Lostpedia Blog

New channel to air Lost in Australia

2009-10-25T06:03:00.002-07:00

Australian Lost fans should presumably see Lost in primetime slots, rather than waiting until late night, in 2010 due to the launch of Seven's new channel.

Channel Seven's long awaited announcement of their second digital free-to-air channel, 7TWO, will feature move many American series across to the new secondary channel.

Seven’s Director of Programming and Production Tim Worner stated, “I am pleased to announce that 7TWO will be the new home for premiere episodes of our international hits including J.J Abrams’ Lost, Ugly Betty, Heroes and 24.”

Lost already has a page on 7TWO's website that promises Season 6 will reveal "the fate of Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) and his fellow survivors ... once and for all."

Season 6 will presumably premiere in Australia late January/early February.

Frame 6 with added pussyfooting

2009-09-24T12:56:00.002-07:00

So again it seems like these posts start with an apology - the Internet is still down, and this little blogger is not impressed having to source a way to get on and talk about Lost stuff. It's a shame that one can't so much blog with the stuff when it comes to an Internet experience. Business should resume next week, and thanks to the commenters so far not busting my chops for the radio silence - loving that we have some understanding folk who'll give benefit of the doubtiness.

So much to get through from these past few. I'm not even going to bother with the news I hear that Dharma Wants You got an Emmy... I never cared what happened at those awards ever since they robbed Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Friends really on a number of occasions. Though obviously very happy for Mr Emerson and his Supporting Actor gong - well deserved is an understatement for that man. But anyway to Frame 6 of our dear poster hunt, and DCPB has all the details on a Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy gig-a-thon that revealed the new URL on one of the guitars - huckfinnwastaken.com

We find a nice sixth poster which at first looks a little lame, but on reading the description about gloss and the rest of the statue only visible in certain light and angles makes our interest peck up. A decent Oceanic 815 or Locke chair edition to the set, or another Hydra cage or DHARMA van??

Frame 6 clues

2009-09-19T05:18:00.004-07:00

Apologies for the lateness, as someone mentioned in comments. This blogger has just moved house yesterday and has no Internet, so you can forgive me for being a little behind (shakes fist!). Anyways, currently using Internet cafe technology, thereby showing immense commitment... but let's get clueing!

DCPB has updated with a... star... a silver star. There are currently many theories, but it's so early days there's little in me that wants to speculate. A silver star could mean a lot of things...

Check back to this post for clue updates.

Update 1 - The star now has a pink cross over it. Still awaiting a sound theory as of yet... perhaps TPTB took on a previous comment of mine that the previous clues were too easy. Either way, I like being able to research online, even when I have as-of-yet no idea of the answer!

Update 2 - Again sorry for a delay in updating. DCPB now has a seat layout, and a guitar. LostARGs have the answer - the pink cross is a hint to Blink 182, while the guitar belongs to a member of Fallout Boy. Both are on at the Superpages.com center in Dallas on Sept 23rd... sounds about right!

Frame 5 On Sale

2009-09-14T08:47:00.003-07:00

The new URL is ithinkthatmanwasyou.com/

The poster features Jack looking at Kate and Sawyer on the Hydra station monitor. Thanks to Brian for the heads up. The Uni bookstore gave out bookmarks with the URL on. Get on over there and order soon to avoid disappointment.

As far as the poster itself goes... it's a grower for me. I loved number 4, and the art on this one at first just doesn't seem to match - but I'm starting to like it the more I look at it. Let us know what you think.

Frame 5 Event Details

2009-09-14T04:44:00.002-07:00

If you read the comments for the last post, you'll know I held off before doing a post cause I wanted all the details together. In future, we're going to just update posts with additional clues as otherwise we just have way too many for one frame. So subscribe to us so you know, or follow us on Twitter for updates.

Anyway, let's recap Frame 5. The first clue was simply an image, quickly found to be the University of Arizona bookstore. Clue 2 appeared not long after showing the words Bear Down. Google this with Arizona and you find it is the official motto of the University. Clue 3 appeared not long ago too, saying "Wildcat Readers, see you on - J. Perkins/R. Morrison". If you check out the Arizona Wildcats football team website, you find these two players are no#9 and no#14 respectively, which links in with the final reveal that the frame will be available on September 14th. DCPB now shows the truth - go to the University of Arizona bookstores on this day between 7:30am and 5:00pm for the new URL. The address is 1209 E. University BLVD, Tuscon, AZ 85721.

Arizona Lost fans, your fanbase needs you!

The Lost Rewatch - Season 2 Review

2009-08-25T19:35:00.006-07:00

We have completed Season 2 in the LOST Rewatch. The main focus of Season 2 is the Hatch, or the Swan, that was discovered in Season 1. The tail section survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 make a prominent appearance in Season 2. Ana Lucia, Libby, and Eko are amongst the Tailies that become main characters for this season. This is truly a phenomenal season of LOST that is full of shocking plot twists, character development, new mythology, intriguing flashbacks, religious themes, and literary techniques. There is so much to talk about, and so much to think about when it comes to this season. More information is revealed about the Monster, the Others, and the DHARMA Initiative. This season starts off with the best premiere and opener in LOST history, revealing the true nature of the Hatch in the opening scene. The extraordinary finale of Season 2 is full of more intertesting flashbacks, shocking reveals, and ominous mythology. I will be going through all 24 episodes of Season 2 - analyzing, reviewing, recapping, and rehashing the numerous motifs, themes, characters, cliffhangers, and plot twists that have accompanied this amazing season.

Episode 1 - "Man of Science, Man of Faith"

The premiere episode of Season 2 contains the best opener of all-time, and is the best episode of Season 2. This Jack-centric episode is a fabulous way to start LOST's fantastic second season. In the opener, we see an unknown man (Desmond David Hume) enter numbers into a computer. Then, in a shocking reveal, we discover that this is "The Hatch." Season 2 is a season that is full of many themes, motifs, symbolism, and mythology - this episode presents us with a lot of the central mythology to Lost, including the DHARMA Initiative. This episode shows us more of the similarities and differences between Jack Shephard (man of science) and John Locke (man of faith). The science vs. faith theme reaches the pinnacle in "Exodus," and is explored in further detail in this episode. Flashbacks show us that Jack is not a believer in miracles, but his strictly scientific viewpoint comes to a halt when his patient, Sarah, recovers from a near-fatal spinal injury. Relating this episode to Season 5, we see Jack undergo some major change in character from Seasons 3-5. Jack is a firm and adament believer in science, doesn't believe in the supernatual. Once Locke dies in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham," we see Jack make a major leap of faith (seen prominently in "316"). Christian Shephard delivers one of my all-time favorite quotes in LOST history, telling Jack that "false hope" is still hope. This episode is a masterpiece, and will forever remain one of my favorite LOST episodes ever.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHRISTIAN: You might want to try handing out some hope every once in awhile. Even if there's a 99 percent probability that they're utterly, hopelessly screwed, folks are much more inclined to hear that 1 percent chance that things are going to be okay.
JACK: Her spine's crushed. I tell her that everything's going to be okay -- that's false hope, dad.
CHRISTIAN: Maybe. Maybe, but it's still hope.

