Lost - "Recon," Ctd & "Ab Aterno" Preview

Hello everyone.  I have to be honest, I wasn't jazzed about "Recon" as I thought I was going to be.  I enjoyed the Sideways Sawyer stuff, but I couldn't get that "up" about the on-Island story.  Perhaps this was a bit of great expectations for the episode, but from what I've seen from other Lost bloggers around the interwebs, I wasn't alone in my feeling.  Here are my slightly disappointed thoughts on "Recon."

*I thought Sawyer-as-cop was actually really fun.  I enjoyed the play on his most famous con (the "Pigeon Drop"), and the use of LaFleur as the signal for Miles and crew to arrest his conquest.  Similarly, it was great to see Charlotte back and have her go out, sleep with, and "investigate" Sawyer.  She is, after all, an archeologist, so her digging and finding out what kind of man James Ford really is was playfully brilliant (and how amazing did Rebecca Mader look?).  I was glad to see that Miles and Sawyer were still buddies, as well, working on a beat similar to their Dharma days.  But the thing that I took away most from the Sideways story was when Sawyer punched is reflection in the mirror.

*I had previously posited that regarding the characters' looks into reflective surfaces "seemed to reflect (no pun intended) the character's subconscious realization that while things aren't perfect, they are better than they could be. In essence, they have learned something from their 2007 life."  However, after this week, I had a different thought.  Sawyer's anger though, seemed to me, to be a realization not that things could be worse, but that something is unfulfilled.  Like he knows that somewhere out there, something bigger than killing Anthony Cooper, is waiting for him to discover it and complete the man he is supposed to be.  If anything, his search for Cooper is actually distracting him from finding his true calling.  It's the duality of free will and destiny again.  It is Sawyer's destiny to fulfill some greater purpose, but he needs to make the choice to unburden himself with to her goals and desires to achieve it.  The contemplations in reflections for these Sideways characters is their acknowledgement that they are supposed to be doing something "more."  Or it's just a cool, artistic motif.

*As far as the on-Island stuff went, there were some interesting moments (Claire attacking, then apologizing to Kate; Sayid's indifference; Smokey's "I am the smoke thing" to Sawyer), but nothing that made me say, "Wow."  If I had to pick something to write about though (which I guess is kind of the reason I have this blog, right?), it would have to be Kate's despair at realizing that her whole reason for coming back to the Island may have been for naught.  I am not one of the many Lost viewers out there that hates Kate and Evangeline Lilly.  On the contrary, I find her to be rather compelling, especially for someone who, at the beginning of the show, was an acting neophyte.  Anyway, I thought she played the devastation Kate felt particularly well, as well as the confusion I know I would have felt if Smokey then came and apologized for crazy Claire.  I think she'll eventually get Claire to come back to the light and be able to rejoin mother and son.

*Lastly, we get to the part of the episode that really tanked it for me.  The end.  OK, I get Sawyer playing both sides against each other, and I certainly get Sawyer telling Smokey the truth (Smokey is much more deadly than Widmore, being a smoke monster and everything).  I think the battle could be epic in scope, once we figure out who is on what side.  However, what I hated was Sawyer's plan to escape, and the lameitude of the plan was summed up by Sawyer's final line, "No, we're gonna take the sub."  Seriously?  Sawyer knows how to pilot a sub?  And seriously, that is the big cliffhanger line not only until the next episode, but probably for two episodes until we see Sawyer again?!?  You have got to be kidding me!  Listen, I know that not every line can be Shakespeare, but the whole Sawyer-Kate exchange at the end was just so full of melodrama that I expected Evangeline Lilly sitting just off camera and as soon as the director yelled, "Cut!" she just burst out laughing.  Let me interject that this has nothing to do with Josh Holloway's performance.  He's probably number three on the show behind Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson -- Holloway did whatever he could with that dreck.  But the dialogue just yanked me right out of all the action.  This was not what I was expecting for the last season, and certainly not what I expect of Lost's writers.

Quick Hits

*I did totally dig Claire's despair when Kate asked about the Squirel Baby: "It was all that I had."  Heartbreaking, and perfectly delivered by Emile de Ravin.

