Lost

[Brenden]

I loved the episode. Sawyer has always been one of my favorite characters, and this was an interesting twist. Here he's being liked by most of the castaways now and getting more respect, and then he goes and does that.  Very interesting.

[murlough23]

I loved the episode. Sawyer has always been one of my favorite characters, and this was an interesting twist. Here he's being liked by most of the castaways now and getting more respect, and then he goes and does that.  Very interesting.

He realized, as Hurley verbalized for him a few episodes back, that everyone loved him now. He couldn't have that, now could he?

[Brenden]

He realized, as Hurley verbalized for him a few episodes back, that everyone loved him now. He couldn't have that, now could he?

I suppose he couldn't stand the idea.

[dgp11776]

I agree, Brenden.  Any episode that focuses on Sawyer is okay by me.  But, man, what a loser walking on that woman with $600K!  I did love his line (although cheesy), "There's a new sheriff in town."  

I'm really looking forward to next week's episode, though.  I hope Sayid rips that guys toenails off and shoves them under his eyelids.

[RedcoatJones]

I think what I liked about this episode was the way their society is fragmenting. Looking at season 1 compared to season 2, you can see the progression. Season 1: what happened? How are we going to survive? Let's start putting together a society for structure and safety.

Season 2 has introduced new people, it has shown how the trust they thought they had with each other may not be as strong (or even warranted ... some of these folks don't deserve trust). Society is splintering, and in the absence of a single leader (or leading group), the group is ripe for the taking.

Really lends some credence to the theory that they are there as a sociological experiment.

[murlough23]

I think what I liked about this episode was the way their society is fragmenting. Looking at season 1 compared to season 2, you can see the progression. Season 1: what happened? How are we going to survive? Let's start putting together a society for structure and safety.

Season 2 has introduced new people, it has shown how the trust they thought they had with each other may not be as strong (or even warranted ... some of these folks don't deserve trust). Society is splintering, and in the absence of a single leader (or leading group), the group is ripe for the taking.

Really lends some credence to the theory that they are there as a sociological experiment.

Yeah, I like the fractured society better than everyone getting along. That was what made the beginning of Season 1 so vital, when they were just figuring out basic survival stuff. They were getting too comfortable there for a while, and that's why the dynamic felt less intense this year. If Sawyer's a good guy, Jin's a good guy, Michael's not trying to beat anyone up other than the offscreen Others who took WAAAAAAAALLLLLLLT!, Jack and Locke are cooperating, Shannon's not around to bitch at anyone in her wake, and Charlie's just being cute and sharing peanut butter with Claire, it's not as interesting. (I'll keep Jin as a good guy, though... but I won't find it believable if he and Sun never have conflicts as they learn to adjust to this paradigm shift in their marriage.)

It's Lord of the Flies time!

[AldaForPresident]

Murlough, when I first saw your signature quote, I thought "When did Locke say that?!" Then I remembered he shares a name with a philosopher.

Lost has truly permeated my brain.

[Brenden]

There are rumors of another character death.

If they do it, let's hope it works better than Boone or Shannon's deaths.

[AldaForPresident]

There are rumors of another character death.

If they do it, let's hope it works better than Boone or Shannon's deaths.

Wow.

My wish list: Kate! Die Kate die. Wouldn't mind getting rid of Ana-Lucia or Charlie either.

It won't be Jack, Kate, Sawyer, or Locke, and I am one-hundred percent confident in that belief. Even though Claire and Michael would be ripe for the killing, I hope it's not either one of them.

[Brenden]

There are rumors of another character death.

If they do it, let's hope it works better than Boone or Shannon's deaths.

Wow.

My wish list: Kate! Die Kate die. Wouldn't mind getting rid of Ana-Lucia or Charlie either.

It won't be Jack, Kate, Sawyer, or Locke, and I am one-hundred percent confident in that belief. Even though Claire and Michael would be ripe for the killing, I hope it's not either one of them.

From what I hear, a male cast member wanted to leave the show.

But this is all rumor at this point, the only thing that's more concrete is a character death.

[dgp11776]

GAH!  Tivo cut off the last 3 minutes of the show!!!  So, all you happy people, what happened?  Anything big?

[Brenden]

GAH!  Tivo cut off the last 3 minutes of the show!!!  So, all you happy people, what happened?  Anything big?

Sayid told Charlie that he knew the guy was an Other because he felt no guilt over torturing him.

[murlough23]

GAH!  Tivo cut off the last 3 minutes of the show!!!  So, all you happy people, what happened?  Anything big?

Sucks that you missed that part, but had to sit through a boring-ass B-story about Hurley and Sawyer chasing a frog, eh? Most pointless thing this season since Michael's flashbacks.

Sayid sat with Charlie on the beach and, as mentioned, told him he knew the guy was an "Other" because he felt no guilt in touturing him. (Yeah, 'cause that's logical.) He then talked about how Jack, Locke, and everyone else didn't seem to remember Charlie getting strung up in a tree, Claire getting kidnapped, all of that stuff that was the fault of "The Others"... basically a variant of Ana-Lucia's "these people aren't scared enough" speech from last week. Then he kind of glared at Charlie and asked him if he still remembered... there was more than a slight implication there that Sayid knew what Charlie had been up to with the faux kidnapping and all. And then... thunk. LOST.

Next week promises to deal with Claire's lost memories, with Libby attempting to do a little therapy on her, and Claire gets to go on a BDH! (Big Dangerous Hike) with Kate and Danielle, to find another Dharma structure or something. Looks like a girl power episode, which is good, because this week's ep, I was wondering if this show actually had female characters other than Ana-Lucia.

[AldaForPresident]

I'm starting to feel the Sawyer hate I had for about the first eight episodes of the series return with a vengeance, and I don't like this feeling.

On the other hand, after a brief hiatus, my love for Jack is as strong as it ever was. ("Do you think I'm stupid?" was the line of the night, followed closely by "Shut up.")

