ABC has added a few videos of Comic-Con, including interviews with the cast and crew, and a look at some of the auction items that will be selling in 2010 (including the lovely Rousseau map we've been working on).
A quick round-up of the panel (includes a big spoiler for those who didn't watch the panel anyway - beware!):
The auction items available in 2010 (no spoilers):
An interview with Damon and Carlton (same big spoiler included):
Cast comments about Comic-Con (no mention of the spoiler in this one either):
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Mapping out
Well with a little breather between events in the Lost world, I decided to have a look at the old in tray to see if there was anything cool I'd missed from Comic Con. Sure enough, I had overlooked the auction that had been announced a short while ago of Lost props. At Comic Con, there had been a preview of said items, and I noticed one little gem, the full Island map of Rousseau's.
Though Rousseau's map had been seen before, never fully in one view, and never had all the French annotations been completely translated. Luckily for us, famed Lost fan Ryan Ozawa photographed the map and posted it online. Next up, I used some of the annotations we already had from Lostpedian Zholmboc, as well as from our page on the maps. Then, using the help of DarkUFO's chat crew, we carefully went through making amendments and solving lots of stuff that had never been seen before on previous screencaps of the map. A big thanks to Fivebretz, Jamielost, Elize34, Jeetus, KeepingPace, Chalovak, NewP and many others for all the help and eye-squinting at illegible French! Finally, we all came to agreement with our interpretations.
Click below for the full image. Let us know what you think - some areas like the bit about crustaceous crabs, where I saw Alex, and the magnetic north equation are highly subjective, and if anyone can get a better translation of it somehow, use the original image (or inverted) and let us know what you come up with so we can make amendments! For some of you though, this might be the first time you've seen an official drawing of the Lost Island. We hope you enjoy! And, once again, thanks to all the people who without whom this little project wouldn't have been completed.
Though Rousseau's map had been seen before, never fully in one view, and never had all the French annotations been completely translated. Luckily for us, famed Lost fan Ryan Ozawa photographed the map and posted it online. Next up, I used some of the annotations we already had from Lostpedian Zholmboc, as well as from our page on the maps. Then, using the help of DarkUFO's chat crew, we carefully went through making amendments and solving lots of stuff that had never been seen before on previous screencaps of the map. A big thanks to Fivebretz, Jamielost, Elize34, Jeetus, KeepingPace, Chalovak, NewP and many others for all the help and eye-squinting at illegible French! Finally, we all came to agreement with our interpretations.
Click below for the full image. Let us know what you think - some areas like the bit about crustaceous crabs, where I saw Alex, and the magnetic north equation are highly subjective, and if anyone can get a better translation of it somehow, use the original image (or inverted) and let us know what you come up with so we can make amendments! For some of you though, this might be the first time you've seen an official drawing of the Lost Island. We hope you enjoy! And, once again, thanks to all the people who without whom this little project wouldn't have been completed.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
New LOST Season 6 Promo
A new Lost Season 6 promo poster has been seen at Comic-Con 2009! This poster includes all of the main characters from the show (both dead and alive). In the center is John Locke (or Flocke, Mr. X, Esau, Jacob's nemesis, etc.) with his back facing us. I almost passed out when I saw this promo poster; the excitement for Season 6 is killing me!! All of the main characters appearing on the promo for Season 6 could be seen as major foreshadowing for what we will see this upcoming season. This is an awesome, amazing promo poster, and has gotten me more excited about the upcoming season than ever. Share your thoughts and comments on this new promo!!HERE IS A MORE HQ VERSION OF THE IMAGE:
Comic Con Promo Videos
From what I had heard from Comic Con visitors, I believed only fun and jokey videos were aired at the show this year. This was a little disappointing, as there was such a precedent for shocking videos that I thought this year would be no different, especially with it being the final panel for LOST.
However, DocArzt's crew tipped me off to the fact that not only were some videos jokey, but they also had some astonishing aspects to them. Below is the video. Now as I said in my previous post, I don't do spoilers but I don't consider this necessarily a spoiler - as with the Chang videos of previous years I consider it to be ARG-like revelation content. That said, the repurcussions of this video are huger I think than any previous Con video, so in that sense, you could be major league spoiled. Here's the video anyway, and I'll post additional comments underneath in white font so you have to highlight it to read the interpretation. That should suffice, if you don't want to know, don't watch the video and don't highlight the text. Also avoid the comments section, as there might be direct discussion points from readers. You have been warned!
So what can we gleam from these videos? Well it's pretty obvious - it seems to suggest that they have in fact re-written the timeline. Remember how Chang's video last year told us all "they go back in time". Well this year's one says "they actually did it". Hurley's bad luck with the lottery seems very interesting - why would the numbers no longer be cursed, because the Island doesn't exist anymore? And the Oceanic advert - "Since 1979... 30 years with a perfect safety record..." - so no crash on September 22nd then! How will the storyline develop if none of the last five seasons ever happened (bar flashbacks)?! Will destiny rewrite things? Will there be other timelines with Sun and people? Does that make Jacob still alive? Charlie? Shannon? Michael... everyone!
Update - Another video promo is also available, focusing on another character:
Apparently you CAN make a difference!
However, DocArzt's crew tipped me off to the fact that not only were some videos jokey, but they also had some astonishing aspects to them. Below is the video. Now as I said in my previous post, I don't do spoilers but I don't consider this necessarily a spoiler - as with the Chang videos of previous years I consider it to be ARG-like revelation content. That said, the repurcussions of this video are huger I think than any previous Con video, so in that sense, you could be major league spoiled. Here's the video anyway, and I'll post additional comments underneath in white font so you have to highlight it to read the interpretation. That should suffice, if you don't want to know, don't watch the video and don't highlight the text. Also avoid the comments section, as there might be direct discussion points from readers. You have been warned!
So what can we gleam from these videos? Well it's pretty obvious - it seems to suggest that they have in fact re-written the timeline. Remember how Chang's video last year told us all "they go back in time". Well this year's one says "they actually did it". Hurley's bad luck with the lottery seems very interesting - why would the numbers no longer be cursed, because the Island doesn't exist anymore? And the Oceanic advert - "Since 1979... 30 years with a perfect safety record..." - so no crash on September 22nd then! How will the storyline develop if none of the last five seasons ever happened (bar flashbacks)?! Will destiny rewrite things? Will there be other timelines with Sun and people? Does that make Jacob still alive? Charlie? Shannon? Michael... everyone!
Update - Another video promo is also available, focusing on another character:
Apparently you CAN make a difference!
Comic Con Video *NO SPOILERS IN POST*
Apologies for a little radio silence on the Comic Con front here at Lostpedia, guys. We kind of made the exec decision to not post about the bits we heard, cause I think with the most stringent spoiler policy of any Lost site, it just didn't make sense when I know a lot of people out there don't want to know the Season 6 spoilers told.
But here is the full Comic Con 09 video in very nice quality for your viewing pleasure. Full credit is given to DocArzt and the uploader Tostie14. While I won't comment on any of the content involving the Q&A and whatever, I will be doing a separate post on two promotional videos that aired during the session. These I do not consider spoilers, and are similar to the Chang video we saw over the last two years. Thus, they are ARG-like clues in my mind and not in any way spoilery. I'll make it all clear in my next post though and ensure nobody gets spoiled should they consider the ads to be as such.
Finally, I'm not going to ask that comments to this post be regulated to avoid spoilers of what was said. If you don't want to see what others are saying about the video, then just don't click on the comments section.
But here is the full Comic Con 09 video in very nice quality for your viewing pleasure. Full credit is given to DocArzt and the uploader Tostie14. While I won't comment on any of the content involving the Q&A and whatever, I will be doing a separate post on two promotional videos that aired during the session. These I do not consider spoilers, and are similar to the Chang video we saw over the last two years. Thus, they are ARG-like clues in my mind and not in any way spoilery. I'll make it all clear in my next post though and ensure nobody gets spoiled should they consider the ads to be as such.
Finally, I'm not going to ask that comments to this post be regulated to avoid spoilers of what was said. If you don't want to see what others are saying about the video, then just don't click on the comments section.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Lost Mysteries
And suddenly even more developments occurring before Comic-Con has even started (I warned you this would happen!) - not only do we have Lost University and some mysterious guy up on his Latin, but ABC have also launched http://www.abc.com/lostmysteriesFrom what we can see here, a series of 80's documentary videos full of crackpot theories will be posted over the coming weeks. The first video just gives a bit of history of secret societies like the Freemasons, but then discusses the DHARMA Initiative briefly. The video description says:
"A project discussed for years in and around conspiracy circles. Once thought to be lost, this explosive documentary series has never been seen before...until now."
Looks like over the weeks there'll be further videos on differing topics, perhaps not just DHARMA. Also checked out DarkUFO's blog, and a user there is reporting there that there was an advert in Entertainment Weekly for KIA that stated the videos would be released: 7/23/09, 8/4/09, 9/8/09, 10/15/09 and 11/16/09. She suggests that all the vids will be on DHARMA, but I'm not so sure having watched the video... perhaps the spread in the magazine sheds more light (if anyone can get a scanned copy of that, that'd be amazing). As a final thought, it seems like KIA is also sponsoring the webpage for the Mysteries show. This has got me mildly excited as it seems like specific sponsorship... not heard of since the days of The Lost Experience. If this is the case, we might be getting an intricate ARG with the availability of funds from sponsorship!
Breaking the Seal
Just a quick blog post on the new "Lost University" website (see previous entry). One thing that bugged me was the University's seal, which appears on the website in small, and VERY briefly in big on the video. It shows palm trees, what appears to be a book or piece of paper, and a plane over it. Nothing new there. But I liked that there seemed to be a little bit of Latin in the middle, and wondered what the motto for Lost University is. It was time for a little digging... click on the image below for full-size.
Unfortunately, my attempt to get someone to CSI it failed miserably... apparently you CAN'T zoom it, clarify and see what's in the reflection of someone's eye with standard software. Who knew! Anyways, so I had to use old fashion squinting. The easiest to decipher was the second word, which I managed to get the first part of "sod". Using this as a Latin stem, I found only a few possible words, and the only one that fitted in terms of character length was "sodalitas", meaning "an association, comradeship, fellowship". Seems to fit in with the University feel, wouldn't you agree?
