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Lost Reviews and News

Key Points from "The 23rd Psalm"

Season 2, Episode 10
Episode Air Date: 01/11/06

Point 1
Eko

Charlie

Claire

After an eight month hiatus (it felt that long), "Lost" finally returns with a new episode -- and oh my, was the wait ever worth it. This week, it's all Eko, all the time. Remember how fantastic Eko has been? How his simple looks and simple phrases pummel the screen with gravitas and charisma? Well, take all that goodness and expand it over an hour.

So, to take a page from Eko's book, let me "begin at the beginning" ...

In an early scene, we see a teenaged Eko playing soccer in the dirt-covered streets of his Nigerian town. The townspeople are poor, but there's a vibrancy to the area -- children frolic, market goers engage in lively commerce, a small but welcoming church sits in the background ... exactly the kind of place where one act of violence could forever shatter the fragile utopia.

Unfortunately, that one act of violence soon descends. A pickup truck speeds into town carrying heavily armed men with malice on their minds. The men pour from the truck and round up the children for a blitzkrieg recruiting session: the boys are being drafted into a local warlord's makeshift army. An old priest runs from the church to protest, but a mercenary silences his opposition with a swift blow to the head. Yemi, Eko's younger brother -- a boy who is considerably smaller then his huge teenaged sibling -- clutches Eko's side.

The group's leader -- presumably a warlord of some sort -- sees Yemi's fear and decides it's time for a lesson. He unholsters his pistol and drags Yemi forward. The boy trembles as the warlord wraps Yemi's small hands around the gun's handle and forces him to aim the barrel at a man kneeling nearby. "Kill him," the man orders. Yemi quivers. The gun shakes. The warlord's displeasure starts to show. Eko, sensing that his brother's life is hanging in the balance, marches forward, grabs the gun, sets himself and pulls the trigger.

The warlord is shocked ... and duly impressed. He grabs the gun from Eko, then wraps his arm around the boy's shoulders and declares him "a natural born killer." Eko lower his head, inadvertently causing a cross hanging from his neck to dangle into view. The warlord grabs the cross and rips it free. "You won't need this anymore," he says as he chucks the cross to the ground. The warlord rounds up his platoon and guides Eko to the truck. The townspeople -- including Eko's brother and the other boys -- watch as Eko and his new posse ride out of town. Yemi gingerly picks the cross from the dirt and cradles it in his hands.

Ladies and gentlemen, we just witnessed a crossroads.

Now, there's plenty of fantastic Eko material in this episode, with much of it occurring during present day island events. But before we get to the juicy stuff -- including the most jaw-dropping monster moment in series history (how's that for build-up?) -- I'm going to run down the key points from Eko's backstory. Remember this stuff. It all connects to the island.

  • Eko must have achieved high marks in Warlord Officer School, because years later we see a now-grown Eko leading his own warlord clan. How he got to the top remains a mystery (I'm guessing it involved ample doses of bullets and brute force), but Eko is The Man.

    Up to this point, our Eko experience has largely revealed a man who only resorts to violence when it's absolutely necessary (such as when a group of insane Others attacks him in the middle of the night). But in the past, Eko and violence were close companions. In one backstory scene, we watch a pair of drug dealers try to sell Eko a mound of heroin (hmm ... I wonder if that'll show up again?). Eko calmly tells the men he'll buy the drugs "as a favor," noting that the Nigerian heroin market isn't particularly vibrant these days. The only way to dispose of a massive quantity of heroin is to fly it out of the country, and the only private planes allowed to hit the skies are owned by either the UN or Catholic missionaries. Sooo, Eko offers to pay the men rock-bottom prices for the goods and do them the favor of exporting the heroin. What a magnanimous guy. Seeing that Eko isn't in the mood for negotiations, the drug dealers agree to the terms. They stand to leave -- it's one of those dangerous-but-cordial moments when something bad could happen, but might not. And that's when it happens. The lead drug dealer chuckles and says to Eko, "It's true what they say about you ... you have no soul."

    Uh. Oh.

    Eko smirks, but the smirk quickly turns to a sneer. In a flash, Eko grabs a huge knife and slices violently through the air. The blade slashes through the throats of both men. Blood squirts. The men gurgle. The icy hand of death appears.

