Whew...Yeah...I'm stalling. I don't even know where to begin with this one. But I know all of you don't want to just keep reading all of this filler! Kinda like no one wants to watch Aaron get baptized while Charlie has crazy dreams of Claire as the Virgin Mary! (get it??? Because it was a filler episode? Man, I'm so funny sometimes!) Anyways...Here we go!
"The Man Behind the Curtain" As Locke reminded us, it is a reference to the Wizard of Oz. Locke accuses Ben of being the Man Behind the Curtain, pulling all the levers and running the show. Of course, this ties in nicely to the fact that Ben pretended to be Henry Gale for half of season 2 (another character from the Wizard of Oz). This episode was all about Ben. The flashbacks focus on where he came from, and partially what inspired him to become the man he is now. And it might just reveal that he isn't the person running the daily operations of THE OTHERS (yeah, I'm not referring to Jacob here either). Speaking of Jacob, the episode also focuses more on learning about the mysterious Jacob mentioned maybe 2 or 3 times previously this season. For now, it seems we should believe that JACOB is the mysterious Man behind the curtain. And he will remain behind that curtain for the time being! And, of course, learning their lesson from episode's past...we didn't totally abandon our survivors in this episode. We see some small plot developments around everyone's suspicions of Jack and Juliet and FINALLY some heroic leadership from Mr. Shepard! And that's the easy part of the blog, so we'll start there!
"I think we got some catching up to do"
Well said Jack! Some important plot progressions from our Survivor's side of the island this week:
- There is more of the "Don't Tell Jack" theme going on. Jack has fled the camp with Juliet after Kate unveiled the Parachutist information.
- Sayid tells the whole camp about Naomi, who seems completely healed now (as Mikhail said she would be in 1.5 days). Everyone is up-in-arms about the world thinking they're dead. But there are more important issues at stake.
- Juliet's message is played for the camp. Loved when Sawyer and Kate made awkward eye contact when the part came on about "I'll have Austin's Sample soon." Amazing how much can be said with such a quick look!
- When Jack and Juliet return, we hear other side of the tape. Ben's response to Juliet's message. Juliet says that she went right to Jack about her "assignment" from Ben after Sun's ultrasound and the "I hate you" confession. I'm just curious to know how Juliet knew that Ben left a response for her. Jack and Juliet weren't informed that Locke brought Sawyer the recorder. Maybe we're just supposed to accept this one and not really look into it! Anyway, why has Jack been so quiet and secretive lately? Duh people! He was formulating a plan! And now he has one! Finally! I really would like another Live Together Die Alone speech next week! I'm tired of hitting the button on my Jack Action Figure to relive the glory days before Jack became the ultimate Whiner! (oh come on...I didn't buy it! It was a gift! yeah...maybe that's not any better!)
- Ben's message? In 2 days, 3 Teams of Others will come to extract Sun. He asked Juliet to mark the tents of any other pregnant women. Ahhh....perhaps marking the tents will be part of Jack's plan for an ambush! It's gonna be a showdown for the ages! And it conveniently is scheduled to occur right around the season finale! Weird how that works isn't it?
The History of Ben
Speaking of weird, time to talk about Ben! Although, his flashbacks weren't TOO weird, they just raise a lot more questions and STILL leave a lot to be explored with the fall of the DHARMA Initiative. But we also got some goodies in there! Mainly, as stated before, we follow the path of how Ben went from innocent child to the manipulative evil Ben we know today!
- So, did anyone else think we were on the island witnessing the birth of Ben? Yeah...even when the producers mentioned in a podcast that we shouldn't necessarily believe Ben was telling the truth about his birthplace, I still fell for it! But no, Ben was born on a hiking trip 32 miles outside Portland (a locale becoming more and more important with each episode!)
- Ben's mother Emily dies as a result of childbirth. She was 7 months pregnant. This seems to tie all of Ben's determination to save expecting mothers on the island very nicely. It provides us all sympathy for the tragic reminder Ben receives on each of his birthdays that he caused his mother's death. Ben's father, Roger, reminds him of this in his drunken stupors.
- We are introduced to Horace Goodspeed. Look into the names if you will and provide your theories on the significance in the comments! All I can think about is Stanley Goodspeed from The Rock! Horace was on the side of the road the day of Emily's death. It is yet to be seen if his significance goes further than just the link to how Roger and Ben end up on Fantasy Island.
- Yes for some 12ish years later (based on how old Ben appears), Horace was a part of the DHARMA Initiaitve and a bit of a hippie at that! He recruited Roger to be a part of experimentation taking place on the island. They arrive via the infamous DHARMA Sub (so we think once again...we once again still don't see them actually arriving!) But instead of working on experimentation, Roger becomes a WORK MAN. Ahhhh...ring a bell? Yep, remember that FILLER episode this season where Hurley found the DHARMA Van and the dead "Roger Workman" inside? Guess it isn't a filler episode anymore! Them genius writers, I'm telling you!
