Tuesday, May 19, 2009

S5E16 / S5E17 - The Incident

HAVE NO FEAR! I'M STILL ALIVE!

I know it's been far too long since my last post, and I'm about 2 months late with this recap, but things have calmed down in my life a little bit (aka I recently took a week off work), so I've managed to squeeze in an extra couple hours to do this post. So, without further ado, let's examine the finale.

What an episode! We finally got to meet Jacob, who appears to have played an important role in the lives of our Losties... but I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's go in order.

Q: What lies in the shadow of the statue?

We finally got the answer (in Latin), which translates to "He who will save us all." Is this a reference to Jacob? He's been living in the foot of the statue for (presumably) hundreds of years. Could this also be a reference to Locke (the real Locke), whose body is now laying on the beach, next to the foot? I'm actually re-watching all 5 seasons (surprise, surprise), and I'm half-way through season 1, and Charlie told Jack that if he had to put all of his faith into one person saving them all, it'd be John Locke. Then again, how can he save everyone if he's dead? Unless, of course, he isn't...

Is Locke Dead?

I mean, technically, yeah... he's dead. But... I think we're asking the wrong question here. The right question is....

Did the detonation of the bomb work?

For those that can't remember back to May, here's a quick recap of the plan-- The Losties were stuck in 1977, at the time of the "incident". The incident is what led to the pushing of the button, which led to Desmond pushing the button, which led to the crash of Flight 815, which led to seasons 1-5 of LOST. Essentially, they planned to detonate the Jughead bomb in order to "fix" things so that their plane never crashed on the island. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Jack and Kate never would've met; Kate would've gone to jail; Sawyer would've likely been arrested for killing the guy in Sydney; Hurley would've continued to be cursed; Aaron would've been given up for adoption; the list goes on.

So how does this tie into the "Is Locke dead" thing? If the plane never crashed, Locke would still be in the wheelchair, and would not be dead. So, if the bomb really reset things, then the Locke / Jacob events don't really matter.

I know I'm going in circles here, but you've got to see the issue that they face, which (to me) only seems like there is one solution. If the timeline is reset, then the Locke/Jacob storyline (and everything we've seen so far) is meaningless. If they don't end up on the island, then how would we learn the history of the island next season? But if the bomb didn't work, then the second half of season 5 was pointless. They've essentially got to make it so that the bomb goes off, but that everything that's happened so far counts. Is it possible that, as a result of the bomb being detonated, the Losties were blasted ahead in time to 2008, meeting up with the Locke/Jacob timeline? Could that be what Jacob meant when he spoke his dying words, "They're coming"?

Jacob's Nemesis (Esau)

Ok, so who is Jacob's nemesis? He is given no name in the episode, but the online LOST communities have been referring to him as "Esau" (pronounced "ee-saw"). Biblically, Esau is Jacob's twin brother, who vows to kill him. This appears to be the origins of the black vs white theme. Jacob is dressed in all white, while Esau is dressed in all black. And while it seems obvious to assume that Jacob is the good guy and Esau is bad, I want to make sure to mention that it's possible we're being misled.

Also, the Locke we've been watching all season is actually Esau in disguise. He is unable to kill Jacob himself (same reason Ben is unable to kill Widmore?), so instead he gets Ben to kill Jacob for him. But that was no easy task. (Buckle up.... it's gonna get rough.)

Esau (as Locke) took Ben to the temple so that Ben could confront the smoke monster and be forgiven. After Ben and "Locke" separate, the smoke monster appears. The smoke monster here is likely also another manifestation of Esau. The smoke monster lets Ben go, and he is soon confronted by the ghost of Alex (who is ALSO Esau), who tells Ben that he has to do everything that Locke (Esau) tells him. ... If you need to read that again, please do so now.... I'll wait for you..... ok.... got it? Good. Let's move ahead.

If we've seen Esau manifest himself as Locke, Alex, and the smoke monster, can we assume that this isn't the first time we've seen this guy? Is he the smoke monster all the time? Can Jacob also manifest himself as someone else? This just flipped our LOST world upside-down. I'm ok with the idea that Esau is the smoke monster, as long as Jacob also manifests himself as a white light (the one that Locke saw back in season one). Since the first season, we've seen A LOT of creepy ghosts and things on the island, and it seems reasonable now to consider that they may all be either Esau or Jacob. The question we face now is... who's who?

Touching Flashbacks

In all flashbacks in the finale, we saw how the Losties encountered Jacob in their pasts, and the important role that he played. More importantly, you should all note that he touched all of them during the flashback. Here's a quick rundown of each:

Jack: After Jack's infamous "angel hair pasta" surgery, he was trying to get an Apollo bar from the vending machine, but it was stuck. It was Jacob who eventually got it it down for him.

Hurley: After being released from jail, he and Jacob shared a cab ride. Jacob left Hurley with the guitar case that he was carrying on the plane.

Kate: When Kate was a child, she and Tom (her best friend) were trying to steal a New Kids on the Block lunchbox, when they got caught by the store clerk. Jacob paid for the lunchbox, and Kate was free to go. Note: This is also the same lunchbox that Kate and Tom used to bury their time capsule, which Tom kept his plastic plane in until they dug it up years later. (That's the plane that the marshall had in his case on Flight 815).

Locke: After his father pushed him from an 8-story window, Locke smacked the ground, and Jacob appeared to revive him with a simple touch of the hand. Whether he really brought Locke back to life or if it was just good timing, we don't know. I'm guessing he was brought back to life.

Sawyer: While writing the infamous "Dear Mr. Sawyer" letter, his pen dried up. Jacob was there to provide him with a fresh ballpoint, to ensure that Sawyer finished writing the letter.

Sayid: After he and Nadia stepped off of a curb, Jacob grabbed Sayid to "ask for help", ensuring that Sayid wasn't hit by the same truck that killed Nadia.

Jin and Sun: Jacob made a cameo at their wedding, wishing them good luck and telling them never to take each other for granted.


Now, I don't know the significance of Jacob's touch, but you should note that all of those people are still alive on the island. Is it possible that they needed his touch in order to come to the island?

Lord of the Ring

Sun found Charlie's DriveShaft ring that he left behind. Is this a sign that we'll soon be seeing Claire again? I can't imagine that they'd bring up the ring without having Claire back to get it. I know she's supposed to be back next season... I just don't know how soon (first episode? 15th episode?). I'm voting for episode 1.

ROSE AND BERNARD!

I'm so happy to see Rose and Bernard back! They've been living with Vincent in the jungle for the past 3 years, saying that they didn't want to work for the Dharma Initiative because they're retired. This caused a lot of buzz in the LOST fan community that Rose and Bernard are likely the Adam and Eve from season 1. To me, it seems a little too obvious. I know this is supposed to be one of the bigger LOST mysteries, so I can't see them putting it out there so soon.

Is Jacob dead?

I can't imagine you could be stabbed and thrown onto a campfire and live to tell about it. Then again, if you have some form of island-magic, I think there might be an exception for you. I've been having suspicions lately that Jack's reason for being on the island is to save Jacob. The problem here is that Jack's still in 1977... or is he?

Four-Toed Statue Confirmed!

The LOST crew has confirmed the identity of the 4-toed Statue as Taweret, the Egyptian Goddess of childbirth and fertility. This ties in well with the fertility issues on the island. I'm a little confused, though, as this statue is considerably old (at least a few hundred years), but the fertility issues on the island didn't always exist. They weren't there in the 1970's (when Amy gave birth to Ethan on the island), but women couldn't carry to term on the island in the early 2000's. The big question here-- what changed? Is it possible that Ethan could be born on the island because of research by the Dharma Initiative? Maybe they found a way to fix it?

The Big Question

The MOST IMPORTANT thing in the finale was the opening sequence. As Jacob and his nemesis are sitting on the beach watching the Black Rock in the distance, they have the following conversation (courtesy of lostpedia):

Jacob: I take it you're here 'cause of the ship.
Nemesis: I am. How did they find the island?
Jacob: You'll have to ask 'em when they get here.
Nemesis: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
Jacob: You are wrong.
Nemesis: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
Jacob: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.

Go ahead.... read that a couple more times. It's clear that Jacob is trying to prove his nemesis wrong on something. And he keeps bringing people back to the island to help, but it never works. Jacob won't give up though... he's determined. And while it's easy to assume that Jacob is good and Esau is bad (as discussed above), I keep reading that conversation thinking, "This sounds an awful lot like Jack and Locke talking." Jacob is the man of faith, while his nemesis is the man of science.

The big LOST mystery here is, "What is Jacob trying to prove?" I think this isn't going to be answered until the final episode, as I think it'll reveal A LOT about why they were brought to the island, which is (of course) one of the biggest mysteries on the show (now that we got the answer of where Rose and Bernard are).

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Ok, so I finally finished the recap of the finale. And just in time for Comic Con this weekend. I'll be posting some brief things after Comic Con to let you all know what went down. Plus (fingers crossed), I'm re-watching the series (from season 1 all the way through) and formulating a "Big Theory". I've got it laid out in my head and I'm trying to work in all the details, while hopefully not being proved wrong. If any of you have theories or questions, send 'em to me and I'll try to address them in the blog. That way, it won't be completely dead for the next 7 months.

