Lost - "The Incident," Ctd, Ctd

First, I'm sorry. Very, very sorry that this has taken so long to post. I started a new gig and have had little time to re-watch "The Incident," and even less time to write the long post that is about to follow. Now, with my boss leaving mid-day today, I figured I would embark on deciphering this awesome season finale. I know I went character-by-character in my preview post, but I think we'll go somewhat chronologically through the episode, and then score my predictions at the end. So, away we go:


*How freaking awesome were Jacob and the Man in Black, whom from this point forward I will call Esau? (Let me quickly say, that despite my quick posting about the Biblical Jacob and Esau, I do NOT think that the Man in Black will be named, or actually is, Esau. It's just too on the nose. However, as I don't want to keep typing "Man in Black" or "Anti-Locke," or whatever, I'm calling him Esau.) I loved the first scene. I think that was definitely the Black Rock. I don't think Jacob caused the ship to find the Island; to me it was happenstance. Just as Desmond not pushing the button caused Oceanic 815 to crash, something outside of Jacob brought the ship, and all the other people who have landed there, to the Island. How does Jacob get off the Island? Was he trapped there until the Dharma sub arrived? By the way, why does Esau want to kill Jacob anyway? Because of Jacob's sunny belief that humans, as a race, can improve themselves?


*I wonder why Esau can't kill Jacob directly. In other words, what are the rules and who defined them? The other set of rules we have heard about was in relation to Ben and Widmore. Have they received the imprimatur of Jacob/Esau as well, and are hence bound by the Island's rules? As we saw Locke and Jack receive the touch of Jacob prior to their landing on the Island, is that why Jack's gun didn't go off when he tried to kill Locke in Season 4? And why Locke didn't die when Ben shot him in Season 4 as well? We'll get back to Jacob's touch later. OK, we'll do it now.


*When Jacob said to Kate, "Be good Katie," and then touched her nose, was this a command or a wish? Did he know that Kate would never "be good" prior to Oceanic 815? What does Jacob's imprimatur mean? For all of them (Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Jack, Jin, Sun, Sayid and Hurley), it seems to have put them on a course to the Island, or a return to the Island. I have been under the assumption that Island helps people reach their full realization as a person, each redeemed in his or her way. Is Jacob's touch the catalyst or "push," as Jacob says to Jack, necessary to begin the road to redemption? Or was the touch just a marker to identify the army Jacob needs to defeat Esau, the "they" he means when, dying, he says to Esau (as Locke), "they're coming?" Notice, we didn't see Jacob touch Ilana when he visited her, although she seems to be on his side. In fact, he was wearing gloves! Just something I wanted to point out.


*Last on Jacob for now, but what side is he on: light or dark (remember Locke talking to Walt about backgammon in Season 1?)? Jay and Jack over at The Lost Podcast tend to think that Jacob is a bad guy. It seems the kind of thing Lost would do, as they put Jacob in white and Esau in dark colors in the first scene, the opposite of traditional character markings, but I don't know. I can't imagine Jack, Kate, Sawyer, et al. fighting on the side of evil. Then again, if the Lostaways and Ilana's crew are all on the same side, who are they going to fight? Esau, Ben and the Others? Something is wonky in that. And why choose Hurley and Sayid after they have left the Island? OK, I need to stop talking about Jacob for now, or I'll go crazy.


*It appears that when Esau copied Locke's body, he took Locke's memories as well. When did the copying occur? When Locke was scanned by Smokey? I don't think so, because that occurred very early in the series, and Esau exhibited knowledge of events subsequent to the Smokey/Locke meet-cute. Chalk me up on the side that does NOT think Esau and Smokey are the same being. That doesn't mean they aren't in cahoots though. If Alex was Smokey, then Smokey told Ben to follow whatever Esau said. So it appears they are in harmony, Smokey and Esau. And granted, we never saw Esau as Locke with Smokey in that scene, I still don't think they are the same. What would be the reason for Smokey floating about the Island the rest of the series then? Why did he kill the pilot and Eko? Was it Esau looking for recruits in the war against Jacob? It doesn't sound right to me.

