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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Dec 30, 2009 18:27:53 GMT -5
Okay, as I said, I'll begin Season 3 on Friday. Also, good news! I just got the first disc of the Season 4 DVD from Netflix! That's something.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 1, 2010 19:13:36 GMT -5
![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/DVD/lost_season_three_dvd.jpg) Main characters: Season 3: Dr. Jack Shephard—Matthew Fox (starting with “Pilot”) Kate Austen—Evangeline Lilly (starting with “Pilot”) Charlie Pace—Dominic Monagham (starting with “Pilot”) James “Sawyer” Ford—Josh Holloway (starting with “Pilot”) John Locke—Terry O’Quinn (starting with “Pilot”) Hugo “Hurley” Reyes—Jorge Garcia (starting with “Pilot”) Sayid Jarrah—Naveen Andrews (starting with “Pilot”) Claire Littleton—Emilie De Ravin (starting with “Pilot”) Michael Dawson—Harold Perrineau (starting with “Pilot,” note: doesn’t appear in Season 3 but returns in Season 4) Walt Lloyd—Malcolm David Kelley(starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Jin-Soo Kwan—Daniel Dae Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Sun-Hwa Kwan—Yunjin Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Desmond Hume—Henry Ian Cusick (starting with “Man Of Science, Man Of Faith”) Ben Linus—Michael Emmerson (starting with “One Of Them”) Juliet Burke—Elizabeth Mitchell (starting with “A Tale Of Two Cities”) Shannon Rutherford—Maggie Grace (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Abandoned”) Boone Carlyle—Ian Somerhalder (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Do No Harm”) Ana-Lucia Cortez—Michelle Rodriguez (starting with “Exodus,” ending with “?”) Mr. Eko—Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “The Cost of Living”) Libby Smith—Cynthia Watros (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Paulo—Rodrigo Santoro (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Nikki Fernandez—Kiele Sanchez (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Supporting characters: Rose Henderson—L. Scott Caldwell (recurring, starting with “Pilot”) Bernard Nadler—Sam Anderson (recurring, starting with “Everybody Hates Hugo”) Edward Mars—Fredric Lane (recurring, starting with “Pilot”) Randy Nations—Billy Ray Gallion (recurring, starting with “Walkabout”) Dr. Christian Shephard—John Terry (recurring, starting with “White Rabbit”) Danielle Rousseau—Mira Furlan (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Ethan Rom—William Mapother (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Nadia—Andrea Gabriel (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Carmen Reyes—Lillian Hurst (recurring, starting with “Numbers”) Anthony Cooper—Kevin Tighe (recurring, starting with “Deus Ex Machina”) Sarah Shephard—Julie Bowen (recurring, starting with “Do No Harm”) Diane Janssen—Beth Broderick (recurring, starting with “Born To Run”) Mr. Friendly—M.C. Gainey (recurring, starting with “Exodus”) Dr. Marvin Candle/Dr. Mark Wickmund—François Chau (recurring, starting with “Orientation”) Cindy Chandler—Kimberly Joseph (recurring, starting with “Everybody Hates Hugo” though she was in “Pilot”) Jae Lee—Tony Lee (recurring, starting with “…And Found”) Mrs. Paik—June Kyoko Lu (recurring, starting with “…And Found”) Goodwin Stanhope—Brett Cullen (recurring, starting with “The Other 48 Days”) Cassidy Phillips—Kim Dickens (recurring, starting with “The Long Con”) Alex—Tania Raymonde (recurring, starting with “Maternity Leave”) Charles Widmore—Alan Dale (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Penny Widmore—Sonya Walger (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Pickett—Michael Bowen (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Ms. Klugh—April Grace (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Karl Martin—Blake Bashoff (recurring, starting with “A Tale Of Two Cities”) Mikhail—Andrew Divoff (recurring, starting with “The Cost Of Living”) Jason—Ariston Green (recurring, starting with “The Cost Of Living”) Ivan—Teddy Wells (recurring, starting with “I Do”) Richard Alpert—Nestor Carbonell (recurring, starting with “Not In Portland”) Eloise Hawkings—Fionnula Flanagan (recurring, starting with “Flashes Before Your Eyes”) David Reyes—Cheech Marin (recurring, starting with “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Naomi Dorrit—Marsha Thomason (recurring, starting with “Catch-22”) Roger Linus—Jon Gries (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Horace Goodspeed—Doug Hutchinson (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Amelia—Julie Adams (“A Tale Of Two Cities”) Adam—Stephen Semel (“A Tale Of Two Cities”) The moderator—Alexandra Morgan (“A Tale Of Two Cities”) The nurse—Julie Ow (“A Tale Of Two Cities”) The receptionist—Sonya Seng (“A Tale Of Two Cities”) Mrs. Lee—Tomikee Okhee Lee (“…And Found,” “The Glass Ballerina”) Young Sun—Sophie Kim (“The Glass Ballerina”) Colleen Picket—Paula Malcolmson (“The Glass Ballerina”) Luke—Joah Buley (“The Glass Ballerina,” “Through The Looking Glass”) Teddy Wells—Other (“The Glass Ballerina”) Mike—Chris Mulkey (“Further Instructions”) Jan—Virginia Morris (“Further Instructions”) Eddie—Justin Chatwin (“Further Instructions”) The sheriff—Joel Himelhoch (“Further Instructions”) Kim—Dion Donahue (“Further Instructions”) Munson—Ian Gomez (“Every Man For Himself”) Munson’s wife—Christina Simpkins (“Every Man For Himself”) Warden Harris—Bill Duke (“Every Man For Himself”) The corrections officer—Dorian Burns (“Every Man For Himself”) Matthew—Dustin Geiger (“Every Man For Himself,” “Through The Looking Glass”) Jason—Austin Green (“Every Man For Himself,” “Through The Looking Glass”) Prison tough #1—Hunter Quinn (“Every Man For Himself”) Agent Freedman—Peter Ruocco (“Every Man For Himself”) Yemi—Adetokumboh M'Cormack (“The 23rd Psalm,” “?,” “The Cost Of Living”) Young Eko—Kolawole Obileye Jr. (“The 23rd Psalm,” “The Cost Of Living”) Young Yemi—Olekan Obileye (“The 23rd Psalm,” “The Cost Of Living”) Emeka—Hakeem Kae-Kazim (“The Cost Of Living”) Amina—Muna Otaru (“The Cost Of Living”) The nun—Aisha Hinds (“The Cost Of Living”) Daniel—Jermaine “Scooter” Smith (“The Cost Of Living,”) The soldier—Lawrence Jones (“The Cost Of Living”) Trader—Michael A. Robinson (“The Cost Of Living”) Kevin Callis—Nathan Fillion (“I Do”) Suzanne—Eden-Lee Murray (“I Do”) The minister—Mark Dillen Stitham (“I Do”) Big Guy—Michael Vendrell (“I Do”) Edmund Burke—Željko Ivanek (“Not In Portland”) Rachel Carlson—Robin Weigert (“Not In Portland,” “One Of Us”) Aldo—Rob McElhenney (“Not In Portland”) Sherry—Kimberly Estrada (“Not In Portland”) The morgue employee—Steven Labrash (“Not In Portland”) Donovan—Shishir Kurup (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) The delivery man—Jeremy Colvin (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) Jimmy Lennon—David Cordell (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) The receptionist—Katie Doyle (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) The bartender—Michael Titterton (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) The photographer—Stephen Quinn (“Flashes Before Your Eyes”) Achara—Bai Ling (“Stranger In A Strange Land”) Isabel—Diana Scarwind (“Stranger In A Strange Land”) Chet—James Huang (“Stranger In A Strange Land”) Thai man—Siwathep Sunapo (“Stranger In A Strange Land”) Thai boy—Shannon Chanthanam (“Stranger In A Strange Land”) Emma—Kiersten Havelock (“The Other 48 Days,” “Stranger In A Strange Land”) Zack—Mickey Graue (“The Other 48 Days,” “Stranger In A Strange Land”) Young Hurley—Caden Waidyatilleka (“Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Lynn Karnoff—Suzanne Krull (“Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Tricia Tanaka—Sung Hi Lee (“Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Amira—Anne Bedian (“Enter 77”) Sami—Shaun Toub (“Enter 77”) Lindsey—Gabrielle Fitzpatrick (“Two For The Road,” “Par Avion”) Carole Littleton—Arlene Newman-Van Asperen (“Par Avion”) Dr. Woodruff—Julian Barnes (“Par Avion”) Officer Barnes—Rhett Biles (“Par Avion”) The head nurse—Anne Elizabeth Logan (“Par Avion”) ER doctor—Danan Pere (“Par Avion”) Ryan Price—Brian Goodman (“The Man From Tallahassee”) The government worker—Cleo King (“The Man From Tallahassee”) Peter Talbot—Patrick J. Adams (“The Man From Tallahassee”) Mrs. Talbot—Barbara Baehler (“The Man From Tallahassee”) Det. Mason—Marlene Forte (“The Man From Tallahassee”) Det. Reed—Don Nahaku (“The Man From Tallahassee”) William Kincaid—Stephen Bishop (“The Man From Tallahassee”) Billy Dee Williams—Billy Dee Williams (“Exposé”) Howard L. Zukerman—Jacob Witkin (“Exposé”) Scott—Dustin Watchman (“The Moth,” “Exposé”) Federal agent—Shawn Lathrop (“Left Behind”) Johnny—Andrew Meader (“Left Behind”) Man—Bill Ogilvie (“Left Behind”) Other dude—Joah Buley (“One Of Us”) Airport guard—Tyrone Howard (“One Of Us”) Brother Campbell—Andrew Connolly (“Catch-22”) Ruth—Joanna Bool (“Catch-22”) Derek—Jack Maxwell (“Catch-22”) Brother Martin—Andrew Trask (“Catch-22”) Mr. Kwon—John Shin (“…In Translation,” “D.O.C.”) Jin’s Mother—Alexis Rhee (“D.O.C.”) Paik’s associate—Esmond Chung (“D.O.C.”) Paik’s secretary—Jean Chung (“D.O.C.”) Olivia Goodspeed—Samantha Mathis (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) Emily Linus—Carrie Preston (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) Young Ben—Sterling Beaumon (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) Annie—Madeline Carroll (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) DHARMA welcomer—Jenn Boneza (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) DHARMA rep. #1—Gregory Suenega (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) DHARMA rep. #2—Diamante Kielo (“The Man Behind The Curtain”) Liam Pace—Neil Hopkins (“The Moth,” “Fire + Water,” “Greatest Hits”) Young Charlie—Jeremy Shada (“Fire + Water,” “Greatest Hits”) Young Liam—Zach Shada (“Fire + Water,” “Greatest Hits”) Ryan Price—Brian Goodman (“The Man From Tallahassee,” “Greatest Hits”) Bonnie—Tracy Middendorf (“Greatest Hits,” “Through The Looking Glass”) Greta—Lana Parrilla (“Greatest Hits,” “Through The Looking Glass”) Roderick—Joshua Hancock (“Greatest Hits”) Dr. Hamill—James Lesure (“Through The Looking Glass”) Diane—Roxanne Day (“Through The Looking Glass”) The E.R. doctor—Kate Connor (“Through The Looking Glass”) The flight attendant—Kathleen M. Darcy (“Through The Looking Glass”) Previously on Lost: Desmond blew up The Swan, and he, Locke, and Eko may be dead. Meanwhile, the Others gave Michael a boat; and he and Walt sailed off the Island. As for Kate, Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley: Hurley was let go, and the others were taken by the Others. Yet, the Others don’t know that Sayid, Sun, and Jin are on a sailboat expecting Michael’s rescue party. So, Season 2 was a lot better the second time around than the first. Will Season 3 be the same? Hopefully, because I hated Season 3 a lot more than I hated Season 2. And, it wasn’t because it was just as frustrating with the schedule and the mysteries. No, you see, Season 3 had a much better schedule: they aired the first 6 episode consecutively, took a three month break, and then aired all the other episodes consecutively. Yes, this was great in that us fans didn’t have to wonder if next week’s episode was gonna be a rerun or not; and it wasn’t gonna be torture for us if the episode ended on a cliffhanger as we only had to wait a week instead of two or three like with Seasons 1 and 2. As for the mysteries, I remember them being pretty light and getting answered pretty quickly. Of course, that was 2-3 years ago, and I have crapty memory. But, no matter how crapty my memory is, it definitely remembers the crap we got in Season 3. A lot of the episodes were bad, the flashbacks were even more fillery here, the infamous couple Nikki and Paulo were clumsily introduced, and the writers basically took their time getting to endgame, just dicking around with the Others dicking Jack, Kate, and Sawyer around. Hell, it got so bad that I stopped watching for a while and missed 4 episodes, though I did later see one of them. Nevertheless, I almost reached my breaking point with this season. However, things did get better near the end. Nevertheless, expect a lot more bad reviews here than in the previous seasons reviews. However, I’ll probably be a lot kinder. I was with Season 2, which I didn’t really like the first time. Also, I wanna bring up that interview I posted in the Season 2 review: www.avclub.com/articles/losts-damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse,14231/ In it, Cuse and Lindelof explained that a lot of the stuff with the cages in this season was a metaphor for the writers being stuck as Cuse and Lindelof negotiated an end date for the show. They basically couldn’t do anything and were stuck writing filler until they had a deadline to end the show. That’s an interesting way of turning their frustration into something creative. So, that piece of knowledge might lead me to be more lenient to this season. But, then again, I emphasize “MIGHT.”
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 1, 2010 19:21:29 GMT -5
Season 3-Disc 1 1. A Tale Of Two Cities ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x01_FatherAndSon.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof (teleplay), Lindelof (story) Plot: The episode begins with the Flight 815 crash shown from the perspective of the Others, who all live in a very nice village with houses and everything. Then, we find where the Others took Jack, Sawyer, and Kate: Jack is in The Hydra station, being interrogated by Juliet until he tries to escape; Sawyer is in one of the old polar bear cages with a teenager, Karl, in the other; and Kate wakes up in a locker and then is taken to have breakfast with the former Henry Gale, Ben Linus. Flashbacks: We see Jack’s life after his divorce with Sarah. He stalks his ex-wife because he fears she’s dating again. Eventually, he gets a hold of her cellphone, calls every number, and discovers that his dad, Christian, is one of the numbers. So, he confronts Christian at an AA meeting, accusing him of sleeping with Sarah and attacking him. Jack’s arrested, and Sarah bails him out with an unidentified man, who real boyfriend. Thoughts: Good God! Jack is a dick. So much so that I think the writers are purposely making him out to be one. I mean, he’s killed two people in surgery (though those were accidents, and one was originally started by his drunk father); he kissed another woman while married (though she had an affair); he ratted his dad out after finding out that woman they collectively killed was pregnant, starting his downward spiral to death by alcohol poisoning in Australia; and he’s been real cross with his fellow castaways, from flat out ignoring Kate as he went off after Ethan to arguing with Locke about faith practically every chance they get. I think the writers just accidentally wrote his character as an asshole in Seasons 1 and 2 and decided to go full into it with Season 3. That would explain this episode. Here, he’s stalking Sarah, trying to find out who she’s dating now. Eventually, he comes to suspect that it’s his own father, causing Jack to go bursting into an AA meeting and attack him, which definitely added to sending Christian’s downward spiral. Good God, is Jack a dick. But, that doesn’t necessarily make this a bad episode. In fact, it makes the Jack character a little more interesting. Though, not likable. He’s still a dick. But, he is the main hero of the whole show. I mean, there is a lot of moral ambiguity throughout this series, and while “Henry” could say something like “We’re the good guys,” and you wouldn’t necessarily believe him; Jack could say it and you would. Yet, he is a huge asshole. It’s almost like he can’t stand to be the hero, so he rebels against it by being a dick. But, at the same time, he has this incessant need to want to save everyone. It makes Jack a compelling character, but like I said, not a likeable one. And, I can’t fully blame the writers for this; Matthew Fox has jumped deep into the asshole role. I can’t tell if he’s just bad at playing the likeable cad, or if he’s just really good at playing a dick. Either way, he does an okay job here. You know who else does a good job: Julie Bowen. She’s great here, playing Jack’s exasperated ex-wife. She’s pretty much channeling the audience’s collective groan at Jack’s antics. Also, John Terry’s back! Now, there’s a guy good at playing the likable cad. Though, he’s not much of a cad here as Christian gets beat up for nothing. Here he is, just going to AA, trying to get clean and not having an affair with Sarah, yet his asshole of a son beats the crap out him despite all of this. Hell, you actually feel sorry for the man. Though, this little storyline would have been better without Sarah’s revelation that Christian’s fallen off the wagon. Though, the highlight of the episode has nothing to do with Jack’s story. That comes at the beginning, in which we see the Flight 815 crash from the Others’ point of view. This is a great scene as it’s shot like it’s taking place off the Island but it’s quickly revealed to be otherwise. It’s also a great introduction for Juliet, played by the wonderful Elizabeth Mitchell. She’s like Kate, only likable. I especially liked her delivery of the line "Here I am, thinking that free will still exits," which happens right before the Island shakes from Desmond’s button negligence. She said it with a lot of frustration and anger. That and the harsh look she gave Ben at the end of the episode nicely introduces the idea of dissidence among the Others. Also there’s a great shot of the plane breaking up, and it nicely tells us “Henry’s” real name, Ben, which I will now refer to him from now on. In fact, that first scene is so great that it got me excited for the episode as I thought we might see things from the Others’ perspective. And, boy, was I disappointed to see that this was just a Jack episode. I mean, I was hoping for an interesting and informative flashback about the Others spying on the castaways. Yet, we got an informative but not all that interesting (other than the oxymoronic nature of Jack being a dick and a hero) flashback of Jack’s life after his marriage fell apart. As for the other stuff in this episode: Sawyer’s subplot of his near escape was okay: it was a little exciting and introduced us to Karl, the polar bear cages, and the Hydra station. The best part was Sawyer figuring out how to get food from the cage; Holloway plays it with comic brilliance. Plus, I loved the back-and-forth rapport between Holloway and M.C. Gainey. Kate’s stuff wasn’t all that exciting or even necessary other than to show what they did with Kate. Though, it did get Evangeline Lilly in a towel, which is a plus. And, I have to say that humiliated look on her face when Kate gets thrown into the other cage was one of Lilly’s acting highlights on the show. All in all, this is an okay episode. It has some good moments, but it could have much better. I mean, they could have given us an exciting and informative episode that shows the first 48 days from the Others perspective. Instead, we got Jack being a dick. Instead of giving us something we wanna see, they gave us something we couldn’t care to see. But, it ain’t the worst episode in the world. 7/10. 2. The Glass Ballerina ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/JaeCar3x02.jpg) Director(s): Paul Edwards Writer(s): Jeff Pinker & Drew Goddard Plot: On the sailboat, Sayid, Sun, and Jin soon realize something is wrong as the rescue party has not rendezvous with them. So, they go searching for them. They find the Others’ dock, come ashore, and build a fire to lure the Others out in a trap. Soon, the Others learn about Sayid’s boat, and Ben sends them to go capture the boat. They do so, avoiding Sayid and Jin. But, they run into a snag as Sun is still on the boat; and she accidentally shoots Colleen. Meanwhile, the Others have Kate and Sawyer digging and moving rocks, and Ben tells Jack that he has access to the outside world. Flashbacks: Sun and Jin go flashbacking here. We learn that Sun did have an affair with Jae Lee and her father found out about it. So, Mr. Paik has Jin go send Lee a “message” meaning he wants Jin to kill Lee. Despite beating him up, Jin can’t do it and warns Lee to leave the country. However, someone else follows Jin and throws Lee out of his penthouse, landing on Jin’s car. Thoughts: Here’s the thing about the first six episodes of Lost’s third season: they weren’t the best in the show’s run. In fact, Lost was losing some viewers. In Season 1, the average number of U.S. viewers of the show was 18.38 million, with the highest being 21.59 million (“Whatever The Case May Be”). In Season 2, the U.S. viewers average was 18.90, with the highest being 23.47 million (“Man Of Science, Man Of Faith”). And, I should point out that there were a lot of 20’s in the beginning of the season, but as it went on, it dropped to 17’s, 16’s, 15’s, and even a 14. By Season 3, the average was 13.74 million, with the highest being 18.82 (“A Tale Of Two Cities”). And while those first six did, in fact getting better ratings than a lot of Season 2 episodes, when the show came back after it’s three month break, there were a lot less viewers, with episodes getting 11-13 million viewers. That’s still a lot, but compare it to those 18-20 million it was getting in Season 1 and early Season 2. Now, this was bad because those first 6 episodes of Season 3 had to be killer. That had to be so good that you would wait for another three months for Lost to comeback. But, they weren’t. Though, they weren’t all bad. “A Tale Of Two Cities” had a lot of good moments. And, the next episode, “The Glass Ballerina” was a vast improvement. In fact, in my opinion, it’s the best of the first 6. And, I’m not just saying that because it’s a Sun and Jin episode, and I’ve gone on record for saying that I love their episodes. Now, don’t get me wrong: it being a Sun and Jin episode is a plus as I’ve also gone on record for saying that Daniel Dae-Kim and Yunjin Kim are like two of the four best actors on the show. The thing that makes them so great is that they can handle melodrama a lot better than most of the actors on this show. And, that’s a good thing, because melodrama was a big problem with these first six episodes…and well, with a lot of Season 3, but more on that later. Anyway, they do a good job here with the story of Sun’s affair. Now, I can see why some fans would have a problem with this episode: the Sun affair is pretty much at the forefront of the episode, and most fans are more concerned with the Others and all that other stuff that goes on with the Island. But, I enjoyed because Kim and Dae-Kim always elevate the material with their performances. And, they happen to get some great actors in the supporting roles, i.e. Tony Lee and Byron Chung. They are very great in their respective roles, especially Chung. He really impressed me in the scene where Paik tells Jin to kill Jae. Another reason most fans probably wouldn’t be interested in the soap opera-ish is that it ain’t all that exciting compared to what’s going on the Island. But, that’s not really the case here. Here, Mr. Paik finds out about Sun’s affair and wants Jin to kill Sun’s lover, Jae Lee. But, he doesn’t tell him why. It adds a great layer of intrigue to the story as Jin can’t bring himself to kill the man who is sleeping with his wife, which makes you wonder if he would had done it if Jin had known. And, I liked the shock of Jae landing on Jin’s car. It’s a shame we won’t see Tony Lee anymore, but I won’t lose sleepover. And, here’s the kicker: Jin and Sun’s flashback scenes and plot are a lot more interesting than what’s going on with the Others and the castaways they captured. Here, you have Sayid, Jin, and Sun in danger because the Others are coming for the boat. And, the twist that they avoid Jin and Sayid and sneak up on Sun in the boat was expected but played nicely. It was all quite exciting. Though, I have to admit that it would have been a little better if Sun had gotten stuck on the boat when the Others took it. That would have added some nice tension throughout the season. Meanwhile, the Others have Sawyer and Kate breaking rocks. Wow. That’s riveting. I can barely hold my excitement.[/sarcasm] For one, why have them break rocks? What’s the point? Second, Sawyer kisses Kate for no real reason, clumsily put in there. And third, it leads to a fight scene in which Sawyer beats up a few of the Others and takes a gun, showing that they aren’t as tough as they been portrayed to be, which I pretty much suspected. The only thing that makes these scenes any good is the interaction between Sawyer and Pickett. It is amazing how Josh Holloway can have chemistry with anyone. Hell, they could have an entire episode dedicated to Sawyer messing around with Vincent, and it would be an entertaining and funny episode. Also, I have to admit that the reveal of Sawyer and Kate being monitored was good, because it shows that while the Others may not be all that great of an army, they still are a few steps ahead of our heroes. But, other than that, I much more enjoyed Jin and Sun’s plot than Sawyer and Kate’s. However, I have to say that the highlight of the episode has nothing to do with Sun and Jin. That would come at the end, where Ben reveals to Jack that the Others have contact to the outside world. It’s great for two reasons: 1. It’s surprisingly funny because Jack doesn’t believe Ben when he says that the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series. Fox and Emerson play that scene well. I especially liked the look of shock on Fox’s face when he sees the footage; I wonder how much of it was shock that Ben was right and how much of it was shock that the Red Sox finally won the World Series. 2. It’s amazing despite the fact that we pretty much knew that the Others had access to the outside world since they knew everything about Jack. The reason for this is Jack’s disbelief. It’s amazing how this man has seen so many incredible things about this Island but still can’t believe anything that he sees. So, all in all, this was a very good episode. There are better episodes of the show, even in this season; but out of these first six of Season 3, this is the best. 8/10. 3. Further Instructions ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Furtherinstructions.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Elizabeth Sarnoff Plot: Locke and Desmond wake up in the jungle, Desmond naked and Locke unable to speak. However, Locke manages to build a sweat lodge and get Charlie to guard it for him while he goes on a vision quest. There he sees Boone in an airport who tells him that one of the castaways needs to be saved. Locke comes to the conclusion that it’s Eko and sets out to save him after his vision ends and he regains his voice. As, he and Charlie go to find him, they run into Hurley, who tells them about Kate, Sawyer, and Jack being taken by the Others. Then, he continues to go rescue Eko, who is being attacked by a polar bear. Flashbacks: In Locke’s flashback, we see that he was part of some kind of hippy commune/cult. He picks up a hitchhiker, Eddie, and brings him into the commune. However, Eddie starts questioning some things about the leaders Mike and Jan. Eddie thinks that they are hiding a bomb in their greenhouse, but Locke doesn’t think so. Then, Locke finds Mike and Jan frantically trying to leave the commune in the greenhouse, which is filled with marijuana, and blaming Locke for bringing Eddie into the commune as he’s actually an undercover cop. Locke promises to fix it by killing Eddie. However, Locke can’t bring himself to do it. Thoughts: Remember when I said that there were 4 episodes in Season 3 that I didn’t see when they first aired: this is one of them. Now, I did read the synopsis of “Further Instructions,” and I have to say that I wasn’t impressed. To me, it sounded like nothing but filler mixed with typical dream quest bulls*** and some silly looking scenes. But, I haven’t seen it. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Maybe it played better than what I pictured in my head. So, was I wrong? Well, yes and no. For one, it ain’t as bad as I thought it would be. There are some good parts about it. I got a kick out of Locke and Charlie’s charades scene at the beginning, Locke almost killing Hurley by throwing his knife at what he thinks is a polar bear, and Hurley finding a naked Desmond in the jungle. I also liked how Hurley asked Desmond why he didn’t use the failsafe a lot earlier instead of pushing the button, though Desmond’s answer (he didn’t know what it would do) wasn’t all that satisfactory, but it does add to the insanity of pushing the button over and over again. And, they nicely hinted at Desmond’s psychic powers he gained from the failsafe being triggered. And, I liked that the writers (here Cuse and Sarnoff) didn’t ignore the tension between Charlie and Locke. They even had Charlie just come out and say it, a little clumsily might I add. But, they aptly transitioned it into an uneasy alliance. As for Locke’s flashback’s and plot, well they were a lot better than I imagined, mainly because of Terry O’Quinn. He’s damn good in this episode. His acting really elevates the subpar material he’s given. For one, the lost man struggling to find his place in the world joining a semi-cult: cliché. Did they really have to go this route with Locke? I mean, I get why Locke would join a hippie commune/pseudo-cult: his dad conned him out of a kidney, and his obsession over it cost him to lose Helen. He was a lonely man, looking for a purpose. So, he comes to this commune hoping to find it again; but the rug is pulled out from under Locke yet again as he brings in Eddie, who turns out to be a cop. Though, I didn’t really buy this. I just don’t see Locke as the kind of guy who would join a cult, semi or otherwise. I think it would have been better if we had gone straight to him living in a motel in “The Man From Tallahassee” from “Lockdown.” Though, the hippie commune flashback isn’t all that bad. I did like Justin Chatwin as Eddie and Cuse and Sarnoff didn’t go down the expected path that the cult is planning to blow something up, instead just making them more commune than cult with the marijuana. Plus, this whole story added another nice layer to the huge discrepancies between Locke on the Island and beforehand. On the Island, he is the hero. Well, he’s like the second main hero next to Jack; but he could easily usurp Jack’s status as the main go to guy. And, he’s a lot more likable and sympathetic. But, off the Island, he keeps getting duped over and over, leading him further down a path of lonely patheticness that will end with him losing the use of his legs. It’s just painful the watch. As for the on Island stuff with Locke: silliness defined. I mean, we get another freaking psychic dream/vision quest. Now, don’t get me wrong, Lost does handle the dream sequence well, and Locke’s trip through the airport with Boone was pretty satisfying and amusing, but it’s all freaking corny. For one, Ian Somerhalder plays the whole thing like a robot. It was a pretty disappointing comeback for him. And, honestly, do we need another one of these damn dreams? Lost is starting to dry up this well. They just keep doing it over and over again that’s it’s becoming cliché and passé. It’s about as annoying as them killing off characters: okay, we get it! You do those things because you can. But, because just because you can doesn’t mean you should. And, that stuff with saving Eko from the polar bear! Talk about facepalm inducing. I mean, it just doesn’t come off as exciting because they still haven’t figured out how to make a convincing looking polar bear. It’s either a obvious animatronic or an obvious CGI. All in all, this episode was a waste. The flashback, though nicely done, just told something we already knew: Locke’s a naïve f***up. And, the Island stuff was just silly. Plus, there were two other problems with it. For one, the introduction of Nikki and Paulo was done clumsily. It gave the impression that these two were there the whole time when we clearly know that ain’t the case. Second, this episode could have been used to show us another character’s backstory. A certain woman who was gunned down by Michael and not named “Ana-Lucia.” Yes, I’m bringing this up again. I know it may seem annoying, but it still pisses me off: this could have been the perfect chance to tell us about Libby! Damon Lindelof kept saying that they would get to her, but it just didn’t happen. They claimed it was because they had difficulty getting Cynthia Watros to comeback to shoot it due to other commitments, but I don’t get that. I mean, why not just get this episode over with? That way it will quickly answer fans’ questions, and you can move on. But, it didn’t happen. Though, one has to wonder just how they could have shown Libby’s backstory since the character is dead. I think they could have focused on Hurley trying to get back to the camp after the Others let him go and start seeing Libby as he makes his way through the jungle. He follows her, and then starts seeing different events in her life, like her husband’s death and her stay in the same mental institution as him. That’s just a suggestion. But, I’m too upset that we have this Locke episode in it’s place. In fact, I enjoyed it a lot better than I thought I would. I mean, it’s as stupid as I thought it would be when I first about it. But, it’s not as bad as I imagined. Still, I can only give this a 6 out of 10. 4. Every Man For Himself ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3X04_SawyerPrison.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: The Others bring Colleen back to Juliet, who is a doctor. But, she can’t save her. So, they get Jack to help her. As all this goes on, Sawyer decides to use the situation as a distraction in order to escape. However, the cages are being monitored by security cameras; and Ben stops him as he’s about to carry out his plan. Then, Ben implants Sawyer with a device that will kill him if his heart rate goes up above 140 and threatens to put on in Kate if he tells her. However, Colleen dies; and Pickett, her husband, takes his anger out on Sawyer. Luckily, Kate gets him to stop by claiming that she loves Sawyer. Then, she slips out of her cage and into Sawyer’s to console him. Then, Ben takes Sawyer out of the cage and shows him that the implant wasn’t real and that they aren’t on the main Island but a different one a few miles away. Meanwhile, Desmond builds a lightning rod on Claire’s hut, saving her from a lightning strike that takes places shortly after he does so. Flashbacks: We learn that Sawyer spent some time in prison, not surprising. He’s visited by Cassidy, who tells him that she had a daughter, but he brushes her off. Meanwhile, a fellow inmate, Munson, tells Sawyer that the warden is trying to learn the location of his money and comes to Sawyer for help. He agrees, and Munson tells him the money’s location. Then, Sawyer tells this to the warden in exchange for a reduced sentence and a reward he has put into a bank account for his daughter. Thoughts: Remember earlier when I was talking about melodrama and how it became a problem for the show? “Every Man For Himself” is a good example of it. Here, things get a lot more like a soap opera. In fact, it’s almost like this is a different show. The writers seem more focused on that Sawyer/Kate/Jack love triangle than giving us any useful information about the Others. And, yes, I know these bear cage scenes were the result of Cuse and Lindelof trying to get a date for the end of the show, but it still doesn’t out that well. For one, like I’ve said earlier, I just don’t buy the love triangle because I don’t really buy the Kate/Jack relationship. Why would she want to be with Jack? He’s an asshole who keeps making the wrong decision for God knows why. Sawyer, on the other hand, may be a con man; but he knows what he wants. And, what he wants, he gets and doesn’t let go. Sawyer is the better man in the relationship because he seems to be the more stable and likely to stick around. As for Jack, well, we all know how he is in a marriage. The other reason: Holloway, Lilly, and Fox aren’t that great at melodrama. They’re okay, but they go a little over the top. They can’t balance on the tight rope that is melodrama like Kim and Dae-Kim. Those two have some nice subtle nuances that makes them good for those soap opera-like stories. Holloway, Lilly, and Fox, on the other hand, have a more curious nature to them. They seem to want to go out into danger; in fact, they enjoy it. However, when they have to do soap opera stories, I get the impression that they aren’t all that interested. I mean, when Kate yells to Pickett that he loves Sawyer and when she later says that she only said that to stop Pickett, it doesn’t ring true to me. It’s like Lilly is going through the motions. And, that subplot of Jack and Juliet trying to save Colleen, it comes off like a something from General Hospital. I think they would much rather be fighting Ben and the Smoke Monster than trying to figure out who they love. And, if they aren’t interested in it, then why should the audience? As for Sawyer’s flashback, that’s another problem. It’s not bad; Holloway gives a nice performance there. But, it feels like filler. If the flashbacks in Season 2 felt like extra padding, then these in Season 3 are practically Styrofoam. All we learn is that Sawyer was in prison (as if we needed a flashback to learn that) and that he had to con a guy out of giving up the location of his money in exchange for an early release and a bit of money. All this is not necessary. Though, I have to say that it is to see Bill Duke in here. He’s another of my favorite character actors, but he is a little wasted here. Maybe they could have given him a juicier role that came back throughout. I also like that Cassidy is back. Kim Dickens does well here, the reveal Sawyer has a kid was nice, and him giving the money to his daughter was a little touching. But, nice don’t change the fact that this is all filler. On the Island, besides being all melodramatic with Kate, Sawyer’s been implanted with a device that will give him a heart attack if his heart rate goes above 140. That’s actually pretty interesting and by far the most interesting thing in the whole episode. It adds some great tension to the episode, especially when Colleen dies and Pickett takes out his anger on Sawyer. It was pretty thrilling because I honestly didn’t know if they would kill Sawyer. Hell, I wouldn’t have put it past them to. I mean, they needed to do something during these 6 episodes to keep people to come back for the rest. Though, thinking about it a litter further, it was probably smart that they didn’t because I imagine that killing Sawyer would cause fans to abandon the show in droves. Though, I didn’t like the reveal that it was all just a con. It was okay and a clever way to show that Jack, Kate, and Sawyer aren’t on the main Island. But, it would have been a little more exciting if the whole thing was real. As for the Desmond subplot, it’s okay. It nicely hints at this psychic powers. And, while I didn’t really like the Jack and Juliet subplot, it was a clever way of getting Jack to learn that he was abducted because someone needs surgery and that he’s the only one who can really do it. Also, Michael Emerson is pretty good here. As bad to subpar a lot of the material in Season 3 is, Emerson does make much of the season watchable just by his performance, even if his character is being infuriatingly cryptic. All in all, a pretty average episode with some good parts. 7/10. Disc 7—Bonus Features: Before I get to Disc 7, there is a commentary track on the first disc for “A Tale Of Two Cities.” Now, onto the main course of bonus features. This disc menu is set up like the security monitor in the Hydra station. There are six monitors, but you can only click on four, Monitors 2-5. So, we will be looking at Monitor 2 today, which contains the features “The Lost Book Club,” “Cast In Clay: Creating The Toys of Todd McFarlane,” and “The Next Level: Inside The Video Game.” FYI, when you click on Monitor 2, it will take you to a bear cage and you have to push enter on the food button in order to bring the features up. So, let’s begin: First we have “The Lost Book Club.” During these reviews, I’ve been ignoring one of the most frequent motifs brought up throughout the show: the book references. Why have I ignored this? Well, for two reasons: one, I’ve more focused on the overall quality of the episodes and the whole show to really focus on all the books mentioned. And two, whenever a book is referenced, it’s a given that you have to read it in order to find some clues to the show’s big mystery. Me, I’m down on that because it seems like homework; and I don’t like an entertainment show giving me homework when I know it ain’t gonna do a thing for me academically. I had enough homework in college, and I didn’t need more from a show that usually jerked me around. But, it is an important part of the show and definitely warrants a DVD special feature. Anyway, the books mentioned in the show have been conveniently listed here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Literary_references. Note to all the Lost newbies, some of those books aren’t mentioned until Seasons 4 and 5; so there might be some spoilers there. Anyway, it’s okay. Just has the cast and writers talking about all the books that are mentioned in the show. I did like the end, with Lindelof and Cuse playfully disagreeing about how good the Others are. Though, I was upset with Mr. Lindelof for spoiling the end of “The Third Policeman.” So, if you haven’t read that book, don’t watch this featurette. Next is “Cast In Clay: Creating The Toys of Todd McFarlane.” This basically shows how the actions Todd McFarlane made for the show. It’s not all that interesting, unless you really care about seeing how toys are made. Finally, we have “The Next Level: Inside The Video Game.” This is about the video game based on the show: Lost: Via Domus. You can learn a little more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_via_domus and here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lost_via_domus. The game features Elliot Maslow, a reporter who wakes up on the Island with amnesia, and as you go along trying to get off the Island, you regain your memory. I never played the game, but it got mixed reviews. As for the featurette, it’s just shows how the game came about with some footage of it being made; and it’s pretty short. Well, that’s all for today. Expect the next four episodes up on Sunday.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 3, 2010 22:58:13 GMT -5
Season 3-Disc 2 5. The Cost Of Living ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x05-MonsterGrabsEko.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Alison Schapker & Monica Breen Plot: Sayid, Jin, and Sun return as the others take care of Eko. But, things go bad when Eko’s hut catches fire. Sayid, Hurley, and Charlie pull Eko from the hut, but he disappears as they put out the fire. As this goes on, Locke and Desmond talk about how to rescue Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. When Desmond mentions that the computer in the Swan could be used to communicate with other computers in other DHARMA stations, Locke decides to go to the Pearl. Then, Sayid tells Locke that Eko has run off, and Locke figures that he’s going to the plane, which just so happens to be near the Pearl. So, Locke, Desmond, and Sayid go off to the Pearl; Nikki and Paulo join them when Locke offers an open invitation to the other castaways. They find Eko and then move on to the Pearl. Eko stays outside while the others go down. In the Pearl, they see a man with an eye patch on the monitors. Outside the Pearl, Eko sees his brother Yemi and follows him. But, Yemi turns out to be the Smoke Monster, who grabs Eko and kills him. Meanwhile, on the Hydra island, Ben invites Jack to Colleen’s memorial service. During it, Jack asks Ben if he needs surgery. Ben denies it but later tells Jack that he does need surgery and that they planned to brainwash Jack into the group and make him want to perform the surgery, but since Jack saw the x-rays and figured it out. Later, Juliet brings Jack a movie with a message to not perform Ben’s surgery. Flashbacks: We see what happened to Eko after his plane left with his brother’s dead body. The soldiers took him back to Yemi’s church, thinking that he is Yemi. He then tells the villagers that he will taking over for Yemi to avoid suspicion. Later, some militiamen lead by Emeka come to the village, threatening everyone for the village’s vaccine shipment, as they get 80% of it. Eko refuses, and Emeka shoots a blind woman. Then, when Emeka comes back for the vaccine, Eko kills him and his men with a machete. Eko soon leaves for London. Thoughts: I’m gonna pimp that AV Club interview again: www.avclub.com/articles/losts-damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse,14231/ I know that may be getting annoying, but it does explain why Eko had to die here. It did seem weird and frustrating that Eko would die. I mean, just look at the Tailies: most of them were taken by the Others, and Nathan, Libby, Ana-Lucia, and Eko have all died. Bernard is the only Tailie to not have anything bad happen to him. Isn’t that weird? Why introduce a bunch of characters if they’re all just gonna die? Well, they weren’t all suppose to die. Ana-Lucia was, but she was unlikable that the writers decided to kill Libby as well since the fans wouldn’t have cared about Ana-Lucia’s death but would about Libby’s. As for Eko, blame Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Cuse and Lindelof had many plans for Eko, but Akinnuoye-Agbaje just didn’t like filming in Hawaii and asked to leave. So, they killed him. That’s a shame. I liked Eko, and Akinnuoye-Agbaje was a great actor; he played the role well. Plus, now I’m curious as to what the planned for him and how it would have played out in the rest of the show. Also, they didn’t really give Eko a good episode to go out on. The flashbacks are okay, but they don’t really tell us anything. Well, it does resolve what happened to Eko after Yemi died and he got mistaken for him; but was that really an important detailed that needed to be answered. Honesty, I would have liked to seen how he ended up in Australia. But, ironically, I doubt that would have as interesting as the flashback we got. Him killing Emeka and the militiamen to prevent them from taking the vaccine was a good story, and I liked how Amina chastised him for killing those men, even though he did save the village. Though, it was a little clumsily written. By that, she just came out and said that there would be more people like Emeka. I think it would have been better if someone like Emeka had shown up at the end. As for his death scene, it didn’t make much sense. Why would the Smoke Monster kill Eko after it had let him live back in “The 23rd Psalm”? At least it introduces the idea that the Smoke Monster can take on the form of people who have either died on the Island or died elsewhere and their bodies were brought to the Island. This will be important in Season 5. All in all, the Eko stuff just isn’t that interesting compared to the other things going on in this episode. The most interesting plot is Jack and Ben’s. I liked how Jack found out that Ben had a tumor on his spine. It was fun to see the master manipulator being manipulated. The scene where Ben tells Jack what his plan was also nicely done. Plus, it adds a layer of tension to the story now that Ben’s plan is ruined and he has to come up with another to get the most reluctant man on the Island to operate on him. I was also intrigued by the Others’ funeral for Colleen. It just raises so many questions about the Others and their culture. I mean, why do they wear white? Why do they put Colleen’s body on a raft and light it on fire? Hell, why do they follow Ben for that matter? Do they like him or fear him? There’s just so many things about the Others we don’t know. I just wish they had done a few episodes that explain the Others’ culture. Yes, these are more questions that won’t be answered. I also liked Juliet’s message to Jack. There have been hints that there is dissent among the Others, and now that has been fully confirmed by this nice homage to “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” As for the stuff with Locke and the search party, it’s average at best. The introduction of Mikhail was nicely done. But, I didn’t like how Nikki and Paulo got shoehorned into the story. The writers are still trying to shoehorn these two into the story, which just makes it awkward. Now, I don’t hate the characters; but I’m don’t like how the writers handled them. Though, it was kind of funny how Nikki figured out that the monitors in the Pearl aren’t just hooked up to cameras in the Swan. All in all, this is an okay episode. It’s not bad; the stuff with Jack and Ben really elevates it. But, it just badly written concerning Eko’s demise, which really brings down the episode. So, we say good bye to Mr. Eko. It’s a shame we had to see him go so shortly, but he was quite entertaining for the short time he was with us. 6/10. 6. I Do ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/KateLocket3x06.jpg) Director(s): Tucker Gates Writer(s): Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse Plot: Jack tells Ben that the tumor on his spine is borderline inoperable and will soon become inoperable. Meanwhile, as Kate and Sawyer are working, Alex attacks the other Others, demanding to know where Karl is. They take her away, and she tells Kate that they will kill her boyfriend just like they killed Karl. Then, Juliet tells Kate that Pickett is going to kill Sawyer, but if she can convince Jack to perform Ben’s surgery, then she can save Sawyer. She agrees and asks Jack. But, he refuses. Then, she escapes her cage and breaks open Sawyer’s cage, trying to get him to escape; but he reveals that they’re on another island. Then, they have sex. As this happens, the Others show Jack what Kate and Sawyer did, which gets him to agree to perform the surgery as long as Ben will let Jack off the Island. As Jack performs the surgery, Pickett goes after Sawyer and Kate. However, he stops when he learns from Tom that Jack has sabotaged the surgery and will kill Ben unless they let Kate and Sawyer go. Meanwhile, on the other Island, Locke tells Sayid, Desmond, Nikki, and Paulo that Eko is dead and that a polar bear killed him. Sayid doesn’t believe him, and Locke tells him that it was the Smoke Monster. Flashbacks: We get another Kate flashback. Here, we learn that she was married to a cop while on the run, but she eventually had to leave him. Thoughts: If “The Glass Ballerina” is the best episode of the first six, then “I Do” is the worst. Hell, it’s up there with “Hearts And Minds” and “Fire + Water” as the worst episode of the show. Or, should I say down there? Where do I even begin? I’ll start with the flashbacks. So, Kate married a cop while she was on the lam. WHAT!!!!? This is SO stupid for several reasons! 1. It’s stupid to marry a cop when you are ON THE LAM!!!! Kate’s a freaking fugitive being hunted a very pissed off U.S. Marshall. Why would she do something so idiotic as marry a cop? I mean, if she wanted to have sex with the guy and then leave him because she found out he was a cop, that would have been fine. But, to marry him!? Good God! That’s also a pretty big dick move. You marry a guy, make him fall in love with you, and then leave him because you’re a fugitive. If you wanna know why many Lost fans hate Kate, then this is the episode to look at. 2. It’s a waste of talent, i.e. Nathan Fillion. This guy is awesome! Firefly. Castle. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog. This guy even had a great guest run during the last few Buffy episodes. He is just fantastic. And, what do they do with him? Have him play Kate’s hapless cop husband. UGH!!!! 3. It’s not only a waste of Nathan Fillion. It’s a waste of a plot. You see, there is one little detail about Kate’s backstory that hasn’t really been shown: why she killed her stepfather Wayne. Okay, so it’s not that unknown. They did explain that Wayne was an asshole who beat Kate’s mom. He even tried to get Kate to sleep with him. We only know this from one scene in “What Kate Did” and the rest being told to us. But, we haven’t really seen Wayne in all his asshole glory. So, why not show it to us? Here’s the perfect opportunity to show the fans just how much Kate really hated Wayne. Plus, they could have done something interesting by making Wayne act a lot like Sawyer and showing us that Kate’s falling for a man who’s like her stepfather. But, no. We just get this pointless marriage flashback. The flashback isn’t the only problem with this episode. We got more of that dreaded melodrama. Here, Jack refuses to perform Ben’s operation. So, the Others decide to get Kate to get Jack to do the surgery under the threat that they’ll kill Sawyer. And, I could honestly care less. For one, they’re making it a little too obvious that Kate’s gonna have sex with Sawyer. Sure enough, it happens. Second, killing Sawyer comes off as an empty threat because Sawyer didn’t die in “Every Man For Himself.” If he didn’t die in that episode, I doubt he’ll die here. Also, it all ends with Kate and Sawyer making their escape, which was also obviously gonna happen. I just figured that the writers wouldn’t keep Kate, Sawyer, and Jack with the Others for the whole season. Honestly, I wish they would have. We could have learned more about the Others, and it would have been a great storyline to see the other castaways come for their captured comrades. And, I don’t get why Jack holds Ben hostage. Why did he just kill him like Juliet wanted in her video? Man, he’s an idiot. What really surprised me is that Cuse and Lindelof, the showrunners, wrote this episode. Usually, they give us some good stuff, like “Lockdown,” “The Other 48 Days,” and the season finales. But here, they just don’t give their A-game. I’ve said that Fox, Holloway, and Lilly aren’t great at acting in melodrama. Well, Cuse and Lindelof aren’t very good at writing it. They didn’t really seem all that interested in Kate’s flashback, which is why it was so disappointing; and they couldn’t really give us something really juicy with the on Island stuff. Well, that’s not entirely true, they did give us a nice scene between Sayid and Locke about what killed Eko. I would have liked to hear more about Locke’s theories on the Island. And, I have to say, I liked that sex scene between Kate and Sawyer. What can I say? I’m horny young man. But, those ain’t enough to save this turd of an episode. 2/10. 7. Not In Portland ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x07julietswomb.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Jeff Pinker Plot: Kate and Sawyer make a run for it while Jack holds Ben hostage in surgery. Pickett goes off after them despite what Jack is doing. Luckily for Kate and Sawyer, Juliet makes a deal with Ben to let them escape in exchange for Jack finishing the surgery; and they find Alex, who tells them that she has a boat to get them to the Island. But, they have to save Karl in order to use it. So, they go and save Karl; but Pickett catches them. However, Juliet shoots Pickett, allowing Kate, Sawyer, and Karl to escape. Alex remains. Back in the Hydra, Jack enlists Tom to help him save Ben’s life. Flashbacks: We get our first Other flashback, and it’s Juliet. We learn that she was working in Miami, taking care of her sick sister Rachael and stealing medicine for her from her hospital. But, her ex-husband and boss, Edmund, catches Juliet. He then learns that Juliet is trying to find a way for Rachael to get pregnant and wants in on the research. Then, Juliet gets a job offer from Dr. Richard Alpert, but she turns it down as Edmund wouldn’t allow her to leave. Luckily, her research results in a success as Rachael becomes pregnant. And, Edmund suddenly dies when Juliet tells him. Then, Dr. Alpert shows up again asking Juliet if she still wants the job. Thoughts: Well, the first six are done. And, now we get two of best episodes, not just of the season but of the whole show. First, “Not In Portland.” Here, we see what Juliet did before she became an Other. Now, I was a little disappointed to learn that Juliet hadn’t been on the Island her whole life when I first saw this episode. But now, I like that she didn’t start out as an Other. It’s interesting to see that the Others have been bringing in people off the Island, like the DHARMA Initiative. Also, it’s a nice plot device to introduce the audience the Others’ culture through her eyes. Too bad the writers didn’t really use it. And, I have to say that the way the first scene was shot and written, so that it appears to be on the Island but is actually in Miami, was a great touch. But, the main thing about this episode is how it shows a theme of Lost that hasn’t really been used enough: the differences between a character on and off the Island. Now, most people haven’t changed since coming to the Island, like Jack, Kate, Sayid, etc. But some have. Charlie was a heroin addict, but he’s now gotten clean since coming to the Island. Locke was a perpetual f***-up in his pre-Island days, but now he’s one of the main players. Sawyer was a me-first loner, but now he’s willing to put himself before others and lay his life on the line. And, since this is a Juliet episode, Juliet wasn’t always the cold-blooded semi-bitch we’ve seen on the Island. Here, we see her as a kind and caring doctor who just wants to help her sister get pregnant before she dies. A nice story, but it comes off as a filler flashback. Luckily, the writers, here Cuse and Pinker, add some drama to it by having Juliet steal medicine from her boss/ex-husband; putting Ethan in it, showing that the Others can get off the Island some how; and introducing Richard Alpert, a central recurring character. These were some nice touches. For one, the ex-husband is played by Željko Ivanek, one of the best character actors working today. He’s pretty good here, but he is a little wasted in that Edmund dies; and we won’t be seeing him again. Though, I have to say that his death scene was pretty shocking and nicely done: Juliet says that she wishes he’d be run over by a bus, and surprisingly it happens It’s so spooky that it makes you wonder if his death was an accident. It wasn’t, though you probably didn’t need a spoiler to tell you that. There are also a lot of neat ideas brought up in this episode, like the Others being able to get off the Island, the fertility issues with the Island (remember Claire being abducted), and Richard Alpert. He’s such an amazing character, but what makes his introduction her so amazing is how unamazing it is. He doesn’t come off as much, which makes the big reveal about what he can do so surprising. But more on that later. As for the on Island action, that’s pretty good too. It’s amazing how tense Cuse and Pinker and Stephen Williams were able to make the Ben surgery scenes so tense given that it was obvious that Ben wasn’t going to die. I mean, they just introduced him; and he quickly became the most interesting character on the show. There was no way they gonna quickly dispose of him. Plus, there was a nice touch of having Mr. Friendly be afraid of blood, especially after we’ve seen him be so fierce. I also liked the introduction of Room 23, which is being used to brainwash Karl. This brings up an interesting point: are these people following Ben because they want to or because they were made to want to? Or, is it just used to get the disobedient Others, like Karl and Alex and Juliet, in line? Who knows? Add this to the list of Lost unsolved mysteries. And, this is one of those mysteries I wish to see get solved, like Libby. I also liked the introduction of Jacob. It started all matter-of-factly, with Danny saying that Jack wasn’t on Jacob’s list in “I Do.” And here, we see it in Karl’s brainwashing video: one of the shots has the message “God loves you as Jacob loves you.” Talk about creepy. I mean, who in the hell is Jacob? And, if he’s the boss of Ben, then just how powerful is this guy? That is, if he’s a guy. All in all, this is a great episode. There’s a lot of great tension. A lot of interesting ideas thrown out. And some great performances, mainly from Elizabeth Mitchell. She shines here, showing that she’s a great addition to the cast. I liked how she was able to easily switch between cold in the Island scenes and heartwarming in the flashback scenes. She has some great chemistry with Robin Weigert; you believe that these two are sisters and deeply care for each other. And, I really loved the cold steel stare she gave Pickett when Juliet shot him. That was a nice twist. So, this was a vast improvement from the previous episodes. It’s just a shame that many fans didn’t come back after the show’s early hiatus. If this episode had been shown with the previous six, along with the next one, I doubt many fans would have turned off Lost so quickly. 9/10. 8. Flashes Before Your Eyes ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x08_SavingClaire.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Damon Lindelof & Drew Goddard Plot: When Desmond saves Claire’s life again, Charlie begins to suspect if he knows if Claire is going to die. So, he and Hurley get Desmond drunk to see if Charlie’s correct. Flashbacks: We see what happened to Desmond after the Swan blew up. It turns out he was sent back in time to when he was dating Penny but unaware that he has traveled through time. Eventually, déjà vu leads him to figure out what happened. So, Desmond resolves to change history by proposing to Penny instead of dumping her. However, the woman she bought the ring from, Eloise Hawking, tells him that he must break up with Penny because time is fixed and that their relationship is doomed no matter what. So, Desmond breaks up with Penny and returns to the Island. Thoughts: Desmond is my second favorite character on the show, and the reason for that is the episodes about him are usually some of the best of the whole show (even though his episodes are better than Sawyer’s, he will always have my heart…that sounded less gay in my head). His first centric episode, “Live Together, Die Alone,” was a very satisfactory season finale and was very well written, acted, and directed to boot. But, that episode quickly got blown out of the water in quality by “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” This is easily the best episode of the whole season, and if all the episodes of Season 3 had been 10’s, I would still say that. There’s a lot of great stuff going on here. For one, we have the writers messing with the structure of the show. This almost the opposite of “The Other 48 Days,” which focused entirely on the Island. So, that means, most of the episode is happening in the flashback. But, it’s not really a flashback. Well, it is a flashback to what happened to Desmond after the Swan blew up, but it also shows how him and Penny broke up, which involves time travel. It’s pretty confusing, but that’s par for the course with Lost. Also par for the course, despite it being confusing, it’s still a damn good episode. Not surprising considering that Jack Bender is the director and Lindelof is one of the writers; Goddard is his co-writer her. Anyway, these work some great magic here to make a potentially headache inducing episode anything but. I mean, yes, the plot can be confusing when said out loud, but it does work. It is well written; Lindelof and Goddard really nail making Penny and Desmond a believable couple. Though, Cusick and Sonya Walger act the hell out of it. They have some great chemistry, and they really sell the sweet emotion and heartbreak that goes on here. Another great actor here: Alan Dale is back as Charles Widmore. That guy is great at intimidating. Boy, the casting for Lost is great at finding guys who can really play scary fathers well. There were also some nice shots, like Desmond waking up after the Swan implosion covered in red paint, making the audience think it’s blood and all the hints that let him find out that he’s been thrown back in time. One minor problem to the episode: Fionnula Flanagan as Eloise Hawking. She’s kind of annoying, in an “Ana-Lucia/always talking with such intensity” way. But, amazingly, she’s a lot more likeable than Ana-Lucia. But, she does bug me. I mean, her whole “What you do is important” speechifying gets on my nerves as she awfully cryptic about it. And, that’s one thing Lost doesn’t: a character who has answers but won’t reveal them. Though, to be honest, she was pretty good in her first outing. She just got a little more annoying in her later appearances. As for the on-Island action, there isn’t much, what we do have is pretty good. The best part was the reveal that it’s Charlie, not Claire, who Desmond was saving. The way the writers set it up to seem that way was nicely done: remember, Charlie was with Claire when the lightning struck, and Charlie would have gone out to save Claire if Desmond hadn’t done it instead. A very nice touch to this was in the flashback, with Desmond running into Charlie singing “Wonderwall.” There’s a particularly prophetic lyric in the song: “You’re gonna be the one who saves me.” And, yes, this episode does create some more mysteries for fans to figure out, namely: how did Desmond end up traveling back in time? And, just who is this Eloise Hawking, and how does she know so much about Desmond and what happened to him? But, we do find out the answers to these questions, which don’t make the episode retroactively annoying. Besides, the questions aren’t important. This is just a wonderful episode that’s genuinely touching, well acted, well written, well everything. This is as about as close to a perfect episode of Lost as you’re gonna get. 10/10. Disc 7—Bonus Features: First, I should point out that there is a commentary track on one of the episodes on Disc 2: “I Do.” You know, since I went back and viewed “Hearts And Minds” with the commentary track on, I think I’ll do the same for “I Do.” Now, as I mentioned last time, this disc menu is set up like the security monitor in the Hydra station, there are six monitors, only 2-5 can be clicked, and we looked at Monitor 2. So, today, we’ll be looking at Monitor 3, which takes us to a locker with a walkie talkie on top that you have to click on to bring up the featurettes and has the “Lost On Location” featurettes, a “Crew Tribute With Evangeline Lilly,” and “Lost In A Day.” So, let’s dive in: First, we have “Lost On Location,” the behind the scenes featurettes on certain episodes in the season. For Season 3, it’s “The Glass Ballerina,” “Every Man For Himself,” “Not In Portland,” “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead,” “The Man From Tallahassee,” “Exposé,” “The Man Behind The Curtain,” “Greatest Hits,” and “Through The Looking Glass.” It’s the same as the ones on the Seasons 1 and 2 sets: the making of these episodes with some insight into them. Though, they’re a little bit longer here than I remember the ones in other DVD sets. They weren’t all too interesting. There were some funny parts, and during the “Flashes Before Your Eyes” one, the idea of flashforwards was brought up. (Spoilers for Lost newbies reading this: Season 4 would feature flashforwards instead of flashbacks in some episodes. ) And, I was really impressed with how they recreated the plane crash from the pilot for “Exposé.” You see, they didn’t just digitally add Nikki and Paulo into the scene; they reshot so that it would look like they really were there. And, they did a great job of faithfully recreating it. That really gave me a new appreciation for the episode. Next is “Crew Tribute With Evangeline Lilly.” This is basically Lilly introducing us to the crew members who help make the show that we all love, hate, and get confused by. It’s a nice way of recognizing the people who in the hard work to making this show. And finally, we got “Lost In A Day.” This one has a camera crew filming on day in the filming of Lost, which had them filming seven different episodes in various stages of production. It’s pretty interesting, especially considering how they’re filming so many different episodes at one time. I figured they did it one at a time. Silly me. Anyway, it was pretty interesting to see, especially in the writing room to see how the ideas for the episode formulate and which ones make and don’t. For example, Richard Malkin was originally gonna end up on the Island in “The Brig” and be in the scenes with Sawyer and Anthony Cooper. However, that didn’t happen. Also, in the offices of the Lost writing staff is a clock that has the numbers on it replacing the actual numbers that would be on a clock. I want that clock!!!! Well, that’s all for Lost today. I will have the next 4 up on Tuesday, and the 4 after that on Wednesday. See you then.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 4, 2010 0:05:32 GMT -5
By they way, I thought I was sick for trying to watch all 5 seasons of Lost in 2 months, but this guy: twitter.com/whataustindoesThis guy did 5 DAYS!!!! 5 DAYS!!!!
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 5, 2010 1:03:28 GMT -5
Okay, so I watched “I Do” with the commentary track on. Why? Well, yeah, I did think that episode sucked. But, so did “Hearts And Minds,” and re-watched it with commentary track to get some insight on why in the hell they thought Shannon and Boone hooking up was a good idea. Yet, the commentary track was pretty entertaining. So, I figured it might be for “I Do.” Plus, Josh Holloway is on the track (Carlton Cuse and Evangeline Lilly join him)! So, this has gotta be good! Well, it was pretty funny, thanks to Holloway. And, there are some insights onto the making of the episode and how the episode’s plot came to be: apparently it was mentioned that Kate had been married briefly before ending up on the Island. I don’t remember this at all, but that is why we got her marriage story. Honestly, this doesn’t seem like a very important or interesting story to tell; and they could have just skipped it and not lost a thing. I also feel the same way about a certain episode that’s coming up in our next block of episodes. Anyway, the insights are a little boring, but there are some things that do explain things for Lost who may have missed something or just didn’t pick up what was going on in the episode. For example, I had no idea what the hell Kate, Sawyer, and all those other…um…Others(?) were doing with the breaking rocks and clearing a field. Turns out they’re making a runway. Spoiler for Lost noobs: In Season 5, Ajira Flight 316 lands on the Hydra island that that very run way. So, either someone was expecting it, or it was just made for other planes, and Flight 316 just happened to use it. Well, that makes the whole Kate and Sawyer breaking rocks subplot a little better because now I know it actually lead to something. Other highlights: Cuse calling the fans who want Sawyer and Kate to get together “Skaters” and the fans who want Jack and Kate to get together “Jaters,” our commentators suggesting that Jack, Kate, and Sawyer have a three-way (FANFIC!!!!), Holloway pointing out a big continuity error: Sawyer shot a polar bear from far away but couldn’t hit the Marshall’s heart at point blank range (though, the writers did realize this and gave Sawyer eye problems to answer it), Holloway talking about not doing a scene “melodramatic” (if they did not think what they were doing in this episode was melodrama, then I hate to see how the actors would acted if they were being melodramatic), and Holloway revealing that his wife just steals his scripts and reads them in the bathroom before he does (she must be a big fan of the show). All in all, it was okay: a little boring, but there were more funny parts to keep you interested; and the episode is a little better with the commentary than without. Pretty much the same way I felt about the “Hearts And Minds” commentary track.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 6, 2010 1:16:28 GMT -5
Before I begin, I want to share a little piece news I saw on the AV Club about Lost: www.avclub.com/articles/lost-fans-petition-disney-for-their-own-realworld,36741/. Apparently, Lost fans have been petitioning Disney to turn Tom Sawyer Island into the Island from Lost. It would basically be an attraction with famous Lost landmarks like the Pala Ferry docks, the DHARMA barracks, the four-toed statue, the Swan, etc. I think this is an awesome idea and definitely WALK to Disneyland to go visit this place! Anyway, if you wanna sign the petition, do so here: www.petitiononline.com/lostdisn/petition.html. Also, slight correction: that message in the Room 23 video that I thought said “God loves you as Jacob loves you” actually said that “God loves you as He loved Jacob.” Still pretty creepy but I think it’s creepier the other way around. Season 3-Disc 3 9. Stranger In A Strange Land ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3X09_JackAcharaSex.jpg) Director(s): Paris Barclay Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Christina M. Kim Plot: Jack is thrown into one of the polar bear cages while the Others hold a trial over what to do with Juliet for killing Pickett. He is questioned by Isabel, who claims to be the Others’ sheriff; but he just lies to her to cover for Juliet. He also meets all the Tailies taken by the Others and Alex, who tells him that the Others are planning to execute Juliet. So, Jack asks to see Ben. Alex helps him out of the cage, they go to Ben, and Jack offers to stay with the Others as Ben’s doctor. Ben agrees, and Juliet is spared. Then, they all go back to the main Island. SPEAKING OF going back to the main Island, Kate, Sawyer, and Karl reach the main Island. Kate and Sawyer plan to take Karl back with them, but Sawyer lets Karl go because he’s so heartbroken over being away from Alex. Flashbacks: We learn how Jack got his tattoos, which was during a vacation if Phuket. There, he met Achara, a tattoo artist and began a relationship with her. During their time together, Jack requested some tattoos from her, but she refused as he isn’t a part of her religion and culture. But, Jack is hesitant and basically berates the girl into doing it. She does, and the next day, her brother and his friends beat up Jack and tell him to leave. Thoughts: So, after two great episodes, would Lost get on a roll!? Um…no. We get a bad episode. A very bad episode! How bad? It made me stop watching Lost. Yes, as bad as “Hearts And Minds,” “Fire + Water,” and “I Do” were, “Stranger In A Stranger Land” was the one that broke me! “Hearts And Minds” and “Fire + Water” were bad, but they didn’t get me to stop watching. And, “I Do” was putrid but still was putrid enough to get me to not tune back into Lost after their early hiatus in Season 3. But, this one made be stop watching for three damn episodes! It was that bad and infuriating. Not only did it tell a bad story badly, it also pissed me off by giving us the perfect opportunity to answer some questions but not doing so. It pissed me off so much. In fact, it’s so horrible that I’m gonna take that title of “Worst Lost Episode Ever” from “Fire + Water” and give it to “Stranger In A Strange Land,” because as bad as “Fire + Water” is, at least it didn’t jerk me around that dangling the promise of learning something about the Island in front of me and yank it away like I was a cat. So, what was so bad about it, and what could make me turn off Lost? Jack. Yes, this a Jack episode, and it has Jack at his worst. We’ve seen Jack be an asshole to his family and basically ruin their lives (stalking Sarah, causing his father to lose his job and become an even bigger alcoholic), but now he’s ruining the lives of people he just met. In his flashback, he goes to Phuket, meets a tattoo artist named Achara, and orders her to tattoo him even though it’s not okay for her to do so since he’s an outsider. When she does, Jack gets beat up; and it appears that Achara will be ostracized from her community. Way to go Jack! Good God, this guy either doesn’t get women at all, likes to be a bastard toward them, or both. Also, these flashback scenes are pointless. I mean, I get their answering the questions about how and where Jack got his tattoos, much like “I Do” tied up Kate’s remarks that she was married in “Outlaws.” However, also like Kate’s marriage, who gives a s***? I mean, did people really care that Kate was married or that Jack went to Phuket and got some tattoos? Wasn’t him telling Sawyer that he got the tattoos in Phuket in “Lockdown” enough? It was for me, but apparently the writers felt it was a loose end that needed to be tied up. Yet, they still haven’t done much with the sickness, the Black Rock, Libby, etc. There are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied that are much more interesting that Kate’s marriage and Jack’s tattoos, yet those two things were given an entire episode. I just don’t get why the writers seem so interested in showing ideas that no one could give a s*** about while there are a lot of ideas on the show that everyone would love to see addressed more but aren’t. What makes this episode even worse: no Sarah or Christian to somehow save the episode. But, we do get Bai Ling, who’s another pretty famous actor wasted in a one-and-done guest appearance. But, those are just minor annoyances. The real vomit icing on this s*** cake is that there is a story 100 times more interesting going on and we don’t see a thing about it. That being Juliet’s trial. Here, we have another chance to learn about the Others’ culture, and do the Lost writers take that opportunity!? NO!!!! We just get a glimpse when Alex delivers Ben’s notes. That’s all! I mean, good God! What is wrong with the Lost writers!? Wasn’t this season suppose to be about the Others!? Season 1 was about introducing the characters and the Island, and while we didn’t learn much about the Island (which is okay since they had the rest of the show to do that), we did learn about the characters and who they are. Season 2 was about the Swan, the button, and whether or not it did something, which learned that it did. Season 3 is about the Others, and you’d think we’d learn a lot about who these people are. Yet, we’ve haven’t learned a Goddamn thing! All we know is that they are using the DHARMA stations, they live on the Island, they work on the Hydra island doing God knows what, and they have this strange culture. But, they’ve been pretty damn cryptic about it. I mean, we’ve gotten more questions than answers, like Room 23, what the hell they do, what their culture is, what the hell are they going to do with the Tailies, etc. And, that ain’t the only infuriating thing about this episode. This one really plays up that annoying Lost tradition: people not asking questions. For one, the Tailies show up, and when Cindy starts talking to Jack, does he asks questions!? No. He just acts like an asshole and tells them to go away. On the other Island, Kate and Sawyer have one of the Others, Karl, who could possibly tell them everything about them. So, do they ask any questions!? NO! Kate just wants to go get Jack back right after they escaped, which is stupid because they just escaped and it would have been easier to go back and get more people like Locke and Sayid. It’s also pretty bitchy. I mean, she just had sex with Sawyer; and now she’s all concerned about Jack. Way to show affection, Kate. Also, Sawyer lets Karl go before asking him anything! Come on, Sawyer! You should be better than this! I expect this from Jack, who probably just doesn’t care about anything going on with this Island, and Kate, who has her priorities tied up with Jack. But, you should be curious and a lot smarter! I mean, in this very episode, he wisely laid down the law and said that is would be better to go back and get help and to hike across the jungle since it would be easier to get access to food and water since he doesn’t know to sail to get back to their beach. Then, he just lets Karl go! What the hell!? He’s an Other! And, he doesn’t seem to be in line with the other Others! He can help you! Give you info! Lead you to their barracks! Jesus Christ! And, his reasoning for letting Karl go, that he’s a target, is stupid because they’re targets, too. Anyone who ain’t an Other is a target to them. Hell, a few of the Others are targets to the Others! This whole not asking any questions has gone from slightly annoying to very annoying to painfully illogical and stupid! But, there are some good touches to this. For one the tattoos do nicely tie in with Juliet being marked at the end. Still, that means they’re only relevant to this episode, and the only way they could become relevant to the whole myth of the show is if Achara shows up again and make the episode retroactively relevant. But, I doubt that’s gonna happen. It’s nicely shot, kudos to first time Lost director Paris Barclay. I also liked the score at the end. I know I haven’t mentioned this much, but I have to say: Lost as some of the best original music on TV. It’s got some good performance: If there’s one thing Fox is good at, it’s playing an asshole. Also, I really like Holloway and Lilly’s arguing here; she plays her fear for Jack painfully obvious, and he plays the hurt at it nicely obvious to her performance. I enjoyed Blake Bashoff’s performance here. He plays the lovesick fool well. And, Bai Ling ain’t that bad here. But, the best performance comes from Diana Scarwind as Isabel. That woman is so goddamn creepy. Hell, she may be the scariest Other I’ve seen. Sadly, this is the only episode of Lost she appears in as she apparently died. Well, that’s what Damon Lindelof said. But, these aren’t enough to elevate this turd. 1/10. 10. Tricia Tanaka Is Dead ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Meteroid_Clucks.jpg) Director(s): Eric Laneuville Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Leonard Dick Plot: Kate and Sawyer finally make it back to their camp. As this goes on, Vincent brings a human bone to Hurley; and he follows the dog back to where he got it and finds a skeleton with an old DHARMA jumper on it in an old VW camper van. He manages to rope Jin and Sawyer into helping him fix the van up. Meanwhile, Kate tells Sayid what all happened while they were with the Others, and they and Locke go to Rousseau to go get Jack back. Flashbacks: Here, we see Hurley using his lotto winnings to buy the fast food restaurant he use to work at, Mr. Cluck’s; but opening day is ruined when a meteor lands on the place, killing reporter Tricia Tanaka, who was reporting on the event on a slow news day. When he gets home, Hurley discovers that his father, David, has returned after leaving the family when Hurley was a boy. Hurley is reluctant to welcome his father back after all these years, especially since his mother asked him to return to help him get over this curse he believes came with the lottery. Thoughts: Remember when I said that I missed four episodes of Season 3, that “Further Instructions” was one of the four, that “Stranger In A Strange Land” made me tune out for three weeks? Well, here are the other three Lost episodes I missed. Though, I did also say that I later saw one of these three, and that one was “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead.” Now, this one is a bit of a waste, much like “Stranger In A Strange Land.” But, it’s a lot better that previous episode. Now, I know some Lost fans didn’t like this one; but I quite enjoyed it. For one, I saw it on Sci Fi about a year ago. So, when I saw that Hurley had found an old VW van with a skeleton in it, I knew immediately whose skeleton it was and how they ended up there. (Spoiler for Lost newbies: This was answered in “The Man Behind The Curtain.” The skeleton is Roger Linus, Ben’s father, who killed in the Purge. ) So, when I first saw it, I had an immediate reaction of joy. However, I’m sure when it first aired, it didn’t really seem like much: Hurley finds a van, and he, Charlie, Jin, and Sawyer go joyriding. This sounds like this is the episode of a different show. It wasn’t a very relevant episode when it first aired, but it quickly became a little relevant later on in the season. So, at least the writers weren’t just goofing around. But, that’s not to say that goofing around can’t be fun. I mean, that’s the whole point of goofing around: to have fun. But, with Lost, people can get upset with goofing around. Now, I am one of them. If the episode is just jerking me around, like “Stranger In A Strange Land.” But, they aren’t jerking me around here; and it’s nicely acted and written to boot. Jorge Garcia gives probably his best comedic performance to date here. I loved the nervous look on his face as he’s being interviewed by Tricia Tanaka, which is weird since Hurley was pretty comfortable being on camera back in “Numbers” but not that weird since the whole curse thing has transpired. I also loved the scene where he tries to talk everyone into helping him fix up the van he finds. The castaways looks of “Are you crazy, Hurley!?” were great. Another great comedic parts are Sawyer and Jin drinking old beer and Sawyer teaching Jin English. Hell, they could have done a whole episode on that, and I would have been happy. But, the funniest part was Hurley’s mom saying that she has “needs” that only his father can fill. Hurley’s reaction after that revelation he wishes was never revealed: priceless. The idea that Hurley’s father returning and telling Hurley that he has to make his own luck is corny and cliché, but it is a nice sentiment. Hurley’s so goddamn worried about those numbers and the curse that he’s almost making it happen by the way he asks. Maybe he just lived a little stopped worrying about it all, he could have a happy, possibly curse free life. All in all, this was a fun episode. Holloway said on the “Lost On Location” featurette on this episode that this was the one that shows how much fun it is to film this show, and I can really see this. The friendship between the actors really translates well here, which translates well to the audience. Well, at least to me. I can understand why some people wouldn’t like it. I mean, there’s all these mysteries going on, and here all we’re seeing is Hurley driving an old van. But, I don’t really care. I mean, yes, I want answers to; but goddammit! I need a break! I can’t keep getting hit with all these mysteries each and every week! Lost is like that old electromagnetic anomaly under the Swan: it’s exciting and tense, but every 108 minutes it needs to vent. And so do I. I can’t take all this intensity. Lost needs some lighter moments; it makes things a lot better. See: Hurley and the Hot Pocket in Season 5. And, this is what this episode is: just a whole lot of fun. And, it’s a little tense, too, what with Hurley and Charlie’s ride in the VW van down the hill careening toward the rocks and Kate, Locke, and Sayid going to Rousseau. All in all, I just enjoyed it. It wasn’t the most exciting or informative episode of Lost, but it was the most fun and amazing that it ended up being relevant. 7/10. 11. Enter 77 ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Lost-Enter77promo.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: Kate, Sayid, Locke, and Rousseau make it to the Flame, the DHARMA Initiative’s station for communicating with the outside world; the Others use for that very purpose as well. Inside, they (excluding Rousseau, who stays behind in case something happens to those three) find Mikhail, the last surviving member of the DHARMA Initiative. He shoots Sayid but later surrenders when Locke and Kate overpower him and agrees to treat Sayid’s wound. He also tells them that the DHARMA Initiative was wiped out by the Others, whom they called the Hostiles, in an attack called the Purge and that they let him live as long as he stayed near the Flame. However, Sayid thinks that he is actually with the Others and cunningly gets him to admit so by telling him about Colleen’s death. It works, and he attacks Locke and Kate; but the three castaways subdue him. As Kate and Sayid investigate the Flame, Locke watches Mikhail; but he escapes and takes Locke hostage. However, Kate and Sayid find Ms. Klugh and take her hostage. A fight breaks out, and Ms. Klugh dies. Sayid takes Mikhail outside as Locke and Kate gather up useful info for them. Rousseau joins them as Kate and Locke exit the Flame. Suddenly, the Flame blows up, and Sayid asks what happened. Locke tells him that he did what Dr. Marvin Candle said to do on the Flame’s manual overide: enter 7-7 in case of an incursion. Meanwhile, back at the beach, the castaways find the ping-pong table from the Swan; and Hurley and Sawyer play a game of table tennis. Flashbacks: We get another Sayid flashback. Here, he’s working in Paris as a chef when a customer, Sami, offers him a better job at his restaurant. Sayid agrees, but things go sour when Sami and his men hold Sayid hostage because he tortured Sami’s wife, Amira, back in the Republican Guard. Thoughts: Lost Episode I Haven’t Take 2: As much as I enjoyed the fun little van antics with Hurley, it was great to get back into the thick of the action with this tense, myth heavy episode. Even better: IT HAS ANSWERS!!!! Which is amazing in that our castaways are finally asking some goddamn questions! Way to go, Sayid. I knew you wouldn’t let me down in the curious department. Anyway, we learn what happened to the DHARMA Initiative: they were all wiped out in the Purge. And, we learn a little about the Others: they have been on the Island for a very long time. Mikhail, the man with the eye patch from “The Cost Of Living” (another question answered) didn’t say how long, but I’m sure the Black Rock is an indication of how long. All in all, this should have made some Lost fans happy. I kind of wish I had seen this episode when it premiered. I know I would have been easily satisfied with it. But, I don’t really mind since I have learned about everything Mikhail revealed. I did read the synopsis for this episode online, and spoiler for the people who haven’t seen Lost: The Purge was shown in “The Man Behind The Curtain.” The things that I really enjoyed about this episode were all the little details about the Flame, like the chess game that leads to manual override and the C-4 hooked up all around the Flame. There were some nice things about this episode. For one, it’s pretty damn exciting. I love this Mikhail guy. It’s nice to see an Other who’s an actual badass. And, SPEAKING OF Others who are actual badasses, Ms. Klugh is back! YAY!!!! But, this is her last episode as she dies. BOO!!!! Though, I was impressed with April Grace here. She spoke Russian very well, and I love the look of no fear she gives. Like she could go to hell and not be impressed let alone scared. Also, this has probably the best fight scene in the whole series, between Sayid and Mikhail after he confirms that he is lying about being DHAMRA Initiative. It’s short, but very sweet. There are also some very tense moments, like the stand off that led to Ms. Klugh’s death, Candle’s override video, and particularly the scene where Kate and Sawyer act nice with Mikhail and try to figure out if he’s telling the truth. The sweet smiles Andrews and Lilly give were top notch, great touches to it. And, I really enjoyed Locke blowing up the Flame. That was a pretty intense way of introducing the idea that he doesn’t want to get off the Island. But, that’s not all! There’s a flashback here, for Sayid. And, it’s a bit of a gearshift. It starts off like it might be another filler one, when we see Sayid as a chef in Paris being offered a new job from Sami. However, things quickly change when Sami introduces his wife Amira to Sayid. Suddenly, Sayid is being tortured by Sami because Sayid may or may not have tortured his poor wife. I have to be honest: I wasn’t initially impressed by this when I read the synopsis. Like Locke’s flashback in “Further Instructions,” it didn’t sound like much. In fact, it sounded a little stupid to me: the torturer is now being tortured. It’s a neat idea, but we already saw this in “Solitary.” However, unlike Locke’s flashback in “Further Instructions,” it played a lot better that it sounded in my head. For one, we get some great guest performances by Shaun Toub as Sami and Anne Bedian as Amira. Toub is pretty recognizable face-wise as he’s usually typecast in these intense, which he does play well. But, he also subtly adds some hurt into the intensity that makes it a little better than the other tough guy roles he’s played. So, it comes off as he’s not really a tough guy but a man who’s upset that his wife was harmed. As for Bedian, she nicely plays the reluctant participant in Sami’s torture. Now, having the torture victim not want be like the torturer does come off as a little cliché, but it does work, mainly because of Bedian’s performance. So, kudos to the actors for making the flashbacks a lot better. Though, the writers, Cuse and Lindelof, do deserve some credit. One of the best touches is the flashback was to give Amira a cat that looks just like Mikhail’s and naming Mikhail’s cat Nadia. Very clever touches that elevate this episode. As for the subplot of Hurley and Sawyer playing ping-pong, it’s sweet but a little too fluffy and doesn’t hurt the main plot; just adds a nice counterbalance. So, Lost is back to the form. After the hiccup with “Stranger In A Strange Land” and some nice fun with “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead,” we get a very intense that stands up nicely with “Not In Portland” and “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” I just wish I had seen this when it premiered. 9/10. 12. Par Avion ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Normal_par-avion-cap062.jpg) Director(s): Paul Edwards Writer(s): Christina M. Kim & Jordan Rosenberg Plot: While on a picnic, Claire and Charlie are interrupted by Desmond, who talks Charlie into going boar hunting. During this, Claire notices birds migrating to the Island and figures that they might be tagged. So, she gets Jin and Sun to help her catch one so that she can put a note on it in hopes of getting rescued. However, Charlie decides to go with Desmond, upsetting Claire. Then, when Desmond scares away the birds and Claire sees he’s alone, she starts to suspect something is going on. She later confronts Charlie. He tries to tell her about Desmond’s visions of him dying but can’t and starts an argument instead. Then, Claire follows Desmond after an argument between him and Charlie and sees that he has captured a bird. He tells her that if Charlie had helped her catch the bird, then Charlie would have die. Claire then reconciles with Charlie, and they release the bird with the note. Meanwhile, Sayid, Kate, Locke, Rousseau, and Mikhail travel through the jungle to the Others’ barracks, running into the cement pylon fence. Sayid believes it’s a security perimeter, and Mikhail confirms this but says that it doesn’t work. So, Locke pushes Mikhail into it to see if he’s telling the truth. He is not and dies. Sayid yells at Locke for killing the one person among them who knew the code, but Kate things they can cross it by climbing the trees above it and making a makeshift bridge. They do this successfully and get to the Others’ barracks. They see Jack but are quickly alarmed when they see him playing football with them. Flashbacks: We get a Claire flashback, her first off Island one since Season 1. It starts with the car accident that leaves her mother in a coma. Claire later meets a visitor she doesn’t know: Dr. Christian Shephard, gets into an argument with her aunt Lindsey, during which it comes out that Christian has been paying for her mother’s medical bills because a one-night stand between him and Claire’s mother years ago produced Claire, making her Christian’s daughter and Jack’s sister. Christian visits Claire over the next few days, asking her to take her mother off of life support, but she refuses. Then, the flashback ends with Claire apologizing to her comatose mother about the accident. Thoughts: Well, my journey into the Land Of The Lost Episodes I Haven’t Seen ends. And, I can’t speak for Marshall, Will, and Holly, but I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. “Further Instructions” was fine but a little disappointing and could have been better. “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” was a fun little hour that went somewhere even it didn’t like it would. “Enter 77” was fantastic. Now, it ends with this Claire episode: “Par Avion.” I didn’t really expect much from it. I mean, the only thing we really wanted to know about her happened on the Island and was revealed in Season 2. Well, okay, it’s not the only thing. There has been some speculation since “Two For The Road” that the woman Dr. Christian Shephard was Claire’s mom, indicating that he may be Claire’s father and Jack’s sister. It seems tenuous at best. I mean, just because Christian was arguing with an Australian woman doesn’t mean that it was Claire’s mom. There are a lot of women in Australia. Then again, there is that big connection motif, and this would seem like one Lost would do. Plus, there were some subtle hints before hand, what with Jack being very protective of Claire. So, now that’s all been confirmed here. Honestly, I wasn’t really surprised. Yes, I did say that woman Christian was arguing with in “Two For The Road” was a pretty weak way to introduce the idea that Christian is Claire’s dad; but it did seem pretty obvious in a Lost. This show is like Vince Russo: they’ve done so many swerves that it’s actually surprising that a swerve doesn’t happen. See: Michael being Ben’s man on the boat. It seemed too obvious that fans thought that it wouldn’t be Michael, and some were upset that it was Michael. As for the episode itself: it’s okay. The flashback is nice but a little cliché, what with the girl who never knew her father finally meeting him and not really wanting anything to do with him. Seen it a thousand times. But, it isn’t bad by any means. It started off strong, showing the car crash from Claire’s point-of-view to make the audience seem just as discombobulated. That’s a nice touch, but I don’t know if it was a director or writer decision. Either way, Edwards and Kim & Rosenberg did a good job with that. Acting wise, De Ravin does a good job here, especially at the end when she apologizes to her comatose mother. I was happy to see John Terry again. (By the way, I think I’m starting to get a man crush on him much like the one I have Josh Holloway.) He was pretty good here, too, showing a slightly different side to him. Usually in the Jack flashbacks, he has a certain charm. But here, it’s more of a pained longing to be around his daughter. Some nice range from the man. Also, there was very interesting idea brought up that has been used before on the show: during Claire’s apology, she makes it clear that she said that wished her mother was dead just before the car crash. As we saw in “Not In Portland,” Juliet wished that her ex-husband would die. Sure enough, that happened. Also back in Season 1 in “Special,” we saw Walt wanting his mom and stepdad’s attention just before a bird flew into the glass door and killed itself. So, we have this nice theme of people getting what they wished for. I can’t remember anymore times of that happening, but it’s a very interesting that I would love to see played up more. As for the subplot, it is a lot more interesting than what’s going on with Claire. Sayid, Kate, Locke, and Rousseau continue on their journey to save Jack. There is some good tension in it brought on by their prisoner Mikhail and Sayid’s suspicions of Locke. Mikhail brings up another good Season 3 mystery: Jacob and his list. Well, he doesn’t say Jacob, but he does mention a “great man” who isn’t Ben and has a list. Plus, Pickett was the one who introduced us to Jacob’s list; so that has to be who Mikhail is talking about. He also says that Sayid, Kate, and Locke weren’t on Jacob’s list, which answers why the Others didn’t take the original castaways. But, why did Jacob want the Tailies more than the first 40 survivors we’ve met? Why are the Tailies considered better than the others? Who knows? It could be a red herring. Spoiler for Lost newbies: In the Season 5 finale, we saw Jacob visiting most of the Flight 815 passengers in various stages of their lives, so maybe the people he didn’t meet were taken and those he did were left alone to throw off his adversary. Either way, this Jacob guy sounds real scary. I mean, Ben is very scary man; and he’s been shown as the leader. However, it appears that someone is above him, and if Ben is scary and has a boss, just how scary is he? As for Locke’s suspicious behavior, it’s getting a lot more clear that he doesn’t want off the Island. Though his killing of Mikhail seemed a little uncharacteristic for him, him taking some C-4 and lying about it and knowing there were explosives in the Flame was a nice touch. And, the best part of the episode: them finding Jack and seeing him playing football with Tom. What a twist! I mean, Jack’s the one guy who’s been adamant that they get off the Island. Now, it seems like he’s been turned. Oooh!!!! Exciting. Even though there are some good stuff, this episode does have it’s problems. Claire’s plan to get rescued by tying a messaged to a bird is nice and very like her but a little silly. The only thing that really helps it is Desmond and Charlie’s strange behavior leading to her finding out that Charlie’s gonna die…maybe. Also, there is a big continuity error in this episode: Christian paying for Claire’s mom’s medical bills. It doesn’t make much sense because Australia has universal health care. The cost of any medical expenses would be borne by CTP, or Medicare. Naturally, any insurance company would seek to limit their exposure to cost, but Medicare is obliged to fund the life threatening medical care of a "public patient", and CTP covers the medical care of any vehicle accident victim. For Christian Shephard to fund this care, either Carole Littleton is not an Australian citizen (unlikely), Carole was taken to a private hospital (a little more likely), or the vehicle was not registered and this implies that Claire is facing criminal charges of driving an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle (the most likely considering she was interviewed by a cop). Other than that, it’s a nice episode. I’d give it a 7 out of 10. Disc 7—Bonus Features: As mentioned earlier: Disc Menu = Security Monitor, 2-5 can only be clicked on, and I’ve done 2 and 3. So, onto Monitor 4, which takes us to a computer that you have to click on to bring up the features and has “The World Of The Others,” “Terry O’Quinn: Throwing From The Handle,” and a blooper reel. So, let’s begin: First, “The World Of The Others,” which is about the Others. I don’t know if you got that from the title. Basically, it has all the cast members and writers talking about the Others and their characteristics. It’s okay and pretty playful but doesn’t really add anything insightful about the Others. Though, this is where it’s revealed that Isabel and many of the insignificant Others died. The best part of the featurette: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz’s moment of silence for all the Others who’ve died. Next is “Terry O’Quinn: Throwing From The Handle.” This has Terry O’Quinn giving us some lessons on knife throwing. It’s as awesome as it sounds. And, finally we have the blooper reel. This one is longer than the Season 2 one, which is a good thing. And, like the other two, it’s pretty funny. Nothing much else to say about it. So, that ends are Lost journey for today. I will have the next disc up tomorrow…or, well, later today. Hopefully a little earlier than this one. After that…um…who knows?
