“Make your own luck.”Like last week's episode, last night's episode did nothing to advance the overall story, there were no Easter Eggs and it seemed like little more than a vehicle for the guest star, this week Cheech Marin.
That being said, I enjoyed last night's episode much more, simply because it was a fun episode. There was none of the dark mystery leading to nowhere of Jack's story and I didn't feel compelled to sit on the edge of my seat watching for clues, Easter Eggs or any hints of what's to come. It was a good reunion episode to get us re-acquainted with characters we haven't seen in a while--Sayid, Locke, Sun, Jin. Sawyer had too many priceless lines last night and now I can't remember a single one, but many of them were laugh out loud funny. I think we can just let this episode sit and enjoy it for what it was--a nice little backstory on Hurley (with, by the way, the AWESOME meteor scene) that was uplifting and showed nice chemistry between the characters. I especially enjoyed the Hurley-Sawyer reunion: "Dude! You're alive!" and Sawyer's surprised reaction to Hurley's hug. I also enjoyed the Kate-Sawyer reunion with the rest of the survivors while Kate and Sawyer each try to catch each other's eye.
I'm going to save my fingers this week as I believe that we were set up for a big show next week by the Kate-Sayid-Locke-Rousseau scene at the end of last night's episode. Also, I believe that next week is a Locke back story in which we find out how he got in the wheelchair. Since I don't normally watch anything on ABC, I am spared from the endless hype (to which no show can live up to). However, that will change in a couple weeks when Dancing with the Stars returns--so please forgive my little attempt here to hype next week's episode.
Also, as an email distribution note, I will be attending a class downtown next Thursday, so the Lost update will not be sent until Friday
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Stranger in a Strange Land SE3 EP9
“That’s what it says but not what it means.”Overall, last night's episode was a bit of a disappointment. If they answered three burning questions, I sure don't know what they were.
Jack's Backstory
The backstory last night had a contrived feel to it--like they had to have Bai Ling on the show but weren't sure where to work her in. The only good tidbits to come out: She claimed she could "see into" people and that Jack was a great man, (again, the "good" and "great" man themes--remember Benry when he was held captive telling John that the leader was a "Great Man") and that he was a leader and this made him lonely and said. She then told him that she marked people with what she saw, so, over her objections and at Jack's insistence she tattooed Jack with the Chinese writing. The other tats of the number 5 and the picture are Matthew Fox's own tattoos--it remains to be seen whether the writers will incorporate those tattoos into the overall story and whether anyone will care. Why Jack got beat up after he got the tattoo is kind of weird--Bai Ling said it was against her the rules of her people to tattoo him and post-tat he's some kind of a pariah. By the way, the tattoo says "He walks among us but he is not one of us."
Jack / Juliet / Benry
I do love the way this whole triangle is playing out. There are definitely sparks between Jack and Juliet, but I still don't trust her. I think this is an elaborate ruse to get Jack to give medical care to Benry. Recall the beginning of the season when Benry told Jack he wanted Jack to "Want to operate on him". I think the Others are using Juliet to get Jack to do what they want.
Welcome, Isabelle!
The new she-woman sherriff of the Others! How creepy is she? And who knew they had their own little criminal justice system set up? That was kind of cool--although I believe it was all part of the Jack set up. Jack's interrogation session was simply a test of Jack's loyalty and trust of Juliet. Since he lied to protect Jules, they now know they can use Juliet as a lever to control him. Just because they "marked" her doesn't mean she's not in on it. She killed Danny in cold blood--presumably as part of whatever larger purpose the Others are striving towards. Don't trust Juliet--no matter how much you want to.
Kate and Sawyer
One of the best scenes last night was Kate and Sawyer trekking through the jungle and Kate insisting that they go back for Jack, Sawyer telling her she needs to stop feeling guilty--about sleeping with him. He read her perfectly, puts up his smarmy Sawyer mask and acts like it doesn't bother him that she only slept with him because she thought he was going to die. Then, when Kate can't see, you can see in his face that he really loves her. Oh, and did anyone else pick up that Kate is calling him "James" now?
