Sunday, February 01, 2009

S5Ep3 - Jughead

Hello my dear friends -

First things first: Is that me in front of the Jughead tower?

Maybe it is... and maybe it IS!

As you can see, the Others clearly followed Faraday's advice and buried the bomb (hello, mysterious concrete area under the Swan hatch) because it's no longer precariously suspended from the structure... phew.

There once was a point in time, however, when the Island was very much in danger of nuclear annihilation. So let's kick things off with a trip back to 1954...

(And in case you missed the posts about my Lost tour of Oahu this past October, they are spoiler-free MUST-READS and can be found here.)


SPEAKING IN TONGUES

I was wrong; the angry British-sounding dudes were in fact Others. Others dressed in U.S. military garb... but Others nonetheless.

Juliet figures out what their deal is after "Jones" and "Cunningham" start whispering in Latin. Apparently, all Others must learn the dead language in order to be able to communicate when the going gets tough (even though Patchy and Ms. Klugh yelled to each other in Russian during their standoff with the Lostaways in "Enter 77"... but I digress). While it was obviously surprising to find out that these guys were Others/Hostiles, I felt the even bigger shocker was that Juliet knows a lot more about her old group than we might have previously assumed. Namely, she told Locke and Sawyer that "Richard's always been here" and that he's "old."

While we're sure that Juliet used to reside in Miami, we still can't tell if these, um, other Others also once lived elsewhere, or if they were born on the Island. (Since many have British accents, I can only assume Richard brought at least some of them from the outside world.)

That's going to be a pretty important thing to figure out, because...


SAY MY NAME, SAY MY NAME


Once Locke hears that Richard should be at the camp site, he charges down there like the badass he is and demands to speak with him. It's at this point we find out that "Jones" is not Jones, but rather Angry Young Charles Widmore. (While I was wrong about Jones and crew being soldiers, you must give me points for mentioning that their accents reminded me of Widmore's in my last post!)

For me, the highlight of the episode was Locke's huge "You've got to be kidding" grin when he learned Jones' true identity. Now it makes even more sense why Locke didn't shoot Jones when he escaped in the jungle -- he literally couldn't. The gods of time travel wouldn't let him.

Which is too bad, because Widmore was quite the little punk, wasn't he? At the very least he deserved a little nick in the bum, don't you think? From the looks of his tense interaction with Richard, it seems as though he didn't like being ordered around. My guess is that Widmore eventually got too big for his britches and was banished from the Island. Maybe he even tried to overthrow Richard or whomever Richard reports to.

On that note, who DOES Richard report to? Obviously the name "Jacob" meant something to him, because that was all he needed to hear in order to agree to a conversation with Locke. But Ben had told Locke that nobody -- including Richard -- had ever seen or spoken to Jacob except for him (until Locke also did). Granted, Ben could have been lying, but that doesn't make me any less confused about the mysterious Jacob. He was evidently a presence on the Island twenty years before Ben arrived, or Richard wouldn't have treated Locke so civilly.


FOREVER YOUNG
I WANT TO BE
FOREVER YOUNG

Just as Future Richard had forewarned, 1954 Richard didn't recognize Locke. I think we can say that this camp encounter is the first time Richard has ever met our bald hero. He's nowhere near ready to accept that Locke is his new leader (much less tell him how to leave the Island), and he informs Locke that the process of finding a Head Other takes a long time. In response, Locke -- right before the next flash occurs -- urges Richard to go visit him when he's born. We know from "Cabin Fever" that Richard did just that, and continued to find Locke at other points throughout his life.

I would have never guessed that Richard had been tracking Locke throughout the decades because Future Locke told him to, so I really got a kick out of that revelation. In addition, I think this scene may have proven two additional things:

1) No one had time traveled on the Island before the '50s

1954 Richard was like, "Oh, reeeally?" and came very close to making the "cuckoo" gesture when Locke tried to tell him about the instructions from Future Richard (I loved the "I certainly don't want to contradict... myself" line). Since Juliet said that Richard has "always" been there, you would think that he would not be fazed by Locke's comments if he'd ever encountered time travelers before (or had experienced time travel himself). But both Richard and Ellie (in a later scene with Daniel) don't appear to be buying into the "we're from the future" explanation. This leads me to believe that 1954 is the first year in which the Others become aware of this specific power of the Island (notice that I said "become aware of," not "use").

Now I have even more questions about the Frozen Donkey Wheel. If Richard has always been on the Island and the FDW moves the Island through space-time, shouldn't he have been well-versed in time travel by 1954?

Maybe... but maybe not. You may recall that the chamber in which the wheel is housed had hieroglyphics all over the place (like the ones on Ben's secret door). Perhaps the FDW was built before Richard was born? I mean, the guy had to have been born at some point, right? If this were the case, then Richard might not have been aware of the FDW's existence -- or what it did when turned -- if it had never been used during his time on the Island to date.

There's another explanation for why Richard isn't quick to believe Locke's time-traveling tale. Let's say Richard really has always been on the Island since the dawn of time and does know about the FDW. But since the turning of the wheel has no effect his people (as proven in this episode and "Because You Left"), he has no reason to ever suspect it would cause anyone else to start skipping through time. To Richard, the FDW is solely a means of protecting the Island from invaders. Whenever it had been turned in the past, the only people on the island were Others or natives (because they'd probably killed everyone else), so there had been no weird side effects, so to speak.


2) Richard really is ageless.

Previously, many wondered if time travel was behind Richard's unchanging appearance. While I think this is still a remote possibility, it seems less likely now that we've witnessed his talk with Locke and heard what Juliet had to say about him. We've seen Richard in at least four decades now -- decades that he definitely appeared to be living in and not just popping through -- and he's always looked the same. We actually have no reason to believe that any of the Others have ever time traveled, especially since they are staying put when the Lostaways and Freighties are skipping around and since they used to be able to come and go from the Island in the submarine. Therefore, I'm still calling him Ageless Richard until somebody gives me an extremely compelling reason not to.


WHAT'S YOUR NAME
LITTLE GIRL
WHAT'S YOUR NAME

Elsewhere on the Island, Charlotte, Miles and Faraday had been captured by a different group of Others. As they're being marched to the camp site, we see that Daniel fully understands Miles' ability to communicate with the dead -- something we may have suspected but didn't have proof of before.

We're also introduced to Ellie.

This is where I need to take a moment to throw a tantrum.

See, something was revealed in the "enhanced" airing of "The Lie" that gave us a major clue about Ellie. I can't really treat it as a spoiler, but since it wasn't included in a new episode I know most Lost fans didn't catch it. I think it's just awful that The Powers That Be handled doling out this information in such a way. The bad thing is, there's no telling when -- if ever -- this same clue will be given in an upcoming episode. So I've decided to talk about it, and if you don't want to know what it was, then skip ahead TWO sections to "It Ain't Me."

