I found this article from Variety via DarkUFO, and I have to say that I like some the ambitious ideas that the author proposes.
"The clock is ticking for "Lost" -- and ABC.
As they prep their pilots for next season, Alphabet execs know they've got one last shot at benefiting from "Lost's" still-strong -- and rabidly loyal -- audience.
Per the network and ABC Studios' agreement with "Lost" exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the island-hopping/time-shifting/ smoke-monstering series is due to flash into history at the end of next season.
When that deal was made in 2007, the finale was still three years off. But now that the day of reckoning has come, the Alphabet will need to take full advantage of next season's send-off.
ABC hasn't had much luck so far airing new shows behind "Lost," despite several ambitious attempts. "Invasion," "The Nine," "Traveler" and (most recently) "Life on Mars" all had their followers -- but none were able to hold on to their "Lost" lead-in, despite sharing some similar traits.
This April, ABC is trying something a little different on Wednesdays behind "Lost": the quirky police procedural "The Unusuals."
As for next season, the Alphabet has several hourlongs in the works that could potentially benefit from a "Lost" pairing: the remake of "V" and the adaptation of Robert J. Sawyer's sci-fi novel "Flash Forward," for example.
Meanwhile, now that "Lost's" days are numbered, will an anxious ABC want to wait until January before it can start hyping -- and taking advantage of -- the show's final 17 hours?
It probably wouldn't matter if "Lost" had already faded into ratings oblivion. But "Lost," while not as white-hot as it once was, is still a top-10 ratings powerhouse for ABC.
That's why if they're smart, Alphabet execs will already be plotting ways to keep "Lost" alive in the fall -- and keep fans from waiting eight agonizing months for the story to continue.
Absent original episodes, which don't come until January, the net won't garner the same kind of ratings that the show does in firstrun. But at least ABC can capitalize on the hype surrounding the series' final season -- and perhaps even recruit a few late-blooming or former viewers along the way.
Whatever the network decides to do, it would have to be enough of an event and so unique that it justifies utilizing an hour of primetime.
The most obvious idea? Putting a team of editors to work and recutting the first five seasons into an abridged, chronological version of "Lost."
Such a move would likely attract fans of the show, who are eager to see how the pieces of the puzzle all fit together in one cohesive, linear fashion. And this would also give first-time viewers, or ones who abandoned the show years ago, an entry point into enjoying the final season come spring.
An alternate idea? Edit each major character's back story into hourlong segs.
A less ambitious route would be to cherry pick pivotal episodes from the first few seasons and air them in order, although it's doubtful those episodes would post much of a rating (even if the net added in its "pop-up" info).
And if a full slate of episodes in the fall is out of the question, at the very least ABC needs to run a special or two -- including a townhall meeting featuring Lindelof and Cuse.
That's right, if it's good enough for "Survivor" or "The Bachelor," "Lost" also might benefit from an episode that featured the answers to questions from fans.Net could cut a few specials using the content that was produced for other sources -- webisodes, mobisodes, etc. -- but has never been broadcast. Cutting room floor footage, bloopers ... all of that could be potential low-cost (since it already exists) Friday or Saturday night fare.
As for the series finale in May 2010, here's hoping ABC plans a live, in-studio after show, in which Lindelof and Cuse explain what just happened. Hopefully the duo aren't planning to emulate David Chase, who disappeared for several months following "The Sopranos" finale.
After that, there will surely be some "Lost" fans mourning the loss of the show -- and wishing they could travel back in time and do it all over again. Hopefully ABC execs won't be feeling the same thing."
- A chronological version of LOST is something that I'd love to see, but I don't know how well it would work. Also, an extended Q & A with Dalton is something that I think needs to happen at some point! As Hurley says, "I want some friggin' answers!"
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ask LOST
Everyone is looking for answers to LOST, so here's your chance to ask your burning questions. ABC is giving fans the opportunity to submit theirs question about the show. If selected, your question will be answered in an upcoming podcast or an Ask Lost online video!
I decided to do this; here is my question:
"In the season three episode "Greatest Hits" Desmond tells Charile that he has had another one of his flashes, one in which Claire and Aaron get into a helicopter and leave the Island, but that in order for this to happen, Charlie must drown after "flicking a switch next to a yellow light" in a hatch. Was Desmond lying to Charlie? Or was he perhaps misinterpreting his flash, seeing only glimpses of a woman holding Aaron on a helicopter, assuming it was Claire? This has been bugging me! In a related question, will anyone ever discover the "DS" ring Charlie left in the crib for Aaron? Thanks!"
You can ask your own question by following this link.
I decided to do this; here is my question:
"In the season three episode "Greatest Hits" Desmond tells Charile that he has had another one of his flashes, one in which Claire and Aaron get into a helicopter and leave the Island, but that in order for this to happen, Charlie must drown after "flicking a switch next to a yellow light" in a hatch. Was Desmond lying to Charlie? Or was he perhaps misinterpreting his flash, seeing only glimpses of a woman holding Aaron on a helicopter, assuming it was Claire? This has been bugging me! In a related question, will anyone ever discover the "DS" ring Charlie left in the crib for Aaron? Thanks!"
You can ask your own question by following this link.
"He's Our You" Thoughts and Theories
"He's Our You" was a mess of a great episode. Well, "mess" may not be the best word, but this episode was certainly all over the place, from Tikrit, Iraq to Moscow, Russia to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Los Angeles, California, and finally to everyone's favorite island of mystery and suspense.
Sayid: Natural Born Killer
We were shown a brief history of Sayid's life as a killer, beginning with a flashback scene in Iraq. This scene of young Sayid and his brother "echoed" a scene of a young Mr. Eko and his brother in season two's "The 23rd Psalm." In both flashbacks, our main characters killed so that their brothers would not have to. Is this a hint that Sayid will later share Eko's fate and be killed by the smoke monster? I sure hope not!
In the next scene, young Ben gives Sayid the book "A Separate Reality." The book, which deals in part with mind-altering drugs, is a clear reference to a scene later in the episode, but I interpret it a bit differently. I think that the title itself suggests that the actions of our Losties in the past is creating a separate reality, or in others words, an alternate universe or timeline. That being said, I think this that this interpretation is simply a red herring because, afterall, "what happened, happened," right?
In Sayid's Moscow flashback, we see him pursue and execute the final Widmore associate on Ben's list. I thought that the victim's attempt to bribe Sayid was odd, considering that Sayid was there to kill him and could just take the money anyway after killing him. Afterwards, Sayid walks under a sign reading "Олдхэм Фармасьютикалс" in Russian, which translates to Oldham Pharmaceuticals (this will make sense in a later scene). Ben then informs Sayid that his work is done, that there is no one left to kill. Ben tells Sayid to "go live your life," but Sayid seems lost. Without Nadia, killing is the only life he knows.
Back on the island, Sawyer attempts to help Sayid, but Sayid is stubborn as usual. Sawyer asks Sayid how he is doing and Sayid responds with: "A twelve-year-old Ben Linus brought me a chicken salad sandwich. How do you think I’m doing?" Haha, poor, confused Sayid!
Sayid refuses to cooperate with the Dharma folk, so he is taken to Oldham, who appears to be a crazy hippie pharmacist who uses a truth serum to get information from his "patients." Also, Oldham is apparently a torturer as Sawyer tells Sayid that "he's our you."
