Boy, does LOST like to mess with our heads. I explored several possibilities for who Kate's child might be, but it never even occurred to me to consider Aaron. And even when she said his name, I thought, "Hmm, I wonder why she named her son after Aaron. That's sweet." And mid-thought, I said, "Wait! That is Aaron!" Which gives us a definite time frame for the flash-forward, if nothing else. Unless the LOST folks are still messing with us, and this really is another Aaron, which would give me whiplash and frankly be rather mean. I don't know how much of their trickery I can take!
But that option would be preferable to the more logical possibilities, most prominently A) Claire is dead; B) Kate kidnapped Aaron. And then there's always C) Claire asked Kate to take Aaron, either for a while or permanently. But at this point, I can't see Claire giving Aaron up again. I also have a hard time imagining Kate swiping the baby, but maybe she went a little loopy like Danielle, and it could explain Jack's reluctance to see Aaron, since he would have known what she did and felt complicit in her crime. Though she claimed not to be good with babies, she seemed pretty disappointed with Sawyer's lack of enthusiasm over the possibility of having a child, and her obsession with wondering whether the people stateside knew about her might indicate she now has a more compelling reason to leave the island.
Of course, Sawyer responded to her baiting about the baby in the worst possible way. I mean, all he had to say was, "I'm relieved you're not pregnant, because if you were, you might die on me." (She totally deserved that scathing comment about her bouncing between him and Jack, though.) There's really no proof even that going off the island would spare these women, since Ben never let anyone try it. I wonder if the fact that Ben's mother died in childbirth could have anything to do with all the island's fertility issues. I'm really worried about Sun.
And it was nice to see her and Jin again, though it looks like they're headed for trouble in terms of where they intend to go. Heading back to Korea and Sun's dad does not strike me as a good idea. My guess is they'll wind up staying; I really can't see one of them leaving the other, unless perhaps one of them dies. But the way I read this episode, five of the Oceanic Six are accounted for. I guess Aaron still isn't absolutely one of them, but presumably he is, which leaves only one spot. I wouldn't think John or Sawyer would want to leave the island or that Sun, Jin, Rose or Bernard would want to leave alone. Maybe it's Michael; I have a feeling we'll be seeing him this week, since the coordinates Ben gave him were the same as the coordinates Daniel mentioned in The Economist. I think I heard we're supposed to know who they all are by episode seven.
I'm glad we got the whole shouldn't-Kate-be-in-prison thing out of the way, and since she managed to get off, it wound up being the least depressing of the flash-forwards thus far. Her life is actually in pretty good shape. She's reconciled with her mother to the extent that she refused to testify against her; I wouldn't be surprised if she does let her mom see Aaron at some point. She's got a beautiful house and a devoted little boy. She avoided prison. Life is pretty good for her. I'm trying to figure out if the song we heard - Patsy Cline again, I believe, singing I've Got Your Picture - is a tip-off to something. Like Claire has Aaron's picture, but Kate has Aaron.
Which brings me to the question... Wouldn't there have been a lot of cameras on this flight? I would think just about anybody who visited Australia would bring a camera, and presumably a few of them would have survived the crash. If it were me, I'd be wanting to take all kinds of pictures, even if there was a possibility they'd never be developed. Maybe Claire could manage to get a picture of Aaron taken somehow, though; Ben has pictures of Alex...
I don't know what Alex and her mom are up to They're in a strange position because to some extent, they hate Ben, but Alex certainly cares about him, since he raised her, and Danielle seems like she might be just a tad attached to him too. I just wonder if they're really okay with John keeping Ben locked up. The beginning of the episode when John threw Ben's breakfast against the wall was just like the second season, when "Henry" was sitting in solitary smiling creepily as John ranted and raved because he couldn't figure out whether or not he pressed the button. Ben sure knows how to get under John's skin. He was trying to be hospitable, too, making him food, giving him reading material, just like back in the hatch. But none of it seems to be improving his relationship with the mysterious Mr. Linus.
I hated his hand grenade trick, even though I think he must be bluffing, partly because Miles is too valuable to risk blowing up like that and partly because John would much rather threaten violence than actually carry it out. I read a bit of an interview with Terry O'Quinn where he said he really fought to not have John kill Naomi, and I agree that knifing her in the back did not seem very John-like. I guess I can buy it as an act of desperation - and now I now why he didn't shoot the phone - but it still bothers me. And if, as I suspect, that grenade is useless, it's just like the trick Ben pulled on Sawyer with the rabbit. John seems to be growing more like Ben each day.
I saw two different books in this episode and didn't manage to catch the title of either one. Libbie thought the title of the episode was a reference to a book, which makes sense to me, but a quick Google search only brings up LOST-related results, and I don't feel like digging too deeply to figure out what the inspiration could be. I thought the title could just be a reference to John making eggs for Ben, or to the fact that fertility rates in Otherville are so high. I'm not really sure.
I like the camaraderie of Kate and Claire being roomies and Hurley and Sawyer being roomies. And how fun that they can watch movies! I felt sorry for Hurley being so easily "Scooby-Doo'd" by Kate, but I think Sawyer's observation that "If Hugo knows, everybody knows" tends to be true. He's just too trusting to be good at keeping secrets, just like Hagrid. Yet another connection between my two favorite big, burly guys.
I don't like Jack's well-rehearsed story about only eight people surviving the crash. If that's what it takes to protect their friends on the island, I guess he has to do it, but it seems like the friends and relatives of the survivors deserve to know that their loved ones lived and made a difference. I guess if they started talking to relatives it would be a lot harder to cover their tracks, and inconsistencies in stories would probably start to pop up. But I desperately want Liam to know how Charlie spent the last three months of his life, that he kicked the drugs and found peace and happiness, that he died in a conscious attempt to save others. And if Claire doesn't have it, I want Liam to wind up with the ring. Or Aaron. One of the three. Just somebody find that thing, for crying out loud! Charlie's list, melded with the fabric of Desmond's shirt, is a lost cause, but I'm still holding out hope for that ring... Anyway, Liam's hardly the only one back home who ought to know about someone who survived the crash, but I can't help but hope that in Jack's version, Charlie was one of the two and that somebody tells Liam what became of his brother, or an altered version of it anyway.
I am very worried about Desmond. Seeing his panicked face in the preview and hearing him holler "Am I gonnae die???" as the chopper goes down is not an optimistic picture. The fact that Sayid is on the helicopter gives me hope, since we know he makes it off the island, but all those shots of Des in the preview gave me the idea that this week may be when we see how he got thrown in prison (which I'm guessing has something to do with him refusing to kill someone), and a major character's death is generally preceded by a flashback. If they kill off Desmond, so soon after Charlie, and without letting him reunite with Penny, I will be upset. Very upset. But let's end on a positive note here. Eggtown was a fantastic episode, and the second in a row to provide a major twist at the end. Can they top themselves this week? Can't wait to find out!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
It's No Happy Valentine's Day For Sayid
Last Valentine's Day brought one of LOST's most romantically charged episodes with Flashes Before Your Eyes, in which Desmond got a mysterious second chance to get things right with Penny but still wound up just as miserable before. With The Economist, it's Sayid's turn, but oddly enough, Nadia is not the object of his affections in this deeply disturbing flash forward. She's not mentioned at all, so we have no idea whether she and Sayid have even seen each other since his rescue. Sayid is one of the few people on the island who has someone he desperately wants to get back to, so it's rather disappointing for me to think that the two of them wouldn't end up together, especially since his devotion to her is what got his friend killed.
But even more distressing is Sayid's line of work. I've yet to see a flash-forward that hasn't depressed me. Jack's a drunken, drug-riddled basket-case. Hurley is paranoid and back in the loony bin. Sayid is... a professional assassin. Working for Ben. Ooookay. Of course, we know that he has a violent side to him, forged largely from his military experience. We've seen Sayid kill before. But I didn't want to see it again. I was especially troubled by his cold execution of his fellow golfer in the first flash-forward scene. At least when he kills Elsa, it's in self-defense, and he is really broken up about it. That seems much truer to his character. I can, unfortunately, buy Sayid as a killer, but not an unrepentant one.
What dastardly deeds could the people on this list possibly be up to that would be enough to convince Sayid to annihilate total strangers at Ben's word? What changed between them that this man Sayid tortured, tried to kill and always regarded with deepest distrust would now be able to give him orders? I don't know. I'm less bothered by their alliance than by Sayid's role in it. Actually, it was something of a relief to see Ben alive and well, though I can't place this episode on the flash-forward timeline, so maybe it could still be him in the casket. At least I know he's not going to wind up getting beaten to death by Sawyer, Jack or some other castaway. He still claims to be on their side even in the future, but his methods are as dubious as ever.
Speaking of dubious, it was downright crummy of John to use Hurley to trick Sayid and the gang. I liked how Hurley stood up to him in the beginning of the episode, objecting to any ill treatment of these strangers. He wanted to preserve his own life but not endanger anyone else's in the process. Big-hearted Hurley... That's why I love you. But John managed to manipulate him into being the bait for his unsuspecting friends, knowing that he was the last person they would suspect of foul play. Was it this incident in particular Hurley was apologizing to Jack for? I think it's likely. I also think that what he told them about John going off the deep end was a reflection of his feelings.
I liked Frank and Daniel even more this episode. They both come across as genuinely caring about Charlotte as well as each other. I don't know what Daniel is up to with those weirdo experiments, but he seems really worked up over something. Watching the enhanced version of Confirmed Dead cleared it up for me that Frank was definitely supposed to be the pilot of 815, which is very interesting. I think he's got my favorite line of the season so far with his exchange with Miles in that episode. (M: Where's the helicopter? F: I saw a cow!)
It looked to me like Elsa was wearing the same bracelet as Naomi. Were they tokens of some secret organization of which they were a part, or was it just a coincidence that reminded Sayid of Naomi? His relationship with Elsa was all very James Bond-ish. He even looked a bit like him, so suave and debonair, and apparently he and she were both spying on each other. I think he fell for her; it would appear that perhaps she didn't, though she sure covered it up well until the very end. Evidently Sayid lied about not understanding German because when he shot her, it seemed more a reaction to what she said than to the fact that she shot him. Of course, he was lying about all sorts of things, and the less Elsa knew about him, the better.
