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I know, I know. To be honest, this could have easily passed me by but a reminder popped up on my tumblr dash and it made me reflect back. Did you know I've only the watched the finale once? I'm thinking about watching it again today to finally give myself that closure, lol.
I was in New York City for Book Expo America when the Lost finale aired. We forced everyone to watch and be quiet or kicked them out of our hotel room. Let's be real, I was probably the most intense about it (Natasha joked she was more excited to watch me watch Lost than the finale itself) but it was still fun. I wish I could link to my thoughts on it at the time, but I never recapped it because that week was so busy! I am one of the fans that loved it, though, I didn't care as much that some of the mysteries were resolved unsatisfactorily because I felt like all the characters were treated with respect. I don't think I've felt quite the same fannish zeal for anything since, but I had a lot of fun watching the show and talking about it and probably heaping it with more love and praise than it deserved.
New York City was decked out for the finale, I stayed at Nicole's for awhile and there was a big billboard right outside her window! But Times Square was also ready. These are my really bad pics taken on my crappy Blackberry.
It was really cool, they had a countdown clock and everything!
LOST may have been an imperfect show, but I loved it for giving me characters with rich stories that I could love, for having so many different ideas--big ideas about the world and life, right and wrong, faith and science, what gives value to our existence --to think about. It gave us six seasons of beautiful music, humor, and gorgeous Hawaiian scenery. This piece at the AV Club that was posted over Christmas about my favorite episode of the show, The Constant, sums up beautifully what LOST was about for me (it's a really great read, please read it!):
But if you had to pick one phrase from the show that established its humanist ethos, look no further than Jack’s line to the still-forming group in Season 1: “If we can’t live together… then we’re going to die alone.” It’s a statement not just about those people, but those at home watching the show as well. A glimpse into The Island’s history is filled with settlers that come and seek to either understand or conquer it. All of them fail, as laid out by The Man In Black. “They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.” Why do the 815ers succeed where others have failed? They don’t entirely succeed, if one looks at the death toll of the show. But it’s less about how they die and more about how they lived that determines their ultimate fate. Desmond doesn’t make amends with Penny on Christmas Eve in “The Constant”; he reaffirms a connection that always existed. In our best moments, we reaffirm that connection as well.
I still and probably always will miss the show. Nothing else like it has come along. LOST was an ambitious show that gave its audience something to think about and a reason to keep watching, and yet it was wrapped up in commercial appeal. I wish someone would have that kind of vision now.
Did you watch the show? Have you come to peace with the ending? What were your favorite LOST moments?
Okay so I actually really liked the episode tonight. I think based on the little Twitter reaction I've seen this is an unpopular opinion, but the episode focused mostly on core characters so I think I enjoyed it. Also I've been rewatching the series from the beginning (more on that later) that made me feel a bit more connected to the story they were telling tonight, like I don't know if I would have even thought twice about Damon's crow otherwise. Plus, I'm just now watching Elena fall for Stefan in season one so seeing her reflect back on that with Matt after everything that has happened is kind of interesting. And Stefan journaling! And I'm prone to like all flashback episodes more because vampires in old times make me happy for reasons I can't exactly explain.
One of my favorite dynamics in the show is Stefan/Damon and since this episode was about that a lot, I don't know, I just really liked it. I thought it was fun that Damon was helping Stefan out and wanted him to learn moderation. I'm a little bit confused about what happened to drinking human blood from blood bags and not actual humans, but I get that they wanted to do a past/present parallel. Elena stumbling onto the scene of the crime was..I don't really know what the point was unless it was to remind Elena who Stefan and Damon really are. I mean a lot of times she doesn't have to face the cold hard reality of what their existence means apart from the big super dramatic stuff that happens to them. But in some other ways I don't really get why this was shocking.
I loved Elena's reasoning for why she was attracted to Stefan. I was thinking about how I've read two YA books recently where the girl protagonists lost a parent and broke up with their boyfriend from before for someone new. And Elena fits right into that so there are about a billion reasons why Stefan would be attractive apart from the obvious reasoning that he could never die. But aw Matt and Elena. They've had so many good moments lately I hope the show is sending us a message.
I thought Damon being the one to blame for Stefan's ripper-ways--in that he dragged him into it was a nice touch. Stefan turned Damon into a vampire, but Damon tempted Stefan into one of his worst periods ever. They both save each other's lives on a regular basis. All very nice and enjoyable stuff, show, I like it. Less enjoyable was how much Sage was wasted. I understand she's the one who got Damon to become his bad boy self--loving the killing and savoring the kill, but I feel like I could have seen more of her. I didn't enjoy the whole, "a woman isn't only for feeding, a woman is also for pleasure" stuff but since it was in the preview, I was fully prepared for it. I hear Sage will be back though, and I'm guessing all the stuff about her being obsessed with Finn will come back.
As far as Alaric and the ring, as soon as Alaric mentioned not being able to remember something I knew he was the killer. I just don't get exactly what the connection with the ring is and what it all means. I mean the ring wasn't working and now it's like...making him crazy? I was actually hoping it had its own spirit and that Alaric was possessed by Samantha Gilbert or something. I guess we'll see how it works out. Also why is he killing Council members if he's not possessed? As I've mentioned before though, Iris and I have talked a lot about choices and consequences being a theme and I think the ring plays into that since Elena insisted Alaric keep the ring. I just..I don't know I also didn't like how Elena blamed herself for Bonnie's mom. I liked the beginning of that story line last episode, and while I think Elena should be sensitive to how much everyone else is suffering, I don't want her to take the blame directly. Also, nice that Caroline is helping her through the transition but didn't help Tyler! (still bitter) and also no one is concerned about how Bonnie's mom is going to get human blood? Oh the things I think about.
Switched at Birth 1x21 -- The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Every S@B episode is named after a work of art.
So after that disappointing episode a couple of weeks ago, the show has gotten back on track for me! I fully loved this week's episode and am back to wishing more people watched the show so there would be more people to talk about it with. I mean YES it's a teen soap but it's a smart, emotionally grounded one in my opinion and I just love it.
So, last week Emmett and Simone were both devastated and hooked up and deeply regretted it the next morning as we saw. But Emmett's birthday was still a thing and Bay didn't know about the Emmett/Simone hook-up and she and Daphne planned this awesome thing together, to make this deaf zombie horror movie as a birthday party for Emmett. These girls are awesome, just saying. And they get everyone all involved, and of course to ratchet up the dramatic tension they have to borrow some equipment from Simone that they don't know how to use and so Simone has to stay and it's all SUPER AWK and Emmett and Simone are furiously texting about how she needs to leave and then SIMONE SETS HER PHONE DOWN WITHOUT LOCKING IT. So Wilke picks up the phone to use as a prop and sees the texts and woe is Wilke since Toby (Simone's sort of boyfriend) is his best friend and Bay is Toby's sister but also Emmett's girlfriend. Meanwhile Emmett is all guilty and tells his mom and she's like "you have to live with this but now you need to decide if Bay does" which is an interesting idea but not very practical in this case because of the people involved. So by the end of the episode my poor girl Bay still doesn't know. :(
But apart from that drama and the zombie movie and how adorable all of that was, I looooved the Regina/Kathryn and Regina/Daphne subplots because they sort of embody what I love most about the show. I love for example, that the switch is still a thing. That Daphne's childhood was stolen from her, and that everywhere she looks she's reminded of that and since Regina knew she can actually cast some blame. But at the same point in time, she loves her mother and so it's a real struggle of emotion, something that IS that can never actually be fixed and made right. It's just something she has to learn to live with. And I thought it was cute they went swimming to create new memories, but I'm not sure it would actually be warm enough in Kansas City for that.