For those of you still reading, what we learned in the enhanced version of "The Lie" is that Ms. Hawking's first name is Eloise. By the way, we have never heard her last name spoken on the show, either -- we've just figured it out from transcripts. Grrrrr. Anyway, it would be really stupid at this point if the Ellie we met on the Island in 1954 doesn't grow up to be Eloise Hawking. There's nothing overtly spectacular about that idea except that it was most likely Daniel's talk of being "from the future" that led her to become interested in time travel at some point after 1954.

What's infinitely more intriguing, however, is the theory (which I briefly mentioned last week) that Ms. Hawking is Faraday's mother. Now that we've been introduced to Ellie, I'm leaning toward believing this one. Here's how I think it could all work...


MAMMA MIA
HERE I GO AGAIN

Ellie -- who always had a soft spot for that strange dude with the skinny tie she captured in the jungle when she was a young woman -- gets pregnant several years later and decides to name her son after him. As in, she names her son after... her son (hello, Back to the Future). Some think that Widmore may have been the father, making Penny and Daniel siblings (or at least half-siblings). Ellie and Charles had a falling out (there could've been several reasons behind their split -- let's not pretend that Widmore's a nice guy), and they either left the Island together or separately. I think that while Charlies may have been banished, Ellie was probably dispatched to the outside world in order to become one of the off-Island Others that Richard -- and eventually Ben -- call upon for help. If she disapproved of how Widmore acted on the Island or perhaps knew of his plans to try and run the show, it would explain why she's now working with Ben.

But back to Baby Faraday...

For reasons unknown, Daniel is given up for adoption almost immediately after he's born. This would explain his different last name and lack of an accent. However, if Widmore was really his father, why would he choose to raise Penny and not Daniel? I don't have the energy to speculate about that right now, but suffice it to say that Widmore was aware of Daniel's research, regardless of whether or not he was his father. We learned in this episode that Widmore had been financially backing Daniel's experiments at Oxford and continued to care for his ill-fated test subject, Theresa. Widmore was also likely behind the selection of Faraday for the freighter's science team.

Although Daniel may not have had any contact with his father or even know who he was, at some point later in his life he was either reunited or had contact with his mother. The nerdy scientist genes were in his blood and once Ms. Hawking learned of Daniel's research, she realized that it was in fact her own son who had visited her on the Island all those years ago. She became even more determined to keep the Island safe, and intercepted Desmond at the antique store in order to try to convince him to fulfill his button-pushing destiny.

Daniel goes on to name the mouse that he uses for time-travel experiments after his long-lost mother (it's the thought that counts). The last time he'd seen or heard from her, she was in Oxford (once again -- all of this is just a theory, we actually have no proof that Hawking's ever been at Oxford), so that's where he instructs Desmond to go once the time-skipping starts on the Island. When Daniel meets the young version of his mother in 1954, he doesn't appear to recognize her, but does say that she looks like someone he "used to know." Daniel may have no clue that his mother's ever been on the Island herself... the only thing he's definitely sure of in the future is that she rocks a mean hooded cloak, has mad science skillz and knows a thing or two about the space-time continuum.

Back in the outside world in 2007, Widmore knows where Eloise Hawking can be found when Desmond comes to visit him. This could be because she's his ex-girlfriend/wife/baby mama or simply because Others have the tendency to keep track of one another. If we are to assume that Daniel's mother is indeed Hawking, then we know that Widmore's pointed Desmond in the right direction; the mysterious lady is now in Los Angeles... assisting Widmore's nemesis, Ben.

It kind of all makes sense, doesn't it? It does if you don't think about it too much! But if you have more questions, read on... I'm not totally done with the Widmore stuff.

But I am done with the on-Island events. Time for the outside world. I don't know about the rest of you, but I welcomed the return of the familiar one-character-focused format for the off-Island scenes. And since that character was Desmond, all the better.


IT AIN'T ME
IT AIN'T ME
I AIN'T NO FORTUNATE SON

About a year after he left the Island, Des became the proud poppa of one Charlie Hume. No, I don't think there is any way that this Charlie will somehow grow up to be either Charlie Pace or Charles Widmore, so banish those confusing thoughts from your head right now and never (do you hear me? never!) try to convince me that either scenario could transpire. I'll have none of it.

What I do think will happen, however, is that Penny's dad will eventually come to meet his grandson and this scene will go down:

WIDMORE: Why, you named him after me! I'm honored.

DESMOND: Are you CRAZY, brotha? He's named after a GOOD man, not after you, you evil bastard. He's named after a man who sacrificed himself so that his friends could live! Now can I get a round of 'You All Everybody' out of respect?


Is anyone else out there more than a tad worried for Lil' Charlie? I thought Penny was acting very weird in this episode -- like she understands a lot of what's going on but is hiding that knowledge from her husband. Then of course we had Desmond's totally obvious, foreshadowing response to her plea that he never return to the Island: "Why in God's name would I ever go back there?" (In TV Show Land, that means he's definitely going back.) By the end of the episode she's telling Desmond "we'll go with you" to L.A. in order to find Daniel's mother... but I got the sneaking suspicion that she and Lil' Charlie will also end up going back to the Island with Des. Which would drastically increase the odds of Des and Penny being the Adam and Eve skeletons, don't you think?

Finally, I feel like now is the time to mention a theory my brother's had for a long time. It's one I've never wanted to seriously consider, but this episode made me feel like things may be headed in this direction: Sun and Not Really Dead Jin will be the "happy reunion" of the series, but Desmond and Penny's relationship will end in tragedy. Think about it -- we already got our happy reunion of Des and Penny (two of them, in a way, if you count the tearjerking phone call in "The Constant"). How can it not be all downhill for them now? I seriously hope they live happily ever after, but I'm growing more concerned that Desmond's going to have to sacrifice himself to make things right in the universe. And let's not forget about Ben's threat to kill Penny in revenge for Widmore's men killing Alex. I weep for Lil' Charlie's future!

Presently, however, Penny and Lil' Charlie are safe on their boat while Desmond sets foot on that other island... Great Britain.


TURN OFF YOUR MIND
RELAX, AND FLOAT DOWNSTREAM
IT IS NOT DYING
IT IS NOT DYING

The year is 2007, and Des is hell-bent on finding Daniel's mother at Oxford. But the school has no record of a Daniel Faraday ever having worked at the esteemed university. Desmond doesn't give up, though, and instead busts into Faraday's old lab. Some beret-wearing dude who's keeping the lab under lockdown shoos Desmond away, but not before mentioning that others have come looking for the quirky scientist. He also gives Desmond the name of "that poor girl" Daniel had worked with.