The next bit I guessed at was the first word, the start looked like "auc" and the end "as". Breaking it down, I took a guess and I believe the best possibility is "auctoritas", meaning "support, influence, warrant, authority, rights, command". From here, I decided to have a Google, and weirdly found top of the list for "auctoritas sodalitas" a link to facebook.com/Lost to a post by a guy called Derick saying simply "Auctoritas Sodalitas Scientia". Sure enough, "scientia" seemed to match the final word from the seal, meaning "knowing, knowledge, acquiantance, skill". So our Lost University motto is, I think the best translation of it taken together is "authority, fellowship, knowledge".
I wondered whether this random guy on Facebook's LOST page was just a fan as geeky as me, but the comment was posted 15 hours ago, 04:00 GMT, like the time the site went live almost. I don't see the motto posted anywhere else on the web... how could this guy know? Or maybe it is on the Internet someplace.
Update: Derick seems to have also posted on DarkUFO's Facebook page when he posted on the LOST one. After a little PI work, I've come to the conclusion this is a real guy and not part of some ARG conspiracy. How he knew the motto is beyond me, but you can quote me on not thinking that he's our new Rachel Blake. It's an odd thing, but nothing to think more on.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lost University - New ARG and Blu-Ray supplement
ABC.com have launched a new website "Lost University" at Comic-Con. Coming soon to Blu-Ray Hi-Def, Lost University seems to be a new ARG and supplementary Blu-Ray disc on the mystery and themes of Lost, allowing you to dig into more information about the show's background. You can sign up now to get an email closer to when enrolement starts (22nd September 2009 - 5 years to the day since the show first aired, and Flight 815 crashed). The University course seems to be split into two semesters with courses beginning December 8th 2009 (The US launch date of the fifth season Blu-Ray DVDs). The courses include His 101: Writing on the Wall, Art 101 : Seminar - Inspiration and Expression with Jack Bender, Phi 101 : I'm Lost Therefore I Am and Phy 101 : Introductory Physics of Time Travel.
Take a look at the introduction video:
There will be apparently lots of content on the website, which will be further supported by the Blu-Ray box set and iPhone applications to download. You can also buy LU merchandise like hoodies, t-shirts and baseball caps from the ABC website. Visiting the website now will give you a good overview of what to expect from LU when it begins.
It looks like an interesting take on getting further into the background of Lost.
So an ARG and a Blu-Ray disc in the fifth season DVD box-set to accompany it seem to be on the way! Look out for more information coming at Comic-Con, no doubt.
Sign up to get an email reminder when LU opens at www.lostuniversity.org
Comic Con: A LOST History
Comic Con is drawing ever closer, and comic book uber-nerds from around the globe have begun to pull themselves away from their computer screens in their annual attempt to adapt to natural light for this one event (gotta love Family Guy references). But for us LOST fans, and though we appreciate that we are pretty high on Geekter-scale, knowledge about Comic Con and how it relates to LOST might be lacking, especially for those of you new to any kind of LOST revelation outside of what you see on TV. Therefore, as a warm-up, I'm going to briefly summarize former LOST panels at Comic Con, to give some an idea of what to expect and also get peeps psyched up for this year.2004-2005
The 2004 LOST panel was its debut at this venue, and mostly consisted of a special airing of part of the pilot episode. In 2005, a panel was also run with a lot of chat to the fans (your basic Comic-Con TV panel).
2006
This year was when LOST really stepped it up both in fan involvement and in the Comic-Con events. Not only was an in-depth Q&A run with fans of the show, but a staged interaction famously occurred with Rachel Blake accusing the writers of having "blood on their hands". This real-world tie in to the alternate reality game, The Lost Experience, was a highlight for many fans - and really established the Comic Con event as hugely important to fans as it could progress the narrative and canon of the show's mythology.
2007Fans came to the 2007 LOST panel expecting similar events to the previous year: the possibility of huge revelations tying into the show's mythos. They were not disappointed. Not only did Harold Perrineau (Michael) make a surprise appearance in anticipation of his Season 4 return, but a video was shown revealing a new DHARMA station, the Orchid. This was also the first mention of the idea of time travel, with the "teleporting bunnies" being a talking point amongst fans for the rest of the summer.
2008
Similar to 2006, a new viral alternate reality game was circulating, albeit without any real detail as to what it would involve. The Comic Con panel effectively launched this new game, also having a booth at the event where fans could take part in a DHARMA recruitment test. Internet fans poured over the clues as they were leaked online, and the many intricate puzzles and links to classical mythology were investigated in earnest. During the actual panel, a representative from DHARMA reported how poor test applicants at Comic Con had been, and how only a few had been successful in the process. One such candidate, Dan Bronson, covertly recorded the video he was then shown by the DHARMA team. It showed Pierre Chang (then the first reference to his real name), discussing time and apparently having an intricate knowledge of current affairs in the present. Again, time travel was being clued at, and the video directly foreboded the events of Season 5 (though is possibly not the strictest canon, as the cameraman appeared to be Daniel Faraday judging by the voice - now deceased). Not surprisingly, the video was again the talking point right up until Season 5 aired.
2009
Only time will tell, but rest assured the precedent is that the events of Comic Con will encourage spirited debate over the next few months.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Pre-Comic-Con
It's been a good long while since I graced the stage of the Lostpedia Blog, due to a myriad of reasons but mainly work commitments and the inherent lack of an ARG to force me into finding the time (LOST ARGs having always been "my thing"). But hopefully next week might resolve my issue as we head toward the big summer event in the LOST fan calendar - Comic-Con!!!!Comic Con has always held a special place in our hearts, and particularly here at the LP Blog where last year's coverage was a huge hit, and really caused a snowball effect that led to the start of some great investigative segments, as well as the fan following that naturally matured in response. Covering the goings on from afar, I remember the excitement and craziness we all felt, and though maybe it can't compare to an episode of LOST... in some ways it CAN because of the complete unknown it entails. There are no spoilers out there cluing us to the possible developments we might see over the course of the hiatus. Likewise, there is no real agenda being pushed by the marketing team or production crew at the panel, other than to simply get the fans pumped about the show. It is an ABC-unadulterated treat just for the fans' pleasure, and there is undeniably something a little magic about that.
Details of what's in store for visitors this year are, of course, a close guarded secret - but here's what details we do know courtesy of the show schedule:
11:00-12:00 Lost: The Final Season Begins, with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse— In appreciation of all the fan support through five seasons of Lost, co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse will pay homage to all the fans at their final Comic-Con appearance for Lost. Questions will be answered. Fun will be had. And you won't want to miss the surprises in store for the audience! Hall H
What's great to see is that the message of this year's show is really on the fans, and deservedly so we say. Even though you might think "well duh, it always was", considering this is the last LOST panel EVER, there is a certain something in the air making us feel that this show is going to be an absolute riot for those who love LOST dearly. This summer is also really the last chance for another LOST ARG, and one has to wonder will the writers develop another filler for us, nothing at all, or will they step it up like they did with the Lost Experience? With the theme of this year's panel definitely on giving back to the fans, it seems likely that the surprises in store will indeed be the best yet. What do you think will happen this year surprise wise? Do you think a new summer ARG could be in the offing?
Check back next week for more pre-event posts, and make sure to follow the Blog and the Lostpedia Twitter account during and after Comic Con for all the gossip and revelations coming from San Diego!
The Lost Rewatch: 2x01 "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and 2x02 "Adrift"
And thus we begin season two, with the introduction of one of my favorite characters ever. After season one's ending with that infamous cliffhanger, season two begins with a bang. With the Hatch now open, Kate and Locke ignore Jack's warnings and venture down the shaft without him.- We meet Desmond under the hatch. Ah, Desmond, the Scotsman who will soon become an integral part to the show. Who could imagine the show without him now?
- Sarah's wreck from the flashbacks killed Adam Rutherford. If you look closely, you can see Shannon in the scene.
- Jack's key is magnetically attracted to the concrete wall. That's because of the electromagnetism from that particular spot, where DHARMA found it.
- The shark that's harassing Michael and Sawyer has somehow escaped the Hydra DHARMA station, where a harness was seen in the tank that Jack was being held prisoner in.
- The "Others" that Jin talks about are actually the tail section survivors.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Lost Rewatch: Season 1 Review
Well we have concluded Season 1 in the LOST Rewatch. Season 1 is unique, original, enigmatic, and the reason that us Lost fans were drawn to this show in the first place. The plot in season one is primarily character-driven, and the mythology is slowly and gradually evolving. I will go through all twenty-four episodes of season one -- rehashing, recaping, reviewing, and analyzing the large variety of episodes consisting of amazing character development, literary techniques, themes, memorable quotes, easter eggs, and mythology from the original season of LOST. I figured it would be good to do an all-encompassing review of the season so that we can look at it as one seamless story. We have a lot to go through, so let's get started.
Episode 1 --- "Pilot, Part 1"
I have rewatched this episode countless times, and every time it astounds me. This episode of LOST is iconic and is the foundation of the entire series. We are introduced to the plethora of characters the comprise this season; Jack, Kate, Charlie, Sun, Jin, Claire, Michael, Walt, Shannon, Boone, and Locke. The opening sequences with Jack running through the wreckage is one of Lost's most classic moments ever. When I watch this from the perspective of having watched the entire series, the most interesting aspect of this episode is hearing Jack retell his heart-wrenching story of saving a patient as a doctor. He recalls the fear of being "so real"; in order to counter this fear, he counts to five. After finally seeing this scene in "The Incident, Part 2," I find it interesting that Jack doesn't mention that it was his father, Christian Shephard, that told him to count to five. Well, I guess we know that all the best cowboys have daddy issues...
FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: It's normal.
ROSE: Oh, I know. I've just never been a very good flier. My husband keeps reminding me that planes want to be in the air.
JACK: Well, he sounds like a very smart man.
ROSE: Be sure and tell him that when he gets back from the bathroom.
JACK: Well, I'll keep you company until he does. Don't worry it's going to be over …
Episode 2 --- "Pilot, Part 2"
The pilot episode of LOST continues, and this episode once again skims the surface of Lost's complex and intricate mythology. A polar bear (which we later discover was from the DHARMA Initiative's Hydra Station) attempts to attack the survivors. Also, we get to hear the distress call from Danielle Rousseau (which replaced the endless broadcast of the Numbers, 4 8 15 16 23 42, heard in the static by Leonard from the Mental Institute). The distress call says that something killed Danielle's entire team (later seen five seasons later, in the episode "This Place Is Death").
FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAYID: The iterations. It's a distress call. A plea for help. A mayday. If the count is right … It's been playing over … and over … for sixteen years.
BOONE: Someone else? Was stranded here?
KATE: Maybe they came for them.
