LOST Podcast: The Transmission

I liked this episode more than I probably should have. And Jen? She says “LaFleur” is comfortably within her top ten favorite episodes of “LOST” ever. While I wouldn’t go quite that far, obviously “LaFleur” clicked for us — even when it probably shouldn’t. After all, last week’s episode only covered a couple of weeks, chronologically, yet felt both rushed and by-the-numbers. Tonight we get an episode that not only spans three years, but jumps back and forth relentlessly. It played games with our expectations, and it gave us even more new characters. But somehow it worked. It had heart. It had velocity. It had everything from the four-toed statue (sort of) to Jin speaking English. And Sawyer? Why hasn’t this guy been in charge from the beginning?

While we’re largely treated to a Dharma Initiative history lesson, the shadows of the larger arc are always looming. Faraday promising himself that he “won’t tell her” (hoping to prove false his assertion that “whatever happened, happened”) to the fantastic encounter with the mysterious Richard Alpert. Juliet reminds us that her people, her time, were post-Dharma… and that both “The Incident” and “The Purge” lay ahead.

But the character interactions were the best part of “LaFleur.” And Josh Holloway sold every scene. From blowing Richard Alpert’s mind to settling down with Juliet, from selling Horace a tall tale to rising to be the town sheriff, Sawyer shined. I lamented, when we saw Sawyer and Juliet spooning in bed, that we were moments away from Kate showing up and ruining it all. And when Sawyer finally saw Kate step out of Jin’s van, Jen said, “If Sawyer leaves Juliet for Kate now, I’m going to stop watching.”

Well, not really. But it’s surely a testament to the performances of both Josh Holloway and Elizabeth Mitchell (who looks great as a mechanic, by the way) that we needed only that scene on the dock by the sub to believe just how well things worked out for them “three years later.” One episode sold them as a couple. While the “love triangle” (or quadrangle or whatever) will inevitably return, for the moment I’d like to pretend it won’t.

There are more than a few questions raised by “LeFleur,” of course. Why did Alpert want Paul’s body? The Island obviously works some magic with the deceased. Where does the smoke monster fit in? Alpert suggests with some dismay that the sonic fence is an effective deterrent, so perhaps it’s working in concert with the hostiles. Do we know who Horace and Amy’s son is? Jen’s of the opinion we haven’t met him yet, which is less satisfying but opens up more possibilities. I guess, if you believe Daniel, the baby was always meant to be born, but part of me likes the idea that Juliet’s intervention did change something… for better or worse.

Notes and Notions:

• The mention of “The Black Rock” was great, too. Though now I’m wondering where Charles Widmore is by this time. He said his people protected the island for three decades before Ben exiled him. If that period began around when we first met him as a young whippersnapper in the 1950s, he could conceivably still be around in the 1970s. Right?
• Loved the “needle drop” using the reel-to-reel tape player (“Candida” by Tony Orlando & Dawn). How many more music playback devices are left?
• I really enjoyed Miles’ snarkiness this episode, especially as Sawyer had to mostly elevate himself to leading man. His complaint about “the only two plans” (the beach vs. the Orchid) was quite apt.
• The Ankh necklace that Amy saved from Paul was a nice touch of symbolism. Signifying “eternal life,” its Egyptian roots also line up nicely with the motifs suggested by the back of the statue.
• Sawyer was overflowing with nicknames, but Jen’s favorite was “Enos,” which is a “Dukes of Hazzard” reference.
• Jen was also happy to see Kevin Rankin, who plays Herc on one of our other favorite shows, “Friday Night Lights.”
• So Horace and Amy had a baby. But what happened to Olivia, the woman Horace was with when they discovered Ben’s mother in Portland?

What did you think? Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, March 6.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the seventh episode of Season 5, “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham.” We recap the story in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we review what we know about “La Fleur” and talk about the last week of filming on The Island.