- We have a new Marvin Candle video to analyze (the Korean DHARMA video guy!) He welcomes everyone to the DHARMA Initiative. Discusses how the barracks are surrounded by a high frequency Sonar Fence to protect from the diverse "Wildlife." Hmm Smoke Monster or the "Hostiles?" He explains how every morning a new code will be provided if anyone wants to risk going beyond the fence. "There are properties on this island that exist nowhere else on this earth. Our Mission is to study these properties for the betterment of mankind and advancement of world peace" Betterment of mankind eh? Perhaps to start mankind all over again? Ben touches on the "world peace/harmony" aspect in the present time and how the DHARMA Initiative couldn't even co-exist with The Others. So...really nothing revealed in this additional DHARMA Video...just more to chew on!
- Ben gets a friend! Yes, he meets Annie and she offers the ultimate sign of friendship in the Apollo Candy Bar. Lots of adventure happen with Annie in these flashbacks, but the most important being the exchanging of Ben/Annie Dolls on Ben's Birthday. Something Ben holds sacred even in the present day. I wonder if Annie was part of the Purge. And when Annie suggested with the dolls that Ben and Annie would never be apart, I wonder if this holds more significance. Was she leaving? Or was this justification for Ben years later come Purge time? There's obviously room for more Ben flashbacks. Or at least...maybe some RICHARD flashbacks where we could learn more about Ben? I guess all I'm saying there is that if anyone is going to be offed in the season finale, Ben is still on the table as a possibility! But I hope not. That creepy dude is awesome!
- During Ben's education at the DHARMA Daycare (came up with that myself, you like?), we learn that the Island is actually volcanic and that there had been an eruption a long time ago. Hmmm I'm guessing this was an important tidbit for episodes to come!
- Then there is the attack of the Hostiles, as DHARMA people always call the Others. (Even Desmond said it in season 2!) Lots of explosions and a lock-down in the classroom. But the biggest thing to come out of all of this was Roger recapping the story and saying they were driving back from the PLANE prior to the explosion. Hmmm....this must be a plane we have not heard about or seen before since it pre-dates both Flight 815 and the Nigerian Plane.
- And of course we must mention Ben seeing visions of his dead mother and the whispering he hears. Of course when he sees her beyond the fence...and Emily saying "It's not time yet Benjamen" we're supposed to look at the Purgatory themes and the Gates to Heaven. But on a surface level, it would seem it is not time for Ben to make his departure from the DHARMA Initiative just yet.
- Young Ben DOES in fact make an excursion outside of the fence one day. Gets the daily code "54439" (numbers fanatics...work your magic!), the de-powering of the Fence makes the infamous Star Wars Tractor Beam deactivation sound that we so know and love (you know..on the Death Star! Come on, I'm not THAT big of a dork for making the connection!). Ben sends a white bunny through the fence. Ahh we learn of Ben's fascination with causing terror for cute little bunnies! Of course...he didn't paint an 8 on the back of any bunnies at this point in his life!
- More whispering is heard and then enter Long haired hippie Richard. Huh? He's on the island already? He was an Original Inhabitant of the island? And how on earth does he look like he's the same age while Ben is only 12? I could've sworn Present Day Ben was the same age as Richard, if not older. Now, I'm sure Richard is supposed to look younger with the wavy hair...and it's just because it's the same actor playing him that he looks older....but still...how much older than Ben could he really be in the present day? Anyway...Richard looks VERY intrigued that Ben sees visions of his Mother and Hears her talking to him. But he asks Ben to be patient. Kinda like Emily said "it isn't time yet." From those 2 exchanges, it would seem that the Smoke Monster/Visions CAN be tied to the OTHERS and they are manipulating Ben. Or it could be seen as Richard seeing hope in Ben for being able to experience some of the Island's powers. And they have plans for Ben to be their leader one day.
- Years later...we see an older Ben (it would seem still a bit younger than present day Ben but not TOO much younger) working as a WORK MAN right along with Roger. They take the Van out on Ben's Birthday to the Pearl Station and then to Mesa (never heard this before, have we?) Lots of exchanges of how Roger ruined Ben's life for him and then BAM....GAS City! At 4:00 sharp, Ben kills his father and leaves him to rot in the Van at Mesa. How the Van is turned over when Hurley found it? Yet to be seen. But what IS seen now is that 2 times Richard has convinced outcasts to kill their fathers to become ONE OF THEM. As Present Day Ben says...he CHOSE his allegiance when it was necessary.
- Why do I say Richard convinced him? Because when we return to the Barracks the entire DHARMA community has been Gassed and killed. Yes...Mikhail telling us of the PURGE was accurate. And we finally saw it first hand!
- Question to part with from this section: Was Kelvin working for DHARMA at this point? It would seem he would have to be. But he wasn't there for the purge. He was pushing the button. Maybe this also confirms Ben did NOT know about the Swan hatch until he was brought there by Sayid.
The Hunt for Jacob
Yes, this is the storyline that has all of our heads spinning once again. As if we didn't have enough on our plates with Time Travel. Now we have imaginary friends to deal with! Anyway, Locke's back with dead Daddy and wants some answers! So do we John, So do we! Here's what went down.
- It's Ben's Birthday again which he seems adamant about reminding to Richard. As if maybe Richard promised Ben he'd never forget his Birthday some time ago. Perhaps a promise that he made in order to persuade Ben to help with the Purge? Ben still has his Annie Doll with him to this day too. I just have a feeling this scene will hold more significance with future flashbacks.
