It's Official . . . And I Can't Wait!

Mark your calendars. Thursday, January 31, at 9:00 p.m. EST. Yes, that's right. The new season is on a new day at an earlier time. If you're like me and can't wait 6 weeks, 2 days, and 2 hours, then check out this new promo for Season 4. I got goosebumps!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ou7cWOTXJs

Latest News on Season 4

Read all about it here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071215/ap_en_tv/tv_lost

Also, TV Guide reports that Michael's return will occur in the eight (and final?) episode of the possibly shortened season. He will be facing a gun-toting character we thought was dead and still may be. And the encounter does not take place on the island but far from it. Hmmm.

Season 4 Trailer

Currently playing in movie theaters along with the coming attractions is this first peek at what's in store for the new season: http://spoilerslost.blogspot.com/2007/12/lost-trailer-high-quality.html
Enjoy!

Get Your Weekly Fix . . . It May Be a While

This week's web episode, "Operation Sleeper", is here: http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index

Also, the Season 3 DVD box set is out. (As a side note, I ordered mine on-line through www.fye.com where it was $15 cheaper than in their stores, where they wouldn't match their own website's price!)

I tell you this because the latest buzz on the web is that "Lost" may not be on Wednesday's at 10 p.m. EST as it was last year (no definite schedule announced as of this entry), but that, due to the writers strike, it may not air until April! From 8 weeks to 4 months? The Numbers are cursed!

I'll keep you posted as I know more.

"The Deal" and the DVD

Check out the always enigmatic Juliet in the weekly web episode, "The Deal". http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index

Next Tuesday, December 11, is when the Season 3 boxed set is released.

Nine more weeks until Season 4 premieres!

"King of the Castle"

Have you seen this week's web episode? A lot of foreshadowing, knowing what we now know.
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index
And just a couple more months until we can all watch a full length episode.

Weekly "Missing Pieces" Episode On-Line

This week's web episode, "Hurley and Frogurt", is now on-line at http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index
Happy Thanksgiving!

Need Something to Hold You Over?

Just can't wait until February for a new episode of "Lost"? Then try this: Lost: Missing Pieces. These are 13 two- to three-minute stories of compelling, new, never-before-seen moments from the hit television show LOST. These newly-created scenes (not deleted scenes from previous episodes) reveal answers and new details about your favorite characters. For each story, it's left up to the fans to figure out where these pieces fit into the overall mythology. The new stories are from the same creative team responsible for the series and feature the show's main actors in stories that have all the compelling values that make LOST one of the most popular dramas on television around the world. These "Lost Lite" shows will debut each Monday for the next three months leading up to the season premiere.

Here's the first, featuring Jack and his dad, titled "The Watch": http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index

Good News / Bad News

Well, it looks like the writers strike will impact "Lost" after all. Although the new season will premiere in February as originally planned, only eight episodes will air as opposed to the promised sixteen.
Read more about it in the Watch with Kristin section under Gossip at http://www.eonline.com

Will Writers Strike Impact "Lost"?

According to www.eonline.com: "Lost" may have the best advantage of all series, given that it has been stockpiling new scripts since June and not a single episode has aired. At this point, 14 of 16 episodes have been written. And if the strike does last long enough to seriously impact other series, "Lost" could very well be the only quality scripted drama on television in February.

Five New Faces for Season Four

Although their characters are still being kept hush-hush, the following five actors have been confirmed as joining the cast of "Lost".

Jeff Fahey ("Grindhouse", "The Lawnmower Man"), Jeremy Davies ("Saving Private Ryan"), Ken Leung ("The Sopranos", "X-Men: The Last Stand"), Rebecca Mader ("Justice", "The Devil Wears Prada"), and Lance Reddick ("The Wire", "Oz").

"Lost" News

Hello, fellow Lost and Founders! Those of you who are still checking out the blog during this long drought of no new "Lost" episodes, that is. Two months down, seven months to go. In the meantime, I thought I would update everyone on the latest news (some spoilers!) from the show's producers who appeared this week at Comic-Con, the huge comic book/sci-fi convention in California:

• The Season 3 DVD will be out on December 11. At this time, there are no plans for ABC to rerun any past episodes.
• Michael, last seen driving away on Ben's boat with son Walt in tow at the end of Season 2, will return next season. No word on Walt.
• Flashbacks will lessen in the new season; flashforwards will increase.
• The flashforward with Jack and Kate was not the end of the show.
• Jack and Claire will learn they are related.
• More of Libby's back story should be addressed in the new season.
• At the convention, the producers played a new Dharma Initiative orientation film, hosted by Marvin Candle under an alias. The footage begins with him getting his makeup done and smoothing down his Dharma lab coat. Bunnies! It's about bunnies! Bunny #15, to be specific. Marvin, who calls himself Dr. Edgar Halifax in this film, identifies it as station six, the Orchid. He says the viewer has probably realized by now that he or she is not working at a mere botanical research unit. He apologizes for making him or her lie to friends and family members about the nature of the work. He mentions something that sounds like "Casimir effect" and mentions the "unique properties of the Island." Then there's one of Jacob's subliminal messages. It may have been some variation on "as Jacob loves you." Then there's a bunny riot. One of the station's alarms blares, Dr. Halifax/Marvin panics. There's an intercut clip of someone riding a bicycle. The clip is inserted upside-down, and the rider appears to be in the village green of Otherville...And then, amid the chaos (perhaps this is the Incident?), the filmstrip slides off the reel. Here is the link to a convention goer's camera phone(?) version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZlkVW5XiqU

"Through the Looking Glass" (Season 3, Episode 22)

After starting the week with some underwhelming season finales (24 - ugh, Heroes - eh), I was thrilled with the Season 3 finale of "Lost". It was the most jam-packed two hours of action, excitement, emotion, and anticipation. A fitting end to an incredible year. And if the final scene is any indication of what next year has in store for us (flash-forwards instead of flashbacks for all the characters?), I can't wait. The show that re-invented the one-hour drama has re-invented itself.

Best Lines

• "I am a dentist. I am not Rambo." At Rose's request, Bernard keeping things in perspective.
• "It's Charlie. Tell him I said hi!" An upbeat captive Charlie shouting to Bonnie on the phone with Ben.
• "If you say 'Live together, die alone' to me, I'm gonna punch you in your face." Rose to Jack in anticipation of him repeating his oft-spoken mantra.

Did You Notice?

• So whose death in the future upset Jack so much? What do we know? It was never revealed whether it was a man or a woman. Jack considered himself neither a friend or family to the deceased. Kate was surprised Jack thought she would go to the funeral. My initial thought was that it was Ben and that Jack felt he was his last, best hope of getting him back to the island. Or perhaps it was Juliet? Or could it have been Locke? Only time will tell.
• Yet another car accident to add to the list.
• Jack's ex-wife Sarah was pregnant.
• Ben told Richard to take his people to "the temple".
• Dr. Hamill, the new chief of surgery, referred to Jack as "a hero twice over." Our first hint that this may be Jack after the island.
• I was quite surprised at Juliet kissing Jack.
• What was up with all of Ben's talk about everything he did, he "did for the island"? And that the island was "under assault by forces stronger than it's had to deal with in many, many years"?
• I loved Sawyer and Juliet's conversation of alien runways and who's screwing Jack.
• Ben's map had an area marked "Pascal Flats". Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher.
• What a surprise to see Walt (or at least an incarnation of him).
• So Jack loves Kate. And still does even after the rescue.
• Another subtle hint as to the scene's final twist can be found in the name of the funeral home that Jack visits. Hoffs/Drawlar is an anagram for "flash forward".
• According to Ben, Naomi is not who she claims and works for the bad guys. And Penny doesn't know who they are either. Yet, it would seem they do end up rescuing the survivors. Unless next season holds some surprises as to what eventually happens between the rescue and their return to the real world.
• It was great to see Hurley drive to the rescue. And in Ben's dad's VW bus no less!
• Penelope's appearances (when not in flashback) seem to be limited to brief moments in the season finales.
• Is there any significance to the fact that a musician programmed the code for the jamming equipment?
• I loved the moment when Rousseau finally met her daughter Alex. I also loved when she elbowed Ben in the face.
• Rousseau's message translates from French as "It is outside and Brennan took the keys. Please help us. I will try to go to the Black Rock. It killed them. It killed them all. They died. They are all dead. Help us."
• What did Locke mean when he told Jack "You're not supposed to do this"? Did he have some vision of the future where Jack reacted differently?
• So who is the "he" in future Kate's life? Could it be Sawyer?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108)

• Future Kate's phone number was 310-555-0148.
• The survivors expected 3 explosions but there were only 2.
• Jack was driving around at 2 in the morning.
• Only 3 people (Ben, Bonnie, and Greta) knew the jamming equipment code.
• The Others caught 3 of the survivors (Sayid, Jin, and Bernard).
• The mother from the car accident had surgery scheduled for 6 a.m.
• The accident victim's son was 8 years old.
• The accident was covered by Action 8 News on the hospital television.
• The accident occurred on the 6th Street Bridge.
• Ben wanted 5 minutes of Jack's time.
• Kate saw only 2 sets of tracks (Ben's and Alex's).
• The jamming equipment code was 545877554376113.
• After the attack on the beach, the Others were left with 3 guys and 4 guns.
• Dr. Hamill left 3 messages on Jack's voice mail.
• When Dr. Hamill was talking with Jack, the accident victim had woke up 2 hours ago in recovery.
• Rousseau had recorded the S.O.S. message 3 days before Alex was born.