Looking oh-so-smooth in his aviator shades, scarf and feathered hair, Desmond next pays a visit to Theresa Spencer. From what her sister says, it's pretty obvious that Theresa's consciousness has been doing some time traveling -- the same kind that Desmond experienced in "The Constant." It's unclear from the picture Desmond found whether or not Daniel and Theresa were simply colleagues or also romantically involved. (What was clear from that picture is that Daniel was once the Mullet King.)


Regardless, we can assume that she'd been working with Daniel on his experiments, something went awry, and now she's permanently jumping through time in her mind. Which can only mean that she's never found a constant... but shouldn't that also give her a brain aneurysm and kill her? How exactly is she able to be kept alive? And did Daniel abandon Theresa and leave for the U.S. because he thought he'd be able to find a cure for her condition there? Or did he simply flee out of guilt... remember that the only time we saw him in the U.S., he was looking pretty depressed and scruffy.

The most important information we got out of Desmond's time with Theresa and her sister was that Charles Widmore had been financially backing Faraday's research at Oxford and continued to pay for Theresa's care. Des came very close to having a Sawyer-like "Son of a..." moment when he heard Penny's dad's name once again. And then off to Daddy Widmore's office he stormed.

Before we turn away from Theresa, though, I feel like I should mention two other theories about her, even though I don't subscribe to either:

- Theresa used to be Boone's nanny, of "Theresa falls up the stairs, Theresa falls down the stairs" fame.
All we know about this nanny (besides her name) is that her accident happened in 1988 (when Boone was six) and she broke her neck... we don't know if she died. The two Theresas could be one in the same if she was fairly young in her nannying days: an 18-year-old in 1988 would be 37 in 2007, when Desmond's visit takes place. But even if they were the same person -- what does that mean? It might be another one of Lost's infamous character crossovers, but I don't think it holds much significance.

- Theresa is the same woman in the painting we've seen in two of Ben's homes in the Barracks.
Yes, both women are blond, but the timing doesn't work out -- Daniel's Theresa wouldn't have been born when Roger and Ben first came to the Island, and there's no reason to think that she ever physically time traveled in order to meet those two. I'm still going with the theory that the woman in the painting is Ben's mother.

Back to Desmond's quest...


AND I, GET SICK WHEN I'M AROUND
I, CAN'T STAND TO BE AROUND
I, HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU

I know I wasn't the only one who lost it when Desmond came face to face with Widmore. I was definitely expecting that two goons would pop out, put a bag over Desmond's head and carry him off to some dark chamber where he would be forced to spill everything he knew about the Island. But the exact opposite happened: Widmore gave him the address of Daniel's mother and pretty much didn't do or say anything else, except ask if Penny was OK and warn Desmond to stay out of the whole mess.

So what in the Holy Polar Bear Painting is going on?

Before I get into my theories on this one, I think it's worth reviewing the highlights of past Desmond, Penny and Widmore encounters:

- Penny meets Desmond at a monastery (right after he'd turned in his robes) -- she was there picking up wine for her father's company. (Let's not forget that at this same monastery, there was a picture of Ms. Hawking with Desmond's mentor, Brother Campbell).
- Desmond eventually informs Charles Widmore that he intends to propose to Penny. Widmore doesn't approve and tells Desmond that he's worthless.
- Desmond still buys an engagement ring, meeting Ms. Hawking in the process. She, like Widmore, tries to talk him out of proposing.
- Des and Penny break up. But while Desmond's consciousness is time traveling, he visits Widmore again (during an auction of the diary from the Black Rock's first mate) and asks for Penny's new address. Widmore gives it to him, but Penny and Des do not get back together.
- Desmond ends up in military prison and Desmond writes Penny letters during this time. Widmore intercepts all of them, and meets Desmond after he's released. Widmore attempts to bribe Desmond to stay away from Penny now that he's a free man.
- Desmond decides to "regain his honor" by entering the round-the-world sailing competition sponsored by Widmore Corporation. Penny knows that he's entering the race.
- Libby has a chance encounter (or was it?) with Desmond in a coffee shop and randomly offers him her recently deceased husband's boat.
- During the race, Desmond crashes on the Island.
- When Naomi lands on the Island, she's carrying a picture of Des and Penny. The freighter Naomi was on was sent by Widmore (even though Naomi herself was recruited by Abaddon, whose overall role we have yet to figure out).

When Desmond strides into Widmore's office in "Jughead," seven years had passed since the last time the two had seen each other (in Widmore's car after Desmond was released from prison).

Some people have always assumed that Libby was working for Widmore, who somehow "sent" Desmond to the Island via the sailboat in order to permanently keep him away from Penny. But now that we know so much more about Widmore and his decades-long search for the place he used to call home, I don't think that theory is viable. If Widmore knew how to get back to the Island in 2001, he would've either gone himself or sent the freighter team at that point, right? It seems more likely that, in keeping with an overarching theme in the show, it was simply Desmond's destiny to land on the Island.


YEAH, WE'RE PLAYING THOSE MIND GAMES TOGETHER
PROJECTING OUR IMAGES
IN SPACE AND IN TIME


As you may remember from my last post, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Desmond's "free will" actions -- specifically his role in delaying Charlie's death -- are to blame for setting off the disastrous sequence of events that have transpired on the Island since December 2004. Both Hawking and Widmore have come to realize that Desmond is the key to making things go one way or the other, and so they've each tried to influence what he does.

When Ms. Hawking first met Desmond, she told him that he absolutely must abandon his relationship with Penny because his purpose in life was to go to the Island, push the button in the Swan hatch and save the world from destruction. She tried to convince him that he pretty much had no choice, because the universe would always course-correct.

Widmore, on the other hand, is using a much more subtle approach. In 1996, Desmond got Penny's new address from Widmore.
Without it, he would've never been able to learn her phone number and tell her to expect a call from him on Christmas Eve, 2004. And as we all know, if Des didn't talk to Penny that day, he was a goner.

Now Widmore's given Desmond even more help by providing him with Faraday's mother's address. I'm sure many people thought, "Wait a second, if he knows where this woman is -- especially if it ends up being Hawking who's working with his arch-rival, Ben -- why doesn't he bust over there himself and try to thwart their plans to bring the Oceanic Six back to the Island?" I think the reason why Widmore isn't taking any action on this one is because: 1) he's in (or thinks he's in) cahoots with Sun to kill Ben already, and 2) he knows that whatever Desmond will do will actually work to his advantage.

