Goodbye, Season 3!

Greetings!

So, umm……woh… How about THAT for a finale?? My head is still spinning. Most people who I’ve heard from thoroughly enjoyed last night’s episode but there are still a few who were a little disappointed. I guess that’s normal with a show like LOST, but personally, I cannot imagine a better ending to this season — the Others’ story was pretty much wrapped up (most of the named Others are dead), we had plenty of action (13 deaths!), and we had something that has NEVER been done on LOST…a flash forward!!! I treated myself to the extensive spoilers that were around for this episode and learned of this twist prior to its airing. It ruined the viewing in one sense but enhanced it tremendously in another. Nonetheless, “The Powers That Be” certainly left us with a lot to speculate until February…so why don’t we begin?

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“Through the Looking Glass” -Episode 3.22-23-

1) Charlie — To be honest, over the past season, I began to lose interest in Charlie’s character. We hadn’t seen a flashback of his in a while and that was probably because there wasn’t much more to tell. It seemed like they were keeping him around to be the sarcastic, slightly annoying guy who pops his head into others’ business and makes a dry, but often funny, remark. Or wait…isn’t that Hurley? Anyway, after the last two episodes of the season, Charlie has regained my respect and I feel he deserved the heroic death he was given last night. Of all the characters to leave, I was never as emotionally involved as I was with Charlie last night. Eko used to be my favorite character and even his death was a little flat and left something to be desired. But watching Charlie shut Desmond out of the room (because he knew nothing but that door would stop Des from seeing Pen) and accept his destiny was very powerful. He even continued to think of all the other survivors as he made sure to inform Desmond that Naomi is lying about being part of Pen’s rescue crew. So cheers to the (former) rock star who completed the difficult transformation from addict to hero. You will be missed.



2) Ben and the Others — So Ben is a flippin’ nutjob…right? Weeell, I’m not so sure. I mean sure, he kidnapped a baby and brainwashed her into thinking he is her father and her mother is dead… Sure he basically shot Locke in the back after being threatened by his communion with Jacob… So what if he ordered his “troops” to abduct all pregnant women and kill anyone in their way. He’s still trustworthy, right? It’s true he has a background of creepy Island-man-style rule, but after seeing Jack’s state of mind in the future, Ben might be telling the truth about making that call and/or leaving the Island. Is it possible that they really ARE the good guys? I find that hard to believe…but with LOST, I have no problem believing it can get creepier… Well, whatever the case, it was very enjoyable (at least for me) to see a wrench thrown into Ben’s plans and watch him suffer because of it. I admit it was satisfying to watch Jack land blow after blow upon that liar’s face. I mean, I hate to advocate violence, but if anyone on this show had it coming, it was that guy.

And what’s left of the Others? Does Ben have anyone to lead anymore? If you watched “LOST: The Answers,” Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (often known singularly as Darlton) said the Others are a group of 30-40 people (“we think…”). If that’s true, then “Jarrah, Kwon and the dentist” just wiped out a good chunk of ‘em, and Mikhail helped that cause as well. So who is left? Richard and his crew? Are they part of Ben’s recruits or are these Richard’s people…the natives? I believe that construction is underway on “The Ruins,” the set for season 4, which will most likely be introduced with the temple that Ben mentions in this episode. I’m reeeeeally hoping they explore the natives a little deeper next year. But until then, we have plenty to discuss…

3) Jacob (Locke and Walt) — I did not write any reviews for the few episodes leading up to this one, and there is one very important thing I want to discuss…Jacob. That scene in “The Man Behind the Curtain” when Ben took Locke to see Jacob was one of my favorites this season. For a minute, I was with Locke and agreed that Ben was a raving madman. It was actually quite humorous watching Ben have a conversation with himself. But after that creepy, “Hellllp Meee,” and seeing Jacob in the chair (you did see him, right?), it looks like Ben was telling another truth. The question bothering me is: what is the relationship between Ben and Jacob? Can Ben really hear Jacob? Does he really follow orders from Jacob? Or is Jacob some sort of prisoner to Ben? Why would Jacob need help? And how can Locke help him? Also, what is the relationship between Jacob and the smoke monster? Are they one in the same? Does Jacob roam the Island in smoke form to gather information about people in order to use figures from their past to lead them in certain ways? Is the perimeter of dust around Jacob’s cabin his prison walls? Or the smoke monster deactivated? Was that actually Walt or Smokey/Jacob taking the form of Walt in order to get John to do his bidding? LOTS of questions surrounding this new mystery and I believe all this will be addressed next season. But it does seem like Locke is taking direct orders from the Island now, as he knew exactly where to go and who to kill. This could be a great direction for his character next season.