- Ben realizes the recording is missing, thinking Richard brought it to the Medical Hatch. Does he catch on that Locke gave it to the survivor camp? We're not meant to think so. I'm going to say no for now.
- Ben has a sit down with Locke once he returns. Pours some whiskey, which seems to be a recurring theme on the show these days. He tells Locke that he really doesn't have all of the answers. But DOES say he's not the leader and tells us about Jacob. How Jacob only speaks to Ben and everyone believes that Ben does speak to Jacob. Locke has his suspicions right away. Keep in mind...the OTHERS seem to be getting tired of Ben's quest for fertility on the island. It just seems that Ben took charge of the OTHERS after a key occasion where he encountered Jacob for the first time (maybe seeing his Dead mother ties into this somehow...where the others view Ben has having a gift?) And since no one else has communicated with Jacob, THE OTHERS were willing to follow Ben and whatever Ben wanted to do. And it seems Ben used his manipulation skills to convince everyone that Jacob WANTS them to pursue the fertility on the island issue. Maybe even convince everyone that Jacob exists? I'm getting ahead of myself. And I'm definitely just theorizing by the facts given.
- Mikhail shows up and explains why he's still alive (as promised, in a sentence). The Pylons were not set to a lethal level. And just like that he lives. He explains to THE OTHERS about Naomi. Clearly, Naomi is not with The Others, as this comes as a shock to everyone. Of course Locke tells the entire Camp that Ben is taking him to see Jacob. The whole camp is taken aback. And notice how no one does a thing when Locke starts to beat the crap out of Mikhail. This seemed to show their loyalty behind Locke over Ben, which was the point Locke was trying to prove. Everyone is fed up...and if Locke is the CHOSEN ONE, or whatever....why shouldn't HE be able to go see Jacob? Again...just my take on it all. So, against Ben's wishes (so we think), he must bring Locke to Jacob.
- Alex gives Locke a gun for the Jacob encounter. What is THIS all about? Has Alex met Jacob? Or just heard stories?
- Ben suggests Jacob will not appreciate the intrusion. He summons people and is not someone you just go and see. Could be more of Ben's fear and attempts at manipulation. He seems to have his own agenda, and other people coming in contact with Jacob would ruin his hold on people.
- So was that a river of ASH that Ben and Locke came in contact with? Perhaps from the Volcanic Eruption? Does this hold significance to Jacob's location? Why did Ben look so scared to cross the Ash? I have no answers, just observing!
- And then there is the Jacob encounter. This is probably where the LOST fans are divided in Half. They arrive at an old creepy house in the middle of the jungle. Ben mentions Jacob is like Locke when it comes to use of Technology on the island and requests Locke to turn off flashlight. After Ben does the ol "There's No Turning back once door is open" saying...we enter the house. We see a Portrait of a Dog (a creepy dog!), Jars of weird colored fluid, and of course Ben talking to his Invisible friend!
- I was with Locke.....Ben is a loon! He somehow was keeping his hold over the others by lying to them! Locke says some awful words to Ben that he may learn to regret. He walks away and then hears in a creepy low voice "HELP ME." He turns the flashlight on...and all hell breaks loose! The house shakes.....jars fall over, the chair rocks....windows break....lantern lights the inside on fire. Ben yells at the chair and gets pushed against the wall.....and then....IT HAPPENS.....we see a brief glimpse of a Man sitting in the chair!
- Okay...so we need to break this stuff down right? First of all...did anyone see that shadow on the chair when the house started to shake? Some suggest this was ol' Smokey appearing again. It kinda just looks like an accidental shadow to me. Plus, it wasn't accompanied by the trademark Smoke Monster Sound.
- Then there's the quick glimpse of JACOB. The hair is a bit deceiving, but look at the shape of the face and forehead. Doesn't that look a bit like John Locke? I was mulling around a theory in my head yesterday that perhaps Locke is unknowingly Jacob prior to seeing the episode. So, this might be me just seeing things. I also mulled around the possibility that it could be Christian Shepard (whom we never actually saw die...just saw his body...but now that they found the bodies of the Flight 815 passengers...it made me start considering that again). But who really knows. We can guess about this all day....but it will be revealed to us in time who Jacob is. And if Hurley's foreshadowing in Expose' is correct, it will be in season 4! But this kinda confirms it won't be Lando/Billy Dee Williams!
- So then there's the ol "HELP ME" thing. Ben seemed very surprised at Locke saying he heard something. And the fact that LOCKE heard "Help Me" could say it all. Ben clearly didn't hear Jacob say it. Maybe he's never heard Jacob at all? And can he really see him? Or was he really hoping that bringing Locke there would shed some light on the situation? Again...we can all theorize...but we just need to let this one play out. But why "Help Me" Is it Help free me from Ben? Help me because I'm invisible? Help Me Help You? Help! I need somebody? not just anybody? Yeah....I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out why he was invisible!