And I like how Regina came around to sharing her side of the story with Kathryn, to taking control of the narrative because essentially I love everything about the book storyline. And I thought the stuff with Sarah Lazar was interesting. The thing is, as a viewer, I don't know if I believe John or not. I can understand why he's frustrated Kathryn doesn't trust him, but at the same point in time she deserved some space to deal with the revelation that he'd told her about the miscarriage. I think the thing is that even if John's affair with Sarah wasn't physical, it might have been emotional and I don't know if he realizes that's a big deal, too.
I'm so sad that there's only one episode left before it goes on hiatus. And same with The Walking Dead! (which by the way I'm recapping at Intimate Strangers in place of Gossip Girl) I'm enjoying both shows so much right now, I'll be sad to see them go.
But I want to discuss this cheating thing and take a poll. Do you think that if someone is in a committed relationship and makes a drunken mistake it's better to just not tell? Or is honestly always the best policy?
TVD Rewatch
I've been kind of wanting to rewatch TVD since...well before this season started, lol. I finally started in on it this week for reasons completely unknown to me* and have now watched through episode 6 of the first season. It's interesting because I don't remember a lot of the details even while remembering the bigger plot points and also now that I know where the characters go, it's interesting to go back and see how they all started. Also the show felt so much more high school back then and smaller..you know things weren't such a big deal. I think back then I didn't like the first few episodes, you know they had the cheesy diary stuff and Stefan was super broody and Damon could control a crow, etc. but now I find myself kind of missing the slower pace of all that in the face of what the show has been this season, I don't know. Also! I remember the first book a lot better since I reread it sometime during the first season which has made me think about some of the choices they made with the show vs. the books.
One of the things, for example, that was different for me on this watch is just how SORRY I felt for Vicki. I think the first time I watched the show I sensed she was a throwaway character and I didn't care about what happened to her, I think I even found her annoying. I wasn't really...thinking about how she was the girl from a poorer class with two guys that had yet to REALLY love her for herself, who had, as Damon put it, no self-esteem. Yeah she had her own problems, but I could just feel how trapped she felt so much more this time around. And I think it's interesting that this show really doesn't address class issues, but they did a tiny bit with Vicki. (tbh, I don't know that I'd be thinking about this on this rewatch without my interest in the Ivy/Ripley connection on Gossip Girl or people pointing out how Matt has no health insurance in a recent episode.) So anyway, yay for me growing a heart!
Also, it's interesting how different the early Stefan/Elena is from the books. In the books, Elena was a much more...I don't know self-absorbed character? Like the main reason she was trying to get Stefan's attention was because she didn't have it and she was used to getting everything she wanted. When she found out he was a vampire, she was like "it's no big deal, I LOVE YOU." My friend told me they wanted to soften the character of Elena to make her more likable to the TV audience, but it's a shame!! I think if they'd kept her like this I'd like her a lot more. I do like her a lot more in these early episodes, she quickly and easily owns up to the times she's wrong, and she's obviously fighting hard against her attraction to Stefan, she sees how messed up what the vampires do is...sigh.
Also, like...the Damon/Caroline stuff is really horrific. It's so weird, because it's all obviously so very wrong but Stefan thinks how he's handling it is the best way and..he's like, oh it doesn't matter what Damon does because Caroline can't remember. I like that Elena is so horrified on Caroline's behalf. But it's also a good story in some ways, like how Caroline's insecurity and desperation to have something of her own make her a good target for an abuser like Damon. And how even when she tries to break free, he still has a lot of control over her (even if it's supernatural in the show, it's kind of a nice touch)
Also Jenna! I just...felt a lot of feelings for her in the second episode (especially knowing her fate) She's just this young woman trying to get her thesis who suddenly has her life turned upside down when she's given Elena and Jeremy to take care of and she has to move back to the town she left on purpose and take care of these ungrateful kids and she lost her sister, too! It's really sad!!!
I loved Damon so much more back in these days! (I just realized I started three paragraphs with also) He was funny and unapologetically a bad guy and it was good. And, since I just watched Lost Girls, I love how Katherine is SO OBVIOUSLY SCARLETT. Look I know Scarlett was evil and used people and stuff but she's still one of my favorite characters of all time and Katherine is one of my favorites on TVD and so I like it. I mean seriously, that scene where she's flirting with the two brothers and this scene especially are direct visual references to Scarlett in my opinion. But it's another huge departure from the books where Katherine was all sweet and actually died and didn't look EXACTLY like Elena.
So...that was a lot of words on a rewatch but it's really interesting! Like part of me is sad at all the stuff left unexplored or quickly killed and a lot of me is really interested in seeing my continuing thoughts on how things go and how things are now.
*I know, I KNOW I'm supposed to be watching The Good Wife, and Roswell, and Friday Night Lights but I was just in the mood okay? And I think after this I'm going to do a Supernatural seasons 1-3 rewatch so deal with it. ;)
Alsoooo, I'm thinking of doing a Lost rewatch over the summer. Would anyone be interested? Like maybe a couple of episodes a week or something. It's on Netflix and Amazon Prime so it should be easy for everyone who doesn't own the series boxed set like myself to watch.
Art accompanies on the journey of life and fills in the cracks of time. Stories comfort, soothe and cause mini-revolutions in our hearts. Music weaves in and out of our celebrations and record our silent moments of reflection. We invite our artists to write the words of our hearts, and give us music to express what we cannot say with words. A calendar year is no way for me to measure the art that has defined me in a year, so my best of lists are instead the art, the stories, and the music that I discovered during the year, and that are threaded through my days of 2010.
I saw a ridiculous number of movies this year...sadly not many of them are worth mentioning. However it's been a great year for the TV I watched and of course, we said good-bye to the greatest show that ever was. :) This is a look back on what I watched this year...not necessarily released in 2010.
MOVIES
The Kids Are All Right
I loved this when I first saw it, but read quite a bit of criticism of it afterwards. I disagree with the criticism and we can talk about that if you'd like. But ultimately I found this a funny, touching story about love and family and marriage and one that gave me a moment of insight.
Toy Story 3
Likely my favorite movie of the year, I can't think of something more satisfying that I watched all year. Funny and touching, with a load of inspiration it's story telling at its finest. And seriously, the addition of Totoro to the toys pretty much made my year. Like many others, I cried at the end...this film celebrates the changing purpose in our lives and also grieves the loss of childhood. It is many things. I adore Pixar and hope they show a little more love to the females in the future!
Catfish
I saw this movie shortly after The Social Network and had no idea what it was about. I was surprised and glad to discover it was a documentary about a Facebook friendship and nothing was as it seemed. The best way to see this movie is to go in rather blind, but it was definitely thought provoking for me.
TV
LOST (ABC) The sixth season kept us guessing as to the nature of the sideways world, but the ending left many fans cold. Not this one. I loved it without reservation, I found it emotionally satisfying and I was glad not every question was answered in explicit terms, allowing viewers to infer their own conclusions. I don't know if I'll ever love another show like I loved this one, epic in so many ways. Great characters, great relationships, great scenery, great music, great acting. LOVE.
DAMAGES (FX) I found the second season a bit slow while well plotted, but this third season was back in form. I loved the storyline and was kept guessing as to how the final events all played out. I found it layered and rich, though dark, and I was so glad that DirecTV rescued it for two more (shortened seasons)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC) I became very excited for this show at Comic-Con and was thrilled with how much I loved it. I love stories of survival in the aftermath of an apocalypse and zombie stories add a dimension of tragedy and urgency. While only six episodes long, I became very invested in these characters and their relationships and their fate. Apocalyptic stories always explore the depths of our ability to feel compassion and also our ability to feel despair. Highly recommended.
