LA X - Drawing Sides

Just like in season one, Jack finds himself back on Oceanic 815 sitting next to Rose and getting an extra drink from Cindy the flight attendant - only this time he gets one bottle of vodka, not two. And Desmond is on the plane with them! And what's with that cut on Jack's neck? Welcome to our first flash sideways. Incredibly, I first used that phrase in September, so it was a thrill to hear Damon Lindelof describe it that way after the show!


Before the big premiere, I predicted that (much like the Oceanic 6) we'd see the LA X (as in ten) land safely and carry on new lives. We saw: Locke, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid, Rose & Bernard, Jin & Sun, Boone, Charlie, Desmond, Claire...well OK. That didn't work out.

So what's with the X? A variable? I think LA X is a comic book joke, referring to the fact that they didn't land in the LA they knew - it's a slightly different world. LA plus an X factor.

Something is way off, but in another way things are back to usual. We start our season with a Jack episode, and as usual Jack needs to fix something. On the plane he's not quite sure what it is. Saving Charlie? On the Island, he can't quite pull it off - Juliet is dead and the Losties didn't land in LA like they had hoped. Much like Locke & Ben before him, Jack is facing a crisis of faith. He's transitioned from the Man Of Science into the Man Of Faith, but it didn't get him where he expected to go. I feel like we're really getting at the heart of the Jack character and he's totally stymied - after months of Live Together Die Alone he had an awesome "Who cares" rebirth as a slacker in the 1970s. Then Jack thought he had found his purpose - to carry out Daniel's plan and reverse all the suffering. He fought, and people died, for the idea that he could set it all right. Boy was he wrong.

Just as Daniel once said, "What Happened, Happened" and the Losties couldn't change the past. Instead, they created a pocket universe where "Jack X" "Kate X" and the rest live out parallel lives. In that tiny universe (think Donnie Darko), not only did they prevent the creation of the Swan Hatch and the crash of 815, they totally altered the DHARMA Initiative and the lives of everyone connected to the Island. Maybe Jack never saved Sarah, and since the Island sank Penny was never born and never met Desmond, so Jack & Des never met that night running steps in the stadium. In season two when they met in the Swan, Jack and Desmond recognized each other immediately - now they are barely remembered fragments of another life. What will happen to this universe - will it converge with true time, or will it collapse and threaten all of reality?

There was so much great stuff in this episode. I loved the start with deaf Kate in a tree - totally awesome stuff. The sound design was incredible (and Evangeline Lily belongs in a tree!) and I was also psyched to see pissed off Sawyer. Josh Holloway totally delivered. Some of the lines they fed him weren't great (I'm going to kill him!!) but some scenes were pure gold. I loved crazy manipulator Kate touching his arm and trying to "be there for him" but Sawyer totally shut her down. Then he brought Miles along for some tough work and major emoting. It was great to see Sawyer fightin' mad and kicking ass left and right - from booting Jack into a pit to taking out four Others single-handedly - but I also liked how sensitive and raw he was. He was just torn up when Miles told him Juliet's last thought wasn't a sweet romantic thought about Sawyer. She was thinking, "it worked", and she would never have to meet Sawyer after all. So what else never happened?


Damon Lindelof called the characters arrogant for believing that they would only change one thing by detonating Jughead - what they did in 1977 changed a lot more than the crash of Oceanic 815. Where were passengers Libby, Micheal & Walt, Mr. Eko, Ana Lucia, Nikki & Paulo, etc? Also, Charlie X behaved totally differently, and so did Rose and Bernard. Shannon was missing (this was due to a scheduling conflict, but hey what are you gonna do?) Most drastically, Sun X was not married to Jin X at all and doesn't speak any English - she never had that affair in this universe. The customs agent calls her "Ms. Paik" not "Mrs. Kwon" and they don't have any wedding rings. In this univers Kate X is still a fugitive and she runs into Claire X in a taxi. (Is this an opportunity for course correction? Will Kate deliver Aaron in this universe too?) It's also interesting that Cindy was on the plane in this timeline - will her experience as an Other help her "remember" the pocket universe? Could that bridge some connection?