Carl and Alex
Carl has obviously been on the island all his life since he couldn't even understand the most basic pop culture reference of all time (The Brady Bunch). When Sawyer catches him crying in the jungle he tells Carl to fight for Alex if he loves her. Carl whines that they will definitely kill him this time if he tries to go back to her and Sawyer puts on that great patented Sawyer grin and says, "Well, at least it will have been worth it." I don't believe that Benry is Alex's biological child -- I think Benry and the Others kidnapped her in her infancy from Rousseau. Besides, Alex NEVER refers to Ben as her father--only the Others call him that. She always calls him Ben. She confronts Jack asking him why, after everything that Ben has done to him and his people, why did he save Ben's life? Good question, Alex. Actually, excellent question Alex. If you look at the show from the point of view that Alex is the only really clear headed one over in Otherville than you have to buy into my theory that they are using Juliet to control Jack.
Cindy and the children
Cindy the Stewardess is resurrected from Tailie purgatory to make an appearance at Jack's cage. She has the kids--she tells Jack that their abduction and captivity is not "quite as simple as that" and they are there to "watch". When the little girl asks Cindy to ask about Ana Lucia, Jack freaks and tells them to get away. On the whole, a disappointing scene--it didn't reveal anything beyond what the previews had already showed us, so NO, ABC. You do NOT get to count that as one of the burning questions answered.
Scenes for next week
Hooray, we're back on the beach with some of our old familiar characters. And it looks like Charlie is in danger of dying. Again.
Jack's Backstory
The backstory last night had a contrived feel to it--like they had to have Bai Ling on the show but weren't sure where to work her in. The only good tidbits to come out: She claimed she could "see into" people and that Jack was a great man, (again, the "good" and "great" man themes--remember Benry when he was held captive telling John that the leader was a "Great Man") and that he was a leader and this made him lonely and said. She then told him that she marked people with what she saw, so, over her objections and at Jack's insistence she tattooed Jack with the Chinese writing. The other tats of the number 5 and the picture are Matthew Fox's own tattoos--it remains to be seen whether the writers will incorporate those tattoos into the overall story and whether anyone will care. Why Jack got beat up after he got the tattoo is kind of weird--Bai Ling said it was against her the rules of her people to tattoo him and post-tat he's some kind of a pariah. By the way, the tattoo says "He walks among us but he is not one of us."
Jack / Juliet / Benry
I do love the way this whole triangle is playing out. There are definitely sparks between Jack and Juliet, but I still don't trust her. I think this is an elaborate ruse to get Jack to give medical care to Benry. Recall the beginning of the season when Benry told Jack he wanted Jack to "Want to operate on him". I think the Others are using Juliet to get Jack to do what they want.
Welcome, Isabelle!
The new she-woman sherriff of the Others! How creepy is she? And who knew they had their own little criminal justice system set up? That was kind of cool--although I believe it was all part of the Jack set up. Jack's interrogation session was simply a test of Jack's loyalty and trust of Juliet. Since he lied to protect Jules, they now know they can use Juliet as a lever to control him. Just because they "marked" her doesn't mean she's not in on it. She killed Danny in cold blood--presumably as part of whatever larger purpose the Others are striving towards. Don't trust Juliet--no matter how much you want to.
Kate and Sawyer
One of the best scenes last night was Kate and Sawyer trekking through the jungle and Kate insisting that they go back for Jack, Sawyer telling her she needs to stop feeling guilty--about sleeping with him. He read her perfectly, puts up his smarmy Sawyer mask and acts like it doesn't bother him that she only slept with him because she thought he was going to die. Then, when Kate can't see, you can see in his face that he really loves her. Oh, and did anyone else pick up that Kate is calling him "James" now?
Carl and Alex
Carl has obviously been on the island all his life since he couldn't even understand the most basic pop culture reference of all time (The Brady Bunch). When Sawyer catches him crying in the jungle he tells Carl to fight for Alex if he loves her. Carl whines that they will definitely kill him this time if he tries to go back to her and Sawyer puts on that great patented Sawyer grin and says, "Well, at least it will have been worth it." I don't believe that Benry is Alex's biological child -- I think Benry and the Others kidnapped her in her infancy from Rousseau. Besides, Alex NEVER refers to Ben as her father--only the Others call him that. She always calls him Ben. She confronts Jack asking him why, after everything that Ben has done to him and his people, why did he save Ben's life? Good question, Alex. Actually, excellent question Alex. If you look at the show from the point of view that Alex is the only really clear headed one over in Otherville than you have to buy into my theory that they are using Juliet to control Jack.
Cindy and the children
Cindy the Stewardess is resurrected from Tailie purgatory to make an appearance at Jack's cage. She has the kids--she tells Jack that their abduction and captivity is not "quite as simple as that" and they are there to "watch". When the little girl asks Cindy to ask about Ana Lucia, Jack freaks and tells them to get away. On the whole, a disappointing scene--it didn't reveal anything beyond what the previews had already showed us, so NO, ABC. You do NOT get to count that as one of the burning questions answered.