THE CLOSER (TNT) I have loved this show every year and this season was no exception. I know of no other crime drama with such a strength of characterization, writing, a light touch of humor and at times it's even full of nail biting suspense. I loved this season as Brenda was confronted with being on the short list for a promotion she wasn't sure she wanted, and the pressure she felt to pursue this job. She is quite simply one of the best female characters we have on TV..my only regret is she is so often the only main one on this show.
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (CW) This show got off to a slow start but once it got going it became appointment TV for me. I love this show that is everything a fun vampire show should be. While I do think they burn through story rather quickly, I've been delighted with the progression of the story lines, the writers ability to make me care about characters I found boring at first, and their fearlessness in offing characters. The hour always flies by. I love it.
RUBICON (AMC) Oh we barely knew you. Rubicon was not a show for the faint of heart...if ever there was a slow burn show, it was this one. Every line spoken perfectly in place, every shifty gaze increasing the tension. There were no gorgeous people on this show...it was very much a show about dysfunctional analysts, the office scenes often felt like they could be real, and yet the last few episodes paid off majorly. So sad to know this won't be coming back.
DVD and NETFLIX STREAMING
BREAKING BAD (AMC) I've only watched the first two seasons, so please don't spoil me on the third. It took me awhile to warm up to this show, at times I watched in sick fascination, it took awhile for me to realize that I did actually care about the characters. The second season ended in a rather brilliant and unexpected way. For me, the amount you're able to gain from watching a show like this depends on how much of yourself you're willing to find in the story and characters. Set aside your judgment..and well....you might be surprised. For those who don't know what it's about..well the short of it is that a man discovers he's dying from cancer and decides to cook meth to provide for his family before he goes. But oh there's so much secret keeping and deciding what's best for everyone to go around! It's a study in how things never go as planned.
SURVIVORS (BBC) Loosely based on the original series by way of a book based on the series, this updated version is utterly compelling. Only 12 episodes long (and yes it ends on a delicious cliffhanger we'll never see the resolution to) 99% of the world's population has been wiped out by a flu virus. Now only the immune survive in the world left over. What would a world like that look like? What sort of obstacles would the people face? A small group of people band together and form a new family and many of these issues are explored. By the time you reach Season 2 you will feel deeply invested in the fates of these characters.
SUMMER HOURS (2008) This French film is a surprisingly engaging look at three siblings left with their mother's estate after she passes away and how they must deal with selling off her possessions and their various reactions to her belongings and the loss of them. It's touching in the way it examines family relationships, but also our relationship to stuff. It's a film that will stick with you.
SILENT LIGHT (2007) Not a film for light entertainment, Silent Light takes its time. Faith, family, love, and death are all explored here. This story creeps under your skin and won't let you forget it easily.
Other Notables:Inception, Winter's Bone, The Social Network, and The Gates.
What were your favorite TV shows and movies of the year?
I have a lot more processing myself to do on this show....there were a lot of questions that weren't answered and a few were raised. But I have to say for the most part I was really moved by the ending, touched by the many references to previous shows, and so loving the Sawyer and Juliet meeting!
In any case, I'm not sure that the people who watched with me enjoyed quite as much as I did, but I don't want to make any final determinations on the show until I've had some time to process it, which won't be until much later in the week, maybe next week.
LOST...truly my favorite show ever. Hope you all enjoyed it! Would love to hear your thoughts!
Last July, as I stood in line with multitudes of LOST fans for the LOST panel at Comic-Con an overwhelming wave of bittersweet nostalgia overcame me. This would be the last LOST panel at Comic-con. The last time we would eagerly turn to Team Darlton for a few clues on what the show was all about. The last time to gather with other people who enthusiastically watched every week and puzzled out theories together. Heartsick was how I felt.
To dismiss LOST as simply a TV show does it a huge disservice. LOST is a beautiful and magnificent achievement in storytelling. Yes there were missteps, yes there was clumsy dialogue, yes there were unexplained questions.
But I don't really care. Because when I look at LOST as a whole, I see one of my favorite stories ever told. I see a story that is big and huge and universal and yet individual all at once. I see a story of people bumbling their way through life and then learning how to figure it out together. I see a story that was told with depth and heart and humor, that celebrated a diverse cast driving home, yet again, how much we are all the same.
LOST gave me so much. It gave me points of connection with other fans. It gave me opportunities to consider and think about my own life. It introduced me to the music of Michael Giacchino. It expanded my literary world. It drove me to Comic-Con for the first time, just to get to go the LOST panel. (now Comic-con is a can't miss event for me)
I don't know what the finale holds tonight. I trust the ending will bring some satisfaction. But even if it doesn't, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the creative team of LOST, for dreaming big, creating a story that captured our imaginations, a story that was in part, all of our stories. Thanks for including huge doses of literary love, for building your tale on the backs of great stories already told, for thinking outside of the box, for negotiating an end so the whole could be enjoyable, for changing the way we watch television, for setting the bar so impossibly high.
I hope you all loved this episode as much as I did. I really felt like I had never had so much fun watching an episode as I did watching this one with 1799 other crazy LOST fans. I'm glad to say it held up, I loved it all over again tonight.
I can't believe there are only 2 and a half hours of LOST left! What will we do without it?
Let's hit the highlights of this episode, shall we?
First of all, I loved this episode because it was smart and funny and because so many of our beloved characters were in it. I loved it because it was exciting and because it hinted at a very epic series finale to follow...something with a showdown between our LOSTies and the smoke monster and...a concert?
So here are a few highlights: **Jack stepped up to the plate to be the protector of the island. No really big surprise there, thought Sawyer's comment about his god complex was funny but sad, and Hurley being glad it wasn't him all too honest. Kate's name was crossed off the wall only because she became a mother. (so which Kwon was it? Jin? Because Sun also became a mother)
**Ben went off the rails and joined forces with Smokey. He revealed to Smokey that Widmore and Zoe were hiding in his closet (delivering that line as only Michael Emerson can) and FLocke kills Zoe, gets the information he needs from Widmore, just before Ben shoots Widmore. FLocke later reveals to Ben that Desmond is a fail safe. Oh so interesting.
**Ben in the other world, however, meets a lovely Rousseau who seems to be hitting on him, and it was hard not to feel some sadness in how different these two Bens lives are.
**Desmond is clearly gathering everyone together...threatening Locke again to get him to let go, which was just what Locke needed to believe. Desmond turns himself in for this assault, in order to get to Kate and Sayid and send everyone off in their proper directions. We also got to see Ana Lucia again, but she "wasn't ready" (Huh?)
**I LOVED having Miles back. He provided so much comic relief. "I lived in those houses 30 years before you did. Otherwise known as last week."
**Jacob confirmed what we all believed, he brought the LOSTies because they "needed this place as much as it needed you."
**It appears Smokey got to Richard and killed him.
**FLocke is going to try to destroy the island.
What did you think? Did this episode satisfy you and remind you of everything you love about LOST? Where do you think the finale is headed? What are your plans for the finale?
It's been so much fun to recap LOST each week with you. I'll probably only be able to write a short post following the finale as I'll be in New York with an extremely hectic schedule. Thank you so much for sharing my obsession with me each week, and for loving this crazy show alongside me. Namaste.
Last week, I attended a good-bye celebration for LOST of sorts that was all kinds of fabulous. You can read my rambling thoughts about it over at the LOST Books Challenge Blog.
It was definitely what I needed to launch a week of saying good-bye to LOST. I got to thinking about some of my favorite scenes in this show so full of heart and drama and thought I would share a few with you. I'd love your contributions as well....what scenes stand out in your mind from LOST as being particularly moving or insightful?