Thanks again for reading! And thanks also for your patience!

-drew.

Monday, May 11, 2009

S5E15 - Follow the Leader

Captain Richard

If you're a consistent reader of this blog, you know about my "Richard is from the future" theory, but I'm starting to consider otherwise. This week, we saw Richard building a ship in a bottle. The ship bore a striking resemblance to the Black Rock (as seen in the painting purchased by Charles Widmore). I'm frustrated because I think they're trying to tell us something here about Richard's origins, but I'm a firm believer that he is an island-native. Aren't we due for a Richard flashback?

Guess Who's Back

It's Sayid! I'm glad to see him back, just in time for the finale. Now where the hell are Rose and Bernard?

The Jealous Submarine

Just as Sawyer and Juliet are about to be handed a "Happily Ever After" card, in comes Kate. So, what happens now? Will Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate be the members of an off-island love triangle? I wouldn't place my bets on it. I would guess that they make it no further than the other "Alcatraz" island. And as much as I'd like to see Juliet happy, I think Kate and Sawyer are going to be together in the end. Then again, what do I know?

Radzinski's Map

The various LOST communities around the internet have been buzzing about the map that Radzinski asked Sawyer to draw for him. It's a popular theory that Sawyer's drawing becomes the basis for Radzinski's infamous Blast Door map, as seen in the hatch (under the black light). I don't personally subscribe to the theory, but I wanted to post this to get your thoughts on it. Please leave me a comment below, or e-mail me with your thoughts.

Not Under the Swan?

I always thought that the Jughead (bomb) was buried beneath the swan station, where all that concrete was poured, but they seemed to have suggested that it was buried beneath the barracks. Isn't that where Ben went to summon smokey? Richard did make a comment about getting the bomb out "the same way we got it down here". Could smokey have done that? It'd be a GREAT turn of events to find out that while Ben can summon smokey, it's actually Richard who can control it. Wouldn't that be cool?

Death to Jacob

The big kicker at the end of this episode was when Locke told Ben that he was looking for Jacob so that he could kill him. Would this even be possible though? Does the island not want Jacob to live? Is Jacob a bad guy? If so, does that mean that Richard is also a bad guy (as he's been following Jacob)? Or does Jacob simply not exist? I really really really hope we get answers on this in the finale. I don't feel like waiting another 8 months to get this answer.

But why would Locke want to kill Jacob? He hasn't really done anything to Locke. Did the island tell Locke to kill Jacob? Is Locke just out to prove that Jacob doesn't really exist? Or...

Remember back last season, when Ben took Locke to Jacob's cabin? And Locke heard Jacob say "Help me." Is it possible that killing Jacob will help him in some way? After all, killing Locke helped him get back to the island. Could Jacob be trapped in-between worlds right now? Maybe he's in a coma somewhere, and the only way he can be saved is if Locke pulls the cord, allowing the island to resurrect him?

It's a stretch, I know. I've really got my fingers crossed that we find out this week.

The Incident

Jack's plan (originally Faraday's plan) is to detonate the jughead, as to prevent the "incident", which (for those who don't remember) happens during the construction of the Swan. Apparently, the DHARMA crew drills into a pocket of electromagnetism, which causes them to create this button that needs to be pushed every 108 minutes (in order to discharge the electromagnetism before it becomes to strong). It's because of this, that Flight 815 crashed on the island. So, by detonating the bomb, it changes the future, ensuring that Flight 815 never lands on the island.

And while Jack is fine with this, Kate refuses to help him because (DUH) if Flight 815 never crashes, she'll end up in jail, never having met Jack, Sawyer, or any of the other passengers on Flight 815.

Let's face it, though. Would they really build this storyline up if they weren't able to change it? Probably not. So, buckle your seat belt and get ready for tomorrow's episode. I have a feeling we're in for a game-changer, involving Flight 815 having never crashed on the island.

Good luck.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

S5E14 - The Variable

Congratulations to LOST on airing their 100th episode, "Variable". And as the first Faraday-centric episode, it certainly did not disappoint (except, of course, for when he was killed.... but I'm getting ahead of myself).

Yet More Daddy Issues

One of the big reveals in this episode was Charles Widmore claiming that he is Faraday's dad. It's strange, though, that when he mentioned it, Eloise slapped him. I got the impression that he hasn't earned the "father" status with Faraday. The sad thing is that he could've been around for Faraday's entire life, and he wouldn't have known because of his little memory problem.

LOST with Whom?

We got a little more insight this week into Faraday's memory problem. He has to live with a caretaker because he has major memory-loss issues... likely as a side effect of all his crazy experiments. His mother persuaded him to work for Widmore and go back to the island, where he'll be healed (and apparently shot as well).

Beating Around the Bush

Ok. I'll stop beating around the bush here. Faraday was shot. By his mother. In 1977. WHAT? Does this mean he's dead? I certainly hope not. However, I'm definitely not gonna hold my breath on that. I just can't fully commit one way or the other yet, because he's still supposed to film that video with Pierre Chang from last summer's comic con video.

Need a reminder?



So did she know that he was gonna get shot? Probably. So why did she send him back to the island? It's simple-- she's just making sure that things happen the way that they're supposed to. If that's the case, she's gonna be really pissed with Jack & Co. because they're going to spend the rest of the season trying to prevent Flight 815 from crashing on the island.

Faraday May Be Dead, But...

PENNY AND DESMOND ARE ALIVE!

That's it.... nothing else here. Just celebrating. Move on to the next line item.

In Trouble

The Dharma folks found Phil tucked away in Sawyer's closet, and now Sawyer and the rest of the Losties are in BIG TROUBLE. After a big shoot-out, Radzinski was shot in the arm by (if I remember correctly) Sawyer (or was it Jack?). Regardless of who it was, they've got no choice now but to run. And while Sawyer's option of starting over in the jungle sounds interesting, I think we (as an audience) would benefit much more if they just joined up with Richard's team. Maybe then we'll get to see what the hell Rose and Bernard have been up to for the past 3 years.

Chocolate Before Dinner

I was glad to see Charlotte back in this episode (granted, she was just a child). And there are 2 things that we should take away from this scene.

1) She told Daniel that she wasn't supposed to have any chocolate before dinner. This is also what she told him before she died. So, it established that this is, in fact, the same memory she was reliving before taking her last breath.

2) HE DID IT! He told her not to come back to the island. WHY?! He said that he wanted to try to change things.... but if he DIDN'T tell her, then THAT WOULD'VE BEEN CHANGING THINGS!!! You would think that, for a PHYSICIST, he'd be a little bit smarter. Sheesh!

Son of a Dharma Scientist!

Let's face it-- the "Miles is Pierre's son" thing wasn't going to stay buried for long. But leave it up to Faraday to spill the beans and make for an awkward moment between father and son. Faraday told him that he needed to evacuate the island in order to save everyone from the electromagnetic pulse that is destined to happen in a matter of hours. But again, if Faraday is big on changing things, then why tell Dr. Chang? If he didn't know about it, then baby Miles would've stayed on the island, thus changing things.

Hello! McFly! Anybody home?! Think, Faraday! Think!

(He's very "George McFly", isn't he?)

Half Lab Assistant, Half Girlfriend

We also got a little more insight this episode into the relationship between Faraday and Theresa. She started out as his lab assistant, but they soon became romantic. And after performing experiments on himself, she offered to be the guinea pig, and things went sour. The question here is-- why did it hurt her, but not him? Is he special? Or was he just able to find his constant? I'd like to wrap this up with a "Time will tell" like I normally do, but if he's dead, then I don't know if we'll ever find out.

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Well, that about does it for me. I'm glad that I was able to get this done before tonight's new episode, titled "Follow the Leader". I'm really looking forward to Season Five's penultimate episode. Normally, the episodes before the finale normally serve as a big set-up for the finale, so I'm not expecting a lot of big reveals. Then again, last year's pre-finale episode was "Greatest Hits", where Charlie died. GREAT episode! Let's hope tonight's is just as good, if not better!

After tonight's episode, I'd love to hear from you guys! Leave me a comment or send me an email with your theories, comments, or questions!

Until next time!

-drew.

Monday, April 20, 2009

S5E13 - Some Like It Hoth

I'm sure that by now, you've all given up on this week's recap, but things have been a bit crazy and I haven't had a lot of "free time", which is (unfortunately) when this blog gets written. I got lucky that this week's episode isn't new, so I've got a little bit of wiggle room. Enough excuses! On with the recap!

A Familiar Face



The above photo is of Bram... the guy in the van who captured Miles and warned him about working for Widmore. And when Miles asked him about which team he's on, he responded, "the one that's gonna win." Is this ANOTHER team? Not Ben? Not Widmore?

...if only he were on the island....



Yep.... he's there. He's with the survivors of Flight 316. And he was with Ilana, asking Frank the infamous "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" (which Bram also asked Miles in the van). He told Miles that if he didn't know the answer, then he wasn't ready to go to the island.

