"Lost" Season 3 Episode 9 - Stranger in a Strange Land

Well, my mind needs a rest from the last 2 weeks of LOST. How about everyone else? I actually found this episode a nice change of pace from the DETAILS and QUESTIONS packed episodes that kicked off this 2nd leg of season 3. I'm still digesting the Desmond-centric episode from last week. Did he time travel? Did he imagine it? Well, executive producer Damon Lindelof has provided some guidelines for what to consider from that episode as we move onward in LOST. I'm going to take this verbatim from Jeff Jensen's weekly digestion of LOST in Entertainment Weekly:

"1.The episode is essentially an ironic riff on some Big Ideas put forth by Desmond's namesake, the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Those big ideas include a skeptical posture regarding the notions of interlocking cause-and-effect and seemingly miraculous phenomenon.

2. According to Lindelof, the events that transpired in Desmond's flashback ''did NOT happen ''solely in Desmond's imagination.'

3. If Desmond truly did travel back in time, says Lindelof, then ''ANY changes he made during this series of 'flashbacks' indeed DID happen... and thusly, the ramifications of said changes might reverberate later.''

4. It would be a faulty leap in logic to assume that because Desmond's flashbacks were a form of time travel, then ALL flashbacks on Lost have been a form of time travel. ''I don't really see anything in the show to support that,'' says Lindelof.

5. Otherwise, the episode is open to interpretation."

Clear as Mud, right? Basically, Lindelof said (and confirmed in the podcast) that we are to assume that Desmond actually EXPERIENCED his past again and did not imagine it. And that we should expect to see repercussions for his different decisions. Apparently, these are stepping stones to the ultimate "GAME CHANGER" that is planned later this season. Everything we thought we knew is going to be turned upside down and frustrate/excite fans even further! Can't wait!

For now though, let's discuss Stranger in a Strange Land, the 2nd Jack Flashback episode of the season. Let me start right off the bat by saying this. ABC needs to seriously look into their Marketing strategy with these promos for LOST. Even the producers stated they have no control over how ABC markets the episode and never would've said that 3 Great Mysteries will be resolved. Rather, 1 Minor Mystery would be semi-resolved...that of Jack's Tattoo (more on this EXCITING revelation (yawn) in a bit!) So, don't get mad at the show. Get mad at ABC, and in the future take everything they claim in the promos with a grain of salt. And sign up for the LOST Podcast through itunes or listen at lost.abc.com (also read recaps and watch episodes there!!)

Let's see what we can dig up from this limited details episode!

Jack's Flashback

Okay, so we get more information on Jack's time in Phuket, Thailand. He referred to this during a game of poker with Sawyer last season. Yet, we saw no games of poker in this flashback. Instead we get to see him try to find himself for a month by having some fun with Achira (Don't know the spelling, but Bai Ling's character.). Jack is mystified by Bai Ling's (we'll just call her that) "gift." And just can't let it go. He learns how to fly a kite, is happy he doesn't have to deal with his Dad, and well...he becomes a stalker so he can get a tattoo. Exciting stuff isn't it? Let's break down the significance of the tattoo for a bit.

• Ever since season 1, references to Jack's tattoo have been made. Started as an inside joke between Kate and Jack where Jack wouldn't talk about it, season 2 Sawyer asks how he got it during the Poker game. The stupid thing is...it's actually Matthew Fox's real tattoo, and the producers have seemed determined to work this into the show. Well, they finally did. Congrats!
• I'm confused by Jack's motivation to be "MARKED" because Bai Ling claimed to be able to "SEE PEOPLE" for who they are and then mark them. We have learned over the seasons that Jack has quite a temper problem. I'm surprised he didn't go all Britney Spears and ask Bai Ling to shave his head also!
• So Old Lady on island that speaks Chinese said the tatoo means "He walks amongst us but he is not one of us" Ahh a line that works on so many meanings. First, Jack wasn't allowed to be MARKED by Bai Ling because her people would not understand. Definitely has ties to Jesus who was referred to as Shepard (Jack's last name as well). And of course Bai Ling told him what she saw in Jack and it was a Leader, a Great Man but Lonely and Angry. Jack tells old lady that he knows what it says, but it's not what it means. I guess Jack likes the tattoo because it's a constant reminder of what Bai Ling told him. And well, we've seen all of those traits on the island. I tell you, I'm really falling out of my seat from this exciting revelation! (does sarcasm come across in blogs?)
• I guess we are to assume that this binge in Thailand takes place immediately after causes his father to return to his alcoholic ways and after his divorce. Did he take a month's leave of absence from the Hospital? We know he returns there to get his Dad removed as Chief of Surgery or whatever he was. These time lines are getting confusing to track! I'm sure some website out there tracks it for us! (I'm so smart, click here! Not updated yet for latest flashback)

Jack's Continued Captivity

Okay so Jack is moved to Sawyer's cage after some comedic dialogue between him and Tom (unintentional comedy of course). He is watched by tail-section survivors and entangled in a fight to keep Juliet alive after her killing of Pickett. Meanwhile, he makes another chess move of negotiation with Ben resulting in him needing to be Ben's doctor for the foreseeable future, ending in Jack being shipped off to OTHERSVILLE. Details from this storyline:

• Tom: "See this Glass house you're living in? Why don't I get you some stones?" oooooh Tom, chilling. Jack pours his soul to Tom about how he thinks the others are evil people, and this is the response we get? Patience is running thin amongst viewers on finding out WHY The Others consider themselves GOOD PEOPLE. We know we're going to find out this season. I'm guessing episode 11 (others-centric episode) will reveal some major stuff.
• We meet Isabel, some old lady referred to as the Sheriff. I think we can confirm that this is not the same old lady from Desmond's episode in the ring shop. Isabel apparently knows Chinese. And seeing her interrogate Jack and Juliet shows that the others have some sort of social structure all established. Juliet claims that their punishments are "Eye for an Eye" so her penalty for killing Pickett is death.
• Jack and Juliet's relationship advances throughout the episode as Jack finds out Juliet killed Pickett to save Jack's friends. She also did it with motivation to get home. You see Jack change his feelings for Juliet in stating to Isabel that he lied about Juliet wanting Ben dead.
• Of course, you really can't put any weight into this budding relationship since Ben is still playing games/not playing games by telling Jack that he can't trust Juliet. But you gotta think there is something behind all of this Grilled Cheese making! (mmmmm I would love me a grilled cheese right now)
• I guess it's worth noting that Alex was helping out Jack in this episode as well. Nothing too important there except Jack now knows that Alex is Ben's Daughter (adopted or not is yet to be determined)
• Ben might be paralyzed from the waist down. May never be able to walk again. Do we think that this will tie into Locke's paralysis and "miracle" on the island? Oh, I'm guessing that's a 90% certainty on that one. Can't wait for Locke's next flashback!
• How about seeing Cindy and the Kids again? Kinda sad when the girl Ana Lucia rescued asked how Ana was. Of course, then we remembered it was Ana Lucia, and weren't too sad! Cindy mentions that they are here to WATCH and that it's complicated. This naturally, makes Jack a raving lunatic and screams at everyone. A Caged animal indeed. End result? We didn't learn a damn thing!
• Oh right...and Juliet herself now got MARKED after Ben wrote his little letter to keep her alive. She has a nice brand on her back. I guess this marks her as some kind of Outcast, similar to Jack's "Mark" signifies he was outcast from Thailand. Whether this symbol becomes more important down the road? We'll find out eventually!

The adventures of Kate, Sawyer and Krazy Karl

Okay, mainly this was a filler so that we don't GUESS on how they found their way back to the main castaways' camp. Time needs to advance in order to set up the next major storyline (THE RESCUE OF JACK). But there were necessary plot points that occurred here that were essential to make this happen.

