7 Things About LOST

A Final "LOST Untangled" and Some Parting Thoughts

WABC — 2010-05-26T14:34:42-04:00

I really am going to stop looking up articles, reviews and reactions to the LOST finale soon, and just let it be. Starting tomorrow. But I'm glad I googled around a bit more today, because I found a couple of really great links to share.

First up is this Lost Finale analysis found at latimes.com. I am sure part of the reason I like this article is because I agree with just about every word the author wrote. If you hated the ending of the show, you'll probably find lots to disagree with here. But he captured how I'm feeling three days after the finale: A little depressed it's all over, and still occassionally rolling the last half hour of it around my brain to decide exactly how I feel about it. And I've got the music firmly stuck in my head, which is not helping.

I'm sure you may already have seen the "One-Hundred Unanswered LOST Questions..." video, but if you haven't then click to watch it. Pretty funny. The fact is, though, they included a bunch of island mysteries that actually were addressed. For me this link, while amusing, exemplifies why some were so disappointed on Sunday. They are the fans who were all about getting answers to every question, which was never going to happen. I'm just as glad, because whenever the writers got too deeply into answering those questions it just led to a deflated, disappointed feeling for me. And frankly, the co-creators said definitively and more than once that they would not be telling anyone exactly what the island was- because that would truly just strip away the magic entirely. When it comes to LOST, I was always in it more for the characters and the constant twists and turns in the plot line than for a game of 50,000 answers.

If anything has surprised me about the fan reaction, it's the number of people who (mistakenly) took the finale to mean the characters had all died in the crash of Oceanic 815. I thought the writers went out of their way to make it clear (though Christian Shephard's words to Jack) that this wasn't the case. He even said that the reason the key Losties constructed their Flashsideways existences the way they did was in order to find each other again. The most important years of their lives were the ones they spent together, and so they couldn't move on until they reconciled their own issues and then found each other again. This article does a great job of setting that out, and though I don't agree with every word in the analysis, I think it's a good link to share with those still confused on that point.

I re-watched "The End" last night, and found it more enjoyable but even more emotionally draining the second time around. And if it left me with any regrets about season six, they weren't about the ending, but about how some of the characters were handled (or not handled) this year- namely Kate, Sayid, Jin and Sun. Less Temple, more about the core Losties would have been nice. I almost wonder if that might be what the hardcore fans key in on and play with next: Reconstruct season six the way you think it would have played out better. The rules are you can't change the ending, and you can't change the fact that the Flashsideways was an afterlife. To quote MIB, my game, my rules. When you come up with your own game, you can make the rules. :)

We have a bunch of photos from the finale for you here. And below are some clips released by ABC.com, and the very last ever "LOST Untangled".

I hope you've enjoyed the blog. We at WABC enjoyed getting it to you every week.

Namaste - and good luck!

7 Things About LOST: The End

WABC — 2010-05-24T11:01:39-04:00

The LOST creators and writers said they hoped to have come up with a finale that would put the show to rest unequivocally, but also one that would leave people speculating for years to come. We will have to see about the years to come part, and how the show plays after it ages a bit, but it seems like they may have accomplished their mission.

You can check out some photos from last night's episode.

Here are our "7 Things About LOST: The End"

No, The Island Wasn't Purgatory or Hell
The problem with offering up a show that traffics in subtleties is that often, people won't get them. As soon as the finale wrapped up there were posts online from various viewers along the lines of 'they cheated us... they were dead all along.. the island was purgatory." But that's not what they said at all. In fact, it was made clear that the events on the island were always what was real and everything that happened there happened. And those times mattered so much to those who went through them that when they died, they constructed an afterworld where they could find each other again. In a way it's much less of a cop-out than having things play out so that once a character dies, they just go flying back to their loved ones and all is well. Even in Flashsideways-afterlife world, the Losties had to work for their happy endings.

They warned us all season long!
Right from episode one there were big hints that Flashsideways world was not what it seemed. Sure, some of them were too subtle to count as true clues- like Rose telling Jack he could let go after the turbulence on the plane. Or Jack's confusion over the cut on his neck, which also started with episode one. But others did catch my eye. In Lighthouse, Jack asks his mom when he had his appendix removed as a kid. She tells him it was when he was six or seven years old, and asks doesn't he remember? His answer is a very confused, "Yeah... I guess so." But he doesn't remember, because it didn't happen. Other plotlines just felt too much like the characters living some kind of dreamed up better life-- like Ben at peace with his father and helping kids out, seeing Alex at school every day. And John Locke being a stronger version of himself with Helen at his side. I was always one of those convinced that the Flashsideways would somehow cease to exist when the show ended and I even felt that it was some kind of a device to help the Losties through the things they couldn't handle. But I didn't see what it would truly turn out to be until just a few minutes before the end, and I think that's really something. Even when Locke told Jack "you don't have a son..." I got chills, but it all still wasn't entirely clear. Only when Hurley told Ben he'd been a great Number Two to him on the island and Ben told Hurley he'd been a great number one did it hit me what we were seeing.

If you thought time travel and the Flashsideways were brain twisters...
I think the thing people will be wrestling with for some time is how they could all be in the Flashsideways when they all died at different times. The Ajira 316 crew goes flying off and who knows-- Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Richard, Lapidus and Claire could have all lived for six more years or sixty. Jack, as we know now, only lived a few more minutes. But once they did die, they constructed their Flashsideways world to find each other. That's the book on this, but it is, I think, the hardest concept to wrap one's head around. They try to help us with a couple of the lines of dialogue. Kate tells Jack he has no idea how much she's missed him- because now that she's aware of where she is, now that she's ready, she can remember all the years after Ajira 316 took off and she lived on without him. Christian Shephard's character tells Jack that time doesn't matter here. Eternity is eternity, and they're there together.

But what happened to.....
Richard, Ben, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer, etc, etc... afer they all survived? If anyone feels cheated by the ending, it may be because yes, they explained what happened to them all up to a point, but we don't get to see a whole lot of things. We don't get to see how Hurley and Ben protect the island together, how many years they do so, what challenges they faced or how they died in the end. We assume Kate helps Claire re-establish a normal life back in LA and reunites her with Aaron and her mom, but we'll never see it. And there's a tendency to feel like somehow we got cheated. Another way to look at it: They didn't cop out, they just didn't give some easy, pat, five minute answer to the rest of the survivors' lives. I will always wonder how Richard goes on with life, gets a job in L.A.,and all that with no resume and no past, but he's pretty good at adapting after all that time with the Others, he'll figure it out. :)

Where they did cop out
Walt. Let's face it, Walt was meant to be more to the end of LOST and then Malcolm David Kelly grew up, gained a foot in height and it was time for plan B. During the New York Times Talks Live event last week, Darlton joked to much laughter from the audience about Walt's growth spurt and how at the end of season one it was time to get him on that raft as fast as possible! They refuted out loud that Aaron was ever supposed to be 'special' as some fans had conjectured, but they never denied that Walt was built up to be more than what he turned out to be in the end. Years ago there were rumors that some scenes were shot with Malcolm David Kelly when he was still small so they could be worked into the finale, but that didn't happen. Who knows- maybe they were really shot, maybe it was all just fan speculation that meant nothing.

Jack gets his redemption, and so does John Locke
Much of season two focused on the 'man of science, man of faith' debate, and there were points where the characters suggested John Locke was simply crazy for his insistence the island was special. Watching season two years later, after more was revealed, it was shocking how hard-headed and nasty Jack came across. But Jack ends the series no longer a doubter, and as the guy who, while he wasn't in charge very long, managed to save the island from Smokey Flocke. He dies at peace with himself and what he was meant to do in the world- and he dies on the island. Sad happy or happy sad? I can never decide with this show. Meantime, Locke leaves this world on his own two feet, the more assured Locke who knew he was loved, and who could 'let go' and forgive-- even forgiving Ben for killing him, nevermind just his dad taking a kidney.

Where did Desmond go? Just one of the many answers we'll never get.
Last we see Desmond on the island Jack is telling him to get back to Penny and live his life. But we never actually see his escape from the island. I assume he did get back to her and his time in Flashsideways world comes much later, after they've lived a happy life together and raised little Charlie. But we'll never know, and I think that's what's frustrating to many who are disappointed. If I've learned anything about what I like about the show, it's that the mysteries are the point. So many times when they're answered, it's deflating. So I'm fine with the question marks- they key issues have a period at the end of them rather than a question mark now anyway.

I liked Damon Lindelof's final Tweet (for now) about the show. I agree 100%.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

The LOST Finale: My Advice- Sleep On It

WABC — 2010-05-24T00:03:11-04:00

it's been twenty six minutes since LOST ended, and I've had four changes of heart about how they wrapped it up. I've come to one conclusion: I need to sleep on it before I will know for sure what I feel about it.

First thought I had, I will admit was this: "cop-out". But that only lasted a few seconds. Just a little thought made me realize they hadn't really copped out on us. After all, in just a few words we are told that Hurley and Ben had their years together as the island's protectors. We just didn't get to see those years. We're also told that everything that happened in the island reality really happened. That it all mattered. In fact it really, really mattered to all those who spent that time on the island together so much that when they died, they returned to each other.

And my third thought was that I'd felt all along that the Flashsideways wasn't ever "real," i.e. it wasn't a true alternate reality. Everything there was just a little... too... perfect. And yes, I've said it in earlier posts so I'm not copping out here either. :)

And my fourth thought is that I expect I'll feel very different about the ending after a little rest and another look.

For those who are saying that the whole thing means they all died in the first crash, the crash of Oceanic 815, you didn't get it. That leads to my fifth and final thought for tonight: The problem with creating a pretty subtle ending is that a lot of viewers just won't get it.

More tomorrow in our "7 Things About LOST: The End" blog.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

Some Spoiler Free LOST Fun from the Cast, Creators

WABC — 2010-05-23T00:51:51-04:00

So here we are, hours from saying farewell to LOST. The story will be told, and whatever happens will have happened. Maybe you're looking for a little LOST-related entertainment to enjoy between now and 9:00 p.m. but want to keep it spoiler free. Well we're here for you with that.

First up, if you don't already follow the LOST co-creators on Twitter, you might want to check out their pages today. I particularly liked Damon Lindelof's post yesterday evening. He wrote, "Folks. Things are going to start leaking. Resist. It's Christmas Eve. You've made it this far. Don't read it. EXPERIENCE IT. Please."

More here from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as the day goes on, I am guessing.

Earlier this week the two of them took part in a New York Times live event where they talked about the show for nearly two hours. The conversation was sent via satellite to 600 movie theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson joined them on stage and shared their thoughts too. I was at the theater on 13th and Broadway watching- and it was a blast. I counted what I considered to be four minor spoilers, but these are the creators here they weren't going to give away anything too huge. Now, of course, video of the whole event is available online. I don't mind that I shelled out my $14 to watch it at the theater-- seeing clips from the show on the big screen was *amazing*!!!

You can also read more from the creators on Lostpedia, which just released its interview with the pair - and includes some fan questions and their answers. There were ground rules, including no questions about the finale, of course.

And if you don't already know it, actor Jorge Garcia has his own blog and a podcast, and both are fun for the hardcore Lostie. He wrote a very heartfelt note about the show wrapping up, which you can read here. And here is where you'll find his podcasts.

We also have ABC.com sneak peek photos from "The End" but don't click this particular link if you don't want to see a thing or two that might suggest where things are going. No major spoilers, but be warned.

And finally, two short segments from the show, also from ABC.com, below.

I'm thinking I'll turn off the computer, enjoy a beautiful day outside in the AM and maybe avoid all media until 9:00pm. How about you?

NamasteAndGoodLuck

A Little Last Minute LOST Party Inspiration

WABC — 2010-05-22T12:34:57-04:00

If you're into LOST enough to throw a LOST party or to go to a friend's finale viewing party, odds are you also fan enough not to need a whole lot of advice on potential attire, accessories, fun food ideas, etc.

And if you're enough of a fan that you have your Dharma jumpsuit all ironed and ready to go, well my hat's off to you. I'm a tiny step short of that level of fandom, but I do have my ABC.com instant party kit ready to go: Festive balloons, napkins, paper plates, cups and a bottle opener all with the Dharma logo and helpful labels reading "PLATE," "NAPKIN" and "RANCH COMPOSITE DRESSING" in that iconic Dharma font.

It arrived UPS the other day. I'll wait to blow up the balloons until tomorrow.

I'm going to be watching with my sister, niece and friend Steve- all of us pretty die-hard fans, so we won't have to worry about someone chattering all over the dialogue. I'm thinking tacos for dinner, in honor of what might be Kate Austen's best line ever in the series, "I don't DO taco night!" :)

If you do need a little bit of last minute inspiration for something to cook, bring or decorate with tomorrow, here's a great link to a Lostpedia page that pulls it all together. I like how they break it out into food, games and such- and there are some fun, creative ideas.

Of course, whatever you do, someone will always seem to do it up one better. Check out this party invitation that made the rounds on Twitter at the BEST ever LOST party invite. Can't disagree with them!

Wherever you watch on Sunday, I hope you enjoy it.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

The LOST writers have the last (podcast) word

WABC — 2010-05-22T01:10:15-04:00

A New York Times writer just weighed in on the end of LOST and basically said that five of the six seasons were sub par and that we are the ones being freed from the island.

I'm not sure which ALT he lives in, but the view looks a lot different from mine. I'm trying to imagine another show that will step up and offer so many twists and turns, will dare to be so complicated even the die-hard fans have to give some episodes a second watch before they've caught every nuance, another show that will make subtle and not so subtle reference to everything from spaghetti westerns to science fiction to literary classics... and I just don't see it happening again anytime soon. Or staying entertaining for six full years. So I'm not thrilled about being sprung from the island.

The LOST writers are sharing in those mixed feelings. In the video clip below, they talk about the process of providing a beginning, a middle, and an end to LOST and about how it isn't easy for them to say goodbye.

