Sunday, May 27, 2007

3x22 - "Through the Looking Glass" Future (?)

This entire flashback was the "Rattlesnake" twist the writers had planned for this finale. I don't know if this is meant to be a glimpse into what happens after everybody eventually leaves the Island of if everything that happens on the Island is now considered to be a flashback. Hence the question mark. Until I hear an official podcast, then that's what I'm calling this post. Well here I go!

1. It seems that quite some time has passed since Jack got off the Island, and he seems to be more like his father. At least in regards to the alcoholism. Notably he's still flying Oceanic.

2. The newspaper is the April 5, 2007 edition of the LA Times. How did Jack fall so far in such a short time? Who's obituary is that, and why does it have Jack making a phone call, and standing at the edge of a bridge ready to jump soon after? Why did he run back and save the people in the car crash? Looks like he still needs things to fix.

3. Why did Jack still have Sarah listed as his emergency contact? Wouldn't he have changed it after the divorce? Oddly enough he didn't say "Goodbye Sarah."

4. Oh boy, Jack's even popping pills now AND he wants to do the surgery on the injured mother? He's worse then his father. Now he's Jack "House" Shepherd M.D. Yep, he still needs to fix anything but himself.

5. Who is in the casket and why did they only get a viewing and not an actual funeral? Why was Jack the only one who showed up?

6. Why did Jack say his father wrote the new prescription? It's an obvious lie, isn't it?

7. The drug Jack became addicted to is oxycodone, also known as Hillbilly Heroin (very addictive). It's hard for one to get refills for it as they are not permitted, so how did Jack manage to get two.

8. "You get my father down here right now. Get him down here. And if I'm drunker then he is, you can fire me." HOLD THE PHONE! Is Christian Shepherd really alive? Does that mean that Jack was transporting an empty coffin on flight 815 all along? I'm trying to remember if Jack has ever specifically said that his father is dead.

9. Why is Kate no longer on the run from the law? Who is the "he" that will be wondering where Kate is if she doesn't get back? My first guess is Sawyer, but he doesn't strike me as being controlling to the point of overbearing.

10. Why is Jack so desperate to go back to the Island? What is he sick of lying about? Why was it a mistake? Why do they all have to go back?

Parting thoughts: The fact that Jack is a complete wreck after returning to LA seems to fit in with the basic premise of the show. The castaways are people who are lost in their lives, who then became physically lost in the world. When they could find themselves in their lives, they could physically be found in the world. Since Jack didn't find himself in his life, he wasn't ready to be physically found in the world. Could this ring true for some of the other survivors as well?

I'm going to guess that season four will have a time jump of sorts. Instead of having flashbacks, the flashes will center on how the characters react to being off the island. This could allow Michael and even Walt to come back into the mix, albeit in the present. The flashbacks will then be on the Island, covering what happened between the phone call and the eventual rescue.

That's all for now. I may update this if Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse rehash this episode in their next podcast and I hear something noteworthy. If not then I'll be idle on her until season four, but that doesn't mean I won't update this from time to time. It just depends if anything Lost that's newsworthy comes out here. Until then however.... SHUTDOWN!

3x22 - "Through the Looking Glass" Present(?)

Sayid, Jin, Bernard, Locke, and Jack's crew
1. Tense moments all around for the Losties. Jin sums up the reason for fighting the Others perfectly and in perfect english. "We have to go home." How many of the people in Jack's group are armed for their trek to the radio tower?

2. It seems the teams that were sent to extract the women had military training at some point in their lives. That would explain why they were able to sneak up on the tallies during the first 48 days. If Juliet hadn't told Jack what was happening, they could have been gone before anyone knew they were there.

3. Bernard isn't a very tough not to crack, he told them everything and they didn't need to press him for it.

4. Sawyer's so concerned about Kate that he's worried she might be pregnant. So worried that he doesn't use any nicknames when talking to her anymore.

5. Sawyer teaming up with Juliet? Juliet kissing Jack? This all seemed wrong just a few episodes ago.

6. Why are the Others building a runway?

7. Why did the Island appear to Locke in the form of Walt instead of Boone? Or could that have really have been Walt?

8. Jack really loves Kate, so why is he with Juliet?

9. How could Rousseau want to stay on the Island after all the suffering she has been through? I would think that she would rather return to the real world then stay there.

10. What makes Ben think he can get through to Jack? He has to know that Jack is the most stubborn out of all the castaways.