It's nice to see Sawyer getting his snark back. That stuff about Ben's little piggies was pretty funny, and he and Kate had some good back-and-forth. I really liked their conversation, and I agree that Sawyer doesn't have much to go back to, except of course for a daughter, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with her. Besides, I would think somebody would have figured out by now that he killed Frank Duckett, so Kate wouldn't be the only one in chains upon her return. I'd think she would want to stick around too. How does she manage to avoid prison?
It was great to see Desmond bursting into the clearing and seeing that chopper. I think he's pretty desperate to get off that island any way he can, but more than that, he really wants some answers as to how Naomi knew about him. It seems that Daniel and Frank are hiding something on that score, though Frank doesn't seem to mind bringing Desmond along on the chopper. I got a kick out of seeing Des all suited up as the co-pilot. He looked quite at home in that position. If I were Frank, though, I wouldn't count on him being of much help on the way back, if he returns - Desmond can't seem to do anything all the way. I thought that Sayid's trick for getting on the helicopter was pretty clever, and I love that he and Desmond are going to be in cahoots now. They haven't spent much time together up to this point, but I think they could make a pretty good team.
Tomorrow we get another member of the Oceanic Six, which means another flash-forward, which will probably be depressing again. Woo hoo. But it will also no doubt be enlightening. And maybe Sun, Jin, Rose and Bernard will reappear on the island; I hate to see them so underused. Here's hoping!
But even more distressing is Sayid's line of work. I've yet to see a flash-forward that hasn't depressed me. Jack's a drunken, drug-riddled basket-case. Hurley is paranoid and back in the loony bin. Sayid is... a professional assassin. Working for Ben. Ooookay. Of course, we know that he has a violent side to him, forged largely from his military experience. We've seen Sayid kill before. But I didn't want to see it again. I was especially troubled by his cold execution of his fellow golfer in the first flash-forward scene. At least when he kills Elsa, it's in self-defense, and he is really broken up about it. That seems much truer to his character. I can, unfortunately, buy Sayid as a killer, but not an unrepentant one.
What dastardly deeds could the people on this list possibly be up to that would be enough to convince Sayid to annihilate total strangers at Ben's word? What changed between them that this man Sayid tortured, tried to kill and always regarded with deepest distrust would now be able to give him orders? I don't know. I'm less bothered by their alliance than by Sayid's role in it. Actually, it was something of a relief to see Ben alive and well, though I can't place this episode on the flash-forward timeline, so maybe it could still be him in the casket. At least I know he's not going to wind up getting beaten to death by Sawyer, Jack or some other castaway. He still claims to be on their side even in the future, but his methods are as dubious as ever.
Speaking of dubious, it was downright crummy of John to use Hurley to trick Sayid and the gang. I liked how Hurley stood up to him in the beginning of the episode, objecting to any ill treatment of these strangers. He wanted to preserve his own life but not endanger anyone else's in the process. Big-hearted Hurley... That's why I love you. But John managed to manipulate him into being the bait for his unsuspecting friends, knowing that he was the last person they would suspect of foul play. Was it this incident in particular Hurley was apologizing to Jack for? I think it's likely. I also think that what he told them about John going off the deep end was a reflection of his feelings.
I liked Frank and Daniel even more this episode. They both come across as genuinely caring about Charlotte as well as each other. I don't know what Daniel is up to with those weirdo experiments, but he seems really worked up over something. Watching the enhanced version of Confirmed Dead cleared it up for me that Frank was definitely supposed to be the pilot of 815, which is very interesting. I think he's got my favorite line of the season so far with his exchange with Miles in that episode. (M: Where's the helicopter? F: I saw a cow!)
It looked to me like Elsa was wearing the same bracelet as Naomi. Were they tokens of some secret organization of which they were a part, or was it just a coincidence that reminded Sayid of Naomi? His relationship with Elsa was all very James Bond-ish. He even looked a bit like him, so suave and debonair, and apparently he and she were both spying on each other. I think he fell for her; it would appear that perhaps she didn't, though she sure covered it up well until the very end. Evidently Sayid lied about not understanding German because when he shot her, it seemed more a reaction to what she said than to the fact that she shot him. Of course, he was lying about all sorts of things, and the less Elsa knew about him, the better.
It's nice to see Sawyer getting his snark back. That stuff about Ben's little piggies was pretty funny, and he and Kate had some good back-and-forth. I really liked their conversation, and I agree that Sawyer doesn't have much to go back to, except of course for a daughter, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with her. Besides, I would think somebody would have figured out by now that he killed Frank Duckett, so Kate wouldn't be the only one in chains upon her return. I'd think she would want to stick around too. How does she manage to avoid prison?
It was great to see Desmond bursting into the clearing and seeing that chopper. I think he's pretty desperate to get off that island any way he can, but more than that, he really wants some answers as to how Naomi knew about him. It seems that Daniel and Frank are hiding something on that score, though Frank doesn't seem to mind bringing Desmond along on the chopper. I got a kick out of seeing Des all suited up as the co-pilot. He looked quite at home in that position. If I were Frank, though, I wouldn't count on him being of much help on the way back, if he returns - Desmond can't seem to do anything all the way. I thought that Sayid's trick for getting on the helicopter was pretty clever, and I love that he and Desmond are going to be in cahoots now. They haven't spent much time together up to this point, but I think they could make a pretty good team.
Tomorrow we get another member of the Oceanic Six, which means another flash-forward, which will probably be depressing again. Woo hoo. But it will also no doubt be enlightening. And maybe Sun, Jin, Rose and Bernard will reappear on the island; I hate to see them so underused. Here's hoping!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
What the World Needs Now Is LOST (What the World Needs Now Is Love, Hal David / Burt Bacharach)
It's a frigid February. All I want to do is bundle up under the blankets... and watch LOST! Here's a little ode to my favorite show to the tune of What the World Needs Now Is Love. Happy Valentine's Day!
What the World Needs Now Is LOST
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the island sun.
Lord, we don't need another sit-com.
No, their laugh tracks and cheap gags aren't worth a dime,
And their pratfalls and crude punch lines makes us cross.
It isn't comedy; it's a crime!
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the island sun.
Lord, we don't need another game show.
We don't really care how much those people know,
And whenever they clean up, we start to whine,
"Oh, why are they getting all the dough?"
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the warm and steamy desert island sun.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST...
What the World Needs Now Is LOST
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the island sun.
Lord, we don't need another sit-com.
No, their laugh tracks and cheap gags aren't worth a dime,
And their pratfalls and crude punch lines makes us cross.
It isn't comedy; it's a crime!
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the island sun.
Lord, we don't need another game show.
We don't really care how much those people know,
And whenever they clean up, we start to whine,
"Oh, why are they getting all the dough?"
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
It's the only show that will thaw this permafrost.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST,
Chillin' with our chums in the warm and steamy desert island sun.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST.
What the world needs now is LOST, sweet LOST...
I Have an Inkling These Newbies Are Nifty!
So once again, LOST aired on Dad's birthday, and once again Ben's life hung in the balance and was ultimately spared by a castaway. But that's not really what Confirmed Dead is all about. Or is it?
I'm annoyed because I really wanted to watch this episode again, but my computer froze up a million times when I attempted it. So I'm just going to go ahead and write about it before the next episode comes along. Will it be as romantic as last year's Valentine's Day episode? Doubtful. Very doubtful. But I'm sure it will be great!
I loved The Beginning of the End. I have no real objections to Confirmed Dead, but it doesn't feel quite as emotionally satisfying. That, of course, is because the main point of the episode is to introduce us to five different characters. We don't know them yet. We don't care about them yet. So while it's all very interesting to get a glimpse of their backgrounds and try to figure out what they're up to, we're missing our time with the castaways. But what we got was great, especially with John's gang.
First, though, the newbies. Daniel Faraday seems to be the most prominent of the four. He's the one we kept seeing on the previews. He resembles Charlie a bit, though of course he's American. Is he as nefarious as Ben suggests? Though my instincts tell me that Ben isn't lying about the danger inherent in these newcomers, I'm not certain that these four individuals are bad people. Daniel certainly is a tad creepy in his evasiveness - and that gas mask was definitely not a good sign. But he strikes me as an intelligent, empathetic, extremely nervous individual, and I like him. I find his jittery I-just-downed-12-cups-of-coffee mannerisms endearing and reminiscent of Malcolm, my favorite character in Jurassic Park. His name clearly derives from Michael Faraday, a physicist known for his work with electromagnetism. What a natural thing for someone on special assignment on the island to study!
Miles Straum is the most abrasive of the four, the Ana-Lucia of this season. Although his "ghost whisperer" abilities seem to be genuine, he seems to be an opportunist, using his gift for his own gain more than to help others. He's certainly no Melinda Gordon. But he did give that lady half her money back, and he does seem to have cared at least a bit about Naomi. Incidentally, I think we were supposed to think that woman was Walt's grandma, and then we realized she wasn't - or was she? I wouldn't rule out the possibility that she has some connection to somebody on the show, but Walt was not the murdered young man haunting her. I do get the sense Miles did her a favor; I think her grandson was hanging around because he wanted the money disposed of, because with it in her house she was in danger. Anyway, Miles is my least favorite of the new folks, and I can't figure out if there's any significance to his name, but he's not a totally hopeless case. And with all the ghosts that have shown up on LOST, seems like he might come in very handy...
Charlotte Staples Lewis. How excited am I about her name? I squealed when Ben said it. C. S. Lewis has crashed on the island; now we just need to get Tolkien, and we can re-form the Inklings! Figuring out just how she relates to Lewis is tricky, however. By profession, she seems more like Indiana Jones. Of course, Lewis was fascinated by ancient civilizations and religions, so I guess archaeology goes well with his mindset, but my guess is that the link will have more to do with her role in the "man of science, man of faith" debate. Maybe landing on the island, she's a skeptic as to its truly unique properties, but John will play the Tolkien role and help convert her to the side of the faithful. There was even what seemed like a Tolkien reference in her plot thread, when she seemed to have been shot dead by Ben, only for John to discover that she was wearing a bullet-proof vest, like the Mithril coat that saved Frodo in Moria. In any case, I like her. She seems very personable, and the fact that she's English is a plus. As the only new gal in the bunch, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see romance bloom between her and someone. My money's on John. We'll see!
