This really is The End

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend the end
Of our elaborate plans the end
Of everything that stands the end
No safety or surprise the end
I'll never look into your eyes again

And so we are here, the show is over. Without posting any spoilers or reviews, I just thought I should take the time to thank everyone who has contributed to Lost, from the cast and creative crew, down to the extras, catering, and anyone who made the show possible. I also wanted to thank everyone who has visited Lostpedia over the last 4 years, 8 months and 2 days, and made us the number one Lost fansite on the Internet, visited more than any other site. We are incredibly proud of everything that this community has done, both independently, and since we became part of Wikia. Thanks to Wikia too, that have brought stability, strength and features to the site in ways we could've never imagined.

We aren't going anywhere. You'll have us around whenever you need us, and who knows, Damon and Carlton consider the show over, but I'm sure Disney see mileage in the show yet!

The spoiler policy has been retired till there comes such a time where we may need it again.

Lost is over. Long live Lost.

6x15 "Across the Sea" Review

Finally, we have ANSWERS. But answers, no matter what they are, are going to disappoint some people. And after the airing of "Across the Sea," some Lost fans and critics spoke out in frustration and disappointment in regards to the mysteries explained. There have been some poor reviews and reactions from fans and critics alike. Personally, I think this is one of the best episodes ever; it is a very well-written and well-crafted Lost episode. The mythology of Jacob and MIB is explored and uncovered brilliantly; I think it was interesting to see that they were once brothers who got along, and later became eternal enemies. I think the main thing that disappointed some people with the episode was not the answers, but rather, the demystification of Lost's enigmas. The mystery and enigma that encompasses the show is a cornerstone of the mythology, and when answers are given, the 'mystery' is gone. Mainly, this episode demystified the smoke monster's origins, as well as the origin of the mysterious electromagnetic properties of the island. However, I think it's good to demystify some things; it comes along with getting answers to some of our long sought after questions regarding the mythology. Would it be good if Lost answered every single question and demystified every enigma ever brought up in the show? Not at all. It's good to leave some mystery, and also to answer some questions. This episode did a tremendous job at unraveling some answers as well as revealing the backstory of Jacob and the Man in Black. Everyone is definitely entitled to their opinions, but I personally find the backlash towards this episode to be unwarranted; I thought it was a very well done episode.

So what mysteries were explained? Well, we got the long-awaited backstory of Jacob and the Man in Black (who, still has not been named). It is revealed that they are brothers, brought to the Island by their mother, Claudia, after a mysterious shipwreck nearly two thousand years ago. Immediately after their birth, Claudia was killed by "Mother," a mysterious island inhabitant. Mother goes on to raise Jacob and MIB under her protection and guidance. She seemingly shows favor to MIB. In the Bible, Rebekah loved Jacob, while Isaac loved Esau. "Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob." (Genesis 25:28). It's interesting that, likewise, the Mother shows favor to one of the kids (in this case, MIB, who has often been nicknamed 'Esau' by fans, reflecting the Biblical parallel). We see Jacob and MIB playing a game with each other - which once again brings to mind 'good vs. evil' and the many allusions to this throughout the show.

Jacob and MIB later come across people on the island. As far as we know, these people are some of the earliest inhabitants that have ever been on the island. The children go tell Mother, who says something regarding these men that we have heard before: "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same." This exact statement is later re-stated by MIB in "The Incident, Part 1" just prior to Richard's arrival on the Black Rock.

This episode brings back another very interesting question: who is really evil, Jacob or MIB? Well, for the most part throughout this season, we've been led to believe that MIB is really the evil one. He has killed some beloved characters (Eko, Montand, Seth Norris, Bram, etc), massacred many Others in "Sundown," thrown Desmond into a well, and attempted to kill the remaining candidates, Jack, Sawyer, Hugo, Sun/Jin, and Sayid with explosives. Yes, there is much evidence suggesting that he is the evil one. Jacob even explained to his ambassador, Richard, in "Ab Aeterno" that MIB is evil and his goal is to escape the island (cork) in order to spread evil (wine). But in "Across the Sea," Jacob is brought to the heart of the island, the source of light, and drinks wine, promising to be the protector of the source. In doing this, his Mother says that he is like her now. The Mother seems to be inherently evil, and if Jacob is now "like her," is he consequently evil? The MIB separated himself from Mother and Jacob, following an apparition from his real mother, Claudia. So this begs the question: who was ghost Claudia? An island apparition, the smoke monster in human form? Perhaps there was another smoke monster prior to MIB's encounter with the source. I still don't think it's safe to say Jacob is evil and MIB is good - in fact, the contrary seems more likely from what we've seen thus far. However, hopefully we will get more revelations regarding either Jacob and/or MIB in next week's penultimate series episode, "What They Died For."