• Kate and Sawyer pretty much find out that the others live on the same island. Pretty sure they'll put 2 and 2 together and realize that they'll move Jack there. Meanwhile, Locke still hasn't headed NORTH to rescue Kate, Sawyer and Jack. Perhaps NORTH is the location of Othersville? I thought North was where the FAKE CAMP was last season. But whatever!
• Sawyer is a little bitter that Kate seems preoccupied with Jack after their "Relations." But he's probably pretty spot on that their "RELATIONS" only really happened because she thought Sawyer was a dead man.
• Karl definitely was affected by that brainwashing film as he kept ranting off the messages from it. Or just the one "God Loves You as he Loved Jacob"
• Karl reveals 2 things. What do they use the Hydra station for? To work on projects. (great! We kinda knew that!) Why did they take the kids? To give them a better life, better than yours. Again, referring to the GOOD PEOPLE vs BAD PEOPLE vibe. They want to get the kids while they're young and raise them to be GOOD PEOPLE also. Put into this that they recruited a fertility doctor and you get the theory that the OTHERS are all incapable of having children. Of course, it's all a theory at this point.
• Alex and Karl seem to be obsessed with Teddy Bears as they named a constellation Ursa Theodorus (which Karl suggests means Teddy Bear) And of course we got to see the infamous Teddy Bear from the tail section kids once again. The last time we saw this bear was when Eko and Jin saw those crazy barefoot kids silently marching through the jungle. Yeah, I forgot about that until just now. We are still nowhere closer to finding out what THAT was all about!
• Anyway....Sawyer sends Karl off to be with his true love....pretty much sending him off to his death. Kate makes a good point that Karl could have led them to OTHERSVILLE. It's okay guys, you have John Locke!

And to cap off this "setup" episode? We got our first Musical Montage episode of the season. Man, I missed these! I guess we've dispelled any formula suggesting that they did these every 4 episodes. Best thing about the Montage....we see Karl and Alex cheesily looking up at their Teddy Bear Constellation, Benry looking pathetic as he's boarded onto ANOTHER BOAT???, and of course....I couldn't help getting a TITANIC VIBE between Jack and Juliet as they stood in the front of the boat with the music blaring. Well, in an episode with GRILLED CHEESE, may as well put as much cheese as you can get into the WHOLE episode! And yes, I'm including BAI LING!

So that's it. Not the best episode, and definitely not the worst (The Charlie episode "Fire + Water" in season 2 still is KING) Anything else you all want to discuss? Feel free to use the comments section of the blog! I love discussing LOST! I appreciate everyone forwarding this blog on and on to everyone you know. Based on our new hit counter below, we have a rapidly growing audience. Exciting stuff! But I'm still seeing limited comments! Don't be shy! REPLY! (See? I can do CHEESE also!)

See you next week where we begin OPERATION RESCUE JACK!

"Lost" Season 3 Episode 8 - Flashes Before Your Eyes

WOA!!! (yeah not just WOW this week, it's a WOA week!) Now that was one crazy episode! Where do we even begin talking about it? Well let's ease into it. Let's ask this question first. Is anyone still doubting the power of LOST? I'm sure there will be complainers that this episode dealt primarily with a season 2 addition and to top it off, it was mostly OFF the island (well...sorta!). But on the flipside, Desmond has been a fan favorite ever since we saw him riding his bike in the hatch to "Make Your Own Kind of Music." And his backstory seems to have some major relevance on the overarching mythology of LOST with Penny and Charles Widmore. Others may complain that we didn't see Jack or Kate and Sawyer.....well these were the same people complaining that we didn't see anyone else on back at the beach. I'd like to consider this the passing of time as Sawyer and Kate travel back to the beach, and time away from the OTHERS (while possibly meeting MORE others). Of course, the non-stop season of LOST should help lessen the complaints, until we run out of episodes in May again! But me? I LOVED the episode! It totally blew me away mentally, but in a good way! The wheels are turning again folks!

Well let's get into it! Watch the episode again or read recap if you want at lost.abc.com (I still don't know why I keep doing this! Just seems out of habit these days!)

Okay, well last night was definitely an episode that requires discussion, so I expect all of your feedback after this one. Obviously, I haven't got it all figured out but I will share with you my thoughts as I was watching the episode, and discussions I had after the episode that made me see the episode in a whole different way.

Plot Synopsis

Basically, Desmond has another vision on the island and rescues Claire from drowning, meanwhile pushing Charlie aside at every change he gets. We are reminded of him knowing about Locke's Speech before it happened and about him knowing about the lightning that struck Clarie and Charlie's tent. Charlie and Hurley go on a mission to get Desmond drunk and ultimately get him to spill the beans on his new found skill of premonitions. From here on out we get what seems to be a flashback of when Desmond turned the key in the hatch. We are taken off of the island and into Desmond's Past. Another flashback episode....hmmm but there's a twist! Desmond feels like he's been there before and has brief flashes of another life (ON THE ISLAND!!! woaaaaa!!!). By the end of the episode Desmond tells Charlie that he saw his life flash before his eyes, how the flashes never stopped when he caught up to the present day, and that he has been trying to save CHARLIE from certain doom (the lightning struck him originally and Charlie originally drowned by trying to save Claire). Hints of Groundhog Day, Quantum Leap and Final Destination (AGAIN!!) ensue! Now let's discuss some theories of what happened! Then we'll get into some crazy easter eggs.

Theories
Well there are a few different ways you could've looked at Desmond's "experience" (for lack of a better word). Let's try and make some sense of it:

• Desmond never left the island. It's all in his head and someone is meddling with his mind - I just assumed that this is what was going on. Based on all of the crazy visions everyone has been having on the Island. There is clearly something messing with all of their heads. We've seen dead people come to life on the island, many of the survivors have had very vivid dreams or visions. But never have we seen someone that traveled back into his own flashback. So it might just explain more of the island's power....especially with the introduction to MITTELOS (LOST TIME) last week.
  
• Desmond turning the key ACTUALLY made him travel through time and get to relive his life. - I just don't know if I can get onboard with this one, but it does suggest some intriguing possibilities. If Desmond actually DID go back, did he return to the island once Jimmy knocked him out? Was this the universe course correcting itself because he was going to tell Penny how he really felt? Why wouldn't he just wake up after being knocked out and then go tell Penny? Why wouldn't everything play out until he got back to the island again? How would the island bring him back if he actually traveled through time? Or what if he DIDN'T return to the island at that exact point; and the producers are just saving room for more flashbacks? Could this lead to why Desmond told Jack "See you in another Life" at the stadium in Jack's season 2 flashback? Maybe Desmond had a future flash of Jack on the island before he even met him?
  
  Drives the mind a little nuts doesn't it? Time Travel will do that! It's a risky subject in the movies and on tv because there are so many chances to screw it up! But the dork in me (which is a lot of me) loves the possibility!

Obviously Desmond is seeing flashes of the future for some reason. Is it because he already lived it? Or is it because someone/something or the island has already seen it? Or is someone causing these flashes to occur like the visions Locke, Eko and Charlie have seen? It might not even be the real future that Desmond is seeing, just what he THINKS the real future is. And maybe that is what's important for now.

But what's up with the Old Lady in his "flashback?" She seemed to have a lot of knowledge on what DESMOND did do in his original past, and what his destiny is. Her purpose seemed to be to drill into Desmond's head that he can't change his or anyone else's destiny as the universe will course correct itself until it gets his way (Predestination, good times). Desmond's destiny is to save the world by pushing the button and then being forced to turn the safekey. She also implied that this is the "GREATEST THING he will ever accomplish" and that "WE ALL" will die if he doesn't push the button. So was that the entire world? or just "WE ALL" on the island?

