Where do we go from here?

This is gonna be a tough one. First off, in general, I loved the finale. It held a good mix of what I expected and some stuff that surprised me. And, oy, what a cliffhanger…

So…they killed my favorite character. Well, they probably killed her. Ever since the first episode that she appeared in, Elizabeth Mitchell has been a dynamic presence on Lost. Even when she was saddled with storylines I wasn’t fond of (the Jack-Kate-Sawyer-Juliet quadrangle) she always made me believe it. If she is done on Lost (and I think she pretty much is), I’m really, really going to miss her.

On the other hand, they killed one of the most repulsive characters on the show too. Good riddance Phil. I only wish you could have been impaled more than once.

So I read a bunch of other Lost-related blogs and lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of focus on certain characters doing out of character things. I can only imagine that this will continue after this episode. My thing with in character and out of character actions is that being inconsistent is what makes these characters human. Yes, it’s very easy to paint a picture of Jack or Sawyer in broad strokes, and I could see an argument being made for Sawyer’s actions last episode and the beginning of this one as out of character for the Sawyer he has become. However, does anyone really do anything the same way all the time? I think these are desperate people who are just flying by instinct. And instinct can change from one moment to the next. Maybe it’s a cop-out, but even the best of people are going to do things that are out of character, and it’s most likely going to happen when they are at their most desperate. So, yes, I think there has been some flip-flopping and characterization bouncing around a little, and honestly, I really didn’t like it, but it does make sense to me. (And Juliet’s flip-flopping was redeemed, and heretofore will be ignored by me because of her Awesome (capital ‘A’) final scene with Sawyer. To never again see the two of them in a scene together is tragic.)

My biggest problem with the finale: Jack’s reason for setting off the bomb – so he can reset with Kate. Really dude? I know you’ve got the tunnel vision when it comes to her (well, actually he has tunnel vision when it comes to pretty much EVERYTHING) but, really dude? (I think if Jack had said something like, “I want to do it for her and to save everyone that we lost.” I could be on board a little more, but whatever.) It seemed that a number of critical decisions were made because of Kate, and while I really don’t get it – and I don’t ever think that I will – I’m also looking at it as an outsider. If it were me on a crazy island trying to survive, would I make all of these crazy decisions for someone I’ve grown so attached to? Maybe. And I think that’s almost a problem with Lost – we as an audience see all the blemishes, see all the character flaws. But this is a discussion for another day, I think.

Anyway, it wasn’t a perfect finale. In a way it reminded me of the first season finale, and I think if I didn’t have 5 seasons of trust in Darlton, if I didn’t think they know where they are headed next year, I probably would have really disliked the finale. At the end of season one, all I wanted to know was what the hell is in the Hatch? That’s what I wanted from the finale. And at that time, I know I really liked Lost, but I had no real reason to trust that the show knew what it was doing. So the first season finale is still my least favorite finale because I have that lingering disappointment in the back of my mind. Actually though, looking back, it was an action-filled, creepy, exciting finale, with a disappointing (yet iconic) final shot. And I saw definite similarities in “The Incident.” I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and emotionally invested, but when it ended I wasn’t pissed like I was after season one, I was almost at peace, because I know that the answers will come, though I have to wait 8 months for them. My mind is still spinning with all the information, but I’m almost glad for these 8 months, so I can prepare for the final season and over-analyze every last thing from this season and previous seasons.

I really don’t want a reset. I truly don’t. Unless they can do it in such a way that doesn’t make the past 5 seasons meaningless, I do not want a reset. But, I do trust Darlton and I’m with them till the end, so no real judgment until it all plays out.

Onto that first scene: We’ve got Jacob in white and the Big Bad (Esau?) in black. This is the war that is being fought. Jacob controls/rules/embodies the Island and Esau (I’ll just call him that till we get a name, if he has one) wants what he has. We see the Black Rock off the Island and Esau says that Jacob summoned it. So we’re in the 1800s. We see the profile of the statue. Esau says he wants to kill Jacob, but he can’t. Could Esau be the smoke monster? Or at least working with the monster? Evidence: the monster has no name, Jacob did not give Esau a name; the monster appeared as Alex and told Ben to follow whatever Locke said, and AjiraLocke is being possessed(?) by Esau.

We see Jacob interacting with these characters: young Kate, young Sawyer, O6 Sayid, Ilana, pre-Island Locke, pre-Island Sun/Jin, pre-Island Jack, O6 Hurley. What are we to take from all this? He says in Jack’s flashback “Guess it just needed a little push.” Is this what we are seeing? Jacob, stepping in at (in some cases seemingly insignificant) moments that will shape these characters’ lives? In the cases of Kate, Sawyer, Jin/Sun and Jack, it just seems like simple guidance or checking in to see where these characters are. With Sayid, it seems that he is deliberately stopping Sayid from being run down, and/or preventing him from saving Nadia, which in turn leads him to Ben, which in turn leads him back to the Island with nothing left to lose. So Jacob wanted Sayid back on the Island. With Ilana, he asks for her help and she agrees. I think we can assume she organizes Bram and the others (the Others?) which brings them all back to the Island. I’ll get back to her in a sec. With Locke, it looked like he healed him when he touched him. This, of course, eventually brought him to the Island. And with Hurley, it sounded a lot like when Ben wanted Jack to want to save him from his tumor. So here, it seemed like Jacob wanted Hurley to want to come back on the Island (with the guitar case). But he wanted it to be Hurley’s choice.

What does this all mean? We’ve seen the black/white motif forever on the show from Locke and Walt playing backgammon to the stones in the pockets of Adam and Eve. It now seems clear that Jacob is the good while Esau is the bad. It also seems like Ilana, Bram, et al. are descendents of the Others/Hostiles/Black Rockians (or at last cultish followers) and they are on the side of the white (Jacob). When Jacob and Esau are on the beach in the 1800s, Esau says that when the boat comes ashore, they will settle, fight and destroy (or something like that). Is this simply a long standing debate between Jacob and Esau on human nature? Jacob sees the good, Esau sees the bad. Is Jacob Jesus/God and Esau Satan? Is it a game that they are playing? If Esau controls the Island are there consequences for the rest of the world? If people have come to the Island throughout history with the same result (as Esau seems to indicate) did something different happen during the time that the Dharma Initiative was there (the Incident?) that changed everything? Could the Incident have so weakened Jacob that it finally gave Esau the chance that he needed to ascend? If so, why did Jacob encourage Sayid’s return to the Island?

Could all the major events on the Island since Dharma time have been all a long con to trick Ben into killing Jacob? It seems like IslandChristian/AjiraLocke are both the embodiment of Esau and everything that has happened has been part of this plot to kill Jacob. Could Esau have polluted the minds of vulnerable Island inhabitants like Widmore and Hawking to reach his destiny? If Ilana’s people are on the side of the white and Bram urged Miles not to work with Widmore, then Widmore is clearly is on the side of the dark. This certainly points to Ben serving as a pawn in the control for the Island. Could it be that Esau healed Ben as a child and Jacob gave him the tumor (or just did not prevent the development of said tumor)? If so, then perhaps the reason that Jacob sent Sayid to the Island was to actually shoot Ben, but Esau intervened and saved him. If the only way to kill Jacob was for a living human to do it, then was the development of Ben for this purpose alone? Esau found his loophole in this kid and used him to achieve his end.

But anyway, what happens next year? Is this how it always happened? Will there be a reset? If there’s a reset, not only does that make most of what we have seen over the past five years null and void, but doesn’t that also nullify Jacob’s death? As much as I don’t want a reset, I really don’t want divergent timelines. I’ve heard the complaint that this season with the time-jumping has been too confusing (an opinion I don’t really share, but I think I’m in the minority), but alternate timelines would be way too confusing, I think.

I know there’s even more that I want to say, but I can’t keep it all straight in my head. My brain is just spinning, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. And the good greatly outweighs the not so good. It’s no season 3 finale, but really, I don’t think they’ll ever be able to do anything like that again.

Other highlights from my notes:

- They did some really good casting for young Kate.
- Juliet’s skills at getting them off the sub = awesome
- I love Frank Lapidus.
- I kinda predicted that Locke’s body was in the box after Lapidus said “Terrific.” Well, I wrote down “Body?” and then when they showed up at the beach later, I wrote “Oh no!”
- Vincent!! Rose! Bernard! Best scene in the finale: it made me smile and it made sense. Loved it. Gotta wonder though: will this be the last time we see them? In the flesh at least? I now think that they are Adam and Eve, by the way. (I actually thought they were going to be dead by last night’s episode.)
- Drive Shaft ring. Oh Charlie, as much as I never really liked your character until the last two episodes of season three, I miss you.
- “I’m a Pisces.” - Ben
- “I don’t know, but his Korean is excellent.” - Jin
- In Jack’s flashback, did Christian look at Jacob and recognize him?
- Speaking of Jack’s flashback, that’s the story he told Kate in the pilot and that was re-referenced in the beginning of season 3 (when Kate escaped with Sawyer from the Others).
- “Or 30 years from now.” - Kate
- Miles questioning Jack’s actions – does he cause the Incident? (At this point I thought that the bomb would not be going off. Oh well.)
- Are we to assume now that Jin and Sun can never be together again? That makes me a bit uncomfortable.
- Did Esau take over the cabin after the circle around it was broken? Previous to the broken circle of ash, had he trapped Jacob there or had Jacob put himself there to protect himself?
- “Live together, die alone.” Juliet. This actually helped me better digest the “out of character” actions. Because who can they trust but each other? And better to go down together than sending Jack off on his own.
- Evidence to whatever happened, happened: Pierre’s arm trapped, saved by Miles. We know that Pierre loses an arm at some point, and now we (probably) know how. (I did think Miles was a goner at this point though.)
- “This don't look like LAX.” - Sawyer
- No Desmond and Penny = BOOOOO! I hope that Hawking was right and the Island really isn’t done with him. But then again, if Hawking is on the side of the dark, I don’t know how to feel about anything she says.
- Juliet’s death was reminiscent of Charlie’s. The final scene, that is: accepting her death to save everyone else.
- Juliet dying is like an open wound for me. I was yelling at the TV, “No, no, no, no…” as she was being dragged into the pit. It’s one of those deaths that’s gonna sit with me for a while. I am really, really going to miss her.
- What does this knowledge of Esau mean for Claire? If she’s dead was Esau possessing her? If not, why does he want her? Was it just to give Kate the impetus to return to the Island?
- What lies in the shadow of the statue? I need to find out what Richard said in response to this question. [UPDATE: He spoke Latin and said: “That which will save us all.”]
- Sad though Juliet’s death is, it just hit me that Locke is really dead. A sad and lonely character actually did die a sad and lonely death. I’m glad that the show should be able to keep Terry O’Quinn around, but, man, I’m even more depressed now.