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 6, 2010 22:00:07 GMT -5
Before I begin, I have to point out that I’m going to have to start revealing major spoilers about the episodes. Even though Season 3 wasn’t the best, it started getting a lot better near the end. So much so that I’m gonna have to spoil the episodes in order to fully review them. If you remember, I did this in the Season 2 review; but it was much later, with only like 7 episodes left. However, I’m gonna have to do this earlier here as Lost got on a real roll starting with “The Man From Tallahassee.” So, for you people who are reading and haven’t seen Lost or missed a few episodes: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 3-Disc 4 13. The Man From Tallahassee ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x13_TMFT_locke_falls.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Drew Goddard & Jeff Pinker Plot: Now that Kate, Sayid, Locke, and Rousseau have made it to the Barracks, they are shocked to see that Jack is being friendly with the Others. Rousseau slips away, and the others wait until dark to sneak into the camp. Kate finds Jack, but she and Sayid are caught. As for Locke, he sneaks into Ben’s house and asks about the submarine. However, they are interrupted by Alex, whom Locke takes hostage, and Tom, whom Ben tells to go get Richard and the man from Tallahassee. Then, Locke tells Alex to go get Sayid’s pack and take him to the submarine. She complies, and once at the submarine, Locke plants the C-4 he took from the Flame on it. Meanwhile, Jack visits Kate and tells her that he’s gonna leave on the submarine and bring back rescue. However, just as he’s about to board his ride home, Locke blows it up. Afterwards, Ben and Richard take Locke to meet the man from Tallahassee: Anthony Cooper. Flashbacks: We finally learn how Locke got into the wheelchair. He’s living a pathetic life in a pathetic apartment. Then, a man named Peter Talbot comes to him about Adam Seward, the man who is about to marry his mother. However, Peter has learned that Adam is actually Anthony Cooper and that Locke gave him his kidney. He wants to know all about Cooper, but Locke lies and says it was an anonymous donation. After this meeting, Locke follows Cooper and Mrs. Talbot, confronts him, and warns him to call off the wedding. Cooper agrees, but then Peter dies. When Locke finds out, he confronts Cooper, thinking he killed the boy. Cooper lies and says that he had nothing to do with Peter’s death and that Mrs. Talbot called off the wedding because of her sons death. He even asks Locke to call the woman to see if it’s true. Locke does, but then Cooper knocks Locke into a window, causing him to fall 8 stories to the ground. In the hospital, Locke learns that Cooper has fled to Mexico and that he will no longer walk again. Thoughts: As I said back in the “Stranger In A Strange Land” review, that episode got me to stop watching Lost for 3 weeks. So, what brought me back? The promise of ABC’s hype machine that we’d finally find out how Locke ended up in the wheel chair. I don’t know why, but I tuned it. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about finding out how Locke got paralyzed. Hell, I wanted to know very badly. The problem was that the promos for “Stranger In A Strange Land” promised to reveal some answers. It didn’t. I was pissed. I stopped watching. However, those goddamn promos suckered me. Though, to be honest, it wasn’t just the promos; the fact that nothing else worth watching was on at Lost’s airtime, Wednesdays at 9/8 central, was also a big factor for me to tune back in. So, with nothing better on and the memories of disappointment from “Stranger In A Strange Land,” I tuned in not expecting much. What I got was a pretty damn good episode. For one, they got the answer of Jack’s friendly behavior with the Others out of the way. No, he hasn’t been turned. But, he has to be friendly if he wants to get off the Island. Plus, playing football with the Others sounds a lot better than being drugged, beaten, and interrogated by them. Nevertheless, I’m a glad they didn’t go down that route. It just didn’t make sense that Jack, the one guy who’s wanted to get off the Island more than anyone, would suddenly go native. Though, I have to say I’m a little disappointed that Jack wasn’t turned. It would have been interesting to see how the Others would have done that. Maybe we would have found out more about Room 23 and Jacob. Who knows? But, this episode ain’t about Jack. It’s a Locke episode, and the one we’ve been waiting for: the reveal of how he was paralyzed. And, it was pretty shocking. The flashbacks leading up to it weren’t much: just Locke once again getting sucked into Anthony Cooper’s life, this time by a man whose mother has married Cooper and is afraid she’s being conned. Locke’s flashback wasn’t really much until the end, but I think that was the point. The writers, here Goddard and Pinker, wanted it to seem matter-of-factly to make the end seem all the more shocking. It’s an old writing trick, but it works. As for that ending: pushed out of a window! Goddamn! I thought Locke was just shot in the back or hit by a car. But, pushed out of a window!? That was a pretty good one. Kudos to Goddard and Pinker, and the other Lost writers, for coming up with that. As good as the end of Locke’s flashback is, the real meat happens on the Island. As I said with Jack’s supposedly turn, it was played nicely. Goddard and Pinker made it seem like Jack had turned well. Though the actors deserve some credit as well, especially Lilly. Her disbelief that Jack has been seemingly brainwashed and her hurt that Jack doesn’t do anything to help her and Sayid when they’ve been captured was wonderfully played by her. She’s really good when she and Jack speak for the first time since the Hydra island. The heartbreak just pours out of her face like tears, even tough she’s not crying. Also, I have to say that the chemistry between Fox and Lilly is getting a little better. I think that’s because they now know each other so well. Another good performance comes from the obvious candidate: the best actor on the show, Michael Emerson. One of the things I like is how he can go from sarcastic to creepy quite easily. The way he delivered the line “We don't have a code for, 'There's a man in my closet with a gun to my daughter's head'…although we obviously should,” was perfect. I like how Ben adds a little sarcasm to the situation. I don’t know if that was a writers’ decision or Emerson’s, but it was a good one. And, of course, Kevin Tighe gives another great performance as Cooper. That guy was pretty much born to play Locke’s father. Though, the man of the hour is…well…the man of the hour, Terry O’Quinn. I loved the look of despair on his face in the first two flashback scenes. I loved his back and forth with Emerson. And, I loved the look of almost glee after he blows up the submarine. He’s just perfect, especially in the scenes with Emerson. Those to have a great one-up-manship. They perfectly show their disdain for each other. Ben obviously doesn’t like that Locke can walk despite being paralyzed and that Locke thinks he knows the Island better than Ben. And, Locke thinks Ben’s a hypocrite for living on the Island like he’s living on any old town in America. The best exchange: Ben: You’ve been here 80 days, John! I’ve been here my entire life! So how is that you think you know the Island better than I do. Locke: Because, you’re in the wheelchair; and I’m not. They fighting a boxing match with their words, and Locke just landed the knockout punch. Plus, it was nicely called back when Ben said that he wanted to help Locke. This struggle between Locke and Ben makes for some damn entertaining stuff. Besides the acting, it’s very well written. For one, there are all those great lines, like the ones above and Ben’s answer for how the Island has electricity: “There are two giant wheels with hamsters underneath.” I also like the idea of “the box” that can manifest anything people want. I think it’s a bunch of hooey, but the idea of it is still pretty damn interesting. Another interesting idea is the submarine. It’s been presented as the only way on and off the Island; but I don’t think that’s true, and I’m not just saying that because people came here by boat, plane, and balloon. It appears that the writers are subtly saying that there is another way off the Island and that the submarine is just used as tool to keep people in line. Sure enough, it later becomes obvious that Ben wanted the submarine destroyed to keep the Others complacent knowing that there’s no way off. We later do learn that there is another way off the Island, but more on that later. And, there were those big reveals. Yes, the reveal of Locke’s fall wasn’t the only surprise. Cooper showing up at the end was an awesome cliffhanger for this episode. In fact, that was the reason to make be tune in next week. I was disappointed that we got the Nikki and Paulo episode, but I didn’t mind because I knew if I kept watching I’d eventually find off. Yes, this was the episode that restored my faith in Lost. It’s fitting that it was an episode about the man of faith. 8/10. 14. Exposé ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x14_RazzleFreakingDazzle.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: While playing ping pong, Hurley and Sawyer are shocked to see Nikki running out of the jungle, falling the ground, and saying something like “Paulo lies” before dying. They later find Paulo dead in the jungle with a walkie talkie and some diamonds. Soon, the other castaways try to figure out what happened. Sawyer thinks they were with the Others, but the rest soon think that Sawyer may have killed them for the diamonds because Desmond saw him arguing with Nikki over a gun and because Charlie earlier confessed to Sun that he abducted her as part of Sawyer’s con to get the guns. However, Sawyer denies it and later throws them into Nikki and Paulo’s graves. Flashbacks: We learn how Nikki and Paulo came to the Island. Nikki use to work on a show called Exposé and married the executive producer, Howard L. Zukerman. However, it was just a con she and Paulo, who worked as his chef, to get his diamonds. They kill Zukerman, take the diamonds, and leave for L.A. on Flight 815. Then comes the plane crash, during which they lose the diamonds. After that, they begin to search for them. Dr. Arzt gives Nikki a map that leads to Eko’s plane, but Paulo won’t look for the diamonds there because it looks unsafe. While there, they end up finding the Pearl. Eventually, Paulo finds the diamonds and hides them in The Pearl, overhearing Ben and Juliet talking about Jack while there; they also leave behind a walkie talkie that Paulo takes. Later, Paulo retrieves the diamonds when they go with Locke, Sayid, Desmond, and Eko to the Pearl. However, Nikki finds out about the diamonds and confronts him with a medusa spider that can paralyze anything it bites, which she learned from Dr. Arzt. However, the female spider attracts male spiders, and Nikki is bitten, which leads to her running off and Sawyer and Hurley finding her. Of course, this means that Paulo and Nikki were buried alive. Thoughts: Boy was I disappointed to learn that instead of following up on Anthony Cooper being on the Island, we’d get a Nikki and Paulo episode. I wasn’t surprised. They did this in Season 2, following up Ana-Lucia and Libby’s deaths by Michael in “Two For The Road” with Locke and Eko’s Pearl discovery in “?”. Just disappointed. I imagine most fans were, mainly because of Nikki and Paulo. Ah, Nikki and Paulo. The answer no one wanted. You see, one question that’s been bugging Lost fans is “Why don’t any of the other castaways go on adventures with the main group?” (By the way, I hate this question because it’s obvious that they aren’t part of what’s going on since the creators have chosen to not focus on them; like with Kate’s marriage and Jack’s tattoos, I say, “Who gives a s***?”) To placate this, we got Arzt going with Kate, Locke, Jack, and Hurley to get dynamite from the Black Rock and “S.O.S.,” Rose and Bernard’s only centric episode. But, fans still weren’t pleased. So, the Lost writers created Nikki and Paulo. However, soon these two because more hated than Kate, Jack, and everyone not asking questions. So, they were killed off here. Now, for a confession: I don’t hate Nikki and Paulo. I know that may make a few Lost fans’ blood boil, but I didn’t see what was so bad about them. It wasn’t like they were played by bad actors. Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santiago are okay. Now, don’t get too angry: I didn’t like them. I hate them, but I didn’t care for them either. To me, they were just the writers way of answering a question. And, I think the problem with Nikki and Paulo wasn’t the idea of them but rather execution of said idea. If this had been a one-and-done thing or if they had been introduced on the tail section, I think fans wouldn’t have been so venomous towards them. However, they clumsily integrated them into “Further Instructions” as if they had always been there. They even planned to give Nikki a flashback episode, showing her to be a stripper/crime fighter then revealing that she’s actually an actress on a TV show (a neat idea, I have to say). It was like dumping oil into water and hoping it would mix. Another problem was putting this episode in the middle of the season heating up. In the last episode, Kate, Sayid, and Locke had reached the Others’ barracks, Locke had blown up the submarine, and Anthony Cooper was now on the Island. Things were getting interesting. So, how did Lost follow that up? A stand-alone episode dedicated to two characters the fans could care less about. Not exactly gonna win the Lost writers any favors with the fanbase. I mean, the whole episode comes off as a fanfic story or a tie in novel that shows what’s happening on the Island through the eyes of a castaway we don’t see, like that video game Lost: Via Domus. And, while I was disappointed by this episode, I didn’t hate it for two reasons. One was sympathy for the Lost writing staff. Here, they’ve asked why the other castaways have done anything with the main group. So, they resolved to fix this with Nikki and Paulo. Were the fans appreciative? No! They s*** on the idea! That’s gotta be frustrating as hell: giving the fans what they want and still getting spit on! Especially in an “Everything sucks” culture that has become more prevalent with the Internet allowing every one to voice their opinions and those opinions usually being negative (that’s not to say that positive opinions, but let’s face: negativity has always been more vocal than positivity). As Maximus said “Gladiator”: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!!!? The other reason: I was actually pretty entertained by this episode. While I did think Nikki and Paulo’s plot was a little cliché, I thought the episode was an interesting idea: a “Rosencranz & Guildenstern” approach to Lost, seeing the show through the eyes of lesser known characters. There were some nice twists, like Nikki and Paulo stumbling on Eko’s plane and the Pearl long before Locke and Boone found the plane and Eko and Locke found the Pearl and Paulo overhearing Ben and Juliet’s conversation in the Pearl while hiding the diamonds they stole, which answers why Paulo went to the Pearl. It was also nice to see Shannon, Boone, Ethan, and Arzt (yes, I actually liked the guy here) again. I also have to praise the Lost crew again for terrifically recreating the plane crash scenes from the pilot. As I mentioned earlier, in the “Lost On Location” featurette on this episode, they how well they recreated the Flight 815 wreckage; and I have to say all that hard work paid off. It looks great, and it was an excellent idea to reshoot it rather than just CGI Sanchez and Santiago into the pilot because I’m sure the other way would have looked bad and taken the audience out of the moment. I also have to say that Nikki and Paulo’s reunion after the crash was nicely done. Santiago played the relief to see her well, and Sanchez was nice with asking about the diamonds. Also, a cameo from Billy Dee Williams is always appreciated. Another nice thing about the show was the other castaways trying to figure out what happened. Holloway is pretty good here, in top Sawyer form; and Kim does a nice job here as well. And, I liked how the other castaways began to suspect Sawyer killed them, especially after Charlie’s reveals his involvement in Sawyer’s gun con (which was revealed in a little ungainly way). It’s in tune with their characters and his. But, the best touch was the reveal that Nikki and Paulo were being buried alive. Nikki waking up as dirt was being dumped on them was a very clever way of revealing it. It’s a good thing that chose the name “Paulo” since it and “lies” happens to sound a lot like “paralyzed.” But, the amazing thing about this episode is how it follows through on several of Lost’s core themes: the villain's redemption, the perils of mistrust, and the idea of mysteries nesting within mysteries. Also, it could be a clue to the big mystery of Lost: just what in the hell is going on? The answer: it could all be a show within a show. In the first flashback scene, Nikki's character on the striper-crimefighter series Exposé discovers right before her death that the man she thought was her boss and friend (played by Billy Dee Williams) was actually the criminal mastermind she’s been fighting against. So, maybe, just maybe one of the other castaways is behind the whole thing. Maybe the rich Hurley used his money to put his whole thing together? Or, maybe Locke will go back in time and become Jacob? It’s an interesting idea, I doubt that’s gonna be the case. I think they’re just mentioning this idea like they did the “It’s all a dream” theory” in “Dave”: addressing it as a possibility but ultimately dismissing it just by mentioning it. I think this mainly because we did meet Jacob is Season 5. But still, it’s pretty amazing that some of the myth ideas are in this episode that was written just to clear up the writers’ mistake. So, I say kudos to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz for writing such an entertaining and clever episode. 8/10. 15. Left Behind ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3X15_KateJungle.jpg) Director(s): Karen Gaviola Writer(s): Damon Lindelof & Elizabeth Sarnoff Plot: The Others leave the Barracks, and Locke goes with. Before leaving, they gas the place, knocking out Kate, Sayid, and Jack. Kate wakes up in the Jungle handcuffed to Juliet. The two are forced to work together to get back to the Barracks while trying to avoid the Smoke Monster. Meanwhile at the beach, Hurley tells Sawyer that the other castaways are planning to vote whether or not to banish him and that he should make nice to sway the votes. Sawyer does so, giving everyone a nice bar-b-que. However, Sawyer learns from Charlie that no vote was to take place. Sawyer confronts Hurley, who tells him that he tricked Sawyer because the castaways needed a new leader in case Locke, Kate, Sayid, and Jack didn’t make it back. Flashbacks: We get another Kate flashback. Here, we learn that Kate once met Cassidy, the mother of Sawyer’s daughter. Kate asks Cassidy to help her run interference so that she can talk to her mother and find out why she ratted her own daughter out. Thoughts: Well, this is a lot better than the last Kate episode we got. Instead of the melodrama Kate trying to save Jack and Sawyer but betraying the former by having sex with the latter, here’s she running around in the jungle with Juliet trying not to get killed by the Smoke Monster. These two have a very interesting relationship. It’s not quite a friendship but not quite a rivalry. The best way to describe it would that they’re frienemies. There were some great things about their interaction here, like their handcuffed fight that leads to Kate accidentally dislocating Juliet’s shoulder (I got a kick out of that) and Kate popping the shoulder back in after Juliet reveals that Jack saw her and Sawyer have sex. The best part was at the beginning with Kate attacking Juliet, even though she’s just bringing Kate food, and Juliet easily flipping her on the ground. It’s weird that Kate would be so distrustful of Juliet, especially since Juliet helped her and Sawyer escape. But, her distrust is a little justified when it’s revealed that Juliet handcuffed herself to Kate and put her in the jungle and that she did know of the Smoke Monster despite claiming not to earlier. Though it was done to gain Kate’s trust, it’s still a very suspicious thing for Juliet to do. However, the underlining cause for Kate’s distrust of Juliet is jealousy. She saw the way Juliet touched Jack back in “The Man From Tallahassee,” and it’s obvious Kate still has some feelings for Jack. But now, suddenly, there’s a competitor for Jack’s affections. It must unnerving to not only see another woman vie for the attention of the man you like but also to suddenly not be the center of attention, which was shown wonderfully when Kate wakes Jack up and he asks about Juliet after she apologizes for coming to get him and screwing his escape up. Remember, she’s been the meat in the Jack and Sawyer sandwich. However, with Juliet in the picture, Jack’s the meat; and Kate’s just bread. It’s a great way to add an extra layer to Kate and Juliet’s tension. As for the flashbacks, they don’t do much; but they are a huge improvement over Kate’s marriage. For one, we get another connection, funnily enough again it’s to Sawyer. Sawyer having had Kate’s mom as a waitress once was a weak thread. Having her once meet Cassidy was a lot stronger. It’s very out of nowhere, so much so it almost doesn’t make any sense. But, hell! I’ll go with, mainly because Kim Dickens is back! She’s nice in this one and has a friendly chemistry with Lilly. Though, showing that Kate knows Cassidy isn’t the reason for the flashback. That would be to answer why Kate’s mom turned her in, which was because she loved Wayne despite his faults. Now, that didn’t really seem necessary to me. I think it was pretty obvious that was the reason. Also, it wasn’t written very well. It was pretty exposition heavy. Though, I did like Beth Broderick’s performance here. So, it wasn’t all bad. As for the Sawyer’s subplot, it was okay. Like the ping pong subplot in “Enter 77,” it was sweet but a little fluffy. I mean, I like the idea of Sawyer trying to make nice to everyone as it leads to some funny moments. But, the whole reveal that Hurley did it get everyone to like him better since he’s become the de facto leader with Jack, Kate, Locke, and Sayid gone, it’s too sweet from me. Yet, the subplot doesn’t take anything away from the episode. It’s just not all that great compared to Kate and Juliet trying to get along long enough to avoid the Smoke Monster. There is one very interesting moment involving their encounter with Smokey: when he chases them into a tree, it flashes a bunch of bright lights. What’s up with that? Also, we learn that the sonic fence around the Barracks can also keep the Smoke Monster out. That’s…something. All in all, this is a pretty good episode. It has a few problems, but it’s elevated a lot by Lilly and Mitchell’s performances. They have a great interaction here that will become even more interesting as the show progresses. 7/10. 16. One Of Us ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x16_Juliet_arrives.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Drew Goddard Plot: Kate, Sayid, Jack, and Juliet make it to the beach. However, the castaways are suspicious of Juliet since she was an Other. To make matters worse, Claire suddenly becomes ill. Luckily, Juliet reveals that she knows what’s wrong with Claire and can help. However, Sawyer and Sayid are distrustful of her and follow her as she goes to retrieve the serum to help her. They try to stop her from giving it to Claire, but Juliet is able to reason with them and give Claire the serum. Claire gets better and everyone starts to become trustful of Juliet. Flashbacks: Juliet goes on the flashback ride again. Here, we learn how and why she came to the Island. After being drugged and put onto the submarine, Juliet wakes up on the Island and meets Ben. Then, she’s told about the mysterious medical condition that affects pregnant women on the Island and that the Others want her to find a way to fix it. This was suppose to take a few months, but after several years and no results, Juliet wants to leave. However, Ben won’t let her and forces her to stay on the promise that Jacob will cure her sister’s cancer. Then, she tells Ben of his tumor, Flight 815 crashes on the Island, and they go to the Flame to see what’s going on. There, Ben shows Juliet a video of her sister, healthy and playing with her daughter. Finally, her flashbacks end with Ben telling Juliet to handcuff herself to Kate, go back with the others, and gain the trust of the castaways by saving Claire. Thoughts: This Island changes people. Jack has gone from dickish cynic to slightly less dickish believer. Locke has gone from a pathetic lonely man who can’t walk into a very important person who is in touch with the Island. Sawyer has gone from loner/con man to a fearless leader. And then, there’s Juliet. She used to be a meek gynecologist. Then, after three years on the Island, she’s become one badass woman. However, unlike Jack, Locke, and Sawyer, we haven’t really seen her change. Theirs progressed as the series went on. Hers has only been indicated in the differences between the flashbacks in which she’s the humble doctor trying to save her sister and the confident semi-bitch who can callously shoot a man. It’s a pretty jarring transformation, but the writers have handled it well. Though, it helps they picked a wonderful actress to play her. Elizabeth Mitchell has played this role to perfection, aptly handling the switch from caring to cold. The thing that really sells it is how she and the writers have kept some of that caring after she’s become an Other. That’s smart because no matter how much things change they always stay the same. Meaning, Jack may now be a believer, but he’s still a bit of dick. Locke may no longer be the weakling he once was, but he’s got that naiveté that’s been present throughout most his life. Sawyer may no longer be a loner, but he’s still sarcastic as hell. And, Juliet is a lot stronger than she was before the Island; but she still has a heart. That’s what makes this episode so interesting: it shows that Juliet may be an Other, but that’s just the outside appearance. She still has her heart, and she desperately wants to leave the Island. Of course, just we, the audience, knows that doesn’t that the other castaways do. This creates a great tension in this episode about whether or not she really has left the Others. To add to that, Cuse and Goddard ended it with the reveal that Ben didn’t drug Juliet in the last episode and had her handcuff herself with Kate in order to gain her trust and go back with them. You know, I wonder if Ben sent the Smoke Monster after them to help Juliet. Anyway, it makes the audience wonder where her allegiance lies and if she’s just using the castaways to get off the Island. All intriguing stuff. It’s amazing how the writers have been able to keep this woman a mystery why still having the audience know that she doesn’t like the Others and wants off the Island. To help matters is the tension between Juliet and Ben. This adds an interesting layer to things as it appears Ben has a possessive relationship with Juliet, almost as if he’s in love with her despite her obvious apathy toward him. There are some myths brought up here as well. For one, there’s Claire getting sick. It appeared like the writers were bring back the sickness, but it all turned out to be a red herring to get the castaways to trust her. However, the sickness could seem to be what happens to pregnant woman: they can’t give birth; the baby and mother almost always dies, which is why Juliet was brought to the Island. This is an interesting idea bring in more questions like: why does this happen? How was Claire able to give birth? Is it because she conceived off the Island? Or is it because Aaron is special? Who knows, but there is a possible answer brought up in Season 5. But, I’ll get to that later. Another mystery is Mittelos Bioscience and Herarat Aviation. Mittelos was first mentioned back in “Not In Portland,” that was the company Richard Alpert said he worked for, and Herarat was brought up here. However, Juliet said that she had done some research and never heard of them. It appears that they’re front companies the Others’ uses to make money or for other purposes. They haven’t been mentioned much since then, but I would like to see a revisit of them. All in all, this is a very good episode. There is a lot of great stuff going on here. Even the title is an awesome callback to the Ben’s first episode “One Of Them.” I didn’t even mind that it didn’t really answer much about the Others even though we could have perfectly learned all about them through Juliet’s eyes. It has a lot of nice touches, like the reunion scene. Sawyer’s hesitation before hugging Jack and Kate was the kicker. But, the real highlight is Elizabeth Mitchell. She is fantastic here. Highlights include Juliet asking Ben to leave after a woman dies, Juliet confronting Ben with his cancerous tumor, Juliet chastising Sawyer and Sayid for being so righteous as she tries to take the serum to Claire, and Juliet seeing her sister on the monitors in the Flame. Emerson is also very good here. He plays overprotection to creepy highs. So, I have to say that Lost is on a roll. Well, it pretty much has been since “Not In Portland.” It just had a few hiccups along the way (“Stranger In A Strange Land” and some would add “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” and “Exposé”). 9/10. Disc 7—Bonus Features: Before I begin, there is a commentary track on this disc, for “Exposé,” and I’m probably gonna look at that with track on and give you all my thoughts on it tomorrow. Now, recap: Disc 7 menu set up like the Hydra monitors, six are shown, but 2-5 only ones you can click on, and have gone through 2-4. Now, onto Monitor 5. When you click on it, it takes you to some audio equipment. Click on the tape deck to bring up the features, which are “The Lost Flashbacks,” deleted scenes, sneak peeks, and “The Orchid Instructional Film.” So, let’s have at it, shall we?: First are “The Lost Flashbacks,” which are deleted scenes from various flashbacks throughout Season 3. These come from “Further Instructions,” “The Glass Ballerina,” and “Exposé.” For “Further Instructions,” we see Locke after he confronts Eddie about being a cop and escaping as the police raid the place. It’s a nice scene, and I like how Eddie just lets Locke go. Honestly, I think that could have been left in the episode. Oh well. Next is “The Glass Ballerina.” Here we see Jae Lee’s mom asking Jin how he knew her son. Like the first one, it was okay and could have been left in. I don’t even know why it was taken out. Couldn’t have been for time because it wasn’t that short. But, what are you gonna do? Finally, for “Exposé,” we have Nikki’s reaction to the Swan implosion and Paulo calming her down. Now, this is nicely acted, but I can see why it was deleted. Next up, the other deleted scenes. Here, we have Jack coming to the rescue of a little girl choking why watching Sarah, why this wasn’t with the other “Lost Flashbacks,” I don’t know; nor do I know why the “Lost Flashbacks” aren’t with the other deleted scenes; Nikki and Paulo’s original introduction, Claire caught them having sex in a tent; Nikki apologizing to Claire about the sex; Sawyer and Kate breaking rocks, which is where we learn that they are indeed making a runway; Alex being taken to Ben after trying to help Kate and Sawyer escape, where she learns that Karl is in Room 23; Hurley trying to see if Locke as psychic powers; Kate finding Charlie cutting wood; Sawyer and Charlie talking to Hurley after their van ride; and Ben taking Locke to Jacob’s cabin. Some of these are pretty funny, like the ones with Claire and Nikki. Some should have stayed in the episodes they were deleted from, like the ones with Ben. Though, the others are nice but obvious as to why they were deleted. Next, the sneak peeks, which are just previews to other DVDs. Nothing to report here. And, finally, we have “The Orchid Instructional Film.” You may have seen this on the Internet. If not, you should. It’s…oh f***! I’ll just post: OH MY GOD!!!! HOW f***ING AWESOME WAS THAT!!!!? I’ve seen it several times, and it still scares the s*** out of me each time! I mean, the Lost writers managed to make bunnies scary! f***ing BUNNIES!!!! Plus, each time I see it, I discover something new, like the one second flash of Gerard DeGroot, the Narvik, Norway, town hall, and that “God loves you as He loved Jacob” still from the Room 23 video. I also have give props to François Chau for his performance in that piece. He was incredible and really sold the fear. It also brings up a s*** load of questions about what the Orchid is. For further reading, check here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Orchid and here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Orchid/Theories and here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Orchid_Orientation_video and here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Orchid_Orientation_video/Theories. Well, that’s all for today. I will have the “Exposé” commentary track review up tomorrow. As for the reviews of the remaining episodes, we’ll just have to see. Though, since I usually have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, expect them then. I’ll also have the Season 3 Easter eggs up next time. See you then.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 8, 2010 14:20:47 GMT -5
Okay, here is the review of the “Exposé” commentary track. I would have had it up yesterday, but I just forgot. Anyway, I’m sad to report that none of the actors are on this; just writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Why they didn’t get Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santiago to sit in on it? Was it just because they were let go? I don’t know, but that doesn’t take away from how funny the track is. I loved how they described what digging was, a nice poke at how silly commentary tracks can be. They also explain the ideas behind Exposé, fictional TV show on Lost. It turns out they had the idea for this show since Season 1, and they explain their intentions to have had one episode to show Nikki’s flashbacks as an episode of Exposé but not have that revealed until the end. We also learn that Damon Lindelof came up with Nikki’s catchphrase from Exposé, razzle dazzle. I have to give the man props for that; it’s so stupid that it’s funny and perfectly satirizes stupid catchphrases. I also learn that sometimes the things you see in the show may not be a clue but rather just an homage the writers threw in. By this, I’m talking about the University of Wisconsin sweatshirt Ethan wears when he meets Nikki and Paulo. Since he’s an Other, it may seem like some big clue, maybe about his past or something to do with the Others or the DHARMA Initiative. In reality, Horowitz and Kitsis met at the University of Wisconsin; and that’s why it’s there. It makes you wonder how many other clues on the shows are just wild goose chases. There was also a hilarious gag that didn’t make it in the show: Paulo finding Shannon’s inhaler. It’s funny because, as we’ve seen in this episode, Nikki and Paulo have ended finding about everything before everyone else. I mean, they found Eko’s plane, the Question Mark, the Others, etc. Another thing cut out was Boone and Locke running into Nikki and Paulo; I can see why it got cut because it doesn’t seem all that interesting. I also liked how they revealed that Vincent uncovering the blanket over Nikki and Paulo was the dog trying to show the other castaways that they’re alive. I didn’t catch, but it is clever. Also, it’s a nice reference to the theory that everything that’s going on in the Island is just a dream in the dog’s head. Of course, that’s just a joke theory; I don’t expect it to be the big reveal. Though, I would laugh a little if it was. Anywho, this was a pretty good commentary track. I laughed a little, and I learned a lot. All in all, I have to say that it was an enjoyable experience. Also, there’s no such thing as a medusa spider. So, I can sleep a little better at night.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 9, 2010 23:09:25 GMT -5
Good news, everyone! I’ll be able to finish Season 3 over the weekend. Though, I guess you could tell this by the post. Also, I just got the first of the bonus discs of Season 4. However, it is from Netflix, which means Season 4 is gonna take awhile. But, since Season 4 was so short, hopefully it won’t take that long. Anyway, let’s get Season 3 finished. As I said last time, I’m gonna have to spoil the major plot threads of these episodes in order to fully review them. So, here’s your warning: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 3-Disc 5 17. Catch-22 ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/3x17_DrunkDesmond.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Jeff Pinker & Brian K. Vaughn Plot: Charlie, Desmond, Jin, and Hurley are walking through the jungle when Charlie accidentally trips one of Rousseau’s traps, sending an arrow into his neck and killing him. However, it’s just one of Desmond’s visions. He also sees someone coming to the Island and the cable that Sayid used to find Rousseau. Desmond frantically runs to Hurley, asking about the cable. After Hurley tells him about the cable, Desmond grabs a first aid kit from Jack; and Hurley takes him to the cable. They get Jin, since he was in the vision; and then Desmond goes to get Charlie, even though he saw Charlie die again. However, Charlie accepts, also knowing that he might die. They go on their journey find the woman who’s gonna parachute on the Island, with Desmond thinking that it might be Penny. But, it appears that in order for him to be reunited with Penny that Charlie has to die. Sure enough, things play out as Desmond saw them, but once again Desmond saves Charlie. Then, they find the parachutist, who turns out to not be Penny. Meanwhile, Kate tells Sawyer that Jack knows about their sexcapade. And then, she ends up having sex with Sawyer again, this time over her jealousy of Jack and Juliet. Flashbacks: We get another Desmond flashback. Here we learn that he was a monk in Scotland, was engaged to a woman named Ruth but left her to join a monastery, eventually left said monastery, and then met Penny. Thoughts: Another Desmond episode. Well, this should be a good one. I mean, “Live Together, Die Alone” and “Flashes Before Your Eyes” were classics. Hopefully, this one should live up to them? That’s what I thought when I first saw this episode. I was disappointed. You see, we’ve gone back into filler as the flashbacks for this episode only lead up to Desmond meeting Penny. If they had just show Desmond meeting Penny and then gone on to something else in Desmond’s life, like how the tension between him and her father Charles started, or if they just shown something else, like Desmond joining the Army, it probably would have been okay. But, all we get is Desmond as a monk, getting drunk and yelled at by his ex-fiancée. It’s not all that interesting. Though, it is nicely acted. I have thoroughly enjoyed Cusick’s performance as Desmond, and here it’s done nicely, especially when he’s drunk. A drunk Desmond is a treat to see. I also liked Joanna Bool as Ruth. She does a nice job of playing Desmond’s jilted lover. You really feel her pain at being abandoned for the cloth. And, I really like the end scene, with Desmond’s first encounter with Penny being split up with Desmond and his crew cutting the parachutist down. It was nicely edited and well acted by Cusick and Sonya Walger But, like I said, this is a filler flashback; and the performances, though good, don’t really elevate it nor make it as classic Desmond’s other episode. The stuff that goes on with Desmond on the Island is much better. For one, this marks the beginning of the road to the season finale, with Naomi parachuting onto the Island. And, she has come from a boat that is a few miles off the Island. So, now we have a goal to get to: there’s a boat out there, and it can lead the castaways to rescue. They’ve just got to get past the Others to do it. So, not only are we gonna get a possible rescue but also the conclusion of the conflict between the castaways and the Others. Great, now we have something to look forward to in the season finale. Secondly, we have another storyline that’s been going on throughout the season: Charlie’s imminent death. As we’ve seen, Desmond has seen that Charlie is going to die and has been trying to prevent it from happening. However, there is a lingering question: will Desmond end up actually leading Charlie to his death? It’s been subtly played throughout, but subtly is now out the window as it becomes obvious to Desmond in his vision that Charlie has to die in order for him and Penny to reunite. Over course, this brings about the moral question: can Desmond just let an innocent man die in order to get back to the woman he loves? It’s an intriguing idea that the writers do well; props to Pinker and Vaughn. However, Desmond does decide to save Charlie yet again as he just can’t bring himself to let him die. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that just because he saved Charlie that Charlie’s death won’t end up leading to Desmond and Penny’s reunion. So, we also get some nice foreshadowing. Also, Jin tells a ghost story in Korean. Whoever thought of this is a genius. As for the subplot, we get another problem that’s plagued Lost: melodrama. Here, Kate tells Sawyer that Jack knows about them having sex, and then Kate has sex with Sawyer again because she sees Jack and Juliet getting cozy. And, quite frankly, it’s all just boring. I mean, who gives a s***? For one, there’s a much more interesting storyline in there with the rest of the group not trusting Jack because of his trust in Juliet and his coziness with the Others back when he was with them. Can’t they play that up some more? Luckily they do in the next few episodes, but it would be nice here. Also, there’s all that relationship s*** that I could care less about since the endgame of the season has began. Now, yes, I did say that I liked Kate and Juliet’s tension in “Left Behind,” but that was because it was new. For a while we’ve had Kate/Sawyer/Jack’s love triangle, but the inclusion of Juliet made it a lot more interesting. However, it’s all gone back to Sawyer, and I could care less as I feel Kate and Sawyer are a perfect match whereas Jack and Juliet would make a nice couple. Why should I care about these people trying to figure out who to get with when the coupling seems so obvious? Can’t they just realize who’s perfect for whom? And, if not, then just have a f***ing four-way and stop boring me with it. Even though I could care less about this subplot, I do like seeing Jack and Sawyer playing ping-pong. This is also a genius idea. So, in conclusion, good Desmond Island action and acting bring it up, but the flashback and the Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Juliet love rectangle bring it down. I guess I’ll be kind: 6/10. 