The way the writers weave this kind of psychological material together with the time travel/sci fi stuff continues to blow me away. Bravo, dudes!

Perhaps Widmore is off Island building Widmore Industries? Perhaps he is tending to a young Penny?

I also like the theory of Alpert as Consiglieri, in the tradition of the Godfather stories. However, in the Sopranos mythology, Silvio acts both as a Captain and an adviser.

One minor, but I thought suggestive detail emerged from the visit to the supermarket. Kate asks Aaron if would prefer regular or chocolate milk (one light, one dark) and he opts for the third way. Juice BOX! This foreshadows what Locke will do in the future as Ben and Charles both try to use him.

A random connection from surfing around episode recaps. We’ve made quite a big deal about Ben’s convenient memory loss. As I looked back over the episode “One of Them,” Sayid interrogates Henry Gale aka Ben in the swan hatch. Anyway, Sayid punctuates his dismissal of Henry Gale’s story with the emotionally delivered phrase “You would remember!” Could TPTB have been hinting at this issue even then or is this just the patchwork fix it seems?

The third is the craziest leap from minor suggestion to grandiose theory of all. But that’s where the fun is… (Blinded by the Light.) What if the use of “Catch a Falling Star” is trying to inform us about something larger as well? What is a falling star? What phenomenon is usually thought of as the best way to warp space/time and create a wormhole that would permit nonlinear movement through it? A black hole. There, I said it. What this would have to do with Aaron I have no idea.

Defend the island.

i’m thinking of pre-cognitive ability & the determinism theory of ‘what happened happened’

my theory is that the leaders of the others have developed pre-cog ability
(possibly through the temple, an electomagnetic anomaly
or byproduct of radiation leaking from jughead)
we know for a fact that Ellie has ability to see the timeline ( 3×08-flashes before your eyes)
and as a result of the failsafe key incident Desmond has limited ability too.
I think Ben does too and thats why he doesn’t seem concerned that Keamy will kill Alex
because he’s seen the future and she doesn’t die.
I think one of the rules that Ben cryptically refers to is that they must NOTuse their precog ability to attempt to change the future.

Desmond has the ability too -but isn’t bound by the rules since he’s not an other -thats why hes the only one allowed to make changes eg he saves charlies life & somehow causes clare not to be on
the chopper- even though in his visions she was.

I think Widmore broke the rules first by having Keamy kill Alex & Ben has broken them too to get revenge on Widmore (i’m just not sure exactly how).
But I’ll think we’ll get some answers in 5×12 as to what the rules are & how Ben broke them & what the consequences are going to be for the Losties.
I think they might be
(i) they must NOTuse their precog ability to attempt to change the future.
(ii) once they leave the island they can’t go back
(iii) they can’t directly use their powers to kill one another
( eg in 4×09 -”Have you come here to kill me, Benjamin?”
“We both know I can’t do that.”)

I absolutely agree with you. I love Evangeline on the screen, she is a great actress. She’s done her best with the character she’s given, I only wish Kate would be more developed and versatile.

I love the show but I’m very aware of its weaknesses.

Nevertheless, I think Lost is one of the most intelligent fiction shows today.

In any case, the same goes for giving Aaron up. I do believe she would make that sacrifice but only because I like the character. I don’t feel like the writers have given us enough to really believe her character has changed so much – it is largely left up to us and our imaginations. I love that she is doing what is right by Aaron, and I love the friendship with Cassidy, but I hate that it’s all crammed into about 20 minutes of viewing time.

Since the “end date” of the show has been established, I feel like everything has been way too rushed. I’m all for reveals and moving along the storyline… but there is way too much skipping around – and I don’t mean the time skipping – I mean the gaping holes they leave in character storyline that are obviously never going to be filled. So I’m a little disappointed with how the show has been going, but I will, of course, watch until the end and be grateful for every episode!

Lost wins a Peabody (not April Fools)
By Robert K S, Lostpedia staff
Citing the show for having “rewritten the rules of television fiction”, the 16-member Peabody Board has awarded ABC Studios’ Lost a George Foster Peabody Award for distinguished achievement in broadcasting for 2008, making the announcement on April 1, 2009. Honored along with Lost are NBC’s Olympics coverage, CNN’s election campaign coverage, SNL’s political satire, TCM, The Onion, YouTube, and others. The award ceremony will take place on May 18, 2009 at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and will be hosted by NBC’s Brian Williams. Informed about the award by telephone from ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson, Carlton Cuse initially took the news for an April Fool’s joke. Read the press release: http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/ABC_Medianet/ABC%27s_Lost_Wins_Peabody_Award

Also, just something to think about:
When stuff happens at Darmaville, conveinently the real doctor is never there, why??? Is this important or not. Is the doctor out so that we can see Juliet’s doctoring abilities? Or is the doctor going to be someone we know when we finally find out who he or she is?? I was thinking that the doctor might be Jack’s dad, but we do see a flash back in earlier episodes of Jack’s childhood with his dad, so it is unlikely it is him. And also Juliet and the other Losties might have told Jack that his dad was on the Island before they put his real name on the sub’s manafest.
Any thoughts?? Or is it nothing??

