Another crazy good episode!!! Graduate school just ended (for good.. woohoo!) and now I can devote more energy to this blog. Thank you for your patience with a few late posts :)

Locke Flashback

The episode begins with a girl putting a record on and dancing around her room. It is around the 1960’s and we are finally getting to meet Locke’s mom, Emily. Emily’s mom enters her room and asks if she is going to meet “him” a man she doesn’t approve of. Emily becomes upset and runs out of the house into the rain. As she is running out of the house Emily is hit by a car. When Emily wakes up she is in the hospital she tells the nurse that she is six months pregnant. A little later Emily gives birth to a little boy that she names John. Some time later Emily and her mother are standing next to the incubator. The nurses enter and tell Emily that they are thrilled because John was the youngest premature baby to survive at the hospital. They ask Emily if she is ready to hold her child and Emily becomes upset and then runs out of the hospital room. Emily’s mom then asks the nurse about adoption options. Richard Alpert is outside of the nursery looking into the room.

Years later John is playing backgammon in the living room of his foster/adoptive home. His foster mom enters the room and tells John that someone is there to see him and urges John to be on his best behavior. Richard Alpert enters the room and tells John that he works for a special school and he believes John was special enough to attend. Behind John is a picture that looks eerily like the smoke monster. Richard notices this picture and smiles. Richard takes several things out of his bag and asks John to pick out the things that are his. John picks up a few things and Richard appears disappointed with his choices. Richard gets up quickly, collects his things and tells John’s foster mom that he isn’t ready for the school.

We are then introduced to high school John. John is banging to get out of a locker when a teacher opens the door. When John exits the teacher asks for him to join him in his office. While in the office John’s teacher suggests John attend a science camp with Mittelos Laboratories. John becomes angry and tells the teacher that he likes sports and doesn’t want to go to a chemistry camp. John’s teacher responds by telling John that he is not a jock and will never be a super hero. John responds by saying, “don’t tell me what I can’t do”.

Later we see John getting some physical therapy for his legs. After his session is done a man picks him up and wheels his wheelchair toward the elevator. The man stops at the top of the stairs and John looks nervous. The orderly pushing John is Matthew Abaddon. Matthew suggests that John go on a walkabout to learn about who he really is. John tells Matthew that he cannot go on a walkabout because he can’t walk. Matthew suggests that surviving his 8-story fall is a miracle and John would be surprised with what he can do.

Jungle

Hurley, John and Ben decide to make camp overnight because it is dark. The next morning John wakes up to the sound of someone chopping down wood. He gets up and walks into the jungle until he runs into Horace from the dharma initiative. Horace stops chopping and introduces himself to Locke. He says that he is building a cabin so that he and his wife can get away from the DI every once in a while. He then tells Locke that he has been dead for 12 years. Horace tells John that to find the cabin he needs to find him first. John then wakes up and finds that he was dreaming. He tells Hurley and Ben that they need to leave. Locke walks them to the DI grave and jumps in to find Horace’s body. He finally finds Horace and a map of where the cabin is in his front pocket. John offers to let Hurley return to the beach but he declines.

They head off and find the cabin easily. Hurley and Ben decide to wait outside for John. John enters the cabin and hears a rocking chair. He moves closer and Christian Sheppard is sitting, rocking in the chair. Christian tells John that he found the cabin because he was chosen. We then see Claire sitting across the room. Christian and Claire convince John not to tell anyone that Claire is at the cabin. John then asks Christian how to save the island and Christian smiles.

Freighter

On the freighter Michael admits that he told Ben who Keamy was. After Keamy beats the crap out of him for a while he pulls out a gun and tries to shoot him. The gun doesn’t fire and Michael therefore doesn’t die. Someone on the boat helps Desmond and Sayid by getting them a boat to return to the island. Desmond decides to stay and Sayid heads off to save his friends. Keamy gets knife happy and slits the doctors throat on the boat to make a point that he will kill the crew if they don’t help him get back to the island. By doing this he convinces the pilot to return to the island, even though it is against the pilots better judgment.

Beach

Juliet becomes upset with Jack who is not resting after his surgery. As they are speaking they hear a helicopter. A parachute falls from the helicopter and there is something inside beeping. Jack pulls it out and finds another satellite phone. The phone shows that the helicopter is moving away from them. Jack assumes the helicopter wants them to follow it.

Questions and Comments

- Why doesn’t Richard Alpert age?

- John has been followed by the “island” his entire life. Has everyone else been followed in some fashion or another?

- John tells his teacher “don’t tell me what I can’t do”. He has said this before when he was attempting to go on the walkabout (pre-flight) and was told that he could not because he was paralyzed.

- Why was Claire willing to leave Aaron and stay in the cabin with Christian?

- Why don’t Claire and Christian want other people to know that Claire is at the cabin?

- Why did Frank give the losties a satellite phone?

- Why is Keamy so gung ho about killing people on the island? Why are some people on the freighter nice and Keamy so cut throat?

- So is the freighter ahead of time on island or behind time?

This season is getting very involved and quite good. I am glad that the writers have kept up their end of the bargain giving us good episode week after week! This season has been fantastic so far and I have no complaints! So much happened on this episode so it might be a long recap, sorry in advance :)

On the Beach

The episode opens with Juliet trying to wake Jack up. She finally succeeds although he looks very sick and disoriented. He walks out of his tent and faints after telling the other losties that they will be rescued off the island. Jack wakes up and takes antibiotics hoping to slow down his appendicitis. Juliet enters Jack’s tent and after an exam confirms that he needs surgery to remove his appendix. Jack knew the surgery was necessary but was too stubborn to let her know he needed help. Later Jack tells Juliet that he wants to be awake and wants Kate to hold a mirror so that he can watch and walk Juliet through the surgery

