Guess who's back! And I'm totally ready for season six... I think. I honestly couldn't be more excited, but it's certainly bittersweet, thinking that tomorrow, I'll be watching the last ever LOST season premiere. And in just a few months, we will all gather around our television sets and watch the final episode in LOST history. Sure, someone will try to remake it in 30 years (probably in a major motion picture)... but it'll never be LOST.
I wanted my "return of LOST" post to be about the surprise LOST-themed birthday party that my wife threw me this summer, but (as always) I got a little side-tracked when my daughter was born, just a couple weeks after the party. I'll be doing a post full of pictures in the near future. But for now, I wanted to do a quick post on some possible theories for the final season.
As you remember, LOST season 5 ended with one big question-- can you change the past? Back in 1977, Juliet was pulled deep into the hatch shaft where she detonated a hydrogen-bomb, hoping to destroy the island, or at least the pocket of electromagnetic energy that lead to the pushing of the button, which lead to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. Faraday's theory is that if they can detonate the bomb at the source of this electromagnetic anomoly (the "incident"), their plane will never crash on the island in 2004.
So, did it work? It had to. I mean, if it didn't, wouldn't that mean that all of the characters back in 1977 are dead? We did hear an explosion.... and I doubt that after waiting nearly 9 months, they'd go back and say that it was just a minor explosion (enough to kill Juliet, and that's it). Then again, they did do a switch-a-roo with where Sayid shot Young Ben (moving his bullet wound from heart-side to the other side of his chest).
I also have a hard time believing that the premiere is going to start with Flight 815 landing in LAX. It's a cop-out to undo everything over the past 5 seasons.
The best option that I can think of is a combination of both... the half-"it worked" and half-"it didn't" theory.... here's my prediction for season 6.
Seasons 1, 2, and 3 had flashbacks. Season 4 had flash-forwards. Season 5 had time jumps (between 1977 and 2007). I'm predicting that the storytelling will change in season 6 to a flashing between alternate paths.
Along one path, Jack & Co are blasted back to 2007 where they meet up with "Locke" and friends, and try to figure out their purpose on the island.
Along the second path, the Losties are blasted back to September 22, 2004 on Flight 815, where they land safely in LAX. Off the island, we'll watch as destiny brings the losties together. We'll see Boone die, then Shannon, etc. And at the end of the series, they'll all end up back on the island, exactly where they are in the first timeline. It'll be a season-long course-correction.
I'm sure that my theory is wrong... and I'm sure I'll be proved wrong as soon as the season starts. But in the off-chance that I'm right, I had to post it. :)
Thanks again to eveyone that reads. I'm really looking forward to this season and being able to share my theories with you all!
Namaste!
-drew.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
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?
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).
***********************
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.
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.
************************
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.
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.
************************
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.
*********************************
The Poll
This week's poll is simple-- What team are Bram and Ilana on?
*********************************
As always, please leave me a comment, or e-mail me with your thoughts, speculations, or off-the-wall theories.
Until next time!
-drew.
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.
*********************************
The Poll
This week's poll is simple-- What team are Bram and Ilana on?
*********************************
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.
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.
***********************************************
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!
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.
***********************************************
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.
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.
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