More coming tomorrow as we get ready for the finale! NamasteAndGoodLuck

Sneak Peek Pictures from "The End"

WABC — 2010-05-20T17:57:18-04:00

If you don't want to see a single frame of the big LOST finale until Sunday night... well then you probably aren't even reading this.

But if you are reading this and you don't want to see a single picture from the show until Sunday night, then do not click this link and look at this photo gallery!!

The photo at the head of this post, by the way, is not from "The End" it's from last week's "What They Died For" so we're not spoiling you here.

Much to my surprise, quite a few sneak peek photos have been released, and while most of them don't reveal all that much, at least one appears to answer a question posed silently last week. It also reveals much to worry about for fans of at least one particular LOSTie. Yikes. What happened just before that picture was shot?

We also have the two video clips released by ABC.com below. Again, nothing too revealing because they wouldn't do that to us or to the show. But if you'd like a taste of what's ahead, click away. And for those who don't want to watch the previews, the bottom clip below is a podcast with zero show footage - just a story all about last week's LOST Live event in Los Angeles.

Looking forward to Sunday- and not looking forward to Sunday! :)
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Get a Big LOST Finale Fix: Preview Clips, Untangled and More!

WABC — 2010-05-19T16:42:12-04:00

We have something close to a plethora of LOST video clips for you! One day after the penultimate episode of the series, ABC is dishing up some preview clips, and a retrospective with sound bites from the key actors in the series.

Plus, there's the latest LOST Untangled, for last night's epi, "What They Died For". And we have a bunch of photos from last night's show- no new ones yet for Sunday night, but if any are released we will share them with you.

So, a little laughter, a little dose of wistful, and a measure of anticipation for you - all in one blog post!

Happy Viewing!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: What They Died For

WABC — 2010-05-19T11:29:11-04:00

I think this might be the longest blog post yet on this site for a single episode, and I'm still not able to include everything that happened! What a show.

Here are our "7 Things About LOST: What They Died For"

Starting to End... Right Where We Began
Jorge Garcia, who brings Hugo Reyes to life every week said in an interview that "What They Died For" felt to him like a piece of the finale episode in a way. It's setting up "The End". So it's fitting that this week's show started where it all began with Jack's just-opened eye. Of course in that first second of the pilot episode, his eye snaps open, he realizes he's just survived a plane crash and goes running off into the jungle and saves a bunch of the survivors from exploding plane wreckage and such. In this episode it's Flashsideways Jack's eye we see, and he's waking up to what appears to be a fairly average morning. But as he looks in the mirror, Jack notices a cut on his neck. And he looks just as confused as to how it got there as he did when he spotted a similar one during the Flashsideways flight of Oceanic 815 a few days before. It's not the same cut-- because as we soon learn, this morning is indeed a few days after the flight, after he's patched things up with his son David. So what gives? Is it more of the island world and the Flashsideways world affecting each other? We don't really get an answer on that.

That Desmond has some crazy skills
So Flashsideways Desmond, who appeared only briefly at the beginning of the season and then disappeared for so long, is back and exhibiting quite the range of unusual skills. He can alter his voice and accent to sound like an Oceanic Airlines official (though why couldn't the Oceanic official just have a Scottish accent, I wondered). He somehow instinctively knows just how to find Kate and Sayid (in jail) so as to cozy up to them and get them involved in his game plan for changing the future. He convinces Ben that his motives re: John Locke are noble BY BEATING HIM SILLY. Really, how often does it happen that someone beats another person to a pulp and they're left with a lingering feeling that the guy might have had a point? And island Desmond is revealed to be 'the fail safe,' the variable brought to the island by Charles Widmore. If all else fails, there's still a chance Des can save the day. So in season two, Desmond turned the fail safe key on the Swan hatch. In season six, he himself is the fail safe.

Jack and Kate bond over a needle and thread again
Yes, they're back on the beach and this time Kate is the one with a gaping wound so Jack sews her shoulder up with thread pulled from a sock. The first time around, when she sewed up his plane crash wounds, he told her the story of a surgery he nearly-botched. This time she tells him about Sun and Jin's daughter. These characters have been so all over the place, it's easy to forget that Jack may not have known until now about how things turned out for Sun when she had her daughter after leaving the island. I have to think, though, they might have caught up a bit after their reunion on the beach a few episodes back. But everything is happening fast in LOST land now, so catching up isn't easy to do. Kate and Jack bond again over their little sewing circle. They're on the same page and determined to kill Flocke for what he's done. I liked the little moment right after this scene, where Kate, Hurley, Sawyer and Jack stand looking out at the ocean. It was meant as a silent goodbye to Sayid, Jin and Sun I think but maybe too just a little farewell to the beach and that amazing shot out at the waves on the north shore of Hawaii.

Ben's fate is to get pounded on by Losties
Say what you want about Ben Linus, he has some reasons for being a tad bitter. He was slapped around by his father, beaten on and off-island by the Losties from Sayid to Jack to Desmond. It's such a running thing him that the Ben bobblehead doll ABC.com sells is even in a disheveled and recently pounded-upon state. And tonight even Flashsideways Ben is a punching bag. It seems to me Desmond may actually have gone back to John Locke's school not so much to help Locke "let go" as he claimed, as to actually do two things: Beat on Ben and get him to remember his island self by forcing flashbacks of their prior confrontation at the marina, and also to plant with Ben the line that he was helping John "let go." Ben later takes that to John Locke, and John Locke takes it to Flashsideways Jack when he tells him he's ready to walk again.

The most subtle revelation of the night
As Ben, Miles and Richard walk through Ben's old Dharmatown house, Ben reveals the secret room behind his (fantastic) walk-in closet. He says the room is "where I was told I could summon the monster... before I realized it was the one summoning me." That clears up, at least slightly a major conundrum fans have been wrestling with: How could it be that Ben seemed to be able to summon the smoke monster in years past when smokey was MIB and Ben worked for Jacob? Answer is: Smokey was really manipulating those who thought they were controlling it. My take: The writers had to get around a bit of a corner they'd backed themselves into years ago, before they had it all figured out. But hey, nice catch there.

Really? All that convoluted effort and Charles was on Jacob's side?
Charles Widmore and Ben Linus reunite with such a homey little line of dialogue: "Hello Benjamin may I come in?" It's the first time Charles and Ben have been in the same room on the island since Ben had Charles ousted a dozen years ago for transgressions like having a child (Penny) with an off-island woman. Ben is on a mission to help Richard blow up Ajira 216, and Charles gloats that he's three steps ahead of Ben: He's already got the plane rigged with explosives (he doesn't anymore, Smokey took them and planted them in Jack's backpack, but apparently he still thinks its rigged). Then Charles proceeds to tell Ben that he saw the light some time ago, and has been working for Jacob since he came back to the island. All this feels a little off to me. Is that really all Charles has been up to? If it's true, and Jacob has told him all he needs to do to help save the day, wouldn't he have also told him to get the message to Ben and coordinate things a little better? So much wasted effort, guys, come on. You've been at this for millenia now, you should be better at it. I don't believe it though. I think Charles was really up to something else. Ben shooting him down was a bit shocking. And not to be too glib, but do you think the writers were throwing the fans a bone by killing off Zoe? Thousands cheered.

We're very close to the end Hugo
Jacob's line, as this penultimate episode draws to a close. How are they going to wrap this all up on Sunday night? I can't begin to imagine. There are a jumble of other things of note that I noticed last night, some important to the plot ahead some just fun.

-- Great to see Danielle Rousseau again, in Flashsideways land. On the island she and daughter Alex tied Ben up and hauled him around the island together in season three. This go-around, they invite him to dinner (telling him he must come, even if they have to kidnap him) and Danielle gets a little flirty with him. Funny.
-- Nice to see evil Ben back at the end there. But I have a sneaking suspicion he's conning Flocke. Yes, Ben was happy to shoot Widmore- but I think now he's just setting Flocke up to think he has a gunman, but Ben will in the end have the Losties' backs. Just my guess that the nemesis they were at odds with all these years will end up helping them win the end game.
-- That had better not be the end of Richard. Really. That would be lame. But I'm sure it's not the end for him.
-- The LOST signature lines were flying fast and furious near the end: "Maybe it's all happening for a reason," John Loce says in Flashsideways world. "Don't confuse coincidence for fate," Jack responds. Those were key John Locke and Mr. Eko lines in season two, back when Jack was a huge doubter of there being anything special about the island. Now he's its protector.
-- Is Anna Lucia the only one who is a worse person in Flashsideways land than in island time? Sure seems so. She's baaaad.
-- Best line of the night, maybe best line of the entire series: "It's just a line of chalk in a cave, Kate. The job is yours if you want it." Wow. I laughed out loud and nearly jumped out of my seat at that one. We diehard Losties all take every little clue so to heart, and here are the producers and writers telling us (through Jacob) to lighten the heck up.
--I have a whole raft of thoughts about Jack's conversion to island protector, enough for a blog post all its own. But the bottom lines for me: Creepy to see after all these years, kind of sad in a touching way. And hey, the other Losties were in *no* hurry to suggest they take that cup away from him, huh?
-- The music near the end suggests to me Desmond conducting an orchestra, which when you think about it is what his character is doing in a sense.

There was a point three seasons ago where I thought I know how LOST would end. Now it's a few days away, and we're all still guessing. That strikes me as quite the accomplishment!

NamasteAndGoodLuck

So Many Questions - Only One More Episode of LOST

WABC — 2010-05-18T22:24:36-04:00

Wow. You can say all you want about how "Across the Sea" was necessary to fully explain MIB and Jacob and everything that's going to happen next... and I would agree with all that. But "Across the Sea" was no "What They Died For" and that is just simply that.

I'm a firm believer that the show's best when it's about the original 13 'main characters' and now on the island side of the show's equation we are truly down to the Core Four: Kate, Jack, Sawyer and Hurley. So much of what was powerful about this episode is about them, and where they've been and how it will all end.

Which, of course, we still don't know. Doesn't it feel like it could still take weeks and weeks to reveal all that? How does Flashsideways Desmond know just how to find all the Losties? Is that the last we'll ever see of Richard? I think not, but if so he deserved a whole lot better. Did Widmore die just to get Dez back to the island? And is Zoe really dead too (please, please, please?!). But no. All we have are three and a half more hours until it's all said and done.

There is a lot to digest in "What They Died For" and we'll have it all in our "7 Things About LOST" blog in the morning. After another watching over breakfast. :)

NamasteAndGoodLuck

The "Farewell to LOST Tour" - Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia Talk Finale

WABC — 2010-05-18T16:06:21-04:00

The Losties are on the 'finale' media tour, for sure! I'm still kicking myself that I didn't watch Jorge Garcia live on "The View" but i'll definitely look for the full episode on ABC.com.

They do have a clip up already:

And he's not the only one hitting the shows. Here's Matthew Fox's GMA appearance.

Enjoy! NamasteAndGoodLuck

Watch LOST with us tonight!

WABC — 2010-05-18T12:14:14-04:00

Eighteen episodes seemed like so many 16 weeks ago. Now as I write this, we're just over 100 hours from the end of "The End."

Darlton have promised it'll be just that - an undeniable end to the series. To paraphrase them, the big finale is not entitled "The End?" and it's not entitled "The End....". But then, just as soon as they said that they also teased us by saying they hope they've drawn it to a close in a manner that will keep people speculating for years to come.

Yikes.

We have a little fun video for the hardcore LOST fan now: The LOST writers are asked to take sides- if Damon and Carlton were MIB and Jacob, which side would you choose? And their bosses talk over which of them is more Jacobian and which is more Smokified.

No new pictures for tonight's episode, "What They Died For," and no new preview clips. If we get more before 9pm, we'll share!

NamasteAndGoodLuck

LOST podcast

LOST: The "Core Four" are back - just in time

WABC — 2010-05-14T13:57:21-04:00

While I wouldn't trade living in NYC for the world, I am a little jealous of Los Angelinos today. All the fun LOST-related events seem to happen on the west coast. Last night it was "LOST Live," The Final Celebration.

The event honored Academy-Award winning "LOST" composer Michael Giacchino, whose music has added so much impact to every episode of the show. A bunch of the cast attended. Those who went actually got to watch "What They Died For," this Tuesday's episode, a whole five days early! There was even a reading of all those letters in a bottle that Sawyer, Jin and Michael took with them on their ill-fated raft trip in season one.

You can read more about the evening here. Damon Lindelof tweeted about it early this morning, too. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

With the series finale so very close, not much is coming out for this Tuesday's new episode. We do have a few sneak peek pictures, but they might as well be stock photos for all they reveal. Which is fine by me. What they do show is Hurley, Jack, Kate and Sawyer back in the spotlight. Looks like the battle of good and evil will pit the four of them against Flocke. And what about Widmore and company? And where are Ben and Richard and Miles? Looks like it's going to be another jam-packed hour.

Here again are the video clips released from the upcoming episode, "What They Died For". No spoilers here either, but teasers if you are interested.

Have a great weekend!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Looking Ahead to "What They Died For" and new LOST Untangled!

WABC — 2010-05-12T16:51:57-04:00

Our ancient history lesson is past us, and now it's on to the last-ever regular hour of LOST. If we established two things this week, i'd say that they are:

1 - No way are we getting every answer we want, because they sure packed 'em in this episode, and there are still just a ton left ...

2 - We might do well to be thankful some of the mysteries will stay just that, because explaining them sure strips some of the fun out of 'em.

Not that I'm an "Across the Sea" hater. I'd say they did an especially good job with the donkey wheel explanation, and in painting out much more about who MIB and Jacob were and are. The Adam and Eve reveal was a nice twist on what it seems most fans were expecting. And that sure was a great scene with Smokey making his first appearance, barrelling out of that tunnel full of light. Wa-ooooooh!

