Rather than digging for my last recap and hitting the reply all button, I’ve now created an Outlook distribution group. My first ever. How exciting.
As a matter of fact, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most exciting thing going on right now, this is how it ranked:
10 – Closing on the sale of my old townhouse today
9 – Plans to eat at Ted’s Montana grill for lunch
8 –
7 – I’m taking the rest of the day off after I hit SEND on this e-mail
6 – Creating on Outlook distribution list <--
5 –
4 – I ate too many donuts at our staff meeting this morning
3 –
2 – Last night’s episode of LOST
1 –
Perhaps some will disagree with my ranking of last night’s episode, but really, mental time travel? Come on.
I only have a few things to say, really.
First of all, it looks like Desmond is “living” in his flashbacks similar to how he did during his flashback once he blew up the hatch. Except this time, there was no mysterious jewelry store owner that knew him and tried to convince him not to change his past. Remember that? Oh MAN, time travel is so lame. I only say this because I’m REALLY trying to view this show in a “real world” scenario. The producers have always claimed that everything happening on the island can be explained by science. However, if you watch the sci-fi channel to get your news, then maybe your perception of what science can achieve is a bit skewed.
So, I’m calling what they’re portraying on the show as “junk science” and according to “junk scientists” exposure to high doses of radiation (in Desmond’s case, electromagnetism when he blew the lid of the hatch) + the weird effects of the island (a la The Bermuda Triangle) = time travel in your mind (or what some people like to call, remembering shit). Looks like bad news for Daniel since his little radiation apron didn’t come with a helmet option. It will be interesting if Daniel also suffers from this time travel effect. My theory is that he will at one point, which is what may contribute to his unstable mannerisms. Remember when he saw the footage of the wreckage on the TV in his brief flashback and he cried and couldn’t explain why? Maybe it was because at that point he had already bounced back from the future and knew everyone’s true ultimate fate, but he was so wonked out from mental time travel he couldn’t grasp what was going on. Just a thought, brought to you by “junk science.”
Hopefully these Desmond shenanigans are done now that he’s had a heart felt phone call with his “constant.” Don’t get me wrong. I love Desmond’s character, just not what the writer’s have done with him. Anyway, if we are to accept the junk science of time travel, then I suppose we have to accept this notion that there must be a constant in your present and past/future to keep you anchored or you’ll have a brain aneurism. Fine. I accept that. However, by Daniel’s own explanation, it had to be something you REALLY cared about. Maybe even a person. So, if we are to accept that as well, then why the flip would Desmond be Daniel’s constant if something were to happen as he found scribbled in his journal at the end? Granted, Daniel at least knows that Desmond is one person that factors into his past and present so it’s a good call, but still, I don’t see them exchanging tearful “I love you”s over the sat phone anytime soon.
A few other things. It looks like Minowski may not have been Ben’s inside man as I first suspected. I only originally thought that because Frank was cautious of Daniel talking to him as if he suspected something. However, maybe he was cautious of Minowski because he was already starting to crack up at the time. Anyway, judging from the door being left open and the sabotaged communication equipment, it looks like Ben’s mole is alive and well. There didn’t seem to be too many others on the boat. The captain, who we only caught a glimpse of, the two dudes that initially met them when they boarded, and the doctor. Maybe there’s more of course, but it wasn’t that huge of a ship, really.
Also, I’m not sure if anyone caught it, but Penny’s dad was bidding on a logbook from the “Black Rock” ship that is the one crashed in the middle of the island. The really interesting this was that the auctioneer said the original owners was the Hanso family, and if you recall, the Hanso foundation was mentioned in the Orientation video that Locke and Eko spliced together and is the company that funded the Dharma Initiative. Man, I’m such a geek.
Anyway, in short…
THE ISLAND IS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME SILLY TIME BUBBLE.
BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE IS NOT COOL.
PENNY IS STILL SWEET ON DESMOND, EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
The End.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
S4E4 - Eggtown
Man, oh man. It’s amazing what a nice twist can do for an otherwise average episode. I feel like the Aaron reveal was so monumental, we should start with it and work our way backwards… kind of like eating your dessert first.
FLASHBACK COUNTDOWN:
So, I was maybe half right with the whole “I need to get back to him” comment Kate made to Jack at the end of last season. She did mean a baby, but not her own! Now I’m still wondering if Desmond’s flash of Claire getting into a helicopter will still happen. There’s obviously so much that has yet to happen, she could very well hop on a chopper and still not make it. If the preview from next week is any indication, it’s apparently a fairly treacherous ride back. So a few possibilities here…
1) Claire dies before being rescued and Kate decides to take the baby. Perhaps as Claire’s final request?
2) Claire decides to remain on the island for some reason. This is an interesting possibility because then the obvious question would be why would she decide to remain and give up Aaron. Or if she didn’t give him up willingly, why would Kate feel so strongly about taking him away?
