There can be only one! HIGHLANDER!!!

Episode recap in 200 words (give me a break, it was movie-length!): Flash-sideways: Jack fixed Locke causing him to remember. Claire had Aaron, causing her and Kate to remember. Charlie sees Claire again causing him to remember more. Sawyer and Juliet meeting help them both remember. They all go to a church. Jack joins, finds his dad’s casket, and remembers. They all reunite and then pass on together. Island: Smocke finds Desmond, forces him to follow to the Light cave, where they meet up with Jack and co. Jack and Smocke lower Desmond into the cave, he unplugs the golden bath, causing the island to shake. Smocke goes off to his boat, Jack follows, they fight. Kate shoots Smocke after he stabs Jack. Jack pushes him off cliff into rocks and returns to cave. Sawyer and Kate take boat to Hydra where they hop aboard ascending plane with Lapidus, Miles, and Richard. Hurley and Ben return with Jack to cave and lower him in. He helps Desmond and plugs the pool again, saving the island. Hurley and Ben pull Des up and Jack gets spit up on the other side. Hurley is the new Jacob and asks Ben to be his #2. Jack stumbles into jungle and closes his eye to die.

Here’s the thing about the last episode. It does not matter whether you liked it, hated it, understood it, watched it. It’s over. The creators are no longer listening to audience thinks (although I am not sure they ever really did). The end is the end. “What happened, happened.” So we just have to take it as it was and figure out what it all means to you.

This is what LOST means to me.

LOVE. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. LOVE cemented these people together in life and in death. LOVE made them better people. LOVE reminded them of their past lives (that’s right, my theory was spot on! Sorry, it’s just that rarely do my LOST theories come to fruition so I like to relish it when they do.). Let’s recap this episode’s remembrances alone.

• Ji-Yeon -> Sun and Jin
• Regaining ability to walk -> Locke
• Shannon -> Sayid
• Sayid -> Shannon
• Aaron -> Kate and Claire
• Claire -> Charlie
• Juliet -> Sawyer
• Sawyer -> Juliet
• Kate + Christian -> Jack

This is my Kissy Face.

The love-birds ones make sense. Sayid loves Shannon, Charlie loves Claire, Jack loves Kate, etcetera, so the (intimate) touches between them spurred their memories. Similarly, Jin and Sun love their daughter Ji-Yeon and Kate and Claire both love Aaron, causing them to remember. As explained before, Jack finally came to love his father, inciting his memories. And the weirdest one, but also a really important one, Locke loved his ability to walk, so being able to do so again allowed him to remember his island life. Everything every character loves was on the island. As Christian said, “The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people.” Also, it was their love for each other that allowed the creation of the flash-sideways world. “This is a place that you all made together so you could find one another,” Christian tells Jack, but more importantly, the audience as well. So it is about LOVE and telling a love story, but it’s also about the power of love (cue Huey Lewis and the News song).

But LOST is also about interconnectedness and collective consciousness. The group needed each other (the ones they LOVED) to remember, and then when they remembered, they realized where they were (this in-between world they had created), and so they gathered at the church to collectively let go (because nothing else matters when you are surrounded by the ones you LOVE). It is important to realize how their lives would overlap no matter what. Some website has a character web that shows all the link between the characters. It is astounding how all of their lives intersected. Remember how exciting that was, first season, to learn about how the characters were connected? Well in the final episode we got to learn what such connections can do. I think connections like those exist in real life as well. Not to such a degree, but, for example, do you ever think of how many people you pass on the highway that you know? I passed my best friend Alexis on I-95 in D.C. last year when neither of us knew the other was in the area. Random overlaps and connections occur like that everyday. Think of those random people you friend on facebook and realize you have a completely obscure mutual friend. We are all connected. And because we are all connected, we can do powerful things together – like form a post-death, pre-afterlife world to reunite.

"This is my punchy face!"

The show is also about letting go. Just like Rose told Jack in this season’s premiere. Maybe the flash-sideways world was just a test for the characters to go through to let go before moving on. Maybe the island was. Either way, letting go is an important part of death in the cannon of LOST, but the show also showed us how important it is in life as well. Holding on can keep us from many great things in life and trap us in unhappiness. Letting go frees us. A lesson I myself am trying to deal with in the wake of graduating from the most magical place on earth.

And, of course, it’s about fate. What we are meant to do. What we can control and what we can’t (and letting go of that which we can’t). Life is made up of what happens to us and what we make happen.

Finally, LOST is about faith. It has been since the beginning. Locke was all about faith when he was on the island. And in the end, Jack’s faith in the island, in fate, in his purpose, led him to sacrifice his life for his friends and the island. And the viewers’ faith in the show and its creators kept us watching for six crazy seasons.

What a bold wardrobe choice for a statue of Jack

Speaking of faith and sacrifice, though, could the Christian imagery be more present? How many times did they focus on that Jesus statue? And Kate’s comment about Christian’s name! For those not as well-versed in the Bible (I am not claiming to be an expert, but my dad is a pastor and I do always rock the Bible category on Super Nintendo Jeopardy), let’s consider the biblical imagery in the episode. For one, Jack was clearly playing a Jesus part in this episode in particular. He was stabbed in the side, just as Jesus was as he hung on the cross. He also went into a cave (tomb) and rose again later. And the reason he descended into the cave was to save his friends. Sounds a lot like a certain Savior I know!

The Richmond Times-Dispatch ran an article in which writer Melissa Ruggieri said the show is about good versus evil. I thoroughly disagree, mostly as a result to my conversation with William Mapother, the actor who played Ethan Rom. It is not a battle of good versus evil. Was MIB really evil? He just wanted to get off the island. He did not really kill many more people than, say, Sayid. Yet we don’t call Sayid evil, he’s the tortured torturer. Everyone on the show has a little bit of good and evil in them. So it becomes more about what actions are good and what actions are evil. Hurley was portrayed as good. He killed some Others, but it was to save his friends. Writers depicted Michael as evil because he killed his friends, but it was to save his son. Do the ends justify the means? To Rose, Hurley is a great hero for saving Bernard’s life, but to Ryan Pryce’s significant other, Hurley is evil for killing his/her loved one. Good and evil are subjective, and therefore, in the end, relative. It’s about good and evil and exploring both possibilities within our own souls.

That is what LOST is to me. Here’s what the finale episode in particular meant to me.

The flash-sideways are, to me, like a dream. They can last as short as five seconds yet feel like an eternity. Juliet experienced her flash-sideways in an instant when she was dying in the hole with Sawyer. Sawyer caught up to her later when he died. But it happened at the same moment because time after death is not as we understand it in life. As Christian said, “There is no now, here.” Time is relative. Time can pass differently after death. I think they are also a way for the audience to understand what the characters’ lives could have been like without the island or the interference from Jacob. A life with free will (as Hurley told Sayid, “That’s your choice.”). The castaways felt trapped by fate and Jacob on the island and before getting there, but in the flash-sideways, they are freed from not only time but also determinism, so they can make their own choices and write their own lives.