Meanwhile, as all this unfolds in an imaginary side universe, there's a war building on the Island. Two sides (or more?) are bringing together their forces for a conflict over...what? Who's even on what side? It seems that Jacob and his Nemesis represent a duality - black and white, Fate and Free Will. So, on one side we have Jacob who has just been killed but somehow lives on, thanks to the Island. Obviously Richard Alpert is on Jacob's side, along with Ilana and Bram (til he gets killed) and Ben sorta. They've all been trying to recruit people, from Locke to Miles. It's now clear that Fake Locke is literally the Smoke Monster (as speculated way back in April 2009). But is he on a side all his own?

I'm not sure if Charles Widmore counts as "the other side" in this war. Once married to the Leader of the Others, and then Leader himself, Widmore was deposed by Ben in the late 1980's and has been struggling to get back to the Island. His team included Matthew Abbadon, who threatened Hurley, and sent Locke on his walkabout and later drove him around as Jeremy Bentham. Also Naomi, who had to work together with Charlotte, Lapidus, Daniel Faraday and Miles. Keamy and the freighter folk seemed pretty evil, but those who ended up traveling with the Losties seemed OK. They were even fated to travel to the Island. In fact Miles, Charlotte and Daniel had all lived there before - did Frank Lapidus as well? What's his story? But none of them really seems to be on the side of the Nemesis.


So back to the Smoke Monster. Like Ammit from Egyptian myth, it casts judgment and carries out a death sentence. The Monster takes the form of a wisp of smoke, a dark cloud, the Man in Black and the dead of the Island. Speculation has it as everything from Christian Shephard to Kate's black horse. From the spider that bites Nikki and Paulo to Walt's dog Vincent. Who knows. It does seem like the Others have a burial ceremony designed to protect from being taken by Smokey - they send a burning pyre out to sea.

The Monster manipulated Locke using the image of Christian Shephard, and took advantage of Locke to bring Ben to his lowest point. Ben saw Locke take his place as the favored one, and finally turned over leadership of the Others and left the Island. The Monster was able to twist the situation until he put Ben in a position to finally kill Jacob and close the loophole. The Smoke Monster presides over the world of the dead, so what will become of Jacob?

I thought it was pretty cool how this episode gave the Speakers of the Dead their moment in the sun. Both Hurley and Miles can talk to the dead, and had an opportunity to really take advantage here. It was a great reaction from Miles when Sawyer asked him to help bury Juliet , and I loved the exchange calling Sawyer "boss". But it went up a notch when Sawyer cornered Miles, who was all "that's why you brought me?!" Just to speak to the dead. Totally cool how you could hear the sounds of the Monster while Miles used his powers. And meanwhile, Hurley proved his talent is truly something special by meeting Jacob for the first time - about an hour after Jacob was murdered. It seems to me that Jacob planned to get killed, and having Hurley there is part of his plan. So the next step of sending them all to the Temple is what it's really all about.


Guarding the Temple is a new group of Others led by Dogen with his interpreter Lennon. It's not really clear whether this is part of the same group that's with Richard at the Statue, or whether they're the opposition. But it is totally clear that Jacob wanted Sayid taken there for a good reason. What's up with Jacob's list - the one hidden in an ankh and found by Dogen? I think it's a list of names and numbers. Locke = 4, Jacke = 8, Kate = 15, and so on. Daniel theorized that humans were variables in an equation, and he was almost right - they're the constants! Each of these people represents a fundamental value of the Valenzetti Equation and their destinies are tied to the fate of all human kind. So, when Sayid finally sits up after being declared dead we should breathe a sigh of relief. But what if that isn't Sayid?

The spring inside the Temple has gone dark. When Dogen slashes his hand and puts it in the water, it fails to heal him. They don't even seem concerned when Sayid stops struggling, and they deposit his body on the side. And am I crazy, or did the spring start running clear after that? Was the water primed with a soul, ready to take over a body?


With the Monster able to take on the form of the dead on the Island, my first thought was that he would take over Sayid too. But isn't the Monster still in the form of John Locke? And Sayid was revived at the behest of Jacob - so I'd guess Jacob's the one using Sayid's form. Will this lead to the reveal that there are two monsters - one white, one black? This has been a theory ever since Locke said he saw the heart of the Island and "it was beautiful!" But Mr. Eko said, "that is not what I saw."

One thing you can count on with Lost is a "game changer" moment where what you thought was happening isn't what's really happening - and the entire season can flip over. Who's good and who's bad - or does it even really matter? To quote a great movie, "There aren't good guys and bad guys, it's just a bunch of guys!"