3) Claire does make it off and is one of the Oceanic Six, but something happens to her afterwards and Kate raises Aaron as her own.
One good point Courtney made last night was that if Kate already claims Aaron as her child once they are all rescued, it would be easy for anyone to do the math and figure that she would have had to have been pregnant pre-flight, which would be fairly easy to confirm she was not considering how closely she was tracked by the Feds. Maybe this is why she was so adamant about not letting her mom visit as well as not bringing him to the trial, she doesn’t want him in the public eye because people might start asking questions.
Taking one step backwards, the brief conversation between Kate and Jack after the trial REALLY had me thinking that the baby was his and the reason he didn’t want to see it was because he just didn’t want to be involved with the parenting. It certainly would have fit with her comment to him, which I have taken the liberty to insert my assumed subtext:
“I understand why you don’t want to see him (because you’re a dead beat dad), but until you do (take responsibility for your child) there can be no ‘you and I going for coffee.’ (because you can’t have your cake and eat it too.)”
I thought THIS was going to be the twist. That Jack is the future father of Kate’s baby. Of course then she drops the Aaron bomb and bam, that theory is shot. But then what are we to think of this dialogue between them? Was it just a trick to get us to think that Jack and Kate eventually hook up only to sucker punch us in the end? I would think not. So this leaves us with the obvious question of why would Jack be SO hesitant about seeing Aaron?
As far as her sentencing goes, ten years probation without leaving the state, I think it will be an interesting obstacle in the future because I’m pretty convinced that at some point they will all believe they have to go back to the island.
Continuing our countdown, to me, Jack’s testimony was the next biggest surprise because of one comment and I may need a little help with it. He said there were eight survivors of the crash, right? But then went on to say that Kate saved him, but couldn’t save the other two. I wonder if that has any significance or if that’s just part of the story they all agreed to tell. I just don’t know why you would bother to say there were eight survivors if two of them drowned right after.
ISLAND COUNTDOWN:
Island-wise I feel like there were only two things worth noting, maybe three. The first being Miles’s attempt at blackmail. Even Ben seemed offended and you would imagine he’d jump at any chance to not be found or at least left alone. It seems Miles enjoys squeezing money out of folks, both living and dead. The most interesting piece was Miles’s claim to know who Ben was and “what he could do.” Obviously he was some financial power based on that desk stash of cash, but what else is he keeping up his sleeves?
The second noteworthy snippet was the emergency line conversation with Regina. First of all, the fact that there was an emergency line that was perfectly functional and the freighter folk didn’t bother to tell them seems odd. And secondly, the fact that the chopper hadn’t arrived yet is suspect. We know that Sayid, at least, survives so either there was a problem with the chopper and it has to crash land (on the “Alcatraz” island from the beginning of last season maybe?) or this is just a side effect of the time distortion?
And the last thing, weird, but still noteworthy, was Dan and Charlotte’s little “exercise” just before Jack confronted them about the sat phone. I have a feeling that Dan is a little unstable so maybe he’s off his meds or something and Charlotte is just helping him keep it together mentally. That seems reasonable. Any other theory about why it would be difficult to memorize three playing cards is beyond me. No one else seems to suffer from memory loss.
That’s about it. I thought we were supposed to discover another member of the Oceanic Six, but it was just Kate who we already knew survived, unless they’re counting Aaron, but I doubt it.
Biggest mystery of the episode... WHY IS IT TITLED "EGGTOWN?"
Comments? Theories?
FLASHBACK COUNTDOWN:
So, I was maybe half right with the whole “I need to get back to him” comment Kate made to Jack at the end of last season. She did mean a baby, but not her own! Now I’m still wondering if Desmond’s flash of Claire getting into a helicopter will still happen. There’s obviously so much that has yet to happen, she could very well hop on a chopper and still not make it. If the preview from next week is any indication, it’s apparently a fairly treacherous ride back. So a few possibilities here…
1) Claire dies before being rescued and Kate decides to take the baby. Perhaps as Claire’s final request?
2) Claire decides to remain on the island for some reason. This is an interesting possibility because then the obvious question would be why would she decide to remain and give up Aaron. Or if she didn’t give him up willingly, why would Kate feel so strongly about taking him away?
3) Claire does make it off and is one of the Oceanic Six, but something happens to her afterwards and Kate raises Aaron as her own.
One good point Courtney made last night was that if Kate already claims Aaron as her child once they are all rescued, it would be easy for anyone to do the math and figure that she would have had to have been pregnant pre-flight, which would be fairly easy to confirm she was not considering how closely she was tracked by the Feds. Maybe this is why she was so adamant about not letting her mom visit as well as not bringing him to the trial, she doesn’t want him in the public eye because people might start asking questions.