Pulled from the Temple of Doom set.

Let’s revisit for a moment Jacob’s wine bottle explanation of the island to Richard: “Think of this wine as what you keep calling hell. There’s many other names for it too: malevolence, evil, darkness. And here it is, swirling around in the bottle, unable to get out because if it did, it would spread. The cork is this island and it’s the only thing keeping the darkness where it belongs.” I found it interesting that the thing keeping the LIGHT in the cave was a cork-like plug. We never got to see what would happen if the light fully escaped, besides sink the island presumably. I am not sure what it all means but I find it very interesting. Could the light be the darkness/malevolence/evil Jacob refers to?

I think I figured out why Ben did not enter the church. Christian said they were in the flash-sideways world to let go and move on. Because of Ben’s past misdeeds, he was not ready to let go and move on. He himself said, “I have some things I still need to work out. I think I’ll stay here a while.” He still felt the guilt of his actions and the blood on his hands – he only got an absolution from one of his victims, not the rest). He actually never remembered being on the island, he just remembered being beat up by Des after frozen-donkey-wheeling off the island. I think he might join the others when he is ready to let go. He might even pass with Alex or someone of equal importance in his life. He probably also did not go with the group because he was always on the outside (actually not fully accepted by the people but also, cinematically, set apart from the group in many shots). Either way, now was not the time for Ben.

CANDY BARS!!!

How awesome was the Sawyer and Juliet scene? “It worked” was referring to a snack machine, not the bomb! (Sometimes it’s not all about the bomb, Julia – sorry, inside joke!). It just reinforces how everyone dissects the meanings behind every little thing on LOST – sometimes too far. I took her statement to mean that the bomb did reset time, but not immediately. I was wrong. It just meant that they got Sawyer’s candy bar out. How completely different.

Along those lines, I think an important part of the show is reflected in Jacob’s line from the penultimate episode: “It’s just a line of chalk in a cave.” I think a lot of the things we viewers scrutinize are important, but a lot of other things are just arbitrary. The characters themselves give some of the things in the show undue importance. For example, I personally think the island drinking ritual is bullshit. Jack and Hurley did not have to drink island water to become like Jacob and guard the island. But in drinking the water, they felt that some profound power had washed over them so they were now prepared to guard the Island Light. I came to this conclusion based on the fact that Jack failed to bless the water for Hurley like Jacob had for him and fake mom Allison Janney had done for Jacob. I think the blessing made them all think it was a legit ceremony but in actuality, it was just a heart-shaped watch (Wizard of Oz). It’s all about mind over matter (a theme explored in season 4 when Hurley was able to make Jacob’s shack disappear).

I'll have a Smocke on the Rocks, please.

I had a hard time deciding what would trigger Jack’s memory. Obviously Kate came to mind, especially after their cliff-side kiss. And she did, but not completely. My friend Pete and I were throwing around all sort of ideas via text about what Jack LOVES (leading people, fixing people, the island now, his dad’s approval, everyone he was always trying to save). We both kind of envisioned him remembering just as he saw everyone gathered together. But I think it is important that it was Christian who triggered his memory. It showed Jack’s growth. He hated his father, resented him for so long. But after everything on and off and then back on the island, Jack came to understand and love his father, as evidenced by his father’s ability to help him remember.

Let’s also consider for a moment Desmond. He’s special, that is undeniable. He was special from the beginning (hello flashes of the future) and remained uniquely special (electromagnetic warrior). His weird actions after being placed in Widmore’s box resulted from his capacity to see the flash-sideways world. He might have misinterpreted the place and his ability to get there, as evidenced in his discussion with Jack, but he still caught a glimpse of it (perhaps he returned from the brink of death in that box?). Widmore called Desmond a “failsafe,” which MIB took to understand that Des would be able to save the island should Jacob’s plans fall through. I see him more as the ultimate facilitator though. He facilitated the island’s survival by pushing the button, he facilitated the crew in reaching the freighter by assisting Charlie in his suicide mission, he facilitated the death of MIB by unplugging the light in the cave, and he facilitated everyone’s remembrances and collective moving on in the flash-sideways. He is special, indeed.

Eye wide closed.

I loved the eye closing ending. I also called it. My friend and fellow watcher Travis claimed that it was going to end with Jack’s eye opening in his next life, but I contended that they would end differently than they began. My brother Seth called the ending cheesy, but I think it was important to have the series come full circle. Vincent’s presence was superfluous, but I know people love dogs.

Did anyone catch the question Jack asked Christian? “Where are we, Dad?” It sounds pretty similar to Charlie’s question in the pilot, “Guys, where are we?” Some people choose to believe that everyone died when Oceanic 815 crashed – especially based on the plane wreckage shots that were paired with the credits. I disagree. Like Jack said, “All of this matters.” And if they had all died on the island, they would not have all interacted and cared about meeting up again in the flash-sideways world. But his question also raises questions about what happens when we die. I am a Christian so I believe that we will all go to heaven or hell after we die. But who is there to say there is not a pit stop on the way? I think it would be pretty cool to land in William and Mary with my family, my sorority sisters, my D2E boys, and everyone at the Leafe (because that has been the most important part of my life thus far) after death in my own flash-sideways before moving on. Maybe when I die I’ll be echoing Christian and Charlie’s questions as well.

In fact, the more I think about the ending, the more I like it. I originally was disappointed with Christian’s explicit explanation of everything but as I discuss the finale with friends and continue to contemplate it myself, I find that I wrapped things up very nicely in my head based on my viewing, but everyone else has interpreted the ending their own way(s). And that is what a show like LOST should do. I was convinced they would end the show with something big happening that would be considered good or bad depending on the viewers’ personal beliefs. But instead they ended the show with all of this stuff going on that can be interpreted in a multitude of different ways. And the meanings behind the show and purposes of the characters change depending on the interpretation. Christian may have spelled out an explanation of a PassingOverLand created by friends to reunite, but his description does not tell the audience anything about what was “real life” and what happened in death or when everyone REALLY died or what the purpose of the island was. That’s for each viewer to figure it out themselves.

TLC warned us about these waterfalls

I know a lot of people are unhappy with a “choose your own adventure” conclusion, but soooo many more would have had a fit if they had closed everything up neatly with an explanation behind every (or not even every, but a lot of) mysteries. I’m going to understand LOST how I want to and I will be able to continue the debate with friends about the ending and the meanings forever.