For now, they're all running around shooting off flares and pouring rings of ash for protection. I'd guess we'll get into the conflict pretty quickly next week. That will be a Kate episode - "What Kate Does". Yuck.

Down the road we can probably expect "Everbody Loves Hugo" and other spins on previous episode titles. And traditionally the third episode was Locke-centric. Wonder what will happen?
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Lost: Favorite Scenes

This week's awesome Lost poster reminded me of one of my favorite scenes, and why I like it so much. It's a scene so important it has been featured on the show not once, not twice, but three separate times in three separate seasons!



Let's hop in the Wayback Machine, and set coordinates for March 2005, the last part of season one. This was the 41st day on the Island, and Locke was desperate to believe that the Hatch he found was special. Locke has a vision of the Beechcraft plane crashing, a vision he believes is a sign from the Island - proof that he is "special" and that coming to the Island is his destiny. On his way to find the plane, Locke loses his ability to walk. It seems like the Island has taken back its gift to John, and he's unable to approach the Beechcraft, so he sends Boone in his place. Of course, the plane couldn't take Boone's weight and it falls, fatally injuring Boone. That night, John is unable to face the rest of the survivors and explain himself. Miserable, alone, and doubting his faith, Locke stumbles into the jungle and pounds on the Hatch. "I've done everything you wanted me to do, so why did you do this to me?" And at that moment, a light comes on in the Hatch. Cut to black. That's not all of the scene, but viewers would have to wait over a year to see more.


On May 24, 2006 the explosive season two finale showcased John Locke's crisis of faith and revealed the history of the man in the Hatch. Desmond lived in the Swan Hatch for over three years, and on September 24, 2004 he failed to press the button and caused a system failure. When the Swan went into overload, the electromagnetic power pulled Oceanic 815 out of the air. John Locke awoke to discover he could walk again. Meanwhile, Desmond feared that everyone on the outside of the Hatch was killed, and the world might have been destroyed. After three years trapped on the Island, and now over three months since the system failure pushing the button alone, Desmond is contemplating suicide. He sits with a bottle of whisky, a gun and a book. He's a fan of Charles Dickens and has read every book but his last, Our Mutual Friend. Desmond carries a copy intended to be the last book he ever reads. Penny knows how important that book is, and before Desmond is sent to military prison, she hides a letter inside. It falls out now, and Desmond finally reads it:

"All we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us.
And you have her. I will wait for you.
Always.
I love you, Pen"

At this moment, everything comes crashing down on poor Desmond. He knows that Penny still loved him, but fears everything is already lost. "It's all gone", he yells as he trashes the room. But then he hears a sound: Pounding on the Hatch. A voice: "I've done everything you wanted me to do, so why did you do this to me?" Desmond turns on a light and realizes there are still people, and he may be saved. He goes on pushing the button, and later tells John "You saved my life brother, so I could save yours." Desmond then turns the failsafe key and destroys the Swan Hatch. This sets into motion the events that lead to the rescue of the Oceanic 6, and the death of Jacob. And there's still more to the scene.


On February 4, 2009 the season five episode "The Little Prince" featured Sawyer, Locke, Juliet, Miles, Charlotte, and Daniel skipping in time. For them, it has been over 100 days since the crash of Oceanic 815. The group skips away from 1954 and begins traveling through the jungle - the date is now November 1, 2004. At this moment John Locke is pounding on the Hatch and Desmond is inside contemplating suicide. A light shines into the night sky as the group passes. Miles asks, "What's that light?" "We better stay clear of it", says Locke. Later, Sawyer guesses why Locke wanted to avoid the light, and asks him if he wants to go back there, "tell yourself to do things different, save yourself a world of pain." "No," says John. "I needed that pain, to get to where I am now."


What a moment. It encapsulates so much of what's great about Lost: it's about fate vs. free will, and not mistaking coincidence for destiny (or vice versa!) It asks whether there's a meaning to everything we do, or only what we make of it ourselves? And it's about redemption - earned with self awareness and by taking responsibility for our actions, not through divine intervention.