Desmond even refers to his subconscious and that she's really not there. Was she there in the original past? ARrrrgh my head is spinning! Anyway, the Old Lady had a very "ORACLE/Architect meets NEO in the MATRIX" type of discussion with Desmond. And she drilled into his head that he cannot change what he is destined to become. Just like she couldn't stop the man with the red shoes from dying (more on him in a second), Desmond cannot avoid is island destiny. So 2 weeks in a row we get the Final Destination shout outs. I really hope they aren't turning LOST into a lousy Teen Horror flick!

(Tons of Clocks in this store. TIME (tick) TIME (tock) TIME (tick) TIME (tock))

Alright, I think it seems like I'm all over the place. It's probably because I am! Fantastic episode, but too many questions and too many possibilities to make any sense of it!

Desmond's Flashback (What we learned happened in his past)
Thought it would be interesting to try and capture what ACTUALLY happened in Desmond's past

• Desmond tried to win over Penny's father in order to marry her. But with his lack of education and military background Charles Widmore found Desmond to be not worthy. This seems to have caused Desmond to join the military and then eventually be dishonorably discharged (for what we've yet to see)
• Desmond originally went ring shopping, but then did not buy a ring to give to Penny. In this alternate version, he TOOK the ring.....but STILL didn't propose (universe course correcting itself?)
• We learned how the infamous picture of Penny and Desmond was taken. We all tried to guess where that picture was taken, and it was just a backdrop of a marina that they chose for a quick picture.

Other Stuff:

In no particular order, I noticed the following things and thought I'd share:

• Clock in Desmond's "FLAT" said 1:08
• Sarah McLaughlin's "Building a Mystery" plays while Desmond looks around confused in his apartment. Touche' writers....touche'
• Delivery man said "Delivery for 815"
• Painting in Charles Widmore's office had Polar Bear, Buddha Statue (from the brainwashing film) and a message written semi-backwards (would be front ways in a mirror),"NAMASTE" (Dharma Guy loves saying it). From this can we conclude that Widmore is backing island activities? Or are we in a mirrored past that only RESEMBLES what Desmond actually went through?
  
• Old Lady points out Guy with Red Shoes - and then he gets smashed by a building....kinda like Dorothy's house came down on the Wicked Witch of the East and her red shoes. LOST loves its Wizard of Oz references. Apparently Kelvin wore the same Red Shoes as well. I can't confirm this right now. Heard it on the radio this morning.
• Hurley: Desmondo!
• Charlie was in the "flashback" - does that mean he was there the first time too? He sang a clip from Oasis's "Wonderwall" conveniently the lyrics say "Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me" Nice foreshadowing! Also, Charlie's Middle name is Hieronymus.
  
  From Wikipedia:
  

  "Hieronymus Bosch, (latinized; also Jeroen
  Bosch or his real name Jeroen van Aken) (c. 1450 – August, 1516) was a prolific Dutch painter of the
  15th and 16th centuries. Many of his works
  depict sin and human moral failings.
  "

• "Make your own kind of music" plays 2 times in "flashback." This song will always remind you of Desmond any time you hear it, won't it? Any other relevance to them using the song again? Beats me.

• Desmond found his book after the hatch implosion. The one he wants to read before he dies. (and the name is escaping me right now. I'll fill it in later if I feel like it!)

• During the Soccer games if you take a closer look at the ads on the wall, you'll see OCEANIC, Hanso Foundation, Buddies Diapers (Charlie Commercial), Apollo Candy Bars, Mr. Cluck's chicken shack, Kronos (reference to time), etc... All LOST related corporations

• Hurley is found reading "Laughter in the Dark" by Vladimir Nabokov and John Banville.
  

Okay, so what's the bottom line? Do we think Charlie is destined to die now? Does this upset anyone? I think it'll be pretty hard to get rid of his character at this juncture. There is still that storyline hanging out there of him abducting Sun, plus he's CHARLIE! He's Merry from Lord of the Rings! You can't just kill him! He is bloody DRIVESHAFT! That is why I believe this whole Desmond thing is all a manifestation in his head and that their future is not predestined. (Except that they were all destined to be on that island). Of course, we don't know WHEN said death of Charlie would occur. It could be next episode, it could be next year, it could be 50 years from now.

Other bottom line? This Old Lady is probably a character we're going to get to know a bit better. Looks like we see her talking to Jack in next week's episode...ON THE ISLAND. Can it be a coincidence that Desmond had some kind of crazy vision with her in it too? Just a lot of uncertainties.....but this is when LOST works best. When people CARE about the confusion that the show causes! This episode stands up to some of the greatest from season 1 that simply just boggled the mind at the time.

I'm going to keep racking my brain on this one and may come up with a totally new theory, but this is where I stand for now. Anyone else want to share their thoughts? Please do! I'm going crazy over here!

I also apologize at the lateness of this blog, but I did give you advanced warning last week. This is probably a more realistic time to expect them in the future. Until you readers start coughing up some money, I'm going to have to put my day job first! Hope you enjoyed the read and see you next week!

"Lost" Season 3 Episode 7 - Not in Portland

Welcome back LOSTIES! My my it has been too long, hasn't it? Well, I for one am glad that the show is back. I was starting to get to that point that I forgot what I was missing. Last night's episode erased that feeling from existence. And all I can say about the episode is...........WOW!!! Now, I can see where people may say it may not have lived up the hype that the episode received. But what was there not to like? There was suspense, action, more LOST mythology that will drive your mind crazy (well some people may not like that!), and (for the first time since maybe last season) an engaging Flashback! And the best part is, we know that we're heading onward to 15 more episodes quickly, so there's no sense in getting too frustrated! And, we know we're heading back to the BEACH to revisit some of our favorite characters! For the most part, the captivity is over. Only poor self-sacrificing Jack remains with the others. Though I'm sure this will lead to even bigger reveals, and of course the big RESCUE mission being planned by non-compliant Kate (a la the previews for next week).

No sense in delaying. Let's get to the goodies! As always, you should be able to rewatch the episode online or check out the abc recaps (plus tons of other great stuff) at lost.abc.com


Juliet Flashback

The flashback was a little slow to get going, but by the end of the episode, we were all itching for more! Turns out that Juliet was RECRUITED for experimental studies on LOST Island. The whole concept of recruiting brings on a whole realm of topics to discuss. But the WAY she was recruited makes for some even more interesting discussion. Let's dive in to the flashback

• Okay, so Juliet was living in Miami and doing some experimental studies in the Fertility field. Her sister, Rachel, was a Guinea pig for her studies who apparently had issues with getting pregnant. (Or was it that she wanted to be impregnated without the assistance of a male counterpart?) So, we're not really sure what Rachel's illness was. Was she a cancer patient? Or did the side effects of the experimental drugs cause her to become fragile and very ill? Well, if we get another Juliet Flashback from even further back, we might eventually find out.
• By The Way, Rachel's pregnancy test was another one from WIDMORE LABS (As in Charles Widmore and Penny Widmore and Good ol' Desmond!). Not sure if there's any way to tie this back to Sun yet, but there is a possibility that we may not know the father of Sun's unborn child yet (aka not Jin and not Baldy#2).....maybe SHE took part in some experimental drugs. It's a stretch, but with this show, even stretches are worth noting!



• Juliet's studies did not go unnoticed as her ex-husband wanted in on the profits and the mysterious Dr. Alpert (Not to be confused with the Office's Jim Halpert. Did anyone notice if this guy is Angelo from J.J. Abram's "What About Brian?) was trying to recruit her for studies in Portland. But when pressed, we found out that the experimentation was not being done in Portland but at some "off-site location." And just to confirm that we know it's the island, they put Ethan in Miami to help with the recruitment. So what is the significance of Dr. Alpert? Are we going to see him again? I'm guessing so.
• As for Ethan in Miami, this confirms that SOME people can get on and off the island (well that is they could until something we'll discuss in the Jack section) as long as they know how.
• Apparently Edmund Burke, Juliet's Ex-Husband, is the same name as an 18th Centry British Politician that was sympathetic to the American Revolution. Draw your own conclusions from that one. I'm LOST!
• Dr. Alpert shows Juliet a x-ray/ultrasound of a womb of what appears to be a 70 year old woman but it's confirmed that the woman is 26! Since this was 3 years ago, do we know any 29 year old females roaming around the island? Possibly Sun, but I figured she was older. Kate is around 26. Claire is probably a bit younger. Or it could be just some random woman. I'd say it's interesting enough to remember for future episodes though!
• Oceanic Plane was spotted landing in Miami. This obviously holds no significance and they just throw this type of stuff in to please fans.
  
