one particular episode or moment in the series inspire you?

Shannon and Gabe have always written songs that had references to pop culture, and one night after the Hurley centric episode “Dave” in season 2 they recorded the first Others’ song “Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack” that starts with Gabe rhythmically singing the numbers. So you could say that the numbers we the initial moment of inspiration.

Blake and I got involved just before the start of season 3, after spending a weekend watching the first two seasons the four of us got together and recorded the song “Caught in a Net”. We were very pleased with the result and started recording together weekly when season 3 started.

Who is your favorite character?

We all have our favorites and I don’t want to speak for them, but my favorite tends to shift throughout the season as the characters change and die off. It was Desmond but I don’t know how much we are going to see him next season. Ben cracks me up sometimes, and who doesn’t love Hurley?

Tell me about your songwriting process. Do all of you write songs?

Shannon watches the episode and takes notes. He usually listens for phrases that would make a good line or chorus. He also looks for easter eggs that the fans would get a kick out of. The song focuses on the character the episode is about, over the next couple of days Shannon works out the chords, lyrics and melody. He records a demo at home and emails it to the rest of us to listen to and think about. If he has an idea about the mood of the song or the genre he lets us know.

The recording tales place in “the Hatch,” which is Blake’s in-home recording studio. The guitar and drums are usually recorded together, then the main vocals. The bass, violin, percussion and overdubs are recorded a day or so later. Blake mixes it and it’s posted on our Myspace page. There you can listen to it for free and purchase mp3s of our songs. We send out a bulletin to let the people know it’s up. Then we get ready for the next one. The process takes under a week.

How did you like this season?

This season was great. Fast paced and intense. The break in the middle was a bit frustrating, but it gave us a little time to catch our breath and recharge our batteries for the mad dash to the finale.

Do you read bulletin boards or fan blogs? How big a Lost geek are you?

Shannon and I read some of the blogs, and I post on a couple of boards. Gabe and Blake avoid the blogs and boards to stay away from spoilers, while Shannon and I tend to search them out. I think being in a band that writes songs about a television show brands you as a geek, and there’s no real escaping it.

So, what is the deal with the four-toed statue?

Blake thinks it’s a remnant from an alien civilization, but I think we’re just going to have to wait and see.

How do you envision the show ending?

It could be anything; an eye closing, some weird time travel mess where 815 actually lands safely, the Island blinking out of existence. Who knows? The writers have been so good at throwing us curve balls; I can’t begin to speculate with any real conviction. However it ends, it will make for great television.

Next: “The Whole Truth” Sep 30, 2008

On our next podcast, we’ll review Episode 2×16, “The Whole Truth”: Sun wrestles with the thought of telling Jin a newfound secret that threatens to upset the entire balance of the survivors’ community. Meanwhile, Locke enlists Ana Lucia to interrogate the prisoner in order to extract more information than he, Jack or Sayid could. We’d love your comments on this episode! Post a comment, send us an e-mail, or leave a message on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

Next: “Maternity Leave” (Episode 2×15) Sep 07, 2008

A desperate Claire, along with Kate and Rousseau, attempts a return to the scene of her kidnapping where she believes she might find the cure for Baby Aaron’s mysterious illness. Meanwhile, Jack and Locke must keep their prisoner a secret from the rest of the survivors. Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Sept. 12.

Next: “One of Them” (Episode 2×14) Aug 27, 2008

Join us as we revisit Season 2 of â€œLOST,â€ moving on to â€œOne of Themâ€ (Episode 2Ã—14): Rousseau leads Sayid to a captive who may be one of the “Others,” and Sawyer forces Hurley to help him track down an elusive island creature.

Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, ~~Aug. 29~~ Sept. 5. A busy Labor Day weekend means you have an extra week to share your thoughts in our next show!

Next: “The Long Con” (Episode 2×13) Aug 16, 2008

Join us as we revisit Season 2 of “LOST,” beginning with “The Long Con” (Episode 2×13): Survivors fear that “The Others” may have returned when Sun is injured during a failed kidnapping attempt. Meanwhile, Sawyer is an amused but highly interested bystander when tension escalates between Jack, Locke, Kate and Ana Lucia.

Comment here, via e-mail to lost@hawaiiup.com, or by calling the LostLine at (808) 356-0127, by Friday, Aug. 22.

LOST Fantasy League — **Join Us in the Lost Fantasy League** Jun 25, 2008
Our friends over at DarkUFO are hosting the Lost Fantasy League for the upcoming fifth season of “LOST,” and we invite you to play along with us! Jen and I were fortunate to be able to participate last year, along with over 2,500 other “LOST” fans, and this year the LFL is introducing “mini leagues.” Now you can join forces with your favorite “LOST” community… and of course we’d be honored if you’d sign up as part of “The Transmission” team!

Get all the details over at the Lost Fantasy League announcement, which includes the link to the official entry form. Create your “fantasy team” by choosing one character each from eight different groups. Points will be awarded or taken away throughout Season 5 as various things happen to your team’s members, from hearing whispers (30 points) to getting killed (-30 points). It’s a lot of work for Dark UFO and LFL guru “G-Man,” but it’s a lot of fun for everyone else.

So sign up, build your “fantasy team,” and join “The Transmission” mini-league today! Season 5 is only… six months away. Sigh. *[Thanks to Connie in Alaska for the heads up!]*

Upcoming: Season 4 in Review Jun 24, 2008

Now that we’ve had a month to fully process the wild ride that was Season 4 of “LOST,” Jen and I plan to return for a wrap-up edition of “The Transmission.” From “The Beginning of the End” to “There’s No Place Like Home,” how does Season 4 stand among the rest? We’d love to hear your take. What were the low points and high points? The biggest twists? The smallest details? What questions loom the largest for the two seasons that lie ahead, and what answers do you think will ultimately be delivered? Comment below, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127!

Ahead in the hiatus, we’ll definitely be reporting on and from ComicCon, and hopefully putting together a mix of “LOST” reports, from revisiting past seasons to dissecting a character or two. Of course, “LOST” production resumes in August, so stay tuned for some early reports from The Island!

The Hiatus: What Should We Do? Jun 01, 2008

The fantastic finale closed out Season Four in grand style, but it also marked the beginning of yet another long, dark hiatus before “LOST” returns in 2009. What’s a “LOST” fan to do? Jen and I are taking a break as well, but there’s some good stuff on the horizon. In July, we’ll be traveling to San Diego to attend Comic Con, where we’ll join other “LOST” podcasters and fans and hopefully hear some great “LOST” news. We’ve also signed on to contribute to “The Jay and Jack Show.” But beyond that, what do you want to hear from us (if anything at all)?

Many listeners have asked to see “HawaiiUP” revived, the Hawaii-focused podcast that begat “The Transmission.” I’ve been fond of the suggestion that we break Jen’s short segments out into their own show: “The Pith of Pop” podcast, which would tackle music, movies, TV, and other pop culture goodness. But as far as “LOST” talk goes, there are lots of possibilities. We could cover episodes from Season 2 and Season 3. We could do a “LOST” book club, examining individual books referenced in the show. Or, we could examine “LOST” characters one at a time, or “LOST” themes (from music to names to literary references). What’s your pleasure?

**There’s No Place Like Home – Parts 2 and 3** May 29, 2008
We’re spent. It may just be the shock of the final reveal (and the exploding and disappearing and everything else), but I’m putting this season’s finale as the best yet. Oh, there was a big giant Pandora’s box or two opened, and the requisite handful of new nagging questions, but in terms of delivering a dramatic punch, a full sprint of plot and action, and major pointers as to the mythological direction of “LOST,” we couldn’t have asked for more. Every strength of the show was serviced tonight, and the only downside to this high is the inevitable crash tomorrow. We’ll have to wait more than seven months to pick up where we left off.

And I do think we will move forward, now, from the near present. Perhaps even the true present. (No issues with Walt’s age, now.) Mr. Bentham’s ominous tale of how things went south on the island after the Oceanic Six escaped perfectly sets up the island as flashback territory… the clever inverse of the first three seasons. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ben turned the wheel and moved the island, a mind-boggling action that also comes with another rule: whoever invokes the measure of last resort “can’t” return. We also know from his arm injury that he goes straight from the deep Earth chamber to the desert of Tunisia. We see how the Oceanic Six come together and get off the island, and also the setup for their return. We see Sawyer sacrifice himself after a smooch that no doubt gave shippers a thrill, but we also see Desmond and Penny reunited the kiss of the whole show, bar none. And we finally learn who was in the coffin.

Jen is immensely relieved to learn who was in the coffin. She demanded to know, out loud, every ten minutes during the last hour of the finale. Considering that Season 1 left us looking down a mysterious hatch, even I was convinced until the very last moment that they just might go there… the just might leave us hanging. And we both wouldn’t have guessed who Mr. Bentham turned out to be.

Jen’s also convinced that Jin is dead. I have to admit, it looks pretty dire. He does have a couple of things going for him, though. One, Sun is convinced enough of his possible survival that she’s going to engage in some pretty big corporate shenanigans with Charles Widmore. Two, just like the three gunshots that were supposed to have robbed us of Jin, Sayid and Bernard on the beach, I don’t think any “off-screen deaths” have really stuck. Hell, on-screen deaths don’t stick. (At least Keamy’s sudden reappearance got a token explanation.) With Locke apparently going back as carry-on luggage, after all, his story is obviously not done. Look at what happened with the last person Jack transported in a coffin.

For all the big details, though, it’s the little things that made tonight’s episode so satisfying. The way the episode opened at the exact moment Season 3 ended (tires screeching with the quick fade to black). Hurley’s awkward greeting for Jack, and real gratitude to Sawyer for coming back for him. Locke’s confidence with Jack (“Just watch what I’m about to do”) but befuddlement with anthuriums. The way Michael released Jin to be a father, and the way the island finally released him. The way Ben… did everything, from referencing time-traveling bunnies to the utterly cold way he reacted to dooming the freighter. Miles’ scolding from Rose, and cryptic message for Charlotte, who almost instantly becomes the new character whose story we’re desperate to hear.

Too many great moments to mention. With our minds spinning, we’re simply reduced to bullet points.

Notes and Notions:

The conversation between Jack and Locke goes to the very heart of the overall “LOST” story arc. If you haven’t recently revisited the conversation mentioned tonight, from the episode “White Rabbit,” you should read it again. And remember, that was Season 1, Episode 5.

What is Sun up to? Helping Mr. Widmore, or duping him? The why, at least, seems pretty clear. But she’s right, the Oceanic Six weren’t the only ones that got off the island. And joining Ben in the bonus set are Frank and Desmond.

Locke’s pseudonym off island was Jeremy Bentham. Philosopher, yes. Also a guy who willed his body to be put on display. It’s still in a glass case at University College London.

Hurley’s mention of Mr. Eko was a nice touch, because I do sometimes get the sense that there are parts of the show’s past that they’d rather we just forget.

The moment you heard Sayid’s voice at the car window, you knew that guy was toast. And of course his time of death was 8:15.

More Sawyer nicknames, from “Sundance” for Jack to “Kenny Rogers” for Frank. And… shirtless on a beach with a pretty lady and a bottle of rum? It’s fanfic time.

What happened to Daniel and his boatload of socks (or redshirts or background)? Are they stranded? Or, since “Alcatraz” apparently went with the main island, could they have gone along for the ride as well?

Jack officially has a musical motif (along with Kate’s Patsy Cline). His last drive to the funeral parlor showed us his appreciation for “Nirvana.” Tonight, he rocked his way out to the big reveal with “The Pixies.”

Yeah, so that was the “Frozen Donkey Wheel.” Ha ha. How literal and clever! Can we go back to metaphors for the next big twist?

A year ago, when we were similarly left stunned by the Season 3 finale, I wrote: “Suddenly Iâ€m willing to entertain even the most ridiculous, crack-pot theories. Because I have no idea where ‘LOST’ will take us next.” I am still happily along for the ride.

And Jen wrote: “Season 3 of Lost, to me, is one of the best seasons of television ever.” And Season 4 tops that.

There’s No Place Like Home May 15, 2008

The overall design of Season 4 has been genius, as the introduction of flash forwards have set us up for a most unique of season finales. We’re building to a climax from both the past and the future, and the energy seems fittingly magnified. Yet for all the tension coming to a head on the island, two off-island scenes tonight really stood out for me: the reunification of the Oceanic 6 and their families on the tarmac here in Honolulu, and Claire’s mom revealing to Jack that he had (or has) a sister. The latter because it’s a reveal that we knew was inevitable, but was still so pitch perfect it had me holding my breath. Matthew Fox was fantastic, showing the brutal impact of the devastating news in his face, and still again we know things that Claire’s mom and Kate so far don’t. As for their arrival in Hawaii, it was a powerful reminder of how “LOST” defies expectations. Here’s a scene we all had in our heads as the last scene of the entire series: some, but not all, of the crash survivors make it off the island. Yet we still have two more seasons to go.

Jen, perhaps hardened after catching up on a week’s worth of e-mail, wasn’t about to cut the show too much slack. Who would ever believe Aaron is five weeks old? (Though babies on TV or in movies are always absurdly huge.) How is it that no one, Michael in particular, found all that C4 on the freighter until now? How can Kate, so muddled in everything else she does, still be such an expert jungle tracker? How is she not taken into custody the moment she stepped off the Coast Guard plane? And hadn’t we given up on “The Numbers”? But still, Jen cheered when Sun stood up to and undermined her father. And laughed when Hurley learned the vintage of the DHARMA crackers.

The last episode before the season finale always has it rough, usually packed full of disconnected setup for the big show to come. But apart from the musical montage where we visited each of the Oceanic 6 on the island yes, indeed, they’re all over the place, and somehow need to end up together to escape I thought “There’s No Place Like Home” was great.

I enjoyed Alpert’s on-island return, in yet another “you’re surrounded” jungle ambush with a surprisingly large crowd of surviving Others. Others that were again dressed in their grimy Season 2 rags, rather than suburban dwellers. Looks like they’re ready to rumble, the biggest island showdown since “The Purge.” And Ben’s mirror-flashing message and assertion that he always has a plan yanks us back to the world in which he’s always three steps ahead. I guess he hasn’t given up just yet.

And good ol’ fun-time Hurley, still holding his own between two Emmy winners, machine-gunning through questions that any sane person (or “LOST” fan) would ask. How do you move an island? Wouldn’t moving it bring the bad guys too? And the scene in the mansion where he finds a coconut and hears whispers was clever as hell. He escaped that freak-out opportunity only to end up staring at a cursed odometer. I’d begun to suspect “The Numbers” were a relic of the show’s tapdancing days, but with The Orchid and a moving island looming large, I guess they’re finding new life.

I’m more eager to see how Season 4 ends than I think I’ve been for any season prior… even Season 1, as we had nary an inkling about what was going on back then. My primary complaint is that we have to wait two weeks for it all to come together. And my biggest question is what the next act might bring.

Notes and Notions:

I loved that the Oceanic 6 arrived in Honolulu (and the cheesy luau theme for Hurley’s birthday party). A pity the view of Diamond Head was washed out a bit by the volcanic haze that’s been hanging over the islands for weeks.
Looks like Keamy’s last resort will take out the freighter, but whether that C4 is what torches the island, I’m not sure. It also looks like it’s still an extraction mission, as Frank says as much to Jack and Sawyer and the episode ends with Ben taking a gun butt to the head, not a bullet.
Who else does Sun blame for Jin’s death, apart from her father. Herself? Widmore? (Taking over a large company might be the first step in corporate warfare.) Jack? (She didn’t attend Christian Shephard’s funeral, though the rest of the Oceanic 6 did.)
I guess Jack learning that Claire is his sister is not what pushes him over the edge, or makes him want to go back. Because his brief bliss with Kate and long decline into madness has yet to happen. Unless Jack, like Sun, believes everyone else on the island is dead, only to later learn that they’re not?
Once again, the Oceanic 6 survival story includes two others who survived the crash but didn’t make it to rescue. Your guess is as good as mine as to who those two might be.
Speaking of the Oceanic 6 survival story, all season I’ve wondered how the world would react to finding out the wreckage at the bottom of the Sunda Trench was faked. Turns out it fits neatly into the lie being perpetrated off the island. Who crafted that lie is the question. In the cargo hold, it seemed Jack was most familiar with the story.
Speaking of the cargo hold, when Oceanic publicist Karen Decker goes back there, she smiles at someone toward the front of the plane before approaching Jack and friends. Who? Maybe Ben? Or someone else we know who’s not a crash survivor? Or am I imagining things?
It was nice to see Sayid and Nadia reunite, and apparently have some quality couple time. The glow is all the more bittersweet since we know things don’t turn out well for them.
Lucky rabbits feet turned up both in the cockpit of the Coast Guard plane and on the keys to Hurley’s Camaro. Again, the Orchid Station may bring with it some more rabbit folklore.
How did Claire’s mom come out of her coma? Will we see her, I wonder, visited by a ghostly Claire in a vision?
Favorite Lines: Hurley’s mom, “Jesus Christ is not a weapon.” Sawyer, “You don’t get to die alone.” And spoken like a true PR person, “That’s not the best branding as far as we’re concerned, but it’s catchy!”
Locations: The Oceanic 6 arrival was filmed out at Hangar 111 at Barber’s Point. Hurley’s Mansion was along Farmers Road in Kahala. Christian Shephard’s funeral was held at St. Patrick in Kaimuki.

What did you think? Call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 or comment below.

Cabin Fever May 08, 2008

The beautiful paradox of “LOST” is that, tonight, we have an episode that told us so much. Yet ultimately, at its core, the revelations are simple, basic, cutting right to the heart of the show we’ve loved for four years now. The quiet contentedness with which Ben shared Hurley’s candy bar said it all… without a single line. Tonight we saw the passing of the torch, the beginning of the next era for the island, and one that perhaps foretold by Locke’s childhood choice of the knife will be a tumultuous one. “Cabin Fever” directly takes us back to “Walkabout” from Season 1, the first episode to blow our minds, the first episode to put us on notice that “LOST” was up to something big. Locke’s destiny has been waiting for him since birth. Through immaturity, circumstance, and stubborn choice, he rejected that fate. But after a season of insecurity and confusion, it looks like he’s finally on track. Just in time to face an oncoming armageddon, a torching of the island.

I love that Alpert, ageless Alpert, was there when Locke was born. Locke, a preemie, unwanted, tormented in a foster home. Of course he draws pictures of a smoke monster attack. And Alpert’s first test for him, to see if he was the chosen one, connects him to the sand, the compass (certainly symbolic to Locke’s life and time on the island), and the knife. Alpert was upset, saying it meant Locke wasn’t ready. But I for one think it was Alpert that wasn’t ready. I don’t think the knife was the wrong artifact, but a premonition that Alpert didn’t want to see.

As a teenager, Mittelos Bioscience makes another play for Locke, who’s obviously now a gifted young scientist. But yet, even then, the rejected Locke rejects science, claiming to love only boxing, fishing, cars, sports… His teacher knew his calling was not any of those things. But telling Locke what he can’t do obviously gets you nowhere.

Finally, there was Abbadon, whose flashback appearance was perhaps the most startling and reassuring. He speaks of miracles. We learn it was him who put the hapless, wheelchair-bound Locke on the road to the walkabout. And I love how he says, “I went on my walkabout convinced I was one thing, and I came back another.” Or is that, “an other”?

But it’s Ben, as always, that brings things into focus. With the best line of the night, season, and perhaps the whole series. “There are consequences to being chosen. Because destiny, John, is a fickle bitch.” Ben’s sacrifices are many, from his health to his daughter, and perhaps reach back as far as killing his father. And Locke certainly has taken his lumps. I can’t help but think, though, that Locke’s status is not set in stone. Ben told everyone Locke wasn’t who they thought he was when Locke couldn’t kill his dad, and was ostensibly proven wrong. But Locke didn’t kill his dad. Sawyer did. And for all the visions and maps, it was still Hurley who spotted Jacob’s cabin first.

So Christian isn’t dead (or is he?), nor is Claire (or is she?), in communion with the island and Jacob. Aaron, off with Sawyer and soon to be off the island, is where he’s supposed to be. The eerie calmness with which Claire spoke, and the way she smiled when Locke asked how to save the island, was creepy as hell. The cabin scene was a big pile of questions disguised as answers, and frankly it makes my head spin.

And the assault on the island from the freighter begins, with the especially cool, time-and-space warping, prophetic morse code message from “The Shape of Things to Come.” Sayid’s off to save the day, but Desmond refuses to ever return to the island. There’s a secondary protocol focused on the last safe place Ben would go. The Temple? The long-anticipated Orchid Station? Perhaps they’re one and the same? Wherever it is, I suspect it’s where they’ll need to be to “move the island.” Move the island!

Frank fully outs himself as one of the good guys, yet throws more doubt on the theory that Widmore planted the fake wreckage on the ocean floor. I love that he tries to warn the survivors on the beach, but drugged-up Jack decides the answer is to head toward the danger.

Notes and Notions:

So here we are at the end of a season, with Jack and the survivors hopeful for rescue that’s finally coming… except it really isn’t rescue that’s coming, it’s trouble. I love Season 4, don’t get me wrong, but isn’t this exactly where we were at the end of Season 3? This show is so brilliant, I don’t even care.
Ben disavows the decision to wipe out the DHARMA Initiative, noting that he wasn’t always the leader. So who did Ben succeed? Who was the prior chosen one? I don’t think it’s Alpert, whose role seems to be strictly second fiddle. How about Widmore?
The test that young Locke took reminds me of my (likely warped) recollection of how the Dalai Lama is chosen from generation to generation, with a candidate expected to identify an item significant to the one who came before.
Is Abbadon, like Alpert, an ageless character?
Interesting that Desmond stayed behind on the freighter, perhaps finally tired of saving others and ready to do what’s right for him. I guess I can’t blame the guy, but it seemed a little sad. Then again, I woudn’t want to pass through that nightmare zone again, either. Wouldn’t it suck, though, if Penny goes to find him on the island? Just before the big move? After all, we know in the future Widmore’s looking for it all over again.
It clearly took a huge conspiracy to finally, after half a decade, get Locke to the island. In a big plane crash. So I wonder. Was everything just for him? Or are other destinies being fulfilled? I hope it’s the latter.
Ben suggests that Locke talked Hurley into sticking around. But why is Locke keeping him by his side? Again, I think Hurley is special, too.
Favorite Lines: Hurley’s dream, “Mallomars.” Or, “This is just awesome,” Hurley again, realizing they’re lost. The captain’s challenge, “I fixed your gun.”
Music: Emily was getting dolled up to Don MacLean’s “Everyday.”
Locations: The hospital was up at Waimano Home in Pearl City. The neighborhood was Wahiawa. The school was Leilehua High School.

Something Nice Back Home May 01, 2008

If last week’s episode was a taste of action adventure, “Something Nice Back Home” brings us back to the character drama. There was a heap of ‘shipper fodder and a dabble of mystery, and in between a substantial serving of connecting the dots. Jack and Kate play house and bliss out, only to have it all go to hell (starting the descent into “we have to go back” Jack from the end of Season 3). And why? Ominous warnings from a Hurley who’s become accustomed to visits by Charlie but doubts reality, and hauntings by his dad. Claire’s dad, as well, and his comfy T-shirted appearance on the island is perhaps this week’s most confounding moment. Was he there or wasn’t he? Did Miles see him, or just “see” him? And why nab Claire and not Aaron?

I was reminded immediately of Claire’s last abduction in Season 1, and the fact that it never was fully addressed until Season 2. Meaning I’m not exactly holding my breath for all the answers to this mystery. Still, given that Christian Shephard has haunted us since the pilot, and has surfaced (in blurry profile) in Jacob’s cabin, his role in “LOST” is clearly pivotal.

Aaron’s fate, as well, finds us looking back this week, with Charlie’s message from beyond the grave. Jack’s not supposed to raise him, he says, the same message Claire got from the psychic in Australia before boarding the plane. Interesting that Jack’s fitness to be a father, and his insecurities, appear to be the tipping point for his downward spiral.

Of course, Kate’s mysterious mission for Sawyer couldn’t have helped. And what could that promise have been? The last selfless sacrifice we saw Sawyer make was for dear Clementine, his presumed daughter with Cassidy. Her phone conversation (“I can stay for an hour”) sounds more like a babysitting emergency than a playdate. But if she is meeting with Cassidy, surely she’d remember meeting her before?

For those holding out hope for Danielle and (maybe) Karl, Miles discovery of their bodies is about as definitive an end as you can get. It was nice, though, to see Miles’ abilities get a workout. In addition to giving us some hope that the stories of the dead could still be told, there were certainly hints that Miles was picking up something special from Claire and Aaron. His odd request to hold the baby suggests he’d probably get a brainload of information from physical contact. But Sawyer wasn’t having any of that… to hilarious effect.

“Back off, Donger.” Jen’s favorite line of the night. Mine? Daniel asks what’s powering the medical hatch. Charlotte replies, “Add that one to the list.”

As for the whole appendicitis detour, it certainly can’t have been introduced for dramatic effect. After all, we know Jack lives. Still, I thought it was well played for the characters’ sake. Jack the control freak had to surrender fully to Juliet. Juliet came to terms with Jack’s love of Kate, and gave it over to her. Bernard revealed even more hidden talents (Jen’s quickly promoting him up her list of most interesting characters). And finally, the ever wise Rose asks the most important question: “Why now?”

Yes indeed, people get sick, but not on the island. His falling ill is as mysterious, then, as Ben’s spinal tumor.

Notes and Notions:

Jack steps on a Millenium Falcon. The “Star Wars” shout-outs are almost getting to be too much.
Jack’s reading “Alice in Wonderland,” a book oft invoked in “LOST,” cited in “LOST” analyses, and the source of at least two episode titles: “White Rabbit” and “Through the Looking Glass.” But… not the most conventional choice for a toddler.
Am I the only one somewhat surprised to see Keamy and a fair number of soldiers still alive after the epic thrashing by the smoke monster last week? There better have been thirty of them.
Lines were drawn several times between “Keamy and Friends” and Miles, Daniel and Charlotte. Miles says he “didn’t sign up for this,” and is generally becoming a more likable character. And Daniel, standing up to Charlotte, says they’re scientists who don’t want to see anyone hurt.
The Daniel and Charlotte relationship also got a little more interesting. As was Charlotte’s grasp of Korean, which Jin picked up in a smile. Reminiscent of when Kate discovered Sun’s grasp of English. Was it just me, or did she also smile after Jin told her to save Sun?
Mysterious forces are delivering different messages. Charlie tells Hurley to tell Jack that he can’t raise Aaron. But Christian Shephard (or “Christian Shephard”) separates Aaron from the person we’re told should raise Aaron. Which is it?
By this point in the future, has Jack already figured out that Claire’s his sister (and that Aaron is his nephew)? When he snaps at Kate he says, “Your son? You’re not even related to him!” And he is? Deliciously ambiguous.
The timeline was tough to unscramble. We know the flash-forward sequences tonight take place after the trial, but presumably before the end of Season 3. And the newspaper he reads is a pretty explicit marker, too. Folks at The Fuselage have already pegged the story as an article from the New York Times published on August 31, 2007.

The Shape of Things to Come Apr 25, 2008

“That was intense,” a breathless Jen said at the closing thud. It certainly was. The practical result of squeezing eight hours of planned plot into five six post-strike hours of broadcast was evident tonight, as “The Shape of Things to Come” barreled through five deaths (though three were socks), the smoke monster, Sayid and Nadia, Ben vs. Charles Widmore, and Ben vs. Time and Space. Not a single scene dragged, and at worst a few seemed rushed, and for once a character’s “who what now?” confusion (Sawyer, in this case) seemed perfectly reasonable. Tonight I think we were given the juiciest morsels yet when it comes to the overarching conceit of “LOST.” There are power brokers and pawns, there are rules and regrets, we’re seeing deeply personal stakes in the love of a parent for a child, and yet also the edges of a conspiracy that spans the globe.

Is the battle between Ben and Widmore a game? Albeit one of real life and death? The injection of the board game Risk (and Hurley’s assertion of Australia’s importance to victory) is surely significant. Ben gives Charles notice of his next move, one of revenge, but it’s obviously not his last. The Island seems to be the prize, and in their conversation some interesting reveals. Widmore says the island was always his, that everything Ben has he took from him. And Widmore calls Ben “boy,” reminiscent of many an epic story where a master is usurped by his protegé. Widmore also says, “The hunt is on, for both of us.” So both powerful men had once possessed the island, but lost it. And I suspect the next grand arc in “LOST” will be finding it again.

And we still don’t exactly know what’s so great about this island in the first place.

This episode also teased us with more time travel talk. When Jack asks Daniel when he last saw the dead doctor, Daniel says, “‘When’ is relative.” And indeed, someone on the ship reports the doctor is just fine. More audaciously, we find Ben in the middle of the Sahara Desert in a ski parka, shuddering and injured, as if he’d just suddenly appeared there from someplace cold and… sharp? His first questions to the first person in Tunisia (that he doesn’t kill) are about what day it is, and what year. If I were in a wacky theory mood, I’d say the next Ben episode will find him in the arctic, battling for his life with a polar bear.

Speaking of Ben, what a badass. Taking out two heavily armed Turks with a baton, moving about under clever aliases (Dean Moriarty), dressed to the nines, dapper and deadly. Yet in this episode, we also see Ben make a grave miscalculation, betting on his impeccable information and powers of persuasion with Alex’s life. Her death was as big a shock to Ben as it was to us, sudden and unsentimental. In that moment, the full scale of the tragedy hits: Ben did love Alex, perhaps more than anyone. And yet the last thing Alex hears is her father asserting that she meant nothing to him.

And how about that smoke monster? Summoned by a Ben who clearly decided to pull out all the stops, it tears through New Otherton like an unholy cross between a tornado and a rabid pit bull. Releasing it to dispatch the murderous freighties was probably a step too far (and I wonder if it will be a looming danger for the next few episodes), but Widmore broke the rules first. Right? Keamy pulled the trigger. But I think even Ben knows he’s not faultless in her death.