I gotta stop. I gotta reread this, see if it makes sense and get back to work. I’ve been typing for three hours straight and I probably didn’t get to half of what I wanted to write about. Oh well, I’ve got eight months till the next new episode…

Setting us up for the finale

Not too much to say about last night’s Lost. It felt like last season’s first hour of the three hour finale – putting the pieces where they need to be for the final two hours, albeit a bit less intense than last year.

It was a quality hour, but definitely not in the top tier of season five episodes.

Richard’s boat in a bottle. The Black Rock? Confirmation that’s where he’s from? Incidentally, are there old Others? Could the Island be pulling a Wolverine on the people on it? Maybe Richard doesn’t age because he’s reached adulthood? Widmore and Ellie advance to old age because they are off the Island. Ben aged until adulthood. So maybe they age until whatever their optimal age is? Or to whatever point they would start to decline? Why did it take me so long to come to this conclusion?

“I watched them all die.” If this is true, then I think we’re heading for a reset. If Richard is just speaking in general about the Purge, then it could be either a reset or the truth. (More below.)

“Afraid I’ll stage a coup?” I love snarky Ben.

Chang and Hurley’s conversation = awesome. Actually every time these two have shared dialogue over the past few episodes has been awesome.

LOVE self-assured Locke. And I think he’s a very different Locke than the wishy-washy Locke of seasons 2 and 3. I feel confident in his leadership ability this time around.

Locke as the architect of his own destiny? That’s two times now (the first being sending Richard to visit him off-Island as a kid) that Locke directly influenced the shaping of his own life. I find that really interesting. And I loved seeing the scene with Richard and Locke at the Beechcraft from the other perspective. That was pretty cool.

Phil needs to go. Really, he’s been mildly annoying, but just that, annoying. Now he hits a shackled Juliet. Hits her. It would be one thing to threaten Juliet, but to actually hit a bound woman. Argh. I’d feel the same way if it was Kate. Hell, I’d feel the same way if it was Nikki.

Ellie in charge. It seemed that everyone answers to Ellie, even Widmore. At least, that’s the impression I got.

Was not expecting Sayid to show up. And for a second, I really did think that that dude shot Kate. I had completely forgotten that Sayid was around. Now I gotta wonder what he’s been up to…

Jack: “This is why we’re here. This is our destiny!” Kate: “Do you know who you sound like?” Finally, Jack, a real reason to like you. Not only does he sound like him, but I could swear that Locke said that exact quote at some point to Jack.

“I’m glad you talked me out of it.” I actually don’t remember why I wrote this down, but I did. Don’t even remember who said it. Hmmmm.

“At least you’ll put us out of our misery.” And now I am officially on Sayid Death Watch. He really seems like he has nothing to lose – which I suppose is true.

Sawyer and Juliet on the dock and then in the sub. Those two have shared some real nice moments this season, especially on the dock (like in “LaFleur”). I hope they both make it through the finale, but all their happiness, even when things have crumbled around them, has me worried. Closure is never a good thing on this show.

Stupid Kate! I think if you look up “cockblock” in the dictionary, you will see Kate’s stupid face. And I’ve come a long way with her in recent weeks, but still…what a freakin’ mood killer.

Locke to kill Jacob to save him? When Locke said he was going to kill Jacob, I immediately thought of his first encounter in the cabin (and my memory may be faulty here) when it sounded like Jacob said “Save me.” (Or was it “Help me!”?) I think that is Locke’s plan, to free Jacob by killing him. I think Jacob is trapped in some way, and this is something that I have thought since that “Save me.” Maybe a spirit or essence trapped in the cabin (there was a ring of powder around the cabin), but whatever Jacob is, I think Locke’s intent is to save him and set him free.

Paradox reset or whatever happened, happened. That’s what I think we are headed for next week. Either Jack, Sayid, Ellie and Richard will do something that will screw up the time-space continuum so much that a good portion of history will reset (kinda like a computer rebooting) or whatever they do causes something to happened that has always happened. I still think it’s the latter, but how crazy would a reset be? And where would the reset start? What would it mean for next year? That would be quite a cliffhanger.

Well, on the bright side, he’ll never have to deal with the swine flu…

So I loved last night’s Lost, but I’m not without concerns, so I think this is going to be tough to write, even though I have about 2 pages of notes.

Honestly, the ep is still swimming in my head and I don’t really know how to respond. I’m just going to transcribe my notes and see if I can go from there…

Writing the title of the ep got me even more excited to watch. I was hoping for the greatness of “The Constant.” I don’t know if we’ll ever get that greatness again, but as I said it was a really, really good ep and Jeremy Davies was fantastic, but I think I set my bar a bit too high for this one. It wasn’t the disappointment that “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” was (I actually quite liked a lot of that episode too, but a few things bothered me, and in this season of greatness, I have come to expect greatness week to week, not just goodness that “Bentham” was) but it certainly wasn’t “The Constant.”

Guess Desmond’s injuries are why they didn’t finish off Ben. Was wondering about that. Not that I wanted them to finish Ben off, but I did wonder why he was able to swim to surface and leave unscathed when Des had just wrestled him to the ground and thrown him in the water. Mystery explained.

Lost ‘whoosh’ fading into Star Trek promo (not great) was very freaky and weird (not in good way.) I yelled at the TV when I saw the stars behind the Lost logo. Did not care for that.

This new younger Hawking casting = really good. Facially and vocally, a very nice match for Finnoula Flanigan (sp?)

Miles: Faraday inventing DVDs. Oh Miles…

Faraday “outing” Miles to Chang. Could this be what causes Chang to send Miles and his mom packing? Does older Miles survive the 1970s? (Based on what has now happened to Charlotte and Faraday, not looking good.)

Sawyer calling Faraday Twitchy. That’s a billion times better than Freckles.

Sawyer: “He still crazy?” Miles: “On a whole new level, man.” Favorite exchange of the evening.

GREAT sequence (x4)!!! About halfway through the ep, they had 4 GREAT back to back scenes: Widmore visiting Faraday/The Meeting at Sawyer and Juliet’s house/Daniel talking to young Charlotte/Shootout between Jack, etc. and Radzinsky, etc.

Wired Magazine? In Widmore and Faraday’s scene, Widmore picked up a Wired magazine that the camera seemed to linger on for an extra few seconds. Is this significant or I am being crazier than usual?

Sawyer calling Faraday H.G. Wells. Not as good as Twitchy, but worth a giggle. Interesting to note…as their world is crumbling, Sawyer is going back to his old habits of calling people by nicknames. Maybe I just noticed it more last night, but it seemed more prevalent than it had been.

Josh Holloway’s acting in the meeting scene. I think I’m more disappointed than Sawyer that their life in the DI is coming to an end, because my heart broke with Sawyer’s during this scene. I hope that Juliet and Sawyer survive whatever the DI has planned for them, but if they don’t, I’m glad that they are going down together. I know I’m a broken record sometimes, but I wouldn’t feel the same if it was Jack and Kate. I do love Juliet and Sawyer and it hurts to think that they might not make it.

“Your Mother is an Other?” That might be my favorite line of the night.

“I’m not allowed to have chocolate before dinner.” That is definitely the most heart-breaking line of the night. I immediately flashed to poor older Charlotte dying in Daniel’s arms at this line. I miss Rebecca Mader, but I’m gonna miss Jeremy Davies more.

Poor Faraday. God, that short scene between him and young Charlotte was so powerful, so well-acted, and the camera pan away as they finished their conversation was beautifully done. And essentially, Charlotte is what brings about Dan’s death. He wants to change the future so she doesn’t die (in the past…). That’s really his motivation: if Charlotte is not a variable (heh) in his equation, he never comes back to the Island to try to change the future.

“Do you have something for a beginner?” Faraday bringing the funny. I think that’s probably something I would say.

Jeremy Davies and his incredible acting eyebrows. A lot of actors on this show And in general, of course) use their eyes to convey emotion, but I don’t know if anyone uses their eyebrows more than Davies. He’s got some flexible muscles up there.

FF = better this week. I thought that the last time we saw Finnoula Flanigan, she was a bit too over the top (especially in her scenes with Jack), but that she was more effectively used in this ep. There was still a bit of overacting, but she worked better this time for me.

Hawking says yes to Widmore? I was surprised that Hawking told Dan to go to the Island at Widmore’s request, but I guess that was cleared up later as her “sacrifice” for the Island.

Jughead? Well, I guess I saw that conclusion coming…

It can’t work, right? I just don’t think anything can really change, so while I was certainly surprised by Dan’s death, I think it does make sense.

Don’t leave Charlie alone with Hawking?!? Penny, c’mon! I truly expected Hawking to walk out of the hospital with little Charlie. In fact, as she walked out, I expected to see a small child struggling under her trenchcoat.

Oh Des. You’re the greatest. (Tears) I actually was afraid that they might kill Des. Obviously, I am very happy that they didn’t, especially because this tension produced my favorite scene of the night. Generally, any scenes between Des and Penny are fantastic, but reunion scenes just make it that much better. And those two have the greatest chemistry in the history of chemistry. I need more Desmond, so I do hope that the show isn’t done with him.

Widmore = Dan’s dad. Wha-huh? Not something that was at all shocking, but the execution was kinda swept under the rug. I don’t really think it makes a difference who his father is and Ellie and he obviously have a history, so I buy it, but I guess I don’t really care. I would probably have more of a problem with the Widmore is Dan’s dad reveal if it wasn’t executed so matter-of-factly. It was almost like an aside and then they were gone.

