Doing Anything on Thursday, May 20?

Three days before the highly anticipated series finale of "Lost," fans of ABC's award-winning global television phenomenon can watch co-creators and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof in a TimesTalks LIVE event in select theaters nationwide. Moderated by New York Times entertainment editor Lorne Manley, "Behind the Scenes of Lost", will cover the challenges faced by the creators to craft a series finale that would satisfy them as storytellers and the show's legions of fans. The event will include a teaser from the upcoming final episode and an interactive Q and A session with fans. Prior to the event, guests can submit their question for consideration at timestalks@nytimes.com.

The event will be broadcast live, in high definition to theaters from The Times Center in New York City in front of a sold-out audience on Thursday, May 20 at 8 pm Eastern / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain (tape delayed) / 7 pm Pacific (tape delayed).

Get more info here: http://www.fathomevents.com/OriginalPrograms/event/TimesTalks_LOST.aspx

I will be attending the 8 pm show at Crocker Park in Westlake. I've already got my tickets through Fandango. My birthday is that night and I think it was so nice of the show's creators to give me this present!

"The Last Recruit" (Season 6, Episode 13)

This was one of those episodes that felt like so much happened, but upon review, not much did in the way of moving the story along. I'm sure it's laying the groundwork for what's to come in these final episodes. It was intriguing to see how many characters could cross paths in the alternate time line.

Best Line

• ". . .And that pilot who looks like he stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie." Sawyer's description of Lapidus.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• The name tag of the paramedic working on Locke in the rescue squad is Simon Holt. This is also the name of the author of a young reader horror novel, The Devouring. The plot tells of the Vours, black smoke-like beings that possess humans who can't conquer their fear. Sound familiar?
  
• The EMT who wheels Sun into the hospital is played by Todd Coolidge, who also played the paramedic who wheeled Desmond into the hospital after he was shot by Ben in the original time line in the episode “The Variable".
• I believe Sun's near-death experience from the gun shot allowed her to remember and recognize Locke (or UnLocke).
• I was reminded of Adam and Eve when Sawyer offered Kate the apple in the police station. Was this the writers' way of hinting that the Adam and Eve skeletons will turn out to be them? Sawyer and Kate weren't even one of the options in my last survey! If they had been, would they have received any votes unlike Sawyer and Juliet?
• Kate is adamant she is not a murderer. She has said this before (to Claire) in the alternate time line. I'll be curious to see what really happened to make her a wanted woman.
• Now we know why Sawyer, a police detective, didn't do anything when he encountered the hand-cuffed Kate in the airport elevator. He would have had to explain his trip to Australia. If you remember, he had told everyone he had gone to Palm Springs.
• Ilana’s law firm is Sweetzer and Verdansky (her last name). In “Happily Ever After," Penny made a date with Desmond at a coffee shop on the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer.
• We are once again teased with the identity of David's mother as Jack talks to her on his cell phone. I'm thinking she will be revealed when she comes to the hospital to pick up David. My money's still on Juliet.
• Jack's reaction to learning Claire is his father's daughter was similar to him learning this from Claire's mother at Christian's funeral when the Oceanic 6 returned to Los Angeles.
• When Jack see’s Locke’s x-ray, he notes that the dural sac is obliterated. In the series pilot, Jack told Kate a story of how he once accidentally ripped a patient’s dural sac to explain to her how to control her fear, a story that was explained in the season 5 finale.
• Our weekly mirror moment is back! It occurred when Jack, before beginning the surgery, looked down at the operating bed's mirror and saw first his face, then Locke's.
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Another mystery solved: Jack's dad, Christian, on the island was really the Man in Black impersonating him. That is if you can believe UnLocke.
• The Man in Black was really bashing John Locke to Jack. Makes you wonder if he was laying it on too thick.
• I like that Sawyer knows the Star Wars jargon of "going over to the Dark Side" but never heard of Anakin (Darth Vader's alter ego for the uninitiated).
• Well, now we know what UnLocke's stick is for: smashing walkie-talkies. I got the sense when UnLocke looked at the device, he had no concept of the technology.
• Sawyer tells Jack that Sayid is a zombie, not the first time there has been a reference to these undead creatures.
• The sail boat is Desmond's. If you remember, it was given to him by Libby for his around-the-world race. This is why it is named Elizabeth.
• So do you believe Sayid followed through on UnLocke's request to kill Desmond? I don't. That Desmond is good at convincing.
• I didn't hear Zoe say into her walkie-talkie to turn off the sonic fence until I re-watched this episode, so I had a moment when I thought Jin and Sun's reunion might be short-lived as they ran to each other.
• "I love you" were Sun's first words since she lost the ability to speak English. I thought the moment was ruined though by Lapidius' unnecessary need to point out (to the viewers) that she'd found her voice. Yeah, we get it. The power of love.
• Why has Widmore changed his mind and reneged on his deal with Sawyer?
• If you watch closely, the first explosion that throws Jack in the air leaves UnLocke standing unscathed.
• I presume the title of "Last Recruit" refers to Jack now being with UnLocke.
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Sawyer describes Zoe to Hurley as Widmore's number 2.
• The adoption agency and Ilana's law firm are both on the 15th floor.
  
• Sawyer explains that for 3 years, the Dharma folk came and went from the island by sub.
• Jack tells David's mom that he will have him home by 5 o'clock.
  

Previews
You probably couldn't tell from the previews, but next week is a repeat (the only one of the season). It is the episode with Richard's back story. I believe they are doing this to allow the finale on Sunday, May 23, to fall during the important ratings sweeps period. I'll be blogging again in two weeks. See you then!

"Everybody Loves Hugo" (Season 6, Episode 12)

The title is a variation on Season 2's "Everybody Hates Hugo". And what an episode! Hurley is reunited with Libby. The Black Rock explodes. Ilana explodes. (Did we learn nothing from Dr. Arzt?) Not to mention Desmond unleashing his road rage on Locke.

Best Line

• "The island was done with her. Makes me wonder what's going to happen when it's done with us." Ben to Jack after Ilana's explosive departure.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• Dr. Pierre Chang is the host of Hugo's benefit. We learned previously in James Ford's episode that Miles' dad worked at a museum. Amazingly, he looks the same age he did in the 1970s. Now how is this possible?
• Hugo mentions to his mom that he must attend an event for the Human Fund. This is a fictional charity created by George Costanza on Seinfeld.
• The waiter at Spanish Johnny's, the restaurant where Hugo and Libby met, was played by Jesse Smith, who played one of the random background extras who survived the plane crash in the first few seasons.
• How good was it to see Hugo's soul mate Libby back?
• Dr. Brooks was Hurley's doctor at Santa Rosa in the original time line.
• At Mr. Cluck’s there is a sign for new Outback Roasters with the tag line “It’s like a walkabout in your mouth," a reference to the walkabout trip Locke tried to take. The sign also featured Ayers Rock where Bernard brought Rose to see a faith healer.
• The order clerk at Mr. Cluck's is played by Samm Levine, who recently was featured in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds".
  
• Desmond "accidentally bumping" into Hugo obviously is the start of his task of reminding the Oceanic passengers of their other lives.
• The island photo in Dr. Brooks' office at Santa Rosa was in the original time line as well.
• One of the Santa Rosa patients is playing Connect Four, the same game Hurley played as well as Leonard Simms, the man from whom Hurley first heard of the Numbers. Connect Four has 42 possible positions in which to put the pieces.
• The chalkboard in the game room at Santa Rosa featured a chalk drawing of a desert island. This same picture was there when Hurley returned from the island and Matthew Abaddon came to visit him.
• Whereas Desmond had flashes of his other life from the MRI, Libby experienced the memories simply by seeing Hugo on TV.
• Libby's comment to Hugo about the picnic on the beach as being like "a date we've never had" references the picnic date on the island that never happened because Michael shot her.
• For Hugo, his kiss with Libby brought back the buried memories of the other time line. It is also interesting to note that I did not notice a "mirror moment" in this episode. Perhaps this scenes of self reflection are no more and the epiphany of another life will instead be the weekly occurrence.
• Dr. Linus questioning Desmond's reason for being parked in the school parking lot was priceless. "Are you sitting here in your car as school lets out for inappropriate reasons?" "No, brother. Just here to run over that man in the wheelchair." (I paraphrase.)
  