Notes and Notions:

Ben’s parka had yet another DHARMA station logo on it, a swirly spiral of some sort. More interestingly, it bore the name “Halliwax.” Halliwax is one of the names used by orientation video host Marvin Candle, most recently in “The Orchid” video. This station will surely be a big part of the next chapter in “LOST,” and will probably factor into how (and when) Ben gets around.
It was simultaneously heartening and tragic to hear that post-island “Oceanic Six” Sayid apparently found and wed Nadia, but that she was killed in L.A. Given the backward timeline we’ve seen with flash-forwards, though, I hope we’ll soon see that reunion and some happy moments. Though, of course, they’ll be bittersweet.
Sayid spent eight years looking for Nadia, both before and after the crash. I guess Shannon was a forgotten footnote, after all.
Of course the episode opens with Kate eyeing Jack on the beach. “Wet Kate! Take a drink.”
It was nice to see Sawyer step it up. He risks his life to rescue Claire, and ultimately gives up on Camp Locke and takes Claire and Aaron back to the beach.
Both Ben and Locke want to see Jacob, but Hurley is key to finding him. The showdown between Sawyer and Locke over Hurley was great, and Hurley making the call to end the standoff was even better. Now we see why Hurley later tells Jack he regretted not staying with him.
On Claire, the writers are just messing with us now. Her house explodes, but she miraculously survives. Her next line, after blearily calling out for Charlie? “I’ll live.” Ha!
Where is Penny? Perhaps with Desmond? Perhaps back on the island, in fact? That may be why Widmore is so sure Ben will never find her.
Have we yet seen Sayid think with his heart instead of his gun? Or is that just further foreshadowed with tonight’s discussion of Nadia’s death?
The episode was titled, “The Shape of Things to Come,” a book by H.G. Wells.
Anyone know what song Ben was playing on the piano?
Locations: The Tunisian hotel was the downtown YWCA. I’m surprised at how much they showed, considering how distinct the architecture is and how much we saw of it when it played a mosque in Australia for a Sayid flashback. Iraq was on a back lot at Honolulu Community College. (Photos here.) The Sahara desert was a rock quarry, I’m guessing in Waianae. Not sure where London was.

What did you think? We’d love to hear from you! Comment below, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

Lost Mind Games — **LOST Mind Games** Apr 12, 2008
Jen writes: I am a puzzle freak. Word puzzles and Sudoku are my specialties, but really, I just love any kind of puzzle. So when we got an email from a “LOST” fan named Anne Dawson who published a book full of puzzles, I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. The back cover copy was especially enticing: “‘LOST Mind Games’ not only plays with your mind but actually gives you a way to challenge your LOST knowledge.” Sign me up!

Turns out that Anne published this book on her own. She’d been creating puzzles for her nephew for some time (see Q&A below) and collected them all in a single volume.

This is not your average LOST trivia book. This is for hardcore fans. It’s for really scary-smart hardcore fans who have watched all three seasons on DVD. Twice. I thought I knew everything there was to know about this show, but even I learned a couple of things. Did you know Jack’s mom’s name? I didn’t either.

There are five basic sections in “LOST Mind Games.” The first is Rebus puzzles. The second section consists of grids of nine letters in which are hidden character names and places. There’s a section of find-a-quotes. Then we have what seems to be at first a set of basic word searches, but it’s really slightly more complicated than that. And then, my favorite part: matching. The matching section is where those repeated viewings of the show really come in handy. The questions are fiendish and clever and, for me, well worth the price of a copy.

You can **buy your copy today at Amazon**. If you like it as much as I did, be sure to post your own review at Amazon or as a comment here!

In fact, I loved the book so much, I wanted to talk to the person who put it together. I put together a quick Q&A and sent it over to Anne, and she was gracious enough to reply with her thoughts.

**Tell me about your family.**

I am married, no kids. I have a very large extended family. Two brothers and two sisters and lots of nieces and nephews. And a tremendous number of first cousins. We spend a great deal of time together and always have a great time. Any family gathering includes the LOST fanatics who can’t discuss anything else except what has happened on the latest episode.

Some people find this hard to believe but my entire family all vacations together on the Jersey shore. That includes 4 generations ranging in ages from 2 to 79. It is not unusual for us to have 50+ of our “immediate family” together at any given time. And there is usually at least one LOST discussion going on at all times.

**How did you come up with the idea for the book?**

My 16 year old nephew and I were deep into a LOST discussion on the beach one day last summer and we started talking about LOST’s visual clues and their meaning. I asked him if he was familiar with Rebus puzzles (the type of pictographs puzzles in Chapter One of my book). So I started drawing a few Rebus puzzles that were LOST related. And he just went crazy over them.

One thing led to another, and I continued making LOST related puzzles and mind games for him well into the Fall. But by that time, I was doing them in various software programs and instead of being hand-drawn, I created them all on my computer.

Also, I had expanded my designs to include some of the other formats in my book, like the hidden name squares, the hidden quotes and the distinctly shaped Search & Select puzzles. (By the way, Charlie’s Guitar is my favorite in the Search & Select chapter.)

My nephew was the one who suggested that I put together a collection of the mind games for a book. By October I realized I had created over 100 mind games and that maybe it was time to start thinking seriously about a book. I got a big group of family and friends together and showed them what I had done so far and the group consensus was that I should go for it.

**Are you a puzzle person? What kind of puzzles do you like?**

I have always been a puzzle person. And while I’m a fan of crossword puzzles and trivia quizzes, I really prefer puzzles and mind games that challenge me to use out-of-the-box thinking. I started making my own puzzles and mind games when I was a Teaching Assistant at Rutgers University. I used to make them for the undergraduate students that I taught. They were always a big hit. But I hadn’t made any of them for years before I started making them for my nephew.

I have to say that I was also a little disappointed by some of the LOST trivia challenges that are out there. Like most lost fans, I love the interactive nature of the show. You know, how it sends LOST fans scrambling to seek out answers.

The one thing I really wanted to do when I put this book together was to create an interactive format. Something that wasn’t merely a regurgitation of facts, but that made you actually sit down and think about what you have seen and heard and then apply that info to solve some unique mind games. Something that would be a lot more satisfying than just picking A, B or C as the answer.

**How difficult did you find the publishing process? How long did it take?**

Well, first I sat down and created the balance of the over 200 puzzles and mind games. That was my biggest challenge.

I wanted to be sure that they were original enough and challenging enough to satisfy the LOST fan base. Which, as I’m sure you know, can be a very demanding audience. I also wanted to be sure that the information that I included would be intriguing enough to all attract all LOST fans, no matter which theory about LOST they might be inclined to believe.

I also hit the internet pretty hard and did my homework to find out about how to go about getting a book published. I discovered that I had several options including: Traditional Publishers, Print-on-Demand Publishing and Self Publishing.

Each option had its own advantages. But the deciding factor for me was that I knew that I wanted a few things to happen to satisfy me.

I had completed all of the mind games by the end of December 2007 and I wanted to get the book to market as soon as possible and I was adamant that I wanted to be able to have a really nice paper stock that would make the illustrations nice and vibrant, that would hold up to the heavy ink needed for some of the drawings (without making them too visible through the back of the pages) and probably most importantly, a heavy enough paper so it would hold up to erasing (when necessary) without poking a hole in the paper.

Traditional publishing would have taken many, many months to accomplish and from what I’ve learned it would have meant that I would have given up some of the control over many of the creative aspects of my book. I did not want that to happen.

Print-On-Demand is a wonderful option for any first time author, but it would have limited the types of paper that I could choose from and, after I requested some paper samples, none of them met my expectations.

So I turned to Self-Publishing. It was the best option for me. It was quicker and it gave me complete control over every aspect of my book. And because of my day job, I am familiar with printing.

I already had the majority of the mind games on my computer and I am actually quite proficient in a number of software programs. So I sat down and after many, many long hours I actually type-set the entire book myself. Yup, from start to finish. I contacted several printers for samples and quotes and I chose a wonderful company in Southern California to work with.

Controlling all aspects of the book, including the cover design and the entire layout has been a wonderful experience. And I couldn’t be happier with the the end result.

The book is currently available exclusively on Amazon.com. And although I am speaking with several other book sellers and distributors (because it never hurts to explore all your options), I may just stick with Amazon because they are so easy to work with.

**The matching questions are surprisingly difficult. How did you come up with ideas for them?**

I wanted to create some of the Mind Games to cover specific topics. For instance, LOST books or music or even Sawyer’s nicknames. They were some of the Mind Games that took me the longest to complete. They took many hours of fact checking.

Everyone looks at that kind of game and thinks, how hard can this be?

I wanted to be sure that while they seem like anyone can complete them at first glance, that they were some of most challenging mind games in the book. Especially because you have to be careful as you work through them. The first answer you think of may not be the correct answer. But there is only one way to complete each Mind Game in that Chapter.

Remember the comment I made above about carefully choosing the paper, well, I knew that these would absolutely have to hold up to erasing without poking holes in the page!

**Do you have a Lost-related forum or website of choice?**

There are so many great ones out there and way too few hours to visit them all. I’m not a big poster but I am a lurker on the Fuselage, the ABC Forums, and a number of the fan run sites. I’m impressed that so many fans have such great ideas. I listen to as many podcasts as I can. I just love listening to all the different theories. And I am amazed by the details that people pick out.

I also have to give a big thank you to some of the great websites that I used to check all my facts against. LostHatch, LongLostList and LOSTisaGame. I can’t believe how much time they all put into collecting facts about the show. Want to know how many times a polar bear has been shown, or who was reading what book? Well, you can find the answers at those sites. I know, Lostpedia is also a good resource, but I find that the way that those other sites are organized can make fact checking a bit easier, at least for me.

**So, what’s your personal all-encompassing theory about the island?**

This is the toughest question since I actually like a few of them out there. I like the idea of portals caused by magnetic vortexes, I also like the mirror theories, the idea that Widmore and Paik are behind it all, and a few others. So instead of just picking one all-encompassing theory, I’d rather state that my biggest hope is that the theories about Jin and Danielle still being alive are true.

The Season So Far Apr 10, 2008

We’re midway through the hiatus, and taking advantage of the break to regroup and reflect on the fourth season of “LOST” to date. (As well as burning our way through our Netflix queue and revisiting other friends like “Battlestar Galactica”!) Jen and I are contemplating another “hiatuscast” to bridge the gap to Episode 4×09, mixing it up with a little “LOST” music, a “LOST” book review, and some filming updates. But of course we’d especially want you to be a part of it. So, please tell us: How do you like the season so far? Favorite episodes? Favorite moments? Any thoughts on the latest batch of new characters, or the evolution of our old friends? Comment below or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 before 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 11, and we’ll do our best to get it in the show!

Meet Kevin Johnson Mar 20, 2008

An unusually structured episode gave us one long flashback bookended by brief and somewhat maddening scenes on the island. We begin with Locke calling a Town Hall meeting and becoming Captain Obvious (“Um, we like knew that forever ago,” Hurley says, a hat tip to fans). And we end with Ben sending Alex to safety, but an ambush takes out her mother and boyfriend. In the middle, we see the lost months between Michael’s escape with Walt and his return on the freighter as Kevin Johnson. On the conspiracy side, Widmore is fingered as the man behind the fake wreckage. On the supernatural side, “The Island” is ascribed the intent and ability to keep Michael alive as he’s still got work to do, and Libby shows up in visions.

“Meet Kevin Johnson” didn’t offer much in the way of answers, but rather filled in a few blanks and confirmed a few things. Michael and Walt did make it home, though things obviously haven’t gone well since. Widmore is behind the fake wreckage (if Tom is to be believed), the bodies harvested from a Thailand graveyard. And Michael is compelled to return as much out of guilt over killing Ana Lucia and Libby as he is by his son’s estrangement. Mention of the rest of Ben’s followers at “The Temple” couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, the hiatus affording the chance to reconstruct Alpert’s group. Oh, and Tom was gay!

If the island kept Michael from killing himself, then Jack’s bridge rescue at the end of Season Three falls under a whole new light. Perhaps his work’s not over yet, either. And what of Hurley’s L.A. car chase? Perhaps his descent into madness stems in part from discovering some twisted form of invincibility? Maybe he finds he’s incredibly “lucky” insofar as he can’t get hurt or die… but to the point where it becomes a curse?

It was interesting to discover that Tom is another Mainland visitor, however infrequent, and obviously living in style when away on business. Seeing Tom traveling while Juliet was told they were trapped, Jen felt, implies that Juliet is as fooled by Ben by anyone else. Not that she’s innocent, or even trustworthy, but clearly not part of the inner circle.

Jen’s horrified to see Rousseau shot. We love Rousseau (the actress as much as the character), and although she has come and gone with almost maddening randomness, she’s always been a reminder of the deeper history of the island, a failsafe that we’d take comfort in, since we can fantasize that she just might someday give us some of the answers we most crave. We’re mourning Karl a bit less. Though Jen chuckled when he said, “I have a bad feeling about this.” (You have to be a “Star Wars” fan to appreciate it. Especially given how frequently Karl is compared to whiny Luke Skywalker.)

Who’s behind those bullets? My guess is Ben, since he sent them off in the first place and since Karl and Rosseau are the only two things standing between him and Alex. (Remember how possessive he is of Juliet.) On the other hand, we haven’t seen an ambush quite like that before, and with Frank’s chopper disappearing a little while ago, he may have been delivering some of the gun-happy thugs we met on the deck of the freighter.

Speaking of the freighter mission, it’s clear now that not everyone aboard is on board, so to speak. The automatic weapon skeet shoot further confirms the threat Ben sees in the freighter’s arrival. But Frank seems primarily motivated by finding Oceanic 815 survivors (and finding out what happened to his pilot friend). Indeed, as I mentioned before, I think everyone has a different story. Dan, Miles, Charlotte… like Michael, I think being on the boat is one means to several different ends. Miles’ line about 80 percent of the passengers lying about something was probably a conservative estimate.

Why did Sayid out Michael to the captain? So soon after being told, you know, don’t trust the captain? Is this the “thinking with your heart” mistake that Ben mentioned a while back? Torpedoing a plan out of anger over Michael’s betrayal? It seems like such a tactical mistake, the kind of mistake that we only wish were out of character for Sayid. But Jen’s warming up to the theory that Sayid is already working with Ben, starting at least from their conversation in the rec room. When Sayid seems surprised at Michael’s mention of Ben’s plan, he could just as easily be surprised in thinking, “You too?” He may have just needed confirmation from Michael himself (initially doubting Ben) before putting Phase Two into action.

We’re also baffled as to what Libby’s appearances mean. With Charlie, it seems as if he is a manifestation of Hurley’s guilt, nudging him toward doing the right thing. But Libby basically shocks Michael awake in the hospital, then warns him against setting off a bomb that doesn’t actually do anything. Jen thinks this actually adds credence to the theory that these visions are real and are being put there by someone else, perhaps Ben or since it apparently has a plan the island itself. Someone needed Michael to wake up, and to not follow through on the plan to kill everyone on the boat. (Recall that Ben was surprised that Michael pressed the button.) My question: Was Harper’s message to Juliet such a vision as well?

Or, on Libby, how about this? We see Michael wake up in the hospital twice. First, in an older hospital room, with older equipment. He sees Libby, who says he was in a car crash. He recognizes her and wakes up yelling. Then he’s in a modern room with a different nurse who also explains the car crash and the note for Walt. Remember, though, that Michael has had two significant car accidents in his lifetime. Was that first hospital room a dream, or was it his first recovery? Was Libby actually there? Could Michael’s recognition of her be the result of an “unstuck in time” moment? Why was his car (in 2004 New York) so old, anyway? We didn’t even see any other cars on the street.

Or maybe I’m just thinking too hard.

It was good to see Cynthia Wattros again, at least. And a coherent Fisher Stevens. No sign of Zoe Bell’s Regina, though. Which means we better get a real freighter flashback soon. Alas, it’ll be another month until we get our next new dose of “LOST.” Time to pull out those Stephen King novels.

Notes and Notions:

Lots of fun references. “The Shining,” by Stephen King (cabin fever, and Stephen King). “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut (“unstuck in time,” eerie pink light). “It’s Getting Better” by Mama Cass (“Make Your Own Kind of Music”). And Bob Dylan fans may recognize the Hotel Earle (“Subterranean Homesick Blues” cue card video, Charlie’s Dylan T-shirt).
Looks like Sawyer was the winner in this week’s “token scene” lottery. Not only does he get the most awkward chunk of exposition (explaining exactly which Michael is on the boat), but he trots over with a late dig at Locke’s leadership.
Locations: The “Port of Suva” was Kewalo Basin. You could even see the smokestack from the old incinerator (now the Children’s Discovery Center) in the background. Michael gets into his green Dodge Aspen on Merchant Street next to Pioneer Plaza, drives up Bethel Street, then ends up between Pier 18 and 19 where he crashes into a shipping container.

Ji Yeon Mar 13, 2008

We love when “LOST” unleashes a clever twist of storytelling. But tonight, that twist was in service of one of the most tragic reveals we’ve ever had on this show. It was beyond bittersweet, it was heart-wrenching, to go from “Oh!” to “Oh god no!” in the same moment. Finally, Sun and Jin have separate off-island stories, but the space between them is the worst kind. I got a lump in my throat when Jin forgave Sun and said he’d do whatever it takes to protect his wife and child, and sure enough we learn that Jin dies not six months after those words are spoken.

And we are certain, at this point, that Jin is dead. If his fate wasn’t sealed by his words to Sun, look no further than Sun’s graveside introduction of Ji Yeon. Indeed, so beautifully was this crafted, I’d be mad if the writers find a way to wiggle out of it. Because the prospect of now watching Jin’s last few days on the island over the next few episodes, knowing what we know about his fate, will probably be one of the more memorable periods for any character on “LOST.” [What did you think? Comment or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.]

So who are the “Oceanic Six”? Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Aaron and Sun. Up until now, Jen and I disagreed on whether Aaron was among them, but I think tonight we agree that he was. And of the other five, Hurley is the only one to fly to Seoul to meet Ji Yeon. When he’s told no one else has come, he says, “Good.” So things seem strained among our post-island survivors, even at this point in the future (which at least comes before Hurley’s flip-out and basketball game with Jack). Looks like keeping up an elaborate fiction is stressful.

One surprise? Juliet blurting out to Jin that Sun had an affair. Even though we knew she did, we felt almost as dumbfounded as Jin. The news had its intended effect, in terms of saving Sun and the baby’s lives, but boy, that Juliet’s something else. Sun went from saying to Juliet’s face that she didn’t trust her, to putting her life in Juliet’s hands. Juliet’s as hard to figure out as Ben, methinks.

The opposite of a surprise? Learning that Michael was on the boat. (Though whether he’s Ben’s mole has yet to be officially confirmed.) At least they didn’t save that reveal until the closing thud. He’s Kevin Johnson, janitor. The question is, has he had the job only since sailing off a month prior? Or for much, much longer? (Frank’s bearing of 305 ate half a day. What would Ben’s bearing of 325 do?) And we’ve not seen Walt yet. We can only hope a fair chunk of all this is told next week, else we’ll be waiting almost two months for the rest of the story.

In terms of new faces, we finally meet Regina. Who a few minutes later is swimming with the fishes. She, like Minkowski, gets introduced and killed off within the same episode. I can only hope, coupled with Michael’s boat story, there’s a freighties flashback that gives us a lot more of those two… because Fisher Stevens and Zoe Bell are just too awesome for cameos. In any case, it looks like Regina went off the deep end, and the blood stained wall and tales of “cabin fever” suggest that many others have as well.

We also meet Captain Gault. That he utters Charles Widmore’s name and catches Desmond’s reaction was great. Desmond and Sayid are told not to trust him, so what to make of his otherwise plausible story? That the fake plane wreck at the bottom of the ocean was a ruse that Widmore only recently uncovered, and at great expense. And that the answers behind 324 dead bodies lie with Benjamin Linus. There is a great conspiracy afoot, but I have no idea who’s behind it. The question is, what does it accomplish? If a fake crash stops the world from looking for the plane, and from finding the island, I can still see both Ben and Widmore being behind it.

The “male bonding” scene between Bernard and Jin was a nice touch, though we always love seeing Bernard or Rose. The discussion of “karma,” and Bernard’s conclusion that Jin and he were “the good guys,” echoed countless previous distinctions and definitions of good and evil. Jen says it, too, foreshadowed Jin’s fate. Since it seems making the right decision and becoming a good person is the most reliable ticket to gonersville.

The book Regina was reading was “The Survivors of the Chancellor,” by Jules Verne. The story is of an ill-fated voyage at sea, told in the form of a diary. At the end of the book (spoiler alert!), a character decides to avoid cannibalism by jumping overboard.
Sun was watching “Exposé” when she went into labor. Love that.
Kate, Kate, Kate. Now she’s playing camp counselor? “I’m going to have to tell Jack,” she scolds, then adds a little wink. Trying to earn brownie points? Shut up!
When the doctor takes Sayid and Desmond to their new (blood stained) accommodations, we get a curious line. The doctor says it’s the quiet part of the boat, and Sayid observes, “But the boat isn’t moving.” Says doc, “If you say so…”
Captain Gault: John Galt, of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”? Or sediment?
Locations: The interior of the toy store was Toys ‘N’ Joys store in Kaimuki on Waialae Ave. Photos! The exterior street scenes were N. Pauahi St. in Chinatown at Smith St., near Mei Sum (one of my favorite dim sum joints). More photos! The hospital for both flashback and flash forward was Kahuku Hospital. Not sure about the cemetary, though.

Hawaii Filming Mar 13, 2008

A quick note to the curious few who listen to “The Forward Cabin” and its spoilers… “LOST” production has resumed in earnest this week and I’ve just posted a short note and several photos from an impressive location shoot in Honolulu. I won’t be posting filming updates here at “The Transmission” very often, so be sure to bookmark Hawaii Blog if you crave them. If you don’t, pretend you didn’t see this and blame Locke’s brain paste.

The Other Woman Mar 06, 2008

“The Other Woman” gave us an island flashback, and a little more insight into the pre-crash world of the Others. Charles Widmore is officially tied to the freighter, Ben’s creepiness leaps into another dimension, and Hurley is feeling lucky. But we still don’t know who Ben’s man on the boat is, and considering how much the writers are clearly trying to milk that particular mystery, I’m beginning to think we’ll be downright mad if it is Michael. We will allow that “The Constant” was a tough act to follow, but as huge fans of Elizabeth Mitchell, it’s a pity “her” episode reduces her to fretting and catfighting. And for all the jumping around we did, it didn’t feel like we got very far. [Tell us what you thought! Comment or call (808) 356-0127.]

Revealing that Juliet’s romance with Goodwin was an affair? Pretty awesome. Watching Ben go from awkward lovestruck schoolboy to psycho stalker? Even better. And whatever the circumstance, it was great seeing Goodwin and Tom again. We also appreciated the mention of Zach and Emma, and Harper’s comparing Juliet to Ben’s “her” seems to hint at Annie. But the introduction of Harper out of the blue as a major player in the Days of Othersville soap opera seemed a bit forced. And while we love Claire, her token scene was painfully out of place.

The Charles Widmore link is an important one, no doubt. He’s definitely after Ben, who says he wants to protect the island from turning into Gainesville, Florida’s mold museum. (“Go Gators!” says Jen, an escaped Floridian.) Yet Ben seemed perfectly willing to gas everyone to stop Widmore… if we believe what Daniel and Charlotte said.

The major forces at play are still unclear, as is the true value of the island. Juliet says a war is brewing between the freighties and Ben, and that Ben will win. We still don’t know whether Ben is good or bad, but I think Juliet’s right.

“The Other Woman” also made for a tough night for Jaters. First Kate goes running off to snoggle with Sawyer, and now Jack’s giving Juliet a sad surgeon kiss. Though it was pure shipper chow, I enjoyed the scene between Jack and Kate, when Kate said she went to Othersville to find something out. “Are you going to tell me, or are we going to keep walking as if it doesn’t matter,” Jack says, figuring she went to decide between him and Sawyer. Sorry, bub. Kate’s just looking out for number one.

Jen’s particularly annoyed that Kate is continuing racking up bonehead points, tonight again demonstrating poor judgement and looking more and more like a convenient tool for the writers to skip over a few sticky spots of common sense.

Perhaps my favorite moment, however fleeting, was the replay of the plane crash scene, the one that opened Season 3. Insert Harper in the background, and add a couple of meaningful looks, and the writers cleverly recast the significance of Goodwin’s assignment at the tail section.

Notes and Notions:

Jen liked Jack’s scene with Jin, where Jack gets mad that nobody reported on Daniel and Charlotte escaping. “You said they were friends,” Jin says. He should have said, “I’m sorry, did we fail to read your friggin mind?”
Charlotte seems to have genuine affection for Daniel, though more protective and maternal than romantic. She didn’t come off as particularly likable this week, but she’s someone I expect we’ll come to appreciate over time. If she has time.
It was interesting to see Ben stoking the seeds of jealousy in Juliet in mentioning Goodwin’s interest in Ana Lucia. But at Goodwin’s body, Ben does not finger Ana Lucia as his killer. It seemed almost inevitable, considering Juliet ends up pivotal in Michael’s murderous return to the hatch in Season 2.
Harper Stanhope’s name, Jen suspects, is a reference to Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Specifically because the story involves first impressions and misunderstood characters.
“The Tempest” is obviously a reference to “The Tempest.” It’s about an island, a sorcerer, shipwreck survivors who are split up and manipulated…
Favorite Lines: Tom telling Juliet, “She’ll have you weeping about your father.” Juliet telling Jack, “It’s very stressful being an Other.” Ben inquiring about Locke’s rabbit, “It didn’t have a number on it, did it?”
Where did Danielle and Alex go? (Probably the same place Rose and Bernard went.)
Locations: The Tempest, or at least the exterior, is a bunker on the grounds of Kualoa Ranch. (Thanks, John!) I’m going to guess the interior was the old Foremost milk factory on Dillingham Blvd., where I spotted them filming right around the same time.
Music: Anyone know what opera Ben was playing for Juliet? Jen’s a bit of an opera fan.

The Constant Feb 28, 2008

Only writers as brilliant as those behind “LOST” could give us an hour of television like this. No other episode has gone as far as “The Constant” in giving us a look at some fundamental theories behind the series, and yet at the same time pack an emotional wallop that reminds us that it’s the characters, not the mysteries, that are at the heart of the show. The truly mind-bending realizations Desmond has as his consciousness jumps between 1996 and 2004 will probably give us weeks of material to dissect and analyze. But, honestly, all I wanted to do was watch that final phone call between him and Penny over and over again.

So “The Constant” took us unabashedly into the realm of time travel, but not really. While Desmond and Daniel struggled to carry information across a span of eight years, the writers leave themselves enough slack so that we’re still not entirely sure what’s happening. Oxford Daniel thought Desmond’s arrival was a joke because of “the paradox” the Achilles’ heel of time travel stories that has vexed everyone from Doc Brown to Hiro Nakamura. By acknowledging it (and giving us all a headache), “LOST” has almost weaseled around it. Add in the notion of consciousness moving through spacetime (your brain apparently checking out on one side when busy on the other), and…

Well, frankly, I don’t know what it means. Yet. But man, I love it.

And Jen reminds me of “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” and Desmond’s conversations with Ms. Hawking about the future course correcting, and about being able or unable to effect change. I think we’ll have to watch that episode again, and this latest one a few more times, to get anywhere near an answer.

Why Desmond? Daniel keys on electromagnetism, which of course recalls Desmond’s survival of the hatch implosion. We also see George was being suffering the same “side effects,” after a disastrous attempt to get near the island with his shipmate Brandon. (Brandon, notably, went nuts and ended up dead… like Rousseau’s crew.) Now, Locke was also in the hatch when it blew, which makes me wonder if he’s having visions, or just going bonkers. And Charlie was there, too. Could that be how he could be in Hurley’s future, but not? Does that mean Eko could make another appearance?

But speaking of “side effect” sufferers… I was so busy blubbering over the phone call that I almost missed the last scene with Daniel, where he checks his notebook and finds his note from the past: “If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume is my constant.” Suddenly it’s suggested that Daniel himself has been doing a bit of flashing back and forth. So maybe that’s why Daniel was so upset by the TV news reports of the Oceanic 815 wreckage in “Confirmed Dead.” Was he was remembering Desmond’s visit years before. And maybe the reason he’s having trouble remembering just three playing cards is because he’s been around the block a few too many times?

Daniel also expressly states that the discrepancy could be a few minutes (like the rocket test) or years, which opens up a whole world of possibilities if we’re going to see characters make the trip off the island.

Leaving aside time anomalies, though, there were still some solid “real world” clues tonight. It was good to see Mr. Widmore again, and a bit curious to see him presented as almost sympathetic to Desmond. But lo and behold, he’s at an auction for the journal of the first mate aboard the Black Rock! And the seller, one Tovard Hanso. What information could they want from a ship lost on March 22, 1845 off Madagascar. A ship we know is sitting in the forest on the island? And mixed in with Desmond and Penny’s declaration of love, we get confirmation that Penny knows about the island, and that just like at the end of Season 2 she’s not going to give up trying to find it.

It was great to get a solid date out of this episode. It’s Dec. 24, 2004. Of course, that detail will get all the “Tsunami!” fans excited. It means we’re two days away from the Indonesian quake that could possibly shake things up on the island.
When Daniel asked Jack if Desmond had been exposed to radiation or electromagnetism, Jack just shrugs. Did he really not have any idea about what happened to The Swan Station? I guess he was on a pier on the other side of the island at the time…
Who opened the sickbay door for Desmond, Sayid, and George? George says Desmond and Sayid have a friend on the boat. Likely guess: Michael. Unlikely guess: Alternative universe George.
Jen got quite a thrill out of seeing Roy, a.k.a. Mark Vann, a.k.a. “Ecklie” on “C.S.I.” It was also good to see Fisher Stevens, finally. Hope he’s not dead dead.
The next item up for bid after the Black Rock journal? Something related to Charles Dickens.
Numerologists will have a field day with this episode. The device had to be set to 2.342, at 11 hertz. Mr. Widmore was bidder 755. Desmond’s 75 minute trip at Oxford felt like 5 minutes in 2004. Penny’s phone number. Penny’s house number. Basically, I lost track of all the numbers. Never mind if they had any connection to The Numbers. Anyone?
Locations: St. Andrew’s Cathedral near downtown Honolulu played Oxford. An old military facility on the slopes of Diamond Head was Camp Millar (Royal Scot’s Regiment).

What did you think about the episode? Comment below or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127. You can also record an audio comment and e-mail it to us at lost@hawaiiup.com. Thanks!

Eggtown Feb 21, 2008

Tonight’s episode wasn’t as dense or thrilling as weeks past, but it still closed with a single word, a single name, that scored a palpable hit. Aaron, Claire’s baby, is one of the Oceanic Six… but calls Kate mommy. And so my head spins with possibilities. Kate must be claiming Aaron as her biological son, hence her refusal to let her mother see him. The rest of the Oceanic survivors must also be keeping Aaron’s true parentage secret. And something must have happened to Claire, as seeing her son is apparently too much for Jack.

But wait. Desmond had a vision of Claire and Aaron boarding a helicopter. Does Claire technically make it off the island but not to rescue? Or are the details Desmond’s visions in flux? There is that time discrepancy, after all.

And there’s still the big mystery of why Early Future Jack is generally together and fighting to put The Island behind him, and Late Future Jack is a mess and desperate to return. Could it be that the Jack we saw tonight was tortured about leaving people, including Claire, behind… but the Jack that we saw at the end of Season Three was pushed over the edge by learning who Claire really is?

All this wild conjecture sprouting from the closing moment of “Eggtown,” a curiously named (apart from the eggs in the first scene) and leisurely paced episode that brought a few morsels of information on the island, and a flash forward that seemed to be the natural end of Kate’s character arc as we’ve followed it since 2004. Her story’s not over, of course note the conveniently imposed “don’t leave California” restriction that’ll no doubt land her back in hot water but unlike Sayid’s jaw-dropping future, Kate pretty much ended up where we expected.