Widmore landed himself the #1 Most Mysterious Character title (and that's saying something) for me this episode. How did he come to be on the Island in his Other days? How, why and when did he leave? Was he ever there at the same time as Ben? Why exactly does he hate Ben so much? How did he go on to become such a powerful businessman? Who else is helping him in his quest to return to the Island?

Needless to say, I think we'll be learning much more about Daddy Widmore over the rest of the series. Who would've thought when he made his first brief appearance back at the end of Season Two that he would be at the center of so many mysteries on the show 2.5 years later? Not me!



BEST LINES OF THE EPISODE

LOCKE: Who are these people?
SAWYER: Well, gee, I didn't have time to ask that, with Frogurt on fire and all.



(After the group is captured and thrown into the Others' tent)
MILES: We are so dead.
FARADAY: Hey. No, no, no. We are not so dead. We're gonna be fine. We just need to keep it together until there's another flash. All right? Then all this disappears.
CHARLOTTE: And when's that gonna happen?
FARADAY: Could be five minutes. Could also be 5,000 years.
MILES: That's--that's just awesome.


SAWYER: So who taught you Latin?
JULIET: Others 101. Gotta learn Latin--language of the enlightened.
SAWYER: Enlightened, my ass.


CUNNINGHAM: The rest of your people are either captured or dead.
SAWYER: What? What makes you say that?
JONES: That idiot shouted out, "Meet at the creek." We knew exactly where they were going. We sent a group after them.
SAWYER: Well, maybe I should've said it in my secret language.


RICHARD: H--how did you escape?
JONES/WIDMORE: I ran.
RICHARD: And it never occurred to you that they might follow you?
JONES/WIDMORE: Follow me? Their leader is some sodding old man. What, you think he can track me? You think he knows this island better than I do?



SAWYER: I hate to bust up the "I'm an Other, you're an Other" reunion, but Faraday--the guy that's actually gonna save us--is being death-marched into the jungle right now.
LOCKE: Good luck with that.


SAWYER (to Juliet, after Locke leaves): What about you? You wanna stay here in Crazytown or help me rescue the geek?


(Richard approaches from one of the tents.)
LOCKE: (Sighs) My name is John Locke.
RICHARD: Is that supposed to mean something to me?
LOCKE: Jacob sent me.
(The two stare at each other for several moments.)
RICHARD (to jones):Put the gun down.
JONES: What? Richard, you can't seriously trust him.
(Richard walks over to Jones and slaps the rifle down.)
RICHARD: I said... put the gun down, Widmore.
LOCKE (to Jones): Your name is Widmore? Charles Widmore?
WIDMORE: What's it to you?
LOCKE (smiling): Nothing. Nice to meet you.



I'll wrap up this post with a comparison of how the Jughead area looked on the show...


...and what it looked like when I visited Oahu this past October (my picture was taken from the opposite direction -- notice the two small white trees).


At least the Others clean up after themselves.

Until next time,
- e

59 comments:

Erika (aka "e") said...

Songs used for the section headings in this post:

Speaking in Tongues – Talking Heads (album name)

Say My Name – Destiny’s Child

Forever Young – Alphaville

What’s Your Name – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Mamma Mia – ABBA

Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Tomorrow Never Knows – The Beatles

Everything About You – Ugly Kid Joe

Mind Games – John Lennon

Anonymous said...

omg... you had this up today?! i'm soooo impressed!

*kristYn from CALI*

Anonymous said...

While I, too, think that Ellie/Ms. Hawking/Daniel's mom are 99.9% one-in-the-same given the enhanced episode info and the maze-rat's name, I still find it a bit odd that Daniel told Ellie that she looks like someone he used to know. When people look at pictures of their parents from before their earliest memories of them, they're almost always able to tell that the person in the picture is their parent because aging typically doesn't disfigure someone so that they're left unrecognizable from their youth. So when I saw Ellie and Theresa, I thought there were enough physical similarities between them that *they* were related (although I haven't theorized as to how), hence the meaning behind Daniel's comment.

Rebecca

Christy G said...

i will throw a tantrum with you about the reveal of hawkings first name. i read this on darkufo the other day and couldn't figure out when this was revealed and how the heck i missed it. i feel like now there's no way she's not the same person with the timing of everything.

my friend and i were talking and if faraday is widmore and hawking's son, and if charlotte is ben and annie's daughter (i still think this may be possible), then we will have a total romeo and juliet moment. "my only love sprung from my only hate!"

the lost world is always getting smaller and smaller.

oh and there were several moments when i died out laughing while reading this post. i thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Anonymous said...

P.S. Did you know how the "Jughead" bomb tower was going to fit into the storyline when you visited it? If so, did it change how you felt while watching Wednesday's episode? Although I'm trying to stay spoiler-free, I'm finding that some people's "theories" to DarkUFO blogger posts may not be. And, sadly, my enjoyment of watching LOST is diminishing. :~(

Rebecca

Mair said...

Took you long enough!!! ;-)

Well done - and again, thanks for all you do...I want to give kudos to the show's writers - always keeping dialogue "in character": specifically I was thinking Sawyer's "...my ass" and his "...secret language"...

and I am just in love with Faraday!!!

thanks, e.!

mair

Anonymous said...

You so totally rock.. .I've been looking every hour on the hour for the Jughead post. Thanks for putting it up on the weekend!

Shannon said...

This was seriously one of the best episodes of this show... ever. The hour went by way too fast... so much information in this one! I loved it!

Anonymous said...

So, is anyone other than me annoyed at how they are indiscriminately killing off all the background extras? First, it seems awful convenient that only the non-main character types would be killed in the flaming arrow attack and the claymore scene at the start of this episode. Second, I've always taken the idea that all the survivors are on the island for a reason to apply to the background people too....even though we don't really meet them (and when we do it is usually disastrous) they surely have their own stories of redemption and survival, even if they can only be imagined by the viewers. So, is their only "reason" for being on the island to absorb arrows and explosions that would otherwise hurt the main characters? It just seems like sloppy writing... they couldn't think of another place to keep the background survivors during the time flashes, so they get killed instead. Not only does this make for a much lonelier island, it's downright inhumane... Background extras are people too! (Except Nikki and Paulo, of course.) Anyway, other than that complaint, this was definitely a top 10 episode, and your write-up was hilarious and thought-provoking as usual. Thanks, e.

AC from NM

Anonymous said...

i think widmore was going for "leader of the others" at the same time as ben. richard says it is a long process in this episode, and maybe the person who doesnt win has to leave the island?

also, when hurley asks ben why he killed dharma in the purge he says other people were the leaders meaning ben wasnt just accpeted as the leader, he had to go through this process. (or he was lying to avoid the subject)

Julie said...