Dan really dead? I don’t watch previews, so I don’t know if he showed up in them. The show would miss Davies as an actor and Faraday as a character, and I do really love both, but I’m at peace with his death. I think the problem with a character like Faraday running around the Island is that he would constantly be trying to change the future (which I staunchly believe cannot be done) and he’d become a one-trick pony at this point in the show. Either that, or he’d be shuffled into the background and everyone would be asking where he was. Since his point in coming back seemed to be to change the future, I think to prevent ruing a great character, he had to die. And I find it satisfyingly twisty that his mom did him in. Creepy, yet satisfying. The more I think about it, the more I like it. (I know there’s only two weeks left in the season and presumably, we’re coming to the end of their time in the 70s, but then you’d have Faraday trying to change the past in the future, you know?)

Issues: Failsafe key, Chang video. So onto my issues:
Number One: Desmond’s turning of the failsafe key. I don’t really know what to make of this after Dan’s claims last night. Shouldn’t everyone have died if no one was pushing the button? Or am I not understanding this correctly? Could the failsafe key be connected to the hydrogen bomb? If so, how? It’s not like the Hostiles and the DI were chummy, and one has the bomb, while the other is building the Swan.

Number Two: Faraday and Chang in ComicCon video. So I guess that it wasn’t Faraday’s voice in the video made by Dr. Chang, unless Faraday is still alive. Was it ever officially confirmed that it was Faraday? That video has to be filmed soon because Miles is still a baby in it, but there clearly was no time for it to have been done during last night’s ep. Could it be Dan’s “spirit” like Christian and Locke? (Even though both of them died off the Island?)

Time travel. I think I spend too much time writing about how I think the show feels about time travel. I need to find some time to work out my thoughts on it, mostly because I think it will help me understand what I think better if I write it down. (If that makes any sense…) Basically, I think that it always happened this way. Even though in 1977, Dan isn’t born yet (I guess Jeremy Davies is playing way younger than he is – I think he’s about 40), he was always there to get shot by Ellie. It’s not about course-correction or variables (not in my mind at least). It always has to happen that way. Kinda like The Terminator (the movie, not the machine). John Conner has always been the son of Kyle Reese, even though Reese is from the future. Maybe one day, I’ll sit down and write a few pages on this. Don’t have the head for it now. Not with Lost still swimming around in there.

Hydra Island and Polar Bear Turds

I knew this was an ep that was going to be Miles and Hurley centric, so my expectations were not as high as say, last week, when I knew we were all about Ben. However, where my expectations were met last week, this week they were exceeded by quite a healthy margin. Answers, intrigue, crazy hair/piercings for Miles, and Pierre Chang; something for everybody.

So the DI was building Swan on Hostile territory – why? They were doing it seemingly on purpose, but how did they get away with it? It’s not like it was a one day job. I assume it was chosen because of the electromagnet and the dead dude was just an unfortunate casualty. I mean we later see the gate covered in foliage to hide the work, but the Hostiles are smarter than that, right? Oh and those black jumpsuits with the Sawn logo make everyone look much more sinister.

The flashback with Miles talking to his dying Mom and asking about his father, cuts to scene with Horace on phone with Dr. Chang – subtle, Lost, real subtle.

Are we to assume that perhaps Dr. Chang did something to Miles as a child that caused him to be able to speak to the dead and also caused his mother to take him and leave? Something like Room 23? Could it have been THE Incident that caused it? Could this have also caused her cancer?

Hurley has had a good few weeks. Tonight’s highlights included:
- His suggestion that he and Miles carpool to prevent global warming.
- His insistence that he makes a good garlic mayo.
- “Sometimes we even play chess.”
- “You’re just jealous because my powers are better than yours.”
- His reaction to discovering who Miles’ dad is – I didn’t write down the quote exactly, but the gist of it being that Miles’ dad is the star of all those movies and that his real name isn’t Marvin Candle. I think I gotta rewatch that scene tonight.
- His reaction to Chang’s threats.
- His reaction to the hatch being built.
- His “rewriting” of Empire and his assertation that Ewoks suck. I’m glad we’re on the same page, Lost.

Favorite quote of the night: Juliet: “Well, here we go.”

I wish I could accept Kate’s stupidity as calmly as Juliet. For all my praise of her two weeks ago, Kate is back to being a moron. It takes a whole ep for me to like her for once and then she goes and ruins it with one scene. It was hard to stop from smacking my forehead repeatedly during her scene with Roger.

I thought that the body that Miles picked up was somebody who mouthed off and was shot by Radzinsky. However, a filling shot through his head because of electromagnet is WAY cooler.

Hey, it’s Hank from ‘Breaking Bad’! He was the guy that Miles duped.

Naomi’s not really my type, but much prettier off-Island. (Hair was a bit crazy though, no?) It was nice that we got answers with really no other questions (in her scene at least), i.e. the staging of the crash (I assume that this was confirmation of Widmore’s staging of the crash), Miles was part of the 4 because they wanted to use him to use Island to find Ben, Miles’ $1.6 and then $3.2 million. All pretty logical and satisfying as well.

“That dude is a douche.”
“That douche is my dad.” (That may not be the exact exchange – I can’t read my handwriting – but it’s close enough...)

I love how Chang says Hurley’s name. I also loved Miles’ reaction to Chang saying that he liked country music. In fact, I loved that whole conversation with Hurley trying to help Miles get to know his dad better.

Other things I love about Dr. Chang: “What body?” In other words, “You’re in the trust circle now, so shut the hell up.”

Seeing the Swan being built and especially the numbers being etched into the top of the hatch was very surreal.

The scene with Jack, Sawyer and Juliet was nice. No name calling, no lovey-dovey meaningful glances, very - dare I say it - adult. I completely disagree with everything Jack said, but good on him and Sawyer for behaving like grown men.

So onto the van that kidnapped Miles: Dude (Bram? Brom? Bam?) riding shotgun and doing all the talking was on Flight 316 and was with Ilana when she knocked out Lapidus. So are they part of some kind of cult that has ties to the Hostiles? If he seemingly knows what lies in the shadow of the statue, and he doesn’t work for Widmore, does guy work for Ben or Hawking? Could there be three teams?

Didn’t really need the extra flashback to Hank from ‘Breaking Bad’ with Miles returning the money; it wasn’t bad, I just didn’t really need it, since I had already grasped that Miles has Daddy issues. He wouldn’t be on the show if he had a good relationship with his father.

And then the ending: Scientists from Ann Arbor! I was all excited to finally get to meet Gerald and Karen DeGroot and then who should pop out of the sub, but Faraday?!?!?!? What the what?

So he’s been off Island this whole time doing research, working with the DI to do what exactly? I am so happy to see him and can’t wait to find out what he was doing but, I never really thought that he would actually be off Island and an important member of the DeGroot’s team. And he arrives wearing the black jumpsuit of a Swan constructor! Wha-huh?

I wish I was as cool as Brian K. Vaughan

Unfortunately, I really don’t have time to write much this morning, so I’m just going to transcribe my notes from last night’s fantastic Lost and and expand a bit on my thoughts. Hopefully, I can revisit this tomorrow or some time next week.

In the first flashback, the guy playing younger Widmore looked a lot like Alan Dale – good casting.

Very amused by Ben making Locke into new castaways’ Ethan.

Ethan is like Anakin to Ben’s Obi Wan. (Padawan, right? I’m rusty on my Star Wars lingo…)

The whispers – Ben tells Rousseau to run when she hears them. I guess that’s why she’s so scared of them, but what are they?

“I assume you’re referring to the fact that I killed you.” Only Michael Emerson could deliver that line.

Ben’s shooting of Caesar shocked me – I certainly thought he would last longer. But then again, maybe he will if the Island wants him to.

Risk – When Ben entered his old house, they clearly showed the game of Risk that Hurley, Sawyer, etc. were playing back in season 4. I took this to mean that there are no alternate timelines, i.e. whatever happened, happened.

Was slightly frightened for Ben, but didn’t really think they would kill him.

Was more scared for Penny – thank you, Lost, for not killing her. That would have been devastating. But the fake out (“…apologize to Desmond Hume for me.”) made my heart skip a beat.

Should we believe that Ben knew Locke would be resurrected? Can you believe anything he says? Lying and manipulating truly comes so easy to him. But he doesn’t seem to want Locke around and certainly doesn’t enjoy being the one asking the questions. So enigmatic is that Benjamin Linus. Which is why Michael Emerson is so damn awesome.

“What lies in the shadow of the statue?” So do Ilana and the others have ties to the Island? Are they part of a cult? Do they know Richard and have connection to the hostiles/original Islanders? Could they be “infected” like Robert and crew?

I think we received confirmation that Ilana, etc. are the people in the outrigger that were shooting at Sawyer, Juliet, etc. in the “future” rainstorm. (In “The Little Prince,” I think.)

“I have some ideas.” If I’m remembering correctly, Ben said this to Jack in the funeral home while they looked at Bentham’s coffin.

Ben telling Sun that he can’t control what comes out of the jungle (thinking it’s the Monster) only to have Locke appear = foreshadowing?

I guess Ben doesn’t know about Christian, because new Locke seems very Christian-esque. Could new Locke be like Christian? Is he different? They both seem to be very connected to the Island. Could they both be part of the Island now? Could Jacob be possessing Locke? Could Locke simply be another manifestation of the Monster?

The hieroglyphics that Ben was looking at inside the temple seemed to show the Statue reaching out to the Monster, which had a face. I don’t really know what to make of that.

The holes that the Monster came out of = Cerberus vent? Or is the vent the hole that it pulled Montand into? I’m still assuming that Cerberus is the Monster as named by Radzinsky. How would he know about the underground vent though? Probably wrong about this one.

So happy to see grown-up Alex again. Wonder if she’ll show up again to haunt/watch over Ben.

I loved the “Sins of Benjamin Linus” smoky montage.

Loved that Desmond’s boat was named “Our Mutual Friend.”

Seems like there is more to Widmore’s banishment. He clearly had some sort of leadership role among the Hostiles, but Ben did openly defy him with Rousseau, so his power wasn’t absolute. Maybe because the Island never chose Widmore? Could all these problems be related to the wrong leader of the Others? Widmore wasn’t right, Ben wasn’t right, maybe Locke truly is and the Island needs him.

As always, Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson do fantastic work together. I’m thinking a remake of ‘Perfect Strangers’ starring Ben and Locke’s post-finale Island adventures. (Assuming they are both still around by then.) If this happens in the fall of 2010, I want my cut. (And Sam Anderson could reprise his role as Mr. Gorpley!)