*Kate is clearly still on the run in the Sideways timeline.  I guess she didn't get that far with Claire's credit card.  Was cool that Sawyer was the one who ended up apprehending her after he let her go when they got off Oceanic 815.

*I guess one other major point is that Sawyer promised to get Jin and Sun off the Island.  This should be major, but as I have come to believe we'll never get the Kwons as a major focus at any point in the remainder of the series (obvious sarcasm), I really have nothing left to say about this.

*Does Widmore really think that travel sonic fence is going to stop Smokey?  Oh no.

*If I had to bet on someone or something in the locked door in the sub, my bet is on Desmond.  He's related to Widmore (by marriage) and we all know that "the Island isn't through with [him] yet."

OK, that's what I have.  Again, I'm sorry this has been so long in coming, but I was not very motivated by "Recon" to write about it.  On the other hand...

...tonight's episode "Ab Aterno" is guaranteed to be a something to write about.  This episode will, finally, give us the background on Richard Alpert.  All we really know about Richard is that he's really old, is consigliore to the Others, has some relation to The Black Rock, and wants to off himself because Jacob promised him a life of purpose, but he didn't get one.  Here are some of the major questions that may (hopefully!) get answered tonight:

*How old is Richard really?
*Was he a slave on The Black Rock?
*Why did he never try to become the leader of the Others?
*Why does he never age?
*Did he really see the Lostaways die in the past?
*Does Richard have a Sideways story?
*Did he really not know about the candidates?

These are just a few of the questions I came up with off the top of my head, and I am sure there are more.  We have been promised this episode for a long time so I have every faith that that the creators are going to deliver in a big way.  I know that there are a couple special guests on tonight but they might be a bit spoilery so I won't mention who.  Suffice it to say that if you like great actors from great (HBO western) shows, you will not be disappointed.  After tonight, we will be at the halfway point of the final season, so expect the show to barrel forward from here on out.  I am greatly looking forward to tonight.  Oh, one more thing!  Tonight's episode is actually six minutes longer than normal, so make sure your DVR is set accordingly!  I don't have any games to ref on Saturday, so I'll hopefully get my thoughts on "Ab Aterno" up this weekend.  Until then...

Enjoy. 

FlashForward - Spring Premiere "Revelation Zero"

Hello everyone.  Tonight, March 18th, is the long-awaited (by some) return of FlashForward.  I was able to get a sneak peek at the two-hour spring premiere, and I wrote a review about it for TVOvermind.  I really enjoyed these first two hours and think the series has found a welcome new focus.  If you're interested, you can read it here.  This weekend I'll have some thoughts on this week's Lost episode, "Recon."  Thanks for reading.

Lost - "Recon"

Sorry for the late post today -- busy at work, and a bit of a sore throat slowing me down.  Anyway, tonight's episode of Lost is titled "Recon."  As I mentioned at the end of my recap for "Dr. Linus," this week's episode is Sawyer-centric.  What will Sawyer be doing?  Well, the title "Recon" offers two possibilities.  First, there is "recon" as in "reconnaissance."  I imagine that Smokey is going to send Sawyer out on some type of mission to find out what the Jacobins are doing over on the Beach.  Secondly, there is "recon" as in "re-con."  We know that Sawyer is a con artist, and a damn good one.  Is it possible that he is pulling some kind of con on Smokey?  Definitely.  But then how does the "re" apply?  Is there someone that he has conned at one point that he will con again?  How about when he conned Kate over Shannon's inhaler so he could get a kiss?  Or the whole group when he used Charlie as a distraction to get control of the guns?  We'll have to see.  The other question for this episode, as it regards Sawyer, is what happens to him in the Sideways timeline?  Is he still a con man?  Will he seek out Hurley to bilk him for his lottery fortune?  Is he still a father?  Does he know Clementine?  Is his name even Sawyer at all, or just James Ford?  Here are some of the other questions I'm asking tonight:

*Whose side is Widmore on?  He seems to be docking at the Hydra station, so is he meeting up with Smokey?  Or is he the person Jacob knew was coming to the Island?  (I'm still hoping Jacob's guy is Desmond.)