Episode 2 - "Adrift"

The raft exploding and Walt being kidnapped at the conclusion of "Exodus" is one of the most shocking and pulse-pounding cliffhangers ever. In this episode, Sawyer and Michael stay adrift in the sea, while Jin is missing. Michael blames Sawyer for everything because he prompted him to shoot the flare. This episode really demonstrates the utterly annoying side of Michael; I don't think it was fair for him to blame Sawyer for Walt being kidnapped, and Michael takes his grievances to the extreme when he tells Sawyer to get off his raft. I'm glad to see that Michael makes amends by the end of this episode, and admits that Walt's kidnapping was his fault. This episode concludes with a very creepy cliffhanger: Sawyer and Michael meet Jin who's hands are bounds, and "The Others" emerge from the ridge.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAWYER: They found us because they were looking for us, for Walt.
MICHAEL: Don't you ever say his name again, ever.
SAWYER: Oh, what are you gonna do, splash me?

Episode 3 - "Orientation"

This is one of the better episodes from season two. "Orientation" is a very mythological episode, and it gives us a lot of insight on DHARMA, Hanso, and the DeGroots. Much of the mythology that is revealed in this episode is the framework for the mythology that we see in later seasons. Seeing the Swan orientation film for the first time was mind-boggling and overwhelming, and much like Locke, I wanted to watch it again (and again, and again). Flashbacks show us more of Helen and John's relationship, and how Anthony Cooper continues to get in the way of them. This episode only skims the surface in DHARMA; we learn much more about DHARMA in later seasons, especially Season 5, when the survivors time leap to the 1970s when the Initiative was in its heyday.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: If it's not real, then what are you doing here, Jack? Why did you come back? Why do you find it so hard to believe?
JACK: Why do you find it so easy?
LOCKE: It's never been easy!

Episode 4 - "Everybody Hates Hugo"

This episode is one of my least favorite Hurley-centrics, but it isn't a bad episode by any means. The flashbacks take place after "Numbers," when Hurley found out that he won the lottery. He quits his job at Mr. Cluck's because of his boss, Randy Nations (ironically, Hurley will later be Randy's boss, and actually own Mr. Cluck's). On the Island, Hurley is in charge of the food. He thinks that everyone will hate him because he will be forced to control the food distributions amongst the survivors. Charlie is angry at Hurley because he can't give him a jar of peanut butter (something that Claire has wanted since Season 1). One of the best scenes of this episode is Hurley's dream; there are two very interesting points in this dream: 1) Jin speaking English, stating that "everything is going to change" and 2) Seeing a clever easter egg of Walt on the side of milk carton, with the words "MISSING" above him.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHARLIE: Yeah. Quite simply, John, there are a lot of secrets around here, and I'm tired of being at the bloody kid's table. I got Claire's baby back. I didn't go swanning off to the Black Rock on the bloody A-Team mission, but I would have if someone had asked me. I think I'm entitled to some sodding answers around here.

Episode 5 - "...And Found"

In this episode, Sun loses her wedding ring. She searches for it desperately, and in the process, destroys her garden in anger. Locke approaches her, saying that he used to get angry all the time. He claims that he isn't lost anymore, and says that the only way something lost can be found is if you stop looking for it. Across the Island, Michael goes off looking for Walt (which becomes a common occurence this season). Eko and Jin go looking for him, and leave Ana Lucia, Sawyer, Bernard, Libby, and Cindy. One of the most classic scenes of LOST is in this episode: when Jin and Eko are in the jungle, they see a group of Others pass by. This scene raises a few questions: what was that group of Others doing in the jungle, and where were they going? In flashbacks, Sun meets Jin for the very first time.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: I'm not lost anymore.
SUN: How did you do that?
LOCKE: Same way anything lost gets found -- I stopped looking.

Episode 6 - "Abandoned"

This is a great episode, and is extremely underrated. Shannon sees Walt for the second time (the first time was in "Man of Science, Man of Faith") but Sayid doesn't believe her. On the other side of the Island, Eko, Jin and Michael return to the Tailies. The survivors trek towards the middle section survivors' beach camp. Flashbacks show us how Shannon had to struggle when he father Adam was killed. Shannon's stepmother Sabrina abandoned her when she took the money left by Adam, and left none for Shannon. Ana Lucia sheds more light on the "Other" issue when she explains to Michael what happened on the first night of the crash (these events are later seen in "The Other 48 Days"). While the Tailies trek closer towards the beach camp, Cindy ominously disappears. They know that it was the Others that took her, and they keep moving on together. The group hears whispers (the sign that the Others are near) and start to run. At this same instant, Shannon and Sayid see Walt in the jungle. Shannon runs after him, and is shot by Ana Lucia. Sayid comes into the scene, and holds Shannon in his arms as she slowly dies. Ana Lucia looks on in disbelief, astounding at what she had just done: murdered a fellow survivor.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
ANA LUCIA: They came the first night that we got here. They took 3 of us. Nothing happened for 2 weeks, then they came back. They took 9 more. They're smart, and they're animals, and they could be anywhere at any time. Now we're moving through the jungle -- their jungle -- just so you can save your little hick friend over here. And if you think that 1 gun and 1 bullet is going to stop them -- think again. So shut your mouth and keep moving.

Episode 7 - "The Other 48 Days"

This is a very unique and amazing episode. It is the first episode of LOST to have a narrative comprised of completely new characters (until the very last montage, which includes Sawyer, Jin, and Michael). This episode finally gives us the full story of what happened to the tail section survivors during the other 48 days on the Island. After the crash, Ana Lucia Cortez takes on a leadership role. The first night on the Island, the Others attack; they take a few survivors and attempt to take Eko. He kills them, and this act of murder plagues Eko because he vowed to never murder again. The Tailies begin to become suspicious of each other, and Ana Lucia takes things to the extreme when she suspects Nathan of infiltrating the camp. Goodwin, who is the real infiltrator, knows that eventually she may suspect him, so he kills Nathan. Later, Ana confronts Goodwin, saying that she knew he was never in the water after the crash, and was never on the plane. Goodwin attacks her, but Ana overcomes him and kills him. Eko, Ana, Bernard, Cindy, and Libby are the only Tailies that remain, as the rest have been captured or killed. I really enjoyed this episode, and it is really great to see this narrative of the Tailies play out. The Tailies have such a dynamic influence in Season 2, and this episode is a fabulous way to fully introduce them to us.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
ANA LUCIA: You've been waiting 40 days to talk?
EKO: You waited 40 days to cry.

Episode 8 - "Collision"

The first Ana Lucia centric of the season also happens to be one of my least favorite episodes of the season. After Ana shoots Shannon in the jungle, there is a scuffle between Sayid and Eko. Ana ties up Sayid, and goes commando and attempts to take absolute control over the situation. Flashbacks show us that Ana Lucia was a cop (which partly explains her controlling demeanor she has on the island). For a majority of the episode, Ana Lucia is holding Sayid captive at gunpoint. When Eko tells Jack that it is Ana Lucia who is holding Sayid captive, Jack remembers that this is the same person he met in the airport before takeoff. When Ana is talking to Sayid, she says that she is already dead, and that she deserves to die. When she lets Sayid go, he doesn't kill Ana, but says it would be no good to kill her, since they are both already dead.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
SAYID: Almost 40 days ago on this very island I tied a man to a tree and tortured him. I tortured him as I've tortured many men -- men whose voices I still hear in the night. Should you kill me? Maybe you should. Maybe you were meant to.