*What is Lapidus a candidate for? Was Ilana given some authority by Jacob to recruit people to their cause? Now, we have no idea how or why Ilana was injured when Jacob visited her. We do know that Jacob didn't touch her. Did she know about Esau and Jacob prior to her injury? Was she injured by Esau? Do we know that her injury even occurred before 2007? I assume so as we're pretty sure Jacob just died at the end of the episode, but shouldn't we have seen some kind of remnants of her facial trauma on Ilana in the present? Why is Lapidus "safe" with Ilana and Bram? God, I've asked a lot of questions. I thought we were going to get some answers in the finale! Oh, and one last word about the Ajiran Army, the guy who plays Bram is absolutely terrible. I wish they could recast him. Couldn't Said Taghmaoui have played Bram, and this guy play Caesar and get blown away by Ben?

*Why did Juliet want to go back to the Island once in the sub? The cute Sawyer-Kate banter hadn't happened yet, and there was really nothing that Sawyer had done up to that point that would make Juliet think he would pick Kate. Yes, there was the "Freckles" moment a couple episodes ago, but Sawyer clearly chose Juliet when he negotiated their departure on the sub. I guess it had something to do with her parents' divorce, but we didn't see that until after the sub scene. Weird. While we're at it, the costumes in Juliet's flashback were waaaaay too modern. It was jarring. Secondly, Jacob didn't visit Juliet (nor Miles for that matter); does this mean her demise? Third, I want miss the Sawyer-Kate banter, so more of it please! Lastly, I loved the look Sawyer gave Kate when Rose said, "So we all die." Brilliant. Josh Holloway needs to be nominated for an Emmy for his performance all season, but especially this episode and "LaFleur."

*Who has been using Jacob's shack, and how was the ash line broken? Better yet, who broke the ash line and, ostensibly, released whomever was indie the cabin? We know the line was whole in 2004, but broken in 2007. I like to think Esau was imprisoned in the cabin, but someone (Richard?) let him out, perhaps accidentally. To be honest, I'm totally clueless about this.

*When Jacob revived Locke after his fall, Jacob said he was "sorry this had to happen to you." Did he mean the fall and injury, or the fact that Locke was going to be so prominent in Esau's plot to kill Jacob? And further, Esau said (in the present) that he has something "planned" for the Others. What does he have planned? Are the the unwitting troops on Esau's side in the battle to come?

*At Sun and Jin's wedding (how great did Yunjin Kim look, by the way?), Jacob Said to them "Never take your love for granted." Again, like his interaction with Kate, was this a command or warning? We had throughout Season 2 and, if I remember, Season 3, talk from Ben about how certain people were on or not on Jacob's list; if they were chosen and "good people" or not. Could Jacob's interactions with the Lostaways be tests? Seeing if they are good people or not? If so, most of them failed: Kate still became a criminal, Sawyer was a con man and killed the man he thought was the real Sawyer, Sun and Jin did take their love for granted, etc. Were they marked because they ended up being "bad" people? I have no idea. (As you can see, I'm clearly confused by this episode.) Lastly, I really hope Yunjin Kim and Daniel Kim get some meaty stuff next year. They're really great actors and deserve it. Listen up Darlton!

*What?? Jack is doing this for Kate?!?!? You've gotta be kidding me! Thank God for Josh Holloway because he beautifully expressed the incredulousness the entire audience felt when hearing that. That aside, I thought the Sawyer-Jack fight was great, but I want to see them work together. I know the tension between the two of them has been fundamental to the series, but as we move into the final act, I want our two heroes to band together to deliver their friends from whatever danger they find themselves in.