Now we get back to our core characters in next Tuesday's episode 6.16: "What They Died For". Presumably we'll learn more about the demise of Jin, Sun and Sayid. Beyond that, who knows!

We have some pictures from "Across the Sea" here, and below are two (not very spoilerish) sneak peek clips for next Tuesday, and the very latest "LOST Untangled!"

NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: Across the Sea

WABC — 2010-05-12T12:15:29-04:00

First and foremost: If anyone on LOST ever says "I'm sorry" to you, run. They're about to either shoot you, punch you, or otherwise blindside you. More on that later. For now, here are our "7 Things About LOST: Across the Sea."

"You're getting involved in something that goes way, way back..."
That's what Charles Widmore told Desmond in the most-excellent episode, "Jughead" in season five. And even though season five was not that long ago, even then we still couldn't know just how far back he meant. When Claudia, the birth mother of Jacob and the Man in Black washed up on the beach, I started trying to guesstimate from her clothes and the material her boat had been made of just how long ago she landed there. Still not sure - Greco-Roman era?

"Every question I answer will simply lead to another question..."
No kidding! Or another new character, maybe. If fans are expressing frustration today, it's along the lines of "Fine, so this is the woman who raised Jacob and MIB, but where did *she* come from?" My take: This whole series is a story within a story within a story. I think we're just going to have to let go of the desire to have it all wrapped up nicely with a bow on top, and enjoy it for what it is.

"Do you want to play or don't you Jacob?"
So the phrase spoken by Locke about the game of backgammon all those years ago- "two sides, one is dark, one is light" comes to this: A game that looks to be older than backgammon, that Jacob and the MIB play as children. It looks a little like the African Rock Game, if you've ever played that. The rocks from the game become the dark and light stones Jacob ties up in a bag, and buries with "Adam and Eve," his mother, and the body of his brother. But though his brother lost his body, his spirit lives on as Smokey and now Flocke.

"There is nowhere else. The island is all there is."
That's what Jacob and MIB's adoptive mom tells them. It's not the first time someone's said it on the show. Desmond tries to get away from the island, only to have it pull his boat, The Elizabeth, right back. When Jack asks him why he came back he explains and says that there is no outside world anymore, there's "only this island. We're in a bloody snow globe!" But while Desmond was confused, apparently, by the properties of the island that pulled him back, she appears to be misleading her kids, trying to convince them they have to stay put whether they want to or not, and MIB most definitely does not.

"They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt- and it always ends the same."
The whole "Us and Them" nature of LOST started way back when too! MIB learned from his "mom" that nothing good would come from hanging with these "others" who keep crashing on the island. MIB is disgusted by them - but looks to use them to get free and see the world. Jacob is distant from them but fascinated by them, studying them even as a kid to see what they were all about and if they might have some good in them.

"The warmest, brightest light you've ever seen or felt"
I have to admit, I did have a little "oh no, please don't get too lame here" feeling when we saw the light in the tunnel. Did anyone else think of Pulp Fiction and the light in the briefcase that was the most valuable thing in the world, but never identified? Some thought it was a soul. Some of the wording here on LOST suggests the same thing: "A little bit of this very same light is inside every man, but they always want more. If the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere." I could use a little less of the mystical, quasi-religious - like this scene, and the scene where Jacob drinks from the cup. Isn't there a way other than the religious to suggest the taking on of a burden?

"When we find one of these sites, we dig - and this time we found something"
MIB tells Jacob about the electromagnetic hot spots in those words. And yes, we found a whole heck of a lot in this episode. Darn close to too much to absorb. There is probably more packed into this one show in the series than any other before it, yet it FLEW by when I first watched it. Some of the other highlights: MIB wants to run to the "others" just as Ben did much later. But Ben wanted to join them to be more a part of the island, MIB just wants out. MIB's mom says "I'm so sorry" right before she clocks him and ends up delivering him to his corporal demise. Michael says "I'm sorry" to Anna Lucia before he shoots her, Sawyer say it to Sayid before he clocks him in the Dharma jail cell..... so yes, if a Lostie apologizes, duck! I like how they tied the donkey wheel into everything, made it make some sense without explaining too much. I do think that LOST can't win either way: If they explain too much it risks getting hokey, if they aren't clear enough it gets overly mystical and hedgy. So I think that made this show a lot trickier than it even seems at first watch.

And yes, finally, we found out who Adam and Eve are. Part of me was satisfied with that twist, and liked the way they wove in the clips of the Losties finding their bones. Part of me felt, once again, that sometimes the mystery is more interesting than the reveal.

Next week, back to our core plotline with the final-ever regularly scheduled hour of LOST: "What They Died For" and then.... "The End."

NamasteAndGoodLuck

LOST: "Across the Sea" reveals Adam and Eve

WABC — 2010-05-11T22:38:03-04:00

I'm sitting here with chills still running up and down me, and it's been several minutes since we learned who the infamous "Adam and Eve" of the island really are.

It's far from the only thing we learned in "Across the Sea," in fact this was the biggest mythological dump by far, far, far, ever on the series. But in terms of the history of the show, it's certainly the most heart-tugging, breath-stopping thing we learned tonight.

No, it's not Sun and Jin. It's not Sawyer and Juliet. It's not Kate and Jack. It's MIB and his "mother" who are buried in the cave. You have to love the way they intertwined their burial with scenes of the LOSTies finding their bones after the crash of Oceanic 815.

And one more quick and easy note: You may remember Charles Widmore advising Desmond to get Penny to safety and keep out of the whole Island struggle because, to paraphrase, "You're getting into something that has been going on for many, many years." That was in the most-excellent season five episode, "Jughead." Little did we know, even that late in the game, just how many years he really meant!!

As for our "7 Things About LOST: Across the Sea" blog, that will have to wait until tomorrow and another watching. It's going to take that second viewing to refine about three pages full of notes on this show! For now, we'd love to hear your thoughts - long or short.

Next week it's the final, ever regularly scheduled hour long episode of LOST. Uggh. Really? Any chance they'll change their minds? :) It's entitled "What They Died For" and it seems we'll learn just that.

Until tomorrow,
NamasteAndGoodLuck

A Look Ahead to "Across the Sea" and LOST Untangled!

WABC — 2010-05-05T15:22:50-04:00

Well after the chaos of this week's "The Candidate" it seems likely we're in for a shifting of the gears, as the writers and producers of LOST give us one more episode with a lot of backstory. And this time, it's all about Jacob and the Man in Black. Bound to be really revealing.

But will they also weave in some forward movement on the island and in the Flashsideways? Seems they almost have to, considering that after "Across the Sea" we have one, just one more regular season episode before the finale.

We have clips for you from "Across the Sea" but so far just this one sneak peek picture. We'll see if some pop up from ABC in the days ahead.

And here's the latest LOST Untangled. Yes, they managed to pull some humor from "The Candidate" and pretty effectively. Then, they give a nice, quiet little homage to Jin and Sun at the end.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: The Candidate

WABC — 2010-05-04T23:23:45-04:00

Oh my, where to begin? It's been an hour and I still can't believe all the developments tonight!! Wow.

Here are our 7 Things About LOST: The Candidate

Smokey Flocke is not the good guy
When the season started, Terry O'Quinn saId he was playing Flocke with an open mind because hey, who knows, he could turn out to be the good guy and Jacob may be evil...

And I've heard the argument that it's all relative and both Flocke and Jacob are manipulating and harassing people as a means to their ends. The writers and producers made the point again and again that good and evil are judgment calls that have a lot to do with your perspective. Take for example the Sayid episode where he becomes a translator and torturer for the allied forces in the first Gulf War, or fake Henry Gale locked up in the Swan hatch, "one of them" to the Losties, "one of us" to the Others. All fine and good, but the writers are hitting on a key line from the show's past very hard: There are two sides here- one dark and one light, and... Flocke is evil.

Too many parallels
I'll leave it to others to list every single parallel between events in this episode and events in seasons past. Some of them seem to matter and some don't. It feels to me like a compromise the producers are making. They don't have time for this leisurely scene on the beach with the gang bonding, so instead they are dropping in references to the scenes we know and love (or hate). As in the "Cages of Hydra Island" scene, as in Sawyer starting to go back for Claire as he did in season four, and Sawyer having to decide if Widmore would really kill Kate just as Ben had to decide if Keamy would kill his daughter Alex. I'm sure there were a dozen more. It's going to take another watching for me to decide which ones mattered.

Has anyone but you handled your luggage?
The Losties used to have such huge trust issues... and darned if that isn't what kept most of them alive. They didn't trust each other any further than they could throw each other. But now Flocke can sneak a bomb in Jack's backpack and he doesn't maybe take a peek in there before jumping In the sub? Granted they were in a hurry, but really. But sneak it in there he does and gets the gang just where he wants them. Then suddenly the trust issues are back just in time for Sawyer to show Jack the depths of his disdain for him for causing Juliet's death. Well, Sawyer can't quite hold that against Jack anymore now that he's made a decision that cost Sayid, Sun and Jin their lives. Speaking of which....

When the Lost team really likes a character they give 'em a really great death scene
They said so in just about those exact words. Did they do Sun and Jin justice? Sure it felt a little like a scene from Titanic, but hard to avoid that with them being on a flooding sea vessel and all. It was touching to see Jin, who treated Sun with such disdain when first we met them, dying to keep his promise he'd never leave her. The shot of their locked fingers floating apart was haunting. Only way they'll end up being Adam and Eve is if they wash ashore and the Losties bury them in the cave.

There is no Sayid
Wow. You knew this all could be coming, and you know there could be that one final twist that leaves all our castaways alive and well and whole, but still hard to see Sayid take the fall and get blown to bits. Interesting to see how he goes from zombified Flocke-lackey to the old take charge Sayid with a knack for devices. Did he shake that darkness that invaded his heart? He sure seems to have more of a sense than the others of what's coming. As he prepares to run with the bomb, he tells Jack to go find Desmond, that Jack will need Desmond's skills in the near future because, as he tells Jack, "It's going to be you." As in Jack is "The" Candidate. That's my take.

What was that you mumbled?
When John Locke is asleep in the hospital he mumbles two things in his sleep. Push the button, which needs no elaboration. And "I wish you had believed me," which is what Version 1.0 Locke wrote to Jack in his suicide note. Those blasts from the past don't seem to register with Jack. But when Locke is leaving the hospital, Jack also drops a couple of lines from the past and they do seem to jog Locke's memory: both the "believe me" line and "Whatever happened, happened.". We will have to see where that leads.

And some of this other random things I noticed...
Jack got the best line of the night, nodding over at the trees that were still flickering with Smokey's electricity and saying, "I'm with him." Jack seldom gets those good one liners. Jack and Claire are in the hospital and Jack buys an Apollo bar from the vending machine. He sure seems to eat a lot of junk food for a doctor- all we've known him to consume in the Flashsideways is Apollo bars and pizza. The music box Christian left for Claire played "Catch a Falling Star," the song Claire 1.0 wanted sung to her baby Aaron, and the song which has run through her whole storyline.

Next week's episode is entitled "Across the Sea." More on it here as info, pictures, video become available!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Watch LOST with Us Tonight!

WABC — 2010-05-04T16:03:47-04:00

It's been a long two weeks, but LOST is back!

We'll have some thoughts after the show, and tomorrow we'll bring you our latest 7Things About LOST blog post for "The Candidate."

Here's hoping we're all smiling and saying 'wow!' when it's over.

You can click here to see sneak peek pictures for the show tonight.

And you'll find video clips from tonight's new show here - no big spoilers, but a sense of where we are going tonight.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

Three, Two, One... Finale!

WABC — 2010-05-03T13:41:04-04:00

Remember all those years ago, when it was announced that LOST would end with season six? I'm sure there are varying opinions on whether setting a deadline was a fantastic idea or a fantastically bad one but either way, it felt a long way off. Now here we are with just three regular season episodes left, and then the two hour finale. And then LOST is history.

I read a tweet from co-creator Damon Lindeloff that suggests they're just hours away from finishing the editing of the finale. Apparently they were oh-so-close to done with it overnight.

And in an interview this weekend he set off some fan reaction when he said the finale would, while giving answers, also be 'very Lostian' and would leave people theorizing for years. Yikes! It reads much more stark than it comes across when you watch the whole interview, though. It does sound like the intent is to truly finish it- but as only the LOST team could.

And if you'd like a little more to chew on, here's an interview the producers just granted to Lostpedia. No spoilers, in fact the ground rules were no questions about the shows still ahead.

Good stuff. And finally, a couple of clips for you from Tuesday's upcoming episode 6.14: "The Candidate".

It's almost Tuesday! Enjoy!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

LOST: A Look Ahead to 5/4, and "The Candidate"

WABC — 2010-04-27T10:34:20-04:00

Well we're kind of getting a taste of what it's going to be like in four weeks, when Tuesday rolls around and there's no new episode of LOST! Dislike.

The show is on a one-week hiatus, and tonight we'll get a repeat of "Ab Aeterno" Richard's backstory and episode 6.12 that aired first on March 16th. It was certainly one of the most compelling episodes of the year, so at least there is that.

And now that we're really in the homestretch, the lid is being kept quite tight on the remaining three regular episodes and, of course, the finale. We know the titles of those episodes, but not much else - as in, will they focus on one character? Will the Flashsideways and the main timelines merge sooner than later?

You can get a look at the titles of the remaining episodes here, and we have some sneak peek pictures from next week's episode, "The Candidate" here if you'd like to take a look.

I can't help wondering if the wording is significant: "The" Candidate - as in will we find out who is the lead contender to stick around protecting the island and become Jacob's replacement? And yet things never end up being quite as simple and clear cut as some of the show titles might imply.

One more thing for you: We have the ABC.com podcast, and this week it's a tour of the main LOST set. We watch week after week, but probably seldom think about all the work that goes into making a TV show. This clip really gives an interesting glimpse into all the cast and crew have to do every week to make it happen!