Watching the raft set sail at the end of season one is by far one of the most beautiful scenes of the series to me. There's something achingly beautiful about this fragile hope with sorrow all mixed up in it that feels so deeply human, something about knowing more of who these people are and what they are thinking about and hoping for that makes this scene such a great mark of the passage of time. And the music...oh the music manages to capture all of those feelings right up.
My favorite episode to date remains The Constant. The end of this episode was so profoundly moving and in typical LOST fashion recalled to mind every great love story ever told. And again, the bittersweet music! Let's watch again!
LOST proved why it's such a great show with the development of the Sawyer and Juliet love story. In a single episode, they converted many skeptics on the strength of the actors and writing alone. What LOST gave us in Sawyer and Juliet was a couple whose love was founded on the shared intimacy of years spent together, who brought out the best in each other, who served and protected their community together. Do you want to know how much I love this scene? Just hearing the music always makes me teary! It's such a beautiful theme that speaks to blossoming love and hope.
I guess I like the love stories, LOL. What are you favorite happy scenes from LOST?
I am battling major "saying good-bye to LOST" grief. The other day I was thinking about how familiar this all feels and I realized this is what I went through when Harry Potter ended. It's not that it's over forever...I can always rewatch the series and I know I will, it's just that the joy of discovery is over. The tightly connected community and fanbase...will be over. LOST is my favorite television show ever, I love it even more than Buffy and there's not really a show on air right now I like a fraction as much. (I do like a lot of shows...but not at a fan level) So I've decided to blog LOST all week...I apologize as it means I'll be having some days with multiple posts and also because some of you, for some reason, don't love LOST like I do. But it's my way of saying good-bye. :) (If this seems premature, I have only the finale left to watch..I already saw this week's episode)
Anyway, I also feel the need to go back over the TV season. It's not over yet, but I won't have another chance anytime soon and I always love to process my feelings with you. There are spoilers for the shows discussed below, but I've bolded the name of the show at the beginning of the paragraph so if you haven't watched it yet you can skip that paragraph.
Damages ended a few weeks back on an incredibly high note. I thought the finale was everything that makes it such an excellent show, very dark, very revealing of the nature of Patty and Ellen, an unflinching look at the high cost of greed...I was shocked at how Tom died, and I don't think they could have written a more humbling death.
The Vampire Diaries is my favorite soap, let's be honest. And I'm completely rooting for a Damon/Elena hook-up so the end was one big fat huge tease for me. I did love the shocking turn of events though I'd rather hoped that Elena wouldn't have to lose another parent. I was also sad to see Anna die and I need to know what Tyler and the mayor are (were)! Werewolves?
Gossip Girl lost me for awhile but I've been interested to see how things would play out in all of the complicated relationships recently. Personally, if I was Rufus I would have never have just forgiven Lilly for not telling me about the sickness and the secret meetings with the ex-husband. I found that pretty unforgiveable and Lilly pretty unreasonable. I also found Serena getting on my VERY LAST NERVE as she suddenly decided to cast Rufus aside for her father. She employed the SAME TRICKS Jenny had just used on her and Nate. Why did she think that would end well? I sort of hate the character of Serena, but I still love Blair! :) I'm very interested to see how this one ends.
Supernatural okay I'm still a few behind in this one, so I can't say much but I hope to finish watching this week in my down time. Since we're saying good-bye to LOST this year, I'm glad I don't have to say good-bye to this show, even though this has been a weak season.
Private Practice ha! I just watched the last few episodes, my interest recaptured when Violet came back. (apparently unlike most other fans) I found the episode where she was in court doing battle to get her son to be one of the best episodes of this show..so emotionally true. I thought the finale was sad, even though I could predict the entire thing. I don't know if I'll be coming back to this one.
FILM I haven't actually been to the theater for awhile but I have watched a few on DVD recently I'd like to discuss. The first is...
An Education. This was incredibly built up for me and as can be the case, led to disappointment. Not because it was particularly bad, but because it wasn't anything that really said anything to me. In fact, I had to read some reviews to try to figure out what I missed. One review said it was a celebration of experiencing life to learn and doing so without regret. Um, okay. I liked it, I just didn't love it.
Serious Moonlight I thought this one was good in a surprising sort of way. When I rented it, I pretty much did it out of loyalty to Meg Ryan and Kristen Bell (both of whom have made barely tolerable project choices lately). I didn't realize it was a screenplay by the late Adrienne Shelly who also wrote the quirky The Waitress. This movie was funny but dark. It was much more than I was expecting, and an interesting way to spend a few hours.
The Orphanage Awhile back I had a student tell me the entire plot of this movie. I hadn't heard of it and she told me it was in Spanish so I wouldn't be able to watch it anyway. Luckily, I forgot the details. To say I liked this movie feels a bit strange, but I was very strongly affected by it. It is truly a horror movie in every sense of the word, and quite an experience. It's the kind of story I was completely riveted to and yet sort of regret having watched for the kind of inescapable feeling of sorrow it produced in me.
I guess that's it for now! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these shows or movies. Are you also grieving the end of LOST or do you think I'm much too dramatic? (sorry it won't change--this is who I am) Are you rooting for an Elena/Damon hook-up? Did you love An Education and want to educate me on why it's great?
If you haven't watched this week's episode, you might not want to read this.
Despite appreciating a week solely devoted to the history of the island, it's hard to believe we have only a few episodes left with our beloved LOSTies!
Okay I'm going to say it...I wasn't crazy about this episode. I feel like I was supposed to be all appreciative for answers, but I still feel so much was so very vague. Perhaps I'm just a bit thick.
Let's review what we learned. Jacob and MIB are brothers--twins in fact! Jacob was always the good one, but MIB was favored. Their adoptive mother was the guardian..she made it so they couldn't hurt each other. I assume that this is the same as being touched by Jacob. What are they guarding? The source of life--the most beautiful and holy light--there's a little bit of it in everyone, but they always want more. They can't exactly get "more" but they can make it go out.
After this one moment of revelation, apparently they never went back. MIB can see the dead like Hurley. His birth mother (murdered by their adoptive mother) appears to him and tells him that indeed, the thing he has always wanted, to get off the island, is possible. So he leaves the nest of Jacob and fake mom and goes off to be with his people, the others. :)
Until one day he discovers the power of the island and plots to leave. When fake mom discovers this, she tries to stop him and hustles off to convert Jacob into the new guardian. Jacob is reluctant at first, but she tells him he has no choice. He drinks of the cup. (ooooh!)
Interestingly enough, there's this sort of parental tension between Jacob and fake mom and fake mom and MIB that is so ever-present on LOST. Jacob knows he's not favored and it clearly bothers him. MIB knows he's been lied to and fake mom killed real mom and obviously that's a source of tension.
Anyway, after her attack on MIB, when he comes back around, he realizes his escape route through the well has been destroyed and so has his village--everyone is dead. Did Jacob do it? Did they do it to each other? Huh? At this time, MIB kills fake mom and Jacob comes and sees this and is filled with grief and rage. A fight. Jacob brings MIB to "the light" and shoves him in. (we learned earlier it would be a fate worse than death) And lo and behold ladies and gentleman...the smoke monster is born.