The truth serum causes Sayid to go a bit wacky and reveal how he got to the island (both times), as well as what he knows about three of the Dharma stations: the Flame, the Pearl, and the Swan. This causes Radzinsky to freak out and label Sayid as a spy, especially since the Swan hadn't even been built yet. Sayid's confession that he is from the future, however, destroys his story's credibility.
While working for Build Our World in Santo Domingo, Sayid is visited by Ben, who informs Sayid that John Locke is dead. "I think he may have been murdered," says Ben. Hmm, I wonder why you would think that?! Haha! Anyway, Ben informs Sayid that a man has been outside the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute watching Hurley for a week. Sayid asks Ben why he would just assume that he'll kill this man. Ben reasons that Sayid is capabilty of doing things most other men are not, and how killing is in Sayid's nature. Sayid basically says that he is wrong and that he does not like killing, but as the end of the episode shows, Ben was right and had his reasons for believing this.
Back on the island, the Dharma folk vote unanimously to kill Sayid. Sawyer makes one last attempt to save him, but Sayid seems to accept his fate, reasoning that he now knows why he is here. Soon thereafter, a fiery distraction allows young Ben to spring Sayid from his cell.
Flaming Dharma Van
While escaping, Sayid and Ben meet Jin in the jungle. Jin is knocked unconscious by Sayid when he attempts to radio Sawyer. Sayid bends down for Jin's gun and quietly says "You were right about me. I am a killer." After a moment of reflection, he looks up and shoots Ben in the chest. WHAT!?!? Sayid must think that he can change the future and this must be what he was talking about when he said he knew why he was here. The episode ends as Sayid runs from the scene.
So what does this mean for the timeline? Did this always happened? Was Sayid always meant to shoot Ben? This is what I believe: Sayid did not mess up the timeline because this is what was always destined to happen. Ben is not dead. He will recover and this will be one of the defining moments that transform him from a sweet, innocent, sandwich-making kid in 1977 to the cold-hearted, manipulative murder we all know and love.
Sayid: Bad-ass, time-traveling assassin or cold-hearted child killer?
For more information on this episode, including a full synopsis and transcript, visit the Lostpedia page for "He's Our You." Something worth checking out on this page is the Bloopers/Continuity Errors section. There has seemed be a major increase in the occurrence of continuity errors this season and Lostpedia does a good job of pointing them out.
Next week's episode, "Whatever Happened, Happened," is a Kate-centric episode. Check it out Wednesday, April 1st on ABC at 9/8c!
Sayid: Natural Born Killer
We were shown a brief history of Sayid's life as a killer, beginning with a flashback scene in Iraq. This scene of young Sayid and his brother "echoed" a scene of a young Mr. Eko and his brother in season two's "The 23rd Psalm." In both flashbacks, our main characters killed so that their brothers would not have to. Is this a hint that Sayid will later share Eko's fate and be killed by the smoke monster? I sure hope not!
In the next scene, young Ben gives Sayid the book "A Separate Reality." The book, which deals in part with mind-altering drugs, is a clear reference to a scene later in the episode, but I interpret it a bit differently. I think that the title itself suggests that the actions of our Losties in the past is creating a separate reality, or in others words, an alternate universe or timeline. That being said, I think this that this interpretation is simply a red herring because, afterall, "what happened, happened," right?
In Sayid's Moscow flashback, we see him pursue and execute the final Widmore associate on Ben's list. I thought that the victim's attempt to bribe Sayid was odd, considering that Sayid was there to kill him and could just take the money anyway after killing him. Afterwards, Sayid walks under a sign reading "Олдхэм Фармасьютикалс" in Russian, which translates to Oldham Pharmaceuticals (this will make sense in a later scene). Ben then informs Sayid that his work is done, that there is no one left to kill. Ben tells Sayid to "go live your life," but Sayid seems lost. Without Nadia, killing is the only life he knows.
Back on the island, Sawyer attempts to help Sayid, but Sayid is stubborn as usual. Sawyer asks Sayid how he is doing and Sayid responds with: "A twelve-year-old Ben Linus brought me a chicken salad sandwich. How do you think I’m doing?" Haha, poor, confused Sayid!
Sayid refuses to cooperate with the Dharma folk, so he is taken to Oldham, who appears to be a crazy hippie pharmacist who uses a truth serum to get information from his "patients." Also, Oldham is apparently a torturer as Sawyer tells Sayid that "he's our you."
The truth serum causes Sayid to go a bit wacky and reveal how he got to the island (both times), as well as what he knows about three of the Dharma stations: the Flame, the Pearl, and the Swan. This causes Radzinsky to freak out and label Sayid as a spy, especially since the Swan hadn't even been built yet. Sayid's confession that he is from the future, however, destroys his story's credibility.
While working for Build Our World in Santo Domingo, Sayid is visited by Ben, who informs Sayid that John Locke is dead. "I think he may have been murdered," says Ben. Hmm, I wonder why you would think that?! Haha! Anyway, Ben informs Sayid that a man has been outside the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute watching Hurley for a week. Sayid asks Ben why he would just assume that he'll kill this man. Ben reasons that Sayid is capabilty of doing things most other men are not, and how killing is in Sayid's nature. Sayid basically says that he is wrong and that he does not like killing, but as the end of the episode shows, Ben was right and had his reasons for believing this.
Back on the island, the Dharma folk vote unanimously to kill Sayid. Sawyer makes one last attempt to save him, but Sayid seems to accept his fate, reasoning that he now knows why he is here. Soon thereafter, a fiery distraction allows young Ben to spring Sayid from his cell.
Flaming Dharma Van
While escaping, Sayid and Ben meet Jin in the jungle. Jin is knocked unconscious by Sayid when he attempts to radio Sawyer. Sayid bends down for Jin's gun and quietly says "You were right about me. I am a killer." After a moment of reflection, he looks up and shoots Ben in the chest. WHAT!?!? Sayid must think that he can change the future and this must be what he was talking about when he said he knew why he was here. The episode ends as Sayid runs from the scene.
So what does this mean for the timeline? Did this always happened? Was Sayid always meant to shoot Ben? This is what I believe: Sayid did not mess up the timeline because this is what was always destined to happen. Ben is not dead. He will recover and this will be one of the defining moments that transform him from a sweet, innocent, sandwich-making kid in 1977 to the cold-hearted, manipulative murder we all know and love.
Sayid: Bad-ass, time-traveling assassin or cold-hearted child killer?
For more information on this episode, including a full synopsis and transcript, visit the Lostpedia page for "He's Our You." Something worth checking out on this page is the Bloopers/Continuity Errors section. There has seemed be a major increase in the occurrence of continuity errors this season and Lostpedia does a good job of pointing them out.
Next week's episode, "Whatever Happened, Happened," is a Kate-centric episode. Check it out Wednesday, April 1st on ABC at 9/8c!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monologue 1: "He's Our You" Initial Reaction Video
Hey folks! This is my first video monologue post for MCOM 225 Intro to Digital Production. It features just a couple of my initial thoughts on tonight's episode "He's Our You."
Thanks to getlostpodcastmedia.com and DarkUFO for the screencaps used in this video.
Check back soon for a full recap of my thoughts and theories for this episode!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Who Needs Music When You Have Podcasts?
While I'm on the subject of podcasts, I thought that I would talk about the ones that I listen to on a daily/weekly basis. I'll also give the links to the podcast on both iTunes and their websites if you are interested in checking them out.
I listen to podcast more than I do music, and my favorite podcast out there is the The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack. They do episodes twice a week (on Wednesday nights after LOST and on Monday mornings). Their banter back and forth and their crackpot theories make it a great show that I anticipate every week.