I'm officially tired of Locke always getting his way, and of him in general, really. Him and that damn button. (If there was ever any doubt that Jack thinks the We.have.to.push.the.button! melodrama is ridiculous and pointless, there is none now.)

I love Sayid, but I was frustrated with this episode. Not with his flashbacks, but with his island bits. I realize it's only been a few days since Shannon died, but he only knew her a couple months. I've never bought the "love" between Shannon and Sayid and I still don't, even if Naveen Andrews was great in this episode. (As usual.)

All in all, I'm still not sure what to think about it overall. I'm going to try and watch it again sometime this weekend (or maybe even tonight). I really liked seeing Danielle again, though. Throughout the whole thing, I kept saying "Please, no Kate, no Kate, no Kate..." and it worked, so I can't hate on it too much.

So, is next week a re-run? I think it is. Thanks a lot, ABC.

[Brenden]

Actually, I'm getting sick of Jack. He always assumes the wrong thing at the wrong time. Why is he assuming the guy was telling the truth? Locke had the right idea.

And since we've been pretty much told he is one of the Others...

Apparently he'll be back for more episodes (I've heard the number 6 thrown around)

And it seems that according to one guy, those hyroglyphs on the countdown thing mean something like, "cause to die".

[AldaForPresident]

Actually, I'm getting sick of Jack. He always assumes the wrong thing at the wrong time. Why is he assuming the guy was telling the truth? Locke had the right idea.

I don't think Jack was necessarily saying that they should believe everything the guy said and let him go, but letting Sayid frickin' torture the guy was a tad over the top on Locke's part. It annoyed me when Locke changed the combination. I felt like he did it purely to one-up Jack and make Jack feel helpless as opposed to doing it to help Sayid get answers out of the guy or because he really believed that's what needed to be done. There's a fairly obvious power struggle going on, and Locke got his feelings hurt because Jack didn't tell him about the army (which is, for all we've seen and heard of it, nonexistent) and/or because Jack was going to get some guns last week (yesterday?) without asking him first.
And, oh yeah, he pushed the button.

And it seems that according to one guy, those hyroglyphs on the countdown thing mean something like, "cause to die".

I'm convinced that as long as Locke's around we're never going to find out what happens when the button isn't pushed. Blah.

[murlough23]

I'm starting to feel the Sawyer hate I had for about the first eight episodes of the series return with a vengeance, and I don't like this feeling.

At least we're supposed to hate Sawyer right now. Same thing with Charlie. That's very different from someone like Ana-Lucia, who the show apparently expects us to like.

On the other hand, after a brief hiatus, my love for Jack is as strong as it ever was. ("Do you think I'm stupid?" was the line of the night, followed closely by "Shut up.")

Yeah, this was a good episode for Jack. I liked seeing him on the verge of crazy, just because he was that pissed at Locke and Sayid. Also, his reaction to Locke's comment that "we're all Others" cracked me up. He just kind of rubbed his arm against his forehead, probably thinking, "Whatthef*ckever, John." it was very subtle, but that's kind of how I react when someone is really driving me nuts and I'm trying to restrain myself from strangling them.

Though that was actually a good point on Locke's part... maybe there are no "Others", just various groups of people who got to the island at different times, and have become more and more neurotic in their attempts to defend themselves from whoever else they run into.

I love Sayid, but I was frustrated with this episode. Not with his flashbacks, but with his island bits. I realize it's only been a few days since Shannon died, but he only knew her a couple months. I've never bought the "love" between Shannon and Sayid and I still don't, even if Naveen Andrews was great in this episode. (As usual.)

I still think some of that is his angst over Nadia getting revisited. He rebounded from Nadia, and then the same thing happened.

All in all, I'm still not sure what to think about it overall. I'm going to try and watch it again sometime this weekend (or maybe even tonight). I really liked seeing Danielle again, though. Throughout the whole thing, I kept saying "Please, no Kate, no Kate, no Kate..." and it worked, so I can't hate on it too much.

What, you missed the photgraph of teenage Kate in Sayid's flashback?

So, is next week a re-run? I think it is. Thanks a lot, ABC.

The Olypmics might have something to do with that. But the more reruns we get now, the more of a straight shot we get toward the end of the season. I can deal with it. It's not like we actually get fewer episodes.

I'm convinced that as long as Locke's around we're never going to find out what happens when the button isn't pushed. Blah.

As long as the last second of the season finale doesn't involve the damn counter going to 0 (it's already gone beyond that, so they'd have to do something a little more dramatic), I'm OK with it being dragged out. I wish they wouldn't ratchet up the drama about it (especially regarding who pushes it... seriously, someone just push the damn thing), but whatever. They drag out everything on Lost.
 

[AldaForPresident]

At least we're supposed to hate Sawyer right now. Same thing with Charlie. That's very different from someone like Ana-Lucia, who the show apparently expects us to like.

Oddly enough, I like Charlie better since he turned evil. He's all kinds of interesting that way. (As opposed to before, when he was all kinds of boring and every kind of annoying.)

Also, his reaction to Locke's comment that "we're all Others" cracked me up. He just kind of rubbed his arm against his forehead, probably thinking, "Whatthef*ckever, John." it was very subtle, but that's kind of how I react when someone is really driving me nuts and I'm trying to restrain myself from strangling them.

I noticed that! I remember saying something to my mom about how it reminded me of a situation at work eariler yesterday, and how this guy I work with was going on and on and on, and a couple of us had a similar reaction.

Though that was actually a good point on Locke's part... maybe there are no "Others", just various groups of people who got to the island at different times, and have become more and more neurotic in their attempts to defend themselves from whoever else they run into.

That makes perfect sense, but I hope it isn't where they're going, because it's so clinical and there's very little mystique invovled. My mom is completely tired of The Others as an island mystery. She keeps saying "We've seen them. There just people!" But they're still my personal favorite big island mystery.