11. Who is Naomi working for if she's not working for Widmore? Why does she have a photograph of Desmond and Penelope? Why does her employer know about the Island and why are they looking for it? How does Ben know all this?

12. Ben's right about Jack having nothing worthwhile to go back to in his old life.

13. The long awaited meeting between Alex and Rousseau is finally here!

14. The Hurleymobile returns! The deaths of the Tom, Pryce and Jason, and the sucessful rescue of Sayid, Jin and Bernard means a total victory for the Losties! It's been a long time coming.

15. Since the Looking Glass blocked all transmissions except for the Others' one frequency, it would explain why Rousseau's transmission was never recieved.

16. Why is Locke so determined to keep everybody on the Island? Why was Jack "not supposed to do this?"

17. Minkowski is the man who answered the phone and said he could even trace the call back to it's origin point. Was it really that easy to find the Island?

Charlie and Desmond

1. Charlie is one tough nut to crack. That's what happens when you live a day like it's your last.

2. Was it just me, or is Mikhail a really bad shot? He actually forced Desmond to go into the Looking Glass. How was Desmond able to sneak into that locker?

3. Mikhail says that Bonnie and Greta were supposed to be on assignment in Canada. How much work do the Others do off the Island, and why all the allusions to our neighbors to the north? You have Ethan who is from Ontario, and Nathan (they didn't say where he was from).

4. Seems the rest of the Others did not know that the Looking Glass was still working, let alone not being flooded. What is Ben up to?

5. Doesn't it look like Mikhail's right eye has been permantly shut?

6. Why is the code the notes for "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys? Who was the musician that programmed the keypad? Was it Brian Wilson? Now we know why only Charlie could enter the code.

7. So for all the things Mikhail can do, work with communications equpiment, treat injuries, and basically everything else a soldier can do, the one thing he can't seem to do is DIE! I could understand the sonic barrier, but I can't understand how he is still alive after taking a spear to the chest!

8. So Penelope Widmore knows the frequency to contact the DHARMA Initaitve but she doesn't know that they're on an Island? Apparently she didn't even know that Desmond was there, or about Naomi?

9. Long live Charlie Pace. He sacrifced himself to save Desmond and even managed to scribble "NOT PENNY'S BOAT" before the room completely flooded. In an episode full of heroes, Charlie is the greatest one of them all!

Ben, and Alex

1. Apparently Ben has been lying to even his own people about the Looking Glass. This kind of leadership is something I'd expect from John Locke. Why didn't it occur to Ben that Juliet would betray him?

2. So Ben now knows Alex and Karl betrayed him too. Actually, Alex has been betraying Ben for quite a while. She freed Claire, and she helped Kate and Sawyer escape.

3. What is this temple that Ben is sending Richard and the rest of the Others to? Is it another Dharma station or is it an actual temple. Why isn't Ben telling his people what really happened at the beach last night?

4. Who are these new forces that want to get to the Island? Why isn't Ben telling anyone about this situation? Why is Ben ordering Mikhail to kill Bonnie and Gretta and why is Mikhail so trusting of Ben?

5. Ben didn't want Karl to get Alex pregnant? I think the attempted brainwashing of Karl was too exreme, even with what's at stake.

6. Why is Ben choosing to give Alex back to Rousseau now?

7. Why did Ben decide to fake the deaths of Sayid, Jin and Bernard instead of actually having them killed? The teams that went to the beach clearly had live ammo, so it's not like the Others have qualms about killing.


Parting thoughts: Where do I begin? This was such a feel good, happy episode that I was just waiting for everything to go to hell at the end. The Losties completely defeated the Others, killing the team sent to the beach, and disabling the Looking Glass. It all happened so well that I was on my feet for the last 45 minutes. I doubt it's still going to be smooth sailing from here on out though. The Others might still be looking to retilate, and there are still a good deal of questions to answer about the Island. Whatever happens next, I'll still be here blogging away.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

3x21 - "Greatest Hits" Present

Six Hours Earlier

Ben's losing his nerve and his control over his people. He's lying about John Locke, furious about the fact that Jacob spoke to Locke, and has ordered the raiding party to capture all the women and kill anyone who gets in the way. The showdown is on folks! Alex tells Carl and tells him to inform the Losties!

On another note, Alex seems to be doubting that Ben is her biological father.

Present time

1. So Rousseau is gathering dynamite for Jack to make mines! The Others are about to get PWN3D! Jack's finally being a good leader. Maybe we should call him Captain Jack?