Taking one step backwards, the brief conversation between Kate and Jack after the trial REALLY had me thinking that the baby was his and the reason he didn’t want to see it was because he just didn’t want to be involved with the parenting. It certainly would have fit with her comment to him, which I have taken the liberty to insert my assumed subtext:
“I understand why you don’t want to see him (because you’re a dead beat dad), but until you do (take responsibility for your child) there can be no ‘you and I going for coffee.’ (because you can’t have your cake and eat it too.)”
I thought THIS was going to be the twist. That Jack is the future father of Kate’s baby. Of course then she drops the Aaron bomb and bam, that theory is shot. But then what are we to think of this dialogue between them? Was it just a trick to get us to think that Jack and Kate eventually hook up only to sucker punch us in the end? I would think not. So this leaves us with the obvious question of why would Jack be SO hesitant about seeing Aaron?
As far as her sentencing goes, ten years probation without leaving the state, I think it will be an interesting obstacle in the future because I’m pretty convinced that at some point they will all believe they have to go back to the island.
Continuing our countdown, to me, Jack’s testimony was the next biggest surprise because of one comment and I may need a little help with it. He said there were eight survivors of the crash, right? But then went on to say that Kate saved him, but couldn’t save the other two. I wonder if that has any significance or if that’s just part of the story they all agreed to tell. I just don’t know why you would bother to say there were eight survivors if two of them drowned right after.
ISLAND COUNTDOWN:
Island-wise I feel like there were only two things worth noting, maybe three. The first being Miles’s attempt at blackmail. Even Ben seemed offended and you would imagine he’d jump at any chance to not be found or at least left alone. It seems Miles enjoys squeezing money out of folks, both living and dead. The most interesting piece was Miles’s claim to know who Ben was and “what he could do.” Obviously he was some financial power based on that desk stash of cash, but what else is he keeping up his sleeves?
The second noteworthy snippet was the emergency line conversation with Regina. First of all, the fact that there was an emergency line that was perfectly functional and the freighter folk didn’t bother to tell them seems odd. And secondly, the fact that the chopper hadn’t arrived yet is suspect. We know that Sayid, at least, survives so either there was a problem with the chopper and it has to crash land (on the “Alcatraz” island from the beginning of last season maybe?) or this is just a side effect of the time distortion?
And the last thing, weird, but still noteworthy, was Dan and Charlotte’s little “exercise” just before Jack confronted them about the sat phone. I have a feeling that Dan is a little unstable so maybe he’s off his meds or something and Charlotte is just helping him keep it together mentally. That seems reasonable. Any other theory about why it would be difficult to memorize three playing cards is beyond me. No one else seems to suffer from memory loss.
That’s about it. I thought we were supposed to discover another member of the Oceanic Six, but it was just Kate who we already knew survived, unless they’re counting Aaron, but I doubt it.
Biggest mystery of the episode... WHY IS IT TITLED "EGGTOWN?"
Comments? Theories?
Monday, February 18, 2008
S4E3 - The Economist
Wow.
A very special Valentine’s Day episode I would say. I shall recap in honor of the holiday.
***LOST VALENTINES***
To: Naomi
Card: White construction paper with a lot of neon marker colors squiggled all around the border.
Outside: “I’ll always be with you”
Inside: One of those old school “slap bracelets” from the 80s. “I’m getting one of these made for you in metal real soon!”
From: RG
Interesting bracelet. I don’t believe we know anyone with the initials RG… yet. However, I think the most interesting thing about it was the fact that Elsa (that blond chick that Sayiid offed in his flash forward) was wearing one too.
To: Mr. Avellino
Card: Green card depicting a lavish golf course.
Outside: “Hope you get a hole-in-one for Valentines!”
Inside: “And by that I mean a hole somewhere in the vicinity of a vital organ.”
From: Sayid
Well, I had a feeling Sayid would be one of the Oceanic Six, but mainly because his pseudo-girlfriend that he let escape way back when is too much of a good reunion storyline to not develop. However, his “future” was definitely a surprise. More on that later…
To: Naomi
Card: Just regular notebook paper folded a bunch of times.
Outside: “I dig your accent and I think you’re hot.”
Inside: “Wanna go out or something once we finish our mission? Check box YES or NO.”
From: Miles
Apparently Miles doesn’t care much about Charlotte and only cared about Naomi on a superficial level. However, he seemed super interested about Locke and how he wound up dividing the group. Was this just forced dialogue to lead to Sayid’s snappy “I haven’t decided yet” comment on whether the freighter folks were good or bad? If not, it really begs the question of why Miles is so interested in their group dynamic. Whatever… I bet he’s there to try to “talk” to all of the dead Dharma folks in that mass grave in order to get the missing pieces of their research.
To: Dan
Card: No card, just a big tube.
Outside: Steel durable enough to withstand being shot from a freighter.
Inside: A portable clock/timer for people who hate watches. Also great for baking or performing physics experiments.