Juliet asks Sun to go to the medical station to get some supplies for the surgery. Daniel offers to go with Sun since he had performed animal autopsies in the past. Sun quickly refuses his help but Daniel eventually gets them to agree. Juliet gives Jin a gun and tells him to shoot them in the leg if either attempt to escape. Charlotte, Daniel, Sun and Jin take off to the medical station while the other losties on the beach prepare a sterile environment for the surgery. When they arrive, Jin asks Sun in Korean if he thinks Charlotte knows that Daniel likes him. Charlotte looks back at Jin and Sun before entering the station. While Daniel collects all the necessary medical supplies, Sun expresses her concern to get off the island and that Daniel and his people are not here to rescue them. Jin promises his wife that she will get off the island. When they return to the beach Jin goes to speak with Charlotte. He purposely speaks in Korean to her and she pretends that she doesn’t understand. Jin continues in Korean and threatens to break all of Daniel’s fingers if she doesn’t stop lying. Charlotte then responds in Korean and asks him what Jin wants. Jin tells her that he wants Sun to get off the island when the helicopter arrives. She asks about the others and he tells her that Sun is his only concern.

As Juliet begins to operate Jack does his best to stay still. He struggles, as anyone would but still begs Juliet to keep him conscious during the surgery. She refuses and Bernard knocks him out by placing a towel filled with chloroform over his face. Bernard leaves the tent after the surgery and tells Kate that everything went fine. Kate re-enters the tent to see Juliet finishing up with Jack’s stitches. Kate thanks Juliet for saving Jack’s life and in not so many words Juliet tells Kate that Jack is in love with her.

Jungle

Claire, Sawyer and Miles continue to make their trek back to the beach after leaving Locke’s camp. They stop for a break and Miles begins to hear whispers around him. After the whispers stop Miles asks Claire and Sawyer who Danielle and Karl are. Sawyer asks how Miles knows them and accuses him of killing them. Just then Miles begins digging in the dirt and uncovers Danielle and Karl’s bodies. They then leave the area to find a safe place to rest for the evening.

Further along on their journey Claire is spending some QT with Aaron. From a distance Miles watches her. Sawyer, concerned tells Miles that he has enacted a 20-foot restraining order and that Miles needs to stay away from Claire. After a while they begin walking again and hear someone running toward them. Frank comes running out of the jungle and tells them all to hide because Keamy is on his way. He also warns that if Keamy sees them, he will kill them. Claire, Miles and Sawyer hide and Keamy arrives. While hiding Aaron makes a small noise and Keamy becomes suspicious. Somehow Frank convinces Keamy and his crew to continue to the helicopter so that he doesn’t have to fly during the night.

That night while Claire, Sawyer and Miles are sleeping Claire is awakened by a dream. She looks down to see that Aaron is no longer right next to her. Claire panics, jumps up, looks forward and see’s Christian Shepard, her father, holding her baby. The next morning Sawyer wakes up and finds that Claire is missing. He asks Miles where she went and he tells him that she took off with someone she called dad. Sawyer asked why he didn’t stop her and Miles says it was because he wanted to abide by the restraining order. Sawyer runs out to look for Claire and Aaron and begins to hear the baby crying. He finds the baby but not Claire.

Jack’s Flashforward

We see Jack in bed sleeping when the phone rings. It is his practice reminding him about his 11 am appointment. He thanks her for the reminder, gets out of bed and puts on a towel. He then walks into the kitchen and stubs his foot on one of Aaron’s toys. He pours two half full wine glasses into the sink and makes coffee. After leaving the kitchen Jack goes to the bathroom where Kate is taking a shower. When she exits the shower, they say good morning and kiss. That night Jack is reading Aaron a story before bed. When Aaron is asleep Jack and Kate also go to “bed”.

After Jack meets with his patient the next day and walks her out lobby he catches a glimpse of his father. Just after someone approaches to let him know he has a phone call from Santa Rose Hospital with regards to his friend (Hurley). Jack goes to the hospital and meets with Hurley’s doctor. His doctor tells Jack that Hurley has stopped taking his medications and does not believe that the doctor is real. Jack enters Hurley’s room for their visit. Hurley tells Jack that all the Oceanic 6 are dead. He believes this because he saw Charlie and that Charlie has continued to visit him. Hurley tells Jack that he will be getting a visitor of his own soon. Frustrated, Jack leaves and tells Hurley to take his medication. When Jack arrives home that night Kate is asleep. He wakes her up and proposes marriage for which she says yes.

The next day Jack is back at work and reviewing an x-ray. He hears the fire alarm beeping outside his office and goes to fix the problem. After climbing down from the counter in the reception area he looks over to the couches and sees his father sitting. A few seconds later a colleague begins calling his name and Jack’s father is gone. Jack tells his colleague that he has been stressed and asked for a script for Clonazepam. She agrees, writes a prescription and suggests that he speak to someone about what is going on with him. When Jack arrives home from work Kate is on the telephone telling someone that Jack does not get home until past 8pm. Jack asks who it is and Kate tells him it is Noreen, another mother from the park. Later Kate gets home late to find Jack drinking in the living room. She asks what he was doing home early from work and he tells her about his visit to Hurley. Jack asks Kate where she has been and she admits that she was doing a favor for Sawyer. He asks what she did and she would not tell him. Jack becomes upset, gets up and walks toward the door. Just as he is about to leave Aaron enters the kitchen. Kate hugs Aaron and Jack leaves.

Questions and Comments

- Where is Claire?

- Why did she leave Aaron?

- Why did Jack get sick on the island?

- What did Kate have to do for Sawyer (during the flash forward)? Why did she keep it from Jack?

- How did Charlotte learn to speak Korean?

- Did you notice in last week’s episode the wizard of oz touch? After Claire’s house exploded Sawyer found her under a pile of rubble. Only her feet were showing. The season finale will have three episodes and those are all called “There’s no place like home”. Another wizard of oz reference. They have done this before with the “man behind the curtain” episode. Can you think of any other references?