Death Toll

• Seven Others (including Diane and Ivan) in the beach attack
• Greta, one of the lovely ladies of Looking Glass station
• Bonnie, the other lovely lady of Looking Glass station
• Sayid, Jin, and Bern- oh, wait, they're still alive!
• Ryan the Other thanks to Hurley's driving
• The unnamed Other whose neck Sayid broke with his legs of death.
• Tom aka Mr. Friendly who paid for his first season kidnapping of Walt
• Naomi stabbed in the back - literally - by Locke
• Charlie - famous then failed musician, recovering drug addict, a hero in the end

And now begins the long, numbers-free, colors-less, nine-month wait. See you back here in February 2008 (or maybe before as information on the new season becomes available). Until then, have a good summer, a nice autumn, a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a good Ground Hog's Day. Namaste!

"Greatest Hits" (Season 3, Episode 21)

Well, Season 3 is almost over. As unsteady as the first six episodes seemed, "Lost" has redeemed itself again and again through the remaining two-thirds of shows. In my opinion, this may have been the best season yet with one exceptional episode after another.

Best Line - "They know, Karl, but thanks." A sarcastic Juliet to Karl after he tries to expose her.

Did You Notice?

• Is there some significance to the fact that the slave ship where the dynamite was found is "The Black Rock" and the tents are being marked with white rocks? If you remember back to Season 1, when the survivors find the cave with the male and female skeletons in it, there is also a sack with black and white rocks. And Claire's nightmare from that year featured Locke with one black eye and one white eye. Hmm.
• We finally learn of the existence of the long-rumored underwater location: the Looking Glass station. The Dharma logo features a white rabbit as seen on Sayid's blueprints (where did he gets these?) and atop the station itself. Appropriate since the name is a reference to Lewis Carroll's stories "Alice in Wonderland" and "Alice through the Looking Glass".
• It was nice to see Rose and Bernard finally. I hope they both survive the coming attack. Was it me or did Rose have something else in mind when she said to Bernard "Let's get you into somethin' dark" before going into battle?
• Was Alex butchering Ben's pet bunny? And did this have something to do with the fact that she is questioning whether Ben is really her father?
• Ironic that Liam thought Charlie would be the one married with a family and he would be dead by thirty when in fact it may end up being the other way around.
• You might think the flashback of Charlie singing Oasis' "Wonderwall" ("You're gonna be the one to save me") was the same moment from a few shows ago when Desmond ran into him. However, Charlie had a different shirt on and there was no hand-written sign. Alternate time line?
• Did you recognize the mugging victim that Charlie saved? It was Nadia, Sayid's lost love, last seen getting a house inspection from Locke. Was it important that she be the one to tell Charlie he was a hero?
• Who are the two women at the Looking Glass station? More of the locals? Dharma Initiative initiates? And does Ben really believe the station is flooded or was this just another one of his lies?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108)

• Charlie claims he can hold his breath for 4 minutes.
• Ben returns to his camp 6 hours earlier from the episode's current time.
• Juliet marks 3 tents.
• Liam asks Charlie if the girls in his bed are the "birds from row 2".
• Charlie was 8 years old the last time he was in a fight.
• Nadia said 3 people walked by the alley and did nothing as she was being mugged.
• There were 3 shooters needed in anticipation of the ambush.
• Charlie listed his 5 best moments.

Red & Blue & Green

• Shirts worn by Hurley and Charlie (in his Covent Garden flashback).
• Shirts worn by Jack, Desmond, Claire, Sun, and Richard Albert.
• Van used by Drive Shaft.
• Shirts worn by Sawyer, Bernard, and Ben.
• Swim trunks worn by young Charlie.
• Bottle of liquor that Charlie picks up in his hotel room.

Previews - This is it. "Through the Looking Glass" is the two-hour finale and it looks explosive - literally. But the trap against the Others must not go smoothly as one scene showed Bernard, Sayid, and Jin bound and at gunpoint. Also, Charlie's new friends in the underwater station have him tied up and Desmond trying to rescue him. There's also the declaration that this is the finale where "Everything Will Change!" Then when it does, we'll have nine months to contemplate it.

"The Man Behind the Curtain" (Season 3, Episode 20)

Oh. My. God. After 65 episodes, this show can still knock my socks off. Forget The Numbers (3 teams to extract Sun, 4 o'clock on Ben's watch) and The Colors (red convertible, blue bow on Ben's birthday present), this blog entry is all about Jacob. If you blinked, you missed his moment of visibility. If you did see him, then you saw what appeared to be a shaggy-haired, bearded . . . Locke! Don't believe me? Go back to your DVR and freeze frame the instant after Ben is thrown against the cabin wall. I think we are definitely dealing with parallel universe/space-time continuum/Back to the Future territory here. If Jacob is Locke, perhaps this is why John could not see him(self). Is this why the Others are so in awe of Locke? Is this why Ben told him that "Jacob feels the same way about technology as you do"? Locke was the first to look the smoke monster in the "face" and survive. He's always been in tune with the island's rhythms from when it's going to rain to sensing its significance. I predict the final scene of the finale will be a close-up of Jacob and we will clearly see it is a version of Locke. That would have me tuning back in nine months when Season 4 starts in February 2008.

Best Line - "So when do we leave?" Locke to Ben after pummeling Mikhail.

Did You Notice?

• This was a great opening. A heavily wooded area. A woman in jeopardy as she gives birth. Someone running while ominous music plays. How could this be anywhere but the island? Not even close.
• Ben was born outside of Portland, the same city where Juliet thought she was being taken when recruited by Dr. Richard Albert.
• Ben serves the same whiskey as Penny's father and Locke's dad.
• The casting of young Ben was spot on.
• "Namaste" is a conventional Hindu greeting and how Dr. Marvin Candle (who makes yet another appearance again using only his right hand) ended the orientation film that Locke and Jack watched in the hatch.
• What kind of a name is Horace Goodspeed?
• Annie offered Ben an Apollo candy bar.
• Well now we know the origin of Roger "Work Man" and the cause of his death.
• Ben's dad makes Alec Baldwin look like Father of the Year.
• Did Alex think Locke would need the gun against Jacob or her "father"?
• Ben's infatuation with bunnies goes back to his childhood. At least this time, he wasn't shaking the heck out of it as he did in front of Sawyer.
• Just who are these natives/hostiles/original inhabitants of the island?
• The appearance of Ben's dead mother is not unlike Jack's dad showing up after he died.
• Young Ben and Annie were on the same swing set that Sayid was handcuffed to when he was captured.
• The whispering voices were heard when young Ben saw the vision of his mother, then again when he was in the jungle after turning off the sonic fence.
• What was the material that encircled Jacob's cabin that Locke examined? Was it ash from the island's volcano? Residue from the smoke monster? Something to keep Jacob from leaving the cabin?
• Was that the same Richard Albert who found young Ben in the jungle as is currently on the island? If so, he hasn't aged much. Is this why Ben asked him "You do remember birthdays"? Are the island natives not human? Possibly a race whose life span is much longer than ours? Was this why Richard told young Ben to be patient? Could they possibly only have four toes on each foot like the statue from the Season 2 finale?
• Ben appeared to hear and speak with Jacob, but why was the whisper "Help me" not heard by him but by Locke?
• I wonder what happened to Ben's childhood friend Annie? Was she one of the bodies?
• Will Locke's gunshot wound heal like the bite from his dad? Or is one of the five predicted casualties due by the season finale?

Previews - "Greatest Hits" is the penultimate episode of the season. Will Charlie die? Too predictable. I'm guessing either Sawyer, who has come to terms with his real Sawyer issue, or Desmond, who will no longer be able to warn Charlie of when he will die. Then, in two weeks, it's the rumble in the jungle with the two-hour finale, "Through the Looking Glass". It airs an hour earlier at 9:00 p.m. EST. It will be preceded at 8:00 p.m. by "Lost: The Answers", a recap show.

The End is Near?

It's official. As reported in USA Today and other entertainment news outlets, ABC announced today that "Lost" will end in 2010. The show will air three more seasons, shortened to 16 episodes each, running rerun-free between February and May of each year.

"The Brig" (Season 3, Episode 19)

Locke's dad is the real Sawyer. One more mystery solved. That with Jack and Claire being half-siblings makes a total of, what, two answers we've been given? As good as these episodes have been, they can keep me guessing.

