3:21 Greatest Hits, 3:22 Through the Looking Glass

3:21 Greatest Hits


I love the narrative style of this episode, centering around Charlie's most important memories. I love Charlie (moments of past weirdness aside) and if he had to die, I'm at least glad he got such a beautiful send-off.

-I never noticed before that Rousseau has the dynamite that she got while Sawyer was killing Anthony Cooper. Very cool little detail! Although it seems like a pretty big waste of explosives just to demonstrate the plan. They couldn't have explained that without an actual detonation?

-Oh, Charlie. He's one of the characters I most wanted to have a happy ending. I hope we'll be seeing him in some capacity this season.

-Did Desmond really see Claire and Aaron get on the helicopter in his flashes? Or is he just telling Charlie this to get him to do what's necessary? I tend to believe Desmond, because I just don't think he's malicious enough to lie about something so important. I hope we'll see the helicopter rescue happen.

-I think I've mentioned this before, but in season 1 Charlie says he can't swim, and now he can. Writing error, or alternate timeline?

-As Charlie is about to jump to his dad in the pool you can hear a child in the background say "Come on, let's go Desmond!" Did Desmond and Charlie swim in the same pool as children?

-I had never noticed that Charlie's Drive Shaft ring is shaped like a compass (two arrows intersecting) - an important symbol in Island mythology.

-Charlie loses a shoe on his dive down to the Looking Glass, like Christian's corpse lost a shoe during the crash of 815.



Best lines:

JACK: So tomorrow night we stop hiding, we stop running, we stop living in fear of them, because when they show up, we're gonna blow 'em all to hell.

3:22 Through The Looking Glass


The season finales are always good, but this one is my favorite ever (so far, anyway!) The last scene is truly mind-blowing and literally changed the entire arc of the show.

-I realize he had a gun pointed at his head and was really scared, but why did Bernard tell the whole truth about where the Losties went? Couldn't he have misdirected them just a bit?

-In retrospect it's fun to see the clues that told us that the flashbacks in this episode are actually flash forwards. The newspaper Jack reads on the plane (containing Jeremy Bentham's obituary) is from April 2007. Jack's cell phone is a model that didn't come out until 2007. And the name of the funeral parlor, Hoffs/Drawlar, is an anagram for "flash forward."

-A connection I had never noticed before: off the Island Jack is repeatedly trying to make a phone call (which we eventually learn is to Kate). On the Island he's also trying to make a phone call (trying to get the sat phone to work.) The results of both calls are completely opposite, mirror images: in the present everyone is overjoyed that they finally manage to contact the freighter; in the future Jack reaches Kate and meets her at the airport, tearfully yelling at her that they have to go back.

-In his car Jack listens to "Scentless Apprentice" by Nirvana. Finally, an age-appropriate song choice!

-Why was Jack so surprised that no one else came to the funeral? Not many people knew who Jeremy Bentham was.

-Both Jack and Locke come close to committing suicide, and they are both distracted at the last minute. This also happens to Michael in season 4.

-For once Ben is actually telling the truth when he says that Naomi is not there to rescue everyone - although he conveniently forgets to mention that what she really wants is to capture him.

-OK, I know this is annoying, but I have to do some nitpicking about Charlie's death. First, how did he know which sequence of "Good Vibrations" to enter for the passcode? The line he uses is from the bridge, right in the middle of the song, kind of a weird choice. Also, why does Charlie shut the hatch door and seal himself inside the control room? He would have had plenty of time to get the scuba gear on and swim out with Desmond before the whole hatch flooded. The only explanation I can come up with is that maybe he knew he had to die in order for Claire and Aaron to get rescued as Desmond foresaw.

-Another detail about Charlie's death that has been much discussed is the fact that he makes the sign of the cross, but uses his left hand, not his right (as is proper.) It could be a mistake, but I kind of like the explanation that it was intended to be a mirror image - so many other aspects of this episode are in line with that idea.

-It is SO cathartic to see Jack pummel Ben. Ben sure knows how to take a beating.

-Goodbye Tom. See you in season 4!

-Kate tells Sawyer she wants to go back to see if Jin, Bernard and Sayid are OK and Sawyer tries to talk her out of it - much like Jack tells Kate they have to go back to help those they left on the Island and she doesn't want to go.

-The moment where we realize that the flashback was actually a flash-forward is definitely in my top 10 of LOST moments. So, so cool.

Best lines:

SAWYER: [after shooting Tom] That's for taking the kid off the raft.

HURLEY: Dude it was over, he surrendered.

SAWYER: I didn't believe him.

--------

KATE: Jin, Bernard and Sayid, they should have caught up to us by now. I wanna go back to make sure they're all right.

SAWYER: Course you do.

KATE: What's that supposed to mean?

SAWYER: It means, Kate, there's always someone to go back for.

--------

KATE: Saw you on the news. Still pulling people out of burning wreckage, huh?

JACK: Old habits.

--------
JACK: We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!

3:17 Catch-22, 3:18 D.O.C., 3:19 The Brig, 3:20 The Man Behind the Curtain

3:17 Catch-22

-Finally, we learn why Desmond calls everyone "brother!"

-The father of the monastery explains that on Mount Moriah, Abraham was tested by God to see if he would sacrifice his son Isaac (who later became Jacob's father), and he says it was a test of faith and patience. By that definition, Desmond's experiences in the hatch could definitely be called an Abrahamic test. When Abraham takes Isaac to the mountain top he is all set to kill him on an altar but at the last minute a ram gets stuck in a bush nearby and God tells him to kill the ram instead. When Desmond takes Charlie to swim down to the Looking Glass, he tries to take his place at the last minute, but Charlie won't let him.

-Desmond's ex-fiancée is named Ruth. In the Bible Ruth is the daughter-in-law of Naomi. We'll see another Naomi soon!

-Does the Father know about the Island? The photo on his desk of Eloise Hawking (which is a horrible Photoshop job!) would suggest that maybe he does. And speaking of Ms. Hawking, she's someone else who sacrificed her son.

-I was having serious Flashforward déjà vu during this one. The way Desmond tries to make his flashes happen or tries to avoid them reminds me so much of that show.

-It strikes me as slightly ridiculous to go on a camping trip when they're ALREADY ALL CAMPING.

-During ghost story time around the campfire, Hurley tells a story about the Chupacabra, which was one of many fan theories about the smoke monster. The writers love to toy with us. No, it's not a dinosaur...no, they're not all dead...no, it's not all in Hurley's mind. And no, it's not the Chupacabra.

-It cracks me up that we can tell Jin's story is about the hook man, even though he's telling it in Korean.

-The most super awesome idea ever is one I read on Nikki Stafford's blog, in one of the comments. What if the man who touched Desmond and led him to become a monk was...Jacob? That just blew your mind, didn't it?

-The title Catch-22 refers to the novel by Joseph Heller, which I wrote several papers on in college (aren't you glad? :D ) It takes place during World War II, and is distinctive for using a non-chronological structure, and for using multiple characters' points of view. "Catch-22" is a rule imposed on the fighter pilots: if you are crazy, you can get out of flying dangerous missions - all you have to do is ask. But if you're sane enough to worry about you're safety, clearly you're not crazy. Therefore no one can get out of flying missions. The expression originated with the book, which I think is pretty cool. In this episode, the catch-22 is that Desmond needs Charlie to find the crashed parachutist (who he believes to be Penny), but if he brings Charlie along, Charlie will be killed and won't be able to help him find the parachutist.

-If I'm remembering correctly, we still don't know why Naomi had information about Desmond with her. Their "primary objective" was to capture Ben. Did Penny somehow get through to Naomi, asking her to find him? This is unlikely though, since when Charlie speaks to her she has no idea who Naomi is. So it must have been Widmore...but what motive would he have in finding Desmond?

Best lines:
SAWYER: Hope I'm not interrupting. You two arguing over who's your favorite Other?

3:18 D.O.C.


-Mikhail is still alive?! The dude has got to be immortal somehow.

-Jin lying that his father is dead seems a bit over the top to me. Is being from a lower class really that shameful still in Korea?

-When Sun goes into his father's office, they are talking about the Hanso Foundation.

-Seeing Sun humbly ask her father for money is SUCH a contrast to the scene where she informs him that she has bought out the company and he will now answer to her.