Frank Lapidus is fantastic, a blunt and funny character who seems to have some sort of personal connection to the downed pilot. As Frank is a pilot himself, maybe the two of them went to training together or met at some later point because of their shared experience. He doesn't come across as a polished individual at all. He's rough around the edges, and there's the sense that what you see is what you get - hence the "frank"? "Lapidus" has something to do with stone, and I can't quite make that out, unless it's related to the Black Rock. I'm sure it will become clearer. Out of the four, I'd say he's definitely the least likely to be hiding something. And, dare I say he reminds me a bit of Tom? Only his beard is real! I love his encounter with Mikhail's cow, and how totally discombobulated he was by it. But he's not all disoriented drunk. He knows 815's flight manifest backward and forward. He's clearly obsessed. What has him so intrigued? When he said he was supposed to be "flying" 815, did he mean piloting the plane? And why in the world are they so determined to find Ben?
Matthew Abaddon - I think that's how his name is spelled, and I don't feel like looking it up - is seriously creepy, though. He was very intimidating when he showed up in Hurley's flash forward and just as ominous in this episode. Though he may report to someone - I'm still pretty sure Charles Widmore is pulling the strings here or at least heavily involved - he's very high up in the food chain, and I'm pretty sure he's bad news. He wants to find the survivors of Flight 815, and he wants the rest of the world to think there are none. What does he want with our friends? It can't be good.
The bad part of this episode? No Rose, Bernard, Sun, Jin or Desmond. Everything was Jack and Kate, soon joined by Sayid and Juliet, who make a great team - and I love their conversation on the beach, and John, Ben, Hurley, Sawyer and Claire. What I find really interesting is the fact that Claire sticks up for Ben when John is about to kill him. So does Alex, which I was very happy about; she really does care about him, even though he isn't her biological father, even though he's done so many crummy things. He's still her dad. And like her, I was very worried that Ben might wind up dead in this episode, despite John's initial graciousness toward him and consideration for Alex.
But Claire... I thought that in the aftermath of Charlie's death, she might well react the way Shannon did, by lashing out against whoever she deemed responsible. I figured she'd be really mad at Desmond, though she wouldn't likely go as far as asking someone to kill him. Ben, however, is another story. Ben ordered Mikhail to kill Charlie. Maybe she doesn't know that. Hurley didn't give her all the gory details then and there, and maybe he never elaborated. But if there's anybody there she really has a right to be furious with, it's Ben. Yet she urges John to show him mercy. Is it because of Charlie's message? Or because of her pure heart? I suspect it's the latter, since she also suggested checking on whoever set off the flare. Whatever the reason, though, I found it strangely refreshing. She and Hurley have both suffered a searing loss, but instead of seeking revenge, which is Sawyer's M.O., they continue to build bridges.
John and Ben are both very interested in the fact that Hurley found Jacob's cabin. Ben is startled, clearly not pleased. John's reaction is less clear, but he reminds me of Gandalf when Bilbo lies about how he escaped from Gollum's clutches. It's obvious he isn't buying Hurley's story, but for the time being, he's content just to let it slide. No doubt, though, he will be grilling Hurley about the encounter before too long. Though I still don't approve of John knifing Naomi in the back, I loved him in this episode. The reprisal of his John-Locke-in-a-Rainstorm exhilaration seemed like another baptism, a new chance at a fresh start on the island And his weather-predicting skills continue to be exemplary. I thought his little trick of sending Vincent out with the transponder was pretty clever, and I love that my favorite four-legged cast member had something of significance to do in this episode.
The episode began with the scan of the ocean, and it was very much like the end of Find815, but though the Christiane I was mentioned, there was no trace of Sam. I hope we get to see him at some point! I'm sad that three brilliant episodes have been sacrificed because of the writers' strike, but maybe this season will somehow be even better without them. Challenge sometimes makes us stronger, forces us to explore avenues we might not have considered before. I'm sure LOST's writers can come up with something amazing.
I'm annoyed because I really wanted to watch this episode again, but my computer froze up a million times when I attempted it. So I'm just going to go ahead and write about it before the next episode comes along. Will it be as romantic as last year's Valentine's Day episode? Doubtful. Very doubtful. But I'm sure it will be great!
I loved The Beginning of the End. I have no real objections to Confirmed Dead, but it doesn't feel quite as emotionally satisfying. That, of course, is because the main point of the episode is to introduce us to five different characters. We don't know them yet. We don't care about them yet. So while it's all very interesting to get a glimpse of their backgrounds and try to figure out what they're up to, we're missing our time with the castaways. But what we got was great, especially with John's gang.
First, though, the newbies. Daniel Faraday seems to be the most prominent of the four. He's the one we kept seeing on the previews. He resembles Charlie a bit, though of course he's American. Is he as nefarious as Ben suggests? Though my instincts tell me that Ben isn't lying about the danger inherent in these newcomers, I'm not certain that these four individuals are bad people. Daniel certainly is a tad creepy in his evasiveness - and that gas mask was definitely not a good sign. But he strikes me as an intelligent, empathetic, extremely nervous individual, and I like him. I find his jittery I-just-downed-12-cups-of-coffee mannerisms endearing and reminiscent of Malcolm, my favorite character in Jurassic Park. His name clearly derives from Michael Faraday, a physicist known for his work with electromagnetism. What a natural thing for someone on special assignment on the island to study!
Miles Straum is the most abrasive of the four, the Ana-Lucia of this season. Although his "ghost whisperer" abilities seem to be genuine, he seems to be an opportunist, using his gift for his own gain more than to help others. He's certainly no Melinda Gordon. But he did give that lady half her money back, and he does seem to have cared at least a bit about Naomi. Incidentally, I think we were supposed to think that woman was Walt's grandma, and then we realized she wasn't - or was she? I wouldn't rule out the possibility that she has some connection to somebody on the show, but Walt was not the murdered young man haunting her. I do get the sense Miles did her a favor; I think her grandson was hanging around because he wanted the money disposed of, because with it in her house she was in danger. Anyway, Miles is my least favorite of the new folks, and I can't figure out if there's any significance to his name, but he's not a totally hopeless case. And with all the ghosts that have shown up on LOST, seems like he might come in very handy...
Charlotte Staples Lewis. How excited am I about her name? I squealed when Ben said it. C. S. Lewis has crashed on the island; now we just need to get Tolkien, and we can re-form the Inklings! Figuring out just how she relates to Lewis is tricky, however. By profession, she seems more like Indiana Jones. Of course, Lewis was fascinated by ancient civilizations and religions, so I guess archaeology goes well with his mindset, but my guess is that the link will have more to do with her role in the "man of science, man of faith" debate. Maybe landing on the island, she's a skeptic as to its truly unique properties, but John will play the Tolkien role and help convert her to the side of the faithful. There was even what seemed like a Tolkien reference in her plot thread, when she seemed to have been shot dead by Ben, only for John to discover that she was wearing a bullet-proof vest, like the Mithril coat that saved Frodo in Moria. In any case, I like her. She seems very personable, and the fact that she's English is a plus. As the only new gal in the bunch, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see romance bloom between her and someone. My money's on John. We'll see!
Frank Lapidus is fantastic, a blunt and funny character who seems to have some sort of personal connection to the downed pilot. As Frank is a pilot himself, maybe the two of them went to training together or met at some later point because of their shared experience. He doesn't come across as a polished individual at all. He's rough around the edges, and there's the sense that what you see is what you get - hence the "frank"? "Lapidus" has something to do with stone, and I can't quite make that out, unless it's related to the Black Rock. I'm sure it will become clearer. Out of the four, I'd say he's definitely the least likely to be hiding something. And, dare I say he reminds me a bit of Tom? Only his beard is real! I love his encounter with Mikhail's cow, and how totally discombobulated he was by it. But he's not all disoriented drunk. He knows 815's flight manifest backward and forward. He's clearly obsessed. What has him so intrigued? When he said he was supposed to be "flying" 815, did he mean piloting the plane? And why in the world are they so determined to find Ben?
Matthew Abaddon - I think that's how his name is spelled, and I don't feel like looking it up - is seriously creepy, though. He was very intimidating when he showed up in Hurley's flash forward and just as ominous in this episode. Though he may report to someone - I'm still pretty sure Charles Widmore is pulling the strings here or at least heavily involved - he's very high up in the food chain, and I'm pretty sure he's bad news. He wants to find the survivors of Flight 815, and he wants the rest of the world to think there are none. What does he want with our friends? It can't be good.
The bad part of this episode? No Rose, Bernard, Sun, Jin or Desmond. Everything was Jack and Kate, soon joined by Sayid and Juliet, who make a great team - and I love their conversation on the beach, and John, Ben, Hurley, Sawyer and Claire. What I find really interesting is the fact that Claire sticks up for Ben when John is about to kill him. So does Alex, which I was very happy about; she really does care about him, even though he isn't her biological father, even though he's done so many crummy things. He's still her dad. And like her, I was very worried that Ben might wind up dead in this episode, despite John's initial graciousness toward him and consideration for Alex.
But Claire... I thought that in the aftermath of Charlie's death, she might well react the way Shannon did, by lashing out against whoever she deemed responsible. I figured she'd be really mad at Desmond, though she wouldn't likely go as far as asking someone to kill him. Ben, however, is another story. Ben ordered Mikhail to kill Charlie. Maybe she doesn't know that. Hurley didn't give her all the gory details then and there, and maybe he never elaborated. But if there's anybody there she really has a right to be furious with, it's Ben. Yet she urges John to show him mercy. Is it because of Charlie's message? Or because of her pure heart? I suspect it's the latter, since she also suggested checking on whoever set off the flare. Whatever the reason, though, I found it strangely refreshing. She and Hurley have both suffered a searing loss, but instead of seeking revenge, which is Sawyer's M.O., they continue to build bridges.