*Last scene in 2007: I totally thought Ben was going to stab Esau/Locke as they entered the statue. Michael Emerson was on fire in his last soliloquy, asking Jacob, "Why not me?" Jacob's cool response, "What about you?" was like an arrow to Ben's heart. I actually felt bad for the guy. I think Jacob knew what was going to happen and was ensuring Ben's actions with his response. And I agree with those who on the internet have said that Jacob purposely fell on Ben to touch him and mark Ben with Jacob's imprimatur. I feel Ben will get his wish to be important in the upcoming war. Esau seemed totally shocked upon hearing Jacob say, "They're coming." I believe it was at this moment that Esau realized he had been played the entire time. I am interested to find out for how long Esau had been formulating his plan, and to what extent he moved to enact it. Ilana said that she "found" Locke's body in its coffin, in the plane, implying she didn't know it was there. Did she find the body after she had her conversation with Locke in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham?" Or did she know it would be there? Muy interasante. Lastly, we had what was probably the best camera move of the season: after Ilana dumped out the contents of the crate, the camera was at ground level, shooting the crate. The camera then panned left and up and came over the crate, revealing Locke's body. This was exactly the same move as the one at the end of Season 4 that revealed Locke as the one in the coffin! That was freaking brilliant. I love Jack Bender.

*Last scene in 1977: I agree with Miles that the events surrounding the Swan Station/Jughead was "The Incident." We saw Dr. Chang have his hand crushed. We have been told a number of times that "What Happened, Happened." (See also: Sawyer's uncle telling him "What's done is done.") I enjoyed the gun fight, although how are they all the Lostaways such good shots?! I'm glad Phil got his comeuppance. And how amazing were Elizabeth Mitchell and Josh Holloway in this scene? Heartwrenching. Is it bad that I want "V" to fail? I know she's supposed to do at least a couple episodes of Lost, but I really want more Juliet next year. Oh, I guess I should mention that I don't think she died, or that Jughead exploded. I think the awesome white-out at the end was the release of the electromagnetic pocket that will send our Lostaways, including Juliet and Miles back to 2007. I do not think we'll see Oceanic 815 landing in L.A. in 2004; it would eliminate the whole reason for the series, and I think that if the Powers That Be give us the return of Boone, Shannon, Charlie, et al., many fans will just tune out. I want Season 6 to open on Jack's eye, and as we pull back, he is revealed in his bloody Dharma jumpsuit.

Quick Stuff:

*If the bomb blows up the Island, Faraday is never born, as Ellie was still pregnant in 1977. If this happens, way too much of the future and past is changed. Hence, I don't think Jughead exploded.

*I think Ben told the truth for the first time: he has not met Jacob before.

*Where did Sayid get those "nuclear material handling" gloves from? And Richard travels with a sledgehammer?

*The Drive Shaft ring! I really hope it finds its way to Turniphead.

*Is whatever is in the guitar case Jacob's horcrux?

*Sayid said toward the end of the episode that, "Nopthing can save me." I took this to mean that nothing could save his soul because of what he has done in his life. Not that he couldn't physically be saved and was about to die.

Whew, that was a lot. But, we still have to go through my predictions from the preview:

Dharma/Jughead: Kinda right? I do think the Incident was the whole thing surrounding Jughead and the electromagnetism. I should be clearer than above: Jughead probably exploded, but it was fused with or altered by the electromagnetism, and sent the Lostaways forward to 2007.

Jack: Totally wrong. He came through and was successful in his mission to use Jughead. Now, we have no idea what the result of that will be, but it appears the Man of Faith remains.

Kate: Right. She told Sawyer Jack's plan and tried to stop him at first. I think she ended up realizing that Jack loves her, and was willing to help him. I think she is kinda motivated now.

Sawyer: Right, but then wrong, at the behest of Juliet. He tried to stop Jack initially, but agreed to help him after Juliet asked that he would. Sawyer is a lover now. I'm hoping he and Juliet get their happy ending.

Juliet: Mostly right. She did want to stop Jack at first, but realized that Sawyer will always have feelings for Kate. That combined with her parents' divorce, and she was willing to start it all over in 2004.

Sayid: Kinda right. He did have nothing left to live for, and may have unwittingly sacrificed himself (he didn't intend to be shot).