-Mikhail reports that Naomi said "Thank you for helping me," but what she really said was "I'm not alone" in Portugese.

-Sun is presented with a catch-22: either the baby is Jin's and she will die, and if she is to live, the baby can't be Jin's. Her reaction when she finds out the baby is Jin's is very sweet. I think any mom who has had an ultrasound can relate to that moment when you first see a picture of your baby, it's amazing.

-As usual the medical information Juliet gives Sun is horribly inaccurate, but that's pretty normal for a TV show, so I'll try not to hold it against her.

-I love Desmond's comment to Charlie that "by my count, you've killed more of them than they've killed of you." It's true. So who are the real bad guys?

-Naomi reveals that their plane has already been found, and everyone inside was dead. THUD. All kinds of alternate timeline theories and general mayhem immediately ensue!

3:19 The Brig


-It's hard for me to understand why Locke is unable to kill his father. He has no problem killing Mikhail (although his attempt failed) and later he kills Naomi without flinching. And he seems happy to have Sawyer do the dirty work for him. Maybe this has something to do with "the rules" we've heard so much about from Ben and Widmore.

-The scene where Sawyer kills Anthony Cooper is out of this world. Cooper is pure evil; when he reads Sawyer's letter and says "blah blah blah", then rips the letter in pieces - WOW. I think I would have strangled him too. Cooper says that they're in hell, a nod to another popular fan theory. "A little hot for heaven, isn't it?"

-Again, I wonder how Naomi knows the whole story about Desmond and Penny. Maybe Widmore told her to tell Desmond that Penny sent her in order to gain his trust?

3:20 The Man Behind the Curtain


Although I've been watching since season 1, this is the first LOST episode I ever blogged about. It's fun to look back and see what my initial impressions were and how much has changed since then.

A Ben-centric episode! There is so much history in this one, which is so refreshing compared to the rest of season 3 up to this point. Finally, some answers! "The man behind the curtain" is another reference to "The Wizard of Oz," where the Wizard was actually an illusion, controlled by a man behind a curtain pulling levers and pushing buttons. The question here is who is really secretly controlling things? Is it Ben, or someone else?

-It's official: Ben was not born on the Island, but outside of Portland (where Richard Alpert told Juliet she would be working for Mittleos Bioscience.)

-Ben's mother is named Emily. Emily is also Locke's mother's name.

-When little Ben first speaks to Richard Alpert (who looks very hippie-like) Richard is surprised to hear that Ben was able to see and talk to someone who died off the Island. Is this what told Richard that Ben would be their leader?

-The biggest question left unsolved is Annie. What happened to her? I hope we'll find out this season.

-Jacob's cabin is one of my favorite recurring themes of the entire show. As soon as those peeper frogs start peeping I get chills. Now that we know that Ben has never actually spoken with Jacob, who was in the cabin? And why did he ask Locke for help? I'm betting on the man in black.

3:13 The Man From Tallahassee, 3:14 Exposé, 3:15 Left Behind, 3:16 One of Us

3:13 The Man From Tallahassee


-We finally find out why Locke was in a wheelchair, and WOW. It was much more dramatic than I ever expected. No wonder Locke has issues; his dad isn't just a con man, he's pure evil. It's even more meaningful after season 5, where we saw that after falling from the building Locke was brought back to life by Jacob.

-I love how Locke is the only one who keeps his cool about Jack seemingly joining the Others. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

-Jack has a Dangerous Minds moment with Kate, sitting backwards on a chair and staring her down. Jack also uses the same greeting as when he was in the shark tank, "They hurt you?"

-It's interesting that Locke is angry with Ben for using so much technology the Island. Ben later says that Jacob doesn't like technology when he bring Locke to the cabin. However, we see in season 5 that Jacob actually does use technology quite a bit - he's weaving on a loom (an ancient form, but tehnology nonetheless) and he flies on airplanes. Maybe it's not Jacob that is anti-technology - maybe it's the man in black? Since he's the one who eventually uses Locke's body, it makes sense that he would be the one Locke is actually communing with on the Island.

-Once again, Ben lies about having been born on the Island. Why is this such an important detail to him?

-It's obvious that Ben has no intention of keeping his promise as Juliet tearfully thanks him for letting her finally go home. So devious.

-The moment when Locke blows up the submarine cements Jack's hatred for him. Talk about burning bridges. After watching this scene it's not so hard to imagine why Jack later puts a gun to Locke's head and pulls the trigger.

-Watching Locke get into his wheelchair for the first time is just excruciating. Terry O'Quinn is such a masterful actor. His nurse's line stands out: "I don't want to hear about what you can't do."

-Still unanswered - how did they get Anthony Cooper to the Island at just the right time? Ben later explains that the Magic Box is a metaphor, but a metaphor for what?

-Ben tells Locke he is "very, very important." Is this true, or is Ben being manipulative?

-When Locke sees his father and says "Dad?" it reminds me of Jack seeing his father and saying the same thing. We've heard "Dad?" several times - from Jack, from Claire (when she sees Christian in the jungle holding Aaron), and from (allegedly) Walt on the computer with Michael.

Best lines:

LOCKE: The man from Tallahassee? What is that? Some kind of code?

BEN: No, John, unfortunately we don't have a code for "There's a man in my closet with a gun to my daughter's head." Although we obviously should.

3:14 Exposé



Here it is: one of the most hated episodes of the entire show. But you know what? I like it. Yes, it adds precisely nothing to the overall story, and yes, Nikki and Paulo are annoying and despicable, but as a self-contained episode it's very well written, and I love the ending. I couldn't pick two nicer people to be buried alive.

-Nikki says "I'm just a guest star, and we all know what happens to guest stars." Shout out to Ana Lucia, Dr. Arzt, Libby, and many others. Not to mention Nikki herself.

-On the plane, you'd think Nikki and Paulo would have been flying first class. Then they would have died in the pilot and we never would have met them. We can only dream.

-I'm ashamed not to have noticed this myself, but I read it on The Lost Forum - at the airport Nikki and Paulo overhear Shannon and Boone arguing and Nikki says "Promise me we'll ever end up like them." They end up EXACTLY like them - dead.

-Dr. Arzt's exclamation that "the pigs are walking!" is a reference to Animal Farm, a passage that explains that the oppressed become like their oppressors.

-Because I am a nerd, I had to look up whether the Medusa spider is a real species. It's not.

-Why did Nikki run toward the beach when she knew she was going to be paralyzed? If she had just hidden in the jungle she would have been fine. So I guess it's a good thing she's not too bright.

Best lines:

HURLEY: That's evidence. You're messing up the crime scene.

SAWYER: Crime scene? There a forensics hatch I don't know about?

3:15 Left Behind


-The title is so apt for Kate, who is constantly being left behind by someone, and it applies to Juliet as well.

-I never noticed before that there is a Mouse Trap game in the rec room where Kate is being held. If she was Locke she'd be playing with it.

-Juliet takes Kate DOWN! Ouch. Kate is pretty tough, but somehow Juliet is able to thoroughly beat her without much effort.

-I love love love the subplot of Hurley scamming Sawyer. For a conman Sawyer sure can be gullible. The idea that someone could get voted out of the group is so ludicrous (maybe Hurley's a survivor fan?) but Sawyer believes him right away.

-The song playing at the bar where Kate and Cassidy have a drink is another great choice: "I'm restless again." But why is Cassidy having a stiff drink? She's pregnant!

-Juliet mirrors Cassidy in this episode - Cassidy was left behind by Sawyer, and Juliet was left behind by her people. The similarities are more meaningful now that we know that Juliet and Sawyer end up together.

-Kate and Juliet mud wrestling reminds me. Listening to a podcast recently I learned about movie mud. Apparently because of liability issues, TV and film crews can't use real mud off the ground to cover actors in - they have to buy fake mud, which is free of germs and stuff. And it's really expensive. Who would have guessed?

-Speaking of that (fake) mud, if I were Juliet or Kate I would have gone back to New Otherton to take a shower. Where are they going to wash on the beach?

-When the Smoke Monster surrounds Kate and Juliet it makes strange flashes of light, almost like a flash on a camera. We've never seen this before, but Locke did describe the Monster to Eko as a bright light, and Eko responded "that is not what I saw." Are we talking about two different entities here? Could it be recording information to bring back to someone else?