Last night’s episode was interesting. It was an episode almost completely consisting of a Michael Flashback. The episode begins with Michael in his apartment. He writes a note, pins it on his shirt and then takes off in his car. He drives faster and faster and drives directly into a metal crate, attempting to kill himself. When Michael wakes up he is in a hospital. A nurse walks in and walks over to Michael. Michael realizes the nurse is Libby and then begins screaming. He wakes up, realizing it was a dream, and another nurse walks in to Michael’s room. She asks Michael for identification and asks if she should call Walt, since he had a note written to him on his shirt. Sometime after leaving the hospital Michael goes to his mother’s home. His mother seems surprised to see Michael and refuses to let him see Walt. As Michael is leaving he looks up to Walt’s room and see’s Walt looking out the window at him. After leaving his mother’s house, Michael goes to a pawn shop to pawn the watch Jin had given him previously. Michael tells the shop owner that he does not want money. He wants a gun and ammunition. Michael leaves the store and ends up in a dark alley. Michael frantically tries to load the gun when Tom walks up to Michael. Tom tells Michael that the island will not let him kill himself as he still has work to do. Tom tells Michael to come see him at his hotel once he is ready to talk. Michael returns home and tries two times to shoot himself in the head. The first time the gun froze even though it was fully loaded. The second time he attempts to shoot himself he is distracted by a news report about flight 815. The news reporter explains that the plane had been found and that all people on board were confirmed dead. After seeing this news report Michael goes to visit Tom.

At Tom’s hotel, Tom explains to Michael that the wreckage found was fake and that Charles Whidmore had placed it there. Further, that Whidmore had placed the wreckage there so that no one would look for the real wreckage that is on the island. Tom tells Michael that he is to join a crew in Fiji aboard a freighter owned by Whidmore. Michael must kill everyone on the freighter in order to save his friends on the island. Michael is given an alias, Kevin Johnson. Michael arrives at the freighter and checks in. He is greeted by Naomi and Miles and is told that a care package had arrived for him. Miles says to Michael “that is not your real name”. Michael doesn’t respond. Michael takes his care package to a deserted area and attempts to set off the bomb that Tom had sent to him. Instead of the bomb being set off a flag goes up that says “not yet”. A little while later Michael is told that he has a phone call from Walt. Excited Michael hurries to retrieve his phone call. Instead of Walt being on the phone, it is Ben. Ben tells Michael to get a list of everyone on board the freighter, report back to him and then disable the radio and engine.

On the freighter

Sayid confronts Michael about why he is on the freighter. Michael tells Sayid and Desmond that he is on the freighter to die. A little while later Sayid and Desmond find Michael in the engine room working. He is with another person and Michael sends his co-worker to fetch a tool. As the person leaves Michael confirms that he is working for Ben. Furious, Sayid takes Michael into the captains room and tells the Captain who Michael really is and who he is working for.

On Island

Locke has a meeting at his home with everyone and Miles. He tells the losties that there will be no more secrets. Locke tells the losties that Miles and his friends are here to find Ben and that once Ben was found their mission was to kill everyone else on the island. Later Ben approaches Alex, Rousseau and Karl and convinces them to go to the temple. He tells them that they will be safe there and that Danielle will take care of Alex. All three agree to go and leave for the temple. During their journey to the Temple Alex, Rousseau and Karl stop for a water break. As they are resting Karl is shot by an arrow or gun shot. Another shot is fired and Karl’s water bottle is hit. Alex and Rousseau seek shelter near a tree. Alex is visibly shaken and wants to go back for Karl. Rousseau convinces her daughter that he is gone and that they must run away from this place. As they get up to run Rousseau is shot. Alex gets up and yells to whoever is shooting “I’m Ben’s daughter!”

Questions and Comments

- Why wasn’t Walt with Michael after they returned from the island?

- Who do people think Walt and Michael are since they cannot give their real names? Did Ben convince Michael and Walt to use aliases so that no one would find out about the island?

- Why wouldn’t the island allow Michael to kill himself? How does the island control that?

- Where is the temple?

- Did Ben order Rousseau and Karl to be killed? Are Rousseau and Karl dead?

- The next episode isn't until April :(

Thursday’s episode was quite sad but very well done. I liked how the episode included island time, a flashfoward (Sun) and a flashback (Jin). It was very creative and the audience wouldn’t have known Jin and Sun’s stories were both from different times.

Jin and Sun

The episode opens with Sun at home having contractions. Sun is taken to the hospital to deliver her baby. When she arrives hospital staff say “she is one of the Oceanic Six” and take her into a delivery room. During the delivery Sun is crying out for Jin and asking the doctor’s to wait until her husband arrives. Eventually Sun gives birth to a baby girl.

Jin is seen running through the streets talking on his cell phone. He tells someone that he will arrive at the hospital soon. Jin then enters a toy store to purchase a stuffed panda. Jin leaves the toy store and attempts to get into a cab placing the panda bear inside. Just as Jin is about to get in another person gets in driving off with the panda. Jin frantically returns to the store and attempts to purchase another panda. The storeowner suggests that Jin purchase a dragon since it is the year of the dragon but Jin persists and pays an large amount of money for the other panda. By the end of the episode Jin arrives at the hospital and asks if it is a boy or a girl. When he finds out it is a boy he ties a blue ribbon around the panda’s neck and brings the animal to a hospital room belonging to the granddaughter of the Ambassador to China. It is at this time we discover that Jin was not rushing to be with Sun for the delivery of their child.

A while later Hurley pays Sun and her baby a visit. Hurley comments that the baby looks just like Jin and asks if they should go visit him. Sun and Hurley make their way to a cemetery where Jin is buried. Sun begins to cry, tells Jin she misses him and that she named their child Ji Yeon, just like Jin had wanted.