What, you missed the photgraph of teenage Kate in Sayid's flashback?

No, I caught that, but Silent Kate I can handle! They love throwing Kate and Kate-related stuff into everyone else's flashbacks, don't they?

I wish they wouldn't ratchet up the drama about it (especially regarding who pushes it... seriously, someone just push the damn thing), but whatever.

Amen and amen. What is the deal with that? Jack didn't push it last night because I honestly don't think Jack gives a shit whether someone pushes it or not because he doesn't think anything's gonna happen if it isn't pushed, but Locke seems to regard it as his personal burden to bear. It's ridiculous. It's not like it takes a genius. (Locke messes up the numbers all the time, so maybe he's not most qualified anyway.)

I gotta watch this episode again sometime.

[murlough23]

Here's a list detailing the trend I'm noting where a lot of characters are getting entirely written out from several episodes, or don't have any lines. In a few cases, these make sense because a credited actors plays someone who is dead (Boone, Shannon), or missing due to reasons directly related to the plot (Claire, Walt, Michael), or has yet to be introduced (Ana-Lucia). But in most cases, they're just absent for no explicable reason. That's be fine here and there, but seeing so many of my favorite characters missing from so many episodes is starting to bug me.

Not appearing:

House of the Rising Sun: Boone, Shannon, Claire
The Moth: Claire
Confidence Man: Walt
Solitary: Jin, Claire
Raised by Another: Walt
All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues: Claire, Sun, Jin
Whatever the Case May Be: Claire, Jin
Hearts and Minds: Claire
Special: Jin
Outlaws: Boone, Shannon
Numbers: Boone
Deus Ex Machina: Shannon, Walt, Charlie, Claire
Do No Harm: Locke
Born to Run: Boone
Man of Science, Man of Faith: Ana-Lucia, Sawyer, Michael, Jin
Adrift: Shannon, Sayid, Sun
Orientation: Shannon
...And Found: Sayid, Shannon, Charlie
Abandoned: Kate, Sun
The Other 48 Days: Jack, Kate, Claire, Locke, Sun, Hurley, Charlie
Collision: Claire
The 23rd Psalm: Sayid
The Hunting Party: Eko, Libby
Fire + Water: Michael
The Long Con: Michael
One of Them: Claire, Libby, Michael, Sun, Eko

Appearing, but no lines:

Solitary: Sun
Whatever the Case May Be: Walt
Special: Claire
Outlaws: Sun, Jin
Deus Ex Machina: Sayid
Do No Harm: Walt
The Greater Good: Boone
Born to Run: Shannon
Exodus, Pt. 2: Boone
Adrift: Ana-Lucia
Everybody Hates Hugo: Shannon
Abandoned: Jack
The Other 48 Days: Sawyer, Sayid
Collision: Shannon
What Kate Did: Claire, Libby
The 23rd Psalm: Sun, Ana-Lucia, Libby
Fire + Water: Jin
The Long Con: Eko, Libby
One of Them: Kate

[AldaForPresident]

The Other 48 Days: Sawyer

Didn't they show a clip of him yelling for Jin? If not, where have I seen that? I know I haven't seen the original episode, so maybe it was a "previously on Lost" bit. (Okay, never mind. I figured it out. Must've been during that stupid "Lost: Revelations" clip show.)

I get annoyed with how many episodes in both seasons leave out Claire. I don't know, it just seems like she's absent a lot. (And if I were Emilie de Ravin, I'd be pissed that it took them so long to give Claire her second flashback.)

Definitely an interesting and helpful list. While I was reading it I kept thinking Locke has appeared and had lines in all of the episodes except for "The Other 48 Days," but I had forgotten about "Do No Harm". (For some reason I was thinking that was the one that ended with him crying at the hatch, but nope. I believe it ended with Jack and Kate's "Where are you going?" "To find John Locke." moment. I love Matthew Fox.)

Funny how Hurley's had lines in every episode except for "48 Days."

[AldaForPresident]

In the grand tradition of Lost lists...the ten Lost character actions that annoyed me the most, and continue to:

1. Kate following Jack, Locke, & Sawyer when they were tracking Michael. Kate...you're so, so stupid. (The Hunting Party)
2. Kate and that damn toy airplane! (Whatever the Case May Be)
3. Shannon to Boone, about the marshal: "I wish he would just die already." (Tabula Rasa)
4. Sayid accusing Jack of sending Hurley to "do his own dirty work." That's so Jack, Sayid. Great observation. (Numbers)
5. Michael: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!" (Exodus Part II, ...And Found, etc. etc. etc.)
6. Shannon telling the airport security guard that Sayid left his bags in the terminal. (Exodus Part I)
7. Jack and Kate kissing, and Kate then looking at him like he killed her dog and running off into the jungle. (What Kate Did)
8. Ana-Lucia to Jin: "Does it look like I speak Korean?" Does it look like he speaks English, dumbass? Shut up. (...And Found)
9. Locke to Jack & Sayid: "Maybe we're all Others." Locke, you're a crackpot. (One of Them)
10. Walt, to his mom and Brian, over and over and over: "You're not looking!" Shut UP, Walt. (Special)

My real number one would be Sarah cheating on Jack. But she's not a regular character so I didn't count it. But it still makes me angry.