Best lines:

SAWYER: [To Aaron] Hey there, little baby ...Aaron.

CLAIRE: Is er, is there anything I can do for you?

SAWYER: No. I just came by to say, your baby's... he's not as wrinkly as he was a couple weeks ago.

3:16 One of Us

-Juliet tells Sayid "If I told you everything I know, you'd kill me." What is she referring to?

-I still don't understand all of the details behind how Claire got sick at just the right time. Was it all planned this way from the time they kidnapped her? I'm not sure I buy it.

-Juliet meets Richard at Herarat Aviation. Herarat is an anagram for Earhart. I hadn't noticed before that they had told her they were going to fly to the secret location, but as we know she gets there on the submarine. Tricky.


-I'm now convinced that Rachel never really had a cancer relapse. I think Ben falsified all the information to convince Juliet that she did to make her more desperate. Ben claims that Jacob promised to heal Rachel, but as we now know, Jacob has never told Ben anything.

-Another point I've brought up before is Claire's apparent illness not lining up with the evidence of what we know about pregnant women on the Island. Women who conceive on the Island are in danger, but Claire was already pregnant when their plane crashed. I think Claire's treatments have more to do with Aaron being unique in some way than with the Island's propensity to kill pregnant women.

-I love it when Juliet calls out Sayid and Sawyer: "Interesting that you two are now the camp's moral police." Oh, snap!

-Before we really knew what side she was on Juliet's questionable status was a fun mystery. On a rewatch though, it makes it kind of difficult to understand some of her choices.

-When Ben asks Juliet if she's all right and she says "I'm fine" you can see in her eyes how much she despises him. Great acting.

Best lines:

JACK: They'll come around. Just give them some time.

JULIET: My people kept Sayid chained to a swing-set for three days, then I dragged Kate into the jungle, handcuffed myself to her and lied about it. How much time do you think they need?

3:9 Stranger in a Strange Land, 3:10 Tricia Tanaka is Dead, 3:11 Enter 77, 3:12 Par Avion

3:9 Stranger in a Strange Land

I've somehow lost my notes for this episode, which would be more of a problem if it weren't the WORST EPISODE EVER. Achara is slutty. Jack is personality-less. Juliet's trial and subsequent branding seem completely out of place and there's no follow up on them later on. We could skip this whole episode and nothing would be taken away from the season as a whole.

The one observation I can make is that the idea of Achara's tattoos defining who a person is fits in with a larger them on LOST about self-definition. Do we have the power to decide who we are - as Locke would put it, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" Or is everything we do fated by the person we are, whether we like it or not?

Also, Sawyer and Karl's little "man chat" in the jungle was fun.

Sorry, that's all I've got. Moving on...

3:10 Tricia Tanaka is Dead


This is another episode that doesn't add much to the overall story, but I have to admit, I love it. I love Hurley, and there are some nice light moments, which is so enjoyable on a show where light moments are relatively rare.

-The meteor hitting Hurley's restaurant is simultaneously horrible and hilarious. Seriously? A meteor? Lostpedia reports that it was the most expensive scene the show has ever shot. Worth it!

-Hurley's mom cracks me up! When she says "I have needs" and Hurley cringes I cringe along with him. So funny.

-The scenes with Roger Workman's skeleton also crack me up. Now that we know how his body got there it shouldn't be funny at all - he was a bad father and had a terrible death - but it's funny anyway, especially when his head falls off. Funny/horrible, just like the meteor.

-Sawyer is in rare form with his nicknaming - Jin-bo, Jumbotron, Jiminy Cricket, International House of Pancakes, Skeletor - all classic.

-When they get the van running and drive it around the meadow it's one of my favorite scenes ever. It's so happy and fun, in a place where not a lot of happy and fun happens.

Best lines:

SAWYER: Slate. Like on Little House?

KATE: What?

SAWYER: Little House on the Prairie? Laura Ingalls used to write on this little chalkboard at school.

KATE: [laughing] You call it "Little House"?

3:11 Enter 77

-Sawyer calling Paulo "Zorro" made me laugh out loud. Ditto when he says to Nikki "Who the hell are you?" Exactly what all of us are thinking, Sawyer.

-Rousseau says "I'll wait for those of you who survive." She's kind of a Debbie Downer sometimes. (Wah wah.)

-Mikhail says the Dharma Initiative wiped out the hostiles, but we now know it was the reverse.

-I love how Locke just can't resist that chess game waiting on the computer. Once a gamer, always a gamer! Is he really playing against the computer, or is he really playing against an unidentified person?

-Why in the world do Kate and Sayid drink the iced tea Mikhail gives them? That's not very smart, and they are probably the two smartest characters when it comes to these types of situations.

-Sayid's flashbacks with Amira (the woman he tortured during the war) are somewhat forgettable, but I found it very moving this time. Even though I knew he was lying, I SO wanted to believe Sayid that he was telling the truth, that it wasn't him who tortured her so brutally. You can tell he almost believes it himself.

-It's Bea Klugh! Weirdest minor character ever! I was wondering what she and Mikhail said to each other in Russian, and here's how Lostpedia translates it:

MS. KLUGH: Mikhail! You know what to do.

MIKHAIL: We still have another way out.

...

MS. KLUGH: We cannot risk it.

MIKHAIL: No.

MS. KLUGH: You know the conditions.

MIKHAIL: There is another way.

MS. KLUGH: They captured us. We will not let them to get into the territory. You know what to do. That's an order!

MIKHAIL: We still have another way!

...and then he shoots her. I do wonder why Mikhail asked Sayid to shoot him. Is it because he can't die? Or does it take 3 times to really finish him off?


Best lines:

LOCKE: I’ve played a lot of computers and I’m pretty sure they don’t know how to cheat. That’s what makes being human so distinctly wonderful.

3:12 Par Avion



-I'm probably being slow again here, but I had never connected the title with Claire's message which she sends "Air Mail" by attaching it to a bird. (Although literally "par avion" means "by airplane".)

-I had almost forgotten that we got a big reveal in this episode - that Claire is Jack's sister. Very Luke and Leia! But at least Jack and Claire didn't have any romantic interactions. Ew.

-Mikhail says that Kate and Locke aren't on "the list", which was made by a "great man". It seems that he's referring to Jacob, but in season 5 we saw Jacob visit both Kate and Locke - and we are led to believe that he is the one who brought them to the Island. Is it possible that "Jacob's list" as we understand it wasn't actually created by Jacob at all, but forged by Ben? Ben says Jacob has never spoken to him, so that explanation might work.

-One detail that bugs me: Australia has universal health care, so they would not have needed Christian's money to fund Carole's stay in the hospital. We forget that it's only in the US that an accident can bankrupt a family. OK, I'll step down from my political soapbox now.

-Here I go, nitpicking again - but if Kate, Sayid, etc could just climb over the top of the pylon and avoid the sonic fence's wrath, why couldn't the smoke monster just go over it?

-The only reason Kate is the first one to climb over the fence is because Jack and Sawyer are not around. They would never stand for that!

-Again...how in the world is Mikhail still alive after hemorrhaging blood from his ears?

-Claire working in a tattoo shop mirrors Jack's recent tattoo shop experience.

-Christian tells Claire she shouldn't keep her mother alive just because she feels guilty. Is Jack's guilt what brought Christian (and maybe even Locke) back to life?

-It's such a creepy moment when they watch Jack playing football with the Others, and being all buddy-buddy with Juliet. What the what?

Best lines:

CHRISTIAN: Claire, Claire listen to me. Do not keep your mother alive for the wrong reasons. Now there is hope and there is guilt. And believe me, I know the difference.

--------

CHARLIE (reading Claire's letter): To whom it may concern, we are survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. We have survived on this island for 80 days. We were 6 hours into the flight when the pilot said we were off course and turned back towards Fiji. We hit turbulence and crashed. We’ve been waiting here, all this time, waiting for rescue that has not come. We do not know where we are, we only know you have not found us. We’ve done our best to live on this island. Some of us have come to accept that we may never leave it. Not all of us have survived since the crash, but there is new life too, and with it, there is hope. We are alive. Please don’t give up on us.