Plus everyone was in house arrest, why didn’t Myles take that time to get them up to speed on everything that happened in the last three years so they don’t make any mistakes.

I also want to see more Myles! He is so snarky, he cracks me up. What is his purpose there? I would love to see him near the temple and see what he discovers there with his special “skills”

The call to the freighter did bring Keamy’s team to the island, but can you blame Jack for not believing Ben or Locke at that point? He thought Ben had executed Sayid, Jin, & Bernard and Locke had just knifed Naomi. He was on an island on which he and his people had been kidnapped and terrorized. It was pretty clear even then that Ben was at best indifferent to whether they lived or died as long as they didn’t jeopardize an almost preposterously personified island. (In Jack’s mind) Not to mention the threats of polar bears, the smoke monster, limited food supplies. All this and the best interests of the survivors were balanced against the single fact that he once had a vision of his father there. Perhaps if Jack had opened his mind, he would have seen the special nature of the island earlier. However, from a rational perspective, he made all the right moves there. The casualties inflicted by Keamy: Alex, Carl, Rousseau, Claire? and some red shirts at the barracks all of whom went with Locke.

Sayid shoots Ben, Jack refuses to help, Juliet suggests giving him to Alpert, Sawyer and Kate bring him to the Temple. Ben then loses his innocence, grows up, kills Dharma, and manipulates and murders the Losties in 2004. They literally causes of their own suffering. Just thought that was interesting.

@Lydia: It’s because earlier in the episode Hurley asks “Oh yeah, then how come Ben didn’t recognize Sayid, the guy who shot him?”, and Miles replies with “…Huh. Hadn’t thought of that.”. His theory has a hole in it. Then Alpert says “Oh, he won’t remember this.”, filling in the hole. Seems like a direct answer to Hurley’s question to me.

To all the jack haters out there: ease up on the poor guy. For the better part of 4 seasons, he always did what he thought was right, which almost always blew up in his face, and resulted in significant personal cost. Let me count the ways:
1. He ratted-out his father to the medical board, which accelerated Christian’s eventual demise.
2. He helped torture Sawyer to get Shannon’s inhalers; only to shift Kate’s affections away from himself and toward Sawyer for the first time.
3. He remained intensely committed to his profession after getting married, eventually leading Sarah to leave him.
4. He vouched for Juliet when she first joined the losties, causing his friends to mistrust him and his motivations.
5. Finally, he gets himself and as many people as possible off the island and back home! Sweet right? Except lots of people die in the process, the ghost of his father visits him back home, and he becomes alienated from his friends and loses his soon-to-be wife. Oh yeah, he also lost his job, became addicted to alcohol and painkillers, and tried to commit suicide.

The point is: the dude has been through a lot. Given all that has resulted from trying to do “the right thing,” it is not surprising that he would have second thoughts when presented with whether to save a dying Ben. And in spite of what the other characters argued: Ben isn’t just some kid. If it was just “some kid,” it would be easy for anybody to jump in and help out. But when the kid in question is Ben, a tormentor/killer of you and your friends (lest we forget all the misery he has heaped on Juliet, Sayid, Locke, etc.), the ethics become somewhat muddied. Good for Jack to at least acknowledge that.

But this character turn for Jack is good. He’s learning from his past mistakes that almost led to his demise. Jack’s new and radically different philosophies and/or faith, could possibly imply that, at the end of this, he may have a shot at salvation.

Looking forward to your latest thoughts,
Christian

i cant wait to find out what jacks purpose is going to be, i think that set up was nice and will pay off when the island gives him his true calling

happy anniversary guys.

Weemzy

I wouldn’t have written so voluminously if I didn’t absolutely LOVE Lost.

My long rant betrays how much passion I have for the show. In fact, I opened by saying how much I love Damon and the writing.

And I also tune in every Wednesday in HIGH DEF (the jungle looks great in high def). And of all the podcasts, Ryan and Jen have the most professional and enjoyable. My favorite thing is to hear everyone call in with their theories and insights.

I have even conjectured that Lost might be the first show to incorporate television writing 2.0 — that is, informed by fan interpretation, the hive mind that we all share online.