Best Line - "Okay, Tarzan, so now that you're back from your 'blow up everything that could get us off the island' tour, how 'bout you tell me why you joined up with the damn enemy." Sawyer when Locke appears out of the jungle.

Did You Notice?

• Cindy the Oceanic flight attendant was talking to Locke at the Others camp.
• The parachutist's name is Naomi Dorrit.
• How accurate could cameras on little robots be when it came to identifying the passengers of a plane crash in a miles deep trench?
• Locke's dad referred to Ben as "Bug-Eye", the same nickname Sawyer used about him in an earlier episode this season.
• So is the sacrificial pillar that Locke's dad was tied to from the same civilization that built the four-toed statue in last season's finale? Ben did tell Locke that they were going to "an old place".
• Why does Rousseau need dynamite? What is the crazy French scientist up to now?
• Locke's bite wound from his dad healed very quickly. The island at work.
• Locke's dad was rear-ended in his car. Yet another car accident-related incident. Also, it took place in Tallahassee, where Sawyer was in prison.
• I have a feeling that the paramedic that smiled at Locke's dad may have been Ethan (a pro at creepy smiles) and that maybe we'll see this in an upcoming episode.
• Locke's dad thinks they're in Hell. Much like Hurley's episode where he questioned his sanity because of his imaginary friend Dave, I think this is the producers way of letting the viewers know this is not the case.
• Sawyer strangling Locke's dad with the chain was very similar to what Princess Leia did to Jabba the Hutt in "Return of the Jedi". Both events took place on a boat: a slave ship and Jabba's sail barge.
• What do Jack and Juliet know that he doesn't want to tell Kate yet? Are they planning a way to get everyone off the island but don't want to reveal it too soon?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108)

• Locke's flashbacks were subtitled 8 days ago, 3 days ago, and 2 days ago.
• Kate said her tent was 5 tents away from Sawyer's.
• Desmond reminded Charlie that Juliet had his friends in cages 2 weeks ago.
• Oceanic Flight 815 was found in a 4 miles deep trench.
• Naomi said it was 3 days ago when they saw land.
• Sawyer gave Locke 3 seconds to open the door to the brig.
• Locke warned Sawyer that the Others were planning a raid on the beach in 3 days.

Red, Blue, and Green

• Folder which contained the dossier on James Ford/Sawyer.
• Shirt worn by Jack. He wore red last week.
• Washcloth used by Desmond on Naomi.
• Shirt worn by Dr. Richard Albert.
• Fruits Charlie put together for Naomi.

Crazy Theory of the Moment - The Others have travelled from the future to repopulate a decimated Earth. This is why they need women who can have babies. Naomi is also from the future based on her hi-tech phone that Sayid hadn't seen before. There is also the question of the type of vehicle she was in. Not a helicopter, but a flying car? Naomi was hired not by Penelope Widmore but the grown daughter of Penelope and Desmond. This is who we saw in the Season 2 finale. The picture next to her bed was of her parents. And since Desmond and Penny never married, she is called Ms. Widmore and it was her dying mother's wish for her daughter to find Desmond, her father. Due to a tear in the space-time continuum, one version of Flight 815 crashed, killing everyone, and another version ended up on the island.

Previews - Next week's "The Man Behind the Curtain" (nice Wizard of Oz reference) gives us insight into Ben's life from his birth to current day. Ben is also expected to reveal Jacob to Locke. (Wild thought: Could Jacob be a computer?) We saw glimpses of a "Namaste! Dharma Initiative" sign, a ghostly woman, a reference to Roger the Workman (the VW minivan skeleton whose true identity may surprise you), a trio of VW minivans, and a long haired Richard Albert (eye liner guy). Then, in two weeks, "Greatest Hits" promises a resolution to the will-Charlie-die storyline and a return of two long-absent favorites: Rose and Bernard. And, finally, in three weeks, the two-hour finale featuring a Jack flashback and a showdown between the survivors and the Others. This is it, folks!

"D.O.C." (Season 3, Episode 18)

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not fond of the Sun and Jin flashback episodes and this latest is no exception. However, the final moments made it all worthwhile. There were no survivors of Flight 815? They were all dead? What the - ?! Since Season 1, the creators have firmly stated that the characters are not dead and the island is not Purgatory. If that is true, then we should consider the following possibilities:

1. Someone (Dharma?) recreated a second crash with other bodies for the authorities to find.
2. This is an parallel universe or alternate time line where another version of everyone survived.
3. The parachutist is lying. (More on that below.)
   

Best Line - "Oops." Hurley after accidentally shooting off the flare gun.

Did You Notice?

• Did anyone else think Jack was about to do something threatening to Sun in the opening garden scene?
• So Mikhail (aka Eye-Patch Adams) is still alive and didn't die in the sonic fence. In addition to curing infertility and cancer, can the island bring back the dead? Mikhail did tell Charlie that the island has a different set of rules. Or was he faking the shock he supposedly received when Locke pushed him into it? Here's a crazy theory: Is it a coincidence that it was Locke who pushed him? Were they in it together? Could Locke be the "man behind the curtain"? Is he a bigger con artist than his father? Is it possible he never needed the wheelchair? Why did Locke go off with the Others? Is John really Jacob?
• The parachutist speaks Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and English. However, when she spoke in Portuguese, Mikhail translated it as "thank you". On-line experts are saying what she actually said was "I am not alone." Did Mikhail think Hurley's accidental flare was sent by her to rendezvous with him? He was rushing through the jungle to where she was.
• For an Other, Juliet has a nice bedside manner.
• Why did Juliet specifically mention Kate (Austen) in her message to Ben when she spoke of getting samples from all the women?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108)

• Jin's mother told Sun to return in 3 days at 5 p.m.
• Charlie said it was an 8-hour walk back to camp.
• Jin had previously told Sun his father died when Jin was 16 years old.
• Desmond gave Mikhail 5 seconds to start talking.
• Juliet had nine patients die in the last 3 years.
• On the island, the sperm count is 5 times the average.
• Sun conceived 8 weeks ago.
• Sun believes she has 2 months to live.
• Juliet told Ben it was 6 a.m. in her tape recorded message.
• Charlie thought Mikhail might return with 5 of his mates.

Seeing Red. Feeling Blue. It's Not Easy Being Green? So in addition to the red and blue items appearing here and there, I noticed an equal amount of green in this episode. Appropriate for an episode about birth, since the color green is associated with life.

• Shirt worn by Jack.
• Shirt worn by Jin.
• Shirt worn by Desmond in the photo.
• Pattern in jacket worn by Sun.
• Toy train in the hatch's hidden room.
• Shirt worn by Desmond.
• Tarp on Kate's shelter.
• Wash basin on the beach.
• Shirt worn by Juliet.
• Blanket around baby Aaron.
• Shirt and pants worn by Claire.
• Ball on boat of Jin's father.
• Hoodie worn by Sun.
• Toy crate in hatch's hidden room.
• Jacket worn by Jin's mother.
• Top worn by Sun on island.
• Dress worn by Sun in first flashback.
• Dress worn by Sun when she visits Jin's father.
• Bottle on table of Jin's father.
• Palm fronds that make up Sun's shelter.
• Lockers in the medical hatch.
• Jungle itself which was unusually lush in this episode.

Previews - With just three more episodes before the two-hour finale, "The Brig" may finally answer a burning question from Season 1. Who is the real Sawyer, the con artist that ruined James Ford's life? Will it turn out to be Locke's dad as on-line rumors have speculated? I think we'll find out next week.

"Catch-22" (Season 3, Episode 17)

Another intriguing episode featuring Desmond. I have a feeling this show was laying the groundwork leading up to the season finale. How many times can Desmond save Charlie? What will become of the love quadrangle that is Jack-Kate-Sawyer-Juliet? And who is the mysterious lady parachutist who knows of Desmond?

Best Line - "You need me to make you a mix tape?" Sawyer to Kate when she won't return his advances. He later provides her with "The Best of Phil Collins", which belongs to the long absent Bernard.

Did You Notice?