3:5 The Cost of Living, 3:6 I Do, 3:7 Not In Portland, 3:8 Flashes Before Your Eyes

3:5 The Cost of Living


-I think it's safe to say that Eko had the worst childhood of anyone else on the Island - and that's saying a lot. Everyone has daddy issues, but kidnapped and forced into being a child soldier probably wins in just about any contest.

-Hurley remarks "Do you guys smell smoke?" - a clue that the smoke monster is going to have a big role in this story. I think it's fun that we usually get a clue about smoke before we see the monster (a smoke alarm beeping, or a sign that says "no smoking.")

-Colleen's funeral has Buddhist overtones to it - everyone is dressed in white - but the way they send her body out to burn on a raft also seems rather Nordic. We've had hints in season 5 that dead bodies left unattended on the Island are not a good idea; maybe this is why they send bodies off the Island.

-Maybe I'm being a bit slow, but I had never realized before that the images Eko sees in flashes while the smoke monster surrounds him are all of people he has killed. Is the SM ultimately just concerned with murder?

-Again, maybe this is obvious, but there is no way Jack saw those x-rays by accident.

-The scene where Juliet is holding the signs on video tape to give Jack her secret message is one of my favorites - realizing that she might not be totally on board with what Ben is doing is a big twist.

-Who else does Juliet resemble? Ben tells Jack that they chose her to question him because she looks like Sarah. But we know that Juliet also looks like someone from Ben's past (Harper says Ben is nice to her because "you look just like her.") Who is it?

Best lines:

EKO: I did not ask for the life that I was given. But it was given, nonetheless. And with it... I did my best.

-------

BEN: I'm telling you this, Jack, because my wonderful plan got shot to sunshine when you saw my damned x-rays and figured out I was dying.

JACK: All of this... you brought me here to operate on you. You... you want me to save your life?

BEN: No, I want you to want to save my life. But we're beyond that now, so... all I can ask is that you think about it. Do you believe in God, Jack?

JACK: Do you?

BEN: Two days after I found out I had a fatal tumor on my spine, a spinal surgeon fell out of the sky. And if that's not proof of God, I don't know what is.


3:6 I Do



-The song "Slowly" is such a cool choice for Kate's flashback. Lostpedia points out that it's one of only two times a song has played on the soundtrack that the characters are not listening to (the other is "I Shall Not Walk Alone" during season 1.)

-Ben's plan to get Jack's cooperation is impeccable: get Kate to convince him, and if that doesn't work, convince Jack that Kate doesn't care about him, so he will give up all hope and agree to do the surgery just to get away from her. He knows that Jack wouldn't leave without Kate otherwise. So twisted, and so brilliant.

-Jack's behavior when he learns about Kate and Sawyer is very different than the way he reacted to his wife's betrayal. With Sarah he hounded her for explanations, contested the divorce, and just would not let it go. With Kate, he just wants to leave, and vows to come back and rescue her. Maybe he is growing after all.

-Locke notices that Eko's scripture stick says "Lift up your eyes and look north." Underneath that it says John 3:05, which refers to this verse: "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.'"

-Kate's captivity on Hydra island is a nice parallel to her feelings of being stuck in her marriage with Kevin in her flashbacks. It's those kinds of connections that make Lost so amazing.

-Whose voice told Jack to try the door? It kind of sounds like Alex to me.

-There must be some force on the Island that makes it possible for men to grow beards, but makes it impossible for women to grow armpit or leg hair. Even Rousseau is clean and smooth, and she's French for crying out loud!

-Ben says "See you on the other side" as he goes under for surgery, which is the same thing Anthony Cooper says to Locke before his kidney transplant.

-Kate's pregnancy scare is one of several we see on the show - Sarah has one right before she and Jack split up, and Kate has another one in season 4.

-A lot of drugging goes on too. Kate drugs Kevin, Sun drugs Michael, Kate (again) drugs Jack. That's another topic I'll be writing about soon.

-We hear the first mention of Jacob, from Pickett, who says "Shephard wasn't even on Jacob's list." Little did we know how important Jacob would be!

-Speaking of Skaters, they finally got their wish when Kate and Sawyer have some alone time in Sawyer's cage. Or at least they think it's alone time.


Best lines:

KATE: Taco night? I don't do taco night!

-------

JACK: You needed to be in surgery yesterday.

BEN: Alright, then. Whatever you need, it's yours. I'm ready.

JACK: I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say I was gonna do it. I just wanted you to understand how you're gonna die.

...

BEN: Well, Jack. I'm very disappointed in your decision.

JACK: Well, Ben. At least you won't have to be disappointed for very long.

3:7 Not In Portland



-Yay, Juliet's first episode! I didn't like Juliet at first, but seeing her back story provides so much insight into her motivations, and makes her a much more sympathetic character. Now she's one of my favorites.

-What is it with showing needles being stabbed into tummies on this show? Ouch! I'm so glad when I did IVF that the needles (at least the ones that went into my belly) were MUCH smaller than the one Juliet sticks Rachel with.

-Speaking of Rachel, I'm sure her name is not an accident. The Biblical Rachel was the second wife of Jacob. He fell in love with her first but was tricked into marrying her sister Leah. Rachel was infertile, and Jacob still loved her more than Leah, which in those times was a big deal, since a woman's worth was determined entirely by her ability to produce male children. Rachel eventually conceives twice (her first son was Joseph, of the coat of many colors story) and dies while giving birth to Benjamin.

-We get our first look at Room 23, the room where they threatened to put Walt if he didn't behave. So creepy and cultish.

-Once again, we see a character behave completely different on Island and off Island. Juliet is so calculating and hardened on the Island - she does what needs to be done without flinching, like when she shoots Danny and doesn't even blink - but in her flashback she is so vulnerable and afraid, hiding from her ex-husband and letting him control her life. She seems much stronger on the Island, but at the same time, we know she is being held against her will and controlled by Ben.

-I'm intrigued by the CT scan Richard Alpert shows Juliet. She says they appear to be the womb of an elderly woman, and he tells her the woman is actually 26. What on the Island would cause this? So far we've seen many women die during pregnancy, but early menopause wouldn't cause this - it would cause a complete inability to conceive. We also know that the Island makes men super fertile. What is behind all of this? I hope we'll find out.

-Richard tells Juliet she's "special" - something we've also heard him say to Locke. What exactly does it mean?

-Tania Raymonde is so great as Alex, but I always have flashbacks to Malcolm in the Middle when I see her. So funny.

-I love the scene where Jack has Kate tell him the story he told her the first time they met. It's so well done by both actors. It's scenes like this that make it impossible for me to decide whether I'm a Jater or a Skater.

-Ed getting hit by the bus = pure awesomeness. Every. Time.

-When Juliet tells Jack that Ben promised her she could go home, it's the first time that Jack realizes that he and Juliet are on the same side.


Best lines:

JULIET: Can my sister come?

ALPERT: Won't work. We're pretty remote. She wouldn't have access to the treatment that she needs.

JULIET: But, it's Portland. There's plenty of clinics and...

ALPERT: Well, actually we're not quite in Portland.


3:8 Flashes Before Your Eyes


-In some ways, this is the episode that changed it all. It's the first use of time travel as a plot device - although Desmond's experience is more mental than physical.

-There has got to be a reason we've never seen Desmond's father (or his mother, come to think of it.) Since parental issues are such a big deal on the show, our lack of knowledge about Desmond's childhood is a glaring omission. All we know is that Desmond helped his mother take care of his brothers because his father wasn't around, but we don't know why. I'd be willing to bet that we'll find out more in season 6.

-When Desmond sees Charlie busking on the street, he's singing "Wonderwall" : "Maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me." And as we know, Desmond IS the one that saves Charlie, several times. (And it's the first song I learned to play on the guitar, I'm sure that's the real reason the writers used it.)

-Desmond's interactions with Charles Widmore have so much more meaning now that we know more about Widmore's history with the Island. It makes me wonder if Widmore knew that Desmond would play an important role, or if he's really just acting out of pure spite.

-Eloise Hawking is one of the coolest characters of all time. Just brilliant.

-We get yet another Wizard of Oz reference - the man wearing red shoes is crushed under a collapsing building and only his shoes are sticking out, just like the Wicked Witch who is crushed by Dorothy's house.

-Ms. Hawking introduces us to the concept of the universe "course correcting." I have a feeling this is going to play a big role in the final season - can the Losties change things through free will or are they at the mercy of the universe/fate?

