"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.