• LOST producers, in their Q&A promised us an anagram in last night's episode that would shed light on the ADAM AND EVE skeletons Jack and Kate found in season 1 and possibly shed light on the overall mythology of the show. The anagram came as in the name of the "Company" that was trying to recruit Juliet:
  
  
  Mittelos is apparently an anagram for LOST TIME. What that means? Oh I dunno. But people, including myself, have theorized that somehow time is progressing more slowly on LOST Island than in the real world. I'm sure it's just some tongue and cheek phrase for the people "IN THE KNOW" of what's going on on LOST aka...the producers and apparently (confirmed on Kimmel Tuesday night) a few select Cast members. Stay tuned for 5 more years of LOST to figure out what this anagram means!
• So, let's look more at the OTHERS that recruited Juliet. Alpert suggested that the operations on LOST island are privately funded. This ties into possibly the Hanso Foundation or even the Widmore Corporation or both. Was DHARMA experimentation still going on 3 years prior to the crash? It would seem that way from Juliet's comments to Jack a few episodes back that they were when she said "It doesn't matter what we were, it matters what we are." But obviously, there are some missing pieces to the puzzle here. And I'm thinking episode 11 this season may clear some of that up (which is supposedly OTHERS centric)
• And obviously the big reveal and mystery was Juliet suggesting that she could not leave for "Portland" because of her Ex-husband, jokingly suggesting that Alpert's organization could have him run over by a bus. And then, in a scene that looks like a homage to the movie FINAL DESTINATION, Burke was indeed run over by a bus. So this begs the question, can Juliet make things happen just by thinking about them (a la Walt) or did somehow the "COMPANY" arrange for this mysterious death to happen? I'm intrigued! Aren't you?
• And as an added Easter Egg, apparently there was an Apollo Candy Bar ad on the side of the bus (if anyone recalls the infamous candy from the original Hatch) (As always click on images to enlarge!)
  

Jack and the Surgery

So last we left Jack he was holding all the cards and running the show in the operating room. Demanding the release of Kate and Sawyer (well, just Kate....he really didn't say much about Sawyer) Some interesting tidbits from this storyline:

• Loved this exchange: Tom to Jack "I'm Tom by the way" Fantastic!!! Definitely seemed out of place. What's even funnier is continuing to see the devaluing of Tom's character. he started off as the BIG CHIEF of the others at the end of season 1, and now he just stands around looking unimportant most of the time! But he did feel important enough to let Jack know his real name! Ahh good times.
• Juliet was shown in opposite lights between her flashback and her island life. In the flashback she claimed not to be a leader. Where on the island, she was taking control and calling Jack's Bluff. What happened in her 3 years that would change her to this? Maybe she watched that crazy Dharma Film that Karl was watching (more on that in a bit!)
• Anyway, she showed that she could be ruthless in ordering the deaths of Kate and Sawyer if necessary. And even further by killing Danny (aka Pickett). Looks like she plays hard for whatever side benefits her the most at the time.
• Which reminds me, how can she be so ready to have Ben killed and then order him to be saved at the off-chance that Ben lets her go home? Seemed like there is a bit more to that muted conversation Ben and Juliet had together. (that's right, the AWAKE BEN with a hole cut open in his back. Nice work Jack!) And that's what Lost has created for us fans. DOUBT that anything is as it seems!
• While Juliet was helping to free Kate and Sawyer, Jack asks Tom why they didn't take Ben to facility off island. Tom began to say "Ever since the sky turned purple" and the Jack messed up in the surgery. So we're left thinking that the Hatch Blowing up has caused a problem with the others freely leaving the island. I'm not sure I'm buying it. They kidnapped Jack BEFORE the sky turned purple and KNEW he was a spinal surgeon! Of course, maybe Tom is just an idiot!
• Okay, so let's do some math folks. Juliet says she's been on the island for 3 years 2 months and 28 days. Last we heard from Ben, it's late November of 2004 (possibly December). Let's go with December. Subtract 3 years from 2004 and you're in 2001, 2 months and 28 days from December and you're in early September of 2001. This coincidentally is right near 9/11. What does this mean exactly? I have no idea. But there has been some crazy dude (I can't find his blog right now) that thinks that the entire mythology of LOST is based on the events that took place on 9/11 and the events that have taken place SINCE 9/11. Now, mind you, when I read his theory.....I found it completely comical (not that the tragedy of 9/11 was comical...but this guy's theory was ridiculous! I mean he was calling Jack or Locke George W. Bush!) But it is interesting to note how CLOSE to 9/11 that Juliet's timestamp gets us. Other tragedies such as Chernobyl have been referenced with the original Hatch too. I'd say just stay tuned on this one as well. For now, I'm thinking it's just a coincidence!
• So what's up for Jack next? Well, "They" have figure to figure out what to do with him. Who on earth is THEY? Ben and crew? Or a higher power? I LOVE QUESTIONS!
• BTW, in case you were wondering, when Ben was stabilized at the end his blood pressure was 108 (aka 4+8+15+16+23+42 or aka the HATCH clock)

The Saga of Kate, Sawyer, Alex and Karl

So Kate and Sawyer have to get off the island, they recruit the help of Alex who recruits their help in rescuing Karl. Juliet kills Pickett, makes Alex stay. Kate, Sawyer and their new friend Karl leave for the vacation resort that we have come to know and love! But what crazy stuff did we see on their journey?

• Well, we met Aldo for one thing. And some of you out there were probably saying "Where do I know this guy from?" It's none other than Philadelphia's own native born "Rob McElhenney." You may also know him from the increasingly hilarious "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" which airs in the summer on FX. Aldo was guarding some crazy Dharma building (I'm guessing still part of the whole Hydra station). He was reading Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" (more on the whole TIME concept again. I'm not going to pretend that I actually remember the tidbits I read from the cliffnotes of that book for my freshman year high school GEO science class!)
• I will admit that once Kate had the brilliant plan to get past Aldo and rescue Karl, I was instantly reminded of the infamous Han and Luke dressed as Stormtroopers holding Chewbacca prisoner in an attempt to rescue Princess Leia. I was almost ashamed of myself when Sawyer gave a shout out seconds later to the "Wookie Prisoner Gag" But I LOVED IT!
• So anyway, Princess Karl (errr just karl) was located in Room 23. Whoopie! More numbers!
• What were they doing to crazy Karl? Were they brainwashing him? He was tied down, possibly being drugged, had crazy goggles on and was watching one crazy film with subliminal messaging. (I believe you can click on this image and examine each screen that showed if you really want to. This link will take to a larger version)
  
  Notable images from the film. Hanso and Degroot make appearances. We see the name JACOB again and indeed has religious ties. We have yet to meet Jacob on the island (or so we think. He could be Eyepatch guy).
  
  The messages"
  - "Plant a Good Seed and you will joyfully gather fruit" - Planting Seeds, Fertility Doctors, Pregnancy tests.....this all has to lead somewhere right?
  - "Everything Changes" - Ok. Thanks for that one!
  - "We are the causes of our own suffering" - More Purgatory? Enough!
  - "God Loves you as he loved Jacob" - There's Jacob!
  - "Think about your life" -What about it?
  