SAWYER: If someone came, why is it still playing?
CHARLIE: Guys. Where are we?
Episode 3 --- "Tabula Rasa"
In Season 1, Kate started off as a character shrouded in mystery for the most part. With the revelation that she had been a fugitive (being escorted by Edward Mars), her backstory became even more ambiguous. This is one of my favorite episodes of the season, and is a classic example of a fabulous Lost episode. Let's start off by analyzing the title: Tabula rasa (Latin: blank slate)
refers to the belief that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. This is part of the philosophy of John Locke (which, of course, is a reference to John Locke from Lost). We find out that Jack doesn't want to know what Kate did, claiming that now they're on the Island, everyone has a blank slate (this sounds a lot like Locke's words to Shannon later on this season: "we all have a new life on this island... maybe it's time you start yours"). This episode concludes with a fantastic montage accompanied by the song "Wash Away," and ends with a very ominous stare of John Locke (foreshadowing the next Locke centric episode).
FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really—3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over.
Episode 4 --- "Walkabout"
Locke is one of my favorite character on Lost. He is full of mystery and enigma, and in this episode we finally learn that this island has healed him. We will later find out that the Island has not only healed Locke, but it has healed many others as well (Rose and her cancer, Young Ben and his bullet wound, etc). Aside from this, we also know that the Island has also chosen to not heal, such as Ben and his spinal tumor. My favorite part of this episode is seeing Locke's past (which is completely the opposite of anything I would've guessed). Like Boone stated in "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues," Locke's either a hitman or a taxidermist. We discover, though, that he is neither -- he was a regional collections supervisor for a box company. On top of that, he also has an annoying jerk for a boss, Randy Nations (who, through either coincidence or fate, was Hurley's boss in "Everybody Hates Hugo," and later worked for Hurley in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"). Seeing Locke's obsession with Helen, someone he's been conversing with via telephone, was also heart-wrenching (since we now know that Helen left Locke after his relentless obsession to make amends with Anthony Cooper).
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Hey, hey, don't you walk away from me. You don't know who you're dealing with. Don't ever tell me what I can't do, ever. This is destiny. This is destiny. This is my destiny. (yelling) I'm supposed to do this, dammit. Don't tell me what I can't do.
Episode 5 --- "White Rabbit"
This episode opens with one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. Jack saves Boone (who was trying to save another woman), but he fails to save Joanna. This scene shows that Jack had
a choice to make; leave Boone and save Joanna, or save Boone and attempt to save Joanna. Throughout this season, Jack has proven that he is a leader - he makes decisions for the camp, and is at the head of every rescue mission and trek across the island. As we saw in the previous episode "Walkabout," Jack is seeing visions of his dad, Christian Shephard, throughout various places on the island. Jack almost falls off of a cliff, but is saved by John Locke (who happened to show up at precisely the right time). This episode really sprouts the beginning of Jack Shephard and John Locke's complex, intricate, and troubled relationship.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: I'm an ordinary man, Jack, meat and potatoes, I live in the real world. I'm not a big believer in magic. But this place is different. It's special. The others don't want to talk about it because it scares them. But we all know it. We all feel it. Is your white rabbit a hallucination? Probably. But what if everything that happened here, happened for a reason? What if this person that you're chasing is really here?
JACK: That's impossible.
LOCKE: Even if it is, let's say it's not.
JACK: Then what happens when I catch him?
LOCKE: I don't know. But I've looked into the eye of this island. And what I saw was beautiful.
Episode 6 --- "House of the Rising Sun"
Sun and Jin are completely different characters in season one than where they are now. We see Jin violently attack Michael over a watch, and for the first time, Sun reveals to Michael that she speaks English. Not only does she speak it, but her husband Jin has no idea. In flashbacks, we see that Sun and Jin's relationship is completely different in the past than their relationship on the island -- Jin and Sun actually respected each other. On the island, Jin has proven to be a controlling husband, who commands Sun to do everything. Another one of my favorite parts of this season is seeing the full batch of redshirts again. Since Season 5, the redshirts have gradually been killed off, but in Season 1 we get to see them all once again. I love seeing SBSSG walk in the background, or see Doug and know that he will one day be shot in "The Shape of Things to Come."
FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: These caves make too good a shelter just to be used for burial. Adam and Eve, they must have lived here. Their plane crashed, or maybe they were ship-wrecked. They probably found this place and knew they could survive here. Unlimited supply of fresh water, tree canopy keeps the temperature down, shields out the sun, [Kate is looking down, unconvinced], the openings are narrow, easier for protection against predators. We don't need to bring the water to the people. We need to bring the people to the water. I think we could live here.
Episode 7 --- "The Moth"
Charlie Pace (also known as 'Has-Been Popstar', 'Babynapper', and 'Munchkin' by Sawyer) has been struggling in his battle with heroin. In flashbacks, we see more origins of his drug addiction, and how his brother Liam was a catalyst in his heroin addiction. We also see that Charlie was religious for a period of time, and confessed to his priest that he needed to quit Driveshaft to get away from the evil it made him do. After yelling at Jack for thinking that he's "useless," Charlie exclaims that he's a "bloody ROCK god," which ironically causes a cave in. Charlie escapes, but Jack is left inside. After a heroic rescue from Charlie, they escape from the caves with help from a moth. My absolute favorite scene in this episode is the amazing conversation between Locke and Charlie -- Locke explains that he could help the moth escape from its cocoon. but it would be too weak to survive. Struggle is nature's way of strengthening. This quote holds enormous importance in Lost; all of the characters have undergone struggle in their lives -- perhaps it's the island's way of strengthening them.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: You see this little hole? This moth's just about to emerge. It's in there right now, struggling. It's digging its way through the thick hide of the cocoon. Now, I could help it, take my knife, gently widen the opening, and the moth would be free. But it would be too weak to survive. The struggle is nature's way of strengthening it. Now this is the second time you've asked me for your drugs back . Ask me again and it's yours.
Episode 8 --- "Confidence Man"
Sawyer has shown to be quite the con man in his past, and he continues to live in the wild on the island. From every angle that we look at Sawyer and his motives, he seems to be completely and innertly selfish. But we see that he has an emotional edge by the way that he ominously stares at the letter he wrote as a kid (with Jacob's pen...). He knows that Mr. Sawyer was the one who killed his parents, and little does Sawyer know that he will later meet Anthony Cooper (the real Sawyer) on the island. I thought it was interesting to see Jack slowly make the transition from civilization to the wild. He didn't want Sawyer to be tortured, but he knew that they didn't have much a choice. Of course, when Sawyer is wounded badly, it gives Jack the opportunity to show off his heroic efforts (like Sawyer said).
FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAWYER: Baby, I am tied to a tree in a jungle of mystery. I just got tortured by a damn spinal surgeon and a gen-u-ine I-raqi. Of course, I'm serious. You're just not seeing the big picture here, Freckles. You really going to let that girl suffocate because you can't bring yourself to give me one little kiss? Hell, it's only first base. Lucky for you I ain't greedy.
Episode 9 --- "Solitary"
This is one of my favorite episodes of the season. We begin to learn more about the French woman, Danielle Rousseau, who tells her horrowing tale of survival on the island alone for sixteen years. She explains that her crew was infected, and she killed them all. It is interesting to compare this episode to "This Place Is Death." I'm quite certain that Danielle has gone crazy
over the years, since she told Sayid that she has never seen the Others, but she hears them whisper. We know very well that she saw Ben Linus when they stole Alex from her. Overall, I absolutely love the juxtapostion that occurs in this episode -- on one side of the island we see the light-hearted game of golf happening, but on the other side of the island Sayid is being tortured by Danielle, and we hear her dark tale of survival. In flashbacks we learn the story behind Nadia, Sayid's long lost love, and know that they won't reunite until "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" and that their story will end tragically when she is hit by a car. In this episode, there is also a lot of irony when Danielle mentions the mysterious Others that she has never seen, and little do we know that Ethan Rom (posing as a survivor) is one of these Others.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
HURLEY: Look, all I'm saying is, if we're stuck here, then just surviving's not going to cut it. We need some kind of relief, you know. We need some way that we can, you know, have fun. That's right, fun. Or else we're just going to go crazy waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
Episode 10 --- "Raised by Another"
One of the most interesting parts of this episode is Claire's dream at the beginning. We see Locke with one dark eye and one light eye; I think that this dream is very significant towards Lost. In flashbacks, we see Richard Malkin, a psychic who apparently "knew" the fate of Flight 815. He wanted Claire to raise the baby; great danger surrounds the baby and only Claire can raise it. I hope that this storyline is revisited in season six, since we know that Kate Austen raised Aaron for a while until giving him to his grandmother, Carole Littleton. Will this have a significant affect on Aaron? Every time I see the title of this episode I always do a play on words: what if it was "Raised by an Other"? It seems like the writers of this episode may have been thinking the same thing.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CLAIRE: Jack tried to dope me. He thinks I'm making all this up, that none of it really happened.
CHARLIE: Right. So, to prove your sanity you go tromping through the jungle alone. Well done.
CLAIRE: I'm not crazy, Charlie.
Episode 11 --- "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"
Jack and his dad Christian definitely have a lot of issues, and the origin of these issues is first seen in this episode. We learn that Christian was performing surgury under the influence, and Jack knew this. Christian thinks he has gained his son's trust when he signs a consent form stating the "truth"; but this is very troubling for Jack. Maybe it's his morals, conscience, or something else -- whatever it is, Jack decides to revise his statment, and tells the administration that Christian was under the influence during surgery. This is the climactic pinnacle of their troubled relationship. Christian goes to Australia, where we will later see him meet Sawyer in "Outlaws." On the island, Jack and Kate find Charlie tied to a tree; while trying to resusitate him, Kate tells Jack to stop, knowing that there is no hope. This is very reminiscent of Christian telling Jack to "call it" when when of his patients succombed to their injuries. This is an extremely well crafted episode; the Jack and Christian relationship is one of the best storylines of the entire series. In a suspenseful, fateful, and unforgettable final scene, Locke throws Boone a flashlight, which he drops onto the Hatch. This Hatch will play a very pivotal role in the series as a whole.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHRISTIAN: I know I have been hard on you, but that is how you make a soft metal into steel. That is why you are the most gifted young surgeon in this city. And this, this is a career that is all about the greater good. I've had to sacrifice certain aspects of my relationship with you so that hundreds and thousands of patients will live because of your extraordinary skills. I know it's a long, a long time coming. What happened yesterday, I promise you, will never happen again. And after all what I've given -- this is not just about my career, Jack. It's my life.