Was she truly transformed by her experiences on The Island? Probably not, since her freedom was based on a fabricated tale of heroism. Was she truly transformed by becoming a mother? Possibly, though how that happened doesn’t exactly bode well for them. Once again, it seems escape from The Island doesn’t mean our survivors can escape their true natures. Kate is still living a lie.

As for events on the island, a couple of tantalizing reveals. Miles doesn’t just know Ben, he knows what he’s capable of. But again we got a sense of that from “The Economist.” The fact that the helicopter has disappeared, though, is “far more than weird.” And the writers are not being subtle about the fact that Minkowski has been missing in action for some time, with the increasingly mysterious Regina up to something on the boat. Locke’s brief rush of confidence has again been flushed away by the reliably sinister Ben, but that’s nothing new.

Actually, I love when the show rewards viewers who have been aboard for the long haul, such as that opening scene with Locke bringing a captive Ben food and a book, only to leave in frustration, throwing said food to the floor. The exact scenario played out in the hatch in Season Two, making tonight’s reference a near brilliant touch… were it not for the fact that Ben called attention to it.

Jen is already trying to retract her Skater status, tonight expressing some frustration with Kate. To be sure, Kate made a pretty bad deal with Miles. Huge upside for Miles, huge risks for her, all for a ridiculous piece of information (“Do you know who I am?”). And getting all pouty with Sawyer seemed like exactly the wrong tactic. She just found out she probably can’t return to the real world. So of course she runs back to Rescue Central. On the other hand, looking back, it was clear the whole point of all that tension was to make us presume that Kate’s future son was James Jr.

Notes and Notions:

Jen was annoyed at how easily Kate seemed to get off after everything law enforcement previously did to capture her. Was this a federal trial? What of the other states that suffered the wrath of Kate? I, however, have no problem believing that being famous is enough to keep you out of jail.
Jen was also very surprised to see Diane again, considering she was once on her death bed. Interesting that she thought she lost her daughter in a plane crash, but still lived beyond every medical estimate.
The “don’t leave California” restriction really seemed arbitrary. It seemed to be specifically inserted to generate drama when Kate inevitably wants to leave (presumably to the island, if Jack ultimately convinces her). Isn’t she one of the most recognizable faces in America? Pity about that Golden Ticket.
What was with Charlotte’s test for Dan with the playing cards? Now that we know he had a “caretaker” in “Confirmed Dead,” I suspect it was just a basic memory exercise. But any time there’s a game in this show (backgammon!), there’s always something else going on.
Claire’s conversation about motherhood with Kate, in hindsight, was pretty “anvilicious.”
Speaking of Claire, it was good to see her again, but kind of jarring to see her making coffee and hanging laundry. We saw Hurley mourn Charlie’s death, but she seems to have gotten over it quick. “The Beginning of the End” really seems to be as far as the writers are going to let that tragedy leak into Season Four.
Sawyer Nicknames: “Montezuma” for Hurley. “Bruce Lee” for Miles. Which, Jen notes, is a recycled nickname. Jin got pegged with that one a while back. (There’s a great list at Lostpedia.)
Favorite Lines: Sawyer to Hurley: “Got something in your eye, Hugo?” Hurley to Kate: “You just Scooby-Doo’d me, didn’t you?” Miles to Kate: “This is hot.”
Movies: “Xanadu.” An interesting choice. If they were going for cheesy, why not throw some “Exposé” in the VCR instead? Says Jen, “‘Xanadu’ is often compared to ‘Brigadoon,’ and ‘Brigadoon’ is about a mysterious town that only appears for some people.” Check out the Wikipedia entry for ‘Brigadoon‘ and ‘Xanadu.’ Hmm.
Music: “She’s Got You” by Patsy Cline. Her catalog is clearly Kate’s soundtrack.
Books: “VALIS” by Philip K. Dick, and a what looked like a paperback release of “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
Locations: Hawaii State Capitol for Kate’s arrival, the prison meeting with her lawyer, and her meeting with Jack in the parking garage. The YWCA was where they built the courtroom. Anyone know where Kate’s house is?

The Economist Feb 15, 2008

Another fantastic episode. And the details are almost as exciting as the overall pace “LOST” is keeping. This season is no leisurely stroll (you hear me, season two?). This show is now lean, mean, and likely to leave you dizzy. You’ve got the island mysteries (the 31 minute time discrepancy and the significance of bearings used to come and go). You’ve got the double double-crosses, the chess-like strategies, the cloudy motivations. You’ve got another flash-forward with a mind-blowing climax.

And oh my god, the truth finally comes out. My wife, Jen, the eye-rolling cynic who has insisted since day one that she’s all about the mysteries, finally outed herself tonight as a squealing, giddy Skater. Who knew?

But really, as further testament to the quality of writing on “LOST,” we’re able to get clues and conspiracies and yet have genuine romantic moments, some of them bittersweet. Sayid falling for his target’s not-so-innocent personal shopper. Jack telling Kate she’s safe from Locke because Sawyer will protect her. Jack’s expression when Sayid told him Kate was staying behind. And yes, Sawyer’s invitation to Kate to play house. (Seriously. When Sawyer said, “Why don’t we find out?” Jen turned into a 10th grade girl.)

Ben remains the most intriguing enigma, brilliant and scary and quirky… we’re stunned to find his secret lair with suitcases and passports, but not really. We’re shocked to learn he ends up Sayid’s boss, assassinating people on a list, but not really. Early in the episode, I remarked just how beaten and destroyed Ben was beginning to look. So, of course, the last thing we see tonight are those beady little eyes, shiny and deadly, conducting international espionage while pretending to be a veterinarian. Of course!

Hurley is the character that really surprised us tonight. When it turned out he’d tricked Sayid and Kate for Locke, I fell back in my chair. Well played! Here we thought we were seeing why Hurley was one of the Oceanic Six. Instead, that remains a mystery for another day.

I remain unreasonably fond of Daniel. He seems horrified by what he learns from the time-traveling rocket, yet stays behind with Charlotte. And the fact that Charlotte remains despite having to be rescued from Locke belies her deeper interest in the island (and presumably DHARMA). It was great to see Desmond again, and his relief at seeing the helicopter was palpable. But it’s the way that Frank and Daniel hesitated when he asked about Penelope Widmore that I found most interesting. Couple that with the way Frank tells Daniel to talk to Regina but not Minkowski, and you’ve got more than one “primary objective.”

And what to make of Sayid’s conversation with Ben. What did happen the last time Sayid thought with his heart rather than his gun? Clearly a critical misstep that we’ve yet to see, and one that paves the way for their alliance. Who are the friends Sayid thinks he’s protecting? The Oceanic 6, or the people left behind? And who’s next on the list? My money is on one of our beloved Losties… but I bet that comes in Season Five.

The bracelets were clearly significant. Sayid finds one on Naomi (“N, I will be with you always, R.G.”), and then finds one on Elsa. Elsa’s employer is a target of Ben’s, and thus probably the person behind the Freighties mission to the island. Or at least, their supposed mission.
The shot of Sayid and Desmond in the helicopter as it takes off, coupled with a swelling Giacchino score and an aerial shot over the ocean, was breathtaking. Again we’re taken back to the original, core stakes of “LOST.” While we knew people got off the island, it was still amazing to watch it actually happen.
I liked that Miles is sour and high-strung, but not taken seriously. Frank doesn’t miss him. And the hissy fit he threw when he thought Sayid was going after Charlotte alone, only to be deflated when Sayid invited him along, was great. As was his meek demand for a gun.
Jen notes that the presence of guns used to be a punch line of sorts on “LOST.” Now people are being shot and wounded at an alarming rate. When Sayid killed Elsa? I somewhat regretted letting our 10-year-old daughter stay up to watch the show.
We finally see Sayid praying again. He goes to close Naomi’s eyes, then does the same for Elsa. Nice, even if it is a Hollywood cliche.
Favorite lines? Hurley on Miles, “Oh great. The ship sent another Sawyer.” Or, Kate and Jack’s discussion about going with Sayid. “Does that mean I should wait 30 minutes and go anyway?”
Says Jen, with a spot of drool, “Sayid sure cleans up nice.”
Loved Jack asking about the Red Sox winning the World Series. And Frank being a Yankees fan.
The Name Game: The late golf great, Mr. Avellino. A town in Italy? “Evil Loan”? Or Patron Saint of Sudden Death. Bingo.
Locations! The snowy German street was Merchant Street downtown, the same block that played London for a Desmond flashback. The cafe where Sayid and Ilsa meet was Cassis, an overpriced restaurant in Harbor Court. Sadly, I don’t know my golf courses, but I’ll guess Turtle Bay.

Confirmed Dead Feb 07, 2008

Now that was a season premiere. Without a doubt, “Confirmed Dead” got my mind spinning and my heart pounding the way I expected last week’s episode would. Tightly paced, great twists and surprises, and real drama. “The Beginning of the End” was really the end of Season 3. Now we’re really rolling. Awestruck, Jen rightly asserts that the opening sequence with the underwater wreckage would’ve blown more minds than ten Camaro car chases ever could.

The exposition didn’t feel shoehorned in, and seemed true to the characters (and, in the case of the new characters, appropriately illustrative). Indeed, while Season 4 brings with it another batch of new faces, “LOST” wisely doesn’t waste time across four or five episodes to introduce them. While skipping through Daniel, Miles, Charlotte and Frank (and Naomi’s neat summation of the team’s members) could have been almost mechanical, we think it worked.

That things moved forward on the island was perhaps the most satisfying part. With loose ends tied up last week, tonight’s episode was sure-footed, with no hesitations. With Sawyer playing the skeptical chorus, Locke matter-of-factly reveals Taller Walt and the death-defying “Man of Faith” kidney. He was in top form, from predicting the abrupt end of Hurley’s monsoon to the chilling way he let Charlotte now that they weren’t the helpless survivors she expected to find.

But it was Ben that flooded the evening with adrenaline. I jumped when he shot Charlotte. And Jen was shocked when Ben revealed everything he knew about the “Freighties.” Doubly so when he revealed how he knew what he did.

As with the four (or five) flashbacks that introduced all the “Freighties” in one episode, I was similarly impressed that the big question of what they want on the island wasn’t stretched across half a season. Of course, knowing they want Ben opens another Pandora’s Box: Why?

The obvious guess would be that the “Freighties” are DHARMA members or allies, looking to avenge the mass murders Ben helped orchestrate in the not too distant past. But while one force got them to the island (embodied thus far by the eminently intimidating Matthew Abbadon), I’m pretty sure that Charlotte, Frank, Miles and Daniel all have different motives:

Daniel’s introduction was the most ambiguous. He was clearly shaken by the discovery of the plane, and said he didn’t know why. While it makes sense that actually knows more than he’s letting on, I think it’d be even more interesting if he was telling the truth. He seems very skittish and bookish and probably has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.
Miles spiritual visit (and burglary) was genuinely creepy. Jen felt it was a nicely filmed sequence. We see too much of the grandson for his identity to not be relevant, though I can’t think of what the connection might be. But given that he communes with the dead for cash, I suspect he’s in the employ of someone who lost someone in the crash.
Frank is the pilot, not part of the team, but is also clearly motivated on a personal level. Likely overcome with guilt for having not been in the cockpit of Oceanic 815, but then mystified that his friend wasn’t the pilot on the bottom of the sea, he’s in search of his own answers.
Charlotte found the polar bear and the DHARMA collar in Tunisia, and apparently doesn’t believe the official story about the plane crash. She also seemed to know that Claire’s on-island birth was remarkable. Of the four, she seems the closest to what Ben fears… and perhaps what the other survivors should fear as well.

Of the four, any favorites? Both Jen and I have taken an early liking to Daniel. Abbadon and Associates have obviously brought him along for whatever a physicist could tell them about our mysterious island, and not for his cunning or toughness. He’s hapless, dropped into the middle of a world he can’t possibly understand, and will probably serve as this season’s best representative of confused “LOST” viewers. If handled well, his character could be an anchor of sorts for whatever madness unfolds over the next few weeks.

Notes and Notions:

So, who is Ben’s spy on the freighter? Our money is on the last guy Ben let leave the island.
Loved the scene where Hurley mentions the cabin, stopping Locke in his tracks. It certainly seems like Ben and Locke aren’t the only “special” people on the island.
What’s in a name? Daniel Faraday is a clear nod toward Michael Faraday, Mr. Electromagnetism himself. Charlotte Staples Lewis gives us C.S. Lewis, who gave us “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Miles Straum’s last name is also a city in Norway, a country that’s played a part in the mythology of “LOST.” Frank Lapidus… you got me there.
I love that “LOST” is no longer beating us over the head with The Numbers, but still drop one in a scene now and then. Jen spotted “15” on a poster in the grandson’s room.
A beaten, wet Ben is pretty damn scary looking. Like a pissed off cat.
On the other hand, the scene where he gets all sarcastic “Golly Gee” with Karl was hilarious.
Alex was described twice in this episode as Ben’s daughter, and Danielle didn’t throw one punch.
Was it just Jen, or did everyone look impossibly beautiful tonight? A pity Naomi’s essentially a ghost, because she’s gorgeous.

The Beginning of the End Jan 31, 2008

Our expectations were perhaps impossibly high. Jen was counting down the weeks, then the days, until the premiere of Season 4. “I can’t frickin’ wait,” she’d say, simultaneously eager for “LOST” to return and afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I have absolutely no doubt the return of “LOST,” especially in the barren wasteland of the writers’ strike, was indeed the most anticipated television event this year. And tonight, we got what we were waiting for, returning to the story of the island exactly where we left off. And it was good. But was it great?

As “The Beginning of the End” cut to black with the show’s trademark thud, we weren’t quite sure what to make of it. Jen didn’t say a word as the “Eli Stone” premiere picked up after the credits, so we watched Jonny Lee Miller lose his mind in amusing ways for the next hour before sitting down to tackle “LOST” head on. Was “The Beginning of the End” a good episode? Sure. But it wasn’t great. It was no “Fire + Water,” don’t get me wrong, but it felt like a middle, a piece, a fragment of a beginning. Perhaps it was impossible for “LOST” to blow our minds the way we dreamed it would. But there were definitely solid dents in tonight’s big “television event.”

One, I think part of the unease is natural, and is rooted pretty deep in every “LOST” fan’s heart. As holy-hell good as the Season 3 finale was, with its game-changing flash forward, the brilliant twist came at a price. Think about it: For three years we’ve been invested in a story that we’ve broadly envisioned as a survival story. A long arc exploration of human nature, sure, but one where the natural endpoint would be escape, or not.

But now we know about the “Oceanic Six.” We know Jack, Kate, and now Hurley are half of the known survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. To be sure, there is a lot of mystery and conflict left. Who are the other three? Why do Hurley and Jack want to go back? What the heck happened in between? And obviously, that’s what the next 48 episodes will give us, and probably a lot more. But at a total gut level, I think the stakes suddenly seem not so dramatic. These flash forwards haven’t yet given us The End, but they’re a drastic enough jump to be jarring. Like suddenly skipping a few hundred pages ahead in a good book.

Two, there’s something familiar about this setup. One that the “LOST” creators have explicitly confirmed. Season One? All about our survivors, who we know and love. Season Two? The Tailies. That didn’t end well. Season Three? The Others! An interesting bunch of people we can’t quite figure out. Now we’re starting Season Four, and here come The Rescuers Or Not. Another set of characters whose loyalties and motives are unknown and will no doubt be explored. Will they be as interesting as the Others? Or as the Tailies? We’re not even done with the Others. Is my brain big enough to keep track of all this?

Three, we’ve had eight months to imagine a million stories to fill the gap between “rescue from the island” and “desperation to go back.” I don’t think even the best writers out there (of which “LOST” writers certainly are) could compete with that. The longer we go between seasons (and it looks like this next hiatus will be a doozy), and the bigger holes we get in the timeline, the more likely we crazy fans are going to run away with the story.

But “The Beginning of the End” was disappointing for simpler reasons as well.

It did pick up right where “Through the Looking Glass” left off. Rescue is coming! But who are these rescuers? What’s the deal with Jacob and the creepy cabin? And that’s pretty much where we are now. And as much as I love and miss Charlie, it’s hard to miss a guy when you see him every ten minutes, either as an apparition, or as a wholly unnecessary replay of his death scene. We get it already. It was sad. It was hard to get misty eyed when Claire got the news (though I still did).

And speaking of dead people, frankly the nebulous definition of “dead” on “LOST” is getting downright comical. Mikhail the Energizer Bunny from Season Three was strange enough, but… why exactly did Naomi not die? Then die for real? All it gave us was that odd scene between Kate and Naomi, which was so odd it no doubt holds a clue or two (Naomi’s sister?). But having Naomi expire twice made about as much sense as… well, as Kate stealing the satellite phone from Jack.

“The Beginning of the End” is at least a beginning. Of the future we learn of the aforementioned “Oceanic Six,” and that the “lies” that Jack is tired of telling relate to the existence of other Flight 815 survivors. And on the island, it’s clear Locke and Jacob are getting along swimmingly… but Hurley also caught a glimpse of someone in that chair. And spanning both worlds, we see our survivors again split up, following either Jack or Locke. Hurley goes with Locke, which seems the better bet. But we learn that he thinks it was the wrong decision in retrospect.

We love “LOST.” But there are only seven more episodes left, so we can’t spend the first six getting up to speed this time around. With a set endpoint for the series, the writers have an unprecedented strong foundation on which to build the rest of the story. We hope they make the most if it.

Notes and Notions:

The reappearance of Hurley’s Camaro was a nice touch, and the prompt reveal with Jack that we were getting another flash forward.
If Charlie is dead (and he is), how did Hurley’s friend in the asylum spot him?
Did Sawyer seem out of character to anyone else? Here’s a guy who just strangled the man who ruined his life; who has been cold and surly and shut off from the rest of the community ever since; who has turned cold to his love interest out of deep-seated jealousy… and he’s now Mr. Warm-and-Fuzzy, Let’s-Talk-About-Your-Feelings?
It was good to see Big Mike again. It was not so good to hear the line, “Dark hair. Gorgeous.” Channeling a Calvin Klein ad?
Loved Ben’s line, “It’s good to know somebody around here knows what the hell we’re doing.” And the way he flinched when Jack looked at him.
Also loved Ben’s desperate plea to Danielle to save Alex. And the way Danielle slugged him.
Thought it was great that Hurley was in a convenience store buying a Slushee. But wondering why it wasn’t a Slusho.
Rose decides to go with Jack because she doesn’t trust Locke. “I’m not going anywhere with that man,” she tells Bernard. I can’t remember when Locke fell out of favor with her, though. Or maybe throwing a knife in a woman’s back would be a deal breaker for anyone?
Couldn’t resist taking a look back at the opening shots of the previous Season Premiere episodes. Season one? The iconic eyeball. Season two? The disorienting “Make Your Own Kind of Music” hatch reveal. Season three, another musical interlude (“Downtown”) introducing us to suburban Othersville. Somehow, a pile of papayas doesn’t quite do it for me.
Lost Location Notes: The Laniakea YWCA returns as Santa Rosa. The grassy yard of the institution, however, was played by Windward Community College. Hurley crashed his Camaro in an industrial yard in Kalihi (not sure which). Didn’t recognize the convenience store, and I’m not sure if the aerial view of the freeway was filmed here.

The Mobisodes Jan 31, 2008

Long promised as a way to fill the horrific chasm between seasons of “LOST,” we finally got twelve weekly “mobisodes” mobile phone-sized episodes leading up to the Season 4 Premiere on Jan. 31, 2008. Initially released exclusively to Verizon customers, ABC later posted them online. (DarkUFO has also collected them into one convenient player.) The series was dubbed “Missing Pieces,” and each piece is an original scene written by “LOST” writers who used the opportunity to fill in some gaps in the last few months on the island.

Some were interesting, some less so, and few gave fans anything they hadn’t already known or surmised. The “LOST” team saved the best for last, though, with the final “Missing Pieces” entry taking on a mystery we’ve pondered since day one.

What did you think of the mobisodes? Any favorite moments? Anything that’s fleshed out or changed a theory you’ve been developing?

Technorati — **LPN Filming Report: Nov. 17, 2007** Nov 18, 2007

Play

A special segment produced for Jay and Jack the LOST Podcasting Network. A Thanksgiving “LOST” filming update. Contains spoilers! The writers’ strike cuts the season short, but the last of the eight episodes are packed with great stuff. From a courtroom drama to a military training camp to quality time in Othersville. We also travel to Korea, Fiji, and New York. To download this segment, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lpn20071117.mp3

07:50/18MB MP3 : lost, abclost, filming, television, tv

Jen’s LOST Flashback: “Pilot” Jul 13, 2007

I have always found it curious that the first time we meet Jack Shephard, he’s in the middle of the jungle, completely dry. After all, that’s exactly what Ana Lucia says to Goodwin right before she kills him in season two. I find it even more curious that the second person (um, dog) we meet is Vincent. I am convinced that that dog is either the devil incarnate or the savior of the universe. I haven’t decided which.

The first person whom Jack encounters is Kate. The way Kate has changed throughout the series is kind of frustrating. In the first part of season one, Kate is awesome. Kate is tough and cool and doesn’t take any of anyone’s nonsense. It’s clear that the writers of the show intended Kate to be the main character. When the pilot is seemingly chewed up by the monster and spit out? That was supposed to be Jack. The leadership role meant for Kate went to Dr. Giggles, which left Kate a little bit nowhere.

Jack, however, was clearly on the road to becoming his dad. We see it in this pilot episode, and we see it even more throughout the series. When he playfully teases Cindy the Flight Attendant, I can see Christian Shephard in him. The fact that he’s stashed two mini-bottles of vodka in his pocket is not accidental. He would surely have ended up just like his dad, if not for the crash. Speaking of Christian Shephard, we still don’t know why he’s appeared on the island. He seems to be some kind of manifestation of Jack’s past, conjured up by the island, but three seasons on, we still don’t know, exactly.

We’ve gotten to know all of the central characters inside and out, through the flashbacks and through the events on the island. Our initial impressions of all of them have changed. Except for Michael. Michael is just generally unpleasant through his two seasons on the show. His distrust of Locke seems so random and out of nowhere. Which is weird, since Locke is trying to help Michael to be the dad he wants to be.

I’ve probably watched this pilot five times, and I never noticed this thing that happens in the background–Charlie, Sayid, Shannon and Kate are all sitting on the beach and Charlie asks about sunblock to nobody in particular and Shannon says, “oh, I have some”. I love that. It’s a little throwaway moment that makes the situation more real. There’s talk of monsters and polar bears and still, someone is getting sunburned and wants sunscreen. I’d never noticed it before, but it made me smile.

My second favorite scene in this episode is toward the end. Sawyer is sitting inside the broken, burned-out engine casing by himself, reading the letter he’d written to the man who we now know is Anthony Cooper. We haven’t yet learned that Sawyer is not quite the heartless scoundrel he thinks he is. Knowing what we know about Sawyer now makes that scene especially sad.

Notes:

So, does Walt make the rain stop? Michael promises Walt he’ll go find the dog when the rain stops, and it does stop, as quickly as it starts.
Naveen Andrews looks like a totally different person in this episode than he does in the finale of season three. It seems like his face changes not only from season to season, but from episode to episode.
The crash sequence never stops being scary. You see in three times in the pilot, and it’s horrifying every time.

Top Five Character Turns Jun 21, 2007

For all the mythology and mind-bending moments, the heart of “LOST” are the characters, their stories, the way they interact and evolve. Looking back at Season 3, here’s our picks for the stars that shone the brightest.

5. Juliet
She’s working for the bad guys, but she’s conflicted about it. Or, at least, we think she is. Elizabeth Mitchell is so good as Juliet. We can empathize with her, but she’s still a mystery. Even as we see her betray Ben, we can’t help but question and doubt her loyalties. We don’t trust her, but we love her all the same.
4. Ben
He’s creepy, dangerous, unstable, impotent, brilliant and funny all at the same time. We’ve seen him helpless on an operating table, we’ve seen him coldly order people murdered. Who’d have thought the poor, helpless guy Sayid was beating on last season was a manipulative mastermind? And the dude killed his own dad. He’s eeeevviiiiil.
3. Sawyer
His parents’ death is the defining moment in his life. The ease with which Cooper dismissed him was enough to push him over the edge. He finally gets what he wants, but ends up more conflicted than ever. Meanwhile, in his scenes with Kate, he’s like a sweet, confused teenager.
2. Sun
We love Jin and Sun’s story. We love how twisted it is. Why Sun didn’t come clean with her dad about Jin’s mom, we’ll never figure out… but it sure was fun to discover that Jin only became a hit man because of her. Yunjin Kim better get a lot more screen time next season. After all, her pregnancy means her days may be numbered.
1. Locke
His journey seems central to the entire premise of “LOST.” He questions fate, his faith wavers, he yearns to be someone special â€“ a deep desire that others repeatedly exploit â€“ yet struggles to come to terms with the fact that he might be. The Others are ready to welcome him as the second coming. And while all the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 want to get off the island, but Locke doesn’t want to leave. He knows a lot more than he’s letting on.

Top Five Twists Jun 06, 2007

Jen and I pick our best shockers and surprises from the third season of “LOST.” What are yours?

5. Juliet was a plant. We kind of figured she was up to something, but in the closing scenes of “One of Us,” when we see her getting her marching orders from Ben, our jaws dropped. Of course, a couple of weeks after we learn she was a spy, she pulls a double-double cross and undermines Ben instead.

4. Ben shoots Locke. Absolutely shocking. We could hear the entire island gasp. Nobody really believed Locke would die, but when Ben left him in that mass grave, we truly didn’t know what would happen. That he lost all hope, only to have Walt suddenly materialize to draw him back out, was doubly surprising.

3. Tie! Anthony Cooper, Locke’s dad, is the “real” Sawyer. And Christian Shepherd, Jack’s dad, is Claire’s dad too. Fans have been speculating about these since last season. Of course, the “answers” add a whole new set of questions. Just the way we like it.

2. The “Red Sox” scene. We finally see that the island is not purgatory, part of a dream, or in an alternate universe. Add that to Ben’s brief “live feed” of Juliet’s nephew in the park, and the mysterious Naomi’s late arrival, and we can be fairly confident that life in “the outside world” is still going on without the lostaways.

1. The “We need to go back” scene. Or, as the show’s creators called it, “the snake in the mailbox” moment. Jack’s season finale flashbacks turn out to be flash-forwards, and the last two minutes of Season 3 suddenly turn the whole “LOST” universe on its head. Our survivors are rescued, and get off the island… but we still don’t know how, and we’re even more intrigued by the fact that Jack comes to agree with Locke and Ben: leaving the island was a mistake.

Season Three in Review May 30, 2007

The “LOST” withdrawal symptoms are setting in. For this, our first of about thirty Wednesday nights without a new episode, Jen and I take a look back at the last twenty two. ||| SEASON THREE felt like two separate seasons, largely due to the experimental, six-episode “pod” that aired last Winter before a two-month break. That first set was well-written and laid the groundwork for the Others we’d grow to know and love, but it’s safe to say it made for a shaky, slow start.

But once “LOST” returned to the full slate of familiar characters, elegantly folding in a great bunch of new faces, the magic was back. And unlike the ill-fated tail section survivors (Ana Lucia? Mr. Eko? Remember them?), the Others turned out to be mysterious and compelling. Now, loyal “LOST” fans will always put the original cast first. But we dare say that Elizabeth Mitchell’s Juliet and Michael Emerson’s Ben stole nearly every scene they were in. Mitchell, in particular, would get an Emmy Award. If we could give out Emmys, that is.

Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Jin, Sun, Charlie, Claire, Hurley, Lockeâ€¦ all our old friends charmed us, and experienced real growth this season. Sun’s role in Jin’s tortured life as a Korean hit man was fantastically done. The answer to the question of how Locke ended up in his wheelchair did not disappoint. We learn Jack and Claire are half-siblings, and that Sawyer and Locke both owe their conflicted lives to the same con artist. And Locke’s evolution from hapless, bumbling pawn to pivotal leader was great to watch.

Now, we’re not the biggest fans of the ‘love triangle’ business. But we gotta admit, the Kate-Sawyer-Jack subplot brought us great moments of both the sweet and steamy variety.

Meanwhile, the underlying mysteries of “LOST” started to surface. The DHARMA Initiative, the healing properties of the Island (and its paradoxical threat to pregnant women), and in the last few weeks, the mysterious Jacob and hints at some of the larger powers at work.

We’re not able to forget the stakes, either, as we bid a bittersweet farewell to Charlie. Once again, the writers brilliantly make us fall in love with him all over again before killing him off. Meanwhile, not every new character was welcomed with open arms. Season 3 also gave us Nikki and Paolo, a pair that never did fit in and vanished as suddenly as they appeared. Their Hitchcockian, spider-bite send off wasn’t very sentimental, but it was hilarious.

Desmond’s “flashes” were also an interesting development, and definitely started to push “LOST” into tried-and-true science fiction territory. We’ll have to wait and see whether Charlie’s death (or the concussion Charlie administered in the canoe) puts an end to his visions.

But the season finale, and the mind-blowing twist the creators called “the snake in the mailbox,” truly showed the brilliance and ambition of the “LOST” universe. In a show where anything can happen, they still do something that no one could’ve imagined. We see Jack and Kate in a flash-forward rather than a flashback, alive but not quite well off the island. And Jack wants to go back.

We long had visions somewhat troubling visions of the last episode of “LOST” being a rescue and a warm and fuzzy stroll into the sunset. Inevitable, we figured, but we hoped for something more. Well, Season Three closes with that long-awaited rescue already made… and a lot, lot more story left to tell.

Season three of “LOST,” frankly, is one of the all-time best seasons of television. And that makes the nine-month wait for season four even harder. But now, more than ever, we’re hooked.

Through the Looking Glass May 23, 2007

“LOST” has spawned a million theories. A show grounded in simple, human drama, but swirling with so many mysterious and supernatural elements that you know anything can happen. And yet, I don’t think anyone could have imagined where tonight’s episode has taken us. We were promised a “game changer,” and a game changer we’ve got. We know we’re only halfway through the grand arc of “LOST,” yet we’re given a glimpse of what we thought was the natural endpoint of a “stranded on a tropical island” story. Suddenly I’m willing to entertain even the most ridiculous, crack-pot theories. Because I have no idea where “LOST” will take us next.

I admit, I’m a spoiler fiend. And even Jen, who valiantly went spoiler free the last few weeks, couldn’t resist. We read about the big twist, “the snake in the mailbox,” last week. Tonight’s season finale, fortunately, was still powerful enough to leave us speechless. But we do somewhat regret depriving ourselves of the chance to have our minds totally blown. Lesson learned. At least for Jen.

Alas, Charlie’s reprieve last week was short-lived, and he dies… having passed on one of the biggest twists yet. His character’s journey was a roller coaster, with some seriously deep dips… but the writers did well by him in the waning weeks of this season. It’s tough enough to lose someone who has been aboard since the beginning, but he met an especially bittersweet end. No, it didn’t look like Charlie had to die. That burst porthole would have taken half an hour to flood The Looking Glass, more than enough time for him to stroll over to Desmond and help him into some SCUBA gear. So he chose to die. On the debate over “free will versus destiny,” I guess he falls in the latter camp.