Jin, Miles Hurley: Mostly wrong. Jin didn't get to see Sun (did he do anything in this episode?). Miles did help save his dad from the crashing scaffold. We still don't know why Hurley went back to the Island, only that Jacob kind of nudged him there. Still have no idea about what's in the guitar case.

Locke: Mostly wrong. I was right in that I kinda figured Locke wasn't the true Locke, but had NO idea he would be the embodiment of another person/spirit. Yes, he really wanted to kill Jacob. Well, Esau did anyway.

Ben: Wrong. If Ben had a plan, it sure wasn't in effect. Ben was manipulated just as easily as he has always done. And, no, I don't think he had ever seen Jacob until he killed him.

Richard: Mostly wrong. We got no Richard backstory. We did learn that he received his non-aging quality from Jacob, but that's it. He does not seem to be in control.

Sun: Wrong. She still did nothing, except deliver a funny query for alcohol.

Ilana, Bram, Lapidus: Wrong. Ilana and Bram are not part of Dharma, they are Jacob's team (apparently). Seems Lapidus will not be against them, but will help them. What lies in the shadow of the statue? "He who will protect us all." What's in the crate? Freaking Locke's body!!

Rose and Bernard: Incomplete. I think they still will be Adam and Eve, but shouldn't they get transported back to 2007 also? If Miles and Juliet make it there without Jacob's touch, so should Rose and Bernard. Liked Bernard's Moses impression.

Phil: Right. Dead. (Yay!)

Jacob: Mostly right. We did get more than a fleeting glance of him. He was not Locke (although Locke was Esau!). He was not Jack. Independent guy, for which I'm glad. He did die though. Missed that one.

The Island: Incomplete. The episode did end on the Island, but we have no idea when we are.

Corpses: Kinda right. Phil is dead (yay!). Juliet appears to be dead. Sayid is dying. Had NO idea Jacob would be dead though.

OK, that's a wrap on Season 5. So sad to see it go. Already awaiting the DVDs (December 8th, I believe). One more thing, no freaking Desmond! What the hell was that all about? Was that because of his unfortunate legal issues? Hope not. He is the Variable! He's "special!" Anyway, I thought it was a great season finale. Great mix of action, suspense, heart and mind-blowing moments. Here's to you Damon, Carlton, cast and crew for a great season, and one more amazing one to come. Here's to you readers who actually got through my ramblings. It has been my pleasure. As always, please check out Doc Jensen and Erika's wraps on the season finale. If there is any Lost news over the next nine (!) months, I'll bring it to you here. Until then...

Namaste.

Couldn't Have Said it Better

Ditto.

Lost - "The Incident," Ctd

Hey all. I think the Finale ended up being pretty great. I'm going to have a much fuller recap in a couple days, but I wanted to get something out there before most of the other recaps get out and I read them. You'll have to take my word for it, but from the first time I heard the name "Jacob," I thought of Jacob and Esau, the twins born to Isaac in the Bible. Esau was the older "Bad" twin (sound familiar?), who was destined to serve, and battle, the younger twin, Jacob. Sounds a lot like what we saw last night, huh? Here's some more background on the pair.

Full recap to come.

Lost - "The Incident"

Hello all. Well, we have done it. We've reached the end of Season 5 of Lost. It's very sad, I know. But, we have what is shaping up to be an amazing two hour finale tonight. There are so many questions that could be answered, and I'm sure a few more that will be asked. Just an FYI, I have remained spoiler-free, so any predictions below that actually do come true are completely coincidental and extremely lucky. Here is what I am looking for tonight, character by character (both inanimate, animate and otherworldly included):

*Dharma: What is "The Incident?" Is it the release of electromagnetism that necessitates the installation of the Button and our favorite Numbers? Or is it...

*Jughead: Will it be detonated? Personally, I don't think so. Something is going to interfere with Jack's plan (Sawyer? Science? The Incident?) and I think he will have another crisis of faith. For the record, I think the Incident is the aforementioned release of electromagnetism, which will be sufficient to send the everyone in 1977 back to 2007.