  It all seems very Clockwork Orange'ish to me. But I don't really remember the movie too well. But I would guess that this scene, with the freaky music and the messages was an homage to the scene from that movie. What it all means? I'm as confused as you. But I love it!
• And of course, it was confirmed that Ben has a parental attachment to Alex. So, immediately we think of Rousseau (or as Hurley calls her "French Chick"). Is there some linking between Ben and Rousseau? Or when Alex was taken from her, did Ben become Alex's adoptive father? Did Rousseau know about Ben when she captured him in the net for Sayid? Or was this pre-arranged between Ben and Rousseau? So many ways they can go with this!
• And as a final bullet point, you have to love the touching scene when Kate told Jack the Nervous Surgeon story (that Jack had asked her to tell him). It just happened to be when Jack messed up in the surgery and he just may have been nervous again. Anyway, Kate's emotional retelling helped Jack complete the surgery. Sawyer looked on with a sense of sadness that Kate will never feel for him what she feels for Jack. But at the same time, seemed like he understood Kate's pain. Jack insisted Kate not come back for him, but we know her better than that!

Wow, that's a lot to take in, isn't it? I'm sure not every episode will be this packed with details. I found myself pausing the TiVo every 30 seconds or less to capture stuff. And my friends, this is no way to enjoy one of the best shows on TV! So, don't be scared. I won't overload you with details in every blog. But, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm just excited that it's back! Hope you enjoyed the show and if you have any thoughts to share, please do!

Next week and the 14 weeks following, the timing of the blog posting will probably vary. So don't get used to it being this early! See you next week!

LOST: Need info before TONIGHT's winter premiere?

Well, unfortunately, I'm putting all of my efforts into tomorrow's POST Episode Recap Blog to be of much assistance right now. But Entertainment Weekly (ew.com) went ahead and posted a nice pairing of articles today.

1. Q&A with producers Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse on the fans' biggest questions. I highly encourage the read. They talk about what big questions WILL be answered. Even some stuff that will NEVER be answered. They get very detailed on when we will be finding out certain things, even down to the very episodes. Don't know about you, but I'm excited for tonight's episode and episode 11 to get me some knowledge on these crazy OTHERS! Again, the producers are trying to suppress these rumors that there is no long-term plan and are trying to keep people engaged in the show. If you're not afraid of some mild spoilers: Click here for article
   
2. The other article is just a brief recap of what everyone's status currently is on the island (and off the island if you include Alcatraz 2.0). So if you yourself are LOST and don't remember where we left off: Click here for article

I know everyone may be losing the faith with LOST these days. No question this 13 week hiatus turned out to be a BAD idea. It will also be interesting to see how airing at 10pm on the East Coast will affect the show.

I am reading very positive things about tonight's episode. Hopefully, they can get everyone back on board quickly. My blind faith in the show says they can! For you early sleepers out there, try to adjust your schedules to make sure you watch tonight, we have some discussing to do tomorrow!

LOST: Producers discuss "END DATE" and Non-Stop Season 4

Hope everyone is finding ways to fill the LOST VOID as it continues its 13 week hiatus. My medicine is currently in the form of 24 which opened up this week with a "BANG!" (no pun intended)

Anyways, thought I'd share some potentially GOOD NEWS with everyone. Apparently the producers and ABC are working rigorously on determining an END DATE for LOST. Clearly there is some concern building across the nation (and apparently inside the writer's room) about the show spiraling out of control conceptually unless the producers and writers can work towards a specific date. Makes sense. They are always saying they are balancing the fact that they know how they want to END the show with the fact that they don't know how long the show is going to be on. How can you start answering major questions and killing off major characters if ABC is going to force the producers to keep the show on for 10 seasons? It seems clear to me that the show will definitely be stale after 10 years. It seems like it's going stale now. And you can clearly see the writers "stalling" a bit (6 episodes of captivity for 3 of our main characters? Intriguing isnt it??)

Anyway, it looks like we'll be able to look forward to some more information on this as time goes on. Producers have always said 5 seasons would be ideal for LOST. I'd expect them to compromise with ABC for something longer. We'll see!

Other good news. Now that ABC has some more successful shows throughout their schedule, it looks like season 4 will definitely run non-stop in either the Fall or the Spring. For blog writing purposes...let's pray for the fall! Although, I think I'd personally prefer it in the Spring. lol

Anyway, if you want to read the article from Entertainment Weekly you can CLICK HERE!

See everyone back here in a few weeks for Episode 7! (Don't forget LOST will air wednesdays at 10pm EST when it returns!)

(until then start watching that ridiculous guilty pleasure show we know as American Idol and try and figure out why I keep watching it and writing about it even though it drives me crazy!)

"Lost" Season 3 Episode 6 - I Do

Alright, so I got some feedback. Apparently there was something missing from the first 4 blogs this season and it returned for the 5th. Yes, I am referring to the trademark, "WOW!!!!!!" that begins each of these fantastic blog entries. I'm sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again.....so....how did I feel about our FALL FINALE? well, in a word, WOW!!!! It was pretty darn good. And as promised, the producers were out to annoy their fans with a cliffhanger that will leave us itching for more. They figure the more annoyed we are, the more we'll want to come back. Well, I'm sold. I mean, how can you just end an episode with BENRY under the knife bleeding to death, Sawyer about to be shot and Jack holding all the cards? Oh, and what will happen when Jack realizes there is no way off Alcatraz 2.0 (that being if they ARE actually on another island!)

Hmm, that's not very like me to just get right into the end of the episode right up front. But I felt it was warranted here. There really doesn't seem like much to discuss in this episode, but we will do it justice. And then we'll look on to what else we can expect in season 3 when it returns in February for 16 STRAIGHT EPISODES! NO REPEATS! NOT....EVEN......ONE! Or, you all can just watch Daybreak every week to get a sneak peak of Lost. ugh! SERIOUSLY?! (Yeah..maybe i'll set the tivo and just watch the commercials! Isn't THAT ironic?)

As always, you can re-watch the LOST episode at lost.abc.com as well as check the ABC recaps for the show.

Well we sorta had 3 story lines tonight. 1.) The Kate/Sawyer Love Saga & useless Kate Flashback 2.) The Eko Funeral with weird Locke/Sayid moments and 3.) Jack's Big Plan


1.) Kate/Sawyer Love Saga and Useless Kate Flashback

Well I'm still at least trying to figure out if there was a point to the flashback except continuing to let us know that ALL women are crazy! (No offense to the female readers! Obviously I don't mean it!) But seriously, Kate is certifiably CRAZY! She blows up her Dad, goes on the run. Then tries to hide by going all domestic and creating an alias for herself, finding herself some man marrying him under her alias...be in a relationship where "TACO NIGHT" is in the vocabulary, almost get pregnant (while also learning that the Democrats took control of the Senate...Thanks ABC...really could've done without the musical overtones to your WORLD NEWS SPECIAL UPDATE!).....oh yeah and then she drugged this husband of hers so she could run off again. Did I mention she married a COP? Smart Kate! (FYI, despite rumors the actor Nathan Fillion who played Kevin is neither ETHAN nor Jason Bateman despite very similar appearances. He's the guy from Firefly (and the movie spin-off Serenity) and also apparently got his start on BUFFY) Anyway, I guess we're just be able to see how far Kate will take something before she starts hating herself for it. Are we supposed to relate this to her budding romance with Sawyer? Who knows??? Well, there's one thing worth noting from this flashback:

• Speaking of being alerted by ABC about the changes in the Senate, we just happened to miss the only easter egg of the night. Yep, Kate's pregnancy test is from Widmore Labs (as in CHARLES Widmore, as in Penny's father and Desmond's Nemesis, as in Widmore Pregnancy test that SUN took). You know....as I'm writing this, I'm starting to think. Widmore Labs, Pregnancy Tests.....Juliet - Fertility Doctor....hmmmmm CONNECTION? Guess we'll have to wait for the non-stop 16 episodes in February to find out!
  