Jacob buries his fake mother and the corpse of his brother as well. In the cave. Not trusting that we all found the question "who are Adam and Eve" one of the biggest LOST questions, they felt it necessary to include the clips from the first season to hammer this point home. (I was not a fan of this AT ALL)
This is quite possibly my least favorite episode of the season. I actually didn't find the narrative terribly compelling and while we got some answers, I wouldn't have minded that either A) They made more sense or B) They weren't so clearly delivered. I found the scene toward the end where Jacob was fighting MIB and the music was soaring to be, well, overly dramatic. I'm a huge fan of the LOST music normally, but I didn't appreciate it tonight and felt it cast too heavy and almost cheesy of a tone to the scenes as they unfolded.
I hate to be so negative! I think getting back to the regular characters and seeing what unfolds will be best. Jace of Televisionary tweeted that this episode should have aired earlier in the season and I completely agree with this assessment. I'm actually sitting here battling a wave of grief that one of my favorite stories is coming to an end and irritation that this episode was so lackluster for me.
*How boring to be the protector of the island! *Apparently the protector of the island gets to make up the rules. *I felt hints of both Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau in the this pair of brothers (and probably many others I'm missing)
In more positive news, I am attending a special event this week at UCLA called LOST Live. I will be treated to a live orchestral performance of the music of LOST conducted by Michael Giacchino, appearances by some of the cast, and a screening of next week's episode. I'll blog about it at the LOST books challenge blog later this week.
Did I totally get this episode wrong? Tell me what you think and what I missed!
DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED TONIGHT'S EPISODE AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED
Don't even try to tell me you made it through this episode without some tears. We are down to just three candidates and lost three beloved characters in deaths that were actually quite fitting and touching. An excellent episode tonight and it's finally hitting me that LOST is soon going to be over forever. And then what will we do?
No previously on LOST business, we are down the wire folks. The episode opened in the sideways universe where Jack is tending to Locke who was, as you may recall, hit by a car driven by Desmond. Jack fixed Locke up and tries to get him to consider a surgery that would fix him. Locke turns Jack down.
Meanwhile, the Losties who tried to escape have been captured and put back in the cages. Figures! FLocke takes Sayid and Jack over to free them.
Sideways Jack can't seem to let go of the idea of fixing Locke and goes to see Bernard to get some information about how Locke had his accident--apparently this is supposed to be the key to whether or not Locke might be a candidate for the surgery. Bernard tells him Locke wasn't alone, but was with a man named Anthony Cooper, we know, of course, that's Locke's father.
Island Jack insists he won't be leaving the island and FLocke says he hopes he'll change his mind, but he could use his help getting the others. When Jack questions why he should trust him, Locke says something like, "because I could kill you." HINT JACK!!! This is not a REASON to TRUST someone. This is a THREAT. Any doubt about FLocke should be dissipating.
In the cages, we get a touching and beautiful scene where Sun and Jin talk about Ji Yeon and Sun gives Jin his ring back. Sniff. Also, Sawyer lets Kate know her name was crossed off the cave wall and she isn't needed. Jack, Sayid, and Flocke/smokey make it possible for them to escape the cages. They all run off together.
Sideways Jack goes to see Anthony Cooper. He sees Helen there. Helen asks Jack to leave them alone and asks why saving Locke's life can't be enough to which Jack replies, "because it's not." He sees Anthony Cooper, and learns he's Locke's father.
Flocke goes and kills the people guarding the plane and finds some explosives there. He convinces the gang they need to take the submarine. Sawyer asks Jack to make sure Flocke doesn't go with them. AAAAHH! Is this foreshadowing? Will Jack be the new guardian of the island?
Back at the hospital in sideways land, we get a truly chilling moment when Jack stands over Locke who is mumbling in his sleep about the button and then "I wish you had believed me" (this is what was written in the "suicide note" Jack got.) Jack chats with Claire and invites her to stay with him in a sweet and touching moment.
And the assault on the sub begins. Lapidus and Sawyer and all go on the sub, and when Flocke tells Jack whoever told him he needed to stay on the island was wrong, Jack knocks him into the water and says "John Locke told me I needed to stay." And Kate asks what happened and....gets shot! They are all frantic to leave and in a great repeat of the first time they left the island...they are leaving Claire behind all over again. Jack asks for his bag to get his shirt to put pressure on Kate's wound and discovers the explosives in his pack.
And....discussion about whether or not the explosives can be stopped. Jack suggests Flocke can't actually kill them and is trying to get them to kill each other. He asks Sawyer to trust him, Sawyer doesn't, pulls the wire and the clock freezes for a second and then goes. Sayid quickly tells Jack that Desmond is in a well and is alive. Flocke wants him dead so Jack will need him. Why? Because it's going to be you, Jack.
And Sayid runs off with the explosives. Sad as I am to see Sayid die, this is in fact, the perfect death, one made from gut instinct to try to save his friends. Sayid has found his redemption.
And Lapidus gets killed by a door blasting off? The sub quickly fills with water. Panic. Sun is trapped. Hurley takes Kate up. Sawyer is hit by flying debris and Jack takes him up. Sun is still trapped. Jin fights to free her but can't. Sun begs him to leave her, but he won't, he won't ever leave her again. Beautiful, gutting, heart-wrenching this death, as this couple feels the water rise around them, as Jin futilely tries to free Sun, as she begs him to leave, and as they finally accept their fate, expressing their love for each other. The bittersweet music of LOST plays as the sub sinks.
Sideways Jack asks Locke once more why he doesn't want the surgery. Locke says his father's condition is his fault, he had his pilot's license just a week and asked his father to fly with him. They discuss loss and letting go and Jack expresses that he was hoping Locke could go first in the letting go department.
Our few remaining Losties gather on the beach and grieve the loss of their friends. Me too, how could you not cry during that scene of raw emotion? :(
Flocke gazes out at the water and announces that the sub sank. Claire seems a bit disturbed by the idea that they are all dead, but Flocke assures they are not all dead. Flocke heads off to finish what he started.
**I read today this episode would be a game changer and that a significant character would die. Well that was putting it nicely, I feel like 4 significant characters died! (though Lapidus was less so)
**Will it be Jack? Will we be left with one man standing? Can I take any more deaths?
**Did you notice how strong the mirror motif was in this episode? Almost everything off island mirrored something from previous episodes. This is a very powerful technique in my opinion, it gives the story such a strong sense of interconnectedness which is LOST does best!
**Sun and Jin---waaaah! What will happen to Ji Yeon???
**Tell me all your thoughts, predictions, etc. I read today the finale has been extended by 30 minutes, so the entire finale event will be 5 and a half hours long. A truly epic send-off.
While I found this episode slightly uneven, I really enjoyed it for the most part. The veil between the two realities continues to be torn down and there were some interesting developments indeed!
So Hugo off-island is a happy guy except that he can't really talk to women. He's a philanthropist and when his mom sets him up on a blind date, the girl doesn't show but Libby does. She claims to remember him from another life. Hurley really likes her, but he's confused by the fact that she's in a mental hospital. At Mr. Cluck's one day, Desmond sees him and suggests he follows his heart. So Hurley goes to see her in the mental hospital and they set up a date...a picnic on the beach like they were supposed to have originally. They kiss and suddenly Hurley starts to remember the island life as well. Triumph!
Meanwhile on island, Michael shows up and warns Hurley not to let the group blow up the plane. Ilana doesn't listen and well, she blows up. Sad for Ilana, but Ben's observation is interesting -- the island is done with her. Hurley then proceeds to blow up the Black Rock so maybe we're finally done with the whole dynamite thing. Richard is pissed and Miles and Ben go with him to try to keep the plane from flying, but Jack, Sun, and Lapidus stay with Hurley to go try to talk to Smoke Man.
Sayid dragged Desmond back to Smoke Man who suggests they take a walk. He takes Desmond over to a well and drops him down into it. Ugh.
And finally, back off island, Desmond hits Locke in his wheelchair. Why do you think? Is this a necessary step to righting the world?