More about next week's "The Candidate" as it becomes available!

NamasteAndGoodLuck

LOST Untangled and Revealing Pics for Episode 6.14: "The Candidate"

WABC — 2010-04-22T12:04:35-04:00

Okay, we are still nearly two weeks away from the next new episode of LOST. Next Tuesday, 4/27, we get a repeat of "Ab Aeterno". But already we have some sneak peek pictures for you from "The Candidate," which airs on 5/4.

Before you click the link, a heads up: These pictures do reveal a bit more than some sneak peek photos that ABC releases. That's because we really were left with a cliffhanger when Zoe and Widmore's gang rounded up the Losties and had them kneeling in the sand. Sure sounded like Widmore had just told Zoe to shoot them all - but did he? Or was it just a little trick to leave us hanging for 14 days? If you don't want to know, don't look at these sneak peek pics for "The Candidate."

And one more bit of fun for the week: The latest episode of LOST Untagled.

Have a great weekend,
NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: The Last Recruit

WABC — 2010-04-20T23:10:12-04:00

The big LOST moments just keep coming!

We got a huge reunion, a revelation about another key bit of show mythology, and Losties converging in the Flashsideways world.

Here are our "7 Things About LOST: The Last Recruit".

Jack's a believer- finally
Okay, so Jack is the last recruit. Or is he? That's how it struck me. But I don't think he's on Smokey's team, no matter what Flocke thinks. He's Jacob's last recruit. Jack started out the series firmly a man of science and is ending it entirely a man of faith. He's gone from believing John Locke was a sucker to think the island was special, to doubting Flocke for making the exact same claim. He knows he and the others on 815 ended up there for a reason- and leaving isn't the answer. He's sure enough that Jacob won't let him die that he jumps right in the ocean when Sawyer gives him the heave-ho. And on a completely different subject, what the heck is in Jack's backpack? The writer of the Neverseenlost blog asked the question last week- and wondered why no one has asked him what he's been carting around the past few weeks. Good question!

How did smokey get off the island to haunt Jack back in L.A.?
Last week we found out what the whispers are all about. This week's big show secret answered: Yes, whenever we saw Jack's dead dad wandering the island in seasons past, it was really Smokey all along. Flocke claims he was just trying to help guide Jack and help him find his way off the island. But in "White Rabbit" he just about lured Jack over a cliff. That seems to contribute to the theory Flocke is just trying to kill all the candidates. And on another entirely different subject: What was up with Jack's dad appearing in the lobby at St. Sebastian Hospital after Jack does get off the island and returns to L.A.? Very doubtful that was Smokey too, considering how bad he wanted off. He'd never go back. Was it just a continuity error? Am guessing that one will go unanswered.

Promises, Promises
Just like that, Sun and Jin are back together. Sun has her voice back. And the big reunion happens just after a scene in the Flashsideways in which Jin tells a recuperating Sun that "it's all over and we're all going to be okay." Big promise, Jin. Maybe it's a little reassurance from the writers that the gang will be okay? Maybe not. In their island reunion, Jin tells Sun they'll never be apart again - but will they be alive much longer? Are the annoying Zoe and Widmore's assorted other henchmen going to shoot the 815'ers? Or maybe Richard and Ben and Miles will reappear to save the day?

It's allllll coming together now...
Sort of. The Losties are coming together in the Flashsideways just as they were on the island tonight. Locke, Sun and Jin are at Jack's hospital. Sawyer and Miles are investigating Keamy's murder and rounding up the chief suspect- Sayid. Flashsideways Desmond leads Claire to Jack, presumably to help them both remember their other lives. Then Jack is suddenly separated from Claire, and ends up the episode with Locke in the Sideways world and Flocke in the Island world.

That Desmond is a quick thinker
Facing killer-zombie-Sayid and imminent death, Island Desmond saves his own life. He asks Sayid what he'll tell Nadia when she inquires as to what kind of deal with the devil Desmond made to get her back. Then we're suddenly in the Flashsideways world, where Sayid has to kind of do just that- explain to Nadia that he's done something horrible, with her knowing he did it 'for' her. Desmond's the 'wildcard' in this story- who knows what he'll do now that he's presumably survived that brush with death?

That was a little too easy....
Sawyer and Kate take off, Jack gets Sun, Lapidus and Hurley away from Flocke and to apparent safety. Even Claire comes along reluctantly. Was Flocke really losing control of his troops, or was that his plan? It half felt like the sailboat might just be packed with dynamite to blow them all up, but apparently not. Still, it feels like Flocke was delivering the gang to their doom.

And everything else....
In the grab bag this week:
-- Illana is back already, at least in Flashsideways land. That's the quickest return to the show for a character no longer with us, it seems.
-- Illana's office is on the 15th floor.
-- The music underlying the scenes sure had a Star Wars feel to it tonight, didn't it?
-- Sawyer says Lapidus looks like he just walked off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie. Hah. Good one. I'm thinking Jeff Fahey had to have been in a movie with Burt Reynolds, anyone have a few minutes to look it up?
-- Flashsideways Kate: Does her plotline have any real usefulness? What am I missing there? Seems she deserves better than she's getting this season.

No LOST next week- they're on a one week hiatus. Going to be a long wait! "The Candidate" airs May 4th.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

How would you rate "The Last Candidate"?Market Research

Some Video Sneak Peeks and "Hugo" Untangled

WABC — 2010-04-19T10:52:05-04:00

We are starting to really get down to crunch time on LOST. Not much room for more fragmenting of the Losties into any new camps, and (hopefully!) no time for new characters: After this week, there are only three more regular episodes before the night of the big finale! Time for that epic battle between Good and Evil. And the Team Smokey adherents can say all they want that it's not clear which side is good and which is evil - I think that ship has sailed, don't you?

That proximity to "The End" might be why this week's episode is entitled "The Last Recruit". Team Smokey and Team Jacob have their sides all lined up - now we'll see who that last recruit is. My money is on either Aaron, or Sun and Jin's daughter Ji Yeon.

And oh, by the way, if the ABC promos are not being coy with us, it looks like we might just see the Jin and Sun reunion so many have been awaiting.

There are just a handful of photos that have been released for the episode so far. Here they are, if you'd like to take a look.

And here are some sneak peek video clips, along with the latest episode of LOST Untangled: Everybody Loves Hugo.

Enjoy!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

New Sneak Peek Pictures: Episode 6.13, The Last Recruit

WABC — 2010-04-14T17:49:58-04:00

We're starting to get close to the point where those who do not want to be 'spoiled' by revelations about the end of LOST will have to be very, very careful. I for one don't want six years of viewing deflated by someone who thinks it's their mission to share the big reveal before the show's producers, writers, actors and cast get their chance to wow us.

That might be why there seems to be growing 'radio silence' about the next four episodes that lead up to the finale.

Normally the names of the episodes and word about who the central character will be are released a few weeks, or even longer, in advance. But all we know right now is that Episode 6.13 is entitled "The Last Recruit." We don't know who is centric in the episode - all I've seen is the lettters TBD. It's the same story for all but one of the remaining episodes - no word who will play the key roles, just TBD! If you want a list of the episode names, you'll find them here.

There's not as much video coming out previewing the shows either, and just a handful of pictures so far for "The Last Recruit."

We'll share more (but not spoilers) as it comes out this week.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: Everybody Loves Hugo

WABC — 2010-04-14T11:53:48-04:00

So before we get into things here, a couple of random thoughts: Who’d have thought there’d be a day when the majority of Kate’s lines were in a L’Oreal commercial and not the actual show? Did you catch that the guy who played Dharma hatch designer Radzinsky is going to be in Modern Family this week? The former LOST cast is going to start showing up everywhere!

And oh, by the way, the plots of the shows are getting so intricate, it’s a real bear to write about them in any sort of linear way. So pardon this blog for being a little all over the place... just like Ilana (sorry).

Here are "7 Things About LOST: Everybody Loves Hugo".

We start with a stronger Hugo in a better world
Finally! Pierre Chang is back! He gives Flashsideways Hurley his latest trophy, a thank you for funding a paleontology wing at the Golden State Natural History Museum. Both Flashsideways Dr. Chang and Flashsideways Charlotte work there, by the way. It’s apparently only one of many trophies on Hugo’s wall. Not only is he much luckier in this world, he’s also someone people have faith in. You may recall Version 1.0 Hugo had a heck of a time convincing anyone on the island that he had won the lottery back home and was worth $140 million. But just as with most of the other Flashsideways characters, this is a stronger, more functional Hugo we are seeing . He does shares some characteristics with his other-world self: He’s shy about dating, for instance. But overall, he’s a person in a much better place. I think the name of the museum is kind of a tongue in cheek reference to this better world the Flashsideways characters live in. It's as if this reality has been constructed just so that the characters get a chance to live out the life they wish they had. I may be way off, but it feels more and more like the Flashsideways world is a device meant to help the Candidates progress to where they need to be, and once they get there that whole world might just disappear as fast as Ilana did last night.

Ilana Got Arzt’ed
Speaking of which – wow. Talk about the island being done with someone. Just when Ilana started to get more interesting, giving Ben another shot in life, revealing how Jacob was like a father to her, she suddenly blows up. And we are talking a big bang. When science teacher Doc Arzt blew up transporting dynamite from the Black Rock back in season one, it was practically in slow-mo compared with this. Was Ilana destroyed by Smokey? She was talking about how evil he is just as the blast struck, but there’s no direct cue that he caused it. Did Jacob take her out of the picture to manipulate Hurley’s decision making process? In the end, Hurley makes sure there’s no way to blow up the airplane because there is no dynamite left with which to do so. Or was Ilana, despite all her years of training, just plain stupid to be jamming water bottles into a sack full of dynamite and flinging them all around so casually? I’m still not clear who was zooming who with this bit of the plotline, whether it was the characters messing with each other or the writers and producers messing with us a bit.

Flocke and "this God-forsaken rock"
Smokey spends another week trying to keep his troops in line. Kate and Sawyer are getting irritated that he just doesn’t seem to be hands on enough about getting off the island- and he explains that they have some waiting to do. But he’s not just waiting around; he’s had Sayid on a mission to kidnap "The Package," (Desmond). Flocke no sooner gets his hands on Desmond than he takes him for a walk, apparently to kill him by pushing him down a well. Down the rabbit hole? There is a lot of Alice in Wonderland symbolism in this show, and I can’t help wondering if he was giving him a push into that other world more than trying to actually kill him. Maybe wherever he lands has its own donkey wheel, just like the wheel Ben and John Locke pushed to move the island. May be thinking too much here, but what would be the point of taking him to the well and giving him that lecture if his only goal was to kill him?

Desmond gets points for subtlety -- when it’s needed
Desmond is on his mission to influence the Oceanic 815 folk and nudge them toward remembering their other lives. But he’s not doing so by trying to awkwardly blurt it all out to them. He gets his message to Hurley in such a subtle way – he sidles up, he says ‘hi’ and that he’s just recognized Hurley from the flight. So funny the jaded way in which Hurley responds "What a coincidence." He influences him to get back in touch with Libby, leading to their date, and Hurley’s sudden recollection of his other life. With Flashsideways John Locke, he’s a whole lot less subtle – he plows him right over with his car. Was he trying to kill him? Was he trying to dislocate Flocke on the island, just as Flocke tried to neutralize Desmond back on the island? It’s the biggest question mark we’re left with, just as the show ends.

Michael is trapped with the Whispers
Michael Dawson is back – but who is he "working’ for in the afterlife? He tells Hurley the fact that he killed Libby and Anna Lucia "doesn't matter right now," and that he needs Hurley to change what’s about to happen on the island before a lot more people die and it ends up being Hurley’s fault. He points out to Hurley that "people are listening to you now…." They really are, even Jack – and it’s another example, it seems, of the stronger, Flashsideways character having an influence on how people perceive the island version. Hurley’s a leader in both worlds – and has some tough decisions to make. Later, Hurley makes a big connection between Michael’s appearance and an important piece of show mythology – the Whispers. All through the series, the Whispers have happened at key moments and often just before The Others appeared. Now Hurley understands what they are all about and through Michael explains to us that they’re the voices of the dead whose spirits are trapped on the island. They’ve passed on, but they can’t get away because of what they did during their lives. That big reveal felt a little heavy-handed to me, but an interesting moment to have such a key show element defined for once and for all. I sure hope the Losties don’t all end up Whispers themselves.

Libby’s back – and now she’s the one who isn’t so sure what’s real and what’s not
Remember when all we had to wonder about is whether Libby is sane? Now we’ve got to see if she’s well in two worlds. Whether she is truly sane or not, she, like Desmond, seems much more in touch with both sides of the mirror worlds. She didn’t need someone prompting her to recall it. Just as in the first go-around, Flashsideways Libby is spending some time inside Santa Rosa Mental Institute. But Hugo’s never been there in this world. We still don’t know why Libby ended up there- but now we know it was a voluntary decision, not a forced admission. Nice touch having Flashsideways Doctor Brooks from Santa Rosa along for the ‘fajita field trip’ as Hugo dubs it later. Doctor Brooks was instrumental in the season two episode "Dave," where he shows a sad and anxious Hurley how he’s turned all his woes into a phantom person named Dave who lives at Santa Rosa, and who constantly urges Hurley to do things that are not best for him. In that episode, Hurley nearly jumps off a cliff on the island, convinced nothing that is happening there is real. It’s only Libby’s guidance that keeps him alive. This time he’s the one helping Libby define what’s real, and she returns the favor by cueing him into the existence of his other self. Interesting how that revelatory moment so often involves touching-Libby touching Hurley, Desmond touching Charlie’s outstretched hand underwater after his car ends up in the marina.