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:41 Introduction
• 0:01:12 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:08:34 Discussion
• 0:26:24 You All Everybody
• 1:07:13 The Forward Cabin
• 1:11:01 Closing

Got a comment about something mentioned in this podcast, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the larger listener discussion about “316” on the previous post.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20090302.mp3

  1:12:41/66MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

“Locke’s fateful mission off the island as Jeremy Bentham is revealed.” We’ll post our initial reactions after the episode airs here in Honolulu, but we’d love to have your thoughts and theories for our next podcast. Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 27.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the sixth episode of Season 5, “316.” We recap the story in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we review what we know about “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” and talk about the last week of filming on The Island.

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:41 Introduction
• 0:01:10 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:07:29 Discussion
• 0:28:36 You All Everybody
• 1:02:27 The Forward Cabin
• 1:10:35 Closing

Got a comment about something mentioned in this podcast, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the larger listener discussion about “316” on the previous post.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20090221.mp3

  1:12:41/66MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

Jen didn’t quite know what to make of this episode. She said it was weird, she said it was surreal, she said it seemed like a dream. To be sure, “316” took its time, compared to the breakneck pace of the last few episodes, and — except for the fantastic opening scene — stayed entirely off the island with the Oceanic 6. There was a definite eerie tone throughout. And I, for one, liked it. The wailing strings of Giacchino’s score throughout took me back to Season 1. It was a good feeling. And that fantastic opening scene? I was thrilled that the show went there. Back to Jack’s eye, back to Jack on his back on in the jungle, back to the incredible “LOST” pilot. But it also made us doubt our prediction of how the entire series will end. Much like the return of the Oceanic 6 to the real world, this twist came earlier than expected, and is making us redraw our mental map of “LOST.”

If I have to give up on a variation on the time-loop theory, though, the otherwise odd and sudden appearance of Roy makes me pay more attention to the fans who are convinced all of “LOST” is tangled up in the Shephard family tree. Christian, Jack, Claire, Aaron… I mean, Roy says that one day he’ll escape and never be found. Where do you suppose he might go? Jack’s grand-dad gave off just the right level of creepy. And Jen said the casting, as kin of John Terry, was spot-on.

Either way, no other episode so far has made it more clear that this is the penultimate season of “LOST.” From the montage of our friends boarding another plane, to Jack’s explanation of Christian Shephard’s tennis shoes, the connections to the show’s beginnings are foreshadowing its end. We still have no idea what it will be, but now we can feel that it’s there.

The prominence of shoes triggered Jen’s memories of other key shoe scenes. The white tennis shoe is, of course, the first thing Jack sees in the Pilot. Kate removes shoes from a dead body in Season 1, then takes her stepfather’s shoes off before blowing him up in Season 2. Locke removes his shoes before entering the Swan station for the first time. And Hurley’s visions of Dave also featured a shoe. (Here’s a much longer list.)

A theme of faith was hammered home tonight, and specifically of Jack finally making the leap. His astonishment at how Sayid and Hurley ended up on the airplane was a bit much, but his “conversation” with Locke’s body was great. If he could only see the “Man of Science” now. The religious references are back in the spotlight, with Ben’s invoking Thomas the Apostle (and the episode’s title brings to mind “John 3:16,” a pivotal verse in The New Testament).

I was more struck by the “Chronicles of Narnia” link with the name of “The Lamp Post” Dharma station. (A lamp post is a major landmark in the “Narnia” story.) In “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a character is instructed to bring his brothers and sisters through the magical wardrobe. Why? To fulfill a prophecy in which the return of the two sons of Adam and the two daughters of Eve will end a witch’s reign, and crown the character king. Sound familiar?

Of course, “316” is hardly subtle about planting new questions. Why did Kate change her mind, and what happened to Aaron? Why is Sayid in custody, and why would he be transported to Guam (or Honolulu)? Why did Hurley sign on? And what happened to Ben? There’s no question the promise and “loose ends” he had to attend to was the murder of Penny. We can only hope that his battered condition means it didn’t go very well. All of these things, I expect, will be revisited in flashbacks while things unfold back on the island. Which makes me wonder if the final acts of “LOST” will mirror the show’s first couple of seasons in structure.