    But Eko isn't truly heartless. Nearby, a young boy who witnessed Eko's knife-work drops two bottles of beer, which causes Eko's two henchmen to cock their weapons. But Eko stops them. He orders the boy to go, "Go and tell your friends that Mr. Eko let you live." This initiates the single most effective PR campaign in history.

  • Eko may be a bad-ass warlord with a penchant for throat slashing, but he still values family above all else. The majority of Eko's backstory segments focus on his relationship with his brother, whom (you probably guessed this) took a wildly divergent career path: he became a priest.

    At one point, Eko takes a trip into the countryside to pay his godly brother, Yemi, a visit. As he strolls into town, he encounters a woman sitting outside his brother's church. She's selling plaster Virgin Mary statues to raise funds for Polio medicine. Hmm. Now where have I seen Virgin Mary statues before?

    Eko declines the offer. He's got business to tend to. You see, Eko's visit isn't a social call. The heroin he "bought" needs to be exported and, as we learned before, there's only two organizations that have access to private planes. Since Eko doesn't appear to be a UN relief worker (they tend not to carry monstrous hunting blades, nor do they traffic in heroin ... that we know of), Eko decides to use his brother's connection to Air Jesus to move his merchandise.

    Alas, Yemi isn't keen on the idea of compromising his church, his faith, his righteousness, his holiness, etc. etc. etc. for drug running purposes. So Eko ups the ante. He returns a few days laster with his two henchmen in tow. Eko has a plan: His brother doesn't need to run the drugs at all. Rather, he just needs to sign three "ordination" documents to make Eko and his boys full-blown priests. Once they're ordained, Eko's God Squad can take to the skies.

    Again, Yemi protests, but Eko drives a hard bargain. If Father Brother doesn't sign the papers, Eko's boys will burn the church to the ground. Moreover, Eko is willing to dump a pile of cash into his brother's lap -- and that cash could buy a lot of Polio medicine. Hell, Eko even offers to buy the whole lot of those plaster Virgin Mary statues ... they might just come in handy.

    And so Father Brother acquiesces. And with that, Eko and his compatriots become heavily-armed men of God.

  • In the final backstory segment, Eko and the dynamic henchmen duo are busy loading drug-filled Virgin Mary statues into an old Beechcraft airplane. Hmm ... where have I seen one of those before? Eko and his boys are dressed like priests, which makes sense since they are priests and they're going to use their newfound priestliness to fly big boxes of heroin out of the country. But there's a wee problem with their plan ...

    Yemi drives up and pleads with Eko to not get on the plane. His protestations are cut short by the arrival of a military truck overflowing with armed soldiers. Eko's men open fire. The soldiers return fire, cutting down one of Eko's henchmen. Yemi runs forward and screams for the soldiers to stop shooting. He's working under the assumption that a screaming priest will instigate a cease fire. Of course, we all know what happens when you "ass|u|me" anything: you get your "assume" shot. A bullet buries itself deep in Yemi's chest. Eko catches his brother as the Beechcraft sputters to life behind him (the other henchman -- the one who wasn't shot -- fired up the plane). Eko drags Yemi to the plane's door and the henchman helps him load his brother's near-dead body into the plane. Eko curls his fingers inside the doorway (staining the walls with blood) and prepares to thrust himself into the plane, but the henchman has other ideas. He sneers, revealing a gold tooth, then kicks Eko in the chest and shuts the door. Eko, sprawled on the tarmac, watches as the plane, his brother, his henchman and 300 Virgin Mary statues loaded with heroin, arc into the deep blue sky.

    I wonder if he'll ever see any of that stuff again ... I really, really wonder.

    So, Eko sits on the tarmac as military men race forward. Eko is prepared to be arrested (or shot, whichever comes first).

    "Are you okay, Father?" a soldier asks. Uh, come again?

    Suddenly, Eko realizes he's about to stage one of the finest ass-saving maneuvers in criminal history. The military, which was tipped off by Yemi, spotted him lying on the runway wearing a priest outfit. But here's the thing: they think thinks he's his brother. It's a reasonable conclusion. After all, two "priests" just escaped in the plane and another "priest" (Henchman No. 1) is lying dead on the runway. If the military knew that three "fake priests" were trying to smuggle heroin and now, three "fake priests" (1 dead, 2 escaped) are accounted for, then this seemingly legitimate priest (Eko) lying in front of them must be the real deal.