Scenes for next week
Hooray, we're back on the beach with some of our old familiar characters. And it looks like Charlie is in danger of dying. Again.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Flashes Before Your Eyes SE3 EP8
“The universe has a way of correcting itself.”
Charlie: You are going to DIE!
Was last night's episode a flashback, time travel, or some hybrid of both? Did Desmond have precognitive abilities before he turned the key or because he turned the key? Who knows? The point is, that even though the show gave us little in the way of answers, we must keep in mind that it's a MYSTERY folks. If they told us everything every week how would we fill the time we now spend obsessing over it?
Desmond's Story
Great story. First of all, I love when he wakes up on the floor in their apartment covered in red paint--you think it's blood at first--and the position he wakes up in is the same as the one he wakes up from on the island. We know right away that this is not a normal back story because obviously our Des is quite surprised to find himself back in his old apartment with Pen--with "Building a Mystery" playing in the background. Loved the little "deja-vu" type devices with the numbers on the clock, (1:08) the delivery guy's address (815), the beeping microwave, the polar bear in the painting and the sail boat model in Penelope's jerky dad's office. Widmore's treatment of Des "You're not worthy to drink my whiskey and you're not worthy of my daughter" is devastating. Widmore then tells Des that he will never be a "great man". Flash forward to creepy store keeper who tells Desmond the "only great thing he will ever do is push that button on that island". Our Des may not be a "great man" but he is a "good man" which is why Penny loves him. Again, we are revisiting the theme of "good men"--Benry told Locke that he was one of the "good ones". Did you catch the song Charlie was singing when Des runs into him on the street? "Wonderwall" by Oasis: "Maybe...You're gonna be the one that saves me..."
The Shopkeeper
Loved this whole scene. A theory floated on WMMR tying back to the time-travelling idea is that this woman was Penelope in another timeline. Interesting, but I doubt it. She has the same precognitive powers as Des. They see the man with the red shoes enter the construction site and then watch in horror as the scaffolding collapses and the man dies. When Des asks her that if she knew the man was going to die, why didn't she save him, she answered that there would be no point: the man was MEANT to die and if wasn't today, it would be tomorrow or next week. The universe has a way of correcting itself. Again, here we are with the theme of fate ("Don't confuse fate with coincidence"--I think Des and Locke should have a talk soon). Shopkeeper tells Desmond that he must live out his life as he is meant to--that the greatest thing he will ever do in his life is push the button--or else "we will all die".
Also, if we can turn our attention to the guy with the red shoes, a couple of cool Easter-eggy points noted on MMR this morning: 1. The guy's shoes had Dharma logos on them, 2. Kelvin also wore red shoes 3. Another nod to the "Wizard of Oz" with the red shoes poking out from beneath the scaffolding (like the wicked witch of the east under Dorothy's house).
Penelope
Penelope tells Desmond the reason he wants to end their relationship is because he is a coward. Widmore also told Desmond this at the end of last season in his back story when he tries to buy Desmond off. Very sad when he throws the ring into the river. The Desmond is sitting in the pub, feeling miserable about what might have been the worst mistake of his life, he starts to realize that the flashes of the future that he sees are real and he is not insane. It is at the exact moment that he realizes he can change what's happened with Penelope--that he may not be controlled by fate--that he gets clobbered by the cricket bat and finds himself naked and running through the jungle back on the island.
Charlie and Desmond
Charlie has officially crossed over the line from concerned boyfriend to suffocating stalker. He completely hovers over Claire and is jealous any time someone else does something for her. He shows up with the "Bay-bay" when all she wants to do is thank Desmond for saving her life and he completely hates Locke just for being friendly with Claire (and that whole diming him out to Claire about the heroin in theVirgin Mother statue thing). I never saw it coming that Desmond was saving Charlie's life and not Claire's. But will Claire die too? Remember that the psychic told Claire that SHE ALONE must raise the "bay-bay". And speaking of the psychic, is he a kindred spirit with Des and the Shopkeeper? We will get another Claire backstory this season, so perhaps this connection will be explored. Desmond could very well spend the next few episodes saving Charlie, but I have no doubts that the writers would not have any qualms about killing him off. Don't expect that he will be the last or the only one to die this season.
Random Thoughts
This week's Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story on Lost. The story contained a couple of very tasty tidbits:
1. This season we will find out how Locke got in the wheelchair
2. Next week we see the stewardess from the tail section who vanished during the tailies trek across the island. We may find out what the Others' interest is in the Children.
