We know he also gave Michael and Walt permission to leave which may have been the reason why when they left things didn’t go to hell in a hand-basket on the island (though one could argue that perhaps it did).

If we are to believe Ben is exhiled by Jacob and cannot go back to the island, then perhaps the rules in reverse could also be true – the island doesn’t let you off unless you have permission.

So, maybe that’s why Ben was so willing to tell Jack that he’ll work on Kate because he knows that Kate and Sayid don’t actually have to get back to the island since they were granted permission to leave.

Of course, on the otherhand, perhaps Ben is just manipulating them all with this story about them all needing to go back to the island merely as a means of keeping the cover of the island hidden.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6_zbEIQ9Fi0&feature=related

I got to thinking about what the Others would do when they learned Locke didn’t kill his dad…but then I remembered that Richard already knows this…he gave Locke Sawyer’s profile and told him that he could do it….something doesn’t fit and now I’m even more confused.

Anyway it seems the Mythbuster who shares my name would agree:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4266333.html?series=6

But just remember that it’s all in good fun and the drama comes before being realistic almost every time.

I respectfully disagree, Ryan and Jen, with your thoughts on the “dead man’s trigger.” A normal heart rate in a conditioned person such as Keamy could easily go a second between beats, so to trigger the explosive it would presumably need to go 2-3 seconds without a heartbeat to trigger. Locke or Ben could have gone arm-to-arm and chest-to-chest with him and made a transition within 2-3 seconds. Keamy went into Bond-Villain-Dr-Evil mode when he revealed the Dead Man’s Trigger… to make something like that effective he’d need to keep his gob shut.

I think we’ll see a lot of Locke and the island and the Others next season. Recall that Ben really ascended to leadership after killing his father, and it was that cold-blooded decision-making that kept him such an effective leader. It was when he lost it after Alex died that he really felt as though he might have to exile himself. Maybe it is a code of decorum/conduct and since he knew he’d have to leave anyway, he moved the island.

It could also be that the Others cannot allow their leader to directly kill anyone after he kills his father. Ben didn’t kill other people so much as he allowed them to die. Yet Keamy clearly died at his hands, and the people on the boat less directly so. Thus, Ben had to leave and Locke ascends to his throne. However, when they learn that locke lied about killing Cooper maybe the poo hits the fan. And maybe Locke’s son — who the obituary mentioned he left behind — kills him… ? Clearly we have not seen Locke show the ability to remove emotion from his decision-making, though, and I suspect this will be his downfall. (Jack and Sayid are two others who allow emotion to compromise their decision making.)

Maybe Sawyer’s selfless act will attract the attention of the Others looking for a new leader?

I’m listening to your podcast about the finale and you mention the usage of “him” when referring to Aaron and how that may cross reference to Locke. I think you’re on a good track but I want to introduce a larger idea.

In the first few seasons “him” refers to Jacob, which I believe is who Aaron is. I think that would explain a lot of things.

Just something to chew on.

Go back and watch this episode again and tell me I’m not losing my mind!!

Anyway after watching the ep a second time I just wondered whether there is any significance to what Ben says to Locke during his farewell handshake in the Orchid. He says something like ’sorry for making your life so miserable’.
Did he mean his life on the island or his whole life? If the latter, then has Ben had some control over Locke’s destiny his whole life?

Also I don’t think Jin is dead because Christian only appeared to Michael after he had sent Jin away thus completing his penance by saving Jin’s life.

The only reason I don’t think that would happen is that would be a dark turn on Locke’s character. The island and other people not wanting Locke to come back would mean that things were pretty awful during his leadership. While I think that would be bold storytelling, I don’t think the viewers would be happy with that.

I think you’re right about that. Desmond and Penny are so tied in to the storyline now, it’s inevitable that we’ll see them later on.

I’m worried that Ben will send Sayid to do his bidding with Des/Penny…but that being said he was pretty keen to go after Keamy to avenge Alex’s death…hmmm…

WIDMORE: “Drat, the island disappeared. How ever will I find it?”

[Waits five minutes.]

WIDMORE: “Oh, THERE it is!”

And maybe the island moved in space AND time– and maybe screwed up a whole bunch of things in the process. Daniel is certainly concerned about the time issue vis a vis the island–Desmond nearly went crazy because of it– and Ben was extremely worried about the potential effects of the “move.” And time, and playing with time, is a huge theme throughout– but time will tell!