• So does Desmond remember his other self has a son named Charlie or did he just use that name because of his recent run-in with adult Charlie?
• The license plate on Desmond's car when he hits Locke (2FAN321) is a different one from what is on his car at the beach, watching Libby and Hugo (4PCI264). Either a continuity error or Desmond changed it so he couldn't be tracked down.
• I believe Desmond's hit-and-run was not malicious but his way of getting Locke reunited with Jack. Dr. Linus' comment was to call 9-1-1 so they could get Locke to the hospital. The school's in Los Angeles; Jack's hospital is there as well. As we saw Jack and UnLocke meet up on the island in the prior scene, I think this is what Desmond has planned in this time line. And who knows, Jin and Sun may be there too as she recovers from her gun shot wound.
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Why hasn't Libby's ghost appeared to Hurley? Is it because most of his visitors, like Michael, have only yelled at him or told him what he should or should not be doing?
• Ilana says she has been training her whole life to protect the candidates.
• I noticed a couple of "God" references in this episode: Ilana says if that thing (UnLocke) gets off the island, "God help us" (right before she went boom!) and UnLocke calls the island a "God forsaken rock".
• UnLocke carving the stick reminded me of Mr. Eko's walking stick which Charlie called his "Jesus stick". Carved into it were various Bible scriptures (book, chapter, and sometimes verse), a small cross, and the Numbers. When asked by Claire what he was carving, Eko answered, "Things I need to remember." After Eko's death, Locke retrieved the stick. Locke intended to use the stick as a marker for Eko's grave. As he was pounding the stick into the ground, he noticed an inscription: "Lift up your eyes and look north John 3:05". Locke interprets "305" as a northward compass bearing, which leads them to the Flame station.
• The book Hurley finds among Ilana's belongings is a copy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground, a novel whose themes echo the series, as it is about free will and about the fact that determinism or fate is not valid because people can sometimes do things without reason or purpose just to prove that they have free will.
• Hurley also picks up a pouch which he examines but we do not see what is inside. I first thought these were Jacob's ashes but upon re-watching the episode, you can hear the contents rattle. Some folks I spoke with thought these might be Nikki and Paulo's diamonds, but I wonder if they are white stones and a black stone like the Adam and Eve skeletons had in their possession. At some point was Ilana going to have people random draw a stone and whoever pulled the black one had to do an unpleasant task?
• Why was UnLocke so apparently upset by Desmond identifying him as John Locke? Did he believe Desmond knew the truth and was lying to him?
• Once again, UnLocke offers his hand to someone, but this time, Desmond does take it.
• Another appearance by the mysterious boy in the jungle. I'm still going with my theory that this is an older version of Aaron. And why the smile when he saw Desmond?
• Richard was obviously trying to get Hurley to say that the island is like a cork to prove Jacob was there.
• Another item off the Lost unanswered questions checklist: The whispers are those people stuck on the island who can't move on.
• Michael's apology of course was for shooting Libby immediately after shooting Ana Lucia and wounding himself when all three were in the hatch.
• The well is similar to the one outside of the Orchid Station that John Locke descended into to find the frozen donkey wheel that moved the Island.
• UnLocke's comment that something causes compass needles to spin afflicted Locke in Season 1 with his own compass.
• Poor Sun is still unable to get back together with Jin as she enters UnLocke's camp only to find Jin not there. He is still on Hydra Island.
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Libby asks Hurley if he thinks 2 people can be connected.
• Ilana tells Richard she has 4 sticks of dynamite.
• Desmond's order number at Mr. Cluck's is 42.
• Desmond answers UnLocke that he spent 3 years in the hatch pushing a button.
• Hurley brings 6 different kinds of cheeses to his picnic with Libby.
• Desmond's license plate at the beach is 4PCI264 whereas it is 2FAN321 at Ben's school.
  

Previews
Scenes from next week's "The Last Recruit" were accompanied by the audio of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka singing the song from the most unsettling scene in that movie (and this is a movie with little, orange people and I'm not talking about Snookie from Jersey Shore but Oompa Loompas - co-worker Geoff knows what I'm talking about). The creepy lyrics which fit appropriately for the coming finale are:

"There's no earthly way of knowing/Which direction we are going.
Not a speck of light is showing/So the danger must be growing.
Are the fires of hell a-glowing?/Is the grisly reaper mowing?
Yes, the danger must be growing/And they're certainly not showing/Any signs that they are slowing! "

Speaking of creepy, check out this item that no Lost fan should be without: a bobble head Claire complete with squirrel skull baby. (Yes, it's actually for sale at www.entertainmentearth.com)














Upcoming
It was recently announced that the pre-show to the series finale has been extended to two hours, now starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, May 23. We can never get enough Lost!

Blog Milestone

Well, it finally happened. The Lost and Found blog has had 10,000 hits since its inception! I know this may not be a lot compared to the activity on other blogs, but it was my goal to achieve this before the series wound to its close. I want to thank each and every one of my readers for their visits and it will be bittersweet as I type these last entries over the next six weeks. Namaste!

New Poll for the Week

To the right is this week's new poll. Cast your vote as to which pair of characters will be revealed (or will they?) as the male and female skeletons nicknamed "Adam and Eve" found in the cave.

"Happily Every After" (Season 6, Episode 11)

Wow, what an episode. I woke up this morning wondering if what I saw actually happened or had I dreamt it since it was so surreal. You can't seem to go wrong with a Desmond episode. I am curious about the title though. "Happily Ever After" is the phrase that ends most traditional fairy tales, usually preceded by "And they lived. . ." Does this imply that what we saw last night and all season of the parallel time line is all made up and not real? This title would seem more fitting to a final episode rather than one seven hours away from the series finale.

Best Line

• "I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did." Dan Widmore to Desmond.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• The transition to this time did not involve the typical flash-sideways sound and quick cut from one scene to another but instead had the point of view of moving through clouds. A hint that this episode would be a departure from previous ones.
• Desmond has his first mirror moment in the reflective surface of the airport Arrivals screen. I am still not convinced that this was the same Desmond that we saw on the plane in the season premiere.
• Desmond who has a son in the island time line correctly identifies that Claire will have one as well. It's almost as if subconsciously he knows this fact.
• George the limo drive is George Minkowski who was last seen as the radio operator on Widmore's freighter and ended up dying in Desmond's arms due to the side effects of time travel.
• George points out that Desmond isn't wearing a wedding band. The Desmond that was on the plane talking to Jack in the season premiere was wearing one.
• On the wall of Widmore's office is a painting of a scale, balanced equally with a black rock and a white rock similar to what was in Jacob's cave.
• The sailboat that Desmond is admiring in Widmore's office is a model of the same type Libby gave him for his around-the-world race that resulted in him being shipwrecked on the island.
• You know Widmore and Desmond have a better relationship in this time line since Charles offers some of his McCutcheon scotch whereas in the island time line, Widmore claimed Desmond wasn’t good enough for it.
• Desmond's second mirror moment (the first character to have two) occurs when he is reflected in the glass door of the courthouse where he is picking up Charlie.
• The recurring theme of car accidents is put to the test as Charlie carelessly crosses the street from the courthouse to the bar. It's as if he knows he cannot die.
• At the bar, Charlie expounds on the virtues of love. LOVE. The four-letter word with an E that sums up the series. According to co-creator Damon Lindelof, love is what Lost "always has been. . always will be." At first, I was as thrilled by this as I was when the island was said to be like a cork. Then, I thought about it. Love conquers all. Love makes the world go round. All you need is love. And when I considered the characters, aren't they all looking for love? Jack and Kate. Sawyer and Juliet. Desmond and Penny. Sayid and Nadia. Rose and Bernard. Daniel and Charlotte. Even the Adam and Eve skeletons.
• When Desmond tells Charlie he was on the same flight and Charlie says "trust me, you didn't see her", it once again made me question whether Desmond was actually on Flight 815.
• I presume the rapturous blond woman Charlie was describing was Claire.
• Since Charlie almost choked to death, did he have that moment of clarity where everything was illuminated and all possible futures were known much like Juliet who realized "it worked" when she died?
• Desmond's comment to Charlie that "there's always a choice" is another recurring theme of the series. Good choices. Bad choices. Different outcomes.
• The marina that the car crashes into is the same one where Desmond and Penny have their sailboat in the island time line.
• I loved the sinking car scene and the echoes to Charlies' drowning at the Looking Glass station.
• After the crash, the doctor checks Desmond's eyes similar to what the freighter doctor did to him in the episode "The Constant".
• The MRI technician asks Desmond whether he has any keys or change just as Widmore's man did prior to the test involving the big coils. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
  
• Once again, Desmond is responsible for pushing a button, in this case the panic button. The clicking sound in the MRI was like that of the hatch's countdown clock.
• Desmond recalling Penny and the birth of his son was our first, full blown moment when a parallel character remembers his other life.
• The desk nurse at St. Sebastian's hospital who wouldn't give Desmond any information on Charlie was, in the other time line, the nurse at Santa Rosa where Hurley was a patient.
• Eloise Widmore was wearing two starburst pins on her lapel of the same design as the mark branded on Juliet's lower back. This was done at Ben's request as part of commuting Juliet's death sentence in Season 3. When Desmond first met Ms. Hawking, she was wearing a circular broach of a dragon similar to an ouroboros, an ancient symbol of a dragon or serpent swallowing its own tail that signifies infinity or wholeness. Are the two identical pins that Mrs. Widmore is wearing meant to indicate the duality of the parallel time lines?
• Mrs. Widmore's comment to Desmond that "what happened, happened" is a variation on a phrase we've heard a few times.
• Penny’s last name is Milton, most likely a reference to John Milton, author of Paradise Lost. One of the first commentaries written on that work came from a man named Patrick Hume, Desmond’s last name.
• The other names mentioned on Mrs. Widmore's guest list were Stephanie Leifer (who in reality is a network executive at ABC), Mary Markey (who is an editor on Lost and who won an Emmy award for the series pilot), and Nicholas Pepper (who is director of drama programming at ABC).
  