*Jack: As mentioned above, his plan will run afoul. We have seen a new Jack emerge after landing in 1977: more passive, more faithful. I don't think that can last. The destruction of his plan will jolt the new Jack back into old form. The Man of Science will be back.

*Kate: She has really been getting on my nerves. She used to be so kick-ass, but has just become a third wheel, not just in the Sawyer-Juliet relationship, but just in general. I agree with Erika that Kate will tell Sawyer about Jack's plan, which will erase Sawyer and Juliet's relationship. He will then be motivated to stop Jack at all costs. Other than that, I have no idea what is in store for Ms. Austen. I don't want her to die, but I want her to be a motivated character again.

*Sawyer: The Man of Action will be back, this time with Super-Sympathetic Powers! Sayer has obviously changed in the past three years back in Dharmaville; he has become a fully realized man with feelings of sympathy and responsibility. Once he hears that Jack is planning to detonate a bomb, possibly killing everyone on the Island, and destroying his relationship with Juliet, Sawyer will try to save Jack from himself.

*Juliet: She is...shall we say....angry about Kate's return. She will be motivated to stop Jack too (methinks she still has a twinge of feeling for the doc, as well), but I believe she has come to the realization that her time with Sawyer has come to an end. Don't be surprised if she "accidentally" puts Kate in the crossfire though.

*Sayid: What does Sayid have left to live for? Nadia is dead. His life had been destroyed by serving Ben (despite the respite in the Dominican Republic). He shot Little Ben (a child!), but he lived, thereby negating the reason for trying to kill him in the first place. I think he feels like he is stuck in some cosmic joke, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up sacrificing himself for his friends.

*Jin, Miles, Hurley: I hope none of these guys die. I want to see Jin back with Sun tonight. I want Miles to be a hero in some capacity (now that he has realized why his father left him and his mother). I want to know why Hurley came back to the Island and what is in the guitar case. I'm pretty sure Jin and Hurley are safe (there would be riots if Hurley was killed), but I'm not so sure about our resident ghost whisperer.

*Locke: Is he a ghost? Is he Smokey? Is he human still? Does he really want to kill Jacob? Does he really know how to get the folks back from 1977? What is his true motivation? Why does he like fruit so much?

*Ben: What is his plan? Ben always has a plan. I can't imagine Ben can take being Locke's lap dog any longer, damn what Alex said to him. Has Ben really seen Jacob, or has the whole thing really been a ruse?

*Richard: What is this guy's deal? I hope we get a heaping helping of Richard backstory. How did he become the Island's consigliere? What does he know about Jacob? Will he try to prevent Locke from reaching Jacob? Is Richard really the mastermind here?

*Sun: I hope they give Yunjin Kim something to do tonight. After her fantastic Season 4, she has really had nothing to do this Season, save pointing a gun at Ben and hitting him with an oar. Come on, let's see her DO something.

*Ilana, Bram, Lapidus: What's in the crate? What lies in the shadow of the statue? What do they have against fish tacos? Who do they work for? As I have stated, I think Ilana and Bram are part of a new Dharma looking to reclaim the Island. How will Lapidus stop them? Can he stop them?

*Rose and Bernard: Uh....guys......you there? You have Vincent with you? I think they are destined to be Adam and Eve.

*Phil: Dead.

*Jacob: I can almost guarantee we see Jacob tonight, and more than a fleeting glance of him. I do not think he his Locke. I do not think he is Jack. I do think he may be trapped in a time loop, hence his vast knowledge of the Island. I do not think he will be killed.

*The Island: I predict everyone who is supposed to be in the "present" (2007 is the show's present), will be, save what will likely be at least one casualty. No more time traveling. Further, I believe we will still be on the Island by the end of the episode. I don't think we'll see Oceanic 815 touching down in L.A. in 2004. My thought is that everyone will be back in 2007, ready to fight Ilana and Bram's crew next season.