Episode 12 --- "Whatever the Case May Be"
This is my favorite Kate centric episode of all time. In the past, we see some of Kate's criminal activity, which includes persuading a guy to rob a bank. Kate doesn't want money; she only wants a toy plane (which we now know belongs to Tom Brennan, the man that Kate "killed" fro
m "Born to Run". On the island, the episode begins with an amazing scene at a lagoon on the island; Sawyer and Kate explore the lagoon only to find dead bodies and wreckage from the plane, and also a case. Kate's strong interest in the case is what leads to Sawyer's curiosity of what's inside. What is inside? Guns. Kate knows that guns could be of great value on an island full of hostile natives, especially with what just happened to Claire and Charlie. But that isn't the real reason she wants to get in the case; Kate wants the toy plane that belonged to Tom Brennan. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Charlie asks Rose to help him; Rose says that she isn't the one that can help him, and they pray together.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
ROSE: I just do. It's a fine line between denial and faith. It's much better on my side.
CHARLIE: Help me.
ROSE: Baby, I'm not the one that can help you... Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for bringing us together tonight, and we ask that you show Charlie the path...
Episode 13 --- "Hearts and Minds"
Boone's attraction to Shannon is something that he has been unable to let go of, and John Locke knows it. While in the jungle, Locke drugs Boone (which leads to him having a very vivid dream). In this dream, Boone attempts to save Shannon from the Monster, but fails. When Shannon is killed, Boone says that he felt relieved. Overall, this would have to be one of my least favorite episodes of the series. in flashbacks we see that Boone continuously saves Shannon from guys that want to take advantage over her, but Shannon doesn't seem to care and tries to con Boone out of the money. After all of this, Shannon tells Boone that she knows he's in love with her. On the Island, Locke helps Boone get over his love for his sister, and leads him to focus more on the Hatch.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Ludovico Buonarrati, Michelangelo's father. He was a wealthy man. He had no understanding of the divinity in his son, so he beat him. No child of his was going to use his hands for a living. So, Michelangelo learned not to use his hands. Years later a visiting prince came into Michelangelo's studio and found the master staring at a single 18 foot block of marble. Then he knew that the rumors were true -- that Michelangelo had come in everyday for the last four months, stared at the marble, and gone home for his supper. So the prince asked the obvious -- what are you doing? And Michelangelo turned around and looked at him, and whispered, sto lavorando, I'm working. Three years later that block of marble was the statue of David.
Episode 14 --- "Special"
Michael's issues with Locke come to a head in this episode. Since the beginning of the season, Michael has been relentlessly wary about Locke being around Walt. Walt seems to really like Locke, and this leads to Michael being jealous. Flashbacks reveal that Walt really is special; while reading a book about birds in Australia, a bird flies into the window and dies. We will later discover the exact same thing happen on Hydra Island, seen in "Room 23". Walt tries to leave camp but encounters a polar bear. In an heroic effort, Locke and Michael save Walt, which leads them to make amends.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHARLIE: Yeah, I know, I'm bloody scum. Just listen to this. "I had that weird dream again, the one with the black rock I can't get away from. I try to leave it but it won't let me."
Episode 15 --- "Homecoming"
Claire has finally returned to camp after nearly a week of absence (what happened to her will be revealed in Season Two's "Maternity Leave"). The A-Team devises a plan to capture Ethan Rom (who has threatened to kill one survivor each day they don't bring Claire back to him). The plan uses Claire as bait. The flashbacks in this episode are less than stellar; Charlie's girlfriend Lucy is very forgettable, and his job selling printers has almost zero merit to his overall story arc. The on-island story in this episode is a pinnacle part of this season; in many ways it is the climax of Season 1. Ethan Rom (or as Charlie called him, the "bad guy") is one of the Others who is trying to kidnap Claire once again; the survivors stop that from happening, and are able to detain Ethan at gunpoint. Charlie decides to be proactive, and shoots Ethan, killing him. For awhile I was very angry at Charlie -- why would you kill someone that could have given valuable information about his motives, whereabouts, and origins? But I suppose his actions are justified; after all, we know that the Others are extremely secretive about their whereabouts (seen later on with Bea Klugh and Mikhail, who would have rather died than taken the survivors to the Barracks). Overall, this is a tremendous episode that comprises some of the best moments of the season.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Jack, I'm not a cold man. I feel for the loss of one of our own, but nothing fundamental is changed. Wherever he is, wherever he comes from, we're on Ethan's turf. He has the advantage. To him we're nothing more than a bunch of scared idiots with sharp sticks.
Episode 16 --- "Outlaws"
The on island story of this episode starts off very interesting; a boar runs off with Sawyer's tent, and when Sawyer chases him into the jungle, he hears whispers. Some of the words in these whispers are audible, and we hear someone say "it'll come back around". These words will be used by Frank Duckett, who James Ford killed (because Hibbs conned him into doing it). My favorite scene in this episode (and one of my favorites from this season) is when Sawyer meets Christian Shephard in a bar in Australia. According to Christian, they call Australia 'down under' because it's as close as you cn get to hell without burning. Christian knows that Sawyer is
suffering. He prompts Sawyer into doing whatever it is he has to in order to escape the suffering (which, in this case is killing the "Sawyer" that caused the death of his parents). Christian states that he can escape his suffering if he picked up the phone and called his son. All he had to do was call Jack, tell him what he really feels. But he can't, because he is weak. This is a very significant, emotional, and amazing scene that redefines the troubled relationship between Jack and his father. Later on in "Exodus" Sawyer tells Jack about this conversation they had. In the jungle, Kate and Sawyer discover some secrets about each other while playing 'I Never' that redefine their relationship. It's revealed that Kate was married for awhile (later seen in "I Do"). They also discover that they are both "outlaws." This episode is extremely underrated, and is considered by many fans to be one of the worst episodes of the season. I disagree with this, and think it is a great episode that further propels James' relentless pursuit for "Sawyer".
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Don't let the air conditioning fool you, son. You are here, too. You are suffering. But, don't beat yourself up about it. It's fate. Some people are just supposed to suffer. That's why the Red Sox will never win the damn series. I have a son who's about your age. He's not like me, he does what's in his heart. He's a good man, maybe a great one. And right now, he thinks that I hate him. He thinks I feel betrayed by him. But what I really feel is gratitude, and pride because of what he did to me. What he did for me. It took more courage than I have. There's a pay phone over here. I could pick it up and I could call my son. I could tell him about all this. I could tell him that I love him. One simple phone call and I could fix everything.
SAWYER: Why don't you?
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Because I am weak.
Episode 17 --- "...In Translation"
Jin-Soo Kwon has had a very hard life on the island thus far in the season. He is the only survivor that speaks no English, and is constantly 'lost in translation'. When the raft is burned by a mysterious arsonist, everyone suspects Jin (who has had a bitter vendetta against Michael since the watch incident). Jin also has burns, which doesn't help his cause. In a climactic confrontation on the beach, Michael publicly beats Jin in front of the entire camp. It is here when Sun reveals that she speaks English (to everyone, including Jin). This leaves her alienated, and her husband refuses to speak to her. In a way, this act has given Sun freedom, and she no longer feels repressed by Jin. In a great final scene, Sun walks on the beach in her bathing suit (something Jin would never have allowed). My favorite scene in this episode is Locke's speech to the camp; it can be seen as a harbinger of what's to come. Like Boone said in "Hearts and Minds," Locke's the only one who has a clue as to what's going on around here.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Okay, it's personal, but why take it out on our best chance of getting off the island? Why would any one of us block an attempt to get home? We're so intent on pointing the finger at one another that we're ignoring the simple undeniable truth that the problem isn't here, it's there. They've attacked us, sabotaged us, abducted us, murdered us. Maybe it's time we stop blaming us and start worrying about them. We're not the only people on this island and we all know it.
Episode 18 --- "Numbers"
This is an iconic episode of Lost; we get to see the Numbers for the first time. The Numbers have been, and always will be, one of the most prominent aspects of the entire show. I absolutely love hearing the ominous and mysterious story behind the Numbers. The Numbers drove Leonard insane after he heard them repeating over and over through radio static. After winning the lottery, Hurley is convinced he's under a curse. This isn't a normal curse though; bad things to happen to Hurley, but rather the people around him. His grandpa Tito died, his new house for his mother caught on fire, a man jumped off a building he was in, a fire killed eight people in a factory he owned in Canada, a meteorite destroyed his kitchen shack, and he crashed on Oceanic Flight 815. I absolutely love the flashbacks in this episode that shed more light on Hurley's very ominous past, and the on island story involving Hurley with Danielle is amazing too.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
HURLEY: What? You don't know? Okay, that thing in the woods, maybe it's a monster, maybe it's a pissed off giraffe, I don't know. The fact that no one is even looking for us, yeah, that's weird, but I just go along with it because I'm along for the ride, good old fun time Hurley. Well guess what? Now, I want some friggin' answers.
Episode 19 --- "Deus Ex Machina"
LOCKE: I've done everything you wanted me to do, so why did you do this to me?
Episode 20 --- "Do No Harm"
KATE: Want to talk about it?
JACK: Talk about what?
KATE: Boone died, Jack.
JACK: He didn't die. He was murdered.
KATE: What? Jack, where are you going?
JACK: To find John Locke.
Episode 21 --- "The Greater Good"
The beach camp is filled with mixed emotions: there is happiness surrounding the birth of baby Aaron, and there is sadness due to Boone's death. Locke shows up to Boone's funeral and gives an explanation for Boone's death; this doesn't appease Jack, however, and he violently attacks
Locke. Later on, Locke approaches Shannon, asking for her forgiveness. Rather than be forgiving, Shannon decides it would be better to kill Locke. When Sayid refuses to do this, Shannon takes matters into her own hands. I really don't understand Shannon's actions here; she didn't seem extremely upset over Boone's death (considering she refused to speak at her own brother's funeral). I think she went after Locke simply because she is stubborn and needed to prove that she is capable of doing what she wants to. In flashbacks, we see Sayid infiltrate a group of terrorists, one of which is his long time friend. Sayid agrees to convince Essam to "blow himself up" because it is his only chance to reunite with Nadia. At first glance, his actions may seem selfish; he used his friend to get to his long-lost love. But Sayid never intended for Essam to actually blow himself up. Sayid gave him a chance to run away and escape, but he chose not to.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Storm coming. I should have said no -- the first time he offered to hunt with me I should have said no.