Hurley was right to freak out about Ben being on the plane, though. I don’t think that’s part of the master plan. And given Ben’s adversarial relationship with Widmore, and Christian Shephard’s frustration with Ben’s actions last week, it would appear that Sayid was right when he said that the only side Ben is on is his own. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to.

And the closing scene, where Jin drives up in a shiny Dharma van wearing a Dharma uniform, was pretty great. It simultaneously tells us that the Oceanic 6 returned to the island in a much earlier time, and that Jin (and presumably the rest of the left-behinders) has been living in that time for a while. My secret hope? That the Dharma Initiative hired Jin and provided him intensive language courses in Latin… and English. Talk about a great way to save Daniel Dae Kim from spending the rest of the series speaking Korean.

Notes and Notions:

• Just how closely were they able to recreate the conditions of the original flight? On one hand, much attention was paid to the little detail of Christian’s shoes. On the other, the plane was practically empty. No step siblings, no rockstars (save for a guitar), no cops or African warlords, and no high school teachers. Oh, and no pregnant women, unless Kate’s mysterious visit to Jack was for more than a little comfort.
• Hurley’s decision to bring a guitar is yet another thoughtful homage to Charlie. Along with “Simon’s Butcher Shop,” it sure seems like the writers are going out of their way to make sure he’s not forgotten.
• I loved that Hurley bought out the rest of the flight. I also loved the cold way Ben says, “Who cares?” when Jack asks what will happen to anyone else on the plane.
• Looks like we have a few new characters, provided they survived whatever happened to Ajira Airlines Flight 316. May they be handled with a little more grace than Nikki and Paulo.
• The brand of milk Jack served Kate is Meadow Gold. It’s available in many states, including Hawaii… but not California.
• The way Kate was found on the rocks in the lagoon, Jen noted, seemed to directly mirror the way Jack found her on his bed.
• The new and improved Frank Lapidas (Jeff Fahey) made Jen swoon.
• Guaranteed the song that was playing in Jin’s Dharma van is a Geronimo Jackson track.
• Locations: St. Andrews Cathedral housed The Lamp Post. Simon’s Butcher Shop is a real butcher shop in Kalihi. Roy’s care home is the Arcadia apartments, a real senior living facility.

Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 20.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the fifth episode of Season 5, “This Place is Death.” We recap the story in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we review what we know about “316” and share a tiny tidbit about the last week of filming on The Island.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at:

http://www.audiblepodcast.com/transmission

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:41 Introduction
• 0:01:12 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:08:58 Sponsored by Audible.com
• 0:08:58 Discussion
• 0:25:50 You All Everybody
• 1:05:03 The Forward Cabin
• 1:08:14 Closing

Got a comment about something mentioned in this podcast, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the larger listener discussion about “The Little Prince” on the previous post.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20090215.mp3

  1:09:54/64MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

With “LOST,” can there ever be too much of a good thing? The return of the smoke monster. The return of Christian Shephard. A glimpse of Rousseau’s early madness. Jin’s reunification with the left-behinders. Sun’s reaction to Jin’s wedding ring. Charlotte’s death. Ben being his sneaky self but with a flash of emotion. And yes, Mrs. Hawking, Eloise, and Daniel’s mother are one and the same. If this were season two, we would’ve had to watch three, four episodes to get such a bounty of plot twists and clues.

I was dizzy with glee at the closing thud, but Jen was a little less impressed. “It felt like a connecting piece,” says she. “The kind of touch-all-the-bases episode that usually came before a season finale.” And I can see her point. When once we lamented how the show dragged out the mysteries, I actually think we now miss some of that indulgent meandering and dramatic depth as we cover so much ground so quickly.