John blew up the submarine, Hurley blew up the Black Rock – and now he’s channeling big Ben moments from season three.
Boy, Hurley worked fast. How did he manage to rig the Black Rock to blow up so thoroughly up before anyone even noticed he wasn’t nearby? Well, we’ll suspend our disbelief on that one. It seems like the producers were just in the mood to blow some things up this week. Richard’s line, "What the hell were you thinking? We’re dead, we’re all dead" was delivered with a believable degree of frantic frustration. Nice job by Nestor Carbonell again this week, don't you think? Hurley decides that the way to stop Evil Incarnate isn’t by blowing up the plane, but by having a talk with Flocke. That moment reminded me of the end of season three, when Ben told Richard he was going to march to the radio tower and singlehandedly convince Jack and the gang that they shouldn’t leave the island. That didn’t work so well. Ben ended up beaten to a pulp, Naomi ended up stabbed in the back by John Locke and the Oceanic Six got off the island. Will Hurley’s approach work any better, considering he’s trying to reason with a being who is hell bent on getting away? Doesn’t seem likely. And after channeling that Ben moment, Hurley latches onto another: He tries to convince the group that Jacob is standing there giving him directions. Ben tried the same thing with John Locke in Jacob’s cabin in season three. It didn’t work then – Locke saw through it. And it doesn’t work now, Richard calls his bluff and leaves -- determined to still destroy the plane. Great, so now we have four factions: Richard’s small group, Hurley’s group, Flocke’s ragtag, partially-zombified army and Charles Widmore’s science team. Just how fractured can this get? Forget I asked. :)

And there were, as usual, a dozen little moments that caught the eye, and this time the heart. Hurley and Libby finally get their date on the beach, the one that never happened when Michael shot Libby. Dr. Linus asks Flashsideways Desmond what his son’s name is – and though Flashsideways Desmond does not have a son, he immediately answers "Charlie." Yes, Desmond’s food order at Mr. Cluck’s was order #42. Also, did you notice Desmond can see the boy who keeps appearing to Flocke. Sawyer could see him back a few weeks ago, too, but Richard Alpert couldn’t. Why? There were some great lines, tonight, too, like Hurley’s "How do you break the ice with the smoke monster?" and Flocke calmly saying "Hello Jack" – was he acknowledging the real leader in the Hurley/Jack troupe? The look on Jack’s face seeing Flocke for the first time was priceless.

So much to chew on – I think we’re going to have to watch that one again.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

I think we're going to have to watch that again....

WABC — 2010-04-13T22:31:18-04:00

OMG. I'll tell you the truth, usually by the time LOST is done, I have the outline of the blog written in neat little paragraphs and all that's left is to expand on them a bit.

Tonight I have just a long, laundry list of sentences that all go together - but it's going to take another viewing of "Everybody Loves Hugo" to decide just how.

I have to be honest: From purely the standpoint of grading this among all the Hurley-centric episodes, this one would not get an A+ from me. But so much was going on- and I have a feeling my opinion might change a bit in its favor after the next watching.

Share your thoughts- and come back later Wednesday four our full "7 Things About LOST: Everybody Loves Hugo" posting.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

It's Hurley's night on LOST!

WABC — 2010-04-13T14:54:02-04:00

"Numbers," "Everybody Hates Hugo," "Dave," "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead," "The Lie," they're all Hurley-centric episodes of LOST, and they're among some of the best ever in the series. Tonight, Hugo Reyes is in the spotlight again, in episode 6.12, "Everybody Loves Hugo."

Some fans are sure Hurley is the key to it all. Others looking at the structure of the show think the character kind of acts the part of the audience, asking his fellow castaways questions we wish we could ask. One thing is for sure, if the producers kill off the Hurley character, they are never going to stop
hearing about it!

Tonight's episode suggests it is kind of the flip side of "Everybody Hates Hugo." That season two episode gave us our first glimpse into Hurley's back story: How he won the lottery and lost his friends because of all that money and power; how he's sure he's cursed, because of the wide range of very odd things that happened after the cash rolled in. Tonight it seems we'll see more of that much luckier Hurley - the Flashsideways version who owns and manages his Mr. Cluck's chicken restaurants, and who told Flashsideways cop Sawyer no one would try to rip him off because he's "the luckiest guy in the world."

"Everybody Hates Hugo" was also kind of the last time the show was almost entirely about the Losties. It's the episode that ends with the happy nighttime picnic around the campfire, everyone having a laugh and chowing down on the food found in the Dharma station. After that night, the tailies show up and Shannon is killed, we start learning more about the Others and Desmond shows back up - and suddenly the show spins in a bunch of directions. It'll be interesting to see if tonight's Hurley-centric episode can take us anywhere new that way. Though with five episodes left, it seems every one will have to be packed with forward motion.

Here are a couple of preview clips, below, for tonight's show. And we have our sneak peek pictures for you, too.

Tomorrow, much more in our "7 Things About LOST: Everybody Loves Hugo" blog.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

LOST - Both Untangled and Behind the Scenes

WABC — 2010-04-09T12:03:22-04:00

Just in time for a little Friday lunchtime entertainment, here are a couple of fun LOST clips.

The first is a behind the scenes podcast with Nestor Carbonell who plays Richard Alpert. He walks us through the set of the Black Rock, the ship featured so prominently in his back story in "Ab Aeterno."

And then there's a little LOST Untangled for you. I crack up every time he says Charles Widmore's name that way - don't know why, it gets me every time. And I won't ruin the surprise, but watch this one all the way to the very end for an extra laugh.

Sneak Peek pictures and video for "Everybody Loves Hugo"

WABC — 2010-04-07T16:40:31-04:00

All the way back in season two, there was the episode "Everybody Hates Hugo." In it, Hurley struggles with the job that Jack assigned him: To catalog and manage the food found in the Swan hatch.

Hurley's sure that people will end up hating him for having control over such a vital resource. That's also the episode where we first found out more about how he hit the lottery-- and the disasters that followed, leaving him miserable and feeling jinxed.

In that episode, Rose tries to calm his fears and tells him "You're just about the only one in the camp that everybody loves." It was a nice moment. At the end Hurley decides there's not enough food to bother rationing it, and they have that idyllic picnic around the campfires, laughing and eating and hanging out on the beach. That's also the episode where Bernard first shows up- another great season two moment. Ah, simpler times.

I think it's pretty clear that next week's Hurley centric episode isn't likely to be anywhere near so touchy feely. There just isn't time for that anymore. But Hurley focused shows are some of the best, so my hopes are high.

We have new, sneak peek pictures just release for "Everybody Loves Hugo" and below are two video clips also just out for the show.

More to come as we get closer to episode 6.12!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: Happily Ever After

WABC — 2010-04-06T23:11:35-04:00

Wow. Okay, so I was skeptical for the first 20 minutes or so. But the LOST writers/producers got me with that scene where Desmond clearly sees Version 1.0 Charlie drowning, with "Not Penny's boat" written on his hand.

It was quite an episode. So here are our "7 Things About LOST: Happily Ever After"

It sure seems to be official: The Flashsideways world only exists because of the original time line. And it probably only exists for a purpose.
I may be stretching here, but from what Flashsideways Charlie and Flashsideways Daniel had to say tonight, it's pretty clear the entire Flashsideways world only exists because of the detonation of the hydrogen bomb, and probably didn't exist at all before it.

There are big implications to this, because we know that in Flashsideways world Hurley has always been lucky and Daniel grew up knowing his half-sister Penny and with his father Charles Widmore's last name. But we also know Flashsideways Jack told his mom he doesn't really remember having surgery when he was 7 or 8 (wouldn't you recall that? I remember my hospital stay at 6). My guess is that though some of the relationships and life histories are different in Flashsideways world, it never existed at all before the bomb- and it won't exist again after we get a resolution.

It seems to be some sort of bubble created for a purpose, thus the words of Eloise Hawking tonight when she scolded Flashsideways Desmond for trying to peek at her guest list and learn more about Penny. She told him he "wasn't ready" yet. Just as Version 1.0 Eloise lectured Version 1.0 Desmond about what he should and shouldn't do, she's rather forcefully trying to guide him through some unseen path. It seems no matter which world we're in, Eloise Hawking knows what the heck is going on.

So if Flashsideways world only exists for a purpose, what is it? Perhaps to nurture all of our core characters until they are "ready" for whatever it is they need to do - help them sort out what matters and what doesn't. And in some cases that seems to be just what's happened. Island Ben suddenly learned to tell the truth and pull in with others for a shared cause. Island Jack stopped rebelling and is open to figuring out why he's where he is. Sun isn't quite there, but her Flashsideways did, after all, end with her in limbo and peril so maybe the lesson's still to be learned.

The realities are bleeding into each other
There have been hints before that the characters in Flashsideways world were feeling some serious deja vu. It started with Jack's confused look at a cut on his neck in episode one this season. Then there was that brief, befuddled look of recognition Kate gave Jack as she was escaping in a taxi in episode two. Sun might have 'forgotten' how to speak English last week because her Flashsideways self can't. And Version 1.0 Ben breaks down and tells Ilana the truth in "Dr Linus" maybe as he's feeling the pull of his better, truthful Flashsideways self helping Alex attain her life goal of going to college.

But tonight we went from little hints of recognition to outright recall. Flashsideways Charlie saw Claire as he was dying in the Oceanic 815 bathroom. Flashsideways Desmond saw the most: Version 1.0 Charlie dying with the words "Not Penny's boat" written on his hand; meeting Penny at the monastery; the birth of his son. And Charlie's clearly in on the situation, too, though still figuring it all out himself. His last words to Desmond in Flashsideways world are to stop worrying about him (Charlie) and start trying to find Penny.

Hopefully it wasn't that violent for the time traveling bunnies
The odd donut-shaped devices Widmore and crew subjected Desmond to may have been part of what caused his epiphany. I'm sure we'll learn more about that device. Is it the above-ground pool version of the time travel room that was deep below the Orchid station before Ben stuffed it full of metal and blew it up to get to the donkey wheel? In that episode John Locke (back when he really was Locke) asked Ben if the Dharma Initiative was really up to what he thought they were up to with their experiments, and Ben says "If you mean time-traveling bunnies, yes." Hopefully no rabbits were harmed in the Dharma time-travel efforts, they seem like the type of folk who would try to avoid practices that might damage one's karma.

What Happened, Happened
The producers and writers sure like that phrase, and they don't waste words very often. When they told us in a season five episode title that "Dead is Dead" they were basically tipping their hand that John Locke is really gone and the being inhabiting his form is something else entirely. So I'm thinking that this phrase keeps popping up this season for a reason. It's kind of reassuring to me- suggest that all that Version 1.0 timeline we came to know and love mattered, and wasn't just a figment of someone's imagination.

Flashsideways Daniel may not be a mathematician, but he's still the Variable
In "The Constant" Desmond needed a Constant to help him survive the physical impact of time travel, and Penny was it. He agreed then to be Daniel's constant in an emergency. Later, Daniel learned that while having a constant is important, that in any given situation, human beings with their free will act as variables in the equation of life - and the decisions they make can change worlds. Daniel didn't live to see the Jughead bomb go off and all that's happened in Version 1.0 time line since, but I'm hoping in the end he's a survivor, and gets to see the fruits of all his labors (and understand why his Version 1.0 mom Eloise was such a noodge). I sure hope his additional moment in the sun wasn't just to cue in Desmond and introduce him to his sister.

These Flashsideways Losties are the kind of people you want to hire
Well, Kate and Charlie aside maybe. She's still a fugitive, though maybe wrongly so. He's still a junkie. But Jack is a more together father and doctor. Ben is a teacher with his priorities straight- parents and kids come first. Hurley isn't letting life pass him by, he's in charge of his business interests. And Desmond isn't the wandering soul trying to figure out what he should be- he's Charles Widmore's fix-it guy. Gotta love the scene where he closes a deal for the boss, and gets a firm slap on the back and a shot of McCutcheon whiskey for his troubles. That's the same whiskey, by the way, that Version 1.0 Charles told Version 1.0 Desmond he wasn't worth a swallow of. That's why part of me wishes the Flashsideways is how it all ends- so many of the characters are better off there. But all is not perfect. Charlie is still a junkie with an apparent death wish. Kate's still on the run. Locke is a stronger man, but still railing against others, telling them not to tell him what he can't do.

Maybe there's something to be said for going with the flow
After all the travel through time and space, Desmond, like Jack, is done fighting. Widmore says he has a job to do, fine- he's up for it. Sayid shows up and kicks butt and says "come with me,' well, okay- i'll go with you. He reminds me of Flashsideways Charlie walking through traffic, just daring a car to hit him. This is a guy that has truly figured out that whatever is going to happen will happen - and at least for the moment, he's going with the flow.

Other random stuff:
Loved the opening shot on Desmond's closed eye opening. It's been a LOST motif since moment #1 and it's been awhile since they've opened a show that way. Also loved the 'face acting' Henry Ian Cusick does as Desmond when he finds out he's been kidnapped and dragged back to the island- that "lower left lip tick of fury" was something else! George Minkowski (the communications guy from the freighter in the episode "The Constant" showing back up in Desmond's episode was a great touch. He helped Desmond get to the telephone room to communicate with Penny in that epi, and tonight he helped Des get to the coffee shop to meet up with her. Love it too that a limo driver says sure, he can get that flight manifest for you -- what a world our LOST world is. :) And enjoyed seeing Flashforward Desmond meet Penny as she ran a "Tour de Stade" in the same stadium where Des met Version 1.0 Jack doing the very same thing.

Only five episodes left before the big finale! Next week, it's a Hurley episode- those never fail to please. :)
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Watch LOST with us tonight!

WABC — 2010-04-06T13:30:39-04:00

What in the world is going on in this week's LOST?

First there was an indication from co-producer Damon Lindelof that something unusual is coming: He tweeted late last week that next week, "the conversation will be changing." Intriguing, to say the least.