• Well, now we know where Desmond picked up calling everyone "brother".
• The foursome was whistling the "Colonel Bogey March" from the movie "Bridge Over the River Kwai".
• I don't think we've seen the last of that cable that both Sayid and Hurley separately found coming out of/into the water in earlier episodes and then again in this show.
• Jin telling the classic campfire ghost story of the man who loses his hand in Korean was priceless.
• What caused the helicopter (if that's what it was) to crash?
• Where have we seen that hula girl before? As soon as I saw it, I recalled seeing it on a dashboard somewhere. It wasn't in the VW that Hurley found in the jungle. Was it in his Hummer in one of this flashbacks? I haven't be able to confirm it yet.
• The book, "Ardil-22", found among the parachutist's belongings, is the Portuguese version of the novel "Catch-22". Written by Joseph Heller, this satirical novel follows the airmen of a World War II army air force squadron. The phrase "catch-22" refers to a paradox in which the attempt to escape makes escape impossible. Appropriate. Also, is it a coincidence that the men Penelope had looking for Desmond in the Season 2 finale were speaking Portuguese to each other?
• In Desmond's previous flashback, we saw when the photographer took the photo of him and Penelope with the cityscape background. Desmond has the picture with him on the island. But in the Season 2 finale, Penelope had it on her bedside table. Now, it shows up in the parachutist's book. Are there really this many copies?
• When Desmond returns his robe, the framed picture on the monk's desk was of the elder monk and the white-haired lady in the clock shop from Desmond's other flashback this season. Had the monk told her about Desmond and is that why she knew so much about him when he came into her shop?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108)

• Desmond wondered if perhaps Penelope has been looking for him for the last 3 years.
• Charlie said they should wait to attempt a rescue since it was only 2 hours until it would be light.
• There were 4 people on the "camping" trip: Desmond, Hurley, Charlie, and Jin.
• Desmond's former fiance, Ruth, had an address on her house of 34.
• Ruth and Desmond had dated for 6 years.
• Sawyer joked to Jack that they needed to play ping pong every 108 minutes otherwise the island would explode.
• Jack suggested he and Sawyer play the best 2 out of 3.
• Desmond had saved Charlie's life 3 times. After this episode, it's now 4.
• The monastery had bottled 108 cases of wine.

Red Alright. And Blue? In addition to the red theme continuing this week, I also noticed some obvious blue objects as well. Is there a significance to which objects are certain colors or who's wearing which colors? Or have I just finally lost it (no pun intended)? And with only 4 more episodes to go. 4? That's one of The Numbers! Do I like Connect Four? Why do you ask?

• Shirt worn by Jin.
• Blood from Charlie's mouth after being hit by the arrow.
• Lights in the clouds.
• Page edges of Desmond's Bible.
• T-shirt worn by Jack.
• Bandanna in Hurley's hair.
• Guitar belonging to Charlie.
• Blood coming out of Desmond's nose.
• Beacons on the parachutist (which were the aforementioned lights in the clouds).
• Shirt worn by Desmond.
• Tents on the beach.
• Seat cushions Hurley was carrying.
• Blouse worn by Juliet.
• T-shirt worn by Sawyer.
• Lining of the water tank Kate was washing up in.

Previews - "D.O.C." is the title of next week's episode and if you know anything about babies, then you may know what this stands for. An appropriate title since this show deals with Sun's unborn child and the baby's paternity. Is it Jin's even though he's impotent? Or is is Sun's tutor/lover who took a nose dive out of a hotel window? Looks like Juliet's fertility expertise comes into play again.

"One of Us" (Season 3, Episode 16)

Juliet. What an amazing character. One minute, you're feeling sympathy for her, the next you hate her. Last night's episode took us on an emotional roller coaster with the island fertility expert. Can she be so gullible to drink a glass full of tranquilizer and go off with two strange men (and can you get any stranger than Ethan)? It was so heart-wrenching to see what she went through regarding her sister, Rachel. So helpless and far away. Is she really going to make Claire better? She did! Then we learn of her and Ben's ulterior motives. What happens in one week when she and Ben are reunited? Or did Juliet just go along with the plan to save herself and could you blame her if she did?

Best Line - "Well, if it ain't three men and a baby. I counted Hugo twice." Sawyer commenting on Hurley and Charlie with baby Aaron.

Did You Notice?

• "Downtown" by Petula Clark was playing in the car as Juliet and Rachel drove up to the airport. As we saw later in this episode (which was actually from this season's first episode), this was what Juliet was listening to on her CD player as she got ready for the Others book club.
• The name of the aviation company where Juliet, Ethan, and Dr. Albert met was Herarat. This is an anagram of Earhart, as in Amelia Earhart, the woman pilot who mysteriously disappeared.
• One of the submarine's crewman had a portion of the Dharma logo line segments on the back of his shirt.
• Is it obvious how much Sawyer loves Kate? When he saw her return to the beach, his face spoke volumes.
• The pregnant woman of the Others who died during surgery was named Sabine. According to legend, ancient Romans abducted the women of Sabine, an Italian tribe, to populate the newly built Rome.
• Why can't the women of the island get pregnant?
• Another mention of Jacob when Ben promises Juliet that the mysterious man will take care of Rachel's cancer himself and apparently does so.
• So Juliet and Goodwin were lovers.
• The symbol carved in the tree was similar to the brand burned into Juliet's back.
• I loved that we now understand the myriad range of emotions (sadness, anger, resignation) that crossed Juliet's face as she stood before the mirror prior to the book club and listened to the last song she and her sister heard prior to her leaving.
• I'm thinking Mikhail and his unprecedented access to information is how the Others know every little detail about the survivors of Flight 815.
• Was it unusual that shortly after the plane exploded over the island that Mikhail's screens were already displaying news reports of its disappearance? Would Oceanic Air's radio silence result in three news stations covering the event so quickly?

The Numbers - 2 4 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108) and 3 this week

• Sayid was chained to a swing set for 3 days.
• Juliet could talk to no one for the 6 months she expected to be on the island.
• Sawyer made his 3 men and a baby comment.
• Sawyer offered to get Claire 2 aspirin.
• Rachel was expected to give birth in 3 months.
• Juliet was on the island for 6 months when she and Ben spoke on the rocks.
• Juliet has currently been on the island for 3 years.
• Ben wanted Ethan and Goodwin to get him a list of the passengers in 3 days.
• Ben informed Juliet that her sister's cancer went into remission 2 years ago.

Red Dawn

• Lighting on the sub when Juliet awoke.
• Toy football Charlie was holding for Aaron.
• Blood-soaked surgical gloves Ethan was wearing.
• Back splash tiles, curtains, and dishware in Ben's kitchen.
• Buttons on Mikhail's control console.
• Slide at the playground where Rachel and her son Julian were playing.

Previews - If everything shown in the previews are in next week's "Catch-22", we are in for a jam-packed. A helicopter coming to the island? Charlie triggering a rigged spear in the jungle. Is this one version of his death Desmond didn't foresee? Hurley shooting off a flare gun. Juliet and Kate together again and at one of the stations? Sawyer and Kate getting hot and heavy in the jungle. Locke held at knife point by Sawyer. An S.O.S. message? Do the black clad legs and boots hanging from a tree have something to do with the tangled parachute of which there is a quick glimpse. And in a freeze-frame moment, we see a copy of the book "Ardil-22", which is the Portuguese version of the episode's title. Considering the men who notified Penelope Widmore of the magnetic anomaly in last season's finale were speaking Portuguese and this is a Desmond flashback episode, could it be she has finally found her lost love?

"Left Behind" (Season 3, Episode 15)

Women in chains. Women in wet t-shirts. Women mud wrestling. Is this Lost or Cinemax? Would you believe last night's show was co-written by a woman and directed by a woman? But enough about that. Smokey the Smoke Monster is back! I didn't see that coming in this episode.

Best Line - "I ain't gonna get the Korean vote." Sawyer after getting a dirty look from Sun while thinking the islanders were deciding his fate.

Did You Notice?

• The game under the Barracks rec room window was Mousetrap. In Locke's first flashback in Season 1, he was showing a little kid this game at the store where he worked.
• Kate was playing with a backgammon board in the rec room. In season 1, Locke offered to show Walt how to play this and later Walt and Hurley were seen playing it.
• The song "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline (who died in a plane crash) was playing when Kate's car broke down and was also heard in Season 2 when Kate cared for Sawyer in the hatch and when Ana drove Jack's dad to his daughter's house in Australia.
• Sawyer was reading "Watership Down", the story of a group of rabbits trying to survive. This book he has previously been seen reading in an earlier episode.
• In last night's scene with the necklace scam, Kate played the part of an interested customer, the same role Cassidy played when Sawyer was running the same con also at a gas station in Season 2.
• Saint Lucy (where Kate got her alias) is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye trouble. Coincidence that Sawyer has needed glasses since being on the island?
• When the Others are leaving the barracks, a blond-haired woman in a light blue top and jeans can be seen wearing a gas mask. Was this Juliet? She pretended she didn't have the key to the handcuffs and acted as if she had never seen the smoke monster before, so was she really left behind? Or is this an elaborate plot to get her into the beach camp?
• When the smoke monster "flashed" then moved away, was it verifying who Juliet was?
• The circle of trees where Kate and Juliet hid was not unlike where Kate took refuge from the smoke monster in the pilot and where Walt hid from the polar bear.
• The smoke monster had three "heads" protruding from the front of it. When Locke found the glow-in-the-dark map at the hatch, there were two references to "Cerberus activity" around the perimeter (which we now know is probably the sonic fence). In Greek mythology, Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the gates to Hades. He allowed the dead to enter but none could exit. His brother was Hydra, the same name as the station where Jack, Kate, and Sawyer were kept.
• Now we know that Cassidy is the mother of Clementine, referred to in Sawyer's prison flashback.