Jay and Jack on iTunes
www.jayandjack.com
Filmspotting is a podcast done by Chicago film critics Matty Robinson and Adam Kempenaar. Each Friday, Adam and Matty usually review one or two new movies and discuss their film-related top 5 lists. I tend to agree with their reviews and opinions of movies, and their film discussions make for an entertaining show.
Filmspotting on iTunes
www.filmspotting.net
Two of the best video podcasts out there are The Totally Rad Show and Diggnation. The Totally Rad Show features entertaining reviews of movies, video games, TV shows, and sometimes comic books from three guys - Alex Albrecht, Dan Trachtenberg, and Jeff Cannata. Diggnation features discussion of the top entertainment/technology related stories on the website Digg.com, hosted by Alex Albrecht and Digg.com-founder Kevin Rose.
The Totally Rad Show on iTunes (Small Quicktime Version)
www.totallyradshow.com
Diggnation on iTunes (Small Quicktime Version)
www.diggnation.com
A podcast that I just recently began listening to, but enjoy very much is the Adam Carolla podcast. The podcast is explicit, but Adam's social commentary is hilarious, and each day he has one of his celebrity friends co-host the show with him.
The Adam Carolla Podcast on iTunes
www.adamcarolla.com
That's all for now! I listen to many more podcasts, so I may discuss more in a future post.
I listen to podcast more than I do music, and my favorite podcast out there is the The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack. They do episodes twice a week (on Wednesday nights after LOST and on Monday mornings). Their banter back and forth and their crackpot theories make it a great show that I anticipate every week.
Jay and Jack on iTunes
www.jayandjack.com
Filmspotting is a podcast done by Chicago film critics Matty Robinson and Adam Kempenaar. Each Friday, Adam and Matty usually review one or two new movies and discuss their film-related top 5 lists. I tend to agree with their reviews and opinions of movies, and their film discussions make for an entertaining show.
Filmspotting on iTunes
www.filmspotting.net
Two of the best video podcasts out there are The Totally Rad Show and Diggnation. The Totally Rad Show features entertaining reviews of movies, video games, TV shows, and sometimes comic books from three guys - Alex Albrecht, Dan Trachtenberg, and Jeff Cannata. Diggnation features discussion of the top entertainment/technology related stories on the website Digg.com, hosted by Alex Albrecht and Digg.com-founder Kevin Rose.
The Totally Rad Show on iTunes (Small Quicktime Version)
www.totallyradshow.com
Diggnation on iTunes (Small Quicktime Version)
www.diggnation.com
A podcast that I just recently began listening to, but enjoy very much is the Adam Carolla podcast. The podcast is explicit, but Adam's social commentary is hilarious, and each day he has one of his celebrity friends co-host the show with him.
The Adam Carolla Podcast on iTunes
www.adamcarolla.com
That's all for now! I listen to many more podcasts, so I may discuss more in a future post.
Jay and Jack Exceed Goal!
I hadn't planned on it, but I ended up staying up and watching the entire 25-hour Jay and Jack podcast for Autism Speaks this past weekend! It was just too entertaining to miss a minute! Jay and Jack set the goal of raising $10,000 for the charity this year (having raised about $5,000 the previous year). This year, the podcast managed to exceed its goal, raising $12,380 in 25 hours!
Jack (left) and Jay (right) celebrated with a cake made in the shape of the Autism Speaks logo.
Jack and Jay are a step-father/son duo that I have listened to for many years, and it's great what they do for this worthy cause. I was glad to to donate and be a part of it. My favorite guests on the podcast were NFL referee Ed Hochuli (who is a huge LOST fan) and Jorge Garcia (who plays Hurley on LOST). Ed's stories and insights into the NFL were hilarious and entertaining, and he was a major driving force behind the donations, urging viewers to donate many times throughout the 25 hours. Jorge, once again showing how generous he is to his fans, talked with Jay and Jack for over 4 hours, providing many insights about LOST and his life.
Jay and Jack with Jorge
The podcast was a great experience, and I can't wait for next year!
Jack (left) and Jay (right) celebrated with a cake made in the shape of the Autism Speaks logo.
Jack and Jay are a step-father/son duo that I have listened to for many years, and it's great what they do for this worthy cause. I was glad to to donate and be a part of it. My favorite guests on the podcast were NFL referee Ed Hochuli (who is a huge LOST fan) and Jorge Garcia (who plays Hurley on LOST). Ed's stories and insights into the NFL were hilarious and entertaining, and he was a major driving force behind the donations, urging viewers to donate many times throughout the 25 hours. Jorge, once again showing how generous he is to his fans, talked with Jay and Jack for over 4 hours, providing many insights about LOST and his life.
Jay and Jack with Jorge
The podcast was a great experience, and I can't wait for next year!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Jay and Jack's 25-hour Podcast
It's 3 a.m. and Jay and Jack's 25-hour Podcast for Autism Speaks is going into its tenth hour! Jay and Jack just finished their discussion of their top ten songs of all time with Jen and Ryan from another LOST podcast, The Transmission. Here are there lists:
Jay and Jack's 25 Hour Podcast - Top 10 Songs
Jack:
10. Smokin' by Boston
9. Panama by Van Halen
8. Right Now by Van Halen
7. Surfin' USA by Beach Boys
6. Feeling That Way by Journey
5. American Idiot by Green Day
4. American Pie by Don MacLean
3. Suspicious Minds by Elvis
2. Help by The Beatles
1. More than a Feeling by Boston
Jay:
10. Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny
9. La Cremosa from Requiem in D Minor by Mozart
8. Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone
7. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
6. Miranda That Ghost Aint Holy Anymore by Mars Volta
5. Take 5 by the Dave Brubeck Group
4. Grace by Jeff Buckley
3. Pyramid Song by Radiohead
2. A Day in the Life by The Beatles
1. Since I've Been Lovin' You by Led Zeppelin
Ryan:
10. Dans Macabre, Op. 40 by Camille Saint-Sanes
9. Stop Whispering by Radiohead
8. Linger by The Cranberries
7. Big Time Sensuality
6. Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants
5. "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies
4. Kuulei Awapuhi by Hapa
3. Paperback Writer by The Beatles
2. What I Got by Sublime
1. When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
Jen:
10. Fire by the Jimmy Hendrix Experience
9. About You by Cecilio & Kapono
8. Love Rain Over Me by The Who from Who's Next
7. Angel of Harlem by U2
6. At Last by Etta James
5. Tangerine by Led Zeppelin
4. Little Red Corvette by Prince
3. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
2. Here Comes by the Sun by The Beatles
1. Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns N' Roses
Jay and Jack's 25 Hour Podcast - Top 10 Songs
Jack:
10. Smokin' by Boston
9. Panama by Van Halen
8. Right Now by Van Halen
7. Surfin' USA by Beach Boys
6. Feeling That Way by Journey
5. American Idiot by Green Day
4. American Pie by Don MacLean
3. Suspicious Minds by Elvis
2. Help by The Beatles
1. More than a Feeling by Boston
Jay:
10. Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny
9. La Cremosa from Requiem in D Minor by Mozart
8. Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone
7. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
6. Miranda That Ghost Aint Holy Anymore by Mars Volta
5. Take 5 by the Dave Brubeck Group
4. Grace by Jeff Buckley
3. Pyramid Song by Radiohead
2. A Day in the Life by The Beatles
1. Since I've Been Lovin' You by Led Zeppelin
Ryan:
10. Dans Macabre, Op. 40 by Camille Saint-Sanes
9. Stop Whispering by Radiohead
8. Linger by The Cranberries
7. Big Time Sensuality
6. Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants
5. "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies
4. Kuulei Awapuhi by Hapa
3. Paperback Writer by The Beatles
2. What I Got by Sublime
1. When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
Jen:
10. Fire by the Jimmy Hendrix Experience
9. About You by Cecilio & Kapono
8. Love Rain Over Me by The Who from Who's Next
7. Angel of Harlem by U2
6. At Last by Etta James
5. Tangerine by Led Zeppelin
4. Little Red Corvette by Prince
3. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
2. Here Comes by the Sun by The Beatles
1. Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns N' Roses
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Jay and Jack's 25-hour podcasts for Autism Speaks
I listen to a ton of LOST podcasts (and podcasts in general) and by far the best, most entertaining one is The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack. Each year these guys do a 25-hour podcast to benefit the charity Autism Speaks. This year the podcast will be broadcast live from Ustream.tv beginning at 4 pm on March 21. There will be many guests including Jorge Garcia (aka Hurley from Lost).