Key Points and Questions *Boy showed up again disturbing smoke man who refused to tell Desmond who he was. *The whispers are the spirits of the dead trapped on the island *Sawyer didn't do anything this episode but stalk up to people and say, "Where have you been?" *Why do you think Desmond hit Locke? Why do you think Locke dropped Desmond down a well? *Did you feel anything at the death of Ilana? (Perhaps relief it wasn't someone you cared more about?) *What do you think are the necessary steps to the Losties ending up in one timeline with one reality? *whoa Jack! Letting go!
I'm talking about spectucular, conscious altering love. Do you know what that looks like?
Desmond has always been one of, if not my very favorite, characters on LOST. I always look forward to Desmond centric episodes because they are a brilliant combination of island mythology and characterization. The Constant remains my favorite episode of LOST to this date. Desmond, despite not being one of the original survivors, has often felt like the heart of LOST.
There's just something about the character of Desmond and his story that makes me feel all wistful inside. Or maybe it's knowing there's only 6 episodes of LOST left, or the bittersweet musical themes of Michael Giacchino we have listened to over the seasons, but I felt so...sad watching tonight's episode! Watching all of the elements and motifs of Desmond's story pulled together in tonight's episode was a fitting send-off for this character. He's not dead (though apparently he will need to make a sacrifice) but this is probably the last Desmond episode ever. Such sadness.
So Desmond's on the island and after trying to beat the crap out of Widmore (yay!), he learns that Widmore wants to see if he can survive another electromagnetic blast. If he can, Widmore says, he will ask Desmond to make a final sacrifice. Theories?
Desmond, bless him, resists mightily at first, but the electromagnetism overpowers him and we are treated life in LA X land with Desmond.
In the sideways flash, Desmond works for Charles Widmore. He is, in fact, Widmore's right hand man, a trusted and cherished employee. Upon arriving in LA, Widmore greets Desmond and requests that he sort of baby-sit Charlie, the bassist of Drive Shaft who is meant to perform with his son the classical musician, but was arrested as a result of an overdose. This isn't an easy assignment for Desmond, however, Charlie immediately begins talking about what happened when he almost died, this love he felt with a "rapturously beautiful blond" Charlie gets so carried away he takes control of Desmond's car and drives them into the water at the dock. In a scene that gave me goose bumps, Desmond struggles to free Charlie and Charlie holds his hand up to the window of the car, mimicking Charlie's death scene on the island. In this moment, Desmond sees a sort of flash, sees, "not Penny's boat" written on Charlie's hand.
Desmond manages to save Charlie and they both end up in the hospital. Desmond is given an MRI where he sees many more flashes...of Penny. He is frantic to find Charlie, and even asks Jack up on seeing him. He finally spots Charlie running down the hall, and asks him about Penny. Charlie escapes from Desmond but not without telling him to find Penny.
Desmond and Widmore exchange some heated words and Desmond goes to tell Mrs. Widmore that he couldn't find Charlie. Of course Mrs. Widmore is Eloise Hawking. She graciously forgives him, but when Desmond overhears Penny's name on the guest list, he inquires about it. She quickly steps in and insists it isn't time yet. He's not yet ready. She tells him he has a good life and what he wanted most, her husband's approval.
Desmond heads off, but Daniel (Farraday) Widmore stops him. Daniel explains how he when he first spotted this beautiful redhead, it was as if he had already loved her. (swoon!) After seeing her, Daniel woke up and wrote a complicated physics equation. An equation about releasing nuclear energy in order to stop something catastrophic from happening. Daniel explains he already feels he did this...that the life they are living is not supposed to be their life. He then tells him how to find Penny.
Desmond goes to see Penny and their meeting is awkward and sweet.
Back on the island, Desmond wakes up and he's at peace. He agrees to do what Widmore has asked of him and they head off. But Sayid ambushes them and takes Desmond with him.
Let's Discuss: *This is the first episode where we saw some of our LOSTies have an inkling that there's another life. I'm guessing it's possible after the Hurley centric next week that this portion of the show will be wrapped up as Desmond has requested the manifest from the flight in order to make contact with these people. What do you think will happen? Will they somehow merge with island life? Will they have to make a choice? *What do you think the sacrifice is that will be asked of Desmond? *Why do you think Desmond is so cooperative now? *What do you think the black smoke man will do with Desmond? *What does it all mean and how does it all end? *Did you love this episode as much as me?
A full discussion of tonight's episode of LOST follows.
I really enjoyed tonight's episode. It felt like vintage LOST to me, rich in character motivation and interest, mysterious developments, humor, and the parallelism was outstanding. Threads of past and present ran through the episode and the idea of fate seemed stronger than ever.
It would seem that fate does not smile kindly on Sun and Jin. In their sideways universe, Sun's father is conspiring to keep them apart, putting a price on the head of Jin. They are in love but not married, keeping their relationship a secret from her father. But Keamy was hired to kill Jin. When he realizes there is no money, however, he permits Sun to go with Mikhail (that was a fun thread in the episode) to the bank so that she can get the money out of her account. This was money she had saved to start a new life for her and Jin. But unfortunately, the account was closed by her father. Jin is tied up at the restaurant (we remember seeing him there during Sayid's episode) and Sayid gives him the box cutter to free himself. So when Mikhail comes back to the restaurant with Sun and asks Keamy what happened, Jin holds the gun to him. A gun fight ensues in which Jin shoots Mikhail in the eye (right on!) but unfortunately Sun is also wounded and announces she is pregnant.
On the island is very interesting as well. Widmore's folks are keeping a close eye on Flocke's camp. Locke goes off to hunt for Sun and try to bring her back to camp, but Sun refuses to go with him. Her gut instinct is not to trust him and she flees, running into a tree. Ben finds her but Sun has lost her ability to communicate in English. When Richard finally shows back up at camp and announces they must destroy the plane, she flies into a rage, but her words are lost on all those gathered. Jack seeks her out later and suggests she try writing her thoughts, which she does. This scene shows a more gentle Jack, and a sweet sincere moment of friendship among our original Losties. Jack convinces Sun to go with them.
Widmore's camp has kidnapped Jin. They need his knowledge of the island learned from his Dharma days, specifically the electromagnetic pocket of energy. To ensure his interest and cooperation, Widmore shows Jin pictures of Ji-Yeon and Sun. This was one of those gut wrenching moments in LOST. Poor Jin! Widmore proceeds to tell Jin about a package, which is not a what but a who.
Flocke goes to try to retrieve Jin and is met with a bunch of pylons designed to keep him out. He announces war has come to the island and leaves Sayid to investigate what was kept in the submarine...this is when we get a glimpse of the package..it's Desmond! Of course, he always was the special one.
A Few Interesting Things: *Claire frets over going home to an Aaron who doesn't know her and Locke says Kate's name isn't on the wall anymore, but he needs her to get the others on the plane. Then, "whatever happens, happens." *I suspect Jin is the Kwon candidate. So much for the females! *I absolutely loved Ilana's suspicion of Ben and when he asked why she didn't believe him, she answers, "Because you're speaking" *Sayid is numb to feeling...I believe he has lost his soul.
Overall I really enjoyed the forward momentum of tonight's episode, and the character development as well. I'm so glad to see Desmond again, and while I cringe at the words sacrifice, I suspect we will be seeing lots of death and heart wrenching moments now that we're nearing the end.
The LOST episode we have all been waiting for was aired tonight--the story of Richard Alpert.
As always, full spoilers follow.
I had to look up what Ab Aeterno means and I got many variations, from the beginning of time, since the beginning of time, from the eternal. All very apt for tonight's episode.