Hence, I think we can conclude they moved it in space.

How are Ben and the Losties going to find the Island now in 3 years if it took Widmore 12+ years to find it?

Also wanted to mention that the frozen donkey wheel reminded me of something from The Watchmen but I can’t remember what. I will have to go back and re-skim.

So anyway that’s my two cents. I would love to get some feedback.

Qstorm: In the event your theory re the island as space ship is correct, it would certainly encapsulate the title of the show, eh? “Lost… Space Ship!”

Nerico: Great thoughts about Jack possibly ending up as the true leader… and about Christian S.’s ghost as one way to woo him.

Re Sawyer’s transformation: Am I the only one who feels it’s a bit lacking in credibility or at least enough segue? I was convinced he was heading straight to H for a while there, during his dark choice to kill Cooper, for example. Something to take up in more detail if we end up doing the character analysis during the (sob!) hiatus.

Also, am I the only one who would feel blown away if Locke is dead? For some reason that scene didn’t seem to invoke any emotional resonance from anyone– including me, but I think it’s because I don’t really believe he’s dead (and I’m usually not one to willy nilly think dead folks aren’t dead). Of course we haven’t seen what leads up to his “death,” so that could explain everything in the depthful, semi-heartbreaking way Lost is so good at. Perhaps the island would end up resurrecting him, though? To me he is such a touching character given everything he’s been through, and in his real efforts to do good– I’d be seriously bummed if he’s a permanent goner.

Questions: Does anyone know how Locke acquired the name “Jeremy Bentham?” Did he himself use it to conceal his identity on the mainland?

- Speaking of name variation, why does the Dharma Foundation video guy keep changing his name? He started out as “Marvin Candle,” n’est pas?

With current developments it’s feeling to me like Sawyer and Kate could end up together, and so could Jack and Juliet… probably better pairings in the sense of true compatability (never thought I’d hear myself saying that!).

Besides all the other things I love about this show, I love the humor. Despite Ben’s wily and cold-blooded ways, he really is hilarious. Loved it when he said something to the effect of, “I hope you’re happy, Jacob!” while he was turning the donkey wheel. And the donkey wheel itself… too hilarious.

I fear I’ll never wanna watch TV again after this show!

One thought: We should all meet in Hawaii somewhere near or after the final episode.

How about recording an audio commentary each week, starting with the Pilot and working your way through? Or just covering your favourite episodes. Or maybe having a vote each week as to which episode you do next. It’d be a really fun way of revisiting old episodes, storylines and characters, and seeing how you feel about them now given what you have learned from season 4, and staying Lost until February rolls around. Maybe you could even have guest commentators with you for some episodes. It sounds like something Jorge Garcia might be into.

Anyway, it’s just an idea, but I bet it would be a lot of fun.

We are left with 5 separate groups (maybe 6) who know about the island.

1. Those left on the beach with Sawyer and Julliet, Rose and Bernard, Charlotte and Miles, and a few others.

2. Those with Locke and Albert. What goes wrong here? Do they stay separate from those on the beach?

3. Penny’s boat including Desmond, Kenny Rodgers. Penny was only looking for Desmond so I don’t think she’ll continue searching for the Island. These are such strong characters that I think we’ll see more of them since she is Widmores daughter.

4. Daniel (and the Red Shirts). Maybe he rescues Jin, since he was on his way to the freighter. He has the knowledge to find the island again, he found it for Widmore. We were left hanging as to whether he went with the island when it disappeared. I thought there was a brief flash to his zodiac to show he saw it disappear as well. Maybe I’m mistaken. I believe he will be a key character since he has so much motivation. He’s obviously a genius and knows much about the island, and he has a love interest that still is alive on the island. There’s more to his back-story that we don’t know about, like why did he have a breakdown when he saw the video of Oceanic 815?

5. The O6 which now includes Ben. They all have various reasons for wanting to go back, but only Jack seems to be falling apart because of it. Hurley is plagued by visitations from “dead people” and I can’t think of a reason going back would help him. Kate probably wants Sawyer after seeing Jack turn into such a mess. Sayid wants revenge on Widmore, but going back won’t get him that. Sun must think Jin is alive, or at least wants revenge.

7. Widmore. I like the idea that Sun is attempting to coerce him somehow in order to get back to find Jin. The idea that Widmore was the previous leader of the island is very interesting. Banished via the frozen donkey wheel as Ben was…

My brain is numb from all the reveals and new questions in this awesome episode. Best season ever.