• Contrary to George's warning, Eloise Widmore is quite pleasant and understanding initially with Desmond. It is only after he begins asking about Penny that her fury becomes evident. It is clear she is not thrilled with his pursuing this, going so far as to call it a "violation". It's as if there is some unwritten law that she feels he is breaking. I couldn't help but feel Eloise Widmore knows of the multiple time lines.
• Dan Widmore's "love at first sight" with the blue eyes and red hair is of course Charlotte. He also mentions she was eating chocolate which is something island Charlotte in her delirious state said her younger self wanted to do but her mum said it would spoil her dinner right before she died.
• The notations in Dan Widmore's notebook include "real space" and "imaginary time".
• If Penny is Dan's half sister, are we to assume Charles Widmore is the father of both but they had different mothers? If so, why is Penny's last name Milton? Was this her mother's name? Or was she married?
• The stadium where Desmond meets Penny is where island Desmond first encountered Jack and also where he said goodbye to Penny prior to going on the sailboat voyage.
• Why did the contact of shaking hands with Penny bring Desmond back to the island? And when we returned to the parallel time line after this, we did hear the traditional flash-sideways sound.
• Desmond's request for the Oceanic Flight 815 manifest and his comment of "I just need to show them something" is very intriguing. How will he convince the passengers of their other lives?
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• The episode began with the recurring image of a close-up of an eye. However, the previous close-ups were more centered straight on the person's eye and then cut away whereas this one of Desmond's was at an angle and went out of focus as the IV came into frame. Was this our first hint that the episode might be off-kilter and slightly askew?
• Widmore's reference to Desmond being shot by Ben goes back to Season 5 when Desmond was returning to the marina with groceries and Ben pulled the gun on him.
• I thought the almost imperceptible twitching of Desmond's face when he found out he was back on the island was brilliant and conveyed so much with so little.
• Widmore's comment that "the island isn't done with you yet" is exactly what Eloise Hawking previously told Desmond in the Lamp Post Station under the church in Los Angeles.
• When I heard Widmore and his people say "test", I thought I had correctly guessed the four-letter word summing up the series. Nope - another four-letter word with an E in it!
  
• Seamus tells Simmons to check out the solenoids. A solenoid is a three-dimensional coil. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create controlled magnetic fields and can be used as electromagnets. The term solenoid refers specifically to a magnet designed to produce a uniform magnetic field in a volume of space where some experiment might be carried out. (Just wanted to make sure you knew the science of Lost was accurate.)
• Another recurring image is the white rabbit. Seamus's caged bunny was named Angstrom. “Rabbit" Angstrom is the name of the main character in four novels by John Updike.
• Widmore's reference to his son who died on the island was of course Daniel Faraday.
• Another cryptic statement from Widmore when he tells Desmond that everyone will be "gone forever" if events go wrong.
• The catastrophic electromagnetic event that Desmond survived was the implosion of the Swan station. And why is this "talent" so vital to Widmore's plans?
  
• Desmond has his eyes checked by one of Widmore's people after the test not unlike the doctor who checks them in the parallel time line after the car crashing into the marina.
• Why did Sayid let Zoe go but knocked out one and broke the neck of the other of Widmore's people? And why did Desmond so happily go with him?
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Zoe tells Desmond he has been unconscious for the last 3 days.
• According to the Arrivals board, Oceanic Flight 815 arrived at 10:42 at gate 8.
• Hurley points out to Desmond that their flight's luggage is at Carousel 4.
• Charlie tells Desmond that a woman in handcuffs (Kate) was 2 rows in front of him.
• Desmond tries to convince Charlie to come with him by noting that he will be put up in a 5 star hotel.
• Charlie tries to escape Desmond in the stairwell by exiting on Floor 2 of the hospital.
  

Previews
Next week's "Everybody Loves Hugo" marks the return of Michael and since the previews showed him on the island talking to Hurley, we can only assume it is in ghost form. With the close-up of Libby's grave and Michael's involvement in her death, could she be making an appearance as well?

Upcoming
Set your DVRs for Sunday, May 23. After the one hour recap at 8 p.m. ET and the two-hour finale at 9 p.m. ET, executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof and several cast members will join Jimmy Kimmel for "Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost." The special episode will air at 11:35 p.m. ET, following the finale and local newscasts.

New Poll

On the right hand side of the page is this week's new poll: Which of the remaining candidates do you think will take over for Jacob as protector of the island? I did not include Sayid since he has been "claimed" or Locke since he is dead. I also left off Jin and Sun since as of this posting, we don't know which Kwon is the candidate.

WTF?

Why the face, Desmond? Thanks to Brian P. for the heads-up on this shot from next week's "Happily Ever After" episode.

"The Package" (Season 6, Episode 10)

You may be surprised to learn that I actually liked this Jin and Sun episode. Although not one of great revelations, nonetheless it had some nifty moments and unexpected developments, not the least of which was the reappearance of Desmond.

Best Line

• "Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley can track anything." Miles doubting Ilana's confidence in Hurley finding Richard.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• Apparently in this time line, Sun never had to learn English to escape her marriage from Jin because she had instead fallen in love with him. Presumably, this Sun also never had an affair with her English tutor.
• I'm sure the male viewers all appreciated the variation on the "button up your blouse" theme. That was to balance out all the previous shirtless Sawyer scenes.
  
• Mirror Moment of the Week: Sun fixes her hair in the hotel room mirror before answering the door. She quite clearly experienced a moment of disorientation. Interesting that this scene followed the scene of her island self being knocked unconscious and losing the ability to speak English.
• Martin Keamy is creepy once again, especially with his "Godzilla movie" comment, "Arab" remark to Omar, and clearly explaining (albeit in English) how he was going to kill Jin right to his face.
  
• If you remember, Mikhail on the island was the eye patch-wearing Other who blew up the underwater Dharma station that killed Charlie. It is obviously predestined that he should lose his right eye, here from Jin's gunshot to the face.
• Mikhail is referred to by Keamy as "Danny's friend". Is this the alternate version of Danny Pickett, the Other who was killed on the beach by Juliet in Season 3? Or could Danny be referring to Daniel Faraday, who we have yet to see in this time line?
• Keamy's comment of living "happily ever after" foreshadows the title of next week's episode.
• After talking to a few people, apparently I wasn't the only one who thought Keamy made a reference to the island when he was confining Jin to the chair in the freezer. What he said was "I'm strapping you in just in case you figure out what's about to happen to you." At least that's what the close-captioning said. But it sure sounded like he said "what's about to happen to the island." It must just be Keamy's natural oiliness oozing through.
  
• There was a sort-of mirror moment when Jin was in the freezer and the metal of the open door reflected his image.
• I wonder if Jin will take wounded Sun to Jack's hospital?
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• The night vision surveillance of the beach camp abruptly ended when they zoomed in on UnLocke.
• Sayid has almost become zombie-like in his "I don't feel anything" condition.
• The tranquilizer dart scene is reminiscent of Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley being knocked out by the Others in the Season 2 finale.
• Miles always seems to be playing games. We've seen him playing Solitaire and Tic Tac Toe at the temple and cards with Lapidus in this episode.
• UnLocke offered his hand to Sun as he had with Kate in an earlier episode, but she too avoided his touch.
• Is Sun's inability to speak English really a medical condition or did UnLocke purposely do this to her when she was unconscious?
• Room 23 where Jin was brought by Zoe is the same room in which Alex's boyfriend Karl had been captive in Season 3.
• The subliminal messages in the Room 23 experiment included "Think about your life", "We are the causes of our own suffering", and "Everything changes". Among the images were a wood-burning stove, a drafting compass, a statue of Buddha, and the moon.
• I was a little confused by why Jin's name would be on a grid map denoting pockets of electromagnetism. In the 70's, he was a security guard for Dharma. Would he have signed maps? Or did someone forge his name. Maybe Daniel Faraday who we did see at the underground drilling site in the 70's?
• UnLocke told Claire her name was not on the cave wall. However, the name Littleton was there with the number 313. Unless of course, the name refers to Aaron.
• UnLocke's comment to Claire about Kate "Whatever happens, happens" is a present tense version of Faraday's statement about changing the time line in Season 5.
• The sonic pylons were strategically arranged to prevent UnLocke from getting to the Ajira plane.
• UnLocke's comment about a wise man saying that a war was coming to the island refers to Widmore's statement when he visited the real Locke in Season 5. Once again, the Man in Black is able to access Locke's memories.
• I really liked the scene with Sun's emotional tirade in Korean while everyone stood around with no idea what she was saying.
• Zoe is a geophysicist, a scientist who studies the physical characteristics of the Earth.
• I presume the Shar Pei dog in the photos of Ji-Yeon on Sun's camera is Bpo Bpo, the same dog Jin gave Sun back in Season 1.
  
