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.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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.
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]
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.
******************************
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.
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.
******************************
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.
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.
****************
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.)
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.
****************
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.)
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