2. Naomi is from Manchester. She says that Charlie is "The Dead Rockstar," and the Driveshaft has a greatest hits album. Charlie is bigger now then he was before the crash! NICE!

3. Desmond saw a rescue helicopter with Claire on it. How far into the future is that vision?

4. "Flick the switch, the light goes off, and then you drown."

5. The underwater hatch is called "The Looking Glass," used to block out virtually all communications on the island. It is connected to the island by the cable that led Sayid to Rousseau, and it has a moonpool for a submarine to dock. Since it's supposidly flooded, it's a suicide mission for one to go down there.

6. Charlie can hold his breath for FOUR minutes.

7. Rose and Bernard are still here! They must have been brought back into the timeline when P**** and N**** died! And they're knot experts too! Bernard can shoot accurately too! He's officially too cool to die on this show.

8. Sun's lying to Jin again. The baby can't be healthy if it was concieved on the island.

9. THE OTHERS ARE COMING RIGHT NOW! Like I said, the showdown is on.

10. Could that kiss be the last Charlie and Claire moment we ever see? And that moment with Charlie and Hurley saying goodbye. This episode has the trappings of a farewell to Charlie.

11. Claire didn't notice that Charlie's ring is in Aaron's crib. That doesn't feel like a good sign.

12. So now Desmond thinks he's supposed to die in Charlie's place? HEY! That was my theory! I hope the musical score for this scene makes it into the season 3 soundtrack.

13. So the Looking Glass isn't flooded, and it's clearly guarded. I don't think Charlie has a gun with him this time. How will he be able to get to the switch now?

3x21 - "Greatest Hits" Flashbacks

Charlie you friggin rock! You did half my work for me in this episode! Thanks man. I wish I could pay you back by going "Through the Looking Glass" myself but I don't know how to get there in the next hour. I will do you justice by putting your greatest hits in my blog where you will be forever immortalized!

5. "The First Time I Heard Myself On the Radio." Driveshaft's van broke down in the middle of nowhere, it's pouring rain, and as Charlie and Liam are arguing, "You All Everybody," is played on the van's radio. Typical band story, but sweet none the less.

4. "Dad Teaching Me How To Swim At Butlins." Self explanitory, but there's also the brilliant metaphor for the leap of faith that Charile will have to take at the end of this episode. It was also nice to see a character's father appear in this episode without the "Daddy Issues" that have been so well known in the Lost flashbacks.

3. "The Christmas Liam Gave Me the Ring." Liam gave Charlie the DS ring and said that Charlie would settle down, get married, have children, and live a happy healthy life. Ironically this is the life the Liam is living now. Also, did Charlie have the threesome he confessed about in his first flashback just then?

2. "Woman Outside Covent Garden Calls Me A Hero." HEY! THAT WAS NADIA THAT CHARLIE RESCUED! He was the FOURTH person to see the attempted mugging and the only one to help. He is a hero then. NOW GO TO NEW YORK AND STOP THE BOMB FROM EXPLODING!

1. "The Night I Met You." Charlie's first ever meeting with Claire took place on the night of the plane crash.

Parting thoughts: Charlie has been a great character on this show, who's growth has gone largely unoticed due to the fact that he isn't always playing a big role in all the events, ala Jack or Sayid. Despite this, if he dies this in this season, Charlie probably will be the only character to recieve a ture sendoff.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Another great TV show getting screwed over...

Okay, I assume you all have heard the news by now, Lost will have a grand total of forty-eight episodes remaining after this season (ratings permitting). In a normal TV schedule, that's enough for two more seasons. However, ABC and Bad Robot have agreed that the remaining forty-eight will be aired over three seasons, sixteen episodes per season. I personally, am disappointed at this news. Lost is a show which deserves, needs, and thrives on twenty-plus episode seasons. I have always enjoyed watching the major story arcs play out in each season, with a little bit more unfolding in each episode. In the grand scheme of things, I have yet to be completely disappointed by a story resolution, and I seriously doubt I will be disappointed at the end of season three.

So I have to ask why the change? Why now? Despite the harsh criticism that many have had about the show earlier this season (myself included), it's very clear that Lost is still running as strong as it was when it first started back in 2004. If each sixteen episode pod is going to be approached as a seperate season, instead of two seasons in three years, then these new story arcs will end much sooner, and they won't be built up as much as they have been in the first three seasons. It should be clear by now that the writers are slowly moving towards an end to their story, and ABC shouldn't be trying to influence how the writers should able to tell the story, and allow the show to end in two more seasons with twenty-four episodes each as the writers had said in earlier interviews.