*Will we actually see all of the Lostaways in tonight's episode?  I venture probably not, but you never know.  I guess it depends on whether Sawyer actually makes it to the Beach.

*I predict that Jin and Sun will not see each other tonight, and yes, this is a reverse jinx.

*What is the nature of the darkness that has enveloped Sayid and Claire?  Is it different for the two of them as one, Sayid, has died, and the other, Claire, has not?  Can they be "saved?"  Do they want to be saved?

*How is Claire going to treat Kate, knowing that Kate raised Aaron for the last three years.  Methinks, not very well.  Can Kate convince Claire that Aaron is OK, and she just did what she had to, for the baby?  If she can, will Claire then want to leave Smokey?

*What is Jin's role in all this.  We haven't seen him in seemingly forever.  Has he truly joined Smokey's side, or is he playing along like Kate.  And has his leg healed even though the Hot Tub of Doom is no longer functioning properly (the assumption being that the Island no longer has it's mysterious healing powers)?

That's about it for me.  Past Sawyer episodes have been great, so I'm expecting a good time tonight as well.  It's weird, I've found these preview posts a little hard when it comes to what I'm expecting in the episode because I have resigned myself to the fact that I have no idea what's coming.  And I'm OK with that.  I'm along for the end of this six-season ride and am not really questioning Darlton's choices.  I really just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy what I see.  I mean, I'm not going to stop doing them, but perhaps this is why they seem a little less specific.  Anyway, as always, thanks for reading.  I'll be back this weekend with my thoughts on what will surely be a great episode.  Until then...

Enjoy.

Lost - "Dr. Linus," Ctd

This week's installment of Lost was the Ben-centric "Dr. Linus."  For me, this was one of the better episodes of this final season, but kind of odd.  It was weird, even though there was some important information given and some major character development, I felt the episode was...I don't know....breezy, simple.  I'm not sure that makes any sense, but hopefully I can describe this feeling better below.  Here are my thoughts on "Dr. Linus":

*Isn't it amazing how this show has been able to take such an evil, reviled, spiteful, manipulative character, and made him sympathetic?  You'd be hard pressed to find any regular Lost viewer who didn't get a bit of a smile cross his or her face when Ben opened his front door and Alex was standing there.  I loved the idea that the Sideways timeline gave Ben the opportunity to have a fulfilling relationship with his "daughter."  This paralleled his on-Island story perfectly, as it was his confession of shame in sacrificing Alex to keep his power over the Island that led to his salvation. 

*There was some other great stuff in the Sideways plot as well.  Keeping true to the motif of the other Sideways stories we've seen, Ben studied his reflection in the microwave glass.  We also had Ben changing his father's oxygen tank -- giving him life-saving gas, instead of the poisonous gas he used to kill his father on the Island.  Of most importance though, was Ben's attempt to be the master manipulator he is on the Island.  However, like Jack, Locke and Kate, Sideways Ben was a "better" person.  This Ben has compassion.  This Ben is willing to sacrifice his ambition on behalf of others (both Alex and his father).  Unlike on the Island, when given the choice, Sideways Ben chose Alex over his chance at power, the thing Island Ben admits is his greatest desire. 

*Of course, this all plays in to Ben's story on the Island.  If you had told me, even a week ago, that Ben would turn down an opportunity to rule over the Island, I wouldn't have believed you.  We knew he felt very sorry for allowing Alex to die, but as he had the opportunity to choose which side he wanted to go with (Smokey or Jacob), he chose the side that really offered him nothing but forgiveness.  This would seem inherently out of character for Ben, but you know what?  I believed it.  Credit should be given to the writers and, obviously, Michael Emerson for making this transformation possible.  The question that remains, for me at least, is what does Ben want now?  He has turned down the Island, and he can't get his daughter back, so what does he want?  Further, in whatever he is seeking, will Ben still be the old Ben insofar as he will manipulate, lie and steal to reach his desired outcome?  I sure as hell hope so; I hope they haven't completely neutered the character we have all come to know and love.