And then there are the pictures from tonight's episode, "Happily Ever After," which suggest we'll see a lot more about what Charles Widmore is up to on the island, and maybe why his geophysicist Zoe is looking for those pockets of electromagnetic energy the Dharma Initiative mapped on the island.

We only have hours to wait until we see just how much of a game-changer this Desmond-centric episode will be. Meantime, here's the Twitter feed with what your fellow fans are saying about LOST!

We'll be back tomorrow with our "7 Things About LOST: Happily Ever After" blog, and you can get that weekly show synopsis sent to you, click here for the email!

A look ahead to "Happily Ever After" and the latest LOST Untangled!

WABC — 2010-04-01T10:49:03-04:00

First, Sun and Jin didn't get their happy ending this week in "The Package." And even though next week's Desmond-centric episode is titled "Happily Ever After," we suspect it won't be all sunshine and roses for Desmond either. Take a look at some of the newly-released pictures from "Happily Ever After," which seem to show Widmore's team conducting some strange experiments on Desmond.

Below, you'll also find two sneak peek clips from "Happily Ever After." In the first, a confused Desmond has a little conversation with Charles Widmore. We can only imagine how Desmond will take the news that he's back on the island.

In the second clip, Flashsideways Desmond and Claire have a chance encounter in the airport. Claire is the second character that has seen Desmond in the alternate reality - Jack had a chat with Desmond on the plane before he mysteriously disappeared during the Season 6 premiere.

Finally, if you're in the mood for something lighter, we've got the latest "LOST: Untangled," along with a brief clip in which Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof share their humorous take on a viewer's question about the red fish which appeared in season 5.

More to come! Enjoy!

Sneak peek clips from "Happily Ever After":

LOST: "The Package" Untangled:

Carlton and Damon answer viewer questions:

NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: "The Package"

WABC — 2010-03-31T12:20:21-04:00

I'm away on vacation this week, and was actually at the Yankees-Blue Jays game when LOST aired last night. It is, I'm pretty sure, the first time since at least season two that I waited until the next day to watch an episode. I have to say I feel like I didn't miss much. This one will not go on many favorite lists, I'm pretty sure.

That said, here are "7 Things About LOST: The Package."

"A wise man once said that war was coming to this island. I think it just got here."
That quote from Flocke this episode refers back to season five, when Widmore saved Locke's life and then told him that war was coming to the island and that if Locke didn't get back there, the wrong side would win. So we are closer to the end game, but it didn't feel like we got all that much closer this episode. It was more about positioning, it seems, than forward movement.

"Some people just aren't meant to be together."
Martin Keamy's words as he's tying up Jin in the restaurant freezer. Jin doesn't understand that the 25k that was confiscated from him at US Customs was Mr. Paik, his potential father-in-law, paying Keamy to kill Jin. On the island in the original timeline, Jin and Sun have been apart a long time. And their Flashsideways story has the most violent, worst possible outcome - last we see them, Jin is racing Sun in search of medical help, after she's been shot in a fight with Keamy's men. Sure does feel like Keamy is right there.

"I don't feel anything: Anger, fear, pain. I don't feel it anymore."
Sayid is officially not himself. What is he? Hurley jokingly asked early this season if he was a zombie. He seems to be just that - unfeelingly doing Flocke's bidding.

The Package is something valuable
In Flashsideways world, it's a 'what,' namely the 25k that was taken from Jin at US Customs, the money his father-in-law was sending to Martin Keamy to pay Keamy to kill Jin. Paik was on to Jin and Sun all along. In the original timeline, the package is a 'who,' namely Desmond, who is very drugged. Widmore would have to knock him out to get him to go anywhere with him, that's for sure.

That Keamy is a tough one to kill
In the original timeline he and Sayid fought, and we thought he was dead - until he turned up in the Orchid station to threaten Ben and Locke and was killed by Ben. In Flashsideways world, Sayid again appears to kill him - until Mikhail turns back up with Sun and Keamy is still alive, at least for the moment. And in a not-so-subtle reference to the original timeline, Jin shoots Mikhail in the eye. Version 1.0 Mikhail was missing an eye.

What does he need, a quorum?
Flocke says he's three people shy of having enough to leave. What does he need a specific number of people for? He's working hard to keep his converts in line and with him. Is he lying to Claire when he says her name isn't on the wall? Littleton was there, does he know that name refers to Aaron and not her?

Finally someone has a plan.
Richard is back and telling everyone to pack their bags. Hopefully he'll get some forward motion going next week.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

I have a bad feeling about this one....

WABC — 2010-03-30T11:06:16-04:00

A couple of weeks ago it looked like Ben's number was up, so to speak. But he survived the episode "Dr. Linus" in a most unexpected way. I'm wondering if Jin and Sun will be as lucky after tonight's show, "The Package"?

The Kwons haven't been in the same place since the end of season four, when Jin seemed to have perished in the explosion on the freighter sent to the island by Charles Widmore.

Since then, Jin has been time traveling, and for awhile worked security with 1977's Dharma Initiative folk. He survived the explosion of the hydrogen bomb that propelled the "Bomb Squad" Losties back to 2007, and since then has been looking for Sun on the island. Bomb Squad Jin has been inching ever closer to finding his wife.

Since season four, Sun has left the island with the Oceanic Six, given birth to their daughter Jin Yeon, and left her little one behind to pursue her vendetta against Ben Linus and to find Jin. She came back to the island with the Ajira Air crew and passengers who crashed on Hydra Island.

Maybe it's because they've been apart so long, but it feels to me like a simple, happy reunion with soaring violins and smiles all around isn't likely.

There are other clues that this might be the case, but in the interest of not getting too spoilerish, I'll skip the links here. If you google LOST and Eonline.com, you'll get a mini-spoiler. They don't get too specific, so if your tolerance for knowing a little going in is good, you might want to check it out.

We'll have our "7 Things About LOST: The Package" blog for you on Wednesday. You can check out live reaction to the episode in the Twitter widget. And if you're still wrapping your head around last week's episode, the man behind Richard - actor Nestor Carbonell - has a few more thoughts about his character in the latest LOST video podcast.

NamasteAndGoodLuck

This is "The End" my friend....

WABC — 2010-03-25T14:43:00-04:00

The creative team of LOST, which came up with such great episode titles as "All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues," (season one) "Man of Science, Man of Faith," (season three) and "Some Like it Hoth" (season five) have announced the title for the very last episode ever.

You may already have heard the news, and the title is "The End." That's it, just "The End." I think there are two possibilities...

Possibility number one: It has some deeper meaning we'll find out about in May (some are speculating it's a play on the song by The Doors). Or, more likely, it means "There is no way we're giving you any clues to the big finale by offering you a more illustrative title." That's my guess.

The producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, have a weekly audio podcast, and you can click here to visit EW.com where you can play the podcast. They talk about "The End," though I haven't actually had a chance to listen to the whole thing yet - will be giving it a listen tonight.

But before we get to two- hour long "The End" on 5/23, we have 7 more episodes to enjoy. Next up is "The Package," which is said to be a Sun and Jin Kwon-centered episode. Will we get a reunion? We have some pictures from "The Package" that ABC is offering up. They're all pics from the island, none from Jin's Flashsideways character, who we last saw tied up in a freezer at the restaurant where Flashsideways Sayid went to confront his brother's attackers.

Here's a little preview video, too. It's a clip of Flocke and Sayid, and both have some pretty chilling words to share.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

A Look Ahead to "The Package" and "Ab Aeterno Untangled"

WABC — 2010-03-24T17:04:25-04:00

Sometimes the most dramatic shows turn out to be the easiest ones to spoof, and so it is with last night's LOST: The latest episode of "Untangled" is pretty darned funny.

This past week's episode was much-anticipated among long time viewers, and it seems that's why so few pictures and just about no video were released. But there are already bits and pieces of next week's show available, including a clip from Episode 6.10: "The Package" and pictures - one is here, more coming tomorrow.

And my fellow WABC Losties are weighing in on "Ab Aeterno." Richard A. says: "Wow. And oh. Have to admit that a warning bell went off when Richard told Jack they were all already dead, but my momentary panic attack of “they wouldn’t?!?” quickly passed. The cork analogy was perfect, as was how the Man in Black laid waste to the corked bottle at the end of the show. This was easily the most answer-filled show to air yet, and there were lots of “Ah!” moments – how the statue got broken, why the Man in Black needs to leave and why, exactly, Alanna went to the island. That last one we kind of knew, but here it was spelled out for us. And how great was it to see Bad-Ass Jacob physically demolishing Richard? My favorite moment last night was when Richard was told that his beloved Isabella wasn’t really on the island, a nice callback to Jack’s dad, Kate’s horse, and all other manner of beings who might or might not have actually been there."

Next week's "The Package" promises to be a Jin and Sun-centered story, so maybe, just maybe, we'll get that reunion. And we likely will find out how Flashsideways Jin ended up tied up in that restaurant walk-in freezer.

We'll have more pics, and more to say about "The Package" tomorrow - for now here are the video clips!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

7 Things About LOST: "Ab Aeterno"

WABC — 2010-03-23T23:22:20-04:00

Well. Now we know what the island is. The island is a cork. It's the most beautiful prison on earth. And it's hell - if your only goal is to get away from it and you can't.

We also learned a few other things: That Smokey and the Man in Black are most definitely the same creature in different forms. And that Jacob believes mankind is inherently good while Smokey tends to focus on the evil- and is in fact evil incarnate himself, something so awful he has to be caged in paradise to save the rest of the world from his pure, unadulterated nastiness.

Who'd have thought that the episode dedicated to Richard Alpert, man of mystery, would reveal so much? Here are our "7 Things about LOST: Ab Aeterno."

"That's dark, Jack. Very dark."
Ben said that to crazy bearded Jack a couple of seasons ago as they were chatting over John Locke's coffin and Jack revealed he'd been flying to the South Pacific over and over again trying to crash on the island once more. But that wasn't so dark at all compared to this episode! How much darker can you get than wild boar devouring the bodies of your former shipmates and life saving water trickling just out of the reach of your chained hands? Yikes, Ricardus Alpert had it really bad before he came to the island- lost his wife, accidentally murdered a man, came seconds from being murdered himself, only to be saved by ... Smokey. If the best part of your year is a smoke monster saving you from certain death, things can only look up- and while Richard may not have had it easy all these centuries, we now know life on the island is far from the worst he's been through.

You've gotta have faith
Richard was so sure he could never earn God's forgiveness for the negligent homicide he precipitated, he asked Jacob for eternal life. How is it Jacob can grant that? Still one of the unanswered questions, and we have just seven weeks left before the finale. Richard gets what he asks for, and spends the next 140 years working for Jacob, doing what he can't: Helping those who Jacob brings to the island to work through right, wrong, and the path to their better futures. When this episode starts, Richard is so distraught over Jacob's death and so sure his scores of decades of hard work meant nothing that he's willing to run to Flocke and ask for a ticket to Plan B - no more eternal life, but his wife back and the prospect of Hell in front of him when he dies. Seems like people give up awfully easy on this show. Jack goes to all the effort to get back to the island but when the island doesn't heal him PDQ, he runs out of faith. Richard works for Jacob for nearly 1.5 centuries, and doesn't think maybe Jacob has some way to keep his plans in motion? And all the way back in Season Two, all it took for Locke to lose faith in pushing the buttons was a little doubt planted by Ben, who claimed it was all for nothing. It's definitely a key theme on the show- but this time, when Richard loses his faith, Hurley is there to save him, and forward him the words of his dead wife. That skill of Hurleys comes in awfully handy- and it has to make you wonder if he isn't really the prime candidate. Who is more decent and good at heart than Hurley?

That's a whole lot of series mythology to pack into 42 minutes.
Wow. Richard is saved from hanging when he is bought as a slave by Magnus Hanso's henchmen. If you've forgotten about the Hanso Foundation, here's a place to dip back into that piece of the puzzle. And here's more on Magnus Hanso himself. By the way, I bumped into this page tonight: Not sure if it's from a recent Alternative Reality Game or if it's actually associated with ABC.com at all, but it made me laugh: Widmore Industries strengthening its historic ties to the Hanso Foundation, which spawned the Dharma Initiative. Will it turn out these corporate entities are the "Inc" versions of Jacob and the Man in Black? And remember how much fun it was to parse all those clues and chase all those web sites during that first LOST Experience game? Seems like forever ago.

And that's not the only show mythology we get: It turns out the Black Rock colliding with the Taweret Statue is what destroyed the statue and left just that four toed foot standing there. Oh my.

Smokey is consistent in his habits
We learned Smokey was already at it in 1867, already his full-forced, murderous and manipulative clickety-clackety self-- but with a distinct lion's roar in his smokey depths I don't know that we've ever really heard before.

The smoke monster did a few things in this episode that we've seen before: He sniffs around Richard, hovering and swirling around his face in the hold of the Black Rock, and then retreats and lets him live. The smoke monster did the same with Eko, and with John Locke, Montand from Danielle Rousseau's science team and others -- taking a closer look before deciding whether to let them live or die.

And once again, he takes the form one a deceased person in order to try to influence someone. With Richard, he becomes Isabella, Richard's wife. With Ben, he became a vengeful version of Ben's daughter Alex, and ordered Ben to obey Flocke. With Mr. Eko, he appeared as Eko's brother Yemi - right before he killed Eko. Maybe that hovering is about learning about what use the person might be to him- and what might motivate that person to cooperate.

Rules are rules - but why?
Once again we hear the warning: Kill your opponent before he speaks or it's too late. Dogen said it a couple of weeks ago, when trying to get Sayid to kill the Man in Black. The Man in Black tells Richard that's what he must do to Jacob- kill him before he speaks. Is this one of the all-important 'rules' we keep hearing about? Or is it just one side trying to prevent the other from getting a word in edgewise and recruiting a new team member?