-Ms. Hawking says that Desmond has to go to the Island or "all of us are dead." Does she mean pushing the button was really saving the world? Or does Desmond have something else to do that we haven't seen yet?

-The only bad thing about this episode is that we find out Charlie is going to die. Waaah!

Best lines:

MS. HAWKING: You don't buy the ring, Desmond.

DESMOND: How do you know my name?

MS. HAWKING: Well, I know your name as well as I know that you that don't ask Penny to marry you. In fact, you break her heart. Well, breaking her heart is, of course, what drives you in a few short years from now to enter that sailing race -- to prove her father wrong -- which brings you to the island where you spend the next 3 years of your life entering numbers into the computer until you are forced to turn that failsafe key. And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of us is dead. So give me that sodding ring.

--------

MS. HAWKING: That man over there is wearing red shoes.

DESMOND: So, what then?

MS. HAWKING: Just thought it was a bold fashion choice worth noting.

3:1 A Tale of Two Cities, 3:2 The Glass Ballerina, 3:3 Further Instructions, 3:4 Every Man For Himself

3:1 A Tale of Two Cities



The season openers never disappoint! Seeing Juliet burn muffins and host book club reminds me of the season 2 opener with Desmond in the hatch - in both we have no idea what we're watching and where these people are until the camera zooms out. And one short scene introduces so many new questions. How did the Others get to this seemingly blissful suburban existence, where they all wear button-down pastel shirts, go to book club, and repair each other's plumbing? Are they really "the good guys", and if so, how can they do all the vicious and deceptive things they do? If we understood their motivations, would we do the same?

-"Downtown" is such a weird song choice for Juliet, and in a later episode we see her listening to it in her car too. What is she, 60 years old?

-Adam, the snobby book club member, cracks me up when he says that science fiction "is not even literature...there's no metaphor." I can just see the writers snickering as they wrote that line.

-In his flashback, Jack is also listening to music that isn't age appropriate - Glen Miller's "Midnight Serenade,' the same song Hurley and Sayid pick up on the radio.

-It drives me crazy that Sarah won't just tell Jack who she's seeing. Maybe it really is Christian?

-Jack drives me just as crazy with his inability to JUST LET THINGS GO. Although to be fair, that particular quality serves him well at times, his personal life aside.

-Jack running into the glass wall is super hilarious, and reminds me of a bird smacking into a window (à la Walt in Australia and Room 23.)

-Juliet has Jack pegged right away: "I don't think you're stupid, I think you're stubborn."

-Kate asks Tom "Where are Sawyer and Jack?" and she asks Ben "What did you do with Sawyer and Jack?" Very interesting that she asked about Sawyer first, and of course Ben picks up on this.

-I'm pretty sure Ben had Kate wear Alex's dress purely for Sawyer's benefit.

-After all of these scenes with Juliet questioning Jack in the shark tank, I was convinced she was a psychologist. She's very good at getting him to tell her things.

-I had forgotten Ben actually leaves Juliet behind to drown after Jack opens the underwater hatch door. Is this because he is still angry with her about her affair with Goodwin?

-There is no way they'd be able to shut that door with all the water pressure behind it.

-Very funny that Juliet captures Sawyer after his attempt to escape, since they end up together in season 5.

-It's so sweet when Sawyer shares his fish biscuit with Kate, but I always wonder - why is she hungry? Didn't she just have breakfast with Ben?

Best lines:

JULIET: It doesn't matter who we were. It only matters who we are. We know exactly who you are, Jack Shephard.
--------

TOM: Hey, you got yourself a fish biscuit. How'd you do that?

SAWYER: I figured out your complicated gizmos, that's how.

TOM: [exiting] Only took the bears 2 hours.

3:2 The Glass Ballerina


-There is a metronome on Sun's piano. We also see this symbol of timekeeping on Daniel Faraday's piano as he practices as a child.

-Sun looking at herself in the mirror is similar to Juliet looking at herself at the beginning of "A Tale of Two Cities." Mirrors are another big symbol on LOST which I'm going to blog more about soon.

-Sayid says there are tracks on the dock - how do you see tracks on a wooden dock? Was it really dusty?

-When Sun breaks the ballerina it foreshadows the way Jae will die.

-I had forgotten that we didn't know until this episode that Sun really had cheated on Jin.

-It's funny to me that Sawyer and Kate are pretty much whispering to each other - those cages are pretty far apart.

-Juliet is so convincingly calculating when she holds that gun to Kate.

-Ben decides to introduce himself "honestly" - and of course his honest introduction includes a big fat lie: "I've lived on this Island all my life."

-Ben tells Jack that he sent Walt and Michael home, but promises to take him home if he cooperates. Did Ben plan to go along with him?

-Ben gives us the exact date - November 29, 2001, which means the Losties have now been on the Island for 69 days.

-The look on Jack's face when he sees the Red Sox win the World Series is priceless. Matthew Fox is so good.


Best lines:

SAWYER: I noticed something else, too. You taste like strawberries.

KATE: You taste like fish biscuits.


3:3 Further Instructions


-The first shot of Locke's eye, then zooming back to see him lying on the jungle floor is reminiscent of the first shot of season 1.

-Naked Desmond running through the jungle always reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve, but instead of a fig leaf, he gets Hurley's tie-dye shirt.

-Locke's inability to speak mirrors Eko's voluntary vow of silence in season 2.

-Like Eko's dreams, Locke's presents us with the question of who gave it to him? Was it from Jacob, the man in black, or someone/thing else entirely? It is interesting to me that this voice is telling Locke to save Mr. Eko - because at least one other force on the Island (the smoke monster) decides to kill him.

-When Locke is being dragged up the escalator we hear the same sound the smoke monster made as it dragged him into its hole. (Thanks Lostpedia for confirming this!)

-The discussion of whether Locke is a hunter or a farmer has Biblical implications - and guess who it refers to? That's right - Jacob and Esau. Genesis says "Esau became a hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a simple man, a dweller in tents." Throughout the Old Testament, hunters are seen in a negative light, so it's interesting that Locke wants so badly to be a hunter.

-The commune leader says he likes Geronimo Jackson. Could he have ties to the DI?

-Ahh, Nikki and Paulo. How I love to hate you both.


Best lines:

CHARLIE (to Locke): So you're gone for a whole day after a massive hatch detonation -- you don't call, you don't write?
-----
DESMOND: The failsafe key must have detonated the electromagnetic anomaly -- made the hatch implode.

HURLEY: You didn't implode.

DESMOND: No.

HURLEY: You're not going to, like, turn into the Hulk, or something

3:4 Every Man for Himself


-I can't help it - I always wonder where Jack is going to the bathroom while he's in the shark tank. They addressed that problem when Ben was being held captive in the hatch, so it's even more noticeable that they didn't address it here. Not a big deal, just one of those TV things.

-Sawyer is reading "Of Mice and Men" in prison, which he will later discuss with Ben. Maybe prison is where he developed his love for books?

-Juliet says "I'm a fertility doctor; I'm not used to death." We know now that this is patently untrue; all of her work on the Island has resulted in death.

-I have a hard time believing NO ONE would have noticed the Hydra island before this point, since it's pretty easy to see from the main Island. Especially since Desmond sailed all the way around, Sayid, Sun and Jin sailed around, etc.

-Is Evangeline Lilly an amazing climber or what? She makes getting out of that cage look easy.

-Ben cons Sawyer by pretending to give him a pacemaker. This reminds me of someone else who had an implant courtesy of Ben - Claire. Was hers real?

-Ben admits to Sawyer that this was all a con to keep him in the cage, but what he doesn't say is that it's all part of a long con - bringing Sawyer and Kate together so that Jack will do the surgery.

-A fun tidbit - the producers have said before that they kept Sawyer, Kate and Jack in cages for the first part of season 3 to symbolize the writers being "caged" - the network would not give them an end date for the show, so they didn't know how long they'd have to keep telling the story. The season 3 finale was made possible by the end date finally being announced.


Best lines:

PAULO: You play golf?

DESMOND: I'm Scottish.
-------

BEN: Your heart's not going to blow up, James. The only thing we put inside you was doubt.

2: 21 ?, 2:22 Three Minutes, 2:23 Live Together, Die Alone

2:21 ?