    And in this one revelatory moment, pieces of the Eko puzzle snap into place: the faith we've seen him exhibit on the island likely stems from his conversion to true priesthood; the 40 days of silence he observed after killing his Other attackers was penance; and, more importantly, the killing he engaged in on the island was probably the first time he had killed anyone since coming to the good side of the Force. Ah yes, it's all so clear (until I'm proven completely wrong by a future backstory -- so let me enjoy it while it lasts).

With the juicy backstory now revealed, let's switch over to island events.

Eko's Wild Island Ride begins with a casual conversation between our reformed warlord and Claire. Eko sits alone on the beach, carving words into his Giant Stick (we briefly see that he's already carved the following: "Hateth," "Titus," "Revelations," "23 Psalm," "Driveshaft Rules").

"What are you writing?" Claire asks while rocking her baby (Aaron) in her arms.

"Things I need to remember," Eko says.

Claire takes a seat and the two engage in idle chit-chat for a while. Claire notes that Eko is religious, which leads her to suggest that he and Charlie would probably get along. "He [Charlie] doesn't want to admit he's religious, but he carries around a statue of the Virgin Mary," Claire says offhandedly.

Eko's face drops. He asks Claire if he can see the statue and Claire, who apparently has no problem rummaging through other people's belongings and showing important religious relics to people she hardly knows, cheerfully leads Eko back to her campsite and produces Charlie's statue. Eko, with steely determination, asks Claire where Charlie found the statue. Claire, who can see that Eko is getting pretty pissed, tells him all she knows: Charlie found the thing in the jungle. "It's just a statue," she says. With that, Eko plants the statue on a nearby table, then raises his Giant Jesus Stick and smashes the statue into a million tiny pieces. Amidst the Holy Rubble lies a clear plastic baggie with a sandy brown substance packed inside. Charlie = Busted.

Eko marches down the beach searching for Charlie. He finds him fishing with Jin (well, a better description would be, "he finds him bugging the living crap out of Jin while Jin tries to fish."). Eko approaches Charlie menacingly, which means he looks scary as hell. Eko lowers his voice and commands Charlie to take him to the spot in the jungle where he found the statue. Charlie offers half-hearted resistance, but he quickly takes stock of the ENORMOUS ANGRY MAN in front of him and immediately changes his tune. Charlie's only condition is that they stop by to see Claire on the way out.

And so Eko and Charlie make a pit-stop at Claire's camp. Claire is pissed. She shows Charlie the heroin and he immediately switches into Lying Drug Addict Mode. He's clearly an expert at drug deception, because he makes a relevant point: How could he know that drugs were inside a sealed statue? Claire is momentarily swayed. Charlie seizes the moment by opening the heroin baggies and dumping the contents. For the moment, Charlie appears to have dodged a bullet ... sort of.

Note: Claire doesn't realize it yet, but Charlie just lied to her. Back in "Exodus, Part 2," Sayid showed Charlie that the statues are filled with drugs.

With the domestic disturbance temporarily allayed, Charlie and Eko begin their quest to visit the site where Charlie found the statue. Now, at this point, Charlie hasn't mentioned that this particular site -- the one they're traveling toward -- is not your typical Virgin Mary Statue Garden. Oh no. The location is also marked by the dilapidated remains of a crashed Beechcraft airplane. This bit of unrevealed knowledge becomes very interesting indeed moments later. See, Charlie tries to extract himself from the journey by picking a random location in the jungle and telling Eko that this exact spot -- this completely random and not at all relevant spot -- is where he found the statue. Eko immediately knows he's lying. He pushes Charlie up against a tree and snarls, "Where is the plane?"

Eko knows about the plane, which means he also knows where the statues came from, where the drugs inside the statues came from and, most importantly, he knows the identities of the two dead Nigerian priests found during Season One. Yeah, remember them?