- Locke still was trying to figure out exactly what he saw, claiming it was all a big show to Ben. (He clearly saw Jacob! They showed his eyes fixated on it!) Ben reveals that he DID lie about being born on the island and then shows Locke the DHARMA Grave. Ben is persistent in finding out what Jacob said to Locke...and then he SHOOTS Locke! WOA!!! Why did he do it? "BECAUSE YOU HEARD HIM!" Hmmm....is that because he doesn't want Locke telling The Others what he heard? Would seem so, wouldn't it? Perhaps Jacob will help Locke? Locke does have incredible healing powers. But we've never seen anyone recover from Bullets. Can they really kill John Locke after he heard such an important Message? I say no....of course...unless Jacob IS Locke and there are 2 Locke's from 2 different times on the island. That's a bit crazy, though isn't it? I'm sticking with SOMEHOW Locke will survive this and become more determined than ever to SAVE the island...OTHERS and Survivors alike.
Hope I didn't lose anyone in that rambling. Every detail of the episode seemed so important! I didn't want to leave anything out! Very interested to hear everyone else's thoughts on the crazy episode. Liked/Disliked? Theories? Bring em' on! We can figure it out together! Wait...we still have more to discuss!
3 Seasons of 16 Left
In case you've been living under a rock...or I dunno...actually doing work, you probably have heard that LOST producers have worked with ABC to confirm an End Date for LOST! Took me awhile to get on board but we have 3 Seasons left of 16 episodes each. For now each season will run from February to May and the show will end in 2010! If you're having a hard time getting on board, maybe you want to read the entertainment weekly interview with Damon and Carlton (producers). I thought it was fantastic! Careful on Page 3...they reveal a few tidbits of season 3. One of them being that we'll meet Jacob in the episode that just passed. They also compare Jacob to the Emperor in the Star Wars saga....and how we didn't even meet the guy until Return of the Jedi, but he was always mentioned leading up to that. They claim Jacob is just as important to LOST as the Emperor is to Star Wars. But their rationalization of the final 3 seasons was what captivated me. If you think about it....they had a 5 season plan. Each season being 24 episodes (so that would be 48 episode). So now....we have 3 seasons of 16, which is also 48 episodes. They said 24 episodes a season is too tough for them and leads to some of those bizarre episodes we've had where really nothing happens. 3 sets of 16 is better to work with and also gives them more time to put some thought into how they unveil the mythology to us! But we can all be assured that the answers are coming and they already started this season! We're more than halfway done! I'm excited and totally onboard!
Finally, I'd like to end this blog by welcoming all of the newcomers who discovered the blog last week! Thanks for checking it out! Please keep on coming back and sharing your thoughts. And share with your friends! Hell, share with people you don't even know! I was really excited to see the Comments section taking off! This was always meant to be an interactive discussion with other fans of the show!
Well my fellow Losties, 2 more blogs for the season and I'm sure the episodes are going to be fantastic! I'll see you next week to discuss!
51 comments:
Love your recaps! I started checking it out last week. Although last night was a fantastic episode, it also left my head spinning a bit! Love this show
Mike,
I agree that Ben cannot hear Jacob and never has. He made up his own agenda from Day 1 and pushed it on the others under the pretense that the orders are trickling down from JAcob. The pure fact that Jacob did speak to Locke created such anamosity from Ben that he shot John. Ben after all is much like Locke in the fact that they were both nobodies, oridany workman looking for a true purpose and some guidance.
I read this idea online and I may agree -The "help me" muttered by Jacob is because Ben has found some way to imprission Jacob to the little shack. The substance that surrounds Jacob's cabin may well be gunpowder: Ben may have placed it inside and around the house in order to destroy it and anything inside if need be. However, the way it is arranged as well as the manner in which he carefully steps over it as he approaches the house evokes images of the circles used in magic to contain and command otherworldly entities. If the circle is broken, the entity can escape, and it usually seeks revenge on the person who imprisoned it.
If this is true it would make sense that Jacob could not leave the circle in human form, but rather as the monster, enraged because he has been trapped by Ben
Thanks Anonymous!
Good insight Rob. I was thinking along those lines about Ben but couldn't sum it up that nicely! lol Gunpowder is an interesting thought too. I thought that Ben might have Jacob trapped somehow. But very interesting way to tie him to the Smoke Monster. Good stuff!
To me, the point of Emily dying at 7 mos of pregnancy was the parallel that women on the island have not yet gone past the 2nd trimester. The start of the 7th month is the very start of the third trimester !
Running into Horace and his wife 32 miles from Portland ? They were coming from or going to the Dharma offices when they ran into Bens parents. We know from Juliette's flashback that Dharma was 'near' Portland.
I agree with RobR - Ben couldn't hear Jacob and was infuriated that Locke could. Either Ben made up Jacob to the others all along and was then shocked when Locke could hear him, or like the island Jacob had long abandoned Ben but is responding to Locke
Also liking the theory that the 'ppwder' surrounding Jacob's area is what keeps him there and that it's only as Smokey that he can leave.
Funny - little ben hobbling with Cane thru the woods with Locke reminded me of Yoda ! Then your recap mentions star wars for the sound when the fence was uncharged and then for the article where the producers liken Jacob to the emporer.
Mike:
not following the logic that Ben di dnot knwo of Swan til Sayid brought him there. Afterall, Ben knew about the hatch that was the monitoring station with all the tvs.