Check it out for some guaranteed good times, and don't worry non-Lost fans, not all of the 25 hours are not about Lost! It all benefits a great cause and all of the money donated goes directly to Autism Speaks. For more information click this link to the Ustream page, or visit www.jayandjack.com
Check it out for some guaranteed good times, and don't worry non-Lost fans, not all of the 25 hours are not about Lost! It all benefits a great cause and all of the money donated goes directly to Autism Speaks. For more information click this link to the Ustream page, or visit www.jayandjack.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
"Namaste" Thoughts and Theories
I hate to say it, but I thought this episode was "meh" by LOST's standards. I can't really pinpoint why I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I enjoy most, but regardless it was still a great hour of television. In this post, I'll recap some of the better moments of the episode.
When Juliet finds out from Amy that she plans to name her baby "Ethan," her reaction is priceless. Ethan, the "other" who terrorized the Losties in season one by kidnapping Claire and Charlie, has been seen on the show more often after his death than before and looks like he may be more important to the overall LOST story than it originally seemed. This also explains why Ethan considered it "an honor" to meet Juliet in season three, since she was the woman who delivered him as a baby. There is just one problem that I have with this whole thing: if Ethan was born in 1977, then he would be 27 when we see him in season one, taking place in 2004. William Mapother, the guy who plays Ethan (who also happens to be Tom Cruise's cousin) is 44 years old!
Does this dude look like he is 27?
But I guess this could all be explained by Juliet's remark to Jack in season four: "It's very stressful being an Other, Jack." Haha, the stress of being an "other" must have aged Ethan rapidly!
It was great to see Jack, Kate, and Hurley become a part of the Dharma Initiative in this episode. Recruitment day seems like such a happy time for the Dharma Initiative, which is odd for this show. Everything is usually doom and gloom, mystery and suspense, so it was good to see something good happening on the island.
The best part of the Dharma Recruitment Day was the scene between Jack and Pierre Chang. Jack is given a Dharma jumpsuit with the title "Work Man" stitched onto the chest.
JACK: "Work man." What does--what does that mean?
DR. CHANG: Based on your aptitude test, you'll be doing janitorial work.
Jack, a successful spinal surgeon, just chuckles at his janitorial assignment. I'm sure that Sawyer had a hand in the selection of Jack's title!
A big reveal in this episode was Radzinsky. We first heard about Radzinsky back in season two from Kelvin Inman's explanation to Desmond. Radzinsky was Inman's partner in the Swan station. Kelvin explained to Desmond that, while he was asleep, Radzinsky committed suicide by putting a shotgun in his mouth and firing it, causing a blood stain on the ceiling.
We see Radzinsky for the first time in this episode, working in the Flame station, building a model of the Swan station.
The biggest thing that happened it this episode was the capture of Sayid. Jin and Radzinsky discover Sayid wandering in the jungle. Because Radzinsky is with him, Jin is forced pretend that he does not know Sayid as they bring him in as a "hostile."
In a strange reversal of situations, Sayid is locked up and visited at the end of the episode by ... BIG REVEAL! ... a young Ben! Ironically, in season two, older Ben was locked up and subsequently visited by (and tortured by) Sayid.
After this reveal, the episode ends. So what does this mean for Sayid? Will he try to do something in the past to Ben? In the promo for the next episode, Sayid says "I now know why I am here," and he is seen firing a gun. Does this mean that he is going to shoot younger Ben? Will Sayid really shoot a child? Considering what Ben does to Sayid later in his life, I wouldn't doubt it. We'll find out next week.
When Juliet finds out from Amy that she plans to name her baby "Ethan," her reaction is priceless. Ethan, the "other" who terrorized the Losties in season one by kidnapping Claire and Charlie, has been seen on the show more often after his death than before and looks like he may be more important to the overall LOST story than it originally seemed. This also explains why Ethan considered it "an honor" to meet Juliet in season three, since she was the woman who delivered him as a baby. There is just one problem that I have with this whole thing: if Ethan was born in 1977, then he would be 27 when we see him in season one, taking place in 2004. William Mapother, the guy who plays Ethan (who also happens to be Tom Cruise's cousin) is 44 years old!
Does this dude look like he is 27?
But I guess this could all be explained by Juliet's remark to Jack in season four: "It's very stressful being an Other, Jack." Haha, the stress of being an "other" must have aged Ethan rapidly!
It was great to see Jack, Kate, and Hurley become a part of the Dharma Initiative in this episode. Recruitment day seems like such a happy time for the Dharma Initiative, which is odd for this show. Everything is usually doom and gloom, mystery and suspense, so it was good to see something good happening on the island.
The best part of the Dharma Recruitment Day was the scene between Jack and Pierre Chang. Jack is given a Dharma jumpsuit with the title "Work Man" stitched onto the chest.
JACK: "Work man." What does--what does that mean?
DR. CHANG: Based on your aptitude test, you'll be doing janitorial work.
Jack, a successful spinal surgeon, just chuckles at his janitorial assignment. I'm sure that Sawyer had a hand in the selection of Jack's title!
A big reveal in this episode was Radzinsky. We first heard about Radzinsky back in season two from Kelvin Inman's explanation to Desmond. Radzinsky was Inman's partner in the Swan station. Kelvin explained to Desmond that, while he was asleep, Radzinsky committed suicide by putting a shotgun in his mouth and firing it, causing a blood stain on the ceiling.
We see Radzinsky for the first time in this episode, working in the Flame station, building a model of the Swan station.
The biggest thing that happened it this episode was the capture of Sayid. Jin and Radzinsky discover Sayid wandering in the jungle. Because Radzinsky is with him, Jin is forced pretend that he does not know Sayid as they bring him in as a "hostile."
In a strange reversal of situations, Sayid is locked up and visited at the end of the episode by ... BIG REVEAL! ... a young Ben! Ironically, in season two, older Ben was locked up and subsequently visited by (and tortured by) Sayid.
After this reveal, the episode ends. So what does this mean for Sayid? Will he try to do something in the past to Ben? In the promo for the next episode, Sayid says "I now know why I am here," and he is seen firing a gun. Does this mean that he is going to shoot younger Ben? Will Sayid really shoot a child? Considering what Ben does to Sayid later in his life, I wouldn't doubt it. We'll find out next week.
