Friday, May 16, 2008

S4E12 - There's No Place Like Home

The season finale has begun. This episode is the first hour of the season 4 three-hour finale. Don't forget that LOST will NOT be on this week, but next week, we'll get the remaining 2 hours on Thursday, May 29th, starting at 9pm (EST). Now, let's take a closer look into the first hour.

Flashback Reunions
How great was it to see all of the characters that we've come to know and love from various flashbacks all coming together to welcome back the losties! I wonder if we're going to see some of these cross-overs coming out in the open...just like:

Grandma Littleton
At Jack's dad's funeral, he was approached by Claire's mom, who apparently has awakened from her coma. She told Jack that Claire was his half-sister. What she didn't know, though, is that Claire was (and possibly still is) alive.

Geronimo Jackson
At Hurley's surprise birthday party, the disc jockey was spotted with a Geronimo Jackson record. We first saw a Geronimo Jackson record in the hatch in season 2, when Charlie and Hurley said that they'd never heard of them. They are a fictional band that is brought up time after time on the show. Since being introduced, we've seen that Eddie (the young cop that infiltrated Locke's "family") was wearing a Geronimo Jackson shirt, and even in last week's "Cabin Fever" episode, Locke had a Geronimo Jackson poster in his locker. I don't know the significance (if any), but keep an eye out for future Geronimo Jackson appearances.

The Others
Now that "Cane" has been cancelled, we are sure to see more and more of Richard Alpert...just in time for the finale. He made his return in "Cabin Fever" off the island, but is now back on-island in his traditional "natives" clothing. He (and the rest of the "others") captured Kate and Sayid, and I think they might be headed for the Temple. I think that we're gonna get a look at the temple during the last two hours of the season, and I've really got my fingers crossed that we see more eerie things there like the four-toed statue.

Just Drive a Mile
For a birthday present, Hurley's dad gave him the Camaro that they were working on when he was a kid. He finished it after the plane crash, as a tribute to Hurley. The keys were on a rabbit's foot keychain. Luck has always been an issue in Hurley's past...plus, don't forget that the Dharma van that he found in the jungle had a rabbit's foot keychain. But that's not the weird part... when he went inside, his instrument panel displayed the infamous numbers. My thought... just drive a mile, and change the numbers. Then again... maybe he should have his dad drive that mile. When those numbers are involved, you can't take your chances.

Sweet Revenge
After receiving her settlement from Oceanic, Sun purchased a controlling share in her father's business. I have a feeling that this is going to pay off big in the end. It has long been believed that Paik Industries has ties to the Widmore Corporation and the Hanso Foundation. If they are actually connected to Widmore, then it's possible that her position in this company will offer the losties the ability to make it back to the island. Maybe they'll help Widmore find it.

Two Reasons
Sun told her father that he is one of two reasons that Jin is dead. What is the other? Perhaps she blames Locke for keeping him on the island? I'm still sticking to the idea that Jin is still alive... somewhere. I think that after Locke moves the island, it's going to appear as if everyone that is on the island is dead.

The Story
At the Oceanic Airlines press conference, the Oceanic 6 told a story of 8 survivors who landed in the water and survived on a small island in the (I believe) Indian Ocean. Obviously, this story is not true... but the question is-- who came up with it? I used to think that this was something that Oceanic came up with, but it seems more apparent that this is a pact between the Losties... that they agreed with the people who stayed back that they'd never reveal the truth.
rescued

The Orchid Entry
In Daniel's Journal, we saw a sketch of the Orchid Station logo. It is, in fact, the same logo that we saw on Ben's parka, and also on the freighter's secondary protocol manual. And when Daniel heard that they were going to the secondary protocol, he FREAKED OUT and said that they need to get off the island IMMEDIATELY! So, does this mean that Daniel knows all about the Orchid? This is obviously going to be the station that allows Locke to move the island....but how? I think we'll find out next week!
Daniel's Orchid Logo

Well, that's about it from me (for now). I've got a couple other things that I want to post, but I'll save that for later this week. Until then, if you've got any theories you want to share, I'd love to hear them, so please leave a comment or email me.

-drew.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

S4E11 - Cabin Fever (continued)

...and here is the promised "Part 2" of my Cabin Fever recap.

Who's Behind It?
Michael made a comment to Frank about Widmore being behind the staged wreckage of Flight 815. And when he did, Frank let out a little laugh, suggesting that Widmore is NOT the person behind it. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that we might be able to trust Frank. And if he says that it wasn't Widmore, I'm thinking maybe it wasn't. Is it too much to suggest a possible third party that is trying to create this war between Widmore and Ben? What about Sun's dad? I mean, he's definitely involved in some way.... I just don't know how yet.