Think about it. If the producers are ever lost, they need only consult the volumes people write here that manage to make sense of all the clues. I think they might even have written Jack and Claire as being siblings this way. Because many people made that leap online long before the revelation.

Can you imagine the future of storytelling this way? Amazing to think about. There are such incredible theories online. They change from time to time, as new episodes validate or invalidate them, but they are nonetheless fascinating.

It is almost as if many possible alternate trajectories of the show have existed over the years through our own fantasies of what is happening on the island. This is the true power or Lost.

The way it empowers us to dream, to envision, to speculate, to make meaning, to wonder…

2. I can’t forget about that book from the last episode the book a “separate reality” on wikpedia they said that it is a book about a teacher mentoring a student. So was this suppose to mean that Sayid is Ben’s student? Was that the killing he was doing in the real world?’ Was Ben testing Sayid’s fate the way the island was testing Jon? Is sayid ben’s predecessor?

3. I can’t stop thinking about the parallel of Ben’s character with Walt. I truly wonder if the writers where going to center the show around Walt, his special powers and tell the story in chronical order, but realizing the concept of age, decided to introduce the concept of Ben and talior what would happen to Walt to happen to Ben’s character.

@James – I feel so sad that you feel disappointed by the show’s evolution. I feel sad for myself that the best television I have ever seen will be gone in just over a year. Over 100 hours of continually improving quality programming (by most folk’s standards) would not be possible with anything that started out even half as good as Lost did. I’m just glad I was around for the ride and have something to look forward to that continually interests me and gives me a lot to think about. But if avoiding a shark jump is what you want out of life, there are plenty of quality programs based on REALITY, like History channel, Discovery, PBS, ESPN, etc. And I’m not trying to be snarky, I really enjoy quality non-fiction. But when I am wanting an adventure ride I could never dream of, I tune in to ABC on Wednesday nights @ 8pm CST.

Seriously. That Happy Days episode was in 1977, and we’re still referencing it.

I liked the rant. Agreed, we all put up with a lot from the writers too. The “Ben will be different and won’t remember anything” explanation sucks. And yes, they jumped the shark when the Island moved last season. Anything goes after that!

Buy we’re all still hanging in there though. We are way beyond trying to get off of the Island from Season 1.

We know Ben goes into the Temple and “his innocence will be lost” so maybe his redemption will come in the last season as we see him battle himself to try to regain what he lost in his resurrection. In any case, mark these words: Ben is not evil; he’s just ambitious.

I must agree with Jen that we don’t yet know Ben’s full story by a long shot. We have carefully been conditioned to see the DI as good and the Hostiles and bad, and certainly Ben’s actions have been perceived as evil up to this point, deeds worthy of a death sentence many times over. HOWEVER, it ain’t over yet! We may come to find out in Season 6 that the DI were up to no good, intentionally or not, perhaps involving the Jughead bomb, and that their extinction was warranted. The possiblities are pretty much endless here: plague, nuclear meltdown, time traveling mishaps, etc. My point is that we are too quick to condemn Ben and by extention Jack for not killing Ben when he had the chance. The jury is out until the final “thud”.

i’m somewhat disappointed Ben’s memory is to be wiped clean– if he were to remember how awful the Losties were to him as a child it might give him some justification, however slight, in his behavior towards them later in life… no wonder Ben would hate them so much if he remembered how they had treated him when he was most vulnerable and needy (bringing up another thought, what came first, the chicken or the egg– did the Losties turn their back on Ben because he’s so horrible to them when they arrived on the island or was Ben so horribly manipulative because of what the Losties did to him as a child?)…

no matter which way you slice it tho, you’d have to be pretty cold hearted to not feel at least some sympathy for Young Ben… but i think i’m with jen– there’s seems to be no room for Ben’s redemption, albeit a twist like that would be in true Lost style…

and if i have to see that scene by the dock one more time i might scream! every moment of screen time is so precious and almost every episode this season they’ve wasted several minutes repeating snatches of scenes that we’ve already seen… we’re smarter than this! there’s gotta be a better, more artistic (and shorter!) way to do that…

adore the podcast!!

i actually thought the second half of season three and all of season four were top-notch and gripping — i agree this season, while I still adore this show, has felt stifled — it would have been nice to see more meaningful interaction off-island, such as between Kate and Cassidy — am still looking forward to more poignant explanations of the O6 return and their purpose and the island’s destiny, etc. — in the meantime I am being faithful and patient

About that last comment of Richards and not listening to Charles and Ellie …What was Ellies roll? Charles wife? Sounded like more. I still think Widmore is Daniels dad…and maybe Charlotte’s too. But I think she had a different mother.