Late Season Five Press Releases Leaked Early - Part Two
Episode 5.14 – “The Variable”
THE TIME OF RECKONING BEGINS AS DANIEL FARADAY COMES CLEAN REGARDING WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT THE ISLAND
On the 100th episode milestone for the series, the time of reckoning has begun when Daniel Faraday comes clean regarding what he knows about the island.
Written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Directed by Paul Edwards
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore
Alan Dale as Charles Widmore
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Fionnula Flanagan as Eloise Hawking
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
Sarah Farooqui as Theresa
Alice Evans as younger Eloise Hawking
Wendy Pearson as E.R. doctor
Todd Coolidge as paramedic
Peggy Anne Siegmund as caretaker
Jennifer Sojot as E.R. nurse
Spencer Allyn as young Daniel Faraday
Michael Dempsey as foreman
Maya Henssens as young girl
Ariston Green as workman
Marvin DeFreitas as young Charlie
Brad Berryhill as anxious guy
Episode 5.14 – “Follow the Leader”
JACK AND KATE FAIL TO AGREE ON THE BEST DIRECTION TO TAKE TO SAVE THEIR FELLOW ISLAND SURVIVORS, AND SAWYER AND JULIET COME UNDER SCRUTINY FROM THE DHARMA INITIATIVE
Jack and Kate find themselves at odds over the direction to take to save their fellow island survivors, Locke further solidifies his stance as leader of "The Others," and Sawyer and Juliet come under scrutiny from the Dharma Initiative.
Written by Paul Zbyszewski & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Directed by Stephen Williams
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
David S. Lee as younger Charles Widmore
Alice Evans as younger Eloise Hawking
Leslie Ishii as Lara
Sebastian Siegel as Erik
Kevin Chapman as Mitch
Elisabeth Blake as Vanessa
William Makozak as Captain Bird
Victoria Goring as mother
Maya Henssens as young girl
THE TIME OF RECKONING BEGINS AS DANIEL FARADAY COMES CLEAN REGARDING WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT THE ISLAND
On the 100th episode milestone for the series, the time of reckoning has begun when Daniel Faraday comes clean regarding what he knows about the island.
Written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Directed by Paul Edwards
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore
Alan Dale as Charles Widmore
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Fionnula Flanagan as Eloise Hawking
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
Sarah Farooqui as Theresa
Alice Evans as younger Eloise Hawking
Wendy Pearson as E.R. doctor
Todd Coolidge as paramedic
Peggy Anne Siegmund as caretaker
Jennifer Sojot as E.R. nurse
Spencer Allyn as young Daniel Faraday
Michael Dempsey as foreman
Maya Henssens as young girl
Ariston Green as workman
Marvin DeFreitas as young Charlie
Brad Berryhill as anxious guy
Episode 5.14 – “Follow the Leader”
JACK AND KATE FAIL TO AGREE ON THE BEST DIRECTION TO TAKE TO SAVE THEIR FELLOW ISLAND SURVIVORS, AND SAWYER AND JULIET COME UNDER SCRUTINY FROM THE DHARMA INITIATIVE
Jack and Kate find themselves at odds over the direction to take to save their fellow island survivors, Locke further solidifies his stance as leader of "The Others," and Sawyer and Juliet come under scrutiny from the Dharma Initiative.
Written by Paul Zbyszewski & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Directed by Stephen Williams
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
David S. Lee as younger Charles Widmore
Alice Evans as younger Eloise Hawking
Leslie Ishii as Lara
Sebastian Siegel as Erik
Kevin Chapman as Mitch
Elisabeth Blake as Vanessa
William Makozak as Captain Bird
Victoria Goring as mother
Maya Henssens as young girl
Late Season Five Press Releases Leaked Early - Part One
My buddy Andy Page of DarkUFO and SpoilerTV has acquired some interesting, spoilery press releases for the later episodes of LOST this season:
Episode 5.12 – “Dead is Dead”
BEN ATTEMPTS TO SUMMON THE SMOKE MONSTER IN ORDER TO BE JUDGED FOR SINS OF THE PAST
To atone for sins of the past, Ben must attempt to summon the smoke monster in order to be judged.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Directed by Stephen Williams
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Tania Raymonde as Alex
Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore
Alan Dale as Charles Widmore
Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus
Sterling Beaumon as young Ben
Zuleikha Robinson as Llana
Said Taghmaoui as Caesar
Melissa Farman as young Danielle Rousseau
Brad William Henke as Bram
Matt Hoffman as Jed
Episode 5.13 – “Some Like It Hoth”
BEN IS TAKEN FROM THE INFIRMARY -- WHICH RAISES SUSPICIONS ABOUT A POSSIBLE SECURITY BREACH, AND MILES IS FORCED TO WORK WITH HURLEY TO DELIVERING AN IMPORTANT PACKAGE TO A TOP DHARMA OFFICIAL
Suspicions about a possible breach intensify after Ben is taken from the infirmary, and a reluctant Miles is forced to work with Hurley when he's asked to deliver an important package to a top Dharma official.
Written by Melinda Hsu Taylor & Greggory Nations
Directed by Jack Bender
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Marsha Thomason as Naomi Dorrit
Doug Hutchinson as Horace Goodspeed
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Jon Gries as Roger Linus
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
Leslie Ishii as Lara
Brad William Henke as Bram
Dean Norris as Howard Gray
Tim DeZam as Trevor
Lance Ho as young Miles
Linda Rose Herman as Evelyn
Episode 5.12 – “Dead is Dead”
BEN ATTEMPTS TO SUMMON THE SMOKE MONSTER IN ORDER TO BE JUDGED FOR SINS OF THE PAST
To atone for sins of the past, Ben must attempt to summon the smoke monster in order to be judged.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Directed by Stephen Williams
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Tania Raymonde as Alex
Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore
Alan Dale as Charles Widmore
Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus
Sterling Beaumon as young Ben
Zuleikha Robinson as Llana
Said Taghmaoui as Caesar
Melissa Farman as young Danielle Rousseau
Brad William Henke as Bram
Matt Hoffman as Jed
Episode 5.13 – “Some Like It Hoth”
BEN IS TAKEN FROM THE INFIRMARY -- WHICH RAISES SUSPICIONS ABOUT A POSSIBLE SECURITY BREACH, AND MILES IS FORCED TO WORK WITH HURLEY TO DELIVERING AN IMPORTANT PACKAGE TO A TOP DHARMA OFFICIAL
Suspicions about a possible breach intensify after Ben is taken from the infirmary, and a reluctant Miles is forced to work with Hurley when he's asked to deliver an important package to a top Dharma official.
Written by Melinda Hsu Taylor & Greggory Nations
Directed by Jack Bender
Cast
Naveen Andrews as Sayid
Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond
Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday
Michael Emerson as Ben
Matthew Fox as Jack
Jorge Garcia as Hurley
Josh Holloway as Sawyer
Yunjin Kim as Sun
Ken Leung as Miles
Evangeline Lilly as Kate
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet
Terry O’Quinn as Locke
Guest Cast
Francois Chau as Dr. Pierre Chang
Marsha Thomason as Naomi Dorrit
Doug Hutchinson as Horace Goodspeed
Patrick Fischler as Phil
Jon Gries as Roger Linus
Eric Lange as Radzinsky
Leslie Ishii as Lara
Brad William Henke as Bram
Dean Norris as Howard Gray
Tim DeZam as Trevor
Lance Ho as young Miles
Linda Rose Herman as Evelyn
Free Geronimo Jackson Song on iTunes
You can now download a Geronimo Jackson track called "Dharma Lady" from iTunes for free by following this link.