Keamy's Armband
While preparing to go back to the island after being nearly massacred by the smoke monster, we see Keamy getting some sort of device strapped to his arm. If I had to guess, I'd say that this was somehow tapping into his heart rate, and if it were to stop, maybe he would explode, killing everyone else around him. It's basically his way of saying, "Don't kill me unless you want to die too".

Special Delivery
While flying back to the island, good ol' Frank dropped a sat phone out of the helicopter and onto the beach where Jack & Co. are waiting. The plan now is that the beach camp will follow the signal on the satellite phone to Frank's team. But why? Maybe when Frank lands, his plan is to hurry up and get the Losties on the helicopter and start flying them back in groups.

Kidnapping Locke
I always wondered why, if Locke was so important, the Others never came and kidnapped (or "old-man-napped") him, like they did with the tail section. But then it hit me-- one of the things that is brought up a lot is the subject of conning someone into doing something by making them think that what they're doing is actually their idea. We've seen it over-and-over again. I hate thinking that someone is pulling a fast one on Locke, but let's face it... it wouldn't be the first time Locke was deceived.

Brought to the Island?
This episode really touched on one of the BIGGEST mysteries in all of Lost-- Did someone bring them to the island? Or is it just coincidence? Fate? How / Why did they crash there? It seems like Richard wanted Locke on that island and would do anything he could to get him there. Since we know there are elements of time being played with on this show, does it seem logical to assume that Ben & Co. knew that on September 22, 2004, Oceanic Flight 815 would be crashing on that island.... so they went back in time and set the losties on paths that would guarantee that they be on that flight? Remember, most of the Losties (i.e. Locke, Sayid, Kate, Sawyer, Claire, etc.) were GIVEN their plane ticket.

Inside Jacob's Cabin
This scene wins the award for creepiest moment in season 4. Locke enters and Jack's (and Claire's) dad is sitting in the middle of the cabin. He tells Locke that, while he is not Jacob, he can speak on his behalf. Christian confirms that Locke is there because he was chosen. But then Locke looks to the other side of the room, and there is Claire, staring up at him. All she says is, "Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm with him." When Locke asked about Aaron, Christian's response is that he's where he's supposed to be ("and that's not here"). Christian then goes on to tell Locke that since they don't have time for the small chat, that he needs to ask Christian the one question that does matter. Of course, Locke opts for "How do I save the island?" His response.... are you ready for this..... they have to move the island.

WHAT?!?!

Move the island? But how? And can you be more specific? Move it to another spot on Earth? Move it to another place in time? Something tells me that this is a HUGE set up for the finale. I mean, wouldn't it be trippy if season 4 ended with them NOT being on a tropical island, but instead surrounded by snow and ice? Or if all of a sudden, they went back in time (not too far) but to right before the plane crashed, so the last shot of the season would be that of Flight 815 crashing on the island?

Dead or Alive?
Since the episode aired, fans across the internet have been in a widespread debate about Claire. Did her appearance in "Cabin Fever" confirm that she's officially dead? My wife is convinced that she actually died when her house was blown up by the Freighter Army. I still think she's alive though. Email me or leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Lost with Drew's Wife
On a side note, Julie pointed out something to me last week that I forgot to include in my recap. And it is DEFINITELY worth posting. In last year's finale, we saw that drunk-Jack ended up in the hospital, where his ex-wife Sarah came to see him. She told him that she was still listed as his emergency contact. But wait.... this flash-forward takes place YEARS after they returned from the island... and AFTER he was engaged to Kate. Why wouldn't Kate be his emergency contact? Or Hurley?

New Poll Up
The producers announced early this season that, by the end of this season, we'd find out who was in the coffin. I wanted to get your thoughts, so I'm gonna put up a poll to see what you guys think. So make sure to vote!!!

Next week.... I mean, tomorrow
The next episode is the first hour of a 3-hour finale. It is titled "There's No Place Like Home (Part 1)". Don't forget that LOST will not be on next week so that Grey's Anatomy can have it's 2-hour finale. It will return on the 29th, where we'll get the 2nd and 3rd hours of the finale in a big 2-hour LOST extravaganza, starting a 9:00 (EST).

Until next time!

-drew.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

S4E11 - Cabin Fever

I have to begin by apologizing for the delayed recap for last week's episode. My son hasn't been feeling well lately, and (of course) my wife and I both also got sick. But back to LOST... Needless to say, the episode was GREAT, and there is A LOT of stuff to look at. I'm actually gonna break this into two entries, so let's get started with the first part.