*Corpses: Definitely - Phil. Likely - Miles, Sayid. Possibly - Rose, Bernard, Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell got the pilot for the reincarnation of the sci-fi series "V"). Long Shot - Kate, Jin, Sun. Riots in the Streets - Hurley.

I forgot where I heard or read it (I think the Official Lost Podcast), but Carlton Cuse said that tonight's Finale was his second favorite episode of the entire series (behind "The Constant"), so I'm expecting some really awesome stuff tonight. I am shutting off the phones at 8:59pm EDT and am going to be on the edge of my couch for the following two hours. There is a recap episode at 8:00, as well. I'm sure there will be lots to discuss after tonight, so I look forward to said discussions. As always, for great recaps of last week, turn to Doc Jensen and Erika, because you know the 8:00 recap is going to be lame. Until tomorrow....

Enjoy.

UPDATE: I forgot about our favorite Iraqi, Sayid. The post has been updated with an entry for him and probability of his death tonight.

Lost - "Follow the Leader," Ctd

Hello all. "Follow the Leader" was clearly a set-up episode, intent on moving the Lostaways to the places on the board necessary to enact the endgame of Season 5. As I have found with many of the set-up episodes, they have some great stuff in them, but ultimately fall short of "great" episodes. I figure this is because at this point in the series, I want as many answers as I can get, but know full well that I won't be getting them. Anyway, here's my thoughts on last week's episode:

*Well, I was partially right: the "leader" referenced in the title of the episode actually referred to any number of people. Jack was leading the group set on following through on Faraday's plan with Jughead. Locke was leading Ben and Richard on a path to fulfill Locke's destiny (whatever that exactly may be at this point). Sawyer was trying to lead the Left Behinder's to safety. And even Jacob, although not actively leading anyone, has been called into question as the leader of the Hostiles/Others by Locke (more on that in a second). One leader I did not foresee was Eloise. We had hints of it before, but clearly it is Eloise that holds the leadership position amongst the Hostiles in 1977. How did she get this power? Was she "chosen" by the Island like Ben and Locke? Did this lead to her falling out with Charles? I would like some more Eloise info please.

*Hey Sayid! Welcome Back! Impeccable timing that guy. You know, for a split second I thought Kate had been shot. I wouldn't put it past Lost to kill off one of their major characters in such a non-dramatic way, but I should have realized that they gave that random Hostile just enough lines to make you remember him. Classic cannon fodder. Speaking of Kate, she has been completely neutered this season. I mean, she had the one great episode with her flashbacks and reasons for leaving Aaron and coming back to the Island, but other than that, she has been pretty weak. That's not to say Evangeline Lilly's performance hasn't been fantastic, because it has. There just hasn't been much for Kate to do. Bring back the old, kick-ass Kate Austen!

*Is Locke really going to try to kill Jacob? Is that even possible? Part of me believes that Locke was saying that just to get a rise out of Ben, or gauge his reaction and see what Ben will do. Why would Locke bring all of the Hostiles on a mission to kill their "leader?" Does he want to make a show of it like Ben tried to do by having Locke kill his father in front of the group? Interesting dynamics going on here.

*Man, Juliet has fallen hard for Sawyer. She is willing to return to the States and go on the lam, in 1977, never seeing her sister and nephew again, all for the big lug. And she hates her some Kate. Her look to Sawyer upon Kate entering the sub was classic. Methinks there was also a hint of knowing that she has already lost him back to Kate. Poor Juliet. She'll just have to go back to Ben.

*Sawyer has to try to save the day. I think Miles and Hurley were right that Sawyer must have some kind of plan and will try to save everyone. I think his plan truly is to get the hell of the Island, everyone else be damned, as long as he is with Juliet. However, I think whatever transformation occurred during those three years has made him into a man who feels a responsibility towards others, and not just for himself. There is no way he is going to leave Miles, Hurley and Jin behind.

Quick Stuff:

*Loved the Hurley History Quiz. There was no Korean War....hehehe. Brilliant stuff!

*As I mentioned in last week's recap, this whole "let's blow up Jughead" thing is ridiculous. I can't imagine there is any way this is going to happen. I'm not sure how the Incident will go down, but it won't be blowing up the bomb.