Hurley’s bus-powered rescue was spectacular. His moment of triumph was extra sweet, after he was cruelly rebuffed by his friends tonight (and last week as well). And when he called Jack with the news? That he saved everybody, including Sayid, Jin and Bernard? Probably one of the best rushes I’ve ever felt with “LOST.”

Speaking of great moments, Alex and Rosseau’s reunion was something we’ve been waiting for since Alex surfaced in Season Two. It was as powerful as we’d hoped, and one that hopefully opens the door to some great character development in the seasons to come. I dare say never in the history of television have a mother and daughter been more perfectly cast than Mira Furlan and Tania Raymonde.

Wonder of wonders, Walt returned, ushered in by the mysterious whispers. He restores Locke’s hope at the very moment he’d lost it all. It was good to see David Malcolm Kelly again… but he’s definitely not a kid anymore. The odd angle and strange voice effect didn’t help. Still, he made sure Locke survived and remains a central character in the “LOST” master plan. His return, in the midst of Ben’s collapsing authority, is a tantalizing tease for Season 4. And his line to Jack, resigned over his making contact with the ship, seemed to strike the deepest of any uttered on this show:

“You aren’t supposed to do this.”

And Penny’s brief conversation with Charlie proved that Naomi isn’t who she said she was (and proved that Ben wasn’t entirely lying). Ben’s desperate last pleas to Jack, that making contact would be the “beginning of the end,” also seem to have been borne out, when we see Jack OFF THE ISLAND! broken and desperate and now yearning to return.

I… I don’t know what to say. Jen?

So they’ve been rescued.

My biggest fear is that the series would end MASH style: with tears and hugs and emotional dialogue about fear and destiny. I could see them all getting on the boat and riding off into the sunset, and it scared me.

It’s safe to say that that’s not going to happen now.

We’ve thought we were headed somewhere, but we were wrong. I admit, this season took forever to get started. I was wondering what the whole point of the six-episode “pod” was, and while I think it might have been dragged out a little bit far, I can still see in retrospect where they were going. Ben and company might be the “good guys” after all. The finale made me reexamine everything we’ve learned about all the characters so far, especially The Others.

Season three of Lost, to me, is one of the best seasons of television ever.

Notes & Notions:

Who died? Whose funeral had no visitors? Who’s neither family nor friend to Jack (and elicits a sneer from Kate)? Benjamin Linus seems a likely guess. Looks like this will become one of the key mysteries of the seasons to come. And I suspect the journey to the answer will be even more delicious than learning how Locke ended up in a wheelchair.
Jack’s crack about his dad being drunk, and presumably alive, was very, very curious. Was he just so whacked out on drugs that he forgot Christian Shepherd was dead? Or is dad… not dead? (Jack also seemed rattled when the pharmacist said she’d call Christian to verify the prescription.) In fact, Jack’s sorry state seemed to be a continuation of the downward spiral we’d seen in his pre-crash flashbacks. Kate, meanwhile, seemed to have settled down with someone, and didn’t appear to be in prison or on the run. I’m not a “time loop” fan at all… but these are pretty juicy morsels for someone to suggest that some of the things we’ve seen happen now didn’t happen.
The code to disable the jamming signal was “programmed by a musician.” Was that a big clue, or just another way to cement in Charlie’s mind that it was his destiny to do what he did?
Some fantastic lines. Rose threatens, “If you say, ‘Live together, die alone’ again, Jack, I’ll punch you in the face.” And Juliet’s quip about building runways for aliens was priceless.
What is the deal with Mikhail? (Cyclops!) He just won’t die. At this point, I’m fairly sure we’ll see him again in Season 4.
Links: “Through The Looking Glass” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

Greatest Hits May 16, 2007

By popular demand, Jen takes the reigns again! Charlie, up until now, has not been one of my favorite characters. There just isn’t much to him. He’s a junkie, who came thiiiiis close to being successful but never quite made it. It took four Charlie-centric episodes in which nothing happened to bring us to the point where we can appreciate him again. Charlie is likeable, if not a little messed up, and Dominic Monaghan was remarkable in this episode. The look on his face when Naomi told him about his memorial service was priceless.

But the rumors loomed large. I think we were all expecting Charlie to buy the farm tonight. So by the end of the episode, I was alternately weepy and buzzing on some kind of pumped-up sugar high. It’s a weird way to watch this show. And when his lone checkered sneaker floated away? I was a mess.

This hiatus is going to be hell.

You know who else I love? Sayid. He’s the only one on the island, it seems, who is willing to go toe-to-toe with Jack. “You said earlier you were a a leader, Jack. Why don’t you act like one.” [Ryan: Then again, remember what happened the last time Sayid “took charge” of an ambush stolen yacht, anyone?] I know he’s a resourceful dude, but I’m wondering where he got that map of the Looking Glass.

I’ve got “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” stuck in my head. Help!

Still, Jack displayed some cojones tonight. I am so glad he went to Rousseau. I had major doubts about Rousseau this season, but my faith in her is restored. Even if she is only motivated by the chance to reunite with her daughter, she can be trusted. I think. This show continually surprises me with the way I feel about the characters and Rousseau is the best example of that. She comes out of nowhere, stirs up the survivors, disappears, reappears fast as a flash, possibly after being up to no good, and turns around and does something unexpected. She’s my new favorite character. For this week. She’s fearless and quiet and just a general badass. Personally, I wouldn’t have wasted the dynamite on the tree, but whatever works.

I don’t know who Alex has been talking to, but she’s onto Ben. I will not be surprised at all if she gets him killed. If she has learned about her mom, who is her source? There’s a whole lot of time unaccounted for, and I think it’s gonna make a heck of a flashback.

The leadership crisis back at the Others’ camp is intensifying. Alpert is clearly suspicious and Ben refuses to answer any questions. We have not yet begun to see Ben’s bad side, I bet. [Ryan: Even after he gassed his dad and shot the Second Coming?]

And I think we’ve discovered the Other Others. Fans have long speculated about a second group of folks hanging out on the island. Are the two ladies in the Looking Glass affiliated with that group? If not, who are they?

Notes and Notions:

What is with Jack’s hair? There are a lot of bad wigs and confusing hair on this show, but Jack takes the cake. He’s had a close buzz cut for three months and it’s just now starting to grow out.
I always tell Ryan that Rousseau and Alex could be mother and daughter in real life. They look eerily alike.
Yay for Rose and Bernard! I missed them.
Maybe I’m insane, but to me, the second woman in the Looking Glass looked like Cassidy. I can’t even begin to imagine how Cassidy fits into the Other Others, though.
Links: “Greatest Hits” discussion at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

The Man Behind the Curtain May 09, 2007

Because Ryan is a slacker, this week’s blog post is by Jen! I have to admit; I am now very, very nervous. We’re in the last four hours of season three, and in this episode, we encounter an invisible man and another man who appears not to age. We see Ben’sd ead mother, somewhat confirming that Christian Shepherd’s reappearance on the island was not a figment of his son’s imagination. I’m wondering where all this is going.

The Others are much scarier and more threatening than I could have imagined and the survivors’ distrust of each other and lack of communication skills will certainly be their undoing. Jack, the de facto leader of the survivors, is the world’s biggest rube. The fact that such a spineless nitwit is a doctor, let alone that everyone seems to look up to him, is frightening.

Locke is some sort of Messiah. At least, Ben thinks Locke is some sort of Messiah. This scares and angers him. We see that Ben was a sneaky, sadistic S.O.B. from the very beginning, so what he does to Locke at the end of “The Man Behind the Curtain” is shocking, but not surprising. We found out a lot about Ben in this episode, but there’s certainly way more where that come from. Despite what he and Mikhail say, Ben is the most powerful man on the island, at least for now. He feels his power slipping and is resorting to some pretty drastic measures. I still think, despite what went on in Jacob’s cabin, that Ben is pretending to be under the sway of Jacob, whoever he is, and is using Jacob to intimidate his minions.

Few things on TV scare me. That one episode of The X-Files with the malformed lady under the bed made me sleep with the lights on for a week, and just the mention of Bob on Twin Peaks can still send chills up my spine. Other than that, I considered myself relatively scare-proof. Until the Jacob sequence in this episode. That was the scariest moment in the whole series so far. I don’t know who that figure is in the stills making their way ’round the net, but I’m too chicken to figure it out. I got the impression that nobody besides Ben had ever laid eyes on Jacob. The expressions on Tom and Alpert’s faces upon hearing about Locke’s impending visit make me wonder if they doubt Jacob’s existence, too.

Ben’s own daughter seems suspicious of his motives. Has she caught on? Why would Locke need a gun for a visit to someone who has previously been described as a loving, benevolent leader? I think she’s got his number, but how?

Where has Danielle been, anyway, besides looking for dynamite?

A volcano is coming into play. I don’t think the volcano is as dormant as Olivia tells the children it is. The ring of powder around Jacob’s house looks like ash.

Speaking of Alpert, he’s been on that island for quite a while. He asks Ben, “Do you remember birthdays?” as if he’d stopped keeping track of them long ago. Why does Ben age, but not Alpert? I find it interesting that it seems as if Ben has become his superior.

Who is this Horace character? Is he Gerald De Groot? Horace Goodspeed sounds like an alias to me. Was De Groot in trouble with the law?

So Ben’s mom dies in childbirth, seven months into her pregnancy, much like the rest of the pregnant women under his watch on the island. I don’t know about you guys, but the whole baby/fertility subplot gives me the willies. I really hope Kate is not, in fact, pregnant.

Notes and Notions:

Shut up, Kate. Sayid has more on the ball than you and everybody else in your camp combined, so stop talking to him like a child.
Locke has got a bad, bad temper. Terry O’ Quinn plays Locke with such a great combination of hapless pathos, magical wisdom, and rage. We’ve been raving about Elizabeth Mitchell and Michael Emerson all season, but Terry can still blow me away, too.
I still get a kick out of the fact that everyone on the island has either a dead parent or an evil parent or both. It’s like a big Disney movie, times fifty. I like to think it’s Damon and Carlton’s way of sticking it to the bosses at ABC. But it probably isn’t.
How can Uncle Rico be so mean? No, Uncle Rico! Take that back!
Like Kate, Ben kills his own father. Locke tells Kate in “Left Behind” that “they” don’t approve of what she’s done. Considering what Ben did to his old man and what ultimately happens to his body, Kate’s murder of her dad doesn’t seem like the kind of thing they should be concerned about. So what is this really all about?
“The Man Behind the Curtain” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

The Brig May 02, 2007

This was ostensibly a Locke episode, or at least one that caught us up on his last week on the island, but it was Josh Holloway’s James “Sawyer” Ford that lent it its power. It was absolutely key to learn that some Others think Locke is a saviour of some sort, that Ben may or may not support that idea, and that Richard Alpert is so up to something. But for all the clues and information churned out in “The Brig,” the one-on-one confrontation within is what sticks with me most.

There were obnoxiously unsubtle Biblical references tonight, from Sawyer’s bloodied, bare feet to Locke’s bearing of his father’s cross on his back. And of course Sawyer’s mother’s name was Mary. Locke’s hand wound healed fast (which Jen found reminiscent of “The Lost Boys”), and Ben suggests that his proximity is restoring his health. The fact that Ben brought the camp to the base of a pillar or shrine to sacrifice Anthony Cooper (in front of an audience, no less) was immensely creepy. Alpert implied that Ben’s relatively recent focus on fertility is a mere trifle, that there are bigger things in play. I’m certain he’s right.

There was also a lot of talk about death, of course. Anthony Cooper quite reasonably concluded he was in hell — perhaps the only explanation for coming face to face with your “dead” son mere moments after a major car crash. (It’s a good thing his crash was in Florida and not L.A., otherwise hardcore conspiracy theorists would simply explode.) Naomi fills in a few more blanks on the supposed fate of 815, including a watery grave four miles down and a fuselage full of bodies. I suspect the purgatory theory, the oldest “LOST” theory on the books, will get another round of attention… but I personally feel that the writers are specifically (and for the umpteenth time) debunking the purgatory theory by explicitly addressing it. They’ve done the same for “it’s all Hurley’s imagination” and “time travel,” but I suspect some will never give up on those theories, either.

Once again, Sayid gives us one of the most satisfying conversations of the season by merely sitting down and asking straightforward questions. I loved his reaction to Naomi telling him that Desmond, and not 815, was the target of her search. The details of her arrival — the freighter, the helicopter crash, the fancy phone — are good. Almost too good. I, for one, don’t fault Sayid for being skeptical.

Meanwhile, it’s official, no one trusts Jack, bringing us to the brink of the leadership crisis hinted at early in Season 3.

Still, it’s hard to decide just who to strangle first. Sayid, for spilling the beans to Kate, despite having the most mistrust of anyone. Kate, for running to Jack exactly 0.8 seconds after Sayid told her not to. Or Jack, for being in cahoots with Juliet. It turns out they’ve got a shared secret, one that’s relevant to possible rescue and may redeem Juliet, but given the information anyone has it’s preposterous he’d insist Juliet can be told anything.

And now that Sawyer has Juliet’s recorded message to Ben, things will likely get uncomfortable to her, and perhaps even Sun, next week.

Notes and Notions:

What did Ben mean by saying, twice, that it was Locke who brought Anthony Cooper to the island? How so? Anthony Cooper’s story of the crash and drugs and needle have Richard Alpert’s fingerprints all over it, but how could that have been set into motion by John Locke?
Jen’s still unclear on why the Others were so interested in Anthony Cooper’s demise. Did it matter whether Locke did it or is a Sawyer strangulation just as good? Both Ben and Alpert (who may or may not be on Ben’s side) imply that Locke needed to be free of him, but Alpert gave Locke the tool to get the job done without getting blood on his hands. Given how the island seems to look upon killers, this little switcheroo may turn out to be significant.
Because this wasn’t a Sawyer flashback, it was probably a challenge to demonstrate how conflicted he was over confronting and killing Anthony Cooper. Yet, we felt it, right down to the guilt-ridden puke in the bushes (which Michael also did after offing Ana-Lucia and Libby). The question is, what’s next for Sawyer? We’ve come to expect that once someone’s “issue” is resolved, they’re not long for the island.
Like Alpert, Rosseau similarly resurfaces suddenly and is up to no good. There are many, many things a crazy lady can do with dynamite. I loved that Locke warned her, “Be careful, it’s unstable.”
“The Brig” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

D.O.C. Apr 25, 2007

“On this island, the rules are a bit different.” I guess so, since the character who spoke the line was presumed dead. Fortunately, that was the only detail that annoyed Jen, who otherwise agreed with me in declaring “D.O.C.” another excellent “LOST” episode. We’re totally loving the reversal revealed in Sun’s flashback that Jin’s tortured career was the result of her meddling as well as the confirmation that Jin is the unborn baby’s father. Yunjun Kim’s scenes with Elizabeth Mitchell were fantastic, and Jin’s ninja moment was impressive. Finally, of course, the woman who drops from the sky drops the pre-thud bombshell: “They found the plane. There were no survivors. They were all dead.”

No doubt the time loop, alternative universe, and purgatory theorists will have a little spring in their step tomorrow, but I’m putting my money on some kind of con. Either the plane crash wreckage and bodies were faked or falsely reported (for a reason), or Little Miss Parachute is messing with our survivors.

She did speak a language only Mikhail understood, for example. And it was her flare gun, accidentally fired by an uncharacteristically clumsy Hurley, that summoned Mikhail to the scene. And was it just me, or did she seemed more shocked than anyone to see Mikhail (just before the “Pulp Fiction” moment). Perhaps she too was under the impression that our Russian communications officer was permanently retired?

He seemed to want that satellite phone. But at the same time, his taking it and then giving it up seemed awfully contrived. Perhaps he was after something else? I’ve pretty much convinced myself that he expected the flare and the parachutist (and was only surprised to find Desmond, Hurley and Charie with her).

I liked that early in “D.O.C.,” we’re shown that seeds of doubt over Jack’s loyalty are firmly planted among the other survivors. He was with them for a week, he seems different, he’s asking about a pregnancy on a baby-obsessed island. As even outsider Juliet seems to be building trust within the camp, it’s clear there’s going to be a leadership crisis as Season 3 draws to a close.

Frankly, I find it a little implausible that Sun would be suspicious of Jack but would follow Juliet into the forest. But, follow she did, down into the Medical Hatch which seems straight out of a horror movie. Juliet reveals the secret Nursery of Death behind the locker room, and reveals Sun’s “Date Of Conception.”

These scenes were among my favorite this season. Sun and Juliet, alternately cold and hard and guilty and vulnerable, their faces capturing a whole palette of emotions within a few moments. At this point, if Elizabeth Mitchell doesn’t get an Emmy nod, there’s going to be rioting in the streets. And the ultrasound? When Juliet was devastated by the very same news that made Sun weep with relief and joy? How perfect was that moment?

Of course, after feeling some compassion for Juliet, we’re again reminded that she’s in the midst of a reconnaissance mission for Ben. (And a “sample” is required of Austen… since she did mate in captivity with Ford.) But she’s not happy about it.

Season 3 has been great. I don’t know where the next four episodes will take us, but I’m just about ready to put all skepticism aside and just surrender myself to the ride.

Notes and Notions:

Sun and Juliet stole the show, but Jin’s father’s conversation with Sun was well done as well. So natural and believable, I didn’t even realize it had subtitled Korean dialogue until I went back to watch it again.
I love Desmond’s line: “You know, brother. By my count, you’ve killed more of them than they’ve killed of you.”
Kate is turning out to be a remarkably good source of information all of a sudden. She apparently told people about Mikhail and his manner of death, and told Sun about the Medical Hatch. So, whether we see it on screen or not, it’s clear the writers are telling us that these characters do talk. Sometimes.
Location Notes: The canal where Sun met with Jin’s mother was along College Walk behind Chinatown in downtown Honolulu. I watched them film this scene, and posted photos here. Of course they returned to The Contemporary Museum space for Mr. Paik’s office. Mr. Kwon’s village is the ponds at Kualoa (mere yards from where the Others’ submarine was moored). I’m not sure where Mr. Kwon’s home was, but I think it’s in the same area the canal scene was shot.
“D.O.C.” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

Catch-22 Apr 18, 2007

One thing’s for sure, Desmond episodes are different beasts entirely. Most of the way, I wasn’t exactly sure where “Catch 22” was going, and while I loved some of the a-ha moments, tonight’s episode really felt more like half of one. Of course, that’s to be expected as we near the season finale. Jen admitted to being somewhat “meh” on it, too, with Kate’s return to Sawyer feeling more like fan-fic than canon. But with flash forwards mixed in with everything else, It’s hard to compare “Catch 22” to the usual fare. I have to say, “Catch 22” made “Flashes Before Your Eyes” seem all the more brilliant.

Key points in tonight’s episode? Yet another new face on the island, for one… and the mind boggles at how many more ways the writers are going to come up with to do that. But the biggest clue was small, by “LOST” standards: the photo on the friar’s desk.

Oh, sure, it was sweet to see how Desmond and Penny met. But the friar’s talk of Desmond being destined for bigger things was a direct echo of Mrs. Hawking’s jewelry store lecture in “Flashes.” And the picture cinches it: larger forces are in motion to steer Desmond to the island.

This raises more questions, though. Why was Desmond chosen? And when? On the brink of marrying Ruth? Was his blackout and street encounter with the monk part of the plan? Or was it even earlier? And what is his greater destiny? To push the button? To not push the button? Or something else entirely?

Everything else was gravy.

I loved the Bernard shout out, and Jin’s ghost story. Jen liked the Superman v. Flash discussion, even though we heard it twice. Desmond’s mention of taped-up ankles was a nice reference to his running encounter with Jack, and I loved Charlie’s sarcastic reaction to the satellite phone’s failure. “Shocker.” Sawyer found a too-cute loophole in his “no nicknames” deal, and had the night’s top line, “”What, my doorbell busted again?”

The unsubtle mentions of life on the beach somehow getting back to normal was defused well enough: “Enjoy it,” Jack said. “I’m sure something will go wrong soon enough.”

The numbers resurfaced (108 quid per bottle of wine), and heavy Bible talk. Desmond failed where Abraham did not, we presume by not sacrificing Charlie. One wonders, then, how the journey into the forest would have differed had Charlie taken the spear in the neck?

Notes and Notions:

While the photo of Mrs. Hawking and the friar on the desk was a big deal, we also have confirmation that there are, indeed, now two copies of the Desmond and Penny picture. Desmond had his crumpled one, and the book in the backpack revealed a pristine copy. The first time folks questioned whether there were two photos (when the waterfront photographer gave them only one), I figured it could just be a goof up. Now that the two photos have been prominently introduced, I’m convinced something bigger is going on.
So the helicopter didn’t make it to the island, running out of gas or mysteriously dying offshore, crashing much like every other ill-fated vessel that’s ventured near. But the parachute and high-altitude suit and mask imply that the mysterious traveler anticipated a rough landing.
Jen’s not sure what frustrates her more: Jin’s sporadic and sudden grasp of English, or the repeated use of the “language barrier” comedy schtick.
Has Jen mentioned recently that the love triangle (or trapezoid or whatever) stuff similarly grates?
Location notes: Most of the flashback took place at the St. Andrew’s grounds, the same church where Charlie sought redemption and where Mr. Eko was sent on his miracle mission.
Links: “Catch 22” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com and Pop Candy.

One Of Us Apr 11, 2007

“See you in a week.” Indeed. A spectacular episode, most definitely beginning the sprint to the season finale. And for all the clues and answers we get in “One Of Us,” what kept Jen and I dazzled was the performances, the writing, the pacing. Some episodes feel a little off, but tonight, “LOST” was in top form.

I’ll say it again, Elizabeth Mitchell deserves an Emmy. Or two. Even though she and Michael Emerson are late additions to the cast, they are hands down the strongest actors on the show. And while our old friends have been around too long to be consistent, tonight I’d say almost everyone was spot on. Jack and Sayid at loggerheads. Sawyer and Kate all a’tingle. (I’m no “shipper,” but Sawyer’s expression upon spotting Kate melted my cold, cold heart.) Claire and Charlie, Sun and Jin… Altogether, quite possibly the most perfect episode in a while.

Juliet’s confrontation with Ben in the kitchen stands out in my mind. Emerson does creepy well, but he does “rattled” pretty good, too. Jen went back to watch Rachel and little Julian in the park twice… and got weepy both times. And Juliet and Goodwin in bed? It’s official. Juliet is crazy cool, and smokin’ hot.

But oh yes, the clues. The clues! Through a handful of familiar scenes from seasons past — including a surprisingly effective return to the eye-popping season premiere — many blanks are filled in. Seeing The Flame in action was great, and the news coverage of Oceanic Flight 815’s disappearance helps shut down a few of the more elaborate theories. At least until “the sky turned purple,” Ben and friends have clearly not lacked for access to information.

It was also a relief to have much of the emphasis on pregnancy and children spelled out. From why Juliet was recruited to why Ethan kidnapped Claire to why dear Sun is apparently in danger, there’s something about the island that’s unfriendly to offspring. Even more intriguing, Ben’s assertion that cancer is non-existant on the Island, and Juliet’s very good question: â€œIf you can cure cancer Ben, then why do you have it?â€

We also get another hint at Jacob’s endless talents. He can cure cancer. And the way Ben questioned Juliet’s faith in him sounded like a little more than being a good employee.

And the twist at the end, revealing the “left behind” Juliet to be the intensely talented manipulator we always knew her to be? Incredible.

Notes and notions:

So does the pregnancy problem happen at conception or not? That was Juliet’s theory before finding out about Claire. But if Claire, who conceived before arriving on the island, developed symptoms, then Sun will too (which was strongly hinted at). What changed? And now I’m wondering… did Danielle give birth to Alex on the island, or before getting shipwrecked? (Presuming you believe her story at all.)
It’s interesting to track how Juliet deals, or doesn’t deal, with death. She specifically told Jack she’s not comfortable with it. And Goodwin had to comfort her when Sabine died. Then again, she didn’t seem too conflicted about killing Pickett. Or, perhaps, even losing Goodwin.
What is so special about the “last leg” of the journey to the island? If it requires a submarine, sedation, and restraints, it can’t just be deep sea currents. A submarine is a wonderful vessel for all kinds of sci-fi theories, and having finally watched “Donnie Darko” (after many fans linked it to “LOST” in Season 1), some of them actually make sense.
The mark on the tree by Ethan’s old drop point looks like the same symbol Juliet was branded with. What does it mean? Someone at The Fuselage suggests it may be a variant of Pisces, or http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/11/1110.html “>sal ammoniacus. Whatever it is, its use on the tree seemed pretty innocuous compared to being “marked.”
Location notes: The mysterious private airport in Miami was the Gannett printing facility in Kapolei, where The Honolulu Advertiser is printed. The Herarat Aviation (Herarat = Earhart?) lobby looked like the main branch of First Hawaiian Bank on Bishop Street. The submarine and pier are in the private ponds at Kualoa (where Jin visited his father in Season 2). Not sure where Rachel and Julian’s playground was, but I suspect it was Palolo again (where Jack stalked Sarah).
Links: “One Of Us” discussion on TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and USA Today’s Pop Candy

Left Behind Apr 04, 2007

This week’s episode marked an interesting change in our household. I continued to read message boards, chat with other fans, track down spoilers, and devour “LOST” podcasts. Jen, however, decided to go cold turkey, and basically came into “Left Behind” as pure as a newborn babe. As it turns out, Jen said she definitely enjoyed the episode more. (Her primary complaint, as always, being ABC’s poorly thought-out “next week” promos.) Fortunately, I liked it too.

Yes, ABC set expectations pretty low last week, with what Jen dubbed a “Dynasty”-style catfight. Wet, no less, since Kate’s only happy when it rains. But as it turns out, the conflict between the two was much more nuanced. And it probably had absolutely nothing at all to do with Jack.

First, Kate’s flashback. No big reveals, but a lot more context added to stuff we’ve already seen. We learn why Diane sold her daughter out, and why she freaked in the hospital in Season 1. Her line about not being able to choose the one you love was hardly subtle, but fitting. The best part, of course, was seeing Cassidy again unable to quit Sawyer, or being a con artist. I liked that both she and Kate recognized themselves in each other. To Jen’s surprise, there is, in fact, a Sawyer Jr., and I liked that it may very well have been Kate’s suggestion that landed our scruffy friend in prison.

On the island, things get going again after last week’s amusing detour. Hardly a sprint, but we’re winding up. The key development? Locke has signed up with the Others and split with them… but not before stopping by to tsk tsk at Kate for her troubled past. It was Season 2 when Ben told him he was the chosen one (in a manner of speaking), and Locke is only happy to believe him. Having daddy in custody probably helped.

Kate was left behind, and Juliet supposedly was too. We don’t believe that for a minute, of course. Neither does Sayid. Her story went right out the window when smokey showed up, and the handcuffs came off — a twist that was rather well done. Jen likes that both the electromagnetic fence and “the monster” returned prominently in tonight’s episode, implying that the fence was built to keep out more than hostiles. (My question? If Kate and friends could climb a downed tree over said fence, why couldn’t smokey make the jump?) But do the Others really not know what the monster is? That seems unlikely.

Interesting that in their first encounter, the monster seemed to strobe at them. Was it another “This Is Your Life” slideshow? Or something else?

No doubt “Skaters” are all squee, as Juliet outs Kate’s feelings for Jack, and vice versa. The conflict between Juliet and Kate sure got physical fast. Jen, of all people, felt the fights were true to Kate’s character, and thus much less gratuitous than she initially feared. I was tickled that Kate’s early ambush of Juliet went awry, and we’re definitely getting the feeling that Juliet’s reflexes are nothing to sneeze at.

Juliet definitely baited Kate into acting out, though, and the writers are further affirming that Juliet is turning our “love triangle” into a square. I’m not convinced, though. Especially after tonight, I think any tensions that she’s evoking from Jack and Kate are purely strategic in nature.

Finally, Sawyer makes amends. It was silly, and swings his good/bad pendulum the other way once more, but enjoyable nonetheless. He plays the reluctant gentleman well. “I don’t like… blankets.” I like how Hurley straightened him out and built him up at the same time. But for all the nice encounters we’re treated to (Desmond!), I’m glad Sun’s not buying it. Things are definitely going to get ugly over Sungate in the next few episodes.

Notes & Notions:

Why was Jack still unconscious when Kate got to him? If he got gassed at the same time as Kate, he must’ve gotten a concentrated dose in that hallway. Enough of a gap for Kate to get carried out to the forest, handcuffed to Juliet, and chased down by the monster — twice, after a long pitstop in a tree. I’m guessing Sayid was awake, but still chained to the swing set. Poor Sayid.
Given the things Jen has said about Evangeline Lily’s acting abilities in the past, she feels special mention is warranted for her emotional reaction to Jack’s asking about Juliet. Sniff!
What happened to Rousseau? She was spying on Alex, and… poof? Is she tracking the evacuating Others across the island? Or still crying in the forest?
Steve gets another shoutout. Now there’s a “sock” (apparently the writers’ term for background survivors) whose story is just begging to be told. I’m hoping for another Hitchcock twist involving Scott.
Didn’t catch the full combination to the fence control box, but the last two digits looked like 23 to me.
Of all the things Cassidy could pretend to be selling door to door, it had to be a box of bibles. Or is it Bibles?
Looking back at the number of times Sawyer has gone from bad guy to good guy, from outcast to leader, Jen’s wondering if he might figure into the “LOST” end game more prominently than we’d otherwise think.
We got another happy music beach people montage… although it didn’t close the episode. When was the last one? I feel like it’s a bit too soon for that gimmick, but maybe it’s just my imagination.
“Left Behind” discussion at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy

Exposé Mar 28, 2007

Oh my god. There are so many things wrong with tonight’s episode. But I loved it. I absolutely loved it. “Exposé” will, I predict, ultimately become a conversational litmus test for “LOST” fans: either you loved it, or you hated it, and either way, you’d be right.

Was it filler? Sure. It certainly broke the “island mystery” momentum. Was it cheesy and campy and full of shout-outs and knowing winks? Absolutely, about as subtle as a Mack truck. Did it feel more like a punchline to a joke with a three-month wind up than the usual “you’ll like them when you get to know them” song and dance? Maybe.

But as with many great TV shows (from “The X-Files” to the shortlived “Firefly”), sometimes the rare episodes that break the mold and get a little weird are the ones you remember the most. The creators, the writers, the cast… they all clearly had fun with “Exposé.” And that mutual enjoyment really came through.

Off the top of my head, I can think of only one solid “development” in island time: Sun learned Charlie was her kidnapper. We knew Sun would find out eventually, but I wouldn’t have guessed it’d be Charlie that told her… in a reflective, quiet conversation no less. The more Charlie “gets his affairs in order,” the more I’m doubting my assertion that his predicted demise was actually a guarantee of longevity.

So, compared to the feast that was “The Man from Tallahassee”? Story wise, “Exposé” was barely a nibble.