4) The Snake in the Mailbox (aka the Flash Forward) — Ahh, yes, now to the really juicy stuff. “Snake in the mailbox” was the name given to the shocking twist that took place in this episode. You know, like you open your mailbox and reach in to grab your mail and BAM!...there’s a snake waiting for you. For the past few weeks many people were guessing at what this moment could be but I don’t think anyone saw this coming (except us spoiler addicts). Spoilers for this finale were leaked over a week ago, before “Greatest Hits” even aired, and many people swore they would stop watching the show if in fact we got a glimpse of Jack off the Island AFTER the action we have seen on the Island. I stray from the word “rescue” because I’m not sure if that is accurate yet. People were complaining that since we now know Jack eventually gets off the Island, none of it matters any more. It doesn’t matter who Jacob is, who/what the smoke monster is, etc., because all the mystery has been taken away. Really?? All of the mystery? Well, how did Jack and Kate get off the Island? Did they all make it? Was anyone left behind? Was Ben right…was making that call a bad move? Who is coming to the Island as a result of this call? Who is Jacob? Who is Naomi? What was Penny doing hanging out in front of a videophone? Was Jack actually seeing those flash forwards or was that absolute truth we were witnessing? Yeah…seems to me there’s a whole other layer of mystery that joined a lot of our original ones so can’t quite see how one could make that claim. I think the move to include a brief vision of the future was a brilliant idea to help breathe new life into the format of the show and I’m racking my brain trying to come up with possibilities of how season 4 will begin…

5) Time Theories Resurface — This episode has brought back, with increasing enthusiasm, many of the time warp/time travel/time loop theories that were brought up most recently with “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” Some tend to believe that Jack has somehow acquired powers similar to Desmond and we will find out at the beginning of season 4 that it was just a vision or dream sequence. I’m not too fond of this idea. Seems like it would be a bit of a cop-out. I think that presenting something like this in the finale gives it a little bit of credibility. Others believe that all the characters are in a time loop and Desmond turning the failsafe key, going back in time and changing things, created a new loop. One in which they get rescued and something apparently terrible happens to make Jack so miserable. Then there are some who think that Kate and Jack are in a different timeline entirely and that’s why Jack’s comment about his dad could be true. In this timeline, Jack’s dad is still alive, Kate is not a fugitive (seems strange that she was not on the run, easily accessible and able to meet Jack on a whim) and Jack has completely lost control. I cannot decide where I stand on this issue. Certainly time plays a very important role in this story and there’s evidence to support and deny every one of these theories. But as usual, I’m not on board quite yet. I still believe we are in one linear timeline, and Jack’s daddy comment was just to confuse us about the flashback/flash forward and also to show just how out of touch with reality Jack is since he returned. Something is fishy though… Jack is apparently “tired of lying” and Kate wants nothing to do with him. What’s going on here?? Any ideas?



