Lost

[Hohenheim]

That was a great episode!!!

Some thoughts:

[spoiler]What happened to make Desmond so....what's the word......cooperative? Was this like the swan hatch, where the explosion thrusted him into an alternate timeline, or was he sent there but his 'Lost' memories were erased? Did alterna-Des end up in the Lost universe while Lost Des ended up in the sideways universe? Sooo confusing. In any case, I get the feeling Desmond will play a big role now in both the main timeline and the alternate one. [/spoiler]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

[spoiler]Oh definitely. Personally, I think Island Des is just going along with whoever happens to have the capacity to kill him at the moment. and yet, he clearly knows more about what's going on than knowledge of the other timeline alone would explain. At least, that's the impression I got. Then again, we didn't really get much time to form impressions, did we?

Oh hey, was anyone else REALLY worried that Desmond would get shot as soon as he got back in the limo? Somehow, it really felt like the scene was leading up to that, and I would NOT have been happy if that was the case.[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

So guys. This is SO COOL. XD

http://lostundergroundartshow.blogspot.com/

These are all pieces from a Lost art show that happened a few months ago. There's some really cool stuff in here! XD

[Hohenheim]

So I just saw the latest episode.

[spoiler] So the stuff about Hurley was admittedly nice, but I felt it did little to advance the plot. However, I do think that Desmond's role in things is beginning to pick up. For starters, it looks like MIB doesn't like him. I personally think that its because MIB knows he can't manipulate him, realizing that Desmond isn't afraid. Well, there is that, and I am curious about how the guys are going to stop MIB if they can't blow up the plane.[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

AAAHHHH DESMOND I LOVE YOU.

[SPOILER]fLJFKLDSJSDLKGJLS TAKE THAT SMOKEY. BEST LOST SCENE EVER, OR BEST LOST SCENE EVER? XDD I feel like I'm saying that a LOT about these recent episodes...XD Anyways!


I'm so glad that we finally know what the whispers are! A lot of the online translations actually kind of make sense now. XD And I LOVED that we got to see more of Hurley and Libby. They answered SO MANY of my questions about Libby tonight, about why she may've been in the mental ward, and I'm SO glad they didn't forget about her! I've had some burning questions about her since they first showed her in the institution in season 2. XD I also thought it was really nice that she and Hurley got to have their picnic on the beach after all, and I'm further fascinated by how Desmond is now pulling people together in the other world.

AND SPEAKING OF DESMOND. AAAHHH. I was so worried that he was going to die for the entire episode, because I don't trust Smokey, Desmond is going to suit Widmore's needs, and Des was wearing a red shirt (and we all know how the writers feel about red shirts XD). According to the "next time on Lost" that shows up after the episode ends, it looks like he's still alive, which is good. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE RAN OVER SIDEWAYS LOCKE WITH HIS CAR. Do you know what that says to me? That says to me that Sideways Locke COULD be Smokey, and Desmond knows it, because Desmond knows everything. AAH. So cool. XDD

Other interesting things to consider: was the little boy FLocke and Desmond saw tonight the same little boy we saw when FLocke and Richard saw it? Could one be Jacob and one be the MIB? Interestingggg![/SPOILER]

Can't say much more at the moment, 'cause I've got homework to look into, but MAN. What a satisfying episode. XD

[rocklobster]

[spoiler]There's only one thing wrong with your crazy theory. I don't think sideways Locke is wearing black. Doesn't FLocke wear black?[/spoiler]

[Whitefang]

[Spoiler]I'm fairly confident that sideways Locke is not the MiB. I think Desmond has figured out that he's now traveling between the two worlds, and he probably figured that either Locke was evil, or he was just getting revenge and ignoring his mission. (Though since Desmond does seem to know everything, he's probably trying to set up a meeting with Sawyer to get him interested in Kate, while killing Locke at the same time. I suspect Desmond is supposed to get the candidates together? I can't help but wonder if Smokey was released in the alternate timeline, though I would expect the world to be full of misery instead of seemingly marginal differences.)

Hopefully next week's episode continues to answer more questions![/Spoiler]

[Cognitive Gear]

[spoiler]So...

Alternate world Locke has near death experience. I am extremely interested in how he will react, and if he will get some of FLocke's memories as well or not. Either way, I am excited for all of the crazy possibilities that this presents.

Desmond isn't dead, but I really want to know why Smokey only threw him in the well as opposed to flat out killing him. Does Smokey have a use for Des? Does Smokey not have the ability to kill Des?

I also really enjoyed getting a straightforward answer about the whispers, which in itself also told us something about the Island. I think that I will need to re-watch the whole series when this is over, just to see how these little explanations change the way I watch the early episodes.

More thoughts later as I have time to think about other pieces of the episode.[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

OH MY GOSH MIND EXPLOSION.

Remember this Doc Jensen theory I posted earlier? And the short version if you don't feel like reading the whole thing:

[SPOILER]Jacob is going to be resurrected, possibly as John Locke, at the end of the series. And the series has been set up in such a way that there will be three days between when Jacob was killed and when he will be resurrected. Also interesting to note: the sky turned dark after Jacob died.[/SPOILER]

Long version that will make so much more sense:

[SPOILER]Remember earlier when I talked about how Saul saw Jesus, was blinded with scales, and then three days later the scales fell off and he could see clearly again? From that day forward, Saul became a new creation. He called himself Paul. Now, check this out. Remember before the season began, when ABC released a trio of images that had the cast of Lost replicating Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper? According to tradition, Jesus’ final meal with his disciples occurred on Thursday evening. The next day, on ’'Good Friday,’' Christ was crucified. Jesus was taken off the cross at sundown (although it had been oddly dark all day) and placed into a tomb. From there, the Christian messiah, God’s only begotten son, is said to have descended into hell to give Satan the finger. Sundown. Son Down. Now, think back to the season premiere, ’'LA X.’' The castaways arrived back on the Island in the evening. Last night’s episode was the first time we’ve seen evening on the Island since then, and based on what we’ve seen, I think it’s safe to say that only one day has passed since Team Jughead was uploaded to Island 2007. Oh, and in case you weren’t keeping track, Lost’s last season is now one-third complete. Six hours of Lost 6.0 = 1 day on the Island. 18 hours on Lost 6.0 = 3 days. If we say that ’'LA X’' was Maundy Thursday, and if ’'Sundown’' was Good Friday, then will the show’s final hour be... Easter Sunday. And you know what happened on Easter? Resurrection. I’m telling you, folks, Alpha, the god of beginnings is coming back to balance the scales, but this time he’ll be wearing a whole new body, because he’s going to be a whole new creation: the resurrected John Locke.[/SPOILER]

So what I just found out?

[SPOILER]Lost's final episode will be airing May 23rd. Which is significant not only because it's the number 23 (which correlates to Jack, remember--who I personally think is in line to be THE candidate to take Jacob's place), but also because it's a SUNDAY. And what happened on Easter Sunday? Jesus's resurrection. And we all know how Lost likes to use the calendar to its benefit--remember, season one premiered on Sept. 22nd of 2004, which is when the flight is documented as crashing. I'm telling you guys, Jensen's theory is totally right. XD Jacob is definitely going to come back to life in the season finale. XD[/SPOILER]

AAAHH. So fascinating! XD

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

My thoughts on + recap of episode 6.11 - Happily Ever After:

The title is reminiscent of the conclusion of numerous fairy tales: '...and they lived happily ever after'. We know that in the fallen world we live in there isn't such a thing, at least not until Jesus returns for his people. In the mean time, we imagine the people in the fairy tales may (at the very least) have had some disagreements, not unlike Shasta and Aravis' relationship. The 'happily ever after' ending to a fairytale suggests a conclusion that disregards the pain and suffering of the human condition. It suggests a manufactured reality. Given what happens in this episode, the title is highly appropriate.


[spoiler]Hydra Island - Widmore has captured Desmond, probably where Des was shot following Ben's attack on Penny at the docks (Season 5). He says that he brought Des to the Island and will require a great sacrifice from him. Jin and Zoe pass a big wooden planked room on the way to the Generator Room. I don't think we've seen this room in the series before (but the staircase, or one like it) was seen in the LOST: Missing Pieces, 'Room 23' episode, where Juliet and Ben talk about Walt being too dangerous for them.
Widmore's crew prepare to do tests on Des. There's talk of EM fields (likely electromagnetic fields) and solenoids. One of Widmore's people, Simmons is fried in a freak accident as he tests the radiation levels of the solenoids. These solenoids look something like the electromagnetic coils of the Hadron Collider machine (I had to look up the name). This machine was/is being used by CERN scientists to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang.
Des is taken to the room with the solenoids. Widmore's crew ask Des if he has any metal objects on him. I guess they'd short-circuit the machine, or worse. Widmore pleas with Desmond to sacrifice something, otherwise everyone he loves will cease to exist. Jin wants to know why they need Des and Widmore tells him that he's the only person they know that has survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event (referring to the Swan hatch explosion in the Season 2 finale). He wishes to test him again, to see if he can survive something similar before he sacrifices something, or they will all die. This is crazy! Something big is going down on the Island. I'm guessing it involves Desmond, Smokey and large amounts of electromagnetic energy. The solenoids are turned on, they and Des burn with an intense white light, more powerful but reminiscent of the Swan hatch explosion and the Frozen Donkey Wheel, when it was used to skip through time (not unlike a scene in the graphic novel, Watchmen, where the scientist becomes Dr. Manhattan). What's going on here? Will Desmond be transported through time?

No.
He's floating through the clouds. Dead?
No.
Desmond is in the sideways reality, at the LA X airport!
Des continues the mirror motif by staring at his reflection at the Oceanic Airlines flight times. He encounters Hurley, then Claire. He doesn't seem to recognise him, either do they.
George Mikowski meets Des at the airport. He's his driver and go-to-guy. Mikowski was one of the crew on-board Widmore's freighter (Season 4). In this reality Des is single and works for Widmore. He has Widmore's approval. We discover Daniel Faraday is a musician and that Widmore's wife (Eloise Hawking?) is putting on a charity ball combo - dinner and classic/rock music - Drive Shaft (Daniel's choice). Widmore asks Des to baby-sit Charlie, leading up to the event. He goes to pick up Charlie but he seems to have a death-wish. They talk at a pub about love. Charlie describes 'spectacular conscious-altering love' and asks Des if he's ever experienced it. Charlie comes across a bit crazy. He tells Des that on Oceanic 815 he wasn't trying to kill himself, he was trying to hide his drug stash from the officer with Kate. Charlie says that while he was losing consciousness, after choking on the heroin, he saw a rapturously beautiful blonde woman and it seemed to him that he knew and had shared a life with her. Crazy. I think he's talking about Claire and that he remembers life on the Island. He says he's seen the truth.
In this reality Drive Shaft are hugely successful. Charlie wants Desmond to see the truth, so in a moment of madness, he wrestles the steering wheel away and drives the car into the ocean. The car sinks beneath the waters, while Des tries to escape and Charlie stays put. Des tries to save Charlie from drowning but Charlie doesn't let him in and places his outstretched hand against the car window. Desmond has flashing memories of his life on the Island when Charlie sacrificed himself for the Losties. The Island reality is bleeding more and more into the sideways reality.
Charlie knows the truth! Desmond gets an MRI scan at the hospital and the operator asks him to remove any metal objects he has on him, just like Widmore's lackey did in the Island reality before tying him to a chair between two solenoids. In the MRI machine, Des has more memories of his life in the Island reality, of Penny and Charlie (both his friend and his son). Des searches the hospital, talks to Jack, finds Charlie and gives chase. They talk and Charlie realises Des has had the same epiphany he had.
Desmond meets Eloise Widmore (nice hair) ask she and others prepare for her charity ball. She seems to recognise him for a fleeting moment and seems startled that he's there but she quickly hides her annoyance and shock and pretends to not have met him before. Des recognises Penny's name of the charity guest list. Eloise notices and changes her demeanour, she's very displeased that he remembers something of the Island reality and tells him that it's a violation (of what? the rules?) and that he should stop looking and be satisfied with his life. She tells him that he's not ready yet. Not ready for what? Des meets Daniel Widmore (I guess he's not Faraday because he's not a physicist in this reality). Daniel talks to Des about love and that he saw a red-haired woman in the museum and felt that he had loved her before. He's most likely referring to Charlotte!
Daniel has some memories of his Island reality life as a physicist, judging by the quantum mechanics scribbles in his notebook. He talks about the Incident (Season 5) and that he feels he's already set off a nuclear bomb that changed their paths. It was a hydrogen bomb but he was close. Daniel remarks that he believes this wasn't meant to be the life they lived.
Desmond meets Penny at the same stadium he met Jack at in the Island reality (Season 2). They shake hands and he faints.

Hydra Island - Desmond comes too and find he's still alive. Widmore and his crew are shocked but pleased that he's unharmed. Des now has purpose, vision, life and hope. He looks like he has a spiritual glow about him. Sayid arrives and kills several of Widmore's men, tells Zoe to run and asks Des to come with him. Des isn't fussed and follows.

LAX - Desmond comes too. Penny seems to have some distant memory of having met Des, who asks her out for coffee. Desmond has found LOVE! He asks George to get him the flight manifest from Oceanic 815, because he has something he wants to show his fellow passengers. I got a very Matrix-like vibe from this scene (Neo revealing to the Matrix inhabitants that they're enslaved in a manufactured reality and are living a lie). Penny and Des will head out for coffee. I wonder if Juliet and Sawyer will be there? I wonder if the Losties will have one giant coffee club reunion?

Additional thoughts/comments:
Widmore's talk with Desmond in the Island reality suggests there are two time-lines, one Island, one LA X. The Island reality includes life away from it, it's just that Season 6 has dealt with the sideways reality. If this is true that means we don't have the ALT-Widmore coming to the Island and that the Losties may be able to return to their real lives. I hope that's the case. If so, that's a huge relief.

This episode had a definite Matrix-vibe. The sideways reality seems more and more to me to be a manufactured reality (a purgatory of sorts) created from the promises of Smokey to the candidates, that of a life were a person seems to get their hearts desire but has no real life, soul. There is no truth. There is no unconditional love (because Smokey does not know the meaning of love). It seems that Des has the life he's always dreamed of and Widmore and Eloise etc. try to convince him of that. But what if that's not happiness but rather a method to pacify Des in this reality? To prevent him from recognising the truth? To prevent him from fighting back against Smokey and his constructed reality by convincing him that he should give up the struggle and just live the life he has been given? Just food for thought.

Also, Desmond may just be Jacob's loophole. If he can get Widmore to convince Des to his side, then the six candidates will join the wild card and do battle with Smokey. Remember that the number 6 is incomplete and that 7 denotes 'holiness' or 'completeness'? I wonder what happens if Desmond joins the MIB's side?[/spoiler]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

ACK! I'm about to be left behind by the conversation!

[spoiler]So, here's the big thing I noticed (which I don't THINK any of you mentioned yet, but it was a lot to read over): the three main people in Sideways world we've seen have memories of The Island are Charlie, Libby, and Faraday. All of whom are DEAD on The Island. Sure, Des and Hurley are remembering too, but only after having contact with one of the "dead" folks. What does this mean? ...darned if I know, but I have to wonder how it factors in with Sideways Locke's brush with a bumper. After all, he's the one dead main character we've seen in Sideways world who DOESN'T seem to remember anything yet. Charlie said it was his near-death experience that triggered his memories, so could that be what Des is trying to do here?[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

ACK! I'm about to be left behind by the conversation!

[spoiler]So, here's the big thing I noticed (which I don't THINK any of you mentioned yet, but it was a lot to read over): the three main people in Sideways world we've seen have memories of The Island are Charlie, Libby, and Faraday. All of whom are DEAD on The Island. Sure, Des and Hurley are remembering too, but only after having contact with one of the "dead" folks. What does this mean? ...darned if I know, but I have to wonder how it factors in with Sideways Locke's brush with a bumper. After all, he's the one dead main character we've seen in Sideways world who DOESN'T seem to remember anything yet. Charlie said it was his near-death experience that triggered his memories, so could that be what Des is trying to do here?[/spoiler]

[SPOILER]I'm not so sure about that, actually. Remember back in...either the first episode of this season, or the "What Kate Does" episode, when Kate saw a glimpse of Jack while in the taxi cab and kind of got a weird look on her face? My theory is that when people see (or are jolted into seeing) people on the Island who are/were important to them, they have a flashback like the one Faraday and Charlie and Libby described. I think it may be something that happens to all, or at least most, of the characters, be they alive or dead. We'll see though![/spoiler]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

[spoiler]Yeah, I realized after I'd posted that I left out the fact that all the characters in question were also in wuv. However, Jack and Kate's brief glances don't seem anywhere near as big a deal as the full on flashbacks that other people were getting, so it could still be that personal connections aren't the only factor at work.[/spoiler]

[Cognitive Gear]

I'm starting to hear reports that the Lost finale is being spoiled through comments on Lost fan websites and facebook status updates. Be careful out there! I'll still be on facebook, but when it comes to any and all Lost fan websites:

Technically this is a Lost season 4 spoiler

[Tommy]

I must say, I'm really interested at how this season has been going.

Most people say it's been lacking for a Lost season and I slightly agree but I have hope the finale.
The anticipation is building up and I'm super interested to see what happens.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The last season has been very good, it's just a lot slower-paced than some of the other seasons (and it seems even slower because we expect lots of answers and amazing revelations).
Reports on the DarkUFO Spoilers website indicate an average rating of 9.5/10 for the Season 6 finale (rated by the few people who've read the scripts) and that's without the inclusion of the secret scenes. I have faith that the writers have created something very special for us.

[Radical Dreamer]

HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS.

[SPOILER]SUN. JIN. SAYID. LAPEDIS(?). OMGGGGGGG I AM SO SAD.

So FLocke is officially pinpointed as evil. According to Team Darlton, everything he's been doing up until this point was to try and kill off all of the candidates in one fell swoop, lest he kill one and have the others find out about what he's doing. I knew Smokey was evil ever since he had Ben kill Jacob, but MAN. I was not expecting tonight's episode to turn out like this!

Also Kate was SHOT. HOORAY.

Also, next week is going to be Jacob/Man-in-Black-centric. OMG GET SO STOKED.[/SPOILER]

That's all I have to say tonight; my brain is fried. XD Here's a link to Doc Jensen's instant reaction to tonight's episode. XD

[Hohenheim]

[Spoiler]I honestly didn't see Smokey trying to kill all of the candidates. I did, however, get what Jack had been saying about the bomb, and how if Sawyer left it alone everyone would be fine. It all has to do with those weird kids that keep showing up wherever Smokey goes, I just know it. Plus, I remember one of the kids saying to him something along the lines of "You broke the rules." So I guess it is a new episode next week, and then a 2-hour season finale.

Also, I must say I am sad that Sayid, Sun, and Jin died. I think that somehow Lapedis got out of there, and that a portion of the next episode might explain what happened to him, but I'm not sure. I could be wrong about it.[/Spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

ASDF.

[SPOILER]What John Locke said. And what Jack said as Locke rolled away at the end of the episode.

"I wish you had believed me."

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y185/RurouniKaoru/JL.jpg

FAMILIAR?? I THINK SO.[/SPOILER]

EDIT:

In addition to the above line, have you guys noticed the similar lines that are still being thrown around this season? For instance,

[SPOILER]"I hope you find what you're looking for." -- This episode, it was Bernard saying it to Jack; in season 3, I believe, Kate said it to Jack.

"What happened, happened." -- Variations of this have been said all throughout the show since season 4, but last night Jack said it to John Locke.

"Why can't that be enough?" "Because it's not." -- This episode, Helen said it to Jack in regards to John's accident; in the past, Christian Shephard said it to Jack when he was trying to convince Jack that nothing was happening between him and Sarah.

So how do you guys think these lines are significant (or am I just grasping at straws? XD)? I think they at least are significant on a character development level--in each world, the same lines are spoken, but the way they're delivered or received by each character has something to say about that character's development, I think.[/SPOILER]

Anyways! Thoughts?

EDIT II:

Also, here's Doc Jensen's recap article on last night's episode, for those of you interested in reading it!

EDIT III:

Just finished Doc Jensen's article, and while he made a lot of really interesting points, I think his most interesting connection (that I can remember, at least XD) was this:

[SPOILER]

[SPOILER]And I didn't even give you my theories about the significance of Dr. Bernard's prosthetic teeth (false teeth: a dream symbol for insincerity and insecurity]

I think that's a fascinating connection to make, given John Locke's "don't tell me what I can't do" mentality. I never thought about comparing Locke to Icarus before, but the parallels in their personalities are really interesting! Also, something my mom just pointed out: in the Sideways world, a plane crash paralyzed Locke, but in the Island world, a plane crash is what healed him. Very interesting![/SPOILER]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Well THAT was an eventful bit of TV, wasn't it?

[spoiler]I was genuinely surprised at how many people died in this episodes. I mean, I fully expected ONE of the Kwons to dies, but not BOTH of 'em. I have to say, though, I'm having trouble buying that Lapedis is dead too. Partially because they didn't play up his getting bashed by the door the way the three obvious deaths were done, but mainly because Lapedis just hasn't DONE anything yet. All season he's just sort of been hanging around, so it seems like he'd get at least one moment to justify his presence before offing him... or maybe that's just wishful thinking, since I really like (liked?) Lapedis... Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Also, did anyone else think Sideways-Bernard was weirdly creepy?[/spoiler]

[Cognitive Gear]

I just wanted to point all of my fellow Lost fans to LOST Slapdown: Muppets. Yes, it involves both LOST and The Muppets. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds.

[Radical Dreamer]

Oh.

My gosh.

"Hey, by the way, I really loved you in Arrested Development."

"...I am not...David Cross."

"Hah, yeah, okay."


That is an AMAZING find. XDDD

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Ha, ha! Loved the Slapdown.


Epic spoilers for the upcoming episode 6.15 - [spoiler]Across the Sea[/spoiler] (you've been warned)

Promo and Sneak Peek #1:
The first has one revealing scene, the second has about 30 seconds of the episode
http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/05/05/lost-episode-615-sneak-peek-ctv-promo/

Sneak Peek #2
Again, another extremely revealing 30 second scene.
http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/05/05/lost-episode-615-sneak-peek-2/

Reports have said that this episode will be set in [spoiler]23AD and 43AD[/spoiler] and that the majority of time will be spent on a flashback, but there will also be three regular characters in a scene showing that the writers had pre-planned important elements of the story from the very beginning. I'm guessing we'll catch up with Miles, Richard and Ben and see what they're up too. What I'd love to see though, is Jack, Kate and Charlie in the cockpit of the plane (from the Pilot, Part 1 - Season 1) and see what happens from outside the plane. Adversely, that could easily destroy the mystery of Smokey's first arrival.

My thoughts on + recap of episode 6.14 - The Candidate:


[spoiler]LA X - Jack stands over Locke in his hospital bed. For a moment, Locke seems to recognise him and let's just say I don't think he's remembering something from this reality. Jack tells Locke, 'John, I think you're a candidate'. Wow. A flash of recognition from Locke, longer this time. Nope. Sorry. False alarm. He's not a candidate on the Island but a candidate for a new operating procedure.

Island - Our Lostie friends are taken by Widmore's crew to our beloved polar bear cages. No matter what people think of the cage episodes, you have to agree that the Hydra Station is pretty awesome. The cages are surrounded by numerous transportable sonic pylons to keep Smokey at bay. But they don't have the generator up and running just yet. We discover Widmore has a list with the candidates names (Jacob's list?)

LA X - Jack wishes to help Locke by performing surgery, so he decides to stick his nose into Locke's business. He visits his doctor, Bernard Nadler. Awesome! It's great to see Bernard actually practising his profession. Granted Jack was being a bit nosey, but Bernard still came off a bit creepy in his Oracle (Matrix) like state-of-being.

Island - The MIB is royally peeved that the other Losties have abandoned him (although I'm pretty sure he realised that they'd do it at some point - he's not stupid). He tells Jack that he could kill them all, but he won't, he wishes to save them from Widmore. Doc Jensen in his Entertainment Weekly column (Totally LOST) suggests that the MIB can kill the candidates himself, but that if he does so, it violates the rules of the Island and prevents him from ever leaving. On the other hand, if he indirectly gets them to kill each other, that's another story. I quite like this theory and it seems perfectly reasonable at this stage.

Sawyer tells Kate that her name was on the wall (it was about time the show addressed that cinematography mishap) but that it was crossed out and she's no longer a candidate. I wonder if this means that she will become a variable, a wild-card of sorts. Still, I hope it's Desmond. He's a more compelling character but then again, we want him to be reunited with Penny and little Charlie.
Sun and Jin have a lovely little moment in the cages, involving Jin's wedding ring and talk of their daughter Ji Yeon. Beautiful and heart-warming. It certainly makes up for the underwhelming reunion last week (maybe it was planned that way - phase 2 of the reunion).

The power goes out, Stormy roars through the base and kills several guards. He looks amazing in this scene (almost his old self). There's a deadly but graceful quality to his movements, something similar to how I imagine a Chinese dragon might glide through the air.
Frank has a hero moment as he tries to kick down the door, but this isn't a Burt Reynolds movie. Jack appears and rescues them all. He tells them that he's with 'Locke'. They go to meet up with him.

LA X - Jack continues to be nosy and visits Anthony Cooper, who is in a catatonic state following an accident. Jack discovers Cooper is Locke's dad. Cooper was a real mongrel but here I almost feel sorry for the man. Almost.

Island - The MIB takes on Widmore's guards, surrounding the Ajira plane. He removes a watch from one of them and pockets it. ? The MIB climbs inside and finds something hidden in one of the compartments. What is it? The Losties arrive at the Ajira, joyful to be almost of the Island, but no such luck. The MIB emerges from the plane and convinces them that Widmore was trying to blow up the plane with them aboard; then he produces a slab of C4 explosives from his backpack to seal the deal. The MIB makes new plans, for them to all make for the submarine, so they can leave the Island. Sawyer's had this plan for awhile. He's been conning the MIB and gets Jack in on his plan. He wants Jack to push the MIB into the water, so in the confusion, they can escape via the submarine.

LA X - Asleep in his hospital bed, Locke mumbles about pushing a button and wishing Jack had believed him. These are two obvious references to events that happened in the Island reality. They're really bleeding together now! Claire meets up with Jack and they talk about their father. It's a great moment for the two of them.[/spoiler]

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

continued...

[spoiler]Island - The Losties make it to the shore where the submarine is but they lie low, so they're not shot by Widmore's crew. The coast is presumably clear, so some of the Losties climb aboard the submarine and take control. The others follow suit and the MIB stays long enough to make a switcheroo with his and Jack's identical backpacks (I didn't notice it the first time, so what happens next was even stranger). Jack talks to the MIB, as they make for the submarine pier. The MIB pleads with Jack to leave the Island with them but Jack won't have any of it. The MIB tells Jack that whoever told him that, was stupid. Jack replies that it was John Locke and pushes the MIB into the water. All hell breaks loose and Widmore's guards ambush the pier. They shoot Kate - dead? Wow. No, not quite. Kate's never been a favourite of mine but I've never hated her. It must've taken some guts for the writer's to harm her. The rest of the Losties manage to make it to the submarine and it dives beneath the waters as a distraught Claire watches on.

Below the surface, Jack searches for some clothes to stop Kate's bleeding. He digs into the backpack and finds - explosives! The C4 comes complete with a watch (so that's why the MIB needed the watch). The bomb counts down the minutes and seconds, Jack and the others watch in horror. They try to surface but there's not enough time! Jack comes to the realisation that the MIB long conned them all and that they'd fallen into his mousetrap. Jack believes that the MIB can't kill them, just that he wants them to kill each other. Some aren't convinced, especially Sawyer. It's a really tense moment. Here we have two rivals facing each other off in a life and death situation. It's like the hatch button situation in Season 2, with Jack and Locke, only inverted and deadlier (sort of). Jack believes that nothing will happen if they leave the bomb as is - he's a man of faith now. Sawyer is still the sceptic and believes they should pull the wires to stop the bomb. Sawyer pulls the wires and the timer counts down even more quickly! Oh no! Pulling the wires out doesn't slow and then stop the bomb, but activates it!

Being a military man, Sayid tells them that there's nothing for it, but that there's a well on the Island, with Desmond in it and they have to rescue him. He suggests that Jack is the candidate!, picks up the bomb and dashes away. He runs for all he's worth but the explosives detonate, Sayid is killed and chaos reigns. Great moment! Zombie Sayid has been redeemed and saved others. I liked Sayid for the first few seasons but later didn't. This moment justified his character for me. Very sad. Frank Lapidus follows suite, when he's killed by a flying submarine door as the water fills the submarine.

Sun is trapped beneath some wreckage and Jin comes to her rescue, so do the others but they can't remove it and they're running out of time. Tough decisions follow. Hurley takes an injured Kate to the surface and Jin convinces Jack to take an injured and unconscious Sawyer and leave them. Jack grabs the only remaining oxygen tank and leaves with Sawyer in tow. Sun and Jin remain.

Jin still can't free Sun, so he decides to stay with her, so they can die together. Beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking. Some fans have said that Jin is a selfish mongrel for not trying to swim to safety, so Ji Yeon has at least one parent, but think about it. There are no more oxygen tanks on the submarine and they're going down fast. Water is filling the cabins and time is running out. Even if he wished to escape, he wouldn't make it alive. Better to live his last few moments with his wife, than die alone. Live together, die alone. I was shaking throughout the sub-explosion and aftermath scenes (probably came from trying to hold in my emotions). I did get a bit teary though. Sun and Jin were never my favourite characters (although I enjoyed them quite a bit) but, like Sayid, they were with us from day one. I grew to love them as a married couple and watching their journey unravel. The (almost) last two seasons have relegated their importance to minor characters, which was saddening but inevitable. I wish they'd been treated better but at least their send-off as truly amazing.

LA X - Upon leaving the hospital, Locke encounters Jack and bypasses Jin on the way (yay! but how are they going to make us care for our favourite Losties on the Island, if they're still alive in the sideways reality? Please don't let it be an epilogue. Please let that reality be manufactured by Smokey. Jack tells Locke that he went to find his dad. Locke isn't pleased about this but finally reveals that he had a pilot's licence for one week and took his dad flying with him. They had a terrible crash, with terrible consequences. Jack tells Locke to let go of his guilt and pain. Locke replies that he doesn't find it easy. Jack confesses that he'd hoped Locke would help lead the way. Jack wants to help him regain his ability to walk, but Locke will have nothing to do with it. He leaves.

Island - If we didn't cry enough already, we do now. Hurley, Kate, Jack and Sawyer make it to the surface. They mourn their friend's deaths. It's absolutely heartbreaking, especially when Hurley began to weep. Jack walks into the waves and screams into the night.
Meanwhile, the MIB senses that the submarine has sunk and killed the Losties (but probably not all of them?). He retrieves Claire and they head back into the jungle - to finish what was started.

Epic.

Where they are now:
I can't remember where Ben, Miles and Richard are at the moment. I think I remember something about going to the Dharma Barracks to find explosives to destroy the Ajira plane. I don't think this is the last we've seen of them. It's certainly possible that Richard and Miles will be killed by Smokey and that Ben will rejoin the Losties.
Both Widmore and Smokey will hunt down the Losties.
Hurley, Kate and Jack will likely mourn their friend's deaths a while longer, then Sawyer will join in when he awakens. They will question everything. When they've collected themselves, they'll probably make for the well, rescue Desmond and then he'll give them A New Hope.[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

Ohmygosh.

SO MANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

[SPOILER]And so many more that have popped up, in true Lost fashion! XD Was it just me, or were the writers talking to the audience through the woman (I'll call her "Eve" for the sake of writing) when she said "if I answer your questions, you will only have more to ask"? XD

Anyways, as is always the case, I'm still full of questions. XD Why did MIB turn into the Smoke monster? Obviously it's because he went into the light, but I dunno. My currently standing theory is that the light comes between the Island and what the Island is acting like a cork to contain--all of the evil beneath it, apparently. So if he fell through that and into all of the evil beneath the Island, it's feasible that Smokey would come from that.

Still, what IS Smokey? And how many manifestations has he got? I have another theory that Eve WAS Smokey. She was very manipulative, killed in the same way Smokey kills (the people at the camp were not murdered by having rocks slammed over their heads, that's for sure), and was killed by the only way Dogen told Sayid that Smokey COULD be killed--stabbed, before she could talk.

That being the case, Smokey has now inhabited the body of the dead brother (referred to as "Adam" from here on out). My current theory on that is that Smokey overtook Adam's soul when he fell into the light, leaving his body as a shell and taking over the rest of him as the Smoke Monster. That's why he still wants to leave the Island, etc.

Also, is anyone else getting the feeling that Jacob and MIB are still pawns to a greater force? This whole time, we've thought the Others were at the top of the Island hierarchy, then Ben and Widmore, while everyone else was just a pawn, then Jacob and MIB, and now it looks like...Smokey vs. the Island? One of Lost's major themes is good vs. evil, and it seems like the hierarchy ladder keeps getting higher, while everything beneath it mirrors what's up top. An interesting thought, at least!

As for questions that were answered:

What the Island essentially is (in vague terms, anyways--this assumes Eve wasn't lying)
How Jacob and MIB are related
Why Jacob and MIB are at odds
Who Adam and Eve are[/SPOILER]

I have been thinking about this episode all night and my brain is fried. XD I'm done here! XD

[rocklobster]

[spoiler] I think the tunnel may have been an analog for the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. Granted, the tree didn't turn us evil, but it did open our eyes to it.[/spoiler]

[Cognitive Gear]

[spoiler]
I really like the "Eve as Smokey" theory. It really did feel like Eve was manipulating the two boys against each other, in hopes of either being killed or releasing smokey's true form.

But. This is what I like more if the former isn't the case:

What I really liked about this episode is the way that the show's endgame is a parallel to season 2. In season 2, we had the button. No one knew exactly what it did, just that pushing it apparently saved the world. Those that had faith wanted to keep pushing the button, and those that were skeptical wanted to just let it go. Here we are again, with a single task which requires faith: Keeping smokey on the Island prevents the world from ending. In both cases no one seems to know why or how this works, they just simply must accept it on faith.

I'm thinking that Smokey believes that leaving the Island will not end the world. While he lies about a lot of stuff, this episode really showed that his goal really is exactly what he says it is: To leave the Island. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he just simply believes that nothing will happen if he does leave.

Continuing this parallel, Locke was the one who pushed the button out of faith. He was "special". He was going to be the new guardian. But things have changed, and we now see that it was always meant to be Jack. Just like MiB and Jacob.

[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

[spoiler]
What I really liked about this episode is the way that the show's endgame is a parallel to season 2. In season 2, we had the button. No one knew exactly what it did, just that pushing it apparently saved the world. Those that had faith wanted to keep pushing the button, and those that were skeptical wanted to just let it go. Here we are again, with a single task which requires faith: Keeping smokey on the Island prevents the world from ending. In both cases no one seems to know why or how this works, they just simply must accept it on faith.

I'm thinking that Smokey believes that leaving the Island will not end the world. While he lies about a lot of stuff, this episode really showed that his goal really is exactly what he says it is: To leave the Island. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he just simply believes that nothing will happen if he does leave.

Continuing this parallel, Locke was the one who pushed the button out of faith. He was "special". He was going to be the new guardian. But things have changed, and we now see that it was always meant to be Jack. Just like MiB and Jacob.[/spoiler]

[SPOILER]Wow, I REALLY like that theory. The parallels that sort of theory draws are incredible, given that Smokey has now taken over Locke, the original "Man of Faith" who lost his faith back in season 2, when he stopped pushing the button. And back then, he turned out to be wrong. Suddenly I really want FLocke to have the same sort of "I was wrong" scene that Locke did back in season 2.

This also opens up new possibilities for Desmond's character, given the role he played when they stopped pushing the button. Maybe. I'll have to think about that some more. XD Good points, though![/SPOILER]

[Radical Dreamer]

Doubletoast!

Here's this week's Doc Jensen recap article!

Also, one more thing:

[SPOILER]Do you all think that Eve/Mother knew what would happen if someone entered the cave with the light because she had once entered it herself? This supports the "Mother was Smokey" theory, because had she entered the cave, she might've become Smokey. In fact, she may not have been corrupt at all if she was the Island Guardian prior to entering the cave. Thoughts?[/SPOILER]

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Radical Dreamer, I'm not sure but your theory sounds entirely plausible.


My thoughts on + recap of episode 6.15 - Across the Sea: Part One

[spoiler]I seriously don't understand why so many fans hated this episode. Yes, it was very different and low-key given the number of answers. Yes, the production values (props, CGI, costumes) were not as good as we were used too. Yes, it was late in the game to learn the mythological back-story, but for what it's worth, I thought it was good. And I enjoyed it far more the second time around.


The time period is several thousand years ago.
A woman wearing an ancient red dress surfaces in the ocean, amidst the wreckage of a ship. It seems she was on a ship but then a storm hit. The woman washes onto the shore of the Island. We discover she's heavily pregnant. Her arrival on the Island draws parallels to both Rousseau's and Claire's arrivals (there are many more mirrorings to these two women throughout the episode). The wounded woman meets another woman inland and they talk in Latin. The wild woman is something of a hermit; she live alone on the Island. She nurses her back to health. We discover that the woman in the red dress is named Claudia (she may be of Roman descent). The wild woman helps to deliver her baby. Claudia names the baby Jacob. She expects only one baby but another arrives. Both are boys, twins. The unknown baby doesn't receive a name. Jacob is a large, healthy looking baby, wrapped in white cloth, while No-Name is a smaller baby, who struggles in black cloth. Subtle. The fact that Jacob is given a name and No-Name doesn't, is significant. Names have power, so Jacob has the advantage over his brother simply because he has a name. No-Name on the other-hand, has no name to identify him; he's a lost soul.
The wild woman kills Claudia and raises the babies as her own. My thoughts are that she has been in the jungle for so long, that it's made her very lonely and jealous of Claudia. She probably kills the boys' mother because she wants to mould the boy into ways she sees fit.

Some years pass and No-Name grows up to become a teenager (from now on we'll call him BIB - Boy In Black). BIB finds a game in the sand. The counters are black and white stones. Very familiar-looking. The game is an ancient Egyptian game called Senet. Jacob plays the game with the BIB. The BIB doesn't want Mother to know about the game, Jacob promises he won't tell her. Back home, Mother weaves a tapestry not unlike Jacob's in The Incident (but with a more simple design). Jacobs seems naive and can't lie, so Mother eventually finds out about the game and goes off to talke to the BIB. We notice that Mother appears to favour the BIB over Jacob, perhaps because he shares similar traits to her. She calls him 'special' and announces that she left the game for him to discover, but is she telling the truth? The BIB wishes to know what's 'across the sea'. He hopes for a mysterious, unknown homeland. Mother convinces him that the Island is all that exists. She reassures him that he will never have to worry about death. Wow.

The boys go boar-hunting and chase the boar through tall grasses. This brings to mind the scene in Sundown, in which Sun is chased by the MIB and also the scene in the Pilot, where a polar bear charges Sawyer. But some hunters beat the boys to their catch. The brothers run to tell Mother. She tells the boys that the other people shouldn't be on the Island and that only they belong and are 'here for a reason'. Mother then blindfolds them and leads them through the jungle. She tells the boys that people 'come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt, and it always ends the same.' This speech is repeated by the MIB in The Incident (but as JOpiniated points out) Jacob adds, 'it only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.' It seems he's found a way to end the game. Mother tells 'her' boys that she's made it, so they can never hurt each other. Wow. So she's the one responsible for their (almost) immortality?
They arrive at a stream, leading to a cavern lit with a brilliant golden white light. Is this the 'beautiful light' Locke saw back in Season 1? Possibly. Mother tells the boys that there is light in the cave and that they are to protect it and prevent other from discovering it and trying to possess it. She tells them, 'there is some of this very same light in every man, but they always want more.' If people try to take the light, it will go out; everywhere. This is similar to what we've been told about the Island (if Smokey leaves the Island, everything will cease to exist or go to hell). The cavern of light brings to my mind Greek myths and the biblical story involving the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Is the warm light responsible for the healing pool in the Temple and the seemingly supernatural powers of the Island? I certainly believe it's possible.

Jacob and his brother play another game of Senet on the beach. Jacob isn't happy with the rules that the BIB has created and complains. The BIB replies, 'one day you can make up your own game and everyone else will have to follow your rules.' I think Jacob took this idea to hear, and then some. The BIB sees a ghost of their real mother, Claudia, but Jacob doesn't see anything. Claudia takes the BIB to see his people (the survivors of the the ship-wreck) on the other side of the Island. These people have created their own villages and made the Island their home. Claudia tells him that he longs to go 'across the sea' because that is where he came from and Mother killed her and that she is their real mother. During the night, the BIB wakes his brother and leads him to their peoples' camp, to live with them. He explains to Jacob that Mother lied about everything. Jacob snaps and beats up his brother, but Mother arrives in time. The BIB leaves them, he just wants to go home.

Jacob and his Mother are all that remain of their twisted 'family'. She reveals to him that she killed their mother because she didn't want them to become corrupt like their people. She has a very low opinion of people, shared by her 'son' - the MIB later on. But how is she any different? She kills people in cold-blood!

Many years pass and Jacob is now a 40 year old, still living with Mother. Jacob spies on his people from afar. They are constructing a well. He meets his brother to play more games of Senet. The MIB explains to Jacob that he doesn't think much of their people and that they're just a means to getting him off the Island. He tells Jacob that he's found a way off and talks about places on the island where 'metal behaves strangely' (obviously the same pockets of electromagnetic energy referred to in previous episodes). He throws his Roman dagger to prove his point. It curves in mid-air and strikes the wall of the well. The dagger is heavily-magnetised. The dagger is not unlike the one found in the episodes, Sundown and Ab Aeterno. Jacob wishes to stay on the Island but the MIB wants to leave. Mother spies on the workers.[/spoiler]