Episode 9 - "What Kate Did"

This is a great Kate-centric episode, and reveals what it was that Kate did to make her a fugitive. Flashbacks show us that Kate blew up her own father, Wayne, because of the way he treated Diane. At the time, Kate believed that Wayne was her stepfather, but she discovers that Wayne is really her father, and Sam Austen (who she thought was her real father) is not related to her. On the Island, while Sawyer is still recovering from his wound, Kate stays to watch over him. When Sawyer yells "why did you kill me?" at Kate, she leaves the Hatch. Jack and Locke return, pushing the button just in time. Later on, in the Hatch, Locke shows Michael and Eko the Swan Orientation film. Michael notices that there are splices in the film, and Eko abruptly leaves with nothing to say. The Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle enters a new degree of complication and complexity in this episode, when Kate kisses Jack in the jungle. She then runs off, with a surprised look on her face. In the Swan, Eko approaches Locke, and tells him a story from the very beginning - he explains that he found a station on the other side of the Island, and presents to John a fragment from the Swan film. Astounded by this, Locke marvels at the amazing coincidence behind this as he is putting the splice back into the film. Eko tells Locke the very iconic LOST quote: don't mistake coincidence for fate. I thoroughly enjoy watching this episode, and is one of the best Kate centrics in LOST. The ending of this episode sets things in motion for the rest of the season; Michael communicates with Walt on the Swan computer. My first thought was that the Others were acting as Walt and sending Michael messages to lure him in, but the producers have confirmed that it is indeed Walt that talked to him. It's interesting to see the timeline from "Expose," when Juliet and Ben are viewing Jack from the Pearl. This happened during the events of "What Kate Did," so it would have made sense if it were the Others trying to contact Michael.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
EKO: Hello. I have something I think you should see. If you don't mind, I will begin at the beginning. Long before Christ the king of Judah was a man named Josiah.
LOCKE: Boy when you say beginning, you mean -- beginning.
EKO: At that time the temple where the people worshiped was in ruin. And so the people worshiped idols, false gods. And so the kingdom was in disarray. Josiah, since he was a good king, sent his secretary to the treasury and said: "We must rebuild the temple. Give all of the gold to the workers so that this will be done." But when the secretary returned, he had no gold. And when Josiah asked why this was, the secretary replied, "We found a book." Do you know this story?
LOCKE: No, I'm afraid I don't.
EKO: What the secretary had found was an ancient book -- the Book of Law. You may know it as the Old Testament. And it was with that ancient book, not with the gold, that Josiah rebuilt the temple. On the other side of the island we found a place much like this, and in this place we found a book. I believe what's inside there will be of great value to you.

Episode 10 - "The 23rd Psalm"

Eko is arguably LOST's most intriguing and enigmatic character, and this episode exemplifies the incredible mystery that surrounds his character. Flashbacks reveal that Eko grew up and was raised in Nigeria. When a militia came to Eko's village, they forced Eko's younger brother Yemi to shoot an old man. Yemi hesitates, and rather than let the militia kill his brother, Eko takes the gun and shoots the innocent man. This bravery impresses the militia, and they take Eko with them. On the Island, Eko discovers that Charlie is in possession of a Virgin Mary statue (the same statues that are seen in flashbacks, and were used to smuggle drugs outside of the country). Charlie and Eko go into thr jungle, towards the drug smugglers' Beechcraft. The Monster appears, and encounters Eko face-to-face. For the first time, we get a very long and full view of the mysterious Monster (that has been heard in the jungle since "Pilot, Part 1"). What is very interesting to me is that the Monster leaves Eko unharmed here. However, this is not the only encounter Eko will have with the Monster. In "The Cost of Living," Eko will encounter the Monster again, but this time, he will be killed. As seen in "Dead Is Dead," the Monster (also known as Cerberus by the DHARMA Initiative) judges people, and can take the form of other people (including Yemi from 305, and Alex from 512). I think that we're going to have to wait until Season 6 before we get the full story of the Monster.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
EKO: Yemi, I understand that you live in a world where righteousness and evil seem very far apart, but that is not the real world. I am your brother and I would never do anything to hurt you, but my friends -- if you do not do what I ask -- they will burn this church to the ground. Is that worth less than the price of your name on a piece of paper? Think of the lives you will save.
YEMI: My signature does not make you a priest, Eko. You could never be a priest.

Episode 11 - "The Hunting Party"

While in the Hatch, Michael knocks Locke out, and gets ahold of guns from the armory. Michael then locks Jack inside the armory with him. Later on, in "Three Minutes," we get to see more of this scene. Michael communicates with Walt again on the Swan computer. Walt says "when they take me out. there's huge rocks with a big HOLE in the middle by the beach. you'll know when you see." Michael then heads north, towards the Others. Jack, Sawyer, and Locke form a hunting party and head out after Michael. Jack excludes Kate, saying that she needs to stay behind and push the button. In flashbacks, we see the downfall of Jack and Sarah's marriage. Jack meets a woman named Gabriella, and she wants him to perform surgery on her dying father Angelo. Christian and Jack both know there is little hope, but Angelo says that he didn't come all this way for Christian, he came for Jack. Jack ends up kissing Gabriella, and later admits this to Sarah. Sarah admits that she has been seeing someone else, and then leaves. On the Island, the hunting party continues to look for Michael. At night, Jack argues with Locke about searching for Michael, and then Tom abruptly appears. He explains that this is their Island, and the only reason the survivors are living is because they let them live. I find this scene very interesting, because it's the first time a large group of Others has talked to the survivors on the Island. This episode correlates very nicely with "Three Minutes," and each episode fills in pieces to the puzzle. "Three Minutes" shows us the story from Michael and the Others' perspective, while this episode focuses on the survivors' perspective.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
TOM: Oooo, 50 days. That's what -- almost 2 whole months, huh? Tell me, you go over a man's house for the first time, do you take off your shoes? Do you put your feet up on his coffee table? Do you walk in the kitchen, eat food that doesn't belong to you? [He looks at Locke.] Open the door to rooms you got no business opening? You know, somebody a whole lot smarter than anybody here once said: "Since the dawn of our species man's been blessed with curiosity." You know the other one about curiosity don't you, Jack? This is not your island. This is our island. And the only reason you're living on it is because we let you live on it.

Episode 12 - "Fire + Water"

Ever since season one, Charlie has been struggling with his heroin addiction. After "The Moth," he burned his heroin stash in the fire. Not long after, in "Exodus," Charlie discovers an entire stash of heroin in the drug smugglers' plane. In this episode we see a lot of dreams and visions from Charlie that contain a variety of imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Locke has a feeling that Charlie is using again, and when he follows Charlie to his stash, he takes it, saying that he hgave Charlie a choice before, but not anymore. After Charlie awakes from one of his dreams, he is holding Aaron precariously near the ocean. Claire and the survivors find him, and Charlie is baffled as to what happened. One of my favorite moments in this episode is when Sawyer tells Hurley to make his move on Libby, calling him three hilarious nicknames in the process (Jabba, Jethro, and Hoss). The climax of the episode comes when Charlie sets a fire near the camp, causing all of the survivors to go to help put it out. Charlie uses this diversion to kidnap Aaron, and take him to the ocean to try and baptize him. After he reluctantly returns Aaron, Locke punches him three times, and the survivors leave him helpless on the shore.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
EKO: Something wrong, Charlie?
CHARLIE: Apart from me losing my mind? No, everything's just peachy.
EKO: Why would you say you are losing your mind?
CHARLIE: How about the fact that I've been sleepwalking? Stealing babies from their cribs? Oh yeah, and then there's the vivid dreams that make me feel like I'm completely awake until, of course, I wake up.
EKO: What are your dreams about?
CHARLIE: Variations on Aaron being in mortal peril -- trapped in a piano, drifting out to sea, there's the flying dove, and Claire and my mum dressed as angels telling me I need to save the baby. [Eko is silent] What?
EKO: Have you ever considered that these dreams mean something?
CHARLIE: Like what?
EKO: What if you do need to save the baby?

