"D.O.C." -Episode 3.18-

Greetings my fellow LOSTheads,

I hope this message finds you well. There have been mixed reviews of this episode, ranging from “Woh…did you see/hear that?” to “Eh…that was it?” My personal reaction was the former, especially after I rewatched the episode, and there were some subtle but important clues as to what is going on and who is “behind the curtain.” For me, the most interesting reveal was Mikhail, the fact that he was still alive, and what he was doing in this episode. But I’ll get to that later… First let’s look at the Sun/Juliet plotline…

(I have already had a few written/email discussions with my fellow LOST fans about “D.O.C.,” so to those who have already listened to me rant about these topics, my apologies… And I’m not going to touch on the flashback as I don’t think anything shown was of great importance, except maybe the fact that Sun was directly (and Jin’s mother indirectly) responsible for Jin becoming one of Mr. Paik’s henchmen.)

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"D.O.C." -Episode 318-

1) Sun & Juliet — After Sun’s encounter with Jack in the garden, she becomes a little suspicious of the whole situation. Jack had been gone for a while and all of a sudden he’s buddy-buddy with Jules and asking several questions about how Sun is feeling and how her pregnancy is going. Following a brief chat with Kate, who gives her a little insight into Juliet’s situation, Sun decides to confront Jules. What she learns is….well, deadly. She decides to trust Juliet as she sees that there is no other option. We have another trek to the medical station, which, for good reason, looks familiar (and, I don’t know about you, gave me a bit of the willies). What we learn is, according to Juliet, Sun conceived on the Island 53 days ago, giving her both good and bad news. Good news — the baby is not Jae’s but Jin’s, which means Jin’s sterility has been reversed, and bad news — Sun’s going to die…Or is she?



There is still (and probably will be for a while) some controversy surrounding Juliet and if we can trust her. It seems that her research, and helping mothers survive on the Island, is what she is passionate about. But I think one thing is more important…her desire to get off the Island. She says (off the record) that she hates Ben. This gives us a little insider info on her situation. Obviously she is doing some dirty work for him but I don’t think she is, or will be, loyal to him. If there is a way to get some revenge on Ben AND get off the Island, you can bet Jules is gonna take advantage of it. So does Juliet have any reason to lie about Sun’s D.O.C.? At this point I do not think so. Some are saying that the timeline is wrong…that 53 days ago doesn’t fit, and that Sun and Jin would have not been together at that time, but I’m gonna overlook that for now and trust that Juliet is telling the truth. I think she cares enough about her work that she will sincerely try to save Sun. Who knows, maybe Sun will be the miracle case on the Island as Rachel was off the Island? And then Juliet can go home??

2) Jack - Compromised? — Sun is wise to question Jack. He has been acting a little differently but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It would be an interesting turn to see him “switch teams,” but until I see some solid proof, I’m holding on to the hope that he is just a little depressed about not being able to leave the Island, and feeling a little awkward being back at the camp after all he has been through. At this point, I do not think Jack is “compromised” in the sense that Michael was last season. I just think he knows a little more about the Others’ work than we do. I mean, even Kate knows that pregnant women die on the Island…but what she didn’t know….

3) Kate Preggers? — …is that Juliet is planning on getting some samples from her. Kate and Sawyer have done the “jungle romp” twice in a short period of time, and from what we learned last night about the male sperm count being fives times higher on the Island, it is very possible that she is pregnant. Was that the plan from the beginning? Is that why Ben told her those two weeks would be unpleasant? Did they bring Kate and Sawyer along to manipulate Jack AND get Kate pregnant? Seems plausible, yes? But if Kate knew, you think she would be a little more worried since she just found out the fate of pregnant women on the Island...

4) Mikhail — Okay, now on to the juicy stuff… Mikhail… Has risen from the dead? There is a lot of discussion about this. Is it possible he and Locke were in cahoots and they faked his death? Did he have an implant (similar to Claire's) that the fence triggered? Or was he simply healed by the Island? Some even say that he is dead and that the Smoke monster took his form, like Eko's brother earlier this season. He did seem alive to me though, and I was happy to see him. His smart lines and mysterious smirks make him a very fun character to watch, creepy as he may be.



So, is Mikhail working as a "free agent" now? The LOSTies (except this group in the jungle) think he is dead and maybe the Others do too? He did specifically ask to “disappear.” It seemed like he didn’t want anyone to know that he was seen. Did he intercept the Others' meeting with the parachutist to get the phone and try to find his own way off the Island?