There's even more I could write about this moment, including who or what was influencing John Locke, its connection to the death of Boone at the same time as the birth of Aaron, Saywer's moment of anguish in the jungle missing Kate and more. And there are tons more incredible scenes throughout the series. I'd love to hear some other favorites.
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Lost: It's The Little Things

There are dozens of mysteries that have cropped up on Lost over the years. Some have been answered: How did Locke end up in a wheelchair? Who was in the coffin at the end of season three and why? Some have not been answered: What are the Whispers and Smoke Monster? Why do pregnant mothers die on the Island? And some answers were really disappointing: the meaning of Jack's tattoo was revealed in season three's Stranger in a Strange Land - a low point for the series. So low in fact, that this single episode is credited with convincing ABC heads that Lost producers needed an end date. Finally, some mysteries do get answered but you have to go looking for the answers yourself.


One such mystery is the construction project from season three that Sawyer & Kate were forced to work on. They spent days breaking rocks and clearing debris. In the final episode of season three, Juliet reveals to Sawyer that the project was a runway. But what was the runway for? "For the aliens," says Juliet. "I don't know what for, do you think they told me everything?"

Well, the answer has been revealed, but you may have missed it. That runway was constructed as a landing strip for Ajira 316! After the plane hits some turbulence, it seems to bounce through time briefly before ending up in 2007 right above the Hydra Island. The sharp eyed co-pilot spots a possible landing site, with barely enough time to put the plane down safely.



This shows just incredible planning - the runway is constructed in winter 2004 and Flight 316 doesn't crash until 2007! Somehow, someone knew that Jack, Kate, Hurley, et. al would be passing over and pulled them off the flight, while also making sure the rest of the travelers would have a safe place to land. Incredible foresight and planning, from some being who seems to know the past and the future. Someone orchestrating many of the events we see in the series. Someone named...Jacob. It's still unknown what his ulterior motives are. Can't wait for season six to reveal more answers! Meanwhile, don't forget that sometimes, the answers to your questions may be teased out of past episodes. What a great show! Read more!

New Lost Characters Cast for Season Six

Lost Season 6 casting news: Japanese star Hiroyuki Sanada and Deadwood’s John Hawkes have signed on as "recurring" characters.



Now, it's worth mentioning that Caesar from Season 5 was also a recurring character. He only lasted 3 episodes before proving that "Dead is Dead" when Ben blasted him with a shotgun. Then there's Nikki and Paulo, who were briefly added to the main cast. Let's never speak of it again.

Anyway, Michael Ausiello confirmed on his blog that John Hawkes will play "Lennon". The casting notice read: "Lennon: Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy, Lennon can be deferential when it's called for. He's the spokesperson/translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He's a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate. Recurring."

As for Sanada, it's still up in the air. If I had to guess, I'd say Hiroyuki will play a young Mr. Paik, Sun's father and CEO of industrial manufacturing firm Paik Heavy Industries. It would make sense, as Lennon is the translator for "the president of a foreign corporation." I've long had a theory that Paik was involved in the construction of the DHARMA installations on the Island. WAaaay back in 2006 (!!) The Lost Experience revealed that Paik was working closely with the Hanso Foundation and the Widmore Corporation. I had always believed that it would be revealed that Sun's father had been to the Island, and helped design and build many of the hatches. To my disappointment, it never was revealed on the show.

The problem is that we've seen DHARMA in 1977. We've seen the construction of many of the hatches. And Damon has said we won't see much more DHARMA in season six. Also, the producers have said they're done with flashbacks and flashforwards. How could they fit in a young Mr. Paik visiting the Island??

Time will tell. Maybe season six will play out as Jacob visits various points in the timeline, affecting and shaping events in order to make sure things lead up to the moment where the Lostie "A-team" rolls in to save the day?

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Lost: It'll Come Back Around

Heading into season six, Lost fans are wondering how it will end. I certainly can't answer that question, but I think I have a good idea how some of it will play out. I believe death on the Island is a huge key to the final secrets of Lost. And at the end, or toward the end of the series, we will see most (maybe all) of the characters die. But in some way, they will be reborn.


A major theme of Lost is that the characters have been literally and figuratively lost, each finally finding his or her true purpose on the Island. The tagline for season six has been revealed as "Destiny Found." Many characters have died on the show, which prompts the question, "If everyone has a purpose on the Island, what's the purpose of those who have died?" Was Boone's "destiny" really just to die on the Island? I believe the Island actually holds the key to eternal life.