From: Regina
If I remember correctly, the timer he had with him showed maybe 3:15ish and the one in the tube read 2:45ish. So, something funky with time is happening on the island? Okay. His comment to Frank at the end about making sure he takes the same bearings when flying out as they did coming in mirrors Ben’s comments to Michael when he gave him the boat at the end of season 2 and said to make sure he stays on those coordinates or else he wouldn’t be able to leave. Interesting, but it doesn’t tell us much besides “there is a lot of crazy shitake going on with this island.” Not exactly news.
To: Ben
Card: Oversized manila envelope
Outside: Unmarked.
Inside: Wads and wads of foreign currency and fake passports.
From: Self
What the…? So does ol’ Benny boy travel incognito? We knew from last season when he showed Juliet the footage of her healthy sister that he has a little influence with the outside world, and more so now that we know he has a plant on the freighter, but maybe he’s a lot less “confined” to the island than we think. Hmm…
To: Kate
Card: Plain white paper folded in half with a drawing of one of the Dharma barracks.
Outside: “Let’s play house together…”
Inside: “Until the electricity goes out or we starve, whichever comes first.”
From: Sawyer
I wonder if she really voluntarily stayed with the Locke camp. Sawyer did make an interesting point, though. What does she have to get back to? They’re just two criminal peas in a pod. Interesting, though, because we know she does get off. I wonder, though, if Sawyer will too. He seems like an obvious guess of the “he” that she told Jack she needed to get back to at the end of last season. My theory is that she gets pregnant while on the island with Sawyer Jr., but is afraid he will die like all of the other island-conceived kiddies, so she decides to leave and Sawyer decides to stay or is killed or something tragic. Or even better, he’s killed in the process of helping her get rescued. Not that I want him to die, but you know, it seems like it would be good closure for his character… self-sacrifice for his baby momma.
To: Sayid / Elsa
Card: Pink with red and white cut out hearts.
Outside: “We’ve certainly had a whirlwind romance this past month.”
Inside: “Too bad I have to shoot you.”
From: Elsa / Sayid**
A very special Valentine’s Day episode I would say. I shall recap in honor of the holiday.
***LOST VALENTINES***
To: Naomi
Card: White construction paper with a lot of neon marker colors squiggled all around the border.
Outside: “I’ll always be with you”
Inside: One of those old school “slap bracelets” from the 80s. “I’m getting one of these made for you in metal real soon!”
From: RG
Interesting bracelet. I don’t believe we know anyone with the initials RG… yet. However, I think the most interesting thing about it was the fact that Elsa (that blond chick that Sayiid offed in his flash forward) was wearing one too.
To: Mr. Avellino
Card: Green card depicting a lavish golf course.
Outside: “Hope you get a hole-in-one for Valentines!”
Inside: “And by that I mean a hole somewhere in the vicinity of a vital organ.”
From: Sayid
Well, I had a feeling Sayid would be one of the Oceanic Six, but mainly because his pseudo-girlfriend that he let escape way back when is too much of a good reunion storyline to not develop. However, his “future” was definitely a surprise. More on that later…
To: Naomi
Card: Just regular notebook paper folded a bunch of times.
Outside: “I dig your accent and I think you’re hot.”
Inside: “Wanna go out or something once we finish our mission? Check box YES or NO.”
From: Miles
Apparently Miles doesn’t care much about Charlotte and only cared about Naomi on a superficial level. However, he seemed super interested about Locke and how he wound up dividing the group. Was this just forced dialogue to lead to Sayid’s snappy “I haven’t decided yet” comment on whether the freighter folks were good or bad? If not, it really begs the question of why Miles is so interested in their group dynamic. Whatever… I bet he’s there to try to “talk” to all of the dead Dharma folks in that mass grave in order to get the missing pieces of their research.
To: Dan
Card: No card, just a big tube.
Outside: Steel durable enough to withstand being shot from a freighter.
Inside: A portable clock/timer for people who hate watches. Also great for baking or performing physics experiments.
From: Regina
If I remember correctly, the timer he had with him showed maybe 3:15ish and the one in the tube read 2:45ish. So, something funky with time is happening on the island? Okay. His comment to Frank at the end about making sure he takes the same bearings when flying out as they did coming in mirrors Ben’s comments to Michael when he gave him the boat at the end of season 2 and said to make sure he stays on those coordinates or else he wouldn’t be able to leave. Interesting, but it doesn’t tell us much besides “there is a lot of crazy shitake going on with this island.” Not exactly news.
To: Ben
Card: Oversized manila envelope
Outside: Unmarked.
Inside: Wads and wads of foreign currency and fake passports.
From: Self
What the…? So does ol’ Benny boy travel incognito? We knew from last season when he showed Juliet the footage of her healthy sister that he has a little influence with the outside world, and more so now that we know he has a plant on the freighter, but maybe he’s a lot less “confined” to the island than we think. Hmm…
To: Kate
Card: Plain white paper folded in half with a drawing of one of the Dharma barracks.