I have a few minor nit-picks that bugged me while I watched. Why does Hollywood always make Helicopter crashes so unrealistic?? Helicopters don’t fall out of the sky if they run out of gas. The rotor blades don’t stop turning or slow down. They Autorotate. A helicopter would simply descend (under control) to the surface of the water and flare and then settle gently. This always bugs me when I see it portrayed as a crash. In almost every case you would simply swim free as soon as the rotors stopped when they strike the water. Few people have ever died from running out of gas in a helicopter.

My other complaint is with the heart rate monitor device. How the hell did it work so far under the earth? That was a huge stretch for me. Nothing could transmit that far. And Why didn’t Locke slide it on to his own arm?

Minor annoyances. Overall a great finale for one of the best seasons ever. I’ll be in a Lost Withdrawal Clinic if you need me…..

nerico is not so sure about doubles of people and calls that idea “cheesy”, but I’d like to discuss this a bit. Maybe the reason Ben can’t come back to the island is because there is another Ben on the island, just like Bunny #15 is not supposed to see Bunny #15 in the Orchid video. Ben can’t go back because he is already there, and if he encounters himself, something terrible will happen. Maybe also “Jeremy Bentham” is a double of John Locke who is still on the island. (What happens if one of the doubles is killed? Did Dharma ever try that experiment with the bunnies?) And is it possible that these doubles have slightly different personalities? The Ben (a.k.a. Dean Moriarty) in the final scene with Jack in the funeral parlor seemed like a much kindler, gentler Ben than the island Ben. But perhaps that comes from just time away from the island, time to heal the loss of Alex, and no longer having the pressure of being the boss. Having a double might also explain how Ben could have been back on the mainland before without being missing from the island — if his double was on the mainland while original Ben was on the island.

Love your show. Ryan, I’m just now getting used to your voice and I love it!

This string of questions are for the most part missed, because we are wrapped up by the intriguing storyline but highly important! Been a great season, guys, and much appreciated for the stimulating conversations and insight into ONE of TV’s most entertaining show. The Transmission, thus is the most entertaining podcast of one of TV’s most entertaining show. Ryan and Jen, have a happy vacation and I hope you keep up the good hard work!
-Mr. Z

Maybe Ben has to bring a “sacrifice” to the island in order to return. In his half-truthfulness, he could have easily left out details like, “Whoever moves the island can never return…UNLESS they bring a dead body; bring back the next leader, dead; etc… Or maybe if he brings back Locke’s body, the moment he arrives on the island with it, Ben will die, but his consciousness will inhabit and animate Locke’s body…?

Sun blames Jack for Jin’s death. Jack says so when he’s talking to Ben in the funeral home. “Sun blames me for…” although he does trail off.

I don’t think Jin is dead. I think he was able to jump off. I also don’t think Dan and the zodiac went with the island. The helicopter should have been faster than the zodiac to get back to the island, right? So if the helicopter didn’t get snatched out of the air and taken along, the zodaic shouldn’t have been close enough either. They didn’t really look around for the zodiac after the island disappeared, and then they were too busy crashing to think about anything but themselves. However, as to where they went or why they haven’t shown up within three years…

I’ve had an idea for what you could do with The Transmission over the super-hiatus. How about recording an audio commentary each week, starting with the Pilot and working your way through? You could probably only get through a season and a half at that rate, but it’d be a really fun way of going back to the first season and staying Lost until February rolls around.

I’d love to hear you guys reflect on how different the show is given what we all know about the island, its inhabitants, the show’s mythology and what’s to come. Maybe you could even have guest commentators with you for some episodes. It sounds like something Jorge Garcia might be into.

It’s just an idea, but I’d love it if you guys could do something like that. And now I’m off to rewatch the season four finalé!

1) The Orchid video that Locke watched wasn’t the one I was expecting to see. Where was the one from Comic-Con with the time-traveling bunny that upset Hallowax so much? Any explanations as to why we didn’t see this video, and how (if we ever get to) it’ll fit into the story?

2) On the island, there are the Others (now led by Locke) and the Planeys, who were formerly Locke’s companions (although we don’t really know how many of them are left). Will there continue to be a rift between the two camps, or will Locke find a way to unite them?

3) Now that we know who’s in the coffin, the next big reveal needs to be the background behind that 4-toed statue!