As adults, Jacob and MIB continue to converse and talk with each other. MIB resides in a village with some inhabitants, and currently works inside a well. He is determined to harness the power of the source of the island, but admitted that he had relentlessly searched the island for the source Mother had brought them to, but was unable to find it. MIB tells Jacob that there are special electromagnetic properties on the island, and that his intent is to find what's across the sea. Mother later goes to say good-bye to MIB, and in doing so slams his head on a wall. When MIB awakes, the entire village is burned and destroyed, and the people are killed. So how did Mother go about doing this? Does she have special powers? Is she the smoke monster? Hopefully these answers will be revealed in the coming weeks.

So who is Mother? Although she was only mentioned once before in "Recon," she is a prominent figure in the Lost mythology. Although for a long time I thought that Jacob and MIB's backstory would reveal the key aspects of the island, now we have this mysterious Mother, who's backstory and history is unknown. Is she the first person to ever be on the island? Is she essentially the Island personified? Questions regarding the Mother are abundant, and I hope that her origins are revealed in the finale.

MIB later goes to find Mother, and stabs her in the back. MIB asked why she didn't want him to leave. She looks at him, and tells MIB that she loves him. Jacob sees this, and brings him to the river, throwing him into the source. The smoke monster comes billowing out, sweeping into the jungle. Jacob sees MIB's body in a tree, and buries him along with Mother - we now know that they are Adam and Eve, who were found by Jack, Kate and Locke back in "House of the Rising Sun." This makes me wonder: could Mother have really been the smoke monster? We've seen Sayid attempt to stab him in the heart, and that didn't work. However, he also didn't follow Dogen's directions, who said to "not let him speak to you." MIB did not let Mother speak, so perhaps this is why she died? However, the Mother being a smoke monster is still a theory with not much evidence.

Overall, I thought this was a tremendous episode - probably one of the top ten of the series. I thought that the backstory of Jacob and MIB was well done, and the storyline was intriguing and mythology-rich. I was glad to get some long-awaited answers: the origin of the smoke monster, backstory of Jacob-MIB, and the origin of 'Adam and Eve'. Another very strong point of the episode was the acting; Titus Welliver delivered an incredible performance as the Man in Black. His acting has been very stellar throughout the show. There is only one more episode before the epic finale of LOST - more answers and revelations are sure to be revealed. Feel free to discuss your thoughts, theories, views, and opinions of "Across the Sea."

Times Talks Live: LOST

Go behind the scenes of the hit series.
Live in HD at a movie theater near you.





Don't miss this compelling in-depth conversation with the masterminds behind ABC’s “LOST.” Hear executive producer Carlton Cuse and co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof reveal the challenges of crafting a finale that satisfies themselves as storytellers, and the show’s legion of fans.

They will be interviewed by New York Times entertainment editor Lorne Manly and the event will be broadcast live via satellite from The TimesCenter in New York for only one night, on Thursday, May 20, at 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT / 6 pm MT and tape delayed at 8 pm PT exclusively to select movie theaters across the U.S. and Canada.

CONTEST

Fans can submit a question in advance for Mr. Cuse or Mr. Lindelof via email to timestalks@nytimes.com. Be sure to include your location (city, state) with your question. Note: only a limited number of questions received will be submitted to the moderator.

A presentation of The New York Times and BY Experience.

*Talent subject to change

Get Free Tickets to See Jorge Garcia Live on Lopez Tonight

A representative for TBS just contacted me, and they wanted me to inform you guys of a special offer they're offering exclusively to LOST fans.

Jorge Garcia will be on LOPEZ TONIGHT Wed May 12! Gonna be in LA? Get Free Tickets at lopeztonight.com/audience, enter promo code "lostpedia"

With this code, the fans that apply will be contacted by phone or email by my staff. Our goal is to give away 100-200 tickets specifically to his fans and fans of the show.