But what do I know? I'm just a blogger with an addiction to Lost. This is after all just my opinion on their agreement, and the show could turn out to thrive even better on the shortened seasons.

Friday, May 11, 2007

3x20 - "The Man Behind the Curtain" Present

Locke and Ben

1. Today is Benjamin's birthday, and has just now found out about the missing tape recorder. On it are instructions for the Medical Hatch.

2. Okay, it's official, the mysterious Jacob is the leader of the Others.

3. Jacob only talks to Benjamin? Reminds me a lot of this:

4. Why doesn't anyone stop Locke from beating the crap out of Mikhail? Why is Alex giving Locke a gun for that matter? Looks like Ben's losing his authority.

5. The good people at Lostpedia have a screen grab of Jacob's silhouette so there is definately someone else in that cabin. Why couldn't Locke see him? Could it have something to do with the fact that he didn't kill his father?



6. Assuming that Jacob is real, why doesn't he like technology? That whole place shook when Locke turned on the flashlight. Why did he ask Locke for help? Does Ben have some sort of hold over Jacob?

7. Is John Locke dead? I'd be willing to believe that the Island would heal him, but Ana-Lucia died of a single gunshot wound to the chest as well.

On the Beach

1. What made Juliet tell Jack about here mission? Is this part of Ben's plan?

2. Ben told Juliet to mark the tents of anyone who's pregnant? That sounds like the story of Passover with the Hebrews marking their houses in blood so the Angel Of Death won't kill their firstborn sons.

3. Jack's answer is simply that he was deciding what to do? That's convient. If he wasn't aware of this impending raid by the Others until just now, he should have made a point to inform the camp immediately!

3x20 - "The Man Behind the Curtain" Flashbacks

1. Benjamin Linus was born to Roger and Emily Linus not on the Island but 32 miles outside of Portland, Oregon? His mother's dying words were for the baby to be called Benjamin. Ben was born two months early. Why has Ben been lying about his birth?

2. Ben now a young child, arrives on the Island and is greeted by Horace. Horace is offering Roger a job. I guess we know who Roger is now. Ben doesn't talk much but will say something "when he has something to say."

3. Who is Annie in the present? Is she supposed to be Ben's long lost love that I've read about?

4. What is going on between the "Hostiles" and DHARMA? It sounded like a war outside of Ben's classroom.

5. Was that Ben's mother outside of the window? I thought the Monster couldn't get past the fence. What does she mean by that "it's not time yet?"

6. So Ben's father blames him for Emily's death. That's why he always ignores Ben's birthday. So Ben is just like so many other people on the Island, he's got daddy issues too.

7. The combination to turn off the fence is: 54439. How did Ben get it in the first place?

8. Whoa, Richard Alpert was a hippie! Plus he doesn't seem to have aged all that much. And he was a Hostile. They seem pretty friendly for people who are giving DHARMA all that trouble. Why couldn't Ben join the Hostiles yet?

9. Ben killed Roger in the van and betrayed the others. Was that what he needed to do in order to join the Others? Is that why he can see Jacob while Locke, who didn't kill his father can't?

Sunday, May 06, 2007

3x19 "The Brig" Present

Locke and Sawyer

1. Locke is seen at the beginning of this episode burning the file on Sawyer. Note the he has an on-island flashback this week. Michael's last flashback was also on island, and the first time we saw him in the present, he was burning Ms. Klugh's list. Terry O' Quinn isn't leaving the show is he?

2. Exactly how many times has Kate slept with Sawyer. Is she going to get pregnant? Here's another thought: flash back to "The Whole Truth." Sun asks Kate if she has ever taken a pregnancy test, to which Kate responds that she did. Is it possible that at one time she tried to have a child and learned that she was sterile? LINDELOF! CUSE! KATE FLASHBACK NOW!

3. Why can't Locke kill? I didn't think about this before but it seems that Jack, Locke, Sayid, and Sawyer (until now that is), never killed anyone since their arrival on the Island, even though each one of them had possesion of a loaded gun at least once during the series.

4. What is Rousseau getting more explosives for?

5. So Cooper was simply captured by operatives of the Others outside of the Island and transported there shortly before Locke blew up the submarine. How was he actually brought to the Island is another question I'd like to know. Cooper actually thought he killed Locke.

6. SAWYER! ANTHONY COOPER IS THE REAL MR. SAWYER! There is no conicdence on this show. Just keep saying that to yourself from this point foward. And he really thinks he's in hell. Well he's really there now!