-Once again, Eko is the Island's prophet, having crazy dreams. Now that we have a better idea of the forces at work on the Island, I wonder which one is giving him these dreams? Jacob? The man in black?

-Lending credence to the idea that the Island (or some force on it) is giving Eko the dreams: Eko did not know yet that Ana Lucia had been shot, but he saw it in his dream.

-As a priest, Eko says "To receive God's forgiveness you must be penitent." This is significant because later on, a very impenitant Eko will confront the smoke monster and be killed for his unwillingness to admit to his wrongdoings.

-Locke investigates the death of Charlotte Malkin, who apparently came back to life the next day - this foreshadows many other characters who seem to have come back from the dead. Also, Libby appears to be dead, and then suddenly starts breathing and coughing up blood. Death and resurrection are big themes on LOST...even bigger after season 5, where we see Locke die and come back to life twice (once after falling from the building his father pushed him out of, and once after Ben murders him.)

-The tape of Charlotte Malkin's autopsy is absolutely chilling. I don't blame the coroner for never wanting to hear it again.

-Locke dreams that he is Eko, foreshadowing Eko taking Locke's place pushing the button.

-Mr. Malkin says "Everyday I meet people looking for a miracle, desperate to find one. But there are none to be had. Not in this world, anyway." Does he know that miracles happen on the Island?

-What does Locke mean when he says that "Boone was a sacrifice that the Island demanded"? If he is right, what was the payoff for that sacrifice?

-Michael hanging around to watch Libby die is almost worse than the actual act of shooting her. It makes him seem truly sinister and calculating.

-Viewing the Pearl Orientation video is a seminal moment for Locke - he wants to believe so badly, but he feels betrayed and so he completely gives up.

-I am convinced that the true experiment was on the people in the Pearl, not the people in the Swan. Ahh, Dharma Initiative, so crafty.

-It's possible that Ben used the Pearl station to observe the Losties in the Swan hatch.


2:22 Three Minutes



-I feel so bad for Michael. He does some deplorable things, but you can just see the desperation in his eyes. He truly feels that he has no other choice, and he will pay for the ensuing guilt with his life.

-Ms. Klugh is one of the weirdest characters ever. Uber creepy.

-Again, we hear about a "list" and "good people." The four people on Michael's list are Sawyer, Kate, Jack, and Hurley, and as we know, they later let Hurley go. So I'm guessing that particular list was not a "good people" list. More like a "we can use you towards our own selfish purposes" list. Ben is definitely behind this one, not Jacob.

-I LOVE Nikki Stafford's idea that Walt asks Michael about Vincent first because he is able to project himself onto Vincent as he roams around the Island.

Best lines:

JACK: We were caught in a net.

SAWYER: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

JACK: It means we got caught in a net.

SAWYER: Is that what they're calling it these days?

2:23 Live Together, Die Alone



-A Desmond episode! Desmond episodes are my favorites, and here we finally get his back story, including his ill-fated love for Penny. I love every minute of it.

-I love Desmond's line "We're in a bloody snow globe!" A nice nod to all the snow globe theories out there (although I personally hope the whole series won't be explained with one of those.)

-Eko really has become Locke, and he proves it by saying "Do not tell me what I can't do."

-I love Libby's part in Desmond's story, and I will ignore any implications that her generosity implies that she is an Other (sticking my fingers in my ears and singing "LA LA LA!")

-Libby's husband's death explains why she was in Hurley's psych ward.

-The Hurley bird! Talk about random.

-We get our first glimpse of the four-toed statue! At the time it seemed like a passing oddity; little did we know how important it would become in Island mythology.

-If Michael says "He's my son" one more time, I'll blow him up myself.

-Michael still refers to the other Losties as "my friends." Really, Michael??

-Whenever I watch the scenes of Desmond and Kelvin in the hatch it reminds me of my life as a Mormon missionary. There are some big similarities - you spend all your time with one partner, who you did not choose; the work you do is repetitive, every day the same; you have strict rules to follow, and are forbidden to leave a certain area; and you never know if the work you're doing is having any positive effect, and it's only through faith or fear that you keep doing it anyway.

-I love Heroic Jack when he picks Kate up and tries to run away from the ambush. It's such a contrast to what he later becomes, resigned and angry.

-It's such a profound moment when Desmond realizes that pushing the button DID have an effect, and it's so gripping to watch - all season we've been wondering what would happen if they don't push it. This is my personal favorite moment of season 2.

-I love seeing Desmond stand up and sing "Don't Stop Believing" to Locke, it's so inspiring. Oh wait, I might be mixing this episode up with one I saw on "Glee." Sorry.

-At least Locke can admit it when he's spectacularly wrong - you could learn a few things from him, Jack!

-Once again, Ben tells Michael "We're the good guys." And again, we're left wondering - if they're the good guys, what in the world do the bad guys do?

-The big question for me - when Desmond turned the key, did the Island move? And was it that motion that enabled Widmore to find it and send the freighter?

Best lines:

LOCKE: No, it's not real. We're only puppets—puppets on strings. As long as we push it, we'll never be free.

-------later------

LOCKE: ....I was wrong.



LOCKE: So what did one snowman say to other snowman?

DESMOND: Smells like carrots.



PENELOPE: Hello.

MAN #1: Ms. Widmore?

PENELOPE: Yes.

MAN #1: It's us. I think we found it.

2:17 Lockdown, 2:18 Dave, 2:19 S.O.S., 2:20 Two for the Road

2:17 Lockdown



-Lots of cool stuff in this episode! So much that my notes on it are horribly lacking because I was so engrossed in watching.

-I love the image of Locke being trapped under the blast door, not able to push the button - not because I'm a sadist, but because it's such an apt metaphor for Locke's life. He is incapacitated emotionally by his need for greatness, by his desire for his father's love. Invariably it is that gaping hole in his past that prevents him from making good choices and moving forward.

-We get a nice reference to one of the worst episodes ever - "where did you get your tattoos Jack? No really, please spend another 40 minutes or so telling us!"

-That brief glimpse of the black light map is pure awesomeness. How many of us paused our DVRs/DVDs at that moment?

-Ben is soooo busted! Nice work, Sayid!


2:18 Dave



-I love Hurley episodes. OK, I just love Hurley.

-Another theory debunked! The Island isn't all in Hurley's head. And I'm very glad it's not.

-There are a lot of theories out there about Libby being an Other. I don't really think so - I don't really have any evidence, but I don't want her to be an Other. I'd like for there to be at least ONE nice, simple, good person on this show other than Hurley himself.

-It's hilarious that Ben tells Locke, "No, I'm done lying." Oh Ben, you're just getting started and you know it!

-The scenes with Dave creep me out, but in a good way. Really great casting and writing.


2:19 S.O.S.


-Poor Bernard is so annoying at times, and I really relate to him. Logical with sub par people skills, that's me!

-I love the way Bernard and Rose meet. Their whole story is so sweet.

-Sawyer calls Jack "Dr. Giggles" - tee hee!

-Jack invites Kate to come along for the prisoner exchange. This may be a first. Maybe he's finally learning his lesson that it doesn't matter if she's invited or not, she's going to come along.

-Jack tells Kate: "I only chose you because they don't want you." Smooth Jack, that should help with her rejection issues.

-I love it when Jack and Kate get "caught in a net," and it cracks me up when she reaches into his pants to get his gun.

-The faith healer Bernard takes Rose to is named Isaac of Uluru. In the Bible, Isaac was Jacob's father.

-Rose asks Isaac "How does this work?" It's the same question Claire asked the psychic she saw, who foresaw her arrival on the Island. Did Isaac see the same thing?


2:20 Two for the Road




-I've got to apologize for this one more time - I just can't like Ana Lucia. I tried, I really did. It's not meant to be. Thank goodness there is so much amazing Ben stuff in this episode.

-Ben tells Locke "You're one of the good guys, John." Locke shoots back "One of the good WHAT?!" Excellent question.

-When Ben tells Locke "I was coming for you" I always took it as more manipulation. Now though, I wonder if it's not actually true. Ben had to be aware of who Locke is and his potential for being a leader on the Island, given what we know about Alpert's interactions with him.

-Ben says that the man in charge "is a great man...a brilliant man...but he's not a forgiving man." Is he talking about Jacob? And if so, given that we know that he had never actually spoken to Jacob before, how does he know this?

