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.
  

And The Rest

With only 16 more days until Lost returns (Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!), this is my last casting call for "Lost - The Movie". Over the next couple of weeks, I'll post any info that I come across on the new episodes and Season 4, which may be the final season.

Final casting: Libby (on the Island), Libby (in Desmond's flashback), and Mr. Eko's Jesus Stick.

Played by Kate Hudson, her mother Goldie Hawn, and Nicole Ritchie.

Casting The Others

With word that the first new episode in February features a Juliet flashback, it is appropriate that my second-to-last casting features her and Tom (a.k.a. Mr. Friendly).

With these roles played by Laura Dern and Brian Dennehy.

Four More Weeks!

Just four more weeks until season 3 starts back up! And then 16 weeks of new shows! Until then enjoy the first of the final three casting choices I've made for the entirely fictional "Lost - The Movie".

This week features those love birds, Rose and Bernard.

Played on-screen by Oprah Winfrey and Bob Newhart.

The Casting Call Continues

This week, I cast two of the more memorable characters on "Lost": Desmond and Ben (aka Henry Gale).

As played by Colin Farrell and Kevin Spacey.

"Lost - The Movie" Gone But Not Forgotten Casting

With seven more weeks before the season resumes, let's see who should be cast as two tail section passengers who survived the plane crash but not the island: Ana Lucia and Mr. Eko.

For Ana, the equally irritating Rosie Perez and an actor perfect for capturing Eko's presence, Djimon Hounsou.

Your Weekly "Lost - The Movie" Casting Update

This week we focus on two characters that played important roles in seasons 1 and 2: Michael and Walt.









And for the Hollywood version, Jamie Foxx and Dakota Fanning (c'mon, you gotta admit she's the quintessential child actor).

Good News, Bad News

First the bad news: ABC announced today that when "Lost" returns in February, it will air at 10:00 PM EST on Wednesdays, one hour later than it previously did. The network fears losing viewers to "American Idol". Apparently, they weren't afraid of losing viewers due to drawn-out storylines, ongoing mysteries, and unresolved relationships. What does this mean for my weekly blog postings? Probably that I will not be posting until Thursday evening after I've had a chance to review the show. Oh, and get some sleep. Not necessarily in that order.

Now for the good news: Fellow Lost and Founder Helen (and not Locke's girlfriend) came up with a great suggestion for who should play Sayid. I agree that my first choice was not the best, but Helen has found the man for the job. As seen in "The Mummy" movies and Showtime's "Sleeper Cell": Oded Fehr. I'm getting his agent on the phone now.

More "Lost - The Movie" Casting

Nine more weeks to go! But until then, enjoy the next fantasy castings.
Sayid, Sun, and Jin.



Played by "Harold and Kumar's" Kal Penn (not a lot of choices to pick from), Lucy Liu, and Chow Yun Fat.