Something else to consider in regards to time issues: Ben’s arrival in Tunisia. When he goes riding off in the desert on a horse with no name to the hotel and checks in as Dean Moriarty, we see Sayid mourning the loss of his wife Nadia. He seemed not all that surprised that the date was October 24, 2005, even though he put on his parka in the Orchid on December 30, 2004.

This puts into question how long Locke really was a leader on the island before he returned to the O6. Time works so strangely, we really can’t say anything definitive. We just have to enjoy the ride .

Sayid came right out and said he killed the man staking out the premesis in the parking lot (so we know he’s forthcoming with grim information!), and it sounded like he and Hurley were both questioning the obituary info that L/B commited suicide.

Have Sayid and Locke had big conflict before? It would take a lot for Sayid to kill someone he knew. More than Ben telling him to anyway, presuming he’s still working on Ben’s orders.

ConnieinAlaska: Thanks for your response, it seems fairly certain Kate’s job has something to do with Clementine, I would just love to know exactly what! We’ll find out soon enough.

nerico: about convincting Kate to return. I think the key “person” may be Kate, who has already begun to work on Kate’s mind (albeit sort of backwards). There may be something regarding Aaron, one of the special children, that is relevant. Maybe Aaron does something himself that affects Kate, or his special nature becomes pivotal. Perhaps Walt gets involved. I thin-k several of the off-island special kids, perhaps besides Walt and Aaron, Sun’s new daughter? Maybe Penny’s child (coming?).

Indeed, I still think that Penny is the person assisting Sun’s new corporate moves. I don’t think Penny is likely to hide to avoid Ben’s attacks–she seems to be a “take-charge” type of person. Meanwhile, if Daniel Faraday makes it back to the island, as some are suggesting/predicting, he and his Constant, Desmond, may be able to communicate even from different time dimensions, to support the Penny/Sun cabal. Indeed, I think the series is going to move from a Daddy-centric set of drivers to more Mommy-centric ones — with key players including Annie, Penny, Sun, Charlotte, Claire, and Jack’s mom. Maybe even Rousseau.

It was EPIC. Completely, inexplicably epic- leaving us with a few answers and thousands of other questions (but that’s what I love about lost) So I have a question for you both: Why did it seem that Ben was willing to sacrifice everyone on the freighter so he could take avenge on his daughter’s death? At points he seems selfish, but this is almost extreme- why do you think he cares so much for Alex and greives so heavily over her death- could there be some connection to the island? Ben in emotional grief is almost as odd (and humorously refresing) as his refrence to those ‘Time Traveling Bunnies.’

Great, great podcast and keep up the fantastic work!

Lilly, 15, Hawaii

I think you are mistaken on that point. From some of the earliest interviews, the writers stated they had a clear outline for the entire story arc and that it was only the supporting details they still had to fill in for each season.

They certainly change their minds about thing. I read once where Jack was supposed to die after a few episodes, and that Ben was not supposed to be a major character. Still, I think they have the endgame mapped out and have since the beginning.

a) There was no scene of Jin right before the explosion. This deliberately leaves open the possibility that he had jumped into the water before it went off

b) The missing second island. That they made a point to demonstrate that it had vanished also opens up the possibility that people who were in the water could have also been transported with the island.

c) The Zodiac. The boat is in the water. If the boat (and subsequently people/water) were not transported with the island, then somewhere they have to be floating in the South Pacific and eventually found, whether dead or alive.

I think that there is far too much vague storytelling here to be able to say for sure he is dead, in fact I think it just indicates the exact opposite. The real story will be how would he fit into a future storyline and how will Sun find him. Does Sun try to team up with Widmore to find the island so she can learn of Jin’s true fate.

I really enjoyed the rescue scene in the sea, it was very reminiscent of the raft ‘rescue’ scene with The Others in season two and had me wondering whether Mr Friendly was going to appear!

I also wanted to say thankyou to you Ryan and Jen, for keeping me entertained between shows and enhancing my Lost experience every week.

Roll on January!

One interesting note is that if Locke is dead then his time as the “leader” was relitively short (about 3 years). I get the impression from the scenes in season 3 that Ben assumed that role shortly after the purge and led for about 12-15 years. Since moving the island is such a monumental task it also is not likely done very often. Thus also not requiring a new leader to emerge.