3. The Jack and Claire connection from last season (Is Claire Jack's half sister from his philandering father in Ana Lucia's last backstory???) will be addressed and answered.
4. We will see Michael and Walt again, but not until next season.
5. Jack will be seen tossing a football with Tom aka "Mr. Friendly, aka "Zeke" and living happily amongst the Others as his relationship with Juliet develops
6. Hurley and Claire backstories this season
7. The producers readily acknowledge that the two new characters introduced at the beginning of the season--I forget their names--are almost universally despised. They claim, however, that a backstory planned for this season will completely change our minds about them.
8. On WMMR's website was a link posted to an audio clip of the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy running backwards. You can clearly hear the following soundbite repeated:" Only fools are slaves to time and space"--kind of gives a little plug to the time travelling theory, doesn't it?
9. This show is not for the MTV-short-attention-span-instant-gratification-crowd and the producers said as much. They know how the story ends and we are currently in year 3 of a 5-year story arc. They can't answer the big questions, because, again, it's a MYSTERY. The producers dropped this little hint in the EW story: Why have these particular people been brought together to this particular place at this particular time? The interconnectedness of the characters is not just an interesting gimmick but actually means something to the entire story arc.
10. They also said last night's episode's "flashback" was like nothing they've done before or will do again and it would either intrigue the audience or turn them off for good. Count me intrigued.
11. More Desmond, please.
Talk to you next week.
Charlie: You are going to DIE!
Was last night's episode a flashback, time travel, or some hybrid of both? Did Desmond have precognitive abilities before he turned the key or because he turned the key? Who knows? The point is, that even though the show gave us little in the way of answers, we must keep in mind that it's a MYSTERY folks. If they told us everything every week how would we fill the time we now spend obsessing over it?
Desmond's Story
Great story. First of all, I love when he wakes up on the floor in their apartment covered in red paint--you think it's blood at first--and the position he wakes up in is the same as the one he wakes up from on the island. We know right away that this is not a normal back story because obviously our Des is quite surprised to find himself back in his old apartment with Pen--with "Building a Mystery" playing in the background. Loved the little "deja-vu" type devices with the numbers on the clock, (1:08) the delivery guy's address (815), the beeping microwave, the polar bear in the painting and the sail boat model in Penelope's jerky dad's office. Widmore's treatment of Des "You're not worthy to drink my whiskey and you're not worthy of my daughter" is devastating. Widmore then tells Des that he will never be a "great man". Flash forward to creepy store keeper who tells Desmond the "only great thing he will ever do is push that button on that island". Our Des may not be a "great man" but he is a "good man" which is why Penny loves him. Again, we are revisiting the theme of "good men"--Benry told Locke that he was one of the "good ones". Did you catch the song Charlie was singing when Des runs into him on the street? "Wonderwall" by Oasis: "Maybe...You're gonna be the one that saves me..."
The Shopkeeper
Loved this whole scene. A theory floated on WMMR tying back to the time-travelling idea is that this woman was Penelope in another timeline. Interesting, but I doubt it. She has the same precognitive powers as Des. They see the man with the red shoes enter the construction site and then watch in horror as the scaffolding collapses and the man dies. When Des asks her that if she knew the man was going to die, why didn't she save him, she answered that there would be no point: the man was MEANT to die and if wasn't today, it would be tomorrow or next week. The universe has a way of correcting itself. Again, here we are with the theme of fate ("Don't confuse fate with coincidence"--I think Des and Locke should have a talk soon). Shopkeeper tells Desmond that he must live out his life as he is meant to--that the greatest thing he will ever do in his life is push the button--or else "we will all die".
Also, if we can turn our attention to the guy with the red shoes, a couple of cool Easter-eggy points noted on MMR this morning: 1. The guy's shoes had Dharma logos on them, 2. Kelvin also wore red shoes 3. Another nod to the "Wizard of Oz" with the red shoes poking out from beneath the scaffolding (like the wicked witch of the east under Dorothy's house).
Penelope
Penelope tells Desmond the reason he wants to end their relationship is because he is a coward. Widmore also told Desmond this at the end of last season in his back story when he tries to buy Desmond off. Very sad when he throws the ring into the river. The Desmond is sitting in the pub, feeling miserable about what might have been the worst mistake of his life, he starts to realize that the flashes of the future that he sees are real and he is not insane. It is at the exact moment that he realizes he can change what's happened with Penelope--that he may not be controlled by fate--that he gets clobbered by the cricket bat and finds himself naked and running through the jungle back on the island.