Everything else was a creative exercise. And one in which I can, again, find many things to nitpick. But with the episode opening in a strip club, with stolen orphanage money, and a Billy Dee Williams cameo, I was stunned out of my skepticism and dropped my guard completely. They had me at “razzle dazzle.” The whole conversation about guest stars, character deaths, and improbable reappearances was so over-the-top, I practically fell off my chair.

The care put into recreating scenes from earlier episodes, presenting them from another perspective with an almost childlike “they were there the whole time!” feel, actually impressed me. (Jen, not so much.) From the crash, to Jack’s “live together” speech, to their trek into the jungle, it was at once disorienting and heartwarming… like a little retrospective to remind us of those heady, early days. Like “The Other 48 Days,” but with a sense of joy rather than dread.

I got a rush seeing Boone and Shannon again. (And I guess Boone was finally outed.) I loved that Nikki and Paulo judged them, the same way a random airport couple once judged Sun and Jin. And having Boone emerge from the flames to ask Nikki for a pen was brilliant. A moment that was like a little gift to those of us who’ve been with “LOST” since day one.

It was great to see Dr. Arzt once again. And Ethan. And the drug plane, too. It has been quite a ride so far, hasn’t it?

But the big “gotcha” was revisiting The Pearl, and specifically the scene from Episode 3×05, “The Cost of Living.” When we first see Paulo come out of that bathroom, we were apoplectic at how ridiculous it is. It was so random, so awkward… well, of course it was a clue. Suddenly, they couldn’t have been more obvious.

Indeed, how perfect were the links between “Exposé” the episode and “Exposé” the soap opera? Right down to the twist ending. So, the much maligned Nikki and Paulo are dead. Or are they?

This whole madcap caper apparently unfolds as Jack, Kate, Sayid, Ben, Ethan and friends get down to business at the barracks. And I do hope we’ll rejoin them next week.

Notes & Notions:

Nikki’s belated acknowledgement of Thanksgiving was a nice touch. Christmas can’t be far ahead.
I expected Paulo’s splattered spider would draw more spiders to take down Nikki, but the “monster” sound that preceded their arrival had to have been significant.
Bookspotting: Sawyer was reading “Evil Under the Sun,” by Agatha Christie. Thanks, but… we’re going to need a few more literary shoutouts this season, considering we’re going to have to read even more as we wait for Season Four to begin in 2008.
Locations: The strip club was Club 939 on Keeaumoku. Of course we saw the Convention Center cum airport again (didn’t we?). Can’t place the dead director’s house, though. Could be anywhere.
“Exposé” discussion at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

The Man from Tallahassee Mar 21, 2007

Well, if that doesn’t hook you for the rest of the season, just go watch American Idol. It’s not often that the consistently overblown ABC promotions team and the fan press hit the mark, but “The Man from Tallahassee” is indeed a “game changer.” It says something that “why Locke was paralyzed” was most certainly not the big reveal in any “LOST” episode. The gotchas were reminiscent of “Walkabout.” The clues were reminiscent of “Orientation.” And, says Jen, “Just go ahead and give Michael Emerson all the Emmys right now.”

The “LOST” word of the day, boys and girls, is “defenestration.” So Locke finally steps up to stop Anthony Cooper from his life destroying ways, but gets Peter Talbot killed and gets himself tossed out an eighth story window. Amazingly, he survivedâ€¦ something that most would call a miracle is, for Locke, the ultimate indignity. His dread upon being carried to his wheelchair was palpable.

But the story on The Island took centerstage, and Locke’s conversations with Ben were like a grandmaster chess game, each line crawling with significance. Locke’s faith in the island is absolute, but that blinds him. Ben’s understanding of The Island is probably unsurpassed (he recognizes that Locke has some “communion” with it), yet it has apparently failed him. And as incredible it was that Locke blew up that submarine, it’s obvious we’re a long way from knowing what it really means.

But the big mystery, the overarching mystery, is The Island, and we’ve never had so big a piece of the puzzle as we got tonight. Even blurred by metaphor, The Island does deliver a heart’s desire. Sometimes. For some people. And here’s the thing somehow. But surely that’ll have to wait until Season Eight (with the zombies). But whatever gave us Jack’s dad and Kate’s horse seems to be what has now given us a bound and gagged Anthony Cooper.

Talk about a big finish.

Frankly, “LOST” delivered tonight. Old “LOST,” big tease “LOST” would’ve cut to the thud as soon as Ben asked, “Would you like to see?” I actually heard it in my head. But in an episode crammed with answers, they saved the best one for last.

Of course, “Magic Box” isn’t a particularly satisfying explanation, one that like the “Nanobot Theory” of Season 2 would be too easy and too ridiculous to tolerate. Still, wish fulfillment has been on our minds lately, both on and off the island. The list can go on and on, mixing conveniently with separate debates about coincidence and fate. Walt’s bird, Ben’s spinal surgeon, Juliet’s homicidal bus, maybe even Hurley’s lottery win and Claire’s comatose mother.

My head hurts.

Jack’s talk with Kate, no doubt, swelled the hearts of Jaters (ugh) everywhere, even though I’d guess Kate isn’t completely convinced of Jack’s intentions. It was nice to get absolute confirmation of Alex’s relationship with Ben (socially, if not biologically) in both dialogue and in the unsubtle omnipresence of Alex pictures throughout Ben’s cabin. Sayid has brilliantly planted a seed of doubt in Alex’s mind, and it turns out her mother, Danielle, is at least slightly curious about her.

All in all, “The Man from Tallahassee” easily slides into the top ten episodes of all of “LOST,” which is no small feat in Season 3. And we’ve still got ten episodes to go.

LOST Location Notes:

Locke was defenestrated (I love that word) from the Waikiki Landmark Hotel at Kalakaua and McCully avenues.
His disability benefits office and hospital room were both in the Pauahi Tower in downtown Honolulu (same building as Hurley’s accountant… but no, it was not Locke falling past that window).
The flower shop was Rudy’s Flowers in McCully.
Locke’s apartment building looks familiar, but I can’t identify it at the moment. I’m not aware of too many submarines, either, unless it was the U.S.S. Bowfin.

Notes and Notions:

Memorable Lines? So many. “Sorry, unfortunately we don’t have a code for, ‘There’s a man in my closet with a gun to my daughter’s head.’ But we obviously should.” Or: “We have two giant hamsters running on massive wheels at our secret underground lair.” Or: “Don’t tell me what you can’t do.”
I love that the last line of the episode was an astonished, “Dad?” Goes back to Michael in the hatch in Season 2.
MacCutcheon whiskey returns. There are a lot of menacingly wealthy people in the “LOST” universe.
How’s that? Sayid gets chained to a playground swing, Kate gets the pool hall. And, of course, another scene to demonstrate her bendyness. Jen notes that the “LOST” writers sure do like to tie her up a lot (almost as much as they like to get her wet).

Links:

“The Man from Tallahassee” discussion at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and 4815162342.com

Par Avion Mar 14, 2007

I enjoyed the episode quite a bit. Jen was less impressed. To be sure, the big Claire reveal is something that’s been suspected since Christian Shepherd and Ana Lucia went to Australia in “Two for the Road.” I thought it was handled as well as it could have been (without making Claire seem like a dunce), but Jen thought it was too painfully contrived. Add in the climb high over the fence (look, Kate in another tree!) that was obviously not that high, and emasculated Sawyer, and you’ve got a frustrated fan. Me? I accentuated the positive. At least the Claire-Jack link was out of the way halfway through the episode, and the pre-thud shocker was pretty well done (he’s runningâ€¦ for a touchdown!). And even though it was a Claire episode, all eyes are on Locke.

So, Locke redeemed, sort of. What happened to The Flame was not a mistake. Neither was Mikhail’s belated death. (Still, in true “LOST” fashion, someone else with answers dies.) But what is he up to? I’ll tell you what, I’ll take evil scheming Locke over bumbling Locke, any day. The question is, has he always been scheming? It’s hard to tell, Jen says. I’ll admit his character has not been handled consistently.

The bird capture subplot didn’t add much, except another Charlie rescue and a good opportunity for Claire and Sun to gripe about men. When Claire was tossing Charlie out of her life again, I couldn’t help but smirk. Their relationship went through a full cycle in 30 minutes. Methinks that’s basically how things are going to go for those two indefinitely… unless doomed Charlie is given one pivotal moment to break out of the loop. If you know what I mean.

I agree with Jen that the Desmond premonitions thing could get old quick. It either needs to be explored in detail, or conveniently resolved. Again, if you know what I mean.

Jen and I are also split on Claire’s note to the outside world. She felt “HELP!” would’ve sufficed. I liked the somewhat flowery essay. It kind of grounded the series again, taking a brief step back to remind us of the bigger picture.

“You’re not on the list because you are flawed,” Mikhail says in the episode’s meatiest bit of exposition. “You are angry, weak, and frightened.” The list returns, for more good and bad people differentiation. And he clarifies that Ben is not “Him.” Mikhail also makes it a point to show he knows about each of our survivors, including Locke.

Indeed, I like how they laid groundwork for upcoming episodes. He almost mentions John Locke’s paralysis, and Sun later mentions her family’s feelings about Jin.

“Rousseau is a liar, liar, pants on fire,” says Jen. Sorry, Jay.

Notes and Notions:

“Goth Claire” was beautiful.
Unresolved parent issues are coming to the forefront again. Hurley left his dad with the possibility of reconciliation upon his return. Claire left her mom on the threshold of understanding.
Was I the only one that figured Christian Shepherd was going to off Carole (Claire’s mom) anyway? Would’ve been a nice link to Jack’s hand in Shannon’s dad’s death in Season 2.
Jin’s English is improving slowly with each episode (even though he only counted to three, for the most part). By Season 4, he’ll be magically fluent (it’s that Island Power!) and Daniel Dae Kim will be one happy camper.
Location Notes: Claire’s accident was at the Chevron gas station near Kahala Mall (corner of 21st Avenue and Waialae Ave.). You can see the viaduct overhead (the east end of H-1). They reversed the film to get right-hand drive. She and Christian Shepherd had coffee inside Kahala Mall. Claire was treated for her injuries at Kahuku Hospital. And her tattoo parlor was near Kemo’o Farms Pub on Wilikina Drive near Funston Road.

Links:

“Par Avion” discussions at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

Enter 77 Mar 07, 2007

“Why don’t you start with the DHARMA Initiative?” Why yes, why don’t you! Fans screaming for clues to the underlying mythology of the show, especially after last week’s feel-good character fest, get a heaping spoonful of information in “Enter 77.” We get an actual conversation with real questions and answers, and then follow Sayid into his epiphany that things are topsy-turvy. What did we know, or thought we knew, about the DHARMA Initiative, and the Othersâ€¦ or the Hostiles.

Our heads are still spinning, but this seems to be the deal:

Ben has been on the island his whole life, and leads a group of Hostiles, apparently residents of the island that predate DHARMA. When DHARMA showed up, built facilities and started conducting experiments, the Hostiles revolted, even set about rescuing the children DHARMA was using. We learn tonight it escalated to a full-scale war, but clearly, the Hostiles were victorious. They took over DHARMA’s facilities, wore DHARMA clothes, ate DHARMA ranch dressing.

When Flight 815 crashed, the Hostiles suspected (perhaps correctly?) that it was just the next batch of subjects in DHARMA’s evil work. They grabbed the kids, and sought to find the “good people.” Otherwise, our survivors were intruders, just like DHARMA, and were similarly treated poorly.

What about Ethan, and Juliet? We thought they were part of the Hostiles, as they played house and played doctor in Ben’s village. But we also know Ethan worked with DHARMA to recruit Juliet. Whatever happened to the rest of DHARMA, I guess Ben found a use for them (as he has for Jack). Remember, Juliet’s outsider status has been evident from the beginning, and she herself referred to DHARMA in the past tense when explaining The Hydra to Jack.

What about Desmond, and Kelvin? Kelvin was another DHARMA recruit, and had mentioned the Hostiles. Was he aware that DHARMA had fallen? (Or had it? The timeline isn’t clear just yet.) I’m guessing yes. He was obviously happy to find a successor for button pushing duty, but he also wanted off that island, something that wouldn’t seem so urgent if DHARMA was still humming along.

And what about Danielle? Boy. She’s turning out to be a creepy, suspicious mess. I bet she’ll take a bad turn fairly soon… but we don’t mind. We still love Mira Furlan.

Even if the above ramblings are correct, of course, more questions remain. But one can finally see a path emerging in the wilderness of “LOST.” They’ve stumbled into a war, and they’ve yet to figure out what side they’re on. And even after they decide, they’ll probably discover they were wrong. My guess at an overall arc is that our survivors may very well succeed at subduing the Hostiles, but quickly find they’ve merely done the dirty work for DHARMA, which will rise again and create allies out of former adversaries.

Or maybe there’ll be zombies.

Surely, we’ve learned by now that “LOST” may just be messing with us. But when it comes to shameless manipulation, this feels pretty good. Where “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” reacquainted us with our old friends, “Enter 77” grounded us and revived our interest in what’s going on. Things are getting good.

Notes and Notions:

I must admit, when we met a cow and saw a ping pong table in the first five minutes, I was worried.
Locke! Oh, Locke. What is it with you and pushing buttons? The moment the computer asked, “Ready to play?” Jen was screaming, “Don’t do it!” Sure, only Sayid knew about the C-4, but after we learned how DHARMA deals with mission failures (Swan Station), how could he have not guessed what the result of “77” would be? Just figures that in the episode they don’t kill someone before getting some answers, they go and blow up a “last chance” for outside contact.
Mikhail’s eye patch = glass eye in The Arrow station in “The Other 48 Days.” (Kelvin’s predecessor, Radzinski, supposedly hid the piece of the orientation film in the Bible that was also found there.) Is that something a DHARMA employee would do, or a Hostile? Namecheck: Mikhail Bakunin, a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the â€œfathers of modern anarchism.”
Good flashback. You knew Sayid did it, and would probably have to confess to it, but it was handled very well. That scene should earn Naveen another Emmy nod.
Nadia the cat. Coincidence? Or mind game? DHARMA or Hostiles, these people have ways of gathering information. Still, finding a picture of Nadia Comaneci just to mess with Sayid seems a bit much.
Speaking of which… did “Patchy” expect Locke to beat the chess game, and enter “77”? Jen figures he probably watched enough of life in the Swan to know a bit about Locke’s itchy fingers and insecurities. “Don’t bother playing. You can’t win.” Don’t tell him what he can’t do!
It was good to see Ms. Klugh again. For exactly four, non-English lines, at least. Anyone translate all that Russian yet?
Jen remains frustrated with where Sawyer’s head has been lately, considering the ordeal he just went through. Still obsessed with his stuff, and getting whipped by Hurley the ping pong shark?
I actually kind of like Sawyer giving up nicknames, though, gimmicky as it is. Because in the last two episodes in particular, I was starting to think we were getting too much of a good thing. I don’t like imagining “LOST” writers trying to come up with the next best nickname, rather than a real plot.
So, anyone else warming up to Nikki and Paolo yet? Thought not.

Location Notes:

“The Flame” was out at Kualoa Ranch. Our daughter’s Girl Scout field trip there was mysteriously cancelled a couple of months ago, and “LOST” was the most likely culprit.

Links:

“Enter 77” discussions at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

Tricia Tanaka is Dead Mar 01, 2007

No big answers, no real mysteries, and more clever lines and chuckles than you can shake a skeletal arm at. It was just a fun episode… and that’s probably exactly what we needed. You know that brief moment in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” when your heart soared just seeing Sayid and Locke and Sun? Well, “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” was all about that feeling. Sawyer cracking wise while sabotaging his own happiness, Hurley on a mission with Charlie riding shotgun. And just enough exposition to prove that these people sometimes talk to each other, and ask reasonable questions. It was nice to be back with our old friends (Danielle included), and for this week at least, the answers and mysteries can wait.

Really, how much can be said in the way of analysis for “Tricia Tanaka is Dead”? If “Stranger in a Strange Land” was a segue from the Alcatraz miniseries (bringing us back to the beach), then this week’s episode brought us back to basics. Characters interacting with each other, and refreshingly, having a good time. Did it feel weird to have Sawyer, coming out of the ordeal he had, to suddenly obsess about his stuff and teach Jin ways to impress women in English? Sure. But I didn’t really mind.

Indeed, the one serious moment of the episode, Kate’s “and her name was Alex” line to Danielle, seemed a bit flat. After all, it’s a mystery fans figured out months ago. But Danielle’s return is significant, because she remains one of the primary untapped sources of answers on the island.

Hurley’s flashback was great, too. Given the title of the episode, it was good that they got the whole meteorite business out of the way early. And Cheech Marin? I dare say he was well cast. He played it close to the vest, and let Jorge Garcia’s comedic talents shine. Even on the island, lines that could have been (and perhaps were) incredibly corny were delivered perfectly. Halfway through the episode, I stopped writing them down, and just enjoyed them.

The more I realize how much I miss our “old friends” (including Danielle), the more I wonder if the Alcatraz miniseries that started off this season might have fit better somewhere elseâ€¦ no matter how great Ben and Juliet have turned out to be. “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” seems to have grounded the series again, from which we’ll no doubt push off into the next big adventure.

Notes and Notions:

The song that opened the episode, which later turned up on the van’s eight-track player, was “Shambala,” by Three Dog Night. And Michael Giacchino’s orchestral take on it for the warm and fuzzy musical montage was a nice touch. Note that Shambala is a mystical kingdom in Tibetian Buddhism said to be hidden in the Himalayas, with which parallels to our island could be made.
Speaking of old friends, Vincent returns. Jen’s convinced that pooch means bad news. “Yeah, chase the dog with the skeletal arm into the creepy jungle. You be my guest!”
Another map turns up, this one with a road with some serious switchbacks. A road to a radio transmission tower, perhaps?
We’re having a hard time figuring out the timeline, especially given where and how Randy has turned up between Hurley and Locke’s flashbacks. I don’t think anything’s contradicted, but it sure seems tight.
So, anyone else warming up to Nikki and Paolo yet? Thought not. “Have you checked behind the powdered milk?” Gah.
Hurley’s visit to Libby’s grave was sweet. As was his reaction to seeing Sawyer again. Jorge is one awesome dude.
The wacky scene with the pushing and the yelling and the uncooperative Volkswagen van reminded us of “Little Miss Sunshine.” Though apparently scenes like that are pretty common with that particular model.
I loved that Randy’s last name was Nations. As in, Gregg Nations?
“I UNDERSTAND!”
Jen loves that Sawyer had mono as a kid and watched too much TV. Would explain “Little House” and “The Brady Bunch,” and perhaps the next several TV references.
The eagle-eyed folks at Sledgeweb’s LOST Stuff spotted a scrap of paper among the junk in Hurley’s van bearing what appears to be the letterhead for “Ho’oulu Lahui,” which translates to “nation building” and seems to be connected to a Native Hawaiian program. Either way, it seems an odd find on The Island!
“NO! NO! NO!”
Interesting how Jorge’s food and weight issues were tied to his father walking out when he was a kid. Seems a reasonable but not overplayed explanation for something the show hasn’t always handled well.
Lynn Karnoff, the fake psychic, was Suzanne Krull, who probably looks familiar because she’s been inâ€¦ well, plenty of things.
“Tricia Tanaka is Dead” discussions at TheFuselage.com, Lost-Forum.com, and Pop Candy.

Stranger in a Strange Land Feb 21, 2007

It would’ve been hard to top last week’s episode… and it almost feels as if “LOST” didn’t really try tonight. “Stranger in a Strange Land” had its moments Jack and Juliet’s love connection, Sawyer’s manly moment with Karl, even our newest Other, Isabel the Sheriff (played by Diana Scarwid, not Fionnula Flanagan, thank you) was interesting enough. But even Jen, who liked tonight’s episode better than I did, conceded that Jack’s flashback was flat, and that Bai Ling isn’t much of an actress.

Okay, so getting “marked” was the theme of the night. Juliet’s punishment seemingly not much better than death, and Jack’s tattoo bringing trouble and conflicting meanings. Both now outsiders, an alienation that definitely seems to reference the episode’s namesake (Robert Heinlein’s novel of the same name). Achara sees into a person’s true nature, and finds Jack a “great man,” a lonely leader… a conclusion Ben came to in Season 2. So was Jack really kidnapped for his surgical skills? Or is there a larger plan? Methinks Jack is bad news for this Jacob.

We do get some additional context for the Others’ world. There are laws and a judiciary system of some sort. Alcatraz is a workplace and a dreadful one at that. And that, for whatever reason, they’re willing to vacate Alcatraz rather than risk an attack by or the return of survivors on the main island. What is going on? It sure would’ve been nice for Sawyer and Kate to ask Karl a few more questions before setting him free… but that would be too easy.

The Alex/Karl thing seems to be shaping up to be a major story arc, to be sure. Very “Romeo & Juliet,” I think, and maybe we’ll soon discover there’s a Montague clan to Ben’s Capulets. Jen suggests “Luke & Leia” as an alternate parallel… which would be another good reason for Ben’s objections.

And as I suspected, Kate’s “choice” last year, wasn’t, and now Sawyer knows it. Of course, Jack’s got a new girlfriend. Yet another love triangle. Or love trapezoid by the end of the season. But, says Jen, the Jack/Juliet thing may be more Stockholm Syndrome… or a ploy by Jack. I can see that.

Cindy returns, but isn’t particularly helpful. She seemed genuinely surprised at Jack’s hostility, but is it because all has been sweetness and light on Alcatraz, or because she (and the other captured survivors) have been thoroughly and forcibly brainwashed? I might be alone, by the way, but I liked the mention of Ana Lucia.

A couple of conversations left us confused, though. Jen wants to know when Jack asks who she shot why Juliet only says, cryptically, “It’s complicated.” Does she have a history with Ben and the late Pickett? And I’m curious about Alex’s question to Jack, about why Jack saved Ben after everything Ben had done. Is she disappointed? Or reluctantly impressed?

Notes and Notions:

When Jack was lovingly applying aloe to Juliet’s “mark,” did she have a small bandage on her stomach? About where her sister got her shot in “Not In Portland”? Hmm.
Ethan was a surgeon? Didn’t see that coming. Especially since he seemed to be deployed by Ben as a heavy more than anything. Spy, fighter, plumber and a doctor? Whataguy.
It was good to see Emma and the little boy again. But could the “Teddy Bear” references be any less subtle?
Cap’n Bunnykiller. Sally Slingshot. Bobby Brady. Sawyer was on a roll, as usual.
The tattoo Achara’s brother saw is only half of the tattoo Jack has on the island. Does that mean we’ve got another tattoo flashback coming?
LOST Locations: The picturesque beach where Jack was staying was Waimanalo Beach, a favorite spot for our family. It was strange to see Rabbit Island on the horizon… surrounded by dozens of other digitally-inserted islands. Achara’s brother’s restaurant and the tattoo parlor were Indigo Restaurant on Nuuanu Avenue. And the bustling Bangkok street was Fort Street Mall near Hawaii Pacific University and narrow Chapin Lane.

Flashes Before Your Eyes Feb 15, 2007

Many moments in this episode made me sit back, gasp, smile in wonder. But for all the mythology revealed to us in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” I most savored the sight of our old friends. Charlie, Hurley, Locke, Sayid, Sun… I didn’t even know how much I missed them until I saw them on screen again. And when Charlie asks, “What happened?” I actually needed Locke’s cryptic response to catch me up on the main island storyline. Alas, we only see the gang briefly before diving into Desmond’s flashback (if that’s what it was)… but there was more than enough story and clues and easter eggs to fill the hour.

Even though I count myself more a fan of the characters than the “mystery” of the show, “Flashes Before Your Eyes” gave one of the most satisfying, mystifying servings of mythology in seemingly ages. The questions this episode raise go much deeper than who the Others are, and get straight to the fundamentals: choice or destiny, coincidence or fate, free will or futility. Does what Desmond experience prove that the ultimate outcome is predetermined? Or is it actually our first glimpse of the courage needed to change things?The mysterious old lady (with the unspoken but telling name of “Ms. Hawking,” played by the elegantly eerie Fionnula Flanagan) pierces our little “LOST” tableau with a blizzard of assertions. “The universe unfortunately has a way of course-correcting,” says she. “You don’t do it because you choose to, you do it because you’re supposed to.” Desmond, initially and naturally defiant, suddenly comes to believe her, “reminded” of the future by the simple photograph. But he changes his mind twice more: in the aftermath of the hatch implosion, he begs for another chance to change things. Caught up to “real time,” though, he tells Charlie he’s more sure than ever that he can’t.

So which is it? My head hurts. We’re going to have to watch that again, indeed.

Penny sending Desmond to seek a job from her powerful father carried shades of Sun and Jin. But Desmond doesn’t grovel, and Mr. Widmore quite elegantly articulates his contempt for his daughter’s suitor. The humiliation was obviously key to the Desmond we now know… joining the military, racing around the world, seeking to do something important (even if it is pushing a button). I’m not sure whether Desmond ever did have those conversations with Ms. Hawking, but even when we first meet Desmond in the hatch, he’s conflicted about whether he’s saving the world or not. As are we all.

Jen’s theory? The failure to input the numbers resets time. Perhaps they’ll find the balloon again, says she. My theory? The exact opposite. That there has been a time loop of some kind, a distortion at least, but that the failsafe “broke the spell,” as it were. And “LOST” will ultimately be the story of people able to change their destiny who had come to believe they couldn’t.

What if Ms. Hawking is Penny Widmore? Her annoyance at Desmond’s belief that he was going to change, that he was going to propose, sure seemed a little… personal.

But that could just be the whiskey talking.

Both Desmond and Charlie are told they are good people. It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those categorical declarations. And then there’s the red. The half-painted red walls in Desmond’s “rat trap” (“Future” brand paint, in fact). The red shoes of the ill-fated pedestrian. The… well, it was important, anyway.

Even with all the… puzzles (“mindfucks,” suggests Jen), tonight’s episode also brought us lots to smile about. Jen enjoyed the drunken beach scene with Desmond, Charlie and Hurley. “He’s wankered,” Charlie determines. Hurley does nickname duties with “Desmondo.” The football game was sponsored by Apollo bars. Mr. Widmore’s office was dominated by a painting of a polar bear. And his office is 815… a number that was, of course, as familiar to Desmond as it was to us.

That picture of Desmond and Penny at the marina which goes back to the start of Season 2 raises an interesting question… if it’s not a continuity error. Desmond apparently cherished that photo, taken on the pier, and kept it with him since that painful day. But if there was only one copy, how exactly did Penny have a copy on her nightstand at the end of Season 2, when we first meet her in “real time”? Or brain freeze! was it?

“LOST” Locations: There were a lot of location shoots for this episode. Ms. Hawking’s antique store was the McClain’s Auctions space at 1 N. King (a.k.a. Locke’s Walkabout travel agency). The Widmore lobby was 1132 Bishop Street. The Widmore headquarters was the Bank of Hawaii building on Fort Street, which itself became London (with its London Underground entrance).
The “Research Library” where Desmond found his friend Donovan was Aliiolani Hale, home of the Hawaii Supreme Court. The pub was O’Toole’s on Nuuanu Ave., which is where Desmond later spots the military recruiting poster. And the pier with the souvenir photographer? Bishop Museum, of all places… a landmark that’s far, far inland.

The return of “Make Your Own Kind of Music” had me beaming. And Charlie’s performance of “Wonderwall,” Jen notes, gives us a convenient time frame (after October 1995).
The bartender that doesn’t get hit with a cricket bat is Michael Titterton, president and general manager of KHPR, the local public radio station. Locals know that British accent anywhere.
Claire has bangs now? And speaking of Claire… did you spot Hayden Panettiere (cheerleader Claire on “Heroes”) in the commercial for Neutrogena?
Desmond in the rain: Shawshank Redemption? Ring tossed in the ocean: Lord of the Rings?

Not In Portland Feb 05, 2007

It’s hard to separate the euphoria over the return of “LOST” from the gleeful appreciation of a good individual episode. “Not In Portland” didn’t even give us a glimpse of the other three quarters of the cast, but nonetheless was a strong kickoff to what will be the longest stretch of consecutive new episodes ever. We got our first Other flashback, further cementing Juliet as a complex, tough yet sharp female character and Elizabeth Mitchell as a supremely talented actor. Considering how little we know about Juliet, I was surprisingly taken in by her scenes with her sister.

Oh yes, the story. A lot of meat to chew on for those who hunger to know what’s happening on the island. We get a taste of the recruiting methods of the DHARMA Initiative (or whatever its current incarnation), and the unique talents they wanted from Juliet. We learn that things definitely changed when “the sky turned purple,” and that the Others may now be in no better shape than our survivors. Karl’s punishment, or programming, via the “Clockwork Orange” style sensory overload will provide weeks of frame-by-frame analysis. Ben’s paternal relationship with Alex (a.k.a. Sheena) is confirmed, as well as some “history” between Juliet and Ben. And we get a sense of the next mini-arc… which somewhat resembles most of the previous mini-arcs of separation and rescue. There were a lot of things to like about “Not In Portland,” but again, the fact that it means “LOST” is back is the best part of all.

It was nice to see Kate, wardrobe notwithstanding, recover some of her butt-kickingness. “Actually,” notes Jen, who is not among Evangeline Lilly’s biggest fans, “Kate isn’t annoying me half as much this season as she has in the past.” Sawyer, of course, was in top scruffy, charming form, complete with nicknames and Star Wars references. We think we’re going to like Tom (he’ll shoot you, but he won’t like the blood), and we’re definitely not going to miss Pickett. And Alex’s story can only get more interesting from here.

Where is Danielle, anyway?

Surprisingly, Jack came across as the weakest of the three this week, as he almost instantly goes from badass in charge to hapless player in yet another of Ben’s schemes. Seeing him watch impotently from the observation room as Ben and Juliet talked was a far cry from the Jack of the cliffhanger closing last year.

It was certainly nice to see Ethan again, though his limited role tonight makes me wonder if there’s still more for him. Perhaps he’ll show up in other Other flashbacks, part of the recruiting team? Speaking of limited roles, though… we sure would’ve loved to see more of Zeljko Ivanek. Jen’s convinced we haven’t seen the last of Sherry the research assistant, by the way.

Location Notes: The Miami medical facility was the University of Hawaii Medical School in Kakaako. You could actually see the Honolulu skyline out the window of Edmund Burke’s office. And the bus was TheBus, the unmistakable white, gold and brown city transit system here in Honolulu. I gotta say, I was surprised the moment of impact was so sudden and brief. By all accounts, there was some impressive stuntwork staged for the collision that left the stuntman pretty banged up.

I Do Nov 09, 2006

People whom I love and respect thought last week’s story was great, but it did nothing for me. Those same people were disappointed by “I Do,” and I thought it was a damn good episode. One thing I’m learning? The fact that people still have strong opinions, either way, is testament to the staying power of this show. And while I’m no “shipper,” this semi-season finale is cementing the fact that I’m into “LOST” for the characters. I’m curious about the sci-fi side, the mythology, the clues, the conspiracies. But I’ll take a deep character episode like “I Do” over a voodoo mystery any day. And Jen? She didn’t hate Kate at all this week. In fact, she rather liked her. And that, my friends, is saying a lot.