Butzo! You're a machine! I hope the rest of the readers appreciate that they're getting an in-depth recap and analysis from the 4th smartest person in the world. :) Like this past episode, your blogs are "Whifty Wow!"
Keep up the good work!
MJ - Yeah...I'm still a little confused myself on the whole Ben/Swan thing. The producers said in a Podcast (it's like my favorite thing to claim these days! lol) that Ben did not have knowledge of the Swan hatch before being taken there. It seems like this contradicts with him knowing of the Pearl Hatch and seeing the video feed. I actually mentioned this back in the Expose' Blog when we saw Ben in that hatch with Juliet. Maybe what they meant was.....Ben didn't know WHERE it was...or didn't know what would happen if the button wasn't pushed..lol
I probably am overthinking the whole thing anyway!
Goose, aka Dougworld! Nice to hear from you man. Glad Sminkey referred you to the Blog. And it was the 4th Smartest person in the School of Business! Not the World (although...i may be close on the World thing these days!) How's life man? Still having slow dances at your house to Bon Jovi Power Ballads? Thanks for the compliments man!
Anonymous #2! Yeah...sometimes I try to hold back on comparing everything to Star Wars...and other times...it just fits too perfectly! And we already know Damon and JJ Abrams hit it off upon their first meeting due to Star Wars (well...i don't know if WE knew that...but it was on the Season 1 DVD extras explaining how Lost came into existence lol)
I love useless knowledge!
'Jacob' has similar high forehead to Mr. WIdmore and to Alvar hanso himself !
http://humpys.net/characters.php
But for some reason, jacob is reminding me of this aussie/british actor whose name I think is Derek De Lint
What does everyone think about the eye they flash in the Jacob scene?
http://losteatereggs.blogspot.com
To me, it looks like Desmond... anyone agree?
Star Wars, Stephen King, the Wizard of Oz, and the Bible seem to be the most prominent influences right now.
Star Wars--Jacob the Emperor, Anthony Cooper's Jabba death, The Wookie Prisoner trick.
Stephen King--The Stand is said to be a key influence, but I'm finding a lot that can be more closely identified with The Dark Tower series. Especially the looming threat of attack by the Others on the beach camp. In Book 5 of the Dark Tower--The Wolves of the Calla--A group of mechanical "wolves" attack a small town to steal one child from every pair of twins.
There's also a preoccupation with numbers and shifting timelines in the entire Dark Tower series.
Wizard of Oz--Pretty obvious.
The Bible--There are a good number of parallels to the biblical Jacob and his son Benjamin, including Benjamin's birth to a woman named Rachel by the side of a road. Rachel dies in childbirth but names the boy before that.
thanx 4 helpin me feel less LOST
Namaste :
2 meanings I have found. A hindu greeting. Also used in Yoga as " I bow to you".
Other bloggers have called the island fantasy island jokingly, but the scene when the Dharmians arrive certainly reminded me of Fantasy Island.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but according to TV Guide, a "changed Loche" is in the finale. So, he is NOT dead. I knew it!
Roger said that they were coming back from the FLAME (not the PLANE) when they were attacked but the "Hostiles".
interesting..the closed captioning said "PLANE" not "Flame" but that thing is wrong all of the time lol
I'll check everyone's comments a bit later....work is driving me nuts today! lol
wow, i missed that you could actually see jacob! cool. that changes my thoughts on the episode completely. I thought Ben shot Locke simply because he didn't want him telling everyone that Jacob didn't really exist.
Ben's daughter giving locke the gun was interesting... maybe this wouldn't be the first time Ben took someone to Jacob only to have them come back dead.
I had the same thoughts as rob about the witch magic circle of dust/powder to entrap Jacob. To expand upon that, remember the seemingly random scene at the black rock where frenchy came to get explosives? maybe she's using the powder in a circle around herself to protect herself when she sleeps?
Richard not aging was interesting, but maybe that was supposed to be Richard's dad (two different people)? Or maybe he's a CLONE! (star wars clone wars, haha). If not, maybe as some people heal quickly on the island, other people don't age. And if they don't age, maybe "JACOB" is actually the captain of the black rock! That would be cool, huh.
OK, last thought. What are the chances that Ben's little girlfriend got pregnant on the island and died, and that maybe the girl really is Ben's daughter with her and not with Frenchy. I would say the little girl is Frenchy but the little girl didn't have an accent.
-Brendan
Wow...lots of good stuff! Loving the interaction! lol As for Alex not having a french accent...this is because she was taken when she was an infant. If you want to be technical...Rousseau has a Yugoslavian Accent (which the producers always joke about on the podcast) lol. But yeah...I think Alex is still Rousseau's....there really is a question of the timeline now with Ben's history though. Like...when exactly did the Purge take place? How long before flight 815 crashed? before Desmond ended up on the island? Alex was captured 16 years ago....so was it AFTER Rousseau showed up to the island? Really tough to tell right now. But I'm sure with a few more flashbacks they could clear that right up.
Thanks MJ and Anonymous for the Links. (i think that was supposed to be losteaStereggs.blogspot.com was missing the s) I was just assuming those eyes were Locke's hence why I mentioned in the blog he definitely SAW Jacob. I guess they could be someone else's lol. Crazy stuff.