The Shadow of the Statue

So what DOES lie in the shadow of the statue? One of the theories going around online is that the statue is a sort of sun-dial, so TIME is what lies in the shadow of the statue. The thing that I really like about this is that it's a LOST-ish answer, in that it's not really something that physically lies in the shadow of the statue (like sand).

3.2 Million Dollars

Last season, Miles tried extorting Ben for $3.2 Million. We found out in this episode that the reason he wanted 3.2 (and not 3.3 or 3.4, as Ben questioned) is that it was double the amount that Widmore was paying him ($1.6 Million). But is it wrong that I still don't understand why he didn't ask for a little more? Why not tell Ben that Widmore was paying him $2 Million, and ask for an even $4 Mil?

Daddy Dharmacare

As it's been long-suspected, it was revealed this week that Dr. Pierre Chang (previously known as Marvin Candle, Edgar Haliwax, and Mark Wickmund) is the father of Miles. When Miles was a baby, Dr. Chang forced him and his mother to leave the island. Miles was mad at his dad for it, but I think in the end, we'll see that he sent them away to save their lives, as he may have travelled to the future and learned about the purge.

This makes me think that the island brought Miles back in order to course-correct, as he was probably never meant to leave in the first place.

Hurley Strikes Back

...nothing really important here. I just wanted to say how great I think it is that Hurley was trying to write Empire Strikes Back. That's golden!

Hostile Territory

Miles was asked to bring a mysterious package to "Grid 334", which he was quick to identify as hostile territory. When he got there, we found a man who was killed by.... wait for it..... a FILLING being pulled through the top of his head! I'm thinking it's pretty obvious that this is the swan station. It was a nice touch to have death-by-filling, 'cause Desmond made a comment to Jack back in the hatch, saying, "I don't know about you, but every time I walk by that wall, my fillings hurt."

But wait... back up.... the Swan station is in hostile territory? Is this why it was so hidden? Could this have caused the war? Maybe the Others found out about the swan being built in their territory? No... that can't be. Can it? I mean, wasn't the Dharma Initiative (Kelvin) still working in the hatch until 2004? Unless Kelvin was an Other.... TOO MANY QUESTIONS!!!

...Speaking of "too many questions", I wanted to take a minute to say that in a year from now, when we've only got 3 episodes left of the entire series, we'll be wishing that they were introducing more questions instead of being in constant answer-mode. Then again, maybe not. :)

The Return of Daniel Faraday

YES! Faraday is back! I'm so excited to see him again! He's quickly become one of my favorite characters. And I think next week's episode is supposed to be Faraday-centric. I can't wait! Had I known that he was in Ann Arbor this whole time, I would've made the hour drive to see him. Haha!

The important thing here to remember is that Gerald and Karen DeGroot (the founders of the Dharma Initiative) were professors at the University of Michigan (in Ann Arbor). A flashback of his time spent there could offer A LOT of insight into the origins of the Dharma Initiative. I CAN'T WAIT!

My Season 5 Finale Prediction

Previously, I had theorized that season 5 would end with them avoiding the purge, and season 6 would be about how that affected everything.

SCRAP THAT! Time for a new theory!

In this episode, Hurley saw them building the swan station hatch and embossing the infamous numbers into the side. My prediction is that he'll go back and tell everyone about it, and they'll try to stop the swan station from ever being built. And remember, the swan station is the reason that flight 815 crashed on the island. So without the swan station, they never ended up on the island, right? WRONG! My prediction is that season 5 will end with them NOT crashing on the island, but will show how they course-corrected to all end up on the island in some other way.

Maybe (as theorized above) the Swan station is the reason for the purge. So, not building the swan also avoided the purge, and we'll find out that the Dharma Initiative lived on, and ended up recruiting all of the Losties' parents, ensuring that the Losties would be on the island.

I realize it's a stretch, but I had to put it out there just in case it came true.

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The Poll

This week's poll is simple-- What team are Bram and Ilana on?

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As always, please leave me a comment, or e-mail me with your thoughts, speculations, or off-the-wall theories.

Until next time!

-drew.

Monday, April 13, 2009

S5E12 - Dead is Dead

My Name is Smokey

Ok... I was willing to look past Young Ben's bullet moving from one side of his chest to the other side last week... but what I cannot forgive is Ben not having a name for the smoke monster. How could you live on the island for decades and not have a name for the giant cloud of smoke that you summon to kill the island's invaders? Surely he must be lying. (Big surprise, right?)

Lil' Alex

One of the semi-big reveals this week was that Ben was the one who stole Alex from Rousseau. Seeing this made me wonder why Rousseau didn't recognize Ben as the guy who stole her baby when she caught him in one of her traps back in season 2. If someone were to steal my son from me, you'd better believe I'd never forget that person's face.

The other part to this reveal was Ben warning Rousseau at the end that, if she ever hears whispers, to run in the other direction. This is officially the first time that anyone (other than Rousseau or the Losties) has spoke of the whispers. And for it to come directly from an Other is big. Does this mean that it has nothing to do with time travel, though? Maybe it really is just one of those creepy things that the Others do.

Timeline?

Continuing with the Ben/Rousseau/Alex storyline, Rousseau crashed on the island in 1988. Ben (and young Ethan)kidnapped Alex in early 1989. But the purge didn't happen until 1992. This means that Ben and Ethan were BOTH a part of the Others before the purge happened. Woah. I really hope we get to spend some serious time with Richard Alpert and his team. There's definitely a lot of stuff to learn here.

Ben's Choice

Ben chose to save Rousseau's life.... but why? And why did Widmore think she should've been killed? Was this just a test to see if Ben was capable of murder? Was it in preparation of the Purge?

They Need Locke

Christian told Sun that if she wanted to find Jin, she needed to wait for John Locke, who would be able to help her. Does this mean that he'll need to turn the wheel again to get them back to 1977? Or will Jacob show Locke a new way to get back to 1977, or bring the Losties back to present time (2008)?

Thank You, LOST Writers

I'd personally like to thank the LOST writing staff for not killing Penny or Desmond. But at the same time, I'd like to curse at them for not showing much of them lately. I'm really in need of a Desmond and Penny fix. Soon, please!

Farewell Caesar

Ben is a kuniving snake... but you have to give him credit for being so damn smart. I totally fell for the trick he was playing on Caesar and Locke. And while I wasn't exactly hating Caesar's character, I was glad to see Ben blast him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. It just goes to show how bad-ass Ben is.

Anubis Returns

When we saw the back of the four-toed statue, I was about 80% sure that it was of Anubis. Now, after seeing this episode, I'd say, that's risen to 95%. When Ben made it to the temple, while trying to find the Smoke Monster, he came to a wall that had hieroglyphics on it and an illustration of Anubis kneeling before what appeared to be a smoke monster. Not only does this confirm theories about the statue, but it also suggests that Smokey has been there for a VERY long time. But Smokey's not the only one. I think Richard's been there just as long. That all goes back to my "Richard is from the future" theory.

Smokey's Confessional

When Ben was confronted by the smoke monster, it flashed images of his daughter throughout his life, all leading up to her death (which was Ben's fault). Ultimately, Smokey decided that Ben was forgiven. This reminds me of Eko's death back in season 3. The smoke monster was lurking around him, but then his brother appeared and asked for his apologies for all of the things he'd done. And when Eko said "I apologize for nothing," his brother walked away and soon Smokey burst out of the jungle and killed Eko. I think the smoke monster saw that Ben was truly sorry.

Don't think it ended there though. After smokey disappeared, Alex appeared behind Ben and threw him up against a wall, giving him one final warning. She knows that Ben plans on trying to kill Locke again. But Alex demands that Ben follow Locke. Does this mean that Ben will officially become a follower? Is he a good guy now? If so, I'm anxiously awaiting the episode where Ben tells Locke everything he knows about the island. *fingers crossed*

The fact, though, that Smokey went back into the vent before Alex appeared makes me think that smokey and the "ghosts" are 2 different entities. But I wonder if these ghosts are actually manifestations of Jacob? Or maybe there are 2 monsters (not counting Ben, of course)?

The Shadow of the Statue

While the Flight 316 survivors are cracking open a giant metal crate, Frank emerged from the jungle, and Ilana confronted him with a single question: "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Of course, Frank had no idea what she was talking about, so she knocked him out with the butt of her rifle. Is this a secret code for something (ala Desmond's Snowman joke)? Or perhaps they really are asking about something next to the four-toed statue? But why ask Frank? Is this another one of Ben's cons, where he is making them think that Frank is an island native?

Well... that's about it for me this week. I apologize for the delayed post. Please leave me a comment or e-mail me with your questions or theories. I'd love to hear them!

Until next time!

-drew.

Monday, April 6, 2009

S5E11 - Whatever Happened Happened

Remember Cassidy?

For those that don't remember Cassidy, I think the best way to start off this week's recap is to give you a quick reminder.

She was the recipient of a large settlement, and Sawyer's job was to con her out of it. Try to follow me here-- as a part of that con, he let her find out that he was a con man, where he taught her how to con other people, thus earning her trust and ultimately conning her out of her money. It's what they refer to as a "long con".

