UConn James

There's a couple of lines of thought on MIB as Christian. Either he was lying to Jack, or he was lying to Sawyer/everyone that he can't leave the main island. Remember that Christian appeared in both the freighter just before it exploded (with no boat there that MIB could have taken), and in Jack's office lobby in LA, where his presence set off the smoke detector. It also was on Hydra Island when it possessed Locke's body. FLocke also said the only way he can possess a body is if it arrives on the island in a wood box. ... This is not unlike how Jacob's list of the candidates were enclosed in the wooden ankh before Dogen broke it open. How one of the candidates actually becomes Jacobesque remains to be seen --- tho one might assume it has to do with Ilana's bagfull of Jacob's ashes that Hurley peeked into last week before he started his "I know what we have to do" bluff.

It's like losing Vanek took the wind out their sails. (Tho they've played stretches w/o him in the regular).

They did a few years ago.... But, to put my two pennies into the topic... just the way he played down the stretch last season, I wouldn't want him. Throw in all the other things: having to give up a top-10, a HUUUUGE contract, and the legal/league problems and he is untouchable.

Or Ana-Lucia... Possibly Ilana, after last night. But bearing in mind that David has a very, very pale complexion, not a bad guess.... Others might include Sara, or perhaps it might be the Italian woman he kissed the night Sara left him in the original timeline. To expound on the Sayid-Des exchange more.... It seems likely that Des would have told Sayid about the Sideways world. That he had seen it and, as many of us think (since Des is not going in and out of consciousness), experienced the whole shebang of it. He was in a position to tell Sayid that if he does X,Y and Z, the sideways world (which is in a state of flux as we've seen) will be granted. And to tell you the truth... from Desmond's perspective, what we call the "original timeline" is the real "sideways flash." The "original timeline" we've seen from the start could just be a 30-year-long "course correction." Strike that, actually. The S5 time-flashes included 1954 and a time when the Tawaret statue, destroyed by the Black Rock, was still standing. And, just to point out, we still don't know what happened to Rose and Bernard after the Jughead detonation. recap link

Right. Instead of a little additional build-up, there was a figurative premature ejaculation of Jin just appearing over the berm. But maybe they just deserved a simple initial reconnection. But then, without much ado, they're forced to their knees. We've known for a while, stated unequivocally and out in the open that death among main characters is coming... and time is running seriously short. SPOILER WARNING: Especially with 6.15 "Across the Sea" being a near-total mythology episode. I've read that there are no series regulars appearing. Pretty ballsy for a TV show to do, but then again, fans of the show absolutely crave mythology. I expect it to happen in 6.14, which will be in two weeks ("Ab Aeterno" is scheduled to be re-aired next week). It did look like Sawyer was getting very misty-eyed at that moment, tho. Didn't know that. I've never seen his other shows (I probably wouldn't have watched POF at the time even if we did get FOX over-the-air then...), and among movies, have only seen "Vantage Point" where he was... well, I don't want to give it away to anyone who's never seen it, but suffice to say that he's not in the dark about anything. Funny that directors have never asked him to try something different, but....

Also, it kind of sucks that V is on right after LOST, combined with not having the repeat shown anymore. Get so discombobulated trying to cram in and process all that info from two shows.

So sorry to hear that, Dean. The older we all get, the more acquainted we get with loss. Important to take the time to grieve properly, and to help our other loved ones grieve. The WWII vets are going fast. Did he have the chance to be interviewed for that project they have?