Ok, so on the Island (or should I say Island #2) Kate and Sawyer are forced into some tough decisions, or decisions really made for them. Kate finds out Sawyer is going to die...she finally gets to see Jack (which I deemed mandatory if she was going to choose between them)...Jack gives her no hope...so this forces her mentally to care MORE for Sawyer and lead to the scene deemed TOO GRAPHIC FOR ABC! That's right folks...They "DID IT" and for once, no one died as a result! Well, not yet. But, I have a hard time believing either Kate or Sawyer will be dying anytime soon! Well obviously, we have more to discuss when the story lines cross with Jack's but we'll get to that in section 3. What are some tidbits from the continuing Kate/Sawyer (SKATER!) Saga?

• Well, we see Alex with a Slingshot going commando on the OTHERS. She is apparently fired up! Now, I don't recall hearing, but apparently CARL (the prisoner we see in the Season premiere that tries to help Sawyer escape) has been killed and was Alex's Boyfriend? Not really sure. But she wasn't very happy! She was also trying to help Kate and Sawyer escape. She said that they're all liars! More on Alex in section 3!
• Jack asks Kate what do they have them working on (with the whole break rocks and carrying them)....Kate says "I dunno, but something big!" Well, I'm glad we got an answer there! Geez, I guess we'll have to wait to see what this BIG construction will be. Maybe they want to use the rocks to sculpt a body to go with that GIANT Foot on the island! (don't worry...i have even more stupid theories for this blog that I will get into shortly!)
• Sawyer and Kate both express their LOVE for each other. But does Kate know the meaning of love? She really never says it to him...she just kisses him. We already knew Sawyer did because he "unconsciously" told Jack in Season 2.

2.) The Eko Funeral with weird Locke/Sayid moments

So this whole sequence seemed very misplaced in this episode...I'm pretty sure that the writers/producers didn't want us to leave for a 13 week hiatus without letting us see some of the other survivors. They had to give us something... while we did get some tidbits...it just seemed like a scene or 2 was cut from the final version of the episode. But eventually what we see is Locke "finding his way."

• The Smoke Monster is addressed by Locke and Sayid and crew. Locke explains his beliefs in the monster to Sayid. That Eko died for a reason and he is going to find out why.
• Apparently Sayid and Locke were supposed to go on some detour before heading to the camp to get shovels....was the detour to get Eko's stick to bury it with him?
• Speaking of the stick...just wanted to touch on what I said in the "Further Instructions" Blog. (I always do this when I'm RIGHT about something!)
  
  "In the beginning of the episode Locke sees Eko's stick. It has a new inscription on it for Genesis 13:14 "Lift up your eyes and Look North" The actual passage reads "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward" Perhaps this is an indication to John to go North to rescue the other friends when the time comes? Perhaps it's nothing!"
  
  Well apparently it was NOT nothing and it WAS a sign to Locke. Locke is going to head North to find their friends. So this gets into a whole bunch of questions. First...WHO carved this saying into the stick? It wasn't there last season. Who dropped the stick on Locke 3 episodes ago? I think this all goes back to that DAY we are missing after the Hatch implosion. Producers confirmed that this subject WILL be addressed in season 3.
  
  Okay, also what NORTH is it? Remember in the 1st season when Locke said he didn't need the compass anymore? And then Sayid realized the compass did not even point to what they thought was north? So this gets into questions of if the Electro Magnet was messing up the compass or if the island is MOVING. Let me just say that the producers have not DENIED that the island is moving, but says they cannot answer the question as it is an over-arching mystery of the show. And it would sure explain a lot of things if it IS moving. A.) Desmond sailing right back to the island, B.) Nigerian Plane ending up on the island as well as Oceanic Flight 815 from Sydney to LA ending up on the island and possibly C.) Giving Henry the ability to make Sawyer "THINK" they're on a different island by moving the island closer to another land mass....DUM DUM DUUUUUMMMM!!! At least that's ONE of the theories I'm throwing around. But a MOVING island? What on earth does that MEAN? There are still some holes in that theory. But apparently, if it's not a theory to dismiss, there is some weight behind it.
  
  Anyway, apparently Locke knows where he has to go...so we may get some of these answers rather quickly in February when we return.

3.) Jack's Big Plan

So in this whole sequence, we follow Jack's decision making progress to do the surgery. In the end, we don't know if his master plan is in accordance to Juliet's wishes or not. But it sure looks like Jack is just trying to gain the upper-hand, FINALLY! He IS our Hero isn't he? He was just patiently waiting for the right opportunity. So there's tons to talk about in this storyline. And can I just mention that this may have been the most suspenseful sequence in LOST yet? I literally stopped jotting any notes down and was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing. It was fantastic. And right when you think something is going to happen....BOOM....LOST! Oh I agree with the producers alright....that is a very unsettling way to end an episode. And I'll definitely be there in February to find out what is going on! Oh yeah...Questions/Theories...here we go!:

• Okay here's a big one: did Henry actually break Jack in the end? Was the whole exercise to keep Jack isolated from Kate and Sawyer while they got closer and Kate was forced into a decision? Even Ben made a comment in the premiere this season that Kate said "Sawyer's" name first. Then the intercom (voice sounded like Alex's, but i doubt it) conveniently tells Jack to go out of his door where there is access to GUNS and of course the TV ROOM where Sawyer and Kate are conveniently cuddling in a Post-"TOO GRAPHIC FOR ABC" moment. Just looking back on the 6 episodes, it seems like this was the intent of the others all along. Henry wanted to break Jack into making him WANT to do the surgery, by making him WANT to get off the island. Remember I said in Blog 2 that Jack would NEVER abandon the survivors, he has nothing to go back to. Well it seems that Ben knew that too and set up this situation where he would think there's really nothing for him on the island either! Well, I'm going to answer this question on my own. Jack made Henry THINK he was broken, but was able to assess the situation and react accordingly. That's why HE is the hero! But either way, you gotta love Ben's one liner "I would've thought she'd pick you!"
• But just as we see a manipulative and strategic Ben, we also see a vulnerable one at the end of the episode. Prior to going into surgery, we were almost forced to sympathize with his character. And then he asks if ALEX asked about him? Alex in her slingshot attack did ask to speak to Ben. Juliet flat out says "NO" that Alex did NOT ask about him. Well, that's strange! First of all....what is Ben and Alex's relationship? Many people are guessing that Ben may be Alex's father. I guess we don't know much about her father...we just know that Rousseau is her Mother. Well if Ben's been on the island his whole life and Rousseau just got there 16 years ago....um...something doesn't add up! We need some OTHERS Flashbacks pronto! 2nd point, Juliet seemed to come off as the cold one here. I'm starting to feel the distinct possibility that JULIET might be the brains behind BEN too! She comes off as the innocent one that wants change and has a crush on Jack, but what if SHE is the ruthless one in charge and BEN is only another pawn? Big IF's, but that scene shed a whole new light on the situation. I'll let everyone ponder on that for 13 weeks!
• Oh yes....another big question....Pickett makes mention of JACOB and that "Shepard isn't even on Jacob's List" Well, I know of 2 lists so far. Ben asked for 2 lists when the plane crashed....one from Ethan and one from Goodwyn. Maybe there is a JACOB list that is separate from even THOSE lists. And if we're to remain consistent....they Others have identified who is BAD and who is GOOD. Based on Pickett's comments, we have to assume being on JACOB's list is a GOOD thing. If you take the Biblical reference of JACOB and his Ladder that he built to heaven....then yeah...being on Jacob's list probably means you are good. Which is indicating that Jack has some more demons in his past that we haven't seen yet. Apparently we're going to learn more about Jack's tatoo this season....which I can only assume happened when he was in Phuket, Thailand (remember the poker match between Sawyer and Jack?). Gotta figure we'll get a flashback of that!
  
