I feel like I know Jack better. I feel like I know Sawyer better. I feel like I know Desmond better. That’s the point. These are people we care about. We want to know what makes them tick as much as we want to know why they are here (on the island) and what is going to happen to them. Finding out who The Others really are is, for me, something on the side.

Thanks, Ryan and Jen, for hosting this site and letting us Lost fans have this conversation.

I still miss your podcast.
Melissa in Ohio

While this episode did feel “flatter” than most, I still think these guys are positively brilliant in their storytelling abilities and I’m completely ready to hang in with it. I, for one, can’t imagine having the talent to weave together such a complex tale, and I’m hoping Damon and Carlton don’t listen too much to critics–that’s killed more than one creative endeavor. Hang in, guys, and hang in with the show, ABC!

I really loved this episode. It was different than Desmond’s time travel adventure but I love the details you find in low key episodes like this. I also thought it marked a major change in the “feel” of Lost. This is the first episode where the island did not have that sensation (don’t know how else to explain it) of isolation to me. The feeling of being trapped and lost with no hope of rescue. This group of people –the Others- can get off the island to recruit researchers and some go back and forth. The island is home to some and not just some place they are trapped (It’s like Tom Hanks finding a McDonalds on the other side of his island after months of isolation) Their normalness is what I think upset Jack. The little girl and Cindy had no idea of what life was like for the other lost-a-ways. No idea of what their community’s leaders had done to them. Jack could not ask Cindy questions. He knew he was being monitored in the cage. She indicated the situation was more complicated than she could quickly explain.

We have Jack leaving the small island to swelling music with a large ship in the background. It’s a type of music I have not heard before on Lost. It’s almost as if Jack has been rescued. Lost is no longer just about people stranded on the island.

This episode really made me think about the Others’ society and its nature more than any other. Ben was very gently treated on the beach. I got the feeling he was a respected maybe revered leader. I also get the feeling Ben is more than a leader. He buries the dead and I bet marries people too. A priest-leader minus the pesky celibacy? Does Ben rule by hire, election, or by appointment? Are they a cult of scientists? Or is island being made into a modern day Noah’s ark?

We learned the Others are structured society with rules and consequences for breaking those rules including the death penalty.
We learned judgment is determined and administered by a “sheriff”. I thought what she wore was a sort of uniform.
We also learned that Ben has a great deal more power than we thought. He can overrule the sheriff’s verdict, even if that verdict is execution. Ben’s word appears to be law.
When Ben warned Jack that Juliet was one of them no matter what she did, I got the feeling that joining the Others was a lot like joining the mafia. Once an Other always an Other? Even when Juliet gets home?

Fernando said:
“is this a cleaning lady? a production error?”
Neither. It’s reading too much into a picture. This is a production still made on the set, not a screen capture of a scene. According to Gregg Nations, the Script Coordinator on Lost, the woman was part of the staff. There was not enough room behind the camera for her during the shot so she went outside the door. Gregg answers questions at the Fuselage (thefuselage.com).

Cindy and other people were there to watch the trial. Jack and the audience did not learn about the trial until later when Alex tells Jack about it. We were not suppose to know about the trial yet when Cindy sees Jack. It was suppose to be a surprise. I just don’t understand why people are having such a hard time understanding this. The audience was not told the people outside Jack’s cage were there to watch the trial. We were shown. When we look though the door and see Juliet on the dais we see the room is filled with people in chairs watching the trial. Where were those people before the trial? They were milling around outside staring at the guy in the cage.

Dave: Infections after spinal surgery are not that uncommon even when they are done under the best of conditions. Operating rooms are sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria. What was unusual was how fast the infection developed. But if the writers were accurate the season would almost be over before Ben got the infection. As it is I’m afraid Ben will be in a wheelchair for the rest of the season.

No, what you saw was part of her shirt that she was holding onto.

No, what you saw was part of shirt that she was holding onto.

I just hope ABC doesn’t panic because the ratings are down. I am sure if you factored in TIVO numbers the ratings would be solid, the 10PM move has to have a lot to do with the drop. I smell a move to Tuesday night at 9PM afoot? I wish this show was on HBO instead of ABC!!

While I first thought Cindy might be there to “watch” the trial, does anyone think they could be there to “watch” the videos that Karl was watching?