Whatever happened was pretty weak, but don’t despair, the next episode looks like it will be pretty amazing.

You make a very good point that we can’t return to the eden of not knowing, that any revelation is intrinsically corrupt because it removes mystery, and the very essence of why lost is superb. No one will be happy at the resolution — not completely. But we fans afford these writers the liberty to take us on a ride. And I still do. The four-toed statue, Smokey, Richard Alpert — these are all still areas I think could be creative gold.

Having said that, I must still be critical (in the intellectual sense of the word) and recognize when the emperor is wearing no clothes. As an avid fan of television writing, and Damon Lindelof, I am very eager to give acclaim when an episode is great. And not just those amazing season one episodes like “Walkabout,” but later episodes as well.

For those who are not aware, a storytelling paradigm was passed from JJ Abrams to Damon Lindelof, and that is the notion of the reversed expectation. A great example is the reveal that Bernard was white, when audiences expected him to be black.

The writers of LOST have come to rely on this technique as their principle weapon against cliche. Lost is an amalgum of many different ideas, and so by constantly thwarting what we readily expect, they keep it fresh and new. That’s why we all write and talk about it the next day.

They literally have gone on record — check the original official podcasts — and said that love to take an idea, ask themselves ‘what is the opposite of this?’ and then write that.

My grievance is when they do this and there is a fundamental shift in expectations that is beyond the scope of “cool” and it the realm of disappointing — because it undermines TOO MUCH exposition from previous episodes.

We all remember how “the others” were originally characterized as being almost supernatural. They can go through the jungle without leaving tracks! In season two, they were truly scary. And best of all, they seemed to know what was going on the island! They have taken the children! Why, for what nefarious purpose?

Now in season three, in the first conceit of the show, they were revealed to be a suburban community with a book club. Despite a Viking-like funeral service, which was never really consistent with other exposition, there was this odd domesticity to Ben’s house, complete with a chicken sandwich in the fridge.

All of the sudden the island was not longer as rogue or hostile. We put up with the convenient food supplies in the hatch as a contrivance. Perhaps they could stumble upon canned goods in some old WWII hatch, but now they had a civilization complete with plumbing and infrastructure. While this was unexpected and even cool, we can’t help but feel the stakes lower.

Critical plot elements: the missing children, Walt’s abilities to manifest reality, and many other must-knows were just thrown out as we switched gears. Kind of like Mr. Eko.

If you are skeptical, consider this; do you remember when traveling through the jungle was dangerous? Traveling through the jungle is practically safe now, whereas at one time you were assured of destruction through the smoke monster.

To add insult to injury, and to recoup losses, the others are no longer the real others, and natives have taken that role. But lying in between these decisions as a gaping hole, evidence of the switch, is the character of Juliet, who at one time acted very wise, and now seems to know nothing. She seems to embody the contradictions more than any other character.

Now as a fan you can explain away the inconsistencies, but your mind knows they are there and they detract from the “wow factor” Lost used to create.

It can all be explained of course, through mechanical episodes that dot every “i” and cross every “t.” You can tell me why Kate became so maternal, and Sawyer is such a sweetheart, but that is like telling me the emperor is wearing a tuxedo.

This was never so egregious as in the last episode when Hurley gives a voice to the BS, and mutters aloud how preposterous the time travel has become, just so wink-wink, the audience knows that the producers know, this is officially COMPLICATED.

And that is the problem. It is just a big mess. And they are desperately trying to avoid what happened to Heroes and other shows by playing catch-up.

Remember when Claire put a message in a bottle in her brilliant attempt at rescue? Does anyone think we are in that same show anymore, where we want to know where they are, and how they can get home? You know, the reason everyone watched Lost.

But now they have already been home in the ill-conceived Oceanic 6 story line. The Portugese people who were looking for them with Penny. Who cares? How Walt was manifesting things and why that mattered? Who cares? Now it’s all about a global chess game between Ben and an old British guy. And we have to get back to the island because it’s destiny. Or was it because Ben told us to? Or was it because Jin is still there? Or because Kate loves Sawyer. Or the baby needs its real mother? Maybe a bit of… everything Snooze. Let’s go back to destiny.

Destiny being code for “we’ll figure it out later.”

Once down becomes up, and up down, what does it matter who Jacob is? There are no ground rules anymore!

How about the wise old lady with the pendulum? Brilliant science fiction or stop-gap scene to get us back to the island. Oh, and how do they do it? An Arabic flight and then — poof — they wake up in the jungle. Cool, right?