The Numbers - 2 4 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108) and maybe not 5 but 3 instead?

• Kate's car repairs were going to take 2 or 3 days.
• According to Cassidy, 6 guys were waiting to take Kate down at her mom's house.
• Sawyer couldn't use nicknames for another 3 days, 10 hours, and 15 minutes.
• Hurley said they had been on the island for about 3 months.
• Juliet had her shoulder dislocated 4 times. ( Was her husband abusive or did these other times happen after she got to the island?)
• 2 men were following Kate's mom.
• Desmond claimed that Sawyer hadn't spoken 3 words to him.
• The code Juliet entered into the sonic fence's control box was 16 23.
• Juliet said she has been on the island for 3 years.

Red Eye

• Fire extinguisher in the rec room that Kate leaned against.
• Open sign at the gas station.
• Gym bag carried by one of the departing Others.
• Lights in the bar where Kate and Cassidy were talking.
• Fishing line used by Sawyer.
• Stairs at Kate's mom's house.
• Bible that the marshal pulled out of Cassidy's case.
• Warning light on the sonic fence's control box.

Previews - With only eight more episodes left in this season, next week we will learn about Juliet's past in "One of Us" with what looks like her arrival on the island via the sub as well as Jack's return.

"Expose" (Season 3, Episode 14)

I am running out of superlatives to use to describe how great these episodes are! How about: razzle dazzle? Or to quote Hurley: "The most awesome hour on television!" The first six shows notwithstanding, I believe this is turning out to be the best season yet. That was another terrific opening leading us down one path (of course, Nikki's a stripper!) then surprising us with the fact that it's just an incredible hokey TV show, "Expose", starring Lando Calrissian himself, Billy Dee Williams as Mr. LaShade aka The Cobra. I love when we see previous scenes from a different point of view, such as revisiting the plane crash and knowing the real reason why Paolo was using the Pearl Station's bathroom. And didn't you love the fact that Nikki and Paolo found both the drug smuggler's plane ("If I go up there, that thing's gonna fall") and the Pearl Station hatch before the "cool kids" did? Plus, a return of Shannon and Boone, our favorite incestuous step sister and brother. Not to mention Dr. Leslie Artz and the always creepy Ethan.

Best Line - "She's got no gunshot wound, no knife wound, no polar bear bite, nothing." Hurley trying to determine what "killed" Nikki.

Did You Notice?

• Before I discuss this episode's points of interest, I wanted to note something from last week that caught my attention at the time but I did not think about again until I read some other viewers comments online. When Locke was walking away from the sub, his clothes were dripping wet as if he just came out of the water. But, earlier, he boarded the sub dry with the intention (we think) of blowing up the sub. Is it possible he simply sank the sub for later use and dove in the water to wire the C-4 to the dock, which is what actually blew up?
• Also related to last week's show, Locke was watching the televison show "Expose" when Peter Talbot came to his apartment to ask about Locke's father. You can hear a reference to "The Cobra".
• The filming clapboard for "Expose" had the director listed as Stephen Williams, who was the actual director of this episode of "Lost".
• Could Paulo's nicotine gum have been manufactured by Widmore Labs? Or do they only do pregnancy tests?
• Shannon scolded Boone for "flirting with random guys". Makes you look at his and Locke's long walks in the jungle in a whole new light.
• Boone was looking for a pen because Jack had told him to find one for Rose's tracheotomy to keep him busy.
• Ethan was subtley suggesting Nikki and Paulo travel inland. Perhaps to get them alone and away from the other survivors?
• "The pigs are walking" comment by Arntz was a reference to the putupon Piggy in the book "Lord of the Flies".
• It was interesting to hear Ben and Juliet's conversation at the Pearl Station. Tom had apparently been there smoking as evidenced by the cigarette butts on the table, Juliet thought Jack was cute, and Ben ordered that the hatch be covered with the plane.
• Vincent the dog knew Nikki and Paulo weren't really dead! That's why he pulled off the blanket.
• First, Charlie shaved. Now, he's confessed to his past sins (abducting Sun). He's really turning his life around. He should be dead by the end of the season.
• Sawyer was reading Agatha Christie's "Evil Under the Sun", an appropriate choice since this episode unfolded like a classic mystery with a couple of bodies, intrigue, circumstancial evidence, and a twist ending right out of an "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" show.
• Plywood -> power lines -> Paulo lies -> paralyzed.
• Locke told Paolo that things don't stay buried on the island. Is there hope then for him and Nikki? Also, in a previous season's episode, Hurley half-jokingly feared that they would one day be chased into the jungle by zombies. This could come to pass if Nikki and Paolo dig themselves out.

The New and Improved Numbers - 2 4 6 8 15 16 23 42 (108) and maybe 5?

• 84 days ago, 80 days ago, 48 days ago, and 8 hours ago were all featured in the flashbacks
• Sawyer said he and Hurley were playing the best out of 5 in ping pong.
• Sawyer said Nikki was 5 seconds from dying.
• The islanders thought 2 people had died.
• One flashback occurred 6 days since the plane crash.
• "Expose" miraculously aired for 4 seasons.
• Nikki referred to Kate and "her 2 boyfriends".
• Paulo was wearing a shirt with the number 52.
• The diamonds were worth $8 million.
• Monitor 5 was on at the Pearl Station.
• 2 weeks ago Hurley went to the Others and 2 weeks ago it was Thanksgiving.
• Nikki said there were 6 stations.
• Nikki told Paulo he could expect 8 hours of paralysis after he was bitten.

Simply Red

• Lights at the strip club.
• Digital numbers on the clapboard.
• "Gunshot wounds" on Nikki.
• Ladder at the television studio set.
• Blood on Paulo's face after the plane crash.
• Top worn by Nikki when befriending Dr. Artz.
• Roof on Desmond's hut.

Previews - To balance out this week's shirtlessness by Paolo and Sawyer, next week's show, "Left Behind", gives the male viewers a treat: Girl fight! In wet t-shirts no less!

Lost and Foundling

A visitor from the latest Dharma location: The Changing Station.

"The Man from Tallahassee" (Season 3, Episode 13)

For everyone who stuck it out through the first six episodes of this season and the change to the 10:00 p.m. time slot (even you who record it, go to bed, and watch it the next night), we are being rewarded with one spectacular show after another. And last night's episode was no exception. From the opening flashback making us believe Locke was already confined to a wheelchair when in fact he was just clinically depressed (don't worry, John, it has to get better, right?) to the quiet moments between Jack and Kate to the verbal sparring between Locke and Ben to Rousseau seeing her baby all grown up for the first time to us learning how Locke was paralyzed to that jaw-dropping moment at the end ("Dad?"), this was a great show.

Best Lines - There were a number of lines that could qualify but my two favorite ones were:

• "No, John, unfortunately, we don't have a code for 'There's a man in my closet with a gun to my daughter's head.' Although we obviously should." Ben responding to Locke's query as to whether "the man from Tallahassee" was a code phrase.
• "We have two giant hamsters running on a massive wheel at our secret underground lair." Ben answering Locke's question regarding where they get their electricity.

Did You Notice?

• Locke's dad used the alias of Adam Seward. Adam was the same name as Shannon's father. The name Seward is very close to Sawyer and rumor has is it that Locke's dad may be the real Sawyer who ruined island Sawyer's life.
• "The man from Tallahassee" that Ben asked for was apparently Locke's dad. As to why he referred to him this way, only time will tell.
• When Locke is talking to his dad at the florist's, through the shop's window a Bonneville can be seen driving by. This same make and model of car hit Michael in Season 1, putting him in the hospital; it almost ran over Locke in his Season 1 flashback when he was chasing after his mother; and this is also the car Kate ran into when fleeing the hospital in her friend Tom's car. Coincidence? I think not.
• Prior to Jack talking to Kate, Tom gestured to him that there were listening devices in the game room.
• Ben decorated his house with a number of tribal masks.
• Locke looking down into the hatch of the sub was nearly identical to him first looking into the station's hatch oh those many episodes ago.
• Locke's dad poured two glasses of McCutcheon whiskey, the same brand that Charles Widmore refused to give Desmond.
• Ben's associate, Richard Albert was the doctor who recruited Juliet to come to the island.
• After the shock of seeing Locke being pushed through a window by his dad, I remembered the scene from Season 1 when Hurley was speaking with his financial planner of his bad luck and the body plummeting past the office window. Could they be one and the same? After re-watching last night's show and the DVD of the earlier episode, I don't think so. Although both men wore dark pants and lighter-colored long-sleeved shirts, Hurley's guy fell face first parallel to the building whereas Locke fell face-up perpendicular to the building. However, Locke's fall marks the third of its kind, the first being in Hurley's scene and the second being Sun's tutor/lover who landed on Jin's car. Could Locke's dad have been behind these two as well?