A lot of fans wanted more answers to the mysteries that kept us watching for six years. But in the end, what does it matter? The show can not answer ALL of those mysteries! And really, who cares why Libby was in the mental hospital or what the Hanso Foundation was up to? It’s not about polar bears or hieroglyphics. It’s about Jack, Kate, Desmond, Ben, Sayid, Sun, Juliet. It’s about love, fate, faith, connectedness. It’s not about answering the mysteries. Those were just to get you to keep watching so they could show you so much more. My brother and his friends have likened the debate over who liked the ending and who did not to the Man of Science and Man of Faith opposition LOST formerly focused on. The Men of Faith loved the ending while the Men of Science are unfulfilled. I consider myself both though. I researched time travel and calculated those numbers every which way to find meaning in them, but I also was attached to the characters. And when I see what the characters did, it didn’t matter to me what the island did. In the long run, LOST challenged my ideas about what the world is capable of, but I still do not think a cave can turn a man into Smoke. I do, however, believe a group of people can impact each other so profoundly that they can change the rules of nature. For the record, however, I will always wonder about whose eye was in Jacob’s shack.

Beyond what the actual plot of the show represents, LOST means so much more. It has been my passion, as nerdy and pathetic as that might sound. It has taught me about quantum physics and doomsday equations and has inspired me to research Egyptian mythology and philosophers. But most importantly, and part of why I think it is such a great show, it has challenged my views on the world and what is possible. Both in nature and of people. What will one do in extenuating circumstances? What might I personally do in such an event? What am I capable of? Along with that, what is the world capable of? What are a group of people capable of together? How much power does LOVE have? In the end (and that’s exactly where we are), it is just a show. But for me it has also been a passion, an inspiration, a devotion, and, perhaps most importantly, a topic on conversation. I have made the most random friends because of LOST and have formed closer bonds with friends and family during weekly viewing sessions or over long post-episode G-Chat recaps. So, to the creators, writers, producers, directors, actors, fellow enthusiasts, etcetera, thank you.

And Behind Door Number One... A NEW BRIGHT LIGHT!

Well, folks, it’s been confusing, it’s been sad, it’s been funny, it’s been heart-wrenching, it’s been crazy, it’s been real, it’s been unbelievable, it’s been hard, it’s been great, it’s been inspiring, it’s been kick-ass, it’s been exciting, it’s been boring, it’s been confusing (did I already say that?), and for me, it’s been totally worth it. And so has this blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Almost as much as I will miss the show, I will miss hearing all of your theories and having devoted readers run up to me at the Leafe telling me they read my latest post.  So, to my readers and my friends, thank YOU.

See ya in another life, brotha! (Like maybe in my W&M flash-sideways world).

Namaste!

Cliffside kiss.

The penultimate episode of our favorite show has come and gone and I am having trouble focusing on this week’s episode because all I can think about is Lost’s SERIES FINALE!

"Think it's time to leave."

Episode recap in 150 words: In the flashsideways, Ben recalls his past during a Des beatdown after confronting him for running over Locke, Locke decides to undergo Jack’s surgery, and Des springs Kate and Sayid from the police with help from Hurley and Ana Lucia. On the island, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley meet Jacob, Jack steps up to take his place, and Jacob makes Jack like him through a ceremonial drink. Miles, Ben, and Richard go to Dharmaville to get dynamite to blow up the plane and happen upon Widmore and Zoe. Smokey approaches so Widmore and Zoe hide, Ben and Richard wait, and Miles flees. Smokey wrecks Richard then comes to Ben, who promptly reveals Widmore’s location. Smocke kills Zoe then asks Widmore why he returned. Ben subsequently shoots Widmore for killing Alex. Ben agrees to kill people for Smocke and they search for “fail-safe” Desmond. Smocke announces plans to destroy the island.

Where is Lapidus? I am guessing he will wash ashore somewhere down the beach just in time to kick some ass and save someone. He and Miles must still be around for some reason. Speaking of questionable characters, is Richard dead? Only if he fulfilled his purpose for the island, which I think he has. We know his backstory and why he is timeless, he helped guide some of the characters, and now he is done.

Remember how Ben used to have every move calculated forever in advance? I wonder now if he still does. This week he appeared to be living in the moment, acting however he felt. I am surprised he killed Widmore because I do not understand why he did not do the deed when he crept into Widmore’s room a few seasons back, but the fact that he was able to means that they are not related to MIB and Jacob (and therefore not bound by the rules) like I originally suspected. Which actually makes my Rules theory more plausible because I could not account for MIB and Jacob having offspring.

Smoking kills.

I absolutely love Jacob’s line, “It’s just a line of chalk in a cave.” My motto regarding Lost has always been that EVERYTHING has a purpose. Indeed, everything does. But maybe not as much importance as I/we assign it. Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.

For the record, I am not ready to accept defeat on my LOVE theory since Ben did not flash back to the island as a result of the thrashing, he flashed back to a real world past. LOVE can still connect the characters to the island.

I think I saw a glimmer of jealousy in Sawyer’s eyes when Jacob made Jack like him (in a ceremony eerily similar to communion…drinking the blood of the island, perhaps?). Despite their buddy-buddy talk this week, I think Sawyer and the doc might be on opposing teams again soon. I would love the finale to end with Sawyer representing one side and Jack representing another, both sides equally good and bad, leaving the audience to decide if the ending is positive or negative, depending on their personal preferences. Similar to the end of Life of Pi (great book, by the way).

Cheers!

Now it is time for my HUMONGOUS, IMPRESSIVE, TOTALLY RIGHT SERIES FINALE THEORY. No spoilers here, just my prediction for how the last 5-10 minutes of the last episode ever will play out. Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate will go to the Island Light. Kate will profess her feelings for Jack and Sawyer will get jealous. They will find Desmond and he will help them reach the Light. Meanwhile, Ben and Smocke will head towards the Light as well. Jack and Smocke will meet face-to-face and battle it out. Jack will require help from his friends and they try but Smocke takes them out. All that is left is Sawyer, but he will switch sides to help Smocke because he is pissed about Jack being the new Jacob and the object of Kate’s affections. With all of his friends gone, and the existence of the island in peril, Jack weighs his options and decides to release the Light into the world (because Jack realizes that noone was very happy before crashing on the island, so maybe a little more Light will help everyone out) while Smocke simultaneously tries to destroy it, resulting in a sunk island and a time reboot (hence, the flash-sideways). In the flash-sideways, the crew will get together at the museum party and piece together their island past, but decide that they are all happier now than before so they make a pact to stay in touch but not ever search for the island. Cue floating “Lost” letters and Michael Giacchino music and it’s over!

Last chance to share your own theories about the imminent series finale of Lost! After the episode airs and you say “I knew that was going to happen,” no one is going to believe you if you do not share with me first!

See ya in another week, brotha!