The episode opened with Jacob asking Ilana to help him protect the candidates and then the Losties chatting around the fire about how they're candidates and have no idea why or what for. Ilana explains that Ricardo should know, but Richard at this point is rather hysterical. He announces that they are all dead and in hell. And then he tears off into the jungle.
At this point, we travel back in time to the turning point in Ricardo's life and we stay in the past throughout the episode, a rare LOST occurrence. Ricardo's wife is dying, he's desperate to save her and he goes off to the doctor, a half day's trip. When he arrives, however, the doctor is not interested in helping him, and doesn't accept Ricardo's payment. In a fit of desperation and rage, Ricardo kills him. He takes the medicine with him and goes back to his wife, but as we all probably predicted, she had already passed away. He was followed from the doctor's though, and instantly arrested.
Ricardo has committed murder, an offense that will haunt him (though he's willing to repeat it for the sake of seeing his wife again) and his priest even refuses to absolve him of this sin. Thankfully, he was learning English which earns him a passage on board the Black Rock, a slave ship bound for the New World.
Here's where we might refer back to the season finale of last year. We saw Jacob and the Man in Black sitting on the beach watching the ship approach. If you remember, the Man in Black said, "it always ends the same way." and Jacob responded, "it only ends once, anything that happens before that is just progress." In this episode we learned that yes indeed, only Jacob can draw people to the island. He draws them in hopes of showing them they can resist evil, and their past doesn't matter.
In any case, for some reason, the Man in Black or the Smoke Monster recognizes in Richard a potential person to kill Jacob. Perhaps it's the loss of Isabella that has hollowed him out, his palpable grief and longing make him vulnerable to the manipulation of the Smoke Monster. The smoke monster appears as Isabella and appeals to Ricardo's belief in an afterlife and his already present fear of going to hell by taking her form and setting this message up. After he kills everyone else on the ship, he frees Ricardo with the agreement that if Ricardo kills Jacob (the devil) he will be reunited with Isabella. Ricardo agrees and heads off to this task.
One thing I found interesting is that the Man in Black issued the same warning to Ricardo that was issued to Sayid about the Man in Black. "If he speaks, it's already too late." For some reason, their speech and the power of their words is persuasive..why is this so? Does it only affect the souls sitting right on the balance of light and dark?
So Jacob fights Ricardo and then they talk. Jacob tells Ricardo that he doesn't want to intervene and tell people to choose good, but he will have Ricardo/Richard act as an intermediary in his place. The Man in Black, he says, represents hell/malevolence/evil. He shows Richard a carafe of wine and says that the wine represents the dark and the cork is the island...keeping the darkness from escaping and spreading.
Jacob couldn't resurrect Isabella. He couldn't protect Richard from hell. But he could grant him the chance to never die. When Richard goes back to the Man in Black, the man in black tells him if he ever changes his mind the offer still stands. Richard gives him a white stone.
Well, present day Richard has changed his mind. He calls out to Locke, who doesn't come, but Hurley does, to facilitate communication with Richard's dead wife. Can I just say...wow what a long time to grieve???
The episode ends with Jacob and the Man in Black talking over the events, the Man in Black telling Jacob he wishes to kill him in order to have a chance to leave. Jacob leaves him with the carafe of wine, which the Man in Black smashes.
I felt like this episode was in many ways the center of the LOST story. We have the essential details, it pulled together some fragments from last year, but it still leaves so many questions about how this all relates to the characters we've cared about for so long. What does it all really mean? And there are still all these things that don't seem to make sense in the larger story, like the temple. I'm hoping that when the show LOST ends, I have a clearer picture in my mind of what the story meant. I will need to watch this episode again to really formulate some thoughts on this, but I have to say that I really enjoyed this episode, it felt like I was greedily drinking in all of this story that has been withheld for so long! :)
I'm very eager to know your thoughts. Are you satisfied with the story of Richard? Are you satisfied with the explanation that Jacob is a sort of guardian of the smoke monster or evil? Just who is Jacob? Please tell me all your thoughts.
As always, full discussion of the episode below! Please avoid if you haven't watched yet.
I feel like the creative team on LOST is on a roll, I thought the episode tonight was fantastic (not just because it was Sawyer-centric) and I absolutely loved beyond measure what they did with Sawyer's sideways flash, I think it makes the most sense of any of them, yet.
And how about Charlotte showing up? Is there a female on this show Sawyer hasn't slept with?
Anyway, I loved how when she asked him on their date why he became a cop he said was at a point where he was either going to be a criminal or a cop and I love that they explored the other side of that coin in his sideways flash. Being a cop didn't change his life objective of killing Anthony Cooper. It didn't mean he was a man at peace, he seemed just as full of anger and unease as ever. He couldn't trust the person he should have been able to trust the most, Miles. His obsession and unrest with his past destroyed his ability to have solid healthy relationships. Sure his life had taken a different path, and a logical path for his history, but it didn't mean that he was a whole man.
On island he sort of proved Locke right that he was a great liar, I had absolutely no idea what the heck was going through his mind. I didn't know if he was really teaming up with Widmore or not. But it seems he wants to let them have their war and he's going to take off with Kate. (was anyone else hoping he'd see Juliet in sideways? I have to admit to feeling a little sick over the scene where he went in the cage and touched Kate's dress. BLECH)
In other news, Claire? Tries to kill Kate and Sayid just sits there with totally dead eyes. I think Sayid has given up. I think he just doesn't care. And Claire was all over the place with the crazy. Still not sure what to think about that.
And who is Mama Smoke? I wasn't expecting that one at all and I'm interested in just who she is.
I'm completely excited for next week's episode about Alpert which will hopefully finally answer the question, "what is the island?" :)
ETA: Oh and Little House? Too funny! And how about Charlie's brother showing up at the station?
Please don't read if you haven't watched and wish to remain unspoiled.
It seems when it comes to the character of Benjamin Linus, the writers on LOST are truly inspired. This was definitely one of the better more cohesive episodes of the season, excelling as only LOST can with a forward narrative push, searing character examination, and so much heart.
Sideways Ben
The story of sideways Ben opens with Ben teaching his class about Napoleon's exile. He explained that the true loss for Napoleon was the loss of his power, even if he retained his power. I found this little speech interesting as it foreshadows Ben's confessional later in the episode but might it also give us insight into the Man in Black?
Dr. Benjamin Linus is clearly miserable with his life. Due to school budget cuts, the principal has put Ben in charge of detention, cancelling his poorly attended history club. "The club isn't for them, it's for you," scoffs Principal Reynolds, "it makes you feel needed."
Later on in the teacher lounge, the teachers commiserate over the lack of funds and teacher support. Ben seems to feel strongly about caring for the kids, stating he refuses to give up on the kids. "Maybe you should be the principal," Locke suggests.
His home life also feels very sad. Ben is taking care of his sick father. He expresses his dissatisfaction with his life and we learn that they did go to the island when Ben was a kid but they left. His father regrets this, wondering if Ben wouldn't have had a better life if they stayed. The doorbell rings and Ben opens the door to Alex!! She is apparently one of the five students in history club and she needs tutoring. Ben agrees to tutor her in the morning instead of the afternoon.
At this tutoring session, Alex expresses her desire to get into Yale and how scared she feels she'll fail. Her only hope, she says, is a letter of recommendation from someone who went there and the only person she knows is "that pervert Principal Reynolds." Ben, of course, clues in immediately to the pervert language and Alex quickly assures him nothing happened to her but that she overheard the principal and the nurse having sex at school.