I've been looking forward to your post all week! Thanks for the thoughts and theories!

Can't wait until the next episode. This season is so exciting so far! :)

SKID said...

Quick thoughts from the Faraday tie-guy . . .

(followed by one other observation I need dissected)

1.For awhile I kept a "tie counter." It was the one thing I felt like I could keep up with. I seriously cannot keep up with how many days that tie has been on now for sure. Are they even experiencing "DAYS"?!? sheesh.

2. Suffice it to say, I am CONVINCED that the moment that the tie comes off will be a moment of unparallelled heroism or some other act of cosmic significance. I am planning a party for just that moment. (and for those who say the tie was off in his DHARMA disguise in the Orchid . . . look closely at a screenshot (e provided one). I am convinced that it is on UNDER the shirt. I see a bulge. Did I say that out loud?)

3. I will even be momentarily satisfied if someone ELSE on the show references it. I mean seriously . . . It is almost becoming as big of an issue with me that NO one else has asked about it! (Sawyer for sure) I await this moment as well. Any wagers on who brings it up first?
Can't someone say . . . "Dude. What's up with the tie?"

4. It is the sole piece of LOST memorabilia I desire.

In other news: e. helpe me out here

-Now I KNOW that just because two people are the same race, that does not make them connected (I often cry foul when someone says "Look he's Asian, Jin's ALIVE!") but having said that, there WAS a bald black man in young Widmore's team who wielded a bow and arrow. ANY chance THIS could be Abaddon??? It DOES make sense that he would be in cahoots with Widmore and has known him for many years and would either work with or serve him in his desire to find the island again. Just a thought. Let's wait to see if they call him "Matt" next week. (Of course debunking this theory is that this guy (from last week's show) is younger and Abaddon did not appear to age from his visit with Locke at the hospital and his visit with Hurley making him more kin to Alpert but . . .

. . . and now that I think about it, the two times we have seen Abaddon, he was wearing a . . . ok, I'll drop it.

Jay said...

Excellent post! Love the pics of the Jughead tower!

Anonymous said...

e - I just love reading your recaps, and notes on the screencaps. Fabulous computer use!!You must have missed the Super Bowl to do this. I love you! -Pam

Anonymous said...

I so look forward to your posts, e. You da Jughead!

I don't think anyone has addressed this but do you find it interesting that most of the off-island events this season are three years after the big rescue but the on-island events are within 24 hours or so of the island moving?

Of course, with the time travel thrown in, it is all a bit warped, but still... I don't think any of them have actually slept since the freighter blew up.

-S

Unknown said...

Another great write-up, e! The photo captions are hilarious.

Like you (and others), I was definitely thinking that Ellie is Daniel's mother in the future; however, poster Rebecca has a good point. I do think that Daniel would be able to recognize her as his mother (at a young age), and it is also weird that he says that she reminds him of someone "I used to know." This would imply that this person is either dead or as good as dead (Theresa).

However, Theresa being Daniel's mother instead of Ellie, doesn't make for as good a story, unless, of course, Theresa becomes a more central character at some point for some as-yet unknown reason. Who knows?

another e

Anonymous said...

Hi e, since its you that pointed out nothing happens on Lost without a reason, do you think this is the last we will hear about the bomb?

Robert Klotz said...

I'm still sticking with my guess that Charles Widmore is not the ultimate villain -- or a villain at all -- in the tale of LOST. Twice now he's helped Desmond, with, as you accurately point out, no obvious tangible benefit for himself.

Great stuff, Erika!

WendyWatson said...

I think the reason why Widmore isn't taking any action on this one is because: 1) he's in (or thinks he's in) cahoots with Sun to kill Ben already, and 2) he knows that whatever Desmond will do will actually work to his advantage.

If he knows where Des is going it's also a lot easier for him to find Penny. In addition, given that he didn't tell Des that Ben is specifically gunning for Penny - as opposed to some abstract danger she might be in - he is insuring that Des will go to LA, and he might bank on Ben, Des and Sun basically taking out each other - solves three problems in one swoop for him.

As for Widmore and Ellie, my own crazy theory is that they're siblings, not ex-lovers - they certainly behaved like it in their short exchange. Be that as it may, though, if he gave Desmond the address of the church, it's possible he just knows it as a specific Other HQ, and it makes their connection less personal than if he had given him a private address.

Charlie Hume: I'm going to be cynical on this one and say that they gave them a kid to be able to kill Penny off. They always had difficulty to secure the actress for longer amounts of time, and the fact that they are far too happy now makes me think that this is their solution for this problem. As for Des, given that they emphasized how uniquely special he is, I'd bet money he isn't going anywhere until the end of the series.

(Btw, thank you, thank you, thank you for not jumping on the "Charlie is Charlie Pace\Charles Widmore" train.)

Lula! said...

You summed it up perfectly! But I have to wonder...will Daniel ever abandon that tie? Seriously...

Anonymous said...

Ok, so what's the "extended version" anyway? Where do I go to get said version?

Scott

Jenni said...

I had one of my very few LOST "aha" moments after the show last week about your man Locke that I haven't seen mentioned in any of the few recaps I read.

In the season premiere (not sure if it was episode 1 or 2), Richard gave Locke the compass and told him to give it to him the next time he saw him, which Locke did in 1954, then told Richard he would be the future leader of the others. This explains why Richard was so frustrated in Cabin Fever when little boy Locke didn't pick the compass in his test a few years after grown-up Locke had given it to him.

Something tells me this compass is weaving all kinds of crazy time travel mojo all over the place. Where did it originate? Did Locke give it to Richard or did Richard give it to Locke? Hmmm...

Anonymous said...

Hi Erika,

Okay, okay, so I got it wrong with the whole Teresa = Ellie = Emma thing, but at least someone else thought it too! (Hi Anonymous Rebecca!). I totally missed the Ellie = Eloise Hawking (maybe)...damn! I too am throwing a tantrum in sympathy with myself! Interesting "deducement" all the same. I guess I'm still hankering after answers for the whole kidnapped children of 815. Did I miss this unsolved mystery? I really do need to go back and watch from the start from my new "Enlighted" stance. Although in the light of things it wouldn't have made any real sense to have had Emma = Ellie, not that it has stopped the writers in the past....time travelling rats anyone?

You also didn't mention the librarian / secretary at Oxford that denies to Desmond that Daniel Faraday has ever been there. The same actress (http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Mary_Ann_Taheny) played the Gate Attendent for Flight 815 that Hurley encounters while rushing to catch the flight. Was it coincidence or sloppy casting as some are suggesting? I just thought I'd bring it up....it may be that she could be one of those characters subtlely manipulating things off-island.....or not...