Lost Weekend Fan Party 2010

Lost fans from all over the world will be descending on the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, CA for the Lost Weekend Fan Party. This event is being held the weekend of May 14-16, 2010. The main event, on Saturday, May 15th, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, features a charity silent auction and a Chinese auction. Fans will bid on Lost memorabilia donated by the Lost cast, creative team and fans. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Children's Defense Fund-California, the favorite charity of Lost creator J.J. Abrams. Previous Lost fan parties raised as much as $5000 for the CDF, and were attended by Lost producers, writers, and actors. Lost Weekend is sponsored by Lost Radio and The Fuselage . For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the party website at: www.lost-radio.com/lostweekend

Disclaimer: Lost Weekend Fan Party and The Children's Defense Fund are not affiliated with LOST, ABC, Disney, Touchstone or Bad Robot.

6x09 "Ab Aeterno" Review

Well, it was one of the most anticipated episodes of all time. There was hype about it everywhere. The Richard-centric episode of Season 6, "Ab Aeterno," would answer many questions and finally reveal the backstory behind Lost's most mysterious and enigmatic characters. "Ab Aeterno" is latin for "since the beginning of time" or "for a very long time." Part of me, though, was afraid that I would be disappointed, due to the enormous level of hype and expectations for this episode. But I wasn't disappointed at all. "Ab Aeterno" is without a doubt the best episode of Season 6, and in my opinion, the best episode ever. Not only was the acting impeccable, but the storyline and backstory for Richard Alpert was one of the most intriguing and captivating storylines in the entire series. "Ab Aeterno" expands on many of the existing themes in the season - including good versus evil and Christianity.

Richard Alpert, the ageless, calm, and at one point seemlingly omniscient Island advisor has been one of the central enigmas of LOST for a very long time. Every since "The Man Behind the Curtain," when we saw Richard appear to not have aged in Ben's flashback, we have wondered what possible connections and history Richard has had. For a long time I had been thinking that Richard has been on the island for many centuries, from ancient times. He has been on the island for a long time, but not ancient times.

In the current time on the island, Ilana, Jack, Hurley, Sun, Miles, and Richard are at the beach camp. Ilana reveals that she is there to protect the remaining candidates (Jack, Hurley, Sun/Jin, etc). She says that Richard will know what to do next. Richard laughs at this, claiming that he has no idea. Richatd has lost his faith (much like Locke at the end of Season 2 and Jack throughout the show) in Jacob, and no longer wants to be the island advisor. He goes off into the jungle.

Then, the episode goes to Richard's flashback. He is riding on a horse through a grassy plain - at first I thought that this was the Island. However, we discover that it is in Tenerife, Canary Islands in 1867. He goes into his house, and for the first time, we see his wife, Isabella, who is sick with a high fever. This is one of the first Christian references in this episode. Later on in the flashback, when Richard is in prison, he is reading the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4. Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, who was suffering from a high fever (Luke 4:38-39). Isabella gives Richard her cross necklace. Richard knows she needs medicine, and runs to the doctor in town, who refuses to give medicine since he cannot pay for it. Richard accidentally knocks his head on a table and kills him (much like Desmond did to Kelvin in "Live Together, Die Alone").

Richard is sent to prison for this, sentenced to be hanged. In prison he is reading the Bible in English, and we see him reading chapter 4 in the Gospel of Luke. A priest enters, and asks Richard if he is ready to confess. Richard confesses his sins, but the priest falsely states that murder is an unforgivable sin that can only be forgiven with a life of penance, but isn't possible since he will be hanged tomorrow. But Richard is bought as a slave, and now the property of Magnus Hanso. Magnus Hanso, the great-grandfather of Alvar Hanso (funder of the DHARMA Initiative), was only refereneced once before on LOST. According to the blast door map, Magnus Hanso was buried near the site of the Black Rock. This begs the question, how did either Radzinsky or Kelvin know about the Black Rock (considering Horace's apparent unknowing of it), or more specifically, Magnus Hanso? I have a good feeling this will be one of several unanswered questions on LOST (but they can't answer every question).

We now go the Black Rock, which is in the middle of inclement storm. This, of course, relates to Black Rock Storm, a painting that was bought for auction by Charles Widmore in "The Constant." In the distance, we see the dark sillhouette of the island and the statue - the prisoners believe that the island is guarded by the devil due to the statue's ominous appearance in the night. A large tidal wave drives the ship right into the statue. This was what caused the statue to break - although it seems a little odd that a wooden ship could completely topple such a large statue.