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (108) and the rest (2 & 6)

• Someone in the movie on Locke's television spoke the line "The Bolivian coal deposits were stolen last night around 2 a.m."
• Peter Talbot told Locke that Adam Seward met his mom 2 months ago.
• Locke spent 4 years in a wheelchair.
• When the detectives visited Locke, Peter Talbot had been there 2 days ago.
• The Talbot family fortune was worth over 2 hundred million dollars.
• The Barracks use 2 giant hamsters to provide elec- oh, wait, never mind.
• Locke fell 8 stories to the ground after his father pushed him.

Red Herring - If there was any doubt that the color red is a new aspect of this season, try to ignore all the references from last night's show.

• Benefits Suspended - The stamp on Locke's form.
• Purse - Hanging on the wall of one of the office cubes as Locke stormed out.
• No Soliciting - The sign on Locke's apartment door.
• Shirt - Hanging on the clothes line outside Jack's house at the Barracks.
• Curtains - Both in Ben's bedroom and above his kitchen sink.
• Flowers - At the florist between Locke and his dad during their confrontation.
• Fire Extinguisher - Hanging on the game room wall where Kate was being kept.
• Volkswagen - Locke's car, which in previous flashback's was not red. Hmm?
• Swing Set - Where Sayid was handcuffed.
• Plate - Ben's chicken leftovers.
• Lights - On the submarine when Locke first boarded.
• Blouse - The female detective wore this in Locke's hospital room.
• Shirt - Locke's therapist's.
• Pipes - Where Locke was handcuffed.
• Doors - Outside of where Locke was kept prior to seeing his father.
  

Crazy Theory of the Moment

• Locke's dad is not a captive of Ben but is the big man himself and the bound and gagged scene was yet another con to throw off Locke from what is really happening. Or is there really a big "box" somewhere on the island?

Previews - In next week's show, "Expose", we are going to learn the back stories of our least favorite castaways. No, not the Professor and Maryann, but Paulo and Nikki. Rumor has it we may even feel a little different about them afterwards. Also, Sun learns the details behind her abduction. Hence, the slap to Sawyer's face.

Good news! "Lost" has been renewed by ABC for a fourth season. There are also discussions going on to air the whole season over consecutive weeks from January through May, just like "24" does.

A Little Too Close to Home?

I'm hoping my friends and family will let me know if I ever get too obsessed with "Lost" (he writes in his blog dedicated to the show). Check out this clip from David Spade's "The Showbiz Show": http://www.theshowbizshow.com/index.jhtml?c=vc&videoId=83821

"Par Avion" (Season 3, Episode 12)

Claire, who's your daddy? Oh, it's Jack's daddy. What some of us suspected since Ana's flashback last season when the elder Dr. Shephard tried to see his daughter in Australia was confirmed last night. Conveniently, Claire never learned his name. Otherwise, we may have heard the following: "Jack, your name is Dr. Shephard? My dad's name is Dr. Shephard!" And how about that last scene with Jack playing football with big Tom? Has Jack crossed over or is he playing the Others?

Best Line

• "Well, it's certainly not as infallible as the magical carvings on your stick." Sayid responding sarcastically to Locke's dismissal of the map.
  

Did You Notice?

• The episode was appropriately titled "Par Avion" which is the French phrase used on the label of airmail packages.
• A number of common "Lost" themes were used. 1. The close-up of an eye - not one, but two. First, flashback Claire's, then island Claire's. 2. Car accidents. We can add Claire and her mom to the list: Jack's wife and Shannon's dad were in the same car crash, Michael was hit by a car, Kate's friend was shot in her car, and Sun's lover fell on Jin's car. 3. Father issues. Get in line, Claire, right behind your half-brother Jack, Kate, Jin, Sun, Locke, and all the rest.
• So is the list Mikhail said Kate, Sayid, and Locke were too flawed to be on the same one as Jacob's list? Is Jacob then the magnificent man? Or is that a reference to Charles Widmore or Alvar Hanso?
• The scenes with the sonic pylon security system reminded me of something from the movie, "Jurassic Park". I expected a raptor or a T-Rex to come out of the jungle. Not coincidentally, "Lost" is filmed on the same Hawaiian island as "Jurassic Park" was.
• Is Locke becoming the island's loose cannon? Last week, he blows up the Flame station. This week, he kills Mikhail. And next week, he looks like he uses the C-4 explosive to go all Apocalypse Now on the Barracks.
• The towel baby Aaron was on had the name Bondi Beach, which is one of Australia's most famous beaches.
• Desmond has gone from punching a button every 108 minutes to saving Charlie's life every day. Is this an improvement? And why do all of Charlie's "deaths" revolve around Claire?
• Sawyer was reading Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", which examines the life of an idealistic architect who prefers to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic vision.

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (sometimes 108) and more and more 2 & 6

• The mileage on Claire's car read 108.
• Sayid calculated that Mikhail's people were "2 miles in that direction."
• Claire believed her father died when she was 2.
• When asked about her daughter Alex, Rousseau suggested that Kate imagine 16 years from now and whether Jack would remember her.
• Mikhail said their underwater beacon stopped emitting 2 weeks ago.
• One of the Sydney hospital P.A. announcements was for a doctor to take a call on line 4. (It was in fact a message for a Dr. Addison, which happens to be the first name of Kate Walsh's character on "Grey's Anatomy". Her last name on that show? Shephard. Inside joke?)
• Jin counted to 2 before Desmond's "boar hunting" interrupted the bird capture.
• According to Claire's message, the passengers were 6 hours into the flight before the pilot attempted to change course.

Red Buttons

• Seat belt light in Claire's car
• Blood (Claire's and Mikhail's)
• Claire's red-striped shirt
• The surgical scrubs worn by the doctors at Claire's mom's hospital
• Jungle flowers
• The walls at the Sydney hospital featured a waist-high stripe
• Medical cart in Claire's mom's room
• Painted walls at Claire's tattoo parlor

Crazy Theory of the Moment

• The entire show is taking place in Claire's comatose mom's head. Think about it. She was in a car accident. There are a number of car accidents in the flashbacks. She was a librarian. There are a lot of book references. Claire kept the television on since the doctor thought she could hear what's going on around her and this is influencing her thoughts. And Dr. Christian Shephard is really Claire's father and only Jack's dad in mom's imagination.

Previews - Next week's "The Man from Tallahassee" finally answers the question of how Locke became para- Sorry, I thought Rousseau was going to interrupt me -lyzed. Tallahassee, huh? Where Sawyer was in jail and one of the places Kate went to while on the run. Coincidence or crossover? And the week after that? "Expose" gives us flashbacks from the two latest survivors, Nikki and Paulo. We will see some familiar faces we haven't seen in a while. Plus, a special guest star. Hint: He was baron administrator of Cloud City.

"Enter 77" (Season 3, Episode 11)

Russians, Hostiles, and the Purge. Oh my! Thank for you all the information, EyePatch Adams. Oh, wait. He's lying. Or is he? Another good episode done in typical Lost fashion by giving us few answers and a lot more questions. Are The Others really The Others? Or are they the Scientists? Or are Rousseau and her now dead crew the Scientists? Or is Rousseau the real "last living member of the Dharma Initiative"?

Best Line

• "A - It was mine when I took it. B - who the hell are you?" Sawyer to new survivor, Nicki.

Did You Notice?

• Rousseau claimed she had never been to the Flame station before. Seems odd since she's been on the island for 16 years! And did EyePatch Adams react oh-so-subtly when Sayid mentioned her name as if he might know her?
• EyePatch Adams referred to "crossing the line" same as Big Tom did to Jack, Sawyer, and Locke when they first encountered each other in the jungle.
• EyePatch Adams' revealed his name to be Mikhail Bakunin, the same name as the Russian revolutionary considered to be one of the fathers of modern anarchism.
• The logo for the Flame station did not include the Dharma name as the other logos have.
• The merlot and vodka bottles had the Swan station logo on their labels.
• The cat had the same name as Sayid's lost love, Nadia, last seen getting a home inspection from Locke.
• Mikhail said he shared the same birthday as Nadia Comaneci, which is November 12, 1961.
• The Dharma Initiative binders Sayid pulls off the shelf are "Food Drop Protocol" and "Operations Manual".
• We finally found out the purpose of the cable coming out of the ocean Sayid came across way back in Season 1 when Rousseau captured him.
• Yet another incarnation of Dr. Marvin Candle/Dr. Mark Wickmund. First the orientation film, then the video tape, now a computer chess game.
• Locke should be kept away from all computers!
• Following is believed to be the Russian to English translation of the conversation between Miss Klugh and Mikhail: Mikhail: We still have another way. Klugh: We cannot risk. You know what to do. Mikhail: We still have another way. Klugh: We cannot risk. You know the conditions. Mikhail: We have another way. Klugh: They know us. We will not let them [unintelligible]. You know what to do. It is an order. Mikhail: But we still have another way! (pause) I'm sorry!
• Looks like Sayid and the gang are heading for The Barracks, the little community first shown in this season's premiere episode.