Episode 13 - "The Long Con"

We have always known that Sawyer is a con man, but we don't see the full extent of his cons until this episode. We know that Ben Linus is always the man with the plan, but Sawyer can also construct ingenious cons. In flashbacks, Sawyer teaches his girlfriend Cassidy about cons. Eventually, she tells him that her husband has a lot of money, and that there may be a way to get it. Since the crash, Jack and Locke have been the primary leaders of the survivors; they have made many important decisions regarding the Hatch, guns, food supply, etc. Sawyer is fed up with this, so he enlists Charlie to help him perform a long con on the survivors. The benefit for Sawyer is that he will attain all of the guns, and the benefit for Charlie is that he will get to embarrass Locke. The first part of the con is when Charlie goes into the garden and attempts to kidnap Sun. He leaves Sun injured in the jungle, and the survivors immediately suspect it was the Others. Sawyer then talks to Kate, saying how did Sun break free with her hands bound and while unconscious? And why are there tracks when the Others don't leave any? They find a hood hanging from a branch, but Sawyer points out that it's a different hood than the one used on Kate. Sawyer says "it's all in the details, and they're wrong." Because of this, Kate suspects Ana Lucia was behind it. Sawyer approaches Locke, warning him about the survivors coming for the guns. Locke goes out to hide the guns, but is followed by Charlie. Sawyer attains the guns, and becomes the new "sheriff" of the survivors. I think that this is a very clever episode, and a fabulous Sawyer-centric. I love seeing how Sawyer used to con in the past, and it was awesome to see him do a long con on the Island. At this point in the season, Locke and Jack become quite annoying (Jack is constantly trying to be in control, and Locke feels possiveness over the guns) so it was great to see Sawyer take charge.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAWYER: That's right, Jack. He's as stupid as you are. You were so busy worrying about each other you never even saw me coming, did you? How about you listen up because I'm only going to say this once. You took my stuff. While I was off trying to get us help -- get us rescued -- you found my stash and you took it, divvied it up -- my shaving cream, my batteries, even my beer. And then something else happened, you decided these two boys here were going to tell you what to do and when to do it. Well, I'm done taking orders. And I don't want my stuff back. The shaving cream don't matter. Batteries don't matter. The only thing that matters now are guns. And if you want one you're going to have to come to me to get it. [He looks at Sayid.] Oh, you want to torture me, don't you? Show everybody how civilized you are. Go ahead, but I'll die before I give them back. And then you'll really be screwed, won't you? New sheriff in town, boys! You all best get used to it.

Episode 14 - "One of Them"

In this episode, Rousseau finds Sayid, and tells him that she captured one of the Others. It still confuses me, because Rousseau had actually seen and met this Other 16 years earlier. Benjamin Linus was the one who kidnapped Alex from Danielle. However, Danielle doesn't tell this to Sayid, but she insists that she knows he is one of them. Perhaps Danielle forgot about Ben? But really, how could you forget about the person who kidnapped your daughter? I don't know. Anyway, Ben Linus claims to be "Henry Gale" from Minnesota, and says he crashed on the Island in a balloon. This is the first lie that we hear Ben say on the show (and we all know that Benjamin Linus is a liar). Benry attempts to escape, but is shot down by Rousseau. Back at the Hatch, Jack treats Ben's wounds, but Locke and Sayid are very wary of their new visitor. One of LOST's recurring themes is Sayid's unrelenting skepticism. When Sayid has a hunch, it's pretty much right 100% of the time. He thought that Henry was one of them, and he was. He thought that Mikhail was one of them, and he was. He thought that Michael had been compromised by the Others, and he was. Do you get what I'm saying? Sayid resorts back to his ways when he was a torturer, and beats Ben bloody. Flashbacks show the full extent of Sayid's torturing career. Back in the Hatch, Jack prevents Locke from pushing the button, and for the first time we see the countdown timer go beyond zero. Red hieroglyphs flip up, but before we see a system failure, Locke enters the numbers and saves the world. I really like this episode, and it's the first episode where we see Benjamin Linus (and little did we know at the time that Ben was the leader of the Others, and would become one of the most prominent characters in Lost).

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAYID: He is one of them.
JACK: Yeah? Did he tell you that?
SAYID: No.
JACK: Then how do you know?
SAYID: Because I know. He is one of them.
JACK: I think that Rousseau thought that about you once, Sayid. If I'm not mistaken she strapped you down, she shocked you, all because she thought you were one of them.

Episode 15 - "Maternity Leave"

This episode ranks as one of the best of this season. Claire fears that Aaron is sick, and her fears worsen when Rousseau arrives at camp, claiming that he is infected with the sickness (the same sickness we see in "This Place Is Death," when Danielle kills her science team). With the help of Libby, Claire is able to remember part of when she was abducted by Ethan. She enlists Kate to go and help her find this place. Eventually, with the help of Danielle, they find the Staff station. This is the third DHARMA station to be revealed in the show. On-island flashbacks show us what happened after Ethan kidnapped Claire. Here is something that is interesting to me: Tom talks to Ethan, and refers to Jacob as "Him". It has been confirmed by Darlton that "Him" is Jacob. So why would Tom be afraid of what "He" would do? Most of the Others, including Tom, have never even seen Jacob. With the help of Alex and Danielle Rousseau, Claire escapes from the Staff and the Others. Claire finally remembers why she scratched Danielle; it was because she was trying to save her life. This is an incredible episode, and gives us the long-awaited story of what happened to Claire when she was gone for two weeks.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
BEN: Why would I lie? They think I'm one of these others -- other what?
EKO: Please, stop talking, Henry. The first night I spent on this island I was dragged into the jungle by 2 men. They never spoke a word to me, nor I to them. I killed these men -- smashed in their head with a stone, felt their blood on my arms. I need you to know how sorry I am for this. I need you to know that I am back on the righteous path now. And that I regret my actions. I ask you for your forgiveness.
BEN: Why are you telling me this?
EKO: Because I needed to tell someone.

Episode 16 - "The Whole Truth"

This is one of the most underrated episodes ever, and ranks in the top five episodes of Season 2 for me. It is also the best Sun-centric episode of the series so far. In flashbacks, we see that Sun and Jin are having fertility problems, and the doctor says that it is because of Sun. This infuriates Jin, who suspects that Sun knew about this. Later on, the doctor approaches Sun and explains that it is really Jin who is infertile, and that he was afraid to tell the truth because of his position in Paik Industries. On the Island, Locke enlists Ana Lucia to talk to Benry about his balloon. Ana convinces him to draw a map to the balloon, and she leaves with Sayid and Charlie to look for it. She does this without talking to Jack or Locke, since they are too worried about Locke and Jack. On the Island, Sun takes a pregnancy test and discovers that she is pregnant. She is unsure of whether or not the baby is Jin's (and we won't find out until late season three episode "D.O.C."). Sun tells Jin the whole truth about his infertility, and Jin believes that it's a miracle. Th ending of this episode is one of the greatest endings of any Lost episode ever; Ben says that if he were one of them, he would make his map lead the survivors into an ambush, and force a trade, him for them. He then says, "got any milk?"