After five seasons we've seen some amazing things and learned that death on the Island is not what it seems. The end of season five revealed a shocking twist: that the John Locke we knew is dead, and something else has been walking around looking just like him. But also, there's Claire, who was in a house destroyed by rocket propelled grenade. Later, we saw her leave her baby and wander out to the Cabin. And of course, Claire has since been hanging out with the apparition of her dead father, Christian Shepard. Did Claire really survive? Consider this exchange after the accident, with Miles - a wise-ass who can speak to the dead:

SAWYER: You all right, sweetheart?
CLAIRE: Yeah, a bit wobbly, but, uh, I'll live.
MILES: Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that.

There are many more examples showing how weird death on the Island can be. These are just a few: A major event from season three revealed that Ben, an outsider, had been accepted by the Others partly because they knew he had seen his dead mother appear on the Island. During a Season 2 Kate episode, a delirious Saywer seemingly speaks as Kate's dead father, growling "You killed me. Why did you kill me?!?" Miles, who lived on the Island as a baby, can hear the thoughts of the dead. Hurley receives visits from those who died on the Island, including Charlie and Mr. Eko.

And then there are the Whispers. I think the Whispers are the voices of the dead. A somewhat more "sci fi" explanation is they are echoes from another time, audible thanks to the unique properties of the Island. Several times, the Whispers seem to be associated with the dead. In Abandoned the Whispers are heard just after Cindy the flight attendant disappears. She is later seen with the Others. Did Cindy actually survive the crash? Later, as the Tailies approach the beach camp, Shannon and Sayid hear the Whispers in the jungle. Some think the the voices say "She likes this guy/Dying sucks/Hi sis/Here she comes, here she comes". Is this the voice of Boone on "the other side" waiting for his sister? In The Man Behind the Curtain, Ben hears the whispers just before he sees the ghost of his mother. And in The Other Woman Harper Stanhope of the Others appears to Juliet and Jack with a mysterious "message from Ben". While Jack and Juliet are distracted by the Whispers, Harper vanishes. Is Harper actually dead? Finally, I think the most important relation of the Whispers and the dead is from the season one episode Outlaws. It also hints at what I think will be a major Lost theme - that season six will reflect season one, and the story will be somewhat circular. Sawyer hears the Whispers say "It'll come back around" - the dying words of Frank Duckett, the man Sawyer had killed in Australia believing him to be the "Real Sawyer". The Whispers are the voices of the dead, and they're saying it will all come back around.

"Season six will feel a lot like season one," said Damon Lindelof in a recent interview. The season six promotional still shown at Comic Con features almost every main character to appear on Lost, alive or dead, and shows John Locke in the middle with his back to us. We already know one way season six will resemble season one - by including main characters from season one thought to be dead, like Charlie, Boone and Claire.


At the Comic Con panel we saw Dominic Monahan, confirming Charlie's return, but Monahan wrote on his hand "Am I Alive?" Also, Damon revealed, we will definitely see the return of Daniel Faraday and Juliet will appear in only a few episodes. In another interview, Carlton confirmed that we will see Claire in season six. But Lost producers have been very cagey about the status of the returning characters. Carlton was only willing to admit, "We’ll circle back around to include Emilie, we think in a very exciting way.”

There are comments from Matthew Fox about the ending of Lost, echoing the producers' statement that the ending will be "bittersweet". Fox is asked whether Jack could die, answering "Oh Yeah!" and when asked what he would think about Jack dying, replied:

"I think that would be awesome. I think Jack will die. I mean that's my own personal belief. Whether he will die in the last moments of the show or before that will remain to be seen. I think a lot of the characters are going to die, but I can be wrong. I might know that."

I have theorized that Charlie's death was a special moment. He embraced his death and went willingly to face his destiny, sacrificing himself for the greater good. I believe that is the most important lesson on the Island - embracing Destiny rather than struggling against it, and giving selflessly for the good of others. In return for his sacrifice, Charlie will be granted a form of eternal life. Others who were not so good may only return as Whispers, or not at all.


When someone dies on the island, they may be granted a form of eternal life. Their soul is judged, and those who have learned the lessons of the Island may be reborn. Some force or some race of ancient immortals inhabits the Island, and they inspired humans' notions of gods and demons. Possibly they granted mankind technology, or even language and civilization. Those they deem "worthy" in some fashion are granted an opportunity to join the citizens of the Island. This is depicted in the hieroglyph that appears underneath the Temple - apparently a depiction of Anubis and Ammit. In Egyptian mythology the jackal-headed god Anubis weighed the hearts of the dead. Those whose hearts are heavy with wrongdoing failed the test, and their souls given to Ammit to devour. Ammit dwelt in the Hall of Ma'at, who was the personification of the concept of truth, balance, and order. She embodied all that the Egyptians feared, threatening to bind them to eternal restlessness if they did not follow the principle of Ma'at. Perhaps the Smoke Monster is the Island's devourer of souls, and inspiration for Ammit, the personification of divine retribution for all the wrongs one had committed in life. If a soul can't measure up to the principles of the Island, it is devoured. The "good" people are invited to join the Others, and live forever like Richard Alpert.