The explaination may be that Locke died unexpectedly on an excursion or “business trip” on behalf of that group. The idea that he was killed by Sayid, Ben, Sun, or Widmore is possible.

It will be interesting to see how that played out on the island becasue Alpert’s group will either have no leader or they have replaced Locke with someone that we know. This may be a part of the bad things that went on in the 3 year gap that we will surely be slowly shown next season.

Enjoy the summer everyone!

Two things from me this week:
(1) It doesn’t make sense the Dan F would have been “zapped” to a new place with the island. He wasn’t part of the Island. The water didn’t go with the Island….so what would Dan and the rest of his no-name raft-mates?

(2) Why did Keamy’s transmitter work when he went to the drak depths of the Orchard Station? How on earth could a little transmitter like that get a signal from the Orchard Station to a boat that’s far off shore? I think the boat would have blew long before Keamy’s heart stopped beating….

Seven months and counting!!

Is Sayid being honest with Hurley? Where is this “safe” place?
It think we can pretty much guess that this is just an excuse to get him back to the island. That Sayid is working on Ben’s instructions.

Will he be convinced or conned into returning?

How will everyone else be convinced? Kate, Sun

What about Walt? Desmond? Do they also have to return?

Heck, what about Lapidus? Is he the only one of the 4 good freighter folks that won’t be back next season?

I don’t know if the island knew this all along or if this has been one long job interview process for both Jack and John. But so many things take on a new significance now.

Why is Jacob taking Christian’s form? I thought that it meant that it was Christian that had a tie to the Island, not Jack. That being Locke’s contemporary, he might have also been monitored by Alpert as a child. And if there was any connection to his family for the future that it was all about Aaron. But is he taking Jacob’s form because of Jack? Does the island want to be father to Jack? Then why appear as Cristian to Locke? It has no meaning for him.

If the island is trying out both Jack and Locke, why did it bring in one father to be killed and then use the other as it’s envoy?

It looks like the Island does not know for certain who the chosen one will be but it tries out any promising candidate and the discards them when not needed. For example, it though Walt had potential but then decided he was too much.

It probably tried Widmore. Was he the last one to move the Island? Is that why he can’t go back? Is this banishment final or can it be overcome? It seems that both Ben and Widmore think it can. Maybe seeing their successor fail gives them hope.

Does this mean that Jack was also visited by Alpert as a child? What is the island looking for in a leader? It does not seem to pick particularly virtuous people. What makes someone special? Did it know beforehand that it wanted Jack or did it stumble across him? Maybe it realized that it had been looking for the wrong type of leader when it saw how Jack behaved? Maybe it is an indication that the island is trying a different kind of leader. A man with family ties.

Thinking about family, There is the theme that the Island tends to seek out orphans or children with absent parents, especially fathers. Ben, Locke, Walt, Aaron. So much so that it puts emphasis on them being able to turn against their father, even kill them. So is this a new approach? Jack does have father issues and he did stand up against his father’s malpractice. But as dysfunctional as Jack’s family might have been, he is far from being an orphan, and he loves his parents.

Could it be that ultimately the Island wants to take care of it’s people and both Ben and Locke got too caught up in their own egos and started caring for the Island and what it did for them more than caring for the people? Is there something to the idea that maybe the one who doesn’t want the post so badly is destined to make the better leader? Because he will not put himself first. This would fit in with the notion that Jacob is the collective spirit of its inhabitants.

Interesting that his name Shephard
Interesting that his father is *Christian* Shephard.
Interesting that Jack and John are the same name.

I don’t know what all these things mean. But it’s food for thought.

I was prepared to see Michael since his return on the boat was such a poorly kept secret I thought maybe this was as well. But the Jeremy Bentham on the first scene threw that out the window. As well as the freighter explosion.

The absolutely played us with Jeremy “Ben”thanm. And Sayid going to Hurley partly because he was dead. Then the “whoever moves the island can never return” deal. They kept pointing to Ben all night. But the moment Jack said something like “he said it’s my fault” I KNEW it was Locke. I had never, ever considered him. How did he fall from Jacob’s grace so quickly? And I don’t think it’s a twin. That would be too cheesy. (Although when Ben first popped in on Jack, I did think it might be a Ben clone) I don’t know. The brain is short circuiting on that one.

All I can say is that after all the speculation, I was so sure that this scene would NOT be the frozen donkey wheel. But it worked so well. It was so right!