  Anyway....so JACOB, who is he? Is Jacob the "HIM" the "GREAT MAN" that all the others speak of? Is Jacob the EYE PATCH man? A lot of people think so....and the producers have confirmed that EYE PATCH man will play a prominent role in season 3. If we put the pieces together....We saw Eye Patch guy when Eko was being judged for his past.....could he be in control of the Smoke....and could the Smoke be judging everyone on a certain LIST? If Jacob's list is the GOOD list...and Eko is considered a BAD person....then there's something not matching up there. But I think we're on the right track! Anyways...stuff to think about.
• Okay, so what else....right...So Jack takes control of the operating room and turns the tables around on the others....just as sawyer is about to be killed by Pickett. Jack tells Kate to RUN (WITH or without Sawyer? previews suggest both of them)...but where are they going to run to? If they're on a separate Island, they're going to have some problems. But if we go with the theory that they ARE on the same island...then Locke will probably find them. Too much theorizing right now....but the good news is...JACK is the man in control...at least for an HOUR.
  
  So Jack told Kate to recall the story he told her when she stitched him up in the Pilot episode. Remember, Kate was nervous about stitching up Jack and Jack told the story about when he was doing surgery on a girl and tore open a nerve sack...Jack panicked...but then he let the fear take him as he counted to 10....but then afterwards he was calm and collected and able to do the surgery. Jack is asking Kate to retell that story over the Walkie Talkie as soon as she's free from the Others. Meanwhile...Jack will let Henry's kidney bleed out. Doesn't seem like this was Juliet's plan. Juliet just wanted Ben to die during the surgery with no one knowing Jack did it on purpose. This is ALL Jack. And it's awesome!
  
  Loved the cliffhanger!

Don't you love how I always say there's not much to talk about?


A Look Ahead:

Okay, in case you don't religiously read tvguide.com, there was an interview with the producers that revealed what we can expect to find out in season 3. This is to address the impatient audience out there who think that they are just doing the stories on a WHIM. There is a PLAN for everything! This Mike Ausiello guy is a bit much, so you just have to accept that he can't get enough of himself....but eventually you'll find the interview with Damon (Lindeloff) and Carlton (Cuse), the LOST producers. Here's the LINK: http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Columnists/Ask-Ausiello/default.aspx?columndate=08-Nov-2006

I'd say it's a bit SPOILERISH, but they don't give anything away...they just tell us what we WILL find out sooner than later. For example, Why Locke is in a wheelchair will be resolved THIS season. We WILL find out what happened immediately after the HATCH implosion. We're going to find out about the missing TAILIES (remember CINDY? the kids??). ETC... It's a good read. I encourage it!

So that brings us to the end. I left you with a nice long blog to keep you busy for the next 13 weeks. Read a sentence a day and you should be finished in late January! If there's anything interesting in the previews during Daybreak, I'll consider posting blogs....or if they show up on YOUTUBE...maybe I'll just post them!

Well, hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always. Hope the complainers enjoyed the WOW in the beginning. And I hope people continue to post comments about their own theories! I'll see you in February! STAY PATIENT! We've got a whole lot more Lost to discuss when we return!

"Lost" Season 3 Episode 5 - The Cost of Living

Ok, I'm busting out the big guns for this blog.....wait for it.....here it comes...... WOW!!!!!

Yes my lost friends, I can say I finally am pleased with the direction this season is heading. My blind faith pays off once again! Sometimes everyone's patience can be tested....but we always know that the show will eventually pay off. And while this episode still seemed like a setup episode for bigger things, we got many answers, and we got our highly hyped up ISLAND EXIT for one of the characters.

The main thing I liked about this episode is that we addressed some questions that have been building over the seasons. And while we didn't get a flat out answer....we sure got a direction to move on with our theories! And we'll get to that as we discuss the episode.

You know the drill. ABC Recaps and Episode Viewing at lost.abc.com


Let's get down to business!:

First-off, I just wanted to touch on one thing from a prior episode this season "The Glass Ballerina." There was speculation that Jae's (aka Baldy #2) death was NOT a suicide and in fact that he was pushed off the balcony (by perhaps SUN). This was not the intent of the producers, who confirmed this in a podcast. They thought it was obvious that because he was holding the pearl necklace, that he, in fact, plunged to his own death out of shame and sorrow for his failure to take Sun from Jin. Just thought I'd throw that out there to dismiss any rumors. And really, you all should be a dork like me and start listening to the Lost official Podcast! (which you can get if you have itunes, or you can probably also find on lost.abc.com) Or you can just count on me to share the information as always!

Now on toEpisode 305 - The Cost of Living. I'm going to "TRY" to be more brief with my plot summary this time around and get right into the key points! Here's my episode summary!

This episode was an Eko flashback and was a tale of Redemption (or non-redemption based on the result). Locke tries to kill 2 birds with one stone by recruiting a group to go to the Pearl Station, which just happens to be where Eko has fled to find his dead brother. Desmond believed that they would be able to communicate with the others from the Pearl station based on the alternate purpose Swan station computer. Meanwhile Jack goes head to head with Ben and Juliet in further pursuit of performing surgery on someone's spine.

Short and Sweet, right? Let's get into some questions/theories!

Jack's Assignment

• So the big question through this whole captivity has been WHO is telling the truth and who is lying between Juliet and Ben. Are they both telling the truth, both lying? Obviously the producers WANT us to believe Juliet and not believe Ben and want us to think Juliet is trying to get out or change things and that she has true feelings for Jack. But what this show does so well, is make us 2nd guess our trust in ANYONE. Juliet has built a great rapport with Jack over the days that he's been there. They joke around...she cooks him food. (CHEESEBURGERS??), she jokes about how she cooks it (kill the cow, make the cheese somehow, etc...) Jack WANTS to believe her and he's starting to be taken by her.
  Then here comes Henry (ugh..BEN!), "you know she bears a striking resemblance to your ex-wife, don't you?" First of all...um NO she doesn't. The actress Elizabeth Mitchell bears a striking resemblance to Ellen Pompeo and Claire Forlani and not Julie Bowen. I encourage you to click on all of those links and compare pictures. I refuse to believe Henry even thinks they look the same. So then the question is, does Henry even know what Sarah looks like? OR is he just trying to put in Jack's head that Sarah looks like Juliet to make him trust her more?
  
  Stuff like this makes it hard for me to buy into Juliet's INXS Music Video that she showed Jack. ( (i forget the INXS song, but anyone from the MTV generation should know what i mean!) even though I loved the scene and WANTED to believe her! Then again, Juliet may indeed want BEN out of the picture, but it could be for personal gain and not exactly to help Jack's situation. But based on Juliet's message, Ben is a Liar and some people want change. Juliet vows to protect Jack if he just performs the surgery.
  
  I still question whether the Tumor is even Ben's or if it's still all part of this mind game they're throwing on Jack or as Ben suggested "Trying to break Jack down so that he WANTS to do the surgery." Jack explained the symptoms of being unable to walk, and immediately I thought of Locke. But then the questions get even more crazy. Aren't we meant to believe the island has HEALING powers? Now that Locke can walk, and Rose thinks she's free of the cancer. If this is the case, then why would BEN be so determined to get the tumor removed? Is that WHY he's stuck on the island because he stays healthy there? The only thing that convinces me that the tumor IS Ben's is at the crazy WHITE OUTFIT CULT FUNERAL they all attended Benry apparently discussed the tumor with Juliet out of earshot from Jack.
  