Charlie and Desmond
Charlie has officially crossed over the line from concerned boyfriend to suffocating stalker. He completely hovers over Claire and is jealous any time someone else does something for her. He shows up with the "Bay-bay" when all she wants to do is thank Desmond for saving her life and he completely hates Locke just for being friendly with Claire (and that whole diming him out to Claire about the heroin in theVirgin Mother statue thing). I never saw it coming that Desmond was saving Charlie's life and not Claire's. But will Claire die too? Remember that the psychic told Claire that SHE ALONE must raise the "bay-bay". And speaking of the psychic, is he a kindred spirit with Des and the Shopkeeper? We will get another Claire backstory this season, so perhaps this connection will be explored. Desmond could very well spend the next few episodes saving Charlie, but I have no doubts that the writers would not have any qualms about killing him off. Don't expect that he will be the last or the only one to die this season.
Random Thoughts
This week's Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story on Lost. The story contained a couple of very tasty tidbits:
1. This season we will find out how Locke got in the wheelchair
2. Next week we see the stewardess from the tail section who vanished during the tailies trek across the island. We may find out what the Others' interest is in the Children.
3. The Jack and Claire connection from last season (Is Claire Jack's half sister from his philandering father in Ana Lucia's last backstory???) will be addressed and answered.
4. We will see Michael and Walt again, but not until next season.
5. Jack will be seen tossing a football with Tom aka "Mr. Friendly, aka "Zeke" and living happily amongst the Others as his relationship with Juliet develops
6. Hurley and Claire backstories this season
7. The producers readily acknowledge that the two new characters introduced at the beginning of the season--I forget their names--are almost universally despised. They claim, however, that a backstory planned for this season will completely change our minds about them.
8. On WMMR's website was a link posted to an audio clip of the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy running backwards. You can clearly hear the following soundbite repeated:" Only fools are slaves to time and space"--kind of gives a little plug to the time travelling theory, doesn't it?
9. This show is not for the MTV-short-attention-span-instant-gratification-crowd and the producers said as much. They know how the story ends and we are currently in year 3 of a 5-year story arc. They can't answer the big questions, because, again, it's a MYSTERY. The producers dropped this little hint in the EW story: Why have these particular people been brought together to this particular place at this particular time? The interconnectedness of the characters is not just an interesting gimmick but actually means something to the entire story arc.
10. They also said last night's episode's "flashback" was like nothing they've done before or will do again and it would either intrigue the audience or turn them off for good. Count me intrigued.
11. More Desmond, please.
Talk to you next week.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Not in Portland SE3 EP7
“You fell for the old “wookie prisoner” trick.”
My disappointment at the lack of big reveals has been overwhelmed by the fact that LOST IS BACK. Yes, it is maddening that they just keep piling more on the puzzle, and yes it totally sucks that they moved it to 10pm, but I have faith that our payoff will be big in the end--and besides, the show is awesomely riveting. Take note of how NBC is advertising "Heroes": "Huge Reveals!" "All of your questions will be answered!" It's a direct pitch to Lost fans. Everyone in the world knows we want answers. The important thing is that the producers know we want answers and they are under pressure to get them to us. During the hiatus, Entertainment Weekly had some pretty good tidbits about how the producers were meeting to determine and end date for the series. There was an abolutely great article in December where Stephen King talked to the writers/producers of Lost and they did a whole geek out session comparing Lost characters and plotlines to the ones in my favorite King novel, "The Stand" (Charlie = Larry for those of you familiar with The Stand). Also, "Carrie" was the novel Juliet had picked for the book club on the day the plane crashed. Juicy stuff for a geek like me--but I digress.