Loved the photo of the Jughead tower...your holiday photos on the Lost island were priceless by the way. No wonder you were both knackered by the end! It was worse than filming an episode...big kudos for you both! They provided many laugh out loud moments. For anyone who hasn't seen Erika's photos...check 'em out now!

I like Wendy Watson's theory that Hawking and Widmore are in fact siblings and NOT lovers....I have no factual evidence of why, but I just like the idea...

Thanks again e for your analysis. No, we don't have to agree with everything people write about each episode but it's all part of the fun of Lost. It gets you thinking, talking and debating. I happen to believe that you get it right alot of the time though! As for me...sheesh! I'm but a mere amateur at all this!

Jennifer in Ireland

Reylloc said...

Wrockin' the Lost world, as usual. Your "hidden" captions are the Easter Eggs of your posts. Word.

Since there are few true coincidences on this show, Mrs. H must be Daniel's mother. Misdirection is a tool the writers use far & wide, but it feels as if the show is headed into a funnel, and people/story lines are merging rather than scattering.
It would be interesting to find out that the Linus/Widmore rivalry was somehow (blood) relative (sibling?) in basis. Why else would there be civil "rules" - why else would both Ben & Chuck know where Hawking is at any given time?
Eventually, we must see the flash in time where Locke tells Rich to find him at the Beechcraft & patch up his leg, which will have to be later in time than when Ben spins the FDW of fortune. What this tells me, is that not only is Desmond outside the rules of time "fixing", but so is Herr Locke!
Or not.
The pop-up-video recap versions are entertaining - they confirm certain scraps of info as fact or fiction.

Anonymous said...

E, just wanna let you know that the comments in the extended episodes are actually done by a third party that is completely seperate from the Lost creators and ABC. Which sucks because it basically means that they can say whatever they want regardless of how stupid it is. Which is exactly why I never watch those episodes. But last Thursday I ended up reading on the net what the comments said about Ms Hawking and I'm still ticked off about it.

Anonymous said...

Hi E-
Long time reader, first time writer. As usual, amazing insight and beautiful writing. I was surprised that you didn't mention the theory of a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

Didn't it seem that Locke might have planted the seed that he was the next leader of the Others when sent Richard to his birth, and consequentialy "chose" himself to be the next leader of the Others, rather than the Island (or Jacob) choosing him? I think that if Locke hadn't time jumped to 1952, then Richard would never have been following him his whole life and he wouldn never be who is is today. I don't know it's just a thought.

Also, while I love how all the Lost pieces of the puzzle fit beautifully together do you think that a Elli- as Mother and Whitmore as Father of Faraday is a little soap-operay?

I still worship the show and everything Lost and love your blogs more and more each read. Thanks for them and keep up the amazing work.

What are your thoughts...

Erika (aka "e") said...

Hi everyone -

Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting. Here are some additional thoughts on the questions/theories raised above (sorry I can't go through each one by one...):

- The enhanced (not extended) version may just be something that airs in the US, not sure. It's actually pretty lame -- just the same episode with little pop-ups at the bottom of the screen with more information which is usually very obvious stuff hardcore fans already know.

- Even if it's a third party who does the pop-ups, they still HAD to have gotten the info on Ms. Hawking's name from the writers. They can't just make up names of characters... so somebody knew they were doing it. Granted, they may not have been able to stop them from airing that info, but still. Can you tell I'm still mad about it?

- In Oahu I only knew that a bomb had been in the tower at one point. Since I pretty much understand nothing about bombs, I was thinking there'd be some little black box with a countdown timer on it or something. Therefore, no, I really had no idea how it would be used in the show and it certainly didn't affect my viewing of the episode (except for the fact that I was really excited to see that tower thingy on TV).

- When we first were introduced to Charlotte I immediately thought she might be Ben and Annie's kid (though that would have to mean that Ben has no idea who she REALLY is, as he rattled off her background and didn't seem to know her when he first saw her... and since he also shot her!). It would definitely be cool if Charlotte were Ben's kid and Daniel were Widmore's and the Romeo-Juliet thing came to pass... I like that idea A LOT.

- I, too, think that it will be a momentous occasion on the show when Faraday removes his tie (if he ever does). I didn't notice the guy who could be a younger Abaddon, so I'm not sure about that one. Abaddon is the #2 Most Mysterious Character in my book.

- Regarding the movement of time on-Island vs. off-Island, I shared my thoughts on this in the "Because You Left" post. It seems as though only a few hours on the Island is equating to 3 years off-Island (we can tell this from the timing of when Daniel told Des to find his mom and when Des awoke with the memory). I have a feeling that when the FDW is moved it changes the relationship to off-Island time as well (which we know wasn't as long before because of Daniel's rocket experiment). So it's not like the on-Island people have been time-traveling for three years. By the time the O6 return (assuming they do), it probably will have only seemed like a few days to the on-Island people. And then the 06 will be like "Say what? It's been three years!"

- As for the bomb... I think they at least need to officially wrap up what happened to it and confirm/refute the suspicion that it was buried in concrete underneath the Swan. Not sure it there will be more to it than that... there are much bigger mysteries they have to address so I think they have their hands full!

- Very much agree that there's a chance Widmore might not be the bad guy. Remember that Captain Gault said that it was BEN who staged the 815 crash. But then I think about Keamy killing Alex and think Widmore's evil all over again.

- I like the Ellie/Charles sibling theory, too.

- Yes, I mentioned how Richard showed Locke the compass at age 5 in my "Before You Left" recap (I know it's hard to keep track of everything in these long posts). It is kind of funny to think about where it actually originated!

- I didn't mention the librarian/Oceanic rep actress because I just don't think it's a big deal -- they definitely reuse actresses/actors so there wasn't much to say about it that was interesting, even if it was done on purpose.

- The mystery of the taken kids is still out there. All I can figure is that they, like Cindy (who may or may not have been an Other already when she was the stewardess on 815) were "indoctrinated" into Otherness once on the Island and are therefore NOT time traveling like the Losties. Juliet is because she was "branded" and essentially kicked out of the group when she chose to side with the 815ers. At least that's how I make sense of it.

- I agree that Locke can perhaps also change the rules along with Desmond, it's just that Daniel may not know this.

Thanks again for reading! I need to de-Lost myself for a few days now before this all starts up again or my mind will be mush.

- e

Anonymous said...

e, wonderful job once again!

You brought up the photo of Des and Penny being with Naomi. This has always puzzled me and I am wondering if I missed something - when they get their picture taken, Des has the one copy and then breaks up with Penny, taking the photo with him. So if he brought it to the island, how did Naomi get it?