Still Protected?
When Keamy tried to shoot Michael, nothing happened. It appears that the island is still protecting him... but why? What's the rule? If you've been BOTH on-island and off-island, are you immortal? I have a feeling that this might also be connected to the time travel things going on. Like, if you've travelled to a different time, you can't be killed while there. Could Ben and Widmore (or anyone else for that matter) be from a different time? It appears that Richard might be as well.

Richard "Eternal" Alpert
Ok.... one of two things is going on with Richard. Either (1) he can travel back in time, allowing him to see Locke on the day that he was born; or (2) he just lives forever. And does anyone else find it weird that he was at the hospital just moments after Locke was born? I wouldn't be surprised if he were behind the wheel of that car that struck Locke's mom.

The Prophecy
There is a prophecy. Of course, that's just speculation.... but let's pretend. The prophecy goes like this: In the mid 20th century, a prophet will be born to a woman named Emily. He will arrive prematurely and will survive many struggles. His purpose is to protect the island. He will form a strong bond with the island and will be given the ability to communicate with the island's spirit (Jacob). Before he can fulfill this prophecy, he will be given a challenge, in which he is told that he must sacrifice his father; however, he will not.

That prophecy is known by the island's natives. And they've been waiting for their prophet to arrive. When Ben came to the island, and he met Richard, they believed that he was their prophet. He fits nearly all of those requirements (mother Emily, born prematurely, communicates with Jacob, etc.). However, when the Dharma Initiative was purged, Richard gave him the task of killing his father.... which Ben actually did, proving that he was not "the chosen one". But then came Locke.

While the island's natives are excited at the possibility of the prophet finally being on the island, Ben is determined to prove that Locke is NOT the one. Ben told Locke that he had to kill his father... which he actually didn't do (but Ben doesn't know that). So while Ben believes that he has proven that Locke isn't the prophet... he is wrong. And Ben is just starting to realize it.

No Smoking
Now that season 4 has brought us off the island, there have been a few "smokey" references that seem to occur whenever we see someone off-island that perhaps we shouldn't see. In the first episode, right before Hurley sees Charlie swimming in the interrogation room, there is a big "No Smoking" sign behind him..... nothing, right? Think again. Before Jack saw his dad in the lobby of the hospital, the smoke alarm was going off. Wait... there's more. When Locke is born, his grandma goes to light a cigarette, and the doctor said, "You can't smoke in here," and immediately after that, we see Richard. Could they be hinting at the smoke monster here? I'm not sure yet, but if they do it one more time, then it's definitely worth considering!

Zombie Loop
In a dream, Locke saw Horace Goodspeed (the man who recruited Ben's dad into the Dharma Initiative) chopping down a tree..... a couple times. The "vision" had Horace on a loop, talking to Locke about what he needed to do in order to find Jacob. The interesting thing here is that he said that he's been dead for 12 years. That's interesting though, because if Rousseau's team crashed on the island 16 years ago, then they were there during the purge, and while the Dharma Initiative was in its prime. Anyone else think it's likely that Rousseau and her team were all members of the Dharma Initiative? I'm sure we'll find out eventually... and by "eventually" I mean "next season".

Locke's Smokey Doodle
When visiting a young John Locke, Richard noticed that one of his drawings was that of a giant cloud of black smoke bursting out of the ground and attacking someone. So is it possible that smokey is an entity that has been manifested from Locke's mind? Could he have created smokey the same way that he "brought" his father to the island? I think he might be a lot more powerful than we thought before. He's certainly "special".
Locke's Smokey Doodle
Richard then placed 6 objects in front of Locke-- a baseball glove, a book of laws, a tube of sand, a comic book, a knife, and a compass. He asked Locke which of the items belongs to him. It seems that Richard is implying that Locke has lived before, and choosing the right item would indicate whether or not he is the person Richard is thinking (the prophet?). Locke chose the knife, and Richard stormed out of the house, as if disappointed at his choice. But I tend to think that Locke was lying to him in order to protect himself. Had he chosen the sand, I think Richard would've grabbed him and taken him to the island right then and there. But Locke didn't want to go (yet). He had work to do first.

Keamy's Dharma Manual
Did you see it? Keamy needed to find out exactly where Ben was, so he pulled out (from a safe) a Dharma Initiative protocol manual.
Dharma Manual
Notice that the logo on the cover is that of (what is believed to be) the Orchid Station, from last summer's infamous Orchid Orientation video, which hinted A LOT at time travel, and is also the same logo that appeared on Ben's parka when he woke up in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Could this guide be LOST's own version of the sports almanac that Marty bought in "Back to the Future"? Did Widmore's team go into the future to find out where Ben would be, and then (because they can't kill him until they return to their original timeline) use that to find him now?