18. D.O.C. ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/A_question.jpg) Director(s): Fred Toye Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: When Jack asks Sun some suspicious questions about her pregnancy, Sun goes to Kate to inquire about it. She tells Sun to ask Juliet, who reveals to Sun about the problems pregnant women have on the Island when giving birth. Later, Juliet goes to Sun to offer some help, taking her to the Staff. There, Juliet performs an ultrasound on Sun, so Juliet can calculate the date of conception. If it was off the Island, then Sun might have a chance. Of course, that would mean Jae Lee is the father. But, if it was on the Island, then Sun might be in trouble. However, it would mean that Jin is the father. It turns out to be the latter, and surprisingly Sun is relieved. After the ultrasound, Juliet stays behind to leave a taped message for Ben about Sun’s condition. Meanwhile, out in the jungle, Desmond, Charlie, Hurley, and Jin have found Naomi, the parachutist; but the woman is seriously injured. The group is fearful of moving her out of further injuring her, but it would probably take too long to get Jack out there. However, Mikhail runs out into the jungle, stumbling onto the scene. Jin subdues him. He sees Naomi and offers help, as he was a field medic in the Soviet/Afghanistan War, as long as they let him go. They agree. Mikhail saves Naomi but tries to take Naomi’s satellite phone as he leaves. However, Jin stops him. Yet, Desmond still lets him go. Then, the rest take Naomi back to camp. Flashbacks: Sun goes on the flashback rollercoaster again. Here, she is blackmailed by a woman who claims that Jin is the son of a prostitute and will reveal the secret unless she gets 100,000 dollars. Later, Sun asks Jin about his past, but he just gets angry. So, she goes to his father, who confirms the woman’s story. Then, Sun goes to her father for the money. He refuses at first, but when she says that the money is needed to prevent shame from coming to the family, he relents and gives her the money. Sun meets with the woman again, gives her the money, and reveals that she knows the woman is Jin’s mother. She denies this, but Sun threatens to have her father kill the woman if she doesn’t go with her end of the bargain. Thoughts: Again, more filler. I mean, did we really need to know about Jin’s mother? Was it necessary to reveal this lingering question, like Jack’s tattoos, Kate’s marriage, and Desmond’s monastery life? I don’t think so. I think there are other, more important things to be revealed. Like the culture of the Others. There’s a lot about them that we don’t know, and you’d think that the season all about them that there would be a lot revealed about them. Or how about Jack’s time with the Others? I mean, in the next episode, we’ll learn what Locke was doing with them when he went off with them. Why not do the same for Jack? But, no. We have to learn that Jin’s mom was a prostitute and that she blackmailed Sun over it. Now, it’s not that terrible of a story. For one, they are some intriguing ideas brought up with this story. For one, it’s implied that Sun knows a lot more about her father’s illegal activities than she lets on. Though we’ve known this since “House Of The Rising Sun,” this story takes place before Jin coming home covered in blood. So, perhaps she’s known all along and was just surprised to see that Jin had gotten involved in it. Also, there is the implication that Sun getting the hush money from her father leads to Jin getting more involved in Mr. Paik’s business. That’s also interesting to think that Sun may have indirectly lead to her husband doing things he really regrets. And, finally there’s the idea that Jin’s father may not be his real father, since his mother was a prostitute and Mr. Kwon basically tells Sun that he’s not sure about being Jin’s biological father. Will that ever get revealed as false or not? So far, this is the only place it’s brought up; but we do have one season left. What also elevates Sun’s flashback story is, once again, the acting. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae-Kim almost always bring up the quality of their character’s stories through the power of there performances. They have shown to be much better at melodrama than the rest of the cast, which why I think they’re two of the best actors on the cast. Kim is really good here. She is able to play it sweet, like in the scene between Sun and Mr. Kwon (John Shin does a good job as well) and when she sees her baby on the ultrasound, and then go right to stern, like when Sun’s standing up to Juliet and threatening Jin’s mother. Also, Bryon Chung is back as Mr. Paik. He shows a little range here, going from happy to confused to scare to angry in one scene. And, I’ve noticed that the third season is interestingly enough the first time Kim and Chung have been onscreen together. Amazingly, despite not having acted together for two years, they showed a nice dynamic that made for some great scenes. I wonder if the Lost producers had them act with each other before hand, like when casting Chung, to make sure they would work well together for when they eventually did get on screen together. I also thought Alexis Rhee was okay in her role as Jin’s mom. She’s not as good as the others, but she plays the role well. Now, Kim isn’t the only one who shines here. Elizabeth Mitchell another talent in her acting arsenal: she sounds very credible when doing medical speak, like she’s an actual doctor. Again, I have to say that casting her was an excellent choice. Also, there’s the Naomi subplot, which gets a lot more interesting than just that’s a new person on the Island by having her get injured and bring Mikhail back from the dead. This adds some more meat to the story as we now have a new mystery to solve: how is Mikhail back from the dead? Or, did he even die in the first place? Mikhail did mention that wounds on the Island heal a lot faster, which begs the question: can the Island back from the dead or just the brink of death? As Naomi’s injury, I figured she would survive from it. She’s the link to the boat out there, and the writers just can’t kill her off yet. Also, we another great fight scene: this one between Jin and Mikhail that rivals Mikhail and Sayid’s fight as the best on the show. So, I have to say that while this is a filler episode, it’s still a good one and better than the last one. And, it ends on a great cliffhanger, with Naomi telling Hurley that he can’t be a survivor of Oceanic 815 since it landed in the ocean and everyone died. I’ll talk more about that in the next review. Finally, one last note: an interesting line from Mr. Paik: “We do not live in a world where no questions are asked.” Boy is he wrong about that. 7/10. 19. The Brig ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Sawyer_kills_cooper.jpg) Director(s): Eric Laneuville Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: While out in the jungle, Sawyer is approached by Locke. He claims that he has infiltrated the Others, taken Ben hostage, and needs Sawyer’s assistance in taking Ben out. Sawyer agrees, and Locke takes him to the Black Rock, where he claims to have Ben held. However, it soon becomes clear to Sawyer that the man Locke has held in the Black Rock isn’t Ben; it’s actually Anthony Cooper. So, Locke locks him in with Cooper. They talk for a while, and then Sawyer soon discovers that Cooper is the man responsible for his parents’ deaths. In a fit of rage, Sawyer kills him. Locke lets Sawyer out, and Sawyer thanks him and leaves. Meanwhile, back at the beach, Desmond, Charlie, Hurley, and Jin reveal to Sayid that they have Naomi hidden in a tent and that they don’t want to tell Jack due to his closeness with Juliet. However, when Kate finds out, she tells Jack and Juliet, which leads to them revealing that they know about Ben’s plans for the castaways. Flashbacks: We learn what Locke was doing with the Others these past few episodes. It turns out Ben wants Locke to kill Cooper in order to become of one them. But, Locke can’t do it. Then, Locke gets Sawyer’s file from Richard Alpert and learns that the Others are leaving and than Locke can’t come unless he kills Cooper and brings the body with him. Thoughts: This is a Locke episode, but I’m not sure why. I mean, yes, we did need to see what Locke was doing with the Others. But, did it have to be told here in on Island flashbacks? Couldn’t it have been told during the last two episodes? The reason I ask these questions is because while this is a Locke episode, it doesn’t feel like it. To me, it’s more of a Sawyer episode. I mean, Sawyer finally meets the man who is responsible for his parents’ death. He’s finally gotten the revenge he’s wanted all his life. So, shouldn’t we see a point in Sawyer’s life? Like, say…the Tampa Job? Dammit! I wanna know what the hell the Tampa Job was, what went wrong, and why Sawyer’s so mad at Hibbs! I also want Robert Patrick back! That minor annoyance aside, this is a very good episode. Sawyer finally getting his revenge was done so well (with him forcing Cooper to read his letter and then snapping and strangling him when Cooper tells it up) and such a huge contrast to how he began the episode, making lovely with Kate in his tent. He’s gone from a moment of connection to a moment of disconnection as he’s fallen back into his old life. To me, it seems that Sawyer has given up on ever finding that man who ruined his life at an early age and has become a part of this loose group that somehow become a family. But now, he’s gotten his revenge and gone back to his old ways. Plus, there’s a sense of uncertainty in Sawyer. He’s finally achieved his lifelong goal. Now what? So many great ideas going around here, and Holloway plays it amazingly well. I especially liked his scenes with Kevin Tighe, who’s also great here. I really love when he goes on with ideas about how he and everyone on the Island is dead; he thinks this because of Locke being there as he thinks he killed Locke in that fall. This was not only well acted by Tighe but well written, jumping right off from Naomi telling Hurley that everyone on Flight 815 was dead. It nicely mentions one of the main theories on Lost’s solution: that everyone on the Island is dead and in purgatory. It has been a possibility, seeing how those people in the crash survived with hardly a scratch. And, everyone dying on the Island could be actually the dead people going to either Heaven or Hell. However, I don’t think that’s the answer judging by the events in Seasons 4 and 5. I think, like it all being a dream being mentioned in “Dave” and a castaway behind the whole thing in “Exposé,” that it’s only brought up here as a way to mention the theory and ultimately dismiss it. I especially love Holloway’s disbelief over Cooper’s theory. It’s almost as if he’s speaking for the writers. As for the flashback, while they don’t seem necessary to be here, they are great. O’Quinn and Emerson are the best actors on the show, and their scenes together are electric. I just love the tension they bring out of each other. It’s so palpable. Here, you have two guys struggling for control over the Island. Ben obviously doesn’t want to give it up, but Locke may not necessarily want to be the leader of the Other but also doesn’t want to follow Ben. The best part of this tension is Ben wanting Locke to kill Cooper in order to prove himself worthy to be an Other. It’s great because of the way Ben says he has to prove himself: as “a gesture of free will.” Boy, Ben has an interesting definition of “free will.” By the definition of “free will” most people go by, you wouldn’t force someone to do something they normally wouldn’t do to prove that they are masters of their own fate. Also, this leads to Ben humiliating Locke by forcing him to do it in front of everyone and saying that Locke isn’t the person they thought he was. The restrained joy Emerson displayed was a great touch, as was Ben throwing Locke’s “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” line back at him. Though, there is one thing that bothers me: Ben leaves Locke alone with Cooper afterwards and won’t let him back unless he brings Cooper’s dead body. What bugs me is that Ben leaves Locke alone. Why? Wouldn’t he want to see Locke kill Cooper? Didn’t he think that Locke could just go get someone else to do it? Or, was that the test: to see if Locke could get someone else to kill for him? But, why would Ben make that the test? Wouldn’t that prove he’s a leader like Ben? Or, was that test even Ben’s idea? Maybe it was Jacob’s. Now, it bugs me that Ben left alone, but it’s in a good way as it brings up some interesting ideas. There is also a nice subplot with the other castaways keeping Naomi hidden from Jack. It’s nice to see they haven’t ignored the castaways distrust of Jack for his time with the Others and his friendship with Juliet. What really impresses me is how Kate still defends Jack even though she has every right to join the lynch mob as Jack’s getting friendly with another woman. It obviously shows that Kate still has feelings for Jack despite him getting friendly with another woman and her hooking up with Sawyer. Plus, I’m sure she still remembers how Juliet helped her and Sawyer escape despite her jealousy. I also liked how Kate ended up being right, as we’ll later learn that Juliet has told Jack about Ben’s plan. Other nice things about this episode: Marsha Thomason, she gives us a better glimpse at Naomi’s character than being injured with her sarcasm toward Sayid’s callous questions; and Richard giving Locke Sawyer’s file, which is great as he shows the ever growing dissention among the Others. Apparently, they aren’t happy that Ben’s wasting their time with the condition of pregnant women. So, I have to say that this is a nice episode. There are some things that annoy me about it, but Cuse & Lindelof have put together another fine episode. 8/10. 20. The Man Behind The Curtain ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Lost-3x20-YoungBen.jpg) Director(s): Bobby Roth Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Drew Goddard Plot: Locke brings Cooper’s body to the Others’ new camp and then demands that Ben take him to Jacob. Then, Mikhail shows up and tells Ben about Naomi. However, Locke forces Ben to take him to Jacob anyway. Ben does so, taking Locke to a cabin. Ben goes in first, but Locke soon follows and sees Ben talking to no one. Locke thinks Ben is either crazy or making Jacob up. Suddenly, objects fly around the cabin; and Locke briefly sees Jacob. However, Locke still doesn’t believe what happened, thinking Ben put on a show. As they go back, Ben veers off path. Locke follows, and Ben shows him the mass grave with the DHARMA Initiative. Then, Ben shoots Locke and leaves him for dead in the grave. Meanwhile, back at the beach, tension grows as Sawyer has found Juliet’s tape for Ben and Jack and Juliet have gone missing. When they return, the camp confronts Jack and Juliet. However, they reveal that on the other side of the tape is Ben’s plan to come into the camp and take Sun and Kate and that Jack has known about this for sometime. Flashbacks: We see how Ben came to the Island. It turns out he wasn’t born on the Island but rather in the woods near Portland. His parents were on a hike when his mom went into labor. However, Ben’s mom didn’t make it. Years later, Ben and his father Roger joined the DHARMA Initiative. Roger was assigned as a “workman.” As time went on, Roger came to resent Ben because of his mom’s death. This causes Ben to run away. He runs into Roger, which begins his association with the Others. Years later, he helps the Others wipe out the DHARMA Initiative in the Purge. Thoughts: It’s about damn time. Twenty episodes into Season 3, and we are finally getting to Ben’s story. I’m surprised it took this long. As I’ve said, this season has all been about the Others. You’d think there would be more about them. But, they’re still as much of a mystery as they were in the first two seasons. To give the Lost creative staff some leeway, yes, we have learned a lot, like they have been on the Island for a long time and took over the DHARMA Initiative’s compounds after wiping them out in the Purge. But, they are still wrapped in some secrecy, what with their weird customs, their cryptic reasons for taking people and building things, and their need to get women to be able to give birth on the Island. However, the one with the most mysteries is Ben. Just who is this man who’s running the whole show? Well, we have a whole episode to find out, and appropriately with the mysterious nature of Ben and this being a recurring thing with the show, all the answers give us more questions. So, what is Ben’s story? Well, Ben wasn’t born on the Island, but he has lived on it since he was 7. He and his father were a part of DHARMA Initiative. But, his dad has resented Ben all his life because his mom died during labor. So, Ben ran off to join the Hostiles, as the DHARMA Initiative call the Others, and became a mole for them, helping them to rid the Island of the DHARMA Initiative. Well, that does explain why Ben desperately wants to keep pregnant women from dying during child birth: it happened to his mom, and he never wants it to happen again. But, there are still several questions brought up. For one, there’s Annie, the girl Ben developed a crush on. We don’t know what happened to her as the story of Ben and Annie has not been told. Also, Horace Goodspeed brought Roger and Ben to the Island and paid Roger $30,000 just to be a janitor? What!? That doesn’t make much sense. The only answer I can come up with is that Horace did so feeling sorry for Roger; he was the one who found the Linus’s after Emily gave birth. Also, there’s a volcano on the Island! As if there wasn’t enough to kill the people on this Island, the writers had to go add a volcano. However, this is so far the only episode in which the volcano has been brought up. Hopefully, it will play a role in the final season. Also, why would Ben’s mom’s ghost show up on the Island if she died near Portland? Or, was it really Ben’s mom? It could have been the Smoke Monster. Finally, Richard Alpert shows up in Ben’s flashback, only he’s the same age as we’ve seen him throughout Season 3. So, Richard is immortal. Okay, that’s cool, but how? Does the Island play a role in this? Also, just how old is he? And, can he die? He may not have aged, but he was wearing a gas mask when he and the Others walked into the Barracks after the Purge. Is there a way to kill him? So many intriguing questions. A lot of which hasn’t been answered brought up since then. However, despite all these unanswered questions, it’s still a great episode with so much going on. For one, there is Ben turning traitor because of his father. There have been so many people on this Island that have bad relationships with their fathers that it should have been a little annoying to see another, especially with the most interesting character on the show. However, this twist that the father hates the son because he’s so in love with the mother and can’t forgive the son for killing her despite it not being the son’s fault was a new twist on it. What helps it is Jon Griers’s performance. He plays resentment very well. I also have to give props to Sterling Beaumon as the young Benjamin Linus. He’s not quite the manipulative man we all know. He’s an angry, scare little boy who wants to get away from his father and the life he’s basically thrown him into. He shows that he’s capable of becoming the Ben we all know, but he’s not quite there yet. And, the climax of the Purge: good God! It’s pretty gruesome, especially for a network TV show, seeing all those people laying dead on the ground. What was really sickening was Ben watching his father died. It’s pretty heartbreaking as his dad trying to make some amends the crappy life they’ve had, but Ben just callously dismisses him just before releasing the nerve gas. That may be the worst thing Ben has ever done and the most sickening death scenes on the whole show. Also, we get some more great scenes with Locke and Ben. Their little chess game throughout this last half of the season has just been spectacular. Here, it gets better with the other Others letting Locke beat up Mikhail despite Ben’s pleads, Locke claiming the happenings in Jacob’s cabin was just a pony show Ben was putting on, and Ben shooting Locke in the gut and leaving him to die in the mass grave. All great stuff that Emerson and O’Quinn play to perfection. SPEAKING OF the happenings in Jacob’s cabin, there’s another great scene that brings up a lot of questions. There’s the possibility that Ben made Jacob up and is pretending to talk to him, the possibility that Ben’s crazy and thinks he does see Jacob, and the possibility that Jacob’s real all thrown out in one scene. Of course the icing on the cake is the voice that says “Help me,” which sounds a lot like Kelvin Inman, the man who pushed the button with Desmond, and the one frame shot of Jacob. Boy, was that something. And, more questions are raised: was all that real? Did Ben put it on for Locke’s purposes? Is Kelvin Jacob? And, did Jacob look a little like Locke with hair? There’s also a nice subplot with Sawyer bringing back the tape that supposedly confirms Juliet being a mole. However, it turns out that the tape contains Ben’s plan to take the female castaways, which Juliet revealed to Jack, confirming that she’s with them. It was nice, but it ended too damn quickly. It was pretty much over before halfway mark. They should have played it out throughout the episode. And, of course this is where we learn that “Roger Workman,” the skeleton Hurley found in that van is Ben’s father. It’s nice to see that “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” did have a plotline that paid off. Though, as I said, I already knew that since I saw this episode before the other one and realized that when I saw the other one in syndication. Anyway, awesome episode. It shows us a little of what makes Ben tick, justifying some of his actions while still showing just how ruthless he is. Also, it ends on a great cliffhanger, with Ben shooting Locke. It looked for all purposes that Locke was dead, seeing has his story has pretty much been told. Luckily that didn’t happen. But, more on that later. 9/10. Bonus Features And Easter Eggs. Well, there are no more bonus features on Disc 7 to look at. However, there is a commentary track on “The Man Behind The Curtain.” Also, since I showed you all the Easter eggs for the Seasons 1 and 2 set, I may as well show you all Season 3’s: • On disc 3, if you wait in the main menu, Juliet holds a card saying "By the way, your ex-wife is much prettier than me." • On disc 7, multiple Easter eggs can be accessed by performing actions on the bonus menus. This section lists them all: • Monitor #2 • Whilst highlighting "The Lost Book Club", press right and select it to release a fish biscuit and pellets from the machine in the menu's background • Whilst highlighting "The Lost Book Club", press left and then up, then select it to view Josh Holloway talking about the polar bear cages and an explanation of what DHARMA fish biscuits are made of • Whilst highlighting "Cast In Clay: The Toys of Todd McFarlane", press right twice and then select it to view the making of the table tennis scenes • Whilst highlighting "The Next Level - Inside the Video Game", press left three times and then select it to view a clip about the chickens at the Hydra location causing problems for the crew • Monitor #3 • Whilst highlighting "Lost: on location", press left twice and then select it to view a full length widescreen version of the Room 23 brainwashing video • Whilst highlighting "The Glass Ballerina" (in the Lost: on location menu), press left twice and select it to view the making of the Jin/Mikhail fight • Whilst highlighting "Flashes Before Your Eyes" (in the Lost: on location menu), press right twice and then up, and then select it to view a clip of Dominic and Jorge talking about playing scrabble between shoots • Whilst highlighting "The Man From Tallahassee" (in the Lost: on location menu), press left, and then up two times, and then select it to view the making of the Hydra flooding scene with Matthew Fox and Elizabeth Mitchell • Whilst highlighting "Crew Tribute With Evangeline Lilly", press right and then up, and then select it to view Michael Emerson and Jack Bender talking about the Lost crew • Whilst highlighting "Lost in a Day", press left twice and then select it to view a clip about the location of the submarine • Monitor #4 • Whilst highlighting "The World of the Others", press up and select it to make the screen in the menu's background beep and flash • Whilst highlighting "The World of the Others", press left and then up, and then select it to view Dominic Monaghan talking about completing a New York Times friday crossword puzzle with Daniel Dae Kim during the filming of Expose • Whilst highlighting "Blooper Reel", press right three times and then select it to view the making of the make up used on the Nigerian men in The Cost of Living • Monitor #5 • Whilst highlighting "Main Menu" press left and select it to make the phone in the menu's background activate • Whilst highlighting "The Lost Flashbacks", press left and then down, and then select it to view a clip showing crew enjoying shaved ice • Whilst highlighting "Deleted Scenes", press right two times, and then select it to view a clip showing the keepers of the spiders used in Expose • Whilst highlighting "Introducing Nikki and Paulo" (in the Deleted Scenes menu), press right twice and then select it to view the making of the waterfall dive scene used in Expose • Whilst highlighting "Changing Our Luck" (in the Deleted Scenes menu), press right three times to view a clip with Jack Bender and other crew members discussing Lulu, Jack Benders adopted dog Well, that’s all for tonight. I’ll have Season 3 finished tomorrow and then I’ll begin Season 4 on Tuesday.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 10, 2010 20:19:01 GMT -5
Before I finish Season 3, I once again give you my spoiler warning: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 3-Disc 6 21. Greatest Hits ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Clist1.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: Ben tells the Others that he plans to kidnap Sun, Kate, and any other pregnant women from the beach a day earlier. Alex has Karl go warn them. Jack comes up with a plan: to move all the castaways from the camp and ambush the Others with dynamite from Rousseau. Jin, Sayid, and Bernard will stay behind to detonate the explosives. Meanwhile, Desmond has another vision, which will lead to Naomi’s satellite phone being able to finally work. However, it involves Charlie’s death, as he will drown trying to knock out Ben’s block in the Looking Glass. He tells Charlie, who decides to go through with it. Flashbacks: Charlie thinks back to the five greatest days of his life: the first time he heard “You All Everybody” on the radio, his father teaching him how to swim, Liam giving him the “DS” rind at Christmas, him saving Nadia from being mugged, and the night he met Claire. Thoughts: Now, we finally get Charlie’s episode, 21 episodes into the season. Doesn’t that seem weird? Ever since we learned from Desmond that Charlie is going to die, you’d think we’d get a Charlie since then. Well, it’s finally happen; and it’s best episode centered around the character. Not only that, it’s one of the best damn episodes of the show. Charlie’s tale of finally accepting his fate is very touching and heartbreaking. But, while that may sound cliché, the episode isn’t; it’s very creative, especially with the flashbacks. Instead of telling one story in the flashback scenes, we get five different stories, which Charlie remembers as his greatest hits. So, let’s take at each one: 5. The first time he heard “You All Everybody” on the radio: it’s a nice little scene that wonderfully captures the frustration of a struggling rock star. 4. His father teaching him how to swim: this scene was okay but weird. The last time we saw Charlie’s dad was back in “Fire + Water,” and from that I got the impression that he and his dad didn’t really get along because Charlie chose to be a rock star instead of a butcher. However, it did take place when Charlie was a boy; so maybe this was before they had their falling out. 3. Liam giving him the “DS” rind at Christmas: another nice scene that shows a nicer side of Liam than the one we’ve seen in previous episode. It’s also a little funny with Liam thinking that Charlie will have the family in the future and he’ll become an addict, even though it happened the other way around. 2. Him saving Nadia from being mugged: Yes, Nadia, as in Sayid’s girl. There’s another freaking connection. Connection aside, it is a good scene, mainly for the myth applications it has. To me, it seems that Charlie saving Nadia from being mugged was a hero test, which he passed. Was this the moment that fate decided to put Charlie on the road to the Island? Maybe. 1. The night he met Claire: Well, who didn’t see this coming? She’s pretty much the reason why Charlie would even consider dropping heroin and becoming a better man. You know, back when Charlie was singing “Wonderwall” in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” maybe the one who was gonna save him wasn’t Desmond but Claire. As for the stuff on the Island, I like how Charlie just casually accepts his fate. It’s like he’s just sick and tired of running from it and just wants to get it over with. Plus, he learns from Desmond that his death will lead to everyone being rescued. So, not only is he tired of running but also willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. I especially liked how Desmond decided to go instead and Charlie knocked him out. It shows some great bravery to accept your fate even when you’re given an out. Though, all of this works because Monagham gives a great performance. This is his finest hour on the show. The best part was Charlie being mean to Hurley just before he and Desmond go to the Looking Glass but then running up to Hurley and hugging him. Such a nice tear-jerker moment that Monagham and Garcia play very well. Now, all the touching moments aside, the amazing thing about this episode is how tense and thrilling it is. The opening scene with Jack taking the main people to a hill and having Rousseau detonate the dynamite was a little too dramatic but still nicely done. I think the reason for this was Fox’s performance. He’s pretty good when he sounds dead serious. And, the scenes of the castaways preparing for the Others displayed some fine writing and directing. Props to Kitsis and Horowitz and Williams for creating a great sense of urgency. The real kicker of this episode: Charlie doesn’t die in it. Now, I know it seems obvious that he will in the season finale, but again the writers made it seem like that this would be his swan song. It also ends on a nice cliffhanger, showing us that there are two women in the Looking Glass and that turning off the jamming signal wouldn’t be so easy. All in all, this is an amazing episode that shows why the characters are more important than the myths. Yes, the myths are cool; and I do wanna know what’s going on. However, I wouldn’t give a damn about the myths if I didn’t care about the characters. Showing Charlie look back the best moments of his life as he goes to sacrifice himself to get everyone else home elevates the final showdown between the Others and the castaways. The characters and myths need each other. The myths are the bait to attract the fish, while the characters are the hook and line that pulls them in. 10/10. 22. Through The Looking Glass ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/The_snake_in_the_mailbox.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: When Karl warns the castaways of the Others coming, they move their plan up as well. Sayid, Jin, and Bernard stay behind to detonate the dynamite, while Jack and the others go to the radio tower to turn off Rousseau’s signal. Things sort of go as plan; there are two explosions, but there were suppose to be three. Sawyer and Juliet go to see if they can help Sayid, Jin, and Bernard. Hurley tries to go with them, but they turn him down. Meanwhile, Ben intercepts Jack’s party, and they talk. He tells Jack that Naomi isn’t who she says she is, and that her boat will bring destruction onto the Island. Then, he orders Tom to kill Jin, Sayid, and Bernard. However, Tom doesn’t do this. Sawyer and Juliet show up to help, and Hurley suddenly surprises everyone on the scene by driving the van onto the beach. Soon, the remaining Others are taken down. But, Jack doesn’t know any of this and attacks Ben. Meanwhile in the Looking Glass, Charlie is captured by Greta and Bonnie. Ben sends Mikhail to kill all three of them to keep the signal jamming intact. He kills Gretta and Bonnie, but Desmond shows up and shoots Mikhail with a spear gun. Soon, Charlie and Desmond stop the signal jam. Charlie talks to Penny, but she tells him that she isn’t on the boat. Then, Mikhail blows a hole into the Looking Glass, sending water into it. Charlie closes the door of the radio room and tells Desmond that it’s “NOT PENNY’S BOAT” before he dies. Back at the radio tower, Naomi is about to get a signal when suddenly Locke shows up and throws a knife into her back. However, it doesn’t work as the woman was able to get the signal to the boat. Flashbacks: We see Jack at the worst time in his life. He is bearded, addicted to Oxycodone, and an even bigger asshole than he’s ever been. He tries to commit suicide after learning of an acquaintance’s death, but a car crash stops him. He saves the victim and becomes a media hero. However, his addiction and depression gets worse. At the end, he meets with Kate, revealing that what we’re seeing are not flashbacks but flashforwards. Jack and Kate have gotten off the Island. However, Jack now insists that they have to go back. Thoughts: HOLY s***!!!! This maybe the best damn twist Lost has ever done! I mean, who in the hell would have thought that we were seeing Jack off the Island instead of a flashback!? I mean, he was asshole throughout! This is why I think the writers purposely made Jack a dick: so that when you saw this episode, you’d think it was just Jack being Jack. Well, it is; but in future instead of the past. I mean, when I first saw it, I actually got annoyed to see another Jack episode where he’s being a dick. Even worse, it looks like he’s at the apex of his asshole-dom. Again, it is; but after leaving the Island instead of before it. However, once I saw Kate at the end and realized that I ain’t looking at the past, my apathy towards the flashback scene soon turned into joy. This was an epic revelation that made the whole episode. There were so many great tricks to keep us from suspecting that this took place after Jack left the Island: saving the woman from an accident in order to have people recognize him but for that instead of being one of the Oceanic 6; playing up his dickish behavior; Jack talking about his father as if he’s still alive; the alcohol, he is the son of alcoholic; the pills, it was nice to see them use Oxycodone rather than Vicodin, which has become cliché a little lately; the beard; and Matthew Fox. He turns in a fine performance as a broken and bitter Jack. You can practically smell booze just looking at him. It may be his bester performance on the show. As for the stuff on the Island, there are a lot of great moments. I loved the opening, where the castaways leave Sayid, Bernard, and Jin to blow the dynamite. I especially liked Bernard and Rose’s good bye (touching and funny) and Jin and Sun’s good bye (a very great moment capped off by Jin saying “We need to get home” in English; again I give my love for Dae-Kim and Kim’s performances). Plus, like the last episode, it manage beautifully blend the touching scenes with the tense ones. This time, I give praise to Jack Bender, who has almost always delivered, especially in the finales. I loved seeing the Others get blown up. It’s amazing how they’ve been set up as the great villains, which makes seeing them get their comeuppance especially satisfactory. But, Cuse and Lindelof wisely didn’t kill all the Others, leaving three to capture Sayid, Bernard, and Jin. It adds some great tension to the proceedings. Though, when Juliet and Sawyer went back for them, it seemed obvious that they would rescue the three men left behind. However, I wasn’t expecting Hurley to plow through with that van he found. I also liked the Juliet/Sawyer scene because, once again Holloway has great chemistry with anyone. It also sets up another coupling in the Jack/Kate/Sawyer/Juliet love rectangle: Juliet and Sawyer. Now, I know it seems unlikely, but it’s so unlikely that it makes sense. Again, “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead” comes back to pay off. I also liked Charlie’s scenes in the Looking Glass with Bonnie and Greta. I have to give it up to Tracy Middendorf and Lana Parrilla for giving nice performances and Bonnie and Greta respectively. It’s a shame that this is last time we’ll see them. I would have loved to seen more about them. Throwing Mikhail into the mix was another nice touch to make things juicier, and not just because of him coming to kill them all makes it more tense. Again, Mikhail is seemingly killed but survives. I still think he can’t be killed. And, yes, I know he did blow himself up, but I have a feeling that we’ll probably see Mikhail again and not in a flashback. Though, it might be flashback, but it could also be the present. Of course this all leads to the heartbreaking conclusion of Charlie dying. It was sad but gave us a mystery to chew on in Season 4: it turns out Naomi lied about being hired by Penny; the boat was sent by someone else. It was brilliantly amazing how Cuse and Lindelof managed to incorporate the mystery into Charlie’s final heroic act, closing the door of radio room and writing “NOT PENNY’S BOAT” on his hand before dying. Another great tearjerker moment for Lost. Another thing I like about this episode: Ben’s leadership role falling apart. It’s a nice switch from the confident leader we’ve seen throughout Season 3. I mean, Juliet’s turned traitor, Naomi has parachuted onto the Island, the castaways have found the Looking Glass and taken out 7 of his men. His whole world is falling apart around him, and he’s having difficulty keeping it together. It’s a great switch. I love Emerson’s frustration and stammering throughout. He plays panicky very well. Though, he still shows signs of the Ben we know in the scene where Ben and Jack talk. The coldness in his voice when he tells Tom to execute the three shooters was excellent. It’s also well written, leading the twist that Tom didn’t kill Jin, Sayid, and Bernard. Another fine performance comes from Terry O’Quinn. The desperation he shows in the scene when Locke is about to kill himself was great. Also great about that scene is Walt stopping him from committing suicide. Another unexpected twist that raises more questions about Walt and why he’s special. It’s also funny to see Malcolm David Kelley look two years older. If it wasn’t obvious why the producers had to Kelley go, then watch the end of the first hour of “Through The Looking Glass”; and it will become quite clear. Though Emerson and O’Quinn give good performances, as I said earlier, the day belongs to Fox. However, I have to say that he’s better in the flashbacks than in the Island scenes. I don’t know why. I guess I’ve gotten use to Jack being a dick. You might say that I’ve grown accustomed to his doucheyness. Other nice things about the episode: 1. Julie Bowen makes a cameo as Sarah in a nice scene where she shows up at the E.R. as Jack kept her as his emergency contact. 2. That a musician programmed the code in the Looking Glass, which is “Good Vibrations.” What? Did one of the Beach Boys spend time on the Island? 3. Ben telling Richard to take the other Others away. This is interesting because this group is now mostly comprised of the Tailies. Did Jacob want Ben to take the Tailies as replacement for the Others who died in this episode? 4. The funniest reunion on the show ever: Alex and Rousseau meeting for the first time since Alex was taken and them bonding over tying Ben up. That’s just hilarious to me. 5. Sayid’s badass way of taking out one of the Others. Jesus Christ! Sayid is the man! I also liked Sawyer coldly killing Tom even though he surrendered. Another way of showing how he’s changed so quickly after killing Cooper. 6. And, finally, it brings up great questions for Season 4: If it isn’t Penny’s boat, then whose is it? And, will Penny still be coming to the Island? Why doesn’t Ben want the castaways to get off the Island? Does he know who’s sent the boat and who’s on it? Why doesn’t Locke want anyone to get off the Island as well? What does he have to gain by keeping the castaways there? Jack attended a funeral, but who’s the dead guy? And, who else got off the Island? Who are the Oceanic 6? Was it just 6 people? Did anyone else make it off secretly? And, what happened to the people left behind? All great mysteries to chew on until Lost came back, and all were answered! So, all in all this was a great finale. It had questions that led to answers. It had many touching moments mixed with some great action. It had some great performances. But, best of all, it introduced the flashforwards, a shift in momentum and tone for the show that would lead to an awesome Season 4. 10/10. In conclusion, it’s an okay DVD set. Season 3 may not be the best, but it had some great episodes and set up the best season of the show. And, the special features were pretty cool, especially “The Orchid Instructional Film.” So, I would say that, while there is a lot of Season 3 left to be desired, it does have many excellent moments that are worth buying. Highlight: “The Orchid Instructional Film.” Hey! That’s the first time I’ve picked a featurette over an episode. Though, if had to, I would be a three-way tie among “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “Greatest Hits,” and “Through The Looking Glass.” I think I’ll give the nod to “Flashes Before Your Eyes” since I like Desmond a little more than Charlie and Jack. Recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 10, 2010 20:20:29 GMT -5
Reminder: I'll begin Season 4 on Tuesday with Disc 1. I don't know when I'll have the Disc 2 review up. That all depends on Netflix.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 13, 2010 0:03:41 GMT -5