7. When did Locke steal the tape recorder? Surely Ben has to know about it. Juliet and possibly Jack are in for a rough three days.

Jack, Juliet, the Camping Four, and Naomi

1. Desmond's right to tell his camping buddies to not trust Jack. Jack's spent more time in the Other's camp then anyone else and we still don't know what happened during the time after Kate and Sawyer escaped and the time they reached the barracks. Seems Hurley was right to trust Desmond.

2. The newcomer's name is Naomi, who's helicopter took off from a ship 80 nautical miles northwest of the Island. Naomi is part of a search and recovery team that is looking for Desmond, who were hired by the Widmore group. She was surveying the area the Island is supposed to be in and saw nothing until three days ago? HOW IS THE ISLAND STAYING HIDDEN FROM PLAIN SIGHT?

3. AN ENTIRE PLANE CRASH WAS STAGED WITH 324 DEAD PEOPLE? Who could do such a thing and why? How for that matter? What was in the black box? How was the plane found to begin with?

4. The satellite phone is blocked by some interference that's originating from the Island. It's not Rousseau's repeating distress call that's doing this.

5. Kate is a moron. She still trusts Jack even though she knows full well he's been with the Others for at least 10 days! What secrets are Jack and Juliet keeping from the rest of the group?

3x19 "The Brig" Flashbacks

8 Days Ago

1. Over a year ago, shortly before season 2 began, I had hashed out a theory that Locke was so dedicated to discovering the secrets of the Island that he would even go so far as to join the Others to achieve that goal. I still have the Myspace email I sent if anyone here doubts me.

2. So Locke never tried to convince the Others to take Kate with them. Why did he lie to her?

3. I didn't know that Anthony Cooper was a cannibal. He seemed to have a hunger for his own son.

3 Days Ago

1. Cindy says the everyone at the Others' camp has been waiting for John. Why?

2. Ben seems very trusting of Locke. He tells Locke flat out that they're planning a raid on the camp.

3. How did Locke help Ben to regain his ability to walk? What does Ben mean by the fact that the Island can do so much more?

4. Why is Ben trying to get Locke to kill out of revenge? Vengence doesn't always bring closure to the so-called avenger. I find this strange seeing how the Others as a group took no revenge over the deaths of Ethan, Goodwin, Colleen, and Pickett.

5. Is that supposed to be a totem pole that Cooper is tied to?

2 Days Ago

1. Locke's wound healed almost as quickly as Ben's legs. How is the Island doing this?

2. Locke's recovery from his spinal injury as a result of being on the Island means he's "very special." How so?

3. So Richard is also secretly against Ben. He called the fertility problems a novelty. How is that a novelty? What purpose are the Others really on the Island for? How do the Others know that it was specifically Anthony Cooper who played the real Sawyer?

Yesterday

1. "It's your mess, why would we clean it up?" "Don't tell me what I can't do." Do the Others really know the Castaways that well?

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

3x18 - "D.O.C." Present

Sun and Juliet

1. Men have 5x the average sperm-count on the island. Could that mean then that the island has an effect on the DNA of all the males who come there, and that therefore makes them incompatable with women? That could explain why a pregnant woman's body treats the fetus like a foreign invader when she gets pregnant on the island.

2. I knew it! Jin's the father! Does this mean that Sun will die?

3. So Juliet has been sent into the Losties' camp to spy on Sun. Will Sun get captured by the end of this season?

4. On another note, could Kate be pregnant?

Charlie, Jin, Hurley, Desmond, and Naomi

1. The obvious question I have to ask is: WHY IS MIKHAIL STILL ALIVE? Am I to believe that the ultrasonic pulse that keeps just about anything alive and the monster too DOESN'T KILL?

2. Hurley is a complete moron in this episode. He fires the flare gun which leads Mikhail to the group. Then he lets slip to Mikhail about the satellite phone.

3. Naomi was speaking 5 different languages: Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, and English. In Portugese she says, "I am not alone." Could other Widmore people be coming to the island?

4. The Korean army sure teaches some good CQC. Jin kicked Mikhail's ass this week.

5. Why did Mikhail try to steal the satellite phone? Could this mean that it can be repaired? That could allow for communications with the outside world! IT'S RESCUE TIME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

6. How is it that there are no survivors of flight 815? What did they find that confirmed that the plane had crashed? Where did they find what ultimately passed for the plane (according to the news headlines we saw in "One Of Us?" 815 dropped off the radar.)? WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD?