The Incident

Awesome episode, but there is a lot to discuss, so give me a bit of time to get my thoughts together. See you soon :)

Follow the Leader

Well, LOST is up to it's usual self....being a total mental rollarcoaster. Seriously, can anyone figure out anything that's going on? Ever since Faraday came back and said things "can" change, I have almost raised my hands in surrender. The writers are basically saying: "HA!, you think you know what's going on? Well, you don't know NOTHING." I think many people have had this feeling for a while, but for some reason, it hit me last night. Anyways here we go.

• Lets start by looking at some of the characters. First, there is Jack. This episode made it clear that he has now become John Locke. A man of destiny. Seems also, that like John Locke, he is willing to do whatever is needed to make sure that destiny is followed. In Jack's craze, he is willing to blow up a H-bomb because he feel that is why he was lead back to the Island. This is reminicent of Locke's behaivor such as killing Naomi in making "whatever supposed to happen....happens." Ben is playing the sneaky rat hiding in the shadows and secretly attempting to pull the strings. For some reason, I think many of us were thinking there is something redeeming about Ben, but now, he seems to have returned to his old glorious self. Locke believes he has purpose now. Before, he was the follower trying to figure things out. Now, he knows exactly what's going on and taking control. He is also playing a sort of Barak Obama role (It's funny cause I thought about that, and then happened to see the same inferencec here). He is trying to be as open and transparent to his people as possible. Alpert (the old guard) does not seem to like this at all. In fact, there might be consequences to what Locke wants to do, and Alpert knows this. The only thing I can tell of Sawyer is, is that he becomes the Jack Shepard. From next week's episode, we see a man that doesn't believe in desinty, vs Jack, who now does. This a classic Jack vs Locke scenerio. Where this will end I don't know.
• Alpert building a little ship in the bottle. Is this a hint to a relationship with the Black Rock?
  
• In 2007 Alpert lets Sun know that he watched the Losties die. My theory....he kills them.
  
• We learn that the h-bomb was barried underneath what is now the barracks. Now, others have noticed that the barracks site in what looks like a crater. From what I am reading on Lostpedia, the producers have said that the Island is volcanic and the volcano is going to play some part in the show. Craters or calderas like these can be the result of a major eruption. Olivia mentioned that an eruption occured a long long time ago (which implies it has not erupted in a long time). We also know now that the bomb is located in "tunnels" underneath the barracks. Now, I may be wrong, what if these tunnels are part of the volcano that errupted a long time ago. Maybe, since then, these tunnels were converted over to contain Egyptian 'decor." What if setting of the h-bomb will somehow reactivate the volcano. This might fit into the producers mentioning that the volcano will play a part. Just a thought.
• Alpert mentions that they way to get the bomb out is the same exact way they got it in the first time. So how did they get it in the first time? I have a feeling it was ol Smokey.
  
• Locke says the Island told him when his past self would arrive. So what does this mean? I have a feeling that when Locke was in the woods in the episode "Dead is Dead," it was then that he was somehow told. So who told him? Was it Jacob?. I think the answer lies in what Locke has become. There is no other way to explain Locke "rebirth" without thinking of Christian. Christian "knows" the Island. He comes and goes as he pleases. I have a feeling this is how Locke "knows."
• I love the way they show us Richard being pretty much displeased with the way things are moving. Both in 1977 and the issue of getting to the bomb, and him having to deal with Locke in 2007.
• I find it interesting how Ben and Alpert are so suprised with all this time traveling stuff. Wouldn't they know all of this stuff? I am asking because it seems to make sense that the Island was move at different time as well. Remember the polar bear that was found in Tunisia? Well, the only way to get to Tunisia is to move the Island which would mean the Island moves. So why are Ben and Alpert so astonished by how this whole disapearing shtick happens? Oh well.
  
• Why would Locke want to kill Jacob? Perhaps he wants to take his place. Perhaps this is the only way to free Jacob. Remember that in season 3, Jacob said "Help Me." Maybe this is how Locke intends to help Jacob. But if this is what Locke is 'meant' to do, then why would Christian want Locke off the Island?
  
• What ever happened, happened: Ok, so this is the part I dread. I dread it, because I just don't know how to piece anything together anymore. So do they manage to stop the "incident" and thus preventing the plane crashing by blowing up the h-bomb? Reason tells me no. The reason is simple. We SEE that in 2007 there is no alternate future. Richard mentioned that Ben turned the wheel which means everything happens as it supposed to happen. But then again, this is LOST, and somehow, somewhere, the writers might decide to totally throw us in the other direction. Anyways, I am thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, Hawking did not ONLY send the Oceanic 6 back to the Island so that her son might die, and everything that in the past happened, will happen, but for them to help in "fixing" things. But then again, that still doesn't make sense, because had they "fixed" things in the past (1977) then she would never had the need to send Faraday off to the Island back in 2004. Maybe we are still missing a major "Variable:" Desmond. Hawking had said that he Island is not done with him yet. Arrggghhhh..You see? You see? That is why there is no point in any of this anymore. It's just too insane. Maybe we should just shut up and enjoy the show wherever it takes us.
  

The Variable

Dear God,

Honestly, THANK YOU for LOST. That was such an amazing episode. Amazing. But, Faraday DEAD? Seriously, I am really sad at that. He was one of the best characters. Absolutely nobody saw that coming. ::deep breadth::

• This episode totally encompassed the whole Destiny vs. Free will theme of the series. Destiny was represented by Hawking, and to a lesser degree Widmore and free will represented by Faraday. The episode basically revealed the whole philosophy of Hawking which is basically, there is a certain path, and it MUST be followed, even if that means sending her own child to die. All the pieces start to fit now as to why she insisted on Desmond going to the Island and not buying the ring for Penny. If he doesn't go to the Island, that means eventually neither does her son...who according to her, must die. All this time, we were lead to believe that Faraday was on the Kahana because they needed him for scientific reasons. The truth is, he simply needed to be there so he can be killed.
  The other side of this is represented by Faraday who said things CAN change because even though there are certain constants, Human beings ultimately have free will and can alter things. This is ofcourse can cause great headaches since clearly Faraday was in the past since Charlotte told it to Faraday before she died. If he is able to change the past, then clearly Faraday and Charlotte would never have gone to the Island on the Kahana, which caused her death, which prompted Faraday to WANT to change the past in the first place. (i.e. to save Charlotte). Understand? If not for Charlotte dying, he would not be so hurt and want to save her by using the bomb. But if you prevent her death, then how can you go to the past to prevent that death???? See, I told you. You get a headache.
  
• So now we basically know why Hawking needed the Oceanic 6 to go back to the Island (thouth why some of them wanted to go back is still a mystery) , its because its through them that Faraday returns to the Island. Remember, her whole shtick is that there is a specific path, and that that path MUST be taken, or else. I wonder what can possibly happen if they didn't.
• I was wrong in my last post regarding the timing of Faraday coming back to the Island in relation to the season 5 opener when he bumps in to Dr. Chang. I thought the season opener came before and Faraday left the Island to learn more about the Island. Apparently, its the opposite.
• How does Faraday know EXACTLY when the accident in the Swan will happen? Is this just something that he knew when Widmore first hired him to go to the Island?
• What is up with Faraday's memory? Ok, so he used his experiment on himself, and I guess it did something to his brain that causes him to forget. But why does the Oceanic 815 wreckage make him cry...as if his mind remembers it. And how does this relate to Desmond Hume being his constant which he wrote in his journal? I mean, he clearly wrote that earlier, so why is his brain still a mess? Maybe it has nothing to do with a Constant. Perhaps he only wrote the Constant message incase in the future, he would go to the Island. But still, why does the wreckage make him cry?
  
• Faraday wants somehow to use Jughead (which we now know is NOT under the swan) to destroy that energy. Yet if he does, what happens to all the Losties? Do they just, cease to exist since it prevents the plane from crashing? If so, really, it doesn't make a difference if the Oceanic 6 are back in 1977 or back in 2007, since even THERE it would imply something happening to them. Afterall, they are only the Oceanic 6 BECAUSE of the swan accident which set everything in motion.
• Hawking tells Penny that for the first time, she has no idea what is going to happen next. I think we can understand this because up until now, her main goal was making sure a particular path is set in motion (i.e. Desmond going to the Island, Oceanic 6 returning and ultimatly Faraday dying). Now, she is basically free. As is written here, if this is the case, then how would she know the Island is still not done with Desmond?
• If Charlotte remembers Faraday, then that means he was in the past. Sooooooo, while we were still watching episodes of them in 2007, what happened to those Losties (and Faraday that were in the past. In reality, there should be two versions somewhere on earth....if the Losties were alive. Maybe at some point, everyone dies.
  
• Seeing previews from next week, I have a feeling that Jughead is inside the Temple.
• The previews also made it look like the Losties are going to use Faraday's journal. If this is true, there is probably only person that can understand anything in there. My hunch is that it will be Dr. Chang.
• Don't forget, somehow, Faraday's notes and map ends up in Ben's room in the Hydra. I am sure we will get back to this eventually. Perhaps this means that Hawking and Widmore end up with it and later Ben takes it from Widmore.
  

Some Like It Hoth

Did you miss me? Whatever, lets get to it. Not much in the episode, but that doesn't mean its bad. It just means the writers have to set things up for us. So here we go my eager reader.

• The guy that is killed at the location where the Swan is being built was clearly caused by the electromagnetic energy that caused his tooth filling to shoot out of his skull. As we know, while building the Swan, they dug a little too deep and caused the "incident" which required the procedure of the punching in the numbers. I read somewhere that the season finale might involve "the incident" and from the look of things, it might be true. How much do you want to make a bet that Hurly is the one that gives them the idea to use the 'numbers' for the micro processor computer.
• What did Dr. Chang need with the dead body? So at first I was thinking there is no way that they could conduct time experiments on the body since a) Orchid is still being built b) as we saw in beginning of the season Faraday was there when they JUST tapped into the 'exotic matter' c) Faraday being gone, that episode of Faraday being down there has not happened yet and eventually he will arrive to help its construction d) with the return of Faraday now, I figured at last the season premiere part of him working on the Orchid, will occur soon. THIS IS WRONG. The part of Faraday working on the Orchid, and Dr. Chang discovering there is a 'wheel' behind the wall has already happened within the 3 years our Losties have been living there. You know this because then, Faraday was simply a worker being pushed around. Now, Faraday is a scientist, and there is no way you put a scientist to do the crap work. No, apparently, Faraday at some point within the 3 years as working like a chump, left the Island, and now, has returned to them.
• Faraday off the Island is probably the scientist that created the mathematical equation in the 'Lamppost station' that Hawking was talking about.
• Hey, remember that minor character named Jack Shepard?? Ya, well, the writers were generous to give him a cameo. In it, he is erasing a chalkboard with some neato stuff. Pic from here
  

You can see all the Egyptian writings on the board. I guess this means that Dharma has some knowledge to the history of the Island and perhaps where these Others came from

• Bram (the same guy with Ilana that crashed on Ajira) tells Miles NOT to get on boat and that Widmore is a bad guy. OK, so now we know that Ilana and her homies are NOT working with Widmore as was previously thought. Ok, so are they with Ben? Were they Ben's inside people back on the Mainland that he told Locke about in season 4? Not sure about that either because if Ilana was with Ben, then Ben would not have asked them what's in the Box last episode. Is this a new Dharma? Are they with Hanso? They mentioned the same war that Widmore told Locke about. Ok, so if they are not on Widmore's side, what other side is there?
• SEASON FINALE HINT? Ok, so the men in charge of Lost have confirmed the code name for the season finale is called "The Fork in the Outlet." Take a close look at the picture above. Under the words "Writings of the words of God" there is a peculiar hieroglyphic that looks like some sort of odd looking fork and and outlet. Could be something there.
  

Dead is Dead

What a great episode. Oh man! I still have this tingly feeling all over my body. And its not even a tingly feeling of having to go to the restroom this time. Anyways, the episode was great because it was all about the mythology of the Island again. The show has two components two it that when one is featured, you forget for a moment the other and vice versa. This episode was all about the mythology aspect of the show. The science aspect of it (time travel, Faraday, equations) was nowhere in our minds. Ok so lets get down to business my children

• Ben says he has come to be judged. Of course, you know it makes no sense to be judged for returning to the Island since he could simply avoid being judged by not returning, and thats all. So what WAS all that, that Ben told Locke in Season 4 that whoever moves the Island cannot come back?
• Flashback to Ben and little Ethan going off to kill Rousseau. But he doesn't, since he sees her with a child (Alex). Instead, he takes the child and shows mercy to Rousseau. Now we now that Alex was born in 88(89?) which means this is pre-Purge which occured in 1992. This also means that Ethan at some point, defected way before the Purge. The whole scene of Ben showing mercy toward Rousseau and baby Alex is later mirrored when he meets Penny is about to kill her and then sees her son. Does this soft spot Ben have for children an indication of his infatuation of helping pregnant women give birth on the Island?
• Ben returns and shows Widmore the baby which Widmore wants killed. Ben does not understand this and even questions whether this is something he, or Jacob want? Angrily, Widmore responds that everything that he has done, he has done it for the Island. This should sound familiar as this is something Ben has said in the past himself. Does this mean that just like Ben on some occasions did things on his own whims, without asking Jacob, "to protect the Island" even if it mean't doing bad things, the same things Widmore was doing? When Ben offered Alex to Widmore, so he can kill her, but he wouldn't (or couldn't)
• Ben was clearly suprised about knowing Locke coming back to life. Question is, then why did he demand that the Jack take the body with them? Most likely, he didn't want to take him back, but Elloise Hawking cracked the whip and told Ben he must bring the body.
• Locke pretty much figures out that Ben wants to be judged for the killing of Alex by the manly Keemy and not for breaking the rules and coming back to the Island. Ok, so still, why does he so want to be judged? Is that basically the only way for someone to return to the Island...is to be judged?
  
• They meet up with Sun at the Barracks, and while inside, you get a glimpse of the risk boardgame. This is important because now it basically sets to rest the theories that the Barracks were in some alternative reality. That board game has been there since Sawyer and Hurly were playing it back in season 4 before the Barracks were attacked.
  
• I am still confused as to how Ben does not remember the Losties from the 70's. As you recall, a younger Widmore tells Ben that he will soon join his father which mean Ben returns to Dharma. I am guessing that something happens and the Losties leave Dharma before Ben is able to return and live with Dharma for the next 15 years till the Purge happens.
  
• We see finally how Ben summoned the Smoke Monster....by unclogging the toilet. Not sure what it really was, but it seems to be some sort of opening that goes directly to the Temple perhaps.
  
• Locke seems to know a whole lot more. In fact, as much as he tells Sun that he is exactly the same, Locke is clearly different. I have a feeling, that Locke has been reawakened via the Smoke Monster, just like Christian. He is un-dead, as the Producers say. He is one with the Island now.
  
• Skipping forward just a bit, Lapidus gets back to the Hydra Island where Ilana has taken charge. She asks him "What lies in the Shadow the statue?" This is clearly a question made to identify team members, just like when Desmond asked Locke "What did one snowman say to the other" in season 2. This was to assertatain if indeed Locke was his replacement. Ultimatly Lapidus fails the questions and gets whoped. Ok, so what does this mean? Who is Ilana working for? I doubt it is Ben because in the beginning of the episode, Ben asked one of the crash survivors what they have in the box. More than likely, these "survivors" are working with Widmore, but we will have to see. So what is in the box? They way they are putting those staves in the box almost resembles the Ark of the Covenant. If you recall, in season 3, Ben asked Locke if he could imagine a box and whatever he would imagine, it would be found inside that box. Ok, so scratch that idea, because the Producers have already said the "Box" is just a metaphor for the Island itself :). I guess we will have to wait and see what is in that box.
• Ok, so now, we go back, to a Flashback of where we see Widmore being banished. Now, I am still scratching my head with this because, I know it was an important piece of dialogue, but for the life of me, I can't see how it fits in with what happens later. So we learn that Widmore has broken the rules and fathered a daughter (Penny) with an outsider. Who is this outsider? Could it be Ellie? We have not seen her in these flashbacks, perhaps she was banished long before. If they were together before, it would make sense for him to want to leave the island to see her. So is this banishment the punishment for breaking these "rules?" And what are these rules? The rest of the conversation goes something like this:
  

Widmore: And what makes you think you deserve to take what's mine

Ben:"I won't be selfish, that I will do anything for this Island

Widmore: You won't sacrifice Alex.

Ben: If I remember, it was you that wanted Alex dead, not the Island

Widmore: I hope you are right, but if you aren't, and if the Island wants her dead, then she will be dead.

...and one day you will be standing where I am now and will realize you can't fight the inevitable

OK, so what is going on here? The conversation is important and a lot to chew on. Clearly, Ben sacrificed Alex for the Island, so Ben was serious that he would not be selfish and do anything for the Island. Seems also, that Widmore is basically telling us, that it is the Island that wanted Alex dead, and not him. How else do you understand the writers adding in "if the island wants her dead, she will be dead." So really, the questions are, why did Ben say that Charles "broke the rules?" Why did he even insist that it was Widmore that broke the rules when Ben entered Widmore's room and that after Ben would kill Penny, Widmore would wish he never changed the rules? Is it really Ben that is responsible for her death? Is it Widmore, or is it simply the Island? And if the Island wanted her dead, why should Ben be judged for it? The truth is, my head is hurting trying to piece ALL of this together so here goes. In reality, the Island DID want Alex dead. Widmore is no fool, and wouldn't simply say that. The fact that Ben was able to sacrifice Alex for the Island does not mean he SHOULD have. (This is actually going to connect to Mr. Eko soon). The whole Fate vs Free will played a huge part here because even later, Ben admitted to Locke in the Temple that it IS his fault. He CHOSE not to. Whether the Island takes her life or not, it does not obsolve Ben for the choice that he has made. I WAS thinking that the "rules" that Ben keeps harping at Widmore were simply Ben passing the buck over to Widmore. But that does not seem to be the case. Seems there ARE rules in play here but I just don't understand them yet.

Regarding Widmore's final comment about Ben eventually knowing that he can't fight the inevitable, I must admit I am lost to what that means now. Perhaps it is something for much later, maybe even the last season where Ben is perminetly banished.

• Skipping to where Ben enters the temple- interestingly enough, the same exact place where Rousseau's men were taken-we see a hyroglypic of the God Anubis, and the Smoke Monster. Anubis was the god of the dead. Is the Smoke Monster used by Anubis to judge people on the Island or is it simply that ancient man made, after experiencing what the Smoke Monster can do, created these hyroglypics in an attempt to tag unto one of their own gods? As Ben approaches, the Smoke Monster appears and envelopes him and starts showing Ben memories of Alex (ie, the topic of judgement). Ben cries, and its over. The Monster disappears and the ghost of Alex appears. Ben takes responsiblity for his action in which case Alex says "I know" then grabs Ben and basically tells him he has to follow Locke from now on. Ben is now really happy that he gets to live. I am assuming he really thought he would die. So now, if anybody has been paying attention, you should remember that this entire scene is reminisent of when Mr. Eko was killed by the Monster in season 3's The Cost of Living. If you recall in an earlier episode in season 3, Mr. Eko was put face to face with Monster in which case we saw the same exact thing that happend to Ben. Images started to flicker in the Smoke Monster to Mr. Eko, and then it disappeared. In the episode, The Cost of Living Mr. Eko sees his brother Yemi (i.e, in our episode, it was Alex). Yemi askes Eko if he is ready (i.e. to be judged). Apperantly, the Monster (Yemi) does not like Eko's response, and he ends up killing him. Both Eko and Ben were judged in the same exact pattern, yet Ben lives, and Eko dies. Why? (In fact, in a flashback of Eko's, one of the women tells him he will be judged for what he did). The answer is that Ben admitted guilt, Eko did not. Eko said that he was not sorry, because he had to do what he had in order to survive. That he was not asked for the life he had, but was given it. Well Ben did not ask for the prediciments in his life, but yet he made certain choices. Choices that involved Alex being killed. Eko made choices and others were killed as well. Seems the Monster, or the Island perfectly understands that life throws you curve balls, but it expects you to take responsibility for it, and most of all, feel a sense of regret. Ben did. Eko did not and that is why he was judged to die.
  

I Can't Post Tonight

I know all three of you are upset, but tonight is Passover, so I won't be able to post till Saturday night when I actually see the episode. Enjoy the episode, while my soul secretly cries for the TV set during the Passover Seder meal. See you Saturday night.

What Ever Happened, Happened

Loved the episode. Finally the episode was not really Dharma centric but Lostie centric. This episode sets out to close the gaps in Kates life. I like how each of the Oceanic 6's story sets out from the pier where they all meet and Sun has Ben at gun point.

• I love the whole conversation between Hurly and Miles. That scene was basically laid out for us, the viewers. I guess it is now perfectly clear that what ever happened, happened. That this rule laid out by Faraday is in fact right. Miles gives Hurly the gun, just to explain to them that they CAN die, because its their present, but everyone else, cannot die, because they are still alive in the future. I wonder if the 'gun' was somehow connected to the episode where Michael tried to kill himself, after leaving the island (Meet Kevin Johnson). Was the future already written that Michael was infact alive, hence he cannot kill himself?
  
• Jack is slowly becoming Locke. He feels he is supposed to be there, but yet we still do not know why. I hope they get to that soon.
  
• I love how Jack figures the great irony in once again he is being asked to save Ben. I will get back to this important aspect soon.
• It was pretty weird that everyone is so psyched about saving Ben, knowing what he will become later.
• Juliet has the idea of taking Ben to the Others, that maybe they can save them. Kate takes him alone and Sawyer arives soon enough.
• Richard recognizes Ben and takes him. He warns them that Ben will never be the same again, that he won't remember any of this, and that he will lose his "innocence." Kate and Sawyer agree but an Other warns that they should first ask Ellie and Charles. Nice eh? So this gives a bit more evidence that Ellie and Widmore are a union, perhaps even husband and wife. Richard tells the Other that he does not answer to them. Oooooooh. Did Charles and Ellie take control of the Others away from Richard at some point? Seems to be some animosity there and perhaps it was Richard that helped "exile" Widmore from the Island. Most likely this is going to figure very important soon.
  
• Richard takes Ben to the....................TEMPLE. Now, we should remember that this is very similar to when Rousseau's crew was taken down in the temple and became "sick," by the Smoke Monster. My guess, is that Smokey is going to be responsible for bringing him back. And, just like Rousseau's boyfriend turned violent, the same eventually happens to Ben. I mean, we have noticed that Ben never cares for other people dying (when Keemy died, and Locke said that he just killed everyone on the Freighter, Ben responds "So!" The same basic response is heard when Jack asks Ben what will happen to the other passengers of Ajira once it crashes. Indeed, Ben loses his innocence).
• Now, the question is, why did Richard do this to Ben. Richard told Ben he has to wait and be patience to join the Others. Clearly, he was talking to a more "innocent" Ben, and potentially, Richard saw a future "leader' in him (maybe). Yet now, Richard is basically transforming Ben into something else than what Ben was supposed to be. So does Richard actually WANT Ben to be transformed or did he simply see no other choice. He needs Ben, and this is the only way to save him.
  
• So going back to the significance of Jack not helping Ben; had Jack saved Ben, Ben would NEVER have become the monster he does later on. In fact, the whole glorious, mind bending beauty of all of this is that our LOSTIES are the ones that actually CREATED Ben. Ben would NEVER have become who he does later if it were not for Sayid shooting him, for Jin insisting on bringing Ben to Juliet to try to save him, for Jack denying help, which caused Kate and Sawyer to go to Richard. This is the ULTIMATE way of expressing the concept of "what ever happened, happened." Sayid thinks he is actually saving the future by killing Ben, but no, he is the one that set everything in motion. OH BABY. Was Faraday right, or was he RIGHT!!!!!
• But wait a minute, even though Ben forgets everything that has happened to him (ie, him getting shot by Sayid), he still clearly comes back to Dharma and sees the Losties....so how does he STILL not remember them? Oyyyyyyy, my head.
• Sean B's new video is up and he brings up the question of whether Ben was basically sending Sayid back to the 70's so that he will shoot young Ben, thus fulfilling what Sayid is "supposed" to do. Not just Sayid, but he needs Jack to DENY the help, which causes Kate and Sawyer to seek out for Richard. Thus, in the end, everyone does what they are "supposed" to do. Or, perhaps, Ben is actually hoping for something different to happen. Maybe he is hoping that Jack WILL save him. Maybe Ben wants to correct things that should never have happened (i.e. him losing his innocence). But then that seems to contradict Faraday's rule. Oyyyyyyyyyyy, my head.
  

He's Our You

So, basically, the episode was rather boring, eeeeeeeeeeexcept for that ending.

• Little Ben linus offers Sayid a book, Seperate Reality. Its supposidly a book about the experience of the author while being under psychodelic drugs in an attempt at seeing the energies of the Universe (or something like that). Was that a foreshadowing at the (truth) drugs Sayid was given in the woods to tell Dharma the truth? Did this drug help him "see" something which made him realize "why he is back on the island" and what "he has to do?"
  
• In my opinion, Ilana was hired by Ben to get him on Ajira. I doubt that there is any family in Guam. That is simply a story Ben told her to capture Sayid. This site says this is wrong, due to the timing being impossible. It was the day they were all on Ajira that Hawking said they had to be on THAT flight, which means there wouldn't be enough time to mobilize Ilana to capture Sayid. But its hard to believe this was all coincidental.
  
• What's with that record player used by Oldham? Record players seem to be a reoccuring theme in Lost. We see a really old one that Oldham plays, Dr. Candle and Desmond have a standard 70's modal record player and Juliet plays a modern cd player. And why DOES Oldham have an incredibly old record player? Does that attest somehow to how long he has been on the island? 
• During the meeting of what they are going to do with Sayid, Radzinsky says he will call Ann Arbor and they will make a decision. Ann Arbor is located in Michigan. This is the location of the DeGroots, the people responsible for the Dharma Initiative.
• Sayid Shoots Ben - Ok, so what on earth does this mean? What happened to Faraday's rules that whatever happened, already happened? Is Ben dead? Hmmmm, probably not. I have been reading some comments all around and some ideas are that :
  

1. the island brings Ben back to life. Perhaps even the smoke monster takes Ben and "revives" him and becomes part of him. Which would mean that Ben ALL this time has been "sick" (like Rousous husband) by the Smoke Monster. Would this explain what Widmore mean't in The Shapes of Things to Come (season 4) when he said "I know what you are"???
2. I read another comment by someone that Ben survives the shooting. This person mentioned that in season 3, you are shown a scar on his chest. If this is true, perhaps it is Jake that helps him. Wow, that would be twice saving Ben's life.
   
3. This is more complicated, but someone else mentioned that perhaps there are TWO time lines now. There is REAL time that has the events we are used to; the purge happens, Oceanic crashes and the 6 are rescued etc etc,. The other time line is this new one being written, where Ben is killed and the purge never happens. This is problematic because Faraday already said you cannot change what has happened; that time is like a string, you can go back and forth but can't make a new one or affect the past. You can read the comments here. Honestly, its all very complicated now. Soo, we will have to just sit tight.
   
4. Ben survives the shooting no different than how Locke survived when Ben shot  him in season 3. Possibly, Ben will see his mother and she will utter those time honored words "You've got work to do." 
5. Richard finds Ben and somehow nurses him back to health and sends him back to Dharma. 
6. Ben is revived by Jacob
7. The writers screw with all of us, making us think that things in the past can't change but in fact Ben REALLY DOES die which in fact was what was SUPPOSED to happen all along. Remember, this show focuses on things SUPPOSED to happen and Sayid basically fixed what was supposed to happen all along (sort of like the universe course correcting itself). Yes, I am confused as well. But that would mean Ben doesn't exist in the future because he was killed, and, this because the true timeline causing the other reality to implode....which doesn't seem possible. Did I mention I am confused. Maybe we should shut up and wait.

• So far, the last few episodes have been bothering me. Part of the reason is that till now, we have been entrenched by the mystery of this Island. It was even a bit spooky and dark. It has sort of been put all that aside now, and just concentrated on this Dharma where things look bright and cheery. Before part of the compelling nature of Dharma was its mystery. Also, there is no antagonist yet, or at least a clear one. We are all spinning around STILL trying to figure out WHY the 6 had to get back to the Island. Forget why WANTED TO, but why did Richard and Christian Shepard make it seem like they HAVE to be there. I don't want the Oceanic 6 to be background players which so far it looks like. I am also bothered by how frail Jake is. I want him to become the angry jerk he was before. Where it was him vs Locke. There was a constant tension between characters. Lost is about our beloved characters, not Dharma.
  