We've seen Jacob looking better
When Richard storms the beach and tries to stab him, Jacob looks haggard, and distinctly not well. He's certainly not the calm, suave, ultra- assured Jacob we've seen so far. The writers and producers don't make too many blatant mistakes on this show, so it feels like that has to mean something. Maybe Jacob was at a low point before Richard arrived to become his right hand man in saving people from themselves.

And then there is everything else I can't quite pin down....
As usual, there were about a dozen other little things you might have noticed and wondered if they meant anything. Like another ritual drowning of sorts- Jacob proves to Richard he's alive by dunking him in the ocean until he just about drowns. Where was Jacob when Sayid did drown, and couldn't he have done something to make that turn out a little better? Or was Sayid already lost as a candidate, so his death didn't matter to the end game? Isabella's gold cross felt like it might have some meaning beyond being a simple totem for Richard, and how did the Man in Black make it materialize that way on the island? Plus, what is it with people hitting the back of their heads on a hard surface and dying? That's about the third or fourth time that motif has occurred in the series.

I guess we can forgive this episode for raising a few questions when it answered so many. I was excited to see Richard's back story- have to say I found it a little more brutal and depressing than magical. But in this action packed season, it both told us a lot about one of the show's more interesting characters, and moved the story forward.

Richard Alpert: Mystery solved?

WABC — 2010-03-23T10:32:37-04:00

Tonight is a big night for hardcore LOST fans, as we finally get Richard Alpert's back story. Who is this character who appears out of nowhere in the jungle, who looks very much the same whether the year is 2004, 1977 or 1954?

My only concern about tonight's episode is the old saying "Watch out what you wish for, you just might get it." Not that I think we'll get anything less than a 'wow!' show. But with every answer we get, we're getting closer to the end - and realizing how much fun the mysteries have been.

And we're not the only ones just starting to get some answers. In the top video clip below, actor Nestor Carbonell talks about playing the enigmatic Richard, what he's learned- and what he still wonders.

Plus we have a clip from tonight's show. And we will have much more for you tomorrow in our "7 Things About LOST: Ab Aeterno."

NamasteAndGoodLuck

Is this a picture of Flocke's 'crazy' mom?

WABC — 2010-03-19T17:50:02-04:00

We have new sneak peek pictures from the upcoming episode of LOST! Just released are half a dozen pictures from the episode "Ab Aeternum" airing March 23rd on WABC.

It's all about Richard Alpert this time, and we'll get his back story. But it also appears now that it's quite a bit about Jacob and the Man in Black. And there are pictures of an unidentified woman.

Just last week, Flocke told Kate a story about how he is still working through his start in life, born to a 'crazy' mom. Is this her?

Here's a look at all the sneak peek pics released so far for "Ab Aeternum."

More to come before Tuesday!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

A Look ahead to "Ab Aeterno" and the latest LOST Untangled!

WABC — 2010-03-17T15:17:08-04:00

After next Tuesday, we will know a lot more about Richard Alpert, who might have been a sailor on the Black Rock, who may be the recipient of the mixed blessing of eternal youth, and who definitely spent years and years as Jacob's advisor and go-to guy.

Episode 6.9 is fittingly entitled "Ab Aeterno," which I take it loosely translates into 'from the beginning of time' This should be good.

We have a preview clip below, which is actually an extension of a scene you've seen before if you're a faithful watcher. But it's Jacob-centered, no Richard in sight. Will be interesting to see if any more preview clips or preview pictures are released this week.

We also have a few new photos from last night's show, Recon, and a brand new episode of "LOST Untangled" below. A couple of laugh out loud moments in this week's cartoon clip.

More to come as it is released!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Sawyer's Last Long Con?

WABC — 2010-03-16T23:38:48-04:00

Where do we start with an episode that packed about three shows' worth of activity into 42 minutes? I can only hope to do it justice, just as I can only hope that the producers and writers of our much-loved show will please just stop introducing new characters and additional 'sides' to this battle.

With that rant (okay, there's one more rant later)... here are our "7 Things About LOST: "Recon."

Sawyer's Dangerous Game and a Little Flowered Dress
In the Season Two episode, "The Long Con" we learned just how manipulative our Lostie friend Sawyer really could be. We saw that not only had he tricked his 'love' Cassidy out of hundreds of thousands of dollars he also tricked his partner in crime Gordy out of a cut of the cash he stole from her. And back on the island in that same episode, he played on Kate's distrust of Anna Lucia and Charlie's desire to make Locke look bad-- and twisted them all in knots in order to wrest control of the island's gun cache.

That episode featured Sawyer firing off a shotgun blast and informing Jack, Locke and the rest of the gang that "There's a new sheriff in town, boys. Y'all best get used to it."

Well tonight we see the hatching of Bomb Squad Sawyer's latest, and perhaps last, Long Con. He's going to try to convince both Flocke and Charles Widmore that he's their guy- he'll deliver them their enemies, and ensure them victory if they just let him off the island. Will it work? He's certainly not dealing with a spinal surgeon and a box company accountant this time, he's taking on an ancient, murderous, silver-tongued smoke monster and Charles Widmore.

But he has motivation - not just his own determination to survive, but apparently resurgent thoughts of Kate's well being. He spots the flowered dress she wore when they were prisoners pounding rocks at the Hydra Station in Season Three, and gets all teary again. So has he gotten over Juliet? Or just accepted that whatever happened, happened- and he's going to make the best of whatever is left for himself and his fellow castaways?

LaFleur is the magic word
Yes! I was very happy to see that the LOST writing team indeed took Flashsideways Sawyer on a true right turn. Not only is he not a con man, he's a cop. Yes, somewhere back before the two time lines diverged, his dad killed his mom (and I'm guessing he was right under his own bed to hear it all happen), but this time around, James Ford recognized he would either become a cop or a criminal and he chose cop. Also interesting that though he's still obsessively searching for Anthony Cooper and still blames him for their deaths, he has not taken the Cooper's con-man alias "Sawyer" on as his own name. He's entirely James Ford in the Flashsideways world, once again just a little bit healthier version of himself.

Pretty cool, too that Miles and Flashsideways James are partners. The two of them joining the Dharma security team in 1977 was one of the more creative turns of season five, and as it turns out the two edgy outcasts make a great team. This time around, Miles isn't quite as deferential to James- and isn't afraid to slam him up against a locker and tell him he'll desert him as his partner for lying to him. But he also sticks by him once he 'fesses up.

And a random note-- at the top of the show, when James is setting a trap for the con man's wife, he uses the word "LaFleur" as a cue for his police backup team to jump in and save him. In Season Five he told his fellow castaways that LaFleur was just a Creole name he grabbed at when asked by Horace to identify himself. Is there more to that name? Or perhaps his Flashsideways self channeling a bit of his island counterpart, as we've seen hints of all season?

Zombie Sayid, Claire and her Squirrel Baby Freak Kate Out
This week Flocke isn't nearly so busy trying to win new friends as he is trying to keep the lunatics from running the asylum. We see a zombified Sayid for just a few seconds. Kate tries to have a conversation with him and quickly realizes the lights are on but Sayid is not home. Suddenly she's jumped by a murderous Claire, who has left her sticks, stones and bones 'squirrel baby' model of Aaron long enough to try to kill Kate for taking him. Flocke comes to the rescue, and explains that he had to create an enemy for Claire to keep her focused on living without her son.

I think Evangeline Lilly does some of her best work of the season this episode. Her character hasn't had the opportunity to learn exactly why Sayid and Claire are acting the way they're acting, and she's trying to process it all and deal with it. Her jittery, teary coping felt real. And I think it was also a bit of a pressure valve for us longtime fans who are not entirely okay with it all either. Kate's kind of realizing, as we are, that somehow things are just never going to be the same again. I also liked the moment when Flocke offers her his hand to help her up and she chooses to stand under her own power. They don't hang on the shot long, but you know she just basically told him 'thanks anyway.'

"Live Together, Die Alone" Doesn't Just Apply on the Island
Jack's not in this episode but his rallying cry makes an appearance, in a way. Throughout the James Ford/ Sawyer plotline, we see James again trying to buck the system and go it alone. When Kate asks him why he's with Flocke, he tells her, "I ain't with anybody, Kate." Later, in Flashsideways world, his LAPD partner Miles chides him for his single lifestyle and asks, "Do you want to die alone?" And there's one more cue that he's not entirely comfortable with his renegade status: on the island, Flocke tells Saywer he recruited him because, "You're the best liar I ever met," and Saywer flinches several times during that conversation. Maybe Sawyer's deploying his con not just for himself, but for his fellow Losties this time.

Charlotte and Penny and Blown Chances
I was waiting for it to turn out that Charlotte was conning James in this episode, and I guess that still could be the case. Why was she rifling through his dresser drawer with so much purpose when she claimed to be just looking for a T-shirt? The scene where James goes to her door to apologize felt in spirit a lot like the scene in Season Four's "The Constant" where Desmond knocks on Penny's door and asks for her phone number. She too tells him that he blew it, and he should please just go away. Will there be more time for Charlotte to play a part, or was this little echo of Desmond and Penny her last moment in the LOST sun? Seems really hard to say.

Enough with the new people!
So to rant once more: I'm glad Zoe quickly turned out to be just one of Charles Widmore's minions. When she showed up near the pile of dead bodies from the Ajira 316 flight, I just wanted to start begging for no new characters this year. It feels like we're just going to keep meeting new people and finding there are new sides in this fight right up until the very last episode! It's one of the most frustrating things about Season Six as far as I'm concerned- let's just all acknowledge it and get it out of our systems: A date got set for the show to end, and now everyone has to live up to it, so we're going to go barreling along on this Juggernaut for nine more weeks. Honestly, doesn't it feel like there's just too darn much left to do and too little time in which to get it done? I think Sawyer's line when Zoe and her troupe turn on him echoes our frustration as viewers- he just kind of throws up his hands and tells her 'take me to your leader.' And while I'm ranting, there's no way to turn around a jumbo jet and make it take off on a gravel runway on a small island. There's only so far we can suspend our disbelief, and that exceeded my limit last night.

Little nods to the past
With that rant over, there were also a couple of nice nods to LOST episodes past tonight. A copy of "Watership Down" sat on James Ford's dresser in Flashsideways world. That's the first book we see him reading on the beach after the Oceanic 815 crash. And at one point he's watching an episode of "Little House on the Prairie." Way back in Season Three in the episode "Tricia Tanaka is Dead," he and Kate go hunting for boar and he tells her that he used to watch the show as a kid. She teases him and says "You call it "Little House?!" and he says something like, "Hey, we only had a couple of channels growing up...." Ahh, simpler times.

And a fellow LOSTie here at WABC weighs in with his thoughts on "Recon". Richard A. says: "This was terrific, but how many more new characters are they going to introduce? Jeez. In any case, Sawyer’s flash-sideways provided a great twist. It made me want to rewatch his scene on the plane with Hurley in the season premiere, when we all assumed he would go try to con the big guy out of his lottery winnings. It was also nice to welcome back the much-missed Charlotte, however briefly. Remember when Miles was an obtuse new character who nobody really knew or cared about? How things have changed now, with his role getting better in each episode, both on the island and in the alternate-reality-reality. So what’s in that locked room on Widmore’s sub? My money is on Aaron."

NamasteAndGoodLuck

Watch LOST With Us Tonight!

WABC — 2010-03-16T15:36:02-04:00

It's Tuesday, and it's Sawyer's turn on LOST! We'll get a James-centered episode, both on and off the island, following the pattern we've seen all season.

Several of this year's episodes also share something else in common: The title says a little bit of something about both the Version 1.0 Losties, and their Flashsideways counterparts.

First it was "What Kate Does," wherein we got some clues both about where Bomb Squad Kate would go this season, and how Flashsideways Kate would end up bonding with Claire. And in "The Substitute," we saw Flashsideways Locke literally fill the rule of the substitute teacher in school, along with "Flocke" inhabiting Locke's form on the island.

This week's show is entitled "Recon" and suggests to me that we'll learn about some sort of reconnaissance mission that Flocke may have sent Sawyer on since we last saw them together in the caves. If you recall, Sawyer was last seen agreeing with Flocke's suggestion that they leave the island asap. And though there's been no direct mention of it in the couple of weeks since, it seems maybe Flocke has Sawyer off helping prepare Team Smokey's getaway.

And in Flashsideways land, we'll learn if that verion of James Ford is also a con man. There are suggestions in the video clips that have been released for tonight's episode that this will be the case. But I think the writers have been pretty creative about tweaking things a bit each episode. I'm hoping if he's still a con, maybe he's more like a Robin Hood style thief. Flashsideways Sawyer certainly seems less hostile than V1.0, at least in the glimpses of him we have had so far.

It seems we'll also find out more about how Flocke and Kate get along- or don't get along. She was last seen following Team Smokey out of the Temple, but there's a sense Flocke may be tolerating her more than looking to recruit her to his side. There are sneak peek pictures from the episode right here, if you'd like to see what they suggest about "Recon".

And we'll be back tomorrow with any new photos, videos, and of course our "7 Things About LOST" writeup for "Recon".

Happy Tuesday!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Michael Emerson offers expert commentary on "Dr. Linus"

WABC — 2010-03-15T15:52:21-04:00

ABC.com has a pretty neat feature that allows you to watch each episode of Season Six with some special guest commentary. And this week, it's none other than Michael Emerson himself, offering up his inside thoughts on his very own episode, "Dr. Linus." Here's some info on how you can find the expert commentary, and how to make it work.

First, visit ABC.com - this link takes you right to the expert commentary for this particular episode. You need to do a couple of things before you can see the written commentary from the actor: First click the Connect with Facebook icon and connect to your Facebook account. And then you'll be prompted to sign in to ABC.com (or create an account if you don't have one). You'll find the links you see in the picture above quite a ways down on the page -- scroll down and they'll appear.