During the con, Sawyer fell in love with Cassidy, but ended up finishing the con to save her from his "boss", who threatened to kill her if he didn't. In the end, she turned him over to the police, but was pregnant with his child, a daughter named Clementine.

The Three That Know

In an earlier episode this season, Hurley told his mom the truth about the island. As far as we know, she was the only person that someone from the Oceanic 6 blabbed to. This episode revealed 2 more people that know the truth: Claire's mom and Cassidy. I've got a serious suspicion that there are already more people than we know that know the truth about the island. And it's only a matter of time before their cover is completely blown and the public finds out about the island.

Catch a Falling Star

While Kate was carrying Aaron into Cassidy's house, she was singing "Catch a Falling Star" to him. When Claire was trying to put her baby up for adoption, her only request to the adoptive parents was for them to sing that song to him, as her father (Christian Shephard) sang it to her when she was a kid. Since that was revealed, we've seen/heard that song come up several times.

Jack is Locke

This episode was very important for the Jack storyline. Jack's life revolves around helping people... so why not help young Ben? The most important line for Jack in this episode was "Do you think that maybe the Island wants to fix things itself and we are getting in the way?" Woah. Is Jack a believer of the island? Or is her just being difficult because he's still pissed that Sawyer is the "leader" now?

What The Writers Do Best

The LOST writers are good at A LOT... but what they do best is take a character that we don't like and flip it to make us really sympathetic to them. This week, it was Roger Linus's turn. Is anyone else a Roger Linus fan now?

Kate's Nicknames

Kate had 2 nicknames this episode that deserve recognition. The obvious one is when Sawyer called her "Freckles" again. This is bad news for Juliet. The other nickname is when Clementine (Sawyer's daughter) called her "Auntie Kate". While not important to the overall story, it's important to note that this indicates Kate and Cassidy hung out frequently over the years.

Why Did They Come Back?

We know why Kate came back.... we know why Jack came back... Same for Sayid and Sun. We still have yet to find out why Hurley came back. But that's not what I'm questioning here. I'm wondering why they needed to come back. When Locke turned the wheel, the time skipping stopped, and they were all ok (granted, they were in 1977)... but in the overall scheme of things, they didn't need saving. ...or did they? If you read my post last week, this could tie in with my Rat Theory. The reason that Jack & Co. needed to come back was because they DID, and because they were meant to. Had they not come back, Sayid wouldn't have shot little Ben, and it would've created a paradox.

If that was a confusing statement, don't worry.... The conversations with Miles and Hurley in this episode are EXACTLY how my brain works. I'm constantly battling both sides. So if I'm not making any sense here, forgive me.

...and if that's not confusing enough...... it's about to get a little worse.

Let's try this.

Richard Breaks The Rules

At the end of the episode, Richard took an injured Ben to some sort of building (maybe the temple?), but warned Sawyer and Kate that, by helping Ben, he would "forget this ever happened," continuing with, "His innocence will be gone. He'll always be one of us." Is this just a cop-out to say that this is why he doesn't remember Sayid shooting him? Or is there more to the story here. I have a theory.

Most people are incapable of creating a paradox in time, but Richard can. The reason that Ben won't remember being shot is because Richard can take him back in time and help Ben avoid getting shot in one timeline, and bring him back to his original timeline. I think that there are only 3 people who can do this-- Richard Alpert, Charles Widmore, and Desmond. Charles Widmore "broke the rules" when he had Ben's "daughter" killed. We've also heard Faraday refer to Desmond as being special. I think they're going to rely heavily on Desmond to help them avoid the purge, thus changing the course of the future. I think that's how this season is going to wrap up, leaving us with the inevitable "Now what?" feeling that we end every season with.

Charles and Ellie

After taking Ben, Richard was warned by another one of the Others that he shouldn't do it without talking to Ellie first, and even saying, "...if Charles finds out...". Richard was quick to respond, "I don't answer to them." I think in the episodes to come, we'll get a good feeling for Richard's role (as well as Charles and Ellie's role) with the Others.

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The Poll

We're probably still several weeks away from an answer on this poll, so I'm going to leave it up for an additional week. I want to hear your thoughts on the Purge. For those that don't remember, the Purge happened in 1992, and was when Ben and the Others killed most of the Dharma Initiative. I have a serious feeling that the Purge will be the focus of the last couple episodes of season 5. The big question-- will they be able to avoid it? Vote in the poll and let me know!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

S5E10 - He's Our You

On Friday, I was planning on trying to write this week's blog, wondering how I would be able to write about this episode. I mean, yeah, there were little things to talk about like Sayid drinking MacCutcheon's (the infamous drink-of-choice of Charles Widmore). And yeah, we found out that Ilana was a bounty hunter or something. But it wasn't until the end of the episode that we got a HUGE shocker. Sayid shooting Ben could be a big game-changer. Have they broken the "You can't change the future" rule? More importantly, if young Ben is dead, then doesn't this create a paradox? Or will old-Ben disappear too? How does this work?

I've got a theory.

For those that can't tell, this week's write-up is going to be a bit different than usual. Because there weren't that many "easter egg" things in this episode, I was a little worried that I wouldn't have much to write about. But then it hit me. I was re-watching some episodes from Season 4 on Friday, and I had a possible revelation during "The Constant". Let me set up the episode for those that don't remember.

The Constant

While trying to leave the island, the helicopter hit some rough turbulence, causing it to momentarily veer off-course. When this happened, Desmond's sub-conscious began skipping between 2004 (current time) and 1996. In order to prevent himself from dying, Faraday instructed him to go meet up with him at Oxford. When he got there, he provided Faraday with the settings that his "time travel" machine needed (in order to prove that he was, in fact, from the future).

I've got you caught up to the right point... Now, this is where I need you to pay attention.

Faraday zaps his rat (Eloise) with a beam of ultraviolet light, and the rat appears to blackout for a minute. Once it "wakes up", Faraday placed the rat inside a maze and it ran the whole thing with no problem. Excited, Faraday shouts, "It worked!" When Desmond asks about his little experiment, Faraday explains what happened--"I just finished the maze this morning. I'm not going to teach her to run it until an hour from now." Then Desmond says that he needs Faraday's help, and he begins to explain his situation before blacking out again.

When we return to Faraday's office a little later, Desmond wakes up in a chair, as Faraday is frantically writing all over a chalkboard. Desmond asks how long he's been out, and Faraday explains that it's been about 75 minutes. Faraday is trying to figure out how to help Desmond, when Desmond notices that Eloise (the rat) is dead. He asked Faraday what caused her death, but he has no answer. Faraday still needs to perform an autopsy.

I know what you're thinking-- GET TO YOUR THEORY ALREADY! Well, here it comes.

The Theory

Let's say that Desmond arrived at Faraday's office at 4:00. Faraday zapped Eloise, sending her to 5:00, when he taught her how to run the maze. She returned back to 4:00 and knew how to do it. Desmond blacked out at 4:05. But here's the problem-- after Desmond blacked out, Faraday was focused on helping him out, and forgot to show Eloise how to run the maze, thus creating a paradox. Mrs. Hawking explained that the universe has a way of course-correcting. And perhaps killing the rat was the solution.

Do you follow me?

Normally, if I come up with a theory like this, I can normally prove myself wrong, so I don't bother sharing it... but this time, I can't. That's why I decided to write about it-- to offer up someone else to prove it wrong. Is there something that I'm not thinking here? Or maybe I'm just crazy?

Speaking of crazy, check this out: While watching The Constant, this theory hit me, and I instantly stopped in my tracks and had to write myself a note so I wouldn't forget. So, in the middle of writing "He never taught her to run the maze", my nose started to bleed. Woah. I didn't realize the symbolism here until I was rushing off to the bathroom with a paper towel on my nose. Then while I'm "cleaning up" my nosebleed in the men's room, I'm laughing at the situation, thinking, "Well, I've certainly got something to blog about now."

Ben's Paradox

That brings us to this week's episode, and the paradox that we may be facing. If young Ben is dead, then what kind of course-correcting can we expect the universe to do? Will old-Ben be dead? Is the island's ability to resurrect the dead (ala John Locke) its way of course-correcting? Will young-Ben be brought back to life? Or will the course-correcting happen in the 2007 timeline? Can we expect Ben to disappear? Just die? Or what if he is replaced by someone else? Imagine that young Ben is officially dead... all of the things that have happened through 2007 still need to happen, so maybe someone else takes on the role of the Bad Guy. Now that the losties are back in 1977, could one of them take on this role?

Needless to say, my head is seriously spinning on this. So, I apologize if none of this made any sense. Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would be publishing content for the world to see, with my thoughts on time travel and paradoxes caused by changing the future. I had no idea what I was signing up for when I started blogging about LOST back in season 2.

So please, leave me a comment or e-mail me. I'd love to hear what you guys think of this theory, or just of LOST in general. I appreciate all the great feedback I've been getting. And don't forget to vote in this week's poll. It's a simple question: Is Ben dead?

Thanks for reading!

-drew.