Episode recap in 150 words: Jacob and MIB born on the island to Claudia, who washed ashore after her ship wrecked. After seeing the twins, the woman who found Claudia kills her and raises the boys as her own. She makes it so that the two boys can not hurt each other. From the beginning, the boys have been different. When MIB sees his Claudia’s ghost and learns the truth, he desires to live among other people who have landed on the island, against his fake mom’s wishes. Jacob sticks with his fake mom and inherits the responsibility of guarding the island’s treasure, a cave of light. After moving into the other people’s camp, MIB builds the donkey wheel to harness light’s power but fake mom trashes it so he kills her. In retaliation, Jacob sends MIB into the light cave and out pops Smokey. He buries fake mom and MIB together with two stones.

BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Let’s talk about the differences between Jacob and MIB because the episode made a point of establishing them.

Jacob MIB

White/light                                                                           Darkness

Named                                                                                    Unnamed

Believes in the goodness of people                             Believes people are greedy, selfish

Content staying on the island                                       Has always wanted to leave island

Cannot lie                                                                              Willing to lie

Retains his body                                                                 Loses his body in light cave

Jealous of Jacob                                                                 Apathetic after learning of fake mom’s lies

MIB remains nameless. Is this because he has no name (because Claudia did not know she was having twins she had only come up with one name), or because the creators want to keep us in the dark some more? I think his name will be revealed much later and will uncover something vital to the interpretation of the show.

The two boys were good friends, even after MIB left to live with Claudia’s people. Yes, Jacob threw his brother into the light cave, and true, MIB killed the woman Jacob loved as a mother, but Jacob still lovingly buried his brother. I think something else happened between the two men after MIB lost his body to cause the animosity we saw in season five’s season finale.

MIB presumably built the frozen donkey wheel that transported Ben and Locke off the island. Why can’t MIB use it? Perhaps Jacob has some power over MIB’s ability to use the wheel and that is why they are fighting?

Where is the light cave? Why has no one seen it? And how does it turn someone into smoke? Crazy!!! Sometimes I think the writers write each episode keeping a tally of everything they reveal versus every new mystery they create, making sure to keep the two in complete balance.

Where did fake mom come from? What is her name? She claims to come from her mother, so perhaps the island had some sort of matriarchical system with no males before Claudia crashed. What power does she have? Does saying that her two sons can not hurt each other make it true? Why is she different from other men and women? IS she different? I feel like I am writing more questions than sentences but that is kind of how I feel right now. My hypothesis: the island has given her some sort of power in return of her service in watching the cave and keeping everyone on the island. She just took her job really seriously.

Mother of the Year!

So it turns out I was right! There are some sort of rules in place so that Jacob and MIB can not hurt each other. I also think that the two men have some sort of connection (possibly they are related) to Widmore and Ben, which is why the two of them cannot kill each other themselves. Jacob is also connected to one of the people on the sub, so he forced them to kill each other.

What does the island’s light represent? Fake mom claimed there was a little bit in every person but they always want more. She said if the cave light goes out, the light in every person similarly extinguishes. Is it goodness? Soul? The essence of life itself? I am going to go with love (surprising, I’m sure). Without love, the world would be a sad place, so it makes sense that fake mom would want to keep it safe. Also an abundance of love, or misguided love, can also be a bad thing — such as the little girl who strangles her kitty cat because she loves it so much – just as going into the cave can overwhelm a someone so much that they lose their earthly body. I know it is all a little heady, and I’m not completely sold on it yet, but it kind of makes sense, right?

The Glory Hole?

Let us not forget the biggest piece of mystery solved this week – ADAM AND EVE = MIB and Fake Mom!! Perhaps those are their real names? Probs not but I am just glad that one of our oldest mysteries has been resolutely answered.

I also found the end of the episode extremely interesting. Jacob says goodbye to his brother, who moments before he was dragging around the island, but does not say goodbye to his mother, who he never showed much resentment towards. For some reason the scene reminded me of Jesus on the cross: “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26-27). Of course the roles are reversed, instead of the son dying on the cross, the mother and other son are dead(-ish). Not sure if the parallel is intentional but the mother and two sons and death conflation brought it to mind for me.

So much background! I can not wait to see what the last two episodes have in store – well, actually, I guess I can because I do not want it to end.

Keep sending me your thoughts and theories!

See ya in another week, brotha!

All images via Lost Media.

LOST Jr.

Yeah. Gross. Right? But it’s a distinct possibility. Here’s why ABC should avoid doing this at pretty much all costs:

1. Just let a masterpiece (classification pending) stand on its own. Do not try to suck every last bit of LOST’s beautiful lifeforce and leave it a dried-out shell of its former self. Don’t take something which has at times been the best thing on television and create some bastardized, substandard version.
2. The story’s been told! By those who created it. Look, I’ve come to grips that I’m NEVER going to get answers to a HOST of questions. It’s just impossible at this point. And really that’s how LOST should probably end. A show like this, which is unlike any other, can’t fit conventions and should probably leave us with a WTF!? moment like so many of those that have made this show as rad as it is. Questions? Gotta have ‘em.
3. You can’t make this awesome. Sure, you can try. But the thing about a once-in-a-lifetime series is JUST that. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime series. Look at those that have come to try to carry LOST‘s torch: FlashForward thy name is EPIC FAIL. Melding the emotional, character-driven nature of the show with the mind-melting time and universe-bending of the science-fiction side of the show.


Whoops that's your promo photo.

4. TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR ONCE. We are in the midst of one of the greatest eras of television. We’ve recently seen some of the greatest shows of all-time finish their runs. All of these shows have been creative and brilliant, but I fear that we are running out of options in the “original programming category.” Look at TV’s big brother, film, which of late has been a pure re-imagination. Wonka would be disappointed to say the least. There are so few fantastically creative, original shows, why not try to make another one instead of a re-tread.
5. Do something unexpected. It’s too easy to make this show. Do something no one sees coming: BE BOLD, BE BRAVE. TURN DOWN the money grab. I know it’s hard dollar signs are SEXAY. But also SEXAY is being not jerky and being smart and creative and thinking about things and about how your viewers feel. Because as far as being attached to a show goes, several of the most important people in my life will straight up go Hurley in the Bus with Sayid’s killer legs combo on your collective hind parts if you ruin the memory of this show.

That is all the venom I can muster. I am too old for this s*** (Lethal Weapon).  It’s not quite there, but it’s almost time to fire up those pitchforks and man those torches. Or vice versa.

We can only hope that our collective memories will not be shamed by the big wigs at ABC. It”s not a lot to hope for, but with these idiots, you can never be sure.

The Kwons Orphan Their Daughter. SELFISH!

With a poignant, underwater hand release, we lost two main characters last night (by the way, I am pissed Jin did not leave Sun – you have a daughter now that you need to care for!) after a third sacrificed his life to try to save the rest of the group. Because he has not been himself the whole season, Sayid’s quick and dirty death was overlooked. But out of the three deaths, his made me the saddest. Although he was “infected” and admitted he had no feelings anymore, Sayid willingly sacrificed his life to save his friends, proving that whatever infection he had was not as bad as everyone made it out to be. And someone without feelings would never care about the well-being of their friends. The fact that Sayid gave up his life proves he was not as bad as we thought which makes his death that much sadder.