*Someone else who has chosen Jacob is Jack.  How intense was that scene in The Black Rock?  Very intense!  And I loved it.  Jack's explanation for his seeming death wish was revealing (and exactly what Jacob was aiming at when he had Hurley show Jack the Lighthouse).  After his staring-at-the-sea meditation time, Jack has realized that there truly is some higher power working in his life, even if that power is a white-tuniced, sandal-wearing weaver.  The Man of Science has become a Man of Faith, and trusted that he would not meet his demise via dynamite because Jacob had larger plans for him.  I took his almost maniacal expression and laugh not as signs of a mad man, but as a pressure release.  Jack has fought so hard for most of the series against his destiny, but with his hissy fit in the Lighthouse and his staring down of the dynamite, Jack has finally released his doubt and inner turmoil.  We have seen "activated" Jack in the past, most recently when he was leading the group to detonate Jughead.  This is when the character, and the actor, are at their best.  I look forward to seeing a directed and motivated Jack for the rest of the series.

*While Jack has been motivated by Jacob, there is at least one person on the Island who would love nothing more than stab the Man in White over and over again, Richard.  It turns out that his eternal life was a "gift" granted by Jacob in return for faith in Jacob's master plan.  Now that Jacob is dead, and Richard still has no idea what that plan was, he wants to shake loose his (im)mortal coil.  I have found it fascinating to watch Richard completely unravel this season.  He was always the man with all the answers, but since Jacob has died and Smokey is running rampant, Richard, admittedly, can't understand what his world has become.  His falling apart allows for someone else to step into his role as leader of the Island denizens.  Since he has all of the answers now, it must be Jack.

*Lost has great direction in general, but there was a fantastic bi of directing I noticed in this episode.  When Sideways Ben is told he has to monitor detention, he is in a too-big-for-him sweater with his shoulders sloped forward.  He has been debased and embarrassed; he is as low as he can be as he has no power and does not control his fate (as it regards his job).  At the end of the episode, when Jack sizes up Ben at the Beach, Ben assumes the same physical stance, with his shirt baggy and brown with blood and dirt.  Again, Ben has been debased, forced to grovel; he is as low as he can be as he has no power and does not control his fate (as it regards his life on the Island).  Just a nice piece of bookended direction.  Also, check out again the lighting in the principal's office when he counters Ben's accusations with his threat against Alex's chances at Yale.  The bright sunlight, along with Ben's haircut and glasses, gave Ben a look of insignificance.  He is washed out, and the shadows make his face look very small and withdrawn.  He is a man defeated.  Great stuff,if you care about this sort of thing.

Quick Hits:

*Is Widmore on his way to meet Smokey?  He didn't want to stop to address the folks on the Beach, so he must be meeting up with the Man in Black on Hydra Island, right?

*Why would Smokey rally his army over at Hydra Island?  Is that the only place Widmore can dock his submarine? 

*We got an answer to why Ilana collected Jacob's ashes: so Miles could find out how Jacob died.

*Speaking if Ilana, I really hope we get a backstory on her.  How did Jacob come into her life, and what did he do that he became like a father to her.  Further, how did she end up in all of the bandages we saw her in in "The Incident?"

*Are we to believe no one else on the beach heard Smokey arrive with his "tikatikatika" and wind blowing?  And since when did he have telekenesis that he could unlock Ben's leash with just a thought?

*I assumed that in the Sideways timeline, the Island sunk in 1977 when Jughead was detonated.  This was the proverbial fork in the road that split off the Sideways timeline.  We know Dharma went to the Island, because we saw Dharmaville on the sunk Island.  But we learned in the episode that Ben and his father were on the Island at some point.  But in the "real" timeline, Young Ben and his father were still on the Island at the time of The Incident.  So, when did the timelines splinter?  This is hurting my brain.

*I'm not sure if you knew, but Sun has to find her husband.  Just wanted to make sure you realized that.

*Where the &!%$ is Sawyer?  Seriously, he hasn't been on the show for the last three episodes.  Hope Josh Holloway enjoyed the vacation.

*Nice callback to Nikki and Paolo with Miles calling them jabronis and digging up their diamonds.