Lost with Julie
When the people on the freighter received the Morse Code transmission about Dr. Ray's body washing ashore, we can definitely say 100% that the he was on the freighter (and very much alive) when they received that transmission. The interesting thing that my wife pointed out was that Sayid (who was standing right there when they received the transmission) can probably decipher Morse Code and likely understood the transmission. And when he gets back to the island, I wouldn't be surprised if he was like, "Yeah.... I heard your transmission and the doctor wasn't dead." Then maybe Faraday would start to explain this whole time issue that he seems to be fully aware of.

Science Camp
Locke's high school counselor said that he received a call from Mittelos Laboratories (remember Mittelos Bioscience is the name of the "company" that Richard used to recruit Juliet). They wanted to have Locke come to "Portland" for a science camp. Still in denial about who he really is, Locke refused to go. Perhaps he still wasn't ready. Maybe he had to perform a miracle in order to fulfill the prophecy, and he had to wait until he was paralyzed to get there.

The Un-Orderly
After falling 8 stories and breaking his back, Locke found himself in a hospital with an all-too-familiar orderly. It was Matthew Abaddon... the guy that hired Naomi, Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank. He is also the same guy that visited Hurley in the mental hospital and asked if "they" were still alive. His message to Locke was simple-- that some day, he'd owe him a favor. But that was after Abaddon told Locke that he should go on a walkabout.... which ultimately was the reason for him being on Flight 815... which was the reason for him being on the island. Abaddon is obviously involved in this war, and while it appears that he's on Widmore's team, I am starting to lean the other way. Could he be working for Ben as an undercover spy?

(Part 2 coming soon)

Friday, May 2, 2008

S4E10 - "Something Nice Back Home"

Let me first start by saying that I'm hesitant to define these flash-forwards as centric to one character. In this week's episode, we saw Jack, Kate, and Hurley. I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE this new format of flash-forwards this season. I can't wait to see what they've got in store for next season. But the producers have hinted that this season's finale episode will leave us with that same "I wonder how the show's gonna be next year" feeling that we had after last year's finale. Anyway... let's get into this episode.

Dirt Nap
While walking back to the beach with Sawyer and Kate, Miles stopped dead in his tracks as he could hear the sounds of Rousseau and Karl being shot. He quickly moved to the ground and began wiping away the dirt, revealing the corpses of Danielle Rousseau and Karl. DAMMIT! I really liked both of these characters! The interesting thing here, though, is that we HAVE TO have a Rousseau flashback.... and they can't necessarily do that if she's dead. The only way to show her past now is through the eyes of someone else, which suggests that someone on the show plays a part in her past. Based on the preview for next week, we know that the purge happened about 12 years go (which is when Ben officially joined the "others"). And if Rousseau has been on the island for 16 years, the only person I can think of that would've interacted with her is Richard..... unless Rousseau was a member of the Dharma Initiative.

I can't help but wonder, though..... who buried Danielle and Karl? Would Martin (the "leader" of the freighter folk) have really taken the time aside to bury the bodies? Or did someone else find them?

A Quick Timeline Note
One thing that has really got the LOST internet community buzzing about all of these flashforwards is how far into the future these are taking place. And finally, the show is starting to deliver "answers". Keep in mind that the current on-island date is end of December 2004. Two episodes ago ("The Shape of Things to Come"), the Ben/Sayid flashback took place in October 2005. And now in this past episode, Jack read an article in a newspaper on the Yankees and Red Sox, which took place around the end of August 2007. This is all leading up to the finale of last year, when we saw a very drunk Jack, not really on speaking terms with Kate. It seems to me that last years finale probably took place around now (early-mid 2008).... which means that they've been off the island for over 3 years.

A Message from Charlie
We learned in this episode that Hurley's visit with Charlie that we saw in this season's premiere wasn't a one-time occurrence. In the first episode, we saw Hurley begin to believe that maybe leaving the island wasn't the best choice after being visited by "Charlie". And now (a couple years later?), we see a completely new Hurley. He's convinced that they made the wrong decision. He is visited by Charlie frequently, and passes on a message to Jack: "You aren't supposed to raise him." Woah. Back in season one, when Claire was pregnant, she met with a psychic that told her that danger surrounds the baby if it is raised by anyone other than her. Essentially, after being warned of Charlie's message, Jack got drunk and drove Kate and Aaron out of his life.

Does Jack Know?
We are still up in the air about whether or not Jack knows that Aaron is his half-nephew. In a fit of anger, he told Kate "You're not even related to him!" But does this imply that Jack knows that HE actually IS related to Aaron? Not really. But they worded it in such a way that it makes you wonder.