I also think Juliette and Ben are playing Jack to get his help. I believe the whole trial was a fake to get Jack to agree to help Ben in my opinion.

Even the best roller coaster ride on earth is going to have times where it has to slowly pull you up to an even higher peak in order to release you screaming downward, faster than the last time. For all the folks that were bored with this episode, avoid roller coasters and stick to jumping out of airplanes.. blindfolded.

It involves the wooden hammer and what essentially looks like a little rake, where they apply the ink… and is what pierces the skin, creating the tattoo. A lot of times the tattoo artists will not ink anyone who is not considered worthy. I was actually privileged enough to witness the procedure the last time I was in Hawaii.

You can google “tapping tattoos” or use wikipedia if you want more information. I am by no means an expert, and given the history and meaning behind them, I don’t want to spread misinformation. You can find out a lot of the mysticism and rituals that are involved… especially in Taiwanese and Cambodian cultures.

I thought it was a mediocre episode. I liked the insight into the Others and the mental games Jack is playing (similar to when Ben was locked up in the hatch). I like that we now know that the Others do live in the houses seen in episode 1 (maybe that was a secret?) and presumably have limited contact with the otuside world (which is how Ben knows about the World Series but Karl has never heard of the Brady Bunch — he keeps them ignorant to keep control). I like the joke about Jack having no idea what his tats say… but when did he go to Thailand exactly? Before Sarah? After? His backstories are very convoluted and I’m tired of FlashJacks. I liked the return of the Good People (though how can the little kid look THE SAME two and a half years later [in real time]?).

The sappy Karl and Alex melodrama is annoying… too much like in season 1 where they’d do a muscical fade with Shannon looking at the stars… BLAH. The fabricated Kate/Sawyer dialogue is irritating. And let’s get back to the beach for crying out loud… where are Jin/Sun/Sayid? Where is everyone else?

Also — what the heck kind of tattoo involves hammering a stamp into someone’s skin? Tattoos involve needles… and a dirty back alley in Thailand is NOT an idea place to get one. =) Hepatitis on the other hand… =)

This program is great. The production, the acting, the characters, the direction, the scripts, the concept — hands down, the best on tv. And Michael Emerson is WAY over the top as Benry. It’s just disappointing when you see such an unfulfilling episode like last night’s. I understand the producers want to use 100 episodes to tell the story and I guess from time-to-time, they may have to serve Hamburger Helper.

I assumed Cindy & the kids were there to observe Jack in the cage, but it makes more sense they were there for the trial.

This site is wonderful. Thanks Jen & Ryan.

Don’t know what kind of surgeon Ethan was, but probably not a spinal surgeon like Jack. If he’s a general surgeon, he’s not the one you want cutting out your spinal tumor…

This week: “CBS took over the lead at 10 p.m. with “CSI: NY,” 9.3/15. “Lost” posted a 7.6/13, on par with last week’s episode. NBC’s “Medium” came in at 5.4/9.”

But Lost still doing better than what ABC had in that time slot before, so I think it’s safe if the numbers can stop going down. Tell everyone with a Nielsen box to watch next week! I only hope now that Nielsen is counting Tivo recordings it will push the numbers back up.

But she will be a Future MAJOR Factor Mark my words.

We’re assuming that they were there to watch the trial, but they never actually show you that. If that’s the case, why keep it a secret?

And there’s lots of beautiful Asian actresses with generous … uhhh, assets … that are actually able to act! Normally the show is so great in casting, not just the regulars but the guests too; it was jarring to see someone so awful…

Bai Ling doesn’t need to be a good actress, if you know what I mean.

Sorry for any errors the computer I am on is slow.

I am not completely disappointed with the show, just with last episode mainly. though I still think there are BIG communication issues in the series in general. I do think this has been the BEST season so far, but the show seemed to be more dynamic when the entire ensemble was in every episode. It is just getting old to just follow Jack, Sawyer and Kate. This is an ensemble show, and we would like to see more of the Losties.

But I mianly wanted to tell you that I do watch Heroes, and I do not think they answer TOO MANY questions. The main questions are still a mystery, but the writers have quenched the audience’s thirst by answering some questions while they present new ones. As in Lost, Heroes’ cast keeps growing and anyone can die at any moment. but again, you do not feel like there are so many questions that you cannot even keep track of them.