On Island

Kate arrives back at the beach and has a conversation with Sun about what had happened at the tempest. Sun attempts to gain more information from Daniel and asks him if his mission is to rescue the losties or not. Daniel does not give Sun an answer. Sun decides that she and Jin will be moving to Locke’s camp due to her mistrust in the new freighter people. Sun tells Jin to meet her at their tent with enough food for the next two days. Sun then enters Juliet’s tent in search of more prenatal vitamins. As she is searching Juliet enters the tent and asks Sun what she is doing. Sun tells her that she is in search of more prenatal vitamins. Juliet asks her why as she had given Sun enough vitamins to last a month. Juliet asks if Sun is planning on going somewhere. Juliet guesses that Sun and Jin are planning to leave the beach and reminds her that pregnant women are dying on island. She tells Sun that unless she is off the island in three weeks she and her baby will die. Just as Jin and Sun are about to leave Juliet tells Jin that Sun had an affair before arriving on the island. Sun tries to explain but Jin is upset and leaves to go fishing. Bernard asks to go with Jin and Jin agrees. As they are on the boat fishing Jin and Bernard talk about marriage. This conversation seems to convince Jin to accept that Sun made a mistake. It also reminds Jin that he was a different person at that time and that he wants to protect Sun. Jin returns to camp and both he and Sun apologize to each other. Jin asks Sun if the baby is his and Sun confirms it is true.

On the freighter

Desmond and Sayid are in a room on the freighter. As they are talking a note is slipped through the vents in the door. The note says, “don’t trust the captain”. A knocking sound is also heard. Sayid tells Desmond the sound is not mechanical but is being produced by someone. Eventually Desmond and Sayid are released from their room to meet the captain. They arrive at the deck and see that the helicopter is no longer on the freighter. As they are waiting for the captain to arrive a woman climbs to the top of the ship and jumps in the water. Sayid and Desmond try to convince the other people on the freighter to help save her but they do nothing. When the captain arrives he shows them a black box that he says was found from the wreckage of Flight 815. The captain further explains that someone placed a plane in the bottom of the Sunda Trench with 324 dead bodies to make it seem like it was flight 815. He explains they are trying to find out who would stage this and how that person would have enough funds to find that many dead bodies. He explained that this was another reason why they need to find Ben.

Later Desmond and Sayid are taken to their “new room” on the freighter. When they arrive there is a large bloodstain on the wall. The freighter man calls for Kevin Johnson, a man mopping the hallway to come clean the room. As Kevin arrives we find out that it is Michael.

Questions and Comments:
- How did Jin die?

- The year of the dragon was 2000, I didn’t know this until after the episode but guessed it was a clue to something.

- How did Michael get on the freighter? If he is working for Ben, why did he agree to it?

- Whose blood was on the wall of Desmond and Sayid’s new room?

- Who was making the noise that Desmond and Sayid heard? Was it some sort of Morse code?

Here are two very well thought out Lost Theories. Some of the parts of these two theories might be a bit too complicated for the average viewer, so I'm not sure if either of these will play out like this. Although Lost is probably the only show on TV the "feels" like a good mystery book. They both are long , but a must read for true Lost fans!

Here is part of Theory #1

The Valenzetti Equation is a mathematical formula designed to predict the end of the world. Through research of this equation, the end of the world was found to be 4:23:42 pm on April 8th, 2015. This is the significance of the series of numbers: 4:8:15:16:23:42.

It was once stated that “the Dharma Initiative set out to find a way to change the Valenzetti Equation.” Their strategy for avoiding the end of the world was to create a time machine to prevent the world from ever reaching the year 2015, at least in an isolated location where some pocket of humanity could thrive. Perhaps this location could at first be used as an experiment for proof of concept and then perhaps if the process is perfected, the entire Earth can be saved. The island was chosen as this location for one of two reasons: either it was just remote enough that it would be easy to protect it from external disturbance that could disrupt the research, or the island had some intrinsic properties that made it special. I lean towards the former, but I could be swayed either way.

A key piece of the functionality of the time machine was the installation of a gigantic magnet underground beneath the island. This obviously causes the unusual electromagnetic abnormalities experienced there. At some point, probably in the 1980’s (let’s say 1988 for the sake of argument), the time machine was completed. From this point on, the Island exists in a sort of space-time bubble which is separated from the timeline of the rest of the universe. The Swan station is used to reset the machine periodically to always keep the time machine locked at the original start date in 1988. So as long as the Swan is functioning, the island will remain locked in 1988 while the rest of the world/universe proceeds through time normally.

When Desmond/Kelvin discussed how the resetting of the Hatch computer was “saving the world” - this is quite literally true. Keeping the island in 1988 allows them to avoid ever reaching 2015 when humanity is doomed. I believe that after the Hatch was imploded, time on the island would begin moving forward in time with the rest of universe. It would still be locked approximately 19 or 20 years in the past compared to the rest of reality, but it would move forward nonetheless.

Now, a very important concept in this theory is the fact that entering the bubble of the time machine will basically create two separate threads of reality for anyone/anything that enters. So, for example, when the plane crashes onto the island it passes through the boundaries of the time bubble. One “copy” of the plane remains outside in reality where it crashes to the bottom of the ocean and everyone dies in the 2004. The other “copy” enters the island in the year 1988 where many people survive.

Around the perimeter of the island, I believe there is only one way to leave the time bubble. Michael and Walt were given this exact bearing so that they could leave. Whenever anyone else tried to leave on the sailboat, they were unsuccessful because they didn’t know where to leave.

Here is a brief list of some strange anomalies that I think can be explained with this theory:

1) Lock and Rose were healed when they arrived on the island. This is because the only “copy” of them now exists in 1988 when both of them were perfectly healthy.

2) When Naomi crashed on the island she had a phone/communication device that Sayid mentioned was slightly more advanced than anything he had seen. This is because Sayid crashed in 2004. Though he’d only spent what seemed like 90 days on the island, it was probably 2007 or so in reality when Naomi crashed onto the island.

3) Women cannot conceive on the island but they can give birth to babies conceived before they arrived. This is because a child conceived on the island is conceived in the year 1988. This child does not exist in the true reality. The termination of the pregnancy is part of the universe’s course correction (we will address course correction in detail shortly).