![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/DVD/Lost-season-4-DVD-box-set-cover-los.jpg) Main characters: Season 4: Dr. Jack Shephard—Matthew Fox (starting with “Pilot”) Kate Austen—Evangeline Lilly (starting with “Pilot”) Charlie Pace—Dominic Monagham (starting with “Pilot”) James “Sawyer” Ford—Josh Holloway (starting with “Pilot”) John Locke—Terry O’Quinn (starting with “Pilot”) Hugo “Hurley” Reyes—Jorge Garcia (starting with “Pilot”) Sayid Jarrah—Naveen Andrews (starting with “Pilot”) Claire Littleton—Emilie De Ravin (starting with “Pilot”) Michael Dawson—Harold Perrineau (starting with “Pilot,” note: doesn’t appear in Season 3 but returns in Season 4) Jin-Soo Kwan—Daniel Dae Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Sun-Hwa Kwan—Yunjin Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Desmond Hume—Henry Ian Cusick (starting with “Man Of Science, Man Of Faith”) Ben Linus—Michael Emmerson (starting with “One Of Them”) Juliet Burke—Elizabeth Mitchell (starting with “A Tale Of Two Cities”) Daniel Faraday—Jeremy Davies (starting with “The Beginning Of The End”) Miles Straume—Ken Leung (starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Charlotte Lewis—Rebecca Mader (starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Boone Carlyle—Ian Somerhalder (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Do No Harm”) Shannon Rutherford—Maggie Grace (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Abandoned”) Walt Lloyd—Malcolm David Kelley(starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Ana-Lucia Cortez—Michelle Rodriguez (starting with “Exodus,” ending with “?”) Mr. Eko—Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “The Cost of Living”) Libby Smith—Cynthia Watros (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Paulo—Rodrigo Santoro (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Nikki Fernandez—Kiele Sanchez (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Supporting characters: Rose Henderson—L. Scott Caldwell (recurring, starting with “Pilot”) Bernard Nadler—Sam Anderson (recurring, starting with “Everybody Hates Hugo”) Randy Nations—Billy Ray Gallion (recurring, starting with “Walkabout”) Dr. Christian Shephard—John Terry (recurring, starting with “White Rabbit”) Danielle Rousseau—Mira Furlan (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Ethan Rom—William Mapother (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Nadia—Andrea Gabriel (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Carmen Reyes—Lillian Hurst (recurring, starting with “Numbers”) Anthony Cooper—Kevin Tighe (recurring, starting with “Deus Ex Machina”) Diane Janssen—Beth Broderick (recurring, starting with “Born To Run”) Mr. Friendly—M.C. Gainey (recurring, starting with “Exodus”) Dr. Marvin Candle/Dr. Mark Wickmund—François Chau (recurring, starting with “Orientation”) Cindy Chandler—Kimberly Joseph (recurring, starting with “Everybody Hates Hugo” though she was in “Pilot”) Mrs. Paik—June Kyoko Lu (recurring, starting with “…And Found”) Goodwin Stanhope—Brett Cullen (recurring, starting with “The Other 48 Days”) Alex—Tania Raymonde (recurring, starting with “Maternity Leave”) Charles Widmore—Alan Dale (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Penny Widmore—Sonya Walger (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Karl Martin—Blake Bashoff (recurring, starting with “A Tale Of Two Cities”) Richard Alpert—Nestor Carbonell (recurring, starting with “Not In Portland”) Eloise Hawkings—Fionnula Flanagan (recurring, starting with “Flashes Before Your Eyes”) David Reyes—Cheech Marin (recurring, starting with “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Naomi Dorrit—Marsha Thomason (recurring, starting with “Catch-22”) Horace Goodspeed—Doug Hutchinson (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Matthew Abaddon—Lance Reddick (recurring, starting with “The Beginning Of The End”) George Minkowski—Fisher Stevens (recurring, starting with “The Beginning Of The End”) Frank Lapidus—Jeff Fahey (recurring, starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Regina—Zoë Bell (recurring, starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Aaron—William Blanchette (recurring, starting with “Eggtown”) Martin Keamy—Kevin Durand (recurring, starting with “The Constant”) Omar—Anthony Azizi (recurring, starting with “The Constant”) Ray—Marc Vann (recurring, starting with “The Constant”) Captain Gault—Grant Bowler (recurring, starting with “Ji Yeon”) Mike Walton—Michael Cudlitz (“Collision,” “The Beginning Of The End”) Lewis—Steven Neumeier (“The Beginning Of The End”) The nurse—Grisel Toledo (“The Beginning Of The End”) African man—Kanayo Chiemelu (“Confirmed Dead”) The female anchor—Jill Kuramoto (“Confirmed Dead”) Mrs. Gardner—Azure McCall (“Confirmed Dead”) Translator—Necar Zadegan (“Confirmed Dead”) Peter Avellino—Armando Pucci (“The Economist”) Elsa—Thelka Reuten (“The Economist”) Duncan Forrester—Shawn Doyle (“Eggtown”) Melissa Dunbrook—Susan Gibney (“Eggtown”) The judge—Traber Burns (“Eggtown”) The baliff—Fred Q. Collins (“Eggtown”) Kate’s nanny—Tania Kahale (“Eggtown”) Sergeant—Graham McTavish (“The Constant”) Billy—Darren Keefe (“The Constant”) The soldier—Chris Gibbon (“The Constant”) The auctioneer—Edward Conery (“The Constant”) Suited guard—Chris Barnes (“The Constant”) Harper Stanhope—Andrea Roth (“The Other Woman”) Dr. Bae—Lanny Joon (“Ji Yeon”) The nurse—Lynette Graces (“Ji Yeon”) The admitting nurse—Christine Kim (“Ji Yeon”) The delivery room nurse—Sun Hee Koo (“Ji Yeon”) The maternity nurse—Tess Yong(“Ji Yeon”) The shopkeeper—Simon Rhee (“Ji Yeon”) The security agent—David Yew (“Ji Yeon”) The ambassador—George Kee Cheung (“Ji Yeon”) Michael’s mother—Starletta DuPois (“Meet Kevin Johnson,” “There’s No Place Like Home Part 2”) The nurse—Galyn Gorg (“Meet Kevin Johnson”) Jeff/Mechanic—James Locke (“Meet Kevin Johnson”) Gus/Pawnbroker—William P. Ogilvie (“Meet Kevin Johnson”) Arturo—Francesco Simone (“Meet Kevin Johnson”) Female anchor—Jill Kuramoto (“Meet Kevin Johnson”) Ishmael Bakir—Faran Tahir (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) The Tunisian desk clerk—Yetide Badaki (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) Bedouin #1—Nick Hermiz (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) Bedouin #2—Sammy Sheik (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) Doug—Sean Douglas Hoban (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) The Iraqi merchant—Kaveh Kardan (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) The London doorman—Michael Sadler (“The Shape Of Things To Come”) Dr. Stillman—Bill Fiddler (“Something Nice Back Home”) Dr. Erica Stevenson—April Parker Jones (“Something Nice Back Home”) The receptionist—Traci Toguchi (“Something Nice Back Home”) Ms. Berenberg—Carla Von (“Something Nice Back Home”) Locke Age 5—Charles Henry Wyson (“Cabin Fever”) Locke Age 15—Caleb Steinmeyer (“Cabin Fever”) Young Emily Locke—Holland Roden (“Cabin Fever”) Mrs. Locke—Rebecca Tilney (“Cabin Fever”) Mr. Gellert—Phil Abrams (“Cabin Fever”) Florence—Mandy June Turpin (“Cabin Fever”) Melissa—Sarah Duval (“Cabin Fever”) The E.R. doctor—Patrick Torres (“Cabin Fever”) The E.R. Nurse—Amanda Carlin (“Cabin Fever”) The physical therapist—Matthew Pedersen (“Cabin Fever”) Margo Shephard—Veronica Hamel (“White Rabbit,” “There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Karen Decker—Michelle Forbes (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Carole Littleton—Susan Duerden (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Paik’s associate—Esmond Chung (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Hendricks—Noah Craft (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) The pilot—David Michael (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) The co-pilot—Joe Sikora (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Reporter #1—David Michael (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Reporter #2—Alicia Rae (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) The Arabic reporter—Souhil Nimeh (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) The Korean reporter—Eul Noh (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Henrik—Alex Petrovitch (“Live Together, Die Alone,” “There’s No Place Like Home Part 2”) Guy in car—Achilles Gacis (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 2”) The Indonesian Boy—Damon Juan (“There’s No Place Like Home Part 2”) Previously on Lost: Jack had a plan to take out the Others as they came to take the women. It worked, killing 7 of them. But, three survived and took Sayid, Jin, and Bernard, the three men left behind to set off the bombs, hostage. However, Sawyer, Juliet, and Hurley came to their rescue. Charlie and Desmond stopped Ben’s signal jam, allowing Naomi to call her boat. However, Locke seemingly killed Naomi to stop her; but it was all for naught as Naomi’s phone makes contact with the boat and Jack talks to George Minkowski. Meanwhile, Penny makes contact with Charlie in the Looking Glass, revealing that she didn’t send any boat. Mikhail blows up the hull of the Looking Glass, flooding it. However, Charlie closes the door to the radio room and writes “NOT PENNY’S BOAT” on his hand to warn Desmond. Also, we learn in the show’s first flashforward that six castaways do make it off the Island, two of them are Kate and Jack, and that Jack wants to go back. Well, things are looking up. Seasons 2 and 3 may have had their good moments, but they also had their fair share of bad moments. Basically, the good slightly outweighed the bad, but it was a little neck and neck. In Season 4, the good moments outweighed the ban tenfold. Hell, I’m just gonna come out and say: Season 4 is the best season of Lost. Now, there were a lot mysteries, but most of them got solved and they didn’t lead to too many infuriating questions. Plus, the quality in the writing and the acting somehow got better. That’s not to say it wasn’t bad in the first three seasons, but it’s just amazing how much it improved here. I attribute this to the writers, directors, and actors being so use to the show now that they it was just naturally easy to write, direct, and act on Lost. Plus, the whole dynamic of the show has changed. As we saw in the Season 3 finale, the writers decided to stop using flashbacks and start using flashforwards. Now, we still get some flashbacks, which are important as we got some new main characters in Season 4 and there are two from Season 3 (Ben and Juliet) who still have stories to tell. But now, we know that 6 castaways have gotten off the Island. So, the fans wanna know: who are they, and what have they been up to since leaving the Island? This was an amazing idea: not only did it stop us from getting bored by filler flashback, but it also made the show exciting again! I mean, when I first saw Season 1, I was excited to find out whose episode it was! Will it be a Locke episode or a Sawyer episode!? I’ll even take a Kate or Jack episode. After a while, it became a little less exciting, and the prospect of new characters with stories to tell didn’t do much to bring the excitement back. But when Season 4 rolled around with the flashforwards, I wanted to know who got off the Island and why they have to go back! Hell, this was the first time in a long while I was excited to see a Kate and Jack episode. Plus, they didn’t waste time giving us flashback shows for characters whose pre-Island tales have been pretty much told. Of course, this meant no Sawyer and Claire episode, but as I said, we already know all that we need to know about their backstories. Though, Sawyer still has the Tampa Job story left to be told, but I’ve accepted that it ain’t gonna get told. And, it was necessary to change the dynamic as the flashback structure had gotten predictable. But, the real thing that made Lost better was the time, or lack there of. Before Season 4, Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof set up a deal with ABC to end the show in 2010, meaning Lost would have only 3 more seasons with 16 episodes left. And then there was the infamous 2007-2008 Writers Strike, which got three episodes cut from the season. But, this was a blessing in disguise. You see, the writers didn’t have any time to waste with filler. They had to get all the important details told. And, they only had 13 episodes to do it. This made the overall quality of the show improve by leaps and bounds. And, they made up for losing 3 episodes in Season 4 by adding one to Season 5 and two to Season 6. So, now Lost has no time to waste, they’ve changed the show’s dynamic, and they’ve gotten use to doing the show for three years that’s it’s easy as pie to churn out a good show. Things are looking up.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 13, 2010 0:04:56 GMT -5
Before I begin, I’m just gonna go ahead and give the big spoiler warning here. Why? Well, I’ve noticed that I’ve started to use the spoiler button less and less. So, I may as well bite the bullet and stop using it all together. So, here’s your warning: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 4-Disc 1 1. The Beginning Of The End ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/4x01_being_a_baby.png) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: So, the castaways have made contact with Naomi’s boat, the Kahana. Naomi dies of the knife wound Locke inflicted on her. Meanwhile, Desmond returns from the Looking Glass and tells Sayid, Sawyer, Jin, Bernard, Juliet, and Hurley about Charlie’s death and the fact that the Kahana wasn’t sent by Penny. They then move to rendezvous with Jack and the other castaways. During the trek, Hurley gets separated, sees Jacob’s cabin and Christian inside, and runs into Locke. Then, all the castaways reunite at the front end of Oceanic 815. Jack and Locke argue over whether to leave on the Kahana, which leads to have the castaways, along with Ben, Rousseau, Alex, and Karl to leave with Locke for the Barracks while the rest remain with Jack. Then, Daniel Faraday parachutes onto the Island. Flashforwards: We get Hurley’s first flashforward, seeing that he is one of the Oceanic 6. After returning to the civilized world, Hurley has a mental breakdown, seeing all the people who died on the Island. This leads to him being recommitted to the mental institution he was in before winning the lottery. He is later freaked out by a visit from Michael Abaddon, who claims to be from Oceanic but is actually someone who knows all about the Island. He also sees Charlie, who tells him that “they need you,” and is visited by Jack, whom Hurley tells that they should go back because the Island would probably force them to go back anyway. Thoughts: One of the problems I have with all the mysteries on Lost is that usually a new one is introduced when an old one has yet to have been solved. It’s like I’m trying to get answers out of some asshole who just replies with more questions. It’s like they’re trying to distract us viewers from the mysteries they haven’t solved with new ones: Me: Hey! What’s up with the sickness Rousseau mentioned? Lost: FORGET THAT, MAN!!!! WHAT’S UP WITH THE HATCH!!!!? Me: There’s a hatch. Okay, I’m curious. But, I’d still like to know about the sickness. Lost: I GOTTA BETTER QUESTION!!!! WHO’S THAT DUDE, HENRY GALE!? IS HE AN OTHER? Me: Wait, you still haven’t answered the sickness question. And, I have a tone of questions about the Others. Who are these people? Where did they come from? What’s their culture like? What are their goals? Lost: YOU WANNA QUESTION ABOUT THE OTHERS!!!! I GOT ONE: WHAT’S UP WITH RICHARD!? Me: Dammit! I wanna know more about the Others before I focus on Richard. Lost: FORGET ABOUT RICHARD, MAN!!!! THERE’S A VOLCANO ON THE ISLAND!!!! Me: What!? No! Tell me about the Others and the sickness. f*** tell me about Tampa Job and Libby before you get to the f***ing volcano! Lost: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE ON THE BOAT!? AND, WHO SENT THEM!? IT WASN’T PENNY, SO WHO COULD IT BE!? And then, I snap and wanna strangle the show to death. But, I digress. You see, this constant shift in mysteries became a big problem in Season 3 as it just kept moving from one location to another. I mean, in Season 2, we stayed in the Swan for the whole season to the point we got to know that place inside and out, with only a few stops to the Staff and the Pearl. In Season 3, we were at the Hydra island for a few episodes and then moved on to the Flame then the Barracks and then the Looking Glass. We never got to sit around and get to know those places intimately like we did with the Swan, and all those places were a little more interesting than the Swan. Then again, it was necessary for the show to go throw so many places in such a short time given that Seasons 1 and 2 were mainly spent at beaches and the Swan. The Island needed size and scope, and all that moving in Season 3 did that. It’s now a more fully realized place. And, the reason the Hydra, Flame, and Barracks were more interesting than the Swan was because we saw so much of the Swan that it got boring and there was nothing left to do but blow it up. Though, they did blow up the Flame and made it too dangerous to ever go back to the Looking Glass, I’m content to settle with Locke’s camp going to live in the Barracks for the time being. Damn, I got a little off point. I should focus on the episode, which is a Hurley one. It’s surprising but also comforting to see that Hurley gets the first flashforward of Season 4. Surprising because he’s not one of the main elements myth wise. I mean, whatever’s going on with the Island, it ain’t gonna be about Hurley. Also, the beginning was a little to thrilling for a Hurley episode. I mean, that whole car case scene had Sawyer’s fingerprints all over it. The fact that it turned out to be Hurley was great, making it a nicely done twist. And, comforting because even though Hurley ain’t really a main player, he is important as a grounding force. He’s probably the most level-headed character on the show, and it was nice to see him get off the Island not just because he’s a likable character but also because he’s needed to keep everyone from going too crazy. Though, it’s ironic that the most level-headed, non-crazy character on the show is a patient at a mental institute. It’s a great oxymoron that adds some layers to Hurley’s character. And, those layers are dropped on some more as Hurley goes back to the mental institute as he’s being haunted by visions of dead castaways since getting off the Island. Here, we only see Charlie. This is a nice touch as it allows for a very creative way to bring back former cast members and give them something new to do other than just be in flashbacks. Too bad they didn’t really use it much. Though, I will give them some leeway as the strike shortened the season. Also, it’s interesting in that there’s a theory the Charlie we saw may not have been a ghost but rather a time traveler. It would make sense in that time travel became a big part of the show in Season 5. So, maybe he was the musician who programmed the Looking Glass and maybe he traveled to see his friend. It would explain why Lewis was able to see him, but it doesn’t how he went from dead to alive and traveling through time. Like I said, it’s just a theory. Anyway, other than Hurley’s story, there are some great elements to this episode. I liked the cameos of Randy Nations (Locke and Hurley’s ex boss) and Mike Walton (Ana-Lucia’s former partner) in Hurley’s flashforward. Though, they should have made Randy’s cameo a little more noticeable; you could barely see him filming Hurley’s arrest. Mike’s scene was a little better, especially with Garcia wonderfully playing Hurley’s lying about knowing Ana-Lucia with some subtle uneasiness. I also liked the scene where Desmond returns from the Looking Glass with bad news; the actors played taking the bad news well, especially Garcia. He gives a great performance here; his best part is the meeting with Michael Abaddon (by the way, there’s a character I’d love to know more about; and the fact that the producer were able to get Lance Reddick of The Wire to play him is awesome). It’s well acted by both players and adds a lot of suspense and intrigue to the season that’s to come. The scene with Jack and Hurley was also nice, especially with Hurley apologizing for going with Locke, which makes you wonder what the hell happened with the people in Locke’s group. I also liked how Hurley found Jacob’s cabin and saw Christian inside. A very creepily shot scene, props to Jack Bender, and there’s another intriguing thing that will raise questions about what’s to come. Other good performances come from Emilie De Ravin, who reacts to Charlie’s death with real heartache, and Emerson, who has some great lines, like when he tells Jack that Kate stole the phone when she hugged him and “Jack, with your permission I’d like to go with John.” Such a hilarious line. But, what’s really great about this episode is how it calls back to some of those great themes that have always surrounded Lost: factionalism, making choices, fate VS free will, moral ambiguity, etc. Much of “The Beginning Of The End” was concerned with the key characters making choices despite not having enough information at their disposal, something they have always done. And, something else the castaways and pretty much everyone who’s been to the Island have always done is lined up behind a main player is about as in the dark as they are, creating the kind of factions that have existed on this freaking Island since long before Oceanic 815 crash-landed. I mean, we’ve gone from the DHARMA Initiative and the Hostiles to the castaways and the Others to Jack’s group and Locke’s group. It’s like this Island just loves to see people form teams and fight each other, another clue to the “It’s all a game” theory. And, adding another great layer of intrigue to the factionalism theme is that nothing to date indicates that the “heroes” we've been following for three years actually are, well, heroes. I mean, Hurley seems like a decent dude, and Bernard and Rose don't appear to have hurt anyone, but nearly everyone else has some scallywaggery in their past, like Jack (was an asshole who destroyed his marriage and drove his father deeper into alcoholism), Kate (killed her stepfather), Sayid (tortured people in the Iraq Republican Guard), Sawyer (was a con man), and on the Island, Locke (has repeatedly kept the castaways from leaving and threw a knife into Naomi’s back), Desmond (killed Kelvin, though on accident but still pissed at him), Juliet (was one of the Others), Ben (betrayed the DHARMA Initiative, leading to them being wiped out in the Purge). Plus, aside from the mass murderer Ben, the castaways have done a lot more killing than the Others so far. It all makes for some great stuff here and to come. 9/10. 2. Confirmed Dead ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/4x02_Quadrangle_fight.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Drew Goddard & Brian K. Vaughan Plot: Four people from the Kahana (Daniel, Miles, Frank, and Charlotte) try fly onto the Island, but the helicopter almost crashes, forcing Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte to parachute out. Frank manages to land the helicopter. Daniel lands near Jack and Kate and uses Naomi’s phone to call George in the Kahana. Then, Jack, Kate, and Daniel go to find his colleagues. They find Miles, who reveals that he knows Locke killed Naomi, but Locke’s group ends up finding Charlotte. He decides to hold Charlotte prisoner, which leads his group to wonder if they made the right decision to follow him. Also, Ben reveals he knows a lot about Charlotte as he has a man on the Kahana. Frank fries a flare, which leads Jack’s group to him and the helicopter. As this goes on, Miles learns that Juliet was one of the Others and inquires about Ben, as he is the main reason the Kahana was sent to the Island. Flashbacks: We see five flashbacks in the lives of the four people who came to the Island on the helicopter and Naomi: Daniel is shown crying while watching news of the Oceanic 815 crash, Miles is shown to be a psychic who can talk to dead people and is using that gift for profit, Charlotte is an anthropologist and is shown in Tunisian death finding a polar bear skeleton with a DHARMA Initiative collar on it, Frank is shown in the Bahamas drinking over the Oceanic 815 crash as he was scheduled to be the pilot and discovers from the news footage that the wreckage may have been staged, and Naomi is shown criticizing her employer, Abaddon, for his choice in her co-workers. Thoughts: With this episode, we return to the flashback structure, but it’s not being used in it’s usual way. Instead of one character’s flashback story, we get one flashback scene for the four people in the helicopter: Daniel (whom we met at the end of “The Beginning Of The End”), Miles, Charlotte, and Frank; and one for Naomi. This is similar to the flashbacks in the pilot and “Exodus.” So, I’ll look at each one separately: Daniel: It’s short but sweet. We start with underwater footage of the 815 wreckage that is completely creepy because we don’t know what exactly it is. I mean, is it fake? Is it real? Is everyone on the Island really dead, like Anthony Cooper suggested. This nicely transitions to Daniel watching the news footage of the Oceanic 815 wreckage and crying uncontrollably. It’s just as intriguing and creepy as the wreckage footage because we don’t know why Daniel is crying. Also, Daniel is played by Jeremy Davies, who has this great creepy chemistry. He did play Charles Manson once. So, it’s nice to see some nice, comforting people are coming to the castaways rescue. Miles: Here, we learn that Miles is a medium and is using that talent to speak with the dead and not only get paid for that but find some extra cash lying around as well. This scene is great because it almost seems like they’re setting it up for Miles to be a fake, like Richard Malkin AKA Claire’s psychic. But, when it turns out that he appears to be the real deal, I was happy, especially since it means that there may be something weird going on with the whole Lost universe and not just the Island. Charlotte: This leads to some juicy myth stuff. For one, we have one of the DHARMA Initiative polar bears in the Tunisian desert. How the hell did it end up there? (We do find out, but more on that later.) It also appears that Charlotte specializes in finding things with DHARMA logos on it, which is probably why she was on the Kahana. Like the Daniel flashback, it’s short but sweet. And, it leads to a pretty thrilling scene of her waking up upside down over a pond, dropping down into it, and being found by Locke and his people. I applaud Williams for his direction in that scene. He’s the Lou Gherig to Bender’s Babe Ruth. Frank: Another intriguing scene. We learn that Frank was suppose to be the pilot of 815, not the one played by Greg Grunberg in the pilot. (By the way, we also learn his name: Seth Norris.) But, what’s great about it is that it pretty much answers the question about whether the plane in the ocean is real or not: it’s not, as Frank believes that Seth Norris isn’t Seth Norris because he has no wedding ring. It also leads to a funny scene of Frank running into one of Mikhail’s cows. Naomi: This is the best scene of the bunch, and not just because of Reddick and Thomason’s performances. The reason it’s the best is because it lays it all on the line. If this was done Seasons 2 or 3, then there would be much tease and build up about who these people are and why they are here. But, as I’ve said, there’s no time to waste. Lost has got to get all it’s answers out in a short time. So, now we have them just coming out and having Abaddon saying that they’re being sent to the Island to grab Ben, though for reasons unknown. Plus, they all know the Oceanic 815 wreckage is fake, but not why. In short, it gives us basic answers but leaves some mysteries unsolved. But, since we’ve already learned why they’re here, it ain’t gonna be long before those mysteries get solved. On the Island, things are just as good, as we get another faction: the Kahana people. It’s great because when they meet the castaways, they look at things with strange bemusement as the castaways did with the Others. Hell, the castaways are starting to sound like the Others, especially Locke with his “We don’t want to be found” line. Also, the writers, here Goddard and Vaughn, don’t waste any time making the people who followed Locke look like they’re quickly regretting their decision, especially when Locke tells everyone that he’s following Walt’s orders. Sawyer’s the most vocal, but the looks on Hurley and Claire’s faces do the same thing with a little subtly. O’Quinn does some great work here, adding some subtle psychosis to it. And, Emerson, as usual, is wonderful. I loved it when Ben shot Charlotte (she survived because of a bullet proof vest), but the highlight of his performance here is his delivery of “Because I have a man on their boat,” which makes for another great mystery for the rest of the season. To make matters palpably better, the Kahana people don’t seem all that same either. Davies is perfectly cast as Daniel, and this is indicated in the line: "Rescuing you and your people? Can't really say that's our…primary…objective?" His squirmy line reading and body language give it such mystery and fear that it’s obvious from this one moment that only Davies could have played Daniel. The other freighter people are also perfectly casted as well. That Daniel line above leads right to Jack, Kate, and Daniel finding Miles, played with great anti-social behavior by Ken Leung, wanting to know where Naomi is and revealing that he knows she was killed. Judging by this quote from the actor, “Miles doesn't know how to be social, which is great, because I don't know how to be social,” Leung is the only person who could play Miles; and he plays it to sarcastic perfection. He quickly became a favorite of mine, making me wish to soon see a scene between him and Sawyer. I imagined that the sheer amount of sarcasm between the two would cause an explosion, forcing people to push another button for every 108 minutes. And then, there’s Jeff Fahey. That man is fan-f***ing-tastic in just about anything he does, so seeing him as Frank was a treat! I also like how he has hidden his handsome face with frizzy hair and an unkempt beard. As for Rebecca Mader, I wasn’t really impressed with her here or in Season 4. She didn’t really get to me until Season 5; but she ain’t bad here. In fact, she impressed me a lot more on this second viewing than she did when I first saw “Confirmed Dead.” And, finally there’s Marsha Thomason, who has been around since the end of Season 3, but I haven’t said much about her. As I stated in the “The Brig” review, I loved the sarcasm she displayed; but here she shows some range in her flashback scene. It’s just a shame Naomi’s dead, and we won’t see much more of her later on. So, all in all, a pretty damn good episode with lots of suspense, mysteries, and good performances. 8/10. 3. The Economist ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/The_Economist.png) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: Sayid, Kate, and Miles go to Locke’s group to retrieve Charlotte; Sayid does this in exchange for a ride to the Kahana on Frank’s helicopter. However, Locke manages to trap them. But, Sayid manages to talk Locke into exchanging Charlotte for Miles. Locke agrees, and Sayid and Charlotte leave; Kate decides to stay behind as well. Meanwhile, Daniel as Regina to fire a projectile with a clock onto the Island. She does, and it takes 30 minutes to land. Daniel finds it and learns that the clock from the projectile and his are synched up. Flashforwards: We learn that Sayid is one of the Oceanic 6. After getting off the Island, he has been going around killing the people who sent the Kahana under the orders of a boss who wants to protect the people left behind on the Island. After killing a man on a golf course, Sayid moves on to Elsa, a woman working for an economist and Sayid’s next target. Sayid starts a relationship with the woman, but he soon learns that Elsa is a counter-spy sent to take out Sayid and find out who his employer is. However, Sayid kills Elsa and then goes to his boss, Ben, to treat his injuries. Thoughts: Sayid is badass. Though, we’ve pretty much known this since Season 1. The man is incredibly intelligent, can seemingly make any machine or device work, and is an awesome fighter. Just look at how he killed that Other with just his legs in “Through The Looking Glass.” And, he sounds so suave and sophisticated. Yet, he has a troubled past as a torturer in the Iraq Republican Guard. So, it’s ain’t surprising to see him coldly killing people for an unknown boss, whose identity we do learn at the end. But, he’s also a lot more suave, sophisticated, and badass than we’ve seen him on the Island. He’s like the Iraqi James Bond, which makes “The Economist” one cool f***ing episode. Though, the flashforward scenes aren’t really much. It’s comes off as a little spy cliché. Don’t get me wrong, it’s well done, thanks to the capable hands of director Bender and writers Horowitz and Kitsis. In fact, I thought it had a nice Alias feeling, which I suspect is an homage to creator J.J. Abrams previous show. But, they don’t really have much pop. I can’t really buy into Sayid’s relationship with Elsa because I know he’s just doing it to get to her boss, and then it’s revealed that she’s just doing a job as well. And, it happens so fast that it’s hard to care. In fact, they don’t hold up until the end, when it’s revealed that Sayid’s boss is Ben! Talk about a mind blower! So, not only is Sayid working for Ben (which makes his line when he hears from Locke that Ben has a man on the boat but Ben doesn’t reveal it, “Forgive me, but the day I start trusting him is the day I would have sold my soul,” a lot more poignant), but that also means that Oceanic 6 weren’t the only people who got off the Island. Who else got off? And, how? Did they leave with the Oceanic 6, or is there another way off the Island, like I’ve suspected since “The Man From Tallahassee”? So many f***ing questions raised! The twist really makes the flashforward scenes. Hell, it makes the whole episode. Which is also a problem, because once the twist is revealed, you know it; and subsequent viewings don’t make it as good. But, that isn’t to say there ain’t a lot else that’s good with the episode. On the Island, we get some good stuff myth wise. A seemingly unnecessary subplot of Daniel having Regina, played by the breakout star from “Death Proof” Zoë Bell, shoot a projectile with a clock on it from the Kahana to the Island turns out to have big myth implications all because it took the projectile 30 minutes to reach the Island and the clock Daniel has is 30 minutes slower than the projectile’s clock. This looks so insignificant, but it has huge implications on the Island, mainly to do with time. Mainly, either the Island is 30 minutes in the future or the Kahana is. So, what in the hell is up with time on the Island. Why is it 30 minutes different from the outside world’s time? Is this why Desmond couldn’t leave on his boat and Juliet had to be drugged before being dropped onto the Island? Is it why people seemingly heal so fast on the Island? And, is it the reason women can’t give birth, because the babies develop in off-Island time? So much to ponder just from two clocks reading two different times. There’s also a nice little mystery in Naomi’s bracelet. It’s has an inscription: “N, I’ll always be with you, RG.” There are many speculations about who “RG” is from, Regina, making her and Naomi lesbian lovers, to Elsa’s boss. You can check these theories out here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/R.G./Theories And, you can check out other theories about “The Economist” here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Economist/Theories As for the man of the hour, Sayid, he’s made a deal with Frank to retrieve Charlotte in exchange for a helicopter ride, which along with the occupation of Sayid’s target and Elsa’s boss, ties in with the episode’s title, “The Economist.” One of the things I love about Lost is the episode titles. They almost always speak about more than just one detail in the episode that gives us the title. Some are clever callbacks: “One Of Us” from Season 3 calling back to Season 2’s “One Of Them,” “The Beginning Of The End” calling back to Ben’s line in “Through The Looking Glass.” Some speak about the themes of the episode, like “Not In Portland” not just referring to the fact that Mittelos Biosciences isn’t really located in Portland but to how much Juliet has changed since coming to the Island. Here, “The Economist” refers to not just Sayid’s deal with Frank or Elsa’s boss; it refers to the deals the castaways have been making lately. You got them all taking sides. You got Hurley having to deceive Kate and Sayid to prove his loyalty to Locke. And, you got Sayid working with the master manipulator Ben. The whole episode has people making deals with devils they can’t really trust but have to in order to get what they want. Other nice touches: the interaction of Miles and Sayid. They could have a buddy cop spin-off, and I’d watch. Also, some great lines, like Hurley’s response to Miles calling him “Tubby”: “Oh, awesome. The ship sent us another Sawyer.” Miles’s response to Hurley’s inquiry about the Kahana people coming to rescue Charlotte and kill the castaways: “Not yet.” And this fine exchange between Kate and Jack: Kate: Being told not to come along. (Jack chuckles) Now you know what it feels like to be me. Jack: Does that mean I should wait twenty minutes and go anyway? Also, Andrews gives another stellar performance. The man has some great charisma and chemistry with women as well. Hell, he pretty much rivals Holloway in both departments. It’s why I love seeing Sayid in romantic situations as much as Sayid in action situations. Because Andrews is so charismatic, the writers have been able to pull off showing him in romantic scenes. It’s a real testament to Andrews’s performance as Sayid. So, I have to say this is a very good episode. And, yes, I did say that the reveal of Ben as Sayid’s boss isn’t as good on repeat viewings, but the episode. It’s amazing how the writers and directors can make episodes worth watching again and again even though you know what’s gonna happen. 9/10. Disc 5: Bonus Features. First, before I get to Disc 5, there are some bonus features on Disc 1. In fact, we get one before the whole shebang begins. If you want, you can watch the “Lost in 8:15 Recap” featurette before watching the three episodes of Season 4. I did this, and it’s basically what it sounds like: the first three seasons in 8 minutes and 15 seconds. It’s a thorough, well put together recap. There’s also a commentary track on “The Beginning Of The End,” with actors Evangeline Lilly and Jorge Garcia. I may take a look at this tomorrow. Anyway, onto the special features. Here we have “The Right To Bear Arms,” “The Island Backlot: Lost In Hawaii,” “Soundtrack Of Survival: Composing For Character, Conflict, And The Crash,” “Lost On Location,” bloopers, deleted scene, and sneak peeks. So, let’s dive in, shall we?: First up, “Lost On Location,” our usual making of featurettes on the episodes, here for “The Beginning Of The End,” “Confirmed Dead,” “The Constant,” “The Other Woman,” “Meet Kevin Johnson,” “The Shape Of Things To Come,” “Cabin Fever,” and “There’s No Place Like Home.” It was the same old-same old: some not that interesting (most of them), some contain funny moments (Rebecca Mader playfully acting like a baby before filming a scene and Josh Holloway narrating the action scene in), some contain helpful insight (“The Constant” shows just how good of a job Jack Bender does when filming an episode; parts of “There’s No Place Like Home” were filmed without a script, which must have been confusing for the cast members). It’s a bit shorter than the ones on the Season 3 set and frankly not as interesting. Next, we have “The Island Backlot: Lost In Hawaii.” This is pretty much what it sounds like: them showing how they chose the locations in Oahu, Hawaii to make it look like not just one huge mysterious Island but also to find locations that look like different parts of the world, from Seoul to Scotland to L.A. to Tunisia. It’s not all that interesting, but it did give me a lot of appreciation for Lost’s location scouts, set designers, set decorators, prop people, and visual effects department. It is amazing how they’ve managed to take a few locations in Oahu and turn it into practically any location in the world that you can think of and do it in such a way that it doesn’t look phony. They do such a good job that it’s not hard to suspend your disbelief. Next up is “The Right To Bear Arms.” This featurette is on all the fire power they’ve been using to film the show. And, let me tell you: when you watch this, you are going to get sick of the word “gun.” Not just because they say “gun” a lot in talking about them, but also because they show practically every single instance that “gun” is said on the show. Anyway, I have to give some praise to Gregg Nations, the script coordinator, as he has to keep track of who has what gun and where. He also has to keep track of a lot of other things, but that seems like a separate job compared to keeping track of all the guns. I mean, that damn Island has more guns than an NRA rally. Not to mention all the guns in the flashback/flashforward scenes. To be able to keep track of it all is an amazing task, and the fact that Nations can keep up with it all is amazing. Though, he does have some help with Rob Kyker, the prop master. Then, we get “Soundtrack Of Survival: Composing For Character, Conflict, And The Crash.” This is a featurette on the music of Lost, featuring footage of the Honolulu Symphony Toyota Pops performing music from the show. This is another aspect of the show that I really enjoy: the music. Lost has some of the best scores on TV, which is all because of Michael Giacchino. The man has written some great music for the show and won several awards for it, including an Emmy. Again, another element of the show that really makes it good but is a little taken for granted. As for the Symphony Pops, it looked interesting. A nice touch was to have Terry O’Quinn come out every so often and read letters from the castaways written by the writers and to have little things like lights from below to indicate the Swan and people walking out with torches to indicate the Others. From the footage I saw, it looked like a nice little show. Though, I don’t know why it has to be 26 minutes long. No offense to Giacchino and the Honolulu Symphony Toyota Pops, but how much can you put about the music in 26 minutes? Also, the previous two features ran a little long for my tastes as well. Next up we have the bloopers. The bloopers are just…well…bloopers. They’re funny but not as long as the last blooper reel we got in the Season 3 set. Nothing else to say really. Finally for today, we got the deleted scenes. For this set, we have Sawyer and Juliet talking while Sawyer drinks beer and Juliet digs graves for the dead Others; Sayid, Kate, and Miles trying to get through the security fence, with Miles figuring out that it’s not on; Hurley and Sawyer cleaning out the fridge of the house they’ve chose to live in; Locke taking Ben to a bathroom; Ben riding through the Tunisian desert and finding a hidden stash of money and passports; Claire having a vision of Christian; Kate talking to Juliet about the possibility of Jack being sick; Kate and Hurley showing up at the funeral of Jack’s father and meeting Sayid and Nadia; and Daniel looking for his journal. Some of these are okay, like the one with Hurley and Sawyer and the on with Ben and Locke. But, most of them are short and show why they were left on the cutting room floor. So, that’s all for today. Expect the review of “The Beginning Of The End” commentary track up tomorrow. I don’t know when I’ll have the disc up because of Netflix. So, I’ll see you when I see you.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 14, 2010 0:20:35 GMT -5