Sayid also proved his faith in Jack by telling him where Desmond was and to go get him because he’s necessary if Locke wants him dead. I think Des has a crucial role but I am not sure at this point who is more important – him or Jack. I still think Jack has to be the candidate just because it has always been about Jack and the show never throws curveballs (sarcasm, clearly).

Sayid Goes Boom

Now for those of you who think that there are only three people from the list (Hurley, Jack, and Sawyer) left, do not forget that Ji-Yeon Kwon still remains! There is still the possibility that Jin and Sun’s beautiful daughter could be the one since she has pretty strong ties to the island (conceived there).

Where were Lapidus, Ben, and Miles? Why did Widmore keep them separate from the pack? I can’t wait for a Ben/Widmore showdown. There is a lot of pent-up resentment there. Will they be able to resolve it for the greater good of the island?

I find it interesting that Widmore had rigged a bomb on the Ajira plane. I am guessing Widmore is trying to kill Smocke, but will take down anyone else on the way while Smocke needs to kill the candidates to escape.

After this episode, I do not think I like Sawyer at all anymore. Why couldn’t he just listen to Jack? Especially after all that Jack has been doing for Sawyer (steal the boat, abandon the boat, push Smocke in the water) without asking for anything in return or even an explanation. But, at the same time, Jack did sound a lot like Locke in the hatch. In the season two season finale, Locke tells Desmond, “Nothing is going to happen. We’re going to be okay” before they blow up the hatch. In this week’s episode, Jack tells Sawyer, “We’re okay. Nothing’s gonna happen.” The parallel statements further illustrate how Jack has been becoming like Locke this season. His faith in the island, sealed by his visit to the lighthouse, differs from Locke’s because he has surrendered to the island, letting go of his past.

Speaking of letting go, I absolutely loved Jack’s speech to Locke in the flash-sideways, not only for the message and Jack’s humility, but also because of the crazy parallels!

JACK: What happened, happened…and…you can let it go.

LOCKE: What makes you think letting go is so easy?

JACK: It’s not. In fact, I don’t really know how to do it myself. And, that’s why I was hoping that…maybe you could go first.

LOCKE: Goodbye, Dr. Shephard.

JACK: I can help you, John…I wished you believed me.

I can fix you!!!!!!!

First, “What happened, happened.” It’s a phrase we have heard time and time again and it’s clear the writers are trying to tell us something with it. You can not un-do time, but maybe you can reset it. Second, Jack’s honesty in admitting that he is not good at letting go (never has been) but trying to be better at it. Third, “I wished you believed me,” similar to the phrase we heard Locke whispering in his sleep earlier in the episode…

Clearly Locke was revisiting his suicide note, saying “I wish you had believed me” and his time in the hatch, saying “Push the button.” Whether he remembers his island time, or if Jack’s restatement of the phrase triggered his memory at the end, is unclear.

This week’s episode showed more of Smocke’s power and, to be honest, it scared the crap out of me. The dude appears to be at least semi-omnicient for one, and two, bullets do not penetrate him! I am interested to see how he plans on finishing the rest of the crew.

I agree with Jack’s thinking that Smocke has to get someone else to kill them. It is what I have been saying since the end of last season with “The Rules.” Some force determines who can kill whom. And if Sawyer would have listened to Jack, I bet the bomb would have had some mysterious failure.

I have been getting some flack on the comment board about my LOVE theory. Reader JKMEF disagrees, writing, “I just think they regain their “lost” memories, after certain events have happened, which are similar to the ones that occurred on the island. It is much simpler as a theory, and I don’t think anything in the show objects to it…” Another commenter, lostophile, agrees, saying, “The castaways recollect their island memories through intense an emotional experience.” I recognize the validity in their opinions but so far it all has to do with love (Charlie’s experience was triggered by heroin after he saw Claire but it was seeing her in his delirium that made him realize he had had a previous island life) and it is one of the sweeter theories I have been able to propose so I am sticking with it.

Keep sending me your thoughts and theories!

See ya in another week, brotha!

Due to LOST’s hiatus this week, there will be no standard A Home on Huh!? Island instead we will post an interview with one of LOST’s resident MDs. William Mapother plays Ethan Rom, who has been everything from the original camp invader to Claire’s doc in residence. He recently visited the College of William and Mary where our resident LOST expert happens to be an intrepid student. And guess who was there with a pen and pad ready to gather info for her adoring readers!? She was!

For the record, Mapother (pronounced May-pother) is a funny dude. And extremely nice. Apparently he spent Friday night playing games with some of the Expo workers (me = jealous!) He even sat around for a long time after his presentation taking pictures, signing autographs, and answering everyone’s questions. Including (almost) all of mine.

The Man. The Actor. The Semi-Creeper

How did you get onto the show?

William Mapother: I got the offer the day before I was supposed to fly to Lake Michigan for a reunion with college friends. When my agent called I said I have never heard of this show and my agent said it premieres tonight. As an actor, I had to take it. I flew to Honolulu instead of to Lake Michigan. I was just lucky that the show was a hit right out of the gate.

How does the cast get along?

WM: They get along well which is surprising considering the size and how long they have been working together. Many have families and kids so at the end of a day or working they want to get back to them but it’s a terrific atmosphere.

Everyone “awwwed” in your presentation when you mentioned your character dying, but I have to be honest, I cheered when he died.

WM: But why did you cheer?

At this point, we got into a discussion about the nature of the characters on the show and I got particularly engaged in the discussion and stopped taking notes (oops!) so I will paraphrase. We talked about how Ethan might have been portrayed as bad originally, but we learned as time went on that the shots he was giving Claire were actually helping save her. And sure, Ethan was creepy, but we never saw him hang Charlie. And all of the fights he got into were started by others. Mapother made the point that so many people take their original impression of characters and do not change their minds past that point. In actuality, almost all of the characters have a bloody past but are still portrayed as “good guys.”

So is your character a good guy or a bad guy?

WM: Who isn’t a good guy or a bad guy?

What is your favorite episode?

WM: I would have to say the second episode in the first season.

Do you watch Lost?

WM: Yes I do. I have no idea what the hell is going on.

Theoretically, what would JJ Abrams or Damon Lindelof or Carlton Cuse do to you if you told us a secret about the show?

WM: Paolo got off easy. And only people who know the show know what that means.

What is your favorite part about the show?

WM: I like being a part of something that brings so much happiness, or entertainment, to so many people – or rather such healthy, thought-provoking entertainment. I feel very fortunate.

We talked with the other fans for a little while longer but I got so involved in the discussions I often forgot to take notes. But I can tell you that he is a devoted actor, who actually shook a papaya tree, and all of the crew’s nerves out of fear one would drop on him, when filming to bring reality to the fact that he was supposed to be picking papayas. And he filmed additional scenes that were cut because the creepy facing down but looking up face he makes was deemed sufficient enough.