As for Stephen King...He actually has met with the producers to discuss the show at great detail. He's been a big fan of the show since the beginning and a big proponent (that's a word, right?) of them setting an end date and not letting the networks ruin the show. He frequently writes about it for Entertainment Weekly. So, I'm guessing The producers and King are mutual fans of each others work...so King gets shout outs in the episodes.
Interesting with the Bible passages too...I agree those seem to be the most prominent references in LOST right now (along with Star Wars, Wizard of Oz and King)
Good stuff! Just checked the HITS for today...they are doubled from last week which was double the week before! Thanks for spreading the word everyone (either that, or frequently checking back! lol) You all rock!
Just remembered something. Remember in "Not In Portland" (Juliet's first Flashback) when Richard is courting Juliet to come work for Mittelos Bioscience...he shows Juliet the Ultrasound or X-Ray of a 70 Year old woman...and then Richard says she's actually 28? They never really explained this crazy thing. But perhaps Richard not aging is along the same lines of this. I really have no idea to what extent, But they sure seem related. Plus, if WALT ever shows back up...he's definitely going to look older even though only months have gone by in LOST Time. The producers have said that they have taken this into consideration for Walt's story as well.
Just pointing out stuff we need to keep tracking!
I have a thought on Lockes' gunshot wound. A good reason why he will survive from it, is because he had a kidney transplant. Where they showed the bullet wound would be exactly where a kidney injury would occur. So it should miss anything major. Also with the aging of Richard. Like Mike said about the 28 year old having the internal organs of a 70 year old. I agree that the island has different powers for different people. Richards power seems to be not to age, which would tie into Bens' comment of "You do remember birthdays, don't you Richard?" It's just a few thoughts I had, hope they help further along everyone's image of the show.
WHEN ARE YOU GONNA START MAKING T-SHIRTS FOR YOUR BLOG!!!!!!! I WANT ONE!!!!!!!
That's the 2nd time I heard about the kidney thing today. I definitely like that theory! I wouldn't doubt that the writers actually chose the exact location of where to shoot Locke so that he would survive. And it would be very fitting if it was where his Kidney WOULD'VE been!
Good call with Richard not aging and the "birthdays" comment. Perhaps they are tied lol.
And Whifty...I was wondering when you were going to comment. Afterall, you got your "WHIFTY Wow!" lol T-shirts for a blog eh? I don't think that would be a profitable endeavor! lol
If only coach had put Roger in for the fourth quarter, he would have taken state. Then instead of being stuck on this ridiculous island, he would've been livin it up in a hot tub with his soulmate. Poor Roger.
But I bet he could've thrown a football over the Mesa.
Niiiiiiice! lol Took me forever to figure out who that guy was playing Roger! lol
Well, maybe LOST and Napoleon Dynamite have more connections than we think. Afterall, they DID buy a Time Machine! lol
Here is an amazing theory about Ben's childhood gf, Annie, growing up to be ... Kate!
http://www.freewebs.com/tyco815/
It seems plausible given the evidence, but I don't know ... too far a stretch?
Mike please comment, I'm dying to hear what you think.
Thanks for the great blog!
hmmm...well I won't say it isn't interesting! lol But some of the things like "they're both holding the candy bar in their left hand"....seem a little TOO MUCH for me. As well as the quotes from the producers. No way would they just ANSWER a theory like that! I don't care how close someone was. Those quotes had to be made up! The biggest similarity would be that Kate went by ANNIE in Australia. As for Kate being on the beach with the feet thing and Iowa....I'm going to say that could easily be explained.
The fact is...it's a HUGE stretch to think that Kate was part of the DHARMA Initiative as a child, then left the island...became a criminal, murdered her real father, then went on the run. And when she got to the island...had no idea where she was? Especially when she saw BEN (then going by Henry) for the first time, not really recognizing him? And then when they had breakfast together in the season premiere of 3....she didn't say anything to him or he to her? I think there are too many facts AGAINST this theory than there are to support it. But like I said, definitely interesting! lol And you never know...could be true!
But as for Annie, I would say her character is definitely an important introduction in LOST, but as for her being someone we already know? I'm not so sure about that.
Thanks for asking for my opinion! It's very scary to me sometimes that people out there are actually interested to hear my take on things lol!
Hmm. Interesting twist on Ben's comment to Richard ' you rmember birthdays, don't you?'
I took that to be related to the fact that dear old dad never remembered young Ben's bday
I immediately assumed Locke won't die because Ben only shot him once! If you want to kill someone you have to empty that gun - five or six shots! One shot leaves it open to the possibility that Locke survives - which I think he must.
Love reading the recaps - we come here immediately after watching an episode to get your and the other fan's take on the show. This was was a SUPER WOW episode for sure. You almost felt sorry for "bug eyes", I mean Ben. And what's the deal with Richard not aging - or was that Richard; did they ever actually say his name?