Okay, so here’s my thoughts on “The Beginning Of The End” commentary track. I wanted to take a listen at this because, unlike some of the other commentary tracks on these Lost sets, this one has just actors, here Jorge Garcia and Evangeline Lilly. Now, I don’t know if it’s the only commentary track with just actors because I can’t remember all the episodes with commentary tracks and who was on them. But, nevertheless, I wondered what a commentary track with just the actors on it would be like. Probably not much different from the ones with actors, directors, and/or writers. Anyway, it’s pretty funny. Garcia and Lilly have a very playful nature to their commentary. They don’t take it too seriously, which I like because one of the reasons I almost never check out commentary tracks because the people doing them are frankly boring. But here, they sound like they’re having a lot of fun, just goofing off and talking about walkie talkie headshots. And, if they’re having fun with it, then I find it a lot more entertaining. It was also a little informative. I learned that Jack Bender made those two wood dolls Annie gave to Ben back in “The Man Behind The Curtain.” But, the best parts are them talking about the mishaps they’ve had with torches and them pointing high improbability of Naomi being able to crawl a long distance with knife in her back, double back, crawl another long distance, climb a tree, and get the drop on Kate. So, I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I think it’s the best commentary track I’ve heard so far.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 20, 2010 11:48:31 GMT -5
Well, I’m back for more. Before I begin, a few things: First, the reason I’m posting this so early is that I actually wrote it yesterday; but it was like 1:30 in the morning when I finished. So, I just decided to wait because I was tired and because there would be more people around when I posted. I know that last part seems shameless, but that is an adjective that accurately describes me. Next, I wanna share something with you all: www.buzzfeed.com/ashleytalong/lost-fans-sure-to-be-extra-annoying-this-season-hpzIt’s a video from the Onion about a report on how the final season of Lost will make fans more annoying than they ever have been in the past. Even as a Lost fan, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And, finally, once again, for you people who don’t like spoilers: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 4-Disc 2 4. Eggtown ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/4x04_FFKate.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Gregory Nations Plot: Kate and Sawyer play house now that she’s decided to stay with Locke’s group in the Barracks. However, she soon finds herself on the outs as she helps Miles chat with Ben so he can make a deal (tell his employer that Ben is dead in exchange for $3.2 million) in exchange for info on whether the Kahana people know about her criminal past and Locke finds out about it, kicking her out. Meanwhile, Jack, Juliet, Charlotte, and Daniel make it to the beach, and Jack and Juliet try to find out if Sayid and Desmond safely made it to the Kahana. However, Charlotte and Daniel can’t contact the boat. But, Charlotte tries an emergency number and learns from Regina that the helicopter never made it. Flashforwards: Here, we see what happened to Kate after getting off the Island. Since she was a fugitive, she was obviously put on trial. But, Kate quickly gets released on probation after her mom decides not to testify against her. When Kate gets home, she greets her son, Aaron, meaning he got off the Island but Claire possibly didn’t and now Kate is paying Claire’s child off as her own. Thoughts: Here’s what I don’t get: why “Eggtown”? This one is perplexing me! I mean, why call it “Eggtown”? What is the reason? Because Locke brought Ben some eggs? Because Locke’s bald and running things, which would lead to the obvious “Eggtown” nickname for Sawyer to give the Barracks? I’ve said that Lost does come up with some good episode titles, but they can’t all be winners. SPEAKING OF “they can’t all be winners,” we have this episode. I still think Season 4 is the show’s best season, but there are like 2, maybe 3 duds in the season. This is one of them. I just wasn’t really into this episode. For one, it’s a Kate episode, which is disappointing for two reason: 1. It’s a Kate episode. Because of the character, that in of itself is reason enough for me to not like it. 2. It’s doesn’t answer much. I remember watching this back when it aired and being disappointed as it focused on Kate. Since the flashforwards were introduced, the show became a lot more interesting as people wanted to know who got off the Island and why they lied about what happened. Well, the lying part seems obvious. Who’s gonna believe that they were on an Island filled with polar bears, a smoke monster, buildings from a long dead group of hippie scientist, and the people who murdered them and took over their buildings? I have a hard time believing it myself. Anyway, who got off the Island is another burning question people wanted to answer, but we’ve already seen that Kate got off in “Through The Looking Glass.” So, just seeing her off the Island just came off as a disappointment. But, it was completely disappointing. In fact, the reason I think Season 4 is the best season is because the worst episodes of this season aren’t that bad and a lot better than the worst episodes of the previous seasons. We did learn more about the lie the Oceanic 6 concocted in Kate’s trial scenes, mainly about how big it is and not why they lied. Apparently, they said 8 people survived, two died, and that Kate was pregnant and gave birth to Aaron. Those first two are bullets compared to the grenade of the last one. So, Aaron makes it off the Island but Claire doesn’t. How does that happen? Is Claire gonna die? And, how did Kate end up with the baby? Just so much to chew on for the rest of the season. I liked the reveal of Aaron as one of the Oceanic 6, but it was also a little disappointing because does Aaron really count as an Oceanic passenger? I mean, he did fly on the plane, but it was in Claire’s womb. So, is an unborn baby a passenger on a plane or what? Also, I would have loved to seen another character get off. Maybe Sawyer or hell one of the other castaways. Oh well, that’s just a minor complaint. And, the twist was nicely done, what with the Others wanting to take Kate because she might be pregnant with Sawyer’s kid, leading the fans to probably think that her son is Sawyer’s and making the reveal a nice surprise. As for the story of Kate’s trial, there is much goodness here. Though, there is anything bad with it. It’s just there. I mean, it would have been nice if they had done more on who Kate is. I mean, we don’t much about this woman and makes her tick. All we do know is that she’s nice; she likes to run, whether it’s because of her murder of Wayne or her fear of commitment; and that she likes to walk around in skimpy clothing. Other than that, we don’t really know just who Kate is and what her role in grand scheme of things is. The writers, here Sarnoff and Nations, don’t really use the trial to tell us who Kate is, which is especially frustrating as Kate’s attorney tells her that in order to win the trial, they need to “make it about who you are.” Now, I know that might cause you Kate haters to groan. I mean, why would we want to know anymore about one of the least interesting characters on the show? But, maybe if we knew more about her, then she wouldn’t be so damn annoying. Though, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong. On the Island, things are a lot better. Here, we got Kate scheming to get some info out of Miles about her criminal past. I got a kick out this plot, mainly for how it deals with Locke’s rule over his group of survivors. Her presence in his camp brings about what everyone is thinking, especially with his seemingly crazy behavior over Jacob’s cabin and seeing Walt: “Why should we follow Locke?” Here you have a man who’s never really been in charge of anyone and now he’s gotta rule over a group of people who don’t seem to have faith in him as he does in the Island. I mean, they only came with him because of their fear over the Kahana and their intentions. To make matters worse, Ben is manipulating Locke, shaking his faith in following him, which makes for some great scenes between the two. I also like the scene where Locke tells Sawyer that he isn’t sure if he knows what he’s doing. And now, you got Kate wanting to speak with Miles and Locke refusing, Kate speaking with Miles regardless, and arranging a meeting between the two. This whole thing causes a problem for Locke and his rule, so he has to do something, leading to him putting a grenade in Miles’s mouth. An overreaction, sure, but the man’s been pushed to his limits. And, you can’t keep making orders and expect people to follow them unless there are consequences. As for the stuff going on at the beach, it’s okay. There’s not much to chew on, learning from Regina that the helicopter supposedly didn’t make it brings up some good questions for the next episode: Is she lying? If so, why? And, if they didn’t make it to the Kahana, what happened to the helicopter? Good stuff. So, all in all, this is an okay episode. There are some good performances, especially from Emerson, O’Quinn, and Beth Broderick; this may be her best guest spot as Kate’s mom. That scene with Kate meeting her sick mom was particularly nice. I liked how her mom tried to make a deal with Kate to not testify in order to see Aaron, whom she thinks is her grandson. I liked that Kate refused as it tied in nicely with all the deal making going on in this episode and Kate’s history of running. Here, you have Kate just sick and tired of all this exchange business and running and just wanting out. It’s a great metaphor for the mysteries of the show and wanting to leave the Island. I mean, how much longer can you take getting a s***load of questions and hardly any answers before you just get fed up and walk away? In fact, it ties in with Kate not wanting to go back to the Island and Locke’s leadership issues. Just how much more of this crap you take before it eventually breaks you? 7/10. 5. The Constant ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/4x05_Dan_and_Des.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: As the helicopter flies back to the Kahana, Desmond starts freaking out. Because of his time traveling journey after the Swan imploded, Desmond becomes unstuck in time as his 1996 consciousness keeps switching back and forth between that time and 2004. After making it to the Kahana, Sayid and Desmond are taken to the sick bay, where they meet George, who is currently going through the same thing Desmond is. Sayid calls Jack and tells him what’s going on, leading to Daniel to take the phone and talk Desmond through his condition, telling Desmond to go visit his younger self in 1996. Then, Sayid, Desmond, and George make it to the communications room to repair George’s broken equipment so that Desmond can contact his constant. Flashbacks: In 1996, we see Desmond in the British Army’s Royal Scots Regiment as his condition begins. This leads him to having to go AWOL in order to track down Daniel at Oxford University to help him with his condition. There, Daniel explains to Desmond what is happening and that he must find a constant, someone who is present in both times, to use as an anchor for his mental stability. He decides on Penny and goes to Charles Widmore to find out where she is. He reluctantly gives Desmond her info, and Desmond tracks her down and convinces her to give him her phone number and to not change it so that he can contact her in 2004. Thoughts: I’ve been saying that Season 4 is the best season of Lost, and I came to that conclusion as I was watching this episode. My reasoning: the season with this episode is the best. Hell, I’m inclined to say that this is the best episode of Lost so far, and the only thing keeping me from just coming right out and saying so is that we have one season left. Though, I don’t know how they can top this. It’s not surprising that this episode comes from the showrunners, Cuse and Lindelof, and is directed by Jack Bender. There were a lot of great elements to this episode that made stand up above the other episodes of the show, and I’ll go through them one by one: Answers: Yes, this is pretty much the most explanatory episode of Lost there is. I liked how the episode began with this exchange between Sayid and Desmond on the helicopter going to the Kahana: Sayid: What do you expect to find when you get there? Desmond: Answers. When I first saw this episode, I scoffed, thinking that this wouldn’t really come to fruition. I’ve been burned by this on Lost before. However, we do learn a lot from this episode. For one, we get a glimpse about what’s so freaky about this Island. This is come kind of time distortion surrounding it. It took 30 minutes for the projectile to reach the Island in “The Economist,” and here it took a day for the helicopter to reach the Kahana despite the fact it should have taken 20 minutes or so. Though, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It turns out anyone who’s been exposed to radiation or electromagnetivity going and coming to the Island will become unstuck in time. I think this explains why Juliet had to be drugged to get to the Island. Doesn’t explain how the 815 people were able to come to the Island without harm, but I’m guessing most of them hadn’t been exposed to radiation or electromagnetivity and/or the electromagnetic anomaly pulling the plane down somehow shielded them from what happened to Desmond in this episode. Yes, Desmond wasn’t so lucky as his decision to turn the failsafe in the Swan that led to him to go back in time when he was with Penny has now caused his 1996 self to travel to the future and back. So, know we got a whopper of a jigsaw piece to put in the puzzle. With this time travel business, coupled by the facts that the helicopter flew through the storm clouds and didn’t come out in the Artic Circle and that we saw Charles Widmore bidding on the only surviving artifact from the Black Rock, a ledger that was found in Madagascar and ended up in the possession of Tovard Hanso (remember the Hanso Foundation?), pretty much all the theories about the Island being a dream or the afterlife have been killed, as possibly have the theories about it existing in an alternate timeline or parallel universe. So, what we now know is very straightforward: there’s this weird Island in the south Pacific that some people know about and those that do are willing to do anything to either get to it, stay on it, and/or keep it secret. Though, it does raise two more questions: why this Island and why these people? Mythology: As I mentioned above, we do learn a lot about the Island, and it has something to do with time travel. So, this does explain why the DHARMA Initiative would be so interested in it. Also, it brings back the Black Rock and ties it into the DHARMA Initiative; as I said above, the first mate’s journal was in the possession of Tovard Hanso, a relative of Magnus Hanso, the presumed owner of the Black Rock, and Alvar Hanso, the CEO of the Hanso Foundation, AKA the DHARMA Initiative’s financers. This also brings Charles Widmore further into the mythos, which is quite interesting as we’ve previously known him just as Penny’s father. The fact that he may know a whole lot more than we think adds some real juice to the story. So, if you wanna know more about the mysteries raised in this episode, just look here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant/Theories Desmond and Penny: All those answers and myths are fine, but this episode wouldn’t have been as great as it was if it wasn’t for the love story of Desmond and Penny. As I’ve said, the myths are the bait, but the characters are the hook; and I was really hooked in by their story. The myth stuff is very intriguing, but Desmond’s emotional underpinnings for Penny make all that science fiction stuff work. That’s why I don’t really mind that Cuse and Lindelof are more concerned with the characters than the myths. Yes, sometimes that leads to bad moments, just look at the first half of Season 3; but they know that we need to care about the characters in order to care about the mythos. Not only do Cuse, Lindelof, and Bender deserve praise for their work but so do Sonya Walger and Henry Ian Cusick. Walger gives a nice performance, playing the anger and resentful Penny who was heartbroken by Desmond and the jubilant Penny happy to hear from Desmond after 8 years incredibly well. And, Cusick gives his best performance to date. His confusion at what’s happening is incredible, and his emotional release from calling Penny really elevates what was already an amazing episode. Hell, I’d be amazed if anyone didn’t tear up at the fantastic phone call at the end. Other great stuff: Cusick and Walger aren’t the only ones to turn in good performances. Davies does a nice job here, especially in the “flashback” scene. He has found a wonderful way to use his quirky acting ticks to make Daniel come off as a troubled genius with many quirks, making the character so fun to watch. Also, I found it interesting how Cuse and Lindelof were able to nicely work in some of Daniel’s background as a professor in Oxford even though it’s Desmond’s episode. Another great performance comes from guest star Fisher Stevens. He brings out a lot of sympathy for George’s death despite this character being new (we’ve only heard his voice until now) and dying very quickly. And, there a lot of great writing touches, like the reminders of Ben’s man on the boat (he obviously sabotaged George’s equipment and unlocked the sick bay door for Sayid and Desmond to get out) and the introductions of the other Kahana people, here being the doctor, Keamy, and Omar. We still don’t know who these people are, but it’s pretty obvious from what we see of them here that some aren’t here to help our castaways (Keamy and Omar) but still some are (George and the doctor). And, I especially liked how this episode made “Flashes Before Your Eyes” retroactively great, which is amazing since that was a top notch episode as well. I gave that one a 10 out of 10, so this one’s getting the same ranking as well: 10/10. 6. The Other Woman ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Jules__Good_beach.jpg) Director(s): Eric Laneuville Writer(s): Drew Goddard & Christina M. Kim Plot: Harper Stanhope, the Others’ psychiatrist, comes to Juliet to inform her that Charlotte and Daniel are going to release nerve gas from the Tempest and kill everyone on the Island. Sure enough, Daniel and Charlotte are missing. So, Juliet, Jack, and Kate go after them. Juliet splits up from Jack and Kate and discovers Daniel and Charlotte in the Tempest. Juliet and Charlotte get into a fight, but afterwards they convince Juliet that they were just trying to prevent the gas from being leaked as Ben was going to gas everyone on the Island like he did with the DHARMA Initiative in the Purge. Flashbacks: Here, we see more of Juliet’s time on the Island. It turns out she had an affair with Harper’s husband, Goodwin. However, it soon becomes apparent that they’re secrecy with the affair wasn’t to keep Harper from finding out but Ben, who has an unrequited love for Juliet. Thoughts: Here’s another dud. In fact, this is the worst episode of Season 4. Now, it ain’t bad. In fact, I’d rather watch this over “Fire + Water” and “Stranger In A Strange Land.” There are quite a few good touches to this episode. For one, I got fooled by it at the beginning. They pulled the Juliet trick again, and I fell for it. In case you don’t remember, in “A Tale Of Two Cities,” the episode began with what appeared to be Juliet off the Island but later revealed it to be on the Island. And then in “Not In Portland,” the episode began with what appeared to be Juliet on the Island but later turned out to be Miami. Here, they pulled the trick again with it appearing that Juliet is one of the Oceanic 6 but pulls the rug out from under us yet again using her celebrity status with the Others as the savior of their pregnant women to deceive us. I don’t know why I fell for that trick on the third try, but I’ll just say that the writers and directors were great at pulling it off and leave it at that. Anyway, the other nice thing about this episode is Juliet trying to stop Charlotte and Daniel from stopping nerve gas being released on the Island, thinking that she’s actually trying to prevent them from releasing it. It’s a good plot with some great action in the fight scene between Juliet and Charlotte. In fact, I think it may have replaced Sayid VS Mikhail and Jin VS Mikhail as the best fight on the show. Though, I have to be honest, this plot wasn’t all that tense. I mean, did anyone really think that Charlotte and Daniel were going to kill everyone on the Island? Come on. We’ve seen this before: the countdown cliché. It’s not the first time Lost has done it. Hell, Season 2 was all about it. However, there was a lot more tension in Season 2 and than in this episode as we didn’t know what would happen if you didn’t push the button in the Swan. Here, we knew what would happen and that it didn’t matter as no one was going to die. Now, the tension in The Tempest scenes, or lack there of, may have brought down the episode; but what brought it up were some good performances from Mitchell, Emerson, and O’Quinn. I really loved the scenes with Ben and Juliet and Ben and Locke. Ben has some interesting relationships with people. With Locke, he’s a manipulator, trying to get back some power that he’s lost over the man; but he’s also sort of his teacher, telling him how to be the new main man on the Island. It’s a great dynamic that makes the episode a lot more interesting that it is. As for Ben and Juliet, I really like this stalkerish relationship between the two. Here, you have a woman who hates this man and wants to leave, but Ben is so in love with Juliet that he won’t let her go despite the fact he knows full well she can’t stand the site of him. This plays off well in the scene where Ben brings Juliet to Goodwin’s dead body. I liked how Emerson was able to make his voice sound sinister yet loving. It’s an interesting dynamic that I would have loved to seen played up some more in this episode. That’s one of the problems with this episode, here we have another on Island flashback, this one from Juliet who was one of the Others. Here’s a great opportunity to learn more about the Others and the Island, but it’s largely wasted. Now, we do learn some things, like concerning the pregnancies, the mothers’ immune system turns on the baby as if it’s a virus, most likely causing the deaths. That sort of kills the “babies developing in off-Island time” theory, but I’ll reserve judgment on that since we still have one season left in the show. We also learn about the Tempest, the Island’s power station, and that Juliet looks like Annie, the woman Ben was in love with before her. But, instead of playing off that little fact, the writers, here Goddard and Kim, decided for some reason to focus more on Juliet’s relationship with Goodwin and reveal that he was married to Harper. I mean, was this really necessary? So, Juliet had an affair. Big whoop! Who cares!? I don’t, but we still don’t know what happened with Ben and Annie. Maybe if they had shown more about Ben’s obsession over Juliet because of Annie, then I would have liked it a lot more. Also, we get more of that damn melodrama/love triangle business, here with Jack, Kate, and Juliet. I get that it also ties in with the “The Other Woman” title, but just because it does doesn’t mean they have to include it. And, this episode gives us some answers, but they are pretty much ones we’ve figured out. I mean, we knew that Charles Widmore sent the Kahana as the fact they knew about Penny answered that. We knew that Ben loved Juliet because of Annie. And, we knew Charlotte and Daniel weren’t gonna kill everyone. It seems like this episode goes through a lot to tell us info we already figured out. Other things I noticed about this episode: the whispers are back. I’m glad to see that they haven’t been fully abandoned. I mean, let’s face they: they were only used to keep the audience guessing about the Others. So, the writers could be forgiven now for just dropping them, but the fact that they didn’t was a nice touch. Zach and Emma were brought up again. I’d still like to know why the Tailies were taken and what is Ben’s obsession with children. Also, Jack didn’t seem to know who Harper was. Why is that? I mean, he was with them for several days. Surely he would have fun into her. And, if not, why? Where was she? SPEAKING OF Harper, why in the hell do the Others have a psychiatrist? That makes no sense to me. However, Andrea Roth’s performance as her and Juliet’s answer to Jack’s similar question were good enough to make me forgive all that. In case you’re wondering, her answer was: “It’s very stressful being an Other, Jack.” Another great line comes from Ben, when Locke brings him dinner: “Rabbit again? This didn't have a number on it, did it?” And finally, the Tempest. Now, I don’t really get into the literary references on Lost, but this one was too good to ignore. The Tempest is an obvious Shakespeare reference, as in “The Tempest,” the play that takes place on a mysterious island, like this show. If the show ended up revealing that this Island was Prospero’s Island, but I would mark out like a 13-year-old girl meeting Robert Patterson! And, that is enough to raise this episode up to a 7 out of 10. 7. Ji Yeon ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Sun_in_labour.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Semel Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: Sun becomes increasingly worried about the Kahana’s reasons for coming to the Island, so much so that she and Jin decide to go to Locke’s camp. However, Juliet is very concerned over what could happen to Sun if she doesn’t get off the Island before giving birth. She even reveals to Jin that Sun had an affair to keep him from going. Meanwhile, on the Kahana, Sayid and Desmond demand to meet the Kahana’s captain but keep getting rebuked. That changes when Regina jumps off the Kahana with heavy chains, committing suicide, which brings the captain, Gault, out. He meets with Sayid and Desmond and tells them that Charles Widmore faked the Oceanic 815 wreckage and sent them to the Island to find Ben. Then, Sayid runs into the ship’s janitor, Kevin Johnson, and is shocked to see that Kevin is actually Michael. Flashbacks and flashforwards: Here we see Jin and Sun off the Island. Sun is going into labor, and Jin is trying to buy a stuffed panda. It appears that they both made it off the Island, but the end reveals that Jin was buying the panda for a client of Mr. Paik and that only Sun made it off the Island. Thoughts: I hate repeating myself. I really do. It makes me feel like a lazy hack. But, I keep doing it as I write these reviews. I can’t help it. There are just so many things about this show that I like that I can’t help but repeat it in order to get it into your heads just what those things I like about the show are. And, one, well two, of those things are Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae-Kim. As I’ve said before, I think they are the best actors in the cast not named “Terry O’Quinn” and “Michael Emerson.” They have some nuances to their performances that really elevates the clichéd, pulpy nature of the episodes centered around their characters. “House Of The Rising Sun” and “…In Translation” were two of the best episodes of Season 1. “…And Found” and “The Whole Truth” were two low points of Season 2, but I still enjoyed them. “The Glass Ballerina” was a highlight of Season 3, and “D.O.C.” while not that good was a lot better than most of the things that happened in Season 3. So, it should come as no surprised that I love “Ji Yeon.” Now, yes I know there was little forward motion in this one. All we learned here was that Jin didn’t make it off the Island, Sun did, Michael was Ben’s man on the boat, and that was as obvious as the reveal of Charles Widmore being the man who sent the Kahana. But, to fair to the Lost writers, it had to have been Michael. Because Harold Perrineau was hyped as returning to the show, it was obvious Michael was returning. And, how else were they gonna get Michael back to the Island? As we know, he ain’t a sailor. He’s not Sayid or Locke. He’s a regular guy. He can’t really do the things the other castaways can do. Hell, Jack, the main hero of the show, couldn’t get back to the Island in 2007. What makes you think Michael could find some other way besides agreeing to go on the Kahana? As for the reveal that Jin got left behind, that was a lot more substantial than the Michael reveal. For one, we don’t know if Jin’s dead or alive. His “death” in Korea could just be part of the lie the Oceanic 6 concocted. Nevertheless, I liked how it ties in to the separation motif that has been going on with their arc. It always seems like there are forces in this world trying to keep them apart. First, Jin’s work with Sun’s dad almost led to Sun leaving him. Then, this revelation on the Island led to Jin going to help Michael build his raft, which led to them reconciling just before he left only to be separated because of the Others blowing up the raft. Then, they nearly got separated again when the Others took Desmond’s boat; but Sun luckily got off before they took it. And, now we learn that they are going to be separated by the whole leaving the Island business. It’s just so sad that these two lovebirds keep getting pulled apart. Anyway, I did like the reveal that Jin’s off Island story was a flashback. It nicely tied in with his motif of sacrificing his dignity and morals to do things for Mr. Paik that he doesn’t want to do just to stay with Sun. Seeing him go through all that trouble to get a stuffed panda, thinking it’s for his own daughter, but then learning it’s for a potential client of Mr. Paik was devastating. And, it made Sun’s scenes of giving birth and waiting for Jin to show up all the more heartbreaking as it’s revealed that she knows he ain’t coming. Of course, Kim and Dae-Kim play these scenes very well. I also enjoyed their performances in the on-Island action. Dae-Kim’s hurt when he learns of Sun’s affair with Jae Lee was a highlight of his Lost acting career. And, I especially liked his scene with Bernard. It was great in that Bernard is trying to convince him not to go to Locke’s camp because Locke is a murderer and that karma will come around to bite him on the ass. It’s painfully ironic for two reasons: 1. Jin has had to do several bad things in his job with Mr. Paik. So, hearing Bernard talk about karma also applies to Jin as well. 2. We know Bernard and Jin aren’t going to make it off the Island. So, if karma does make the world work, then why did these two good guys get stuck on the Island? It’s a nicely written scene. There are a lot of great moments in this Kitsis and Horowitz script. I liked it when Juliet spilled the beans on Sun’s affair to keep them from going to Locke’s camp. It’s obvious that she’s being cruel to be kind, spilling the beans in order to keep them there and get Sun off the Island. And, I enjoyed it when Hurley showed up at the end, mainly for how he was relieved that he was the only one of the other Oceanic 6 to show up. I got the impression from it that the Oceanic 6 aren’t very comfortable around each other, which leads to some nice speculation about what happened when they got off the Island that would make them feel this way around each other. So, in conclusion, the master plot isn’t moved forward much, but it was a nice break from it. And, I enjoyed a very heartbreaking Sun and Jin story, probably more so than other fans. 8/10. Disc 6: Bonus Features: First off, we do have two commentary tracks on this disc for the episodes “The Constant” and “Ji Yeon.” Now, onto Disc 6, which has “Course Of The Future: The Definitive Flash Forwards,” “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies,” “The Freighter Folk,” “Offshore Shoot,” and the “Lost: Missing Pieces” mobisodes. First we have “Course Of The Future: The Definitive Flash Forwards,” which is obviously about the flashforwards. It’s a standard making of featurette that has the cast and crew talking about the important thematic elements of the flashforwards. It’s interesting but goes on for way too long. It’s an hour, and it mostly shows clips of the flashforward scenes from Season 4 shown in chronological order. That seems a little unnecessary to me. I mean, can’t we just watch the episodes to see the flashforward scenes? Next is “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies.” This is a mockumentary that investigates the possibility that the Oceanic Six are lying about their story. I have to say, this was a pretty clever featurette that nicely captures the feel of all those exploitative conspiracy theory shows. Hell, it even creeped me out like those shows do. Seriously, I can’t watch those conspiracy shows; they make me paranoid. They did when I was little and even today when I know they’re bogus. Also, it answers an important question: the Oceanic 6 said that three other people survived the crash and made it to the island of Membata with them, but we never knew found out who they were on the show. Here, they show photos of the survivors: Libby, Boone, and Charlie. I don’t know why they chose those three. But, nevertheless, it was a very good featurette. Next up is “The Freighter Folk,” which is obviously about the new characters who have been introduced via the Kahana. It basically explains how the writers came up with the new characters. It was pretty interesting, especially considering how we learn how these characters came to be. For example, Jeremy Davies admits to Googling some scientific facts about time travel. I thought was a nice method touch. And, Miles’s name “Miles Straume” was chosen because it sounds like “maelstrom.” “Offshore Shoot” is the next featurette. It focuses on the making of the Kahana set. Here’s a little Hollywood secret: usually when you see a boat in a movie or TV show, it’s not an actual boat. Sometimes, it will be a model with sets that resemble a boat but aren’t. But, sometimes they’ll build a boat on a barge or something. However, here they were able to get an actual freighter for the show. This was nice for them money wise, but a pain in the ass filming it since it was very crampt with all the actors, crew, and catering people on piled onto this boat. And, finally we have “Lost: Missing Pieces.” These are short mini-episodes that were released weekly on Verizon mobile phones and on ABC.com from November 6, 2007 to February 4, 2008. Basically, these were conceived as “video diaries.” The original idea had Hurley finding a DHARMA video camera and filming events on the Island, ending with a previously unseen DHARMA orientation film. However, a contract dispute with the actors over filming these things delayed the production, leading to the original idea being scrapped. Then, they went with the idea of using these mini-episodes to fill in some gaps in the show’s first three seasons. Basically, if you’re one of the people clamoring for answers from this show, then these are for you. So, let’s dive right in shall we: Main cast Dr. Jack Shephard—Matthew Fox (5/13) Michael Dawson—Harold Perrineau (5/13) Dr. Juliet Burke—Elizabeth Mitchell (4/13) Hugo "Hurley" Reyes—Jorge Garcia (3/13) Jin-Soo Kwon—Daniel Dae Kim as (3/13) Sun-Hwa Kwon—Yunjin Kim (2/13) Michael Emerson as Ben Linus (2/13) Emilie de Ravin as Claire Littleton (1/13) Guest stars Dr. Christian Shepard—John Terry (2/13) Dr. Leslie Arzt—Daniel Roebuck (2/13) Neil “Frogurt”—Sean Whalen (1/13) Ethan Rom—William Mapother (1/13) Amelia—Julie Adams (1/13) 1. The Watch Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse Plot: On the day of his wedding to Sarah, Jack talks with his dad, Christian, who gives him the watch given to him by his father on his wedding day. Thoughts: The idea of Christian talking to Jack about this watch doesn’t seem all that interesting, but it is nicely written and acted by Fox and John Terry. Plus, I’m glad we got this here. If it had been a scene in one of the episodes, I’d imagine that there would have been quite a few complaints from fans. So, it’s pretty good but not all that interesting. 7/10. 2. The Adventures Of Hurley And Frogurt Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: Neil “Frogurt” talks with Hurley about Libby the possibility of him making a move on her as he has crush on Libby. However, Hurley shuts him down. Thoughts: Another nicely written mini-episode that isn’t all that interesting. Though, I can’t hate it as it introduces one of the other castaways that we don’t know all the much about: Frogurt. Though, he’ll tell you that his name is Neil. I have to admit: one of my favorite parts of Season 5 was Neil constantly getting annoyed by people calling him “Frogurt” (though, that didn’t last long). So, it was a treat to see his introduction here. And, I have to compliment Sean Whalen on his performance here. All in all, a nice little scene that I wouldn’t have mind seeing in one of the Season 2 episodes. 8/10. 3. King Of The Castle Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Brian K. Vaughan Plot: Jack and Ben play chess and discuss Jack wanting to leave the Island. Thoughts: This is a lot juicier. I was disappointed that we didn’t get a Jack on-Island flashback recalling his time with the Others. Though I would have liked to have seen more of his time at the Barracks, this glimpse was nice to see. I loved the little power play game Ben and Jack are playing as they play chess. It also nicely brings up Jack’s need to get back to the Island in his first flashforward. Plus, it was well acted by Emerson and Fox. 9/10. 4. The Deal Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff Plot: Juliet comes to Michael in the decoy village to talk about the deal he made to get off the Island. Thoughts: You know what’s so interesting about Lost: they had so many cast members come and go that a few of them have interacted with each other. For example, Ana-Lucia never Desmond. Nor Boone or Frank or Juliet for that matter. SPEAKING OF Juliet, if it wasn’t for this mini-episode, we never would have known that Juliet and Michael talked once. And, that’s a shame. They both interact well together here, giving nice performances. It’s also well written, playing off the fact that they would both do anything to be reunited with the family they are separated from, even if it’s something sinister. Hell, I would have loved to seen more scenes between the two. But, alas that won’t ever happen again. Still, this mini-episode will do nicely. 8/10. 5. Operation: Sleeper Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Brian K. Vaughan Plot: Juliet comes to Jack and reveals that she was sent to the castaways’ camp in order to learn which women are pregnant for the Others to take. Thoughts: One of the biggest complaints of Lost: the never ending supply of questions it raises and the show taking so long to reveal some answers. I’ve bitched about time and time again. But, here’s the thing: giving us answers quickly may make the fans happy but doesn’t necessarily mean the show would be better if it did. In fact, this one proves to be on the contrary. If this had been included in the show, we would have learned that Juliet’s deception much earlier; but it would have made the reveal less dramatic. The show’s delay tactics don’t make much sense from a realistic stand-point, but they do work from a dramatic one, making for more interesting episodes. So, not only is this a well written and acted mini-episode, but it also shows that sometimes the writers know what they’re doing when they withhold info from us. 9/10. 6. Room 23 Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff Plot: Ben arrives at Room 23, and Juliet tells he, possibly Walt, has done something again and that everyone is too afraid to go in there. She also tells Ben that they should let Walt go, but Ben rebukes her. Thoughts: Of all the mini-episodes, this one’s the best. So much good myth stuff to chew on. Here we have the return of the mysterious Room 23, Ben and Juliet talking about some kid who made a bunch of bird commit suicide by flying into the boarded up window (they don’t say it’s Walt, but it’s pretty obvious it is him), and the mentioning of Jacob’s list again. It raises so many questions, like: What is Room 23? Is it used for other purposes besides brainwashing? How could it make Walt kill a bunch of birds? Why did Jacob want Walt brought to the room? And, is it really Walt? Just because it seemed obvious that it was him doesn’t make that so. Remember, Karl was also put into that room. Anyway, what really sells this are Mitchell and Emerson’s performances. They play freaked out well. I mean, they seriously look like they’re about to s*** their pants. 10/10. Also, you can learn more about the questions raised by “Room 23” here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Room_23_(mobisode)/Theories and here: lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Room_23/Theories 7. Arzt And Crafts Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Damon Lindelof Plot: Dr. Arzt tries to convince Jin and Sun to not move to the caves. However, the roaring of the smoke monster causes Arzt to change his mind and move to the caves himself. Thoughts: Ah, Arzt. Nice to see him again. I have to admit; he’s grown on me. I think seeing him again made that so. Anyway, he’s pretty funny here; props to Daniel Roebuck for a fine comedic performance here. He really sells the twist of Artz changing his mind when he hears the Smoke Monster’s roar. Though, this one isn’t a meaty as “Room 23” but a nice little distraction overall. 7/10. 8. Buried Secrets Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Christina M. Kim Plot: Sun watches Jin fishing and then walks into the jungle to bury her fake driver’s license. Michael runs into her, and she explains that she was going to leave Jin. Thoughts: If you remember back in Season 1, I noticed that in a few episodes it appeared they were teasing a possible affair between Michael and Sun; but they never went that route. However, that possible affair is brought up again. It’s nice to see that it wasn’t forgotten. Props for Kim bringing back an obscure storyline that didn’t really go anywhere and using it for a nice little scene here. I have to say that I enjoyed this one, mainly for Yunjin Kim and Harold Perrineau’s performances. This isn’t much in the way juicy details, but Kim and Perrineau elevate with some nice nuanced touches. 9/10. 9. Tropical Depression Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse Plot: After Arzt’s speech about the monsoon season, Michael goes up to him to ask if what he said was true. Arzt admits that he made it all up and that he was in Australia to meet a woman he had been communicating with on the Internet, who left him during their date. Thoughts: Here’s another nice scene with Dr. Arzt. Here we learn that he lied about monsoon season and why he was in Australia. The first fact is funny, proving Sawyer right to question him; and I love it when Sawyer’s right. The second wasn’t all the vital but does answer a question probably a few Lost fans were wondering. Also, Roebuck gives a nice little dramatic performance here. Like I said, Arzt has grown on me. 8/10. 10. Jack, Meet Ethan. Ethan? Jack. Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Damon Lindelof Plot: Jack meets Ethan while looking for supplies. Ethan gives him a case full of medicine and tells him that Claire might have to deliver the baby on the Island and about his wife, who died in childbirth. Thoughts: This one was interesting. For one, Ethan’s case filled with medicine. I have a feeling that he may have gotten one of his Other brethren to bring him the case. Also, we got Ethan taking an interest in Claire, which we all know why. It’s also funny to see that Ethan is talking to Claire with Jack, Claire’s half-brother. And, finally, we got Ethan talking about his wife who died during childbirth. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I like to think that it is. As we’ve learned, the Others aren’t necessarily bad people. 8/10. 11. Jin Has A Temper-Tantrum On The Golf Course Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Drew Goddard Plot: While playing golf with Hurley and Michael, Jin misses a putt and throws a huge fit. Thoughts: I have to be honest, when I first read the title for this mini-episode, it sounded stupid to me. It sounded like it would be comedy fodder. But, it isn’t. Dae-Kim’s performance here elevates would could have looked like a lame comedy bit into real frustration. His anger over missing the putt soon becomes a huge diatribe over the Island and his frustration not understanding anyone. It was very well played by Dae-Kim, further proof why he’s one of the best actors on the show. 9/10. 12. The Envelope Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Damon Lindelof & J.J. Abrams Plot: Amelia arrives at Juliet’s house early for the book club. She notices that Juliet is upset and asks about it. Juliet almost tells her about Ben’s tumor, but they are interrupted by the rest of the book club. Thoughts: You know, I think Amelia is a certain famous female aviator who disappeared long ago. But, that really doesn’t have anything to do with this mini-episode. It’s mainly about Juliet about to reveal Ben’s tumor to Amelia but stopped by her book club. Not much happens here, but I did like Mitchell’s performance. However, it doesn’t quite elevate the mini-episode like Dae-Kim’s did in the previous one. In fact, this is the weakest one of the bunch. 6/10. 13. So It Begins Director: Jack Bender Writer(s): Drew Goddard Plot: Vincent is running in the Jungle when Christian comes up to him and tells him to go to his son Jack. The dog does as the opening of the pilot plays over again. Thoughts: This one was pretty cool. I mean, you have Christian talking to Vincent. Or, is it Christian? It could be the Smoke Monster, moving his game pieces in the fight places. It’s quite intriguing and nicely ties back into not just the pilot but also the first mini-episode, which did feature Jack and Christian on a beach. I like it when things come full circle. 8/10. I have to say, these were very nice. In fact, I’d like to see more of these. Hell, these could be used to answer a lot more questions the show hasn’t answered, like Libby’s backstory, the Tampa Job, and lingering questions about the Others. I also liked Bender’s direction in each one of these. His handheld camera approach was a nice touch. Smart move using the same director throughout as it helped keep the quality up. There was only one bad apple in the bunch, and even that one was pretty good. Though, I have to admit that I was disappointed by the lack of certain characters in these things. I would have loved one of these focused on Sayid, Sawyer, Desmond, Locke, or even Claire (I know she appears in one, but that was obviously a clip from the main series); Kate wasn’t featured either, but that’s okay. I understand if the producers weren’t able to get all their actors available since these were filmed during a hiatus when they were probably off doing other projects, but I still would have loved to seen them in it. So, I say, “Bravo” to the Lost writers for coming up with 13 nice little scenes that filled in some holes, answered some questions, raised a few more, and stayed in tune with the show’s myths and characters. Well, that’s all for today. Again, don’t know when the next batch of episodes will be up because of Netflix. But, since I’ve gone through the bonus material, I should be able to finish Season 4 quickly since I’ll only have to deal with episodes. But, it’s starting to look like I won’t be able to finish Season 5 before Season 6 begins. However, that won’t stop me from doing the review.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 24, 2010 21:48:06 GMT -5