As part of the final season of Lost, I think we will see many of the survivors die in some fashion. Their souls will be judged by the forces on the Island, and many of them will be granted a form of eternal life on the Island. This is my guess for the bittersweet ending of the series. Read more!

Reviewing Lost Season One

Lost has finally been released on Blu-ray and I've just made my way through Season One. Some thoughts and random musings:

What a great image to end on - after they blow the Hatch, we see Jack and Locke looking down into the unknown. And what a cliff hanger - leaving fans to wonder for a whole summer...What's in the hatch?!?

I originally had a really hard time getting into the first season of Lost. I Netflix'd disc one way back in Oct '05 and then didn't try disc 2 until Jan '06. Then I gave up and didn't watch more until the broadcast of episode 212 or so, when I quickly became hooked!

There were a lot of things I didn't like - from the start, Jack's frantic scampering about on the beach came off as comedic in a bad way - like a Looney Tunes reference gone awry. At the time, I felt like Locke's wheelchair reveal in episode 3 was cheesy, though I've always loved the character. Not so for Jin & Sun - Boring! I never liked their episodes, but I do have new compassion for S1 Jin, who's all gruff because he doesn't speak English, and he had to be a hitman to repay his wife's debts, while she was seeing someone else on the side.

In all, Season One has too much Jack and too much Kate. Looking back, Kate is just such a bitch, and if she weren't so selfish and manipulative she'd have just hooked up with Sawyer and left it at that. "Whatever the Case May Be" - a lame pun and lamer episode - features yet another one of Kate's selfish and insane plots. She's one of those dangerous, psycho girls who turns people against each other to get what she wants, and all she really wants is to get a rise out of people. Her exploits involving that toy plane, first featured here, have gotten multiple people shot and killed. Her whining and manipulating scene with Jack at the end of the episode really turned me off the character, and she doesn't get any better in the rest of the series, with her two-timing and backstabbing. Season One also featured endless stories of Jack grieving intensely in the ER and whining about his dad. I particularly disliked "Do No Harm", where Jack's behavior with Boone shows it isn't about the injured people he treats, it's about Jack proving something. It's always about Jack.

The good news is there's also some great TV, and particularly great character development - setting up many themes and character traits: Sayid's pain over the long lost love he was finally going to see in LA and his bitter, violent past in the military; Episode 108 "Confidence Man", revealing Sawyer's tortured past - driven to find the real Sawyer, even as he turned into the same sort of man he hates and hopes to kill, contrasted with the beginnings of his fragile relationship with Kate; John Locke's rebirth as a man of faith, stalking the Island with power and confidence; Charlie's struggle with fame, drugs and disappointment, until he finds strength by supporting Claire. Too many great things to write about. Everyone will have their favorites.

There was also some of the coolest "mysterious" stuff introduced - The Swan Hatch, of course; the Black Rock sailing ship in the middle of the Island, and the Nigerian Beechcraft plane; Locke's visions and the death of Boone, the same night as the birth of Aaron; Sayid's discovery of the Looking Glass station's cable on the beach; the kidnapping of Claire to the Staff station; the discovery of "Adam and Eve". Some questions have been answered, and some mysteries remain.

One huge moment was the appearance of the whispers, first in "Solitary" and then again in one of my favorite episodes of the season, "Outlaws" featuring Sawyer. On the Island, Sawyer hears the whispers saying, among other things, "It'll come back around". In his flashbacks, it's revealed what he was up to in Australia - he was looking for the real Sawyer, and was told his name is Frank Duckett. Before boarding Flight 815, Sawyer finds and kills Duckett, learning too late that he is not the real Sawyer. Frank's dying words are, "It'll come back around". This ties into a bigger theory about death and the Island that I have - including the return of many of the "dead" characters in Season 6. More to come on that, once I can get my head around it.