Let’s get this out of the way first. Kate’s in love with Jack. And Jack’s in love with Kate. Whatever prompted her to jump Sawyer’s bones, it wasn’t love. It may have been pure survival instinct. Or it may have been part of a deal, one she made with Ben on the beach that has yet to be revealed.

Remember, Ben told her in “Tale of Two Cities” that the “next two weeks” were going to be unpleasant. Tonight, soon after Jack tells Ben to get stuffed, Juliet tells Pickett that something was moved up, before “the two weeks” were over. I don’t think Jack’s refusal to do the surgery was what forced their hand… but rather, the revelation that Ben would need surgery immediately. I think they knew they would be able to get Jack into the O.R., they just had to do it sooner than planned. Likely using Sawyer and Kate to do it.

But, oh, these characters. Episodes like “I Do” remind me of what we liked about them, and wondered about them, in Season One. We see that Sawyer has indeed been broken, and his weakness is, of all things, love (be it Kate or Clementine). And that Jack the crying surgeon indeed has a spine. As I mentioned, Kate somehow managed to evade Jen’s ire this week, despite the bad wig and dirty cage sex (“Actually, I liked the dirty cage sex,” she confesses), so they must have done something right with her character as well. The moment she and Jack first see each other in the Hydra was all you needed to see. Evangeline Lilly actually acting. More, please!

And Ben and Juliet? So far, spectacular additions to the cast. We see Ben looking more sinister than ever in one scene, and looking totally impotent and helpless in another. Juliet, meanwhile, is immediately my favorite female character on “LOST.” She’s not a pretty face, she’s not a bitch or badass, she’s not a stereotype at all. She’s nuanced and rich and I cannot wait to learn more about her.

I also love how Alex is being handled. Popping in and out, an insider and an outsider, much like her mother Danielle. Ben asking about her before going into surgery tells us there is something significant between them, likely (yet another) complex father-figure relationship. It would also explain why she can be such a pain in the ass, yet still be allowed to cause mayhem throughout Otherland. I don’t get how she thought she’d be able to talk to Ben about Karl by sneaking back onto Alcatraz with a slingshot, though.

The weakest part of the episode — and the part where I think most fans were expecting much, much more — were the brief scenes with Sayid, Locke, and… those two. I admit, the jungle scenes were lacking, awkward, and may as well have been omitted completely. At least we had our first direct conversation about “the monster,” even if it didn’t give us anything we didn’t already know. That we close with Locke’s fixation on a Jesus Stick message tells us that he’s again finding purpose and direction, even if it’s just his overactive imagination.

Is it the “best episode ever” that the ABC marketing staff promised it would be? Nah. Is it a major cliffhanger? Perhaps not, though we were certainly on the edges of our seats. (The moment where Sawyer is on his knees, Kate pleading, the “LOST Theme” rising to a crescendo? I admit, I was totally sucked in.) But it was a strong serving of what I think “LOST” does best, and definitely makes me think the next 13 weeks will be very, very hard to endure.

Notes & Notions:

Did Ben engineer Jack’s escape specifically to let him witness Kate and Sawyer together? We think so. “Nothing happens in that place that Ben doesn’t want to have happen,” says Jen. I did find it odd that Alex was the instrument of Jack’s escape, though.
Tampa, Florida is becoming another major “LOST” hub. Hibbs sought out Sawyer in Season One ostensibly to settle up for “the Tampa job.” And now Kevin was a cop in Miami/Dade, filling out paperwork on a Tampa fugitive. And, of course…
Who is Jacob? Pickett groused that Ben was putting his life in the hands of one of “them,” and not only that, but someone who “wasn’t even on Jacob’s list.” Jacob apparently drafted the first list of names, and Ben — discovering a spinal surgeon among the survivors — made a little addition. This implies that Jacob is higher on the Others’ totem pole than Ben, and perhaps the “him” we’ve wondered about since Season Two. For what it’s worth, there was a person named Jacob in “The Lost Experience.”
So what got Locke so excited? The message on the stick was, “Lift up your eyes and look north,” and below it, “John 3:05.” Except that that line isn’t from John 3:05, but rather Genesis 13:14-17. John 3:05 reads, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Read both scriptures here. What does it mean in the show? Probably that Locke will climb a mountain, look north, and see Alcatraz.
Ben gives Jack his word that Jack will get off “this island” after the surgery. Not only is Ben a proven liar, he’s also got an easy out. He can just ship Jack from Alcatraz back to the main island and technically hold up his end of the deal.
I love that there’s now another entry in the “Juice Theory” that SamG posted to The Fuselage a while back. Kate laced Jack’s drink to make him sleep in Season One, and helped Sun try and drug Jin (getting Michael instead) to keep him on the island in Season Two. Tie that to the prominent mention of juice by the Marshall on the plane, and we’ve got a heck of a trend going. And so far, Kate has only used this trick with good intentions.
Locations: Kate went shopping for “taco day” at the Times Supermarket on Beretania Street. She got married at St. Clement’s Church in Makiki.
Music: “Slowly” by Ann-Margret.

Links:

“I Do” Discussion Threads from TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

The Cost of Living Nov 02, 2006

Jen liked it. I didn’t. I can’t think of another episode of “LOST” where our opinions so clearly diverged. Jen felt the show was finally putting out after playing hard to get for so long, and liked that nagging questions were finally addressed. I thought the whole episode was awkwardly paced, poorly written, and amounted to an embarassing stumble in what has otherwise been a surprisingly strong season. Yes, some very big reveals were served up, and for those starved for answers, “The Cost of Living” was probably filling. I just wish it could be more filet mignon, and less Big Mac. And with the promos for next week’s half-season finale unabashedly proclaiming it the best episode ever, I’m very, very worried.

Mr. Eko died. And suddenly, he was a bad person and deserved his violent fate. Up until now, his presumed journey toward redemption was nuanced and dramatic. His drastic switch to evil tonight was jarring and rushed. There are rumors that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje wanted off the show (or was no longer wanted on it), and perhaps Mr. Eko’s demise was neccessarily abrupt. They went down the checklist: Why was he in London? Why was he inspired to build a church? Even so, of all the character deaths so far, the end of Mr. Eko’s story arc was immensely unsatisfying. Even if the real world forced the hand of the show’s creators, I expected better.

Perhaps Mr. Eko’s backstory and death was unceremoniously shoved into an otherwise promising episode. And indeed, what transpired on the island was significant. But even those moments seemed uneven. Drastic editing, or poor writing? I’d guess the former, but what made it to the screen hints at the latter.

All right, all right, let’s start with the juicy stuff.

We see the smoke monster. There’s nothing hidden and mysterious about it now it looms large and kicks ass. And Mr. Eko’s conversation with Locke about what each saw confirms the tantalizing doublespeak by Damon and Carlton a while back, implying that “the monster” doesn’t look the same to everyone. Locke adds a bright, white light to his previous description of something immensely beautiful. But the creature that stalked and finally executed Mr. Eko was very much the opposite.

We get a peek into yet another station, this one containing a man with an eye patch.

We learn, as suspected, that Ben is dying, that Jack has the upper hand, that Juliet’s resemblance to Sarah was no coincidence, and above all, that Juliet dislikes Ben enough to enlist a near stranger to end his reign and his life.

There were little things I liked, too. I imagine only Michael Emerson could deliver the line “shot to sunshine” and still appear menacing. Ben’s exchange with Jack about believing in god was surprisingly effective. And while the funeral scene and its white tunics was bizarre, a random oldies tune always makes things all right. And it implies our Others have some kind of spiritual bent… or Viking link.

But.

Nikki and Paolo? They truly make me want to kick over the television. Their lines are so contrived, it’s almost like they were superimposed on the episode like “Clippit,” spelling things out like we’re all idiots. That scene in The Pearl where she points out the other monitors, and Locke goes “D’oh!” was about as painful as any I’ve seen in this show.

But even some of our old friends seemed to be missing their usual grace. Hurley is used to spell out exactly why Locke isn’t like Jack in the inclusiveness department. Locke responds to the man in the eye patch with a cheesy quip (“I guess he’ll be expecting us!”) that would’ve made the late, great Jerry Orbach wince. Sayid just seemed dopey, dropped in primarily to be told, “Don’t confuse coincidence with fate.”

And the way in which Juliet got her secret message to Jack? I suppose it was clever. But I wasn’t feeling it. Along with everything else, it seemed about as subtle as a Mack truck.

True, “The Cost of Living” is the lead-in to the half-season finale, and traditionally, those episodes have been weak… basically a catch-all bin to put down some markers in advance of the big show. I guess to really appreciate next week’s episode, we basically needed to know that Juliet wants Ben dead, that there’s another station with a creepy man inside, and that the smoke monster is back. And now we know, and now we wait.

Whew. To be fair, Jen’s busy writing her NaNoWriMo novel right now, so obviously this analysis is biased quite strongly in my grumpy-ass favor. I’d earnestly love to hear from those of you who loved “The Cost of Living.” Because I’d rather think I just missed the point and got it wrong, than think “LOST” could take such a wrong turn.

Links:

“The Cost of Living” discussion threads at Lost-Forum.com and TheFuselage.com.

Every Man For Himself Oct 25, 2006

A strong episode, and one focused on a perennial favorite. While Jen has flashback fatigue for some of the original crew, she felt Sawyer’s story genuinely added more to his character. The question is, between the flashback and the island, did we see Sawyer con his way out of prison but get conned by Ben? Or perhaps we’ll later learn he was actually conned twice? And a few minutes are spared for the survivors on the beach, so we can get to know (and dislike?) Paulo better, and get further evidence of Desmond’s premonitions.

Okay, so maybe the fact that Sawyer was conning “Costanza” (I love that!) and was in cahoots with the warden was totally obvious. It was still paced and presented well, gave us another book reference (“Of Mice and Men,” wonderfully referenced again at the end of the episode), and gave us the tantalizing possibility that Sawyer could be a daddy. It would be just so trite and perfect that we simply bask in the reveal that he’s actually got a sense of honor in leaving some money to little Clementine. (Echoed on the island as Ben points out that his weak point is Kate, not self preservation.) But Cassidy’s conned him before, and it seems quite likely she conned him again. There’s definitely more of their story to tell.

On the island, Sawyer surpasses the bears in smarts in coming up with a plan to electrocute his captors, but finds out the hard way they’re being watched. Unlike the prison con, I thought Ben’s pacemaker bunny con was well done. (Given the way critters are exterminated on this show, I was starting to worry that “LOST” would end up on PETA’s hit list.) We get Kate’s utterance that she loves Sawyer… but she quickly recants. So does she, or doesn’t she? Jen doesn’t care, but forced to speculate by her husband, figures that Kate was indeed telling the truth. Me? Well, I’m no fan of Evangeline Lilly’s alleged acting ability, but something about the moment she tells Sawyer she didn’t mean it makes me believe her. Perhaps, indeed, there’s a little Jack love in her skinny little heart.

In fact, to be fair, there were some decent insights into Kate’s character tonight. Well, I thought so, anyway. From her dismay at Sawyer’s glee over Colleen’s injury, to her picking up on Sawyer’s silence and refusal to fight back — saying that his apparent need to lie is scarier than anything she’d expect from the Others.

Remember, Kate was “Born to Run.” What does it say that she didn’t?

Was Juliet’s decision to bring Jack in to save Colleen, ostensibly against Ben and Danny’s wishes, really spontaneous? Or part of a larger plan? Jen thinks it’s all on the level, and certainly the Others couldn’t have expected Colleen to be shot. It certainly adds weight to the sense that Juliet and Ben aren’t on the same page. Still, the spinal tumor X-ray makes it clear to Jack that he’s there to play spinal surgeon. And I got the feeling from Ben’s command to leave Jack to stew with Colleen’s body that he wanted to affect Jack’s psyche somehow. I think they wanted Jack to fail.

We also think that “malfunctioning” intercom is also part of the plot. He’s not overhearing anything they don’t want him to.

Key piece of dialogue tonight? Tom complaining to Ben (in that “hell in a handbasket” way) that the communications link (to the outside world?) has been down since the sky turned purple. Oh, yeah, and the mention of a submarine.

If you’re counting, “Every Man for Himself” marks the second episode out of four where Kate gets naked. “She was kinda orange, too,” Jen notes. It was gratuitous the first time, and now it’s just getting tired. (Fortunately, again, Sawyer defuses the moment, this time with a cold shower.) Anyone want to take bets on whether we’ll see Nekkid Kate a third time before the six-episode “pod” is over?

Speaking of episode titles, the explicit utterance of “Every Man for Himself” was awkward enough. To have Kate attempt to infuse the phrase “Live Together, Die Alone” with some kind of dramatic weight was downright cringeworthy.

Oddly enough, while Charlie’s snarky retorts were a fun touch in the mystical, voodoo Locke episode last week, they came across as flat and callous this week. With only a couple of lines, he was about as unlikable as golfing Paulo was. Seriously, what’s with the “new characters”? I wish they’d just Artz them and move on.

The existence of a second island was, of course, the biggest reveal. If it seemed implausible that the Others little suburban enclave could have gone undetected, a whole offshore land mass going unnoticed seems even more ridiculous. But. It’s clear we still have no idea how big the main island is. Nor do we know, frankly, if it even is an island. We only have some sketchy characters’ word that it is.

A separate island, and the prospect of a second group of Others, definitely creates some huge possibilities for the next two episodes. Yet already I’m dreading having to wait until Feb. 7, 2007 to pick up the story again.

Love the “Pulp Fiction” call out with the giant needle, including the close up and the countdown.
So, Juliet is a fertility doctor. Jen pointed out that Jack’s wife Sarah may have been trying to conceive. Perhaps Sarah was a patient? Perhaps Jack was picked for his spinal surgeon skills before ever getting on that plane?
Jen also noticed one of the Others in the operating room was named Jason. That’s number three, after the guy Ana Lucia shot and the name of one of Kate’s accomplices in the bank robbery.
Where is the Pala Ferry, or rather, where are the barracks? We heard it referenced in The Pearl orientation tape, but that was on the “main island,” along with the long pier. If you were a DHARMA worker on the main island and had to take a ferry to get home, does that imply the barracks are on another island? Possibly “Alcatraz”? Or was the Others’ quaint valley town the barracks? If so, how does the ferry figure into the daily commute at all?
Locations: Halawa Prison, the same location used for Desmond’s flashback last season, and Makapu’u Point, the ridge above the Others’ fake camp.

**Further Instructions** Oct 19, 2006
After two episodes firmly grounded in the real world, “LOST” throws a curve with “Further Instructions,” echoing some of the other decidedly mystical stories of seasons past. Specifically, tonightâ€s story seemed to be a third act, after “Deux Ex Machina” (1×19) and “Question Mark” (2×21), revisiting the underlying arc of faith and redemption. Those who love the spiritual and metaphorical side to the story probably cheered that “LOST” is back. Those hungry for details about the mysteries in the foreground, however, were probably disappointed.

It was great to see Boone again, a character whose strengths seem so much more evident in hindsight. And there was a lot packed into Locke’s vision at the Sydney airport. It was a cryptic overview of the survivors and their respective situations, with more than a few hints of things to come. Desmond as the pilot, having some power but wasting his energies with selfish pursuits. Charlie and Claire and Aaron, at peace… for now. Hurley behind the counter, ever helpful. Jin and Sun lost and in conflict, with Sayid to show the way. And Jack, Kate and Sawyer threatened by Ben (and Kate and Sawyer distracted with flirting), but Locke unable to help them until he cleans up the mess he made for Eko.

I don’t quite know what to make of Charlie, and Jen most certainly could live without him. It seems as if his stock took a sharp dip toward the end of Season Two, but after surfacing in a daze after the hatch blew up, he’s suddenly back on his feet and as wry and snarky as ever. For a character who is supposed to be tortured and conflicted, he certainly didn’t seem to spend too much time on the dark side. That said, he was definitely the best match for Locke in this episode, keeping things grounded when Locke went all voodoo.

And yes, Locke is back. Jen actually cheered. For the wimp-turned-badass we all fell in love with in Season One, it was a bit frustrating to watch as he lost direction and, frankly, got a bit whiny in Season Two. And as flashback/island parallels go, this one did a good job of illustrating the journey Locke has taken, both on the island and throughout his life. But on both sides, the picture is incomplete. After all, we didn’t see Locke clean up his mess on the farm, and he’s just getting started on the island. I’m curious how people will interpret the “farmer versus hunter” dichotomy, and Danny’s assertion that Locke is a “good person” and not a killer. How Locke now answers the call to reunite his island family will, I think, give us a final answer as to his true nature.

It was a relief to see Mr. Eko and Desmond and Hurley again, though there really never was any doubt about their return. When it comes to questions and answers, Desmond’s recollection of a speech yet to be given certainly adds another entry to the former bin. Especially when you realize that Desmond was throwing rocks on the beach when Locke actually gives the speech. Is he clairvoyant? Did he take a trip through time? The only thing we know the hatch “implosion” did for sure was take his clothes. Jen was certainly tickled by that. And he looked just adorable in Hurley’s shirt.

And did Mr. Eko talk to Locke under the tree, or not? I think his comments came from the same place Boone’s did. Wherever that is.

Almost as an afterthought, as the episode drew to a close, we’re introduced to two more survivors, Paulo and Nikki. Their sudden prominence was a bit jarring, especially given the familiarity with which Locke tossed out their names, along with the names of Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. I guess our cast of characters is growing, though it’s unclear if they’re just more redshirts like Dr. Arzt, or temporary players like Ana Lucia and Libby. I’m fairly certain they won’t become one of the “merry band of adventurers.”

Notes and Notions:

The eyeball opening returns. After being missing in action for half a season, we’ve now seen it at the start of two out of three episodes so far. This was a definite mirror of the first shot of the first episode, and given Locke’s speech at the end, it’s clear the message is, “Locke now leads the survivors.”

What did we see in that cave? Apart from Eko and an angry polar bear? A toy dump truck, and a bunch of skeletons and DHARMA logos. Wonder if there’s a link to “Adam and Eve” in the cave from Season One? Anyone see any black and white stones?

Speaking of the polar bear… Jorge Garcia had mentioned, during our lunch, that polar bear technology had advanced since the creature appeared in Season One. But considering how much detail was obscured with jump cuts and close ups, I guess it still wasn’t as convincing as they’d have liked.

Both Locke and Sun have had someone at gunpoint, and both their targets told them they weren’t murderers. Who would have thought it would be Sun who would pull the trigger, and that Locke would back down?

Geronimo Jackson makes a cameo, and we get additional confirmation of the era they’re from. The man who asks Eddie about the shirt, though, seemed to be more than just a little familiar with the band. Any bets on whether we’ll see him again?

Locke’s California drivers license listed his address as being in San Francisco. We also see the Golden Gate Bridge in Locke’s airport vision on the brochure Sawyer is holding. The Golden Gate Bridge last appeared on the wall of the psychic Rose and Bernard visited in Australia in “S.O.S.“

Odd that Locke lost the ability to speak, then regained it, just like he lost the ability to walk, and regained it as well. It makes you wonder if his disabilities are physical, or purely psychological.

Locations: The farm Locke lived on was the lychee farm in Mililani Mauka. And, of course, the airport was again the Hawaii Convention Center. It was neat to finally see the scene I saw them filming a month ago.

We’re Good! Oct 16, 2006

We certainly had an… interesting day, with early-morning earthquakes and an island-wide blackout. Fortunately for us, and most of Hawaii, there were no fatalities or serious casualties. Lots of property damage, mostly on the Big Island, and folks will be cleaning up for a while. But for the most part, it’s just one of those crazy things that will fuel small talk for weeks to come. We were offline, but wandering about town, and I was posting some photos from my smartphone, if you’re curious. Mahalo a nui loa for all the kind e-mails and messages.

**The Glass Ballerina** Oct 12, 2006
I think Jen was about ready to turn off the television when Sawyer started ogling Kate. But it was worth hanging on for the last two minutes. So, the Others are neither as isolated nor as infallible as they first appeared, Alex resurfaces with a tantalizing link with the mysterious Karl, we see a darker side to Sun while Jinâ€s character grows richer, and Ben controls and sees everything but still needs something from our survivors. We still havenâ€t seen much of the grand plan, but itâ€s clear as ever there is one.

I couldnâ€t resist watching the Red Sox scene a few times. Definitely one of the high points of the entire series. It was an important grounding moment in the positioning of the island and the story in the real world, but still done cleverly and with an emotional wallop. (Matthew Fox is surprising us this season.) It seems almost too convenient, of course, given Jackâ€s fatherâ€s fondness for the Red Sox line, but Iâ€ll take it. What was curious to me was how Ben seemed somewhat detached from the significance of what he was reporting. From saying, “Your fellow Americans” to appearing completely unaware of the cultural significance of the Red Sox win, Iâ€m inclined to believe him when he says heâ€s lived his whole life on the island. Heâ€s tuned into the outside world, but isnâ€t a part of it.

The re-programming seems to be working on Jack, too. From giving him a glimmer of hope in the outside world, to relenting in his need to know and control everything, I fear that he just might be turned, and that he (and not Sawyer and Kate) is the one survivor the Others want the most. Considering what they got Michael to do, one has to wonder just what theyâ€re hoping heâ€ll do for them.

Something is definitely up with Kate. The tough, murderous fugitive is suddenly dazed and mousy? Jenâ€s convinced sheâ€s up to something, and has been ever since she got caught in the jungle and ended up being the perfect tool to disarm Jack and Sawyer. And indeed, again, Kateâ€s the reason Sawyer drops the gun. Then again, weâ€re given the impression that Sawyer was just sizing them up, and wasnâ€t aiming for a full-scale confrontation just then. And just as Jackâ€s being slowly reprogrammed in The Hydra, it seems putting Kate in a dress is part of a larger plan to subjugate her. Something happened between breakfast on the beach and the cage, and it just might have been enough to break her.

Speaking of tough characters that suddenly seem impotent, just where was Sayidâ€s military training in coming up with his ambush plan? While I was glad to see more of our friends (after the season premiere was limited to the three captives), it seemed the entire subplot with Sayid, Jin and Sun felt wasted, just to mirror the â€œSun betrays Jinâ€ flashback in the present.

But, Sun has now joined the ranks of killers among the survivors, and interestingly, Colleen met her end the same way Libby and Shannon did. (And theyâ€re all blondes, Jen notes.) We also now know Jinâ€s English comprehension is improving, and that the Others — for all their resources — really wanted that boat.

As for the flashback? The “glass ballerina” referenced in the title shows us, I guess, that Sunâ€s sense of honor is not as strong as Jinâ€s — particularly as we learn that, so far, Jin has not killed for his father in law. The “did they or didnâ€t they” question was answered, further putting Sun in the â€œbad peopleâ€ camp, and putting the question of paternity front and center. I liked how the â€œwho knows whatâ€ map got twisted into knots — Jin has no idea why Jae was targeted, nor that Sun was unfaithful. And do Mr. Paik or Sun know that Jin didnâ€t kill Jae?

Well, I think he didnâ€t, anyway. I think the pearl necklace means suicide. Jen thinks we may learn otherwise later.

It was good to see Alex again, and further evidence that sheâ€s not particularly loyal. That sheâ€s concerned about Karl suggests that heâ€s indeed an outsider or being punished in some way, and not a plant to mess with Sawyer. They both seem to be the youngest Others around, which makes me wonder if Karl has a backstory similar to Alexâ€s.

Speaking of prisoners, who were the other rock movers? Bad Others like Karl? Or the other Others, the burlap-sack wearing, kid stealing, silent walking variety. Although weâ€ve learned that the Others like to put on a show, Iâ€m even more convinced now thereâ€s another group out there. Stealing kids from the Tailies certainly wasnâ€t among the instructions Ben gave to Goodwin.

And I guess the â€˜shippers were thrilled to see “The Kiss,” though once again it was just a ploy. The conversation back at the cages, though, shows that Kate and Sawyer have clear kinship in the troublemaking department, and that thereâ€ll indeed probably be a romantic connection down the line — just as it seems the Others want it.

Notes and Notions:

The brief scene where Sawyer smirks over spotting two Others having a domestic moment (Colleen kisses Danny goodbye) was a nice touch. Knowing that the Others had soft spots was probably what emboldened Sawyer to stir things up later.

Sayidâ€s line about requiring two prisoners, using one to control the other, certainly illustrates a lot of the tactics weâ€ve seen throughout â€œLOST.”

Benjamin Linus? Given the showâ€s obsession with meaningful names, this oneâ€s a mystery. Anagram? A combination of historical or fictional characters?

We got another datapoint in the â€œwho knows Sawyerâ€s real nameâ€ set (following Michaelâ€s confusion over the Othersâ€ list). So Kate didnâ€t know? Guess our survivors arenâ€t as chatty as we sometimes think (or hope).

Numbers: Jae Lee’s apartment number was 1516. But why did the elevator say â€œ2â€?

Locations: They returned to The Contemporary Museum gallery inside the First Hawaiian Center for Mr. Paikâ€s office, but it was definitely set up differently — they even left some of the gallery artwork in place. Jaeâ€s funeral was at the pagoda at Honolulu Memorial Park in Nuuanu. The rock moving worksite looked like the lychee farm in Mililani Mauka. Sunâ€s childhood home looked a bit like Susan Lloydâ€s house in Australia, didnâ€t it?

Links:

“The Glass Ballerina” discussion at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

A Tale of Two Cities Oct 05, 2006

Tonight’s much-anticipated airing of the Season Three premiere of “LOST” was actually our second look at it, as we were among the thousands who enjoyed the sneak preview on Waikiki Beach over the weekend. And while the beach premiere was a blast, enjoying and analyzing an episode in one’s living room is a very different experience. I can definitely say I came away liking “A Tale of Two Cities” better than I initially did. Jen, meanwhile, loved it both times.

It was a strong opening act, but it was just an opening act, setting the stage for the pseudo-miniseries we’re getting this year. Though there were some moments of levity, it was nice to return to the menacing gloom I’ve grown to love, and while I’m certainly curious about our other survivors, I’m glad they limited the episode to Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. And this was definitely one of Matthew Fox’s strongest showings. Newcomer Elizabeth Mitchell, meanwhile, was fantastic. I’m immediately curious about her story.The opening sequence was certainly an eye-popper. At first just a tribute to the Season Two premiere, we’re disoriented and dazzled as we figure out where and when we are. A widebody jet breaking up in a clear blue sky isn’t something you’ll get in any other primetime TV show. And it was cool seeing how our friends “Benry,” Ethan, and Goodwin first started down the path to our survivors.

Jack’s flashback story is straightforward and illustrative. We see how low he spirals as his marriage dissolves, and the roots of the irrational side we’ve seen on The Island. The “cell phone” scene was a great way to jump into a favorite fan theory: that his father was having an affair with his wife. Jack thought Christian destroyed his marriage, but Jack’s mistrust ends up crushing Christian’s soul. And unlike some flashbacks, his journey is clear. He goes from having to know and control everything about his life and Sarah, to wanting simply to know whether Sarah is happy.

As for developments on The Island? It definitely seems like Kate’s “big choice” is going to be much more than just a minor shipper plot point. She asks about Sawyer first, and ends up in an adjacent cage. (I sincerely hope we’re not about to get into “DHARMA Captive Breeding Program” territory.) And speaking of favorite fan theories, we finally find The Hydra station, the “underwater hatch.” (Jay and Jack, rejoice!) And Sawyer’s rat-in-a-cage scenes were fun… if not a bit too cheesy. Souza on the loudspeaker, fish crackers with a DHARMA imprint, and poor Karl.

At first glance, there didn’t seem to be much in the way of answers to bigger questions. But the implications of two plot points and a couple of short conversations deserve some study. The reaction to the plane crash, for one, seems to imply that the Others were surprised on one hand (the crash wasn’t a scheduled specimen delivery), but that they had some protocols in place something they had training for, even if they didn’t expect to ever have to use it. And Juliet’s file? Perhaps the Others aren’t as forgotten or isolated as some has thought. Seems like they’re still connected to the mothership somehow, able to collect names and obtain thick dossiers.

As for conversations, there’s the book club scene where Juliet and Adam argue about whether Juliet should pick a book Ben wouldn’t like (by, of course, Stephen King), and secondly, Jack’s chat with Juliet, in which both Jack and Juliet refer to the DHARMA Initiative as “they,” and Juliet makes clear that whatever operation is in place now is not what it was initially. Whatever Ben and Juliet and friends are plotting now, it’s probably quite a deviation from the original plan.

As I mentioned, I had my gripes about “A Tale of Two Cities” at first, but I’m also coming to terms with the fact that fans sometimes set their expectations too high. And those of us who endlessly speculate or seek out spoilers probably ruin the fun for ourselves sometimes. I’m learning to let go, and enjoy the ride.

Notes and Notions:

The Others’ village, and the charade Juliet, Adam and friends were failing to play reminded me a lot of an episode of Alias (also a J.J. Abrams show) titled “Liberty Village.” It was about a wholly fabricated suburb built in Russia to train agents to infiltrate a typical American neighborhood. The objective? Acquisition of an EMP weapon. Hatch magnet, anyone?
Another Kate in a shower scene! Big surprise.
A poster on The Fuselage picked up on a strong food theme in this episode. Juliet’s burnt muffins and sandwich toothpicks, Jack’s stubborn refusal to submit for food and water, Kate’s nice breakfast (followed by who knows what), Sawyer’s struggle for water and grain…
What was the deal with Karl? An Ana Lucia-like plant? An Other who went astray?
What was the Stephen King book? Adam dismissed it as religious hokum lacking metaphor. Carrie? The Stand?
The Stephen King shoutout was cute, but I wonder… will he be flattered, or annoyed? After all, while he’s a big fan of the show, he recently chided the show’s creators for trying too hard (he was not a fan of the four-toed statue).
Music notes: “Downtown” by Petula Clark, a good match with the Mama Cass song that opened Season Two. And Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” made a repeat appearance in Jack’s car (the same song Sayid and Hurley picked up on the beach via shortwave).
Location notes: The Others’ village looked like Camp Erdman in Mokuleia on the North Shore, Sawyer’s cage and the facility Kate was taken from looked like the old aviary at Paradise Park in Manoa Valley. Sarah’s school was Palolo Valley Recreation Center, the lawyer’s office was First Hawaiian Tower downtown (same location as Jin’s father-in-law’s office), and the police station was the old police building on Merchant Street.

Lost Stuff Sep 03, 2006

After an agonizingly long summer break, “LOST” Season 3 is almost upon us. Of course, the final stretch is often the hardest part. Fortunately, there is some fresh “LOST” stuff out there to help quench our cravings.