No, lazy writing. What should be the most important scene in Lost history is glossed over while my tv dinner cooked. Oh, it doesn’t quite matter what the island is, but let’s back, because Ben says WE MUST!

Guys, this show won the emmy in season one because it was AMAZING.

The second season dropped off in quality, but still had this cool sci-fi slant, with Hanso and the Dharma Initiative. It creepy, weird and cool.

Season three dropped significantly in quality yet again, but had some season saving episodes. Love Charlie’s final episode, when they recruited Juliet, etc…

Season four. Yes, folks, the show jumped the shark. No loner even the same narrative structure. But you just couldn’t tell. That archeology stuff in the desert was cool, so I hung in there until…

Season five. Nope, confirmation that it jumped. Now WAY too complicated. No emotional stakes. No narrative thrust. Characters are completely different. Dharma revealed to be officially not that cool. No one even dies anymore(previously the way the writers clean up story lines and got rid of poorly behaved actors). Now, I don’t even think characters can die.

Season six. James proved wrong after new rattlesnake in the mailbox moment somehow redeems previous two seasons through incredibly brilliant twists. Reduction of Ben’s dominance in plot. Return of Hanso and meta-plot of saving the world. Jack and Kate revealed to be the skeletons in season one. Similar to Adam and Eve, they are the ones who regenerate civilization after an apocalypse. Okay, so maybe that last part doesn’t happen, but enough of Ben, Kate’s stupid relationship with Aaron, the tryst of Sawyer and Juliet, a constantly flummoxed Jack, and a complete inability to get to the Natives and their story, which is clearly where the story-telling wants to go, but can’t get there, most likely, because as someone here pointed out, that is probably season six stuff.

Thanks for reading my vent. No more posts. Thanks for putting up with the length.

James

I hope Ben is judged with the same level of scrutiny as Eko. But we still don’t know for sure whether or not Ben is actually good or bad. HE does evil things, but that doesn’t make him evil, does it?

I really love LOST, and I think this season is one of the best and your podcast is definitely the best out there.

ONE OF US
Do you think that Alpert Lied about the effect of “saving” Ben?
It was more interesting to believe that Ben always knew the Losties from his past. he will remember- but he will lie… He won’t ” always be” a hostile – but choose to be with them.

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
I can’t believe how people have turned on Jack. He had the right idea. Wouldn’t they all feel like dopes if their actions caused Ben to become the man they all know and hate? well guess what? Stop helping Ben already. Thanks Juliet Sawyer and Kate… for nothing. nice try Sayid

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
..are you still sure you want to give him to us?
uh no. Now that you said all of that creepy stuff we’d rather that he just died out here in the woods. THUD

Of course Sawyer and Kate aren’t consistent. Sawyer has spent three years on the island; Kate became a mom. Of course they’re not like the people in season one. If they were, the show would be really boring. It would be even more boring if they were still stuck on the island with the pissed-off giraffe.

Nobody knows what the deal is with Ben yet. That’s what makes him so interesting. Maybe he’s a crutch, but he’s a damn sight better-written than any villain on any tv show I can think of. I defy you to come up with another funny, creepy, scary, smart character like him.

And the season isn’t over yet. No, Desmond has been mostly M.I.A. So what? He was missing the whole second season.

He wasn’t being cruel, I don’t think, but he had enough faith to know that Ben would live since he is alive as an adult.

Let’s have faith in him. He knows he’s supposed to be on the Island, but he’s not yet sure why. He’s like a Season 1 Locke. And look how far he’s come.

@ Angela from MA: great point about Kate leaving California without any bells going off. And the whole Auntie Kate thing, I don’t get either. I was wondering, though, we never see Clementine right? Do you think that means something?

@ minnie: excellent point. that was the other thing I was confused about. If Ben won’t remember “this” how would he recognize Sayid or know the Losties well enough to make the List? But you’re right, the “this” probably is the resurrection in the Temple.

@ James: We’re too deep in to go back. The thing is as humans, we have a need to want to figure things out, we want answers, but we really are just enjoying the mystery so when we get the answers, we want to go back to not knowing. Like in season three when we learned about the Others, some people were let down. I wasn’t. But some were. But then the crafty writers introduced Jacob as this big mystery to keep us hungry.

I digress. Anyway, I think the writers have been very good at shaping seasons around groups so, in essence, we learn about the show backwards:

Season 1: the Losties
Season 2: the Tailies
Season 3: the Others (Ben’s Others)
Season 4: the Freighter folk
Season 5: Dharma Initiative
Season 6: the real Others (my guess is that we will learn the true nature of Alpert’s Others in the final season)

So we have been going backwards in time the whole time.