I dunno, duey. My digestion is pretty good. Made the weekly pizza... but starting this week, it'll usually be on store-bought French bread (from their bakery), rather than from-scratch dough. It's going to start getting too hot for the oven to be on for very long. Plus, with our new GSP puppy, it's a handful to keep an eye on him and do all that mixing, rising and rolling stuff. I dunno. I'm not very keen on starting a LAMP to discuss that whole thing of loss-->despair thing 2 years ago and how we're starting out with a new little guy. But, maybe. Anyway. *cough* Once more unto the breach, dear friends! In the Answers Will Be Questioned pile: FLocke admitted that it was he who took the guise of Christian Shepard on Day 3 after the 815 crash. Do we believe him? That was a heck of a pause before he said it was. Positively looked like an episode of "Survivor" what with all the little factions and groupings colluding on who's going to do what, who's on whose side, etc. OK, Sawyer thinks Claire is psycho... not without reason. But, she gets on the boat at the goading of Kate, who sings, "I ran all the waaaay here.... just to say I'm sorry. To take you back to Aaron. I ran all the waaaay." Something weird for me is that Claire didn't ask, and Kate didn't say where/who Aaron is with now. Were Kate to say that she gave Aaron to Claire's mother for the time being, that opens a whole new avenue for her. Loved the interplay b/w Sawyer James Ford and Kate at the police station. Again, we get Miles saying "jabrony" only this time, I actually know what it means.... Ditto on a great scene b/w Sawyer and Jack on-board the Elizabeth. Jack talking about destiny, the feeling the last time he left the island... that it was like a part of him was missing.... Sawyer wants none of it. "They make pills for that, Doc." Sayid was sent to shoot Desmond in the well, and said he did. Contrary to Doc Jensen's wrapup last week, the well is really not that deep. (I didn't agree when he wrote that either. The torch only dropped for ~ a second. Regardless, I don't see how Sayid would've shot Des. It seems like there is a glimmer of a human in there somewhere. We still don't know if Sayid is referring to Nadiya or Shannon, or whether Smokey's promise is supposed to come to pass in the sideways world or still to come in the original timeline. But then, FLocke seemed to have no freakin' clue what Sun was talking about with her period of seeming cross-interference b/w the sideways and original world vis-a-vis her inability to speak English and identifying Locke as they were being unloaded from the ambulances in the hospital. Who exactly was "the last recruit" tonight? Was that supposed to mean Jack? Claire said as much, that by allowing FLocke to speak to him, Jack chose his 'side.' Jack --- seemingly Jacob's favorite --- is with FLocke now!!?? And yet, in the sideways world, we're liking how his relationship with David is growing and bonding. The question I'm left at the end is whether Jack will, during the surgery, flash on who Locke is/was/will be and what he'll do as a result. Funny thing with Jack's reaction to Claire's news at the will reading. He had the exact same reaction at Christian's wake when he found out from Claire's mom that Claire is his half-sister. He touches his temple in the same spot and turns away. But, maybe the biggest thing tonight was the event 3 seasons and 3 years of island time --- through time itself(!) --- in the making, Sun and Jin are together again in the original timeline. But rather than a pagoda, they meet under the shadow of the semi-permanent pylons. The reunion, tho, is all too brief. Looks like Widmore has changed his plans. Everyone on their knees! Sending rockets into FLocke's camp... that can kill anyone but FLocke. Doesn't appear that Widmore is on anyone's side but Widmore's... one thought of mine this week is that he may want MIB in order to take over his immortality. Here's a guy we've seen from age 17 dressed as an American soldier, age 40 as Faraday was killed, age 55 being booted from the island and now 67-70 in the course of the 2004-2007 timelines. He's someone who likes old things that have become valuable. Someone who had leadership of the island and lost it by trying to set himself up in the outside world. Trying to find the electromagnetic pockets, of which he was told of one by John Locke that sent him 3 years into the future. Stands to reason, then, that Widmore might be searching for a pocket that'll send him into the past, etc., or one that might give him the same powers as MIB? I dunno. I just had a queasy feeling when he made that original deal with Sawyer. Widmore never said what he was at the island for --- Sawyer surmised that Widmore wanted to kill FLocke, and the old chap just played along.

Actually, 5 hours. There will evidently be some kind of 2-hour build-up (I'm not sure if it's going to be a new episode in the 8 p.m. slot, or if it'll be a repeat of the previous week, which is my guess), starting at 7 p.m. on 23 May. Then, two hours of the episode titled, "The End" and then Jimmy Kimmel is going to have an entire-cast interview on his show.

You know, the next day, I was thinking the Gene Wilder lyrics were a little dig on the 'sky-is-falling-and-Lindelof-&-Cuse-don't-know-which-end-is-up' fans. Lord knows there's plenty of them. Willy Wonka knew exactly what he was doing and everything that was going on with the machinations of his factory. The only wild cards were the kids and guardians: would they prove themselves, or create havoc through their choices (usually aggressive ignorance / lack of any willpower to not f--- things up, in their glee) the way kids do in their Small Drunk Adult way? You could well argue that Wonka was just screwing with their minds on the boat, working up the paranoia in a sarcastic sort of way --- 'We're all gonna die... or something even worse!!!' I'm enjoying the last bit of ride we've got left, and I trust that LOST's Messrs. Wonka are saving the best for last and that there will be a good (not necessary happy) conclusion.