In terms of mythology, two characters’ last words carry the most promise.

First, Robert, speaking as a believer to a skeptical Danielle, explaining that the smoke monster is not a monster, just a security system protecting “the temple.” So the temple and the smoke monster are interconnected… and when the smoke monster isn’t on a murderous rampage, it has some pretty persuasive mojo. How awful, yet wonderful, was it to see just how Montand lost his arm (and Jen certainly didn’t feel bad for the guy)? What a delicious twist that Robert turned his gun on Danielle first? And that it jammed, as guns on “LOST” are wont to do, when the target still has work to do?

Secondly, Charlotte, flashing back to her youth on the island, suggesting a rushed departure with her mother as a child, and an early encounter with a scary man that was probably Daniel Faraday. I’m confident we’re going to meet a young Charlotte soon, reciting the very same lines about Hannibal and chocolate. The question is whether we’ve met Charlotte before? I still don’t believe Charlotte is young Ben’s doll-making Annie, but her final scene is certainly tantalizing. We’re pretty crushed that Charlotte died, as usual, just as she was getting really interesting: but we’re also confident her story has some missing chapters left to be told.

As for Christian Shepherd? Talk about leaving science behind. I loved it, though. “Since when did listening to him get you anywhere worth a damn?” And Locke was supposed to turn the wheel, not Ben. How would things have turned out if Locke woke up in the desert? I especially liked how Christian said he couldn’t help Locke to his feet. He is, after all, but a vision.

Jin’s sudden exposure to the flashes was well done, his reunion with Sawyer was heartwarming, and his demand to Locke to tell Sun he’s dead was especially intense. And Jen loved that his wedding ring went with Locke as proof of his death, but was ultimately used by Ben to convince Sun of his survival. How that ring came to change hands remains a mystery, and as Ben wiggled his way out of explaining, I got the distinct sense that he knows quite a bit more about Locke’s death than he’s let on.

Ben had some great lines. “I didn’t account for traffic,” or, “That’s true, Jack. I went to see him.” But his brief outburst in the van was great. His frustration with everyone trying to kill him was palpable, and the weight of his mission was clear. Whatever the moment, Michael Emerson is pitch perfect. He totally sold Ben’s surprise at learning Mrs. Hawking was Daniel’s mother, even if we weren’t surprised.

Other favorite lines: Miles bristling at the assumption he can translate for Jin, saying “He’s Korean, I’m from Encino.” Sawyer’s many quips, including, “Expecting a subway?” Or Charlotte’s love of Geronimo Jackson and fluency in Klingon.

But to us, little things gave “This Place is Death” some dramatic heft, despite all the mythological reveals. Danielle and Robert arguing about Alexander versus Alexandra. Jin pausing to get water from a leaf, and the reappearance of Danielle’s music box, which Sayid fixed in Season 1. And the almost too disarming smile Locke — or Terry O’Quinn — sneaks in just before he descends down the well. Go back and watch it. Golden. The magic is still there, and we love it.

What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 13.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the fourth episode of Season 5, “The Little Prince.” We recap the story in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we review what we know about “This Place is Death” and report on the last week of filming on The Island.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at:

http://www.audiblepodcast.com/transmission

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:43 Introduction
• 0:01:18 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:08:59 Sponsored by Audible.com
• 0:10:06 Discussion
• 0:33:59 You All Everybody
• 1:10:53 The Forward Cabin
• 1:15:11 Closing

Got a comment about something mentioned in this podcast, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the larger listener discussion about “The Little Prince” on the previous post.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20090208.mp3

  1:16:47/69MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

Another great episode of “LOST,” the kind that leaves your brain all tingly. Like last week’s outing, “The Little Prince” delivers sweet epiphanies and connections that definitely reward long-time fans. Though I’ve been wary of the Oceanic 6 storyline, tonight’s episode suggests a faster pace and stronger tension there. And as for the time jumping left-behinders, the spreading epidemic of nosebleeds means that we better enjoy the time-travel reveals while we can.

