S4E5 - The Constant

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.