S5E01: "Because You Left" / S5E02: "The Lie"

Lost. Is. Back.

This season is already moving at full-speed, and it won't stop for 15 weeks. We're in for a February, March, and April full of new LOST episodes! And while the producers have spent 4 years setting up question after question, something tells me that this season will be full of answers (and of course, new questions).

Pierre Chang

At the San Diego Comic Con this summer, there was a video released of Dr. Marvin Candle (whose "real" name is Pierre Chang) filming a message for the future. I'm positive the man behind the camera (who we hear briefly) is Daniel Faraday. Check out the video here:



And what better way to start season 5 than with Dr. Chang! They made it a point in the video above (as well as in the premiere last night) to reference Dr. Chang's baby. So, is the baby important? Could it be Miles? Perhaps he too (as well as Charlotte) was born on the island. So, if 2 of the 3 "freighter folk" were born on the island, can we assume that Faraday was also born on the island?

In the opening scene, we even see Faraday working on the build of the Orchid station. Keep in mind, though, that he was the same age as his is in the present time. My thought here is that Faraday will find a way to control the time jumping, and will go back to when the Orchid (and other Dharma stations) are being built, in order to get some answers.

Note also the foreshadowing in his opening sequence when the record starts to skip. While I originally saw it as a call-back to season 2's opening scene when the hatch door was blown off and Desmond's record jumped, it clicked later with me that it was foreshadowing how time on the island is skipping around.

Frozen Donkey Wheel

After not being able to drill through the wall when builing the Orchid, the builders scanned through the wall with sonar and could see the wheel that Ben used to move the island. This means that this is not a Dharma-created entity. Is this something we can relate back to the four-toed statue? How far back does the technology go? Then again, time is relative, right?

Who Jumps Time?

After the first time jump, Locke found himself alone in the rain... but where did the "Others" go? Do they not jump time? In Richard's encounter with Locke, he mentions time jumping, so he is aware of what's happening.... so has he found a way to control / avoid it?

It's Neil Time!

The appearance of Neil (aka Frogurt) was a great shout-out to the hardcore LOST fans. "Frogurt" was referred to in season 2 by Bernard in the episode "SOS", and finally made his LOST premiere in a mobisode between Seasons 3 and 4. For those that don't remember, you can check it out here:



I'm sad to see him go, but let's face it... if you have to be killed off, there aren't many better ways to go than with a flaming arrow through the heart.

Moving People on a Moving Island

It was confirmed in the first episode that the people on the island are moving through time, but the finale from last year (when the island vanished) suggests that the island is also moving in time. Is it also moving in space though? Hopefully, Faraday can figure it out soon. If not, maybe his mother can.... but we'll get to that in a little bit.

Blood Test

A couple guys (I think they were lawyers) came to Kate's house, saying that they've got a subpoena to perform a DNA test on her and Aaron to prove whether or not she is Aaron's biological mother. They wouldn't tell her who their client was, but (of course) that means that it's someone we know. And I get the eerie feeling that Sun is behind it. Her "meeting" with Kate was a little suspicious. Could she be working as a double-agent of sorts, pretending to be on Widmore's team while actually working for Ben?

Where's Boone?

At the beginning of season 3, we got to witness the crash of Flight 815 from the island's perspective. And in this season's premiere, we got to witness the crash of the Nigerian drug plane. Unfortunately, it appears that no one survived the crash. And since Boone died when he tried to climb up to the plane back in season one, Locke had to try climbing up this time on his own. And after climbing half way up, he started getting shot at by Ethan, who (before Locke jumped again) was able to fire a bullet into Locke's leg.

I Wear an XL

While my birthday is still 8 months away, I think it is imperative that I own a "I HEART MY SHIH-TZU" t-shirt. It doesn't matter that I don't own a shih-tzu. In fact, if I did own a shih-tzu, then the shirt would probably just make me extra lame. And while the shirt was hilarious, I still think the funniest part was when Ben scared Hurley and he threw the Hot Pocket at the wall. I actually had to rewind it and watch it again. HAHA!

Who To Trust?

Since LOST's premiere back in 2004, they've had a theme of black vs. white (or Light vs. Dark, or Good vs. Evil). It's almost as if there are 2 forces on the island-- each trying to make sure that things happen a certain way. And that force now exists off the island. Sayid told Hurley to do the opposite of whatever Ben tells him to do. And after being pulled over by Ana Lucia (WHAT?!), she told Hurley to make sure he avoids the police and doesn't get arrested.

Sure enough... what happens? Ben tells Hurley that he needs to come with him, and he follows Sayid's advice (not listening to Ben) and surrenders to the police, thus ignoring Ana Lucia's advice of not getting arrested. So in this situation, who do you listen to? Sayid (a torturere with cool "ninja moves") or Ana Lucia (a ghost)? I think I'm going to have to go with Hurley on this and take Sayid's advice.

Jill The Butcher

I hate to think that my local deli doesn't store corpses in their back room, but after meeting Jill, I'm starting to worry. She is one of Ben's minions in the outside-world who is helping him orchestrate his plan to return to the island. When Ben meets up with her, he asks if Gabriel and Jeffrey have checked in yet. So, how many people are helping Ben here? And is he planning on bringing all of these people back to the island with him? Or are they people that are currently on the island? Just something to keep in mind for upcoming episodes. I have no doubt that we'll meet those 2 in episodes to come.

Mommy Faraday

In an attempt to reach out for help, Danile Faraday finds Desmond in the hatch and tries to get him to go to Oxford. He thinks that his mother might be able to help Desmond find the island again to help save everyone. And while Faraday is unable to finish his message before jumping again, I have a feeling we may have met his mother (again). At the end of the episode, we see a cloaked woman who appears to be pinpointing locations on a map with a giant pendulum. It's revealed that the woman is in fact the Jeweler from Desmond's "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode. She had a great deal of information to give him about time and destiny, and I have a feeling that, not only could she be Faraday's mother, but she'll likely play a big role this season and next.

The Rules of Time Travel

Faraday seems pretty certain that you can't change something from the past (thus changing the future) ala "Back To The Future" style. And so far it doesn't seem like you can. Even when Desmond kept getting flashes of the future and tried to help Charlie avoid death, he couldn't. As the Jeweler said to Desmond, "The Universe has a way of course-correcting." But since Sawyer and Juliet (and crew) only have Faraday's word to go on, I can't imagine that they won't at least try to change things.

The Constants

I think the big question this season is-- what is happening to the people on the island and how can it be stopped? Desmond was able to stop "jumping" last season when he found Penny (his constant) in both timelines. So, can we assume that all they need to do is find their constants? Perhaps that's why the "Others" aren't traveling through time (because they are each others' constants). And since we know that Desmond is Farday's constant, it's logical to assume that the Oceanic 6 are corresponding constants for the Island survivors (i.e. Kate = Sawyer's constant, Ben = Juliet's Constant, Jack = Locke's constant). And Charlotte is starting to show symptoms that did not prove good for George Minkowski last season, who was unable to find his constant before it was too late. We'll have to wait and see....

*********

The Poll

Premiere aside, I have a poll that I'm putting up, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on my situation. I'm getting ready to go on my first ever business trip and I'm NOT a fan of heights, so (needless to say) I'm a little nervous about the flight. And as if the "heights" thing isn't bad enough, the seat that I'm assigned is 23C.... the same seat that Jack was in when Flight 815 went down. So, is this a good sign or a bad sign? Let me know!

Until next time!!

-drew.