WOW. 2011 and people are still reading the blog..... good job :) I am loving that I am able to watch the next episode right away (thanks Netflix!) if I want and you guys had to wait a whole week!!!!! Anyways, Locke is definitely not dead that would be why they did not actually SHOW him dying, they just kind of backed off the camera and then ended the show. Also, I did not see Jacob when initially watching the episode and neither did the two people I was watching it with last night, but that is one of the reasons why I read your blog! The other reason being that you are pretty much a genius. Also, I wanted to say thanks for not taking the blog off the internet because it is really frustrating when I click on links they are nonexistent anymore and the same goes for all Lost podcasts!ahhhh! Anyways, thanks thanks thanks! :) I look forward to reading more in the future. :)
You could be onto something there with Locke but I don't want to spoil anything :-). So glad you're finding the blog useful! I'd usually write more but I'm out of town and writing on my phone! Lol but keep commenting and I'll catch up sooner or later! Enjoy!!
Ok, I admit, I was close to giving up on the show the first half of this season. WOW so glad I didn't! I cant imagine having to wait 9 months between episodes!
Season 3 is one of my favorites in hindsight! Started slow (I didn't mind it) but finished with a bang. Glad you're sticking with it! Saw your comment on the other post about the friends reference. Lol that show is/was another obsession of mine! Keep enjoying the show/blog!
I'm still trucking through my rewatch with a few others! Still awesome!
Well, it doesn't get much better than this, at least for me. Because for the first 30 or 40 minutes, Locke was like Rambo, Batman and Clint Eastwood rolled into one! He was on FIRE as he bullied Ben around Othersville. As Lost's biggest Locke fan, I was in heaven.
But then they went to Jacob's house, and Locke instantly disbelieved Ben about the invisible Jacob. Maybe almost everyone else would've done the same, but I sure wouldn't have. I'd probably still be a bit nervous just from the way Ben was building it up, but then I would have been a lot more curious about the situation than Locke was. I would've observed Ben talking to the rocking chair and asked a few questions (I can think of like a hundred good ones). Yes, it might seem crazy, but Locke knows this island is full of mysteries and strange powers. You can't accuse something that appears unreal as being fraudulent like you might 6 months ago. Locke has stared into the hot breath of a smoke monster, for God's sake!
I don't know, as in-tune as Locke appears to be with the island, he was too quick to judge something he didn't understand. But I get it, Locke has a very logical side too and the TV writers gotta write it up, ya know?
So Locke gets shot by Ben and falls into a mass grave. It happened so quick, it did come as a surprise, but I'm not worried in the least that Locke is dead. Not worried 1%. I mean, with everything we know about John Locke and his passion and burning curiosity about this mystical island, you really think the show is going to have him croak in a ditch from one bullet to the gut? Don't make me laugh. If Locke dies, it'll be from getting dragged down inside the island by the Smoke Monster, where he'll see incredible visions of Helen, his dead father and a terrifying game of Mouse Trap.
Locke dead? P'shaw! And I've said before, he's the character most intertwined with the island mythology, so he's safe, at least until the final season.
Well, the rest of my comment ran too long, so maybe I'll split it into two posts. Sure, why not? After all, I can afford to be wordy; Mike's the only one who'll end up reading this thing anyway, six years after the episode actually aired!
So if Locke isn't gonna die, that means somebody else probably will by the season finale. Who could it be? Well, we know it's not Kate, Sawyer or Jack. And Hurley might've (but not really) been a possibility in season one, but certainly not in season three. And knowing that Claire is Jack's half sister saves her skinny butt too, at least for this season.
And forget about Sun, too. There's the whole "expectant mommies die" virus that has WAY too much to play out. So amongst the major characters, that leaves Ben, Charlie, Sayid, Jin, and Desmond, and the second-level characters Rose, Bernard and Juliet. Of those, Ben and Desmond are safe; their characters aren't nearly played out, and until Jacob turns out to be real and a real villain, we cant' kill off Ben.
I could see Bernard or Rose. Sure, only a minor character, but you know Lost would turn you into a bawling baby by killing off one of them. Juliet is definitely possible, but we're not invested in her enough to really see her die and there's too much mystery left in her. You need a character who we know and love. For the big bang I'm expecting, it's gotta be Charlie, Sayid or Jin.
Sure, Charlie: Desmond's been saying he's gonna die. So he finally does…. Nah, that would be too predictable. It'd make more sense for Desmond to die in a big twist, but he's off the table. The only way to kill off Charlie is to make it somehow unpredictable or unbelievably heroic, which Lost COULD achieve in the season finale, but even then it would seem predictable because…well, he's dead.
Then how 'bout Sayid? Maybe. He comes in very handy for a lot of warring plots, though, a lot more plots than Charlie does. And Lost needs a smart, tough guy like him. But we know and love Sayid and he's very stabilized as a character, I think; not much room for growth. So maybe.
So what about Jin? Yeah, what about Jin? Well, killing him off now is a waste of potential heartbreaking episodes for the Lost writers. Jin doesn't know his wife is gonna die, so it doesn't make sense he'd die before finding out about that. You don't give up a great heartbreak episode ("Jin Suffers as Sun Dies") by switching it out with another ("Jin Dies") when you can eventually have both. A lot of drama left in Jin. And no, I don't believe Sun will actually die from her pregnancy, but we won't know either way by season's end, so you can't kill off Jin prematurely.
So, my bet is on the maybe: Sayid, doing something incredibly heroic. After he dies, Jin will have to learn English real good and become the resident tough guy.