Outside: “Let’s play house together…”
Inside: “Until the electricity goes out or we starve, whichever comes first.”
From: Sawyer
I wonder if she really voluntarily stayed with the Locke camp. Sawyer did make an interesting point, though. What does she have to get back to? They’re just two criminal peas in a pod. Interesting, though, because we know she does get off. I wonder, though, if Sawyer will too. He seems like an obvious guess of the “he” that she told Jack she needed to get back to at the end of last season. My theory is that she gets pregnant while on the island with Sawyer Jr., but is afraid he will die like all of the other island-conceived kiddies, so she decides to leave and Sawyer decides to stay or is killed or something tragic. Or even better, he’s killed in the process of helping her get rescued. Not that I want him to die, but you know, it seems like it would be good closure for his character… self-sacrifice for his baby momma.
To: Sayid / Elsa
Card: Pink with red and white cut out hearts.
Outside: “We’ve certainly had a whirlwind romance this past month.”
Inside: “Too bad I have to shoot you.”
From: Elsa / Sayid**
**They laugh at how funny it was they bought each other the same card until an awkward silence falls between them.
Wow. You know I had a tiny suspicion that she wasn’t being totally up front at one point, but it still surprised me when she pulled the gun. It did seem he really cared about her, though. Either way, if she had a similar bracelet as Naomi, what does that mean? Perhaps Elsa’s “employer” is the mysterious RG? However, “I’ll always be with you” seems a bit odd of an inscription from your boss…
To: Sayid
Card: Red construction paper with the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 written in black sharpie along the border.
Outside: “I (heart) lists almost as much as I (heart) you!”
Inside: Long list of names scribbled on a napkin. “Speaking of which… I’ve added to the list of people I want you to kill. Have a great Valentines!”
From: Ben
Double wow. I guess when Sayid mentioned the list to Elsa just before she shot him, that should have been the clue, but I was still pretty surprised that Ben is his employer. The interesting thing to me was that Ben said, “You know what happened last time when you thought with your heart instead of your gun,” or something like that. That leads me to believe that Sayid WILL have the touching reunion with the woman from his past, but then she is killed by whatever forces Ben is supposedly against. That’s the only way I can see Sayid deciding to work for him.
Crazy, crazy, stuff. A really good episode I would say. Brian, I totally forgot about Claire getting on a helicopter was part of Desmond’s “flash” when he was talking to Charlie last season, so I think I’ll put her on my list of one of the two remaining Oceanic Six.
Comments? Did I miss anything? Any other guesses of who comprises the final third of the Oceanic Sextuple?
Wow. You know I had a tiny suspicion that she wasn’t being totally up front at one point, but it still surprised me when she pulled the gun. It did seem he really cared about her, though. Either way, if she had a similar bracelet as Naomi, what does that mean? Perhaps Elsa’s “employer” is the mysterious RG? However, “I’ll always be with you” seems a bit odd of an inscription from your boss…
To: Sayid
Card: Red construction paper with the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 written in black sharpie along the border.
Outside: “I (heart) lists almost as much as I (heart) you!”
Inside: Long list of names scribbled on a napkin. “Speaking of which… I’ve added to the list of people I want you to kill. Have a great Valentines!”
From: Ben
Double wow. I guess when Sayid mentioned the list to Elsa just before she shot him, that should have been the clue, but I was still pretty surprised that Ben is his employer. The interesting thing to me was that Ben said, “You know what happened last time when you thought with your heart instead of your gun,” or something like that. That leads me to believe that Sayid WILL have the touching reunion with the woman from his past, but then she is killed by whatever forces Ben is supposedly against. That’s the only way I can see Sayid deciding to work for him.
Crazy, crazy, stuff. A really good episode I would say. Brian, I totally forgot about Claire getting on a helicopter was part of Desmond’s “flash” when he was talking to Charlie last season, so I think I’ll put her on my list of one of the two remaining Oceanic Six.
Comments? Did I miss anything? Any other guesses of who comprises the final third of the Oceanic Sextuple?
Friday, February 8, 2008
S4E2 - Confirmed Dead
Well, well… it looks like a few new characters to focus on. Always a nice treat to keep things fresh.
Let’s see… we’ve got:
Daniel – The nutty physicist
TURN ONs: Inexplicable crying
What was that about, anyway? What a strange reaction to a news report. I wonder if he’s supposed to be a bit unstable. He really did seem to have a super scattered personality. Also, did anyone notice if the lady that was in the room with him when he was watching the news called him by a different name? I may be making that up.
TURN OFFs: Packing
“Uh, I wasn’t in charge of packing,” he fumbled, after Kate and Jack opened the metal trunk that had fallen from the chopper. And did you notice what was in there? Gasmasks and bags to store hazardous material. Definitely not your average search and rescue gear.