Everyone's Favorite LOST Blogger Having Her Dreams Come TRUE

So my dreams of meeting someone from Lost have been fulfilled. He was tight lipped about our chances of seeing him again before the end, but I still hope we find out more about Ethan Rom because I thoroughly enjoyed finding out more about William Mapother!

See ya in a another week, brotha!

500 points!

So Hurley is a leader now. Unlikely choice, and one that he clearly does not feel comfortable in. But he is filling the shoes well, going with his heart and trusting his dead friends’ advice. And his living friends are trusting him and following him every step of the way.

Even Jack, who admitted to Hurley that his current back-seat attitude is hard for him to keep up, is following him. The doc told him that since he can not fix what happened to Juliet, which he feels responsible for, that he is going to try letting go, something he has never been able to do before. Jack’s acknowledgment that he can not fix everything is a huge step for Mr. Fix-It, but, as Hurley, said, maybe not a step forward if it means everyone will die. I appreciate Jack as a leader, but I think he needs this time as a follower and, more importantly, a truster, to truly rise as the leader he needs to be to save everyone.

Someone who was not keen to following Hurley was Ilana. She wanted to go blow up the plane, Hurley voiced his opposition to the idea, and then she blew herself up by not listening to Hurley’s advice about the unstable dynamite. Very intriguing – the island does seem to be helping Hurley out in his rise to leader. I am kind of bummed she is gone because I want to know more about her back story and why she has been training her whole life. Everyone else should presumably be pretty bummed as well since she was their personal bodyguard. But no one really shed a tear at her explosion.

Illana got (Black) ROCKED!

We had another death last night, or so they want us to believe. Smocke chucked Des down a well hole for unclear reasons. Could it be because he showed no fear of the Black Smoke Power? Or because he appeared to be cheeky when he was saying Smocke was Locke? I am not positive if he knew Smocke’s real identity, but I think he does not care either way. Des has a higher mission on the island now, and is determined to complete it. But he also knows the island will help him. After all, the island has it out for him…but maybe not in as bad of a way as everyone thinks. Anyway, there’s no way he’s dead. The previews showed him alive but I am interested to see how he gets out of the hole.

Just need to get that quar...ahhhhhhh

Only one interesting flash-sideways appearance this week: Pierre Chang gave the keynote address at a ceremony commemorating Hurley’s philanthropic gifts. We did, however, have a revealing appearance from Michael on the island. He sent Hurley a message, helped him find Locke’s camp, and confirmed that the island whispers were all of the people stuck on the island after death, like Michael. He said his past deeds were keeping him on the island in a sort of purgatory.

With Michael’s revelation we have now seen the island represented as the Garden of Eden (or, the closest thing to heaven on Earth), hell, and Purgatory. I am hesitant to say the island will ever be represented as heaven because it would have to be perfect to be so, but perhaps it could be if we saw a flash-back to the island before MIB got there. I am glad that we are given this other aspect of the island so that the hell theory that Richard gave us in episode nine can be debunked. Perhaps the island exists as a heaven, purgatory, earth, and hell wrapped in one, like its own universe.

About that little boy, we saw him in episode four and it looked like he scared the shit out of Smocke then, too. Last time her appeared, I said that I do not think he is Jacob, but that he could be a descendant of Jacob’s. Assuming this kid is the same one we saw the other time, and presupposing that the time between the sightings can not be more than a week, this kid has aged quickly! Smocke obviously recognizes him, and is scared of him, so perhaps this weird child is Jacob after all. Maybe Jacob is cyclical, so that when he dies he just comes back to life in baby form and grows up and then becomes a man. I do not really buy it but anything is possible on this island. The kid’s devilish smile definitely has me intrigued, however. He must have some power, or will have some power, that threatens Smocke.

Just creepin' ya out!

My theory about LOVE has gotten more backing in this week’s episode! It was a kiss from Libby that brought Hurley’s memories about the island back to him. How happy was everyone to see Hurley finally get some more lovin’ for Libby? I was especially glad that they finally got to have their picnic date! But back to the Love Theory: I am very interested to see how this plays out with the rest of characters.

Get an ISLAND you 2!

I was speaking with my best friends and weekly Lost viewers Travis  Grubbs and James McCulla today at lunch about Desmond’s sudden changes of heart in last week’s episode. After the whole electromagnetic box thing, Des decides to help arch nemesis Widmore, then changes his mind again to go with Sayid. The framing of the flash-sideways within the period that Desmond is passed out, coupled with his statement to Zoe, “A lot can happen in 20 minutes,” leads the audience to believe that Desmond lived out or flashed to the flash-sideways action. I am not convinced of this, exactly, however. For one, no other characters have shown evidence that they are cognizant of the flash-sideways. Second, I do not see why the flash-sideways would convince Desmond to follow Widmore or Sayid. I think Des was happy with where his life brought him (that is, husband to Penny and father to little Charlie), and would want to go back to that rather than change history to end up in the flash-sideways. The only possibility I am willing to accept at this moment is that the electromagnetic energy restored Desmond’s future-telling powers. This theory also backs up my long-held hypothesis that the flash-sideways are events that are coming in the future. Desmond saw the future flash-sideways as a result of the electromagnetic waves in the box and thus decided to do something about it (what, I do not know…yet).

I think people are still confused about my flash-sideways-as-the-future theory so I am going to play Lost out for you from Desmond’s point of view starting after this episode to help you understand. Desmond helps Widmore release the electromagnetic energy on the island which 1) sinks the island under the ocean and possibly destroys MIB, and 2) sends all of the characters back in time. The characters then live out their lives WITHOUT the interference of Jacob or MIB or electromagnetic energy pulling them to the island and they become the people we have met via the flash-sideways. Before releasing the energy, though, the characters are granted one wish for how they want their new lives to play out. Their wishes, however, are granted but with certain caveats and unexpected plot twists and they are still generally unhappy. Furthermore, they still retain some consciousness about their island lives and with the help of Desmond, they all reunite to…do something. So that was long and possibly vague but that is what I’m envisioning for the rest of the show.

Reader Jeff Dooley sent me an interesting theory this week. “LOST theory for you (completely my own, by the way, came to me in a DayQuil-induced haze yesterday): the mystery ‘Kwon’ on the contenders list is neither Sun nor Jin, but rather, wait for it … Ji-Yeon!” I have seen this theory mentioned on a few blogs and it would be a nice twist. However, she is completely ill-equipped to run an island, being that she is three years old. King Tut was at least nine when he came to power.

Keep sending me your thoughts and theories!

See ya in another week, brotha!