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Juliet’s flashback
This episode begins with Juliet sitting in a therapist’s office on the island. Harper comes in shortly after and isn’t very nice to Juliet. She immediately discusses with Juliet how it feels for her to be the center of attention on the island. A few minutes into the session Tom arrives and tells Harper that he needs Juliet for something. Juliet and Tom leave and arrive at another house close by. Ben shows Juliet a house that he says is for her. Juliet is happily surprised but inquires why so much was done for her since she is only going to be on island for six months.

Later we see Juliet in a medical building. She is crying. She hears someone rummaging through things clears her eyes and finds Goodwin looking for gauze. He tells Juliet that he got hurt leaning up against a transformer. Juliet takes care of Goodwin’s injury and tells him that she knows it was a chemical burn, not the result of leaning up against a transformer. Juliet says something about her therapist and Goodwin discloses that Harper is actually his wife. Goodwin agrees not to tell his wife what Juliet said about her.

A little bit later Juliet is at another therapy session. Harper freaks out on Juliet and  tells Juliet that she saw her and Goodwin having sex. Harper further tells Juliet that she needs to be careful because if Ben finds out about the affair something might happen to Goodwin. She also tells Juliet that Ben is in love with her. Later Ben plans a “dinner party” and when Juliet arrives she discovers that Ben really planned a date for just the two of them. Sometime after, Ben brings Juliet to see Goodwin’s body (after Ana Lucia had speared and killed him). Ben doesn’t care that Juliet is grieving. In the end Ben tells Juliet that she is his and that she cannot leave the island.

Island Time

Juliet is building a shelter on the beach and is speaking with Sun. While they are talking Jack approaches and asks if anyone has seen Charlotte or Daniel. Jin says he saw both of them going into the jungle. When Jack asks why he didn’t stop them Jin says “because you said they were friends”. Jack and Juliet leave the beach in search of the two freighter buddies. As they are walking Juliet begins hearing whispers and then Harper appears. Harper tells Juliet that the two freighter people are on their way to the tempest. Harper tells Juliet that she must stop them or else they will gas the island and kill everyone. She also tells Juliet that “Ben is exactly where he wants to be”. Just then Jack arrives and asks who Harper is. Harper says she is an old friend and tells Jack to go, with his gun with Juliet. Harper then vanishes. Jack asks where they are going and Juliet says “the tempest”. She does not tell him anything more about the tempest except that it is an electrical station that powers the island.

At another part of the jungle Charlotte and Daniel are talking when Kate arrives. Charlotte pulls her gun on Kate but Daniel tells her not to shoot. Kate asks what is in their pack and Charlotte allows her to look. As she opens the pack there are two gas masks inside. Kate is about to ask what the masks are for when Charlotte hits her over the head with a gun. Jack and Juliet find Kate in the jungle. As Jack is helping Kate Juliet goes off to find “water”. She doesn’t return and takes off to the tempest alone. Jack and Kate follow Juliet’s tracks to the tempest.

When Juliet arrives at the tempest she pulls her gun out and walks quietly into the building. She looks down and see’s a person wearing a Hazmat suit working on the computer, it is Daniel. Juliet points her gun at Daniel and he urges her not to kill him. Charlotte shows up and tells Juliet that Daniel is ensuring that the gas is not released so that everyone on the island doesn’t die. Daniel is struggling, entering information that is not shutting off the computer. At the last second Daniel enters the correct code and the unsafe gas levels drop off to a safe level.

Also during this episode we see Locke bringing food down to Ben. Ben pleads his case so that Locke will allow him to sleep on a normal bed and not be held as a captor. Ben tells Locke that he can show him why Locke should trust him. Ben shows Locke a safe he has behind a painting. In the safe is a VHS tape labeled “red sox”. Locke plays the tape and we see a video of Charles Whidmore. In the video a man is blindfolded and beaten. Ben explains that Mr. Whidmore wants to find the island. Ben explains that Locke’s recovery is a miracle and that many people would want to come see Locke if they could. Just like people would want to see mold that looks like the Virgin Mary. Locke also asks who Ben has on the freighter. Although we don’t find out who this is Locke allows Ben to live amongst the losties without being held captive. Hurley and Sawyer are shocked when they see Ben walking around outside.

Questions and Comments

- Who does Ben have on the freighter? Is it Michael?

- Was Harper a ghost? If so, is she one of the women who died on island during childbirth? Perhaps she was pregnant.

- How did Harper disappear right after speaking to Juliet? If she is dead was she like the vision Jack had of his father?

- How did Goodwin get the chemical burn?

- Who is Harper referring to when she says “You look just like her”? Is it Ben’s mother? His ex-wife? Maybe Ben was married and his wife got pregnant and then died on the island?

- Are the people on the freighter good or bad? Did Daniel really save the people on the island by disabling the gas? What was his purpose?

- I heart Sawyer.

Tonight’s episode was about Desmond and it was awesome! The episode starts with Sayid, Desmond and Frank in the helicopter. Frank is flying directly into a thunderstorm and Sayid questions why he is continuing to travel into the storm. Frank continues on the coordinates that Daniel instructed him even though the turbulence becomes worse and worse. Desmond begins having flashes and he is suddenly in a military bed being awakened by a drill sergeant. Desmond was slow to get up and when asked why he took so long Desmond reported that he was having a dream. He said he dreamed that he was in a helicopter flying into a storm. Desmond then wakes up and returns to the helicopter. He is freaked out and tries to take off his seatbelt. Sayid tries to calm him but Desmond exclaims that he does not know Sayid or Frank. The storm clears and Frank lands the helicopter on the freighter. After they land two men come over to Frank and ask who he has brought with him. Frank explains that Sayid and Desmond are survivors of flight 815. Desmond is then brought to see the doctor on board.

As Desmond is taken to the sick bay he has another flash. He is again in the military and doing crunches. Desmond tells a friend about his dreams and decides to call Penny. As he is walking to a phone booth someone walks out and bumps into Desmond causing him to drop his change. As Desmond is going to pick up his change he flashes back to the freighter. The two men and Desmond arrive at the sick bay. They then leave Desmond and lock the door behind them. Desmond freaks and pounds on the door demanding to be let out. He then hears a voice that asks him if “it is happening to him too”.