Juliet's Backstory
Fabulous! Right up until last night I was totally sure she was one of the bad guys--now, not so sure but still pretty sure (more on that below). I'm sure everyone caught Ethan passing her in the hall of her sister's apartment complex as the lights were buzzing in and out--kind of made you think she was at the Dharma Medical Station where Claire was taken at first, until she opened the window on the Miami skyline. Juliet was obviously involved in some kind of ethically questionable reproductive research by first impregnating a male mouse then impregnating her obviously cancer-ridden sister. Her research grabs the attention of a too-good-to-be-true privately funded research lab--everybody is smiley happy in the slideshow (one caller to WMMR this morning noticed Dharma logo on a couple of slides) I can't remember the guy's name who gave the sales pitch, but the slideshow definitely had the same feel as the "Orientation films". Anyhow, they offer to bring her out to "Oregon" where she will have "complete freedom" do continue her research. He tantalizes her with MRI images of 20 year old's uterus that looks like a 70 year olds. Unfortunately, it looks as if Juliet is under the thumb of her ex-husband, the jerky Edmund Burke, whom she wishes out loud would get hit by a bus so that she could leave. Then, like magic he is. Awesome scene, by the way--he's there one minute and---BAM!--gone the next! My heart was racing for several minutes after that happened. Then our salesman shows up--in the morgue for God's sake!--with none other than Ethan reiterating the offer and revealing that they know all about her sister's pregnancy. And, no your sister can't come with you, Juliet because the location is too remote--like maybe more remote than "Oregon"--like maybe to some twisted island in the middle of nowhere, perhaps.
It's obvious at this point the research lab is some kind of Dharma/Hanso front. So there's a little bit of "ask and you shall receive" thing going on. Juliet wants Edmund to get hit by a bus and he does. Benry needs a spinal surgeon and one falls from the sky. Maybe we're beginning to see why the Others were so interested in Walt. (Remember the bird?)
Benry & Jack
Juliet, of course, has pegged Jack exactly--she knows he will not be able to just let Benry die. Benry waking up in the middle of surgery was a particularly creepy--and a deliciously "Benry" moment. Oh, and by the way, if memory serves, it was Juliet who was in charge of the anesthesia that didn't work. Note that Jack was all concerned, too that Benry was in pain--even though he was threatening to kill him. Watch Jack work feverishly to patch up the nicked artery in Benry's back. He trusts Juliet and takes her at her word that she will let Kate and Sawyer go if he saves Benry. Jules later tells Jack (at Jack's insistence) what Benry told her in the operating room: That she could go home. OK: For the record, I'm not ready to buy into the whole "Juliet as captive of the Others on the island" theory. Her reaction to Jack's spilling the beans to Tom about Juliet asking that Jack kill Benry on the operating table was totally over the top and calculated--Juliet is much more controlled than that--she would not immediately act guilty about it. And Tom's reaction was weird, too. He didn't seem completely surprised about it--asking Jack if it was true--as if Jack didn't have a reason to lie about it. Remember, they know EVERYTHING about Jack--including, presumably, a psyche profile. I think this is an elaborate mind game they are playing with him and and I still don't trust Juliet even after her doormatty back story. She's certainly not a doormat on the island--she's more ruthless than Kate. Just ask Danny--oh wait...Danny's dead--shot three times in the chest by Juliet to save Kate and Sawyer.
Right before Jack nicks the artery, Jack asks Tom why they didn't take Benry to the mainland to get professional care if they could come and go to the island at will. Tom starts to say something like "Well, before the sky turned purple..." then Jack nicks the stupid artery and thats the end of that revelation. My theory is that Benry, and possibly some of the other Others were dependent upon the button being pushed for their mobility back to "the real world". Now that the "fail safe" key has been turned, the "electromagnetic force" doesn't need to be discharged anymore it has somehow affected the Others. Pressing the button was integral to the Others' way of life--if you remember way back when Walt was first appearing to Shannon, whispering backwards he said "Don't push the button. The button's bad." Also, it was Locke who decided to stop pressing the button and he seems more in tune with the "right thing to do" on the island than anyone.
Kate, Sawyer and Alex
I absolutely loved the way Sawyer took the extra time to hit Danny's head against the fish biscuit button three times just so he would get shocked. And I always appreciate the Star Wars references scattered throughout the show: "You fell for the old "Wookie Prisoner" trick" was a great line and the scene was also great--revealing that Kate is somewhat more ruthless than Sawyer--did anyone doubt she was ready to blow off Aldo's kneecaps if he didn't tell them where Carl was? It's always a pleasure to watch Kate and Sawyer kick butt.
I love Alex--I think she is the only one of the Others who is completely trustworthy--only because she seems to constantly be working against them, first with Claire then with Kate and Sawyer. I guess we're pretty sure they were referring to Benry as her father, but I thought Rousseau said her husband was Robert--which I guess actually means nothing. Obviously the Others are involved in some kind of an experiment involving reproduction--which would explain their interest in Juliet and Claire and Rousseau and the children. My guess is that its some sort of genetic mutation thing--creating humans with extraordinary strength (Ethan, and to a lesser extent, Ben-who can really take a whooping) and extrasensory perception (their interest in Walt, Desmond's sudden foreknowedge) The stuff Juliet was injecting into her sister looked similar to the vaccine that Desmond was injecting himself with before he left the hatch. They are trying to create super humans. By the way, Desmond's girlfriend's father is involved in this somehow, too.