John and Ben are both very interested in the fact that Hurley found Jacob's cabin. Ben is startled, clearly not pleased. John's reaction is less clear, but he reminds me of Gandalf when Bilbo lies about how he escaped from Gollum's clutches. It's obvious he isn't buying Hurley's story, but for the time being, he's content just to let it slide. No doubt, though, he will be grilling Hurley about the encounter before too long. Though I still don't approve of John knifing Naomi in the back, I loved him in this episode. The reprisal of his John-Locke-in-a-Rainstorm exhilaration seemed like another baptism, a new chance at a fresh start on the island And his weather-predicting skills continue to be exemplary. I thought his little trick of sending Vincent out with the transponder was pretty clever, and I love that my favorite four-legged cast member had something of significance to do in this episode.
The episode began with the scan of the ocean, and it was very much like the end of Find815, but though the Christiane I was mentioned, there was no trace of Sam. I hope we get to see him at some point! I'm sad that three brilliant episodes have been sacrificed because of the writers' strike, but maybe this season will somehow be even better without them. Challenge sometimes makes us stronger, forces us to explore avenues we might not have considered before. I'm sure LOST's writers can come up with something amazing.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I'll Follow My Friend (I'll Follow the Sun, Paul McCartney)
LOST returned last week with a doozy of an opener that included Hurley's impassioned speech to Jack explaining his decision to join Locke in deference to Charlie. Here's my version of it, to the tune of the Beatles' I'll Follow the Sun.
I'll Follow My Friend
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
I'm in mourning. Don't condescend.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
So now the boat has come,
And where's it from? We don't know,
But Penny's not the one
Who is running the show. Oh...
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
So now the boat has come,
And where's it from? We don't know,
But Penny's not the one
Who is running the show. Oh...
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
I'll Follow My Friend
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
I'm in mourning. Don't condescend.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
So now the boat has come,
And where's it from? We don't know,
But Penny's not the one
Who is running the show. Oh...
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
So now the boat has come,
And where's it from? We don't know,
But Penny's not the one
Who is running the show. Oh...
Heed the warning that Charlie penned.
He did not die in vain.
No, I'll follow my friend.
Friday, February 1, 2008
P.S.
I think that Charlie probably didn't really have to die, that he was so hung up on Desmond's visions that at that point he sort of gave up. I'm guessing the door couldn't be locked from the outside, maybe, so perhaps he figured there was no way to seal off the room if he left, but I'm not sure if that was the case, and anyway you'd think they'd have time to put on the gear before the whole station flooded.
And Desmond is putting too much stock in these visions of his; at first, he was using them to save Charlie's life, but then he was letting them guide him into leading Charlie into danger. The first time it resulted in them finding Naomi, who evidently was bad news, and meeting up with Mikhail, who told Ben what the castaways were up to, which was definitely bad news. The second time, it led to them getting in contact with that freighter, which seems to be a set-up for disaster, and it got Charlie killed. I feel like somebody is somehow controlling these visions and yanking Desmond around like a marionette. He needs to be a little more careful.
I think Hurley has been very haunted by Charlie's death, and what he saw was just replaying what Desmond had described to him. I would say that the figure he saw at that point was not Charlie but Mikhail, that he was just putting himself in Charlie's shoes, but I'm not sure. Charlie's visit to him seemed very much to me like Obi-Wan coming to see Luke. I think he's definitely dead but still able to communicate with the living, though communicating is one thing and slapping somebody in the face is another. He seemed to be too corporeal to be a ghost; more like an angel, like Jonathan on "Highway to Heaven" or something.
Seems to me that all of the Others, and Ben most of all, have major problems when it comes to social interaction. How difficult would it have been to just greet the survivors of the crash right when it happened and ask Jack to fix Ben's spine and warn them that pregnant women are endangered and all that? Why couldn't they all have cooperated with each other? Seems to me that the castaways are going to wind up on the same team when they discover the newbies' sinister purposes; they could have saved one another a whole heck of a lot of heartache if they'd played nice to begin with.
It would be really weird for Walt not to have gone to his father's funeral. And Michael's mother was still around too - though not in LA, I don't think... I suspect we'll be seeing both Michael and Walt soon. I don't know how they're going to handle Walt though, when he's getting so much older than he should be. Seems like he's a time traveler like Desmond or something.
I think there are definitely people who stay on the island, probably by their own choice; I'm thinking maybe they made a pact that Jack, Hurley, Kate and the other three would tell the world that everyone else was dead, so they wouldn't go looking for them, and maybe they were able to jam up communications and hide the island again, because it shouldn't have been that hard for Jack to get back otherwise. His going back doesn't seem to be for particularly noble purposes; I think he just wants to go back for himself because he realizes he was more fulfilled there than he's ever felt back in the "real world". But I think it's like "Brigadoon," and by leaving he had to accept that he wouldn't ever be able to return. But I'm guessing he'll make it back anyway...
And Desmond is putting too much stock in these visions of his; at first, he was using them to save Charlie's life, but then he was letting them guide him into leading Charlie into danger. The first time it resulted in them finding Naomi, who evidently was bad news, and meeting up with Mikhail, who told Ben what the castaways were up to, which was definitely bad news. The second time, it led to them getting in contact with that freighter, which seems to be a set-up for disaster, and it got Charlie killed. I feel like somebody is somehow controlling these visions and yanking Desmond around like a marionette. He needs to be a little more careful.
I think Hurley has been very haunted by Charlie's death, and what he saw was just replaying what Desmond had described to him. I would say that the figure he saw at that point was not Charlie but Mikhail, that he was just putting himself in Charlie's shoes, but I'm not sure. Charlie's visit to him seemed very much to me like Obi-Wan coming to see Luke. I think he's definitely dead but still able to communicate with the living, though communicating is one thing and slapping somebody in the face is another. He seemed to be too corporeal to be a ghost; more like an angel, like Jonathan on "Highway to Heaven" or something.
Seems to me that all of the Others, and Ben most of all, have major problems when it comes to social interaction. How difficult would it have been to just greet the survivors of the crash right when it happened and ask Jack to fix Ben's spine and warn them that pregnant women are endangered and all that? Why couldn't they all have cooperated with each other? Seems to me that the castaways are going to wind up on the same team when they discover the newbies' sinister purposes; they could have saved one another a whole heck of a lot of heartache if they'd played nice to begin with.
It would be really weird for Walt not to have gone to his father's funeral. And Michael's mother was still around too - though not in LA, I don't think... I suspect we'll be seeing both Michael and Walt soon. I don't know how they're going to handle Walt though, when he's getting so much older than he should be. Seems like he's a time traveler like Desmond or something.
I think there are definitely people who stay on the island, probably by their own choice; I'm thinking maybe they made a pact that Jack, Hurley, Kate and the other three would tell the world that everyone else was dead, so they wouldn't go looking for them, and maybe they were able to jam up communications and hide the island again, because it shouldn't have been that hard for Jack to get back otherwise. His going back doesn't seem to be for particularly noble purposes; I think he just wants to go back for himself because he realizes he was more fulfilled there than he's ever felt back in the "real world". But I think it's like "Brigadoon," and by leaving he had to accept that he wouldn't ever be able to return. But I'm guessing he'll make it back anyway...
LOST Offers Closure at Last, and a New Beginning
First of all, how beautiful is it that season four opens with a Hurley-centric episode? Except... Hurley is just as miserable in the future as Jack is. Why, oh why did they go back? Presumably, Hurley's main motivation was his mother. Where's she in all of this? And if I saw my dearly departed friend in a convenience store, I would think I would be overjoyed rather than terrified. What's Charlie gonna do to you, Hurley? Spit water at you?
But I loved how focused the episode - which I suddenly realized I don't know the name of - was on Charlie. I knew Hurley would take it really hard, but I imagined Claire being the one to go ballistic, and it really was the other way around. I think it was very appropriate, though, that Hurley was the one to break the news. I was rather hoping it would be; the connection there is much deeper, and Claire was in major need of a Hurley hug at that moment. She looked so luminous throughout this episode, and I just felt so bad for her when they all showed up and Sun and Rose ran to their husbands, and her expectant smile turned into a slightly worried frown, and Hurley didn't have to say the words before she knew the truth.
I found his speech to Jack both rousing and touching - though a tad troubling in light of the flash forward. Why was going with John the wrong call? What happened? At any rate, throughout the whole episode we really get a sense of the depth of Hurley's friendship with Charlie. I was also very moved by Sawyer's rather clumsy attempts to reach out to Hurley. Grief and empathy can help one heal; maybe in death, Charlie can help Sawyer to make a fresh start at last. Incidentally, no long goodbyes for any of the Others. Colleen's was actually quite beautiful. But Ben and Juliet are the only Others on hand, and Ben's tied up, while Juliet's jumped ship. I don't think either is too concerned about funeral rites at the moment.
Charlie looked and sounded amazing in this episode. So serene, cleaner than we've ever seen him, totally at peace, yet still very much in possession of his sly wit. What did it all mean? "I am dead, but I'm here." Was he really? I took him at his word, that he was more than a hallucination. Who knows? Yemi, Boone and Christian seem to have spoken from beyond the grave as well. I can't make hide nor hair of Darlton's mythology, but I sure was glad to see Charlie again. While it didn't make me cry like Jonathan Kent's last conversation with Clark did, it somehow made me feel much more hopeful. I don't think Hurley will let himself truly give into despair. But who is "them"? Jack and the other known survivors, or those still on the island? Or both?
By the way, when Hurley said, "I'm one of the Oceanic Six," Libbie and I just repeated incredulously, "Six?!" Goodness gracious. Horrible! Unless it just means there's a big ol' castaway settlement back on the island, and most of them decided they'd rather stay. That's not nearly as depressing. But if so many stayed, why would those six have returned?