[RedcoatJones]

More in the tradition of Lost lists:

Lost on Lost (Atlanta Journal Constitution) (free registration required). Many lists having to do with Lost, published yesterday. Some of the most interesting (to me):

Significant names
1. John Locke. Named for the 17th-century English philosopher who wrote about the state of nature and the need for civilization to administer laws through a social contract, paralleling in some ways the character.
2. Rousseau. A crazy Frenchwoman on "Lost" and a famous French philosopher in history. Rousseau, like Locke, wrote about the need for a social contract to overcome the brutality of our natural impulses.
3. Jack Shephard. The doctor looks after the Lostaways as if they were his flock of sheep; the name has a benevolent symbolism (although Jack's need to save everyone is portrayed as a compulsion). His father was named Christian Shephard (Christ as shepherd), yet Christian (the dad) was a pretty nasty guy.
4. Aaron. Claire's baby, possibly named for Moses' brother. In the Old Testament, Aaron was instrumental in leading the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt.
5. Mr. Eko. Possibly a homage to author Umberto Eco. Eco's 1995 novel, "The Island of the Day Before," is not much like "Lost" but does involve a shipwreck, survival issues, a character with a mysterious brother (like Mr. Eko) and confusion over what is real.

Those weird whispers
Transcriptions are supplied by fans who record the jungle whispers, analyze them and post them on the Net. Believe 'em or don't.
1. Before Ana Lucia shoots Shannon: "Shannon, she likes the guy, she likes the guy. Shannon, your life and time is up. Help me. Meet me on the other side. Her song. ... I don't think you should tell her when she comes ... Who's the guy? Fire Lucia. The brothers that help us. Are you done with it? Her song."
2. When Ana Lucia and Mr. Eko are in the jungle: "Who's this in the woods? Sawyer, Ana. I'm in someone's dream. Ich weiss nicht (German for "I don't know"). She's heavy. Black rock. Bring the boy."

The 'Lost' Library: Extracurricular reading
1. "The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien, an obscure Irish surrealist, shown briefly in Desmond's belongings in the hatch. The book is very strange with possible but tenuous connections to "Lost." Plus, the hero turns out to be dead, adding fuel for the (discredited?) theory they're all dead.
2. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. A short story in which reality is really a fantasy of a man who is dying. Major clue, said some when it popped up. Nah, the writers are messing with us, said others.
3. The Bible. Mr. Eko found one on the island that turned out to contain a piece of film; in a later episode, he recites the 23rd Psalm.
4. "A Wrinkle in Time," the classic children's sci-fi novel by Madeleine L'Engle, and "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. Sawyer was seen reading both; significance unclear.
5. "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad and "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding have been referred to in dialogue.
6. Fans think a number of books have partly inspired "Lost," including "The Stand" by Stephen King, "The Island of the Day Before" by Umberto Eco and "Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne.

The big picture: Theories
1. Purgatory/afterlife. They all died, and this is some form of afterlife. The producers have said this is not the case.
2. The Experiment. It's a social psychology experiment being run by the Dharma Initiative that went wrong, or something like that.
3. It's the End of the World as We Know It. Maybe the entire outside world was destroyed, and these people were brought here to start anew. By God? A cabal of scientists? Unknown forces?
4. Electromagnetism mumbo jumbo. Some science-minded fans think electromagnetism is the key to a lot. There's something to this, but a lot of the Internet discussions will make your head hurt.
5. Time/space/dimension jump. The flight may have started in Australia in 2005, but there's been nothing to indicate events on the island are happening in our world, in the present time. "Lost" is a sealed, self-referential world.
6. It's all the dream of one character. No way. If this turns out to be the case, the outcry will be deafening.  

[murlough23]

Didn't they show a clip of him yelling for Jin? If not, where have I seen that? I know I haven't seen the original episode, so maybe it was a "previously on Lost" bit. (Okay, never mind. I figured it out. Must've been during that stupid "Lost: Revelations" clip show.)

It was during Adrift. Sawyer criticized Michael for constantly yelling "Walt!" long before the rest of us got annoyed with it. Then Sawyer started yelling for Jin. Gotta love it.

I get annoyed with how many episodes in both seasons leave out Claire. I don't know, it just seems like she's absent a lot. (And if I were Emilie de Ravin, I'd be pissed that it took them so long to give Claire her second flashback.)

She might not have been considered a "regular" at first, so that may explain her absence in early episodes. Then, of course, she was kidnapped, which lasted four episodes. Ever since then, it's not like I've needed to see her in every episode. But it does feel like she's had very little to do other than look after Aaron and whine at Charlie. Having her and Eko form a connection was interesting. I'm looking forward to her therapy scene with Libby in next week's ep, as well as her BDH with Kate and Danielle.

Funny how Hurley's had lines in every episode except for "48 Days."

Yeah, they always work him in there, even if it's just one line. I don't think he said or did anything in ...In Translation, other than commenting "Didn't see that one coming."

5. Mr. Eko. Possibly a homage to author Umberto Eco. Eco's 1995 novel, "The Island of the Day Before," is not much like "Lost" but does involve a shipwreck, survival issues, a character with a mysterious brother (like Mr. Eko) and confusion over what is real.

Eko's name more than likely has to do with the fact that "Eko" is another name for Nigeria (or its cpaital, Lagos. I forget which.)

6. Fans think a number of books have partly inspired "Lost," including "The Stand" by Stephen King, "The Island of the Day Before" by Umberto Eco and "Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne.

What, no Lord of the Flies?

I will now construct my own list of 50 Lost moments/plot threads that annoyed and/or pissed me off the most:

1. Ana Lucia shooting Shannon (Abandoned, The Other 48 Days)
2. All that brouhaha over opening the hatch, and it has a FRONT DOOR? WTF??!?! (Orientation)
3. Everybody conveniently forgetting about The Others after Shannon is shot so that Ana-Lucia and Sayid can have a nice long chat (Collision)
4. Locke insisting Jack has to push the button while everyone else stares at them and the computer helplessly (Orientation)
5. The waste of time that was Michael's second flashback (Adrift)
6. Everybody apparently not feeling threatened at all by Ana-Lucia's presence in camp after she shot Shannon (What Kate Did and onward)
7. Jack, to Desmond: "I MARRIED HER!!! WAH!" God, what a crybaby. (Orientation)
8. Sun losing her ring and then looking FREAKING EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE ISLAND instead of the most obvious place (...And Found)
9. Ana-Lucia bossing Sawyer around and purposefully stepping on his gunshot wound (Everybody Hates Hugo)
10. Sawyer spending an entire damn episode hunting a tree frog, and then killing it (One of Them)
11. Sawyer spending an entire damn episode chasing a boar, and then not killing it (Outlaws)
12. Claire, to Charlie, a complete stranger who just SHOT SOMEONE IN COLD BLOOD: "I want to trust you." (Homecoming)
13. Claire staring listlessly at the fire with her back to Aaron, so that Charlie can conveniently kidnap him (Fire + Water)
14. Charlie shooting Ethan (Homecoming)
15. Hey, let's blow open the hatch to get away from the Others, and then forget all about them for half a season! (Exodus, Pt. 1 through The 23rd Psalm)
16. Jack accusing Locke of murdering Boone (this would've been cool if it turned to an all-out war between two factions of the castaways, but it really just turned into a lot of bitching and bickering between the two of them) (Do No Harm, The Greater Good)
17 Kate robbing a bank for a FREAKING TOY PLANE (Whatever the CaseMay Be)
18. Locke not telling anyone what the "monster" looks like (Walkabout)
19. Two words: Lucy Heatherton (Homecoming)
20. The predictable "hatch reveal" at the end of Season 1 that didn't really show us anything (Exodus, Pt. 2)
21. Charlie just randomly finding Liam's heroin and deciding to start using (having him as a drug addict is a fine plot device, but this was a totally anticlimactic way to show how it started.) (The Moth)
22. Charlie's rant to Hurley about not believing he's a millionaire, Aaron's diaper being full of lollipops, sprouting wings and leaving the island, etc. (Everybody Hates Hugo)
23. Locke's dumbass excuse about just wanting to give Walt a pen to give to Michael (Special)
24. Locke's dumbass excuse for why he clubbed Sayid over the head (The Greater Good)
25. Kate following Jack, Locke, and Sawyer, despite being told not to by Jack (The Hunting Party)
26. Shannon running blindly into the jungle after Walt (Abandoned)
27-47. Michael screaming "WAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLT!!!!!" repeatedly (Adrift through ...And Found)
48. Jack and Sarah playing "Heart and Soul" on the piano (Do No Harm)
49. Jack trying comfort Sun regarding his lost ring and totally failing (...And Found)
50. Kate's stepfather: "Because you have murder in your heart". (What Kate Did)

I wasn't annoyed by Locke's comment that "Maybe we're all Others" or whatever he said, because I'm starting to suspect that this is actually true, and it's so Locke to come up with something relativistic that challenges everyone else's ideals of good vs. evil.

[AldaForPresident]

7. Jack, to Desmond: "I MARRIED HER!!! WAH!" God, what a crybaby. (Orientation)

I haven't seen that episode, but poor Jack! I feel bad for him when I think about that stupid woman he married.

10. Sawyer spending an entire damn episode hunting a tree frog, and then killing it (One of Them)
11. Sawyer spending an entire damn episode chasing a boar, and then not killing it (Outlaws)

  (But I sort of liked that he didn't kill the boar. I hated that he killed the frog. That's odd, since I don't like animals anyway.)

15. Hey, let's blow open the hatch to get away from the Others, and then forget all about them for half a season! (Exodus, Pt. 1 through The 23rd Psalm)

Or, the whole idea of BLOWING UP the hatch with DYNAMITE so The Others wouldn't find them. No, they'll never hear/see this!

19. Two words: Lucy Heatherton (Homecoming)

Did she just annoy you or what? I thought Charlie's second flashback was pointless and kind of boring, but it didn't make me angry as much as it put me to sleep.

22. Charlie's rant to Hurley about not believing he's a millionaire, Aaron's diaper being full of lollipops, sprouting wings and leaving the island, etc. (Everybody Hates Hugo)

Charlie not believing Hurley in general is annoying. Why would he lie?

48. Jack and Sarah playing "Heart and Soul" on the piano (Do No Harm)

Why did this annoy you? Of course, any scene featuring Sarah is bound to be annoying, but this one in particular didn't piss me off. (Discounting all her scenes in "The Hunting Party," my least favorite Sarah moment is definitely her "I think this microphone's been drinking" "joke" in "Do No Harm". Shut the hell up, Sarah.)

49. Jack trying comfort Sun regarding his lost ring and totally failing (...And Found)

That just cracked me up, because of the absurdity of his little speech. Way to make her feel better, Jack. "...And Found" was so pointless.

[murlough23]

I haven't seen that episode, but poor Jack! I feel bad for him when I think about that stupid woman he married.

Did the recap episode show why it was important that Jack told Desmond about Sarah?

(But I sort of liked that he didn't kill the boar. I hated that he killed the frog. That's odd, since I don't like animals anyway.)

The boar would have at least been a food source - something that the castaways could have used, given Locke and Boone's preoccupation with the hatch that kept them from hunting.

Actually, someone on TWoP joked that it would have been awesome if, at the end of that scene where Sawyer decided not to shoot the boar, Locke showed up, said something like, "Good job James, I think you've learned a lot today", and then slit the boar's throat.  

Or, the whole idea of BLOWING UP the hatch with DYNAMITE so The Others wouldn't find them. No, they'll never hear/see this!

Yeah, the more I look back at that, the more I realized that "The Others!" are coming was just a plot contrivance to get the hatch open. (Though the misdirection leading us to not expect the Walt kidnapping was pretty awesome.)

Did she just annoy you or what? I thought Charlie's second flashback was pointless and kind of boring, but it didn't make me angry as much as it put me to sleep.

I found Lucy to be shrill and not at all interesting. I think that was the idea, that Charlie only really liked her due to what her father had lying around to steal. But yeah, dumb backstory. Probably the least interesting FB so far, other than Michael's second set.

Charlie not believing Hurley in general is annoying. Why would he lie?