Ben as villain or hero? This was my last note of the night and obviously I could write for days about this, so I think I’ll leave it as is. My gut says ultimately Ben will be viewed as a hero of the Island with questionable morals. But I’m more often wrong than I am right, so we’ll see…

Just another great, compelling, entertaining, answer and question filled ep. I think there are only 5 more episodes before the end of the season. I’m guessing we’re heading toward “The Incident” because why else would we be back in DI time if we weren’t going to see that, but I don’t know how that will hook up with “future” time. Well, unless the two are related – could this be how Jack, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Juliet, Faraday, etc. all return to 2008? And if so, what happens next year? Once again, I’m getting way ahead of myself and I think I should just let the show get us to the finale before I start worrying about the final season.

One request before I head off. Ok, two requests. Please let us find Faraday soon. And please bring Desmond back to the main story on the show. I really miss them both.

And you can see daisies in her footsteps. Dandelions, butterflies...I wanna be Kate!

Hell freezing over. Pigs flying. Republicans and Democrats actually working together. Three things that I was sure would happen before something that did happen last night: I loved an episode of Lost that featured Kate’s flashbacks. Now, I’m not going to go join the Kate and Jack 4Eva Fan Club, but last night went a long way toward me understanding and sympathizing with Kate.

There are three major things I want to write about, but I’ll go through my quick notes first…

- Any doubt that Sawyer whispered to Kate about Clementine was ruined by “previouslys.” Not that I really had any doubt what he said to her, anyway, but still…the previouslys are almost as bad as the previews.
- Evangeline Lilly had a great reaction to Roger Linus. (More on her later)
- Episode overall was very tense. I kept waiting for the shit to hit the fan and was literally on the edge of my seat for most of the show.
- Quote of the night: Hurley: “I’m checking to see if I’m disappearing.” (More on this later)
- Jack is a douche. I had some sympathy for him off-Island, but since he’s been back, I hate him all over again. Though, I suppose I should be thanking him for not saving young Ben. Not that he could have, because whatever happened, happened, but if Jack had been willing to save Ben, and he did, he actually would have changed everything. That is really hysterical to me and I hope that Jack realizes it one day.
- Jack: “Maybe I was just getting in the way.” Why can’t he just find a happy medium between his two extremes? Why does he have to be Super Proactive-Aggressive Man or Douchey Bump-on-a-Log Guy?
- Something else surprising about this ep: the scenes between Jack and Juliet and Kate and Sawyer were all pretty decent, especially the Kate/Sawyer scenes. They reflected on the history without being too cheesy, cloying and annoying. They didn’t move into the love quadrangle that I had feared they would at the end of “LaFleur.” You know, the one that dominated much of the end of season 3 and season 4. Sawyer does what he did last night for Juliet. He acknowledges he is different now and is happy with that.
- I’m not sure how we’re supposed to read Juliet’s expression when she suggested that they bring young Ben to the Others.
- I’ve always thought that the actress who plays Claire’s mum looks like a Caucasian Gina Torres. Don’t know that I’ve ever written it down though.

So my three big discussion topics:

#1: Hurley and Miles: I loved, loved, loved the discussions between Hurley and Miles. Just brilliant, funny, entertaining and perfectly placed. When the writers do stuff like this it shows me that they really know what they are doing, and it renews my faith. It’s not that I truly ever doubt them, but sometimes I’m afraid that they don’t know what they are doing or where they are going. This discussion addressed almost every possible question related to all this time travel that’s been going on. From the Back to the Future comment to Hurley’s question about Ben not knowing Sayid in 2004, it all bolstered my faith in the show. And that question about Sayid in 2004 (and Hurley’s triumphant crossed arms) - it was exactly the right question to ask. How often does that happen on this show?

#2: The implications of the scene with Richard. Does the smoke monster cure Ben? If Ben is truly reborn on the Island, maybe that’s why he has said that he was born here. Maybe he actually believes it. I wonder if his memories will just be missing Sayid shooting him. I also wonder if he knows that the Island saved him and that adds to his shock upon discovery of the tumor in 2004. Also, this goes a long way in explaining why the Others/Hostiles hold Ben in such him esteem.

And what of Richard’s comments about Ellie and Charles? Of course, this looks like it will lead to their ousters from the Island – maybe they feel like they were deserving of whatever is going to happen to young Ben.

But is this the mistake that sets everything into motion? Was Ben never supposed to be Island leader? Was he never supposed to be saved? Such questions are almost pointless if whatever happened, happened, but they are questions I have nonetheless.

Did Richard act so impetuously because he needed the DI gone so badly? Were they truly doing that much harm to the Island? Did he see an ally in young Ben and save him because he thought it was his best chance to rid the Island of Dharma? Did he think that would save the Island and that’s why he didn’t consult Ellie or Charles? If Ben will no longer be innocent, is the Island they taking from him or giving to him? Could he not be innocent any longer because he will learn all the Island’s secrets? Perhaps even his future? (Maybe that’s why he was so shocked when Widmore killed Alex – because the Island told him that it would never happen.)

But I think I’m getting ahead of myself (again) and by next week all of these questions could be answered or proven inconsequential. On to discussion topic #3…

#3: Evangeline Lilly! Never have I been so impressed with Lilly’s acting. Never have I been so pleased with Kate’s actions. I’m still not really over how much I enjoyed the episode and how great she was in it.

Two flashback scenes stand out in particular: The flashback discussion between Cassidy and Kate about losing Aaron in the market – on the nose and perfect. Nicely explains Kate’s state of mind and decisions she made in a logical and acceptable fashion. Thank you, Cassidy. (Or really, thanks Darlton!)

My problem with Kate has always been that I just never really “got” her. There are other characters that have made decisions that I wouldn’t have (I’m looking at you Mr. Locke) but they don’t bother me as much, because I understand where those decisions come from. It seems like we’ve always been asked to accept Kate and her directions because she’s pretty and has Daddy issues. (But really, who on this show doesn’t?) But finally, we get some character growth and dimensionality for this character.

Oh, and it certainly was intentional that the woman in the market looked like Claire from behind. For a second I really thought that it would be her and got some major goosebumps.

The other scene that stood out was my favorite scene of the night: Kate’s with Claire’s mother and her goodbye to Aaron (forever?). These two scenes were certainly the best work that Evangeline Lilly has ever done of the show. I nearly cheered when she said she was going back for Claire and my heart broke with hers when she said “Bye Bye Baby.”

And her on-Island actions also illustrated a very different Kate. Kate as the hero. Kate as the voice of reason. What is the world coming to?

It’s so interesting that the birth of Benjamin Linus (presumably as we know him) and his reign of manipulation over the Lostaways is now shown to be the “fault” of the Lostaways themselves. (At least that’s how I read it.) Obviously Sayid set it all in motion, then Jack’s refusal to save him (again) would have prevented them from taking him to the Hostiles and Juliet, Kate and Sawyer all had a hand in actually getting him to said Hostiles.

Of course, that is assuming that this is how it always happened, and there definitely is still room for that view to change. The show has gotten me many times before…

Just cause it’s on my mind…

This new Facebook thing that you can do where you choose your Top 5 in various categories got me thinking of my Top 5 Episodes of Television Ever. Unfortunately, you can’t really do that on Facebook, but, of course, I had to figure it out anyway. And now that I know, I want it in print. I had to separate between Drama and Comedy/Dramedy just because.

Top 5 Drama Series Episodes:

1. Angel: “Not Fade Away” – Not only the greatest series finale of any TV show, ever, but my favorite episode of any TV show, ever.
2. Lost: “The Constant”
3. Friday Night Lights: “Mud Bowl”
4. Mad Men: “The Wheel”
5. Doctor Who: “Blink”

Honorable Mention (in no particular order): Alias: “Phase One”; The Wire: “Final Grades”; Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Doppelgangland”; Veronica Mars: “Leave it to Beaver”; Firefly: “Out of Gas”; Deadwood: “A Constant Throb”; Battlestar Galactica: “Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2”

Top 5 Comedy/Dramedy Series Episodes:

1. The Office (BBC): “Christmas Special”
2. Pushing Daisies: “Comfort Food”
3. Arrested Development: “Meat the Veals”
4. Freaks & Geeks: “Disco & Dragons”
5. 30 Rock: “Subway Hero”

Honorable Mention (in no particular order): Wonderfalls: “Karma Chameleon”; Chuck: “Chuck Versus the Cougars”; Sports Night: “What Kind of Day has it Been?”

I’m my me

The more I think about Lost, the more I come around to the conclusion that FutureBen was not only preparing Sayid to shoot Young Ben, but that it also served as a sort of payback for shooting Young Ben.

This, of course, works under the assumption that Young Ben does survive and doesn’t cause an alternate timeline as I postulated in one of my theories yesterday.

I do wonder what will become of Sayid now. Even if he feels justified in his actions, even if this was always supposed to happen, what does the show do with him? Does he commiserate with the Hostiles? He can’t ever go back to the DI or even his old friends. I think that really only Jack could truly understand his actions, and, really, who wants Jack as an ally? I wonder if he will run into Faraday (wherever he is) and Faraday will explain everything to him. Actually, I suppose that Faraday would pretty easily identify and understand Sayid’s plight.

So instead of alternate timelines, I’m back to my original view of the space-time continuum, one that Daniel Faraday shares: if it happened, it happened, and you can’t change it. You can’t go back in time and kill Hitler, because it never happened. That’s not how time travel works – the universe won’t let it; similar to how Dr. Manhattan views time in Watchmen and how the Doctor views it in Doctor Who. Everything is happening at the same time: Sayid always shot Young Ben, even though Sayid was actually just a little kid in 1977. Even though linearly he hasn’t gone back yet, linearly it WILL happen, so it always does happen in 1977.

It’s all just so confusing and wonderful.

They didn’t just do what I think they did, did they?

My notes are short for this ep, so I’ll start with those before I get into that crazy ending.