*Others have pointed it out, but there was another nice callback to Hurley not being able to get exploded Arzt out of his shirt when Arzt couldn't get formaldehyde out of his shirt.

Once again, nothing from my preview post was addressed.  Kate and Sawyer were nowhere to be found, and we learned nothing about the effects of Sayid's stabbing of Smokey.  Nor did we learn what the Jacobins' plan is to defeat the Big Bad.  It's a good thing I'm not a weatherman, as I am terrible at the prediction business.

OK, that's what I've got for this week.  Again, I thought it was a good episode with some interesting plot revelations and character developments.  Next week's episode is entitled "Recon," and will, finally, be a Sawyer episode.  I already notice that "recon" has two potential meanings.  Recon as short for reconnaissance, meaning the gathering of information on the enemy.  Or, it could be read as re-con, meaning to con again.  Could it be, as I and others have speculated, that Sawyer is pulling his hardest and most important con on Smokey?  I guess we'll find out on Tuesday.  If you'd like full recaps and some more in-depth analysis, be sure to check out DocArzt, Jay and Jack, Doc Jensen, and Erika's input.  I'll be back early next week with my preview for "Recon." 

Namaste.

Lost - "Dr. Linus"

Tonight's episode of Lost is titled "Dr. Linus."  Clearly, this installment will center around our favorite former Other, Ben Linus, and presumably his Sideways profession of European History teacher.  Something tells me that there is more to this chosen occupation than meets the eye.  Further, how will he interact with the new subsitute biology teacher?  And what will Ben's role in the "real" timeline be?  I briefly did see him digging in one of the graves on Boone Hill, so what is he doing there?  Is he digging up Locke's body?  Intriguing questions all.  Here's what else I'm looking for:

*Now that Smokey has gathered his army, what is his plan?  Does he have to gather the other Lostaways, or does he have sufficient forces?  What is his ultimate play?  What does he have to accomplish to be able to "go home?"  Clearly, I would like more information on Smokey tonight.

*In the same vein, what are Sawyer, Jin and Kate's alliances to Smokey, truly?  We saw Kate leave with Smokey at the end of "Sundown," but why?  Is she just trying to protect herself, or protect Claire?  Is Smokey aware of the danger her presence creates?  Is Jin "with" Smokey or not?  Last we saw, he was in Claire's tent of horrors. but did he have to swear allegiance to Smokey?  Did Smokey kill him?  And what about Sawyer?  We haven't seen him in three weeks, where he agreed to work with Smokey to get off the Island.  But why do I feel like he's conducting his greatest con?  I think Smokey's refusal to explain the bloody-handed blonde boy in "The Substitute" made Sawyer rather wary of the being in the form of Locke.  What will Sawyer do when he sees Kate is part of Smokey's coterie? 

*Do the Jacobins, the name I'm calling the group of Ilana, Lapidus, Ben, Sun, Miles, Jack, Hurley and Richard (and, yes, a reference to these guys), have any other reinforcements?  What can they do to stop Smokey? 

*Will Sun and Jin finally meet up in this episode?  As much as I want to say yes, I got majorly burned last week, so I will say no.  (It would be great if they did though!)

*Did anything happen to Smokey as a result of Sayid stabbing him with Dogen's dagger?

I think, now that we are at hour seven of the season, the season has begun apace.  Sides have been drawn, and the battle is about to begin.  There are obviously still many, many questions to be answered, but I expect the pedal to be to the metal for the rest of the season.  Ben episodes are always great thanks to the inimitable Michael Emerson, so I have no reason to think otherwise now.  I'll be back this weekend with thoughts on "Dr. Linus."  Until then...

Enjoy.

Lost - "Sundown," Ctd

Hello fellow Losties.  This week's episode was titled, "Sundown," and I couldn't have been more wrong in thinking it was going to be a Sun and Jin episode.  Oh no.  Not even close.  What we did get was a kick-ass Sayid episode, and one that may have been the darkest in the series' run.  Cook yourself some eggs (where is that poacher), and let's dive into "Sundown."