I don't know how much to believe what he says. I've heard many a time that Charlie Brown, he's a clown.

----- One question. Apparently, in the sideways world, Leonard was never rendered.... how do you say.... near-catatonic due to his listening-post surveillance of the island. How did Hurley get the numbers? Or... did he get the numbers and "open the box"? Did he win the lotto? It wasn't really explained where he got his money, right?

Lost's "Final Flight" final cast shot, featured in TV Guide print edition today.

Thanks, duey. I clicked on the 'LOST' heading this morning, looked in 'Recaps' and there was nothing. Maybe I need my vision checked.... Part of the recap reminded me of the scene where Hurley speaks to Ilana about Libby, something he'd been unable to do at the funeral back in S2. At that time, he said only a couple of words, mostly about Libby's job and that she had helped him. We got nothing of their budding romance. So, it was nice to see Hurley finally find voice to his feelings. The biggest thing, namely, being 'Why hasn't Libby come to talk with me?' Perhaps he's not ready yet. Perhaps the spirits are less than trustable, perhaps because Libby has made a successful cross-over and is not among the island-dead spirits. But, I would also ask. As Libby was so recently in the mental institution, is it possible that she wasn't on 815 in the sideways world? I'm thinking she probably was, just because, and then checked in to Santa Rosa after having the flashes. Seems a bit early for her to be doing field trips... but this is television. Also, Spanish Johnny's? Could that be Hurley's weird-looking buddy Johnny from "Everybody Hates Hurley"? ... To go along with Doc Jensen's point-out of the Springsteen references (the album where one "Spanish Johnny" is "dressed like dynamite" also had a song titled Rosalita). I've been keen on that initial question's thought since last season's finale.... That Locke has always been MIB.

Doc Jensen's recap for this week still isn't up, for those wondering. ----- It's been announced that LOST will be airing next Tuesday with "The Last Recruit," then will have a one-week hiatus where they will replay "Ab Aeterno." The following episode #14 "The Candidate" will air the following Tuesday, 4 May.

This... no. Locke is dead in the original timeline. Still open for consciousnesses to shift between these, but like Ben said, "Dead is dead. You don't get to come back from that." Also, arguably still open for the real Locke to appear in spectral form. This... yes. Physical trauma has been shown to induce the flashes in the sideways world. I don't think Desmond had any other way to connect Locke with his living (read: he will have no memory of anything after Ben killed him. He was dead) island / post-frozen-donkey-wheel experience. Other than showing Locke his 400 knives in an attempt to connect him to his constant , Des is thinking Jack. Locke chose not to go to Jack by free will, so Des offers the much more painful 'course correction.' I can see how they wouldn't bring real Locke back to the island --- namely, b/c Jack has taken his place as the island's purpose/fate/destiny spokesman. Otherwise, I'm not so sure that Desmond is "playing" Flocke. In this timeline, Desmond was last on the island on 24 Dec. 2004. He's not up to speed on everything that's happened since. Widmore didn't tell him much of anything. In the sideways world, he's operating much like Locke was in trying to get the O6 together. There's a vague plan to get them all to see flashes of their island experiences, but after that, I'm not so sure he knows what to do... just, he has faith that the pieces will fall into place / the island will do its thing. It does seem to be a purgatory for the lost souls who've passed on. Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko and Charlie all appeared off-island to Hurley, and Suit-Christian appeared to Jack. Nice of you to join us, aj! I was wondering how far you'd gotten. That's one of the things people miss as they watch all of the episodes straight through. None of the discussion, none of the "Oh, dude! I never would've known/seen/thought that!" moments. FLocke is the term for the MIB/Jacob's nemesis in Locke's form, and is a contraction of "False Locke."