It was hilarious the first time, in Numbers. Of course people wouldn't believe him. That's just his luck. Go figure.

But when the joke got dragged out into a silly Charlie monologue, it became no longer funny.

Why did this annoy you? Of course, any scene featuring Sarah is bound to be annoying, but this one in particular didn't piss me off.

Because, it's friggin' HEART AND SOUL. That's the song that, when you go to summer camp with a bunch of kids and they discover a piano, it's only a matter of time before someone gets on there and attempts to show off by playing THAT DAMN SONG.

Anyway, I like Julie Bowen a lot more on Boston Legal. Sarah is just kind of... meh. Too standoffish to make me believe she was ever all that much in love with Jack. Jack fell for a patient because he didn't know when to quit rescuing her. WE GET IT, Lost.

That just cracked me up, because of the absurdity of his little speech. Way to make her feel better, Jack. "...And Found" was so pointless.

Yeah, I kind of laughed at that scene, actually. It was actually good writing, totally in character for Jack, due to his bad bedside manner. I should probably take that one off my list.

NP: "Heal Over", KT Tunstall

[AldaForPresident]

Did the recap episode show why it was important that Jack told Desmond about Sarah?

Well....no. Not that I remember. All it showed, basically, was Desmond's bit about how he came to be on the island and why he's been pushing the button. I wouldn't know that Jack had met Desmond in the real world at all if it weren't for my friend who told me. She didn't say anything about that being related to Sarah, though. I don't even know if Sarah was featured in "Man of Science, Man of Faith". Dangit, where's the season two DVD?

Anyway, I like Julie Bowen a lot more on Boston Legal. Sarah is just kind of... meh. Too standoffish to make me believe she was ever all that much in love with Jack. Jack fell for a patient because he didn't know when to quit rescuing her. WE GET IT, Lost.

Well, I don't like how there's no consistency when it comes to the women Jack's attracted to, either in their physical features or personalities. Sarah annoyed me from the first scene she was in; there was something positively Stepford about her. I didn't like her stupid speech or her stupid wedding vows, and I really didn't like how it looked like she thought Jack was going to leave her at the altar. (I wish he had, but gah. She obviously didn't know Jack very well.) Then in "The Hunting Party" she was a complete and total bitch, even before she revealed she was having an affair. I just hate her, and I always have. At first I just thought it was because Julie Bowen has always annoyed me on some level - she did on Ed, too, the handful of times I watched it - but I hate Kate and Ana-Lucia, too, so maybe it's just that I think no one's good enough for Jack.

[dgp11776]

*mourns* Tonight is a repeat.  And it isn't even the one episode I have not seen, Season 2 episode 11.

[murlough23]

*mourns* Tonight is a repeat.  And it isn't even the one episode I have not seen, Season 2 episode 11.

I would expect Season 2 repeats to be sporadic at best until summer.

[AldaForPresident]

Matthew Fox is gonna be on The Daily Show tonight. I'm excited. (Knowing Jon, they probably won't talk about the show all the much, but I love it when a couple of my favorite things in the world intersect.  =D)

[AldaForPresident]

Last weekend I watched a bunch of season one episodes for the third or fourth time, and oddly enough, with all of the mysteries that have yet to be solved on the show, the ones that bug me the most are:

A) Claire having dreams about the Black Rock before she was taken by Ethan, before anyone but Danielle knew what it was, before any of the survivors knew about it but Sayid, and after all that, it seems that The Others have nothing to do with the Black Rock anyway. (The Black Rock was, for me, a big let-down in terms of what it actually turned out to be. Maybe the biggest let-down on the show so far.)

B) In one episode - I'm thinking "Hearts and Minds" - Locke gave Sayid a compass that Sayid discovered was off in some way. Sayid discussed it with Jack, who seemed largely indifferent until Sayid told him Locke gave him the compass. This hasn't been mentioned again. Did Locke know the compass was defective, or was it just another attempt to point out how screwy the island is? And if Locke did know, why did he give to Sayid? If it was an effort to keep Sayid from figuring out the maps, it would be pretty stupid on Locke's part because Sayid's one of the smartest guys on the island and was sure to notice the compass was wrong. It's not really clear from the conversation Jack and Sayid have whether or not they think Locke knew it was messed up or not. I need to watch it again.

C) What's the deal with the whispers? I honestly had never really considered them to be anything other than mind tricks by The Others, but how exactly could something like that be orchestrated? I Googled them to see if anyone had been able to figure out exactly what was being said, and I found some transcripts. (Not sure if anyone else here has seen those yet; probably you all have.) I'm not altogether sure The Others have anything to do with the whispering. None of it makes sense.

D) I know we've discussed it before, but what happened to Christian's body and why doesn't Jack look for it? It wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that Jack found the empty coffin. (I know it could've been Sayid's friend's coffin, but as far as we know Jack doesn't know about that, and still, it's an empty coffin!) I guess it's another example of Jack looking at the clinical explanation - he was suffering from insomnia and post-traumatic stress - instead of the possibility that something supernatural is going on.

On another note, re-re-re-watching "Walkabout" and "White Rabbit," it amazed me at how receptive Jack is to Locke's suggestions, and not just the ones regarding survival and the well-being of the group, but even the ones that were directed to Jack personally. (People need a leader, stay out here and find what you're looking for, you're not crazy, etc.) What do you all consider to be the turning point in Jack and Locke's relationship that got them to the place they are now? Was it Boone's death - or rather, Locke's lie about how Boone died? Was it as late as "Exodus II" when Locke gave Jack the destiny speech? Or was it more subtle than that?

And one other thing: Claire's impending "Big Dangerous Hike" made me think about the other characters and all of their hikes. As of right now, I think Sun and Claire are the only ones who haven't been on one.  