FAVORITE QUOTE:
BEN: Wow, you guys have some real trust issues, don't you? Guess it makes sense she didn't tell you. I mean, with the two of you fighting all the time. Of course, if I was one of them -- these people that you seem to think are your enemies -- what would I do? Well, there'd be no balloon, so I'd draw a map to a real secluded place like a cave or some underbrush -- good place for a trap -- an ambush. And when your friends got there a bunch of my people would be waiting for them. Then they'd use them to trade for me. I guess it's a good thing I'm not one of them, huh? You guys got any milk?

Episode 17 - Lockdown

There are many surprising twists and amazing scenes in this episode. It is also a Locke-centric, which are typically full of mythology, mystery, and intrigue. Anthony Cooper comes to Locke again in flashbacks, and this time he wants help. Locke feels reluctant at first to help the man who conned him and stole his kidney, but eventually he agrees. When Helen finds out that he returned to help his father, she leaves him, saying that Locke chose him over her. This devastates Locke, who was planning on marrying her. I have a lot of sympathy for Locke, but I really don't understand why he helped Anthony. He could've returned the money to the rightful owners, or kept it for himself, but why give it to the con man who ruined your life? I know Locke did it because he wanted to improve upon their relationship, but I don't think their relationship could ever be improved. On the Island, Sayid, Ana, and Charlie find Gale's balloon. At first this leads us to believe that Ben was telling the truth, but Sayid's unrelenting skepticism comes back, and he digs up the grave, discovering a black man by the name of Henry Gale.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

BEN: Then I'm going to need your word, John. I'm going to need your word that you won't let your people do anything to me.
LOCKE: Well, if you're who you say you are then what are you worried about?
BEN: Things have happened to them -- things that I have nothing to do with. But they've got no one to blame except for me. So I'm going to need your word that you'll protect me, no matter what.
LOCKE: Who are you?
BEN: My name is Henry Gale. I'm from Minnesota. And I crashed on this island just like you.
LOCKE: Alright, you have my word.

Episode 18 - "Dave"

Since Season 1 I had wondered about why Hurley never lost weight - this episode answers that question. He has a secret stash! Unlike Sawyer's stash (which includes medicine, guns, magazines, etc.) Hurley has a stash of food that he's been hiding from the camp. With the help of Libby, Hurley decides to destroy his stash and begin a new life on the island. Just after he does this though, they discover the food pallet that has fallen from the sky. Along with Hurley's temptation for food comes someone named Dave. Dave is Hurley's subconscious, and flashbacks show us that he prompted Hurley to eat when he was in Santa Rosa's. We're led to believe that Dave isn't imaginary for most of the episode, but when Dr. Brooks reveals a photo of Hurley's arm around thin air, he begins to realize that he's making Dave up. In the Hatch, Sayid interrogates Ben, who is now under captivity as an Other. Ben is once again caught in a lie when Sayid asks about Henry Gale; Ben says that Henry was dead in the balloon when he found him, but Sayid pulls out a 20 dollar bill with writing from Henry. Sayid threatens to kill Ben if he doesn't talk to him about the Others, but Ben says that He would kill him if he did. Hurley follows Dave to a cliff. Dave tries to convince Hurley that everything he sees is all made up and imaginary; he says that's why Hurley's lottery numbers are the same numbers in the Hatch, and he says that no girl like Libby would ever like Hurley. Hurley almost listens to Dave, but Libby comes and convinces him that everything they see is real.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHARLIE: Locke said some kind of blast doors trapped him in the Hatch. Maybe it was because of this -- so no one would see who dropped it. Any of you guys see a plane last night?
SAWYER: Yeah, I saw it, Tattoo. I just decided not to tell.
SAWYER: Hold on, take it easy. You guys are like locusts. How about a little order here?
CHARLIE: Shouldn't we let someone a little more trustworthy take care of this?
SAWYER: Like you, babynapper?

Episode 19 - "S.O.S."

Rose and Bernard are two of my favorite characters of LOST. Ever since season one, these characters are usually on the sidelines, and rarely are involved in the main plot or storyline. I love seeing there backstory revealed in this episode. Flashbacks show us that Rose had cancer, and Bernard brought her to Australia to see Isaac of Uluru, a faith healer. Rose doesn't expect him to fix her, and she tells Bernard that she has been healed so that he'll stop trying to do something. On the Island, Bernard gathers the survivors in an attempt to make an SOS sign across the beach. Rose is opposed to the idea, much to Bernard's surprise. Rose thinks that if she leaves, her cancer would return. I think that this is a very underrated episode, and is a very emotional on-island and off-island story that deepens our understanding of Rose and Bernard's relationship.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

BERNARD: Okay, 2 months we've been on this island -- 2 months. And already we have a water trough, and we've got a food pantry. And people are taking showers in your hatch. Have you forgotten that we all crashed on this island? It's like none of you want to go home again.
CLAIRE: How can you say that? Of course we want to go home.
BERNARD: Well, then why aren't we doing anything about it?
HURLEY: Dude, we, like, built a raft. But it got blown up.
BERNARD: Okay, so what are we doing now? That pallet of food had a parachute which means a plane dropped it here which means there are other planes that fly over the island. So, we are going to build a sign -- a massive sign along the beach. So that way if a plane flies over or a satellite takes pictures from up there -- we want to make damn sure that they know we're here -- that they know about us.
ROSE: Maybe we should speak to Jack about this first.
BERNARD: Well, do we have to run everything by Jack? I mean, he's not the president. He's a doctor.
ROSE: You're a dentist.

Episode 20 - "Two for the Road"

After being with the Others for several episodes, Michael Dawson has finally returned. We are led to believe that Michael found one of them, followed him to the Others' camp, and then returned to the beach. Little do we know that Michael is really working for the Others now. Ben has been plotting to use Michael in order to capture Jack, Kate, and Sawyer for his master plan. His plan, of course, is to manipulate and exploit Jack's emotions so that he will agree to do the spinal surgery on Ben. Flashbacks in this episode show us the relationship between Ana Lucia and Christian Shephard. Ana agrees to be Christian's bodyguard in Australia. Christian goes to see Lindsey, and wants to see his daughter, Claire Littleton. The most shocking part of this episode is the ending. This is truly the most shocking and unbelieable moments in all of LOST history. Michael shoots Ana Lucia and Libby, and then enters the armory, and shoots himself in the arm. It is now when we finally realize that Michael has been working for the Others, and "Henry Gale" now escapes.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: So, it worked?
JACK: What are you talking about, John?
LOCKE: Your deal -- the trade. If they gave us Michael...
JACK: They didn't give us anything.
LOCKE: So, it was just a coincidence that he came wandering out?
JACK: I was shouting; he heard my voice. What, they just let Michael go hoping we would keep up our end of the bargain? You think they're on the honor system?

Episode 21 - "?"