Loved the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy they had Carl tied up to. Some of the slogans flashing across the screen: "We are the cause of our own suffering" and my favorite "Everything changes" which was the whole theme of the Hurley episode last year and was what Jin said to him in the dream. My guess is that the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy is how the Others keep malcontents in line on the island. Look for our Alex to be hooked up there within the next few episodes.
Lost Survivors Guide
If you caught the "Survivor Guide" episode at nine, it was billed as an episode to catch up those who have never watched the show. What I watched it for was to see what they included in it. What do the producers think is relevant for us to know about the story if we are just joining it now? It was noteworthy for what it didn't include: no reference to Shannon, Boone, Michael or Walt. No tailies at all were shown except Eko. Desmond figured more prominently in the recap than was merited if you are just going by his part in the series so far (translation: look for Des to become a central character) Claire's nightmare "missing weeks" episode figured prominently. The numbers were featured. The monster was featured. Look for answers to these mysteries this season, I think.
Ok, so get psyched. 15 more straight weeks of uninterrupted, no more reruns LOST. Talk to you next week.
My disappointment at the lack of big reveals has been overwhelmed by the fact that LOST IS BACK. Yes, it is maddening that they just keep piling more on the puzzle, and yes it totally sucks that they moved it to 10pm, but I have faith that our payoff will be big in the end--and besides, the show is awesomely riveting. Take note of how NBC is advertising "Heroes": "Huge Reveals!" "All of your questions will be answered!" It's a direct pitch to Lost fans. Everyone in the world knows we want answers. The important thing is that the producers know we want answers and they are under pressure to get them to us. During the hiatus, Entertainment Weekly had some pretty good tidbits about how the producers were meeting to determine and end date for the series. There was an abolutely great article in December where Stephen King talked to the writers/producers of Lost and they did a whole geek out session comparing Lost characters and plotlines to the ones in my favorite King novel, "The Stand" (Charlie = Larry for those of you familiar with The Stand). Also, "Carrie" was the novel Juliet had picked for the book club on the day the plane crashed. Juicy stuff for a geek like me--but I digress.
Juliet's Backstory
Fabulous! Right up until last night I was totally sure she was one of the bad guys--now, not so sure but still pretty sure (more on that below). I'm sure everyone caught Ethan passing her in the hall of her sister's apartment complex as the lights were buzzing in and out--kind of made you think she was at the Dharma Medical Station where Claire was taken at first, until she opened the window on the Miami skyline. Juliet was obviously involved in some kind of ethically questionable reproductive research by first impregnating a male mouse then impregnating her obviously cancer-ridden sister. Her research grabs the attention of a too-good-to-be-true privately funded research lab--everybody is smiley happy in the slideshow (one caller to WMMR this morning noticed Dharma logo on a couple of slides) I can't remember the guy's name who gave the sales pitch, but the slideshow definitely had the same feel as the "Orientation films". Anyhow, they offer to bring her out to "Oregon" where she will have "complete freedom" do continue her research. He tantalizes her with MRI images of 20 year old's uterus that looks like a 70 year olds. Unfortunately, it looks as if Juliet is under the thumb of her ex-husband, the jerky Edmund Burke, whom she wishes out loud would get hit by a bus so that she could leave. Then, like magic he is. Awesome scene, by the way--he's there one minute and---BAM!--gone the next! My heart was racing for several minutes after that happened. Then our salesman shows up--in the morgue for God's sake!--with none other than Ethan reiterating the offer and revealing that they know all about her sister's pregnancy. And, no your sister can't come with you, Juliet because the location is too remote--like maybe more remote than "Oregon"--like maybe to some twisted island in the middle of nowhere, perhaps.
It's obvious at this point the research lab is some kind of Dharma/Hanso front. So there's a little bit of "ask and you shall receive" thing going on. Juliet wants Edmund to get hit by a bus and he does. Benry needs a spinal surgeon and one falls from the sky. Maybe we're beginning to see why the Others were so interested in Walt. (Remember the bird?)