I was thrilled to see Rose and Bernard playing such a prominent role again, though I was surprised that Rose went with Jack instead of John when she thinks leaving the island might mean having her cancer come back. I hope that Rose remains a major force. She and John both have been touched by miracles, but she reacts to hers in a very different way. Rose's is a much more mature faith than John's, and when it comes down to it he is much more like Jack than he might like to admit. He needs to have answers. He needs explanations for everything; he just may be a little more open-minded than Jack when it comes to what those explanations might entail. Rose just goes about her business and trusts that things will work out the way they're supposed to.
Poor Ben really was a mess tonight. He was almost back to Henry status, though he wasn't quite so sniveling as he was then. Actually, he cracked me up half the time he was on screen. Ben can be a very funny guy, and it's a mark of how badly he wants to maintain some degree of control over his situation that he is able to make snidely wry remarks when he's in such a predicament. I really did feel bad for him, though, when Danielle socked him in the face; he probably had it coming, but I do believe that in that moment he was genuinely concerned for their welfare and was trying to save them. (And why was everybody so slap-happy tonight? Jack was ready to beat John within an inch of his life, and Charlie whapped Hurley pretty good too. And I was shocked when Jack actually tried to shoot John. Never thought he'd do it.) Jack's "He's all yours" comment was priceless. Which one was he talking to? It could go either way!
Desmond was a desperate gun-toting basket-case. It was heartbreaking when he had to explain to Hurley that Charlie wasn't coming back. I think he's going to have major issues this season - as if he didn't already. I hear a rumor we're going to find out why he wound up in prison during his army service. I can't wait to see that. I think right now he just wants to do something proactive to keep his mind off his misery. In the back of his mind, meanwhile, there is the happy thought that Penny is still out there looking for him, and that now she knows he is waiting to be found.
Hurley deserves happiness. There's a sense that his exuberant cannonball is the last purely joyful moment he's going to have for a very long time, and that makes me sad. This season will be even darker than the last, I suppose, which is troublesome, but there will be enough levity to keep us afloat. Speaking of which... Where are you, Christmas? I have an uneasy feeling it just came and went without being acknowledged. Most unsatisfying!
The new "I wouldn't say rescuing you is our primary objective" guy looks eerily like Charlie, though he sounds nothing like him. I'm still mourning the loss of a potential Billy and Dom reunion. Why couldn't you figure out a way to work that into the script, writer? Couldn't you have made Billy that scummy pal of his in the goofy copier flashback? That would have been something at least... But I digress.
I saw the Oceanic ad during Eli Stone - which was disappointing and totally failed to engage me - and I got a kick out of that, particularly the little snatches of Sam warning us not to listen to those smiling faces encouraging us to get a golden pass. The website doesn't seem to be much yet - nothing but a press release and a privacy policy that I can't open. But something tells me that Sonya is going to show up at some point on the show. When she does, I will be excited.
Who are the other three Oceanic survivors who returned? We know it's Jack, Kate and Hurley. I can't imagine John would have left unless someone dragged him kicking and screaming, and same goes for Ben, who wasn't an Oceanic survivor anyway. Dad thought Michael might have been in the coffin, and I hadn't really considered that one before, but it's certainly a possibility. Presumably he would have been one of the Six, so that only five remain at the time when Jack meets Kate and tells her they have to go back. So many possibilities...
And then there's Jacob, who it would seem Hurley can see. When we caught a glimpse of him, he looked like Christian to me, or was that just my imagination? I'm not sure. But it would not surprise me at all to learn that Hurley, too, is "special". Notice how the Hurleybird started up again as he neared the cabin. Someone needs to tell him something. Hurley is tapped into the island. He just may not realize it yet.
Every time I think I'm done typing, I think of something else, but I probably ought to wrap it up now. I thought it was a phenomenal opener, and I want to give Hurley a ginormous hug right now. I don't like the dreary futures that seem to be unfolding, but I will keep the faith. They're in good hands with Hurley.
But I loved how focused the episode - which I suddenly realized I don't know the name of - was on Charlie. I knew Hurley would take it really hard, but I imagined Claire being the one to go ballistic, and it really was the other way around. I think it was very appropriate, though, that Hurley was the one to break the news. I was rather hoping it would be; the connection there is much deeper, and Claire was in major need of a Hurley hug at that moment. She looked so luminous throughout this episode, and I just felt so bad for her when they all showed up and Sun and Rose ran to their husbands, and her expectant smile turned into a slightly worried frown, and Hurley didn't have to say the words before she knew the truth.
I found his speech to Jack both rousing and touching - though a tad troubling in light of the flash forward. Why was going with John the wrong call? What happened? At any rate, throughout the whole episode we really get a sense of the depth of Hurley's friendship with Charlie. I was also very moved by Sawyer's rather clumsy attempts to reach out to Hurley. Grief and empathy can help one heal; maybe in death, Charlie can help Sawyer to make a fresh start at last. Incidentally, no long goodbyes for any of the Others. Colleen's was actually quite beautiful. But Ben and Juliet are the only Others on hand, and Ben's tied up, while Juliet's jumped ship. I don't think either is too concerned about funeral rites at the moment.
Charlie looked and sounded amazing in this episode. So serene, cleaner than we've ever seen him, totally at peace, yet still very much in possession of his sly wit. What did it all mean? "I am dead, but I'm here." Was he really? I took him at his word, that he was more than a hallucination. Who knows? Yemi, Boone and Christian seem to have spoken from beyond the grave as well. I can't make hide nor hair of Darlton's mythology, but I sure was glad to see Charlie again. While it didn't make me cry like Jonathan Kent's last conversation with Clark did, it somehow made me feel much more hopeful. I don't think Hurley will let himself truly give into despair. But who is "them"? Jack and the other known survivors, or those still on the island? Or both?
By the way, when Hurley said, "I'm one of the Oceanic Six," Libbie and I just repeated incredulously, "Six?!" Goodness gracious. Horrible! Unless it just means there's a big ol' castaway settlement back on the island, and most of them decided they'd rather stay. That's not nearly as depressing. But if so many stayed, why would those six have returned?
I was thrilled to see Rose and Bernard playing such a prominent role again, though I was surprised that Rose went with Jack instead of John when she thinks leaving the island might mean having her cancer come back. I hope that Rose remains a major force. She and John both have been touched by miracles, but she reacts to hers in a very different way. Rose's is a much more mature faith than John's, and when it comes down to it he is much more like Jack than he might like to admit. He needs to have answers. He needs explanations for everything; he just may be a little more open-minded than Jack when it comes to what those explanations might entail. Rose just goes about her business and trusts that things will work out the way they're supposed to.
Poor Ben really was a mess tonight. He was almost back to Henry status, though he wasn't quite so sniveling as he was then. Actually, he cracked me up half the time he was on screen. Ben can be a very funny guy, and it's a mark of how badly he wants to maintain some degree of control over his situation that he is able to make snidely wry remarks when he's in such a predicament. I really did feel bad for him, though, when Danielle socked him in the face; he probably had it coming, but I do believe that in that moment he was genuinely concerned for their welfare and was trying to save them. (And why was everybody so slap-happy tonight? Jack was ready to beat John within an inch of his life, and Charlie whapped Hurley pretty good too. And I was shocked when Jack actually tried to shoot John. Never thought he'd do it.) Jack's "He's all yours" comment was priceless. Which one was he talking to? It could go either way!
Desmond was a desperate gun-toting basket-case. It was heartbreaking when he had to explain to Hurley that Charlie wasn't coming back. I think he's going to have major issues this season - as if he didn't already. I hear a rumor we're going to find out why he wound up in prison during his army service. I can't wait to see that. I think right now he just wants to do something proactive to keep his mind off his misery. In the back of his mind, meanwhile, there is the happy thought that Penny is still out there looking for him, and that now she knows he is waiting to be found.
Hurley deserves happiness. There's a sense that his exuberant cannonball is the last purely joyful moment he's going to have for a very long time, and that makes me sad. This season will be even darker than the last, I suppose, which is troublesome, but there will be enough levity to keep us afloat. Speaking of which... Where are you, Christmas? I have an uneasy feeling it just came and went without being acknowledged. Most unsatisfying!
The new "I wouldn't say rescuing you is our primary objective" guy looks eerily like Charlie, though he sounds nothing like him. I'm still mourning the loss of a potential Billy and Dom reunion. Why couldn't you figure out a way to work that into the script, writer? Couldn't you have made Billy that scummy pal of his in the goofy copier flashback? That would have been something at least... But I digress.
I saw the Oceanic ad during Eli Stone - which was disappointing and totally failed to engage me - and I got a kick out of that, particularly the little snatches of Sam warning us not to listen to those smiling faces encouraging us to get a golden pass. The website doesn't seem to be much yet - nothing but a press release and a privacy policy that I can't open. But something tells me that Sonya is going to show up at some point on the show. When she does, I will be excited.
Who are the other three Oceanic survivors who returned? We know it's Jack, Kate and Hurley. I can't imagine John would have left unless someone dragged him kicking and screaming, and same goes for Ben, who wasn't an Oceanic survivor anyway. Dad thought Michael might have been in the coffin, and I hadn't really considered that one before, but it's certainly a possibility. Presumably he would have been one of the Six, so that only five remain at the time when Jack meets Kate and tells her they have to go back. So many possibilities...
And then there's Jacob, who it would seem Hurley can see. When we caught a glimpse of him, he looked like Christian to me, or was that just my imagination? I'm not sure. But it would not surprise me at all to learn that Hurley, too, is "special". Notice how the Hurleybird started up again as he neared the cabin. Someone needs to tell him something. Hurley is tapped into the island. He just may not realize it yet.
Every time I think I'm done typing, I think of something else, but I probably ought to wrap it up now. I thought it was a phenomenal opener, and I want to give Hurley a ginormous hug right now. I don't like the dreary futures that seem to be unfolding, but I will keep the faith. They're in good hands with Hurley.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Season Three Review
The third season was the first LOST season I watched live. And it was soooo good...