The band Geronimo Jackson has been referenced many times in LOST. A full list of the references can be found here at the Geronimo Jackson Lostpedia page. Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse seemed to suggest that the band was real. "They're a band not a lot of people have heard about. They just released one very obscure album in the mid to late '70s".
The ABC TV Store website recently released a line of Geronimo Jackson themed merchandise. In the description for one of the items, the following summary is given on the history of the band:
Keith Strutter formed the rock band Geronimo Jackson in the mid 60s in Detroit. Gathering a solid reputation for their sold-out string of performances in local burlesque clubs, the band packed up their gear and made way to the Excelsior District of San Francisco. From there they released their first album “Magna Carta,” receiving much acclaim and star status to locals in the industry. Reported to be making their long awaited follow-up album, the band retired to Woodstock in 1972, never to be seen or heard again.
The song is an alternate version of "Excelsior Lady" by a current band called "The Donkeys." It has been theorized by fans that the band would be playing as "Geronimo Jackson" in LOST since this is the same song playing in Jin's DHARMA van in the episode "316" right before he finds Jack, Kate and Hurley by the waterfall lagoon.
The band Geronimo Jackson has been referenced many times in LOST. A full list of the references can be found here at the Geronimo Jackson Lostpedia page. Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse seemed to suggest that the band was real. "They're a band not a lot of people have heard about. They just released one very obscure album in the mid to late '70s".
The ABC TV Store website recently released a line of Geronimo Jackson themed merchandise. In the description for one of the items, the following summary is given on the history of the band:
Keith Strutter formed the rock band Geronimo Jackson in the mid 60s in Detroit. Gathering a solid reputation for their sold-out string of performances in local burlesque clubs, the band packed up their gear and made way to the Excelsior District of San Francisco. From there they released their first album “Magna Carta,” receiving much acclaim and star status to locals in the industry. Reported to be making their long awaited follow-up album, the band retired to Woodstock in 1972, never to be seen or heard again.
The song is an alternate version of "Excelsior Lady" by a current band called "The Donkeys." It has been theorized by fans that the band would be playing as "Geronimo Jackson" in LOST since this is the same song playing in Jin's DHARMA van in the episode "316" right before he finds Jack, Kate and Hurley by the waterfall lagoon.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wild Card 1-Minute Video
Here is the video Steve Hurd and I created for today's 1-minute video assignment. The most difficult part of the video was coming up with the idea! It seemed that I could not get the creative part of my brain to work this morning, so I suggested to Steve that we go outside (since it was the nicest day we've had for a long time!), to see if anything we saw would inspire us. I saw some litter on the ground, and we came up with the idea of creating a mini-PSA about litter control.
Steve and I filmed all the litter we could find outside of Yeager Hall and around the library. Since the snow has recently melted, it did not take long for us to find all of the shots of litter that we needed as B-roll. With the time it took to film and edit, I feel good about the way this video turned out. Using Final Cut again after spring break was a good way to re-familiarize myself with all of its features for tomorrow's exam.
All of the litter seen in this video was picked up and thrown away!
The music in this video is "Highway Five" from freeplaymusic.com
Saturday, March 7, 2009
"LaFleur" Thoughts and Theories, Part Two
"LaFleur" is the first Sawyer-centric episode since early Season 3's "Every Man for Himself."
The episode takes place entirely on the island with flashbacks from Sawyer and co.'s time in 1977 with the DHARMA Intiative, back to 1974 shortly after the time flashes stopped. The cutting between events from 1974 and 1977 was handled flawlessly and did a good job of explaining exactly how we got to where we are now/then. Little touches like the improvement of Jin's English did good job of establishing that three years had passed.
It's been a while since we've had an opportunity to see Sawyer's con artist skills put to the test, but he definitely delivered this week. Under the alias of "Jim LaFleur," Sawyer was able to convince Horace with his lie of how his group ended up on the island. Hearing him place little specifics like the Black Rock to sell the lie was a neat touch and shows that Sawyer is a master of his game. Could "LaFleur," the French word for "flower," be a reference to the Orchid station, or possibly Rousseau's French expedition team?
James Ford aka Sawyer aka Jim LaFleur
Besides the appearance of the full four-toed statue, my favorite parts of "LaFleur" were the frequent juxtapositions and ironies in the episode. Here are a few examples:
1. In 1974, when Sawyer wakes up from the sonic fence incident, Horace asks him "How's your head?" and Sawyer replies, "It hurts." In 1977, when Horace wakes up from his drinking binge, Sawyer asks him "How's your head?" and Horace replies, "It hurts."
2. Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, and Daniel have been living a lie for three years, just as the Oceanic 6 have off of the island.
3. Sawyer, the career criminal, is now head of security. In "The Long Con," Sawyer referred to himself as the "New Sheriff in Town". As Chief of Security LaFleur Sawyer is "the new Sheriff in town." He even has a sheriff star in the logo on his DHARMA suit.
4. Juliet delivered the son of Horace, the person that brought Ben Linus to the Island whom was the person that brought Juliet to the Island to deliver babies.
And speaking of Horace's son, he's the one person we now know has been born *and* conceived on the island. We're specifically told that all other DHARMA kids were born off-island. So with the birth of this child, as Sawyer smartly points out, whatever happens to prevent childbirth on the island hasn't happened yet. I think that something is most likely the mysterious "Incident." So then who is the son of Horace? We probably won't find that out for a while (but I believe it is Ethan). But consider this: was he supposed to be born at all? If Juliet hadn't been there, would he have died otherwise? Was having Juliet travel back to DHARMA time necessary for the birth of this kid? And if so, did Ben Linus knowingly recruit her to the island in the 1990's for this sole purpose... the whole 'solving the fertility problem' thing being something he knew she couldn't fix anyway? If so, I think we just saw something really important.
In the final scene of the episode, Sawyer receives a phone call from Jin and heads out in his DHARMA jeep. Jin pulls up in his DHARMA van and Hurley, Jack, and Kate hop out. Sawyer's reaction to seeing his friend for the first time in three years was perfect and was a great way to end this great episode. The next episode, "Namaste" does not air until March 18.
For more information on "LaFleur," including a complete synopsis and transcript, visit LostPedia.com's entry for the episode.
The episode takes place entirely on the island with flashbacks from Sawyer and co.'s time in 1977 with the DHARMA Intiative, back to 1974 shortly after the time flashes stopped. The cutting between events from 1974 and 1977 was handled flawlessly and did a good job of explaining exactly how we got to where we are now/then. Little touches like the improvement of Jin's English did good job of establishing that three years had passed.
It's been a while since we've had an opportunity to see Sawyer's con artist skills put to the test, but he definitely delivered this week. Under the alias of "Jim LaFleur," Sawyer was able to convince Horace with his lie of how his group ended up on the island. Hearing him place little specifics like the Black Rock to sell the lie was a neat touch and shows that Sawyer is a master of his game. Could "LaFleur," the French word for "flower," be a reference to the Orchid station, or possibly Rousseau's French expedition team?
James Ford aka Sawyer aka Jim LaFleur
Besides the appearance of the full four-toed statue, my favorite parts of "LaFleur" were the frequent juxtapositions and ironies in the episode. Here are a few examples:
1. In 1974, when Sawyer wakes up from the sonic fence incident, Horace asks him "How's your head?" and Sawyer replies, "It hurts." In 1977, when Horace wakes up from his drinking binge, Sawyer asks him "How's your head?" and Horace replies, "It hurts."
2. Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, and Daniel have been living a lie for three years, just as the Oceanic 6 have off of the island.