*Man, they completely fooled me.  I thought Sayid was going to be with Nadia in the Sideways timeline.  I should have known something was off when we saw Sayid's reflection in the door glass.  There has been a theme running so far this season in the Sideways timelines where the character has looked at their reflection, contemplating some bit of "memory" from the 2007 timeline.  These contemplations seemed to reflect (no pun intended) the character's subconscious realization that while things aren't perfect, they are better than they could be.  In essence, they have learned something from their 2007 life.  (More on this below.)  Anyway, Sayid was not looking at his reflection; his view was skewed.  He couldn't see himself.  Specifically, he couldn't see what he learned in the 2007 timeline.  This should have been a clue that Sayid has not been redeemed in the Sideways world (as much as any of the characters have), at least not yet.

*As far as the rest of the Sideways story went, I thought it was great.  Sayid hasn't changed.  He's still a killer, and he's still pursuing Nadia, perhaps to his detriment.  I loved seeing Keamy again.  Kevin Durand is pretty excellent, and the chance to see him do his thing was awesome.  Sayid's whole life on the Island can be summed up in two lines of dialogue when Sayid has Keamy at gun point.  KEAMY: "The debt is forgiven.  Relax, forget about it."  SAYID: "I can't."  Exactly.  Sayid, can't forget about it, with "it" being the atrocities he has committed against others.  He can never be redeemed as long as he can't come to terms with what he has done.  Oh, and what the heck was with Jin in the freezer?  I mean, I assume the money that was confiscated from Jin at the airport was supposed to go to Keamy, but why bother throwing this in to this episode.  I guess it did serve as a reminder that Jin is being held captive by Claire.

*Speaking of Claire, how much fun is Emile de Ravin having?  To me, it looks like a whole lot.  She seems to be relishing the opportunity to play evil, feral Claire the way she dug into her scene with Dogen and her death-stare at Kate when Kate told her she raised Aaron.  I think she is playing a perfect blend of totally nut-bar crazy, with a hint of understanding that maybe she is being played by Smokey.  Her hesitation in entering the Temple ("Why not get Jin or Sawyer to do it?") spoke volumes to me.  And her creepy singing of "Catch a Falling Star?"  Holy schinkies!!  I haven't been that creeped out in a while.  I think in the end, however, she will be "saved" and pulled back from the dark side.  Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but she has to be "good" before she can get Aaron back, right?

*On the flip side, I think we may have lost Sayid forever.  Unlike Claire, who was desperately crazy to find/protect Aaron, or Sawyer who was grief-stricken and drunk, when they were approached by Smokey to follow him, Sayid made a clear choice to follow the evil guy.  Yes, Sayid is sad that Nadia is dead, but at the moment he chose his path, he was clear-headed ("darkness" growing inside him , notwithstanding).  He has now come to grips with who he is and always has been: a killer, and more importantly, a tool.  Think about it.  Sayid has never done anything of his own volition.  He killed the chicken to protect his brother when they were children.  He was a torturer for the Republican Guard.  He was used by the CIA to infiltrate the terrorist cell.  He was manipulated by Ben to kill Widmore's associates.  Sayid is nothing more than a machine to be used for other people's nefarious designs.  It seems that he has (finally) come to understand this, and has fallen in line with perhaps the greatest manipulator of all.

*Oh, Dogen.  We hardly knew ye.  You tried to use Sayid as a tool for his own demise, but met your end.  To be honest, I'm going to miss Dogen.  He became an intriguing character, especially from what we heard about how he ended up on the Island.  After this story, I began to really question Jacob's motives; he may not be as good as we are supposed to believe.  It appears that Dogen, after mortally wounding his son in a drunk driving accident, was trapped on the Island in exchange for Jacob saving his son's life.  If Jacob is benevolent, why trap Dogen?  Why not at least bring his son to the Island too?  Moreover, what power was bestowed on to Dogen so that he was what was actually keeping Smokey out of the Temple?  I hope this gets explained, although it will have to be in a flashback of some sort, as Sayid brutally drowned the Temple-master.  I'm sad to see him go.  Lennon?  Not so much.  I mean, I love John Hawkes, but his character was grating, so good riddance, hippie! 