Recap Video for Lefleur - A Must Watch

Ok, so Sean B's videos are always Must watches, but this one in particular because it has probably a better explanation of what the 4 toed Egyptian statue is, and the identity of Adam and Eve . I had a feeling about it, but now he actually brings in good evidece. Watch it here.

Namaste

The title is pretty fitting for this episode. It was basically a 'welcome' episode. Setting up everyone together for what will happen later. Not much happened in this episode. But, I have a job to do here right?

• We start with Ajira crashing on the Island. I wonder why Lapidus said 'oh no!' right before they hit some heavy turbulance. Also, did you notice that after the flash of light instead of them flying at night it was day time all of a sudden? I will get back to this later
• Sun was not taken with the flash of light. What the hell does this mean? Does the Island not want her back?
• Obviously, it is settled that they landed on the runway that was being built during season 2. Did the Others built it purposly knowing this plane would need to land later?
  
• 1977- We are introduced to Radzinsky. I have a feeling he is going to be a very important character in the series. After all, he is the one showing building the model of the Swan station. He is Kelvins partner in the Swan before killing himself. He is the one that starts making the Blast Door Map. There is going to be a lot of questions revolving how he ended up in the Swan station? What made him make the map? Did he lock himself in the Swan because he was afraid of the "sickness?"
• Why did they not want the Hostiles to know they are building the Swan? Is it because they don't want the Hostiles to konw they are studing the electromagnetic composition of the Island?
• Where on earth is Faraday? Is he off looking for a way to go back to their time?
  
• Seems like the Dharma Losties are not to happy to see the Oceanic 6 er...5. It almost looks like they think they are now a nusance and from the preview of next week, it almost looks like there is going to be a seperation between the two groups.
  
• Ben is back to being coniving. He's no longer playing the nice guy trying to bring everyone back. He is clearly lying about not knowing what happened to the Oceanic 5.
• Sun and Lapidus land on the main Island and immediatly the Smoke Monster is heard. They then enter the barracks and Christian arrives. Is it a concidence that we hear the Smoke Monster and then we see Christian??? Hmm.....
• Did you notice that the barracks look suspiciously run down? I even noticed a window boarded up. Infact, both the small Island and the main Island look uninhabited. To continue what I was going to say about the plane landing on the Island during the day when it was actually flying at night...could it be that the plane went ever further into the future, past 2007?
• I'm so confused as to what on earth Christian's role is? Seems like he is some sort of "entity" that is pushing events forward...to what they should be. Don't know. Is the Monster (aka Christian) the universe course correcting itself?
• Final scene showed a young Ben Linus bringing food to Sayed who is locked up? Why did Ben go down there? Most likely, this transpired AFTER Ben first met Richard in the Forest. The reason I think this is because of his haircut. When he first met Richard, he had the same haircut as when he first arrived on the Island. Seems now ever since meeting Richard, Ben is much more interested in discovering who these Others are....since Richard told him he has to be patient. Or, is it possible Ben knows where Sayid really came from, hence his question asking Sayid if he is a "hostile"
  
• Can someone explain to me what is the purpose of the Oceanic 6 (or 5) being on the Island? I guess this is something we will know later

Thoughts to Ponder

I guess tonight we are all going to feel a little Lost without our show (get it? get it? hahaha, I love laughing at my own jokes). So, to fill the void I'm  simply posting some thoughts and questions I have on my mind that have yet to be answered, or I feel have been put aside and forgotten:

1) Ben moved the Island so that Locke could lead the Others (unless Ben has something up his sleeve). Yet, Christian told Locke it was HE who was supposed to move the Island which means Locke was supposed to be removed from the Island, not Ben. Hmmm....

2) Remember the flashback of Miles where he contacted that dead grandchild? When he went downstairs, a picture frame was changed from it originally was when he went upstairs. What's with that?

3) What's with Cindy? She was the flight attendant and since became an Other? This has not yet been explained.

4) The Hydra Station: Why was it on the the smaller Island?  We know Dharma was using it for zoological studies, but what did the Others want with it? The only thing we have seen is that it was used for psychological experiments as with Carl.

5) Why did Dharma build the Tempest?

6) Widmore tells Locke that the reason he sent the mercenary force to the Island was to get Ben. So what was the point of Miles, Faraday, Lapidus and Charlotte? Abaddon tells Naomi that each was selected for a particular reason? Ok, what are the reasons?

7) How did Naomi know there might be survivors on the Island when she talked to Abaddon?Later she tells Hurly that Flight 815 was found on the bottom of the ocean and everyone is dead. So which is it? Does she know the flight wreckage is a lie? 

8) Why did Naomi say that they were sent by Penny Widmore? Was it to get Desmonds trust? She after all, she said they were there to find Desmond. Why were they to find Desmond? Why did Minkowski say they (on the freighter) were not allowed to answer the calls which were coming from Penny? Did Penny know this freighter was sent out to search for the Island?

9) How come Richard is never the leader? He seems not to like Ben as he tells Locke in season 3 ("The Brig") that they are looking for someone to remind them of what they are really there for. Is he waiting for some sort of "messiah" figure to come to lead them as they were once led or something? Most likely he thought that person was Ben after young Ben tells Richard in the forest that he saw his dead mother.

10) Why is Ben so obsessed with pregnant women on the Island?

Lafleur

Ok, after seeing this episode, I realize this episode is more of a transition episode. It sort of lays out what the next few episodes are about. Basically, being part of Dharma in the late 70's. Most of whta happend in this episode is new stuff. I didn't see much that gave us an "AHA" moment, connecting something that we may have seen in the past.