Wow, this became a huge two-post comment! And I had to delete a third one (that used to be the second) because of an egregious spelling error.
Sheesh, What do I think I'm doing, writing a blog? Sorry Mike!
NOBODY DIES! ~ THE END!
LOST's biggest Locke fan eh? You might have to get in line behind a lot of others! (pun maybe slightly intended on use of the word "others" lol)
Invisible Jacob?? Seems like whoever it was surely was visible for a fraction of a second! lol
As for your wordiness, I'm not the only one reading these things. Actually, someone else already commented referring to one of your comments as they're watching for the first time too! lol Your comments will live on and become part of this blog's future legacy!
All of the death theorizing was a good time. And now, you know which one of your theories was correct!
Well, that clears things up about history between Dharma and The Others. Strangely, I remember fragments of this episode's flashback (Ben killing his father for eg.) but not the Purge, how, I don't know. I did watch episode 21 on Friday as well, but it seems to me that down below in the comments people start talking about finale as well (which doesn't air here until Tuesday (actually two 45 mins episodes on Monday and Tuesday) so I didn't want to spoil anything for me by reading comments and commenting there :D
Yep, these last couple of episodes have been a real roller coaster ride. That's exactly why I rate season 3 as best out of first 3 I've watched. And lot of reveals and subtle reveals. I'm also beginning to like The Others (apart from Ben). I can see them as some ancient epic/weird/mystical/ tribe/community which is following some old prophecy where their reincarnated chosen one will come and unravel island mysteries for them. They thought it was Ben but obviously he is more of a manipulator and con man than the one they are looking for. I love how producers presented The Others here and I hope they explore their history even further back in time. Now I cheer for them to become good guys, get rid of Ben and install Locke as their leader :D
I again, remember some fragments of finale, and I can't even think of what is going to happen in next three seasons. All I know it's a hell of a ride and I'm looking forward to it :)
Hmm I was usually pretty good policing comments to make sure no one commented on future episodes (except maybe vague teases from me in the years since lol). Sorry if you stumbled on anything spoilery.
I too agree that season 3 was awesome. I even wrote a defense for the season near the end of the series for a collaboration effort by lots of lost bloggers s celebrating the show. I may have linked to it on one of these recaps eventually. Lol
I'm jealous you're about to get into uncharted lost territory for you soon! Based on how you're reacting to everything I have no doubt you'll love the ride! Keep posting and I'll keep following along! :)
Hey Mike! The last two episodes were definitely WOW episodes! It's been awhile since I last commented. College starting back has slowed my Netflix pace. Just wanted to drop by once again to let you know how much I appreciate this blog and the discussions. You were so right. Things really started to pick up by the end of season 3. I'm not sure what happened?! Did your blog get plugged in another blog/podcast/show ? But yeah this is so much fun to read! I know Miles probably won't see this... but reading your thoughts after each episode is just as intriguing! You will not be forgotten, my friend. Great stuff. Anyways Mike, just wanted to let you I am slowly making my way through, and I am enjoying every minute of it!
Hi DWH1T93! I may or may not have placed a few well strategic links on major media website comments sections when it was still allowable. :-) lol Somehow it struck a trigger and things snowballed from there until it was a Googleable website when you just typed in "Lost Blog". Still baffled how it caught on but I loved every minute of it!
Thanks for the props on the blog and I'm glad you're still finding it entertaining! I loved the final episodes of season 3...enjoy it! And enjoy college! I still miss it! :)
Lol.. awesome.
Not sure if anyone reads this anymore..But I just became obsessed with Lost this month. These blogs have saved me from anxiety and confusion.. Read them immediately after an episode. Thanks. I just want to finish the show already and see how it ends!!!
Hi marielle! Yup I still get notified of new comments so I keep up with new viewers. Thanks for dropping a note and for checking out the blog! Glad you find them useful! Don't get too caught up with wanting it to end and enjoy the wild ride! Feel free to comment along the way if you like. I'll try to keep up. :)
still people watching hehe
Annie and Kate could not be the same person, because Annie was about Ben's age, and Ben is currently in hid mid 40's.
And Kate is around 30 years old. So that theory won't work out
I also think we will see a changed Sawyer in the future, now that he has killed the man he went after for so many years. But as long as he keeps up with nicknames and one-liners it'll be just fine!
Hi Anonymous (and Haggard gaming!) - just noticed that I'm not getting notified for comments lately. Not sure what's going on. I've fallen behind!
Did I suggest Annie and Kate are the same person?? lol Doesn't surprise me. One theory I stuck with (as a joke) for a long time was that Annie and Sarah (Jack's ex) might be the same person. But yeah...I came up with a bunch of crazy theories. It was fun to speculate!
LOL on the nicknames and one liners. I don't think you'll be disappointed there!
Why was Locke the one with the special connection to the island? Because his disability was cured? Rose was cured of her cancer. Jin was cured of his sterility. It took Naomi less than 2 days to recover from her punctured lung. As for Locke's visions, he was not the only one who had experienced them. So much for Locke's special connection.
I mean it’s been awhile. Did I say Locke was exclusively special on the island? Doesn’t sound like something I’d say. I’ve seen the whole show multiple times now so if i did chalk it up to first time speculators nonsense lol.
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