The Black Rock is now stranded in the middle of the jungle. Jonas Whitfield, one of the ship's officers, goes into the brig, where Richard and the other prisoners are located. He begins to kill them, and when Richard asks why, he says it's only a matter of time before they try to kill him. Luckily, we hear the ominous sound we all know too well - the black smoke monster. The officers on deck are all killed, and the monster enters the brig to kill Whitfield. The monster faces Richard, as flashes emit from it (similar to both Juliet in "Left Behind" and Eko in "The 23rd Psalm"). The monster leaves Richard, who is now chained inside the ship. This makes me wonder - why is it, exactly, that the monster decided to keep Richard alive? This is a pivotal question regarding the monster that I hope is answered within the remaining episodes.

With no food or water, Richard is chained in the brig. After awhile, Richard sees a blurry image of Isabella. At first he is wary, and then astonished by her appearance. She tells Richard that they are both dead, and that this is hell. This isn't the first time that this thought has come up in LOST - Anthony Cooper had the same hypothesis inside the Black Rock in "The Brig." We hear the monster again, and Richard tells her to run away. We then hear her scream, as the Monster appears on deck.

Some time later, a man enters. We discover that it is the Man in Black - not Flocke or any of his other forms - but the real Man in Black, first seen in "The Incident." He tells Richard he is a friend, but before he releases him, he makes Richard promise to do anything he asks. Richard agrees. MIB tells Richard that the devil has Isabella, and that they are indeed in hell. MIB says that the only way to escape from hell is to kill the devil. He then tells Richard to go to the statue, and tells him to stab "the devil" (Jacob) before he speaks (the exact same directions given to Sayid from Dogen regarding MIB). Richard goes to the statue, and is punched repeatedly by Jacob. This is definitely not the Jacob we've come to know (i.e. the cool, calm, collected, soft-spoken) - this is an angry, fierce, and violent Jacob! Richard tells him that a man in black sent him, with orders to kill the devil, and that he thinks they are all dead. Jacob repeatedly dunks him into the ocean, until he admits that they are alive. This is very similar to baptism in Christianity. Jesus was baptized in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:21-22). Jacob explains to Richard that he brought the Black Rock to the island, and has brought people to the island in the past, but they are all dead. This brings up another question: Jacob brought the Black Rock to the island, and yet the Man in Black killed the entire crew (except for Richard). So can MIB kill anyone whom Jacob brings to the island? Are there any limitations or boundaries? I think it would be very interesting to get another on-island flashback, showing the island/Jacob/MIB in ancient times.

Jacob asks Richard if he wants a job as an ambassodor for him, being an intermediary to the people he brings to the island. Richard says he wants Isabella in return, but Jacob can't do this. He then wants to be absolved of his sins, but Jacob says he cannot do that either. But he can make Richard live forever. Jacob describes the island as a cork, keeping the wine (darkness, evil, malevolence) from leaving. I'm sure this is a very important analogy for what the island is. So what exactly is Jacob? Is it his (or the official island protector's) duty to keep the MIB on the island forever?

Richard goes into the jungle, where he meets the Man in Black, giving him a white rock (inside joke?). The Man in Black says that if Richard ever changes his mind, the offer will still stand. There was a very distinct tree located next to them. This made me think of the Garden of Eden, where Satan tempts Adam and Eve in the appearance of a serpent (much like MIB tempting Richard to come with him). This could also be a reference to the tree of life in Revelation 22:14 -- "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

Back in current time, Richard returns to the tree, where he unburies Isabella's cross. He yells out to MIB, wondering if the offer still stands. He discovers that Hurley has been following him. Hurley says that he can see Isabella. Richard at first is unsure, but then addresses her, although he can't see her. This brings up one of the biggest themes of LOST: faith. Richard has faith that she is there even though he can't see her. Richard puts on the cross necklace. Hurley reveals something that Isabella told him: if Richard doesn't stop the Man in Black from leaving the island, they will "all go to hell."

In the final scene, Jacob and MIB share some wine. The Man in Black says that all he wants is to leave. Jacob says that as long as he is alive, that won't happen. MIB vows to kill Jacob. Jacob says someone will replace him - but MIB says he will just kill them too. Jacob leaves, and MIB tries to pull out the cork, but when he is unable to, he smashes the wine glass. This is very symbolic. Could it possibly mean that there is another way for MIB to release his darkness besides leaving the island. The cork represents the island, but what could the glass represent? Many questions to consder...