LOST Season 2 DVD – The Extended Experience: Holding the #1 sales rank at Amazon.com for a while now, chances are you’ve ordered this. But if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? The episodes are worth owning already, but it’s the extras that’ll really knock you out. Check out the latest episode of The LOST Podcast with Jay and Jack to get the early scoops on the seven-disc set.
Finding Lost – The Unofficial Guide: This new book from Nikki Stafford is due out later this month. Jen and I got an early preview, and she says it’s her favorite “unofficial” book yet (and there have been several). And no, her praise has nothing to do with the fact that some of the photographs featured in the book were taken by from some dork she knows.
Getting Lost – Survival, Baggage, and Starting Over in J. J. Abrams’ Lost: Renowned author Orson Scott Card opens with the proposition that “LOST” is the best television series of all time, and several writers then share their take on various aspects of the show. This collection of essays is a quick read, with a hint of snark that will make any forum lurker feel right of home.
Lost Podcasting Network: If you’re not subscribed to the LPN and haven’t checked in for a while, be sure to give a listen to some of the new “LOST” podcasts that have surfaced over the summer. When Season 3 gets going, there’ll probably be a week’s worth of stuff to listen to for each new episode… the perfect way to pass the time until the next one!

“LOST” returns on Oct. 4… at least for most people. Of course, we in Hawaii will get a few days’ jump on Season 3 with a sneak-preview on Sept. 30. I know, we suck.

Vote Jay & Jack! Jul 31, 2006

Hearty congratulations are due to Jay and Jack of The LOST Podcast with Jay and Jack, who made the finalist slate for two categories in the People’s Choice Podcast Awards (Entertainment and overall People’s Choice). We’re proud of you guys, and we know you’ll do the whole LOST Podcasting Network proud!

If you haven’t voted yet, what are you waiting for? You can vote daily through Aug. 11, so be sure to bookmark the Podcast Awards site or even make it your start page! If you’re a “LOST” fan who blogs, podcasts, or otherwise makes great media, be sure to help spread the word.

Live Together, Die Alone May 24, 2006

What a ride. We loved it. Some big answers, some new possibilities, and some major branches of the sprawling conspiracy tree mercifully pruned. Two hours that didn’t feel like two hours, and such delicious connections and brilliant moments that we’re a bit speechless. “I think we’re going to have to watch that again.” For now, I think we’re going to be limited to random notes and notions.

Desmond crashed the plane. Not a huge surprise, as it was probably the most plausible explanation, but I think it was handled perfectly. On the other hand, it’s now clear the crash was an accident. So, were our survivors on the plane by design? Are all these people on this island for a reason, or not? As far as grand theories go, this knocks a few big ones out of the running.
The last scene of this last episode, just like the first scene of this season’s opener, changes everything. (Imagine if we’d seen a glimpse of Desmond in the hatch at the end of Season One.) For the first time, we see the “outside world.” It’s still there. And people are looking for this island. What this means for Season Three boggles the mind.
Not sure what to make of the Others. They’re not cave people, but they don’t seem particularly intense, either. (“Where’s your beard?”) Either way, it’s good to see Henry again, and that he’s clearly going to be a bit part of the next chapter. Is he “Him”? Jury’s still out. Jen picks up a very strong Kaiser Soze vibe.
Zeke’s real name is Tom. That’s, what, five Toms in “LOST” now?
And Desmond’s full name is Desmond David Hume. Hume being another philosopher, who just happened to have been fond of the works of John Locke.
The button was real, the hatch was important, but both seem to have both come and gone this season. If the electromagnetic properties were what kept the island off the grid, though, and if the “fail safe” blew it all to smithereens, is the island visible again? And will weird things stop happening? I doubt it.
How else can you hide an island? Move it. I’ve liked this theory from the beginning, as it also explains the polar bear and drug plane. Penny Widmore seems to have known enough that the island is concealed by magnetism… but Henry’s instructions to Michael and the call from the monitoring station convinces me more than ever that there’s another reason the island is so hard to find.
Kelvin was Inman. A nice touch. But if the crash was indeed an accident, the continued emphasis on these pre-crash connections are problematic. A little hint here and there was great. Now they’re beating us over the head with them.
Speaking of which… Libby! Now really, can her meeting Desmond in a coffee shop really be a coincidence? “I just happen to have this boat I don’t need…” Either way, it was good to see her again, and it was a surprisingly strong scene.
The giant foot was especially unexpected. Colossus of Rhodes? But four toes. Animal? Cartoon character? It doesn’t look like this island will run out of stories any time soon.
So where does “LOST” leave us? Locke and Eko missing in action, Charile inexplicably unconcerned (but back in with Claire). Michael and Walt heading off to parts unknown. Jack, Kate and Sawyer in custody of the Others (or “the hostiles,” which is a new term for them), and Hurley’s in for a long walk. Will Sayid, Jin and Sun save the day?
Speaking of Sun, I loved seeing her joining the “merry band of adventurers,” rather than once again left behind to play in her garden or fret on the beach. Jen liked the morning sickness scene.
Jen also loved the discovery of the pile of canisters and notebooks. Positively eerie. My favorite scene has to be the reunion of Locke and Desmond. “Box man.” The hatch going kablooey was pretty awesome, too.
How about that Hurley bird? Seems like they’re just having fun with us, rather than dropping a big clue. The “snow globe” reference also falls into that category. Tommy Westphall, anyone?
Henry says, “We’re the good guys.” Coupled with his now disproven assertion to Locke that the button does nothing, our heads are swimming with what he might know or not know.
The shippers must be all a titter. Charlie and Claire, Sawyer’s short chat with Kate about nets, Jack’s valiant attempt to rescue Kate… But, what about “the look” Jack and Kate gave each other before they got sacks on their head. I thought I saw Kate give a deliberate blink signal to Jack, maybe a Plan B. Jen was most reminded of the “carbon freezing” scene in The Empire Strikes Back. Aww.
So the “girl in the picture” was Penny. Jen notes that rules out Penny as the would-be adoptive mother of Claire’s baby. A pity, I kind of liked that theory.
One thing I don’t get (besides the oblivious Charlie thing). If the Others were after Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, why not nab them when they surrounded them in the forest? They even had Locke to play the “go back and tell them to buzz off” role. And again, why them? At least now we know Hurley wasn’t in the “real” set.
“Mmm,” Jen said. “Desmond sure cleans up nice.”
Another book: Charles Dickens’ “Our Mutual Friend.” Summer reading! (I’m really trying to resist picking up “Bad Twin.”)
Locations: I think the prison Desmond walked out of was Oahu Correctional Center in town. The Pala Ferry pier looked like a combination of ‘Apua Fishpond at Kualoa (where Jin met his dad in an earlier episode) and a seaplane pier off Lagoon Drive near the airport. And the coffee shop was Honolulu CafÃ© downtown. That arctic monitoring station could have been anywhere.

Links:

Playing ‘The Lost Experience’? Share your latest finds here.
“Live Together, Die Alone” discussion threads at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com.

‘The Lost Experience’ Continues May 24, 2006

Are you playing the ‘Lost’ Alternative Reality Game (ARG)? Have there been any new clues tied to the Season Finale tonight? If so, here’s where you can post your discoveries, ask for hints, and trade clues and theories. Be sure to check out the previous two ‘The Lost Experience’ threads, here and here.

**Three Minutes** May 17, 2006
Last week’s episode was a tough act to follow, to be sure. And any episode that comes before a season finale will feel more like an appetizer than a feast. But I couldn’t quite get into “Three Minutes.” Eko’s parable, Sawyer’s confession, and the return of Walt (and Vincent) were memorable, and the clues in the scene with Mrs. Klugh were no doubt significant. Tonight’s story felt like the deep breath before the dive, though — like “LOST” was just tying some things down and dropping some dramatic dead weight before the climax.

Maybe it was the all-island flashback, reminiscent of “The Other 48 Days,” where we’re distracted by assorted scenes we’ve seen before. Or maybe it’s because we’ve seen so little of Michael, it’s hard to empathize with him. Whatever the reason, “Three Minutes” felt awkward. Even the funeral seemed like a mere formality. Out of sync with the mood and pace of the better episodes this season.

But we’re a week away from the season finale, so perhaps we shouldn’t quibble.

Several subplots were nudged forward tonight. Claire letting Charlie back in, if only just a little, and Charlie rejecting the heroin… for real this time. Mr. Eko giving up on his church and skipping out on the funeral (you’d think even a fake priest would feel obligated to attend) to assume button duty. Meanwhile it looks like Locke â€“- the wise but tough original Locke — might be back. But where’s he going?

The “Others” camp to the north was where the latest clues were dropped. They do appear to live as Michael said, yet Walt blurted out that they’re pretending, that they’re not who they say they are. Mrs. Klugh, while echoing Michael’s courtroom flashback, alludes to Walt’s special powers. And the “Others” have cherry picked four survivors that Michael is struggling to deliver.

So yet another list, but is this one also the “good people”? We doubt it. Jen figures it’s because Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley are leaders or in some way would hinder an attempt to take over the rest of the survivors. I’m focused on Michael’s statement that those four know… something. What, I’m not sure. It can’t be knowledge of Henry (the whole camp knew) or the first encounter with Zeke (Locke was there). Either way, this list was different.

Jen’s primary beef with “Three Minutes” is that we’re not given a satisfactory explanation for why Ana Lucia and Libby had to die. Yes, a father would do anything, yada yada yada, but there are a multitude of ways Henry could have been freed and the survivors riled up without such a drastic turn. Mrs. Klugh had an interesting line: “They’ll be so angry, they’ll do whatever you say.” Did she expect Michael to figure it out, or forsee what he’d ultimately do? Jen was looking for Ana Lucia and Libby to be targeted somehow, but if Mrs. Klugh said anything, it ended up on the cutting room floor.

I’m heartened, at least, that Michael’s bizarre behavior has finally triggered some alarm bells. Sayid’s figured it out, and I expect Jack already had his suspicions. Mr. Eko’s story of the kid killing the dog implies he’s onto Michael too. Now, a double double-cross in the making.

And how about that boat? We have absolutely no idea what to think about that. (At least without sipping from the spoiler tap.) It ain’t the boat Michael had in mind. If it’s the boat Desmond used to race around the world, where has it been all this time? Unless Desmond’s on board, and his hatch story was complete hogwash.

Notes and Notions:

Michael used a compass? Wasn’t it bluntly established that compasses were useless on the island?

Speaking of magnetic anomalies, Mr. Eko discovered the mysterious humming wall in the hatch. For now he’s content pushing the button, but perhaps he’ll explore a little deeper than the other survivors have so far.

It was good to see Alex again. Jen liked that it turned out that she was at the forest confrontation, but that she wasn’t the one to produce Kate. She’s pretty chatty for a Zeke minion, and clearly hasn’t bought into the whole operation. I hope we see more of her in the future. Heck, I hope we see more of Danielle, too.

Why would anyone inject himself with a random needle? Though I guess if anyone would, Charlie would.

Locke gives up on the button, and Eko takes over. Eko gives up on his church, leaving it to Charlie. Doesn’t anyone ever finish anything?

Two more people are seen getting knocked out cold by blows to the head. Jen asked, “Has anyone compiled the concussion list yet?”

The Sawyer and Jack scene was odd, but entertaining. (It probably rekindled a whole ‘nother branch of fan fiction.) Sawyer’s definitely back on a softer cycle. Jack didnâ€t seem inclined to dissuade Sawyer from thinking he and Kate “got caught in a net” — you know, that way.

Links:

Playing ‘The Lost Experience’? Share your latest discoveries here.

My photos of the DHARMA camp seen in tonight’s episode.

“Three Minutes” discussion threads at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com

More ‘The Lost Experience’ May 17, 2006

Tonight we get another piece of ‘The Lost Experience’ puzzle: LetYourCompassGuideYou.com. What’s there? What happens next? If you want to trade notes or ask questions of other players, this is the place to do it. Don’t miss the previous thread, ‘Sharing the Lost Experience,’ full of other hints, tips, and discoveries.

The Question Mark May 10, 2006

Libby gasps her killer’s name, and dies. Hurley, Sawyer, and Kate mourn. Jack steels his will for a war. Michael glowers in the shadows. The theme plays. The computer beeps. Fade to black. “Hot damn, I love this show,” Jen says, finally taking a breath. I wholeheartedly agree. So much happened tonight, but we happily swallow it all. On all fronts characters, plot, and mythology the forward momentum is palpable. It feels like Season 1 all over again.

Really, it does, in many ways. Sure, we got just as many more new questions as answers, and yet, the good storytelling kept me from minding the overlapping mysteries. But what really left me in awe was the solid link with “Deux Ex Machina” (episode 1×19). With so many details and clues swirling about this season, that link made me take a step back and admire the big picture. Seeing Locke return to that spot, and thinking what it meant and what might have been, made me believe there’s a bigger story, an underlying arc. Even if there isn’t, they got me good, and I love it.

Locke and Boone found The Swan by accident. But now we wonder if they — or rather, Locke (it’s all about Locke) — was supposed to find The Pearl instead. Twice a dream leads him to that place at the foot of the cliff. The first time he was a believer, and was betrayed. (His wry recollection of his line, “Boone was a sacrifice the island demanded,” was brilliant.) This time, he’s skeptical, and yet, something is found.

On this question of “faith,” what does it all mean? I have no idea. Seeing the “The Swan” orientation film reinforced Locke’s belief that he’s been had. He calls himself pathetic. But finding “The Swan,” on top of everything else, convinces Mr. Eko of the opposite. I believe Mr. Eko when he notes they are being tested. But what would constitute success? Or failure?

The fact that Henry wanted Locke to believe the button does nothing just about ties my brain into a knot.

On the question of hatches, the clues are a bit more concrete. “The Pearl” is for monitoring test subjects, sure, but someone’s also watching “The Pearl,” which suggests it’s just another experiment… and that there’s yet another monitoring station somewhere. Zeke had to have some way to know what the survivors were up to, after all, and someone had to target Michael. We’re told that everything is recorded, which makes me think Michael’s crime has more than one way to unravel. And while I’m sure the Marvin Candle/Mark Wickmund thing will stoke the “Bad Twin” theorists, I’m thinking he just uses a different setup for every film. Note that both “The Pearl” and “The Swan” orientations were dated 1980, which makes me suspect even “the incident” (and hence his “dead arm”) may also be a ruse.

Libby’s death? Heart wrenching. Ana Lucia got off easy. I admit, we shed a few tears for her, and especially Hurley. “I’m sorry I forgot the blankets!” Yeah, her hanging around just long enough to cryptically utter, “Michael,” was a clichÃ©, but it worked. It was good to see her in yet another flashback crossover, and with all the unanswered questions about her, I sincerely doubt it’ll be her last.

The setup for next week, though, excites me even more than the ending of “Two for the Road.” Jack has reached his breaking point. Michael is acting just a little too suspicious. And Locke and Eko are headed back to the hatch, and the button, just as the computer starts beeping. Next week’s episode is titled, “Three Minutes.” I can’t wait.

Notes and Notions:

Is the Pearl Station the “?” on the map? Some fans aren’t convinced, but I think so. Eko was fairly certain the map indicated where the “?” was, and found “The Pearl” there, and “The Pearl” seemed to be an observing post for several locations. I’m pretty sure we’ll see more of it in the future.
What about the psychic, who concedes to Mr. Eko that he’s a fraud. Is he a fake or not? What exactly did he see with Claire, why did he change his mind? Jen thought immediately of the schmaltz-fest film, “Ghost.” Whoopi Goldberg is a con artist pretending to be a medium. Except one day, to her surprise, it turns out she can speak with the dead. I’m with her. The psychic may have been a con artist, too, but something happened with Claire that made him believe.
Jen is sincerely creeped out by the orientation films.
Mr. Eko head-butting Locke was a bit unexpected. Just like when Locke whupped Charlie.
Jen loved Sawyer’s choice of hiding place. “It was right there, in plain sight, all along,” says she. “I wonder if that’s a bit of foreshadowing?” With “Lost,” I wouldn’t doubt it.
Some fans have focused on the doctor’s audio recording of the autopsy. We’re inclined to take it at face value, though we wouldn’t be surprised to find secret messages, either.
Jack once again presides over the death of a character. Then again, he is the doctor. Was the heroin simply to numb the pain? Part of me wonders if it was also to put her out of her misery quicker.
The “The Pearl” orientation film makes references to the Pala Ferry and eight hour shifts, meaning that unlike “The Swan,” its occupants didn’t live where they worked.
I can’t quite fathom why Locke decided to put his map in the vacuum tube. If he was just testing it, he could’ve used anything else. Could he have been so despondent about discovering he was just a “rat in a maze” (an abandoned one, with no cheese) that he didn’t care? Either way, I doubt that simple act will not come up later. Who’ll receive that map? And will it be news to them, or not?
Just how long does it take to get to the hatch from the beach? When Jack and Kate find Michael, it’s night. Last week, when Kate and Jack head out to get the guns from Sawyer, it’s the middle of the day. There they find out Ana Lucia took Sawyer’s gun to take revenge on Henry, and presumably they’d make a beeline back to the hatch. But this week, night has fallen by the time they get back (and Michael staggers out). That was a short day. And it means Hurley waited until the next day for Libby to return. Why wouldn’t he go straight to the hatch? (Answer: So Kate could give him the news in a Dramatic Moment^TM.)

Links:

Playing ‘The Lost Experience’?
“The Question Mark” threads at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com.

Sharing ‘The Lost Experience’ May 10, 2006

There are excellent fan sites out there devoted to ‘The Lost Experience,’ the ARG (Alternative Reality Gaming) universe, where clues are collected and analyzed in detail. Wikis are a great way for fans to collaboratively build online resources, such as The Lost Podcast Wiki (from our friends Jay and Jack) and the LostPedia. There are also sections at message boards like TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com. And there are several blogs, official and unofficial.

Visitors to ‘The Transmission’ are a community unto themselves, of course, so we’ll post ‘open threads’ about ‘The Lost Experience’ on occasion to give you a playground in which to share your own discoveries, observations, and theories, separate from the show itself. Have at it!

Lost Camp 27 — **Spoiler: Photos of LOST Set** May 08, 2006
If you don’t like seeing or reading anything about what’s coming up on “LOST,” you should probably avoid this entry. But if you’re a spoiler fan, or someone who just appreciates the art behind “LOST,” I hope you enjoy what I’ve found as much as I did.

As you may have noticed, I love hunting down “LOST” filming locations here in Hawaii. Most of the time, I start my search after an episode airs. But occasionally, I’m able to catch the “LOST” crew in action. Sometimes they’re filming near where I work, or somewhere nearby.

Last week, my friend John send me a link to this message board thread, where a recent visitor to O’ahu spotted a “LOST” set out at Makapu’u Point, on the southeast shore of the island. It looked like a small village or camp, with huts and other structures, as well as a mysterious door set into the cliff with the DHARMA logo on it. He was able to get fairly close, and posted a few photos, which quickly captured the imagination of fans everywhere.

Well, I couldn’t resist. So on Saturday, I drove out there myself. Seeing a guard posted nearby, I took the long way over and around the point, only to find that the guard wasn’t particularly concerned with people wandering around… provided they didn’t touch anything. I even bumped into another camera-toting “LOST” fan named Scott. So, I took out my own camera and started shooting.

So for the enjoyment of “LOST” fans everywhere, I present a tour of the DHARMA camp (hosted at Flickr). Click the “All Sizes” button to see any photo full size. As you’ll see, the level of detail is pretty remarkable. And the mysterious door is a wonder to behold.

As an aside, it’s interesting to read some fans suspicions that these photos are fakes (or claiming they’re from a “mole” at ABC!). I guess if I hadn’t taken them myself, I’d be similarly skeptical. I’m as shocked as anyone that I was able to get the level of access I did. Still, the local “LOST” crew is fairly easygoing, and who knows how much longer the set will be around. In any case, I’m glad I got to see it, and share it.

Two for the Road May 03, 2006

Didn’t see that coming. “LOST” returns after another agonizing hiatus with a bang. Several actually. What happened to Ana Lucia might not have been too surprising, but how it happened was. And the next two bullet victims left us reeling. Jen was even more disturbed by the preview for next week. Things are getting ugly really fast. While I think “Two for the Road” kick-started things nicely, on the whole it was a somewhat uneven episode, with shocking moments but muddled motives. And save for a reveal about Jack’s dad, the flashback was largely a head-scratcher.

So, Michael’s betraying the survivors for the Others, presumably still blindly motivated by his search for his son. His assessment of the Others’ capabilities clearly a lie, and several moments where it’s obvious he saw — and was subjected to — some horrific things. Jack’s ready to lead the charge, but underestimates the enemy, setting the stage for a messy showdown.

Ana Lucia, meanwhile, rushes us through an awfully contrived explanation of why she was in Sydney, a few now-expected flashback crossovers with other characters, jumps Sawyer’s bones, and gets a weak set of epiphanies (no longer running away, no longer killing for revenge) before getting dispatched with little fanfare.

The creators of “LOST” now insist that she was always going to be a one-season character, but her “resolution” seems so weak there’s no way you can’t connect it to Michelle Rodriguez’s real-world troubles.

Still, that Michael was the one to do it was a “holy crap” moment. And Libby? An even bigger surprise. (Recent Hollywood buzz notwithstanding.) That Libby was shot accidentally, in a panic, is reminiscent of how Shannon was killed. Of course, the fact that she was holding blankets in front of her has similarly sparked elaborate theories that she’s not dead. Jen’s convinced it’s curtains for her. I say she’s not dead… yet. I’ll bet her last words will be “Michael did it.” Bummer for Hurley, though.

Was Henry coming for Locke? Seems iffy to send one guy to get him, but then again, it’s fair to say Locke just might have gone willingly. Did Locke make the “good person” list? I’m not sure. We’ve already seen him get two different “verdicts” in his encounters with the “monster.” Everything else Henry has said was simply to mess with his head, so I don’t think this was any different. It’ll just further muddy Locke’s loyalties when the battle royale goes down.

So, Christian Shepherd has a daughter in Australia, and he’s been supporting her and her mother from afar. Jack’s made allusions to his dad being unfaithful, and it better explains Dr. Shepherd’s post-disgrace departure for Sydney. It’s interesting that Jack may have a half-sister, but even more interesting are the theories that she’s Claire. After all, Claire is the only Australian native on the island (if you exclude Cindy), and we know from her flashback that her father was absent (her boyfriend makes reference to all her “daddy abandonment crap”) and that her mother would disown her for getting knocked up. While some pre-crash connections between our survivors seem flimsy, this one would be pretty cool.

The fake Hanso Foundation commercial (pity they had to have the ABC disclaimer), and the spiffy new Hanso Foundation website, are pretty cool too.

Notes and notions:

Jen was thrilled with the “Say Anything” reference. It’s one of her favorite movies. But I love her anyway. Jen brilliantly noted that “Say Anything” is also a story about “daddy issues.”
When Michael goes on and on about the primitive nature of the Others, why do Kate and Jack not express a hint of doubt, considering they know about the fake beard and theater glue?
Okay, so Christian Shepherd obviously didn’t need protection in Sydney, just a driver. Why ask a stranger in an airport bar? There wouldn’t be tough chicks in Australia? And why would Ana Lucia suddenly up and go with this random traveler, after sticking around in L.A. long enough to get a T.S.A. job? Again, it felt badly contrived. And it made Ana Lucia’s flashback feel more like his flashback, an awkward mix I don’t think they’ve attempted before. It’s as if this episode was going to be another Jack story before the word came down to dump Ana Lucia, pronto.
Jen’s been waiting for another Tom to surface, and she got it in Ana Lucia’s alias for Dr. Shepherd. Odd that he picked Sarah — the name of his daughter-in-law, Jack’s wife — for her. Dr. Shepherd and Sarah? That, too, could explain a few things.
Ana Lucia and Sawyer? Really, what was the point? There was more sexual tension between her and Sayid. And I might be willing to accept that Sawyer was dense enough to get conned out of a gun for sex, but I can’t believe he could get his pants back on and walk back to the beach and only notice it’s gone when Jack confronts him.
Sawyer’s “Midnight Cowboy” cameo in the flashback was pointless, but amusing.
It took us forever to find out that Mr. Eko was building a church. How many episodes will we have to wait to figure out what Sayid’s hole is for?
Numbers: Cop cars had them on their roofs. Michael counted 22 Others, which would be 23 if you add Henry.
Music: “After Midnight” by Patsy Cline makes a repeat appearance.
Books: “Bad Twin” comes back yet again. I’m officially annoyed.

Links:

Damon Lindeloff: “Everybody is going to think we’re killing her off because she got a DUI.”
The Hanso Foundation
“Two for the Road” discussion fora at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com.

S.O.S. Apr 13, 2006

We’ve loved Rose and Bernard since we first met them, so we enjoyed the focus on them moreso than perhaps fans of the “classic” cast of characters. But I think Jen liked “S.O.S.” better than I did. It had some wonderful moments — from Bernard’s proposal at Niagara Falls, to the creepy Henry smile, to Rose crossing paths with Locke at the airport — but I thought the flashback was rushed and the island segments empty… save for the last two seconds. For an episode that leads us into a two-week hiatus, I was expecting more. Jen, though, felt the emphasis on how the island healed Rose (and Locke) was significant (albeit not a new idea to most “LOST” theorists), as was yet more acknowledgement of things that previously seemed to defy common sense.

The writers do definitely seem to be going out of their way to explain things better, although it still seems a bit forced. Why did Jack bring Kate? Because Sayid (the more practical choice) already declined. Why hasn’t anyone talked about that “medical hatch”? Because Kate was still sore no one told her about Henry. Not good explanations, but explanations nonetheless. There must be a fan forum researcher on staff now.

Definitely noticed the direct acknowledgement of the “40 other survivors of the plane crash” — or, as the late, great Arzt put it, the folks who aren’t part of the “merry little band of adventurers.” Bernard calls out some names — including Frogurt (I thought Damon and Carlton were kidding) — and we see more unfamiliar faces than usual. One of them (see notes below) seemed to be especially visible.

“S.O.S.” brings us another mystical encounter, Rose’s faith healer Isaac, a clear parallel to Claire’s psychic. Both men are startled by what they see, and seem to directly portend their arrival on the island. Although Rose’s ailment was cancer, Isaac’s specialty seemed to be physical disabilities, and the focus on crutches, both in his office and on Locke’s crutches on the island, seemed pretty deliberate.

On a purely snarky level, Jen could barely stand Kate this week. “She hit the Kate trifecta,” she noted: tagging along needlessly, getting wet, and screwing everything up. The whole close encounter in the net was downright embarrassing. But I’m sure the “Jaters” were wetting themselves.

Notes and Notions:

So Isaac heals people by channeling mysterious energies from the Earth, which may be magnetic. The island may be “the spot” for both Rose and Locke. (And maybe Jin.) This healing trait, though, makes a distinct contrast with Danielle’s obsession with “the sickness,” and the misfortunes that have befallen others. Perhaps the island, and not the Others, is exacting judgment on “good people” and “bad people.”
So what’s with the pale old guy? Folks on The Fuselage noticed, as I did, that the camera seemed to linger on this background character this episode… and found him in “Dave” as well. Just a distinctive looking extra? Or someone we’ll learn more about in future episodes? A mole, perhaps? I’d like to think so. He’s a friend of a friend.
Vincent’s back. Looks like he’s lost weight, too. Loved how he trotted up to the lone Sawyer in the closing montage that otherwise showed us happy pairings. Well, except Sun didn’t look particularly happy.
Speaking of funny looks, Kate seemed to squirm a bit as Jack recounted her capture. She also doubted they’d found the right spot even though Jack was certain. How she came to be held by Zeke and company is still a mystery.
So what was with that trap? Why a doll as bait? Jack and Kate suspected Danielle, and maybe it is as simple as that — was it an old trap set to somehow capture her lost daughter? But I’d like to think it was something more than that, and not just a pointless device to smoosh those two together.
For the third (or is it fourth?) time, someone directly asks Mr. Eko what he’s building, and only now there’s an answer (courtesy Charlie). Yes, it’s a church. Now why, exactly, was this such a big secret?
As Bernard notes, “everyone on this island is building something.” So what was Ana Lucia’s project in the hatch? She seemed to be tweaking the exercise equipment. Perhaps to convert it into some kind of Henry torture device? It was she, after all, who created the hole for Nathan.
So Jack’s handy with a gun, too. Another hint at his past? His recently noted time in Thailand, perhaps? As “hints for a future flashback” go, his are really piling up.
Why was the “S.O.S.” abandoned so readily? We know how some of our survivors might have found themselves happier on the island than they were pre-crash, but is that true for everyone? Even if Bernard (“Norma Rae”) was a lousy leader, a rescue signal or sign seems like a perfectly reasonable project to me.
Music: The song in the hatch was “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding, one of many musicians who died in a plane crash. Interestingly enough, the same song is also in the background of Rose and Bernard’s flashback. I don’t think they’ve done that before.
The snowy street scene was filmed in a narrow lane very near to where I work. They had to haul all that ice down and spread it around. Actually, that lane is also on the same block as the parking lot where Ana Lucia shot Jason in “Collision,” and where Locke and Anthony Cooper chatted about the safe deposit box in “Lockdown.”
Looks like much of this episode was filmed in the early days of the stormy weather that plagued Honolulu for 42 days. (Hey, that’s one of the numbers!) I imagine the next few episodes will also feature unusually wet island scenes.

Links:

“S.O.S.” discussion threads at The Fuselage and Lost-Forum.com

Dave Apr 06, 2006

The mythology fans are probably howling at the moon, but as character-focused episodes go, we liked it a lot. Probably more than we should. We actually didn’t learn too much new about Hurley, or the island, and the whole Dave plot was one big ruse (practically a direct poke in the eye for the “it’s all someone’s dream” conspiracy theorists). Obviously there are a lot of clues and revelations in store as the season wraps up, so despite the fact that this week’s episode wasn’t particularly enlightening, it was a fun ride. Even if you spoiled yourself silly.

So we learn what led Hurley to be institutionalized, and exactly why his food addiction and weight issues are so deeply ingrained. On one hand, it’s clear he’s not quite cured, but on the other… hey, he got the girl. So what if she’s also loony toons? And we liked the Dave bits, too you might have suspected he wasn’t real as soon as you saw him snubbed on the basketball court, but the slipper and coconut still kept us guessing. And the conversation where Dave explains how everything since Santa Rosa is all in Hurley’s head? He made a pretty damn good case. I mean, those numbers? The lottery, and the button? Really.

I suspect more than a few viewers were on the verge of exploding.

So you had a dash of “The Sixth Sense” (but we were spared the melodramatic “gotcha” montage), “Identity” (Dave has got to be modeled after Malcom Rivers), and finally, “Vanilla Sky” (but with a cliff instead of a high rise). And it all adds up to squat, we know, but c’mon. Hurley kicked Sawyer’s ass.

Sayid nearly killed Henry (which would’ve prompted some fans to riot, after Ethan also took answers to his grave), but Ana Lucia deflected the shot. Echoes of the moment Sayid saved Locke from Shannon’s rage. And Mr. Eko is infuriatingly silent about what he’s building (though it’s not a Starbucks). Not sure what he was doing with the water, but Jen the Catholic insists it was not the Sign of the Cross.