SHANNON: He would have gone anyway.
LOCKE: Yeah, I suppose he would have. I know how confused and angry you must be right now. I can't say I understand what you're going through, but I know what it feels like when you lose family. I hope you can forgive me. I'm sorry.
Episode 22 --- "Born to Run"
SAWYER: The only chance of running is getting on that raft, ain't it? We get picked up by a ship and they come back to rescue the rest of you all -- there's going to be a nice big asterisk next to your name. Don't worry puddin', your secret's safe with me. But just so you know -- no way in hell you're getting my spot on that raft.
Episode 23 --- "Exodus, Part 1"
JACK: Who's coming?
DANIELLE: The Others. You have only 3 choices: run, hide, or die.
Episode 24 --- "Exodus, Part 2"
The season one finale is nothing short of incredible. I'll start by discussing one of my favorite scenes of all-time: Hurley's chase through the airport. Bad luck seems to meet Hurley at every corner, and he thinks this is due to the curse from the Numbers. Hurley oversleeps, and hastily rushes to the airport in a hurried attempt to catch Flight 815 before it takes off. This scene always makes me laugh; it's also full of easter eggs: Hurley runs past a team of soccer players with the Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 on the back of their jerseys, the number of the gate they enter to get on the plane is 23, and the man that Hurley takes the scooter from in the airport is wearing a "Crazy Eight's" hat. At the Black Rock, Arzt attempts to takeover the
situation with the dynamite. This, of course, ends with him explosing in front of them all. Hurley blames this on himself and the Numbers. On the journey back to camp in the Dark Territory, the survivors encounter the Monster again. This is our first real glimpse at the Monster and what it is: a column of black smoke. Locke is almost pulled into a Cerberus Vent, but he is saved by Jack. Locke wanted Jack to let go, thinking that the Island was testing him. I'm guessing, though, that if Jack did let him go, he would have become "infected," just like Danielle's science expedition. Back at the beach camp, Danielle encounters Aaron and Claire. Rousseau heard whispers in the jungle, and the whispers were saying that they were coming for the child. Danielle suspects that the Others are coming for Aaron, so she kidnaps Aaron in hope of making a trade: Aaron for Alex. Danielle heads off toward the pillar of smoke, where she intends to find the Others. Charlie and Sayid aren't far behind her.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: That's why you and I don't see eye-to-eye sometimes, Jack -- because you're a man of science.
JACK: Yeah, and what does that make you?
LOCKE: Me, well, I'm a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you've seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.
I hope you all enjoyed this all-encompassing review and analysis of Lost's incredible first season. This season is full of some amazing themes, incredible scenes, awesome quotes, interesting mythology, and suspenseful cliffhangers. It's always fun to go back and rewatch these episodes. I'd love to here your thoughts on the first season too!
Episode 1 --- "Pilot, Part 1"
I have rewatched this episode countless times, and every time it astounds me. This episode of LOST is iconic and is the foundation of the entire series. We are introduced to the plethora of characters the comprise this season; Jack, Kate, Charlie, Sun, Jin, Claire, Michael, Walt, Shannon, Boone, and Locke. The opening sequences with Jack running through the wreckage is one of Lost's most classic moments ever. When I watch this from the perspective of having watched the entire series, the most interesting aspect of this episode is hearing Jack retell his heart-wrenching story of saving a patient as a doctor. He recalls the fear of being "so real"; in order to counter this fear, he counts to five. After finally seeing this scene in "The Incident, Part 2," I find it interesting that Jack doesn't mention that it was his father, Christian Shephard, that told him to count to five. Well, I guess we know that all the best cowboys have daddy issues...
FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: It's normal.
ROSE: Oh, I know. I've just never been a very good flier. My husband keeps reminding me that planes want to be in the air.
JACK: Well, he sounds like a very smart man.
ROSE: Be sure and tell him that when he gets back from the bathroom.
JACK: Well, I'll keep you company until he does. Don't worry it's going to be over …
Episode 2 --- "Pilot, Part 2"
The pilot episode of LOST continues, and this episode once again skims the surface of Lost's complex and intricate mythology. A polar bear (which we later discover was from the DHARMA Initiative's Hydra Station) attempts to attack the survivors. Also, we get to hear the distress call from Danielle Rousseau (which replaced the endless broadcast of the Numbers, 4 8 15 16 23 42, heard in the static by Leonard from the Mental Institute). The distress call says that something killed Danielle's entire team (later seen five seasons later, in the episode "This Place Is Death").
FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAYID: The iterations. It's a distress call. A plea for help. A mayday. If the count is right … It's been playing over … and over … for sixteen years.
BOONE: Someone else? Was stranded here?
KATE: Maybe they came for them.
SAWYER: If someone came, why is it still playing?
CHARLIE: Guys. Where are we?
Episode 3 --- "Tabula Rasa"
In Season 1, Kate started off as a character shrouded in mystery for the most part. With the revelation that she had been a fugitive (being escorted by Edward Mars), her backstory became even more ambiguous. This is one of my favorite episodes of the season, and is a classic example of a fabulous Lost episode. Let's start off by analyzing the title: Tabula rasa (Latin: blank slate)
refers to the belief that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. This is part of the philosophy of John Locke (which, of course, is a reference to John Locke from Lost). We find out that Jack doesn't want to know what Kate did, claiming that now they're on the Island, everyone has a blank slate (this sounds a lot like Locke's words to Shannon later on this season: "we all have a new life on this island... maybe it's time you start yours"). This episode concludes with a fantastic montage accompanied by the song "Wash Away," and ends with a very ominous stare of John Locke (foreshadowing the next Locke centric episode).FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really—3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over.
Episode 4 --- "Walkabout"
Locke is one of my favorite character on Lost. He is full of mystery and enigma, and in this episode we finally learn that this island has healed him. We will later find out that the Island has not only healed Locke, but it has healed many others as well (Rose and her cancer, Young Ben and his bullet wound, etc). Aside from this, we also know that the Island has also chosen to not heal, such as Ben and his spinal tumor. My favorite part of this episode is seeing Locke's past (which is completely the opposite of anything I would've guessed). Like Boone stated in "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues," Locke's either a hitman or a taxidermist. We discover, though, that he is neither -- he was a regional collections supervisor for a box company. On top of that, he also has an annoying jerk for a boss, Randy Nations (who, through either coincidence or fate, was Hurley's boss in "Everybody Hates Hugo," and later worked for Hurley in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"). Seeing Locke's obsession with Helen, someone he's been conversing with via telephone, was also heart-wrenching (since we now know that Helen left Locke after his relentless obsession to make amends with Anthony Cooper).
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Hey, hey, don't you walk away from me. You don't know who you're dealing with. Don't ever tell me what I can't do, ever. This is destiny. This is destiny. This is my destiny. (yelling) I'm supposed to do this, dammit. Don't tell me what I can't do.
Episode 5 --- "White Rabbit"
This episode opens with one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. Jack saves Boone (who was trying to save another woman), but he fails to save Joanna. This scene shows that Jack had
a choice to make; leave Boone and save Joanna, or save Boone and attempt to save Joanna. Throughout this season, Jack has proven that he is a leader - he makes decisions for the camp, and is at the head of every rescue mission and trek across the island. As we saw in the previous episode "Walkabout," Jack is seeing visions of his dad, Christian Shephard, throughout various places on the island. Jack almost falls off of a cliff, but is saved by John Locke (who happened to show up at precisely the right time). This episode really sprouts the beginning of Jack Shephard and John Locke's complex, intricate, and troubled relationship.FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: I'm an ordinary man, Jack, meat and potatoes, I live in the real world. I'm not a big believer in magic. But this place is different. It's special. The others don't want to talk about it because it scares them. But we all know it. We all feel it. Is your white rabbit a hallucination? Probably. But what if everything that happened here, happened for a reason? What if this person that you're chasing is really here?
JACK: That's impossible.
LOCKE: Even if it is, let's say it's not.
JACK: Then what happens when I catch him?
LOCKE: I don't know. But I've looked into the eye of this island. And what I saw was beautiful.
Episode 6 --- "House of the Rising Sun"
Sun and Jin are completely different characters in season one than where they are now. We see Jin violently attack Michael over a watch, and for the first time, Sun reveals to Michael that she speaks English. Not only does she speak it, but her husband Jin has no idea. In flashbacks, we see that Sun and Jin's relationship is completely different in the past than their relationship on the island -- Jin and Sun actually respected each other. On the island, Jin has proven to be a controlling husband, who commands Sun to do everything. Another one of my favorite parts of this season is seeing the full batch of redshirts again. Since Season 5, the redshirts have gradually been killed off, but in Season 1 we get to see them all once again. I love seeing SBSSG walk in the background, or see Doug and know that he will one day be shot in "The Shape of Things to Come."
FAVORITE QUOTE:
JACK: These caves make too good a shelter just to be used for burial. Adam and Eve, they must have lived here. Their plane crashed, or maybe they were ship-wrecked. They probably found this place and knew they could survive here. Unlimited supply of fresh water, tree canopy keeps the temperature down, shields out the sun, [Kate is looking down, unconvinced], the openings are narrow, easier for protection against predators. We don't need to bring the water to the people. We need to bring the people to the water. I think we could live here.
Episode 7 --- "The Moth"
Charlie Pace (also known as 'Has-Been Popstar', 'Babynapper', and 'Munchkin' by Sawyer) has been struggling in his battle with heroin. In flashbacks, we see more origins of his drug addiction, and how his brother Liam was a catalyst in his heroin addiction. We also see that Charlie was religious for a period of time, and confessed to his priest that he needed to quit Driveshaft to get away from the evil it made him do. After yelling at Jack for thinking that he's "useless," Charlie exclaims that he's a "bloody ROCK god," which ironically causes a cave in. Charlie escapes, but Jack is left inside. After a heroic rescue from Charlie, they escape from the caves with help from a moth. My absolute favorite scene in this episode is the amazing conversation between Locke and Charlie -- Locke explains that he could help the moth escape from its cocoon. but it would be too weak to survive. Struggle is nature's way of strengthening. This quote holds enormous importance in Lost; all of the characters have undergone struggle in their lives -- perhaps it's the island's way of strengthening them.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: You see this little hole? This moth's just about to emerge. It's in there right now, struggling. It's digging its way through the thick hide of the cocoon. Now, I could help it, take my knife, gently widen the opening, and the moth would be free. But it would be too weak to survive. The struggle is nature's way of strengthening it. Now this is the second time you've asked me for your drugs back . Ask me again and it's yours.