Friday, March 20, 2009

S5E09 - Namaste

We're officially past the half-way point this season, and season 5 has been so great! But for some unknown reason, we aren't being given our "no rerun" season. As you all know, last week wasn't a new episode... and now, they're saying that the April 22nd episode will be ANOTHER recap show, and not an actual new episode. Regardless, we're looking at a 2-HOUR finale in mid-May. I'm getting ahead of myself here-- let's focus on episode 9.

The Runway

It was great to see Flight 316 going down this week, and even GREATER to learn that the runway that the Others were building back in season 3 had a purpose. I wonder, though, what made them build the runway. How did they know that there would be a need for a runway in the future? Do the Others know the future? Maybe this ties in to my "Richard Alpert is from the future" theory.

The Non-Flashers

When the Ajira plane went down, 4 of the passengers flashed and woke up on the island in 1977-- Jack, Kate, Hurly, and Sayid. What's more interesting is WHY the other people didn't flash. I'm not talking about Caesar, Ilana, or any of the other background characters. I'm talking about Ben, Sun, and Frank. Is it possible that the island won't let you cross paths with yourself in another time? So, because Ben is on the island as a child in 1977, then it won't let his 2008-self come to that same time? If so, what does that mean for Sun? Was she on the island in the past? We know that her father is friends with Widmore, so could that mean that her father lived on the island once?

Radzinski

We finally got to meet Radzinski this week! For those that don't remember, he was one of the Swan station's original button-pushers. He was working there with Kelvin (Desmond's prior hatch-mate). According to Kelvin, pushing the button drove him crazy and he shot himself. Something tells me that Kelvin isn't being completely honest. We learned this week that Radzinski was involved in the design of the swan station. And hints from the producers indicate that we'll be learning a lot more about the Swan station this season. YES!

The Mystery Girl

Ok... I.... When.... Did you.... forget it. Just look at the footage.



There's someone there, right? And does it not look like Smokey rolls into the room when the door bursts open? We heard smokey right before they found the houses too, so we know he's nearby.

So is this Claire? It kinda looks like Charlotte too. It makes more sense that it'd be Claire, as she was last seen with Christian. And what does he mean when he says that they've got a journey ahead of them? Maybe if they leave the island on one bearing and return immediately after through a different bearing, then they'll be able to get to 1977. ???

Bruised Ben

At the end of "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham", Locke found a pretty beat-up Ben. In this episode, we learned that Ben survived the crash with only a few scratches... but was knocked out by Sun. My question is-- how did he get all bashed and bruised like we saw before? Can we expect to see Ben attacked by smokey? Or maybe the rest of the flight 316 survivors? Or maybe I'm just crazy.

Baby Ethan

Yes! The baby did turn out to be someone we know! And Juliet was quick to return him back to Amy when she realized the baby was Ethan. So, was Ethan the last known baby to be born on the island (other than Aaron, of course)? And I wonder if Amy is someone we've met before. At the beginning of season 2, when we first met Juliet, she was visited by an older lady named Amelia, who came over as part of her book club. And "Amy" is short for "Amelia", right? Hmmmm.

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Bonus

The president in 1977 was Jimmy Cater. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

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The Poll

Every time we're in Dharma-ville, I keep expecting to see Rose and Bernard somewhere! They can't just ignore the characters, right? And is it too late now to say, "Yeah, they've been here the whole time"? Let me know where you think they are.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Dharma Lady

The "LOST" band, Geronimo Jackson, has released their first single on iTunes, and you can download it for free! It's just a remake (with a few changed words) to a song called "Excelsior Lady" by The Donkeys. The "new" song is called "DHARMA Lady"... how appropriate, right? Anyway, you listen to BOTH songs here, or you can click here to download Geronimo Jackson's version on iTunes.

You can also check out The Donkeys' MySpace page here.

Enjoy!

Friday, March 6, 2009

S5E08 - La Fleur

Sheesh... it's about time Sawyer (aka "Jim") gets his own episode. He hasn't had one since season 3, so this one was long overdue. And what more could we ask for than a trip back to 1974 to see the Dharma Initiative in full-swing.

The Four-Toed Statue



As I mentioned, Sawyer hadn't had his own episode since season 3... but would you believe that we haven't seen the Four-Toed Statue since the end of season 2! In this past episode, it made a brief appearance. The good news is that we got to see the statue before it was reduced to a single foot. The bad news is that we only got to see the back of it. And even though we didn't see the front, I got the impression that the statue wasn't human... it looked like the Egyptian God, Anubis.



According to Wikipedia, Anubis was the god of the underworld. It was his job to protect the dead and bring them to the afterlife. It seem like the deeper we get into the history of the island, the more influence we see by ancient Egypt. The temple, smokey's door, and the clock in the hatch all had hieroglyphics on them. In fact, the hieroglyphs that appeared when the clock reached zero translated to "underworld". So, I wouldn't be surprised if the statue was of Anubis. Also, take notice of the staff in his hands having the ankh at the end of it... the same symbol that was on Paul's necklace.

The Secret Life of Paul

If all of the stuff mentioned above is true, and the statue IS of Anubis, is it just a coinsidence that Paul (a member of the Dharma Initiative) has this ankh necklace, which ties him to the island's natives? And why did the hostiles break the truce by killing him? And why does Richard want Paul's body?

Enter: Tragic Love Story.

(This, of course, is all theoretical.) Amy worked for the Dharma Initiative. Paul was a native to the island. The Dharma Initiative posed a threat to the natives, so they made a truce-- the traditional "You leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone." But one day, their paths crossed (Amy and Paul, that is). It was love at first sight. Surely you see where this is going. It's classic Romeo & Juliet. Their love was forbidden, and when Richard found out, he was banished from their group, at which point he "joined" the Dharma Initative. After a long romance, Paul decides he wants to show Amy something from his native-days (the smoke monster, perhaps? maybe the 4-toed statue?), but that requires them to bend the rules. They get caught (of course) and he is killed.

Horace is a Polygamist?

Ok... so we don't have any real evidence to suggest that he is a polygamist-- but let me ask you, what the hell happened to his wife, Olivia? When he recruited Ben's dad to the island, he was married to Olivia. But now, he's shacking up with Amy. This requires a little look at the timeline here, and let's face it... when it comes to this timeline, there are MUCH more important things to think about than the whereabouts of Olivia. How about little Ben being on the island?...

Little Ben

Any time I talk to anyone about this episode, we always end up in a long discussion about the timeline... so let's take this one thing at a time.

Benjamin Linus was born in the early 60's (we'll guess around 62). At around age 8 (to make the math easy), he was brought to the island by his father, who was recruited to the Dharma Initiative by Horace (and Olivia too). This puts us at 1970.... jump ahead 4 years to when we see Paul get shot.... jump ahead another 3 years to 1977 when Sawyer, Miles, and Jin all work for Dharma Security. Horace and Amy have a baby together, Juliet and Sawyer are a couple, but more interesting... BEN IS THERE! We didn't see him, but the timeline implies that at this time, Ben is roughly 15 years old. And now that Jack & Co. have made it back to the island, it's only a matter of time before they all realize that Ben is there. That gives them 15 years to prevent the Purge from happening. If we assume that Ben was the only "inside man" that the natives had, then killing him should at least postpone the purge.... shouldn't it? We shal see.

How Much Do They Know?

After spending 108 days on the island, the losties learned A LOT about the island, the Dharma Initiative, etc.... so how much do Sawyer, Jin, Miles and Juliet know now? Sawyer, Jin, and Miles have all been on the island for 3 years, while Juliet has been there for 6 years. They've got to know SOMETHING about the smoke monster by now. I'm sure they've got A LOT of information on the Dharma Initiative. I can't wait for them to give Jack & Co. a quick download on everything. Of course, they won't show that conversation on the show. They'll likely just start a scene where the conversation is ending, like, with Jack saying "Oh, wow... I never would've guessed that." Let's keep our fingers crossed that this doesn't happen.

Where Are They Now?

The last time we saw Rose and Bernard, it was the beginning of the season, and the islanders were just starting to jump through time. So, we know that Rose and Bernard were moving with them. Unfortunately, by the time they made it to the Barracks, Rose and Bernie were nowhere to be found. So, where are they now? Is it possible that they've been out in the jungle by themselves for the past 3 years? Maybe they ended up back in the caves, and we'll find out that they are the "Adam and Eve" skeletons that Jack found in the caves.

30 Years Apart

Well, it's confirmed that Jack, Kate, and Hurley are officially in the 70's. What's very interesting about this is that Locke & Co. are in (I think) 2008. Their plane landed on the smaller "Alcatraz" island, and we saw Caeser going through Ben's maps at an abandoned Hydra station. While I can't confirm that it's exactly 2008, they're definitely in a different time period than the rest of the losties. The same goes for Frank Lapidus and possibly Sun.

It's a Boy!

Horace and Amy's baby boy seemed very important in this episode... and I can't figure out WHY he's important. Was this just brought up so that we'd know that as of 1977, babies can still be born on the island? That way, we know that if Kate's pregnant with Jack's baby, they'll be able to give birth on the island. Or is it possible that the baby himself is important? Maybe he'll grow up to be someone we know. Keep in mind, the baby was born in 1977... and Flight 815 crashed in 2004. So, is there anyone we know that is around 27 years old at the time of the crash? My initial thought was Karl, but I don't know that he could be 27. Maybe Ethan? Desmond? Faraday? No-- They're all too old. But how about... Jacob? What if Jacob is just a child? What if he died at a young age and has been guiding the natives from "the other side"?