How is Ben going to help convince Kate? If Jack end up party to one of Ben’s manipulative cons, I don’t know how Kate could ever forgive him. She has to be turned around in some other way or at the very least, if it is a con, it has to be very obvious that Jack had no part in it. That maybe he was too far gone to keep Ben from doing whatever. I don’t know. All I know is that if Jack manipulates her, there will be trouble in Jateland.

Topic for Discussion: Given Sawyer’s seeming change of character from selfish cad to selfless hero, when was the turning point for his character? What event precipitated this change for him? Was it the last time Kate walked out on him at New Otherton? Was it when he split with the beach group and came out from under Jack’s shadow?

This cliffhanger is going to bug all of us for the next 7 months. A few things people, this is “LOST” we are discussing, everyone keeps assuming that Claire is talking about Aaron when she said don’t you dare bring him back to the Island, we don’t know if she is talking about Aaron. Because, we know everyone that left MUST go back!

Another thing is when Sun, told Witmore we were not the only ones who left the island, I believe she was eluding to Ben, evident to the fact that she says to him, “we have common interests” Don’t think she is working with him as much as using him for her own agenda.

I am thinking Ben knows of some loophole in Island lore and his true agenda is to try to get back to the Island and helping the “6″ attempt to do so is how this is going to happen. His specific words to jack were, “We are going to have to bring him back.” We… not… you!

Think Michael is dead, think Jin is dead, if I remember correctly the boat exploded right where he was standing if he survived that, they better have an excellent way of explaining it.

More to come….

Sun’s pain was gut wrenching, YK was ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

I’m definitely leaning towards Jin being alive though. So I’m still holding out for a happy ending there.

And I didn’t think that she was so mad at Jack this time around. I think that she is just in too much pain. Her loss is too recent. So even the week on Penny’s boat wasn’t enough to pull her out of the shock. I do think that it was deliberate on the part of TPTB to not have her attend Christian’s funeral. That leaves the does she/doesn’t she blame Jack an open question. But it in the end it might just be that she was too pregnant to travel.

The Widmore scene has me absolutely mystified. Up until then I was sure he was the “other person”. But if it was Ben instead, why pair up with Widmore? She has to be aware of his hand in the whole busisness. So can she hate Ben enough to overlook that???

When the scene started I thought it was Kate pulling a “Sayid”. Sun was a total surprise. Could she be setting Widmore up and is she working for Ben? I kind of liked the theory that was going around that the other members of the 6 had helped her with the company buyout. But her being willing to partner with Widmore rather than against him sets her apart from the others who are either pro-Ben or at least neutral…. So that kills that theory.

WTF?

I’m thinking the zodiac must have been within “Island’s waters” and moved along with it, jut like Alcatraz. It seems kind of senseless to kill Dan… Then again the boat was full of red-shirts.

How did Miles know about Charlotte? Did he get a reading from her? From listening to the dead?

I bet anything that everybody and the mother are going to say that she is Annie. So then why would Ben not recognize her????? And why would she be “searching” for the place she was born ? Annie was old enough in Ben’s flashbacks so that adult Annie would remember.

And why did Miles want to stay? Is he just loving them dead voices that much or is there another reason?

One thing I’m certain of.. The secondary protocol was NOT Keamy’s plan to kill everyone as some people assumed. It is probably how to move the island or even if it’s not that specific, it at least refers to some plan of last resort. Keamy looked it up so he would know where to find Ben, because Widmore would have assumed that Ben would have to execute the plan of last resort. So Dan’s warning to Charlotte was due to the fact that if the plan was executed they would not be able to leave the island. And that was confirmed when he told her tonight that staying could mean forever. So Dan was not in on some nasty plan of Keamy’s when he recognized the Orchid station name in part one.

Michael is dead. He was alive while the island needed him and the island “sent” Christian to say “thanks and you can die now”.

Jin is alive. At least I hope so. They had him on deck so that it can be plausible to have him survive. And I don’t think TPTB are in the business of killing major characters willy nilly. Many of the dead have asked to be taken out of the show and I think we have enough casualties for the season.

Claire is dead. I think the fact that she appeared to Kate, (even thought it was a dream) point in the dead direction. VERY interesting that the message was to NOT take Aaron to the island. If Claire had been sent to kate by the island, the message would have been the opposite so I think it was Claire herself in spirit.