6) The Obituary/Funeral — What was this all about? Seemed like this threw Jack even further into his drug-crazed wandering…not to mention his trip to the bridge. Who could this possibly be? Someone who is not friend or family? Someone Kate knows too? Someone from the Island? There are several possibilities, all with their own evidence to support them. A few to consider — Scenario 1: Ben… Naomi’s people arrive on the Island and take Ben since he is the leader of the group that purged the Dharma folks. Jack wants to pay him respect since he now understands Ben was right and they should have never made the rescue call. Kate is disgusted that Jack even wants to go and is trying to distance herself as far away as possible from the Island. This also explains why no one was there at the funeral home (which was named Hoffs/Drawlar, an anagram for Flash Forward). Scenario 2: Locke… Locke is brought back against his will and dies on the mainland. Jack, like with Ben, realizes Locke was right and feels he needs to pay respect. Again, Kate is disgusted at Jack and his obsession with getting back to the Island. And Locke has no friends or family, which would explain the empty viewing. Scenario 3: Michael… Is it possible that Michael did in fact make it off the Island? Was he the only other one that knew about the Island? The final connection Jack had?

7) Season 4 — What do you think season 4 will feature? Has the format changed? Have we said goodbye to flashbacks forever or was this just a tease? Will season 4 be off-Island with flashbacks to the on-Island adventure? Or on-Island with flash forwards? I think they will return to the normal format (at least for next season) with flashbacks because there is still a lot to explain about what is happening on the Island and how the characters’ flashbacks shape the choices they make. I would welcome a new format however. I do like where the show is going. I’m really wondering about the first scene of season 4. Seems like they have created this tradition of letting us see something from an angle we have never seen before: season 2 opens with Desmond in the hatch and they make it look like a flashback…season 3 opens with the book club scene, again making it look like it is taking place off-Island. So what could they possibly do to open season 4? We will all be expecting something unexpected!

8) The Island as Redemption — After watching Jack in the real world post-Island, it made me realize that the Island is Jack’s paradise. First off, Ben was right, Jack has nothing to go back to. Second of all, on the Island Jack always has something to fix. The ultimate problem being rescue, which apparently is a process he has started. Even if he denies it, he thrives on conflict and fixing problems…and there are plenty of both on the Island. I then started thinking about the other characters and asked myself if any of them have something to go back to… Seems like most of the survivors were running away from something, and now they are all safe from whatever that was. I really like the story arc of Jack trying to get back to the Island…back home… What a strange twist that would be… All this time trying to get back to the real world when the Island is what he has been searching for his entire life… Has the Island become Jack’s new home…like Danielle?

9) My Favorite Moments (please feel free to add more) —
*Jack looking all Jim Morrison like, popping pills and listening to Nirvana
* Ben introducing Alex to Rousseau (haha, all bloodied up, lying on the ground but still formally and politely says, “Alex, this is your mother.”)
* Sayid knocking the guy’s legs out from under him and snapping neck with his legs
* Hurley’s homicidal joyride
* Finding out Sayid, Jin and Bernard were still alive
* Watching Des look to find Mikhail nowhere in sight
* Jack’s last line: “We have to go back!!”

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Well season 3 has been everything I expected and more. We got lots of answers and some HUGE questions, which will pan out over the next three seasons. But, good grief, how are we going to make it to February?? I thought I was going to go nuts during the 13-week hiatus this year so I have no idea what’s going to happen. They have given us plenty to work with and I hope they open up the dialogue more with new websites and similar nuggets of info to work with. Either way, I will be scratching my head for a while as I process everything that has happened, and hopefully I’ll be ready in February when the ride continues…

Thanks to all of you for encouraging me to write! It really helps me sort out my crazy ideas about the show and hopefully it opens the discussion for you and your LOST-addicted friends and family!

Until next time…

Namaste.

SFO

"The Brig" -Episode 3.19-

Greetings!

I hope this message finds you all well. What an episode, eh? Had to have been creepiest, most twisted episode of LOST this season and (arguably) the entire series. A LOT of subtle hints were dropped in "The Brig" and I honestly cannot decipher every one of them. But one thing is for certain — the next few episodes will take us deeper into the rabbit hole…where I personally would like to stay for a while. ...So... Shall we?

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"The Brig" -Episode 3.19-

1) Locke — So Locke is a free agent, huh? No surprise there... Has he ever really looked out for anyone beside himself? Sure he has helped the LOSTies here or there, maybe even saved a life or two, but we all know that was to advance his own personal agenda of finding "purpose" and fulfilling his "destiny." In season 1, he knocked out Sayid to prevent the group from finding Rousseau's radio signal. In season 2, he wanted to explore the Hatch instead of focusing on protecting everyone from the expected Other raid. Now in season 3, he goes off again as his "own man" to discover the secrets of the Island. But at what price?