5) Naomi (the parachutist) and the Satellite Phone — Okay, so we know Naomi recognized Desmond but he had no idea who she was. We were speculating that she was sent by Penny to find Desmond. Well...I think this was her secondary mission. Her primary objective was to help the Others reestablish communication with the outside world. After Hurley accidentally fires the flare, who comes running (not casually walking) right to that spot? …Mikhail… He was looking for someone/something and knew there was an item of great importance to be found…the satellite phone. Whether he knew this because of a chat with Ben & Co., or because he has his own methods of finding out, we do not know. But it did look like he knew what he was looking for. His first question was if the group found anything on her. And was it just me, or did it almost look like she recognized him…?

6) Penny and the Widmore connection — A lot of us have speculated, since Penny's appearance at the end of season 2, that Pen's dad, Charles Widmore, has something to do with the Island. Whether he is funding the research or has a more personal connection is yet to be seen, but Penny had people looking specifically for an electromagnetic anomaly. So it seems at this point that Penny knows a lot more about the Island than we first realized. I think Naomi was sent by Widmore (Charles or Widmore Industries?) to help repair the communications with the outside world, and maybe before she left Pen was like (discreetly or non-discreetly?), "Hey Naomi, here's a pic of my boyfriend. I think he's on the Island. Do you mind taking a look around while you are there?" I think that's why she looked/sounded surprised when she awoke to Desmond’s face because she was not expecting to come across him...

7) Okay, wrap it up — It’s possible that Naomi was also meant to deliver her last line (about the wreckage being found and the passengers being dead) in order to instill some sort of despair. If she is working for Widmore, and by extension Penny, she would have no personal connection the survivors and would not have a problem delivering false news such as that. She is under orders and will most likely do what she is told.

There is the possibility that another plane wreck was staged in order to stop the search, or, as some theories state, somehow two planes exist due to Desmond's recent actions. As usual, I'm not jumping on board yet, but certainly am open to alternate explanations.

Oh, and does anyone speak Italian? I’m preeeetty sure that after Mikhail tended to Naomi’s wound she did not say thank you. That message was for Mikhail alone. I have read a few translations that people provided on the Internet, but the one that keeps coming up is, “I am not alone.” So what would this mean? That help is on the way? For the Others? Some are even saying that Naomi and Widmore have a connection to Dharma and that they have some score to settle with the Others for the research going awry. So maybe she saw Mikhail’s Dharma jumpsuit and was fearful of him so she told him that she was not alone? However this turns out, I hope that by the end of this season, we will have some concrete proof that Widmore is, in fact, directly involved with the Island.

And, of course, this could all be debunked next week...

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Well, folks, that’s all the time I have for now. As always, I would love to hear your theories on what is currently happening and what you think is coming down the pike!

So until next time…

Namaste.

SFO

"Catch-22" -Episode 3.17-

Greetings fellow LOSToholics,

So, yeah...Desmond is awesome. And so are his episodes. Great dialogue, forwarding narrative and Jin telling scary stories in Korean really kept “Catch-22” on par with the high-quality episodes of the past few weeks. And of course, the (signature) mysterious last scene followed by *DUNNN*...LOST... is always fun.

But what did we learn from this episode? What new questions were raised? What the frick is going on with ol' Desmondo? Well, let's see what we can find out with a dissection of a few momentous events...

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"Catch-22" -Episode 317-

1) Desmond's vision/Catch-22 — I really enjoyed the inside view we got of Desmond's vision in this episode. Before, we only heard him speak of a series a flashes pertaining to upcoming events, but we actually got to experience it first hand this time. And there are some interesting things to note. For example, Charlie dies by an arrow to the throat in Desmond's vision...but he also appears holding the parachute in order to catch the chick that falls from the tree. Hmmm... So he dies but is still around to help the girl get out of the tree? Something's fishy... Is this vision a merging to two different outcomes based on Desmond's decisions? Or maybe a false implanted memory (à la Smokey)? The vision also has opened the whole time loop theory again, because the impetus for gathering the group together and going on a trek in this episode was Desmond's vision. But in his vision, what was the reason for taking a journey to that specific part of the Island? Certainly not to go camping... Desmond looked rather determined in his vision so maybe he knew he was going after something that fell from the sky? But how did he know something was going to fall from the sky? Um, his vision... A little loopage ladies and gentlemen?



2) “Sorry, Charlie”— I mean, we were speculating about Charlie’s death from the beginning of the season and after last night I don't think Des is gonna be too worried about saving Charlie anymore. He's fed up with having to worry about him all the time and it is obviously wearing him out. And with this new arrival Desmond's hope can be restored that Penny is still looking for him (more on that later). So maybe he'll last for a couple more episodes but by the end of the season it's…"Goodbye, Mr. Burton..." (Please tell me you've seen Big Trouble in Little China...)