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (sometimes 108) and new and improved with 2 &6

• Kate, Sayid, Locke, and Rousseau had been walking for 2 days.
• Mikhail said 4 men appeared and took 2 cows.
• The Flame station was wired with C-4 explosive.
• The number series on the Dharma Initiative manuals, DI 90M1654-21644, included 16, 2, and 4, as well as all the numbers (9+1+6+5+4+2+1+6+4+4) adding up to 42.
• Dr. Marvin Candle's instructions included: Pallet drop, enter 2-4; station up link, enter 3-2; mainland communication, enter 3-8.

Well Red - The color red continues to be seen throughout this episode.

• Hurley's T-Shirt - I cannot recall Hurley ever wearing this shirt in the 2 1/2 years of shows. However, it must be his since it fit him. Why wear it now?
• Cow - The cow whose bell attracted Sayid's attention is classified as "red". And it was unique since all the other cows were of the black and white variety.
• Barrels - Seen against the station wall were two barrels.
• Couch - The furniture in the Flame station were of a reddish fabric.
• Notes - The notes written in the margin of the book were in red ink.
• Chess Game - The on-screen messages had a red background.
• Camera - The station's security camera had a red indicator light.
• Toolbox - Inside the station was a red toolbox.
• Scarf - Sami's wife wore a red scarf when she visited Sayid.
• Bullet Case - Kate took bullets from a red case in the Flame station.

Sawyer's Nicknames

• To Paulo - Zorro
• To Hurley - Avalanche, Grimace, and almost Lump- (before Hurley reminded him of the results of losing the ping pong game)
• To Jin and Sun - Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon

Previews - Next week's "Par Avion" should confirm our previous supposition that Jack's dad is also Claire's as we see another flashback of her life before the island. And then in two weeks, "The Man from Tallahassee" promises the revelation of how Locke lost the use of his legs. I'm guessing it involves a computer.

"Tricia Tanaka is Dead" (Season 3, Episode 10)

Last night's episode had to be one of the most entertaining shows in all of the seasons of "Lost". Granted, it didn't necessarily move the overall story along that much, but to quote Hurley, "We could all use some fun." And what better way for the guys to have fun but fixing a car and drinking Dharma Initiative beer? Plus, we saw the return of Vincent the dog and crazy French scientist Rousseau and a return to the less creepy Charlie. I loved Hurley's recap of what had happened recently with the reveal that he was at Libby's grave. This episode also has us adding Hurley's name to the list of characters with daddy issues (the least of which was the horrendous wig Cheech wore as his younger self).

Best Line
How could I pick just one? Here are my many favorites.

• "Yeah. Chase the dog with the skeletal arm into the creepy jungle. You be my guest." Charlie to Hurley.
• "We'll get that later." Hurley after Roger's head came free of his body.
• "It's like . . . when you're good at . . . crafts." Hurley trying to explain the meaning of crafty to Jin.
• "Well, look at that. Somebody's hooked on phonics." Sawyer to Jin after he speaks English to him.
• "Now that's a hell of a Jesus." Hurley's dad referring to the gold Jesus statue.
• "I have needs." Hurley's mom, her fingers over the ears of the Jesus statue, breathlessly explaining to her son why she wants his dad around.
• Hurley: "I'll give you $1,000 right now if you admit that my dad told you to say this stuff." Psychic: "The mystic arts are not subject to bribes. How dare you -" Hurley: "$10,000." Psychic: "Your dad put me up to it."
• "Shut up, Red . . . Neck . . . Man." Hurley's struggled attempt to nickname Sawyer, to which he replied, "Touche."
• "I'm sorry. You were right. Those pants don't make you look fat." Jin repeating the English phrases Sawyer felt every man should know.

Did You Notice?

• The song playing in young Hurley's flashback, "Shambala" by Three Dog Night, is what began playing on the 8-track in the Dharma mini-van.
• Hurley's dad called him "Little Dude". Now we know where Hurley picked it up.
• Young Hurley's candy bar was not an Apollo bar but a Glacier bar. Polar bear connection?
• The key chain for the mini-van had a rabbit's foot. Wasn't so lucky for Roger the work man, was it?
• Randy Nations, Hurley's former boss and new employee at Mr. Cluck's, was also Locke's boss at the box company.
• The tail of the meteor that destroyed Mr. Cluck's had a smoke monster-like appearance to it.
• What was with the dart that Sawyer stepped on? Had it been thrown from the hatch when it imploded?
• What was up with all the paperwork in the Dharma mini-van? The map Sawyer picked up showed what appeared to be a road connecting the stations.
• So Mr. Eko's Jesus stick now acts as compass. Interesting.

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (sometimes 108) and now with 2 & 6

• The license plate on Hurley's car 429 PCE included 42 and added up to 15.
• Asian reporter Tricia Tanaka said Hurley had won $114 million when we had previously learned in Season One that it was $156 million. The difference? $42 million.
• Sawyer missed 2 months of school due to mono, also known as the "kissing disease". Why am I not surprised?
• Kate said she had 2 good reasons why she didn't ask for Locke's and Sayid's help in rescuing Jack.
• Kate mentioned to Rousseau that she had her escape from the Others was aided by a 16-year old girl named Alex.

The Color Red Again
As in Desmond's recent episode, the color red was prominent throughout the episode.

• Young Hurley's fixer-upper car was red as was his shirt, his tool box, the towel which held his tools, and the tool handles themselves had red accents.
• The exotic flower Hurley laid on Libby's grave was red.
• Mr. Cluck's chicken shack had red in its color scheme.
• Asian reporter Tricia Tanaka's blouse was red.
• Nikki, the new island girl, had on a red top.
• There were red-colored wine glasses on Hurley's dining room table.
• The Dharma van had a red button on the dashboard and the 8-track tape was red.

Is the color red the new Numbers? Should we be watching for it like we listened for the Numbers?

Sawyer's Nicknames

• To Charlie: Oliver Twist, Munchkin, Jiminy Cricket
• To Hurley: Snuffy (as in Sesame Street's Snuffleupagus), International House of Pancakes, Jumbotron
• To Jin: Jin-bo
• To Roger, the Dharma work man: Skeletor

Previews - Next week's "Enter 77" marks the return of Eye-Patch Adams, the mysterious one-eyed stranger last seen on a hatch monitor. Is this the mysterious Jacob? Was his missing eye the one found by the Tailies in their hatch in Season 2? And what does Dr. Marvin Candle's announcement mean: "Manual override achieved. For mainland communication, enter 38"?

This Week's Update

Sorry for the delay, but please check back Friday night for this week's blog entry. I haven't had time yet to re-watch it, compile my notes, and surf the net for things that even I missed.

"Stranger in a Strange Land" (Season 3, Episode 9)

In the words of Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons":

Worst. Episode. Ever.

Okay, maybe not that bad (after all it could have been a Sun and Jin episode), but this show following last week's Desmond-rific show was a major letdown for me. The other factor that contributed to my disappointment was ABC's promotion that we would have the answers to three of the island's biggest mysteries. Umm, to which mysteries did we get answers? Let's see.

1. What's the story of Jack's tattoo? One of the biggest mysteries? Not really. Plus, the literal translation, "He walks amongst us, but he is not one of us", is according to Jack not the true meaning. So was the mystery solved or not?

2. Whatever happened to Cindy the flight attendant and the children? They're on the island walking around like extras from "The Village of the Damned". And they like to watch. Again, not really an answer.

3. What is Latin for "teddy bear"? Ursa Theodorus. Thanks, Carl.

Best Line: "You got a map you ain't showin' me, Magellan?" Sawyer to Kate.

Did You Notice? (That there wasn't much to notice?)

• Does the episode's title "Stranger in a Strange Land" refer to the science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein about a human raised by Martians on Mars or the biblical quote from Exodus?
• The song Sawyer was singing in the boat, "Show Me the Way to Go Home", was the same song sung by the guys in the movie "Jaws" before the shark attacked them.
• I got the same vibes between Jack and Achara when he confronted her as I did when Claire was turned away by the psychic and Rose met with her psychic at Ayers Rock. Every time, it seemed like the person with the "gift" saw something in the future island resident that they didn't like.
• The boat the Others was using at the end of the show looked an awful lot like the one Michael and Walt were given to leave the island.

The Numbers - Not a one.

Previews - Next week's "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" features a Hurley flashback including his dad played by Cheech Marin of Cheech & Chong fame. It also has a VW van with a Dharma logo. And Vincent the dog is back. (I guess he didn't leave with Michael and Walt.) Next week's show has to be better than last night's show. I hope.