• What did Widmore mean when he told Jin that everyone "will simply cease to be" if the Man in Black is able to leave the island? The destruction of mankind? As many people asked me, so is Widmore the good guy? I'm not sure it's that black and white (no pun intended). Of course, is anyone who they seem on this show?
• As opposed to her reaction to UnLocke, Sun readily accepts Jack's outstretched hand.
• Jack really has become a different person since the lighthouse. Will he be the next protector of the island? His last name is Shephard.
• Now we know who was locked in the sub: Desmond. But why? And why did he need to be so heavily drugged? What is his significance to this, and maybe the other, time line?
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• The hotel clerk told Sun her room was on the 8th floor.
• Jin insisted on 2 hotel rooms.
• Jin's room was number 842.
• UnLocke told Claire he was 3 people shy of getting off the island.
• Sawyer started to tell Kate they could be screwed 6 ways from Sunday.
  

Previews
Next week's "Happily Ever After" features Desmond in a "deeply emotional episode that will make you smile" and "involves some surprising old friends coming back into the mix in the alternate time line and someone seeing the truth", according to eonline. I have also read that it turns out Desmond is very special and we'll soon see why he had to be brought to the island.

And does the title refer to him and Penny or a reunion of Jin and Sun? This is also the episode in which we should learn the new four-letter word with no A and an E which characterizes the series. Still sticking with TEST. Although it'll probably be something silly like GLUE or SHOE or DEER. Yes, I'm still dissatisfied with CORK.

Then in two weeks, on April 13, "Everybody Loves Hugo" features two "spirited" appearances by characters from Hurley's life on the island.

Take My First Poll!

To the right is my blog's first poll. Since I seem to be one of the few people who didn't think "Ab Aeterno" (Richard' episode) was one of the best, I'd like my readers to voice their opinion. The poll will be open until next Friday, April 2.

"Ab Aeterno" (Season 6, Episode 9)

"From eternity." "Since the beginning." "For long ages." These are all what the title of tonight's show essentially translates from Latin. Now, I may be in the minority here, but I was somewhat underwhelmed by this episode. It could be that I bought into the hype (most provided by myself in this very blog!). Or as my co-worker Scott thought, the story was so straightforward, there wasn't much for me to have to point out. And subtitles on Lost always interfere with my ability to focus on all the little details. As long-time readers of this blog know I didn't typically like the early Jin and Sun episodes for this same reason. My expectations for Richard's back story was to start with his Black Rock origins but to then move through time, stopping at various points (meeting young Ben, the Dharma purge) until the present. I wasn't necessarily crazy about the telenovelas approach. I was also hoping for a more literal four-letter word for the island, revealing what it is, and not the more metaphorical "cork".

Best Line

• "Oh, this should be interesting." Ben comment at the camp fire right before Jack is told about UnLocke.
  

Did You Notice?

• This was the first episode this season to not feature flash-sideways to the 2004 time line, but only flashbacks.
• The close-up of Ilana's eye opening is classic Lost imagery.
• Richard's rant that they're all dead and in Hell was said to throw us off. I'm not buying in to that theory. Early on, the producers stated they weren't dead and it wasn't all a dream.
• Ricardo's home island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands would, in March 1977, be the sight of the deadliest plane crash in aviation history. Two Boeing 747s collided on the runway, resulting in 583 fatalities.
• Did anyone else for a second think the Spanish priest was Cheech Marin, the actor who plays Hurley's dad?
• In prison, the Bible opens to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4, verse 37. In this chapter, Jesus has returned from his time in the desert, where he thwarted the temptation of the Devil. As verse 37 approaches, a man with a "spirit of unclean devil" challenges Jesus, who then summons the devil out of the man, much to the amazement of those present.
• The captain of the Black Rock (although we don't see him) is mentioned by Whitfield to be Magnus Hanso. This is the great-grandfather of Alvar Hanso, founder of the Dharma Initiative. Magnus is apparently killed when the ship crashes on the island as one of the officers on deck is overheard to say he is dead when Ricardo and the other slaves are below.
• Since the Black Rock destroys the four-toed statue in the late 1800's, when the Oceanic survivors were jumping through time and momentarily saw the statue intact, this obviously was at a time prior to this.
• In last season's finale, we saw Jacob and the Man in Black on the beach watching a sailing ship on calm waters under a blue sky. It was presumed to be the Black Rock. However, last night's events show a tumultuous sea with waves strong enough to lift the ship to the head of the statue and strong enough to smash through it. If Jacob is responsible for bringing people to the island, could he be behind the storm? Whereas the Man in Black has the ability to shape shift and turn into smoke perhaps Jacob's powers relate to water, including the healing pool and controlling the rain? What better way to disperse smoke than with water.
• We have previously seen the Smoke Monster "flash" when reading a person (Eko, Juliet). Is this how he knows about Isabella and is able to take her form to convince Ricardo they are dead and in Hell?
• Was the butterfly that flew into the ship's hold significant? Was it symbolic of the Butterfly Effect, which states that a small change can cause major differences over a long term? Also, immediately after, it began raining with which Ricardo tried to quench his thirst. Was this Jacob's doing?
• In Season 1, wild boars were also a problem scavenging the remains in the wreckage of Flight 815.
• The touch by the Man in Black seemed to bring Ricardo back to consciousness. Jacob did something similar to Locke when his father pushed him out the window.
• The Man in Black's comment to Ricardo, "It's good to see you out of those chains", is what UnLocke said when he first saw Richard at the statue in 2007.
• The dagger and instructions the Man in Black gave to Ricardo are the same as what Dogen gave to Sayid.
• Jacob's forceful way with Ricardo in the water to prove he wasn't dead made me think it was almost like a baptism. Plus, it was similar to what was done to Sayid at the temple.
• Jacob seemed surprised by Ricardo's comment that if Jacob doesn't step in to shape the outcome, then it's only logical that the Man in Black will. It was if he had never considered that. Is this why Jacob then involved himself in the lives of the Oceanic candidates?
• So Jacob cannot bring back the dead or absolve someone of their sins, but he can, with a touch, grant everlasting life.
  
• Jacob's gift of the white rock ties back (forward?) to the white rock on the scale in Jacob's cave that UnLocke tossed into the ocean.
• In what I like to call the "Ghost Whisperer" scene near the end, did you notice Hurley did not translate everything Isabella said but Richard seemed to hear her and even responded to her?
  
• So if the wine represents Hell, malevolence, evil, and darkness, and the cork is the island, what is the bottle itself? I think this is important since the Man in Black smashed the bottle, proving the wine can be removed without using the cork. Is the bottle mankind's resolve? Its spirit?

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Jacob told Ilena in the hospital that there are 6 people he needs her to protect.
• Ricardo's Bible opens to Chapter 4 of the Gospel of Luke.
• Whitfield explains to Ricardo that there are only 5 officers left after they are shipwrecked.
  

Previews
Next week, this episode will not be are-run at 8 p.m. Of course it's the one episode that we would want to have enhanced. Damn you, Dancing with the Stars! At 9 p.m. ET, "The Package" airs featuring Jin and Sun. In their flash-sideways, we learn something about their relationship. Did you notice that the Customs agent in the premiere referred to Sun by her maiden name? Hint, hint. I believe we will also learn from UnLocke what is needed for them to leave the island. And possibly in connection to that, it will be revealed that a female character is "expendable". Is this why we saw what appeared to be an unconscious Sun in the jungle in the previews? And does this mean the Kwon who is the candidate is in fact Jin?

Upcoming
Ready for another hint of what's to come?A new four-letter word will be revealed in two weeks which is very important. This word has no A's, one E, and as of Episode 11, it will be clear that this four-letter word is what this series is ultimately all about. It's also the word that just might end up connecting the two time lines of this season. My guess: TEST. Mankind being tested by Jacob and the Man in Black to prove our worthiness.

The fifteenth episode, airing May 11 (which I think means one week without a new episode) will focus on Jacob and the Man in Black and we should expect it to be different than the pattern of this season's other episodes.