This fires up those manipulative little thought processes in Ben's brain and he quickly devises a plan to force the principle out of his job. He drags Dr. Arzt into his plan in exchange for favors. "You had me fooled with that sweater vest," Arzt laughs, "Linus, you're a real killer."
When Ben brings his plan to Reynolds, however, it doesn't go as smoothly as he might hope. Reynolds knows Ben's weak spot and threatens to destroy Alex's chance to get into Yale unless Ben drops it. As he was in the past, Ben is forced to choose between his own ambition and the future of Alex.
In a heartbreaking reversal from Ben's island choice, the stellar letter Alex receives (which I suspect Ben negotiated to write) and the fact that Ben remains in his role as a history teacher is confirmation that he chose Alex's future over his own ambition. As he watches Alex walk away, who could help but be a little teary? Off island Ben, though miserable and unhappy, chooses others over himself.
Island Ben
Ben catches up to the group and explains that Sayid killed Dogen and the interpretor. When asked if he's sure, Ben says he was standing over their dead bodies with a bloody dagger. Due to a slip of a tongue, Ilana asks Miles to read Jacob's death and Miles announces that Ben killed Jacob. "Are you sure?" Ilana asks. Throwing Ben's words back in his face, Miles answers that he saw him standing over his body with a bloody dagger.
Ben tries to talk his way out of it but no one is really listening. The group is at the beach and thank God for Miles who points out how a fire isn't really going to help. (making me laugh) Ilana tells Sun that either she or Jin is a candidate to replace Jacob. Unfortunately, we don't really learn more of what that means. Nor do I know who the 6 candidates left are...guesses?
Ilana shackles Ben and instructs him to dig his own grave. When Ben tries to make a deal with Miles to get him 3.2 million dollars, Miles wonders why he'd need it when Nikki and Paulo are buried alive with their diamonds. (I love how Ben doesn't even blink over the fact that they were buried alive) Miles does tell Ben that Jacob had cared about Ben right "up until the knife went through his heart."
Smokey shows up and with some sort of super smoke mind power unshackles Ben. He tells him he's looking for someone to stay on the island in his place and gives him instructions on how to outrun Ilana. When Ben dashes off to the rifle Smokey left for him, Ilana runs after him. He doesn't shoot her immediately, though, he wants to explain his life. And he confesses that Alex's death was his fault, that he screwed up. He doesn't want to shoot her, though, and he doesn't want her forgiveness, he says, he just wants to go to Locke. When Ilana asks why, he says, "he's the only one who will have me." Voice thick with emotion, Ilana says, "I'll have you." And immediately turns away from a stunned Ben.
Ben heads back and offers to help Sun.
OTHER STUFF *Richard came from the Black Rock as many suspected *Jack looked totally psychotic when talking about the dynamite. *Richard can't kill himself. *Neither can Jack. *Jacob "touched" Richard which is meant to be a gift, but feels like a curse to him since Richard now feels as if he spent his entire life in service to a man who is now dead. He feels his life is stripped of meaning. *Who didn't love the scene when Jack and Hurley showed up on the beach and everyone hugged? It was like the old days! *Ah the end. It appears we are not rid of Widmore who is showing up via a submarine.
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Anything of importance I forgot to discuss? Did you love this episode as much as me?
What follows is a discussion of the sixth episode of LOST's final season. It will include spoilers of the show so don't read if you don't want to know!
It's no secret that Sayid is one of my favorite characters. He's been one of the most complex and interesting characters to follow and I have to say that I'm sorry for the path he's been on the past few seasons. I felt this episode was like a nail in the coffin of Sayid's characterization and maybe not so much an episode that moved the plot forward.
There is a machine that measures the good and evil inside of you! (wish we could test this out on our politicians) Unfortunately, Sayid is just a bit more evil than he is good, which gives the LOST writers a chance to show us another fantastical Sayid fight scene! Dogen stops short of killing Sayid and tells him to leave and never come back.
But there are other plans afoot on the island, like a crazed Claire coming to the temple and letting Dogen know that Smokey wants to talk to him. Her appearance changes everything and Dogen instead suggests Sayid kill Smokey.
Sayid doesn't quite succeed in this mission and instead seems to strike a bargain to raise Nadia from the dead. We quickly learn it's in exchange for killing Dogen. He seems to be quite the cold man! We do learn from Dogen that he struck a bargain to save his son's life and in exchange, apparently, his presence in the temple keeps Smokey at bay.
Kate comes back to the temple and Miles cracks me up with his quick assessment of what happened. Kate hunts down Claire, who seems crazier by the second, and lets her know she has Aaron. Kate, ever clueless, announces that she's come to rescue Claire. Claire scoffs. She's not the one who needs rescuing.
Sayid delivers a message from Mr. Smokey -- leave the temple and join smokey or stay in the temple and die. And...so tonight we saw the smoke monster in all of his fury and glory. Including knocking Kate down a bit in the pit, but sadly she survives.
Also, all of those people we haven't seen for awhile like Lapidus show up and Ilana knows a secret compartment in the temple where they all hide to escape the smoke monster.
Smokey has gathered his army it would seem, though I have no idea what for. And Kate has somehow wandered in among them...
Sideways Sayid
This was a bit anticlimactic. Sayid is visiting his brother who is married to Nadia and they have the world's most gorgeous children. Also, Sayid and Nadia are still in love with each other which is just sad. Sayid's brother is a bit dim and took an illegal loan. He wants Sayid to take care of it for him, but Sayid refuses. They seem to mug Sayid's brother and then kidnap Sayid, and oh my gosh it's Keamy! Sayid kills them all and discovers Jin tied up.
When it comes to the character of Sayid, I conclude from this episode that despite the fact that Sayid desperately wants to do the right thing, he will always fall back on his violent nature to achieve what he wants. He wishes he could be good, but time and time again he has chosen to act on the instinct of force, and does not seem to consider other ways of achieving his goals nor believe that other ways would be effective.
A Few Questions: *Does this mean Kate is evil now? *Just why is Smokey assembling an army? *Smokey actually did speak to Sayid before Sayid tried to stab him. Is this significant? *Ben???? Will he die next week? Remember when he was the big bad?
As usual, this is a full on discussion so please don't read it if you haven't watched the episode, The Substitute yet.
To be quite honest, my first reaction is, huh?
I'm not feeling all that well, so this will be brief. But--
Locke in alternate timeline: Helen is alive! Yay! They are in love and getting married and apparently Locke doesn't have a damaged relationship with his father? Or is this just something he's been lying to her about, like he lied to her about going to the conference. He was still unable to the walkabout but since he went on the company's dime, he got fired. Never fear, Hurley owns everything and hooks him up at a temp agency where Rose works and she still has cancer :( I love the way their lives are all connecting anyway, even to the point where Ben is a teacher at the school where Locke ends up a substitute. The arc of the Locke character in this segment seems to be Locke coming to terms with staying in the wheelchair and believing there are no miracles.
The Island
Huh?
Seriously, huh?
Who's the kid and why can't they kill Jacob? (and why does this feel like when Alex got killed all over again) What's up with Flocke taking on Locke's personality traits? ("Don't tell me what I can't do?") How come no one ever found that cave before? Is fLocke telling the truth about the candidates? Are they really candidates for taking care of the island or something much different? Did anyone else ever get the feeling that fLocke was a bit like Lucifer? I seriously couldn't help but think this when he told Richard he would have told him everything and promised to answer the most essential questions for Sawyer.
Sawyer did make me laugh tonight thank God. I also feared he might plunge to his death so I'm glad that didn't happen. I am extremely curious as to why they must leave the island together and exactly what that means.
I'm not sure I really feel like I got any answers tonight, since I don't know if I can trust Mr. Smokey!