I’m back for more. Before we begin, here’s that spoiler warning, just in case: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 4-Disc 3 8. Meet Kevin Johnson ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/losts04e08.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Brian K. Vaughan Plot: Sayid and Desmond confront Michael, and he spills the beans about him being on the Kahana. After hearing his story, Sayid turns Michael in to Gault. Meanwhile, Locke holds a meeting where Ben tells them that Michael is his man on the boat. After that Ben sends Rousseau, Alex, and Karl to the Temple. However, Keamy and his mercenaries kill Rousseau and Karl and take Alex hostage. Flashbacks: The flashback shows what happened to Michael after he got off the Island. He managed to somehow get rescued and made it back to New York. During that time, he confessed his murders of Libby and Ana-Lucia to Walt, causing a huge rift between the two. With Walt now living with his grandmother and unable to speak with Michael, coupled with the guilt over Libby and Ana-Lucia’s deaths, Michael tries to kill himself. However, he is approached by Tom, who tells him that the Island won’t let him commit suicide and gives him a proposition. Tom wants Michael to be a spy on the Kahana for Ben and blow up the ship. Michael agrees and boards the Kahana as Kevin Johnson, but he soon gets cold feet over detonating the bomb. However, meeting Keamy and the other mercenaries changes Michael’s mind. But, it turns out the bomb was a dud; and Ben was just proving a point. From there, Michael gives Ben information on the Kahana peoples and sabotages the radio equipment. Thoughts: One the reasons I wanted to go back and look at Lost was to see if it was as good as I remembered. This wasn’t just an attempt to catch up on everything that happened prior to the show’s exit; it was also to see if the nostalgia had worn off. I have to say that so far that hasn’t been the case. A lot of the episodes I liked when I first saw them are still as enjoyable to me the second or third times I’ve seen. In fact, there were a few episodes (“Exodus,” “The Other 48 Days,” “Lockdown,” etc.) that I actually enjoyed on the repeat viewing than on the first one. But, I knew there were going to be a few that weren’t as good as I remembered. Here is such a case. I really liked “Meet Kevin Johnson” when I first saw it. However, on this repeat viewing I’ve noticed some problems with it that either eluded me the first time or I just forgot about. Either way, it’s not as good as I remembered. Before I get into these problems, a little history: as I’ve mentioned, Season 4 aired during the infamous 2007-2008 Writer’s Strike. The show’s producers had gotten ABC to agree on an end date and shorten the remaining seasons to just 16 episodes, but the strike ended up costing 3 episodes of Season 4 to not be filmed (which I’m guessing would have been dedicated to the backstories of the Kahana people) and led to a month long hiatus in between “Meet Kevin Johnson” and “The Shape Of Things To Come.” You see, the first 8 had been completed; and ABC decided to air them since there was a strike going on and they needed programming. The Lost producers were a little upset about this since this episode ended on a cliffhanger, Rousseau and Karl being killed and Alex being taken hostage, that wasn’t really good enough for a hiatus, fearing that the strike would go on for so long that Season 4 would be cut short after this episode. And, they are right: it’s a nice cliffhanger, but not good enough to keep people satisfied with the season and anxiously waiting for the return. In fact, it feels very tacked on; as if the writers knew they had to have a cliffhanger just in case and came up with the Alex getting kidnapped scenario at the last minute. But, that is a minor annoyance that I can forgive due to circumstances beyond the writers control. What was in their control as Michael’s backstory, yet they still ended up creating a huge continuity error in this episode. And, I’m talking about that one TAP pointed out: about how it would be impossible for George, the Kahana’s communication guy, to not figure out why a deckhand was getting a phone call from a mysterious location in the Pacific. Yes, it is a problem; but it can be easily resolved: George did find out that Michael was talking to someone in some mysterious location in the South Pacific. Michael found out about the whole thing and destroyed George’s equipment before George could pinpoint the location. Hell, Ben told Michael to take out the communication room during their phone call. The problem I’m talking about is the timeline of Michael’s actions off the Island. When he left back in “Live Together, Die Alone,” it was the castaways’ 67th day on the Island; and the events of “A Tale Of Two Cities” happened on Day 68. When Season 3 ended, it was Day 91. Plus, this episode takes place on Day 97, and according to Lostpedia, the flashback took place between Day 67 and Day 82. That’s about 30 days give or take. So, everything that happened in Michael’s flashback happened in about a month or less. In that month, he and Walt rode on that boat until they found help, maybe a boat found them or something; Michael somehow came up with an explanation for how he and Walt ended up in that boat; then he came ashore; got himself and Walt to New York City; dropped Walt off at his mom’s place after he confessed his sins, i.e. the murders of Ana-Lucia and Libby; either went back his old apartment or found another one; got into a car accident; recovered; bought a gun; tried to kill himself but was stopped by Tom; met with him to take Ben’s orders; fly to Fiji to board the Kahana; and sail back to the Island. You mean to tell me he did all that IN A f***ING MONTH!!!! Bulls***! This is Michael were talking about. I could see Sayid or Sawyer being able to do this, hell maybe even Jack. But, Michael is pretty much a regular guy! He ain’t a con man or a soldier with some possible espionage training. He’s just a construction worker. He doesn’t seem all that resourceful to me. Plus there’s the fact that Michael left from an island literally in the middle of nowhere. It should have at least taken a month for Michael to just get back to New York. Either the writers forgot about the show’s timeline or are just playing loose time and hoping the fans would dismiss it as Island magic or something. Well, I ain’t dismissing it. It’s a huge problem that takes me out of the episode a little bit. Plus, during all that time, wouldn’t the Kahana people have enough time to learn about Michael? I mean, they did know about Kate. Then again, Kate is a wanted criminal, someone you need to know about. I don’t know if Michael is all that important for investigation. Though, they would have to investigate everybody in order to learn who’s important to know. That said, it’s still a pretty good episode. Perrineau gives a great performance here. He does a great job portraying the guilt Michael is experiencing. Also, I have to admit that the cliffhanger scene was pretty shocking, especially since it never showed if Keamy and his men were the shooters. For all we know, Ben could have sent them into a trap; but the fact that he does care for Alex and that Keamy’s men did leave the Kahana and are there to get Ben do make them the prime suspects. It was also shocking because didn’t think they would kill Karl or Rousseau; I just figured those were characters who were gonna somehow survive till the end. I also have to praise Tania Raymonde for the nice freaking out performance she gives after seeing her boyfriend and mother die. Plus, it had some funny twists, like the reveal that Tom was gay and the bomb being faked. And, aside from the huge continuity error, it’s well written. We learn a great deal, like how Widmore pulled off the fake Oceanic 815 wreckage: he dug up a cemetery in Thailand, bought an old 777 through a shell company, and rented a freighter to drop it all in a trench in the Pacific Ocean. Though, we also get some more questions, like how is Tom able to get off and on Island. The sub should answer this question, but Tom and Michael probably met sometime after Locke blew up the sub. And, I’ve expressed my doubts of the sub being the only way off the Island. Also, how did Miles know Michael wasn’t Kevin Johnson? Did Ana-Lucia or Libby tell him? And, speaking of Ana-Lucia, where is she? Michael is only being haunted by Libby. Why? I figured a scheduling conflict kept Michelle Rodriguez from appearing on the show, but I would like a storyline answer. Though, I like to imagine that Michael didn’t really feel all that guilty about killing Ana-Lucia because she was so annoying. Anyway, the best thing about this episode is all the moral ambiguity it raises. When Michael goes to set off the bomb, finds out it’s fake, and gets a call from Ben, Ben tells Michael that isn’t wasn’t their idea for Michael to kill Ana-Lucia and Libby; that was his decision. And, he’s right. Back in “Three Minutes,” Ms. Klugh never said anything about killing anyone in order to free Ben. She just said that he had to let Ben go and bring back Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley. Hell, she didn’t even tell him to harm anyone. But, this doesn’t exactly exonerate Ben and the Others. Michael was presented with an impossible choice: to save Walt he had to betray his friends by letting Ben go. And, he needed to do it in a way that he could get Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley to go with him. So, they knew Michael was going to have to do something to get the people on their list; and they had his son, so they also knew he would do anything to get Walt back. So, that could make Ben and the Others just as guilty as Michael. It raises all those questions about whether Ben and the Others are really the good guys. It makes you wonder if all the Kahana people are really there to help or just there for their own selfish and/or sinister purposes and if Sayid did the right thing by turning Michael in to Gault, especially since we know he’ll end working with Ben. That’s one of the most interesting things about Lost: when it makes you pick sides, it doesn’t ask who’s good and who’s bad; it asks “Which group morally ambiguous characters do you care more about?” So, I have to this isn’t a bad episode, but it’s just not as good as I remembered, especially since I realized it has a big problem with the timeline. Back then, I would have given it an 8 out 10, maybe a 9; but today, I’m giving it a 7 out of 10. 9. The Shape Of Things To Come ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Boom.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Brian K. Vaughan & Drew Goddard Plot: The Barracks come under attack from Keamy’s men. Everyone but Locke, Hurley, Sawyer, Claire, Aaron, Miles, and Ben are killed, and Keamy holds Alex hostage to get Ben to turn himself in. However, Ben doesn’t do so; and Keamy kills Alex. This causes Ben to unleash the Smoke Monster on Keamy’s men, allowing the survivors to escape. Meanwhile, back at the beach, the body of the doctor from the Kahana washes ashore. This leads to Daniel admitting to Jack that the Kahana never came to the Island to rescue anybody. Flashforwards: Here we see what Ben did after getting off the Island. He wakes up in the Tunisian desert and is met by two armed locals. However, Ben quickly subdues them and makes his way into a city. There, he learns of the death of Nadia, Sayid’s wife. Then, Ben makes his way to Iraq and spies on Sayid during the funeral. However, Sayid spots him and confronts Ben. Ben tells Sayid that he knows who killed Nadia, that the man is in Iraq, and offers to help. Sayid agrees, and they do kill the man. This begins Sayid’s work with Ben. And, the flashforwards end with Ben confronting Charles Widmore. Thoughts: When I first heard Hurley talking about the Oceanic 6, I knew that couldn’t be right. Only 6 people made it off the Island. There had to have been more. Sure enough, in “The Economist,” we see that Sayid is working for Ben. I was pleased as punch. I just knew at least a few other people had to get off the Island. Though, we don’t learn how Ben got off the Island here; that was answered in the season finale. Yet, his flashforward scenes were great. They were filled with a lot of action and intrigue. For one, seeing Ben take out those nomads was badass. It’s just so weird seeing this short, unassuming man take people down like James Bond. I guess that’s why Ben’s so damn good at what he does: people look at him and don’t expect much from him. After that, we see Ben recruiting Sayid into working for him by helping him kill the man who killed Nadia. Oh yeah, Nadia’s dead. Boy did that suck. I mean, we just learned that not only will Sayid be reunited with one of the women he’s loved but that it will end in tragedy. Man, I just feel for the guy. I especially liked it when Sayid killed the assailant and kept pulling the trigger after emptying the gun. That was a great way to show the hurt in Sayid’s soul besides the look on Andrews’s face. Then, it all ends with a great confrontation between Ben and Widmore, which gives off the impression that they’ve met before. But, when and where? Maybe it was on the Island? But, more on that later. Also, Ben telling Widmore that he’s gonna kill Penny was very juicy, giving us all some hope for a great Ben/Desmond showdown later on. As for the on Island action, it’s just as palpable as Ben’s flashforwards. It begins unassumingly with Kate and Jack talking, but things quickly turn when Bernard finds the body of the Kahana’s doctor. Then, we later learn that, when Daniel calls the Kahana to ask about the doctor, they claim he’s not dead. So, are they lying? Or, has he not died yet? We do learn the answer, but this all nicely leads to Daniel and Charlotte fessing up about the Kahana not being there to rescue anybody, which we already knew, especially since Daniel pretty much said that back in “Confirmed Dead.” Still, it’s a nice subplot that has some minor intrigue that aptly supports the action going on at the Barracks. There, we get the opening sequence of “Saving Private Ryan.” Keamy’s men attack, killing everyone who ain’t a main character. I never got why the writers didn’t think to ever do this earlier when fans were bitching about all the other castaways who never do anything. That would have been my solution to all that jive. Anyway, this all comes to a head when Keamy kills Alex while negotiating with Ben. It’s a great moment for two reasons: 1. Ben has always been so sure that the decisions he makes are the rights that when it’s great to see when he’s wrong. It’s nice to see that’s human, that he makes mistakes, that his gambles don’t always pay. It helps the audience get behind him more. 2. It’s so heartbreaking. You know that Ben may be a liar, a manipulator, and in some ways, a monster; but he does have a heart. And, while Alex may not be his real, he does care for the girl as one. And, Emmerson plays the scene well. He gives the character his heart and soul, which is why you feel for him when he sees his daughter murdered. I also have to praise Raymonde as well; she did a nice job here as she did in the final scene of “Meet Kevin Johnson.” And, props to Bender for his great direction here (and not just in that scene, I loved the lighting in the final scene, with the blue light shining on the left half of Ben’s face and the right half of Widmore’s face, giving it a sinister feel) and Vaughan and Goddard for a well crafted script. Other great moments from this episode: Ben sending the Smoke Monster after Keamy’s men. Boy has righteous vengeance never felt so good. Sawyer going after Claire; it was a very suspenseful scene, and the capper with Claire’s home exploding and her somehow surviving was a great touch. It also gives us a nice a question to mull over: how did she survive? Or, did she? There were also some great lines in this episode, like Faraday’s “When? ‘When’ is kind of a relative term.” And Hurley’s “Can't believe you're just giving him Australia. Australia's the key to the whole game.” I especially like that second line because it’s not only funny in the context of the scene but also a possible clue to the whole mystery of the show. Remember, Oceanic 815 took off from Australia. Also, Claire’s from Australia, and there have been a lot of clues that her son, Aaron, is special. So, all in all, we have a very exciting gearshift episode that also has the show turning of a gearshift. You see, the show has gone from one with a very mysterious tone to one with obvious sci-fi/fantasy stories. It appears that from now on we’re getting more and more answers, and they’re all gonna to be about time travel, ghostly cabins, and all-powerful creatures. It’s also kind of scary when you think about it. It appears that now the answers to all our questions will be goofy and/or mundane. Now, this wasn’t really a problem in Season 5, but we still got one more season to go. And, Lost does have a history of disappointing fans. But, for now, I wasn’t disappointed at all. 10/10. 10. Something Nice Back Home ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/4x10_JackFlash.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Plot: Jack develops appendicitis and needs an operation, which Juliet will perform. Meanwhile, Sawyer, Claire, and Miles trek across the Island to the beach. However, Claire wakes up in the middle of the night, sees her father, and walks off after her. Sawyer wakes up the next day to find Claire missing and Aaron left alone in a field. Flashforwards: We get Jack’s second flashforward as we see him living a happy domestic life with Kate and Aaron. However, things quickly unravel when Jack starts seeing his father. These visions lead him to start abusing pills and booze to keep him from seeing Christian and the end of his relationship with Kate after he accidentally reveals to Aaron that Kate isn’t his mother. Thoughts: Back in the Season 3 review, I mention how unusual it was that it took the show 20 episodes to finally get to Ben’s backstory. I mean, he was the man behind the curtain, the wizard of the Others’ Oz. It just seemed weird to me that it took so long to get to his story. Here, it seems weird to me that we’re just now getting to Jack’s episode for Season 4. I mean, he is the main hero of the show. He was the first character we saw back in the pilot. He has been the castaways de facto leader. He was the guy through which we learned of the Oceanic 6 and got the flashforwards. Yet, he’s been a minor character in Season 4. All we’ve seen from him is some appearances in Kate and Hurley’s flashforwards and just hung out at the beach, asking Daniel and Charlotte if they’ve come rescue them. Now, I’m not exactly upset over this. In fact, one of the reasons I really liked Season 4 was because it didn’t focus much on Jack…or Kate for that matter. Well, that changes here. Now, we got another Jack flashforward, with Kate as well. Though, I’m not too upset. We do need this episode, mainly to answer how Jack became the pill-popping, bearded alcoholic we saw in “Through The Looking Glass.” Plus, I figured with Sawyer and Juliet out of the picture, obviously Kate and Jack would end up together. However, after the thrilling “The Shape Of Things To Come” and all that other business with Michael, constants, and the Smoke Monster, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to more of Jack’s appendicitis and his love triangle with Juliet and Kate. However, it did surprise me. I did like the reveal that Jack dived deep into the alcoholic and pill-induced haze we saw him in “Through The Looking Glass” because of his father, figuratively and literally. Figuratively, Jack is the man we know him as because of his father and how much he can’t get along with Christian. They don’t see eye to eye on how to handle medicine and life, and it’s led Jack to try and be different than his father. Yet, because he is Christian, he can’t help but to become his father. Literally, we learn that Jack is seeing his father, and he started drinking and pill popping to prevent this. Of course this also leads to Jack screwing up another relationship, this time with Kate as he’s jealous she did a favor for Sawyer. I could see that coming a mile away. Yet, it was kind of heartbreaking to see it happen. I’ve said in the past that I wasn’t too invested in the Kate/Jack relationship because I didn’t think that Fox and Lilly had very good chemistry together. However, I’ve also said that by now, the actors have gotten so natural in their roles and more comfortable with each other that they are better at playing them. So, now Lilly and Fox have better chemistry; and I’m a little more invested in the relationship. And, therefore I’m sad to see it end because Jack can’t stop Jack. It’s also interesting to think that Kate could still hold a torch for Sawyer. As for the Jack’s appendix story, it’s okay with some suspense; but I can’t get into it because I know Jack ain’t dying. He may not be a very likable character, but I wouldn’t suggest he be killed as there’s much of the story invested in him. Also, that whole Kate/Jack/Juliet storyline is even harder to get into since I now know that Jack ends up with Kate and then dumps her. Now, the subplots are a little better. I liked the one with Daniel and Charlotte trying to make peace with the other castaways. There were some great exchanges between Daniel and Charlotte that showed some nice chemistry between Davies and Madder. Also, it revealed that Charlotte knew Korean, giving us a little more about her character but still keeping us in the dark and anticipating the answer. And, then there was Sawyer, Claire, Aaron, and Miles’s trek to the beach camp. This was very good and a lot more interesting than Jack’s story, but I was so upset it had to take a backseat to the main plot. There was so much going on, what with Miles using his ghost whispering to find Karl and Rousseau’s bodies, them having to hide from Keamy’s men (it was a little cliché, especially with Aaron’s ill-timed squeal but still effective) Claire running off after Christian’s ghost (intriguing and leading credence that Claire may have died in Keamy’s attack), and Sawyer finding Aaron alone. However, it was plagued with the problem taking a backseat to Jack’s story as the scene where Claire goes after Christian and the scene with Sawyer finding Aaron was separated by two unrelated scenes. It would have been a lot more effective it there hadn’t been some much between the two. Another problem I had with the episode was that it brought back those long defunct theories of the whole show being a dream and everyone being dead. Here, we have Hurley telling Jack that nothing is real, calling back to when he thought nothing was real back in “Dave.” I didn’t like it because I don’t why the writers, here Kitsis and Horowitz, would bring it back up since it’s pretty much impossible for them to back either one of those theories the answer to the whole show. Well, they could do it; but they would soon be tarred and feather by a legion of upset Lost fans. I just feel like it’s a waste of time. I also couldn’t get too into Jack’s flashforward story since it happened so quickly. I know they had to rush Jack from relatively happy to bearded addict, but it was still hard to jump into it since it went by so fast. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this episode. The main reason the flashforwards have been so interesting is that they hint that the Oceanic 6 may not have been so noble in their escape from the Island, meaning that the fame, success, and semi-idyllic lives they went back to were based on a lie. And, this all led to Sayid losing Nadia and working for Ben, Hurley to go crazy, and Jack to lose Kate and become an addict. It’s like they couldn’t live happily ever after on a lie and were forced and/or chose to not do so. Since, games, cons, lying, and betrayal has been a big theme of the show, it’s interesting to see it blossom here. 8/10. 11. Cabin Fever ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/LockemeetChristian2.jpg) Director(s): Paul Edwards Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Kyle Pennington Plot: Keamy and his men return to the Kahana after their unsuccessful attempt at retrieving Ben. Enraged by what happened, he accuses Gault of warning Ben of his arrival. However, Gault tells him that Michael is the actual saboteur. This prompts Keamy to try and kill Michael, but he’s unsuccessful. Then, Gault convinces Keamy to not kill Michael as he sabotaged the engines and therefore knows how to fix them. This all prompts Sayid to leave the Kahana on a smaller boat in order to bring his fellow castaways to the Kahana. While he’s gone, Keamy tries to leave the Kahana, but Frank refuses to take him back to the Island. However, Keamy forces him to do so by killing the doctor and Gault. But, Frank drops a phone onto the beach camp, allowing the castaways to find him. Meanwhile, Locke, Ben, and Hurley are searching the Island for Jacob’s cabin. They eventually find it thanks to a dream Locke has involving Horace Goodspeed, the guy who used to run the DHARMA Initiative on the Island; and Locke goes inside. He finds Christian there, who tells Locke that the only way to save the Island is to move it. Flashbacks: We see four different stages of Locke’s life that show that he was destined to end up on the Island. First, we have Richard Alpert visiting a baby Locke a few days after he was born. Then, we see Alpert visiting Locke at age 5; he wants Locke to pick from various items the one that belongs to him. However, Locke fails; and Alpert leaves. Next, we see a teenage Locke being offered a trip to Portland on behalf of Mittelos Biosciences. However, Locke refuses as he doesn’t want to be seen as a nerd by his fellow classmates. And finally, we see Locke sometime after he has been paralyzed talking to Abaddon, who convinces Locke to go on the walkabout trip that did eventually lead to him getting on the Island. Thoughts: As I mentioned earlier with my finding it unusual that Ben didn’t get a backstory episode until near the end of Season 3 and tying it with Jack’s episode coming so late, I also mentioned in the Season 3 review that I found it unusual that Charlie, who had a major arc throughout the season revolving around his impending death, didn’t get a centric episode until penultimate one. Now, here’s why I tie that in with Locke and be warned, this could be hard and may take a lot out me: I found it unusual that Locke, another one of the main characters whom the myths of the Island revolve, didn’t get a centric episode until just before the season finale, like with Charlie. WOW! I did it. It was difficult, but I’m still breathing. Seriously, Locke is like right below Jack on the main hero of the show pyramid, with Jack at the top. We’ve known he’s special since “Walkabout,” when we learned that he was paralyzed before coming to the Island. And, his flashback arc has always been about him trying to find a purpose in his life but never could until he got to the Island. It’s funny because now he’s on the Island and searching for a purpose but all his decisions end up being bad ones like in his pre-Island life. However, off the Island, he never promised a group of people to lead them to safety, and it all ended up getting them killed. So, now that his great quest to safety ended in tragedy, Locke is walking around the Jungle with Ben and Hurley trying to find Jacob’s cabin. However, none of them know where it is and they’re all following each other. Them realizing this was hilarious. Then, it sort of goes down hill. We get another damn dream, this one not as crazy as the others we’ve seen on Lost but still pretty freaky with Horace repeatedly chopping down a tree and telling Locke to go to the DHARMA Initiative’s mass grave. Then, we get more of Locke, Hurley, and Ben just walking around, which doesn’t provide much to chew on. Though, it does give us a nice performance from Emerson. The look on his face when he realizes Locke had a dream, his reaction to Locke showing Hurley the grave, and his misunderstanding of Locke trying to help Hurley as a form of manipulation, all nice touches that he plays well. Then, things get better when Locke finds the cabin learns from Jacob through Christian (who is there with Claire, giving us more evidence about her supposed death) that he has to move the Island. When I first heard that, that blew my mind. I mean, how in the f*** are they gonna move the Island!? Jesus! If you wanna get people interested in the finale, that was a good way to do it. As for what’s going on at the Kahana, it’s a little more interesting than the Three Stooges walking around for some moving cabin. Damn, I’m starting to turn into Sawyer. Anyway, things rev up as Keamy plans to go back, get Ben, and torch the Island. So, Locke wants to move while Keamy wants to burn it down. There’s some more interest in the finale. Things get even more tense when Keamy learns Michael’s the traitor and tries to kill him (his gun doesn’t work because the Island still ain’t done with him), Sayid leaves for the Island on a smaller boat, Keamy kills the doctor and the captain to get Frank to take him back, and Frank drops a phone down on the beach camp to lead them to him. This all sounds like just moving chest pieces for the checkmate, but director Edwards and writers Sarnoff and Pennington do make it tense and interesting. However, they make the flashbacks a lot more interesting. I like this episode because it was a call back to the good old Lost flashbacks like in Season 1. Yes, we have had flashbacks in this season, but Jin’s was misdirection, leading us to think it was really 2007; Michael’s was one long flashback, not like the ones in Season 1; Desmond’s was really a time travel narrative; Juliet’s was on-Island; and with her being an Other, I don’t really count it. Here, we get some good old fashion Lost flashbacks that tell us how a character got to the Island as Locke’s flashbacks show us that he was always destined to get on that Island. From Richard showing up sometime after Locke’s birth to him trying to get Locke to come to the Island twice to Abaddon putting the walkabout idea in Locke’s head. It’s all very interesting for two reasons: 1. It appears that Locke has always been on a journey to be the Island’s savior, but he’s always shirked that responsibility. Just look at the Dali Lama test Richard gives Locke at age 5. He’s suppose to pick the object that represents who he is, which is the compass as Locke need direction. However, he chooses the object that represents who he wants to be, the knife as he wants to be an adventurer. Of course that prompts Richard to leave as Locke failed. Then, there is Locke at age 16 not accepting the invitation from Mittelos Biosciences, which we know is a front for the Others, because he doesn’t want to be seen as a nerd by his classmates. He wants to be a hero, but his idea of what a hero is f***s up the hero is suppose to be, keeping him from being that hero. All the signs and clues are pointing one way, but Locke keeps going the other way. 2. Locke’s destiny has been to get on the Island, but may be the reason he kept missing the opportunities is he wasn’t ready. In that scene with Locke at 16, he came off as arrogant and angry (a nice performance by guest actor Caleb Steinmeyer by the way). If he had gone to the Island as that arrogant, angry young man, then he probably would have grown up to be like Ben or worse. He still would have been a leader on the Island but not a good one. By the time Locke did get to the Island, he was a broken man, literally and figuratively. The love of his life had left him, his father had not only conned him out of a kidney but also paralyzed him, he was left working at a mundane job, and he had been refused to go on the walkabout. He was a pathetic soul who had nothing going on in his life. Then, he gets on the Island and suddenly can walk again. It’s at that moment Locke realizes that he is special, he is meant do something, and he appreciates it a 100 times more than that arrogant, angry young man ever would have. Remember, Jesus had to die on the cross before being allowed into heaven. So, all in all, we have a great episode. The action moves forward to the endgame of the season finale while giving us some great myth stuff in Locke’s flashback story. And, it all adds a new thoughtful definition to an already great character by showing us a man embracing his destiny. But, as Ben points out, destiny can be a fickle bitch. 9/10. Easter Eggs: As I did with Seasons 1-3, here are the Easter eggs for the Season 4 DVD: Disc 3: • While on the disc 3 main menu, wait for 3 minutes to see the helicopter fly across the screen. Disc 5: • While highlighting "LOST on Location", press left, then up and then select to see Henry Ian Cusick talking about the army scene. • While highlighting "Soundtrack of Survival", press right then down and then select to see a clip about the "sound wagon." • While highlighting "The Island Backlot: Lost in Hawaii", press left, and up and then select to see in set of the Iraq scene. • While highlighting "The Right to Bear Arms", press twice up, and then select to view making of final scene in "Meet Kevin Johnson" • While highlighting "LOST Bloopers", press left twice, then down, and then select to view a blooper from the Jin and Bernard fishing scene. • While highlighting "Deleted Scenes", press down, then left, and then select to view a clip of Jorge Garcia talking about Hurley. • Select "Deleted Scenes" then highlight "Play All" and press right, then up twice and then select to view a clip of camera operator Tommy Lohmann bantering with Michael Emerson. • Select "Deleted Scenes" then highlight "Play All" and press up twice, then left, and then select to view a clip of M.C. Gainey. • Select "LOST on Location" then highlight "Confirmed Dead" and press left twice and select to view the alternate endings of Season 4. • Select "LOST on Location" then highlight "The Other Woman" and press right, then up and then select to view behind the scenes of inside the Tempest. • Select "LOST on Location" then try to press down to highlight "Cabin Fever" but it will jump down to the bottom corner, select it to view behind the scenes of filming "The Shape of Things to Come" in the desert. Disc 6: • After watching "The Freighter Folk," you return to the Disc 6 Main Menu, and the menu background will begin to change every 30 seconds. The initial screen is a close-up picture of the frozen donkey wheel, the second is a desert scene, and the third is a scene of the ocean from the perspective that the viewer was sitting in open water. Each time the screen changes, a sound is played in the background, which is the same sound we hear when Ben moves the island. It's clear then that the viewer is supposed to be seeing things from the perspective of either Ben and/or the Oceanic Six, and we can assume that the desert scene is Tunisia - around the area Ben is teleported after moving the island, and the scene of open water is the island's former location. During either one of these background changes, if you select any of the DVD options, the background for the sub-menus will remain the same as the previous one - for example, if you are viewing the scene of open water and you select "bonus features," the menu background for Bonus Features will remain open water, rather than the initial frozen donkey wheel picture, and the background will stop changing. However, the other Easter Eggs listed below can only be accessed from the menu with the frozen donkey wheel background. After viewing "Offshore Shoot," the menu background will change to open water and the background sound will play, however the background screen will not change. • While highlighting "The Course of the Future: The Definitive Flash-Forwards", press right, then press down and then right again then select it to see Damon Lindelof talking about reincarnation. • While highlighting "The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy of Lies", press left, down and left, and then select it to see behind the scenes footage of the press scene in "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1". • While highlighting "The Freighter Folk", press twice left, then up and then select to see Damon Lindelof talking about the force of the island. • While highlighting "Offshore Shoot", press right and then up twice, and then select to see few substitute actors talking about their job in Lost. Okay, that’s all for tonight. So, I only got the season finale to go. I’ll have that up Tuesday. And, I’ll start Season 5 on Wednesday. Now, it’s really looking like I won’t be able to finish Season 5 before Season 6 begins. I could just rush through it in one big mad dash, but I have a job. Some things take precedence over Lost, and one of those things is me making money. Now, if I had gotten paid to do this review, I would have had it all done in like two or three days. But, that didn’t happen. However, I probably will be able to finish Season 5 before we’re halfway done with Season 6. So, there’s that. Don’t know what else to say. Bye-bye!