"Flashes Before Your Eyes" (Season 3, Episode 8)

After watching last night's show, then re-watching it just now, I feel like Desmond after the hatch implosion - it blew my socks off! Incredible. This show never ceases to amaze me. The episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes" made my head spin. Last week's brainwashing sequence with Carl included audio when played in reverse said "Only fools are enslaved by time and space." How appropriate. This was the first time "Lost" did not follow the typical format of alternating between the island and a character's past in a series of flashbacks. I am of the opinion that what we saw was not a flashback (no "whooshing" sound) but what went through Desmond's mind after the hatch implosion, mixing actual events from his life with aspects of the island. He even explained at the end of the episode that his life flashed before his eyes.

Best Line: "This is why we don't do drugs." Charlie to the passersby regarding Desmond's erratic behavior.

Did You Notice?

• The book Hurley took from Sawyer's stash was "Laughter in the Dark" by Vladimir Nabokov. The story deals with the affection of a middle-aged man for a very young woman, a theme Nabokov would address again in his novel, "Lolita".
• Prior to the implosion, the magnetic force pulled paint cans off the shelf. Is this why Desmond "came to" in the middle of painting his flat?
• Speaking of which, the partially painted over label on the paint can read "Futu". Future?
• There was one of those reocurring eyeball close-ups (Desmond's this time) we've seen featured throughout the series.
• Penny's comments "It's not the end of the world" and "Des, where are you?" both take on a deeper meaning in the big picture.
• Daddy Widmore's office included a painting of a polar bear and the word "Namaste" written backwards across the top. This means "good luck" and was used to close the orientation film and video.
• Charlie's donation sign revealed his middle name: Hieronymus. Rearrange the letters and you get "heroin yums". Also, Hieronymus Bosch was a famous Dutch painter known for his depiction of Hell. And Hieronymus of Cardia was a Greek historian during the time of Alexander the Great.
• Charlie was singing Oasis's song Wonderwall, which has the lyrics "You're gonna be the one who saves me." Appropriate since Desmond did it twice.
• During the soccer game on the pub television, the advertisers around the stadium's walls included these familiar names: Apollo Candy Bars, Oceanic Air, Hanso Foundation, Butties Diapers (Charlie's band Driveshaft's attempt at a commercial); Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack (Hurley's former employer), and a company called Kronos (the Greek titan Chronos was the personifacation of time).
• There were a number of chiming and ticking clocks in the jewelry store with the mysterious white-haired woman who knew quite a lot about Desmond. Again, the reminder of time.
• I liked the ripple effect the ring made when Desmond threw it into the river. Symbolic of the impact one action can have on everything around it.
• Another Wizard of Oz reference: The man crushed by the scaffolding reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy's house fell on her, right down to the footware. Granted, he had on red sneakers and not ruby slippers, but close enough.
  

Did You Notice All the Red Stuff?
Much like "The Sixth Sense", last night's episode used the color red as a recurring theme. Included were Claire's top when she was drowning, Desmond's shirt in the photo, the whiskey bottle's label, the hatch's countdown clock, the paint, the microwave's clock, the redhead with Desmond's physicist friend, the crushed man's sneakers, and the exercise bike mangled after the hatch's implosion.

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (and sometimes 108 and definitely 2 and 6)

• There were the obvious ones that Desmond noticed: the clock reading 1:08 and the delivery going to 815.
  
• Desmond and Penny had been together for 2 years.
  
• There were 2 minutes left in the soccer game on the pub's TV.

Previews - Next week's "Stranger in a Strange Land" is promoted as answering three of the island's biggest mysteries. We also see the return of Cindy, the Oceanic Air flight attendant who disappeared as the Tailies were returning Sawyer in Season 2. Also, actress Diana Scarwid (who played Joan Crawford's daughter in "Mommie Dearest") questions Jack about his tattoo in this episode that features a Jack flashback.

"Not in Portland" (Season 3, Episode 7)

"Lost" is back! Boy, is it ever. The recap show, "Lost Survivor Guide" at 9 p.m. was a great refresher of what went on in the last two and a half seasons. Narrated by Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks", "Desperate Housewives"), the special got the viewers up to speed for tonight's episode and the upcoming shows.

The new episode itself, "Not in Portland", was the first to feature a flashback focusing on an Other. The opening was brilliant, leading the viewer to believe we were seeing Juliet on the island. Then Ethan Rom (!) walks by, so this must be a hatch flashback, right? Then it concludes with the view of Miami and an Oceanic Air plane flying overhead. This is the "Lost" we know and love.

Best Line: "Because you're insufferable and you're mean. Well, you asked me for the truth, Mom." Juliet's ex-husband talking on his cell phone to his mother. It just struck me as funny.

Did You Notice?

• In Juliet's sister Rachel's beach house, there was a lamp with a Dharma logo-shaped base next to her bed.
• Juliet's ex-husband, Edmund Burke, shares the same name as the Irish-born English statesman and philosopher. This continues the trend of "Lost" characters being named after famous philosophers (John Locke and Rousseau).
• The company trying to recruit Juliet, Mittleos, is an anagram of "lost time" (or "time lost").
• Aldo the Other was reading Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time", a popular science book on black holes, the Big Bang, and string theory.
• Alex believes Ben is her father. In Season One, Rousseau claimed she was pregnant when her ship ran aground on the island, and her daughter, Alex, was taken by the Others. Did Ben adopt her?
• The brainwashing slides in Room 23 (which made the boat ride in "Willy Wonka" seem like a Sunday in the park) included the comments "Plant a good seed and you will joyfully gather fruit", "Everything changes", "We are the cause of our own suffering", "Think about your life", and "God loves you as He loved Jacob". In the Bible, Jacob was a twin, had a vision of a ladder reaching to Heaven, and had a wife named Rachel (same name as Juliet's sister) and a son with her named Benjamin (Ben). The name Jacob was also mentioned in the last episode by Danny the Other when he said "Shepherd (Jack) wasn't even on Jacob's list."
• Also in the brainwashing slide show were images of Alvar Hanso in the office building window and Gerald DeGroot, both from the hatch's orientation film.
• The pregnancy test that Juliet's sister, Rachel, used was from Widmore Labs. This was the same brand Sun used on the island and Kate used in her last flashback. For those of you who have forgotten, Widmore is the father of Penelope, Desmond's true love.
• In the split second before the bus hits Edmond, there is what appears to be a wall of black smoke just like the island monster.
• I did not notice this myself but apparently there was an ad for the Apollo candy bar on the side of the bus that killed Juliet's ex-husband.
• Some website posters believe that Juliet's comment that she has been on the island for three years, two months, and 28 days indicates, since island time puts them currently in December 2004, that she came to the island on September 11, 2001.
  

The Numbers - 4 8 15 16 23 42 (and sometimes 108 and DEFINITELY 2 and 6)

• Juliet's key card was for Research Lab A-4.
• Juliet's appointment with the Mittelos rep was at 2 p.m.
• The Others' smaller island is 2 miles offshore of the larger island.
• The Mittelos medical scans were from a 26 year old woman.
• Carl was being brainwashed in Room 23.
• When Ben's heart rate was restored, it was at 108.
• Mr. Albert asks Juliet to "Just give us 6 months."
  

Previews - Next week's "Flashes Before Your Eyes" focuses on Desmond with what looks like an explosive episode.

Bonus link: Go to http://www.mittelosbioscience.org/ and go to Projects at the top. (If you don't see the tool bar, refresh your page until you do.) The login is jburke and the password is rachel. Let it load then check out Current Projects. Sit back and watch.

This is it!

It's finally here. The long wait is over. After 12 weeks of no new episodes, tonight marks the first of 16 shows airing consecutively until the season finale. I know some of you were losing faith in the series after the first six episodes, but based on a number of reviews I read for tonight's show, that faith should be restored. I guess we'll find out at 10:00 p.m. Remember that the recap show airs at 9:00 p.m. in case you forgot what went on three months ago. Also, look for my take on the new episode to be posted to this blog sometime early Thursday evening.

One Week!

Just seven more days and the wait will be over. Next Wednesday, February 7, marks the return of "Lost". Remember that the show will now air at 10 p.m. to avoid competition from "American Idol". However, next Wednesday at 9:00 p.m., there will be a recap show called "Lost: Survivor Guide" before the new episode to get everyone up to speed.

Here's what I know so far about the new shows. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

• The February 7 episode "Not in Portland" features a Juliet flashback.
  
• The February 14 episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes" focuses on Desmond and how he has changed since the hatch implosion. Using his new psychic abilities, he will tell someone to prepare for death.
  
• The February 21 episode explains Jack's tattoos in a flashback story.
  
• The mysterious man with the eyepatch will be back as will the now dead Ethan.
  
• By the end of March, there will be flashback stories about Hurley (introducing Cheech Marin as his dad), Claire, Locke (how he ended up in the wheelchair), and Sayid (revealing a lot of answers to viewers questions).
  
• Next season (which may be the show's last as the creators planned the story for a total of 90 to 100 episodes) could run uninterrupted for twenty-some weeks similar to how "24" airs.