- I thought a few weeks ago that we’d be heading back toward a more traditional flashback narrative, but didn’t think we’d be getting pre-Island flashbacks too. The Young Sayid flashback wasn’t really necessary and didn’t add anything anyway. I find it unfortunate that Sayid, an awesome character, has just pedestrian flashbacks, almost at a Kate or Charlie level.
- The kid playing Young Ben does a pretty good impression of how I would imagine a young Michael Emerson acting.
- The book that Young Ben gave Sayid was “A Separate Reality.” I have never read, and have no idea what it’s about, but is this an overt reference to the possibility that the future we have already seen may not come to pass based on things that happen in this past? (Especially considering the end of this particular ep.)
- Sayid = Henry Gale
- “A 12 year-old Ben Linus brought me a chicken salad sandwich. How do you think I’m doing” – Sayid, in the line of the night.
- Awesome seeing Roger Work Man again, as he went even further in his quest for the title of worst father of all-time in a show chock full of terrible daddies.
- Did the hostiles take children back then? During the discussion about killing Sayid, were the DI just talking about protecting their kids in general, or were they being more specific in that the hostiles kidnap kids?
- “Or I call Ann Arbor.” A reference to the DeGroots? Are they mythic figures in the same way that Jacob is? Are they real?
- Also, I do not trust Amy. Not even a little. Love Reiko Aylesworth, but I have a bad feeling about her character.
- MacCutcheon = everybody’s favorite scotch
- I miss regular Ben. It was nice seeing him in the flashbacks, but I miss in-control, one step ahead of everyone Benjamin Linus. (And who knows if we’ll see him again, based on the implications of the ending.)
- The “He’s our you” interrogation scene with Oldham was fantastic. Sawyer’s uncomfortability (a word or not?) translated directly to the audience. I loved the reactions that everyone else had to Sayid’s truth-telling and Naveen Andrews’ performance in this scene. He says he arrived on a plane, that he was here before, that he knows about the stations (and Radzinsky has great reactions to this knowledge) and that they are all gonna die, and he knows because he’s from the future, which he states very matter-of-factly. Really nice scene.
- Took me about 10 seconds, but I realized that young Ben provided the flaming van as distraction.
- “That’s why I’m here.” When Sayid said this, I initially thought that FutureBen told him that this was going to happen to him and that he had to bring Young Ben to the Hostiles. Guess I was wrong.
- Two more gems from Sayid: “Are you sure we’re going to Guam?” and “Can we get the next plane?” (Plus, his facial expressions in this scene were hysterical.)

And that gets us to that ending – and boy, was that an ending. Had I not discussed Sayid’s intentions with Angela during the commercial break, I don’t think I would have seen it coming. Probably because I really can’t believe that he really did it. If anything, I thought the gun would misfire or something or he would miss or anything other than Young Ben ending up shot dead on the first attempt. Maybe the Island doesn’t like Ben after all.

Anyway, I think this can play out in a number of different ways:

The Island intercedes and saves Ben’s life, a la when Locke was shot by FutureBen.
Jack saves Ben’s life and that’s one of the reasons why he was sent back in time with Sayid. I suppose Kate or Hurley could do this too, but Jack’s the doctor.
Ben dies and the future is changed.
Ben dies and becomes a spirit like Christian and (presumably) Locke.

I find #4 to be the most interesting and least plausible, if only because I’m pretty sure that Darlton have said that if you die on the Island, you stay dead, and while there have been visions of those who have died on the Island, they have never appeared to be corporeal and FurtureBen is certainly corporeal.

I also don’t think it’s #3 because I don’t think they would so easily eliminate Michael Emerson and FutureBen from the show. And it would change a whole damn lot of the future. (Unless you consider option #5, discussed below.)

I think #1 and #2 are equally likely, but I like #2 more and it fits in more with the whole “destiny” theme of the season. What I am most curious about is if this is the way it always happened. That would mean that FutureBen always knew that Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, etc. would show up at the DI at some point. I don’t know where I stand on this because I could see Ben always knowing this and keeping it under wraps because it would have sounded like crazy talk. However, I’m not sure how to read his future actions, especially off-Island, if this is true.

Also, I wonder, assuming Young Ben does survive, if he will take this to mean that the Island was telling him to be more patient – perhaps a real turning point in becoming the Ben Linus that we now know. Also, I wonder if he survives this, if this event helps shape him into the lying, manipulative, back-stabbing, information close-to-the-vest-keeping guy that is Ben 2007. Could Ben 2007's actions with Sayid have been pushing him toward this action? It could be read that Ben 2007 was trying to anger/enrage Sayid. I wonder...

But back to the ‘separate reality’ reference earlier in the show – maybe this could be explanation #5. If there’s more than one reality now, FutureBen could still exist in one and Young Ben be dead in another. I don’t know what this really means for the show, but if true, I would guess that the realities spilt somewhere around here, because as Christian showed Sun last week, Jack, Kate, etc. were part of the DI in Sun’s past. Honestly, while I think this alternate is potentially really cool, I’m not sure I want the show to go this route because it’s hurting my head to think about it.

But not that I’m actually thinking about it, I wonder if this “war” that Widmore has referred to is not just between two opposing groups, but between two competing realities, and the one that wins decides the future. I’m gonna draw a picture to illustrate what I mean…





I also wonder if this relates to the “unpredictable” result that Ms. Hawking referred to if the return flight to the Island was not done exactly the same way as 815. But I think I’m getting a little carried away and writing without thinking about it clearly. Maybe in a few days, I’ll read this and realize it makes no sense, so I think I’ll stop now.

Catching up on my TV shows...

Lately all I’ve been writing about is Lost. Now, I do love to write about Lost, but I felt like catching up on some shows that I have been ignoring.

Gonna start with the most difficult one to write about, Battlestar Galactica.

BSG just had its series finale last Friday. I really had been annoyed by the episodes leading up to the finale, feeling like they were spinning their wheels, holding everything for the last episode. I didn’t hate the last few weeks, but I did find myself bored at times, and I actually fell asleep on one of the episodes, which is really unheard of in my history with the show.

So let’s start with the stuff I liked before I nitpick:

I generally enjoyed the flashbacks, Roslin’s especially. Nothing really special, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I really like how they dealt with Baltar. At one point, he was my favorite character. Lately, he’s been a bit too much as a prophet/evangelical leader/whatever, but I really like where his story went in the finale.

I didn’t really have a problem with the 2nd Earth, but I called them being our ancestors around the middle of season three.

The Opera House stuff was a nice payoff, though I have a feeling that they put that together just to suit their needs.

The assault on the Cylons was wonderfully done. Really intense, had my on the edge of my seat the whole time. Really, really good. One of the best battles they’ve ever done.

Doc Cottle’s goodbye to Laura – that was perfect.

Adama joking at Baltar’s expense on 2nd Earth.

I left the episode feeling very satisfied, yet really disappointed, which seems an odd statement, but I still stand by it, four days later.

So, on to my nitpicking:

I love Helo. Always been one of my favorite characters. Did not want him to die. However, when it seemed like he was dead, I was sad and shocked, but ok with it. So why did they have to let him live? He was a casualty of the battle that saved his daughter. I think that’s a good way to go. After a series filled with death, destruction and general unhappiness, did everyone really have to get a happy ending?

I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hated the coda ‘150,000 Years Later.’ Hated it so much. Seeing Ron Moore was awful and distracting enough, but then they have to bang us over the head with their message. Give your audience a little credit please. Ugh. Left a terrible taste in my mouth.

Starbuck. An angel? A messenger of God? Who knows? This just felt so lazy to me. Moore has said that Kara’s what you want her to be and to explain her too much makes her less interesting. I 100% disagree. Not explaining her makes it easier for the writers because it seems like they couldn’t explain her and that’s never what BSG has been about. I might not have liked it if they came out and said she’s an angel sent from the one true God to guide the fleet to its home, but at least they could have said it and tried to explain it. After killing her, bringing her back and having everyone and their brother ask what she is, I expected some kind of answer. (Not to mention all of her backstory with the paintings of the Eye of Jupiter and her father and the notes that became the coordinates.) But no, no explanation, instead she’s the very definition of a Deus Ex Machina.

It wasn’t a bad episode of TV at all. It was just a frustrating finale.


Big Love

I’m gonna miss old Roman. Harry Dean Stanton was the main reason I stayed with Big Love in its first season. I’ll miss having him around, but I’m certainly glad I stuck with the show.

The third season of Big Love was the very definition of tight storytelling. Always enjoyable, sometimes shocking and surprising, I left the finale of Big Love satisfied and looking forward to next year.

Chloe Sevingy did her best work ever this year, especially in the last few weeks. And I am very curious how Zeljko Ivanek will fit into the show next season.

I loved Margene standing up for herself to Bill and hope that she does find some success on her own.

Not sure how I feel about Sarah and Scott, but I love Amanda Seyfried and Aaron Paul, so I’m willing to give them a shot.

The Greenes continue to freak me out, so I hope they are around next year too.

And I know it happened a few weeks ago, but I’m still very saddened by the abrupt death of Kathy. I do hope that Mirielle Enos sticks around as Jodene next season, but I’ll still miss sweet Kathy. At least Joey got his revenge, though I can’t imagine murdering Roman will really make him feel better.

So A+ to Big Love for providing a near perfect third season and ending their season very well.


Friday Night Lights

I had seen the first 7 episodes of season three of Friday Night Lights and I was watching as they aired on NBC, waiting for new eps.

Jason Street’s last episode was fantastic. Jason and Tim in NYC was both hilarious and touching, and the look on Taylor Kitsch’s face as Tim said goodbye for the last time is etched in my mind.

This past week’s was another strong outing too. Jesse Plemons did some really great work when Landry told off Tyra. And Zach Gilford and Kyle Chandler’s scene in the backyard was also very well done. From Coach walking out of Matt’s house after walking in on Julie and Matt to the scene in his bedroom when he told Tami what had happened, Chandler is just a master at the non-verbal. Not just his facial expressions, but his posture and movements all are just perfect.

But THE best scene in the ep was between Tami and Julie. It just felt so authentic and real, like Connie Britton was trying to discuss sex with Aimee Teegarden. I don’t even really have the right words to describe how great it was. You just have to see it and see how beautiful and moving and perfect those few minutes were.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I’m enjoying J.D. and his family. I really like his whole storyline, and, this week, his mom especially.

Can’t wait for next week!


Dollhouse

I was worried about Dollhouse. So worried that I don’t think I have ever written about it here. I was worried before it began, and I continued to be worried as the series moved on.

To be honest, I didn’t think the premiere was as bad as everyone seemed to think. Not great, for sure, but the potential was certainly there. I was encouraged by the second ep (the one like ‘The Most Dangerous Game’) and I think episode 2 was the series’ highpoint for me.

That was until last Friday.

“Man on the Street” was what I was hoping I would get from Dollhouse. Interesting, smart, witty, funny, just all around fantastic.