This was an incredible episode, complete with compelling mythology, incredible themes, Biblical references, rich symbolism, and of course, the amazing backstory of Richard Alpert. I must also say that this was Nestor Carbonell's best acting ever on LOST. Feel free to leave your thoughts, feelings, comments, theories, and questions regarding "Ab Aeterno." There is much to discuss and think about!

6x04 "The Substitute" Review

Let me start off by saying: WOW. I was blown away by this episode, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. There was definitely a lot of improvement from last week's "What Kate Does." Contrary to last week's episode, which focused on Jack, Kate, Hurley, Dogen, Lennon and the rest of the Temple dwellers, this week's "The Substitute" focused on Flocke, Richard, Ben, Ilana, and Sawyer. I personally find the latter to be the much more interesting/intriguing group currently in the show, so naturally, I was very excited to see new events transpire after the cliffhanger from "LA X, Part 2." After killing Bram and other Jacob's bodyguards, Flocke leaves the statue and knocks Richard unconscious, telling the Others that he is very disappointed in all of them.

In the beginning of "The Substitute," Flocke is seen taking his 'smoke monster' form to travel quickly across the Island. He moves to the Barracks, looking through Sawyer's house, and then leaves to talk to Richard. I thought this scene was amazing, and it was really cool to finally see things in the perspective of the Monster traveling across the Island. We learn that, although Richard was advisor to the Others, and was looked very favorably upon by Jacob, he was still left in the dark with many major issues. He apparently didn't know that Flocke could shapeshift, when he asked "why do you look like John Locke?" This was also a surprise to Flocke, who was seemingly shocked that Jacob had withheld important information from one of his top advisors. Then we see something very surprising -- an apparition of a mysterious kid. Flocke seems very surprised to see this kid, but when Richard turns around he sees nothing. I found this to be very interesting, since I've come to expect that most apparitions on the Island have actually been the Monster -- and now the Monster himself is seeing an apparition. So who is this mysterious kid? I initially thought that it had to be Jacob as a kid. Either way, I though that this apparition had something to do with Jacob. Jacob seems to be the only one who has any power over MIB; even though Jacob is now dead, I really don't think he's "dead" (if you know what I mean). The Man in Black asks Richard to follow him. I found this to be much like Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness. MIB tells Richard that he won't keep him in the dark like Jacob did. Still, Richard refuses to follow MIB. This now begs the question: how well does Richard really know MIB? In "LA X, Part 2" he seemed quite aqare of him and his capabilities after he left he statue, and he also seemed very scared (something that Richard usually isn't). But apparently he didn't know that MIB could change form.

Back at the statue, Ilana collects Jacob's ashes from the fire pit. I'm guessing that those ashes will somehow come in handy in the upcoming episodes. Ilana says that MIB is recruiting. We see MIB enter Sawyer's house. Sawyer doesn't seemed surprised at all to see him, merely exclaiming "I thought you were dead." Sawyer sees that there is no fear at all in Locke, making him come to the conclusion that it really isn't Locke. MIB convinces Sawyer to come with him, saying that he can answer the most important question: "Why are you on this Island?" Saywer is intrigued, and somewhat reluctantly, follows MIB.

In flashbacks, we see Locke arrive home in his van. I must say, when he fell out of his wheelchair and the sprinklers turned on, I just had to laugh. I felt bad so for him, but at the same time it was really funny because nothing ever seems to go right for him -- even Locke starts to laugh when the sprinklers turn on. We then see Helen come outside and help John. Back inside, Locke and Helen discuss the Australia trip that he had just gotten back from. Helen finds "Dr. Jack Shephard's" spinal surgeon card. Helen says it might be destiny that he met him (which I thought was an awesome line).

Locke returns to his good old cubicle at the box company. Then we see a face we hope we would never have seen again: It's Randy Nations. Locke's jerk co-worker from "Deus Ex Machina" he made fun of Locke's desire to go on a walkabout. We also see him in "Everybody Hates Hugo" as Hurley's boss, and in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" as Hurley's worker. But in this flash-sideways timeline, Hurley is not only the boss of bosses, he is the owner. He offers Locke his job back, and writes a note for him (this is an awesome scene...I love Hurley!). Back at the office we see Rose Nadler, who reminds us that she has terminal cancer since she never went to the Island.