Jack's Visitor
After being warned by Charlie (via Hurley) that Jack would be getting a visit, it wasn't long until he began seeing his father. So, Hurley is visited by Charlie (who died on the island).... Jack is being visited by his father (who's body was on the island)..... We also saw Libby visit Michael. Should we expect to see our other Oceanic 6 being lured back to the island via castaway ghosts? Shannon could visit Sayid. The US Marshall could visit Kate. And if Jin is actually dead, maybe he would visit Sun.

Claire's Visitor
After weeks of speculating that Claire would be killed, thus separating her from Aaron, I stand corrected. She was separated from Aaron, but not killed (that we know of). She woke up in the middle of the night and Aaron was gone. And when she looked up, there he was..... being held by CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD! WHAT???!!!! Not having played a major part in Claire's life, I am even more convinced that he is a manifestation of the smoke monster / Jacob, which can only take the form of someone whose body is on the island (Christian Shephard, Yemi, etc.). And now that Locke's dad was brought to the island and killed, I would absolutely LOVE if Locke went to Jacobs cabin and saw his dad sitting inside it. HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?

But back to Claire? What does this mean? Where was she taken? It's gonna suck if her fate is left up in the air until next season. But, I guess that's what she gets for not mourning Charlie's death for more than an episode.

Sawyer's Favor
Kate revealed to Jack during this episode that she was doing a favor for Sawyer.... something she promised him. But what? Why? The initial instinct is to think that it has something to do with his daughter. I wonder, though, if it had something to do with the man that Sawyer killed (Frank Duckett) on the night before Flight 815.

Sick Jack
When Jack was diagnosed with appendicitis, the question arises, "How did Jack get sick if the island heals people?" Remember though... Ben also got sick. It appears that the island is somehow controlling the situations here. It wanted Locke to walk... BOOM-Locke walks. Jack tries to get everyone rescued....BOOM-Jack gets sick. So my question is not Why did Jack get sick. My question is, what did Ben do to piss off the island?

Smokey Detector
Did you notice how right before Jack's encounter with his father at the hospital, the smoke detector was going off? Is this a nod to Smokey's connection with these apparitions? I think so!

A Coffin Prediction
As the season nears an end, we are merely weeks away from figuring out who is in the coffin. This week, I will make a prediction that the person in the coffin is... Hurley. I think that he will tell someone the truth about the island, thus angering the rest of the Oceanic 6, and will either kill himself or be killed by Abaddon's people.

Sawyer's Choice
One of the answers we got this week was Jack mentioning to Kate that Sawyer CHOSE to stay on the island. So we know that it wasn't a matter of certain people not being allowed to be rescued. We also saw Jin tell Charlotte to make sure to get Sun (and their unborn child) on the helicopter. He didn't seem concerned about himself. So, if he didn't die, why did he choose to stay?

Saved by Jack
Another little tidbit from Jack's argument with Kate was when Jack said that he is the one that saved Kate. Does this mean that she'll face a life-threatening situation before leaving the island? Or is he referring to the overall island rescue? My theory.... Sayid, Desmond, and Michael will kill all of the people on the freighter. Sayid will then fill the chopper with fuel and fly back to the island to save the Losties, leaving the rest of the freighter folk on the island. And now back on the mainland, they vow to keep the story a secret, to prevent Widmore from ever finding out that his freighter actually did find the island. Abaddon is then hired to find the truth.

Survivors
After having the smoke monster sicked on them two episodes ago, it was shocking to see multiple members of the freighter army walking away with scrapes and scratches. How the hell do you survive something like that? If Rousseau was right, that smokey is a security system used to protect the island.... why didn't it kill them? They're obviously a threat, right?

Not All Freighter Folk are Bad
It appears that there are 3 kinds of Freighter folk. The first kind (Faraday, Charlotte, etc.) are scientists that are on the island to study its mystical properties. The second kind (the Army) were sent to take over control of the island from Ben and the Others. The third kind is just Frank Lapidus... who was sent to the island in connection to Flight 815. It's unclear if there was any other purpose (other than being the pilot) to have Frank on the freighter (I mean, why not bring a different pilot?). There's another layer here that we're not seeing. I would've loved to see the selection process of people to bring on the freighter. I'll keep my fingers crossed that we see it in a future episode. One things for sure though... I think we can certainly trust Frank, especially after he saved Sawyer and Kate.

Well, that's it for me today. If you've got any theories, I'd love to hear them. You can either email me, or leave me a comment below. Thanks for reading!-drew.