Also, Season One features the first appearance of my favorite Lost mystery - the Smoke Monster. From killing the Pilot to dragging Locke through the jungle, the Monster terrorizes the Losties throughout the season. For the first time, we see the small wisp of traveling smoke, and hear distinctly the mechanical sounds of the "security system". Clearly the thing emerges from vents in the ground, and relies on some kind of underground machinery. Also, when hit with dynamite, the Monster breaks apart briefly revealing what looks like a magnetic field.


Season 6 will finally reveal the secrets of the Whispers and the Monster, and maybe death and the afterlife on the Island too. There isn't much in Season One that gives clues about what may happen in Season 6, like "What happens after the Incident?" or "Who is Jacob?" but there is a ton of character building and relationship development. Right up to the end of Season 5, the core characters like Sawyer, Kate, Jack, Hurley, Sayid and Locke have shown remarkably consistent character and motivation. It was all evident in Season One, and it's a real testament to the writing on the show that it has remained so tight over 100 episodes, even if they did wander a little bit in the middle there.

Up next, my favorite, Season Two!

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Who is Dexter Stratton?

A minor detail in the season 5 finale has me thinking, "Who is Dexter Stratton?" In 2007, Sun returns to the Losties' Beach Camp, and in Aaron's crib she finds a ring.

What's the significance of Sun picking up the DS ring? Will Dexter Stratton be revealed as a key figure in the destiny of the Island? Will Charlie be returning somehow in season 6?


Dexter Stratton's granddaughter Megan married Simon Pace, and they had two sons - Liam and Charlie. Liam's birthright was the DS ring handed down to Megan, but Liam feared his own death by heroin. One Christmas morning he gave the DS ring to his brother Charlie, to pass down to his son one day.




On his way to what he believes is his final destiny in the Looking Glass Station, Charlie stopped and left his ring for his surrogate son, Aaron. The ring was tucked into Aaron's crib, but Aaron and Claire never returned to the camp and Aaron was rescued as one of the Oceanic 6.

So, with the benefit of hindsight, who is Charlie Pace? Washed up rock star, reformed drug addict, daddy surrogate, hero. The focus of one of the best and also one of the worst episodes of Lost.





The Charlie focused Fire+Water is considered by some to be one of the worst episodes of Lost so far. Right up there with Expose featuring Nikki & Paulo, and every Kate episode. For instance, here and here. In its defense, the gift of the piano and Megan's statement that Charlie is "special" both hint at his destiny in the Looking Glass, where he plays "Good Vibrations" on the keyboard and shuts down the radio jammers. Fire+Water is an extended allusion to the Baptism of Christ, including a visual reference to Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci's painting by that name.



















Fire+Water doesn't look like any other episode of Lost, and a lot of the details seemed to go nowhere. Conversely, Greatest Hits is one of my absolute favorite episodes of Lost.

Even during the first airing, I felt it was something special. The structure of the flashbacks as Charlie's countdown of Top 5 Best Moments was incredibly engaging and endearing. From the first time he heard himself on the radio, to the day he met Claire, Charlie reflects on a life he was proud of. He knows he can go to face death with the knowledge that Aaron and Claire will be rescued. It didn't exactly turn out that way of course.

Charlie faced his destiny and gave his life in the Looking Glass. His sacrifice allowed the Kahana to access the Island. The result was both Ben and Locke turning the Wheel, and also the escape of the Oceanic 6. This ultimately allowed the Losties to return to the Island in the year 1977, where they also met their destinies by creating Ben Linus and causing the Incident. Meanwhile, John and Ben end up in 2007 for a showdown with Jacob.

Some of this seems bound up in the plan by Jacob's Nemesis leading to Jacob's murder. Many of these events are critical in the plan to take over John Locke and manipulate Ben into striking with the knife.

However, there's also the reference to Aaron as a sort of Christ figure, and Charlie was responsible for him getting baptized. What's the significance of Charlie's sacrifice and his importance in Aaron's destiny? Could it be that Aaron is really Jacob, thanks to some time loop, and being baptized is the only thing that could lead to His resurrection after being murdered by his Nemesis? In the end, is Charlie's sacrifice evidence of the "progress" Jacob hopes for, even though it's also twisted up in the Nemesis' plans for "destruction"? And who is Dexter Stratton?

It's impossible to say how much of this will actually be tied up in the final season, or whether I'm just grasping at straws. These may turn out to be just loose ends in an incredibly intricate series. There's still a long wait for 2010.
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