3. Sawyer, the career criminal, is now head of security. In "The Long Con," Sawyer referred to himself as the "New Sheriff in Town". As Chief of Security LaFleur Sawyer is "the new Sheriff in town." He even has a sheriff star in the logo on his DHARMA suit.
4. Juliet delivered the son of Horace, the person that brought Ben Linus to the Island whom was the person that brought Juliet to the Island to deliver babies.
And speaking of Horace's son, he's the one person we now know has been born *and* conceived on the island. We're specifically told that all other DHARMA kids were born off-island. So with the birth of this child, as Sawyer smartly points out, whatever happens to prevent childbirth on the island hasn't happened yet. I think that something is most likely the mysterious "Incident." So then who is the son of Horace? We probably won't find that out for a while (but I believe it is Ethan). But consider this: was he supposed to be born at all? If Juliet hadn't been there, would he have died otherwise? Was having Juliet travel back to DHARMA time necessary for the birth of this kid? And if so, did Ben Linus knowingly recruit her to the island in the 1990's for this sole purpose... the whole 'solving the fertility problem' thing being something he knew she couldn't fix anyway? If so, I think we just saw something really important.
In the final scene of the episode, Sawyer receives a phone call from Jin and heads out in his DHARMA jeep. Jin pulls up in his DHARMA van and Hurley, Jack, and Kate hop out. Sawyer's reaction to seeing his friend for the first time in three years was perfect and was a great way to end this great episode. The next episode, "Namaste" does not air until March 18.
For more information on "LaFleur," including a complete synopsis and transcript, visit LostPedia.com's entry for the episode.
"LaFleur" Thoughts and Theories, Part One
Like a broken record, I feel like I repeat this each week, but Wednesday's episode was my favorite so far this season!
Early on in this episode, we got a scene that gave us a glimpse at something that has the entire LOST fan community buzzing: the full four-toed statue!
The four-toed statue seen in the season two finale in 2004 (above) and the full statue seen at some undefined time in the past (below).
Popular fan opinion on the internet believes the statue to be that of the Egyptian god Anubis. Over the course of time, Anubis "became considered more the gatekeeper and ruler of the underworld, the "Guardian of the veil" (of "death"). Consequently, he was said to protect souls as they journeyed there, and thus be the patron of lost souls."
Thanks to Eric and Jeremy Headington at GetLostPodcast.com for this picture comparing pictures of Anubis to what we saw on the show.
The statue is holding an ankh (the symbol for eternal life), which was also the symbol of Paul's necklace revealed later in the episode. The symbol made me think of the seemingly ageless Richard Alpert, who I will discuss more in a minute.
There are a couple of other plausible statue theories out their now as well:
Horace (Goodspeed), featured prominently in this episode is similar to Horus, the name of the Egyptian sky god. The "Eye of Horus" became an important Egyptian symbol of power. Many episodes of LOST begin with a close-up shot of a character's eye.
Another theory (one with which I strongly agree) is that the statue is of Taweret:
Taweret: See the crown-thing? And the ears pointing back? And the stance, one leg in front of the other? And the FOUR TOES?
Taweret is the Egyptian goddess of fertility. She's also the protector of pregnancy and childbirth. This theory makes the most sense, considering the island's history of pregnancy problems and the first successful on-island conception and birth seen in this episode.
Nevertheless, the statue is clearly Egyptian in nature. After all this, mixed with the Sphinx that Hurley was painting last week and all the hieroglyphics we've seen on the show and the big picture slowly starts to become clearer.
Hieroglyphics in the hatch. At Comic Con 2006, producer Damon Lindelof translated the countdown timer sequence to mean "underworld," hinting at the Anubis connection.
Now back to Richard Alpert. A fan-based joke revolving around Richard Alpert and "guyliner" is referenced in this episode by Sawyer when he calls him the "buddy out there with the eyeliner." This line is a reference to the naturally dark eyelashes of actor Nestor Carbonell.
But like every thing on LOST, I have decided to over-analysis this line! Ancient Egyptians were known for darkening their eyelashes with eyeliner made from kohl. Could this seemingly throw-away line actually be a clue that the ageless Richard Alpert is actually an ancient Egyptian god?? Could Richard Alpert (initials R.A.) be the Egyptian sun god RA?? Sounds crazy, I know, but with this show, anything's possible!
"Guyliner": Just of fun joke or a clever clue!?!?!
So far, I've only covered the first couple of minutes of the episode. Stay tuned for my next post for more of my thoughts and theories on "LaFleur."
Early on in this episode, we got a scene that gave us a glimpse at something that has the entire LOST fan community buzzing: the full four-toed statue!
The four-toed statue seen in the season two finale in 2004 (above) and the full statue seen at some undefined time in the past (below).
Popular fan opinion on the internet believes the statue to be that of the Egyptian god Anubis. Over the course of time, Anubis "became considered more the gatekeeper and ruler of the underworld, the "Guardian of the veil" (of "death"). Consequently, he was said to protect souls as they journeyed there, and thus be the patron of lost souls."
Thanks to Eric and Jeremy Headington at GetLostPodcast.com for this picture comparing pictures of Anubis to what we saw on the show.
The statue is holding an ankh (the symbol for eternal life), which was also the symbol of Paul's necklace revealed later in the episode. The symbol made me think of the seemingly ageless Richard Alpert, who I will discuss more in a minute.
There are a couple of other plausible statue theories out their now as well:
Horace (Goodspeed), featured prominently in this episode is similar to Horus, the name of the Egyptian sky god. The "Eye of Horus" became an important Egyptian symbol of power. Many episodes of LOST begin with a close-up shot of a character's eye.
Another theory (one with which I strongly agree) is that the statue is of Taweret:
Taweret: See the crown-thing? And the ears pointing back? And the stance, one leg in front of the other? And the FOUR TOES?
Taweret is the Egyptian goddess of fertility. She's also the protector of pregnancy and childbirth. This theory makes the most sense, considering the island's history of pregnancy problems and the first successful on-island conception and birth seen in this episode.
Nevertheless, the statue is clearly Egyptian in nature. After all this, mixed with the Sphinx that Hurley was painting last week and all the hieroglyphics we've seen on the show and the big picture slowly starts to become clearer.
Hieroglyphics in the hatch. At Comic Con 2006, producer Damon Lindelof translated the countdown timer sequence to mean "underworld," hinting at the Anubis connection.
Now back to Richard Alpert. A fan-based joke revolving around Richard Alpert and "guyliner" is referenced in this episode by Sawyer when he calls him the "buddy out there with the eyeliner." This line is a reference to the naturally dark eyelashes of actor Nestor Carbonell.
But like every thing on LOST, I have decided to over-analysis this line! Ancient Egyptians were known for darkening their eyelashes with eyeliner made from kohl. Could this seemingly throw-away line actually be a clue that the ageless Richard Alpert is actually an ancient Egyptian god?? Could Richard Alpert (initials R.A.) be the Egyptian sun god RA?? Sounds crazy, I know, but with this show, anything's possible!
"Guyliner": Just of fun joke or a clever clue!?!?!
So far, I've only covered the first couple of minutes of the episode. Stay tuned for my next post for more of my thoughts and theories on "LaFleur."
Thursday, March 5, 2009
First Person Story
I don't like seeing myself on camera and I hate hearing my own voice, so I was not looking forward to this project at first, but I found myself having fun once I went back and started looking at old photographs of my family and I to use for this video!