When They Arrive (Sons and Daughters, Colin Meloy)
It's been a long, long time since we last saw Jack and his buddies learning that rescue was on the way. Before we find out what really happens to them when the supposed rescuers come, here's a little rah-rah speech I imagine Jack making as they wait, to the tune of the Decemberists' Sons and Daughters. Bring on season four!
When They Arrive
When they arrive, Eight One Fivers,
They'll hail the great crash survivors.
They'll interview us on CNN.
We'll make a mint at minimum then.
We will be courted by reporters.
Our books will sell out at Borders.
The bonds that made this livable
Are sure to stay unbreakable then.
We'll flee from harm, Eight One Fivers,
Thanks to the brave deep-sea diver
Who risked his life saving everyone,
But most of all, saving Claire and her son.
When they arrive, Eight One Fivers,
They'll hail the great crash survivors.
They'll interview us on CNN.
We'll make a mint at minimum then.
(Repeat three times)
We have been found, castaways.
We have been found, castaways...
(Fade out)
When They Arrive
When they arrive, Eight One Fivers,
They'll hail the great crash survivors.
They'll interview us on CNN.
We'll make a mint at minimum then.
We will be courted by reporters.
Our books will sell out at Borders.
The bonds that made this livable
Are sure to stay unbreakable then.
We'll flee from harm, Eight One Fivers,
Thanks to the brave deep-sea diver
Who risked his life saving everyone,
But most of all, saving Claire and her son.
When they arrive, Eight One Fivers,
They'll hail the great crash survivors.
They'll interview us on CNN.
We'll make a mint at minimum then.
(Repeat three times)
We have been found, castaways.
We have been found, castaways...
(Fade out)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Shannon Rutherford Action Figure Review
Shannon, like her counterpart in the show, is rather useless. The most skippable of the LOST figures.
Kate Austen Action Figure Review
For some reason, Kate's arms look like tree branches. Otherwise, though, great figure with a very cool prop.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Changing Nights
According to the paper today, LOST will be airing on Thursdays next year instead of Wednesdays. Makes sense, I suppose; no more competition with American Idol. I don't know what the timing will be, though. After Grey's Anatomy, maybe, and bump Men in Trees somewhere else? Or will they want it earlier? Anyway, works for me. Of course, this means that it again starts on Dad's birthday. And Dad is flying to Hawaii on his anniversary, and the anniversary of the crash of Flight 815. Ah, connections...
By the time we get to season four, Libbie, Dan and I will have re-watched the first three seasons together, despite the annoying lateness of seasons three's arrival. What's in store for the fourth season? I don't know. I assume we're going to meet at least some of the people on that boat, and I don't think they're up to anything good. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Penny in real-time. And I suppose there will be plenty of flash forwards now, though I'm predicting it won't only be flash forwards. Maybe they'll try to make it ambiguous so it'll be hard for us to figure out if it's in the past or the future. That could be kinda fun... But I'm not really so crazy about the flash forward thing. I hated Jack's; soooo depressing. And even if they aren't depressing, they're going to feel anti-climactic, or rather make the events on the island feel anti-climactic. We'll see. Beth says she isn't sure she trusts Damon, Carlton and the gang, and I know what she means, but I like to think they know what they're doing. Or maybe I just hope...
Mostly I've been really impressed with LOST, but the fact that it is such a morally and spiritually stimulating show makes certain actions seem all the more troubling, because there's a sense that the writers are condoning it. That Eko's refusal to repent is laudable rather than regrettable. That Sun shouldn't have thought twice about killing Colleen or felt a little remorse afterward. That Desmond and Sayid were fools for letting Mikhail live when they had the chance to kill him and that Sawyer was completely justified in killing Tom even though he was unarmed and had surrendered. Every time I think of instances like this I hear Gandalf and Dumbledore:
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
"Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt...When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them... and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter... This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry. But trust me... the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."
Smeagol and Peter. So despicable and so important. Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you. When I started watching LOST, I hoped they were going to debunk the idea that the whole Lord of the Flies scenario is inevitable. Sawyer's a jerk; Sayid was a torturer; Kate is a fugitive. Just about all the castaways are damaged goods. And on the path to redemption. Damon and Carlton say the show is all about redemption, so I really don't think they're going to let 90 percent of the characters kill each other before the whole shebang is over. And I don't really think they're saying blowing "bad guys" away indescriminately is the way to go, given the psychological toll such experiences have taken on the likes of Desmond, who killed someone by accident, and Hurley, who feels guilty about deaths that happen around him even though he's not responsible, to say nothing of Sayid, Eko, Sawyer and others who have so much conscious action to repent of. I just hate it when they seem to backtrack.
I have a feeling that Ben is LOST's Darth Vader, or perhaps Snape. That is to say, there's a lot more going on with him than we know, and a lot may hinge on where his loyalties lie in the eleventh hour. I have a feeling that he'll be around until the end, and that he will come off as at least an anti-hero, perhaps spurred into action on behalf of the greater good by Alex or by Annie, who I'm sure we're going to find out more about. If she isn't dead, she could potentially play a really crucial role. Even if she is, her memory could. And maybe he's had altruistic motives all along, though he sure has a twisted way of going about his business. I think Ben is dangerous and probably psychotic; I don't think he's irredeemably evil, and I suspect he was telling Jack the truth in that last episode.
It's been a while since I've blogged about LOST. I should get back in the groove, even without new episodes to write about. Bottom line: I'm extremely excited about the fourth season. I just hope it's not a relentless bloodbath.
By the time we get to season four, Libbie, Dan and I will have re-watched the first three seasons together, despite the annoying lateness of seasons three's arrival. What's in store for the fourth season? I don't know. I assume we're going to meet at least some of the people on that boat, and I don't think they're up to anything good. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Penny in real-time. And I suppose there will be plenty of flash forwards now, though I'm predicting it won't only be flash forwards. Maybe they'll try to make it ambiguous so it'll be hard for us to figure out if it's in the past or the future. That could be kinda fun... But I'm not really so crazy about the flash forward thing. I hated Jack's; soooo depressing. And even if they aren't depressing, they're going to feel anti-climactic, or rather make the events on the island feel anti-climactic. We'll see. Beth says she isn't sure she trusts Damon, Carlton and the gang, and I know what she means, but I like to think they know what they're doing. Or maybe I just hope...
Mostly I've been really impressed with LOST, but the fact that it is such a morally and spiritually stimulating show makes certain actions seem all the more troubling, because there's a sense that the writers are condoning it. That Eko's refusal to repent is laudable rather than regrettable. That Sun shouldn't have thought twice about killing Colleen or felt a little remorse afterward. That Desmond and Sayid were fools for letting Mikhail live when they had the chance to kill him and that Sawyer was completely justified in killing Tom even though he was unarmed and had surrendered. Every time I think of instances like this I hear Gandalf and Dumbledore:
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
"Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt...When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them... and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter... This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry. But trust me... the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."
Smeagol and Peter. So despicable and so important. Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you. When I started watching LOST, I hoped they were going to debunk the idea that the whole Lord of the Flies scenario is inevitable. Sawyer's a jerk; Sayid was a torturer; Kate is a fugitive. Just about all the castaways are damaged goods. And on the path to redemption. Damon and Carlton say the show is all about redemption, so I really don't think they're going to let 90 percent of the characters kill each other before the whole shebang is over. And I don't really think they're saying blowing "bad guys" away indescriminately is the way to go, given the psychological toll such experiences have taken on the likes of Desmond, who killed someone by accident, and Hurley, who feels guilty about deaths that happen around him even though he's not responsible, to say nothing of Sayid, Eko, Sawyer and others who have so much conscious action to repent of. I just hate it when they seem to backtrack.
I have a feeling that Ben is LOST's Darth Vader, or perhaps Snape. That is to say, there's a lot more going on with him than we know, and a lot may hinge on where his loyalties lie in the eleventh hour. I have a feeling that he'll be around until the end, and that he will come off as at least an anti-hero, perhaps spurred into action on behalf of the greater good by Alex or by Annie, who I'm sure we're going to find out more about. If she isn't dead, she could potentially play a really crucial role. Even if she is, her memory could. And maybe he's had altruistic motives all along, though he sure has a twisted way of going about his business. I think Ben is dangerous and probably psychotic; I don't think he's irredeemably evil, and I suspect he was telling Jack the truth in that last episode.
It's been a while since I've blogged about LOST. I should get back in the groove, even without new episodes to write about. Bottom line: I'm extremely excited about the fourth season. I just hope it's not a relentless bloodbath.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The LOST Cast Expands
What I really should be doing is ignoring all of the LOST-related articles that come down the pike, but I probably won't. This hiatus is terribly tedious; I need to liven it up with some news... So there are five new actors who have been cast as recurring players, and I've never heard of any of them, and Damon and Carlton are so unwilling to divulge concrete details that I really don't feel as though I've gotten much of a spoiler at all, and that's good. Just means, I guess, that I will find the newbies vaguely familiar when they pop up. If I remember their faces in five months, which is a big if.
She Wore the Ring He Left Her (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Traditional)
For my 50th LOST-related poem, yet another one about Charlie, this time to the tune of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Maybe this will get it out of my system...
She Wore The Ring He Left Her
'Round her neck, she wore the ring he left her,
An heirloom decorated with a "DS" on its face.
And if you asked her why the heck she wore it,
She'd tell you that she wore it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
She wore it to remember Charlie Pace.
'Round her neck, she wore the ring he left her.
She'd tell you that she wore it to recall Charlie Pace.
Lavishly, she gobbled peanut butter.
She kept a dozen jars inside the cupboard just in case.
And if you asked her why the heck she ate it,
She'd tell you that she ate it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
She ate it to remember Charlie Pace.
Lavishly, she gobbled peanut butter.
She'd tell you that she ate it to recall Charlie Pace.
Liam, Claire and Aaron got together.
He realized his brother hadn't left without a trace.
And if you asked him why the heck he met them,
He'd tell you that he met them to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He met them to remember Charlie Pace.
Liam, Claire and Aaron got together.
He'd tell you that he met them to recall Charlie Pace.
Driveshaft soon released a stunning single
Once written by the partner Liam never could replace.
