Tonight’s episode wasn’t as dense or thrilling as weeks past, but it still closed with a single word, a single name, that scored a palpable hit. Aaron, Claire’s baby, is one of the Oceanic Six… but calls Kate mommy. And so my head spins with possibilities. Kate must be claiming Aaron as her biological son, hence her refusal to let her mother see him. The rest of the Oceanic survivors must also be keeping Aaron’s true parentage secret. And something must have happened to Claire, as seeing her son is apparently too much for Jack. (more…)

Another fantastic episode. And the details are almost as exciting as the overall pace “LOST” is keeping. This season is no leisurely stroll (you hear me, season two?). This show is now lean, mean, and likely to leave you dizzy. You’ve got the island mysteries (the 31 minute time discrepancy and the significance of bearings used to come and go). You’ve got the double double-crosses, the chess-like strategies, the cloudy motivations. You’ve got another flash-forward with a mind-blowing climax.

And oh my god, the truth finally comes out. My wife, Jen, the eye-rolling cynic who has insisted since day one that she’s all about the mysteries, finally outed herself tonight as a squealing, giddy Skater. Who knew? (more…)

Now that was a season premiere. Without a doubt, “Confirmed Dead” got my mind spinning and my heart pounding the way I expected last week’s episode would. Tightly paced, great twists and surprises, and real drama. “The Beginning of the End” was really the end of Season 3. Now we’re really rolling. Awestruck, Jen rightly asserts that the opening sequence with the underwater wreckage would’ve blown more minds than ten Camaro car chases ever could. (more…)

Long promised as a way to fill the horrific chasm between seasons of “LOST,” we finally got twelve weekly “mobisodes” — mobile phone-sized episodes — leading up to the Season 4 Premiere on Jan. 31, 2008. Initially released exclusively to Verizon customers, ABC later posted them online. (DarkUFO has also collected them into one convenient player.) The series was dubbed “Missing Pieces,” and each piece is an original scene written by “LOST” writers who used the opportunity to fill in some gaps in the last few months on the island.

Some were interesting, some less so, and few gave fans anything they hadn’t already known or surmised. The “LOST” team saved the best for last, though, with the final “Missing Pieces” entry taking on a mystery we’ve pondered since day one.

What did you think of the mobisodes? Any favorite moments? Anything that’s fleshed out or changed a theory you’ve been developing?

People whom I love and respect thought last week’s story was great, but it did nothing for me. Those same people were disappointed by “I Do,” and I thought it was a damn good episode. One thing I’m learning? The fact that people still have strong opinions, either way, is testament to the staying power of this show. And while I’m no “shipper,” this semi-season finale is cementing the fact that I’m into “LOST” for the characters. I’m curious about the sci-fi side, the mythology, the clues, the conspiracies. But I’ll take a deep character episode like “I Do” over a voodoo mystery any day. And Jen? She didn’t hate Kate at all this week. In fact, she rather liked her. And that, my friends, is saying a lot. (more…)

Jen liked it. I didn’t. I can’t think of another episode of “LOST” where our opinions so clearly diverged. Jen felt the show was finally putting out after playing hard to get for so long, and liked that nagging questions were finally addressed. I thought the whole episode was awkwardly paced, poorly written, and amounted to an embarassing stumble in what has otherwise been a surprisingly strong season. Yes, some very big reveals were served up, and for those starved for answers, “The Cost of Living” was probably filling. I just wish it could be more filet mignon, and less Big Mac. And with the promos for next week’s half-season finale unabashedly proclaiming it the best episode ever, I’m very, very worried. (more…)

A strong episode, and one focused on a perennial favorite. While Jen has flashback fatigue for some of the original crew, she felt Sawyer’s story genuinely added more to his character. The question is, between the flashback and the island, did we see Sawyer con his way out of prison but get conned by Ben? Or perhaps we’ll later learn he was actually conned twice? And a few minutes are spared for the survivors on the beach, so we can get to know (and dislike?) Paulo better, and get further evidence of Desmond’s premonitions. (more…)

After two episodes firmly grounded in the real world, “LOST” throws a curve with “Further Instructions,” echoing some of the other decidedly mystical stories of seasons past. Specifically, tonight’s story seemed to be a third act, after “Deux Ex Machina” (1×19) and “Question Mark” (2×21), revisiting the underlying arc of faith and redemption. Those who love the spiritual and metaphorical side to the story probably cheered that “LOST” is back. Those hungry for details about the mysteries in the foreground, however, were probably disappointed. (more…)

We certainly had an… interesting day, with early-morning earthquakes and an island-wide blackout. Fortunately for us, and most of Hawaii, there were no fatalities or serious casualties. Lots of property damage, mostly on the Big Island, and folks will be cleaning up for a while. But for the most part, it’s just one of those crazy things that will fuel small talk for weeks to come. We were offline, but wandering about town, and I was posting some photos from my smartphone, if you’re curious. Mahalo a nui loa for all the kind e-mails and messages.

I think Jen was about ready to turn off the television when Sawyer started ogling Kate. But it was worth hanging on for the last two minutes. So, the Others are neither as isolated nor as infallible as they first appeared, Alex resurfaces with a tantalizing link with the mysterious Karl, we see a darker side to Sun while Jin’s character grows richer, and Ben controls and sees everything but still needs something from our survivors. We still haven’t seen much of the grand plan, but it’s clear as ever there is one. (more…)