3) Changing the future...Naomi and Penny — So did the fact that Desmond saved Charlie's life change anything...like who fell out of the helicopter? Desmond certainly was expecting to see Penny and I think he is going to blame himself for her not being there. Since he was convinced he needed to follow the vision exactly to get the outcome, I think he believes saving Charlie's life ruined this. BUT, I think it was Naomi coming to the Island all along. They found her pack before Charlie's life was threatened; it contained a Portuguese version of Heller's Catch 22 and the picture of Desmond and Pen so she would know how to identify him. (Remember the last scene in the season 2 finale where the two guys (who spoke Portuguese) detect the electromagnetic anomaly and call Pen?) I'm definitely with the group that thinks Penny sent Naomi to find Desmond. I also believe that help is not far behind, hence the satellite phone. Of course there has to be SOME sort of difficulty finding them because we still have a couple of seasons to go, right?

4) The Helicopter — For the longest time, many thought that the Island was in some distant, secluded area of the planet, but it is very possible that it is right under our noses. The fact that the Island was “hidden” means that it could be virtually anywhere and still not be found. Some believe the (apparent) helicopter in last night’s episode is proof of this. Of course, there are also those who believe that the helicopter sounds were actually Smokey… These people tend to believe that everything without explanation is Smokey…

5) A Plant? — Is it possible that Naomi was sent by someone on the Island to “test” Desmond? Sending plants seems to be a popular theme on the show (Goodwin, Ethan, Ben, Juliet) and I don’t think this is that crazy of a theory. But the whole helicopter crash seems to be an awful lot of work just to test Desmond. And how would they have gotten a copy of the picture of him and Pen? I guess there could be copies of that picture but I have this feeling that this messenger/scout is truly working for Pen.

6) A Coward — Despite Desmond’s past, I feel he has proven himself not to be a coward. Remember in “Flashes Before Your Eyes” when Desmond revealed that he was not trying to save Claire but Charlie instead? Is it possible that these visions were actually meant to help/save Desmond and not Charlie? He has done some of the most heroic acts on the show (from turning the failsafe key to saving Charlie’s life (on numerous occasions)) and maybe the Island is giving him these visions so he will not feel like a coward and realize he is worthy of Penny.

7) The Picture — When Desmond goes to return his habit after being “fired” by the head monk, we get a brief shot of a photo on the monk’s desk. You know they put that there for a reason, right? I didn’t see it when it aired but thanks to the dedicated crazies, someone posted a link to the screencap. Would you like to see? http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4117/bscap0yu5.jpg Yep, that’s right, it’s the chick in the jewelry shop that was trying to get Desmond to NOT buy the ring. Remember? The one that taught him about the universe course-correcting itself? Good grief that looks like an awful Photoshopping job. And is it just me or does that monk not really look monkish in that picture? There must be significance to this. Could it be that someone was keeping tabs on Des all along and this was just another person to steer him in the direction of the Island? Hmmm, it’s certainly arguable. But we know that things like this picture do not show up without reason.

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I’m pretty sure I didn’t cover everything I originally intended but there are a few points to springboard the discussion. I would love to hear what you thought about this episode! Anyone have any ideas what the season 3 finale is going to feature?? I’m getting extremely excited about the next few episodes, but along with that comes the realization that it will be followed by months of waiting…I hope they leave us with a good cliffhanger so we will have much to discuss during the break.

Until next time…

Namaste.

SFO

"One of Us" -Episode 3.16-

So I was trying to avoid the spoilers for this episode...I was successful, and let me tell ya, it was a totally different experience... However, since "One of Us" was so full of LOSTy goodness, I HAD to take a peak at what was coming next and...woh...

More on that later...

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"One of Us" -Episode 316-

1) Juliet's Transformation — The difference between pre-Island Juliet and creepy Juliet is significant. In her flashback she was a shy, nervous, harmless doctor who did not want attention for the work she was doing. But three years on our Island and BAM! — kill a brutha, con multiple others, and maintain a slight half-crooked smirk. One thing hasn't changed, however, and that's the fact that she will do anything to get off that Island. I'm assuming at this point the conversation between Ben and Juliet at the end of the episode was after the submarine was destroyed. This is Juliet's new "deal" to get off this Island...



2) The Deal/Juliet's Mission — (Let me just that I like how they gave us that little mole-morsel as the end. They could have left us in the dark about Juliet's mission for a few more weeks but it definitely added a lot to this episode.) What exactly is Juliet's objective in this infiltration? My initial thought was Aaron. Ethan sure wanted Aaron, and now Ben is sending Juliet for him. I'm not sure if I'm convinced that Ethan was working alone but there are some interesting claims otherwise. Since mothers cannot carry to term on the Island (and Juliet states that she thinks this happens at conception), Claire is an excellent test subject because she conceived several months prior to arriving on the Island. This could be the "miracle" baby that saves the Others from the sickness.