And if you asked him why the heck he made it,
He'd tell you that he made it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He made it to remember Charlie Pace.
Driveshaft soon released a stunning single.
He'd tell you that he made it to recall Charlie Pace.
Growing Aaron plucked upon guitar strings.
The instrument was awkward but he fingered it with grace.
And if you asked him why the heck he played it,
He'd tell you that he played it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He played it to remember Charlie Pace.
Growing Aaron plucked upon guitar strings.
He'd tell you that he played it to recall Charlie Pace.
She Wore The Ring He Left Her
'Round her neck, she wore the ring he left her,
An heirloom decorated with a "DS" on its face.
And if you asked her why the heck she wore it,
She'd tell you that she wore it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
She wore it to remember Charlie Pace.
'Round her neck, she wore the ring he left her.
She'd tell you that she wore it to recall Charlie Pace.
Lavishly, she gobbled peanut butter.
She kept a dozen jars inside the cupboard just in case.
And if you asked her why the heck she ate it,
She'd tell you that she ate it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
She ate it to remember Charlie Pace.
Lavishly, she gobbled peanut butter.
She'd tell you that she ate it to recall Charlie Pace.
Liam, Claire and Aaron got together.
He realized his brother hadn't left without a trace.
And if you asked him why the heck he met them,
He'd tell you that he met them to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He met them to remember Charlie Pace.
Liam, Claire and Aaron got together.
He'd tell you that he met them to recall Charlie Pace.
Driveshaft soon released a stunning single
Once written by the partner Liam never could replace.
And if you asked him why the heck he made it,
He'd tell you that he made it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He made it to remember Charlie Pace.
Driveshaft soon released a stunning single.
He'd tell you that he made it to recall Charlie Pace.
Growing Aaron plucked upon guitar strings.
The instrument was awkward but he fingered it with grace.
And if you asked him why the heck he played it,
He'd tell you that he played it to recall Charlie Pace.
Charlie Pace, Charlie Pace.
He played it to remember Charlie Pace.
Growing Aaron plucked upon guitar strings.
He'd tell you that he played it to recall Charlie Pace.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
What a Disappointment...
I was browsing around imdb yesterday, and I decided to pop over to Dom's profile and see if he had any new projects coming down the pike that I hadn't gotten wind of yet. He hadn't; it was still just I Sell the Dead, but at least that was something to look forward to, and I was encouraged by the 2007 date on it. But a peek at one of the message boards unearthed two unsettling facts.
1) The movie probably won't be coming out until mid-2008. (And that's probably in England; who knows when it will get here?) 2) There was an implication that this was a horror movie.
"A horror movie?" I said aloud, puzzled. Nathan reprimanded me for my naivete. "It's called I Sell the Dead!" he said. "What did you think it was going to be about?!" I informed him that it was about a grave robber reflecting on his life of crime, and I saw no reason why horror had to come into it at all. "He's a grave robber," Nathan pressed on. "Shouldn't that tell you something?" No, I decided, it should not. "It's about people who are already dead!" I argued. "And not moving around!"
And then, in desperation to prove that someone on the message boards just didn't know what he was talking about, I browsed through the keywords. The word "supernatural" gave me pause. "Uh-oh," I said. "This could be problematic." Then I clicked for the extended list, and a moment later I let loose a wail of dismay. "What?" asked Nathan. But I couldn't answer, so struck with a sudden fit of hysterical, tear-inducing laughter I was rendered mute until I finally managed to gasp out "zombie violence".
Oh, Dom. Following in Billy's footsteps, are we? Chucky? Zombies? Really, you're not being too kind to us squeamish fans. Nonetheless, a screenful of zombies may be an appropriate price to pay for an hour and a half or so of Dom...
1) The movie probably won't be coming out until mid-2008. (And that's probably in England; who knows when it will get here?) 2) There was an implication that this was a horror movie.
"A horror movie?" I said aloud, puzzled. Nathan reprimanded me for my naivete. "It's called I Sell the Dead!" he said. "What did you think it was going to be about?!" I informed him that it was about a grave robber reflecting on his life of crime, and I saw no reason why horror had to come into it at all. "He's a grave robber," Nathan pressed on. "Shouldn't that tell you something?" No, I decided, it should not. "It's about people who are already dead!" I argued. "And not moving around!"
And then, in desperation to prove that someone on the message boards just didn't know what he was talking about, I browsed through the keywords. The word "supernatural" gave me pause. "Uh-oh," I said. "This could be problematic." Then I clicked for the extended list, and a moment later I let loose a wail of dismay. "What?" asked Nathan. But I couldn't answer, so struck with a sudden fit of hysterical, tear-inducing laughter I was rendered mute until I finally managed to gasp out "zombie violence".
Oh, Dom. Following in Billy's footsteps, are we? Chucky? Zombies? Really, you're not being too kind to us squeamish fans. Nonetheless, a screenful of zombies may be an appropriate price to pay for an hour and a half or so of Dom...
Leaving This Island (The Greening of Belfast, Michael Card)
Anyone who has read several of my LOST-related posts from the past three months will probably have the idea I'm a bit hung up on Charlie's death. It's been mentioned in half a dozen poems before this one, and I keep telling myself that's it, but then I wind up deciding there's still more to say...
This reflection, to the tune of Michael Card's The Greening of Belfast, finds Charlie alone, lost in thought as he strums his guitar a short time before he leaves with Desmond in Greatest Hits.
Leaving This Island
With the soft, soft sand
Shifting under my feet,
I retreat to the solace of song.
I must strive to shield
Little Aaron and Claire
From the terror that's loomed for so long.
Claire will be leaving this island.
I think I'm prepared now although it's unfair.
My love is leaving this island,
But when rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
When rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
It gives me chills
Looking on her face,
Aware that my life's almost done,
For my will to live
Tortures me as I stare
At those eyes that shine bright as the sun.
But I'll dry my tears
And I'll say my prayers
As I leave her behind on the shore,
And I'll rest in peace
Knowing I have released
The one I love most from this war.
Claire will be leaving this island.
I think I'm prepared now although it's unfair.
My love is leaving this island,
But when rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
When rescue comes, I wish I could be there,
But Claire will be leaving this island.
Greening of Belfast
This reflection, to the tune of Michael Card's The Greening of Belfast, finds Charlie alone, lost in thought as he strums his guitar a short time before he leaves with Desmond in Greatest Hits.
Leaving This Island
With the soft, soft sand
Shifting under my feet,
I retreat to the solace of song.
I must strive to shield
Little Aaron and Claire
From the terror that's loomed for so long.
Claire will be leaving this island.
I think I'm prepared now although it's unfair.
My love is leaving this island,
But when rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
When rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
It gives me chills
Looking on her face,
Aware that my life's almost done,
For my will to live
Tortures me as I stare
At those eyes that shine bright as the sun.
But I'll dry my tears
And I'll say my prayers
As I leave her behind on the shore,
And I'll rest in peace
Knowing I have released
The one I love most from this war.
Claire will be leaving this island.
I think I'm prepared now although it's unfair.
My love is leaving this island,
But when rescue comes, I wish I could be there.
When rescue comes, I wish I could be there,
But Claire will be leaving this island.
Greening of Belfast
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Why Did You Shoot Me? (Why Don't You Write Me?, Paul Simon)
I'd say John has a pretty good reason to be ticked off with Ben. Here's a little rant to the tune of Why Don't You Write Me?
Why Did You Shoot Me?
Why did you shoot me
Way deep in the jungle
Because I could hear him?
Why did you think that your power would shrink
With me near him?
Ben Linus,
Why did you shoot?
Ben, what went wrong?
Once I thought I was your buddy.
You double-crossed me, and now I am lost
And all bloody.
Tell me why! (Why, why?)
Tell me why! (Why, why?)
Why did you shoot me?
You tried to recruit me,
And I would have joined you.
Now there's no way
Since you're spurning fair play.
I'm annoyed by you,
Ben Linus...
Do you feel remorse for what you've done?
Sending your guys to kidnap Kate and Sun.
Making Michael kill those girls.
Taking Cooper for a ride
So I'd be a party to patricide.
Ben, you ought to be
Investing in some major psychotherapy.
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why Did You Shoot Me?
Why did you shoot me
Way deep in the jungle
Because I could hear him?
Why did you think that your power would shrink
With me near him?
Ben Linus,
Why did you shoot?
Ben, what went wrong?
Once I thought I was your buddy.
You double-crossed me, and now I am lost
And all bloody.
Tell me why! (Why, why?)
Tell me why! (Why, why?)
Why did you shoot me?
You tried to recruit me,
And I would have joined you.
Now there's no way
Since you're spurning fair play.
I'm annoyed by you,
Ben Linus...
Do you feel remorse for what you've done?
Sending your guys to kidnap Kate and Sun.
Making Michael kill those girls.
Taking Cooper for a ride
So I'd be a party to patricide.
Ben, you ought to be
Investing in some major psychotherapy.
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Monday, August 13, 2007
Bear! (Hair, Galt MacDermot / James Rado / Gerome Ragni)
How many times have we seen a polar bear on LOST now? And how many polar bears has it actually been? Two? Three? One bear possessing eerie Mikhail-like indestructibility? That's the theory I have Sawyer posit in this silly parody of the Cowsills' Hair.
Bear!
Sawyer: You asked me why.
Why? I don't wanna die.
That bear was in my sighty-sight sight.
He gave me a fright.
That bear has died, you know.
The tough task was mine;
I made him go!
He won't come back. He's dead.
Guess we'll be well fed!
Darlin'...
Look! I just shot a bear.
Big, burly white bear.
Growlin', scowlin',
Furry, in a hurry.
Would have said, "Beware!" (Bear!)
If he'd been there longer. (Bear!)
Still, I have stopped trauma;
Why treat me like a baddie?
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That bear.
Walt: I made a dash for the trees.
I am begging you, please
Be speedy in seizing that bear.
I'd get on my knees
And pray, but I'd better freeze
And skimp on words
And hope the birds
Make a clatter
That will shatter
The attention of that...
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Stab 'im, jab 'im,
Just keep him from grabbin'!