• The first huge thing was the revealing of the four-toed statue (at least from the back).
  

• The immediate thing that we realize, is that for a moment our friends traveled thousands of years in the past. So what exactly is this statue? This site has a great theory and one that is supported by the rest of the episode. The statue is none other than the Egyptian god, Anubis. Anubis, is the protector of the dead, and in the picture given, he is holding an ankh. If you look closely at the picture above, it DOES look like that is exactly what he is holding in his hand. We will get back to the ankh soon. If it is Anubis, what does this mean. Well, obviously, it means the island is older than Moses. But what is an egyptian statue doing on this island? Perhaps, this island was part of a larger mainland near Egypt. Perhaps some ancient egyptians 'stumbled' across this Island ages ago and settled there (hhhmmmmm...the Others?). Maybe they discovered this Island somehow is able to bring people back to life, or even give eternal life....hence, the Anubis statue.
• We are finally answered that indeed the survivors DID spend three years on the Island, the same amount of time the Oceanic 6 spent off of it. I had thought perhaps that a few days or so on the Island MAY equal to 3 years off the Island.
  
• 1977 - Two men in the Flame see Horrace drunk and throwing dynamite at trees. Horrace later tells us that he was upset after getting into an argument with his wife. But why was he throwing dynamite. I also wonder whether that dynamite was from Black Rock. We know that the Smoke Monster comes out of holes from the ground. Was he trying to somehow call the monster by throwing dynamite at a tree thinking the Monster was there?
• 1974 - Survivors see Faraday upset at the loss of Charlotte. He says "I'm not going to do it, I'm not going to tell her." Does this mean that he is going to attempt to change what is SUPPOSED to happen? Specifically, the fact that he ALREADY DID tell Charlotte not to come to the Island, does he know think he WON'T do it? Will Charlotte appear as a ghost vision now? Are there even such things as ghosts on this island, or is simply the left over conscienceness that is moving through time? Aaaaahhh, my head hurts.
  
• Charlottes body has disappeared. Why? Did the Island take her? Perhaps, because they are back in the 1970's she is not technically dead, hence her body cannot be there.
  
• We are introduced to Amy who tells us there is a "truce." She is shaken up about the possiblity of the bodies being discovered and wants the bodies buried. What is this truce? Part of seems to be that you cannot kill the Others. Keep in mind, that sometime between now (1974) and the Purge (1992) the truce was called off. Was some high ranking Other killed that eventually destroyed the truce?
• 1977 - Amy gives birth to a son on the Island. i wonder who this child can be. The intern says the women delivery on the mainland, which means that the whole birth issues is quite old.
• Jin tells Sawyer that he is still looking for their friends. Most likely Bernard and Rose and others.
• 1974- Juliet tells Miles that the Others killed "MOST' of Dharma. Most? I thought, except for Ben, they killed everyone. Was she referring to Ben, or did more survive?
  
• Richard enters the Barracks. He wants justice for the death of his two men. Richard is dressed up the basically the same clothes as he had in 1954. Whats interesting is that when Ben as a child meets Richard in the woods, Richard looks very scruffy with long hair and torn clothes. Richard says the fence can keep other things out (the smoke monster) out but not the Others. Horrace later tells someone to put the fence on maximum strength. Will that keep them out? Anyways, Sawyer comes out and convinces Richard that they will hand over Paul. Why on earth would Richard want a dead body? Amy, Pauls wife decides that they can take Pauls body. But before they do, she removes the Ankh that is around his neck. What does that mean? The Ankh is a symbol of eternal life. Did she take it for memory sake, sort of like Rose holding the her wedding ring which reminder her about Bernard, or is there another reason? Does Richard somehow resurrect Pauls body and become an Other? There is clearly some sort of connection between the necklace, the hyroglypics the Temple, and the giant statue. All appear to be about eternal life or resurrections. There is something big that is going to connect all of these and explain a lot later on. But then again,
  
• Sometime after this, we can presume that Horrace marries Amy. But, somewhere in between 1974 and 1992, Amy is out of the picture since we know Horrace then is married to Olivia. Was Amy taken by the Others as well?
• Going back to last weeks episode. The question arose of "when" are the survivors of Ajira Airlines? Well, we know the Oceanic 6 are in the 1970s, but yet, the Ajira survivors are in an abandoned Hydra station, which means, they are in the future. So now we have two sets of characters, on two islands in different times. Am I wrong here. Is it possible that simply the hydra is not being used? Very hard to believe since Faradays notes were found there, which means he was there in the past. If this is true, it destroys my theory, that the only reason Locke is alive, is because the plane crashed in the past- before he was ever killed.
• Did I mention this episode was simple, yet awesome?
  

The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

• Episode starts out with Caeser looking through an office. Is he just curious, or is really looking for something. He finds some maps of the Island and he also finds a sheet of paper that looks exactly like what Daniel Faraday had in the episode "The Constant". Was Caeser looking at pages from Faraday's notebook? Most likely it was. Take a look at the screen captures here:

• We then see that the plane has crashed on the Island. We discove at the end that this is the smaller Island.
• There are canoes on that Island. Originally there are 3 but we are told the pilot and someone else has taken one of them. How did those canoes get on the smaller Island in the first place? A few episodes ago, we are shown that 2, not 1, canoe made it to the larger Island. Sawyers group uses one of those canoes to get to the Orchid, but are fired upon by the other canoe. When the canoes are discovered on the larger island by Sawyers group, it is the present (or future), because we see their camp on the beach. This seems to imply that the smaller Island is in the present (future) time. But yet, we know that the Oceanic six are in the past, on the larger Island. Does that mean that both Islands with both sets of characters are in two separate times? Why did Lapidus leave? Could it be that Sun and Sayid crashed on the smaller plane and want to get back, with Lapidus to the larger Island?
  