While this is happening Daniel (back at the beach, on island) explains that the perception of time on the island may be different than that off the island. Daniel further explains that this could be why they have not heard back from the freighter about the helicopter arriving. Charlotte is not happy about Daniel sharing this information with the losties. Back on the freighter Sayid manages to convince the people on the ship to let him use the phone to call the island. Sayid brings the phone to the sick bay and calls Jack and the others. Daniel hears that Desmond is sick and asks if he was exposed to any electromagnetic force lately. He then tells Desmond to visit him during his flashes in Oxford, England (in 1996). Daniel tells Desmond how he will be able to convince him in the past that Desmond will meet him in the future.

We then return to the sick bay where Desmond begins having yet another flash. This time he is in Oxford, England. We see a younger looking Daniel speaking with some colleagues. Desmond approaches him and passes on Daniel’s future message. Daniel is shocked but finally believes that Desmond has traveled to and from the future. Desmond then flashes back to the freighter. Sayid and Desmond leave the sick bay (because someone left the door open for them) and go in search of the radio room. When they arrive everything in the room has been destroyed.

Desmond then has another flash and he is sent to Penny’s front door. Penny tells Desmond that she wants a clean break and for their relationship to be over. Desmond pleads for her phone number because he will need it to call her in 8 years. Penny gives him her phone number so long as he agrees to leave. Desmond flashes back again to the island and tells Sayid Penny’s phone number. Somehow Sayid fixed the radio room and Desmond is able to call Penny. Penny is so excited to hear from Desmond and says she has been looking for him for three years. She tells Desmond that she knows about the island and the boat and confirms speaking with Charlie before his death. Penny tells Desmond that she will continue to look for him.

Before the episode ends we see Daniel at the beach. He is looking through his notebook and flips to a page that says “if anything goes wrong Desmond will be my constant”.

Questions and Comments:

- Has Desmond been flashing to and from the future ever since he turned the key at the end of season two?

- Since everyone on the island were exposed to the electromagnetic charge after Desmond turned the key are they all at risk of suffering the same fate as Minkowski (they guy who died on the freighter)? Is this why only six people survive and make it off the island? Maybe not everyone had a constant before arriving on the island.

- Who opened the door to the sick room? Was it Ben’s person on the freighter?

- Did Minkowski not have a constant? Is that why he died?

- Is Desmond safe since he had a constant, Penny?

This episode was great! Probably one of my favorite so far this season. Now we don’t have to worry about the writers strike ending this season too early. The only negative thing I heard recently was that Lost would return to 10pm after all the other shows return. That’s a bummer, I like the 9pm slot.

On Island

Kate and the rest of the Locke's lostie team seem to be getting comfortable in their new homes (the barracks). Kate, Claire and Aaron are living in one home; Hurley and Sawyer are living in another home and Locke is living in Ben’s house. Locke has Ben locked up in the basement and has Miles in the boat house.

We find out that Kate remained at the barracks to find out more information about the people on the freighter. Kate asks Locke where he is holding Miles but Locke refuses to tell her. She finally tricks Hurley into telling her where he is. Kate goes to Miles demands he tell her what he knows about her. He agrees so long as Kate can get him some alone time with Ben. Kate eventually breaks Miles out of the boat house and brings him to where Locke is holding Ben. Miles tells Ben that he will tell the freighter that Ben is already dead so long as Ben gives him 3.2 million dollars. He gives Ben a week to come up with the money. As this exchange is going on Sawyer and Locke return to the house. Locke banishes Kate from the barracks and tells her to return to the beach. Kate spends a night with Sawyer and the next day leaves to return to the beach.

At the beach Jack demands that Charlotte make contact with the freighter. He asks if there is another phone number. Charlotte admits there is an emergency phone number that they really aren’t supposed to call. Juliette tells Charlotte that it is an emergency and Charlotte calls the freighter. She tells Regina that the losties want to talk to their friends on the freighter. Regina seems confused and says that the helicopter never returned to the freighter. Regina thought the helicopter was still on the island.

Off Island

Kate is seen on trial for the charges she accrued before Oceanic 815 crashed. She pleads not guilty and finds out that her mother is the star witness for the prosecution. After Kate’s first hearing she is held due to a being a flight risk. At the next hearing Jack testifies as a character witness for Kate. He testifies that he met Kate on island and that there were eight survivors of flight 815. Jack further stated that Kate helped save all eight of these people. Kate stands up during Jack’s testimony and tells him not to answer any more questions. The prosecutor only asks Jack one question, if he is in love with the defendant. Jack responds “not anymore”. Later Kate’s mother goes in to see her. She tells Kate that she wants to see her grandson and does not want to testify against Kate. Kate’s mother is visibly ill and tells Kate that she has had six months to live for the past four years. Kate refuses to allow her mother to see her son. Eventually Kate’s attorney and the DA meet to discuss the fact that Kate’s mother is no longer willing to testify. The DA offers a deal of 10 years in state probation. Kate quickly agrees to this and she is soon a free woman.

When Kate is leaving the courthouse Jack is outside at his car. Jack tells Kate that he does in fact love her and didn’t mean what he said on the stand. Kate invites Jack to follow her back to her home. Jack refuses but agrees to meet for coffee instead. Kate says no that she will not go to coffee with him until he is willing to see her son. Kate leaves and soon after arrives home. A nanny greats her and tells Kate that her child is upstairs sleeping. Kate enters the child’s room, goes over to his bed and hugs him. He is a blond child approximately two years of age. He says “hi mommy” and Kate responds with “Hi Aaron”.

Questions

- Where is the helicopter?

- Why does Miles think Ben can get so much money?

- What card/memory game was Daniel playing with Charlotte? What was the significance of this game?