I know what you're thinking-- Richard seemed to know who Jacob was back in 1954 when Locke claimed to have been sent from Jacob, but here's my explination:

My Richard Theory

The biggest mystery about Richard is simply, why doesn't he age? My theory begins in the not-so-distant future-- let's say 2015. Richard was on a plane flying over the island when his plane crashed in the jungle. After spending 100 days on the island, something happened, causing the island to begin jumping in time. Does this sound familiar? Richard ended up stuck in the year 1623. Lucky for him, there is a very important rule when it comes to time travel-- He will not begin aging again until his timeline reaches 2015 again. So, it's not that he's immortal-- it's that his body has to wait until he gets back to his original timeline before it gets back on track.

No theory is perfect (especially any of mine), which is why I still can't explain why Richard is immune to the sonic fence. What's with THAT?! I realize that it probably wasn't set to a lethal level, but he wasn't even phased when he walked through it. Maybe he's dead? He may be a manifestation of the island, similar to Christian Shephard or Yemi (Eko's brother). This is what I think of as a Season 6 Mystery-- something that won't be answered until we're at the end of the series.

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The Poll

The obvious question this week-- what happens now with Sawyer and his ladies? Will Kate stay with Jack? Will Sawyer leave Juliet for Kate?

Friday, February 27, 2009

S5E07 - The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

Ladies and Gentlemen, JOHN LOCKE IS BACK! Before season 5 even started, I'd read somewhere that there was going to be an episode called "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham." Since then I've been in anticipation mode, waiting for this episode. And I'm glad to say that it exceeded my expectations.

Life Saved. Life Taken.

Before Locke is able to jump off the table and hang himself, Ben bursts into the room and stops him. Locke then told Ben about Eloise Hawking, and without hesitation, Ben wrapped a cable around Locke's throat and strangled him to death. I can't help but relate this back to when Ben took Locke to Jacob's cabin. Locke heard Jacob say "Help me," and when Ben found out, he shot Locke and left him for dead. Ben obviously feels threatened by Locke. I just cannot wait to see the look on Ben's face when he wakes up on the island, only to be staring face-to-face with a very-much-alive John Locke. Because after Ben killed Locke, he made it clear that he didn't ever expect to seem him alive again.

The Life and Death of Matthew Abaddon

One thing's for sure-- Matthew Abaddon will be missed. His job was to get people where they needed to be. He told Locke to go on the Walkabout, which caused him to be on Flight 815... but don't forget that he also is the one that hired Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank Lapidus. I wonder if HE is the one that knew where they needed to be, or if he was being instructed by Widmore. He certainly gave off the vibe that he knew something. I wonder if he's connected to Claire's psychic in any way, since he was solely responsible for Claire being on the plane as well.

The Life OR Death of Helen Norwood?

I think one of my favorite things in this episode was this little light of hope within Locke where he just wanted to find Helen. He puts all of his faith and energy into the island because he's got nothing else in his life. So before finally dedicating himself 100% to the island, he reaches out to Abaddon to find Helen. Had she not been DEAD, I have a feeling Locke might have been able to give up on the island (not that I would've wanted him to). But this makes me think that her tombstone was fabricated to ensure that Locke chose the island. But if she IS dead, I woudln't be surprised if Locke started seeing visions of her on the island.

Locke's Decision

During his recruiting process, Locke met up with Walt. And after talking to Walt about Michael, Locke made the decision that Walt has already been through enough and didn't need to go back. But I can't help but wonder if this is going to come back to bite him in the ass down the line. I mean, was it really Locke's decision to make in the first place? And why didn't Ben try to get Walt back? I really hope we're not done with Walt's storyline. It was built up SO MUCH in seasons one and two. They can't just ignore it! I have a feeling we'll know within the next couple episodes whether or not the island needs Walt back. Maybe he is Hurley's constant?

Eloise... Ms Hawking, if You're Nasty

I didn't want to just brush past Locke's comment about Eloise, because Ben seemed quite surprised by it. Did he know who Eloise was? More importantly, who the hell is she working for? She appears to be working with Ben to get everyone back to the island... but isn't she a friend of Widmore's? Perhaps her role is more of a mediator. She can say, "Look, Ben, I know that you're just in it for yourself... and Widmore, I know you don't really care about the island, and your only interest lies in getting revenge on Ben... but regardless, we've just got to get these people back to the island so that it won't self-destruct."

...which brings me to....

Ben vs. Widmore

Over the past few days, the number one question I keep getting from people is-- Who's good and who's bad? Ben or Widmore? My question back to them is, "What constitutes 'good' or 'bad'?" There isn't really a clear line between the two. Let's focus on each of them and what their objectives are.

Widmore: While we don't know how he got to the island, we do know that he was living there with Richard and the Others during 1954 (when he was 17). He also claims that he was the leader of the Others for 3 decades. At that point, he is tricked by Ben into turning the wheel, which causes him to be banished from the island. Keep in mind too that Ben didn't join the Others until after the purge in 1992.

Side note: If Widmore was on the island between 1954 and 1992, does that mean that Penny was born on the island?

Anyway... Widmore has since claimed that the island belongs to him (and always has). He even sent a team of mercenaries to the island in order to capture Ben and bring him off the island. The main question here is, was Widmore's plan to destroy the island?

Ben: Where do I begin? Benjamin Linus was brought to the island with his father after he joined the DHARMA Initiative. After seeing his dead mother walking around in the jungle, young Ben snuck outside of the barracks, where he ran into Richard Alpert.

[skip about 15 years?]

Ben killed his father as a part of the purge in 1992. At this point, he joined Richard and the Others. I assume this is about the time that he became their leader as well. Over the next 9 years, the Others took over some of the properties of the DHARMA Initiative (the submarine, the barracks, etc.). And due to a serious fertility issue, Ben recruited Juliet to the island. Over the next 3 years, she was unsuccesful in solving the problem. And then Ben got a tumor. Enter, Jack Shephard... and you know the rest.

Comparison: I think the most important thing to note here is that Ben and Widmore come from opposite teams. Ben was originally a member of the DHARMA Initiative. Widmore was originally an Other. Maybe this is where their "beef" begins. How would it work if you were in a gang, and someone from the rival gang joined YOUR gang as your leader? You can only imagine the tension. While BOTH gangs are considered "Bad" by the outside world, they both are "Good" to themselves.

That being said, I think that in LOST, the audience will have to universally side with one of them. We're constantly being shown that Ben cannot be trusted. So, what a great twist it would be to learn that Ben is a "good guy". Plus, Widmore is just another one of those big CEO-types we've all been hearing about in the news.

I'll leave it up to you guys, as this Ben vs. Widmore is going to be my poll this week.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

S5E06 - 316 (continued)

Hey, everyone... there were a few things that I forgot to include in my post last night.

Where Is Aaron

I know I briefly mentioned the possibility that Aaron was kidnapped by Ben, but I don't think that's what happened. I have a feeling that Kate let Sun take Aaron back to Korea. It would explain the weird conversation that Sun had with her daughter, when she said "I've got a new friend for you."

Julie's Faraday Theory

My wife has been asking me to post her Faraday theory, and I had to do it before tonight's episodes (just in case she's right). As a side note, she constantly calls him "Michael Faraday", so I don't know how "right" she is. Anyway, her theory is that Faraday (Daniel) is not from the present time and is responsible for building the Lamp Post Station. Eloise is NOT his mother in a biological sense, but has been more of a guide to him over the years.

She also thinks that it's important to note Faraday's personality, and how much it's changed since Desmond met up with him in Oxford (back in "The Contstant")-- He seemed selfish and arrogant. Now, after years of experimenting with time travel, he's the complete opposite. A future backstory may reveal that he had alterior motives for experimenting with time travel. Once he realized the consequences, his motives (and demeanor) changed.

Drew's Crazy Faraday Theory

I'm instituting a new rule-- For every theory my wife comes up with, I will counter with a semi-related (and quite off-the-wall) theory. Ready for this? Faraday and Desmond are brothers.

Proof My Wife Is Crazy

She had a dream that Faraday was the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. I don't know why, but during the whole time I was blogging yestereday (and today), she insisted that this be in my blog. I wasn't going to post it, but my readers often insist on hearing her theories. Also (and I realize that I've already taken this too far), she says that Locke is the cowardly lion, Sawyer is the tin man, Ben is the wicked witch of the west, Jacob is the Wizard, Rousseau is the Good Witch (.....rrriiight), and Kate is Dorothy. Oh yeah, and the "Others" are the flying monkeys.

Wow... I can't believe I just wrote that. Anyway, enjoy tonight's episode!

Later!