I will move on, though, since I do not want to be perceived as negative. I love the show, and I will not quit watching it this season (I even have already set up the money to buy the DVD’s when they come out in the Fall). I will learn to be patient, and wait for the answers to be revealed. I promise.

I don’t think that there’s any problem with calling out a subpar episode. Speaking only for myself, I tend to hold Lost up to higher standards than I do for other shows, and it’s disappointing when you get what you think is a clunker. It’s also frustrating when not much happens in an episode, and they seem to go out of their way to create more mysteries. Like the tattoos … does there really need to be some big mystery surrounding Jack’s tattoos? Yes, they told you why and where he got them, but do they really need to imply that they’re somehow more than tattoos, and have some mysterious meaning and function that they’ll get to later? It seems really gratuitous to me, like they’re creating a mystery just for the sake of creating a mystery, and not for the sake of great storytelling. Maybe they’ll tie it into something way cool eventually that has to do with the main story arc … I hope!

And when Cindy and the kids are there … “We’re here to watch.” Watch the trial? Maybe, but they don’t show that happening (seeing Juliet’s trial, that would have been interesting). Watch Jack? OK, that is what they’re doing, but why are they doing it? Again, it felt to me like they were being mysterious just for the sake of being mysterious. I don’t mind when the storytelling is slow and they gradually reveal the mysteries, or when they create new onew that tie into the overall arc of the series … but I got the feeling last night like they were almost thumbing their noses at us, telling us nothing just for the sake of telling us nothing.

It was a long way to fall from “Flashes,” I agree. But “Stranger” still felt a little off to me. (I need to take another look at the episodes Kim and Sarnoff have written.) I agree with Jay of “Jay and Jack” that it almost felt like it was intended to be aired earlier. Hardly “Worst. Episode. Ever.” (I still have “Fire + Water” in that spot.) But… I’m certainly looking forward to next week.

Overall, Season 3 has been incredible. We’re bigger fans now than we were halfway through Season 2.

I agree with Connie from Alaska… be patient, or just set sail for another island.

Life’s too short, y’all.

We Glom onto (The Story of the Moment::::
((OJ, Ann Nicole, Brittany Shears/Camando, Scott Petersen,, Lost Kim Family in Oregon, Baby Jessica,Zsa Zsa Punching Cop, Bob Crane Murder, Shuttle Crashes,JFK Jr. Crash, NBA IndyBrawl, Scott Burtuzi Assault, Trump/Rosie Fued,Ellen is Gay,Clinton Pants Down,Idol/WhoWantsToBeAMillionair-WeakestLink-DealorNoDeal-Survivor-DanceWith$tars-StarViewFued/ Michael Jacko/Michael*Mel*Bigot*Blowoutectectect..BlaBlaQuick whatis new For Me to Glom onto ooooooAhhhh…lookat that oh wait lookat that)))
Bottom line Be Patient. enjoy the Moment breathe Deeply and Record more things and PATIENTLY take in the whole picture.
Don’t skip to the end of the book.
A gentle Warm Tropical Breeze is ……..relaxing.
Quality Stories, Series Run Aground and “Jump the Shark” because Plot developement a subtle Chapters are
Labled as Boring and Yuck-o

I can’t really figure this show out, which is why I enjoy it so much.

All I do know for sure is I am tired of all the media and bloggers out there whining about not enough questions being answered in each episode. If they only answer one an episode and go 100 episodes, that should do it, right? I am in this for the journey, and I am enjoying every step.

Ryan, thanks for keeping us posted on all the Island gossip. I miss your podcast, but enjoy hearing you on Jay and Jack from time to time.

Episode was blah. I think it may rank in my books as the worst of the series, or at the very least the worst this season thus far. Bai Ling was terrible (whoever cast her should be fired). ABC’s department that makes those “next episode” promos really need to get with the program and not oversell the show.

I thought this was a good episode for filling in a little more of the small holes: the Others live somewhere else and only work on Alcatraz; they don’t really like Alcatraz; they have a system of rules and punishments; they are very protective of each other if not Outsiders; they are being very coy about whether Ben really IS Alex’s father-it hasn’t been actually stated as such yet; Cindy’s group was brought there to watch Juliet’s “trial”, even the kids as an example of what happens when you don’t follow the rules; Ben is still a liar; Kate loves Jack and now Sawyer knows it and feels used.