For the clue-hunters, there were still a few good nuggets to chew on. First and foremost, Henry’s reference to a “he,” which Sayid caught, and the confirmation that Zeke is not the man in charge (something Zeke himself implied when scolding Ethan). Weirdly enough, I’m now actually open to the possibility that Henry wasn’t originally an Other… but that he’s definitely linked with them now, willingly or unwillingly.

Secondly, Henry asserts that God can’t see the island any better than anyone else. Why can’t anyone else see the island?

Finally, you have Henry’s assertion that the bunker is a “joke,” and that nothing happens when the timer runs down. Of course, lots of folks doubted the button did anything. But now that Henry’s saying that, we’ve got to doubt that doubt.

Notes and Notions:

What does Libby’s presence in the institution mean? Evidence that she’s up to something, either stalking Hurley or even tracking Lenny for the Hanso Foundation? Or was it just another survivor flashback “crossover,” like the dozens that have come before, except for once someone had an inkling of recognition? The fact that this reveal closed the episode, rather than the truth about Dave, makes me suspect the former.
Hurley went to Sawyer for medication. Jen noted that Sawyer should have surrendered all the drugs to Jack. Then again, it would be just like Sawyer to neglect to mention it, meanwhile prying for more information.
In a moment of panic, fearing Sayid would shoot him, Henry blurts out that he can’t be killed because he’s not a bad person. Not only does this continue the “good person”/”bad person” distinction, but it shows that Henry deeply believes that no harm should or could actually come to a “good person” like him.
Sometimes, the writers throw in dialogue to prove some semblance of common sense, like the sudden chat about the food drop, a possible plane flyover, and its connection to the blast doors. Maybe such “grounding” wouldn’t be so jarring if our survivors thought and talked about their circumstances more often.
Hurley dragging Sawyer back into the tarp was funny. Jin laughing as he watched was hilarious.
Dave says, “See you in another life.” That, of course, was also Demond’s parting line. The fact that he said it before jumping off the cliff is a pretty direct link to “Vanilla Sky,” in which David says the same thing before leaping off the skyscraper. “Vanilla Sky” was about life extention, one of the projects of the Hanso Foundation. (Someone at The Fuselage reminded everyone that Nadia’s letter to Sayid also ended with a similar sentiment.)
Charlie joked that Mr. Eko was building a Starbucks. Someone actually tossed out that thought on a message board a couple of weeks ago.
Hurley joins the growing list of survivors directly responsible for the death of others. Unless you already counted the “eight something” people who died at his Canadian sneaker company.
Numbers: There were 23 people standing on a deck built to hold eight people when it collapsed.
Hurley’s doctor had a huge picture of a tropical island on his wall, which could have been another exhibit in Dave’s list of reasons why the island isn’t real. But since it is, maybe sometimes a picture is just a picture.
The real Henry Gale wrote a note to his wife Jennifer on a $20 bill. Yes, it was a “new” $20 bill, issued in mid-2003.

Links:

“Dave” discussion threads at The Fuselage and Lost-Forum.com

More Lost Podcasts Apr 03, 2006

If you haven’t tuned into the Lost Podcasting Network lately, you’ve missed the debut of three more great “Lost” podcasts.

The brilliant mind behind Sledgeweb’s Lost Stuff now has his own podcast: Sledgeweb’s Lost Podcast, of course. Sledgeweb has always been one of our favorite “Lost” resources, and this podcast benefits from Ben’s encyclopedic knowledge of the show. If your preference is for a level-headed, fluff-free discussion of “Lost,” Sledgeweb’s show is bound to be a favorite. [iTunes]
If you’re relatively new to “Lost,” and feel somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer volume of discussion and theorizing that “Lost” inspires, you might find a kindred spirit among the crew of Totally Lost. Melissa, John and Andrew are not new to podcasting, nor to obsessive fandom: their credits include Pottercast (The Leaky Cauldron) and Mugglecast (MuggleNet). But they are relatively new to “Lost,” and hearing the thoughts of folks just discovering “Lost” mania is a refreshing change. And they record as they watch in commercial break-sized chunks. [iTunes]
Taking a different tack is Your Theories About Lost, a podcast that eschews episode-to-episode reactions and analysis, and focuses, instead, entirely on the underlying mythology of “Lost.” And rather than letting a host preside, this podcast is composed entirely of listener submissions calls and forum posts. [iTunes]

It’s incredible how the “Lost” podcast family has continued to grow. However you hunger for “Lost” talk, something will surely satisfy. A hearty welcome to Chris, Ben, Melissa, John and Andrew! We’ll be listening.

Lockdown Mar 30, 2006

A new countdown, a lockdown, a creepy map, and a supply drop. A whole lot of meat for the mythology fanatics to chew on this week. On top of the clues, we had Jack showing some cunning, and Henry Gale continue to climb the charts as a great character. (Even if he’s evil.) Jen’s not entirely satisfied, though, expecting a lot more concrete answers to Locke than we got.

So what triggered the lockdown? Some kind of PA system crackled to life, a woman’s voice saying “please” something (step away from the doorways?), then counting down to the doors slamming shut. It also seemed to “pause” the 108 minute button timer. Our guess is that it’s tied to the supply drop. A pending delivery prompts the lockdown… but exactly why, we’re not sure. Why keep the “test subjects” contained? Unless someone else is supposed to handle distribution.

The glowing map is also a mystery. It’s apparently a map of the different bunkers, with lots of detailed notes. (Sledgeweb’s captured it here. No doubt countless hours will be invested deconstructing every scribble.) The fact that it seemed to have taken some time to sketch implies that those doors actually came down regularly. But why write it “secretly,” where only black light would reveal it? And why did black lights conveniently come on, after it sounded like our button timer timed out? And did it time out? Henry was sure quiet for a while, and reappeared behind Locke. Did he even enter the code, or even enter the dome at all?

And yeah, he’s an Other. Or someone deep in their web.

As to the flashback, I guess we learned how Locke lost Helen. And Anthony Cooper’s mention of the $700,000 being a “retirement con” (i.e. he’s scammed folks out of more than a kidney) pretty much cinches it for the folks who are convinced he’s the real Sawyer. I wonder if there’s a more direct money link, too — our Sawyer’s “long con” of Cassidy netted him $600,000.

On the “shipper” front, it was nice to see Jack get the better of Sawyer, and for some nice foreshadowing to be planted about Jack’s past — the tattoo, and time in Phuket. (Jen envisions some cool “Memento” style backwards flashback, perhaps directed by Daron Aronofsky.) And to much great “squee” among “Jaters,” it seems he hasn’t quite given up on Kate. Hurley’s line about being in the “loop” was odd — yeah, people keep secrets, we get that, but he’s also been pegged as a blabbermouth.

Notes & Notions:

So, Nadia was in California, like the CIA said, and I guess she was making good money at that medical testing facility in order to afford a house. But didn’t Sayid say she was dead (while on the island)? Did she want him to think that? He must have had doubts, if so, if he was on Oceanic 815 to Los Angeles. And… medical facility? You know Nadia has got to have a link to Hanso somewhere.
Leaving aside who made the supply drop, who were the supplies for? The Others? Or just Kelvin/Desmond? Do the suppliers even know what’s happening on the island?
Henry only needed to hear the numbers once, and I suppose that’s suspicious. I’d love for him to have had a Hurley-like moment of recognition. But I’m pretty sure some of our other button pushers also demonstrated remarkable numerical memory.
It was neat to see an Oceanic Airlines plane overhead as Locke arrives at his father’s hotel. But I guess the digital artists were so proud of their work, they just had to throw it in again minutes later.
Favorite lines: “Should I get a ruler?” Or “Somethin’ was burnin’ and it wasn’t from the sunshine.”
Numbers: The safe deposit box was number 1516. Henry Gale’s street address was 815 on his driver’s license.
Music: Locke was pedaling to Les McCann’s “Compared to What.”
“Lockdown” discussion at The Fuselage and Lost-Forum.com

Now, about that scene for which I was a “background extra.” Yeah, it was cut. I expected as much, as I realized how much they’d have to cover “on the island.” What’s really remarkable to me, though, is just how much work ended up on the cutting room floor. They built out a whole bank exterior (with a fake ATM) and bank lobby, signs, tellers, the works. They had us hapless extras walk up and down the block over and over again, a set of pre-1995 cars drive past over and over again, and Terry O’Quinn park his truck and run across the street over and over again. A day’s work for 100 people. But in the episode, he just opens up the safety deposit box. I sure hope the street and bank scenes make the Season 2 DVD.

By the way, the bar where Locke and Anthony Cooper talk is Murphy’s Bar and Grill in downtown Honolulu, a popular spot and one of our only “Irish pubs.” It’s a block from where I work, and they filmed that scene the same day they filmed the bank scene. The graveyard and hotel looked familiar, but we couldn’t quite place them.

The Whole Truth Mar 23, 2006

A good episode. Not a barn burner, but still a healthy serving of Lost-y goodness. After the last mythology-rich episode, I guess a story focused entirely on the characters can seem a little flat. But I liked the flashback, wherein at least we learned things we didn’t previously know, and where things are left somewhat ambiguous, rather than sewn up with a big twist. And on the island, the mixed loyalties and keeping of secrets are getting so thick, even our survivors sense that things won’t end well. (The “I’m the last to know” device is getting a little old, though.) I thought Daniel Dae Kim shined in this episode, and that Jin’s character got richer and more complex. Jen, however, was miffed at his early outburst, and suspects it’s a hint of a darker turn. We’ve both always liked Ana Lucia, though, and this episode was a good one for her.

So, is Sun’s baby Jin’s? I say yes, Jen says no. “It’s that look,” says she. A woman’s intuition. Is Henry Gale an Other? Jen and I still say yes breathtaking preview for next week notwithstanding.

It was fun to see the Ala Wai Canal and the back of the Hawaii Convention Center featured so prominently in the flashback (and the city bus crossing the bridge in the background). True story: I was originally supposed to be a background extra in that scene. Even better true story: I ended up a background extra in next week’s episode instead. And that one looks like it’s going to be nirvana for the mythology fans.

Random notes and notions:

So was Sun unfaithful? Or is Jin not sterile (anymore)? If it wasn’t infidelity, one could theorize about the pregnancy two ways: either the island “fixed” Jin like it did Locke (both describe things in terms of a “miracle”), or the island made Jin’s deep desire come true (as some other character’s wishes have been realized, for better or worse).
Mirrors and reflections factored heavily in this episode. Jack and Locke’s shower scene, and several scenes in the flashback (Sun entering the hotel room, and later standing at the window).
Jack’s lecture to Sun about telling “the whole truth” sure seemed loaded. A secret he knows about Sun? Or foreshadowing more of his own backstory (given the sketchy pregnancy conversation he had with Sara before she left him)? Interestingly, Sun got advice from both Jack and her English teacher, and both of them qualified their advice by saying, essentially, “I’m hardly the person to say this, but…”
Voices speaking backwards again? This time, it’s the conversation between Bernard and Sawyer from Jin’s point of view, made unintelligible to illustrate his inability to understand English (a creative device used in Season 1). Still want to know what they said? Member gumpy5 at The Fuselage posted a transcript and an audio file with the voices reversed.
The pregnancy test is a product of Widmore Labs. Any relation to Widmore Construction? The company whose name was supposed to be visible in the background during Charlie’s flashback in London? That’s a pretty varied portfolio. Maybe Widmore and Hanso are competing multinationals.
Other or not, Henry Gale is turning out to be a great character. So good, in fact, that his comments about ending up dead are probably right. “Do you have any milk?” One of my favorite closing lines ever.
And how about that opening scene? (Opening in a flashback, no less.) Eye candy no matter your hormonal preference.
Charlie produces a gun, and no one asks, “Where did you get that?” Especially glaring since Charlie gave the best knowing smile when Ana Lucia said, “Jack and Locke are too busy worrying about Locke and Jack.”
Another book reference, and an odd one at that: “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margret?” Seems Sawyer’s running out of stuff to read. But Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov made a second appearance, and I don’t know if any other book reference has spanned more than one episode. Can the epic tale of three brothers be a hint of what’s going on in “Lost”? At nearly 1,000 pages, it might be perfect summer hiatus reading. Or not.
Another quick (and fun) reference to Hurley’s hoarding. His secret is surely not long for this world. And some charming Rose and Bernard banter. Definitely a pair of characters we’d love to know more about.
Something’s being built, and it includes a dining table. Is that Mr. Eko’s project? (Most common guess is that it’s a church.) If so, I can see Charlie pitching in, but how did Sayid get involved?

Links:

“Maternity Leave” discussion threads at The Fuselage and Lost-Forum.com.

**Got “Lost”?** Mar 15, 2006
Even with the repeats, it’s a good month for “Lost” stuff.

The one we’re really looking forward to is the **official “Lost” soundtrack**, featuring the excellent, distinctly eerie orchestrations of Michael Giacchino. This long-awaited gem is finally less than a week away from shipping. Check out the track titles: “Worldâ€s Worst Beach Party,” “Booneral” (and “Shannonigans”), and “Run Like, Um… Hell?” among them.

Due out in April, “**Unlocking the Meaning of Lost**.” If you’re a “Lost” theory buff (and could do without the cheese factor of some of the other published “Lost” works), this is right up your alley. The authors are Lynnette Porter and David Lavery, who’ve previously written analyses of The Lord of the Rings, Twin Peaks, The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We got an advance copy, and Jen devoured it immediately. Look for a review from her soon!

There are also a couple of “Lost” items up for bid at the “**Clothes Off Our Back**” charity auction. A **bottle of HQ Hpnotiq** autographed by the entire cast, and the **pair of flip flops** that Terry O’Quinn wore to the SAG Awards. The auction runs through March 31.

Finally, even if you missed the Creation Entertainment Sci-Fi Summit this week, they’re always adding new “Lost” merchandise to their **online store**.

Maternity Leave Mar 02, 2006

A thoroughly excellent episode. An unusual one, too, with no pre-crash flashbacks. Lots of wonderful little links to things that came before, but much more tantalizing were the hints and implications of what’s coming. It was good to see Mr. Eko again, and who knows what he’s up to (cutting down marked trees, and cutting off a chunk of beard). He seems to think Henry Gale is connected to the Others, though, and now I’m even more convinced. Jen has also come around on that point, given that he too has clearly figured out just how to rattle Locke’s cage.

Things to ponder:

How about that mobile hanging over the crib? Commercial jets are an odd choice. Oceanic Airlines jets? Even odder. The fact that it played “Catch a Falling Star”? Absolutely intriguing. After all, it was “Catch a Falling Star” that Claire asked the would-be adoptive parents in Season 1 to sing to the baby.
Seems like the drug administered to Claire’s unborn baby was the same drug Desmond injected himself (and later ran off) with. So is Desmond an Other? Was Kelvin? More importantly, what is it? If it’s a vaccine, and in limited supply, having to choose “good people” sounds like a likely development. It also sounds like another psychological experiment.
So maybe there aren’t two groups of Others, but there are two sides to them. Ethan, Goodwin, Zeke out of costume, all seemingly bright, clever folks, but rough, dirty and raggedy when “in character.” But why? Efforts to sustain an image of a primitive environment despite having access to modern technology definitely adds to the “it’s all an experiment” theories.
The costume pieces in the hatch were totally unexpected, and I’m still not sure if it’s a twist I like. “It’s all an elaborate production” is a little further down the theory continuum toward “it’s all a dream” than I’d prefer. Presuming that was Zeke’s hat and beard, they were there in the past couple of days (after Zeke confronted Jack and party in the forest), and it sure seems like they left in a hurry, too. Maybe the countdown in the Swan station spooked them?
That’s twice now Locke has stopped Claire from going to the hatch. It’s implied this time, though, that it’s because they’re hiding Henry Gale. Jen’s not sure why that’s a secret. Because it might scare people? Inspire a lynch mob? Or simply because of how it makes his captors look?
Interesting to learn more about Ethan. I thought we saw a hint of a softer side, and liked that he perhaps was not the most respected member of the crew. Jen’s convinced he was just being his conniving, sinister self.
Who is the “he” that Zeke said he had to report Ethan’s “list making” failure to? And is “he” on the island, or in contact from afar? The DeGroots? (If Zeke isn’t a DeGroot.) Or the big man himself, Alvar Hanso? I’m betting the latter, because Zeke so proudly quoted the man.
Sun’s brief outburst about a mother never leaving her child smelled like a big pile of foreshadowing.
More and more, I’m loving Rousseau (and appreciating Mira Furlan’s talent). It was good to see Claire in the spotlight, too.
Jen loved the Stephen King shoutout. And more literature links: Dostoevsky vs. Hemingway.

Links:

“The Whole Truth” discussion threads at The Fuselage and Lost-Forum.com.

SPOILERY BIT: Next? Again with the reruns. Next new episode will air on March 22. How about the preview, though? Sun wants a pregnancy test? Jen just about fell out of her chair. (Why would Sawyer have one, though? Who takes a pregnancy test on a plane?) The… “encounter” probably pre-dates the crash, and my bet is that it wasn’t with Jin. There’s something big coming in her flashback. I saw them filming that episode, and it looked both familiar, and yet a lot more contemporary than the period when she first met Jin.

I also got up close and personal with the shooting for the following episode (a Locke flashback). We just can’t wait to see these stories air.

One of Them Feb 16, 2006

A good episode. One of the stronger this season. Jen definitely thinks it was a good notch above both “Fire + Water” and “The Long Con.” I think it fits well, and now together the sense of direction this season is more clear.After the brief drought in mythological elements, it was great to have a focus on the “Others,” and the Jack-Locke showdown over the armory combination was incredible. What happens when the counter hits zero? Well, Jen felt pretty cheated to find that, essentially, Jack was right nothing happened. Something sure as heck was about to happen, and it sure sounded big… but it looks like that’s one promised “answer” that we’re going to have to wait for. I don’t think fans are going to stand for a third fake out, though. I’m just saying.

Speaking of “answers,” though, at least we got one stubborn question solved Hurley’s weight. In fact, while “One of Them” had great dramatic moments, it still had us laughing out loud thanks to the Sawyer/Hurley “frog hunt” subplot. But in a growing series of surprising twists, we certainly didn’t expect Sawyer’s last act. He seemed on the verge of feeling sympathy for Hurley’s turtle story, and fought it the only way he knew how. Or, maybe he just wanted to ensure he wasn’t about to end up with a friend again.

The flashback was pretty good, too. We see where Sayid made the much-touted promise to himself… a promise he’s now broken twice. A surprising amount of CGI, though. Not bad for primetime TV.

I’m definitely intrigued at how quickly our survivors are fragmenting. Instead of factions, we’re seeing lots of rogues. Charlie was ostracized. Sawyer made everyone his enemy. The rift between Locke and Jack grows. It’s still unclear how well the Tailies are integrating. And now, it seems Sayid is forging his own path as well.

Notes and links:

Is the captured “Other” really an “Other”? Jen says no, pointing to Locke’s remark about everything being relative to Danielle, everyone is an “Other.” I vote yes, based mostly on the look on the man’s face after Jack pulls Sayid back. Oh, and there’s his name, Henry Gale… Dorothy’s uncle in The Wizard of Oz.
Another flashback crossover, with Kate’s dad carrying a photo of Young Kate (courtesy gumpy5) and Sayid.
Sawyer is not an animal lover, obviously. But his pursuit of the frog clearly mirrored his obsession with the boar in Season 1… except that he let the boar live.
How about those hieroglyphs (via Sledgeweb)? This post at TheFuselage.com claims the translation is “cause to die.” Or, the causitive form of the verb, “to die.” Maybe simply, “You’re dead.”
Finally, the numbers reappear. The film Sayid watched came from “REEL 23108-42” (gumpy5 again).
Jen was thrilled to see Clancy Brown (a.k.a. “Mr. Krabs”).

Next week, another rerun. But the March 1 looks like another good dose of “Lost” mythology.

The Long Con Feb 09, 2006

First impressions? An interesting episode that continues the darker mood of “Fire + Water” with some interesting twists. Almost no clues for the sci-fi theorists, and a lot of emphasis on characters and motives… some of which left us scratching our heads. On the one hand, it made us sit up and say, “Well, now things are getting interesting.” But some of the turns our old friends take Jack, Locke, Charlie, and of course Sawyer seemed unusually sharp, at least packed into one episode.I think the identity of Sun’s would-be kidnapper was a great surprise, as was how the anticipated “Jack v. Locke” face off instead led them both to be conned. Sawyer’s double double-cross to close the flashback was also a nice touch, and Kate’s guess at his motives (especially after he clearly disliked being liked in previous episodes) is a fair one.

But we were left with plenty of questions. Just what else is driving Sawyer? Seems this turn proves what some of the creators have said about the journey of the characters not being one way (liked to disliked, bad to good). If it wasn’t the Virgin Mary statues (and simply embarassing Locke), how did Sawyer talk Charlie into a second drastic abduction attempt? And Locke’s sudden panic when Sawyer rattles his cage about Jack seemed a little off. His remark to Jack about locking up the drugs adds to the “he’s up to something” theory, but he was also surprisingly unsteady. Part of the evolution of his character’s nature? Or just a random quirk to advance the plot?

Some random thoughts…

Yep, there was Kate’s mom Diane in the restaurant scene. Didn’t seem particularly significant, but it was one of the few crossovers where the characters interacted directly, as with Jack’s dad and Sawyer in Australia.
Locke was looking for more film, it seems. The book he was flipping through was “An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge.” It’s a short story (that was also adapted for a Twilight Zone episode) that you can read online, with a twist that links it to many of the other literary references we’ve seen.
Hurley was reading “Bad Twin.” The closest we’ll get, hopefully, to product placement.
Locke is superstitious, too? What an interesting mix of beliefs he’s turning out to have.
Sawyer tells Charlie he’s not a “good person.” Wonder if, over time, each character will basically categorize themselves?
Jen actually had a dream last year where Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” figured heavily in an episode of “Lost.” Too bad no one will believe her.
Hurley’s “another time” line: meaningful hint toward a time-travel theory, or yet another jab at obsessed fans? We’re guessing the latter. If so, though, they were picking up an FM radio signal from east of the Mississippi (the call letters started with “WX”).
Loved the return of the Scott and Steve thing. Craig and Dylan must be thrilled.
The restaurant where Sawyer and Gordy met was Bob’s Big Boy in Mapunapuna (you could see Moanalua Freeway out the window), and the place where Sawyer and Cassidy shacked up was indeed a model home in Mililani Mauka. Didn’t see the pigs reported on the set, though.

How’d you like the episode?

Early Warning Jan 25, 2006

Aloha, “Transmission” listeners! We’re a day away from our next new episode, but things in our sector of the island have been a little crazy lately. And, on top of this confluence of chaos, it appears that Ryan has even contracted “the sickness.” (Well, at least a really bad flu bug.) We beg your patience and understanding as we muddle through.

Perhaps we’ll be able to put out a “shortwave” episode to at least keep the “LostLine” conversations bubbling. You guys are smarter than we are, anyway!

Next week is a re-run, and while that’s horrible news for “Lost” fans, it’ll hopefully give us extra time to sort things out. We remain utterly humbled and inspired by your support and enthusiasm! Namaste, good luck, and stay ‘Lost’!

Checking In Dec 16, 2005

The holiday season means in-laws, flu bugs, and end-of-year day-job mayhem, but never fear, our next “hiatuscast” is still in the works. Keep those “grand theories” coming! In the mean time, do check out some of the great stuff our fellow “Lost” podcasters are putting out during the break via the Lost Podcasting Network.

If you have a free moment, we also invite you to fill out our Podtrac Podcast Audience Survey. It’s skewed toward marketing-types, but it’d still be a helpful way to let us know how we’re doing overall.

Stay Tuned! Dec 08, 2005

You know you’re a podcaster when… a fussy baby preempts your show. (Edward R. Murrow didn’t have to put up with this stuff.) We did have a mini show planned for this week, but only got about a third of it in the can tonight before an erupting molar pulled us out of the “recording studio” (i.e. our den). Hopefully things will settle down and we’ll still be able to send out a transmission by the weekend.

Thanks for hanging in there with us, folks. Thirty three days to our next new episode!

**The Official “Lost” Podcast from ABC** Nov 07, 2005
If you like the sound of a “Lost” podcast, but could do without the family-den production values and amateur talent of our show, it looks like ABC is cooking up something just for you. Yes, there will be an official weekly “Lost” podcast from the network, featuring interviews with cast members and insights from the show’s creators. We do hope you’ll still stick around for our episode-by-episode reviews and fan feedback, though! Official ABC press release follows (and thanks to Cinefantastique Magazine for the tip).

ABC IS SET TO LAUNCH THE FIRST OFFICIAL â€œLOSTâ€ PODCAST SERIES ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

First Podcast Will Be Available on ABC.com on November 8

Future Podcasts will be Available on both ABC.com and Appleâ€s iTunes, Beginning on November 15

The ABC Television Network will be launching the first official â€œLostâ€ podcast series on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8. The first podcast will be available on ABC.com. Beginning on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, all future podcasts will be available on both ABC.com and Appleâ€s iTunes.

Each week throughout the November sweeps, various â€œLostâ€ cast members, along with informative conversations between creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, will tease the weekâ€s upcoming episode, as well as answer fan questions.

On Tuesday, November 8, the first podcast will feature Josh Holloway (Sawyer) and Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) providing compelling insights into filming some rather rough raft scenes. Lindelof and Cuse will be on hand to discuss the first season, music and the upcoming episode â€œAbandonedâ€ (airing on Wednesday, November 9).

Lindelof and Cuse commented, â€œDamon and I began dreaming about podcasts back when we were working on â€˜Nash Bridgesâ€ together – even though there was no such thing yet. Now that those dreams finally make sense, we couldn’t be more excited. If such excitement were measured on a scale of 1-7, ours would be a 19.â€

The â€œLostâ€ podcasts will be available for download on the official â€œLostâ€ website at lost.abc.com (beginning on November 8) and on Appleâ€s iTunes (beginning on November 15). Users will be able to download the podcasts on both sites at no cost. Podcasts will remain available on each site for an unspecified time.

Fans wishing to post questions to the producers of â€œLostâ€ can do so on the â€œLostâ€ site at lost.abc.com.

A podcast is the distribution of audio files for download. You can then hear the podcast whenever you want from your computer or a portable media player.

On this Wednesdayâ€s episode, entitled â€œAbandoned,â€ Sawyerâ€s wound becomes life-threatening as he, Michael and Jin make their way through the interior of the island with the tail section survivors. Meanwhile, Shannon is once again haunted by visions of Walt, and Charlie becomes jealous of Lockeâ€s interest in Claire. Ian Somerhalder and Malcolm David Kelley guest star as Boone and Walt, respectively.

â€œLost,â€ which airs WEDNESDAYS (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network, stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Mr. Eko, Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Maggie Grace as Shannon, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Dominic Monaghan as Charlie, Terry Oâ€Quinn as Locke, Harold Perrineau as Michael, Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia and Cynthia Watros as Libby.

J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof co-created â€œLostâ€ and also serve as executive producers, along with Bryan Burk, Jack Bender and Carlton Cuse. â€œLost,â€ which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, is from Touchstone Television.

Where Are You? Nov 04, 2005

From Norway to North Carolina, Canada to Kansas, our mind boggles at how “Lost” fans are tuning in to our show from around the world. One of our listeners suggested that we set up a Frappr that’s a “friend mapper” for “The Transmission.” Show your hometown pride, and help illustrate the global appeal of “Lost.” Add your name, ZIP code or city, and even a photo today!

Enhanced Transmission Oct 17, 2005

Prompted by listener suggestions, we’re experimenting with “enhanced podcasts,” or AAC files with chapter markers, graphics, and links for chapter-capable players (like iTunes and iPods). This will make it easier to skip between segments in “The Transmission.” If you want to get enhanced versions of our show rather than the original MP3 flavor, use this feed in your podcatcher or aggregator.

Chances are “The (Enhanced) Transmission” will come out the day after the original show. Try it out and let us know what you think… is it worth the wait?

[ The Transmission featured in Television ] — **Nifty!** Oct 15, 2005
Yahoo! has jumped into the podcast directory fray with a pretty sharp setup. You can find “The Transmission” listed right here. Works with iTunes (via .pcast) and the Yahoo! Music Engine. Ratings and comments welcome!

Also, “The Transmission” made its iTunes Podcast Directory front page debut today. Number 12 in the iTunes Top 100 Podcasts list, too!

We even got a link from AOL’s snazzy “Lost on ABC” page, alongside many of our favorite fan sites.

Thanks, everyone, for your support. I’m sure we’ll stop getting giddy about this stuff eventually. In the mean time, we’ll be sure to let some pressure out of our heads now and then!

iTunes Top 100 — **Stage Fright** Oct 04, 2005
Jen just noticed that “The Transmission” has popped up in the “Top Subscribed Podcasts” in the iTunes Music Store podcast directory. Number 56 of the 100 listed, with a few Harry Potter podcasts as neighbors:

Says she, “Holy cow!”

UPDATE: Number 40 as of October 6. Number 30 on October 7!

Genesis Sep 22, 2005

In the summer of 2005, both the hit television series “Lost” and the incredible media phenomenon known as podcasting entered their second year. We figured it was about time we brought these two great things together!

Since February, I’ve put out a Hawaii-centric podcast called HawaiiUP. My wife, Jen, has a regular segment called The Pith of Pop (based on her review ‘blog of the same name), and we frequently devoted our chats to the hit ABC television series “Lost,” which is filmed in Hawaii and is, above all, a great, great show.

Many of the listeners of HawaiiUP confessed they liked Jen’s segments best of all. Several said they particularly liked our “LostCast” chats, while others wished we’d cover other things now and then. The solution, then, was obvious: an all-“Lost” podcast. After we watched the second season premiere a week earlier than the rest of the country on the beach in Waikiki, we knew “The Transmission” had to happen.

If you’re familiar with podcasting, then you know that “The Transmission,” like most podcasts, is an amateur effort by people with no background in broadcasting and, to be honest, with sometimes very little of substance to say. If not, just be forewarned that you’re not going to find “Entertainment Tonight” or anything of that calibre (or with that degree of commercial slickness). Think of “The Transmission” more as a friendly conversation among friends and fellow fans.

The show, also, will evolve, and will hopefully grow with listener input and participation. Much of the fun of J.J. Abrams’ incredible drama is talking about it and musing over it with other people. So we hope a big part of “The Transmission” is… well, you.

Who knows… maybe we’ll also be able to bring you on-the-spot reports and interviews, too!

Finally, while this should be obvious, we should probably mention that (clears throat) “The Transmission” is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, ABC, Touchtone Television, or Bad Robot Productions, nor linked in any official way to the creators and producers of the television show “Lost.” All trademarks used are properties of their respective owners. “The Transmission” is a purely fan-based, fan-focused production. And we would also like to thank the State of Hawaii and the Aloha spirit!

Okay, with that out of the way… Ready? Time to get “Lost.”

Originally posted as “Genesis” in September 2005.

Pesky Claim Codes Sep 22, 2005

Please pardon our dust while we “claim” this podcast in various directories: Technorati Profile. My Odeo Channel (odeo/3286c7e3162e4aa5)