It is a well known fact that Damon and company did figure out the “end game” until somewhere inbetween years 2-3, and even the most meticulous genius cannot write backwards to make it work out seamlessly.

The moment they introduced time travel they put themselves under the narrative guillotine. They are doing a fine job juggling all of the mythological elements, but the conversation between Hurley and Miles over the time paradoxes was not refreshing, but exasperating, further proof of what the audience is thinking: this is not the logical, scientifically grounded mythology the producers promised us years ago.

Do not think me a traitor. I am a die-hard fan, but i cannot help but think Sawyer and Kate are no longer consistent with who they were only seasons ago.
Worse, Jack has devolved in passive fly on the wall, and other characters — Claire comes to mind — have exited in very unsatisfying ways.

It used to be a joke among Damon and Carleton that Lost would soon be about zombies — the infamous season seven. But now I think that this joke is strangely closer to the truth than any other theory. I imagine Richard carrying Ben to something akin to Pet Cemetery in the last episode.

When did Lost become about ghosts, time travel, and the silly antagonism of Ben and Widmore?

Do you remember there was once a character named Hanso? That there were mysterious numbers that designated the end of the world? That there were a powerful chemistry between Jack and Kate that writers since destroyed?

If you want to know one concrete example of how the Lost writers are truly Lost, look no further than the character of Juliet, or the poorly executed “freighties.” Who the f*** is Charlotte?

It’s season five, and you are going to introduce yet more characters? Really? You think that is a good idea to focus on Ethan’s mom at this point instead of Desmond?

Take me back to that original Lost. To that wonderful, frightening world where I thought the island was much more mysterious. And cool.

Is Ben really that manipulative and omniscient, or is he a crutch for the writers when they need to write backwards to make lines connect?

I think Lost peaked in the season two finale, which I think is among the best two hours of television. Period.

Note: you will not see Stephen King publicly lauding Lost anymore in the press. Because I think he feels the same way.

Lost is now officially lost.

I hope they come back.

Jack’s whole dynamic is that he is always trying to save people. He’s constantly cristicized for it but then the same people who criticize him turn around and ask him to step in and save the day.

In the midst of trying to get past his savior complex he’s presented with young dying Ben, and a long explanation that regardless of what anyone does, Ben can’t die anyway because he’s alive in the future. I think that explains his decision not to save someone he hates, again.

Sawyer wanted to make him a janitor, but then when it suits Sawyer’s purpose he expects Jack to step into a phone booth and re-emerge as a spinal surgeon.

But one thing I cannot understand at all is how Sawyer and Kate can just hand Ben over to Alpert without first talking to Roger Linus. Neither of them knew Roger was abusive and Kate actually felt sympathy for him in the Infirmary. Especially with Kate’s fear that Aaron would be “taken,” how could she do that to somebody else’s child? I don’t get it.

Audiences may not like this seemingly more fickle, wimpy Jack, but I think it his scene with Juliet this past episode was incredibly powerful in conveying his full transition from the science-based Jack of Seasons 1-4 to a more Locke-like “Man of Faith” that the Island has made him become. I think out of all the characters on this show, Jack has made the most compelling and intriguing character shift.

The only thing I got out of it really was the point that Ellie and Charles are in charge of the others but Alpert is willing to go behind their backs. Ben will, oh so conveniently, forget about being shot by Sayid and, as predicted, Aaron was left with his granny.

On the Kate story, I am not at all convinced that Kate has changed. I got the impression she was lying about going back to find Claire and is, in fact, running away from her responsibility after realising she isn’t cut out to be a mum. She was still hoping to get back with Sawyer so the realisation that he is happy with Juliette hurts.

I actually thought for a moment in that supermarket scene that Aaron had ceased to have ever existed which would have been a great game changer (if contrary to the time rules of Lost) but no, he had just wandered off as toddlers do. I think that was the point at which Kate realised she needed to let him go.

Anyway, slow episode, easily the least interesting of season 5 but at least it had that light moment with Hurley and Miles basically ramming the Lost rules of time travel down our throats again with Hugo playing the dense viewer who can’t get past Back to the Future style multiple realities. Comedy genius.

In a earlier post I questioned why Amy and Paul were picnicing outside
the Sonic fence. The answer is…..Amy is a SPY! Why else would she break
“the truce”? Try this on for size:

1. Amy, particularly in her role as wife to Horace, is privy to most of
the dark secrets of the DI.

2. All the evidence points to the others having spies inside Dharma
(Including Ben).

3. She learns of Horace’s intent to wipe out the others.

4. Tells Widmore who then acts first and wipes out the DI with poison gas.

5. Amy escapes the purge and goes back to her “home” with Ethan.

6. I do think Paul was an other- as soon as horace asked amy for the body I was convinced.

7. This also explain why she called for Sayid’s death – she alone if she’s a spy among
the Dharmites knows that Sayid is NOT an Other…

In my opinion, Paul has been “reincarnated and is waiting for Amy with
the others.