Erika (aka "e") said...

Regarding the Des/Penny photo, there were apparently two copies:

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Desmond%27s_photograph


To me the whole self-fulfilling prophecy idea was too close to the time-loop theory I've mentioned before to call it out separately -- I see them as one in the same, in a way, and subscribe to both. : )

And yes, the whole "everyone is related to someone" thing has gotten VERY old and tired in my eyes.

- e

Reylloc said...

I forgot to mention my postulate as to why the Others aren't TT and the Losties are. Remember when Ben sent everybody to the Temple, and tried to send Danielle/Alex/Karl (fail) there when Keamy's arrival was inevitable? Well, I bet being in the Temple (wherever/whatever that is) prevents you from being time travel fodder. This is why Richard/Others are NOT TT, and Juliet/Locke/Losties ARE.
But that's just me.

Anonymous said...

i really enjoying reading your posts...they are both funny and informative...keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, not enough time to read the comments of other posters, but I believe Theresa is Daniel's sister. When Daniel meets Ellie on the island, he says she looks like someone he knew. She looks like his sister Theresa, because daughters tend to look like their mothers.

Craig said...

In addition to making us wonder all about Widmore as an Other and how he left, etc., they also used him to once again play with our perceptions of who is good and who is bad. We're all sort of leaning toward team Ben (if for no other reason than at least he didn't try to kill everyone on the island and wasn't responsible for possibly blowing up Jin), but then again in Shape of Things to Come, he threatened Penny (and who doesn't love Penny? She's actually one of the few innocents on this show). Now we see Widmore again, and we learn new things: (1) He used to be on the island. Maybe he's right when he says that it's his and not Ben's. (IMHO, I think the answer is that they are both wrong about that, but we'll have to wait and see.)(2) He is paying to take care of the woman who is unstuck in time. (Ulterior motives? Probably, but we don't know.) (3) He hasn't seen his daughter in 3 years because Desmond is keeping her in hiding. What does he do when he sees Desmond? He gives him the information he wants and tells him to stay hidden to keep Penny safe. No insults. No threats. Basically just pleading that he keeps her safe. (and taking her to LA where Ben currently is is not a good thing at all)

He was an arrogant jerk as a young guy on the island, but the adult off-island version was actually shown in a little different light this time. It's still pretty likely that he's the same ol' evil Widmore and that there are reasons for the things he does that seem good, but we can't really say yet that it wasn't that it's the other way around and that there were reasons behind the things he did that seem bad.

Also, regarding the 1950's Others, time travel and the FDW: When Dharma arrived (1970's, right?) the FDW was encased in stone, as we saw at the beginning of Because You Left, so it seems like they probably didn't know about it yet. This makes me think that as old as Richard is, he's not one of the original inhabitants, but like everything else on this show, I'll just have to wait and see.

By the way, my favorite "I don't believe that for a second" theory currently circulating is that Charlie, baby of Des and Penny, will begin time skipping and become (a) Charlie Pace, (b) the musician who programs the Looking Glass code as Good Vibrations or, most absurdly and most humorously (c) Charles Widmore, making him his own grandfather.

Anonymous said...

Great write up.

I agree that the bomb was buried under the swan. My thougts: the build up of radiation leakage had to be released every 108 minutes. The bomb, over time, slowly decreased in power and when Desmond turned the fail safe key, what was left of the bomb exploded.

However, my head is spinning on the Locke/Richard spin. Did Richard visit Locke's birth before (as we saw this first in the order of episodes) Locke went back in time to give Richard the compass? Or was this a result of Locke's visit and we simply saw this flashback before understanding that Locke gave Richard the compass?

Anonymous said...

Thinking about Locke and Richard's interactions and Locke's "destiny". Richard told Locke he would have to die to save the island. My theory is that if Locke dies off island, then his death would be set in stone at that point, therefore following Faradays concept, Locke wouldn't be able to die until that point in time, hence the tramendous fall he survived off island, and the multiple gun shot wounds that he has sustained on the island. Thus making him pretty much immortal on the island and a pretty good leader if you can't die. Just trying to put it all together.

WendyWatson said...

It's still pretty likely that he's the same ol' evil Widmore and that there are reasons for the things he does that seem good, but we can't really say yet that it wasn't that it's the other way around and that there were reasons behind the things he did that seem bad.

I'm not too sure we ever see Widmore in a good light even in this episode. As a young man, he's not only an blood-thirsty teen with attitude problems, he murders his comrade, because he is negotiating with someone who holds them hostage.

And even though the older version may have been helpful to Desmond, his concern for his daughter would have looked a bit more convincing if he had pointed out that she wasn't just in some abstract kind of danger but that Ben was explicitly gunning for her.

The theory about Charlie being his own grandfather would make my biology teacher cry...

Unknown said...

Great, e! But how did you miss the best line? "Sure, that old man is gonna track me. Do you think he knows this island like I do?"

Heather said...

e.-
Thank you SO much for the time you put into these recaps. I look forward to reading each and every one! You and your hard work are much appreciated!

Anonymous said...

Timothy, she did include that line in her 'best quotes' section...it's like the third one from the bottom.

Ernie said...

Hey e,

Love the recaps as usual. Another interesting theory regarding Charlotte/Daniel is that Daniel is Charlotte's dad. He says that he loves her, but didn't say in love with her ...

Anonymous said...

Excellent, as usual!

We were loving the "You're Charles Widmore???" smile. Tee hee.

My thought as I read it was that the reason Naomi had Penny's pic is that Penny had been searching for Des for years ("I have a tracking station"), and had not been in contact with her dad.
He sent the pic with Naomi as a way for Naomi to identify either of them should she encounter them.

Looking forward to this week's episode, which happens to fall on MY birthday! LOL

Sarah M. in MI

Anonymous said...

Not sure if anyone's said this yet, but I think Eloise Hawking is Daniel's mom AND Charlotte's mom. Not sure if Widmore is daddy to either one of them. But when Daniel professed his love for Charlotte before being taken to the big ol' bomb, he never said it was a romantic thing. I think he knows she's his sister, so we can put any thoughts of creepy Luke n' Leia kiss out of our minds. The kicker is that Charlotte WAS born on the island, but Daniel wasn't born until after. I need to go back and watch this epi again to be sure, but what do you think?

Once again, e, great post! Reading your blog is my second favorite thing all week. :)

Mel

MikeNJD said...

Fist of all, another great recap. Secondly, the fact you used Ugly Kid Joe cements you as the greatest TV reviewer ever. Thirdly, after my first viewing of this episode, I thought the ep wasn't that great. A subsequent viewing proved it to be better than I first thought. What stuck with me though on the second viewing, and irked me so much the first time around, was how horrendous the actress is that played Ellie. Open your mouth when you speak! And her line readings were absolutely awful. First major acting gaffe in the history of the series.