Eko is my favorite character in all of LOST, and this is one of my favorites of all-time. This episode really explores the mythology on a deeper level, and further develops the amazing relationship between Eko and Locke. Eko and Locke's relationship is so dynamic and enigmatic, and it was too short-lived. Both of these characters have a lot of faith, and they are very similar and different in many ways. After having a dream, Eko and Locke head off to find the ?. Locke remembers seeing the ? on the blast door map, but he is losing faith in the Hatch and the Island. Eko is convinced, though, that it is important that he and Locke find this place. Eko and Locke find the drug smugglers' plane, which happened to land right on top of the ? (Pearl station). I find it very interesting that the drug plane and the Pearl station are both in one location; both of these locations are fundamental aspects of Eko's faith in the Island. Inside of the Pearl, the dynamic duo views the Pearl Orientation video, hosted by Mark Wickmund. This video strengthens Eko's faith in the Hatch, saying that their work is now more important than ever. Locke, however, feels like the Hatch was a colossal joke, and that they're slaves if they continue to push the button. These two different faiths in the Hatch becomes a very important theme for the finale.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: What are you doing?
EKO: I'm taking this back with us.
LOCKE: Why?
EKO: Because they may be important.
LOCKE: Important? I'm sorry, weren't you just watching the same thing I was?
EKO: Yes, John. And I believe the work you have been doing is more important now than ever.
LOCKE: What work?
EKO: Pushing the button.
LOCKE: That's not work. That's a joke -- rats in a maze with no cheese.
EKO: It is work, John. We are being tested.
LOCKE: Tested?
EKO: The reason to do it -- push the button -- is not because we are told to do so in a film.
LOCKE: Oh -- well, then what is the reason, Mr. Eko?
EKO: We do it because we believe we are meant to. Isn't that the reason you pushed it, John?
LOCKE: I was never meant to do anything. Every single second of my pathetic little life is as useless as that button! You think it's important? You think it's necessary? It's nothing. It's nothing. It's meaningless. And who are you to tell me that it's not?

Episode 22 - "Three Minutes"

Michael Dawson has a very intricate and unique storyline in LOST. Every since "Exodus," when Walt was taken off the raft, Michael has become intent on finding him. In "The Hunting Party," Michael goes off searching for Walt, but is captured by the Others. The Others make a deal with Michael: he must free "Henry Gale" in order to get his son back. Michael goes to the extreme, murdering two fellow survivors in the process. In this episode, we see the on-island flashbacks that detail Michael's time with the Others. We see parallel events from "The Hunting Party," when Jack, Sawyer, and Locke went searching for Michael. At the Others camp, Michael sees another hatch, and the Others' lifestyle. They live in tents and yurts, eat fish, and have few guns. This is all a facade, though, and when Walt visits Michael, he says that they're pretending. Overall, I really enjoy watching this episode, and feel that it's very underrated.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAWYER: Got some good news for you. Captain Arab's in too. Calvary rides at sunrise.
MICHAEL: You told Sayid?
SAWYER: Yeah, I told Sayid.
MICHAEL: You shouldn't have done that!
SAWYER: Oh, well I'm sorry. I just figure if we going to war, we'd want the one guy who's actually been in a war. That a problem?
MICHAEL: No, it's not a problem.

Episode 23 - "Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1"

Part one of the explosive season two finale starts off with the return of Desmond David Hume on his boat, the Elizabeth. In flashbacks, we discover that the Elizabeth was named after Elizabath "Libby" Smith, one of the Flight 815 survivors. I always wonder what it would have been like if Libby had survived; seeing Desmond and her boat that she gave him would've been quite the shock to her. Michael leads Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hugo (the four people on the list he received) towards the Others' camp. During their trek, the Hurley Bird returns. Michael attempts to shoot it, and realizes that his gun was never loaded. He is now suspicious, fearing that his cover has been blown. In the Hatch, Locke and Desmond force a lockdown, keeping Eko outside. Locke is convinced that the button is fake, claiming he has never been more sure about anything in his life. As Sayid, Jin, and Sun are sailing toward's the Others' village, they see the four-toed statue. Little do we know that this statue is an essential part of LOST's mythology, and is the home of Jacob, the leader of the Others. In a flashback, we see that Desmond was dishonorably discharged from the Royal Scots Regiment. He sees Charles Widmore, who pays him money so that he will leave Penelope. The on-island flashbacks in this episode are very interesting, and show us more of Desmond's time on the Island with Kelvin. One day, Desmond finds Kelvin in the Swan basement, holding the key above the fail-safe. Kelvin says that the Incident was a magnetic leak, and the button has to be pushed to discharge the buildup. He says that with a simple turn of the key, all of this goes away.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: That in a minute that computer's going to start beeping, and when it does you're going to let it go. You're going to let it run down to zero, past zero. And you're not going to push the button.
EKO: But I am going to push the button. Why wouldn't I?
LOCKE: Because you don't want to be a slave.
EKO: I am a slave to nothing.
LOCKE: You're a slave to that, just like I was. So I'm going to tell you again—don't push it.
EKO: Do not tell me what I can do.
LOCKE: You cannot push that button. No, it's not real. We're only puppets—puppets on strings. As long as we push it, we'll never be free!
EKO: Well, you're free now, John. Do not come back.

Episode 24 - "Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2"

The season two finale is an incredible episode, and is full of intriguing flashbacks, shocking reveals, incredible acting, and an unforgettable cliffhanger. Sayid comes ashore to the Island, and enters the Others' camp. He finds that no one is there, and that the Hatch opens up into the cliff. On the other side of the Island, Jack forces Michael to admit to his crime to Kate, Sawyer, and Hugo. Michael admits that it was the only way, and that he murdered Ana Lucia and Libby. Jack says that they have to keep moving, or the Others will kill them all. Flashbacks show us that Desmond follows Kelvin outside, discovering that he has been pretending to use his HAZMAT suit to deceive Desmond. This makes me wonder, why would DHARMA provide the Hatch inhabitants with the HAZMAT suits? Was the quarantine designed to keep them in the Hatch? Or was there really a sickness on the Island? Desmond discovers that Kelvin planned on leaving Desmond, and taking the Elizabeth back home. Desmond unintentionally kills Kelvin, and runs back to the Hatch to enter the Numbers. He is late, though, and a system failure is under affect. This causes the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 on Semptember 22nd, 2004. We see this day, Semptember 22nd, from numerous points of view. In "Pilot, Part 1," "The Other 48 Days," and other episodes, we see the 72 survivors of Flight 815 crash on the Island. In "A Tale of Two Cities," we see the Others witness the crash from the Barracks, and Ben commanding Ethan and Goodwin to infiltrate the camps. And in "Live Together, Die Alone," we see Desmond Hume fail to enter the Numbers, causing the electromagnetic failure and resulting in the crash of Flight 815. At first you might suspect that this is all coincidence, but it is much more than that. In "The Incident," we see Jacob touch several of the survivors of Flight 815. Did this touch really alter their destinies? Or does free will still exist? Hopefully, many of these questions will be answered next season. At the end of this episode, we see "Henry" arrive at Pala Ferry as the leader of the Others; Michael leaves the Island, with Walt; Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are prisoners of the Others. In the final scene, we see Henrik and Matthias inside of a listening station. They see that an eletromagnetic analomy has occured, and they contact Penelope Widmore: "I think we found it."

FAVORITE QUOTE:
DESMOND: We need to push the button.
LOCKE: No, we don't!
DESMOND: Do you not hear me, brother? I crashed your bloody plane?
LOCKE: How did you manage to do that?
DESMOND: On that day, those numbers turned to hieroglyphics. And when the last one came down this whole started to shake. And that screen? That screen filled up with System Failure. And I know what they are. 9/22/04—September the 22nd, 2004, the day your planed crashed. It's real! It's all bloody real! Now, push the damn button!
LOCKE: I know what I saw! It's a lie; it's not real! None of it is real!
DESMOND: You don't want to push the button? Then I will.
LOCKE: No!
DESMOND: You killed us. You killed us all.
LOCKE: No. I just saved us all.