There is something fishy about Amy, mark my words!

Also remember that an anagram for Ethan Rom is OTHER MAN

I think Jack’s subdued nature is perfectly understandable. For the last 4 seasons it seemed every time he has tried to lead, there is an unexplainable/supernatural twist. Remember this is a guy who was seconds away from suicide; was addicted to narcotics; feels responsible for many lives lost and decisions made; and has a haunting dead or not-so-dead father. Every step of the way Jack’s leadership was questioned, and then when he challenged Sawyer upon returning to the island he was once again criticised. Jack isn’t a wimp, he just doesn’t see the point in controlling things like before. With the experiences on and off the island he is no longer a man of science, but a man of faith.

Likewise, Matthew Fox, a great actor! But his character goes from strong and in control to a weak wimp on a regular basis… making it hard for me like “Jack”. Sawyer, on the other hand, just keeps getting “better” in every way!!!!

However, the reception that Sawyer & Juliet have given Jack, Kate & Hurley has bugged me since their return to the island. The former waited 3 years for Locke to return with the latter, to SAVE them. Just because Locke did not make it back with Jack, Kate, & Hurley would not make them less welcome. I understand their life has been fairly pleasant in Dharmaville, especially for Sawyer and Julie. who for the first time have apparently found “real” love. I understand they need to use discretion, but I expected some private catch-up conversations between these “old friends”, as well as some mutual planning… instead they are far too adversarial! THANK goodness this issue seemed to be improving by the end of the episode when we saw Sawyer come out to help Kate with Ben. I am looking forward to seeing the Losties work together in their dealings with Dharma & the others! Of course that does not mean I will not continue to enjoy the internal conflict between Jack & Sawyer, and Kate & Juliet!

Richard Alpert: In the popup episode of Namaste he is described as an “advisor” to the Hostiles. Somehow he is one of them, yet not one of them. They have a hierarchy, headed apparantly by Ellie and Charles W., but RA somehow supercededs their authority.

As RA pauses at the door of the Temple with the dying boy-Ben in his arms I totally expected to see him morph into Smokey! That would hve been awesome!

Loved how they fleshed out Roger Linus. Was that a spark I saw in his eyes for Kate? Now that would be a twist!

Finally, about Jack. At first I was frustrated with his refusal to help Juliet, but then I realized he is determined not to mess it up “this time” and let the Island or Fate guide his steps. He knows Ben lives. He doesn’t have to jump in and help…the outcome will be the same whether he helps or not, and as it turns out, his decision is the right one. Had he behaved like the Old Jack, Ben never would have gotten to the Hostiles, which is what I think was supposed to happen.

It reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld when George Costanza discovers that when he does the exact OPPOSITE of what he usually does, life goes better for him.

Happy happy anniversary! You guys ROCK!

A few more comments:

- I burst out laughing when Jack started into his “Are you telling me that…?” routine again, I feel like they make him say that every episode. He is becoming like some kinda humorous Jerry Seinfeld with his questions. That said, I LOVE the new Jack. The best way he can help himself and others is by NOT HELPING. Other people can shine when he backs off, and Kate can find new motivation rather than just “tagging along” with Jack (and stringing poor Jackie along). Sink or swim, she’ll have to do it on her own. Jack’s true purpose will become clear.
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Did it creep everyone out the way Juliet kept saying “fresh blood”? I am still leaning towards the side of thinking she fed Ben to The Others as a new recruit. Her smile creeps me out. Can’t Sawyer just go celibate or date one of the red shirts instead?
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Was anyone confused about Sawyer and Kate’s emotional moment at the fence while a 12-year old boy (who Kate claimed to care about) was bleeding to death in that VW bus? If they wanted me to believe that Kate actually cared about Ben, that scene really eroded all possibility. Seems she was just looking for brownie points and attention as usual.
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Also why were the Others so red clay-dusty (even usually steam-cleaned, buffed, and waxed Richard)? are they working on something? digging or??
I’m curious whether Christian will be there in the temple.
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This episode was OK, but I hope next week is more action and less filler!

“Hey, sound editor — I’m tired of the over-emotional violins every time I see Kate.”

OMG, AGREED! what in the world were those over the top John Williams heart-tugging strings! enough already.