I must confess that, while he sometimes annoys me, I am glad to see Locke pursuing this path. You know, even if it involves orchestrating the occasional murder, Locke is pursuing truth and I respect him for that. (Although I don’t know if Ben is the best route to truth...) He seems to be the only one (with Ben as the only possible exception) that fully understands what the Island is capable of. I think he (and hopefully us too!) will be repaid with lots of juicy info about the history and potential of this Island in the coming weeks...

2) Ben (creepy as ever) — Okay, I am still confused about Ben, his motivations and the way he tries to get what he wants. It seems like he goes through SO much trouble to get something that could have been acquired through much less effort. Does anyone have theories on what he is really after? I (almost) believed Richard when he told Locke that the whole infertility thing was not the Others' main objective…buuut I also think he was part of Ben’s scheme to manipulate Locke. And the apparent plan to kidnap the pregnant women points to the infertility issue being a major one. So why manipulate Locke? Does Ben really believe he is special, or is he trying to get something else from him? Could Ben really walk the entire time? Did he simply put on the show to make Locke feel like he is healing him? (With Ben, there always seems to be more questions than answers…)

So the Others are preparing for another raid on the LOSTies. Why would Ben let Locke in on his plans? Did he purposely want the beach peeps to be prepared for a war? Was it his way of letting Juliet know they are on their way? Or was he really showing trust in Locke? And how did Locke get the tape recorder with Juliet’s log? We never saw Ben give it to him…but we did see Ben place it in a very convenient spot while Locke was watching… Ahhh! I reeeally hope next week’s “The Man Behind the Curtain” reveals some more about Ben and what he is really after.

3) The REAL Sawyer (and the Magic Box) — My suspicion, along with many others, that Locke's dad is the REAL Sawyer was finally confirmed...in the most excellent way. One of my hopes for this show is that the characters will begin to realize their off-Island connections. There has to be major significance in the fact that (seemingly) every one is connected, and this was the first major reveal that ended in such a gruesome and intense way. But how exactly did Coop get there? Can the Island really summon what “special” people call for? Was it Locke that brought his father to the Island? Or was it Ben & Co.?



According to Cooper, he is in hell. All he remembers is being slammed into the divider on the highway, riding in the ambulance and then waking up in a room, bound and gagged, to find his “dead” son opening the door (which confirms Naomi’s story that everyone in the “real” world believes there were no 815 survivors…more on that in a sec…) Can we really believe what this master con man is saying?? But if he didn’t believe he was already dead, why was he so adamant about egging on Locke and Sawyer to kill him? Doesn’t his story about the car crash and his Island visit sound a lot like the work of the Others? Seems very likely that they could cause a crash (kind of like how they killed Juliet’s ex-hubby with a bus), drug Coop and bring him to the Island. But when did they do this? It had to have been before Des turn the failsafe key, right? Or is Ben lying again?

4) James Ford — What does the con-man-formerly-known-as-Sawyer do now? Does he finally have the ability to become James Ford? Or will he become even more like the real Sawyer? Well I think he will struggle with this latest incident for a while, but overall this was a major step forward for him. (Yeah, a little weird to say that murder is a step forward…but many things are backward on this Island…) Many are speculating that since he has finally faced this part of his life, the Island will deem him worthy to die. While that has been true for the recently deceased, I would really like to see a transformation of Sawyer. I hope they keep him around for just a little bit longer.

5) Jack & Juliet — There has been a lot of discussion about the brief but important exchange between Jack and Juliet when Kate comes to them with the knowledge of a new person on the Island. Kate is quite confused, as were many viewers, about Jack’s treatment of her. Apparently he completely trusts Juliet — so much so that nothing Kate says would be inappropriate for Jules to hear.