Miles – The skeptical ghost hunter
TURN ONs: Talking to and extorting money from dead people
Seriously? Is this going to be an ongoing theme for the rest of the show? People who aren’t there, but maybe kind of are there? I hope he parachuted down with his Dirt Devil, finds an outlet in Jacob’s shack, and sucks him into oblivion a la Ghost Busters.
TURN OFFs: Mean people
Not much love for the LOSTies, but I guess it’s to be expected after Naomi’s veiled warning. I think everyone should come up with and share an emergency code word or phrase with their friends. Mine will be “GLADIOLA”… or if things get really hairy I’ll say… “THER’S TOO MUCH ASBESTOS IN THE ATTIC.”
Charlotte – The deceptive anthropologist
TURN ONs: Digging up fossils, Hanging upside down
I wonder how long she was hanging there since Daniel clearly parachuted while it was still dark. The Dharma logo she found had a picture of a mythical hydra. I think I remember someone referring to a station named Hydra on the island, maybe something to do with animal research? Who knows. The interesting thing, though, is that she didn’t seem to have a what-the-hell-is-this-doing-here expression. It was more like a sweet-this-is-what-I-was-looking-for expression. I wonder if she already new about (or was already hired by) Dharma at that point.
TURN OFFs: Getting shot in the chest
Who can blame her, really? Perhaps because of Naomi’s warning, but especially judging from the guns and gasmasks, they clearly weren’t expecting a welcoming parade.
Frank – The loose cannon pilot
TURN ONs: Flying, Drinking
At least he was a drunk according to Naomi. Interesting interaction between her and the “fake Oceanic lawyer” guy. Once again, I think he’s tied to Dharma somehow. Especially once Miles flipped out and grilled Juliet on Ben’s whereabouts. Considering that Ben pretty much sold out everyone in the “original” Dharma initiative who now lay in that mass grave that Locke found himself in, I’d say they definitely have a score to settle with him. And just how difficult did they think it would be to extract him that they would need such an assortment of “specialists” to do the job? We know this is more than just a flight 815 rescue, but I think it’s more than just a Ben kidnapping as well.
TURN OFFs: Flying WHILE drinking
Maybe that’s why he “should have been the one piloting that plane,” but wasn’t. A little juice on the job, you know? And of course that’s why he feels guilty so gets roped into this mission, being told the intent is to find the “real” crash site…?
That’s one thing I don’t get—well, one of the many things. I’m going on the assumption that the discovery of the wreckage and those people’s reaction in the very beginning were real. However, was the wreckage, itself, real or was it staged? I guess it had to have been staged, right? We know the plane broke off in two pieces and is on the island, well, most of it. And even Frank, himself, swore that the footage of the pilot wasn’t really him. So the question is who would go to such lengths to stage that?
My theory is that the Dharma initiative is still alive and well on the mainland and they staged this fake wreckage so that the search would be called off and no one would discover the island. This brings up another point of clarification. How many days have they been on the island now? I’d say only three months or so. This would mean all of the flashbacks of the freighter people that we saw were probably not that long ago, since they all saw some report of the wreck discovery. I also wonder if this means that we will get more flashbacks to fill in the gaps of these new characters while continuing to get flash forwards from the “Oceanic Six.” That would definitely help broaden the potential character development rather than cycling between only six folks.
Any bets on who the other 3 of the 6 are? One of my bets is on Sayiid.
Gladiola…
Let’s see… we’ve got:
Daniel – The nutty physicist
TURN ONs: Inexplicable crying
What was that about, anyway? What a strange reaction to a news report. I wonder if he’s supposed to be a bit unstable. He really did seem to have a super scattered personality. Also, did anyone notice if the lady that was in the room with him when he was watching the news called him by a different name? I may be making that up.
TURN OFFs: Packing
“Uh, I wasn’t in charge of packing,” he fumbled, after Kate and Jack opened the metal trunk that had fallen from the chopper. And did you notice what was in there? Gasmasks and bags to store hazardous material. Definitely not your average search and rescue gear.
Miles – The skeptical ghost hunter
TURN ONs: Talking to and extorting money from dead people
Seriously? Is this going to be an ongoing theme for the rest of the show? People who aren’t there, but maybe kind of are there? I hope he parachuted down with his Dirt Devil, finds an outlet in Jacob’s shack, and sucks him into oblivion a la Ghost Busters.
TURN OFFs: Mean people
Not much love for the LOSTies, but I guess it’s to be expected after Naomi’s veiled warning. I think everyone should come up with and share an emergency code word or phrase with their friends. Mine will be “GLADIOLA”… or if things get really hairy I’ll say… “THER’S TOO MUCH ASBESTOS IN THE ATTIC.”
Charlotte – The deceptive anthropologist
TURN ONs: Digging up fossils, Hanging upside down
I wonder how long she was hanging there since Daniel clearly parachuted while it was still dark. The Dharma logo she found had a picture of a mythical hydra. I think I remember someone referring to a station named Hydra on the island, maybe something to do with animal research? Who knows. The interesting thing, though, is that she didn’t seem to have a what-the-hell-is-this-doing-here expression. It was more like a sweet-this-is-what-I-was-looking-for expression. I wonder if she already new about (or was already hired by) Dharma at that point.