I have to agree. I am not anti-Kate per se, I just feel like there were some huge wonky leaps in this episode and my belief just sorta fell through the cracks. It’s not the character’s fault or E. Lilly (never her, I think she is just so cute and really improving loads as an actress), I just don’t think the writers developed it in a believable way. I just don’t get her character’s motivations anymore. Save Ben? Find Claire? It all just seemed so last-minute improvised in order to give Kate some purpose

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paintergirl1 said:

“I agree with many here that Ben forgetting the shooting incident will be a bit too much of a deus ex machina.”

I think so too. As Richard gave his long speech about what was gonna happen to Ben, a big GIMMEABREAK flashed in my mind. What happened to cool calm and mysterious Richard? His talk reminded me of Pierre Chang in the first episode of the season when he unnecessarily told the workman that whole schpiel about time travel. It was almost like Richard should have just stared straight into the camera and said it to us. COME ON!

I have to agree. I am not anti-Kate per se, I just feel like there were some huge wonky leaps in this episode and my belief just sorta fell through the cracks. It’s not the character’s fault or E. Lilly (never her, I think she is just so cute and really improving loads as an actress), I just don’t think the writers developed it in a believable way. I just don’t get her character’s motivations anymore. Save Ben? Find Claire? It all just seemed so last-minute improvised in order to give Kate some purpose

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paintergirl1 said:

I think so too. As Richard gave his long speech about what was gonna happen to Ben, a big GIMMEABREAK flashed in my mind. What happened to cool calm and mysterious Richard? His talk reminded me of Pierre Chang in the first episode of the season when he unnecessarily told the workman that whole schpiel about time travel. It was almost like Richard should have just stared straight into the camera and said it to us. COME ON!

I’m really confused by what you are saying about Juliet. She’d been on the island for much more than two years before the plane crash. To become fluent in Latin in that span of time is unusual, but not impossible. We also don’t know if she was picked to join the Others solely for her fertility skills, but I think she arrived without foreknowledge of them (no matter how much knowledge they had of her). Why do you think she arrived 108 days before the turning of the donkey wheel?

@bevans, although I have not read any Harry Potter books (Shh! don’t tell, I get scared easily) I love the idea of the Others having a prophecy and a secret identity of their leader they are trying to solve.
One small hitch is that Jack could not be morally responsible for his father’s death, at least not by current moral standards in most societies, but do you know who else is? KATE! (Maybe she will have a miraculous recovery of her broken heart – wink, wink!)

@Bill – Let’s not forget that although socialist in some aspects there is a chain of command – military like structure and code. I am just surprised it isn’t “Workperson” in case a female should have an appropriate aptitude score for that position.

@Mark Belles – Juliette was recruited by and living among the Others when 815 crashed, I am confused why you state that on the day of the crash she did not appear to have inside knowledge of the Others? She was hosting a book club meeting with them.

Regarding Mr. Friendly – I hope we recognize some younger Others, what fun! Perhaps we can watch earlier seasons and spot an older version of Sayid, the one that crashed from 316 in 1977, got detained by the DI, escaped, and maybe joined the Others. Although I doubt he is considered “good” enough… but I can dream. I wonder if maybe he had to build and live in a little man-cave, maybe the one that Rousseau is eventually found living in by Sayid in 2004? Hmmm…..

Too many things to think about, too many tangents. Kleenex for my nosebleed, please!

That, it seems, would be an infraction of uniformity their socialist culture demands.

The knick knack paddle whack must occur prior to the Locke/Ben meeting. Ben was making a break for the big island, got hit, and then wound up in the infirmary where Locke found him.

I know this theory is a stretch, but i figure we’ll find out before end of this season.but i don’t see why else hide jacobs identity in shadow, unless it pays off with a big reveal later(similar to Denise Crosby emerging from the shadows in ST:TNG s04e26),

I loved that Kate sort of redeemed herself in this episode by owning up to the fact that although she cares deeply for Aaron, he is not hers to keep. I was happy to see her confront Clare’s mom.

But what I really wanted to talk about was this:
I was rewatching “The Man Behind the Curtain” with the commentary track on and Damon and Carlton mentioned that Annie (Ben’s childhood friend) and Olivia (the blond school teacher) were to significantly factor in the “end game” for Lost. I know people have still been talking about and expecting a reappearance from Annie, but I haven’t heard anyone mentioning Olivia. Has anyone caught a glimpse of her in “darma-ville” in the recent episodes?

Furthermore, it has been assumed that she was Horace’s wife when she first appeared in season 3, but Horace is now with Amy…I’m wondering what happened, and if Horace’s question to Sawyer if “three years was long enough” to get over someone was really a question he was asking himself about Olivia.

Any thoughts?

Thanks dudes!