Juliet’s comment, “We should tell her,” was the most intriguing to me in this scene. Were Jack and Juliet expecting the parachutist? Or were they simply aware of the fact that you cannot sent a signal out from the Island? Maybe they have a plan against Ben and don’t feel the LOSTies are ready to hear it. Maybe they are working for Ben and are trying to confuse Kate even more. My personal take on this situation as of now (because we all know next week could reveal something totally different) is that Jack and Juliet are planning against Ben and are waiting for the right time to share with everyone. But after watching the previews for next week when Sawyer plays his little tape of Juliet, I think Jack will be no longer be seen as trustworthy…thus beginning the division of the survivors… Too little, too late, Doc…

6) Naomi — She certainly didn’t have too much to say this episode…but what she did say was very important. So, according to Naomi, the entire plane was found with ALL the bodies accounted for. The outside world thinks everyone on board is dead. At this point, I’m with the group that believes there was a staged plane wreck…by Hanso and/or Widmore…The Hanso Foundation and the Oceanic Airlines websites have led us to believe that the Hanso Foundation was in charge of the search and rescue team for Flight 815. Naomi said that the search team sent small robotic cameras to investigate the wreckage…no DNA tests, no recovering of the bodies, just footage…which would be enough for most people to believe that everyone is dead. I mean, who’s gonna watch the news and say, “Oh! Oh! I bet those are NOT the real bodies! Someone is pulling our leg!” Right…no one…

An interesting thing to note though is that the supposed Flight 815 was discovered of the coast of Bali…which is nowhere near the place the plane really crashed…right? However, if Hanso was in charge of the rescue, I do not find it hard to believe that they skewed the facts and maybe said the plane was in the air a lot longer than it really was and this is where it ended up…

Another theory that has surfaced, with regards to Naomi, is that she is actually there to kill Desmond. She was sent by Charles Widmore who, after learning that Desmond was still alive of the Island, sent someone to finish him for good. Who conducts a search and rescue mission in the middle of the night? She was meant to come to the Island…in secrecy… I think this could play in well to the Naomi-is-there-to-kill-Des theory. I like to hold on to the hope that Penny sent her…but I do trust Sayid’s intuition (which has been dead-on thus far) and he seemed a little skeptical about the whole situation…

7) My crazy input — A couple things I have come across that have not yet shown any validity, but can be supported (or debunked)…
a) Dharma, the Others, the Natives — I am trying to formulate a theory that goes back in time further than anything we have seen. Next season I believe we will have insight into the history of the Island that predates Rousseau and/or Dharma. I have noticed a trend in the story arcs that goes like this… Each season focuses on one major story arc and then briefly introduces what the next season will feature. For example — Season 1 focused on the survival of the LOSTies with the Hatch introduced at the end. Season 2 was all about the hatch with the introduction of the Others at the end. Season 3 focuses on the Others with possibly a little history introduced at the end…Ben’s flashback is next week and I believe we will see how he (and his family?) was involved with the Island. So I HOPE that Season 4 will focus on the four-toed statue, the sacrificial pillar Coop was tied to, and maybe even a little Rousseau backstory…
b) The Island not as we see it — A looooong time ago, during the first season I think, there was a theory about the Island being mobie… Quickly I dismissed the theory, laughing at how obsessed with the show these board-posters were. *sigh* Well, yes I have become one of them…and this theory is making more and more sense to me. Is it that hard to believe that one of the reasons the Island was never found was that is keeps moving? What is the cable that runs into the ocean? Is it possible that it’s an anchor? Or some sort of vessel that can move the Island to a safer place? Of course, it would had to have stayed in the same spot since the electromagnetic anomaly in order for Naomi to find it so…who knows? Maybe they would move the Island after they were exposed by the turning of the failsafe key? Or maybe they would stay put since the lost communications? Am I way over the top here??

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Well, unfortunately that’s all the time I have this week. Certainly the “clouds” are starting to clear for us so that we may begin to see a little more of what is happening on our Island. With all that has happened in the past couple of weeks, I have high expectations for the end of this season…and a strong feeling that they will not let us down…

So...

Until next time…

Namaste.

SFO