Or could Sun be the reason Juliet was sent? It's possible that the Others know about Sun's pregnancy and they wanted her for a test subject. The serum Juliet concocted could have been developed by the time the LOSTies arrived, but they did not get a chance to test it because Claire escaped. So Round 2, Sun.

Maybe it's a combination of both? Juliet could have been sent for Claire, but someone could tell her about Sun (*cough* Kate). And Juliet SO badly wants to test her drugs that she springs for ol' Sunny. Either way, it's bound to be juicy.

3) Ben's knowledge — So, wait, did Ben know the plane was coming? I thought "no" immediately after the episode, but then...Ben lies. Ben ALWAYS lies. So he could have been (and probably was) totally conning Juliet while she was there — telling her that her sister's cancer had come back (with some VERY convincing charts to back it up, ha), that they can have a live feed of Rachel whenever they wanted, and about not knowing the plane was coming. (I love Ben's little remark, "There could even be a mother on that plane." Like he didn't know.) Ben said that he exploits what people are emotionally attached to and Rachel is excellent leverage for him. Some even say Ben might have Desmond-style powers. He tells Locke about the things the Island gives you and/or allows you to see and this would explain the intricacies of Ben's plans. But as of right now, I'm still thinkin' he's just a sketchball who's been on the Island for WAY too long. (*deep breath* I mean he goes through all that trouble pretending to be Henry Gale to check out Jack and then abducts him, Kate, and Sawyer to make Kate and Sawyer work and live in cages until they have sex so Jack will see and do the surgery, instead of kindly saying, "Hey welcome to the Island, we have houses and food and electricity and running water and I'll let you enjoy these luxuries 'cause you just survived a plane crash...and maybe you can help me out with a little back surg?" Of course, then we would have another ER/Grey's Anatomy/insert generic medical show here, and not the show we've come to love.)



4) The Showdown — I got so excited when I saw Sayid and Sawyer marching up to Juliet in the jungle. "Awww yeah, the tables have turned, time for some torture, Sayid-style." Instead, Juliet froze them in their tracks with her "knowledge" of their past. I do think it's weird that Juliet knew about Sawyer killing the fish-and-chips guy "the night before he boarded the plane"...no one was around for that...just a random murder. And some have pointed out that Sawyer was actually serving three days in prison for a completely unrelated crime (disrupting the Prime Minister or something?) before he was deported (on Flight 815) back to the U.S. So either Juliet had some misinformation or was just confused with her facts, but either way Sawyer probably picked up on it and will be very reluctant to trust her. And Sayid? He's gotta have some time alone with Juliet soon...I hope...

5) The Implant — So Ben injected a device in Claire that he can activate at any time he chooses? When did this occur? Was it when Ethan brought Claire back for some tests in season 1? Juliet says Claire's illness was caused because Ethan (acting on his own) injected her with juice and that she's having withdrawals (um, two months later?). Yeah, I think she's lying. The juice and the device are two different things. Maybe they really were trying to help Claire with the injections and placed a tracking system/illness-causer in the process?

Is Jack in on this plan? Did Ben or Juliet tell him about his relation to Claire and Aaron? Maybe he will help Juliet get Aaron because he believes it's the right thing to do to save his family? Or maybe he really thinks he's found someone to trust on the Island? Jack, Claire and Aaron all seem to be integral to what's happening right now and I'm very interested to see how this will pan out.

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This just might have been the most informational episode of the season...so far... If you don't want insight into what is coming up in the remaining episodes DO NOT scroll down!!!

For those of you that will leave us now, let me say...

Namaste.

SFO
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Welcome.

As I mentioned, I HAD to look at some of the end-of-the-season-stretch spoilers and I would like to share two nuggets of info with you. Now this is not 100 percent confirmed. It's from someone who apparently got the info from an "insider." Most of the time this stuff is hit-or-miss, but I find these theories to be very probable.

1) Episode 319 will be different than ANY other LOST episode ever aired — NO flashbacks... AND supposedly a large season 1 "mystery" will be solved/revealed. I think I know what it's going to feature... Okay, so, I believe we were told that we would not see Locke again until this episode. And apparently Cooper is on the cast list and scheduled to make another appearance. Can anyone say Locke/Sawyer/Cooper(AKA the REAL Sawyer) showdown?? Oooo, I hope this is it! It would be an excellent meeting!

2) The season 3 finale was originally going to be a Ben flashback. But now it seems that it will be centered on Jack and the cliffhanger will be around him. The proposed flashback schedule for the rest of the season is as follows:
317 - Desmond
318 - Jin and Sun
319 - no flashbacks!
320 - Ben (maybe with a Karen and Gerald DeGroot appearance??)
321 Charlie (goodbye, Mr. Pace)
322-23 Jack

Again, not sure if these are completely accurate but it would make an interesting end to this already crazy season!

Until next time...

SFO