Who wasn’t thrilled to see Jin, alive… shipwrecked with young Danielle Rousseau and her crew? I gasped when I realized we were revisiting “Do No Harm,” the beam of light from the hatch that was essentially the icon of the show’s brilliant first season. Having Sawyer watch Kate help Claire deliver Aaron, meanwhile, gives us a pretty good theory as to “the whispers” that plagued our survivors from the beginning. And I’m confident the jump that brought them to the dilapidated camp and canoes is in the future, very likely beyond the “present” we’re seeing now. I harbor a not-so-secret hope that the mysterious figures in the other canoe are, in fact, the just returned Oceanic 6.

Ever since Daniel keep the left-behinders moving from site to site in the Season 5 premiere, I got the feeling the “LOST” writers were delicately trying to steer around any time-travel paradoxes. Tonight, Locke literally sidesteps the possibility of running into his past self, and Sawyer comes up with a conveniently heartwrenching reason for why he didn’t scare the living daylights out of Kate and Claire. They can’t keep this up, right? The depiction of this avoidance is so blatant, I can only imagine that we’ll ultimately see the unthinkable or impossible happen. And I’m excited to think about what that event will involve.

Still, Locke’s line about needing the pain of the past to get to where he was at that moment was significant. Not only does it suggest the linear persistence of someone’s experiences, but it seemed to be yet another tantalizing hint that Locke has known about many things on the island since the first time we met him in the pilot.

Those into the show’s relationships had a lot to be happy about, from Locke asking Sawyer if he wants to bring “her” back, to Kate saying she was “always with” Jack, to Juliet prodding Sawyer into opening up about Kate. And while I’m not entirely sure what Juliet’s up to in that scene, I like it.

Speaking of curious motives, Sun is still sending off suspicious vibes. When she tells Kate she’s helping her because “it’s what any friend would do,” I got chills. Sometimes I’m sure she’s in cahoots with Widmore to kill Ben. Sometimes I’m sure she’s actually working for Ben.

Jen particularly liked the fake-out with Carol Littleton. It seemed so obvious that Ben was the one behind the lawyer, simply flushing Kate out of hiding. When Claire’s mother showed up, we were glad to be wrong. Then glad to have actually been right all along.

By the way: “Besixdouze” is a French transliteration of B612, which is the name of the asteroid on which “The Little Prince” lived.

Locations: Downtown L.A. was downtown Honolulu, the intersection of “Wilshire and Olive” actually the intersection of Bishop and South King streets. (Watch my video from the shoot.) The hospital exterior was again Hawaii Medical Center East on Kalihi St., and the interior again Kahuku Hospital. The motel was an apartment complex adjacent to Keehi Lagoon Park near the airport. Hurley’s jail hallway was inside the Kaneohe District Park building. And the open ocean, where our left-behinders paddled their canoe and where the French crew recovered Jin? Why, that was in the Kaneohe District Park swimming pool. (Watch my video from that shoot, too!) I brought Jen to watch that scene unfold, and she was giddy for weeks.

What did you think? Please comment below, send us an e-mail at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a short message on the LostLine at (808) 356-0127 by Friday, Feb. 6.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the third episode of Season 5, “Jughead.” We recap the story in eight nine minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater depth. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, our brilliant listeners and readers. Then, in the Forward Cabin, we review what we know about “The Little Prince” and report on the last week of filming on The Island.

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:26 Introduction
• 0:01:14 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:10:31 Discussion
• 0:26:43 You All Everybody: Feedback
• 1:02:27 The Forward Cabin
• 1:06:25 Closing

Got a comment about something mentioned in this podcast, or about the podcast itself? Have at it below. Otherwise, we encourage you to continue the larger listener discussion about these first two episodes on the previous post.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20090201.mp3

  1:09:19/64MB MP3 — : podcast, lost