[murlough23]

I think the whispers have something to do with a network of underground tunnels that "The Others" use to control the "security system". (Maybe they have trap doors on the surface or something?) Talking or even whispering down there would probably echo a lot (though the audible ranges of various things seem kind of fuzzy when Sawyer can hear a TREE FROG 3/4 of a mile into the frickin' jungle from the BEACH.

I'd like to see Sun on a BDH. Hell, I'd like to see Sun do pretty much anything. (Except looking for a lost wedding ring.) Where do I sign up?

[AldaForPresident]

Are we assuming The Others control the security system? Because I've always thought of them as separate. Until "The Hunting Party" I always thought of The Others and the hatch(es) as being unconnected.

I found another annoying moment last night when I watched "Born to Run" again; Jack says to Sun, regarding Jin's going on the raft, "He's going. If I were you, I'd say goodbye." Right, Mr. I've-Never-Been-Good-at-Letting-Go. Tell that to almost-amputee Boone.

[murlough23]

Are we assuming The Others control the security system? Because I've always thought of them as separate. Until "The Hunting Party" I always thought of The Others and the hatch(es) as being unconnected.

Well, the thing about conjecture is that it almost always involves assumptions.

I'm actually thinking that there might be multiple groups of "Others" who arrived on the island at different times (because there sure are a hell of a lot of people on this supposedly deserted island!) Some of them were involved in the Dharma project (like Desmond and Kelvin); some were not (like Danielle). I think Locke was on to something when he hinted that "The Others" might not be a single entity with malicious intentions, but rather, everyone who arrives on the island kind of becomes an "Other" at some point due to survival instinct and paranoia.

Some folks have insisted that "Zeke" is the same person as Gerald DeGroot, who has a rather thick beard in the Orientation video.

I found another annoying moment last night when I watched "Born to Run" again; Jack says to Sun, regarding Jin's going on the raft, "He's going. If I were you, I'd say goodbye." Right, Mr. I've-Never-Been-Good-at-Letting-Go. Tell that to almost-amputee Boone.

Hey, whatever gives Jack the chance to be self-righteous and make someone else feel guilty for doing something bad.

But I love that episode.

[AldaForPresident]

I'm with you on there being more than one group of Others, even when it comes to Ethan/Goodwin. I really don't think the two were connected.

Some folks have insisted that "Zeke" is the same person as Gerald DeGroot, who has a rather thick beard in the Orientation video.

I haven't seen that episode. Is the DeGroot guy one of the Dharma founders?

Hey, whatever gives Jack the chance to be self-righteous and make someone else feel guilty for doing something bad.

That comment was so out-of-step with everything else Jack said to Sun that I was surprised I hadn't picked up on it before. Jack doesn't usually annoy or frustrate me, but he did right then.

But I love that episode.

Me too. It's easily my favorite Kate episode. (Her flashbacks aren't great, but the rest of the episode is awesome.) I love Walt telling Locke not to "open that thing." If only he hadn't.

[murlough23]

I'm with you on there being more than one group of Others, even when it comes to Ethan/Goodwin. I really don't think the two were connected.

Yes, exactly. "Zeke" seemed to be genuinely surprised by Jack's accusation that Ethan was one of them.

I haven't seen that episode. Is the DeGroot guy one of the Dharma founders?

They reshowed the Orientation film in What Kate Did, though they may have shown Locke's and Eko's faces for part of the time, so maybe the full video wasn't seen.

Here's a picture of Gerald DeGroot. He and his wife Karen were among Dharma's founders, or something like that.

http://www.lost-media.com/modules.php?name...bum=737&pos=206

That comment was so out-of-step with everything else Jack said to Sun that I was surprised I hadn't picked up on it before. Jack doesn't usually annoy or frustrate me, but he did right then.

It actually seemed fairly consistent to me. He had just told her that the jig was up and he knew she was trying to keep Jin off the raft. So he suggested that she make her peace and say her goodbyes. Hate it if you must, but without that, we might have not had the glorious reconciliation scene between Jin and Sun in Exodus, Pt. 1.

[AldaForPresident]

Yes, exactly. "Zeke" seemed to be genuinely surprised by Jack's accusation that Ethan was one of them.

That's what made me more assured of the separate Others theory. Also, Goodwin and Ethan took such different approaches in their infiltrations of the different camps. Sure, Ethan hunted and hung with Locke, but he seemed fairly reserved, even a bit antisocial. Goodwin took a sort of leadership role, and was pretty charismatic.

They reshowed the Orientation film in What Kate Did, though they may have shown Locke's and Eko's faces for part of the time, so maybe the full video wasn't seen.

I don't remember that picture from anywhere, so that must've been what they did. Thanks for the fill-in.

It actually seemed fairly consistent to me. He had just told her that the jig was up and he knew she was trying to keep Jin off the raft. So he suggested that she make her peace and say her goodbyes. Hate it if you must, but without that, we might have not had the glorious reconciliation scene between Jin and Sun in Exodus, Pt. 1.

I didn't really hate it as much as it amused me. It was so absurd, considering who it was coming from. (Another thing that bugs me about that conversation is Jack telling Sun he doesn't see any reason why anyone needs to know she was the one responsible. Maybe the whole camp doeesn't need to know, but shouldn't he have let Michael know that no one wanted or intended to kill or harm him? At the time everyone thought either Kate or Sawyer was responsible, so I thought it was unfair to them for Jack and Sun to show no interest in clearing either one. Of course, Kate was partially responsible, but Jack didn't know that.)

I wondered last night if Kate "suggested" poisoning Jin to Sun not just as a means to get on the raft, but also so she might have something on Sun if Sun decided to expose her as the fugitive to the others. Of course, Sawyer took care of that, but that was after Sun did Kate's dirty work.

[AldaForPresident]

(SPOILERS!!!)

I LOVED this episode. It's my favorite of season two so far, easily. Oh, how I loved it.

First of all, what was up with the Eko/Henry Gale moment? It completely baffled me. I feel stupid asking, but I have to know if anyone else got it.