-Christian decides to call Ana Lucia Sarah, and Ana Lucia calls him Tom. These are both names we've heard before. Maybe Jack wasn't so paranoid after all about his dad moving in on his ex-wife.

-Claire's mom is clearly a different actress the next time we see her.

-If only Ana Lucia actually had killed Ben, how differently things might have turned out!

-That moment where Michael shoots Ana Lucia and Libby is still shocking, even when you know it's coming. I'm still kind of bitter that they had Michael join the Dark Side. I wanted something better for him.

2:13 The Long Con, 2:14 One Of Them, 2:15 Maternity Leave, 2:16 The Whole Truth

(By the way, you may have noticed that I'm predating all these episodes to make sure they stay in the proper order. Time travel through the magic of the interwebs!)


2:13 The Long Con




-I always forget about Sun being attacked. The whole con Sawyer runs on the Island is really weird, mostly because we never really hear about it again. He announces "There's a new sheriff in town," but his position doesn't seem to change that much. It is an interesting parallel though to season 5, where Sawyer is in charge of security for Dharmaville.

-It made me laugh when Sawyer suggested to Cassidy that they should take her money and go "find an island somewhere and sit on a beach drinking mojitos." The Island would probably be a more pleasant place if they all had unlimited mixed drinks.

-We know now that Cassidy was pregnant when Sawyer left her and took all her money. Poor Cassidy. I like the way they've incorporated her into later episodes, rather than having this one be the end of her story.

-Locke makes the connection that he's the one who taught Michael to shoot, which allowed him to run off with a gun. He doesn't realize yet that he essentially taught Michael how to kill Ana Lucia and Libby (although to be fair, everyone else seems to know how to use a gun without much help.)

-Hurley is reading a manuscript called "Bad Twin," which is a tie-in novel and available on Amazon. I'll probably never read it, but I think that kind of detail is cool. Twins are a big deal on LOST, and something I'm planning on blogging about soon, so stay tuned.

-Sayid and Hurley hear a radio broadcast of the Glen Miller Orchestra. Sayid says "It could be coming from anywhere" and Hurley responds "or any time...just kidding, dude." This was one of the first clues that the show was going to take on time travel, and I admit I never thought they actually would do it - I was sure the writers were making a joke about all the crazy fan theories out there. Talk about being wrong!


Best line:

Locke: You want to break seven Virgin Marys, be my guest.


2:14 One of Them


-Sayid's flashbacks are completely overshadowed here by what I think is the highlight of the entire season: the appearance of Henry Gale, who we know (and love to hate!) as Benjamin Linus. It's been said dozens of times before, but it's hard to believe that Michael Emerson was initially slated as a brief guest appearance. He's such an integral part of the show now that I can't imagine it without him.

-It's SO fun watching this episode with the benefit of knowing that Ben IS "one of them."

-Ben introduces himself as Henry Gale. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Henry Gale is Dorothy's uncle in "The Wizard of Oz," a story that also prominently features a hot air balloon. Ben will later also be referred to as "the man behind the curtain," another "Wizard of Oz" character.

-Rousseau isn't so crazy after all: she reveals the essence of Benry right off the bat: "Don't believe a word he says."

-The scene where Rousseau ruthlessly shoots Ben with an arrow reminds me of Sayid ruthlessly shooting young Ben in season 5. Poor Ben.

-Something that seems a bit inconsistent to me - why is Sayid so willing to torture Ben now, when he is so remorseful and repentant after torturing Sawyer in season 1?

-When Sayid introduces himself to Ben, I always get Princess Bride flashbacks: "My name is Sayid Jarrah and I am a torturer...you killed my father...prepare to die!"

-Benry says "I was rich" - a nice little slip of the tongue, since the real Henry Gale is dead.

-Locke says "To Rousseau, we're all Others." This is a huge theme in Sayid's flashbacks, not to mention the whole show: who is the bad guy?

-We hear Sayid questioning Benry: "Who are you? Who are you?" This is the same thing Rousseau asked Sayid in several different languages when she was holding him prisoner.

-One of the biggest questions of this season is: what will happen if the button isn't pushed? And some of the tensest moments come when that question is put to the test. It's so fun when Jack gets that crazy look in his eye and decides not to push it.

Best lines:

JACK: You talked me into pushing that button once, John, but it's yours now. You're the one who won't risk it, you. Me? I don't think anything's going to happen when we get down to zero.

LOCKE: Jack!

JACK: You want to see what's going to happen? Let's just see what's going to happen.


2:15 Maternity Leave


-In this episode we see Claire's flashbacks of her time in the medical hatch with Ethan, who I think rivals Ben in terms of creepiness. So so creepy. Claire is acting weird too, all drugged, which is the same way she was acting in the cabin with Christian in season 4 - I wonder if she was also taken against her will at that time?

-It made me chuckle when Locke gives Henry a copy of The Brothers Karamazov and he asks for something by Stephen King, because we learn in season 3 that Ben hates Stephen King.

-Jack says "We don't have a long term plan for the button, but we keep pushing it." I wonder if that's a writers' inside joke about not having a long term plan for the show?

-Very ironic when Sun exclaims to Claire, "A mother should not leave her child!" because that's exactly what Sun does when she goes back to the Island in season 5.

-There are some inconsistencies in this episode that drive me crazy. For example, Rousseau says that her team was infected, and that now Aaron has the same infection. But we found out in season 5 that her team was changed after having contact with the smoke monster, which made them "not themselves" - not really physically sick. So why does Rousseau think Aaron has the same thing?

-Another inconsistency - in season 3 Juliet explains to Sun that pregnant mothers on the Island die only when the babies are conceived on the Island - she tells Sun she'll be fine if her baby was conceived before their arrival. So then, why are they treating Claire? Aaron was obviously conceived off the Island, so Claire should be OK. So why are they treating her, and threatening to cut Aaron out of her?

-Yet another inconsistency, and then I promise I'll stop nitpicking (for a few minutes at least!) Eko confesses to Ben that he killed several of the Others, that he regrets what he did, and that he feels great remorse. This is quite different than the Eko we'll see not too far into the future who refuses to apologize for his actions when confronted with the smoke monster's judgment.

-Tom tells Ethan he was supposed to "make a list and then bring her in." It's the first time we hear about the all-important Lists.

-Juliet later uses Claire as a way to ingratiate herself with the Losties, apparently because Claire has an implant they put inside of her during her stay in the medical hatch. Had Ben planned out that far in advance for Juliet to infiltrate the group?

-Ben/Henry's manipulation of Locke is so genius; if there's anything we know about Locke it's that he longs for greatness and always feels that he comes up short. Benry goes for the jugular!

-Kate finds the costumes (complete with fake beards) and we start to realize that the image we have of the Others as a rag-tag jungle people aren't quite accurate. So well done.

-Ethan firmly tells Claire "You have a choice." This seems to be Jacob's theme: those who come to the Island do so by their own free will. Is this really the case though?

-Once again, Kate is the one helping Claire. Foreshadowing for the fact that she will take Claire's place as Aaron's mother?

-It's especially touching when Claire tells baby Aaron that it's just the two of them, and they have to take care of each other now that we know that Claire isn't the one who ends up raising him.

Best lines:

KATE: I need a gun. And you don't get to ask why.

SAWYER: Well, Thelma, seeing as I got all the guns, I do get to ask why.

KATE: No, you don't.

SAWYER: Yes, I do -- watch. Why?


2:16 The Whole Truth



-Remember when Jack had a hairy chest? It was a simpler time.

-It cracks me up every single time when we see Sawyer reading "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret." Classic!

-Here comes one of my personal pet peeves (which most other people won't care about). Jin and Sun's fertility doctor tells Sun her fallopian tubes are blocked and simply says there's nothing that can be done. In my extensive experience with fertility doctors, they never, ever say that nothing can be done, ESPECIALLY to a couple that could clearly afford some advanced reproductive technology. Whether their true issue is blocked tubes or low sperm count, they are both young and therefore ideal candidates for IVF. It just bugs me when that doesn't get mentioned. End of rant.

-It's a bit disingenuous of Charlie to throw it in Ana Lucia's face that the last time she had a gun she killed someone - because HE DID THE SAME THING.