*I AM NOW REFERENCING THE PART E SUGGESTED YOU SKIP IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS SAID IN THE ENHANCED EPISODE!!*

Now, I hadn't seen the enhanced version of "The Lie" so I had no idea about "Eloise Hawking," and didn't even contemplate she was Daniel's mom (I thought Charlotte's mom instead). The Dan's mom stuff makes sense. However, I am now vehemently rooting against this because that may mean we have to see more of this 18-yr old actress play Ellie. Listen, I grew up in entertainment and have been and seen MANY actors/actresses, so I don't take criticism lightly, and I am sorry for my harsh words, but this was worse than Nikki and Paolo as it completely distracted from my enjoyment of the episode. I hope the next time we see Ms. Eloise Hawking, she has gray hair.

Unknown said...

lol, amazing post like always :D

Two things:


I really laughed out loud with you "Holy polar bear painting" link/exclamation remark that is just genius on many levels. Props for that.


2nd, i cannot believe you didn't put in the "Best Lines" when

ELLIE: "They're from the future too?"
SAWYER: "You 'told' her?"

lool that was amazing :D

See you next week ;)

Sharon Rose said...

You are BRILLIANT, girlio! Love how you remind me of all the little early season details I've forgotten, and your mouse-over captions are perfection. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

How did you know to take a picture of that tower ? Did you just take random pictures of everything figuring at some point it will come into play ??? Atta girl ... I love your thinking. Did you see any other 4 toed or 4 finger statues ???

The Other E

Anonymous said...

Hello Erika!
I’m not used to this blogging, so I hope you get this. (you don’t have to post it.)
I have to say, I love your writing, I appreciate your non-spoiler write-ups, and I look forward to your posts (I’ve given up on other websites).
The reason I write is to suggest that ‘you have answered one of your own questions’.

Question: In ‘Season 5 Prep’, you asked, “How did Montand lose his arm?” (Danielle’s friend)

Answer: In ‘Season 1’, you wrote, “In the video, the doctor guy appears to have both of his arms. In the videos we have seen to date, one of his arms was clearly a prosthetic. Therefore, most people assume that this video was filmed before "the incident", and all of the others were filmed afterward, meaning that the doctor most likely lost his arm in said incident. Some people even think that "the incident" occurs right after the cameras stop rolling and that Dr. Candle loses his arm because he was holding one of the bunnies and something went wrong. Once again, this is just a theory, but I think it's probably right.”

(Perhaps you’ve addressed this already)
Is Danielle connected to the doctor?
Your thoughts?

Thanks for sharing your skill !!
Greg

lolaslily said...

Okay, you are now my hero... you've opened my mind to tons of stuff. I think I'm gonna stay awake all night and ponder this...

Unknown said...

Oh I forgot to write this in my previous comment.

What is it with everyone (even you e) considering that the bomb was burring under the Swan.

For me, it's the Tempest that holds the H-Bomb, and this why Goodwin burnt his hand back in the days of Juliet, and this is also what Daniel and Charlotte were doing there. Stopping it from exploding.

There was an INCIDENT that took place DURING the Dharma era that made them build the Swan and push the button.

This H-Bomb was almost 2 decades before dharma, so why refer to it as Incident?

lolaslily said...

What do you think of the idea that Charlotte is Widmore's daughter? Charlotte as in named after her dad Charles...?

YoYo said...

Great post!!, I only recently got into LOST. I defiantly steered clear of watching the show till I saw the recap session before season 5 started. Since that moment I have watched all four seasons in their entirety in a matter of 1 week (roughly 80 or so hours of LOST, haha). Now I want to go back and read all your old posts. Just curious if it was ever mentioned that all the numbers add up to 108, or each number side by side (4+8+1+5+1+6+etc) add up to 36 x3 = 108 or that 324 (number of passengers on flight 815 divided by 3 equals 108? Also, curious how the Henso family plays into the schems. They were producers of the Dharma Initiative's Orientation films and were also mentioned as the providers of the Ledger from the Black Rock at the Auction. Also, Hathaway's photo was on the desk of Brother ___ (the lead monk in th emonastery where Des was)..Think maybe she convinced him to be in town and lead him to see Des awaking in the street in order to get him to invite Des to the monastery...where he would eventually meet Penny? Just some thoughts....now I'll go back and try to read all the posts since season 1, hahah

-Jesse/DC

Anonymous said...

even little suri is trying to wrap her head around it all! http://www.blahgirls.com/blog/overheard-suri-and-katie/

Anonymous said...

SergioFX might be right about the Jughead location...

The nature of what is buried under the Swan is electromagnetic (right?), while whatever is in the Tempest is radioactive.

After Desmond had turned the key and the hatch had "exploded", if it was an H-bomb, the island would be gone. Or not? I'm not a H-bomb specialist by any means!

Funny that the flash in the end of season 1 looks like those Locke and crew are experimenting when they time-travel.

Great recap!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it, but the video on the Lost home page on the ABC site has some major spoilers... what the heck! I had to stop watching a couple minutes in because I couldn't handle it. If you don't want a spoiler, stay away.

James D said...

HEY!!! You nailed it on the conversation between Desmond and Widmore! I'm listening to the Official Podcast and they said they shot that scene, almost EXACTLY as you wrote it, but they cut it.

Anonymous said...

I know this may sound somewhat random, but is anyone else wondering what Kate is feeding Aaron? How is that little baby still alive and not screaming from hunger when he doesnt have his mum anymore to nurse him? Just a curiosity that has me concerned!

Anonymous said...

I've been reading alot of theories about the bomb being encased in cement under the Swan station. My understanding is that Faraday instructed the Others to bury the bomb in 1954 when they time-traveled back. Dharma didn't come to the Island until the 1970's-1980's; therefore, how would the Dharma people even know there was a bomb buried on the Island? They would have no reason to build The Swan hatch to discharge build up of anything from the bomb, because they wouldn't know the bomb was there. I believe that the electromagnetic anomaly behind the cement walls has more to do with special properties of the island.... not an H-bomb.

Anonymous said...

Mrs Hawking is certainly Faraday's Mother (and Ellie of course).The main question is why did she say to Ben that they only have 70 hours to bring the oceanic 6 back to the island. I strongly believe that this time limit is the maximum time that someone can time-travel without dying from the side effects.

Anonymous said...

Richard Alpert is the personification of the island. He is the human equvilant of the the island. He represents the island.

I think anyway

dobre1
dobre@hotmail.com
greeting from Australia