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 27, 2010 1:15:54 GMT -5
Before I begin, I wanna direct you all to this AV Club article on Lost’s final season: www.avclub.com/articles/lost-season-six-the-pregame-post,37373/ Also, here’s that damn spoiler warning: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 4-Disc 4 12. There’s No Place Like Home Part 1 ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/O6Media.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: Jack and Kate follow the signal from Frank’s phone to his helicopter. They also run into Sawyer, Aaron, and Miles. Kate takes Aaron and Miles back to the beach as Sayid arrives. He tells Kate that Keamy and his men are going to kill everyone on the Island. So, while Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles get the castaways, including Sun and Jin, to the Kahana, Sayid and Kate go after Jack and Sawyer. But, they run into Richard and the Others. Meanwhile Jack and Sawyer find Frank and then go after Locke, Ben, and Hurley when they learn that Keamy and his men are going after them. Ben tells them where to find the Orchid and then goes to surrender himself to Keamy. Meanwhile, as the castaways make it to the boat, Michael and Desmond discover that there’s a bomb on the Kahana. Flashforwards: We see various flashforwards of the Oceanic 6. The first few show them reuniting with their loved ones in Honolulu and giving press conference. Then, we see Hurley at his birthday party freaking out when his dad shows him the newly rebuilt Camaro they had always planned to work on together and he sees the numbers on the odometer. Next, we see Sun confronting her father about Jin’s death and telling him that she has bought a controlling interest in his company, making her his boss. Finally, we see Jack giving the eulogy at his dad’s funeral. After the service, he is approached by Carole Littleton, who reveals to him that she and Christian had an affair that produced a child, Claire. Thoughts: Okay, so this season finale follows a similar structure to the one for Season 1, “Exodus”: multiple flashbacks (here flashforwards) from the castaways mixed with the action on the Island over three hours. And, with that review, I split the review like this: I did the flashbacks in Part 1 and did the rest in Part 2, giving my ranking on both at the very end. Since we got a similar structure to “Exodus,” I’m gonna review it the same way: I’ll talk about the flashforwards of the Oceanic 6 here and talk about all the Island action in the next part. So, let’s get cracking: Part 1: The Oceanic 6 landing in Honolulu: this one was okay. Michelle Forbes plays the Oceanic representative, marking another great actor wasted in a one episode role. The main thing happening here is seeing the survivors reunite with their families. Well, except for Sayid and Kate. Anyway, it was yet another great reunion that this show knows how to do well. Complaints to Stephen Williams here (by the way, I liked how the producer got a different director than Jack Bender to work on this finale. He still directs the second part, but I did like the change of pace here). I also have to compliment the actors for portraying it well. A highlight was Kim’s reaction to Sun’s reunion with her parents. She didn’t really seem all that happy, like she blames her dad that she ended up in that predicament (which is true, they were on the plane because Jin was running an errand of Mr. Paik). The press conference: Now, we know about the lie. The plane crashed off course. They somehow manage to escape before it sank. Then current took them to Membata, an uninhabited island in Indonesia. After 103 days, a typhoon was a boat ashore that had supplies and a survival raft. On Day 108, the survivors rowed to Sembeta and then transported to Honolulu. Also, they said that Kate was pregnant, giving birth to Aaron, and that there were three other survivors. Apparently, this is where Boone, Libby, and Charlie were named as the other three survivors, but I must have blocked this out, because I don’t remember it. Anyway, the actors do a great job here. They have this subtle fear and uncertainty that makes the scene very palpable. I also like Sayid’s reunion with Nadia. It’s nice to see them get back together. Sun taking over Paik Industries: This is best scene of the first part. So well acted. Byron Chung does a nice job of going from angry business man to a scarred little man who looks like he’s just been castrated. And, Kim shows us a strength in Sun we haven’t really seen before. It’s not that the character has never been strong. She has, but she never been this ruthless with it. I was very intrigued, wondering if in the next season we’ll see a different Sun: a ruthless vindictive woman who has become as corrupt and evil as her father because she lost the man she love. Also, Sun said that there were two people responsible for Jin’s death. Her father was one, but who’s the other? The likely candidate seems to be Jack since he pulled her onto the helicopter before the Kahana exploded and Jin had a chance to escape. Hurley’s surprise party: I liked how this scene started off all suspenseful and sinister but then went into whimsical and went all the way back to sinister again. I really liked how Hurley’s dad fixed up that Camaro; it was a sweet touch to the scene. And, having the numbers be on the odometer was an easy and appropriate way to freak Hurley out. Christian’s funeral: It’s just Jack giving a eulogy for his dad and then him finally finding out that Claire was his sister. That last part was great because it was nice that he finally found out but terribly sad since Claire’s probably dead and Jack had to keep quiet about meeting her. And, Fox did a nice job of having difficulty processing this information. Part 2: Jack and Kate: So, Part 2 picks up right where “Though The Looking Glass” left off. Which was fine by me! I like bearded Jack. Just seeing him embrace his inner asshole makes me feel good about myself. Anyway, this is a very well acted scene. However, most of it comes from Lilly. She does a nice job of telling Jack off; it really feels like she sick of this man’s bulls***. Man, Jack has a way the ladies. And, that way is pissing them the f*** off. Hurley and Walt: This is okay scene. It’s nice to see Walt back. In fact, it makes sense that he would show up. I mean, he did get off the Island before the Oceanic 6. Obviously, he would have some questions for them, like how they escaped, why no one came to see him, and why their lying. Sayid coming to get Hurley: This was intriguing. For one, who was that guy Sayid killed? Why was he watching Hurley? I’m guessin he worked for Widmore. Or maybe Ben. Remember, he got off the Island and was able to procure some assistance. I also liked how Hurley said that he was playing chess with Eko, mainly for just the mention of Eko. That whole chess thing was disappointing because we didn’t actually see Eko, and a cameo from Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Also, it’s a huge cliché to use chess as a metaphor for the struggle between good and evil. I’ve seen this used a million times, and frankly it just bores me. I mean, this show has used several other games to represent this from backgammon to Risk. Why go for the obvious one in chess? Plus, I don’t know how to play chess. So, I feel a little stupid when it’s brought up. The chess thing aside, it was a nicely written scene. I especially liked Hurley’s line: “Dude, I've been having regular conversations with dead people. The last thing I need now is paranoia.” Sun meeting Charles Widmore: Another great scene with Sun, which also give credence to the theory that Sun’s gonna become a bad, bad mamajama in Season 5. Hell, it looks like she and Widmore are gonna team up to keep Jack from getting back to the Island. Or, maybe they’ll go to the Island themselves. Who knows? Well, I actually I do; but I’m saving it for the Season 5 review. Claire visiting Kate: This was pretty creepy. The phone call with the backwards message, which said, “The Island needs you. You have to go back before it's too late.” Claire showing up, telling Kate not bring Aaron back. Good stuff. So, why does the Island need Kate? Or was the message for Aaron? But, if it was, then why did Claire tell Kate to not bring Aaron back? Was she speaking for the Island or for herself? Lots of stuff ponder for Season 5. Too bad it didn’t get answered in Season 5. Jack and Ben: So, Jack’s a Pixies fan! Damn! I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I officially like Jack again! Anyway, the real meat of this scene is the big twist at the end. I’ll get to that later. 13. There’s No Place Like Home Part 2 ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/FDK.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Plot: Jack and Sawyer meet up with Locke and Hurley at the Orchid. Locke tells Jack of his plan to move the Island. Jack doesn’t believe he can do it but leaves him there anyway. Meanwhile, Kate, Sayid, and the Others ambush Keamy’s group and save Ben. Richard tells Ben that Kate and Sayid agreed to help them in exchange for leaving the Island. Ben agrees to go along with the deal and leaves to reunite with Locke at the Orchid. Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley make it to the helicopter, and Frank takes them and Kate and Sayid back to the Kahana. However, the helicopter doesn’t have enough fuel to make it to the Kahana. So, Sawyer jumps out. This works as the helicopter makes it back to Kahana. However, there is still a bomb on the boat, and Michael and Jin try to stop it from exploding. But, what they don’t know is that it is on a dead man’s switch, attached to Keamy. If he dies, the bomb explodes. Sure enough, Keamy runs into Ben after he makes it to the Orchid. Ben kills Keamy. The bomb explodes. Luckily, Frank, Desmond, Kate, Jack, Hurley, Sun, and Aaron make it onto the helicopter before the boat explodes. Michael and Jin aren’t so luckily, and they both seemingly die. After this happens, Sawyer makes it back to the Island but soon learns from Juliet that the Kahana exploded. Back at the Orchid, Ben sends Locke to where the Others are and makes it to the donkey wheel. He then turns the wheel and the Island disappears. This is bad news for the helicopter people as it’s losing fuel and makes a crash landing. They drift in a rescue raft for hours until they are spotted by Penny Widmore’s boat and rescued. Days later, Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, and Aaron leave Penny’s boat on a smaller boat and row to shore on Sumba. Flashforwards: The flashforwards of the Oceanic 6 continue. The first one picks up right after the last scene in “Through The Looking Glass,” with Kate yelling at Jack for wanting to go back. She also mentions Jeremy Bentham, the man whose funeral Jack attended. Next, we see Hurley in the mental institution being visited by Walt. Walt tells him that Jeremy came to see him and asks why they’re lying about what happened on the Island, and Hurley tells him it’s to protect those left behind. Next, we see Sayid coming to Hurley and taking him away as there are people watching him. After that, we see Sun talking with Charles Widmore about common interests, AKA the Island. Then, we see Kate being approached by Claire in the middle of the night, telling her to not bring Aaron back to the Island. Finally, we get Jack going back to the funeral home where Jeremy Bentham is. He soon meets Ben, who tells Jack that he wants to help him get back to the Island. However, everyone who left has to go with them, meaning not just the other Oceanic 6 but also the body of Jeremy Bentham, AKA John Locke! Thoughts: Okay, the on-Island action. There have been a lot of questions this season has raised. So, let’s answer them: Question #1: How do Oceanic 6 get together and get off the Island? Well, after a lot of running around, fighting, shooting, and flying, they all end up on the Kahana and get off just before it explodes. Then, as they try to get back to the Island because of leaking gas, it disappears. The helicopter crashes, but they survive and get on a raft. And then, Penny’s actual boat finds them. I have to say that this made the episode so exciting. Having the Oceanic 6 scatter all over the place created great suspense in wondering how they were all gonna end up together. It gave the first part a nice cliffhanger and was a great to structure the episode. Kudos to Cuse and Lindelof for doing that. Question #2: Were the Oceanic 6 the only people who made it off the Island? No. As we know, Ben got off. Also, Frank and Desmond survived. I could see Frank surviving. He managed to get out of flying Oceanic 815. Also, he was just a supporting character in this season. And, with Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte as main characters who hadn’t gotten a backstory episode yet, it was certain that they would end up stuck on the Island. As for Desmond, I was a little surprised by this. I thought for sure he get stuck on that Island again and that they drag out the Desmond/Penny reunion. Instead, Cuse and Lindelof let the poor bastard off the hook and get him and Penny back together. That was another great reunion, played well by Cusick and Walger. Also, I found it interesting that Desmond is the only main character who made it off the Island but didn’t get a flashforward. I guess that was to keep it a surprise. Question #3: How are they gonna move the Island? They have to go to the Orchid. Which brings me to the next question: Question #4: What is the Orchid? It is yet another damn DHARMA Initiative station. It was first mentioned in the Orchid orientation film. It is suppose to be a biological lab, but it’s actually used for research in time and physics. Also, it’s located right on top of this big donkey wheel inside of an icy cave, which explains the polar bears and how one ended up in the Sahara. But, it was sealed up, so we don’t know how they got there. Unless, it was sealed after they took that polar bear down to turn it. Anyway, if the wheel is turned, the Island disappears, obviously reappearing somewhere else. And that is how the Island was moved. That was a clever way to do. At least I never would have thought of it. But, it did look a little goofy. Though, the Lost writers have never been afraid to look goofy. However, goofiness aside, those Orchid scenes were great, from Jack and Locke debating to Ben doing everything that “Dr. Edgar Halifax” (AKA Dr. Marvin Candle AKA Dr. Mark Wickmund) said not to do to Ben killing Keamy and dooming everyone on the Kahana. That was all good stuff. Question #5: How did Ben get off the Island? By turning the donkey wheel, it somehow sent him to Tunisia. Question #6: Is Claire dead? I don’t know. Maybe. I mean, she showed up in Kate’s dream. But, that don’t mean she’s dead. Question #7: Is Jin dead? Well, he was on the Kahana when it exploded. But, it could have just thrown him from the boat. Question #8: Who is Jeremy Bentham? John Locke! Talk about a mind blower! So, Locke also makes it off the Island, dies, and then has to be taken back! Jesus Christ! Way to get me excited about Season 5! Also, I liked how a man who has the same name as a philosopher will end up using the name of another philosopher as an alias, especially since Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, was influence by a lot of Locke’s ideas. Man, those writers sure did give every Lost fan some homework to do over the summer. Other stuff I liked: There were some great lines here, like Sawyer throwing back Jack’s “Live Together, Die Alone” speech with “You don’t get to die alone” and Ben’s “You know those are 15 years old” response to Hurley eating crackers from an old lunch box in a stash Ben had and his answer to Locke about what the Orchid does: “The same thing the other stations are for: silly experiments.” There was also some great interaction between Hurley and Ben over his questions about the Orchid, moving the Island, and how moving wouldn’t solve the problem of Keamy and his men. Hell, Hurley was a highlight here. Props to Garcia giving a nice performance. I also like Holloway in this episode as well. He hasn’t gotten to do much this season, so it was nice to see him pull his weight around and actually save the day by jumping out of the helicopter to get it back to the Kahana. Though, it was bittersweet as the damn thing blew up; and the helicopter ended up crashing anyway. Also, I love Juliet getting drunk after seeing the Kahana explode and Sawyer swimming up on her. That was a great shot. The look on Sun and Jin’s face when they saw Michael: priceless. Plus, Jin was following Michael around again, despite what he did when he was last on the Island. Though, I don’t think Jin ever found out what Michael did. I also really enjoyed the score here. But, then again, they did find a bomb on the boat, so I’ll give Jin some leeway, especially with his live on the line. It was nice to see Michael by everyone some time and very sad that it all ended with him blowing up. However, it was also a little satisfying to see his suffering end. I also liked the few scenes we had with Miles and Charlotte because Charlotte brings up some questions as to her origins and how they pertain to the DHARMA Initiative and because Miles is just awesome. It was a shame we didn’t get to learn more about the freighter folk, but that was a casualty of the writers strike. And, that Sayid and Keamy fight scene was excellent. Stuff I didn’t like: How easily Jack went along with Locke’s idea to lie. Jack’s pretty skeptical to practically anything Locke comes up with, so it didn’t make much sense that he would go along with Locke’s idea. Also, I don’t know how Jack would have been able to Penny’s people to go along with it. A lot of the action was boring. Other than the Kahana blowing up and Kate, Sayid, and the Others rescuing Ben, it was mostly everyone just running around. By the way, the Kahana blowing up look so obviously like CGI. Couldn’t they have just blown up a model? Also, the concluding scenes, except for Desmond and Penny’s reunion, were clunkily written. Though, it did set up Season 5 very well. I have to say that this wasn’t Cuse and Lindelof’s best season finale, but Williams and Bender made up for it with some exciting direction. All in all, we had a pretty exciting finale that may not have been written well but did get the job done. Part 1: 8/10. Part 2: 8/10. So, that’s Season 4. I have to say that it wasn’t as good as I remember it. It was rushed and choppy at times. But, I can forgive that due to the Writer’s Strike, which did screw up a lot of the flow. However, the strike did make the show a lot since it didn’t have any time to waste. And, there were a lot of great episodes here, like “The Economist,” “The Constant,” “The Shape Of Things To Come,” and “Cabin Fever.” As for the special features, this DVD set had the best so far. The others had a lot of the standard DVD special features, like commentary tracks, behind the scenes stuff, bloopers, and deleted scenes. However, it also had some that had just as much entertainment value as the episodes, like “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies” mockumentary and the Lost: Missing Pieces mini-episodes. All in all, this was a great DVD set that definitely belongs on the shelves of Lost fans. Highlight: It’s a tie between the Lost: Missing Pieces mini-episodes and “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies.” If I was gonna pick an episode as the highlight, I’d go with “The Constant.” Highly recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 27, 2010 23:37:45 GMT -5
![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/DVD/lostseason5r1artpic.jpg) Main characters: Season 5: Dr. Jack Shephard—Matthew Fox (starting with “Pilot”) Kate Austen—Evangeline Lilly (starting with “Pilot”) Charlie Pace—Dominic Monagham (starting with “Pilot”) James “Sawyer” Ford—Josh Holloway (starting with “Pilot”) John Locke—Terry O’Quinn (starting with “Pilot”) Hugo “Hurley” Reyes—Jorge Garcia (starting with “Pilot”) Sayid Jarrah—Naveen Andrews (starting with “Pilot”) Claire Littleton—Emilie De Ravin (starting with “Pilot,” note doesn’t appear in Season 5) Jin-Soo Kwan—Daniel Dae Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Sun-Hwa Kwan—Yunjin Kim (starting with “Pilot”) Desmond Hume—Henry Ian Cusick (starting with “Man Of Science, Man Of Faith”) Ben Linus—Michael Emmerson (starting with “One Of Them”) Juliet Burke—Elizabeth Mitchell (starting with “A Tale Of Two Cities”) Miles Straume—Ken Leung (starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Boone Carlyle—Ian Somerhalder (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Do No Harm”) Shannon Rutherford—Maggie Grace (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Abandoned”) Walt Lloyd—Malcolm David Kelley(starting with “Pilot,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Michael Dawson—Harold Perrineau (starting with “Pilot,” ending with “There’s No Place Like Home Part 2”) Ana-Lucia Cortez—Michelle Rodriguez (starting with “Exodus,” ending with “?”) Mr. Eko—Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “The Cost of Living”) Libby Smith—Cynthia Watros (starting with “Adrift,” ending with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Paulo—Rodrigo Santoro (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Nikki Fernandez—Kiele Sanchez (starting with “Further Instructions,” ending with “Exposé”) Daniel Faraday—Jeremy Davies (starting with “The Beginning Of The End,” ending with “The Variable”) Charlotte Lewis—Rebecca Mader (starting with “Confirmed Dead,” ending with “This Place Is Death”) Supporting characters: Rose Henderson—L. Scott Caldwell (recurring, starting with “Pilot”) Bernard Nadler—Sam Anderson (recurring, starting with “Everybody Hates Hugo”) Dr. Christian Shephard—John Terry (recurring, starting with “White Rabbit”) Danielle Rousseau—Mira Furlan, here played by Melissa Farman (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Ethan Rom—William Mapother (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Nadia—Andrea Gabriel (recurring, starting with “Solitary”) Carmen Reyes—Lillian Hurst (recurring, starting with “Numbers”) Dr. Pierre Chang/Dr. Marvin Candle/Dr. Mark Wickmund/Dr. Edgar Halifax—François Chau (recurring, starting with “Orientation”) Mrs. Paik—June Kyoko Lu (recurring, starting with “…And Found”) Cassidy Phillips—Kim Dickens (recurring, starting with “The Long Con”) Alex—Tania Raymonde (recurring, starting with “Maternity Leave”) Charles Widmore—Alan Dale (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Penny Widmore—Sonya Walger (recurring, starting with “Live Together, Die Alone”) Richard Alpert—Nestor Carbonell (recurring, starting with “Not In Portland”) Eloise Hawking—Fionnula Flanagan (recurring, starting with “Flashes Before Your Eyes”) David Reyes—Cheech Marin (recurring, starting with “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”) Naomi Dorrit—Marsha Thomason (recurring, starting with “Catch-22”) Horace Goodspeed—Doug Hutchinson (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Roger Linus—Jon Gries (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Young Ben—Sterling Beaumon (recurring, starting with “The Man Behind The Curtain”) Matthew Abaddon—Lance Reddick (recurring, starting with “The Beginning Of The End”) Frank Lapidus—Jeff Fahey (recurring, starting with “Confirmed Dead”) Aaron—William Blanchette (recurring, starting with “Eggtown”) Carole Littleton—Susan Duerden (recurring, starting with “There’s No Place Like Home Part 1”) Lara Chang—Leslie Ishii (recurring, starting with “Because You Left”) Charlie Hume—Marvin DeFreitas (recurring, starting with “Jughead”) Illana—Zuleikha Robinson (recurring, starting with “316”) Caesar—Saïd Taghmaoui (recurring, starting with “316”) Amy—Reiko Aylesworth (recurring, starting with “LaFleur”) Phil—Patrick Fischler (recurring, starting with “LaFleur”) Rosie—Molly McGivern (recurring, starting with “LaFleur”) Bram—Brad William Henke (recurring starting with “Namasté”) Stuart Radzinsky—Eric Lange (recurring starting with “Namasté”) Neil “Frogurt”—Sean Whalen (“Because You Left,” “The Lie”) Dan Norton—Tom Irwin (“Because You Left,” “The Little Prince”) Jay—Sven Lindstrom (“Because You Left,” “Namasté”) The foreman—Michael Dempsey (“Because You Left,” “The Variable”) The anxious guy—Brad Berryhill (“Because You Left,” “The Variable”) The counter girl—Chantal Boom’la (“Because You Left”) Reporter/TV anchor—Cindy Paliracio (“Because You Left”) The ticket agent—Stefanie Smart (“Because You Left”) Young Charles Widmore—Tom Connolly (“The Lie,” “Jughead”) Jill—Mary Mara (“The Lie,” “316”) Cunningham—Matthew Alan (“The Lie”) Darlene—Dana Sorman (“The Lie”) The detective—James Jeremiah (“The Lie”) Young Eloise Hawking—Alexandra Krosney (“Jughead”) Abigail Spencer—Imelda Corcoran (“Jughead”) Theresa Spencer—Sara Farooqui (“Jughead”) Efren Salonga—Raymond Ma (“Jughead”) Moira—Mary Ann Taheny (“Jughead”) The custodian—Dan Hildebrand (“Jughead”) The secretary—Tuli Roy-Kiwan (“Jughead”) Dr. Evelyn Ariza—Stephanie Niznik (“The Little Prince”) Tony—Emerson Brooks (“The Little Prince”) The bellman—Ane Tranetzki (“The Little Prince”) Robert—Guillaume Dabinpons (“The Little Prince,” “This Place Is Death”) Montand—Marc Menard (“The Little Prince,” “This Place Is Death”) Brennan—Bruno Bunni (“The Little Prince,” “This Place Is Death”) Nadine—Alexandra Tabas (“The Little Prince,” “This Place Is Death”) Jaymie Kim—Ji Yeon (“This Place Is Death”) Rupa Krishnavani—Kavita Patil (“316,” “Namasté”) Ray Shepard—Raymond J. Berry (“316”) Nabil—P.D. Mani (“316”) Mr. Dorsey—Ned Van Zandt (“316”) Nalini—Rebecca Hazelwood (“316”) The barfly—Patti Hastie (“316”) The magician—Glen Bailey (“316”) Hajer—Ammah Daraiseh (“The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham”) Sister Consuela—Concepcion Saucedo (“The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham”) Susie—Grisel Toledo (“The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham”) The kid—J.J. Bradley (“The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham”) The construction foreman—Stephen Scibetta (“The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham”) Jeanette Lewis—Victoria Goring (“LaFleur,” “Follow The Leader”) Jerry—Kevin Rankin (“LaFleur”) The DHARMA doctor—Christopher Jaymes (“LaFleur”) Other #1—John Skinner (“LaFleur”) The co-pilot—Dan Gauthier (“Namasté”) Sayid’s father—Sayed Bedreya (“He’s Our You”) Young Sayid—Anthony Keyvan (“He’s Our You”) Omer Jarrah—Xavier Raabe-Manupule (“He’s Our You”) Oldham—William Sanderson (“He’s Our You”) Ivan Andropov—Dmitri Bourdine (“He’s Our You”) The bartender—Joe Toro (“He’s Our You”) Clementine Phillips—Olivia Vickery (“Whatever Happened, Happened”) Erik—Sebastian Siegel (“Whatever Happened, Happened,” “Follow The Leader”) Nurse Debra—Candace Scholz (“Whatever Happened, Happened”) The manager—Scott Moura (“Whatever Happened, Happened”) The grocery worker—Miko Franconi (“Whatever Happened, Happened”) The sweet young woman—Susan King (“Whatever Happened, Happened”) Charles Widmore Age 40—David S. Lee (“Dead Is Dead,” “Follow The Leader”) Young Ethan Rom—Devon Gearhart (“Dead Is Dead”) Young Alex—Lehualani Silva (“Dead Is Dead”) Jed—Matt Hoffman (“Dead Is Dead”) Young Miles Straume—Lance Ho (“Some Like It Hoth”) Trevor—Tim deZarn (“Some Like It Hoth”) Howard Gray—Dean Norris (“Some Like It Hoth”) Glenn—Simon Elbling (“Some Like It Hoth”) Evelyn—Linda Rose Herman (“Some Like It Hoth”) The worker—Cody Gomes (“Some Like It Hoth”) Eloise Hawking Age 40—Alice Evans (“The Variable,” “Follow The Leader”) Young Daniel Faraday—Spencer Allyn (“The Variable”) Caroline—Peggy Anne Siegmund (“The Variable”) The paramedic—Todd Collidge (“The Variable”) The workman—Ariston Green (“The Variable”) The ER doctor—Wendy Pearson (“The Variable”) The ER nurse—Jennifer Sojot (“The Variable”) Captain Bird—William Makozak (“Follow The Leader,” “The Incident”) Mitch—Kevin Chapman (“Follow The Leader,” “The Incident”) Vanessa—Elisabeth Blake (“Follow The Leader”) Jacob—Mark Pellegrino (“The Incident”) Jacob’s nemesis—Titus Welliver (“The Incident”) Mr. Springer—George Gerdes (“The Incident”) Young Kate Austen—Emily Rae Argenti (“The Incident”) Young Tom Brennan—Tanner Maguire (“The Incident”) The customer—Sally Davis (“The Incident”) Uncle Doug—Colby French (“The Incident”) Young James “Sawyer” Ford—Keegan Boos (“The Incident”) Juliet’s mom—Amy Stewart (“The Incident”) Juliet’s dad—Michael Trisler (“The Incident”) Young Juliet Burke—Rylee Fransler (“The Incident”) Young Rachael Carlson—Savannah Lathem (“The Incident”) Aunt Soo—Agnes Kwak (“The Incident”) The prison clerk—John Pete (“The Incident”) The taxi driver—Adam Bazzi (“The Incident”) The anesthesiologist—Daniel James Kunkel (“The Incident”) The Russian nurse—Sonya Masinovsky (“The Incident”) Previously on Lost: The castaways started making their way to the Kahana while Ben and Locke planned to move the Island. However, Keamy, the man leading the mercenaries sent to grab Ben, had a bomb on the Kahana and dead man switch on him. If Keamy dies, the bomb will explode. Sure enough, Ben kills Keamy. Michael tries to keep it from exploding but can’t. The Kahana explodes, possibly killing Jin and definitely killing Michael. Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sun, Hurley, Sayid, Desmond, and Frank survived by getting on the helicopter before it exploded. Then, as they tried to make it back to the Island, Ben turned the donkey wheel; and the Island disappeared, along with Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Daniel, Charlotte, and the other castaways. The helicopter crashes after running out of gas; and the survivors drift in a raft until a boat with Penny on it finds them. A week later, Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sun, Hurley, and Sayid rowed ashore to Sumba. They were later taken to Honolulu and became famous as the Oceanic 6. Three years went by and: Jack dated Kate but ruined it and became a pill-popping alcoholic with a beard; Kate was put on trial, got off, and raised Aaron as her own son; Hurley went crazy and was readmitted to the Santa Rosa Mental Institution; Sun gave birth, took over her father’s company, and became just as ruthless as he is; Sayid married Nadia, but she died; and Sayid went to work with Ben killing the people who threatened the Oceanic 6’s safety; Ben was transported to Tunisia, found Sayid, helped him kill the man who killed Nadia, and began to kill the people looking for the Island; and Desmond and Frank did God knows what. Now, Jack and Ben plan to get the Oceanic 6 back together and go back to the Island. But, they have to take Locke’s dead body with them. Okay, Season 5. Where do I begin? Well, it was a good season. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Season 4, but it was definitely better than 2 and 3. I did like how Season 5 answered the big question about why the Island is special: it’s a giant time machine. Okay, so that’s the entire reason why it’s special, but it is a big whopper. After years of speculating about where the Island was Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, the dreams of one of the survivors, or just some weird place, learning that it was a time machine was quite unexpected. I mean, even with big clues like Desmond’s trips through time and the big time discrepancy that Daniel discovered, I still didn’t think the writers would really go with the time travel route. But at the same time, it made sense thematically. Just look at how the show has been structured: we had flashbacks and flashforwards. A big theme of the show involved people dealing with their pasts. It make sense that the Island would be a machine to it. However, I felt Season 5 had a big problem: it felt like two seasons crammed into one. In the first half of Season 5, we have the action split up between the people who made it off of the Island in 2007 trying to get back and the people left behind trying to survive jumping around in time. That sounded like a great premise as it abandoned the flashback formula that made the show a little predictable and led to a lot of filler. Now, the writers did change things up with the introduction of the flashforwards, but that could only take us for so long. But, the idea of seeing half the action from the Oceanic 6’s perspective as they try to decide whether or not to go back to the Island while the people left behind go jumping through time was intriguing for two reasons: 1. It was obvious that the Oceanic 6 were ultimately gonna go back, but the journey to that point would have worth seeing. 2. The time traveling on the Island allowed for the writers to easily answer some questions. But, halfway through, they abandoned that set up and got the Oceanic 6 plus Ben and Locke back to the Island. And, they got the people left behind set up in the DHARMA Initiative. And, that’s what the second half of the season was: Jack, Kate, and Hurley going to 1977 to find that Sawyer had saved everyone by joining the DHARMA Initiative and got them into the hippie scientist commune as well. Meanwhile, the others were back on the Island but in 2007. Now, everyone just had to get back to one time. It’s not a bad idea, but it really could have gone on for a whole year. Now, I’ve always felt that Lost couldn’t have gone on for a long time. I mean, if it had been Season 10 and they were still on that goddamn Island, the show would suck. I was relieved to learn that the show was gonna end after Season 6. However, I now feel that they could have gotten one more season out. Have Season 5 be the Oceanic 6 trying to get back with the people left behind jumping through time and meeting the DHARMA Initiative while Season 6 has everyone split between 1977 and 2007 and trying to get reunited, ending with a 7th season. However, at the same time, I do recognize that it was probably for the best that the show didn’t go on for another season as the writers probably would have ended up padding things out with filler. So, despite my feelings of Season 5 being crammed with too much story, it was so damn good because it had no filler, answered a lot of questions, and featured a lot action and mystery. So, let’s dig in, shall we!?
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 27, 2010 23:40:02 GMT -5
Before we begin, I’m gonna put up that spoiler warning once again. Why? Habit: ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Banners/Spoilers.gif) Season 5-Disc 1 1. Because You Left ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/ArrowFilm.jpg) Director(s): Stephen Williams Writer(s): Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof Off The Island: Sayid takes Hurley to his safe house, but it ain’t safe as they are attacked by two men. Sayid takes them out but is hit with two tranquilizer darts. Hurley then takes Sayid to get help. Kate is visited by two lawyers, who tell her she’s being sued over custody of Aaron. Sun is visited by Charles Widmore, who wants to know what Sun plans to do. It turns out she wants to kill Ben. As for Ben, he and Jack have taken Locke’s body from the funeral home and learn from the news that Hurley has escape and is a possible murder suspect. And finally, Desmond wakes up on a boat and tells his wife Penny that they have to go Oxford University. On The Island: The episode actually begins in 1977, with Pierre Chang visiting the building site of the Orchid. He tells the supervisor to be careful as he realizes they have found the unlimited energy source the DHARMA Initiative have been looking for and bumps into Daniel Faraday. It turns out that everyone left on the Island when Ben moved it, except for the Others, are jumping around in time. Locke sees Eko’s plane crashing onto the Island and is shot by Ethan. But, a time jump saves him and reunites him with Richard. He treats Locke’s wound, gives him a compass, and tells him that the next time they meet they will be strangers and the compass is to prove they will eventually meet. As for the other castaways, they go to the Swan to see when they are. While there, Daniel knocks on the Swan, bring out Desmond. He tells Desmond that when he and the survivors of 815 make it off the Island, they will need to go to Oxford and find his mother; but a time jump stops him from saying her name. Thoughts: Well, this has the best opening of a season premiere of Lost: Dr. Pierre Chang (AKA the multiple-named man who appears in all the DHARMA Initiative orientation films) waking up at 8:15 A.M.; playing Willie Nelson’s Shotgun Willie, which skips, while doing his morning routine; going to film the orientation film for the Arrow, which is where its defense and intelligence gathering purposes are revealed (also nice to see that the Tailies future home hasn’t been forgotten); then going to the construction site of the Orchid where they have discovered the donkey wheel chamber; and him running into Daniel Faraday. WOAH! So, time travel is real, and Daniel has ended up in 1977 and is working with the DHARMA Initiative. If that didn’t have anyone pumped for Season 5, I don’t know what will. After that, the episode varies. We got everyone scattered all of the place trying to come together: Ben and Jack reluctantly working together; they have an interesting dynamic, much like Jack’s relationship with Locke. However, Jack has more respect for Ben, mainly because he’s seen what he’s capable of. Kate learning that someone knows she ain’t Aaron’s mommy and wants custody. This was obliviously setting up Kate’s reason to get back to the Island: someone knows Kate ain’t Aaron’s mom, and she’s become so attached to him that she’s going on the run, probably to the one place no one can find them. Not exactly interesting, especially since it’s Kate. Sun meeting Widmore again. I liked this scene showed some more possibility of her and Widmore being the wrench in Jack and Ben’s cogs. Too bad it got abandoned quickly. Yes, nothing much came from this. I wonder why it was even brought up, expect to show us that Sun wanted Ben dead. Sayid and Hurley running from the law and killing two assassins. We get another great fight scene; man the producers hired a good fight choreographer as they’ve yet to have a dud in the whole bunch. Anyway, not much comes from this as this just sets up the next episode, which originally aired after this one. Though, I did like Hurley’s line to Sayid after he refuses one of Hurley’s fries: “Maybe if you ate more comfort food, you wouldn’t have to go around shooting people.” As for Desmond, he doesn’t do much except remember that he saw Daniel on the Island and decided to go find his mother under Daniel’s instructions. It ain’t much, but it is nice to know that he’s in the picture. Also, no sign of Frank. This is significant because he left the Island as well. He’s probably gonna have to go back as well. As for the on Island action, we immediately find out what happened to the people left behind: they’re skipping through time, like a record (great description of what’s happening from Daniel). Though, I don’t understand why the Others didn’t go traveling through time. Are they immune somehow? I immediately thought of that drug Desmond was taking back in “Man Of Science, Man Of Faith.” Maybe that made people immune. But how? Well, you can’t add these to the list of unanswered Lost questions. Anyway, the on Island action is a lot more intriguing than the off Island stuff because of the possibility of learning just what the hell has happened on the Island that we don’t know. In fact, we see Eko’s plane crashing on the Island, which leads to the conclusion that the Island can also move physically as well as time wise, meaning that the Island popped up somewhere near Africa. We also learned that Juliet knew about Desmond and the Swan, but we learn the extent of her Swan knowledge. I also like that Sawyer now has more to do. He didn’t have a good Season 4 since the focus was on the Oceanic 6 and the freighter folk. Now, we got him taking charge and demanding answers from Daniel (by the way Holloway and Davies have a great dynamic here. It’s obvious that Sawyer’s being set up to be the new leader, and that is something I don’t mind. Though, Locke has the juicier material: he sees Eko’s plane, goes to it, is shot by Ethan, and then meets Richard. This is great stuff as Locke gets shot in the leg at the place where his legs stopped working in “Deus Ex Machina”; he tells Ethan that Ben made him the new leader, which Ethan shrugs off either because he didn’t believe Ben would do that or because Ben ain’t the leader yet; and Richard giving Locke the compass and telling him that in order to get off the Island, he’s gonna have to die. So, Season 5 has been set up nicely. There were a lot of good parts, but there were some parts that felt flat especially since I know they’re gonna go anywhere. Still, a good episode nonetheless. 8/10. 2. The Lie ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/5x02_AVisitFromAna.jpg) Director(s): Jack Bender Writer(s): Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Off The Island: Hurley takes Sayid to his parents’ house. When the police come, Hurley’s dad covers for them and then takes Sayid to Jack for help. Then, Hurley’s mom shows up; and Hurley confesses about lying. Meanwhile, Kate flees with Aaron and runs into Sun. Ben and Jack part ways. Jack goes to collect some personal items, runs into Hurley’s dad, and revives Sayid. As for Ben, he takes Locke’s body to a butcher for safe keeping and goes to Hurley, which prompts Hurley to turn himself into the police. Then, he goes to Eloise Hawking, who tells Ben that she has found the Island; but Ben only has 70 hours to get the Oceanic 6 together and on their journey back to the Island. On The Island: The people left behind are trying to pull together and survive the time jumps. But, they are attacked by the Others. Several are killed, and they all get split up. Sawyer and Juliet are almost captured when Locke comes to their rescue. Thoughts: Another interesting thing about the first half of Season 5 was how they set up who the centric character of the episode is: focusing mostly on one character with one flashback scene at the beginning. Here it’s Hurley trying to cope with the lie they came up with. He was against at the beginning, but no one else would step up and agree to tell the truth with him. So, he went along with the lie, but it caused so much internal turmoil that it caused him to go crazy again. However, it’s hard to feel sympathetic to Hurley’s plight since lying was the right thing to do. I mean, there was no way anyone would believe them. And, the only person who would, Charles Widmore, isn’t exactly the nicest guy. Plus, it ending with Hurley going to jail was such an obviously artificial obstacle to Hurley getting back to the Island. However, I don’t really mind it now that I know it led somewhere. Though, I have to admit that Garcia does give a good performance here, especially when Hurley tells the truth to his mom. The on Island action is a little better, mainly at the end with the castaways being attacked, obviously by the Others. This did a lot cleaning house as most of the redshirt castaways and disposed of getting are main characters together for the rest of the season. I also like how Daniel becomes a take-charge kind of guy here. It makes sense because he does know a lot about what’s going on, but at the same time he’s not exactly a confident, leader type guy. Plus, he’s withholding the consequences of the time jumps: headaches, nosebleeds, memory loss, and death! It makes for an interesting contrast that Davies plays well. Also intriguing was the end, which had Eloise and Ben, who apparently know each other, discussing the severity of the Island returning situation: they’ve found the Island but only have 70 hours to get everyone back. Another nice set up for the rest of the season. Other great things about this episode: Sun and Kate getting together after Kate learns someone wants Aaron. This was a great scene, mainly for Yunjin Kim’s performance. She’s showing some great range by playing it with a nice passive-aggressiveness, forgiving Kate for leaving Jin behind but reminding her that she is partially responsible. Michelle Rodriguez’s cameo as Ana-Lucia. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hurley and Sayid leaving the gas station just as Kate and Aaron arrive. I would have liked to seen more of the Oceanic 6 just missing each other. Hurley’s dad watching Exposé. Ben going to put Locke’s body with a butcher friend. I wonder just how many Others are living out in the real world. Frogurt! His constant bickering at everyone and everything added some great comedy to this episode. This awesome exchange between Sawyer and Miles: SAWYER: Welcome back, Dr. Wizard. MILES: I think it's Mr. Wizard. SAWYER: Shut up. And, the highlight: Hurley throwing a hot pocket at Ben. This is without a doubt the funniest thing I’ve seen on Lost! Kudos to Kitsis and Horowitz for coming up this brilliant bit of slapstick. In fact, I have to applaud them for adding a lot of hilarity in this episode. It’s nice to see after so many episodes with intense action and life or death consequences. In fact, the comedy alone raises this to an 8 out of 10. 3. Jughead ![](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m85/hulk6785/Lost/Alpertaken.jpg) Director(s): Rod Holcomb Writer(s): Elizabeth Sarnoff & Paul Zbyszewski Off The Island: We learn what happened to Desmond after he got off the Island. He and Penny married, had a son named Charlie, and are living a quiet life on a boat. However, Desmond has been pulled back into the Island and its past with Daniel’s meeting in the past. Desmond goes to Oxford looking for Daniel and his mother. He soon learns that Daniel got fired from the school for performing an experiment on a Theresa Spencer, which left her in a permanent vegetative state. He also learns that Charles Widmore financed Daniel’s experiment and is now paying for Theresa’s medical expenses as compensation. Then, Desmond goes to Widmore and demands the address for Daniel’s mother. After he gives it to Desmond and warns him to not get involved in the Island business, Desmond sails for Los Angeles anyway. On The Island: It is 1954, and the Others have taken over a U.S. military camp that was planning to detonate a hydrogen bomb, Jughead, on the Island. A group of the Others, led by a young Eloise Hawking have captured Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles. Daniel soon deduces that the bomb is leaking and agrees to help them stop it if they let them go. He tells Eloise to bury it. Meanwhile, Locke, Sawyer, and Juliet interrogate the two Others they’ve captured. One of them agrees to take them back to Richard, but the other one, a young Charles Widmore, kills him and runs off. They follow, and Locke goes to the camp to speak with Richard about leaving the Island. He uses Jacob’s name and the compass to prove that he and Richard have met, but Richard still isn’t convinced. So, Locke tells Richard that he will be born in 1956 and that he should go visit him. However, a time jump prevents Locke from learning about leaving the Island. Thoughts: This episode was very informative. So, let’s go through what we learned one by one: What happened to Desmond after he left the Island: he married Penny, expected. They had a child and called him Charlie. Sweet because they named him after the man who helped reunite them. But, at the same time, their son shares the same name as the man who kept them apart: Charles Widmore. By the way, I like how two major characters on this show have the same first name. It’s a common name and totally expected that out of a large group of people at least two of them would share a name. And, the Humes have been living on a boat this whole time. What is it with Desmond and boats. By the way, that opening scene showing Charlie’s birth was such a great moment, a nice cherry on top of the ice cream sundae of Desmond and Penny’s reunion. Daniel’s backstory: Even though this is credited as a Desmond-centric episode, we actually learn a lot about Daniel here. It turns out he did some more experimenting since we last saw in “The Constant.” Only, this time it was on a human subject; and it left that girl in a permanent vegetative state. But, she’s now being taken care of thanks to Charles Widmore, aka the man who financed Daniel’s experiment. Damn! Widmore also has his fingerprints all over this episode as well. Anyway, this was a clever way to getting out more of Daniel’s backstory without using the standard flashback structure. Of course, they also set it up for us to learn more about our twitching psychiatrist friend, like actually seeing the experiment go awry. Charles Widmore’s reason for finding the Island: It turns out that once upon a time, Widmore was one of the Others! Talk about a shocker! So, apparently he was on the Island, maybe even a leader of the Others, got ousted, and now wants back. It’s so obvious I feel a little stupid for not figuring it out. By the way, I liked Tom Connolly as the young Charles Widmore. He gives off a nice young, arrogant cockiness; like he has ambitions to become the leader of the Others. Why Eloise knows so much: Turns out she was also an Other. Okay, they don’t come out and say that here. But, there is a blonde British girl named Ellie with the Others. It’s so obvious that it’s Eloise. They also drop a lot of hints that Eloise is Daniel’s mother: Ellie finding Daniel familiar despite not knowing him, the fact that they both know a lot about time travel, the fact that Widmore knew where Daniel’s mother was, possibly because they were both on the Island back in 1954. Also, I have to say that I liked Alexandra Krosney, the actress who plays the young Ellie, a lot better than Fionnula Flanagan. Why Richard has been so interested in Locke: Because Locke went up to Richard here, gave him that compass, and told Richard to go visit him as a baby in 1956. This one moments sets up a lifetime of Locke missing opportunities to go to the Island. I have to say: it is one of those time paradox clichés. You know, something happens in the future because someone went back in the past and set up the future action; and that will forever because it has to. We’ve seen it before, and I figured it would happen since Lost started amping up the time travel. How long have the Others been on the Island: a long time. I mean, they were there back in 1954. Hell, they may be the Black Rock people for all we know. Stuff we didn’t know before hand: The U.S. Army was on the f***ing Island!? How did we not know this!? Plus, there’s a hydrogen bomb! Jesus! There are a lot of ways to die on this Island. If you aren’t killed by the polar bears, then the Smoke Monster will get you. If you aren’t captured by the Others, then Keamy’s commandos will get you. If you don’t fall into the volcano, then you’ll die from radiation leaking out of Jughead. You know, I’d love to see the rejected ways of killing people on the Island. Also, since there’s a leaking hydrogen bomb on the Island, this probably answers why women can’t give birth on the Island, what with the radiation and all seeping into the ground after they buried it. Though, it wouldn’t explain why the men are so fertile. And, the Others speak Latin. Why? Because it’s “the language of the enlightened.” Now, while I liked that this episode gave us a lot of answers, I was bugged by Juliet. The one thing I don’t like about her character is how it seems like she has all the answers but is unwilling to reveal them. I mean, she’s living with all these people who have questions; but when asked she usually just drops cryptic, smart-ass remarks. However, I don’t think she knows as much as we think she knows. Remember, Ben did keep a lot info from the Others, like that he was jamming signals to and from the Island in the Looking Glass and that he wanted Locke to blow up the sub. Then again, she does know quite a bit. I just wish the writers had found a better way to bridge the gap between the castaways’ curiosity and Juliet’s knowledge. And, just having everyone not be curious isn’t good enough. Nevertheless, I liked this episode and not just for the answers. They did give us a lot of more information here, but it was characters that made it. There were some great lines, like Richard’s line about his disbelief that Locke is the Others’ leader: “I certainly don’t want to contradict myself.”; and Miles’s line about how no one showed concern for him: “Yeah, me too. I’m great.” Also, a possible romance between Daniel and Charlotte is set up. But, the real heart of it is Desmond and Penny. There is this clever scene at the beginning in which Desmond tells Charlie the story of Penny and his relationship but skips all the bad parts, which Penny chastises him for. It reveals a lot about Desmond: he’s a man who skips through time in his head, doesn’t like the concept of destiny, and avoids hard truths. He’d like nothing more than for everyone to stop turning the pages of our story, but the story won’t let him. You see, Penny and Desmond have the best written romance on the show, and now they have their happily ever after. However, that damn Island keeps rearing it’s ugly back into their lives. There’s this fear that they’re gonna get separated again, and honestly, I wouldn’t have care about the answers if I wasn’t so scared about that. Plus, they got great actors in the role. Both, Henry Ian Cusick and Sonia Walger add some gravitas to the roles. Cusick makes anything they’re talking about, whether it be answering to a higher calling or time travel. And, Walger adds some great directness to Penny; she is curt and has no patience for bulls***, which is really refreshing on a show where everyone accepts everything. Once again, it shows that the myths need the characters more than the characters need the myths. 9/10. Disc 5—Bonus Features: First, there are some special features on the first disc: a commentary track on “Because You Left,” and a recap of what happened on Lost up to the end of Season 4. Now, to the Disc 5 bonus features. Today, we’ll be looking at “Making Up For Lost Time,” “Mysteries Of The Universe: The DHARMA Initiative,” those “Lost On Location” featurettes, and “An Epic Day With Richard Alpert.” First, “Making Up For Lost Time,” which is about all the time traveling that happened in Season 5. Here we have all the writers, directors, actors, and other Lost personnel talking about all those time traveling themes, like destiny, affecting history, paradoxes, etc. I liked how Cuse and Lindelof admitted that the time traveling was done not just to do it but because it was an easy way to reveal answers about the questions fans have. There were some other cool facts revealed, like “Jughead” is the name of an actual Mark 16 nuclear bomb that was never detonated. So, it’s probably still out there! Also, it was funny seeing how the actors trying to react to the flashes even though they can’t see it. Again, Greg Nations is mentioned. Man, these special features are great at showing at all the unsung behind the scenes people who have a big role in how the show it made. I mean, if Greg Nations went away, then Lost would pretty much lose its continuity. Next, we have “Mysteries Of The Universe: The DHARMA Initiative.” This is another mockumentary, like “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies.” However, it is set up like an episode of the fake show Mysteries Of The Universe, and this particular episode happens to be about the DHARMA Initiative. It’s an obvious homage to those conspiracy shows in the vein of In Search Of or Unsolved Mysteries, right down to the old school look. Now, I’m a little pleased with this as I thought it was another behind the scenes featurette that would focus on the DHARMA Initiative and the new characters introduced in this season, much like the featurettes for the Others in the Season 3 set and the freighter folk in the Season 4 set. Though, I have to say that I was a little disappointed we didn’t be more on the background about the DHARMA people and how the writers came up with the characters and ideas around the organization. Anyway, the mockumentary features a lot of info about the DHARMA Initiative, mentioning the DeGroots, Alvar Hanso and the Hanso Foundation, the logos, the Lamp-Post, Olivia Goodspeed, Eloise Hawking, and Daniel Faraday. The best part is the “update” at the end, which reveals that Olivia got off the Island. This really clarified a big problem I noticed in Season 5: Horace having a child with Amy, which confused me since I though Olivia was his wife as that’s how she was presented to be in “The Man Behind The Curtain.” But, Olivia leaving the Island does sort of solve this. Also, they never actually stated that Olivia was Horace’s wife in “The Man Behind The Curtain.” Now, this creeped me out a little but not as much as “The Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy Of Lies.” In fact, this came off as ridiculous and unintentionally funny at times. I guest that has to do with the retro feel to it. Then comes the “Lost On Location” featurettes. You know what these are, the making of features for several Season 5 episodes: “The Lie,” “The Little Prince,” “The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham,” “Namasté,” “He’s Our You,” “Whatever Happened, Happened,” and “The Incident.” It’s basically what all the other ones were: behind the scenes of certain episodes, all of them informative (the canoe chase in “The Little Prince” was filmed in a swimming pool, some of them funny (everyone having difficulty with fire hoses as they had no pressure in “He’s Our You”), and most of them not that interesting. I have to say: the highlight of these: Sean Whalen making several puns about the arrow in his chest. And, finally, we got “An Epic Day With Richard Alpert.” This follows Nestor Carbonell during the last day shoot of the filming of “The Incident.” This is pretty good way of going through all the behind the scenes stuff: by following an actor from beginning (wardrobe and makeup) to end (going home) and between (filming, catering, etc.). By the way, Carbonell doesn’t wear eyeliner. His eyelashes are naturally that black. So, that’s all for today. Now, I need to address a big problem: we’re less than a week away from the Season 6 premiere, and I’m nowhere near done with this review. However, I’m gonna try get as much as I can done before Season 6 begins. So, next part of the review will be up at the earliest I can get it up, which will be Friday. Plus, since Disc 5 has only one episode on it, “The Incident,” I’m gonna review it with the episodes on Disc 4. Hopefully, I’ll get a good ways into Season 5 before the final season begins. But, we’ll just have to see.
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