Episode 8 --- "Confidence Man"
Sawyer has shown to be quite the con man in his past, and he continues to live in the wild on the island. From every angle that we look at Sawyer and his motives, he seems to be completely and innertly selfish. But we see that he has an emotional edge by the way that he ominously stares at the letter he wrote as a kid (with Jacob's pen...). He knows that Mr. Sawyer was the one who killed his parents, and little does Sawyer know that he will later meet Anthony Cooper (the real Sawyer) on the island. I thought it was interesting to see Jack slowly make the transition from civilization to the wild. He didn't want Sawyer to be tortured, but he knew that they didn't have much a choice. Of course, when Sawyer is wounded badly, it gives Jack the opportunity to show off his heroic efforts (like Sawyer said).
FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAWYER: Baby, I am tied to a tree in a jungle of mystery. I just got tortured by a damn spinal surgeon and a gen-u-ine I-raqi. Of course, I'm serious. You're just not seeing the big picture here, Freckles. You really going to let that girl suffocate because you can't bring yourself to give me one little kiss? Hell, it's only first base. Lucky for you I ain't greedy.
Episode 9 --- "Solitary"
This is one of my favorite episodes of the season. We begin to learn more about the French woman, Danielle Rousseau, who tells her horrowing tale of survival on the island alone for sixteen years. She explains that her crew was infected, and she killed them all. It is interesting to compare this episode to "This Place Is Death." I'm quite certain that Danielle has gone crazy
over the years, since she told Sayid that she has never seen the Others, but she hears them whisper. We know very well that she saw Ben Linus when they stole Alex from her. Overall, I absolutely love the juxtapostion that occurs in this episode -- on one side of the island we see the light-hearted game of golf happening, but on the other side of the island Sayid is being tortured by Danielle, and we hear her dark tale of survival. In flashbacks we learn the story behind Nadia, Sayid's long lost love, and know that they won't reunite until "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" and that their story will end tragically when she is hit by a car. In this episode, there is also a lot of irony when Danielle mentions the mysterious Others that she has never seen, and little do we know that Ethan Rom (posing as a survivor) is one of these Others.FAVORITE QUOTE:
HURLEY: Look, all I'm saying is, if we're stuck here, then just surviving's not going to cut it. We need some kind of relief, you know. We need some way that we can, you know, have fun. That's right, fun. Or else we're just going to go crazy waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
Episode 10 --- "Raised by Another"
One of the most interesting parts of this episode is Claire's dream at the beginning. We see Locke with one dark eye and one light eye; I think that this dream is very significant towards Lost. In flashbacks, we see Richard Malkin, a psychic who apparently "knew" the fate of Flight 815. He wanted Claire to raise the baby; great danger surrounds the baby and only Claire can raise it. I hope that this storyline is revisited in season six, since we know that Kate Austen raised Aaron for a while until giving him to his grandmother, Carole Littleton. Will this have a significant affect on Aaron? Every time I see the title of this episode I always do a play on words: what if it was "Raised by an Other"? It seems like the writers of this episode may have been thinking the same thing.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CLAIRE: Jack tried to dope me. He thinks I'm making all this up, that none of it really happened.
CHARLIE: Right. So, to prove your sanity you go tromping through the jungle alone. Well done.
CLAIRE: I'm not crazy, Charlie.
Episode 11 --- "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"
Jack and his dad Christian definitely have a lot of issues, and the origin of these issues is first seen in this episode. We learn that Christian was performing surgury under the influence, and Jack knew this. Christian thinks he has gained his son's trust when he signs a consent form stating the "truth"; but this is very troubling for Jack. Maybe it's his morals, conscience, or something else -- whatever it is, Jack decides to revise his statment, and tells the administration that Christian was under the influence during surgery. This is the climactic pinnacle of their troubled relationship. Christian goes to Australia, where we will later see him meet Sawyer in "Outlaws." On the island, Jack and Kate find Charlie tied to a tree; while trying to resusitate him, Kate tells Jack to stop, knowing that there is no hope. This is very reminiscent of Christian telling Jack to "call it" when when of his patients succombed to their injuries. This is an extremely well crafted episode; the Jack and Christian relationship is one of the best storylines of the entire series. In a suspenseful, fateful, and unforgettable final scene, Locke throws Boone a flashlight, which he drops onto the Hatch. This Hatch will play a very pivotal role in the series as a whole.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHRISTIAN: I know I have been hard on you, but that is how you make a soft metal into steel. That is why you are the most gifted young surgeon in this city. And this, this is a career that is all about the greater good. I've had to sacrifice certain aspects of my relationship with you so that hundreds and thousands of patients will live because of your extraordinary skills. I know it's a long, a long time coming. What happened yesterday, I promise you, will never happen again. And after all what I've given -- this is not just about my career, Jack. It's my life.
Episode 12 --- "Whatever the Case May Be"
This is my favorite Kate centric episode of all time. In the past, we see some of Kate's criminal activity, which includes persuading a guy to rob a bank. Kate doesn't want money; she only wants a toy plane (which we now know belongs to Tom Brennan, the man that Kate "killed" fro
m "Born to Run". On the island, the episode begins with an amazing scene at a lagoon on the island; Sawyer and Kate explore the lagoon only to find dead bodies and wreckage from the plane, and also a case. Kate's strong interest in the case is what leads to Sawyer's curiosity of what's inside. What is inside? Guns. Kate knows that guns could be of great value on an island full of hostile natives, especially with what just happened to Claire and Charlie. But that isn't the real reason she wants to get in the case; Kate wants the toy plane that belonged to Tom Brennan. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Charlie asks Rose to help him; Rose says that she isn't the one that can help him, and they pray together.FAVORITE QUOTE:
ROSE: I just do. It's a fine line between denial and faith. It's much better on my side.
CHARLIE: Help me.
ROSE: Baby, I'm not the one that can help you... Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for bringing us together tonight, and we ask that you show Charlie the path...
Episode 13 --- "Hearts and Minds"
Boone's attraction to Shannon is something that he has been unable to let go of, and John Locke knows it. While in the jungle, Locke drugs Boone (which leads to him having a very vivid dream). In this dream, Boone attempts to save Shannon from the Monster, but fails. When Shannon is killed, Boone says that he felt relieved. Overall, this would have to be one of my least favorite episodes of the series. in flashbacks we see that Boone continuously saves Shannon from guys that want to take advantage over her, but Shannon doesn't seem to care and tries to con Boone out of the money. After all of this, Shannon tells Boone that she knows he's in love with her. On the Island, Locke helps Boone get over his love for his sister, and leads him to focus more on the Hatch.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Ludovico Buonarrati, Michelangelo's father. He was a wealthy man. He had no understanding of the divinity in his son, so he beat him. No child of his was going to use his hands for a living. So, Michelangelo learned not to use his hands. Years later a visiting prince came into Michelangelo's studio and found the master staring at a single 18 foot block of marble. Then he knew that the rumors were true -- that Michelangelo had come in everyday for the last four months, stared at the marble, and gone home for his supper. So the prince asked the obvious -- what are you doing? And Michelangelo turned around and looked at him, and whispered, sto lavorando, I'm working. Three years later that block of marble was the statue of David.
Episode 14 --- "Special"
Michael's issues with Locke come to a head in this episode. Since the beginning of the season, Michael has been relentlessly wary about Locke being around Walt. Walt seems to really like Locke, and this leads to Michael being jealous. Flashbacks reveal that Walt really is special; while reading a book about birds in Australia, a bird flies into the window and dies. We will later discover the exact same thing happen on Hydra Island, seen in "Room 23". Walt tries to leave camp but encounters a polar bear. In an heroic effort, Locke and Michael save Walt, which leads them to make amends.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHARLIE: Yeah, I know, I'm bloody scum. Just listen to this. "I had that weird dream again, the one with the black rock I can't get away from. I try to leave it but it won't let me."
Episode 15 --- "Homecoming"
Claire has finally returned to camp after nearly a week of absence (what happened to her will be revealed in Season Two's "Maternity Leave"). The A-Team devises a plan to capture Ethan Rom (who has threatened to kill one survivor each day they don't bring Claire back to him). The plan uses Claire as bait. The flashbacks in this episode are less than stellar; Charlie's girlfriend Lucy is very forgettable, and his job selling printers has almost zero merit to his overall story arc. The on-island story in this episode is a pinnacle part of this season; in many ways it is the climax of Season 1. Ethan Rom (or as Charlie called him, the "bad guy") is one of the Others who is trying to kidnap Claire once again; the survivors stop that from happening, and are able to detain Ethan at gunpoint. Charlie decides to be proactive, and shoots Ethan, killing him. For awhile I was very angry at Charlie -- why would you kill someone that could have given valuable information about his motives, whereabouts, and origins? But I suppose his actions are justified; after all, we know that the Others are extremely secretive about their whereabouts (seen later on with Bea Klugh and Mikhail, who would have rather died than taken the survivors to the Barracks). Overall, this is a tremendous episode that comprises some of the best moments of the season.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Jack, I'm not a cold man. I feel for the loss of one of our own, but nothing fundamental is changed. Wherever he is, wherever he comes from, we're on Ethan's turf. He has the advantage. To him we're nothing more than a bunch of scared idiots with sharp sticks.
Episode 16 --- "Outlaws"
The on island story of this episode starts off very interesting; a boar runs off with Sawyer's tent, and when Sawyer chases him into the jungle, he hears whispers. Some of the words in these whispers are audible, and we hear someone say "it'll come back around". These words will be used by Frank Duckett, who James Ford killed (because Hibbs conned him into doing it). My favorite scene in this episode (and one of my favorites from this season) is when Sawyer meets Christian Shephard in a bar in Australia. According to Christian, they call Australia 'down under' because it's as close as you cn get to hell without burning. Christian knows that Sawyer is
suffering. He prompts Sawyer into doing whatever it is he has to in order to escape the suffering (which, in this case is killing the "Sawyer" that caused the death of his parents). Christian states that he can escape his suffering if he picked up the phone and called his son. All he had to do was call Jack, tell him what he really feels. But he can't, because he is weak. This is a very significant, emotional, and amazing scene that redefines the troubled relationship between Jack and his father. Later on in "Exodus" Sawyer tells Jack about this conversation they had. In the jungle, Kate and Sawyer discover some secrets about each other while playing 'I Never' that redefine their relationship. It's revealed that Kate was married for awhile (later seen in "I Do"). They also discover that they are both "outlaws." This episode is extremely underrated, and is considered by many fans to be one of the worst episodes of the season. I disagree with this, and think it is a great episode that further propels James' relentless pursuit for "Sawyer".FAVORITE QUOTE:
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Don't let the air conditioning fool you, son. You are here, too. You are suffering. But, don't beat yourself up about it. It's fate. Some people are just supposed to suffer. That's why the Red Sox will never win the damn series. I have a son who's about your age. He's not like me, he does what's in his heart. He's a good man, maybe a great one. And right now, he thinks that I hate him. He thinks I feel betrayed by him. But what I really feel is gratitude, and pride because of what he did to me. What he did for me. It took more courage than I have. There's a pay phone over here. I could pick it up and I could call my son. I could tell him about all this. I could tell him that I love him. One simple phone call and I could fix everything.