Benry & Jack
Juliet, of course, has pegged Jack exactly--she knows he will not be able to just let Benry die. Benry waking up in the middle of surgery was a particularly creepy--and a deliciously "Benry" moment. Oh, and by the way, if memory serves, it was Juliet who was in charge of the anesthesia that didn't work. Note that Jack was all concerned, too that Benry was in pain--even though he was threatening to kill him. Watch Jack work feverishly to patch up the nicked artery in Benry's back. He trusts Juliet and takes her at her word that she will let Kate and Sawyer go if he saves Benry. Jules later tells Jack (at Jack's insistence) what Benry told her in the operating room: That she could go home. OK: For the record, I'm not ready to buy into the whole "Juliet as captive of the Others on the island" theory. Her reaction to Jack's spilling the beans to Tom about Juliet asking that Jack kill Benry on the operating table was totally over the top and calculated--Juliet is much more controlled than that--she would not immediately act guilty about it. And Tom's reaction was weird, too. He didn't seem completely surprised about it--asking Jack if it was true--as if Jack didn't have a reason to lie about it. Remember, they know EVERYTHING about Jack--including, presumably, a psyche profile. I think this is an elaborate mind game they are playing with him and and I still don't trust Juliet even after her doormatty back story. She's certainly not a doormat on the island--she's more ruthless than Kate. Just ask Danny--oh wait...Danny's dead--shot three times in the chest by Juliet to save Kate and Sawyer.
Right before Jack nicks the artery, Jack asks Tom why they didn't take Benry to the mainland to get professional care if they could come and go to the island at will. Tom starts to say something like "Well, before the sky turned purple..." then Jack nicks the stupid artery and thats the end of that revelation. My theory is that Benry, and possibly some of the other Others were dependent upon the button being pushed for their mobility back to "the real world". Now that the "fail safe" key has been turned, the "electromagnetic force" doesn't need to be discharged anymore it has somehow affected the Others. Pressing the button was integral to the Others' way of life--if you remember way back when Walt was first appearing to Shannon, whispering backwards he said "Don't push the button. The button's bad." Also, it was Locke who decided to stop pressing the button and he seems more in tune with the "right thing to do" on the island than anyone.
Kate, Sawyer and Alex
I absolutely loved the way Sawyer took the extra time to hit Danny's head against the fish biscuit button three times just so he would get shocked. And I always appreciate the Star Wars references scattered throughout the show: "You fell for the old "Wookie Prisoner" trick" was a great line and the scene was also great--revealing that Kate is somewhat more ruthless than Sawyer--did anyone doubt she was ready to blow off Aldo's kneecaps if he didn't tell them where Carl was? It's always a pleasure to watch Kate and Sawyer kick butt.
I love Alex--I think she is the only one of the Others who is completely trustworthy--only because she seems to constantly be working against them, first with Claire then with Kate and Sawyer. I guess we're pretty sure they were referring to Benry as her father, but I thought Rousseau said her husband was Robert--which I guess actually means nothing. Obviously the Others are involved in some kind of an experiment involving reproduction--which would explain their interest in Juliet and Claire and Rousseau and the children. My guess is that its some sort of genetic mutation thing--creating humans with extraordinary strength (Ethan, and to a lesser extent, Ben-who can really take a whooping) and extrasensory perception (their interest in Walt, Desmond's sudden foreknowedge) The stuff Juliet was injecting into her sister looked similar to the vaccine that Desmond was injecting himself with before he left the hatch. They are trying to create super humans. By the way, Desmond's girlfriend's father is involved in this somehow, too.
Loved the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy they had Carl tied up to. Some of the slogans flashing across the screen: "We are the cause of our own suffering" and my favorite "Everything changes" which was the whole theme of the Hurley episode last year and was what Jin said to him in the dream. My guess is that the trippy brain washing sensory overload psychtropic drug IV with Elton John glasses thingy is how the Others keep malcontents in line on the island. Look for our Alex to be hooked up there within the next few episodes.
Lost Survivors Guide
If you caught the "Survivor Guide" episode at nine, it was billed as an episode to catch up those who have never watched the show. What I watched it for was to see what they included in it. What do the producers think is relevant for us to know about the story if we are just joining it now? It was noteworthy for what it didn't include: no reference to Shannon, Boone, Michael or Walt. No tailies at all were shown except Eko. Desmond figured more prominently in the recap than was merited if you are just going by his part in the series so far (translation: look for Des to become a central character) Claire's nightmare "missing weeks" episode figured prominently. The numbers were featured. The monster was featured. Look for answers to these mysteries this season, I think.
Ok, so get psyched. 15 more straight weeks of uninterrupted, no more reruns LOST. Talk to you next week.
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