I hope you enjoyed my review of LOST Season 2. This has really been a fantastic season. I'd love to here your thoughts, comments, and analysis on Season 2!

Clue 5:1

2009-09-11T04:34:00.002-07:00

Thinking we should just code all these hints now Biblical style - so this one is 5:1. DCPB has updated with an image of a bookstore. Quick on the heels of mystery, folk over at DarkUFO quickly recognized it as the University of Arizona bookstore. Sure enough, if you check out the bookstore website then you'll find a corresponding image in the slideshow.

No need for further hints, just like with Crumbs it appears people can get it straightaway. Maybe TPTB should make it that teenie bit harder and code the clues a little - cause let's face it, clue#1 is only being investigated by the hardcore players anyway... the ones after a spoonfeed wait for the third/fourth hint where it explicitly states where to go. So everybody would win.....

Frame #4 Released - Very Nice!

2009-09-08T04:55:00.004-07:00

DCPB updated with an image advising us to go to Crumbs in LA or NYC today to get the new DHARMA URL. It seems a bit short notice this time, but hey we still got the URL. Thanks to Zort70 for letting us know that it's icangetyoupeanutbutter.com

Looking at the frame, it truly is my favorite so far - a beautiful design by Eric Tan that focuses on Jack. The color is great too, and the likenesses are brilliant. It's the first one for me where I can imagine having it on my wall... and I'm very tempted to get it. Hmm.

So maybe I'm biased, but I think this one will sell out fast! It goes on sale around midday PST. Be ready peeps!

**Important Update** - The time has been changed to midday EST!! So don't get caught out, dear Lost fans!!!

Update 2 - Frame 4 sold out in just over an hour after release - looks like my prediction was quite right - definitely the most popular poster so far.

Mysteries Of The Universe Pt 3 Out Now?!

2009-09-07T17:03:00.003-07:00

Apparently so - MOTU Pt 3 has been released on Hulu a day early, and DocArzt has the scoop. There's even a YouTube upload for those of us outside the USA and Canada!

I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed. I was hoping for something a little more in the way of revelations from Mysteries Of The Universe, but we're now past Part 3 and there still doesn't appear to be anything we don't really know already. Damon Lindelof said we'd learn new things about DHARMA when asked at Comic Con... but so far I'm not seeing any OMG worthy moments. What do you guys think?

Another Frame 4 Clue

2009-09-07T16:55:00.003-07:00

It seems like all we post at the moment is minor hints. Anywayz, here's clue 3 for frame 4. With us? Good.

A big thanks to '1st time caller' for the info. The image on DCPB matches an image on crumbs.com - confirming that this is the place where frame 4's URL will be. But at which store? New York? California? Or at all of them?!

13 Black Circles

2009-09-06T13:34:00.002-07:00

DCPB has a new hint for Frame 4. The 13 black circles form a P-like shape, though I like commenter Catie's opinion that the 13th circle shouldn't be there, as though the other 12 are part of something and the 13th messes with it. So where does that get you - a baker's dozen... fitting in with the previous Crumbs bakery theory.

So looks like some fans will be gracing a bakery? Buy me one of those cupcakes, anybody?

The Lost Rewatch: Season 1 Review

2009-07-18T12:58:00.020-07:00

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" from "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.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
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!

Frame 4 clue

2009-09-05T12:49:00.002-07:00

Well the dust has settled from Frame 3, and now it appears we have crumbs for Frame 4. DCPB has updated with a pic of the words "Wall Street / Larchmont" in a sort of normal font with pixels and specks falling off it.

A quick Google search got me the lame theory of the Larchmont Hotel in New York, but a far better idea is on LostARGs where there's a bake shop company called Crumbs that has shops in Larchmont, California and on Wall Street, New York. Clue or not, I'm enjoying looking at the pictures of some buff cupcakes. We'll see how things develop, and keep a look out for more clues.

Frame #3 Online

2009-09-01T16:27:00.003-07:00

This is breaking news (well 10 mins ago), so forgive shortness. It's just to let fans know a URL appeared at the bottom of the screen during Attack of the Show, according to sources, sending us to wewerecaughtinanet.com

There you'll find the third poster, which will be on sale soon. Keep a watch on that site if you want to be among the first to bag the poster!

DVDuesday

2009-08-30T03:48:00.003-07:00

Well done to all the peeps who worked out that AOTS stands for "Attack of the Show" - a TV show on the G4 channel. DCPB has now been updated with a picture of some legs and the word "DVDuesday". If you go to the Attack of the Show website on the hosts page, the legs pic matches a full image of the show's hosts, confirming this is the place to be.

Then all that remains is figuring out DVDuesday, which again according to the site is a segment on the show on Tuesday where they look at the release of new and old DVDs and decide whether to buy, rent or pass. Now passing over the site, there doesn't appear to be anything of importance, the source code is also a bit empty (minus an IP address at the bottom which looked mildly interesting). So it would appear that the best bit is to tune in to Attack of the Show on Tuesday. I checked out their schedule, and the time to watch is Sept 1st 7pm ET/PT, though they repeat the next day at 1am, 7am and 12pm (by then you could be too late poster wise!). After such research, it would be annoying if the poster was merely hidden on their webpage...

Update - DCPB has updated to confirm - tune in 7pm EST 'Attack of the Show' on G4!

Bizarre Barcode

2009-08-28T06:53:00.003-07:00

Well with Frame #2 is already sold out, we now have a cryptic clue for Frame #3 on DCPB. Check out the 2D barcode to the right (aztec code, semacode, QR code - whatever the correct name is!). Definitely the first clue to date in this little experience that requires special technology decoding. But then again all you need is a fancy cellular phone to translate.

LostARGs have it as "A-O-T-S". I have an online ENcoder which got a different pic with those letters, but I guess different ways of encoding still get the same result when decoding (if that made sense?). Let us know if any of you have swish phones what you get through snapping it. In the meantime, what's the significance of AOTS....? Please let it be a pitiful attempt at an anagram of OATS... the notion of a brand promotion of DHARMA cereal just makes me smile.

Locke on Frame #2

2009-08-26T16:29:00.002-07:00

I got my timezones mixed up again, so mucho apologies that this post is rather late - don't shoot me if you wanted a really early issue number for frame 2! Anyway, so a good few Lost fans went to Boston today, and some (only 8 apparently) got hold of a beautiful skateboard, which on the back had the name of a website ThatAndBasketWeaving.com

Go there and you see a very nice Locke-inspired poster. If you want it, snap it up quick!

Other weird things - first DCPB has an odd pic from the skateboard, which just looks like wood grooves but kinda looks like a map. Furthermore, LostARGs have reported that there were other shout-outs to LOST in Boston, including T-shirts for Canton-Rainier Carpet Cleaning (seen in Season 5) and also a poster around for Build Your World (the charity Sayid worked with when Ben found him in S5). Probably just tidbits, but very cool. The map could be more though... might our next frame be overseas (please say it's so!)

Frame #2 In Boston?

2009-08-25T03:41:00.003-07:00

DCPB has updated with new information on Frame #2. We're shown a photo of people queuing in a street and the words "Newbury" and "Weds". Now factor what what people have been saying about that red line from the Frame #1 video, August 26th, and it sounds like our frame will soon be released.