SAWYER: Why don't you?
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Because I am weak.
Episode 17 --- "...In Translation"
Jin-Soo Kwon has had a very hard life on the island thus far in the season. He is the only survivor that speaks no English, and is constantly 'lost in translation'. When the raft is burned by a mysterious arsonist, everyone suspects Jin (who has had a bitter vendetta against Michael since the watch incident). Jin also has burns, which doesn't help his cause. In a climactic confrontation on the beach, Michael publicly beats Jin in front of the entire camp. It is here when Sun reveals that she speaks English (to everyone, including Jin). This leaves her alienated, and her husband refuses to speak to her. In a way, this act has given Sun freedom, and she no longer feels repressed by Jin. In a great final scene, Sun walks on the beach in her bathing suit (something Jin would never have allowed). My favorite scene in this episode is Locke's speech to the camp; it can be seen as a harbinger of what's to come. Like Boone said in "Hearts and Minds," Locke's the only one who has a clue as to what's going on around here.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Okay, it's personal, but why take it out on our best chance of getting off the island? Why would any one of us block an attempt to get home? We're so intent on pointing the finger at one another that we're ignoring the simple undeniable truth that the problem isn't here, it's there. They've attacked us, sabotaged us, abducted us, murdered us. Maybe it's time we stop blaming us and start worrying about them. We're not the only people on this island and we all know it.
Episode 18 --- "Numbers"
This is an iconic episode of Lost; we get to see the Numbers for the first time. The Numbers have been, and always will be, one of the most prominent aspects of the entire show. I absolutely love hearing the ominous and mysterious story behind the Numbers. The Numbers drove Leonard insane after he heard them repeating over and over through radio static. After winning the lottery, Hurley is convinced he's under a curse. This isn't a normal curse though; bad things to happen to Hurley, but rather the people around him. His grandpa Tito died, his new house for his mother caught on fire, a man jumped off a building he was in, a fire killed eight people in a factory he owned in Canada, a meteorite destroyed his kitchen shack, and he crashed on Oceanic Flight 815. I absolutely love the flashbacks in this episode that shed more light on Hurley's very ominous past, and the on island story involving Hurley with Danielle is amazing too.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
HURLEY: What? You don't know? Okay, that thing in the woods, maybe it's a monster, maybe it's a pissed off giraffe, I don't know. The fact that no one is even looking for us, yeah, that's weird, but I just go along with it because I'm along for the ride, good old fun time Hurley. Well guess what? Now, I want some friggin' answers.
Episode 19 --- "Deus Ex Machina"
One of my favorite episodes of all-time ... "Deus Ex Machina" is an absolute masterpiece, and one of the series' best. This is my favorite Locke centric episode ever; the flashbacks in this episode are very emotional. John finally meets his father, Anthony Cooper, only to be ruthelessly conned by him. Cooper pretended to love John, only long enough to steal his kidney. Locke's 
mother, Emily, helped Anthony with the con. This heartless act makes Locke feel completely lost, and it affects the rest of his life. On the island, Boone and Locke fail to get into the hatch using a trebuchet. In a dream, Locke sees a Beechcraft crash, and also sees a bloody Boone (foreshadowing his impending death). At the beach camp, we see a more light-hearted storyline -- Sawyer has hyperopia, and is in need of glasses. My favorite part of this episode is the ending. Locke feels helpless in both his flashbacks (where Cooper steals his kidney) and on the island (where he is pounding on the hatch, pleading to the island for help). An ominous light turns on, giving both Locke and Desmond Hume hope.
LOCKE: I've done everything you wanted me to do, so why did you do this to me?
Episode 20 --- "Do No Harm"
After Locke brings Boone back to camp, Jack and the other survivors work vigorously to try to save his life. After many failed attempts to transfuse blood and perform other medical procedures, Boone is slowly succombing to his injuries. At the same time of Boone's death we witness new life, Aaron, being born. Claire finally has her baby, even though she didn't want to be in that situation. In flashbacks, we witness Jack and Sarah's wedding; after watching through Season 5, we know that their relationship will end in tragedy when Sarah leaves Jack for another man. We do witness something rather rare in this episode: Jack and Christian actually have a decent relationship with each other. Usually they're fighting, bickering, and screaming at one another, but in this episode we get to see their relationship probably at its finest.
FAVORITE QUOTE:KATE: Want to talk about it?
JACK: Talk about what?
KATE: Boone died, Jack.
JACK: He didn't die. He was murdered.
KATE: What? Jack, where are you going?
JACK: To find John Locke.
Episode 21 --- "The Greater Good"
The beach camp is filled with mixed emotions: there is happiness surrounding the birth of baby Aaron, and there is sadness due to Boone's death. Locke shows up to Boone's funeral and gives an explanation for Boone's death; this doesn't appease Jack, however, and he violently attacks
Locke. Later on, Locke approaches Shannon, asking for her forgiveness. Rather than be forgiving, Shannon decides it would be better to kill Locke. When Sayid refuses to do this, Shannon takes matters into her own hands. I really don't understand Shannon's actions here; she didn't seem extremely upset over Boone's death (considering she refused to speak at her own brother's funeral). I think she went after Locke simply because she is stubborn and needed to prove that she is capable of doing what she wants to. In flashbacks, we see Sayid infiltrate a group of terrorists, one of which is his long time friend. Sayid agrees to convince Essam to "blow himself up" because it is his only chance to reunite with Nadia. At first glance, his actions may seem selfish; he used his friend to get to his long-lost love. But Sayid never intended for Essam to actually blow himself up. Sayid gave him a chance to run away and escape, but he chose not to.FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: Storm coming. I should have said no -- the first time he offered to hunt with me I should have said no.
SHANNON: He would have gone anyway.
LOCKE: Yeah, I suppose he would have. I know how confused and angry you must be right now. I can't say I understand what you're going through, but I know what it feels like when you lose family. I hope you can forgive me. I'm sorry.
Episode 22 --- "Born to Run"
The penultimate episode before the epic first season finale is a Kate centric; in flashbacks, we witness the origins of Kate's toy plane, and the tragic story that surrounds it. The toy plane was in a time capsule that Kate and her childhood friend, Tom Brennan, unburried in this episode. Later on, we find that Kate is the one who inadvertantly caused the death of Tom by stealing his car while attempting to escape from the police. This guilt has caused a lot of grief for Kate. As seen in "Whatever the Case May Be", Kate robbed a bank just to retrieve that toy plane. After someone poisons Michael, suspicions arise about who it might be. Hurley spills the beans to Locke that Kate is a fugitive (one of Jack's many secrets he kept from the other survivors). Sawyer and Kate are competing to get their spot on the raft. Kate plans to run off with a new identity as Joanna Miller (a woman who drowned in "White Rabbit"). Sawyer knows this, and tells the rest of the survivors. It still baffles me as to why Sawyer wanted his spot on the raft so badly... like Michael says in "Exodus," either he's a hero, or he wants to die. Sawyer admits that he isn't a hero, but I think that Sawyer was trying to become a hero by being on the raft. He has spent the majority of the first season as the "bad guy" of the survivors, and this is a way he sees as redemption.
FAVORITE QUOTE:SAWYER: The only chance of running is getting on that raft, ain't it? We get picked up by a ship and they come back to rescue the rest of you all -- there's going to be a nice big asterisk next to your name. Don't worry puddin', your secret's safe with me. But just so you know -- no way in hell you're getting my spot on that raft.
Episode 23 --- "Exodus, Part 1"
This episode is truly spectacular, and a fabulous part one to a mind-blowingly awesome first season finale. At the start of the episode, we see Danielle Rousseau venture into the beach camp for the first time. The survivors gather around her, and she explains what happened to her when the Others took her baby. She claims that she saw black smoke, a few kilometers inland the night when Ben kidnapped Alex. The survivors continue to work on the launching of the raft; the survivors then see the ominous black smoke coming from inland, which signals the coming of the Others. According to Danielle, the survivors have three choices: Run, Hide, or Die. We know that Danielle heard whispers in the jungle, saying that the Others were coming for the boy. Rousseau assumes they mean Aaron, but she is mistaken (as we will soon see, it is Walt that the Others are after). In flashbacks, we see veteran tailie Ana Lucia meet Jack Shephard in a bar prior to the takeoff of Flight 815. This was a way for the writers to introduce Ana, who will become a main character in Season 2. Ana half-jokingly wonders if Jack will switch seats with her in 42F... this always makes me wonder: what if they had actually changed seats? I couldn't imagine that role reversal; Jack at the head of the Tailies, and Ana in charge of the mid-section survivors. Anyways, back to the episode. The survivors show Rousseau the hatch, and she claims that she's never seen anything like it. It always amazes me that after sixteen years on the Island, Danielle has managed to map some major geographical features on her maps and notes (such as the extremely dangerous rivers, Hydra Island, the crater, etc.), but hasn't see any DHARMA Initiative stations? The raft launching scene is one of the best scenes of the entire series; the survivors finally launch the raft with Michael, Walt, Jin and Sawyer on board in hopes that they will find rescue... Little do they know about the catastrophe that will occur out at sea.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
DANIELLE: Our ship went aground on this island 16 years ago. There were 6 of us -- my team, 6. At that time I was already 7 months pregnant. I delivered the infant myself. The baby and I were together for only 1 week when I saw black smoke -- a pillar of black smoke 5 kilometers inland. That night they came, they came and took her -- Alex. They took my baby. And now, they're coming again. They're coming for all of you.JACK: Who's coming?
DANIELLE: The Others. You have only 3 choices: run, hide, or die.