- What happened to Claire? Did she die on island? Did she sacrifice her ability to leave the island so that her son could leave? So it looks like Aaron is about 2 years old or so. At the time of this flash foward exactly how long has it been since Kate was rescued?

- Why are the Oceanic six saying that only 8 people survived the crash? Why couldn’t they tell the true story of what happened?

- Why didn’t Kate want her mom to see her son? Do you think Kate’s mom would have realized that Aaron is not really Kate’s child and blown their cover?

- Why won’t Jack go to Kate’s house and see Aaron?

- So now we know five of the Oceanic 6. Who is left?

This episode starts with Sayid, Miles and Kate going off to find Charlotte. Sayid promises Frank to bring Charlotte back safe so long as Frank agrees to take him to their freighter. Frank agrees and they head off to the barracks. While they are gone Daniel decides to set up a tripod/beacon and run an experiment. Daniel speaks to a woman named Regina and asks her to send a rocket to the tripod he set up. Regina does what is asked of her but when she expects the rocket to arrive it doesn’t. It arrives a bit later and Daniel seems confused. He compares the time on the rocket and his beacon and realizes they are 31 minutes apart. Neither Regina or Daniel can explain the difference in time.

When the trio arrive at the barracks they look around but don’t really see anything. They finally hear something and follow the sound into a house. They find Hurley tied up and gagged in a closet. They fall for Locke’s ploy. Hurley says he doesn’t know where they went and that they just left him. He says perhaps they went to Ben’s house. Sayid, Kate and Daniel make their way to Ben’s house. Once inside Kate searches Ben’s room. Sayid finds a secret room behind a bookcase and explores. In the secret room there is a lot of nice clothes and in a drawer several passports from different countries and foreign money. While Kate is searching in Ben’s room Sawyer enters. Kate yells for Sayid but it is too late. Sayid is captured by Locke and brought to the game room. While speaking to Locke Sayid explains that if he brings Charlotte back to the helicopter they will bring him to the freighter. Sayid suggests a trade and Locke accepts.

A little while later Sayid and Charlotte return to the helicopter. Jack asks about where Kate is and Sayid tells him that she decided to stay with Locke. Sayid tells Frank and Daniel that he brought Charlotte back but had to trade her for Miles. Frank, Sayid, Desmond and Naomi’s body are loaded onto the helicopter.

We see Sayid playing golf and looking pretty hot (heehee)! He is the only person on the green until a golf cart drives up. The man in the golf cart suggests a bet to see who can get their golf ball closest to the hole. Sayid agrees. The man asks Sayid what he does for work and Sayid tells him he does not work, as he was the recipient of a large settlement. He tells this man that he is one of the oceanic six. The man becomes scared and tries to walk off. Before he could get away Sayid shoots him. As Sayid is walking away the sprinkler system comes on.

Later Sayid enters a café in Berlin. He asks a lady, Elsa, if the seat at her table was free. She says yes and he sits down. Elsa tells Sayid that she works for a man who only pages her when he needs her. She says this happens very infrequently. They flirt and Sayid asks her to dinner. Elsa agrees and tells Sayid where they would be going. She then leaves the café. Sayid leaves shortly after, calls someone on his cell phone and says, “I’ve made contact”. Sayid then throws the cell phone in a trash bin and walks off.

Sayid and Elsa go on a few more dates and Elsa seems to be falling for him. We later see Sayid and Elsa in bed together. Elsa tells Sayid that she loves him; he does not say the same in return. As they are in bed Elsa’s pager sounds. She quickly gets out of bed and gets changed. Sayid tells her not to go because people will start asking questions about her boss. Elsa begins to realize what Sayid’s job is, to kill her boss and walks towards the bathroom. Elsa then turns around and shoots Sayid in the shoulder. Elsa calls someone and Sayid then shoots and kills her in return. Sayid appears sad and looks down to see Elsa is wearing a bracelet. The bracelet is similar to the one Naomi was wearing on island.

Later Sayid stumbles into a veterinary office or a kennel. He walks over to an operating room and someone tells him to take off his jacket. Sayid obeys. The camera then shows that the man working on Sayid is Ben. Sayid seems sad about what transpired and Ben tells him “these people don’t deserve our sympathies”. Ben tells Sayid that he has another person for Sayid’s list. Sayid says they will know he is coming. Ben says “good”.

Questions and Comments:

- Daniel’s experiment showed a time difference between the island and real world. What does this mean for the losties time on island?

- Why did Jacob’s cabin move? Is it because only a few people can see it and him?

- Is Sayid an assassin for Ben?

- The golf course that Sayid was playing at looked like the island to me.

- Is Naomi’s bracelet the same as Elsa’s? Does this mean Naomi and Elsa were working for the same people?

- Who is RG (name on the bracelet)?

- Who else is on Sayid’s list? Why is Ben having Sayid assassinate these people?

- How did Ben convince Sayid to work for him?

- We now know one more of the Oceanic 6, Sayid. Who will be next???

Tonight’s episode was good but there are still too many questions! This episode included flash-forwards on all four of the “rescue team”. Daniel, the physicist is seen watching a news report covering the discovery of Oceanic 815 at the bottom of the Sunda Trench (wherever the heck that is). As he is watching he begins to cry. Charlotte is an anthropologist working in Tunisia. While in the desert Charlotte pays off a man to allow her access to the remains of a polar bear (in the desert!!). While excavating she finds a Dharma collar on the bear. She seems very excited about her discovery. Frank is watching television while the wreckage of 815 is shown. He calls the hotline to tell them that the pilot listed really isn’t the person they found. He knows this because he was supposed to be the pilot for flight 815. Frank is also the person who pilots the helicopter successfully onto the island to supposedly rescue the losties. Miles is a ghost hunter or exorcist (maybe) who is shown exorcising a ghost of a woman’s grandson from his bedroom. Why are these four people, all with different professions hired by Matthew Abbadon to complete a mission on the island? What exactly is their mission? And why was Naomi the person hired to help keep them in line?