TURN OFFs: Getting shot in the chest
Who can blame her, really? Perhaps because of Naomi’s warning, but especially judging from the guns and gasmasks, they clearly weren’t expecting a welcoming parade.
Frank – The loose cannon pilot
TURN ONs: Flying, Drinking
At least he was a drunk according to Naomi. Interesting interaction between her and the “fake Oceanic lawyer” guy. Once again, I think he’s tied to Dharma somehow. Especially once Miles flipped out and grilled Juliet on Ben’s whereabouts. Considering that Ben pretty much sold out everyone in the “original” Dharma initiative who now lay in that mass grave that Locke found himself in, I’d say they definitely have a score to settle with him. And just how difficult did they think it would be to extract him that they would need such an assortment of “specialists” to do the job? We know this is more than just a flight 815 rescue, but I think it’s more than just a Ben kidnapping as well.
TURN OFFs: Flying WHILE drinking
Maybe that’s why he “should have been the one piloting that plane,” but wasn’t. A little juice on the job, you know? And of course that’s why he feels guilty so gets roped into this mission, being told the intent is to find the “real” crash site…?
That’s one thing I don’t get—well, one of the many things. I’m going on the assumption that the discovery of the wreckage and those people’s reaction in the very beginning were real. However, was the wreckage, itself, real or was it staged? I guess it had to have been staged, right? We know the plane broke off in two pieces and is on the island, well, most of it. And even Frank, himself, swore that the footage of the pilot wasn’t really him. So the question is who would go to such lengths to stage that?
My theory is that the Dharma initiative is still alive and well on the mainland and they staged this fake wreckage so that the search would be called off and no one would discover the island. This brings up another point of clarification. How many days have they been on the island now? I’d say only three months or so. This would mean all of the flashbacks of the freighter people that we saw were probably not that long ago, since they all saw some report of the wreck discovery. I also wonder if this means that we will get more flashbacks to fill in the gaps of these new characters while continuing to get flash forwards from the “Oceanic Six.” That would definitely help broaden the potential character development rather than cycling between only six folks.
Any bets on who the other 3 of the 6 are? One of my bets is on Sayiid.
Gladiola…
Friday, February 1, 2008
S4E1 - Beginning Of The End
So another season of LOST is upon us. It’s been so long, I may have lost my recap skills. I feel there were a number of “red flag” details that I was afraid I’d forget. If I have to start watching with a pen and paper handy, shoot me. Anyway, here goes…
Red Flag Numero Uno:
We are treated to a Hurley flash forward and he yells about being one of the “Oceanic Six” (is that like a supped-up version of the “Fantastic Four”… or perhaps a lackluster version of “Ocean’s Twelve”?) Anyway, I guess the assumption here is that only 6 of the original survivors actually make it off the island. We know Jack and Kate from Jack’s flash forward last season, and now Hurley. In last year’s finale Kate had mentioned a “him” to Jack when she said she had to get back to someone. The temptation is to think that’s Sawyer, but really it could be anyone. It could even be her unborn son… ***insert dramatic soap opera music***. The only thing I wonder, though, is if there truly are only 6 people that make it off the island, and the show continues with the flash forwarding for the rest of the series (there would be a nice symmetry to that, first 3 years in the past, last 3 years in the future) then will we be limited to flash forwards of Jack, Kate, Hurley, and 3 other folks?
Red Flag 2:
The “Oceanic Legal Rep” forgot his business card at home. How convenient. My theory is that he must represent the Dharma Initiative (even though it was essentially defunct on the island doesn’t mean there aren’t people still funding or behind the research off the island) or at least SOME interested party that knows about the island’s secret, whatever the hell that is, and still has a vested interest. The flag is especially waved when he leans in and asks, “Are they still alive?” or something to that effect. This maybe ties in with two other conversations in the episode, which I shall flag now.
Red Flag C:
Hurley see’s Charlie’s ghost. So it’s pretty confirmed that Charlie is dead. I know some folks may have questioned that, but I’m thinking he’s kaput. Anyway, he apparently is trying to convince Hurley that “they need your help.” I can only assume the “they” is the “they” that the fake legal rep dude was referring to. By the way, Charlie looked way more hip dead than he ever did when he was a living breathing rock star.
Red Flag the fourth:
Jack stops by for a friendly game of HORSE. While I feel Jack was genuinely concerned for his friend, apparently there may have been an ulterior motive for the visit. “You want to make sure I didn’t tell anybody?” Hugo asks. Hmm… I’m assuming this is also in reference to the “they” who apparently are still alive and perhaps in trouble.