I loved Patton Oswalt’s story. I thought it was a relatable use of the Dollhouse. People can identify with that need and Oswalt did a great job in his role.

I saw the twist with Millie coming, but it’s a twist that I wanted to happen and an intriguing and thrilling twist at that. (As opposed to a twist I don’t want to happen like Ballard being Alpha. I may change my mind on this, but, please, don’t do it!)

And I really didn’t predict the culprit in the abuse of Sierra coming. I really did think that it was Victor.

I hope that the show continues in the vein of last week’s ep, because it had me thinking, theorizing and anxious, something that Dollhouse had not done for me until that episode.


ER

Don’t really have that much to say about ER, but I have loved the nostalgia that the show has thrown at us this season. Was worried when they brought back Carter that they were going to kill him and I was going to be mad at ER forever. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

Anyway, I added this section because I wanted to mention how happy the episode that featured the return of Doug, Carol and Peter made me. It was exactly what the show should be doing in their final season and made me glad that I still watch the show. Everything with Benton and Carter was perfect and while the stuff with Doug and Carol related to Carter was a bit contrived, it was easily ignored because it made me happy. The best ep ER has put out there in a few seasons, and almost makes up for them cavalierly killing Dr. Pratt earlier this year.


Will be back tomorrow to write about…Lost!

“Namaste” quickly…

Because I really have no time this week, just a few quick thoughts on “Namaste,” last night’s episode of Lost:

- Didn’t love it as much as “LaFleur,” but still found it engaging and certainly interesting. It’s like they are slowly fitting the puzzle pieces together. My assumption now is that this how it always happened (i.e. destiny), so nothing that the 815ers, etc. do will change their “future” on the Island. But I’ve been wrong many times before.
- Thought the ep’s title could easily have been “Really, Jack?!?”
- Jack annoyed me so much last night, and I forgot whatever sympathy I had for him off-Island. He annoyed me so much, I was actually hoping for more scenes with Kate.
- When the Ajira 316 hit the turbulence, Ilana looked very calm. Also, it sounded like she said “Sarah” when Cesar woke her up. What does that mean?
- The sequence with Frank landing the plane was very well done.
- Loved that the numbers were broadcast over the radio when the plane was going down.
- Reunion between Sawyer and Hurley = Awesome.
- The brusque handshake between Sawyer and Jack…Really Jack?!?
- Hurley’s “Uh…what?” was great and should be Lost’s tagline for season 6. Season 5 = Lost: Destiny Calls; Season 6 = Lost: Uh….what?!?
- Hurley’s “Dude, your English is awesome.” was equally awesome.
- “Faraday’s not here anymore?” Say what? Did he take the sub off Island? Is he on Hydra Island?
- Radzinsky!
- The Muppet Show was playing on one of Radzinsky’s monitors.
- Ethan! (And Juliet’s fantastic reaction to hearing his name. Looked like she wanted to just drop him right there.)
- The baby being Ethan means that not everyone in the DI was killed in the Purge.
- Radzinsky’s building the Swan! (I guess that explains his crazy Blast Door Map)
- I gotta say, I laughed out loud to Jack’s reaction to being assigned as a janitor, so kudos to Matthew Fox for that.
- Jin’s reaction to Sayid and Sayid’s reaction to seeing Sawyer. Some very effective non-verbal work done this week.
- Sawyer verbal takedown of Jack was brilliant and made me love Jim LaFleur even more. Just fantastic and cathartic.
- I love bad-ass Sun and Yunjin Kim’s line reading of “I lied” was perfect.
- That scene with Frank and Sun at the Dharma barracks was awesomely creepy and really well done. Favorite scene in the whole episode.
- Holy Hell Christian!
- And are we supposed to think that there is a connection between Smokey and Christian because Smokey was there when Sun and Frank arrived. Could Christian be a manifestation of Smokey? If so is he working with or against Jacob? If it’s basically Widmore v. Ben for control of the Island, could it ultimately be Smokey v. Jacob?
- “You have a bit of a journey ahead of you” If I wasn’t dying to see Jin and Sun reunite before, they had to throw this line in and make me even more curious as to what Christian meant by that and what that means for Jin and Sun.
- Young Ben! (And Sayid’s brilliant reaction to him.)

The season of Sawyer continues!

You know how some eps are just ok, but are elevated because of a great ending? (I’m thinking specifically of last season’s “The Economist” and this season’s “The Lie” but there have been others.) Tonight’s episode, “LaFleur” was the opposite: a fantastic and entertaining hour which ends with a bit of a blërg. Mostly because I am a big ol’ Kate-hater, probably; no one stops momentum on the show like she does. I think Evangeline Lilly is a capable actress – not great, not terrible – but the character is just endlessly annoying and pointless. And I really don’t get the appeal.

It’s not like I didn’t know that it was eventually going to happen – their reunion, I mean. The execution was just too clunky and melodramatic for me, especially after all the Sawyer greatness that preceded.

Anyway, a minor squabble with the almost best ep of the season (it might have surpassed “Jughead” with a better end), so onto my highlights:

The Four-Toed Statue! I clapped when it appeared (ask Angela, she made fun of me because of it). My first thought was that it looked kinda Egyptian (like the hieroglyphics seen so often throughout the show – on the countdown clock, on the door Ben went through to summon Smokey, on the outside of Smokey’s temple). Also, if we’re talking about resurrection/reincarnation, so are the Egyptians with their mummies and all. (Update 3:30pm: I just read that the symbol on Paul’s necklace is an ankh, which symbolizes everlasting life – it also appeared on the statue.) Awesome to see the statue though and I wish we could have explored it more, but I suspect there really would not be much for the left behinders to do that far in the past. I also wish I knew more about Ancient Egyptian culture and could come up with some better conclusions.

It seems like 1974 was when they were supposed to be. I’ve stated before that I think that there was some sort of intent to when they flashed to – I think this final flash is no exception. Maybe the Island was skipping because Jack, Kate, Hurley, etc. left when they should not have and not necessarily because Locke didn’t push the wheel the first time. I wonder if they had stayed and Ben had pushed the wheel if they would have all just been zapped to the 70s with no other flashes.

Obvious conclusion: All of them on the Island in the 70s cannot live past the Purge – either they get off the Island (via sub, presumably), travel through time or die because of Ben. Unless older versions of these characters are hidden among the Others in the 00s, I don’t think there are any other alternatives.

So the security station at the beginning of the ep was The Flame – that’s where Mikhail was holed up when we first met him. The girl in The Flame was wearing a Geronimo Jackson t-shirt (I love those little insider-y things they throw in). It seems as though Sawyer set up The Flame/Security station to monitor when Locke would be back. And I’m glad that they did not hold the LaFleur reveal for too long.

Speaking of LaFleur, James was awfully clever in this ep – making smart deductions, asking the right questions. Using the Black Rock as cover story; referencing Jughead and Locke to Richard; surmising that the Island's anti-baby policy was caused by something that has yet to happen. I feel like he was smarter than any character, ever, in the entire series’ run. Very impressed on a character level.

And then, there was that GREAT Sawyer/Juliet scene at the sub. You could feel the chemistry come through the TV screen; it was palpable and just fantastic. I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Mitchell as an actress and Juliet as a character and Sawyer was one of my two favorite characters in season 1 (the other was Sayid). But honestly, I don’t think I ever realized that Josh Holloway was as good as he has been this season. That scene was probably my favorite moment in the episode, so much so that I watched and rewound a couple of times so I could get this full quote from Sawyer: “Well, what about me? You’re really gonna leave me here with ‘The Mad Scientist’ and ‘I Speak to Dead People’? And Jin, who’s a helluva nice guy but not exactly the greatest conversationalist. Who’s gonna get my back? C’mon – just give me two weeks, that’s all I’m asking.”

I’ve written before that I think Lost does established relationships (i.e. ones that existed before the show started) really, really well, but tend to be lacking when it comes to setting up new romances. That’s probably why I have never really cared for Jack and Kate or Sawyer and Kate or Sayid and Shannon, where Des and Penny and Jin and Sun regularly can bring me to tears. So I am so pleased to announce that they have finally gotten one right: a new couple I can get behind! Long live Juliet and Sawyer! (Sawliet?)

I wish I had time to write more (cuz I feel like I could go one for a while about this one), but I’m actually busy, so I’ll bullet the rest of my thoughts:

- I miss Michelle Dessler on ‘24’ – it was really good to see Reiko Aylesworth again. I think she’s gonna be on for a few eps, so I look forward to learning more about her and her mysteriously unnamed baby.
- I love that Jin of 1977 has barely a trace of an accent.
- The truce between the hostiles and Dharma is kinda similar to the truce between the castaways and the Others. (You leave us alone, we’ll leave you alone.)
- Juliet’s reaction to being caught in a lie about the sonic fence was fantastic.
- Miles: “We’re screwed; he’s probably trying to explain time travel by now!”
- Just a random though that I don’t really have time to elaborate on (and I really don’t know if I could anyway): What if Jack, Kate, Hurley, etc. coming back is related to the baby-birthing problem?
- Jeremy Davies was (as usual) fantastic in his few scenes. His grief at Charlotte’s death and insistence that he won’t say anything to her, coupled to his reaction to seeing a young Charlotte in town was heartbreaking. I think I liked Charlotte more because of Faraday. And I miss her already.
- Another great Sawyer line, when he pretty much spoke directly to the online folks: “Your buddy with the eyeliner.” (I forgot to write down the whole line; maybe I’ll update later when I watch again.)
- So I guess Richard with the scraggly hair was smoke and mirrors for young Benjamin Linus.
- By the way, where is young Benjamin Linus?
- Also, where are Rose, Bernard and (especially) Vincent?
- I want a bottle of Dharma-brand Merlot.
- Actually, I think I physically need a bottle of Dharma-brand Merlot.

Did anyone else want to punch Kate in her stupid Chicklet teeth?

So my biggest problem with last night’s ep? Stupid Kate. While I have never been a fan, her reaction to seeing Locke and denying affection for any of the Left Behinders really angered me. I truly hope that she is not the Eve of the Adam and Eve skeletons, because she deserves to die sad and alone, with people spitting on her grave.