• Flashback scenes begins. It was obvious Locke would wake up in Tunisia. As Widmore later says, it's the "exit." How did Widmore know to put a camera there at that time? There were no cameras when Ben appeared in Tunisia. Seems Widmore knew already that Locke was going to appear.
• I loved the conversation between Widmore and Locke. We now know that Widmore was kicked off the Island by Ben in the late 80's or so, because Widmore mentions he was the leader for three decades, which probably means he became the leader of the Others shortly after John talked to Richard in the 1950's. BTW, why isn't Richard ever the leader? Also, if Widmore was the leader, did he ALSO go through some screaning when he was really young as Locke was? Widmore says he wants to help Locke because Locke is "special." Can Widmore be trusted. In season four in the episode "The shape of things to come," Widmore tells Ben that the Island will be HIS again? Is Desmond right? Are they all just pawns in somehting much larger?
• Abaddon kicks butt. I will get back to him soon.
• Widmore shows Locke a picture of Sayid. He says he has been following his friends. Ben also has been saying the same thing. We know Ben for two years has been having Sayid kill people that Ben says are Widmore's men. Are they the ones that have been taking pictures? Hard to tell. If I recall now, the people that were shooting at Hurly and Sayid were only shooting with sleeping darts, and never real bullets. Also, how did Ben conveniently have a man in Santa Domingo to inform him when John arives? Is Abaddon playing a double agent or something?
• Locke starts trying to convince the Losties to return with him. Why did he go to Walt? He wasn't an Oceanic 6. Also, Walts dream was interesting. He said he dreamed of Locke in a suit surrounding by people that want to hurt him. Does Walt have the same foresight that Desmond had? Is Walt referring to these latest survivors of Ajira, or about another group that we don't know yet.
• Does Walt have a point in the story still?
  
• I love the tension that exists. From one side, Locke is told that he is incredibly special and that the Island needs him. From the other side, the Losties are telling him there is nothing special about him.
• Hurly drawing Egyptian sphinx. A connection to the hyrogyphics on the Island?
  
• Locke and Abbadon at the cemetary. Ok, so this is is important. The conversation Abbadon has with Locke is basically the same conversation Elloise Hawking has with Desmond in Season 3. That there is a specific path that has to be taken. When we saw Desmond and Hawking together, we KNOW those things she is talking about already transpired. In a way, that episode with Desmond and Hawking was a sort of Flashback. This might help us find why Abbadon sent Locke on a walkabout in Australia. He sent him on it, because it ALREADY happened. Abbadon KNEW already of Lockes path in the future (crashing on the Island) and therefore, he had to actually send him there. Perhaps, just perhaps, the reason why Richard tells Locke that he will have to die, is not because Richard believes it MAY inspire the Oceanic 6 to come back, but because it ALREADY happened in the future and it DID make them comeback. It's sort of like the whole compass issue. How did Richard know that Locke would need help with the bullet in his leg? Well, because Locke already told him. Basically, the jist of ALL of this, is that the ENTIRE LOST show is one enormous flashback to events that ALREADY happened as they should and now we are seeing how everyone is supposed to live that path already pre-determined to them....or else.
• John decides to committ suicide. Realize, that he is not killing himself because that is what he thinks will help convince the others (per Richards advice), but because he feels like a failure. Ben walks in and convinces him not to kill himself.
  
• The scene of Ben begging on his knee with John standing on top of the table sort of looks like Jesus being crucified or something. Even Lockes arms are slightly raised.
• Ben is told Jin is alive and is surprised. He also is very surpised to hear about Elloise Hawking and admits he knows her. He then goes on ahead to strangle Locke to death. Most likely, this is the universe course correcting itself. Locke is SUPPOSED to die. That is WHY Richard tells him he has to die. Because it has already happened. So why did Ben kill Locke? Seems the only knew info he got know was the identity of Elloise Hawking. Perhaps Ben does not want Locke being the one to return the Oceanic 6 back, but instead, he wants to return them so that he can return to the Island. If you recall, Ben said who ever moves the Island, can never return. Was this a lie? Or, perhaps, he realizes he CAN return, but only if he returns with a group of people that fate ALREADY dicated were not supposed to leave.
• We are left now with the question of whether Christian Shepard became alive again when Oceanic crashed just like Locke lives again after Ajira crashed. Is this an issue with time? Lets say, that what I said above about one Island being in one time and the other in another is wrong (which is probably is), this would mean everyone right now, are somewhere in the late 70's/early 80's when Dharma was around. Well, back in that time, Locke was ACTUALLY alive. So could it be, that if one crashes on the Island at an earlier time, before something happened to you, (like death), it won't affect you?
• I have to agree with what I read here. The talks John had with the Oceanic 6 were really uneventful. You would think Locke would put more of an effort. Why didn't he actually explain what was going on in the Island? Obviously, if he just walks up to one of them and says "I need you to come back" and thats it, nobody is going to listen to him.
• In the end of season 4, when Jack was talking to Ben, Jack mentioned that Locke said bad things happened because he left. I don't remember him saying that to Jack in the hospital did you? Also, how is it that Jack cracked up about the Island so fast after discovering John was dead (end of season 3 when he talks to Kate at the airport). I mean, one day, he thinks Locke is delusional at the hospital, and the next day he books a ticket so he can crash? How long of time transpired between Locke dying, and Jack meeting up with Kate at the airport (again, end of season 3) that SO convinced him they HAVE to go back?
  

Welcome to the LOST Hangover

I am sure many people feel like they are going through a hangover after watching LOST, especially thursday mornings. This blog is really just a place I can put my thoughts down and discuss it with readers. I am not planning on giving an in depth recap to the episodes (there are plenty of sites for that). I simply plan on just laying down thoughts, probably with bullet marks. I also plan to use other sites (which will be listed on the side bar) for information and theories. Anyways enjoy