I tried to get most of my photographs that I could to fit the 720 x 480, 4:3 standard. This took some guessing-and-testing with cropping, but I thought most of the pictures turned out fine.
There seems to be a glitch in the audio when I am talking about my cat Otis. I say "he sleeps funny," but the word "funny" seems to be glitched and difficult to hear. The project file audio sounds fine, so it seems that the glitch occurred when the video was exported. I exported the video twice but had the same problem. Other than that, I am happy with the audio levels overall in combination with the music.
The music used in this video is "Highway Five" from FreePlayMusic.com.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Amazon Kindle on iPhone and iPod Touch
When the Kindle from Amazon first came out, I really wanted one, even though I realized how unnecessary (and expensive!) it was. Then, when the Kindle 2 came out with an improved display, longer battery life, more storage, and many more improvements, I really, really wanted one. I had to remind myself that it wasn't worth spending $359.00 on this new toy.
But still, I liked the idea of being able to get (almost) any book at any time on a device that I can carry around with me. So imagine my excitement when I hopped onto Gizmodo.com this morning to see that Kindle was now an application available for the iPhone (and iPod Touch)! The best of all, it's FREE! Well, the download for the application is free, but the books still cost money (about $9.99 for a new release book).
But still, I liked the idea of being able to get (almost) any book at any time on a device that I can carry around with me. So imagine my excitement when I hopped onto Gizmodo.com this morning to see that Kindle was now an application available for the iPhone (and iPod Touch)! The best of all, it's FREE! Well, the download for the application is free, but the books still cost money (about $9.99 for a new release book).
"The free program brings several of the Kindle's functions to the iPod and iPhone's much smaller, non-E-Ink screen, including the same electronic books, magazines and newspapers that Kindle owners can buy, and the ability to change text size, add bookmarks, note and highlight stuff." - from this Gizmodo article.
I have an iPod touch, so this application might come in handy!
"LaFleur" Sneak Peeks
ABC has released two sneak peeks and a press release for Wednesday's episode "LaFleur."
Sneak Peek #1
Sneak Peek #2
Sneak peek #1 is great. It is fun to see Sawyer and Juliet working together as a team. I wonder who the woman in the hood is. Could it be someone that we already know?
The second sneak peek, however, is painful to watch. Jeremy Davies is usually a great actor (in movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Resuce Dawn), but I don't think that this is some of his best work. Still, the scene is important because it establishes that whenever they are now is when they are stuck (which is clearly back in the height of the Dharma Initiative of the late 1970s, early 1980s).
Here is the synopsis for "LaFleur," according to the ABC press release for the episode: "Sawyer perpetuates a lie with some of the other island survivors in order to protect themselves from mistakes of the past."
"Mistakes of the past"? With LOST, "the past" is all relative, so who know what this means! Will we see Jin reunite Kate, Jack, and Hurley ("the other island survivors"?) with Sawyer in this episode? I hope so, because it has been too long since most of the charcters have been together in the same place... and time.
Also according to the ABC press release, guest starring for this episode are "Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed, Reiko Aylesworth as Amy, Christopher Jaymes as doctor, Kevin Rankin as Jerry, Patrick Fischler as Phil, Molly McGivern as Rosie, Carla Buscaglia as Heather and John Skinner as Other #1."
Could the woman in the hood in sneak peek #1 be Amy, Rosie, or Heather? Possibly, but only time with tell! Tune into "LaFleur" Wednesday night at 8 pm.
Sneak Peek #1
Sneak Peek #2
Sneak peek #1 is great. It is fun to see Sawyer and Juliet working together as a team. I wonder who the woman in the hood is. Could it be someone that we already know?
The second sneak peek, however, is painful to watch. Jeremy Davies is usually a great actor (in movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Resuce Dawn), but I don't think that this is some of his best work. Still, the scene is important because it establishes that whenever they are now is when they are stuck (which is clearly back in the height of the Dharma Initiative of the late 1970s, early 1980s).
Here is the synopsis for "LaFleur," according to the ABC press release for the episode: "Sawyer perpetuates a lie with some of the other island survivors in order to protect themselves from mistakes of the past."
"Mistakes of the past"? With LOST, "the past" is all relative, so who know what this means! Will we see Jin reunite Kate, Jack, and Hurley ("the other island survivors"?) with Sawyer in this episode? I hope so, because it has been too long since most of the charcters have been together in the same place... and time.
Also according to the ABC press release, guest starring for this episode are "Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed, Reiko Aylesworth as Amy, Christopher Jaymes as doctor, Kevin Rankin as Jerry, Patrick Fischler as Phil, Molly McGivern as Rosie, Carla Buscaglia as Heather and John Skinner as Other #1."
Could the woman in the hood in sneak peek #1 be Amy, Rosie, or Heather? Possibly, but only time with tell! Tune into "LaFleur" Wednesday night at 8 pm.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Watchmen Novel Review, Movie Preview, and LOST connections
I just finished reading Watchmen. It's the first comic book/graphic novel that I have ever read, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it! A friend recommended it to me a couple months ago, but I gave it little thought until recently. With movie coming out soon (March 6th), I decide to order the novel from Amazon.com and check it out for myself.
New to comic books, I struggled to get through the first few pages, but I soon found myself sucked into the storyline and taken on an exciting ride. The first night I read until I was shocked to see that it was 4 in the morning! I finished the novel the next night, up until 3 am. I just could not put the book down. I had never read anything like this before.
Watchmen tells the story of an alternate 1985, in which Richard Nixon is still president. The world is at the brink of a nuclear war at the height of the Cold War. Five superheroes, all but one ordinary human beings, and all of them harboring complex emotional ties and relationships with each other and the world around them, are brought back together after the death of a sixth reveals a disturbing conspiracy which has implications for the whole world.
It is difficult to see how a story as complex as Watchmen could be translated effectively to the big screen, but I trust that director Zack Synder (also the director of 300) has done his very best not to disappoint the fans. The movie opens this Friday.
For more information on the novel:
Watchmen novel on Wikipedia
For more information on the film:
Official Watchmen film site
Watchmen film on IMDB.com
Watchmen film on Wikipedia
LOST connections:
The back cover of the novel features quotes of praise from critics. It was cool to see that LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof called Watchmen "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced." I searched for Watchmen on Lostpedia.com and found an interesting list of connections that the two stories share. The complete list can be found here.
New to comic books, I struggled to get through the first few pages, but I soon found myself sucked into the storyline and taken on an exciting ride. The first night I read until I was shocked to see that it was 4 in the morning! I finished the novel the next night, up until 3 am. I just could not put the book down. I had never read anything like this before.
Watchmen tells the story of an alternate 1985, in which Richard Nixon is still president. The world is at the brink of a nuclear war at the height of the Cold War. Five superheroes, all but one ordinary human beings, and all of them harboring complex emotional ties and relationships with each other and the world around them, are brought back together after the death of a sixth reveals a disturbing conspiracy which has implications for the whole world.
It is difficult to see how a story as complex as Watchmen could be translated effectively to the big screen, but I trust that director Zack Synder (also the director of 300) has done his very best not to disappoint the fans. The movie opens this Friday.
For more information on the novel:
Watchmen novel on Wikipedia
For more information on the film:
Official Watchmen film site
Watchmen film on IMDB.com
Watchmen film on Wikipedia
LOST connections:
The back cover of the novel features quotes of praise from critics. It was cool to see that LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof called Watchmen "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced." I searched for Watchmen on Lostpedia.com and found an interesting list of connections that the two stories share. The complete list can be found here.
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