What was the name of the song in the preview? Man, I thought we were going to see Dave in this episode. I guess not.... Looks like that's going to go unanswered as to whether that was Libby's (deceased) husband, in the original timeline, at least. Nice to see Hurley and Libby finally getting to have their picnic on the beach. "Everybody likes cheese." And it was also something to see Michael apologize without making some stupid "but... but... MY SON!!" excuse for his murders.... And let us in on the fact that the whispers are those of the departed souls who can't leave. But I'm just wondering how Walt fits into that. Whether it was Smokey, or if it's a time-shifting role like the Mysterious Boy, who made another appearance tonight. Slightly older this time, slightly darker hair, no bloody arms. I just get the feeling that the whole "Let it go, Jack" thing doesn't mean a very broad-term 'Stop being Mr. Fix-it!" That it's going to be something that he literally has to let go... and that it wasn't the Jughead bomb, either. Total shock to see Ilana go out like that. She was so built up, and then *kabloo-ey!* I guess we can rule her out as a candidate / she was touched by Jacob. So, she was training all her life... to get Sayid on the plane and tell certain of the Lostaways that they are '... candidates to replace Jacob. And more than that, well, I'm **** out of ideas. Jacob didn't tell me diddly.' Just when we were really starting to like her ass character. But, as Ben said, it makes you wonder what's going to happen with them all when they've done what the island needs them for, especially the non-candidates who don't have a no-kill clause in their contract with Jacob. But, that deal led to the meeting we're evidently going to see in "The Last Recruit." Just a weird thing with Sayid right now. Why'd he let Zoe go last week? The dude who has no feelings, doesn't care a whit to save Kate from Claire, who's killed the enemies of whomsoever's employ he's been in, says it wasn't necessary to kill Zoe, Widmore's Gal Friday on Hydra Island? Something screwy with it. Totally saw that coming with Desmond being thrown down the well. Smokey seemed chagrined that Des didn't know he wasn't Locke, and particularly interested that Des had survived massive electromagnetic releases. Of which we got some partial answer on tonight --- not the people who dug the several that are on the island, but that it was a "Very long time ago" and b/c those spots sent their compass needles spinning round and round. Note that this does not appear to be our Frozen Donkey Wheel well. The previews apparently show Sayid firing into the well. Is this Desmond's sacrifice? Can Des, as the Constant, be killed? But... it doesn't really matter now. Des's mission has been given and, from the looks of it, completed. In a complete flip from Charlie's insistence last week, the Sideways World is where it's at for Des. The Island world/ Original Timeline doesn't really seem to matter to him anymore. And in that Sideways world, he's on a mission to either kill John Locke, or whatever/whoever he is there... or, as I'm thinking, he's setting Locke up with Jack so they can glimpse the Original Timeline. Because, really, who would be Locke's constant? He wasn't particularly close to anyone on the island. He just used people, like he himself was used pre-Oceanic 815. Per Lostpedia: Continuation of the bugs in the machine / in-flux nature of the sideways world now that Des and others are changing things. OK, that's about all I've got right now.

I hate it when people call me Jimmy, Jimbo or Jim. But then again, someone once took to calling me "Jamison" in a fake British accent... and I was fine with it.

Except that, as I understood it, their president serves mainly as commander-in-chief of the military and does foreign affairs. The internal functioning for their country is done by the prime minister/parliament; the president is a figurehead in this regard.

Better start preparing for more of the same drawback on things America used to do.

What about Tim Russert?

Just read an awesome theory on the alt world, as it relates to the Swan's detonation. "Just Saving the World" by Jhisc9999 on DarkUFO: This makes all kinds of sense to me. There is also a recap on that site that provides a screencap of 815 having "no status" on the departure/arrival board Des's reflection appears in. Kind of plays into the whole idea of Des' wedding ring not being there anymore, Claire's difference re: the sex of her baby, etc. Little differences b/c the state of flux currently going on in the ALT.

Doc also points out that Desmond's wedding band from the premiere's sideways flash is gone in "Happily Ever After." Add this with Claire not knowing whether she was having a boy or girl, yet in the premiere, she said she was going to name her son Aaron. Of this, he writes:

Actually, that appeared to just be a likely assumption... Tgreg, you're still LOST-pure, right? By the by, there was a reveal on this topic as it pertains to the series finale on the LOST UFO spoilers site a while back. I didn't click the 'Are You Sure [You Want To Be Spoiled]?' button, which took a lot of willpower. ----- Two days removed and I still don't quite know what to think about this episode. I don't have a lot of discussion to offer b/c I'm having trouble sorting out what so many of these things shown mean. Desmond eps are like that. I mean, we found out that Des relived his life, making all the same moves, even when he would have done them differently. Right now, I'm wondering about the interaction with Jack in the stadium. On what iteration of Desmond did that happen? After the Swan explosion? Or is something else to be revealed there? Des's "You have to lift it up" message during their talk is something we haven't seen referenced yet. Perhaps that's why Widmore wants to find the energy pockets, each apparently having a different exit point in space/time --- to send Des on another mission in the original timeline. Or is Des' "sacrifice" going to be solely in the sideways flashes? Doc Jensen's LOST recap: The End Begins Now