Episode 24 --- "Exodus, Part 2"
The season one finale is nothing short of incredible. I'll start by discussing one of my favorite scenes of all-time: Hurley's chase through the airport. Bad luck seems to meet Hurley at every corner, and he thinks this is due to the curse from the Numbers. Hurley oversleeps, and hastily rushes to the airport in a hurried attempt to catch Flight 815 before it takes off. This scene always makes me laugh; it's also full of easter eggs: Hurley runs past a team of soccer players with the Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 on the back of their jerseys, the number of the gate they enter to get on the plane is 23, and the man that Hurley takes the scooter from in the airport is wearing a "Crazy Eight's" hat. At the Black Rock, Arzt attempts to takeover the
situation with the dynamite. This, of course, ends with him explosing in front of them all. Hurley blames this on himself and the Numbers. On the journey back to camp in the Dark Territory, the survivors encounter the Monster again. This is our first real glimpse at the Monster and what it is: a column of black smoke. Locke is almost pulled into a Cerberus Vent, but he is saved by Jack. Locke wanted Jack to let go, thinking that the Island was testing him. I'm guessing, though, that if Jack did let him go, he would have become "infected," just like Danielle's science expedition. Back at the beach camp, Danielle encounters Aaron and Claire. Rousseau heard whispers in the jungle, and the whispers were saying that they were coming for the child. Danielle suspects that the Others are coming for Aaron, so she kidnaps Aaron in hope of making a trade: Aaron for Alex. Danielle heads off toward the pillar of smoke, where she intends to find the Others. Charlie and Sayid aren't far behind her.FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: That's why you and I don't see eye-to-eye sometimes, Jack -- because you're a man of science.
JACK: Yeah, and what does that make you?
LOCKE: Me, well, I'm a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you've seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.
I hope you all enjoyed this all-encompassing review and analysis of Lost's incredible first season. This season is full of some amazing themes, incredible scenes, awesome quotes, interesting mythology, and suspenseful cliffhangers. It's always fun to go back and rewatch these episodes. I'd love to here your thoughts on the first season too!
The Lost Rewatch: 1x24 "Exodus, Part 2"
And here comes the end of season one. It's a two hour epic, and that's why it took me just a little bit longer to get it done than it would normally. Regardless, let's get started. In "Exodus, Part 2," with the dynamite retrieved, the team faces the task of bringing the volatile substance back across the Island to the Hatch. Meanwhile, Charlie and Sayid set off to rescue Aaron after Danielle kidnaps the child from Claire.- Hurley tells Arzt that "it's all in [his] head." Hurley will soon be thinking that it's all in his own head after receiving a visit from his imaginary friend Dave.
- Locke mentions his love of games. This is a theme that's never been fully explored. Perhaps the entire games motif is actually a reference to Jacob and his nemesis, who are playing games with the survivors?
- We see the Hurleybird, a giant flying creature that appears to call out Hurley's name. It's really creepy, but we don't know where it's from or why it's calling Hurley's name.
- Locke stands still thinking that the monster won't attack him, but from the fear in his eyes when he actually see the monster, we can tell that this black smoke is not what he saw in "Walkabout."
- The monster tries to drag Locke into a hole -- does this hole lead to the tunnels under the Temple wall? Was it trying to possess him like it did Montand and the others? And, if the monster is Mr. X like I think he is, is he trying to possess Locke now instead of waiting until he's dead?
- Locke almost being pulled into the hole is reminiscent of the scene in "The Incident" with Juliet being dragged down the hole. Juliet pleads with Sawyer to let her go, like Locke does with Jack. The difference is, Jack doesn't let go.
- Jin gives Michael a watch, which he'll later pawn off in order to get a gun that he can't even use to kill himself.
- It appears that fate is trying to keep Hurley from boarding the plane, as opposed to fate making it possible for the other passengers to board. Does the Island not want Hurley?
- Locke tells Jack that he believes in destiny, he just doesn't know it yet. And how true this is...by the end of season five, Jack is spouting out that he's working as an agent of destiny.
- Danielle says that she heard the Others coming for the boy. And strangely enough, she was right. This means that the whispers are caused by the Others, but how, if most of the Others are at the barracks or Hydra Island?
- And then we meet Tom, the Other who leads the mission of taking Walt off the raft. Sawyer will later shoot him for this, killing him.
- And then the hatch is opened...it's a long ladder, leading down into something that the audience can't see. But we all know what's down there now: a bunch of '70s electronics and an angry bloody Scotsman.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Lost Rewatch: 1x23 "Exodus, Part 1"
We're closing in on season one. It's really flown by quickly, but we've learned quite a lot from looking back on the freshman season of our favorite show. We're now at the season one finale, so let's take a look at "Exodus, Part 1." As the raft prepares to launch, complications arise when Danielle arrives at the beach, warning the survivors that "the Others are coming," prompting them to look for ways to hide...which means that they'll have to open the hatch. Flashbacks tell the stories of several characters immediately before they left Australia on the fateful flight.- Walt flings open some curtains to look out on Sydney. We'll see a similar shot again in "Not in Portland," when Juliet opens the windows to reveal that she's in Miami. While I'm not suggesting that there's any plot relevance at all, it's interesting to see that much of the same style that existed in season one still existed two seasons later.
- When Michael is dragging Walt back down the hallway to the room, a guy steps out of the room to make sure everything's all right. That's either Steve or Scott, as played by Christian Bowman (who played the member of the duo who was killed by Ethan).
- Danielle mentions that black smoke heralded the arrival of the Others, though we did not see that happen when Ben and Ethan stole Alex. Of course, Danielle is most likely fabricating this story in order give the survivors a tangible threat, because we know that the Others aren't actually coming for the on-Island survivors. It'll be two years before the Others actually come.
- Locke speculates that there might be another entrance to the hatch. He's right -- buried in the leaves just a few feet away is a door that would make it so much easier to enter the hatch.
- In Jack's flashback, we meet Ana-Lucia. While she seems harmless now, we all know that on the Island she became one of the least-liked characters of season two, which, as Damon and Carlton recently revealed, was why they killed her off.
- Ana-Lucia was in Australia because she had been a bodyguard to Christian Shephard. She asks Jack about his dad when she meets him, but remains perfectly oblivious to the fact that the person she knew as "Tom" was actually who she was talking about.
- Jack says he's not a drinker. Oh, how the Island will change him, with the help of a little visit from Jeremy Bentham. He'll soon be quite the drinker.
- Michael and Jin are very, very comparable to Han Solo and Chewbacca from Star Wars. Neither can understand the other, but the manage to communicate and work together really well, better than they could with anyone else. Star Wars has had a confirmed influence on Lost as well, especially in the episode "Some Like It Hoth," in which Hurley tried to rewrite The Empire Strikes Back before it was originally conceived.
- In one of the best moments of the series, Sawyer tells Jack that he met Christian in the bar, and that Christian had forgiven Jack. It's one of the rare moments on the show in which someone actually reveals the connections between two characters. After the survivors leave the Island, it becomes more common, but it's still a great moment in the first season.
- Walt gives Vincent to Shannon, telling him that he will protect her. However, it's actually Vincent and (an apparation of) Walt that lead Shannon to her death.
- Even though we've seen the Black Rock on the horizon during the conversation between Jacob and his nemesis in "The Incident," we still don't know how exactly the ship ended up so many miles inland.
- The raft launches, and we are once again reminded of the smoke on the horizon as a sign that the Others are coming, but the real Others will go for the raft, not the survivors on the Island.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Lost Rewatch: 1x22 "Born to Run"
We're edging closer to wonderful, wonderful season two, but first we have to go through episode 1x22, "Born to Run," another Kate-centric episode. I'm not particularly fond of Kate-centrics (or Kate herself, for that matter), but regardless, I'm sure this episode has a few interesting moments that are worth discussing. With news that the raft must leave at once to avoid changing winds, Kate decides that she needs to be one of the passengers, attempting to steal Sawyer's spot. Meanwhile, suspicion abounds after Michael's drinking water is tampered with. Flashbacks in this episode focus on Kate reuniting with Tom after learning about her mother having cancer.- Before we get started, it's worth noting that this episode is known as "Time Capsule" in Japan.
- Charlie mentions to Kate that record sales for Drive Shaft will have spiked when he "died," and when he "comes back alive" they will increase even more (much like record sales of Michael Jackson albums have increased recently). He's right -- Naomi will later tell him that Drive Shaft released a "Greatest Hits" album in honor of Charlie, increasing the band's popularity and fanbase.
- Enter Leslie Arzt, the world's most annoying teacher, who also happens to be one of the most memorable characters on the show, thanks in part to his not-so-glorious death in "Exodus, Part 2." Arzt is complaining that they need to launch the raft as soon as possible, but later tells Michael that he made up the story about the monsoon in order to provoke the raft to launch sooner. ("Tropical Depression")
- We meet Tom Brennan, a younger version of whom we saw shoplifting with Kate in "The Incident." They dig up a time capsule in a New Kids on the Block lunchbox, which is what Jacob paid for when Kate was caught trying to steal it.
- Walt, through touching Locke, knows about the hatch. Probably Walt's telepathy at work, but it another power to add to the list of Walt's abilities.
- Kate's mom cries for help, just like she promised to do in "Left Behind."
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Lost Rewatch: 1x21 "The Greater Good"
Moving on to episode 21, "The Greater Good," we come closer to ending season one. With news of Boone's death sweeping the camp, Shannon decides to take the law into her own hands and go after Locke, whom she blames for the tragedy. Flashbacks in this episode focus on Sayid's time in Australia and what he was doing there.- Sayid is so desperate to find Nadia that he becomes a mole in a terrorist cell. It's sad now, to think that he spent so many years of his life striving to find a woman that he would have a very short time with before she was taken from him again - this time permanently.
- Charlie gives the baby the name turnip-head as a substitute until Claire decides on a real name. Charlie will keep calling him that, even after Claire names the baby Aaron. It's a nice genesis to a recurring theme on the show.
- Charlie tells Claire that no one will take the baby, though soon Rousseau will do just that. Charlie will also take the baby himself during season two, though his visions and nightmares are more guilty than he is.
- Locke reveals that he destroyed the transciever, though he hides his true motives. But, like I've said before, he'll destroy plenty of more things in order to stay on the Island.
- Charlie, while singing "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" to Aaron, accidentally botches the lyrics, saying the rain "drowned" the spider out. This odd little scene was actually very neat foreshadowing to "Through the Looking Glass," when Charlie himself drowned. Coincidence or careful planning on the part of the writers? Let me know what you think.
- Walt asks Michael what would happen if a shark attacked, which Michael brushes off. However, after Walt is taken from the raft, a shark from the Hydra does indeed attack.
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