That bear...
Sawyer: I want him long gone, not returning,
Musty, dusty, beaten, eaten.
Hope that he's forever severed.
Now his cage is sparking rages.
Think I'd better risk it,
Fishin' for his biscuit
Though he's bigger than a yeti
And his jaws and claws are like machetes.
Eko: Oh, say can you see his eyes?
If you can, then your life is short.
Sawyer: He's still here.
Don't know where.
Darn that bear! Darn that bear! I stopped him myself!
How can his paws keep runnin' when I stopped him myself?
Oh, why is a polar bear,
Non-tropical bear,
Even grievin' us? He should be leavin'.
How does a regular fella dare (Bear!)
Face a beast that's stronger? (Bear!)
That may be more drama
Than I would deal with gladly.
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That... (bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That... (bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Bear!
Sawyer: You asked me why.
Why? I don't wanna die.
That bear was in my sighty-sight sight.
He gave me a fright.
That bear has died, you know.
The tough task was mine;
I made him go!
He won't come back. He's dead.
Guess we'll be well fed!
Darlin'...
Look! I just shot a bear.
Big, burly white bear.
Growlin', scowlin',
Furry, in a hurry.
Would have said, "Beware!" (Bear!)
If he'd been there longer. (Bear!)
Still, I have stopped trauma;
Why treat me like a baddie?
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That bear.
Walt: I made a dash for the trees.
I am begging you, please
Be speedy in seizing that bear.
I'd get on my knees
And pray, but I'd better freeze
And skimp on words
And hope the birds
Make a clatter
That will shatter
The attention of that...
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Stab 'im, jab 'im,
Just keep him from grabbin'!
That bear...
Sawyer: I want him long gone, not returning,
Musty, dusty, beaten, eaten.
Hope that he's forever severed.
Now his cage is sparking rages.
Think I'd better risk it,
Fishin' for his biscuit
Though he's bigger than a yeti
And his jaws and claws are like machetes.
Eko: Oh, say can you see his eyes?
If you can, then your life is short.
Sawyer: He's still here.
Don't know where.
Darn that bear! Darn that bear! I stopped him myself!
How can his paws keep runnin' when I stopped him myself?
Oh, why is a polar bear,
Non-tropical bear,
Even grievin' us? He should be leavin'.
How does a regular fella dare (Bear!)
Face a beast that's stronger? (Bear!)
That may be more drama
Than I would deal with gladly.
(Bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That... (bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Shoot 'im, boot 'im,
'Long as I can mute 'im,
That... (bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear!)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
I'm Lost Without...
This past Christmas, I received a shirt that reads "I'M LOST WITHOUT CHARLIE". Turns out it was prophetic, since Charlie's run on the show actually ended with the conclusion of the third season. He's one of my four absolutely favorite characters. Luckily, the other three remain, but meanwhile other folks have been getting whacked left and right. It troubles me. Hence, this little rant...
I'm Lost Without...
I'm lost without Charlie, musician and hero.
I'm lost without Shannon and Boone.
I'm lost without Eko, whose death by Old Smokey
Seemed random and happened too soon.
I'm lost without gun-toting Ana Lucia.
I'm lost without Nikki the ditz.
I'm lost without Paolo, Joanna and Leslie,
Who got himself blown into bits.
I'm lost without Libby, collateral damage
And Hurley's best shot at romance.
I'm lost without dangerous Bonnie and Greta,
Who never had much of a chance.
I'm lost without Ryan, Colleen and Naomi.
I'm lost without Donald and Scott.
I'm lost without Roger and Kelvin, the putzes
Whose passing propelled the whole plot.
I'm lost without Danny, irascible hothead.
I'm lost without friendly foe Tom.
I'm lost without Goodwin, that overgrown boy scout.
I'm lost without vile Ethan Rom.
I'm lost without Edward, the dude with the shrapnel.
I'm lost without Cooper and Klugh.
I'm lost without Pilot-Whose-Name-Wasn't-Mentioned
And maybe without Mikhail too.
O Damon and Carlton, desist with the slaughter!
Have mercy! Consider the cost
Of killing each character I've come to love, lest
At last I am lost without LOST!
I'm Lost Without...
I'm lost without Charlie, musician and hero.
I'm lost without Shannon and Boone.
I'm lost without Eko, whose death by Old Smokey
Seemed random and happened too soon.
I'm lost without gun-toting Ana Lucia.
I'm lost without Nikki the ditz.
I'm lost without Paolo, Joanna and Leslie,
Who got himself blown into bits.
I'm lost without Libby, collateral damage
And Hurley's best shot at romance.
I'm lost without dangerous Bonnie and Greta,
Who never had much of a chance.
I'm lost without Ryan, Colleen and Naomi.
I'm lost without Donald and Scott.
I'm lost without Roger and Kelvin, the putzes
Whose passing propelled the whole plot.
I'm lost without Danny, irascible hothead.
I'm lost without friendly foe Tom.
I'm lost without Goodwin, that overgrown boy scout.
I'm lost without vile Ethan Rom.
I'm lost without Edward, the dude with the shrapnel.
I'm lost without Cooper and Klugh.
I'm lost without Pilot-Whose-Name-Wasn't-Mentioned
And maybe without Mikhail too.
O Damon and Carlton, desist with the slaughter!
Have mercy! Consider the cost
Of killing each character I've come to love, lest
At last I am lost without LOST!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
I Never (El Condor Pasa, Traditional / Paul Simon)
Here's a silly little ditty about Sawyer and Kate's season-two game of "I Never" to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's El Condor Pasa.
I Never
Sawyer: I've never gotten near a bridal veil.
No, not me.
You, maybe,
But never me.
Kate: I never was obsessed with ancient mail.
No, not me.
Sawyer, you may be,
But never me.
I'd play "I Never" here all day
And debunk this cocky hunk.
Sawyer: I'm in no hurry to be found
As long as Freckles is around.
Glad she's around.
Kate: I never blamed my problems on a boar.
No, not me.
You, maybe,
But never me.
Sawyer: I never ever fell in love before.
No, not me.
Until now, you see;
You've smitten me.
I Never
Sawyer: I've never gotten near a bridal veil.
No, not me.
You, maybe,
But never me.
Kate: I never was obsessed with ancient mail.
No, not me.
Sawyer, you may be,
But never me.
I'd play "I Never" here all day
And debunk this cocky hunk.
Sawyer: I'm in no hurry to be found
As long as Freckles is around.
Glad she's around.
Kate: I never blamed my problems on a boar.
No, not me.
You, maybe,
But never me.
Sawyer: I never ever fell in love before.
No, not me.
Until now, you see;
You've smitten me.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
My Younger Brother's Cross (Lover's Cross, Jim Croce)
One of my favorite episodes of LOST is The 23rd Psalm, which so tragically explores Eko's past. Here's a little reflection by him set in that episode to the tune of Jim Croce's Lover's Cross.
My Younger Brother's Cross
How I wish this had not happened!
Poor Yemi, killed for my crime.
In the plane that I envisioned,
I have found what I had feared to find,
For if it seemed that he might be a martyr,
I would never acknowledge the clue,
But, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
I am sure this is confusing to you.
You stare; your eyes are wide.
Yemi risked his life on my behalf,
And it is my fault that he died.
I guess that he had the nerve of a martyr,
Possessing courage that I never knew.
Now, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
Perhaps he will hear my yearning
And know I have pledged to change.
In pain, I continue learning
That this business of life is a dangerous game.
Charlie, you have helped me find my brother.
You have shown me to this spot,
So stand beside me as I cry,
Exposing my grief to God.
I suspected he might be a martyr before,
But I had to have proof it was true,
So, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
(repeat bridge and chorus)
My Younger Brother's Cross
How I wish this had not happened!
Poor Yemi, killed for my crime.
In the plane that I envisioned,
I have found what I had feared to find,
For if it seemed that he might be a martyr,
I would never acknowledge the clue,
But, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
I am sure this is confusing to you.
You stare; your eyes are wide.
Yemi risked his life on my behalf,
And it is my fault that he died.
I guess that he had the nerve of a martyr,
Possessing courage that I never knew.
Now, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
Perhaps he will hear my yearning
And know I have pledged to change.
In pain, I continue learning
That this business of life is a dangerous game.
Charlie, you have helped me find my brother.
You have shown me to this spot,
So stand beside me as I cry,
Exposing my grief to God.
I suspected he might be a martyr before,
But I had to have proof it was true,
So, Charlie, since I see my younger brother's cross, I do.
(repeat bridge and chorus)
I Will Not Avenge Boone (Lasso the Moon, Billy Simon / Lowell Alexander)
Here's a refusal from Sayid to Shannon to kill John Locke, to the tune of the lullaby Lasso the Moon. Sayid comes across as pretty rough sometimes, but this is one of those instances that demonstrates the strength of his principles...
I Will Not Avenge Boone
If he were my step-brother,
Despair might turn my love
Into a blinding rage. However,
Think before the actions meant
To banish emptiness
Instead impair your soul forever.
Though Boone died,
That seems accidental to me.
His death was unfair, and yet
Killing John is too.
I will not avenge Boone for you.
Shannon, if John Locke were here,
He'd show you his remorse.
You would not doubt how much he's mourning.
Trust me when I say he's been
Agonizing most
Sincerely. I believe his story.
Though Boone died,
That seems accidental to me.
His death was unfair, and yet
Killing John is too.
I will not avenge Boone for you.
Lasso the Moon
I Will Not Avenge Boone
If he were my step-brother,
Despair might turn my love
Into a blinding rage. However,
Think before the actions meant
To banish emptiness
Instead impair your soul forever.
Though Boone died,
That seems accidental to me.
His death was unfair, and yet
Killing John is too.
I will not avenge Boone for you.
Shannon, if John Locke were here,
He'd show you his remorse.
You would not doubt how much he's mourning.
Trust me when I say he's been
Agonizing most
Sincerely. I believe his story.
Though Boone died,
That seems accidental to me.
His death was unfair, and yet
Killing John is too.
I will not avenge Boone for you.
Lasso the Moon
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