-drew.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

S5E06 - 316

Hello, everyone! My apologies for the delayed recap. I'll start with a quick flashback to last Wednesday at 9:00.... where was I? [wwwooooooosssshhhh]

LOST with Maroon 5

Oh, that's right! I was at a Maroon 5 concert! How could I forget? (Thank God for these flashbacks... and my camera, of course). The bad news is that I was unable to flashforward to the weekend of my return when I caught a really bad flu bug and was completely out of it all day on Sunday. But this blog isn't about me (although my name IS in the title)-- let's get to LOST for cryin' out loud!

Luckily, I watched this episode at 3:00 in the afternoon (on Friday), so my wife and I had more time to talk about time travel, destiny, and all that other chewy-goodness that is LOST. Unfortunately, that really doesn't mean much because I'm still as confused as most of you. But we'll try to take a look at it one piece at a time.

Deputy Jin

The big kicker at the end of this episode, of course was Jin showing up in a brand new DHARMA van, sporting a DHARMA jump suit. With only a partial shot of the logo, it appears to be a star (like a DHARMA security badge). But that's beside the point. What we really want to know is WHEN THE HELL ARE WE? Breaking it down as simple as possible, I'm figuring there are 3 options (we all know there are more, but I only have time to type up 3). :)

Option 1: When Locke turned the wheel, he was projected from 2005 (real time) into 2008 while the rest of the islanders were thrown back to 1992 (right before the purge of the DHARMA initative). Aware of the danger they faced, they were able to somehow avoid the purge. They then lived on the island as members of the DHARMA initiative over the next 16 years until the island reached 2008, at which point it was able to capture Flight 316. (Note: Because of them avoiding the purge, Desmond was never in the Swan hatch, and Flight 815 never crashed on the island).

Ok... so that's probably not likely, but it's interesting to think about... what would Sawyer be like after 16 years on the island? Maybe he's run out of nicknames. Does Jin speak perfect English? (Or maybe everyone speaks Korean now?). I think I've gone too far. How about...

Option 2: Turning the wheel did nothing to stop the island from moving throughout time, and when the Oceanic "5" made it into the window and back onto the island, only 3 years (real time) had passed. In their previous time-flash, the Islanders were taken back to the 80's, where they disguisded themselves as DHARMA employees. Then, as the island flashed again as Flight 316 flew overhead, Jin was inside a DHARMA van, wearing the costume, and all was transported with him.

The thing I like about this theory is that Jin still should be speaking fluent English, and I won't have to read any more subtitles. And also, same as Option 1, this would give the Islanders a greater understanding of the history of the island. So that when the Oceanic 5 get back, they can all say, "Hey! Welcome back! You wanna know what the smoke monster is?" And all will be good. But what if it's...

Option 3: After Locke turned the wheel, the island continued flashing for a couple weeks, and flashed ahead to 2008 where they captured Flight 316, meaning essentially the opposite of Option 1... while it's been 3 years for the Oceanic 5, it's only been a month or so for the Islanders. Aaron has gone from just a baby to 3 years old.... Ji-Yeon, who had not even been born yet is now older than 2. Jack and Kate were engaged... that's certainly going to add some tension to her relationship with Sawyer.

On a side note, while I don't normally like to focus all of my attention on the relationships, I must say that I'll be disappointed if Kate doesn't end up with Sawyer at the end of the series. And while I don't know if I like Jack with Juliet, it'd still be better than Jack and Kate.... just my opinion.

Does this time travel stuff give anyone else a headache? I think I now know what Charlotte died from.

The Reinactment of Flight 815

Ok... so don't ask me why (yet), but Eloise (Mrs. Hawking) strongly believes that they've got to somehow trick the island into bringing the passengers of Flight 316 to the island by replicating the events that surrounded Flight 815. Let me do a quick rundown of some of the similarities:

The Corpse: Not only does Jack bringing Locke's corpse on the plane mirror Jack's original trip, when he brought his dad's corpse, but they made sure to mention that BOTH corpses had shoes NOT belonging to the deceased. Jack's dad had Jack's shoes.... Locke had Jack's dad's shoes. (Hey... that's why we always see Jack's dad with white tennis shoes on!) I got my money on Jack finding Locke's coffin somewhere in the jungle... empty.

The Guitar Case: I doubt Hurley plays the guitar, but maybe I'm wrong. Let's imagine, though, that I'm right-- why did Hurley insist on bringing it with him? Was it supposed to be Charlie's guitar? I certainly think so. The important question here, though, is-- how would Hurley know to bring this? Who's guiding him? Did he also have a secret meeting with Eloise?

Sayid's Arrest: In a surprising turn of events, Sayid (who we weren't expecting on the plane) was arrested and was being transported on the plane by (what appears to be) an officer of the law. Not only does this parallel Kate's original flight, where she was in custody of the federal marshall, but let's not forget that before boarding Flight 815, Sayid was arrested at the airport.

Frank Lapidus: The award for best line of the week goes to Frank, whose "We're not going to Guam, are we?" line had me in stitches. It's important here, though, to remember that Frank was originally supposed to be the pilot of Flight 815. Could this explain why the actual pilot ("Seth Norris" played by Greg Grunberg) was killed instantly by the smoke monster-- because he wasn't supposed to be on the plane?

On yet ANOTHER side note, it wasn't until Frank shaved his beard that I realized that he's the same actor from the 1991 movie Body Parts. It would probably be really really corny to watch now, but I used to LOVE this movie when I was younger.

Death to Penny?!

Ben had to leave quickly before their trip, as he had some "last minue business" to take care of. The next time we saw him, he was using a payphone at the docks while all bloodied and beaten. Does this indicate a fight with Desmond and/or Penny? Remember, his intentions were to kill sweet innocent Penelope Widmore. So, did he? What about Desmond? Is he dead too? I don't think so. If you were going to kill off one (or both) of them, you'd have to show it. Plus, it wasn't Desmond's destiny to return to the island via plane.... maybe the island needs Desmond to return on a boat, just like he did back in 2001.

Krazy Kate

Not only did Kate seem to change her mind about going back to the island awfully fast... but she had a plan with Aaron-- she just couldn't tell Jack what that plan was. So, what made Kate change her mind? Something tells me that she's being blackmailed somehow. Ben, perhaps? I've only watched the episode once, so I don't quite recall the timeline-- could this have been the "business" that Ben was actually taking care of? Maybe he kidnapped Aaron, and is using him to get Kate back to the island? Maybe that was his oringal plan with those lawyer guys?

Keep It Movin'

One of the most important reveals in this episode is when Eloise told Jack that the island is always moving, which is why they were never rescued. So, what exactly does this mean? Is "always" really ALWAYS? If so, then she must not be referring to it moving in time, because they crashed on September 22, 2004... lived on the island for 108 days... and were rescued some time around Christmas (I forget the exact date) in 2004. That all adds up. So it must've just been moving its physical location.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the island was moving to a different point on the map every 108 minutes (courtesy of the button in the hatch). Once Desmond turned that failsafe key, it stopped the island from moving in space. Then, once the donkey wheel was turned, that's when the island started moving in time (not to say that it wasn't moving in time at one point in the past). So, that time between when Desmond turned the failsafe key (at the end of Season 2... roughly 65 days after Flight 815 crashed) and the time that Ben turned the wheel (day 108), the island was not moving at all. So, once the island stopped moving, it took roughly 6 weeks to find the island.

Of course, these all will likely be the shortest-lived theories ever, as tomorrow's episode will likely prove them all wrong.

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Dude, Where's My Plane?

This week's poll surrounds the apparent lack of wreckage of Flight 316. Did it crash on the island? Or were a chosen few survivors just transported out of the plane via the flash of light? I'm going to leave it at that (as this week's poll will only be live for a few hours). I'm just going to throw this out there, though-- if the flight DID crash, and the survivors immediately flashed back in time, then the wreckage wouldn't be there... yet. Right?

Again, I want to apologize for not getting this out sooner. I should be able to get this next recap out quicker. I hope you all enjoy tomorrow's episode!

Thanks for reading! And as always, I love hearing your feedback!

-drew.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

S5E05 - This Place Is Death

How great is this season so far! We're only 5 episodes in, meaning we've got another 12 hours of LOST (this season) ahead of us. And the answers just keep on comin'!

The Transmission

Shortly after finding Jin on the beach, you could hear Rousseau's team listening to their radios. On it was the infamous "Numbers" broadcast repeating, "4...8...15...16...23...42". Since hearing this, there has been a lot of debate about the voice. Some think it's Daniel; some, Jack; some, Hurley. And because of all the time travelling this season, it's very possible. There have been so many things in this show that can be explained with time travel. I think that this next summer is going to require that we all re-watch all previous seasons... then again, who says we've got to wait for the summer?

The Rules of Death

Everyone knows that before you die, you've got to start explaining your secret connection to the Dharma Initiative, only to blurt out a huge revelation with your last breath. What? You didn't know that? Well, now you do. Take a lesson from Charlotte. Before dying in Daniel's arms, she mumbled something about not being able to eat chocolate, but then told Daniel that she grew up on the island. And when she was younger, she and her mom had were forced to leave by a "crazy man" who told her never to come back; and if she did, she would die. If that weren't spooky enough, she realized that the "crazy man" from back in the day was Daniel Faraday.