Summer Finck is a weekly contributor to Pop Ramblings, she simulwrites for The Flat Hat newspaper. She wants to hear your half-cocked theories so she can ridicule you for them use them in her posts. She is close to a mental meltdown folks, heed these warnings. But let’s be honest we’re all gonna be melted down.

This was me during the WHOLE episode! WHOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA!

Episode recap in 150 words: On the island, Widmore puts Desmond in a deadly electromagnetic box. He survives and decides to help his nemesis before Sayid convinces him to go with him. In the flash-sideways, Des is Widmore’s unattached assistant and friend. Widmore orders him to fetch Charlie Pace for his family’s benefit concert and while doing so, the singer crashes their car into the water. While underwater, Des flashes to the “Not Penny’s Boat” scene and they both felt something. Des goes to Widmore’s wife Eloise to break the news that Driveshaft will not be playing and get curious when he overhears the name Penny. Eloise warns him to stop looking, but her pianist son Daniel has felt something too and tells Des where to find his half-sister. Penny and Des meet at the stadium and then Des starts a quest to understand his connection with the rest of his Oceanic 815 fellow fliers.

Now onto the good stuff. What an episode! We saw many familiar faces in the flash-sideways. The Widmore family of Charles, Eloise, and Daniel as a happy little family, Penny with the last name Milton, George Minkowski, Jack, Hurley, Claire, and Charlie all made an appearance. And we got a lot of information to chew on.

What is Widmore planning that he needs Des to go near the electromagnetic pockets? I am still betting that he is going to send his son-in-law to release the energy, which will sink the island and send the castaways to the lives we have seen featured in the flash-sideways. I am not sure Widmore knows the intended consequences of sinking the island. I am assuming that action will release Smocke, and therefore evil, into the world and I know he does not want that. But maybe it will just destroy him? The flash-sideways do not seem ridden with malevolence but I am betting it will kill Smocke or trap him elsewhere. Nonetheless, Faraday basically spells it all out, saying that if something catastrophic were to happen, it might be derailed by releasing a ton of energy, like it setting off a nuclear bomb – which he thinks he already did in some other life. He says, “What if this isn’t our life? What if we had some other life and for some reason we changed things.”

About those mysterious flash-sideways. This is the first time we have seen a character definitely recognize his island life. We have seen flashes of acknowledgment or at least confusion but no confirmation. But now that we know that the island stuff has not been erased from the characters’ subconsciouses, we can take what is becoming the Lost mantra, “What happened, happened,” seriously. Charlie seems to have some other knowledge about their previous lives or at least an unbelievable calm about the weird situation. Hawking also knows something about the situation, evidenced by her vehement denials of Des’ questions and her insistence that he back off. She even calls his questions a “violation.”

THAT JUST HAPPENED. Screencaps via lost-media.com

Her use of the term “violation” leads me to believe that everyone has made an agreement (similar to the Oceanic 815’s cover up) to forget their island experiences, be reset in life, and get something they want. I wrote a few weeks ago about the theory that the survivors have made a deal – perhaps with Widmore or Smocke – to receive their principal desire, but it did not turn out like they wanted. Could the show be giving us a huge lesson in “Be careful what you wish for?” Anyway, we have seen evidences of this: Sayid got Nadia back from the dead, but as his sister-in-law; Kate was free, but still pursued by the authorities; Sawyer lived a respectable life as a policeman, but was still haunted by his parents’ deaths and the original Sawyer; Jin and Sun are a happy couple, but unmarried and hated by Mr. Paik. And in Des’ case, Hawking explicitly explained, “You have the perfect life and have managed to get what you want the most, my husband’s approval,” but he does not have Penny. The title of the episode, “Happily Ever After,” seems sarcastic then. They got their “happily ever afters” but it is not what they really want.

Let’s face it, none of the characters were happy in their lives before the island. And the Oceanic 815 were still unfulfilled after leaving the island. The flash-sideways have proved that they are discontent in these lives too, even with their biggest wish granted. They seem happiest on the island. Sure, there are Others and polar bears and Black Smoke Monsters, but the island gave Jack a chance to shine as a leader, Jin and Sun the opportunity to reconnect as husband and wife, and Hurley a release from his curse. Funny how that is possible on an island inhabited by evil that needs to be kept from the rest of the world. I have mentioned the possibility of the island being Eden. Everyone certainly seems happy enough to make that true. But what is the larger message? The world offers no happiness? We need to free ourselves from worldly concerns to be happy? Or at least buy a ticket from Sydney to LA and hope to crash on the island?

There were many interesting comments during the show that should be taken note of. Desmond (in response to Charlie’s comment that he feels sorry for Des because he thinks he has it all but he does not) says, “Why? Because none of this is real?” In the electromagnetic box and in the hospital Des is asked if he is wearing any metal or carrying any keys. Desmond says to Charlie in the bar, “There’s always a choice, brother.” Later, Charlie tells Des, “This doesn’t matter, none of this matters, all that matters is that we felt it.” Eloise Hawking repeats that good old phrase we know and love, “What happened, happened.”

In her conversation with Des, Hawking also interestingly tells him that he is “not ready yet.” Does this mean that, following some approved order of events, the flash-sideways Oceanic 815 will reunite in their other lives?

We now know that people are remembering their island experiences in the flash-sideways. The question is do they remember their flash-sideways on the island? Despite the pairing of the scenes of Des passing out, I do not think so because my theory holds that the flash-sideways have not happened yet. Also, I do not think Des would so whole-heartedly agree to help Widmore if he knew that doing so would propel him into a life without Penny (yet) and his son. But then why did Des decide to help Widmore? What in the electromagnetic waves convinced him? Widmore’s geophysicist employee Zoe asked him that exact question but Sayid intervened before we got the answer.

Finally, let’s talk about love. That appears to be the thing connecting the characters to their past lives. The thing that makes them “feel it.” Charlie talks about the all-consuming love he felt when he saw Claire. He called it not just love, but also “truth.” Will the loves, the constants, of each of these characters be the thing that draws them back into their true lives? Faraday too felt the love of Charlotte when he saw her at her museum. And Desmond felt the connection to Penny (so much so that he fainted when they touched! Awkward.). I am theorizing that the whole point of the show is love. Awwwww. But seriously, what is the thing missing from everyone’s lives that will give them the happiness they so desire? Love. The love they found on the island more specifically. Now for the big question: who will make Kate “feel it,” Sawyer or Jack? Or Aaron? Or someone else?

Keep sending me your thoughts and theories!

See ya in another week, brotha!

Summer Finck is a weekly contributor to Pop Ramblings and also writes for The Flat Hat on the topic of her much beloved LOST. She is fearing a mental breakdown following the series finale.

While Sawyer, known as Jim Ford in flash-sideways-land, has a different job, he has the same end goal: to find and kill Anthony Cooper, the con man who ruined his family.