"Recon" (Season 6, Episode 8)

The title of tonight's episode at face value seems to refer to the reconnaissance UnLocke has Sawyer do on Hydra Island, but as a pun ("re-con"), it could play on the various cons that occur throughout the episode: Jim Ford's sting operation, Zoe's fabricated story, and UnLocke's attempts to ingratiate himself to Kate. Nobody's actions can really be trusted in this episode.

Best Line

• "Well, nobody's perfect." UnLocke to Kate after she referred to him as a dead man.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• Bedding a woman for his con was previously done by Sawyer in "Confidence Man" (Jessica) and "The Long Con" (Cassidy).
  
• The woman in bed with Jim Ford is Ava and she is played by Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, who you may know as Gretchen from the TV series Prison Break.
• I like how Ava uses the nickname "Dimples" to refer to Jim. How do you like it, Jimmy?
  
• Is Ava's con man husband someone important? Someone we've seen before?
• Jim's magic word "LaFleur" is of course the alias Sawyer used with the Dharma Initiative.
• Obviously, Jim and Miles are destined to be in law enforcement as their island counterparts held security jobs with Dharma.
• Anthony Cooper (aka the real Sawyer) is Locke's father. So since Locke and he are on good terms (he's invited to Locke and Helen's wedding), are we to presume he changed his ways at some point? And does this mean Jim may be an unexpected guest at the upcoming nuptials?
• Miles' comment about his dad working at the museum indicates Dr. Pierre Chang also left the island before it submerged.
• Will we eventually see who Miles' girlfriend is? Naomi from the freighter maybe?
• If Charlotte is going on blind dates, does this mean she and Faraday are still unrequited lovers?
• We previously saw Charlotte on an archaeological dig in Tunisia when she discovered the polar bear skeleton with the Dharma collar.
• In this time line, Jim Ford chose cop over criminal, although how clean of one is up for discussion. After all, he let Kate flee airport security when he clearly saw she was handcuffed.
• The three books on Jim's dresser (which Sawyer had all read on the island) are:

1. Watership Down by Richard Adams and is often seen as a social commentary using a group of rabbits as the main characters, and chronicling their search for a new place to live after they narrowly escape the poisoning and excavation of their warren by men.
2. A Wrinkle in Time, a children's fantasy novel, written by Madeleine L'Engle, about two children, accompanied by a friend, who search through space and time for their father. It involves an evil that is expanding through the universe and multiple dimensions, culminating in a happy ending.
3. Lancelot by Walker Percy is about Lancelot Lamar, a lawyer, who, when he discovers that he is not the father of his youngest daughter, kills his wife by blowing up their house (shades of Kate). He ends up being confined in a mental institution (shades of Hurley), where he then dwells on the memories of his frightful past. There is a surrealistic element, where reality blends with delirium.

• The man looking for help at the police desk is Liam, Charlie's brother and fellow member of the band, Drive Shaft.
• Mirror Moment of the Week: Jim shatters his reflection in the locker room mirror.
  
• Sawyer had previously told Kate in Season 3 that when he was sick as a child, he watched Little House on the Prairie.
• Charles Ingalls' speech from the rerun is appropriate not only to Jim Ford's obsession with Sawyer but to the theme of Lost itself: "You can spend your whole life worrying about what's going to happen. People aren't really gone when they die, because they live in memories. Memories that sustain us until we see them again."
• Sawyer had given a sunflower to Juliet last season but with better results than what happened with Charlotte.
• "Son of a bitch" is the last line spoken in this time line (when Jim Ford catches fugitive Kate) and it is also the first spoken line of this episode in the island time line (when Sawyer burns his hand on Claire's coffee pot).
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Now we learned where Sawyer and Jin were during the temple attack: Claire's cozy (or is that crazy?) abode.
• I loved the look on Kate's face when she saw Claire's button-eyed, animal skulled substitute for Aaron. "It's all I had." Yikes.
  
• Random thought: Could children Zack and Emma, tail section survivors, end up being the Adam and Eve skeletons?
• The Hydra Station was of course where Sawyer and Kate were kept caged in Season 3 and it is the dress that Ben made Kate wear that Sawyer finds.
• I'm not sure who's the craziest right now: Sayid or Claire?
• Who did kill the Ajira passengers? UnLocke? Widmore's people? And were these folks just traveling to Guam or, like Ilana and Caesar, were they all Jacob's people on the plane with a purpose?
  
• Zoe means "life" in Greek. She is played by Sheila Kelly, who appeared in the 80's TV series L.A. Law and in real life is married to actor Richard Schiff from The West Wing.
• Kate made a point to avoid physical contact with UnLocke and didn't take his hand when he offered it.
• Zoe's whistle to her associates echoed Jim Ford's "magic word" moment to bring in reinforcements at the start of the episode.
  
• Zoe's chubby-faced associate who held Sawyer at gun point is played by Frederick Koehler, who as a child was Allie's son Chip on the 80's TV series Kate & Allie.
• Was there any truth to UnLocke's comments about his crazy mother and his "growing pains" (what's with all the old TV series references?) or was he channeling the real Locke's memories? Locke's mother spent time in the Santa Rosa Hospital (where Hurley was) for schizophrenia and he was in foster homes. Was this UnLocke's way to get sympathy and even cause Kate to be suspicious of Claire, who UnLocke probably also suggested she make nice with Kate.
• The last time Sawyer saw a sub was in 1977 when he and Juliet were trying to leave the island and start a new life.
• What is behind the locked cabin door on the sub? Or should I say who?
• Interesting how Sawyer's reference to the "bodies in the ditch" to Widmore evokes the image of the Dharma members who Ben gassed during the Purge.
• Kate's comment to Sawyer on them having rabbit for dinner is one more bunny reference in the series.
• I presume Sawyer's taking of the sub will include taking the sub captain as well. Because in addition to not being able to fly a plane, I'm pretty sure submarine piloting is not one of his skills.
  

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• The motel alarm clock reads 8:42.
• Miles says Sawyer flew back 2 days ago.
• Zoe tells Sawyer she spent 2 days dragging the bodies of the Ajira passengers out of the sun.
• Sawyer's apartment number is 245.
• Charlotte points out that Sawyer kicked her out at 3 o'clock.
• Sawyer comments on Zoe's 6 armed com padres.
  

Previews
Next week, 8 p.m. ET: enhanced version, then at 9 p.m. ET: the one we've been waiting for:"Ab Aeterno" in which we will learn Richard's back story and find out what the island is. As Richard says in the previews, "All this? It's not what you think it is." (My latest guess based on the clue of a four-letter word with an "o" is "book".) This episode which is scheduled in a 1 hour and 5 minute time slot will also mark the halfway point of the final season.

Some upcoming spoilers from eonline:

• Someone we have not yet met will have an important message for Hurley next week.
• UnLocke is going to tell Jin how he plans to get off the island and apparently it's pretty juicy.
• There is a "package" up ahead that might be the most butterfly-inducing reveal so far this season. (Faraday coming out of the locked room on the sub?)
  

"Dr. Linus" (Season 6, Episode 7)

Last week, Ben told Sayid there was still time, but Sayid answered "Not for me." Both island Sayid and Sideways Sayid could not change their destiny of being a merciless killer. This week, though we saw that there was still time for Ben.

Best Line

• "I'll have you." A very forgiving Ilana to Ben after he bares his soul and confesses his belief that only UnLocke will have him. I felt this was a very powerful moment.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• I loved Dr. Linus' lesson on Elba where Napoleon was exiled: "And it was on this island that everything changed, that everything became clear." How fitting.
• Principal Donald Lawrence Reynolds was played by William Atherton, who you may remember as the obnoxious reporter in "Die Hard" and "Die Hard 2".
  
• Maybe if Leslie Arzt knew his island self was blown up by defective dynamite, he might not complain so much about out-dated lab equipment.
• Substitute teacher Locke's comments about Dr. Linus becoming the man in charge and that it was time for a change foreshadowed UnLocke's similar statements later in the show when he told Ben he could be in charge of the island.
• The weekly moment of reflection occurred when Dr. Linus was looking at himself in the microwave's glass door.
• The kindly, gentler Dr. Linus replaces the oxygen tank for his ailing father whereas the island Ben used gas to kill him.
  
• Think about the impact on the island of Roger Linus taking his son off the island. Ben never met Richard Alpert, never gassed the Dharma folks, and never banished Charles Widmore from the island. Did Widmore stay in charge? Did he leave in this time line before the island became submerged?
• The sailing ship in the history book is very similar to the Black Rock.
• I wonder what two jobs Alex's mother, Danielle Rousseau, has?
• The school nurse's name is Kim Kondracki. Nothing important about that other than it seemed like it could be an anagram.
• When Arzt told Dr. Linus he was a real killer, Ben seemed to have a moment of deja vu as if maybe he remembered that his island self was.
• Dr. Linus telling Principal Reynolds to resign due to his indiscretions with the school nurse mirrored Ben forcing Widmore off the island due to him breaking the rules by having a family off the island, specifically a daughter with an outsider.