Sun's "A mother shouldn't leave her child!": Is is just me, or did that seem like it had nothing to do with Claire at all?

I'm more convinced than ever that Libby's not a real shrink. Her psychobabble was so predictable and general.

Here's a switch - I loved Kate for the entire episode and Claire annoyed me until the last fifteen minues or so (not in her flashbacks, but in real-time). The only thing Kate did to bug me was always letting Claire walk ahead of her, when Kate had a gun. But I was reminded that I really don't mind Kate at all when she's not around her boys. (Well, okay, Jack.) Helping Claire the way she did - it was something she did for Claire, and she did it selflessly. She didn't make it about her at all. She even asked Sawyer for a gun, which you know hurt her pride because she's upset with him. I was also reminded that Kate's often been one of the first people to jump in and be there for Claire when she needs it. Which makes sense - Kate delivered Aaron, and it's a nice bit of continuity that she would feel some responsibility for him and Claire. It was strange to like and respect Kate for a whole hour, and to be slightly perturbed with Claire for her whining and bitching at Danielle and Sun for forty-five minutes.

For someone who said he wanted kids and to be a good father, Jack didn't really seem to give much of a crap about Aaron. I don't really know if there's anything he could've done, but he wasn't much of a comfort or help to Claire. Once again, it's an extremely weird feeling to think of Kate as more noble and helpful than Jack, even. But instead of writing off Claire's concern or spouting a clinical explanation at her, Kate actually helped Claire with what she wanted help with, even if Kate herself thought it was crazy. Man, I'm just full of praise for Kate tonight!

The actor who plays Ethan has a lot of range. I fully expected to be as creeped out by him as ever, but instead I completely saw why Claire trusted him, even when she wasn't doped up.

Three moments were extremely touching to me - Claire realizing Danielle had helped her get away from The Others, Claire telling Danielle about Alex and that she was good, and Claire talking to Aaron at the end of the episode. Emilie de Ravin is such a good actress.

The preview made me literally throw things at the TV because next week's a re-run too. Locke with the "my hatch" bit - I can't believe how easily antagonized he is. He's started to piss me off, but it's good TV. But even more importantly, Sun asking Sawyer for a pregnancy test?! The weird thing is I'm more excited about interaction between Sun and Sawyer (and how Sawyer will react) than the scenario of Sun being pregnant.

I hope the writers know the rest of this season had better be friggin' awesome, because they just stepped it up, big time. See, they can give us answers and keep us on the edge of our seat at the same time.

(I guess the theory about there being two separate groups of Others is dead, isn't it?)

[murlough23]

That was an awesome episode! Best so far this season. Claire was a tad bit abrasive, but she's a desperate mom, I can excuse that. As long as she isn't like that every time we see her, like Michael is with Walt.

I didn't get Eko vs. Henry Gale either. Eko has some weird-ass ways of clearing his conscience. I was just happy to see Eko again, quite frankly. And Libby too, for the short time she appeared.

Not present this episode: Ana-Lucia (yay!), Sayid (why is he not at all involved with the prisoner?), Charlie (yay!), Jin (boo), and of course, Michael.

I totally thought that Sun's awkwardness about watching the baby was due to past baby issues - either having a miscarriage, getting pregnant before marrying Jin and aborting the baby, having the baby and it not survivng, or something like that. I'd been suspecting that for a while, actually, and I was overjoyed to see my suspicions confirmed. But I never would've suspected in a million years that she'd get pregnant on the island (and duh, the only married lady present who is still young enough to have a child, and who engaged in excited reunion sex not long ago when her husband returned), so this is suddenly very interesting. My guess is that they had infertility issues, and because of that, they didn't think it was a big deal to have unprotected sex on the island.

So, that older guy who was talking to Ethan in the Hatchpital? That was Zeke. I totally called that the beard was fake. It wasn't even the same beard as the first time we saw him (on the boat).

NP: "Chicago (acoustic)", Mat Kearney

[AldaForPresident]

Not present this episode: Ana-Lucia (yay!), Sayid (why is he not at all involved with the prisoner?)

Oddly enough AL hasn't bugged me since "Collision". She hasn't had time to. I wondered the same thing about Sayid. He wasn't omnipresent last season but he got a hell of a lot more screen time than he does now.

My guess is that they had infertility issues, and because of that, they didn't think it was a big deal to have unprotected sex on the island.

I honestly didn't think they (or Sayid and Shannon) were having unprotected sex. I assumed they had found some condoms in the wreckage or in the hatch. (If people bring pregnancy tests on planes, then condoms wouldn't be outlandish either.) Infertility issues makes sense, but Sun alluded to abandoning her child. She couldn't abandon a child she couldn't conceive, so I think the abortion theory makes the most sense. (Maybe she even got pregnant after she and Jin got married, and she aborted it because at the time Jin was an asshole, or it happened around the time she decided to leave him.) Or maybe she's talking about her own mom.

So, that older guy who was talking to Ethan in the Hatchpital? That was Zeke.

It's all in the voice! I didn't even listen to half of what he was saying, because I was too busy declaring that it was indeed Zeke. My mom was ignoring me anyway, so she told me what he said. I wonder who "he" is. I was hoping for some sort of reference to Goodwin from either Zeke or Ethan, but alas there was none. The girl who played Alex looked just like Danielle. They did a great job casting her.

I already want to watch this episode again. It was so great! I really hope I'm not forced to revert back to my Kate-hatred with the next episode. She's featured in almost every episode, so it's not like I want to hate her. I hope they keep writing her as cautious and smart, and leave out the self-absorption they've forced on her before.

[dgp11776]

I didn't even listen to half of what he was saying, because I was too busy declaring that it was indeed Zeke.

Same here.  Except, since I missed episode 11, I was busy declaring "That's the guy with the beard that kidnapped Walt and was on the 'Previously on Lost' thing from episode 12!!!!"  Excellent show last night...I loved it.