But where is Newbury? Well, some canny folk at LostARGs and DarkUFO have said it's Newbury Street in Boston. What's also rather cool is that there's a travel poster exhibition happening on that very street... could our new frame grace that place? Or will it be in "Johnny's cupcakes", which is apparently what the photo is of - people queuing for that shop when it first opened.

Hopefully we'll get a new clue soon to help us pinpoint an exact location.

Update - Well the prayers have been answered - the site has updated with Johnny Cupcakes 279 Newbury Street at 10am EST on Weds 26th - 'tell them Horace sent you'. There's also a weird pic too of part of a DHARMA logo... I have a feeling visitors might just be given a special DHARMA-esque cupcake... I so wanna be in Boston now!

Seeing red

2009-08-22T09:10:00.002-07:00

DamonCarltonAndAPolarBear.com has been updated with a YouTube vid of the event at Bardot in Hollywood, and at the start has some red text for a very brief moment. Not only is it brief, it's also really small - but seems like a little clue to when the next frame will be released... what can you guys make of it?

Caught On Camera

2009-08-18T12:35:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blog to say that BPM Magazine, who posted some pics of the evening in Hollywood, have since posted a video showing Young Ben talking and giving out the URL to find the Hurley piece. It's all about showing appreciation to the fans!

Ketchup

2009-08-17T02:33:00.004-07:00

Wanted to take a little time to gather up info from the events of last night - apparently it was quite chaotic to find out clues and what not. Anyway, the event was in the nightclub which carried on like an ordinary night by accounts, though had a number of cool Lost touches to it. For instance, the Black Rock artwork was on the wall, there was a mock Swan hatch, a DHARMA logo. Twitter Hollywood Bob gives good coverage, and LostARGs have some good images.

Anyway, who else was there but little Sterling Beaumon, who played young Ben Linus. He announced a new website called actuallyitsketchup.com

Go there and you see a piece of artwork. The first of many - turns out our 'clues' are artworks in commemoration of Lost. 200 of each print will be made available to purchase as a way of giving to the fans. $50 each giving.

Update - BPM magazine have some good pics from yesterday's event. Furthermore, as many of you have said - the art is now on sale so snap it up while you can!

Hidden Frames

2009-08-16T03:37:00.003-07:00

DamonCarltonAndAPolarBear.com has been completely overhauled, now showing 16 picture frames, with the first of Paul, Damon, Carlton and Ronie Midfew (seen from only from behind). Clicking on it, or clicking on 'hub' takes you to your first hint... advertising Banana Split Sundaes - described as 'a house party... in a club!"

It looks like tonight's Sundae will contain some clue, and if you follow the poster to the MySpace page of the event and one of the organizers Steve Aoki, you see that all this stuff is completely real. The only real hint of a clue comes from The Mike B (one of the guests at the evening) on his Twitter page, saying "Special guest dj set from John Locke at Bardot tomorrow... Namaste." Cheers to LOST ARGs for the heads up on that one.

So though the new DCPB website says that the hints will take you to physical locations, or just other websites... it doesn't seem like there's anything on this first clue other than "attend the event" at Bardot, Vine Street, Hollywood - and look out for something special. A bit of a weird ARG start, but nonetheless cool - will anyone be going? There must be some cool and trendy Lost Internet ARG players who also let their hair down in nightclubs. Anyway, enough chat, I'm off to do work for my research project in the library.... oh crud.

Update - Am liking theories that they got the address wrong on the poster on purpose. The actual address I believe is 1735, but the poster says 1715... which apparently is where Judy Garland's Hollywood Walk of Fame star is... a mere gaff??? Quite probably, but as Michael Emerson said "I like the way you're thinking".

Ready To Go

2009-08-15T01:29:00.004-07:00

Paul has updated us again - looks like he had his meeting but can't tell us what exactly went down yet, but the good news is the Saturday night event is still on. It's seems a little surprising that his meeting with Ronie Midfew would be a positive one, and it sounds like he now has some official legal backing from them too.... is Paul Scheer selling out on us? Meh, as long as we see these damn paintings we've been clued to for the past couple of weeks, we really don't care.

Update - Paul is now reporting to have the full backing of Ronie Midfew Arts (also says so on their respective website) and Darlton. However, Paul is holding off painting promotion in the meantime for some unexplained reason... but nevertheless things will begin at midnight tonight PST. Looks like the ARG finally begins in proper....

Clandestine Meetings

2009-08-14T06:17:00.003-07:00

Paul Scheer writes that he got an unexpected guest yesterday: a man dressed in black. The man seems to be Ronie Midfew's muscle, but he doesn't get violent with our hero - just threatening and a scoop of enigmatic. He expresses his disliking of Lost fans (sounds like Alan Dale - hey, another Widmore connection!) and gives Paul a message to meet with Ronie Midfew in person. Here's what the message actually said:

FRIDAY – 4:08PM @ RONIE MIDFEW ARTS GALLERY - XXX XXXX DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS*

SEE YOU THEN – E. SAU

Note the address has been blanked out for obvious reasons. So the man in black is E. Sau. I wonder what the E stands for? Anyway, tomorrow sounds fun - Sau said no camera or recording devices... but a part of me feels like Paul will come through for us with some big sombrero or cowboy hat a la Homer Simpson. It would indeed be very interesting to hear or see Ronie Midfew, and also understand why THE MAN is specifically targeting our man!! BTW, Paul has said he'll ask Midfew some of our questions, so post them in the comments section on his blog without delay (the meeting will be happening soon!)

Finally, it's interesting that Paul talked about smokie and The Man In Black (i.e. Jacob's nemesis) in a post before then experiencing a visit himself from a man in black. Makes me wonder more about DocArzt's theory that Paul's paintings are prophetic and that's why Midfew are after them... maybe in between punning Paul has the gift of foresight without realizing? A bit out there, but a theory nonetheless.

Update: Duh, forgot Esau was the name people think Jacob's nemesis goes by, though ME said not so much at Comic Con. So this new man in black seems to know Lost well after all.

Reading Between The Lines

2009-08-13T06:02:00.003-07:00

Paul Scheer was again active today - blogging some thoughts on Richard Alpert and also making a cameo on DocArzt's podcast to answer some questions. He mostly reiterates what we know, though clues that his new works on August 15th will be published on a new site. DocArzt comes up with an interesting theory that the paintings might be rattling Ronie Midfew's cage because of their content... they may in fact be inadvertently prophetic paintings of Season 6. A neat theory, and it would give a little verisimilitude to our current tale, explaining why Midfew Arts are gunning for Paul Scheer over copyright specifically and not the legion of other Lost fansites.

Separately, Howey Davenport of TV Overmind sat down with Paul and asked some questions... again nothing solid clue wise, just some snappy one-liners which I nevertheless enjoyed.

It seems though, particularly with the Alpert blog, that Scheer has been given poetic license to blog about what he wants, while also probably issuing real ARG-style clues when necessary. In that sense, I'd picturing him as a Speaker-like figure - i.e. not all his posts are going to be clues we have to analyze... there'll be jokey ones with general chat about Lost too. I'm not complaining and am looking forward to these posts, but think it's important for all his readers to understand this - I've seen people presently analyzing the Alpert blog for clues and leads... and I fear the contagious apophenia that ARGs always bring is inherent to Paul's site. We need to be analytical, but also know when a comedian is just joking around!