*Kate does still have some strong feelings for Jack. Her resentment toward his desire to wipe out the past was palpable. Jack, go to her!

That's all I have for now. I didn't have time to rewatch the episode, so that's the best I have from memory of last Wednesday. If I think of anything else, I'll post it today or tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow I'll get up questions for the two-hour finale, "The Incident." I can't tell you how psyched I am for this episode. The season will be over, which will make me despondent, but I love me two hours of Lost! Check out Erika and Doc Jensen's recaps before then.

Namaste.

Lost - "Follow the Leader"

Hello all. After last week's mind-bender (and Faraday-killer!) episode, "The Variable," the action and drama have been ratcheted up. Tonight's episode of Lost is entitled "Follow the Leader," and it is the last episode before the two-hour finale next week. Here's what I'm looking for tonight:

*I foresee four possibilities for who may be the "leader" referenced in the title: Jack, Sawyer, Locke, and...wait for it...Jacob. The first three are obvious, but I think Jacob is a distinct possibility. I have no idea whose flashback episode this is going to be (I'm trying to stay 100% spoiler free the last couple weeks), but it wouldn't surprise me if we finally get some backstory on the head spook on the Island. However, I also wouldn't be surprised if some version of "following the leader" is uttered by Sawyer in a sarcastic fashion toward Jack tonight.

*As I referenced in last week's thoughts, I think I saw Ellie (v. 1977) with Jack and Kate in or around the Temple in the "next week on Lost" segment. Was she convinced by Faraday's dying words that he was from the future and needs to help the Lostaways? How do Jack and Kate approach the Hostile without being taken themselves?

*I hope we get some 2007 action and find out more about what the heck Ilana and Bram are up to, who sent them, and what they intend to do. Further, I'm getting a little Ben-deficient, so a Ben-Locke-Sun update would be great as well.

*Sayid appears to be back tonight as well. How does he reconcile with the rest of his friends after trying to kill Little Ben?

*Is Faraday really dead? All signs point to yes (thanks to Erika for directing me to this).

*I don't think we'll see the explosion of Jughead or anything like that tonight. I expect all of tonight's action to take place within in the four hours before The Incident. I'm looking for the actual Incident to occur during the finale (of course!).

That's it for tonight. As I said, I'm trying to stay as spoiler free as possible, and just getting on for the ride of the final three hours of the season. I expect a lot to happen tonight, so my comments probably won't be up until the weekend so I can rewatch the episode and take some notes. First time through is just for pure, jaw-dropping enjoyment. Please feel free to ask some questions below in the Comments; discussion is always encouraged. If you need a refresher on last week, as always, check out Doc Jensen and Erika's recaps. See you over the weekend. As far as tonight...

Enjoy.

Lost - "The Variable," Ctd

Hello all. I very much enjoyed this week's installment of Lost, "The Variable." As we have previously discussed, "The Variable" was seen as a counterpoint to Season 4's "The Constant," where we learned from Faraday an important time-travel rule: anchoring one's mind to someone or something important can save you from a massive brain bleed. In "The Variable," Faraday dictated another time-travel rule: contrary to prior belief, the past can be changed, because human beings, with their choices and free will, are the variables (or unknowns in algebra) that determine the future. This knowledge has led Faraday back to the Island, in hopes of changing the destinies of all of our friends and, most importantly to Faraday, Charlotte. Here is what I found interesting in this week's episode:

*Faraday, upon seeing Jack, told him that Ms. Hawking was "wrong," but what was she wrong about? If Jack is not supposed to be "there," does that mean he's not supposed to be on the Island, or just not in 1977? Not sure why this stuck out to me, but it did. Any thoughts?

*How and why did Ellie/Ms. Hawking leave the Island? Did she leave at Dr. Chang's behest when he orders everyone else to leave during/after the Incident? When does she get busy with Widmore? I don't remember now, but did Faraday's nose ever bleed during the time jumps? If it's 1977, Faraday has to be born soon, as he appears to be 30 years old at least. Is baby Twitchy already there?