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Revealed in the enhanced version of last week's show, the novel Dogen was reading when Sayid confronted him was Deep River by Shusako Endo. Published in 1993, it tells the story of five Japanese people who gather on the banks of the river Ganges (which the author calls the deep river) to tell their stories of suffering & searching.
• Ilana scrounging for and collecting equipment to "build a shelter" was a cover for her true intentions of creating shackles for Ben. Her handiwork as well as her past use of Latin with Richard makes me wonder if she shares a history with him, perhaps going back to the days of the Black Rock.
• Hurley waking up in the grass made me think of the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" when he comes to in the field of enchanted poppies.
• Lots of tidbits and teases in Richard's comments for the viewers anxiously awaiting his flashback. For instance, when he appeared in the jungle and Jack asked where he had come from, Richard replied "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." And when Jack responded, "Try me", Richard put him off with "Not yet."
• The books Ben found in Sawyer's tent were Justice and Truth in Action by former British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli and The Chosen by Chaim Potok, published in 1967 which tells the story of two boys, their fathers, their friendship, and the chaotic times in which they live. As for Booty Babes, I think the title speaks for itself.
• I loved that Miles commented on the much maligned Nikki and Paulo, who he obviously got their story from the pair's buried bodies since he never met them. And are we to assume Miles did some digging since he was inspecting one of the buried diamonds at the end?
• How revealing that Jacob did in fact care for Ben based on Miles comments. However, when Ben is explaining himself to Ilana, he still thinks Jacob didn't care.
  
• Hurley was funny trying to figure out Richard's seeming immortality: Time traveler, cyborg, or vampire?
• There appeared to be some scratch marks in the post aboard the Black Rock. Maybe to mark the passage of time? Perhaps we'll find out in two weeks.
• So those touched by Jacob receive the gift of not being able to kill themselves, although others can. This might explain why Michael could run his car full speed into a wall and survive or not be able to shoot himself in the head. That is presuming Jacob touched Michael.
  
• The dynamite test pretty much confirms Jack has made the switch from a man of science to a man of faith.
• I loved the recurring theme of the characters on the beach settling in and being reunited with others while composer Michael Giacchino's stirring score plays. It's no wonder he just won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for Pixar's "Up".
• When Ben exiled Widmore from the island, he was sent away via the submarine. Now, he returns via a submarine, obviously having found the way back to the island. Passing the beach camp, Widmore is presumably heading for the submarine dock.
  

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• Dr. Linus tells his class that they will discuss chapters 5 and 6 for tomorrow.
• Principal Reynolds points out that there are only 5 students in the history club.
• Alex says her mother has 2 jobs.
  
• 3.2 million dollars was the amount of Ben's bribe to Miles.
• Miles comments on the 8 million dollars in diamonds buried with Nikki and Paulo.
  
• Dr. Linus has e-mails between Principal Reynolds and the school nurse from a 3 month period.
• Dr. Linus tells Alex he will see her at 4.
  

Previews
Next week, 8 p.m. ET: enhanced version, then at 9 p.m. ET: new episode "Recon". And then in two weeks, the one we've been waiting for: "Ab Aeterno" which is Latin for "from the beginning of time" in which we will learn Richard's back story and find out what the island is. This episode will also mark the halfway point of the final season. Upcoming: The producers recently said that Claire's son Aaron is "important" and "definitely figures into the end of the show." They also said we "will see Walt in some form again".

"Sundown" (Season 6, Episode 6)

Wow! From the amazing opening fight between Dogen and Sayid to the intense final 10 minutes in the temple, this season is bringing it.

Best Line

• "Now why'd you go and do that?" UnLocke to Sayid after being stabbed in the heart.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• The cab driver in the opening, although not seen, sounded to me like Miles. Is he not listening to stiffs in the parallel time line, but actually a working stiff?
• The theme of reflection continued in this episode with Sayid's face in the glass window of Nadia's front door.
• Sayid's brother, Omer, was first seen last season in a flashback as a young boy. In the scene, he was unable to kill a chicken for his father and young Sayid had to do it.
• Dr. Jack is seen walking in the hospital corridor when Sayid and Nadia rush in.
• The license plate number on Nadia's mini-van is 2SAQ321, the same as on Jack's jeep. I'm guessing this is a production error and that the show only has so many California license plates in Hawaii where the show is filmed.
• Omar the thug who forces Sayid into the SUV was one of the freighter mercenaries on the island last season.
• The restaurant kitchen where Sayid is taken is the same one where Naomi recruited Miles to go on the freighter with her.
• Martin Keamy, who was the lead freighter mercenary and killed Ben's daughter, was even more creepy in this time line with his ice blue eyes and unusually white teeth.
• How did Jin get from the airport customs office to the kitchen storage locker? Was the money in his suitcase intended for Keamy or his boss (Charles Widmore maybe?) and it was confiscated so Keamy beat him and tied him up?
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Dogen refers to man's scale of good and evil not unlike the actual scale that was in Jacob's cave. Co-worker Dean pointed out to me that when he said good, Dogen gestured with his bare hand and when he said evil, he used his black-gloved hand.
• Now we know the significance of the baseball.
• With UnLocke and Claire at the temple, where are Sawyer and Jin? I wouldn't be surprised if UnLocke sent Sawyer on to the frozen donkey wheel. Both Ben and Locke used this to leave the island in the past so perhaps UnLocke will do so as well.
• Dogen referred to UnLocke as "an angry man" who was "trapped" but now that Jacob is gone, he is "free". He also described him as "evil incarnate". Ah, yeah.
• Dogen's dagger appeared to be made of silver. In folklore, weapons of silver are often used to kill supernatural creatures, such as silver bullets for werewolves.
• When UnLocke pulled the dagger from his chest, it was clean with no blood.
• The song Claire is singing in the hole is "Catch a Falling Star". We first heard mention of this song in the series when she asked the prospective adoptive parents if they were promise to sing this to her baby because her father (Christian) sang it to her. It was also heard later as the song the mobile played in the Dharma nursery and again when Kate sang it to Aaron after they returned from the island.
• Dogen's 12-year old son was first seen last week in the parallel time line at the music conservatory auditions.
• Dogen's car accident is the latest in this recurring theme: Michael's hit and run, Kate's as she tried to escape from the hospital, Claire and her mother's to name a few.
• Jacob's request of Dogen to guard the temple in exchange for saving his son made me think of the biblical story of God testing Abraham by asking him to kill his son Isaac. Isaac coincidentally would become the father of Jacob and Esau - perhaps the Man in Black's real name?
• Sayid drowned in the temple pool and came back to life. Could the same happen with Dogen? However, I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of Lennon with the slit throat.
• The hieroglyph tile on the temple hallway wall that Ilana pushes to open the secret passage is a Shen ring. The Shen ring is an ancient Egyptian symbol of eternity and protection. In ancient Egypt, the Shen ring also represented dual concepts of time: the cyclic line of periodicity and lineal time.
• The use of Claire's lullaby over the scenes of the smoke monster's destruction at the temple was especially haunting.
• What was going through UnLocke's head when he saw Kate join his group?
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Miles told Sayid he was dead for 2 hours.
• Sayid told Nadia that the kids went to bed 2 hours ago.
  

Previews
As usual, this episode will be rerun next week as the enhanced version at 8 p.m. ET. Next week's new episode is titled "Dr. Linus". It sounds as if we'll see what Ben Linus, European history teacher, is up to while island Ben appears to be at the island cemetery digging up someone (Locke?). Next week is the first of the final 10 episodes that lead up to the two-hour finale on Sunday, May 23.

In three weeks, we can expect to see Richard Alpert's back story. We'll learn why Richard doesn't age and that it is due to a request (I'm guessing from Jacob). It is also in this episode that Jacob reveals to Richard (and the viewers) what the island is. Last week, I told you the first clue was that it is a four letter word with no E or A. Now I've learned it does have an O. So much for the island being a SHIP! My co-worker Judy is adamant the answer will be VOID, which among the word's many definitions, can refer to a place between parallel worlds.

In other upcoming episodes, we will see the return of Faraday's love, Charlotte. She is returning "in a very big way" and she will be "very close to a male lead". Could she be the mother of Jack's son David and not Juliet? She also has piercing blue eyes. (Juliet makes more sense to me based on Jack and Juliet's lives on the island.) We will also find out if Desmond really was on the plane in the season premiere. And, although we won't see Desmond for a while, when we do, Penny will be at his side.