So what does it all mean? Of course, we have no clue. Even though we believe only six get off the island, it’s not to say everyone else is dead. Many may have chosen to stay voluntarily, Locke and Rose/Bernard for example. Of course then the question is, why lie about it? This likely plays into the bigger “secret” of the island. Anyway, the writer’s are definitely playing up the fact that even when they get off the island, they’ll have to go back. It’s already interesting to see Jack so against it in what is presumably the “earlier” version of the future versus where we saw him in the season finale last year when he is convinced they made a mistake by leaving. I wonder if Kate and the “other three” survivors will come to feel that way as well.
(smaller flags, not necessarily red, but fun to note)
Black and Blue Flag:
Danielle gives Ben a big rifle butt against the head when he says, “Get my daughter as far away from here as possible.” Boo-yah, Ben! She ain’t yo baby!
Random Flag:
The investigator questioning Hurley was Ana Lucia’s ex-partner. I wonder how many “future connections” people will have with each other?
Warm Fuzzy Flag:
Sawyer’s attempt to comfort Hurley was pretty touching.
Bizarro Flag:
Hurley sees Jacob’s shack in the jungle, multiple times. Was that Locke’s head that popped up in the window? That Jacob stuff is still weird to me.
I’ve heard they have 8 episodes “in the can” which represents half of the anticipated season’s length. Hopefully the strike will come to an end in time for them to write/film/produce the remaining 8.
Red Flag Numero Uno:
We are treated to a Hurley flash forward and he yells about being one of the “Oceanic Six” (is that like a supped-up version of the “Fantastic Four”… or perhaps a lackluster version of “Ocean’s Twelve”?) Anyway, I guess the assumption here is that only 6 of the original survivors actually make it off the island. We know Jack and Kate from Jack’s flash forward last season, and now Hurley. In last year’s finale Kate had mentioned a “him” to Jack when she said she had to get back to someone. The temptation is to think that’s Sawyer, but really it could be anyone. It could even be her unborn son… ***insert dramatic soap opera music***. The only thing I wonder, though, is if there truly are only 6 people that make it off the island, and the show continues with the flash forwarding for the rest of the series (there would be a nice symmetry to that, first 3 years in the past, last 3 years in the future) then will we be limited to flash forwards of Jack, Kate, Hurley, and 3 other folks?
Red Flag 2:
The “Oceanic Legal Rep” forgot his business card at home. How convenient. My theory is that he must represent the Dharma Initiative (even though it was essentially defunct on the island doesn’t mean there aren’t people still funding or behind the research off the island) or at least SOME interested party that knows about the island’s secret, whatever the hell that is, and still has a vested interest. The flag is especially waved when he leans in and asks, “Are they still alive?” or something to that effect. This maybe ties in with two other conversations in the episode, which I shall flag now.
Red Flag C:
Hurley see’s Charlie’s ghost. So it’s pretty confirmed that Charlie is dead. I know some folks may have questioned that, but I’m thinking he’s kaput. Anyway, he apparently is trying to convince Hurley that “they need your help.” I can only assume the “they” is the “they” that the fake legal rep dude was referring to. By the way, Charlie looked way more hip dead than he ever did when he was a living breathing rock star.
Red Flag the fourth:
Jack stops by for a friendly game of HORSE. While I feel Jack was genuinely concerned for his friend, apparently there may have been an ulterior motive for the visit. “You want to make sure I didn’t tell anybody?” Hugo asks. Hmm… I’m assuming this is also in reference to the “they” who apparently are still alive and perhaps in trouble.
So what does it all mean? Of course, we have no clue. Even though we believe only six get off the island, it’s not to say everyone else is dead. Many may have chosen to stay voluntarily, Locke and Rose/Bernard for example. Of course then the question is, why lie about it? This likely plays into the bigger “secret” of the island. Anyway, the writer’s are definitely playing up the fact that even when they get off the island, they’ll have to go back. It’s already interesting to see Jack so against it in what is presumably the “earlier” version of the future versus where we saw him in the season finale last year when he is convinced they made a mistake by leaving. I wonder if Kate and the “other three” survivors will come to feel that way as well.
(smaller flags, not necessarily red, but fun to note)
Black and Blue Flag:
Danielle gives Ben a big rifle butt against the head when he says, “Get my daughter as far away from here as possible.” Boo-yah, Ben! She ain’t yo baby!
Random Flag:
The investigator questioning Hurley was Ana Lucia’s ex-partner. I wonder how many “future connections” people will have with each other?
Warm Fuzzy Flag:
Sawyer’s attempt to comfort Hurley was pretty touching.
Bizarro Flag:
Hurley sees Jacob’s shack in the jungle, multiple times. Was that Locke’s head that popped up in the window? That Jacob stuff is still weird to me.
I’ve heard they have 8 episodes “in the can” which represents half of the anticipated season’s length. Hopefully the strike will come to an end in time for them to write/film/produce the remaining 8.
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