In his flash-sideways, Sawyer gets set up by his partner, none of than Miles, with archaeologist Charlotte. He damages both relationships, however. By lying to Miles about his trip to Australia, his partner dumps him out of lack of trust. After a successful date – and roll in the hay – with the redhead, Sawyer catches her snooping through his file on the original Sawyer and kicks her out. His apology to Charlotte – a sunflower, beer, and puppy dog eyes – is not accepted but Miles gives him the opportunity to explain his lies. His confession is interrupted when they get blindsided by a car and Sawyer has to hop out to chase a criminal, who turns out to be Kate. Reminder: Sawyer helped Kate escape the cops in the airport in the beginning of the season! Why would a cop do that?

Kate and Sawyer reunite on the island as well as members of Smocke’s Squad. He even promises to help deliver her from the island. Smocke sends Sawyer on a special mission to Hydra Island to find the Ajira plane and see if the coast is clear. While there, Sawyer runs into Widmore’s submarine crew and promises Widmore that he will trick Locke into coming to Hydra Island so Widmore can kill him. Once returning to Locke’s camp, however, he plays the men off of each other, telling Locke what he promised Widmore and explaining that all he wants to do it get off the island. He finds Kate afterward and tells her that he is going to let the old men battle it out and while they are busy doing that, escape in Widmore’s sub.

Kate also reconnects with old friend Claire, but in a less friendly manner. Aaron’s real mommy attacks Aaron’s foster mother and holds a dagger to her neck – while Sayid looks on – until Smocke pulls Claire off of Kate and slaps her into submission. Following the incident, Locke isolates both females for pep chats. He tells Kate that, like Aaron, he had a crazy mom who caused many problems in his life that would have been avoided. Smocke’s conversation with Claire was not revealed but whatever he told her changed her attitude because by the end of the episode, she was apologizing to, hugging, and holding hands with Kate.

So we did not really learn anything this episode. Yes, Smocke is definitely, explicitly the Black Smoke Monster. But we already knew that, and we did not learn much else this week. As my brother pointed out, this is the first episode where the flash-sideways had more action than the island world.

Also, did you catch Charlie’s brother in the police station? He was looking very clean while attempting to pick up his drugged up brother.

I am wondering if the flash-sideways are glimpses of the lives the Oceanic group would have lived had Jacob not intervened in their lives. Did Jacob’s touch at his parent’s funeral force Sawyer down a life path on conning which eventually made him into the man hardened enough to be a candidate so he was drawn him to the island?

From the comment board, I would like to share the thoughts of Steve Replenski, ’05. “What if the flash sideways are simply a reality in which Smocke grants everyone’s most desired dreams? Those wishes, though granted, are granted with clauses, and those clauses are not thought through by our survivors.” This was submitted before this most recent episode but I think the theory has some merit. Sayid, for example, gets to see Nadia again but she is married to his brother. Sawyer lives a decent life but he’s still haunted by the original Sawyer. I think Steve might be on the right track, but there are still (of course) some problems. For example, I think Kate’s greatest wish would be to have Tom back or to be free of criminal charges. And Sawyer would probably go way back and want his mother to never meet Sawyer 1.0.

My brother, on the other hand, thinks that the flash-sideways are just Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof’s attempt to try out spin-offs. Who wouldn’t love to watch a Miles/Sawyer cop show or a Dr. Shephard medical comedy?

Only time will tell what these flash-sideways really mean. I’m just hoping that time is sooner rather than later however!

Keep sending me your thoughts and theories!

See ya in another week, brotha!

What the what!?

This week we took a look at the man we all love (to hate), Benjamin Linus. Ben Linus has become a broken man, betrayed by a  man he served blindly for years and left with no place or person to call home following the preventable death of his beloved daughter Alex. It’s tough to know whether the Ben we’ve come to know is worthy of anything but scorn and pity as the once powerful manipulator has fallen on tough times at the hands of his god, Jacob.  Recap time! I think I’m going to do this just as the show did flipping between Island and Sideworld. Here goes nothing, prepare to be confused:

After that quick glance sideways, Miles approaches gravedigger Ben (sounds like a terrible action figure “Now with extra shovel power!”) with some grub and Ben tries to coax Miles into helping him. Miles doesn’t take the bait also casting a ncie shoutout to Nikki and Paulo at the same time. In the middle of the jungle, Hurley asks a question on every Lost fan’s tongue, WHY DON’T YOU AGE RICHARD?  Richard gives us one of the biggest answers of the last 3 seasons, saying that since Jacob touched him he was given a “gift.” That gift is why Richard never ages, but the gift was really more like a curse he tells us. Richard tells Hurley not to trust dead Jacob and bolts off to take his own life. WHAT!? Thought you couldn’t die?

Now, we’re at the Black Rock and Richard clues us in to how he came to the island, saying this is the first time he’s ever come back in all his time on the island. Jack and Hurley have followed him here. Richard goes straight for the crate of dynamite we all remember, especially Doc Arzt. Jack and Hurley attempt to find out why Richard is going to kill himself. Richard then tells us about his life’s work for Jacob and that Jacob promised him all of this, that there would be a place for him, that he would be set up. But now Jacob is dead, so Richard feels his entire life was meaningless. He says he can’t kill himself, but if Jack or Hurley lit the dynamite, he COULD die. Jack agrees to. Hurley wants no part of it and the fuse is lit. And Jack comes cool as a cucumber with “Now let’s talk.” Hurley is all whatttttttttt!? I’m outta here. So we’re with Jack and Richard as the fuse burns rapidly toward the explosive. Richard implores Jack to save himself and Jack is eerily calm, saying he knows that he won’t die because his name was written in wood on the dial back in the lighthouse. And POOF! the fuse goes out.

Poof!

Cause guess what guys, Richard and Jack have the same “gift.” Neither of them can kill themselves. This was a GREAT scene for Jack and Richard, loved Jack’s steely resolve and did I see a little bit of “Man of Faith” in him? I think I did, especially once the fuse failed and he said “Wanna try another stick?”

Back to the beach, as Ilana and Ben return, Ben walks into camp brandishing his gun and lays it down once “home.” He goes up to Sun who is working on a shanty and asks to help and she obliges. Jack, Hurley, and Richard return to the beach as well. Ben still looks like he is left out. WAH WAH.  And we see a wide shot of the beach from the water. And I’m like who is seeing THIS? Right then, we go eagle’s eye over an emerging periscope. And a sub comes into view, captained by none other than CHARLES WIDMORE. UH OH is right Miles.

Periscope of Doom?!

Ok, breakdown time.

7. Chaim Potok’s The Chosen was featured last night and I can’t for the life of me gather the reference. Granted I read The Chosen in middle school, maybe early high school and “read it” means the Cliff Notes, so any well-read teens out there want to enlighten us? Also featured was Benjamin Disraeli’s Truth and Justice In Action and an issue of Booty Babes. I couldn’t make out what issue #. Sorry!