What is the relevance of these four cities/places? Essex, Massachusetts; Inglewood, California, Tunisia and Bahamas

So why is the team of four looking for Ben? Why do they need an anthropologist, a ghost hunter, a physicist and a drunk (the pilot)? What do they want from him? Who does Ben have on their freighter working for him? Where is the freighter?

Do you think that there was a dharma station in Tunisia? Is that why there was a polar bear in the desert? Are all of the polar bears on the island marked with a dharma collar? If so are they tracked somehow?

Why was there a cow, with a bell, on the island?

Last week at work during our Lost discussion a coworker thought Naomi’s sentence “tell my sister I love her” was a code. Turns out she was right!! Nice job, Colleen.

Next week another of the Oceanic 6 will be revealed… I wonder who it will be!

So it finally arrived, the first episode of the new season of Lost! Its only been a few minutes since the episode actually ended and I’m already excited for next week. Of course, there are lots of questions that won’t be answered until sometime during the season. I can only hope that the writer strike doesn’t leave us after 8 episodes with too many questions. Please, please come up with an agreement so that Lost fans don’t have to wait until next year!!

When the episode starts we see Hurley in a high-speed chase being pursued by the police. Hurley finally stops his Camaro, gets out of his car, holds up his hands and tells the police that he is one of the oceanic six (more on this later). While at the police station Ana Lucia’s old partner asks Hurley what he was running away from earlier in the day. Hurley had been at a convenient store before the chase and saw something that freaked him out. Hurley didn’t reveal to the police officer what he saw. The police officer went out for a donut (hello, stereotype). While waiting for the officer to return Hurley looks into the one way mirror and has a vision of Charlie in what appears to be his last minutes in the Looking Glass Station, right before he dies. The glass breaks and water comes crashing into Hurley. Hurley is freaked out and screams for the police officer to come back. When he does the officer asks Hurley if he needs to be psychiatrically hospitalized. Hurley is thrilled, hugs him and agrees to hospitalization.

Hurley eventually makes it back to the Santa Rosa hospital (by the way did you notice when he was outside he was drawing an igloo and Eskimo? Was his picture significant? Why were there mountains behind the hospital? It looked like the island to me.). A little while later Charlie arrives. Charlie admits to Hurley that he is dead but that he has something to tell Hurley. Hurley doesn’t want to hear it closes his eyes and counts to five. When he opens his eyes Charlie is gone again. What message did Charlie want to give to Hurley? Later Hurley is playing basketball and Jack comes to visit. Jack looks great. He is clean-shaven and tells Hurley that he is back to work. He leaves out the fact that he was drinking very strong screwdrivers (orange juice and vodka) the day that Hurley was arrested. Jack tells Hurley that he wanted to check in on him. Hurley thinks Jack is trying to make sure he keeps his mouth shut (What does Jack want Hurley to keep quiet about?). Jack decides to leave and Hurley apologizes for going with Locke before they left the island. Jack accepts his apology and then leaves.

On island we are taken right back to where we left off when last season’s episode ended. Naomi doesn’t die right away even though Locke throws a knife through her back. The losties think Naomi is dead but somehow she sneaks away while no one is paying attention (no one but Ben). Jack connects with someone on Naomi’s ship and is told that rescue is on its way. Everyone is excited except for Ben who tells Jack he has one last chance to save everyone on the island. Jack decides to take everyone back to the beach so that rescue is easier. Before he does, he decides to find Naomi. Kate believes that Naomi is trying to trick them and has left two trails of blood to follow, Jack doesn’t think so and follows the wrong trail of blood. Smart Kate steals the telephone from Jack when they hug and proceeds down the correct path of blood. Eventually Kate finds Naomi. Naomi is in bad shape and is on the verge of death. Naomi fixes the frequency so that her fellow shipmates can find the island and tells her friends that she had an accident upon arrival at the island. She does not tell her friends that Locke caused her death. Naomi then dies and Kate returns with the phone back to Jack and the other losties. Jack speaks with someone on Naomi’s boat again and they assure Jack that rescue is on its way.

While this is happening Desmond returns to the beach to find Hurley, Bernard, Sawyer and Jin. He tells them the news that Charlie has drowned while trying to save everyone on the island. Desmond also tells of the note Charlie wrote on his hand before his early demise (I’ll miss you Charlie and so will Claire and Aaron). The note, “Not Penny’s Boat”, makes everyone question who is on their way to save them. They decide to trek back to the tower where Jack and the rest of the losties are to tell them the news. Hurley gets lost along the way and ends up at Jacob’s house. He looks in and see’s Jacob’s rocking chair rocking. An eye (Locke’s, I believe) then pops up and stares him directly in the eye. Hurley freaks, thinks he is hallucinating closes his eye and tries to wish the vision away. When he opens his eyes Locke is there. Hurley tells Locke about the note Charlie wrote on his hand and Locke convinces Hurley that they are all in danger. Hurley and Locke find their way to where Jack and the other losties are waiting for rescue. Jack and Locke plead their cases. Some people fearing what these new people might do go with Locke to the barracks. The rest stay with Jack and Kate.

Before the episode ends Jack and Kate are talking. It is raining heavily and Kate believes the thunder is getting louder. Jack hears something different and looks into the sky. There is a helicopter and a man parachutes to the ground. The man takes off his hat and asks, “are you Jack?”

Questions and Comments:
- Why doesn’t Hurley admit to the police officer that he knows Ana Lucia?

- Who is coming to the island?

- Where is Penny? Will her crew finally find the island?

- Who did Hurley see in Jacobs cabin? Was it just Locke like I suspect or someone else?

- The Oceanic 6: so far we know three but who else gets off the island?

1. Jack
2. Kate
3. Hurley
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?

If only these six people get off the island are the rest still on island? Have they been killed as Ben stated they would be (during the final episode of last season Ben said that everyone on the island would die)?

PS. I did not wait up to see the special announcement from Oceanic Airlines on the new show Eli Stone. Did anyone catch it and was it important?