*The other interesting thing about Dogen's demise, was his exchange with Sayid about Jacob driving a hard bargain, and Smokey making Sayid a similarly hard bargain.  It furthers the idea that the mysterious puppet-masters have similar powers/abilities.  When Smokey offered Sayid whatever Sayid wanted in exchange for killing Dogen (there's Sayid being a tool again), it got me thinking that perhaps Smokey is some kind of...malevolent is the wrong word...let's say, twisted genie.  Each character wants something for their off-Island life, and Smokey (or Jacob, I guess) can grant that wish.  The results are the Sideways stories.  I call Smokey a "twisted" genie, because the fulfilled wishes have catches.  Kate wants to reunite Claire and Aaron, but she's still a fugitive.  Locke wants to know love (from Helen, his father, and the world), but he's still paralyzed.  Jack wants to know that he "has what it takes," but his father is still dead and they can't reconcile.  Sayid wants Nadia to be alive, but she's married to his brother.  These all seem to fall into the category of not being able to have your cake and eat it too.  I am forever the optimist, however, so I am assuming that the end result for these characters' lives will actually put them in places better than what we have seen in the Sideways flashes.

Quick Hits:

*How great was that fight scene between Dogen and Sayid.  I actually can't remember the last time the show had such a long, technical, even-handed fight.  Hopefully on the DVD's there will be a behind-the-scenes piece on it.  I'd love to know how much was the actors and how much stuntmen.

*Some great direction from Bobby Roth, who also directed "Whatever Happened, Happened" and "There's No Place Like Home."  The aforementioned fight scene, the slo-mo, creepy closing scene with "Catch a Falling Star" playing over it, and Sayid's meeting with Smokey in the jungle were all beautifully shot.  The tone of the episode and the performances were pitch-perfect, as well.  Good work.

*Ahhhh, the Smokey rampage.  How awesome was that?  I love me a good smoke monster rampage.  Poor red shirts.  You should have chosen to leave!

*Did you catch Smokey's look upon seeing Kate emerge from the Temple?  He is at first surprised to see her, but then quickly sizes her up, wary of the fact that she may not be true to the cause.  Wonderful work, as usual, by Terry O'Quinn.  And why did Kate join Smokey?  Self-preservation (it's better than being smashed against a stone wall), or just to protect Claire?

*Smokey seems to have a pretty big army.  Who does Jacob have?  Ilana, Lapidus, Sun, Ben, Miles, Jack, and Hurley.  Doesn't seem like much, does it?

*Speaking of looks, I loved Ben's expression to Sayid 's retort that there is no more time for him.  It said, "OK, you crazy!  Even crazier than me!"  Then he just slowly backed out.  Great stuff.

*Yunjin!  She got two lines of dialogue!  WOO-HOO!!

Alright, that's what I've got for "Sundown."  This may have been the best episode of the season, so far, with great acting from Naveen Andrews, and fantastic pacing and action provided by Bobby Roth.  The next episode is titled "Dr. Linus."  I think I can predict who this one will focus on.  I'll be back tomorrow morning with some thoughts on what I expect to see in the episode. 

Namaste.

Lost - "Sundown"

Hey folks.  Sorry this preview post is so late, but work conspired against me this week.  Anyway, as we discussed at the end of last week's recap for "Lighthouse," tonight's episode, "Sundown," should be a Sun/Jin episode, if the pattern stays true to Season 1.  I honestly have no idea if it will be or not, but I am sure hoping so.  It has been two years since the couple has been together, so I would love to see them reunited.  Moreover, my love of Yunjin Kim's acting is well-documented here, so the chance to see her actually do something would be welcomed. 

I also mentioned last week that team Darlton said the season was divided into three six-hour blocks.  Tonight is hour six, so the first block is coming to an end.  This should be the last bit of set-up we need to get through (endure?) before the thrust of the season's action begins.  I don't really have any predictions for anything other than I bet this will be a pretty great episode with the Island factions coming together (Temple, Claire, Beach, Smokey).  Or, at least I hope it will. 

Again, sorry for the late post, but sometimes, the people who pay you just get in the way.  I'll be back later this week with a recap of "Sundown."  Until then...

Enjoy.