On the Island, Flocke and Sawyer run into the mysterious kid. And this time, Flocke isn't the only one who sees him; Sawyer can as well. Flocke runs after the kid, and trips. The kid tells MIB that he "can't break the rules," and he "can't kill him". Flocke responds angrily by saying "don't tell me what I can't do!" Mysterious kid shakes his head (possibly in dismay), and then runs off. I found it to be a little odd that Flocke started to act a little like Locke; he seemed to be very vulnerable at that moment. I think the writers intended that, though, to show that MIB isn't the Island's omnipotent entity; he is still vulnerable against Jacob. I think that this mysterious kid could possibly be Jacob, but he says "you can't kill him" -- it semed like he was referring to Jacob since he mentioned breaking the rules. It's possible that he was referring to Locke or Sawyer, but I believe it was Jacob he was referring to. If that is the case and the mysterious kid really is a young Jacob, he should have said "you can't kill me." This leads me to think that this mysterious kid is not Jacob himself, but rather, a relative of Jacob -- perhaps his son or brother.

Richard then emerges from the jungle, pleading to Sawyer that he would come to the Temple with him. Sawyer refuses, saying that at least Locke promised to provide answers for him. Richard said that he wants to kill Sawyer, and everyone else as well. Sawyer decides to stick with MIB, and Richard runs off. If Richard is this terrified of MIB, then he is definitely something we all should be scared of. Sawyer pulls his gun on Flocke, asking "what are you?" MIB says that he's trapped, and he doesn't remember what it was like to be free. He says he knows what it's like to lose someone you care about and to feel pain.

On the beach at the funeral of John Locke, Ben gives a eulogy. I was pleasently surprised to hear Ben say that Locke was a better man than he would ever be. I had to laugh, though, when he said "I'm sorry I murdered you." Frank's reaction to that was hilarious to see.

In flashbacks, the episode title's meaning is revealed: Locke is a substitute teacher. When he enters the teacher's lounge, we hear that telltale ominois voice. Yes, that's right: it's none other than Benjamin Linus. He teaches European history. I found this to be a great scene; Ben really does appear to be a good teacher! (I'd love to see him actually teach in class during a flash-sideways).

Now we get to the best part of the episode. MIB and Sawyer arrive at a cliff, where a ladder resides. They make their descent to a cliffside cave, where there is a balance scale with one white and one black rock. MIB takes the white rock and throws it into the ocean, saying that it was an "inside joke." This makes me wonder: is MIB admitting that he's the evil 'bad guy'? He seemed to recognize that Jacob was good (a.k.a. the light white rock), and he is evil (a.k.a. the dark black rock). I thought the scale was an interesting item that I hope we'll receive more insight to in upcoming episodes. Sawyer and MIB enter into the cliff through a cavern. On the ceilings and walls are numerous names, many with numbers next to them. The Numbers are assigned to various characters we have come to know well: 4-Locke, 8-Reyes, 15-Ford, 16-Jarrah, 23-Shephard, 42-Kwon. As MIB noted, 42 could either be Sun or Jin. Other names seen on the walls with their names crossed off were Domingo, Troupe, Cunningham, Jones, Mattingly, Lapidus, Littleton, and Sullivan. There are various numbers next to these names. I'm assuming that these names on the walls go back centuries, since we see some names from the U.S. Army camp (i.e. Mattingly, Cunningham, Jones) and also 815'ers. I'm guessing some names on there are probably ancient. MIB tells Sawyer that he has three options: 1) to do nothing. Wait around and see what happens. 2) he can take the job of being the Island's protector. But MIB says that the Island doesn't need protecting, saying that it's "just an island." 3) leave the Island and never look back. Sawyer is with Flocke on the third option. At this point, I'm definitely thinking that this is a long con from MIB. the Island really does need protecting, and MIB does not want to leave at all. Sawyer will probably join the dark side with MIB, and who knows, maybe convince Kate and some of the others to join him. I'm thinking that, like Richard warned, MIB will eventually kill Sawyer after he's used him. This really was a fantastic episode, and the best of Season 6 and one of the best episodes ever. Awesome on-island storyline, great new mysteries, and amazing flash-sideways story. Real answers are being revealed, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season brings us.

6x03 "What Kate Does" review

Before I begin, let me get one thing off my chest: Like most of you, I did not like this episode. But like any Lost episode, it was still enjoyable and gave us plenty of topics to discuss (even if one of those topics was how much we disliked the episode)

In fact, the backlash to the episode was so great, Damon Lindelof tweeted "For those of you complaining of "filler." Seriously. PLEASE WATCH NCIS: LOS ANGELES. I promise not to hold it against you."