Last step: Click on the title of the show, "Dr. Linus" that you see right under the picture of Michael Emerson (again, a good ways down the page). That will launch the episode with commentary.

It's an interesting way to watch- I just caught the first few minutes, and I'm thinking I'll watch it all tonight before tomorrow's latest, "Recon."

Here's a screen cap of what it looks like with the expert commentary playing.
NamasteAndGoodLuck

ABC hits the "Wayback Machine" for New LOST Video, and New "Untangled"

WABC — 2010-03-12T15:01:05-05:00

Oh my - I downloaded the latest LOST video from ABC today. It had a long convoluted name full of letters, characters and numbers and so I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Promo for next week's show? A more general 'spot' promoting the season?

What I saw when I played it made me laugh out loud. They really dug deep, and went way, way back on this one to celebrate the "Dr. Linus" episode. This has to be a nod to the, um, LOST fans of a certain age. I doubt anyone under 30 is getting this one but I really enjoyed it. This might, kind of be tied to the network's Ultimate Fan Promo contest, but if so in a pretty subtle way.

I'm always looking for the latest "Untangled" videos too - and though this one wasn't quite as funny to me as usual, still well worth a watch.

And if you're not in the mood for silly, here's one more for you for the weekend: Matthew Fox on his character Jack and what he's thinking as the season draws toward the (gasp) half-way mark (six weeks down, 10 to go).

Brand new sneak peek LOST pictures and video

WABC — 2010-03-11T12:22:16-05:00

So first off, my apologies: I said yesterday that in the next episode we will get Richard Alpert's back story. Turns out I was a week ahead of things.

Here are the titles of the next three shows - and a suggestion from some LOST fan sites who the major focus is on:

3/16 -- "Recon" -- Sawyer
3/23 -- "Ab Aeterno" -- Richard
3/30-- "The Package" -- Sun and Jin

So will we find out on 3/30 if Sun and Jin are reunited? "Ab Aeterno" is Latin, and I'm told loosely translates to "From the beginning of time..." We've been told more than once that Richard has been on the island for a "very, very long time" and there are indications he arrived in chains on the Black Rock.

And what will "Recon" reveal to us about Flashforward Sawyer? Is he a con-man in this "new" life as well? New to us, at least.... The video clip preview below suggests that might be the case- but who knows, so far these promos leave much more out than they actually reveal this year.

I've heard three suggestions now for what the alt-timeline of season six may turn out to be:
1-- Nothing, it's not really happening at all.
2-- The way things may turn out depending on who 'wins' on the island.
3-- The actual first timeline for our characters. In this theory, the characters we first came to know in 2004 is not how the Losties started out- it's how they end up.

We have new sneak peek pictures from "Recon" for you! And those do suggest quite a bit about what we might just see on Tuesday.

Enjoy!
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Reaction to "Dr. Linus" and a look ahead to "Recon"

WABC — 2010-03-10T11:55:45-05:00

I'm not the only Lostie in the building. Several of my co-workers are big fans, too, and we all have our perspectives on what's going on this eventful season. Here are reactions to "Dr. Linus" from two of them.

MattR. says:
"Last nights episode was awesome. Everything is coming together and I think we’re going to have a blockbuster conclusion in May. Here are some random thoughts on last nights show:

I have to admit, I was surprised to see Ben as the first member of our "Flash Sideways" stories this season to actually find redemption. That being said, I still think it’s going to be a terrible demise for him; albeit in the form of a Martyr.

Last night was also great in that it seems to have confirmed the notion that the two timelines shadow each other. Last week, it was Sayid. As the Darkness consumed him on the island, it ALSO took over in the ATL. Poor Keamy had no idea what he was getting into. Good thing he was fond of eggs as it turned out to be his last meal. This week, Ben seemed to be drifting into the Darkness, but as he was redeemed on the island, his ATL identity, came back to form. “Ex Umbris, Ad Lucem” or Out of Darkness and Into Light from the Latin would be the best way to describe it.

Richard, oh ye of little Faith. Stay strong! If you look at the "Last Supper" picture that the producers put out before season 6, the characters are placed on either side of Locke who sits center. If we were to assign Richard the name of an apostle, Thomas might be appropriate due to all of the doubt. Upon further review, we also see that Sayid, Claire, Kate and Sawyer are also on the same side as Richard. This leads me to believe that perhaps this side of the table does not find redemption. The thing that doesn’t fit yet is that Ilana is also on this side. Her story remains to be seen. Jin, Sun, Hurley, Jack, Miles are all on the "right side of the picture". Again, there is one character that seemingly wouldn’t fit, and that’s Ben. After seeing Ben get redeemed last night, I think it’s safe to say that the teams are really staring to take shape. Poor Richard, staying faithful all that time only to fail in the end...

Can’t wait to see how this all plays out. Why do I have a feeling that the Smoke Monster/MIB/Flocke will turn out to be on the side of good?"

Richard A. says:
"This was one of the better episodes in the show’s history, a statement that I do not make lightly. Thanks to Sideways-Ben’s now-elderly Sideways-Dad, we know that the island did indeed exist prior to the bomb blast and people were affected by it in the alternate reality, if only in the 70’s. What were the circumstances in which they left the island in that reality, we do not know. Sideways-Dad no longer appeared to harbor resentment against Ben for his wife’s death in childbirth. Was that due to the passage of time or for another reason?

The biggest kick was seeing Sideways-Ben’s attempted coup at the high school and how it played out, compared to how his attempts to hold on to his power on the island had worked out in the reality that we’d already seen. Got that?

We also found out exactly why Ilana and her crew went to the island. Well, we kinda already knew, but it got spelled out for us. And then at the end was the answer to a question I’ve had all season: where’s Widmore in all of this? Well, now we know. Sort of, yet again."

And now, let's hurtle ahead to next week's episode 6.8: "Recon" and see what's up with Kate and Claire. We know Claire's gone a little off her rocker, but Kate's just catching on.

7 Things About LOST: Dr. Linus

WABC — 2010-03-09T23:32:05-05:00

It's official: After Tuesday's episode, "Dr. Linus," it really seems that the Season Six Flashforward world is a glimpse at what might be, i.e. the core characters' shot at redemption. Either that, or it is wishful thinking incarnate. How that plays out is yet to be determined. What played out Tuesday night was yet another really amazing episode of LOST!

So here, this week by character, is our "7 Things About LOST: Dr. Linus"

Ben
Finally, us Ben fans get our episode! Michael Emerson has had precious little screen time so far this year, but wow, did he ever give it his all tonight. I wondered going in if Flashsideways Ben would turn out to be good guy or bad- but as usual with LOST it wasn't quite that simple. Instead, he is a blend of good and underhanded-- but he used whatever sneaky, manipulative genes he shares with V1.0 Ben for good, attempting to help one of his 'kids,' Alexandra Rousseau, make it into Yale and thus into a better future for herself.

Not only does Ben get that second chance to come through for Alex, he's also a devoted son to dad Roger Linus. Rather than viciously 'offing' him with a canister of noxious gas, he gently arranges his dad's oxygen tanks and feeds him organic veggies for dinner, doing everything he can to keep him well. No, there's nothing subtle about this episode, it goes right for the heartstrings every time. And if that makes you groan and roll your eyes, well you're even more jaded than me and I'm pretty jaded.

The crux of the Flashsideways Ben's plotline: Will he follow through with a power grab at the school where he teaches, or settle for his lowly status and live happily with the knowledge he's done good?

Will he let his sense of being slighted lead to others being hurt? No, he steps up and takes one for the team - the needs of the one subjected to the needs of the many. Another twenty year's worth of his kids will go to Yale and progress and have great lives because of Dr. Linus. Pretty cool.

There were some nice little nods to evil Ben in the Flashsideways timeline, like Doc Arzt telling him, "Linus, you're a real killer!"

As for Island Ben, well I knew that the $3.2 million dollars Miles asked him for a couple of seasons ago would come back up- and indeed it did. He offers to get Miles that money if Miles will save him from the vengeful Ilana. And when Miles points out that Nikki and Paulo's diamonds are just a few shovelfulls of sand away and his money's not actually worth all that much, Ben hits his lowest point. He's lower than the dirt he's digging for his own grave, and he has nowhere to turn.

Ben usually wiggles out of these life and death challenges with some convoluted plotting, but this time his escape route is a path we've never seen him take before. When Flocke offers to save him if he'll make a run for it, Ilana chases him down. Ben grabs a gun and could shoot her, but instead he asks for her ear - and for the first time, maybe ever in the series, he tells the truth: Why he killed Jacob, how deeply angry and disappointed he was to be so seemingly overlooked after decades of service. But we know now, thanks to Miles' talents with sensing what the dead were thinking right before they passed, that Ben wasn't overlooked. I never thought Jacob was being sarcastic when he asked Ben, "What about you?" and now Ben gets it, too.

Ben's line when asked why he wants to leave with Locke, "Because he's the only one who'll have me," is a heartbreaker. Ilana's response, "I'll have you..." a wonderful moment and kind of indicative of where one hopes this is all going: Somewhere where even evil Ben can find redemption.

Ilana
So we have our answer about Ilana's relationship with Jacob. Some had thought maybe they were in love once, and that's why she was so quick to nod yes, she'd help him, when she was hospitalized and so badly hurt she could barely raise her head. But no, it turns out Ilana has her daddy issues too, just like 99 percent of the Losties. Jacob was "the closest thing I've ever had to a father." Well there you go. She can understand Ben's disappointment at all his years of devotion leading to apparent rejection.

Hurley
Earlier this season he asks Sayid, "Are you a zombie?" Tonight he asks Richard, "Are you a cyborg?" Hah. Hurley fulfilling one of his main roles on the show, asking the questions fans want to ask. He doesn't necessarily get any more concrete answers than we do, but hey, he tries.

Richard

We'll get a full hour on Richard's backstory next week. Finally! Tonight, just as Jack has had his many crises of faith, Richard has his. He's spent hundreds (at least) of years following Jacob's orders only to find that it was all, apparently, for nothing.

And since the deal he made with Jacob prevents him from killing himself, he turns to Jack to do it for him. This gives Jack just the moment he needs to prove how deep his faith is now. He's willing to light a stick of dynamite and sit right down next to it and have a chat- because he knows that after all this, Jacob's not going to let him die for nothing, nor Richard either. Sure enough, the flame sputters out just before it reaches the dynamite.

Jack
Speaking of Jack, he gets the good line for the night, for once: "Want to try another stick?" He's playing Russian roulette with Jacob and he knows there are no bullets in any of the chambers. He's sure now that nothing about what has happened to him is an accident- and he's clearly determined to figure out what it's all about. Seems like season One Jack is back!

Nikki and Paulo
They're back too... at least in spirit. And maybe exceeding themselves in terms of what anyone thought they might mean to the show. Their Season Three episode, "Expose" had a message -- what matters to you? They died over a handful of diamonds that Sawyer then scattered over their bodies as they were buried, because they were worthless on the island. And near the end of "Dr. Linus," one of those diamonds has surfaced above the sand and Miles is giving it a loving look. Yes, "Dr. Linus" is pretty clearly about that same question: What matters to you? Power? Your loved ones? Meaning something- and to who? And in the end, every character finds himself back to feeling like a piece of the bigger puzzle.

Slow-mo Beach Reunion
It's not often a method of shooting a scene actually counts as a character, but that moment when Sun and Hurley and Jack are reunited on the beach is a LOST convention I love: The slow-mo reunion that tugs at your heart. And just as with some of the prior reunions, all isn't easy: In Season Three, Juliet had to stand there and be the outsider watching a similar moment. Tonight Ben is the outsider. The producers don't have a lot of time to indulge us with these nostalgic moments, but they're doing their best. Another such moment comes up when Ben and Lapidus talk. Ben reflects on how long it seems since Oceanic 815 crashed. Lapidus says, "You sound nostalgic," and Ben says maybe he is. Frank tells him that he was supposed to be the pilot of Oceanic 815 the day it crashed, and Ben asks why he wasn't. We learn Frank overslept. Frank wonders how different his life would have been if he'd woken up on time, but Ben points out it might not have mattered at all- "The island still got you in the end."

Just as it got us all. :).
NamasteAndGoodLuck

Watch LOST with us tonight!

WABC — 2010-03-09T11:34:27-05:00

There's been very little Ben in the past few episodes of LOST. That changes this week, with the latest episode, "Dr. Linus".

From the sneak peek pics that have been released, it appears that we'll see quite a bit of Flashsideways Ben, who is a European History teacher at the school where Flashsideways John Locke is temping as a substitute teacher. It ought to be interesting to see what kind of guy this Ben turns out to be.

Is he also just a little bit more "together" as Flashsideways Jack, Sayid, Locke and Claire all seemed to be? Is he, gasp, maybe even the good guy? Or will he turn out to be running errands and taking notes on what everyone is up to for some sort of Flashsideways Jacob?

The sneak peek pics also show Island Ben digging something that looks to be another grave in the Losties' beach camp - leaving one to wonder who didn't make it through this episode. Will the possible Jin/Sun reunion not go well? That'd be tough.

The end of "Sundown" last week, with its slow-mo march away from the Temple, felt like the end of Part 1 of the final season. I think we are, in a sense, into Part 2- and now that "Team Smokey" has come together (Flocke, Claire, Sayid, Sawyer and inadvertently Kate) now maybe we'll see how "Team Jacob" solidifies.

Here's a preview clip from Dr. Linus. We'll have our "7 Things About LOST: Dr. Linus" blog tomorrow, and you can get that update emailed to you each week by clicking here.

Looking forward to 9pm! NamasteAndGoodLuck

Darlton Answer Fan Questions and Emilie de Ravin Interview

WABC — 2010-03-05T18:50:47-05:00

Just in time for the weekend, some new LOST video. The producers take a viewer's question about LOST, and Emilie de Ravin talks about playing "Feral Claire".