  The question is really, how many mind games can the producers throw in the storyline before they just leave their audience totally confused? If you go with that mindset, then we should just believe Juliet! So, I love the storyline, but those are some things to be thinking about as we move into the FALL SEASON FINALE as Jack prepares to kill Ben "Accidentally" on the operating table.

Locke's Rescue Mission/Leadership Role

• So Locke's in charge now. Apparently, we learn that people were not happy with Jack's dictatorship. This could cause a rift whenever the crew is reunited down the road. Will Locke be the man in charge now? And if Locke remains in charge with his "people can do whatever they want" attitude, will people's lives be in danger? We already know one person died on Locke's watch, but was that really his fault? more on that in a bit!
• Apparently Sayid is back. No sign of Sun or Jin. I guess we just assume they walked all the way back from the other side of the island with no issues? Kinda hard to swallow without some explanation. But hey, Hurley (sporting his new bushy beard) made mention that they're back....also when acknowledging that Locke is the man in charge now.
• No more reference to Desmond's Foresight in this episode. Except, how did he know the computer in the original hatch (swan) could be used for communication? Only Eko and Locke watched that FULL video. And only MICHAEL used it for communication with "Walt." But was it really WALT?
• Before we get to that, let me just say how much I loved the comedy in the Pearl station. I was skeptical of the additions of Nikki and Paulo to the bunch, but now I see what they're doing. Since Locke is in charge now, all of these other survivors are allowed to get involved now in these little quests. And what we found out is that Nikki had something to bring to the table as she figured out that maybe we should see what's on the other TV's! DUH! (didn't we say that in the blog last season???) 6 stations, 6 TV's? Something like that. Just loved Locke's reaction "Suddenly, I'm feeling very stupid" followed by a toilet flush and another outstanding revelation by Paulo "The Toilet works too" LOVE IT!
• So once Sayid did his MacGyver work, what did we see on the TV? Well, we saw another computer in another ROOM and a panning camera that then showed a man with an eye patch in a dharma outfit
  
  
  Niiice. So, remember when the Tailies found the ARROW Hatch last season and found a treasure chest with the Bible, the extra film, and......yes...A GLASS EYE!!!?? I'm gonna guess that comes into play. So then the other question is...when Michael was talking on the computer to "Walt" was he talking to A.) This Station, B.) THIS GUY??
• There's also a bigger overlying question. It's already been confirmed by the producers that there are 2 factions of the OTHERS. We know there's BEN and CREW, then we know there are these mysterious barefooted people that can surround you and are incredibly fast and silent. And they killed some of the tailies. Are they different from the BEN others? What about this Eyepatch guy? is HE from a different group? Remember, Ben told Michael at the end of Season 2 "We're the Good Guys. " We may have thought he meant that they're GOOD in comparison to the Survivors of Flight 815. But it could be based on another faction on the island. A war that's been going on prior to the crash perhaps? Maybe even between 2 ISLANDS??? hmmm now i'm just getting crazy. Of course this goes back to how much can we trust ol' Benny and crew?

Eko's Redemption

• So we pretty much follow Eko through his life to see the bad things he has done but based on circumstances outside of his control and all based on protecting his brother Yemi. He has stolen and killed for his brother and it turned him into the man he became years later. We see him kill thugs running a black market operation through Yemi's church in Nigeria. We also learn Eko was going to sell the vaccine himself to start a clean slate in London. The running theme that Eko must confess for his sins runs through the flashback and on the island.
• Eko continues to see visions on the islands of his brother and his past demons and....the Black Smoke monster loomed in the background following him. Last time Eko encountered the black smoke he stood in it and we saw pictures from Eko's past within the smoke. Last season I had a theory that the smoke monster may be playing a part in the visions/dreams that people are having on the island...and why Locke was able to see Eko's brother as well. In fact, let me go drag that up because I think I may have been proven right with this episode!
  
  "6/2/2006 Season 2 Finale Blog Comments - Okay, sometimes my mind wanders at work and I start putting pieces of Lost puzzles together. I think I may have just pieced together Locke dreaming about people in Eko's past. THE BLACK SMOKE MONSTER! The smoke was able to collect images/memories from Eko's past...one of those memories..I'm pretty sure was his brother. Who are the two characters that have interacted with the Monster? Yep....Locke and Eko.....maybe somehow they were able to collect these images and somehow get them into Locke's dreams. Sure I can't explain how they are inducing the dreams..... But I don't think it's a coincidence that both John and Eko have come in contact with the monster and that Locke is dreaming of Eko's brother whom he's never met. "
  
  Okay, so let's take that and think about what we saw tonight
• Eko follows Yemi around the island and actually has a conversation with him. Eko decides NOT to confess and said he did everything to protect his brother. This angers "YEMI" who then states that he is NOT Eko's brother. "Yemi" then runs away and then we see the smoke monster.....who claims yet another life from the island. RIP Mr. Eko :-(
  
• Well we finally get to see the smoke in action. And boy does it do a number on Eko. It manhandles him and pretty much can move him in any direction. The Smoke has been referred to by Rousseau as a SECURITY SYSTEM. Well who's security system is it? Is Eyepatch guy in control of this thing? In the season 1 Finale we saw the smoke and also heard the sound of gears or a moving track that was pulling Locke into the ground. There was a faint sound of gears and tracks here again too.
• I know, I'm all over the place, but bear with me. So the Visions, the dreams, every weird thing we've been seeing on this island ALL seems to be related to the Smoke monster. We have to assume that somehow the smoke took the form of Yemi of was able to talk to Eko. We have to assume that the visions of Christian on the island for Jack was similar, the horse for Kate. The difference with Jack and Kate is that they never encountered the smoke. They ran from it in the pilot episode, but the smoke monster killed the PILOT of flight 815 (who's now the mind reader on Heroes and friend of J.J. Abrams). There's also the questionable Hurley seeing imaginary friend "DAVE" on the island. Let's not forget the visions of WALT too! Locke also has seen visions on the island of his Mother and obviously all of the crazy dreams he has. He HAS encountered the monster. But he confirmed tonight what he saw was a WHITE LIGHT. (Which he called in previous episodes, "BEAUTIFUL") Could this be because he is a GOOD person? When you look into the smoke do you see different things based on if you have killed or not killed?
  
  This is why I liked this episode. It gives us more to chew on. Things are starting to tie together from season 1, 2 and 3. But there's still a bunch of questions out there. Do you HAVE to be in contact with the monster to have visions? is it really the smoke that is taking these forms on the island? But they gave us SOMETHING! And of course, the biggest question.....how is this TECHNICALLY even possible? And can we really continue to expect that all answers will have a realistic conclusion? I'm going to go with the 24 theory on Realistic Conclusion. If Jack's (Bauer not Shepard) in a bind, there's always a gizmo on his cell phone that will get him out of the situation, whether it exists in real life or not. And I continue to love 24! So, as long as something is technically feasible in the world of LOST, I am willing to accept that it's only a TV show! Plus, I think the producers have stated that everything will have a non-SUPERNATURAL conclusion. We already know that the Dharma Initiative was doing some crazy experiments, so who knows what kind of military technology they have on that island?
• To close up this section we must note that apparently Eko's last words were "You're Next" to Locke and crew. So one by one, this security system is Judging everyone and determining if they should be sent to their death. They just can't get rid of this Purgatory stuff can they?!!

Alright, I know, I got really carried away with this blog. But I really liked this episode. Lots to discuss. And I'm sure a lot of people have their own theories! Well let's hear them! There's a nice little comments section at the end of this blog! USE IT!

Only 1 more episode for the Fall. And ABC is hyping it up as the BEST of the season. Of course they are! They need to carry-over the audience into February when Lost will return against American Idol, which will have started 2 or 3 weeks before! Hopefully it doesn't hurt them! Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how they cap off this mini-series....and if we even hear mention of Penny's quest to find Desmond and the island.

(hmmm you forgot about that didn't you?)

See you next week!