John Fischer (and others): Jack got the sh** beat out of him as a consequence of receiving something (the tatoos and the “reading” that went with them) that Bai Ling and her “clan” hold in sacred high regard not offered to unworthy outsiders. I totally expected to see them go off on her after they beat Jack for giving him the tats, but perhaps her punishment will be more severe and long lasting…maybe she lost her gift or the privilege of exercizing it.

Bring back our beloved Losties from the first season and their stories!!!!!

Bill: had the exact same thought about “Somewhere Out There!”

The only interesting things that I found were:
- The Hydra is a work station for the Others, and they don’t like to go there
- Karl had no reference to the Brady Bunch, indicating they don’t watch much TV there perhaps
- There is a sense of ‘justice’ within the Others, which can be overridden by Ben to a point. (someone gets burned, thats it? instead of getting killed?)
- The children that were taken from the beaches were re-introduced and explained they would be given better lives

I think one of the most interesting parts was the preview for next week with the VW micro-bus and a generic Dharma symbol in place of the VW one.

Did anyone notice what Dharma sign was on the podium? It looked like a scorpion to me. Good catch on the bandage on Juliet, by the way.

Bai Ling Taste’s Salty……..Oh my heavens!…. that was one of the warmest/erotic/…a..ahemmm!!!! Moments in PrimeTime TV.
Warm..warmer…Warmest…..Sure Ms. Ling is not Helen Miren (Jen), But she added a Wait a minute pause that solidified her, Not only as the assassin/BountyHunter kicked out of StarWars[for a PlayBoy Spread], but as the DragonPrincess of Lost.
Bai Ling Has …”a Gift”, not just her raw sensuality, but she is a Vital player in this …LOST Story…..
She is a very attractive Woman…and EVEN if this episode was Not…Gone withthe Wind… She was at least a warm Tropical Breeze… as was the…. Stranger in a Strange Land…..

Does anyone else Get a , Jesus vib in the “Walks Umoung us But Not one of Us” verbage/Tatoo.

Karl/Alex while Romeo and Juliet-ish, may be a bit deeper, they can united at least TWO of our Tribes to achieve closure.
-Plane Losties
-Tailee Losties
-Others under Ben
-Other/Others in Charge of Village Commune(bookclub place)
-Everyone caught in the TIMELOOP

The flashback was a great big ‘What the heck?’ for me. Good god, Bai Ling is a terrible actress, I can’t believe that they couldn’t find someone better than her. So they’re not really tattoos? Why was the kid scared of him? Why did he have to take a beating? Does anyone really care? Does every single question have to have a mystery surrounding it?

My first reaction was basically, “heh?”

I have no clue what I saw for most of the hour. Let’s start with Jack’s “flashback.” What was that all about? Who was the weird Thai woman and what does it mean that she sees who people are and then tatoos them? So she puts a tatoo on Jack that says he walks among us but he is not one of us. OK. Now why did her brother and those other thugs beat the sh.. out of Jack? What about that tatoo drove them nuts?

Speaking of tatoos, what the heck does marking Juliet mean? They basically branded some weird symbol on her back. Why? She’s a persona non-grata and as long as all of the Others know it, what’s the point? For being “the good guys” they’re pretty barbaric.

Then we have the whole Ben thing. He has a terribly infected wound that needed to be debrided etc. Does no one remember that it was Jack that operated on him? How did our superstar surgeon do such a lousy job? What makes anyone think that he can do better a second time fixing Ben?

Alex and Karl are clearly the Romeo and Juliet here. How clear can they stress the star-crossed lovers theme? I don’t see where that is going either.

Then we get to the flight attendant and the children. What the heck was that all about? “We’re here to watch.” Watch who or what and why? How come no one answers a question when asked. Speaking of which could Sawyer and Kate maybe have asked Karl a few more detailed questions such as “who the heck are you people and what are you doing on these islands etc.”

Speaking of which, WHO THE HECK ARE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING THERE??

Can’t we get at least one clear answer before the ratings tank so much that the show gets cancelled before it gets concluded?

Gees, I sound angry and I am. Too many questions upon questions all wrapped in an enigma. It’s worse than watching The Prisoner back in the ’60’s. I never figured that show out.

Gees, come on guys.

John