-Ben's map to the balloon cracks me up, because in a real life scenario it looks like it would be completely unhelpful. It's basically just a squiggly line. Sayid looks at it and says "This is at least a day's walk" - oh really Sayid? Because it's to scale and you could tell from the key? OK, I'll stop mocking now.

-Ben quotes from The Brothers Karamazov: "Men reject their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and honor those whom they have slain." Ben will eventually kill the Island's prophet, Jacob.

-Kate asks a good question: who flies with a pregnancy test?

-Sun could probably sue her doctor for malpractice if she got pregnant with Jae's baby after the doctor told her she was infertile. But maybe that only happens in the U.S.

-Sun and Jin share such a sweet moment together...which is slightly less sweet when you've seen the rest of the season and know that she's lying through her teeth about never having been with another man.

-I was seriously shocked when they found the balloon - I was convinced Henry was lying. And he was, just in a much more clever way than I expected. Very cool writing.

Best lines:

GALE: "Men reject their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and honor those whom they have slain." [to Jack] So what's the difference between a martyr and a prophet?

JACK: Either way, it sounds like you end up dead.

GALE: That's the spirit.

And of course...

GALE: 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?

2:9 What Kate Did, 2:10 The 23rd Psalm, 2:11 The Hunting Party, 2:12 Fire + Water

The good news: I'm caught up on rewatching seasons one through four, and I have a notebook full of copious notes about my thoughts from those episodes. The other good news: there are only 20 days until the final season begins. (TWENTY DAYS, Y'ALL!!!) The slightly bad news: There is no way I'm going to catch up on blogging my rewatch by the time the new season begins. So it's time to kick things into high gear - four episodes at a time.


2:9 What Kate Did



-I know there are a lot of Kate haters out there, but I'm not one of them. Yes, she often gets to be the one to throw complications into the storyline, but for the most part I sympathize with her.

-The first big mystery in this episode is the black horse. If I'm remembering right, we still don't know if it was real or an apparition (smoke monster related?) We can be fairly certain though that it's not a figment of Kate's imagination, since Sawyer sees it too. Whatever it is, it works very well as a metaphor in Kate's story. She has a lot of black horses in her past and she spends a lot of time running from them, but that dark side of her is also what has protected her and kept her safe.

-I remember watching this the first time - I had some friends over to watch and when Kate gets on her motorcycle and speeds away from the house my friend Michelle said "Uh-oh, it's going to blow up." And then it did. I was thoroughly impressed.

-Jin finally gets that pesky handcuff removed. I bet Daniel Dae Kim was sick of wearing that thing.

-Sawyer speaking as if he's Wayne (asking Kate "Why did you kill me") takes on new meaning now that we know that Locke's body was being used for someone else's purposes during season 5. Is this an early example of this phenomenon?

-We've waited this long to see Jack and Kate finally kiss, and it has to be about the most unromantic moment possible. It's pretty clear that Kate only kisses Jack because she's so freaked out about what Sawyer said to her. Way to kiss and run, Kate!

-While I'm on the subject, the whole Kate and Jack vs. Kate and Sawyer (and Jack and Juliet vs. Sawyer and Juliet) love triangle is something else that we'll hopefully get some closure on in season 6. I honestly don't know who I want her to end up with. I think she has better chemistry with Sawyer (cage love, anyone?) but she and Jack work so well together as a team - it's less romantic, but more practical. Then again, Jack and Kate had their chance to make it work off the Island, and that didn't turn out so well.

-I like the parallel in this episode between Wayne and Sawyer. Kate is simultaneously drawn to Sawyer and repulsed by him because they are similar.

-Moving on from the relationship drama...Eko shows Locke the missing pieces from the Orientation film. He prefaces his discovery by telling the story of Josiah. In addition to discovering the Book of Law, he was a reformer; he kicked all the pagans out of the temple, had pagan priests executed, and even exhumed the bodies of dead pagans and burned them on their altars.

-In the missing piece of the film, Marvin Candle says that using the computer to attempt to communicate could lead to another "incident". Is he telling the truth? Or is this warning part of the ongoing experiment being conducted on those in the hatch? In a way, you could say that Michael contacting Walt with the computer did eventually lead an incident - the first one. Had Michael not made the deal with the Others that got him off the Island, things would have played out much differently and it's likely that the Losties would never have been transported to the 1970s...and they are the ones who caused the Incident in the first place. Did I just blow your mind?!?!

2:10 The 23rd Psalm



-Most of the characters have had rough childhoods, but this episode shows that it just might be Eko who wins the contest on this one. So heartbreaking.

-It is really amazing that pretty much all foreign locations are filmed in Hawaii. Africa, Berlin, Kansas, Florida, London, they can do it all, and rather convincingly I think.

-We find out the origin of the Virgin Mary statues, which is one of my favorite subplots of the whole show. I love the symbolism of heroin inside a religious figure - who was it who said that religion is the opiate of the masses? Eko's back story shows how religion can be used to wield power over and deceive others, and how it can nevertheless be redemptive at the same time. Sidenote - Lostpedia says that one of the statues can be seen in Eloise Hawking's office in season five. I'll be watching for that!

-Eko literally has blood on his hands when Yemi's plane takes off.

-Eko's ethical dilemma is a classic one that the Losties face again and again: if you have to do something to survive (or protect others), can it be a sin? Eko decides that it's not, but later the smoke monster seems to disagree with him. The question for this episode is, why didn't the monster finish him off this time?

-When Michael indirectly asks how old Locke is he replies "I'm old enough." Why would he be elusive about his age?

-Eko and Charlie recite Psalm 23 (slightly incorrectly). I think it's interesting that they recites the King James version of the text when most people these days use a modern translation. It makes sense though that the writers would go for a more ancient feeling rendition.

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [Eko says "though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death], I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

2:11 Hunting Party



-We learn why Jack is no longer married. Yes, he was a distant husband, and kissed Gabriela, but still the moment where Sarah reveals that she is leaving him is devastating. Jack is a jerk sometimes, but I really felt for him in this one.

-Jack's failure to save Gabriela's father provides some insight as to why he doesn't believe in miracles.

-Sarah's pregnancy scare mirrors Kate's - both during her marriage to Kevin, and on the Island with Sawyer.

-Jack asks Ana Lucia how long it would take to "train an army" - hmmm, we seem to have lost that storyline somewhere!

-Once again, Kate is left behind when the men set out on their hunting party to find Michael. And once again she acts like an idiot and follows them, resulting in her capture by the Others.

-The moment where Tom yells "Light 'em up!" and we see that circle of torches is still so eerie.

2:12 Fire + Water


-I really hate seeing Charlie go all crazy. I like sane, nice Charlie much better.

-Despite crazy Charlie, I like this episode because of all the religious symbolism in it. I kind of miss all the references to Christianity we got because of Eko and Charlie. Maybe we'll get more in season 6?

-In a Christian context, fire and water often refers to baptism. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist predicts the coming of Jesus when he says "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

-The painting in Charlie's dream is based on Andrea del Verrocchio's The Baptism of Christ.





-Charlie can swim in this episode and in later ones as well. But in season 1 he clearly says he doesn't swim. Continuity error, or alternate time line?

-At the end of Charlie's dream we hear the "whoosh" sound that usually indicates a flashback.

-Charlie's need to protect and care for other people is probably his defining characteristic. This is played out in every one of his flashbacks, as well as his death.

-Liam is hurt that Charlie is trying to take care of Megan, when it's not his responsibility. In the same way, Charlie is hurting Claire by trying to care for Aaron.

-After Locke thrashes Charlie he leaves him lying in the water, which could be seen as a very unconventional kind of baptism. Locke even punches him three times - one for each member of the Trinity?

-Speaking of unconventional, Eko is not your average priest. As far as I know, none of the major Christian traditions teach that John the Baptist baptized Jesus to cleanse him of sin - the traditional belief is that Jesus, as God in human form, was the only sinless person ever to live. To suggest that Jesus was a sinner who needed to be baptized is an extremely heretical notion. Eko also baptizes Claire without asking her about any of her beliefs. Baptism isn't traditionally about protection, it is a statement of faith and commitment to a system of belief. But I guess it fits in well, since Eko wasn't actually trained as a priest in the first place.

-Why did Charlie keep that stash of heroin? Was it really always his intention to dispose of it?