And last but by no means least, episode 15 (third from the final one) is set in a time and place that you have never seen on a network series before. And if that isn't enough to get you thinking, none of the series regulars are in the episode! I'm thinking distant past, maybe Biblical times, with it being Jacob and the Man in Black's back story.

Some "Spoilers" from Lost Producers

At Sunday night's annual William Paley television festival, there was a panel discussion of Lost and producers/writers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof responded to questions. (Although vague, some may consider these spoilers.)

The answer is “yes” to the following: Will Richard and Ilana exchange some words soon? Do some of the characters’ last names have significance, particularly Jack’s? Is Jack married to someone we’ve met before? Was Jacob telling the truth when he said someone was coming to the island? Will we learn more about Hurley and Libby’s connection? Will we see Vincent and Charlie again? Will we learn if Desmond was really on the plane?

The answer is “no” to the following: Will we get a conclusion to the story of Ben’s love, Annie? Will there be a DVD release of the show in chronological order?

The answer is “maybe” to the following: Will the jungle bird that seemingly called out Hurley's name be explained? Will we see Walt again?

The answer is “no comment” to the following: Will we learn why women can’t have babies on the island?

Radio silence: After being bombarded with questions about the show for six years, Cuse said they do not plan on commenting on the series finale after it airs.

Final spoiler from Lindelof: The word he would use to describe the final three hours of the series is “water.”

"Lighthouse" (Season 6, Episode 5)

Another good episode! Not as good as Locke's last week but certainly better than Kate's. And like Kate's, this episode could be viewed as a companion to a season 1 episode, in this case "White Rabbit". In that one, Jack struggled with daddy issues as well, but here he is in the role of father.

Best Line

• "And I just lied to a samurai." Hurley to Jacob.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• The photo of Jack with his parents has his dad in a white suit, his mom in a black dress, and between them, Jack is in a tux (black and white). The black/white theme continues.
• On the island, Juliet removed Jack's appendix whereas in this time line, it was done when Jack was a boy. But why was Jack surprised to see the scar?
• Jack's son is named David, a common name in the Lost universe. It was also the name of Hurley's dad, Hurley's friend at the sanitarium who later appeared on the island, Desmond's middle name, and Libby's husband.
• Jack mentions the Red Sox to David, a baseball team repeatedly referenced in past seasons.
• David has the book, The Annotated Alice. Jack was reading Alice in Wonderland to Aaron when he and Kate were together after the Oceanic Six returned to Los Angeles. Lewis Carroll's books were also the inspiration for the title of the Season 1 episode "White Rabbit" and the Looking Glass Station, which featured a white rabbit in the Dharma logo.
• Jack's comment to David about "Kitty" and "Snowdrop" were Alice's (recurring theme alert!) black and white cats from Through the Looking Glass.
• Could David have been listening to Driveshaft when he told Jack it was a band his father wouldn't have heard of?
• Among the liquor bottles when Margo Shephard pours herself a drink is a red-labeled bottle of MacCutcheon whiskey, the preferred drink of Charles Widmore and Locke's dad, Anthony Cooper.
• I get the impression that this time line's Jack has not taken up excessive drinking. However, his mother's relief at Jack not drinking is that perhaps Christian still had.
• Since Claire is named in Christian's will, are we to believe that he still had the affair in Australian resulting in Claire's conception? Because Christian was dead when the time line reset, could his past not change?
• We are conspicuously not told the name of David's mother, presumably Jack's ex-wife. Is it Sarah as in the original time line or is the actress too busy being the mom on "Modern Family"? You may remember Jack "met" Sarah in the emergency room when she had been involved in a car accident. Jack choose to save her over the other victim, who turned out to be Shannon's father, Adam Rutherford, who died. Will we find out in this time line, Jack instead saved Adam? And if so, what did this mean to Shannon's life? It was recently announced that the actress Maggie Grace has agreed to return to the show so perhaps we'll find out. If David's mother is not Sarah, then could we perhaps see Juliet in this role? And was she out of town because she was visiting her sister or applying for a job in Portland?
• The stone rabbit hiding the house key to David's mother's house is similar to one seen also hiding a key to the apartment of the dead man that young Miles "talks" to in his flashback last season. Rabbits are another recurring theme. Whether mentioned in an episode title, featured in a Dharma logo, or used in time travel experiments, these animals have been referenced throughout the past five seasons.
• This season's theme of characters in front of a mirror (or should I say looking glass?) continues with Jack in front of the mirror in David's bedroom.
• The sheet music in David's room and what he plays for his audition is Chopin's "Fantasie-Impromptu". The popular song "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" uses the melody from this composition. This is the same musical piece that young Daniel Faraday was practicing last season in his flashback.
  
• Inside the Williams Conservatory, a sign reads "Welcome All Candidates".
• Did you get the impression that Dogen (like Desmond in the season premiere) was in this time line for a reason and knew of what has happened in the original time line?
• Dogen tells Jack his son has "a gift" not unlike Walt and young Locke being told they were "special".
• Jack's confession to David that Christian once told him "you don't have what it takes" connects back to the earlier scene on the island when Jack is told by Hurley that "Jacob says you have what it takes."
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Although the characters have had literal (and essentially figurative) reflection in the 2004 time line, we also see island Jack contemplating his reflection in the temple's - for lack of a better term - reflecting pool and again in the lighthouse mirrors.
• Is it significant that Miles and Hurley continually tied when playing tic-tac-toe?
• Apparently Jacob has visited the temple before because he knows where the kitchen is.
• I liked Hurley's comparison of Jacob to Obi-Wan Kenobi, who after his death in Star Wars appeared in ghostly form to Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi to provide guidance.
• Jin regaining consciousness in Claire's makeshift hut reminded me of Sayid coming to in Rousseau's abode.
• How true is Claire's statement that "the one thing that will kill you is infection."
  
• Claire has jungle fever and I'm not talking about the Spike Lee kind. She's got dynamite (possibly from the Black Rock?) , does to Justin the Other what Jack Nicholson did to Scatman Crothers in The Shining, and don't get me started on that creepy baby facsimile she created. I'm just hoping that skull didn't come from Vincent the dog!
• I was thrilled to see the return of the skeletons from Season 1. Although I don't think they'll turn out to be Jack and Hurley as Hurley proposes osince Jack had first identified them as one male and one female. Is this the fate of Rose and Bernard who were last seen "retired" and living in the jungle?
• I liked Jack's question of why none of them had seen the lighthouse before this. The island works in strange and mysterious ways, Jack.
• Justin the Other tries to remind Claire that after she was tested, she apparently didn't escape the temple as she thinks she did. Was she released or bodily removed instead?
  
• The images Jack sees in the lighthouse mirror are the pagoda where Sun and Jin were married, the church where young James Ford attended his parents funeral, and Jack's childhood home. The first two scenes coincide with Jacob's appearances at these events, however, he saw Jack at the hospital. Could Jacob have first visited Christian Shephard as a candidate? Since only last names are written on the lighthouse wheel, this could be. It also appears as if the Shephard name was bolder as if written a second time.
• Did anyone else think of the practice of placing ashes on the forehead for Ash Wednesday when Jacob pointed out to Hurley that he had ink on his forehead?
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Jack's mother says he was 7 or 8 when he had his appendix removed.
• Jin asks Claire if she has been in the jungle for 3 years.
• Hurley asks Jack to wait 10 seconds while planning to leave the temple for their jungle trip.
• The street address number of David's mother's house is 233.
• The lighthouse has 4 mirrors.
  
• Hurley has to set the lighthouse wheel to 108 degrees.
• Jack wants Hurley to set it to 23 degrees.
• Tonight's episode coincidentally (?) was the 108th produced hour of "Lost".
  

Numbers and Names (I felt I needed to separately note the inscriptions on the lighthouse wheel.)

• 108 Wallace - Is this the someone that Jacob said is coming to the island?
  
• 51 Austen - More than likely Kate and her last name was not crossed out nor were 15 Ford (James), 16 Jarrah (Sayid), and 23 Shephard.
  
• Notable names: 20 Rousseau (as in crazy French lady), 58 Burke (Juliet), 101 Faraday, 104 Lewis (Charlotte?), 109 Friendly (as in Tom the Other), 117 Linus (Ben), 124 Dawson (Michael?)
  
• Other names (in case yours is listed, faithful readers): 17 Barnes, 19 Nyugen, 21 McHenry, 24 Kluxen, 25 Asher, 33 Novak (Mike and Marilyn, is there something you're not telling me?), 34 Grimaldi, 107 Hanson (not Hanso), 111 Klein, 112 Horton, 115 Bargas, 119 Almeida (24's Tony again?), 122 Moorehead
  

Once again, this episode will be rerun next week as the enhanced version at 8 p.m. ET. I am not so much intrigued by what is said about a scene (since I have found that I blogged about it the week before!) but what scenes have no comments whatsoever. For instance, this week, no pop-ups regarding the boy in the jungle. Can't give anything away just yet, I'm guessing.