It’s hard to come up with any concrete theories after last night’s ep, because Liar 1 and Liar 2 are liars and I can’t trust anything that either one says. So I’ll start with some observations and questions:

- It seems like Caesar and Ilana have been on the Island before – he seemed familiar with the room he is in (which we find out is the Hydra station). And they found the Hydra station awfully quick, so maybe they knew it was there all along.
- Good ol’ Frank came through and landed the plane. I couldn’t tell if it was actually on a runway or not, but it was definitely on Hydra island where the runway was being built.
- My reaction to the opening scene: Well, that was quick! I expected Locke’s resurrection to come at the end of the episode, right before the LOST (whoomp!)
- Just like Jack’s return to the Island mirrored his first time there, so to did Locke’s – he was very serene, contemplative, staring into the distance – and eating a fruit.
- Part of my confusion with everyone’s motivations: Based on episodes past, Jacob (ostensibly) wanted Locke gone, and tonight, we found out that Widmore wants him on the Island. But it seems like Ben wanted him there too, so I just don’t know.
- Episode reminded me of “Meet Kevin Johnson”
- Abaddon being shot shocked the shit out of me – I did not see that coming at all. A bit disappointing, because I really did like him, but from that moment on, the ep really moved into high gear. (I’m also glad they didn’t leave his murderer a mystery.)
- Seeing Abaddon again showed me even more how Lance Reddick’s talents are wasted on Fringe.
- The car accident was really well-staged.
- I was a little disappointed in Locke’s meeting with Walt, but I think they can effectively close the book on Walt’s future appearances now if they want to. I wanted Walt to have more to do, but if the show doesn’t have a future with him, I’m glad the door is closed now so we don’t have his “ghost” hanging over the show. And I do understand Locke’s point of view on this – just 4 months ago or whatever, Walt was a kid he played backgammon with and now he visits him to see he is a seemingly well-adjusted teenager, so not wanting to rip him out of his stable life is ok with me.
- However, if they eventually want to explain Walt’s time in the Others’ captivity (which I think they should) the show can do it without Malcolm David Kelley.
- Jack’s facial hair was done very effectively.
- Helen died on April 8, 2006 (4/8)
- So Sun left with Frank on one of the boats and that’s how one of them gets to the Island for the future encounter with Sawyer and company. I guess a group follows them later to get the other boat there, and maybe that group is the one that shoots at Sawyer, etc.
- Where’s Sayid?
- Quotes of the night: Widmore: “Because that’s the exit.” and Locke: “The timing would just confuse you.”

So there were two great, great scenes toward end of episode really saved it. Not that I disliked what happened before, but it turned an ok episode into a very good one.

It started with Abaddon’s death and the car chase and then Locke arrived in the hospital – then Terry O’Quinn and Matthew Fox shared their greatest scene ever. Matthew Fox really was off the charts fantastic. I’m a bit of a Jack hater, but the last few weeks, I have felt more sympathy toward him. And tonight it was the ultimate showdown between the man of science and the man of faith, with each trying desperately to hang onto their beliefs and convince the other to listen. Just really fantastic.

Then we move to John’s dirty apartment and you could feel his desperation and depression through the TV screen. Terry O’Quinn is always great, not matter what my opinion on Locke is, but tonight was a truly a showcase for him. I did think that he was going to do it, that he was ready to kill himself, but then Ben shows up and what follows is a scene even better than the Jack and Locke scene.

Michael Emerson has some great reaction shots – you can see him thinking, the wheels turning in his head. Starting when he mentions Jin and then when he says Eloise Hawking. As soon as Locke mentioned Hawking, I knew what Ben was going to do, but it still was powerful and painful. But why? If Ben didn’t want him to go to Hawking, why did Ben go to Hawking? Is he playing her? I just can’t keep it all straight and it makes my head hurt.

Could Ben’s actions be as simple as Locke had to be murdered if he was to return – was that his destiny? Would it not work if he made the choice to kill himself? And when Ben said that he would miss John, does that mean that resurrected John Locke is not the same as the John Locke we have known for so long? (Or does Ben somehow not realize that Locke will be reborn?)

This episode did seem to be about creating (more) confusion and misunderstanding. And it does get frustrating, but perhaps it has to be. Maybe it’s a flimsy excuse, but maybe Ben/Widmore have to be intentionally mysterious because they are not allowed to outright interfere with destiny. Of course, this explanation is a bit of a cop-out, but the show is lately concerned with destiny and what has to happen, but it also has often emphasized that you have to WANT to take part in your destiny.

Maybe what we’re talking about isn’t truly written – it’s not exactly destiny – things can change, like Desmond choosing to propose to Penny would have changed his path, but with catastrophic consequences for the world. (According to Hawking, who is perhaps a liar like Ben/Widmore, but I digress…) So maybe there is a path that is already laid out, and it can be changed, but it SHOULDN’T be changed.

I also wonder if this ties into characters’ desires. Like Jack had to want to save Ben in season 3 – his destiny was to save Ben, but only if he truly wanted to do it. I also wonder if this might explain what happened to those on Flight 316. Could it have to do with their desire to go back to the Island? Maybe those caught in the flash to the 1970s were being manipulated to go back and those who landed truly wanted to go back. Jack, Kate and Hurley were eventually convinced that they had to go back, but maybe they truly did not want to. Ben, Locke and Sun all truly wanted to go back and all the other passengers were just unwitting pawns. We don’t know about Caesar and Ilana yet, but they didn’t seem to upset to be there and we don’t know where Sayid is. Or maybe it’s all just dumb luck and I’m overthinking things as I tend to do.

Long-standing Lost mystery from Season 1 finally solved!

So we finally know why Christian was wearing white tennis shoes when he appeared to Jack. I liked the way that this was handled – not in the mythology of the Island or the character of Christian, but in the emotional and characteristic issues of Jack. It felt like the right resolution to a question that originally freaked me out (the first time ghostChristian appeared it scared the bejesus out of me – largely due to the shoes) and beguiled me because I though that there had to be a reason for it. Now I know there was.

Doc Jensen at EW originally wrote about this yesterday, but I feel it’s worth noting again. I assume that Flight 316 was to make us think of John 3:16. (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”) Incidentally, I think that “John 3:16” was carved into Eko’s Jesus stick.

Onto Benjamin Linus…I always find it interesting when he doesn’t know something. He seemed surprised about the Lamp Post and last week, he seemed surprised about Hawking being Faraday’s mom. Could he really just be a pawn too? Obviously, Widmore could not have known about the Lamp Post because then he wouldn’t have needed all the research he did on the Black Rock and the Kahana and stuff, so I think it’s definitely safe to say that he and Hawking are not on the same team. But it is (obviously) clear that he and Ben are not on the same team. But if Hawking is keeping information from Ben, I don’t think we can assume that she wants the same things that Ben wants. So are there three separate teams?

Despite Ben’s actions in the past, I still think he has the Island’s best interests in mind. I think he wants to protect the Island, and that his motivations share a commonality with Richard’s. What that means for Hawking, I do not know. Maybe her motivations are akin to Widmore’s but she wants the Island for herself and not for Widmore. Maybe that is why they were both banished – if she is in fact Ellie.

Back to Ben though…What was that errand that he had to go take care of? I originally thought it had to do with Aaron, but after the episode, I was horrified to realize that he probably went to kill Penny. As much as I love Ben Linus, if he succeeded, I don’t know if I can like him anymore. Penny and Des are the heart of the show for me and if the show doesn’t ultimately end with them together, I will be distraught.

However, maybe I am jumping to conclusions. Maybe Ben went after Sayid and Sayid bloodied him up and that’s why Sayid was arrested. Maybe someone doesn’t want Ben to go back to the Island and was trying to stop him. (Perhaps the people Ben thinks are helping him? I don’t trust Jill the butcher in the same was I don’t trust Ms. Hawking)

Also, does someone not want Aaron to go back? Was leaving him Kate’s decision? (Could Claire have appeared to her again?) Or was he taken from her?

Another mystery – though one not as long-standing – was solved last night: Locke’s reason for dying. It seems that he had to die to serve as (one of the many) talismans on Flight 316 to get everyone back to the Island. The question that pops into my mind is: does that mean that Christian was serving the same purpose for someone else aboard 815? And if so, was Christian aware of his role, or was everything fate/destiny? Which makes Locke’s note to Jack even more painful, because if Jack had believed him and if he had had more faith, this second flight never would have had to have happened – which is why I believe even more that to save the Island Jack and Locke have to work together.

In regard to those other talismans/recreations of history (it’s like the Island has to approve their re-entry): Standing in for 815Kate: Sayid, in cuffs, being held by law enforcement/Standing in for 815Jack: Jack, again bringing aboard a body/Standing in for 815Christian: Locke, wearing his shoes (metaphorically too, as Angela pointed out last night)/Standing in for 815Hurley: Ben, almost missing the flight/Standing in for 815Pilot: Frank, who was originally supposed to fly 815/Standing in for Charlie: Hurley, arriving with a guitar.

These ideas of symmetry and “all this has happened before and will happen again” reminded me of Battlestar Galactica (Also the information dump and all the exposition and explanation in the opening sequence was very much this past week’s Battlestar Galactica.)

So could the passengers of Flight 316 have arrived on the Island in different times? Jack, Kate and Hurley are obviously in the middle of 1970s Dharma occupation of the Island, but who knows where the rest are – maybe they are the people that Sawyer and company shot at two weeks ago – the one that left the boat with the Ajira water bottle in it. Or maybe they are all scattered through different times in the Island’s history. Or maybe they are all just scattered through the Island during the time of the DI and we haven’t found them yet.

Another thought (this is an offshoot one of my long-standing Lost theories – so it’s always on mind) Perhaps the runway that Sawyer and Kate helped build during the much-maligned season three opening pod of episodes was built so that Ben and company (everyone but Jack/Kate/Hurley) had somewhere to land when they came back – perhaps Ben was told by Jacob that this had to be built for a future event that would happen. Jack, Kate and Hurley were just unlucky enough to be zapped back in time while the other people on the plane landed safely in 2008 (or whatever year they are currently in).

All in all, this episode seemed like a set-up episode for the rest of the season, maybe the rest of the series. It was like a new pilot episode – especially with the identical Jack opening – though this time it was more like he was rejuvenated than distraught and disoriented in the actual pilot ep. Now that they are back on the Island, we will have flashbacks to how they got to where they are. And not just flashbacks for the people on 316, we’ll get flashbacks to how Jin and crew ostensibly became part of the Dharma Initiative, and how Faraday ends up in the Orchid station.