Remember when Faraday told Desmond that he needed to find his mother? Suddenly, Desmond woke up in his bed with a "new" memory of this encounter. I think that Charlotte's new-found memory with Crazy Faraday happened then and there because that's the moment that Daniel decided that he needed to go back in time and save her. In addition, Charlotte said that she became an anthropologist so that she could prove that the island existed. I think that Faraday became a physicist because he needed to find a way to control time travel so that he could go back in time to save Charlotte (the love of his life). And remember when he was crying after finding out that Flight 815 crashed on the island? Maybe he was crying because he tried to prevent the plane from crashing, and was just reassured that he cannot change the future. At that moment, he knew that Charlotte was inevitably going to die.

Locke's Not Feeling Well

After slipping down a rope, deep into the well, Locke dropped to the floor below the Orchid where he was confronted by Christian Shephard (you know... Jacob's "representative", aka Jack's dad, aka Claire's dad). He told Locke that it was LOCKE that needed to move the island-- not Ben. And the wheel was knocked off its axis, which appeared to be what was causing the island to skip through time. When Locke asked Christian for help standing up, he wouldn't help him... but why? Is it because Christian physically couldn't help him (seeing as how he's been dead for, like, 4 months)? I think it relates back to the season 1 episode "The Moth", where Locke told Charlie that he had to give up the drugs on his own, as it would only make him stronger. I looked at this as Christian's way of telling Locke that he needs to be strong enough to do it on his own.

The more important question here is-- When Locke turned the wheel, did that fix the time-skipping? I have a feeling that while BOTH the island AND the Losties have been moving in time, fixing the wheel has stopped the island from moving, but not the Losties. So, now that the island is in one place, the Oceanic 6 would be able to make it back.

This Place Is Sick

Rousseau told the story of her team getting sick and her having to kill them all. And while most fans chalked it up to her just being crazy, it turns out that she was actually telling the truth. After only a day on the island, the smoke monster attacked (YAY!). Montand was grabbed and dragged through the dirt and down into a hole at the corner of a temple. Note, this appears to be The Temple Station that Rousseau was headed with Alex and Karl right before she was shot and killed. Back to the story, though... in the world's coolest game of Tug-of-War, Montand's arm was ripped off and he was dragged deep into the hole.

Robert (Danielle's husband) followed in after him, and Rousseau would've too had Jin not stopped her. After yet another time skip, we see a few members of Rousseau's team have been shot, and she is found with a rifle pointed to Robert. She was accusing him of being "sick". She said that after being trapped with the smoke monster, he was not the same person (almost like he was possessed). He said that it wasn't a monster, and that it was a security system for the temple. Ah... so that's how Rousseau knew that it was a security system. After promises of love and affection, Rousseau began to lower her weapon, when Robert suddenly drew his rifle and pulled the trigger. Lucky for Rousseau, it didn't fire and with one quick shot, she fired a bullet right between his eyes. No wonder she's a bit nutty now.

Faraday's Mother?

Believe it or not, Ben was successful in getting the Oceanic 5 (sorry Hurley) all together. Unfortunately, Kate and Sayid both left. But have no fear-- Desmond's here! When they got to Eloise's place, Desmond showed up and asked "What are you guys doing here?" Ben's response, "The same thing you are." "Oh, you're here to see Faraday's mom too?" Woah.... Ben was surprised when Desmond said that. I really don't know how to read this though-- Did he not know that Eloise was Faraday's mom? (In which case, he should've read my blog 2 weeks ago). Or was he just surprised that Desmond knew that she was Faraday's mom? Regardless, Ben's surprise was nothing compared to Desmond's shock that Faraday's mom was the "ring lady". Double-woah.

Lost with Julie

Every once in a while, my wife comes up with a prediction or theory that she wants me to post.... ok, so I admit it-- she is always coming up with theories. I just refuse to post them all, as they would make my theories look like garbage. So instead, I just post the mediocre ones. :) This morning, she woke up and (without even saying "good morning" or anything) she rolled over and said, "They're gonna leave Aaron with Claire's mom." I can totally see this happening. It's a way for Kate to go back to the island, but still obey Claire's request to not bring him back. As usual, this sparked our entire morning LOST conversation. "Who is going back to the island?" I think it's safe to say that at least SOME of them are going to make it back.... but who?

In this week's poll, I'm asking this... if one of the Oceanic 6 doesn't make it back to the island, who is it? Make sure to cast your vote before the end of the week.

Seat 23C

As a reminder, next week I'm going to be in Salt Lake City, so I won't be able to watch LOST live. I'll have to join the millions of people who watch it online the next day. So, my blog will be a little bit delayed.

As always, I'd love to hear from you all... feel free to leave a comment below or email me with your comments, questions, or theories.

Until next time!
-drew.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

S5E04 - The Little Prince

Guess Who's Back!
Hey, everybody! Jin's alive! And even crazier than that-- he was rescued by a very young (and very pregnant) Danielle Rousseau!!! I think now might be a good time to do a quick recap on what we "know" about Rousseau...

In 1988, she was travelling by boat on a science expedition when they intercepted a signal with a voice repeating the infamous numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42). When they went to investigate the signal, they got caught in a storm which slammed their boat into the island leaving her and her team stranded. And if that wasn't bad enough, she was already 7 months pregnant. Her team explored the island for a couple months, and things didn't exactly go well. When they reached the Black Rock (remember, the slave ship in the middle of the jungle), somehing happend to Montand (who we also met last night) causing him to lose his arm. Everyone on her team (including her husband Robert, who we also met last night) ended up "getting sick", and in the end Rousseau was had no choice but to kill them all. She then gave birth to her daughter Alex, who was later stolen by the Others and raised by Ben as his own daughter. And (fast-forward 16 years) while the Losties were being rescued by the freighter folk, she was shot dead while leading Alex and Karl to the Temple.

Ok... now that you're caught up, realize that most of that was told to us by Rousseau, so we don't really know how much we can trus. The "sickness", I would guess, is probably the same thing we're seeing the Losties go through with all this time travel. I wonder if we'll see Robert and Montand with bloody noses soon.

Canton-Rainier
Recognize that name? It's the logo on the van that Sayid and Ben were driving in when they met up with the lawyer. And, as we all know, the Lost producers are big fans of anagrams, with "Canton Rainier" translating to "Reincarnation"-- a possible sign of what's to come in Locke's future? I can't help but think that Locke won't be dead for long.

BESIXDOUZE
The wreckage from Rousseau's team that Locke (and Sawyer and Juliet) found said "BESIXDOUZE" (B-SIX-DOUZE) on the side, which translates to B612, the name of an asteroid. The title of this episode ("The Little Prince") is also the title of a novel about a little boy who lives on this asteroid. You can read about the story at The Little Prince wiki page.

The Order of the Symptoms
Why was Charlotte the first person to show side-effects from the time-travelling? And why Miles next? Trust me... there's a reason why. It appears that the symptoms are showing in order of how long those people have spent on the island. Charlotte believes that she was born on the island... Faraday seems to think that Miles was also born on the island (Dr. Cheng's baby, right?). Beyond them, the next person to show symptoms was Juliet (who has spent 3 years on the island). In no time, we should start seeing all of the losties start showing symptoms.

Ajira Airways
In what's believed to be the first on-island flash-forward, we see a run-down beach camp with 2 boats (pontoons?). We also see this water bottle bearing an "Ajira Airways" logo. Instantly, we think that this must be how the Oceanic 6 will get back to the island... but I've got to offer an alternative theory. When Desmond starting seeing flashes of Charlie dying, he wasn't able to avoid it, but he was able to postpone it. Essentially, according to LOST Law, if we tried to change something in the past, the universe would course-correct to assure that the future won't change. So while you can't change the destination, you can always change the journey. What if the islanders flash back to when Desmond caused Flight 815 to crash, and they were able to prevent it. But the universe course-corrected by getting the Losties on another flight (through Ajira Airways) to crash on the island.

Born Again
While trekking through the jungle, Sawyer and Locke see a light shooting up into the sky. They then hear a familiar scream-- it's Claire! And Kate! It's their first cross-timeline encounter with the other Losties. Then again, who's to say that we haven't already seen some cross-encounters? How do we know that the Locke we've been seeing this whole time isn't Locke from the future?

Ben's Evil Plan
So, Ben is the one that hired the lawyer to get Kate on the run? It makes sense... but does that mean that he's also behind all these people trying to kill Hurley and Sayid? It only makes sense that Ben's way of convincing them to go back to the island is just to drive them to feel like they're in danger, and to make the island feel like the only place they can be safe. Then again, wasn't there a giant dangerous smoke monster on the island? It seems like Jack (specifically) forgot about smokey and wants to go back. I'd love to see them finally get back on the island and then for smokey to come and kill one of them, at which point Jack looks up and says, "Dammmit! I forgot about that!" and then he looks at Kate and says "We have to go baaaaaaccck home." Maybe they're saving that for the season finale.

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The Poll
Votes last week were split almost 50/50 between Penny being killed by Ben (my vote too) and Penny ending up on the island. This week's poll comes courtesy of my wife. When do you think they'll make it back to the island? (For reference, this week's episode was Episode 4.)