*Faraday told Miles that he was just trying to push Dr. Chang to do what he is "supposed" to do. Further, Faraday had information as to when Chang was to arrive at The Orchid, when the Incident happens (in 6 hours!!), and other future events. How does he have this information? Was this info given to him by Widmore in 2004, and put into his journal? This is confusing to me: Is Faraday trying to make sure the future happens as it should, or is he trying to change it? Does he have to push it to a certain point before he can disrupt the timeline and create a new future?

*How does Eloise know the future? Since she was introduced to us in Season 3's "Flashes Before Your Eyes," Ms. Hawking has expressed knowledge of future events. This episode, she has seemed to contemporaneously know what specifically lies ahead for her son (besides shooting him). Then, when she speaks to Penny at the end of the episode, she says she no longer knows what happens in the future. How did she lose her ability? Has Faraday actually changed the future in some way?

*Faraday's plan to use Jughead to eliminate the electromagnetism under the Swan sounds ridiculous to me. I mean, exploding a hydrogen bomb will blow up the entire Island; there will be nothing left. I guess, the idea is that as soon as the bomb goes off, the Lostaways will immediately disappear and end up back on Oceanic 815 in 2004. I don't know. This is all wacky to me. According to the preview for the next episode, it appears Jack will take up this plan and will enlist Kate and Ellie (I'm 99% sure that was Ellie along with him in one scene) to find Jughead and try to enact Faraday's plan. Something tells me this is not going to work out for the good doctor. Oh, and how can Ellie get the Lostaways back to where/when they are supposed to be? Did Faraday just mean that she knows where Jughead is, or is there some other knowledge she has that can get everyone home?

*Play time is over for Sawyer and Juliet. Her look of death when Sawyer called Kate "Freckles" was absolutely classic, and she was more than happy to send Kate back into Hostile territory. When she said to Sawyer that it is "over here for us," did she mean just their time in Dharmaville, or their relationship as well?

*I think Faraday knew he was going to die, and was purposefully antagonizing the Hostiles by walking in brandishing a gun, shooting it, and pointing it at Richard. I don't think he knew that his mother would be the one to kill him. I do think he's dead, although he just finished moving when the Lost end title card came up. If he is dead, that is terrible because Faraday had become one of my favorite characters and Jeremy Davies' performance has been great.

Quick stuff:

*There had been some discussion on the Jay and Jack podcast (I just started listening to them as my last gig allowed me to listen to my iPod while I worked. I recommend them; they're pretty darn funny.) about whether the metronome count should have been 108 beats. Well, the count of 864 beats is actually 8 times 108. I'm not sure if the composition he was playing was written in eighth-note time, but if so, the metronome would "click" on every eighth note. 8 x 108 = 864. Cool huh?

*Miles' daddy issues continue as he couldn't admit to being Chang's son. I guess telling your dad you're from the future is a it odd.

*How does one apologize for killing your son in the future? Get them a journal in which you write that no matter what (even murder!), you'll always love him.

*Why did Hurley come back to the Island? We still have had no explanation.

*It appears that whenever the Island heals someone, that healing is permanent. Locke could still walk when he came back to the mainland, as did Faraday's memory remain repaired. Someone tell Rose and Bernard!

*I would bet almost everything I hold dear in this world that Desmond will be breaking his promise to Penny and will be leaving her again. I still believe that Desmond is the key to getting everyone home, so he needs to get back to the Island at some point.

That's all I got for this episode. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite possibly losing my man Faraday. Lost is a drama, so we're going to lose people along the way. You know, if it's needed to protect the Island, then it must be necessary. I'm pretty psyched for the remaining three hours of the season, which continue this Wednesday with "Follow the Leader." Wow, I wonder who that could be. Seriously, at this point, it could be almost anyone. More on that on Tuesday. Remember to check out Doc Jensen and Erika's recaps. Until Tuesday...

Namaste.