I have to say, Lost isn’t the show it used to be for me – I really do think season one was the best season of television ever made – but in spite of its flaws, it can still be really great!

Yunjin Kim broke my heart tonight. The scene on the helicopter immediately after the boat blows up was just… yeah. She’s an incredible actress. I found tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat after that. Possibly because one of my favourite characters on the show had just been killed off. No, not Jin – I agree with all you who think he’s still alive. It’s funny that this is the second season he’s ending by jumping off an exploding sea vessel to an unknown fate – but Michael! The “Waaalt” business was annoying, yes, but for me, he was such a real character. And his story was incredibly interesting to me, and so so sad. “You can go now.” I’m quite disappointed that his story is over now, but I’m glad that it got a better ending than another of my favourite characters’, Rousseau.

I’m starting to think – like some other posters here – that the island hasn’t moved to another location on earth, but forward in time. The part of the Orchid orientation video when Halli…wax (geddit?) mentions that the bunny seems to momentarily disappear seemed very intentionally placed there. And the fact that the time travel chamber thing seemed to get its power from the frozen donkey wheel backs that up.

The time travel thing does concern me. My feelings are similar to those that Ryan expressed in the last podcast. I really hope that the end of the show doesn’t revolve around that concept. I recently played Via Domus, and there are things in that game (one specific thing that those who’ve played it will recognise) that gave me a sinking feeling in regards to that.

Does anyone else think that how Sawyer and Juliet ended the season was an homage to the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie?

Like last season, I guessed the final reveal long before it was presented. I’m really glad that it the episode didn’t hang on that this year.

One thing I didn’t like was the future corporate-Sun scene. It reminded me of the weaker parts of Alias, with very important people talking in very important tones about very important things. I hope there’s not much more of that to come.

I did like the return of the season two Others, with their whispers, shabby clothes and silent attacks/abductions. It seems like the “new recruits” as I’m thinking of them (i.e. Tom, Pickett, Ethan, Goodwin, etc) were dressing in costume to look more like the natives.

Was Cindy in that group of Others? I didn’t see her.

There are a few things niggling at me. Now that it seems like Claire is dead, what are we to make of Desmond’s vision of her getting onto the helicopter and leaving the island? Where did the entire room full of C4 come from, who put it there, and how did no one notice it before Desmond did?

My thoughts are everywhere, as you can see, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a million things that I wanted to write here.

All in all though, a really great finale. Probably my second favourite season-closer, behind Exodus.

Oh! One final thing that I loved about the episode, and it’s a really little thing that I only noticed because of the instinctual tug of sadness I felt when it happened: When the Helicopter was running out of fuel and they had to throw out everything that wasn’t tied down, Jack threw out his backpack! It’s such a small thing, and I was surprised it saddened me, but Jack has been lugging that same backpack around since early season one. It carried dynamite from the Black Rock (even though it was meant to be in Kate’s!), it carried countless bottles of water between the beach and the caves, it carried the medical supplies that he stitched the cut above Charlie’s eye with after Locke punched him. It really reminded me of the scene in The Lord of the Rings when Sam throws away his backpack while they’re walking through Mordor. The journey that started in Pilot, ‘Part 1′ is over now. He doesn’t need that ratty old thing anymore. He can just go buy a new one.

Great, great episode. This had to be the best season finale the series has had thus far; each individual element that makes LOST as special as it is was represented. The action/adventure, the romance, the drama, the more sci-fi elements, etc., etc. Then again, everything I just mentioned was represented equally throughout the season. This had to be the purest LOST season yet in that sense, and definitely the best since season one. I remember watching “Walkabout” from season one and thinking “this is the show I have to watch!” just because of all the special moments in that episode alone. This season gave me about a dozen more of those same moments—Alex’s death, Desmond and Penny’s reunion, Locke in the coffin, the O6’s return, the helicopter crash, Ben and Widmore’s hotel confrontation, Sun at Jin’s grave, etc.

I’m rambling on, and I most likely don’t have anything much to contribute that hasn’t already been covered by the rest of you. However, I do believe in the theory that Jin hopped off of the freighter just in the nick of time. This might not be canon whatsoever, but when JJ Abrams was making the rounds for “Cloverfield”, Daniel Dae Kim had his DUI incident. One of the stops he made was the Howard Stern show, and when Stern asked if Kim’s character would be killed off this season due to the DUI, Abrams answered with a quick, decisive “No, absolutely not.” Take that for what you will.