Next week's new episode is titled "Sundown". Is there a double meaning here? Is Sun the female shown falling in the brief previews (Sun down)? I also saw Dogen forcing Sayid on the ground of the temple and another scene of Sayid in the jungle with a big knife. In two weeks, the episode "Dr. Linus" airs, which should make the European history teachers who read my blog happy (you know who you are!).

I have also read on-line that mid-season we will discover what the island actually is. The clue given (sort-of SPOILER ALERT!) is that it is a four-letter word with no A or E. My immediate thought was SHIP. If my alien theory is correct, then perhaps a spaceship. Of course, I just hope the producers answer the most pressing question of all: Whatever happened to Jack's chest hair conspicuously missing again in this episode?

"The Substitute (Season 6, Episode 4)

The title of tonight's episode, "The Substitute", is perfect with its double meaning: Locke the substitute teacher in 2004 and the Man in Black/Smoke Monster substituting for the real Locke. Actor Terry O'Quinn gave another amazing performance as the two incarnations. This episode was so far above last week's.

Best Line

• "This is the weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to." Lapidus mumbling to himself after Ben's eulogy/murder confession.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• In the original timeline, Helen (Katey Sagal from "Married with Children") had broken up with Locke over his obsession with his father. Here, things are much different. She and Locke are planning on getting married and Locke's dad is even invited to the wedding. With this being the case, it's likely Locke had not been pushed out an eighth floor window and his paralysis was caused by some other trauma.
• Since Helen mentions that the wedding is planned for October, I have to believe that the date of 10/22/04 on Claire's ultrasound picture last week was an error. If not, this would mean Locke and Helen would be getting married in less than 10 days. I do not believe Helen would have then referred to the upcoming nuptials as "in October" but "this month" or "at the end of the month". And I don't think Locke would have gone to Australian so soon to the date. I believe then that Flight 815 arrived on 9/22/04 as originally scheduled and we're dealing with an error on the prop picture and not a timeline deviation.
• The coffee cup Locke is drinking from in the bathtub is black on one side and white on the other. This has been a recurring theme since the pilot when Locke explained backgammon to Walt and Claire dreamed of Locke with one white eye and one black eye.
• Helen's comment on destiny ties into this season's theme. What is meant to happen will happen.
• Randy was not only Locke's boss in the original timeline but also Hurley's at the chicken restaurant.
  
• The nickname of "Colonel" that Randy calls Locke refers to Locke spending his lunchtime playing the board game of Axis and Allies as seen in Season 1.
• In Locke's cubicle, there are pictures of Locke and Helen on a beach and another of Locke (with hair) and his dad out hunting. In both cases, it appears Locke is standing, indicating his injury occurred after these pictures were taken.
• Hurley's Humvee is the same as he had in the original timeline when he took his mother to see her new house (right before it caught on fire).
  
• This time line's Hurley's good luck continues as Locke's attempt to scratch his Hummer fails when the ramp jams.
• The box of personal items that Locke has on his lap in the parking lot contains a statue of a polar bear.
• Hurley also owned the box company in the original timeline.
• The word "dream" appears predominately on two of the job posters in the temp agency.
• The temp agency woman is the same actress who played the fortune teller Hurley visited in Season 3.
• Nadler is Rose's married name so presumably she and Bernard are still together in this timeline.
• Locke's alarm clock sounds very similar to the Hatch's alarm when the countdown clock had ticked down.
  
• This season's theme of parallel timeline characters in front of mirrors continues with Locke and his bathroom mirror. Although, he is not seen actually looking at himself.
  
• Helen's t-shirt has the phrases "Peace and Karma" and "Joy and Tranquility" on it.
• Any significance to Helen wearing black fingernail polish?
  
• Now that Locke is teaching biology does that make him a "man of science"?
• How funny to see Ben as a European history teacher complaining about an empty coffee pot! How the mighty have fallen.
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• The smoke monster sounded very roller coaster-ish as it moved over the island.
• Smokey could be seen in the reflection of the Dharma cabin's window.
• The song Sawyer was listening to was "Search and Destroy" by Iggy Pop and the Stooges. The song is about a "forgotten boy" who wants someone to "save my soul".
• Did the blond-haired boy run away before Richard could see him or was he truly only visible to UnLocke at that moment and later to Sawyer? And what was the significance of the literal blood on his hands?
• Will the ashes of Jacob that Ilena took from the fire pit serve the same purpose as the other ash does?
• I strongly believe that the boy in the jungle is an older version of Aaron. His eyes and mouth were strongly reminiscent of Claire's. The producers have previously said that Aaron is a key to the mystery of the island. I would also not be surprised if Aaron and Jacob turn out to be one and the same due to some crazy space/time circularity.
• Is Aaron's reminder to UnLocke that the rules state he "can't kill him" referring only to Sawyer or all of the candidates? We already know that UnLocke was unable to kill Jacob and needed to trick Ben into doing it.
  
• UnLocke's exclamation "Don't tell me what I can't do!" was exactly what Locke told the walkabout tour guide in Season 1. Does this mean some of Locke's personality still can influence UnLocke?
• In Season 3, we saw Sawyer reading John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in prison and he later referenced it to Ben, who quoted from it. The book was published in 1937. Since we saw the Man in Black 140 years earlier on the beach with Jacob in last season's finale, this definitely would be "after his time" as UnLocke puts it.
• Since we have seen the smoke monster become Christian, Eko's brother, and Alex, why is he now "trapped" and "struck" in Locke? Is this due to the death of Jacob?
• The hill of graves where Locke is buried contains the remains of Boone, Shannon, Ana Lucia, and Libby as well as other casualties of the island.
• Both the bamboo and rope ladders led to Jacob's cave, in other words, Jacob's ladder. Biblically, Jacob's Ladder is a ladder to Heaven, described in the Book of Genesis, which the patriarch Jacob envisioned during his flight from his brother Esau (who some believe is the name of the Man in Black). A Jacob's Ladder has significance in both the Jewish and Christian religions, having many interpretations, among them that it is a bridge between Heaven and Earth. Saint John Climacus (also known as John of the Ladder) wrote a book called "Ladder of the Divine Ascent" which uses Jacob's Ladder as an analogy for the ascetic life. (Interesting then that "John" and Sawyer descended it.) It is frequently read by Orthodox Christians during the season before Easter. This episode aired the night before the start of non-Orthodox Lent Ash Wednesday. Jacob's Ladder is also the title of a movie starring Tim Robbins about a man who experiences an entire series of events that then turns out to have been (SPOILER ALERT) a hallucination as he lie dying. Jacob's experiences appear to have been a form of Purgatory in which he releases himself from his earthly attachments.
• The scale with the white and black rocks again carry through the theme of light and dark, good and evil. The scale is balanced until UnLocke removes the white stone. The inside joke that UnLocke refers is apparently the representation of the white rock as Jacob and UnLocke pitching it into the ocean symbolic of Jacob's death.
• We finally know the significance of the Numbers: 4-Locke, 8-Reyes, 15-Ford, 16-Jarrah, 23-Shephard, and 42-Kwon. That, and Jacob likes numbers. Although Kate as a child had been "touched" by Jacob like the others, why was her name not included? And UnLocke says he doesn't know if Kwon refers to Jin or Sun, but Jacob touched them both. Does this mean they're candidates as a pair? Are they the Adam and Eve skeletons from the cave in Season 1?
• Other names on the ceiling included 10-Faraday and 313-Littleton (Claire). Less well known names: 291-Domingo, 222-O'Toole, 119-Almeida (perhaps an inside joke referring to "24" character Tony Almeida who went from good guy to bad guy and whose TV wife also played Ethan Rom's mom), 90-Troupe, and 10-Mattingley (which may be a reference to Don Mattingly, who played as number 23 for the New York Yankees, which has retired jersey numbers for all of Lost's numbers coincidentally).
• How much of what UnLocke told Sawyer can we believe? That these names refer to candidates for protector of the island? Yes. That the island is nothing but an island. No.
• And if the Man in Black is so powerful, why do he and Sawyer need to leave the island together? I'm reminded of Star Trek 5 (probably the worst in the series thanks to director William Shatner), where "God" supposedly needs the Enterprise to get him off of the planet where he is marooned. Dr. McCoy questions the supposedly omnipotent being: "Why does God need a starship?"
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• 823 is on the side of the airline cargo box which carried Locke's body.
• Substitute teacher Locke tells his students to turn to chapter 4 in their textbooks.
• UnLocke informs Sawyer that he has 3 choices.

Next week, this episode will be replayed as the enhanced version (comments along the bottom of the screen) at 8 p.m. ET followed by the new episode, "Lighthouse" which features Jack.