Personally, I believe that most of the negativity about this episode was because of the awesomeness of the episode preceding it, I can't really remember the last time there was such a jump from awesome-to-not-so-awesome in Lost, except for maybe "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
into "Stranger in a Strange Land".

But anyway, let's get into what actually went on in "What Kate Does". We'll begin with the flashsideways timeline, where Kate's escape leads to the (first) reintroduction of Claire. After a totally pointless scene with a mechanic, she goes back to find Claire, who apparently hasn't moved from where she was dropped off. Things get a little bit more interesting here, when Kate and Claire meet the intended adoptive mother.

According to the episode's credits, the mother's name is "Lindsey Baskum". For all you anagramaniacs out there, that's an anagram for "Used by Malkins". Of course, the whole Richard Malkin situation is one of confusion and blurred fact. But personally, I believe that he is a real psychic, and only told Eko he was a fraud in "?" to dissuade him from investigating his daughter, who apparently had a very real experience with Eko. But, in "Raised by Another" Claire came to the conclusion that Malkin saw her coming to the Island so she would raise the baby. However, in the sideways timeline he wouldn't have seen her on the Island...so would've he seen that Claire would end up raising him anyway? But then, why would've he sent her away anyway? He knew that she had decided to raise the baby herself. Is there a different reason, perhaps guided by destiny, that Claire had to go to Los Angeles?

Another interesting point of the sideways timeline was the appearance of Ethan Rom. Or uh, Ethan Goodspeed. It seems he's left the Island, and had a relatively good upbringing and is a pretty good guy. He's continued his path as a surgeon, but has avoided the path of being an evil creepy doctor, believing he "would rather not stick her with needles if he didn't have to". A subtle reference to original Ethan's insistence on jabbing Claire's stomachs with the biggest needles on the Island. Another more explicit reference to the original timeline is when Claire already knows Aaron's name, another obvious nod that there is a definite connection between the two timelines. Kate then departs the hospital, because she can't sit still for more than two minutes.

Back in our other timeline, it's much of a sameness. Kate heads off after Sawyer, who has truly become a broken man. Accompanying her are Jin, a redshirt Other named Justin, and not-quite-as-redshirt Aldo, who we havn't seen for fifty episodes. After a conversation about the Monster, Ajira 316, and Wookie prisoner gags, the group comes across a Rousseauesque (I like that word) trap. Unfortunately, it seems Aldo hasn't got any smarter over the past three years, and (along with Justin) is outplayed again by Kate.

Jin and Kate go their separate ways, as Kate looks for Sawyer and Jin looks for that reunion scene we've all been longing for. Of course, he doesn't find it and is instead confronted by a pissed off Aldo and Justin. But even though Jin gets stuck in a bear trap, the two Others still can't get a break as they are shot by the second reappearance of Claire, looking Rousseauesque, but still seeming to have some recognition of Jin.

Some way off, Kate tracks Sawyer down to the Barracks. In perhaps the highlight of the episode, a broken Sawyer tells of his plans to propose to Juliet, strengthened by incredible acting from Josh Holloway. We're only three episodes in, but already there are cries from some fans for an Emmy for Holloway.

At the Temple, Sayid is essentially tortured by Dogen, a process which includes blowing ash over him. Observant fans would've no doubt made a link between this and the ash circles we've previously seen. After a back-to-his-leader-self Jack hears of this, he demands answers, something he usually fails to get results with. He only really learns that Sayid has been "infected", the same word used to describe what happened to Rousseau's team in the 1980s. Dogen gives Jack a pill, and after refusing to give it to Sayid, he ends up just taking it himself, like any doctor would... Dogen then decides to admit it was poison, because Sayid has been "claimed".

Apparently everything Sayid was will be gone once the "infection" reaches his heart. And the same thing happened to Claire. Who Jin is now with. *cue L O S T slam*

But what is The Sickness? Danielle had been warning the Losties about it since Season 1, and after three years on the Island it seems its finally struck. Darlton have described it on the Official Lost Podcast as "making people go crazy". And there definitely seems to be some involvement of the Monster. Rousseau's team had all encountered the Monster, if Christian Shephard is a visage of the Monster, Claire has, and it seems the water of the healing spring has been tainted by Smokey as well.

So what does it do, other than make people crazy? My theory is that the infected become living minions of the Man in Black, giving the entity access to their body and soul before they die.

Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.