Anyway, this has gotten long but I want to think you guys for the amazing podcast. I’ve been listening since the beginning of the season and I guess I’ve been spoiled a little too much because I can’t even listen to any other LOST podcast anymore—this one fills my need on its own!

Can’t wait for the next one. You rock, guys.

Kevin

Where would we be without your great commentary! The tremendous effort you put into researching and linking makes it possible for a simpleton like me to follow the plot even though I miss way too many episodes.

Info on Abaddon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbadon

2. Desmond’s vision for Charlie called for Aaron AND Claire to get off the island. Has this not happened yet?

3. Put together two ideas mentioned at various places: Charlotte is Annie and Ben’s daughter; Penny is Annie and Charles Widmore’s daughter. (Maybe Charlotte’s other sister was Danielle? –Perhaps Annie and Hanso’s daughter.)

4. Why was Hurley unwilling to use Jeremy Bentham’s “true” name, John Locke? Hurley had not shown anger at Locke during the Ben-John-Hugo trek to the Orchid. What did John do thereafter to concern Hurley? Is it related to chess (and Eko)? The numbers? And who ordered watch the clinic in which Hurley is living and where did Abadon want to take him?

5. What can the Oceanic Six plus Locke (dead) bring of value to the island? Why are all 7 necessary? If Aaron is the “special” one, isn’t he enough? Jack, Kate, and Sayid are not “special” — Jack wasn’t even on Jacob’s list….

I’m sure I’m missing what’s really important — Geronimo Jackson.

I have a bad feeling about the next two seasons for John Locke. I think he’s going to be exposed as a flawed leader… as much of a psycho as Ben could be, he was determined and he had a plan and he didn’t let things or people get to him. Locke just doesn’t have that self-confidence and on the rare occasions when he does, people wind up dying (Boone) or screwed (e.g. blowing up the submarine). This is the guy who lost all his faith in the computer and the button and the hatch just before it blew… if it wasn’t for Des they’d all be toast.

Thank you for not hurting Sawyer, for once!

Sayid was amazing during the fight with Keamey.

I think the most nervous I got was when I saw Jin running for the helicopter, the ship exploding, and poor Sun screaming and no one being able to do anything to change what happened, and then when the helicopter was going down, I really thought I was about to “lose my lunch.” Watching Jack, so realistically trying to find a deep breath, to resuscitate Desmond — man it would have really sucked if Penny’s boat shows up and Desmond is dead. I wanted Penny and Hurley to make that connection that Charlie helped in some way reunite her and Desmond. This part of the show is to be watched again. It’s hard on my emotional capacity to digest it all at once!

And, specific words are used, such as when Kate is running to Aaron’s room after the nightmare and apologizing to Aaron. I think because she really does feel she has to go back to the island and even considered not deserting Aaron, but taking him with her. But Claire didn’t say “Don’t go back to the island.” She says, “Don’t you dare take him back there!” Claire accepts that Kate wants to go back and specifies Aaron doesn’t go — he is where he is supposed to be, right? and notice that it is a DIFFERENT Claire than the Claire that was in the cabin.

Season 5 will not come soon enough!

paintergirl 1 – liked the book club idea. Perhaps could cover more books if people wanted to read different ones and post back thoughts / coincidences.

and….have we seen the end of Patchy? Is he gonna save Jin ya think? j.k….but I”m up for whatever! This is the best show eva!

littleimp / people wondering about Aaron – - OK – I’m a single guy and I have not a clue as to how long a baby would survive w/out mother’s milk….however…if Aaron is “special” in the “Baby Locke” kinda way perhaps he was suffering as Locke did as a child, but is unable to die.

Perhaps Aaron is the boy-wonder Richard Alpert and gang have been seeking and didn’t even know they were so close to finding.

Luke – also liked what you said about Walt and the reason he is “special” in perhaps another way than the boy/girl Richard & Co. look for.

Excellent summary as always. What a FANTASTIC finale! I couldn’t agree more.

But I have to apologize in advance to you all everybody because I don’t care if the site thinks I’m spam, I plan to post my little fingers off. I’m making up for missing the posting window for the last two episodes.

N

Why did hurley lie to walt about his dad. Desmond knew that micaek went up with the ship and so hurley had to know.

How could Locke be killed unless the island was done with him? Guns don’t work if the island needs you alive!

Long wait for next season