More random thoughts:
- Maybe Adam and Eve are really Jack and Kate – maybe they sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone else – perhaps paving a way for a Jin/Sun reunion. (I hope!)
- I’m guessing that ghostCharlie appeared to Hurley to tell him to show up for that flight with a guitar.
- Looking back, Frank as pilot seemed such an obvious move, but I did not see it coming until I heard his voice. (And I even noticed Jeff Fahey’s name in the credits!)
- Ajira 316 to Guam was referenced in the most recent alternate reality game.
- Loved that Hurley was reading Y: The Last Man at the airport. Brian K. Vaughan is a producer and writer on Lost.
- Could Desmond’s role be to bring Aaron to the Island? (Or maybe Penny’s dead body?)
- Based on the military picture in the Lamp Post, I guess that the Dharma Initiative started looking for the Island in the 50s, after the U.S. Military accidentally discovered it.
- I was amused that Hurley bought 78 seats on Flight 316. Good for him, saving all those lives.

Quotes of the night:

After Jack asks him about all the other people on the plane, Ben replies: “Who cares?”

As Jack is getting more fidgety and excited, he asks Ben: “How can you read?” Ben replies: “My mother taught me.” (An amusing interchange, but a lie, since Ben’s mother died in childbirth.)

But the line of the night is with out a doubt from Lapidus: “We’re not going to Guam, are we?”

Who’s playing who?

Another fantastic episode of Lost, featuring death, love and tons of confusion.

First, I’ll tackle the French people…

So I really missed Daniel Dae Kim and he really had a great bunch of scenes last night. It started in his opening scenes with the Frenchies, and continued throughout the episode.

I know we really didn’t see much of Rousseau and crew, but between old, crazy Rousseau’s stories that we heard in the past and when we saw, I think we have a pretty complete idea of her experience on the Island. It’s was very impressive that they managed to compress so much of her story into a few short, but dynamic scenes that make it really clear how Rousseau became the Rousseau that Sayid meets in season one.

Montand is (was) quite the ass. But the sequence with him being attacked by Smokey and then losing his arm was awesome! Really heart-pounding, crazy, gross, powerful. I still haven’t gotten the sound of his arm being ripped off out of my head.

I wonder how much time passed between Jin’s first two jumps – the arm was obviously decomposing, but still there – so maybe a few days?

Seems Robert really was “infected” – was he possessed by Smokey/the Island? No matter how crazy he thought Rousseau was, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would kill the woman carrying their child. But maybe because Rousseau never went into the Temple (thanks Jin!) that is why everyone else saw her as a threat?

So this is the Temple where Ben sent the Others and then tried to send Alex, Karl and Rousseau. Why is it a safe place for the Others? Does Smokey not view them as a threat for some reason? According to Robert, "It's not a monster; it's a security system guarding the temple." If he is possessed by Smokey, then I think we can pretty much accept this as fact. (Interesting, this is how Rousseau originally described Smokey in season one – those crafty writers…)

So, onto the regrettable death of the week…

I was honestly rather surprised they killed Charlotte. I know that they were warning us of this all season, and they really gave us a lot of information on her as she was dying, but for poor Faraday’s sake, I was hoping she would survive. And her last words (“I’m not supposed to have chocolate before dinner.”) I found rather haunting.

But regardless, her death did bring about many answers. I found her babbling to be rather interesting, and look forward to rewatching it later. I was intrigued by her knowledge of the well, amused by her Geronimo Jackson reference and look forward to inevitably seeing her as a child and playing out some of those repeated lines when they actually happen. I also really look forward to seeing Dan sending Charlotte off the Island. I wonder if his work in the Orchid (as seen in the opening scene of the premiere) is related to his desire to save Charlotte. I also wonder if his efforts are what ultimately cause “The Incident.” That would be a really interesting development.

Charlotte’s death scene was wonderfully played both by Jeremy Davies and Rebecca Mader. You could see the pain in his eyes and knowledge that you truly cannot change what is fated to happen.

Other highlights:
- Yunjin Kim on phone with Ji Yeon made me believe that she was a mother, but one just too obsessed with revenge. I guess I jumped the gun with my assumption that something happened to Ji Yeon, or I was just overanalyzing, as usual.
- The reunion between Jin and Sawyer was really nicely done. Josh Holloway continues his amazing work – his reaction shots are particularly impressive.
- When Jin got upset and started babbling in Korean, I love that Sawyer assumed that Jin was asking Miles to translate: “He speaks Korean – I’m from Encino.”
- I mentioned before how great Daniel Dae Kim was in this ep, but I think I should mention it again because of his wonderful speech to Locke about how he should tell Sun that he is dead. Just a really great character moment (another one of those!) and perfectly played by both parties.
- I hope Jin isn’t too upset with Locke if and when he and Sun return to the Island. He definitely kept his promise to Jin and did not say anything to Sun, so it will be entirely Ben’s fault if Sun comes back.
- The shot of Sawyer holding the rope stuck into the ground was fantastic.
- This episode featured two really viscerally painful moments. The first I mentioned already – Montand losing his arm. The second was seeing Locke’s broken leg at the bottom of the well. It still hurts just thinking about that.
- Speaking of Locke in the well, Terry O’Quinn was fantastic in that scene.
- I was surprised to see Desmond, but I am glad that he (seemingly) left Penny on the boat.
- I thought that the final seen with the Ms. Hawking reveal was a bit over-dramatic, since we all knew who it was going to be anyway.
- Loved seeing John Terry again, but where do his loyalties lie? (More on this in a sec.)
- Also loved Christian’s “Say hello to my son.”
- Favorite line of the night is Ben’s (of course). In response to Jack saying that Ben told Jack that Locke did not come to see Ben: "That's true, Jack. I went to see him." (Oh Ben Linus, master of semantics.)
- By the way, Ben really seems to be losing it.
- If Sun does go back to the Island, will she ever see Ji Yeon again?


So, my final discussion topic: Who’s playing who? And where do loyalties lie?

Mrs. Hawking: Ben obviously didn’t know that Hawking is Dan’ mom – it seems strange that she wouldn’t share this information with him. If she’s hiding this, could she be hiding more? For all his Machiavellian machinations, Ben does seem to have the Island’s best interest in mind. I think everything he has done has been for the good of the Island (As opposed to Widmore, who I think is pursuing the Island for more selfish reasons.) If Mrs. Hawking is Dan’s mother and Widmore financed Dan’s research, could Widmore and Hawking be allies? Could she be using Ben to get to her endgame? However, is she is the Ellie from the Island (and being that her first name was confirmed as Eloise last night – interesting also the name of Faraday’s time traveling mouse) she and Widmore did seem to have a confrontational relationship on the Island, so maybe they truly are enemies. Maybe the show is just purposely trying to confuse us.

Christian: The Christian we saw last night was Cabin Christian, who told Locke that he had to move the Island last season. Based on his discussions with Locke last night, it seems like he always needed Locke to turn the wheel. (An on/off switch like I said!) So does that mean that he always wanted Locke off the Island? Does he have the Island’s best interests in mind? Is Cabin Christian the same as Blue Suit Christian? If so, why the change of clothes? Blue Suit Christian has interacted with Jack and influenced his on-Island activities. Cabin Christian has taken Claire, appeared to Michael before he died and spoke to Locke in Jacob’s Cabin. (This is off the top of my head, so there may be more that I do not recall.) Taking Claire, in effect, leads to Aaron leaving the Island. Appearing to Michael could suggest that Cabin Christian wanted the 6 to leave the Island. But then, last night Christian tells Locke to go to Hawking to get the 6 to return, so I just don’t know. Unless, of course, Hawking does not want them to go back, and this is exactly what Widmore wants.

I guess I’ll just have to wait for the show to tell us, because this theorizing hurts.

One final question: Did Locke truly fix the time jumps?

Dan, at least, gets back to the time of the DI. We see that in the premiere. Is that where they will all be stuck at next week? If that is true and at some point and if the 6 return, will they arrive at an Island where their friends are already dead? Will they actually ever meet up with their friends again? I need to see Sun and Jin reunite. I need to.

I know eventually, there will be a subpar week. It happens every year at one time or another. The show has just really been popping out some great entertainment recently though and I can’t help but hope that it continues. We’re five eps in and haven’t had a clunker yet. I suppose they will eventually focus on Kate or Jack or Hurley too much for my liking and I’ll be disappointed, but right now, I could not be happier and more thrilled with Lost this season.

Generalissimo!

Some of my favorite quotes from yesterday’s fantastic 30 Rock:

Tracy: "I'm getting too old for this ship!"

Liz, about her upstairs neighbor Dr. Baird: "He looks like a cartoon pilot"

Jack: “Elisa and I have enough obstacles: our work schedules, our cultures, her adorably broken English.”
Elisa: “MetroCards are a real thing, Jack. You use them on the subway.”

“I want to go to there” (Tina Fey could say this every week and every week, I would laugh uncontrollably)

Jenna on Dr. Baird: “He’s a pediatrician, so you know he likes kids. Or feet. No, no, kids. He has a bill from a divorce lawyer so you know he’s single. And he has a golf magazine so you know he’s not gay or poor. (opens his Netflix rentals) Muppets Take Manhattan, Caddyshack, and a documentary about how pies are made!”

Jack, after giving Elisa and her grandmother a tour of NBC: “Wasn’t that a treat? Only the special tours get to see Conan without a wig.”

Tracy: “You shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition at. Yeah, I’m in.”

Tracy: "You know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts getting offered serious roles. Do you really want to see me play Arthur Ashe?"
Kenneth: "No -- that's terrible. You leave him alone."
Tracy: "Exactly."

Liz: “Well, Buster is probably dead. Do you want to go to the wine bar around the corner, deal with these emotions, get some dinner?”

Hector Moreda, in his commercial for Sabor de Soledad: "Ahora con mas semen del toro"

Liz: “And then I’ll put my mouth on his mouth!”

"Wow. I'm super gay, and I would totally switch for her." Hector Moreda (after seeing a picture of Elisa)

The Generalissimo: “I look forward to your wonderful cooking. Later, I will fulfill my dream of making love to an older Puerto Rican woman. But first, let me compliment pictures of your grandchildren. After you scratch off these lottery tickets, can we go to McDonald’s and only order coffee?”