Speaking of those priests ... as Eko and Charlie continue their jungle journey, Eko spots a parachute dangling from a tree. It's the same parachute (and, I'm assuming, the same tree), that Boone and Locke found way back in "Deus Ex Machina." You'll recall, that Boone and Locke also found a withered corpse dressed like a priest. at the time, Locke determined that the priest was an impostor -- a fair conclusion since the corpse was also outfitted with a wad of Nigerian cash and a pistol. Now, weeks later, Eko stumbles upon the same parachute and the same tree and, moments later, the same corpse. He's overwhelmed at the sight. He kneels before the body and rips the corpse's shirt open, but all he finds are the husked and weathered remains of a long-dead man. Eko turns the man's head toward him, and that's when he sees a gold tooth protruding from the man's skull. This corpse -- this totally random dead Nigerian priest who popped up way back in Season One -- was Eko's henchman. He was the guy who booted Eko from the Beechcraft airplane!

"You know that guy?" Charlie asks with amazement.

"Yes," Eko calmly responds. "This man saved my life."

(I'm assuming that's a metaphorical statement. A more illustrative answer would have been "he saved my life by booting me from an airplane and leaving me to be captured, but the military thought I was a priest, so I became a priest, which saved my life -- both in the present and in the hereafter. Or something.")

So now we've uncovered the Virgin Mary statues and the guy with the gold tooth, so Eko is clearly in the midst of a Very Big, Very Revelatory Day. But before we can continue, we need to pause a moment to pay homage to one of the SINGLE COOLEST SCENES "Lost" has ever produced. This episode -- "The 23rd Psalm," write it down -- marks the first time we've seen the monster in all its shadowy glory. Previous to this episode, we only saw wisps of the beast (or the cloud -- whatever it is), with the most notable view coming when Locke was attacked by the "island's security system" in "Exodus, Part 2." At the time, a quick shot of a black vapor trail was an astounding revelation. But now, after the things we see in this episode, that previous shot looks like child's play.

So let me explain ...

At one point, Charlie becomes lost in the jungle and Eko instructs him to climb a nearby tree to see if he can spot the plane. As Charlie sits perched high above, the sounds of the jungle suddenly go silent. This, as we've learned, is never a good sign. Eko stares intently ahead, sensing that something is approaching. The tension mounts ... Eko stares ... and stares ... and he stares ... and when he's stared so much his eyes are about to bleed out of his head, a massive burst of dirt and trees and black vapor erupts in front of him. The monster is in the building.

Most people, when confronted by an ominous black vapor with exploding capabilities, would run away with great fervor. But not Eko. You see, this is a man who lived most of his life staring fear and death and assorted Bad Situations down. And so, when confronted by a freakish black cloud, he simply holds his ground. Seriously. He doesn't even flinch.

Eko's non-action gives us the opportunity to watch the monster/cloud in action. The monster expands and contracts in front of Eko. As Eko stares back at the beast, the camera pans up and around -- cutting through the cloud's vapor. And it's during this very brief moment that we hear a computerized processing noise from inside the cloud and we see obscured images flashing within the cloud. When this moment is watched frame-by-frame (God bless you, TiVo), the cloud images display a few things we've seen before, and a few things we haven't seen. From what I could gather, the following things are revealed:

  • A child or woman wearing a hat (could this be the woman who was selling Virgin Mary statues in front of Yemi's church? Or, could it be Yemi as a boy?)

  • The kneeling man Eko shot when he was a teenager.

  • The warlord who recruited Eko.

  • A woman -- probably in her late teens or 20s -- wearing Nigerian clothing. As far as I can tell, we haven't seen her before.

  • A very brief flash that looks like a crowd of people.
Before I get hate mail, understand that this is by no means a comprehensive list. I know for a fact that I missed some things, so if you spotted a figure in the cloud, please post your findings below. The images in that cloud are going to give us plenty of discussion fodder in the weeks to come (and you know the "Lost" crew is cackling with glee at this very thought).

Following this mind-blowing trip inside the monster, the beast whirs and snarls in front of Eko for a few additional seconds, then constricts and darts back into the jungle. Eko blinks and takes a breath.

So let's take stock of this moment:

  • Eko is the second person to stare directly at the monster. Back in "Walkabout," Locke had a similar encounter. In that episode, we only saw Locke's wide-eyed reaction. We never saw the monster.

  • Locke's first experience with the monster was a positive one. "I looked into the eye of this island and what I saw was beautiful," he tells Jack in "White Rabbit." It remains to be seen if Eko had a similar experience -- I tend to think not.

  • Charlie witnessed this whole episode, which means he's seen the entire monster.

  • The trip "inside" the monster suggests it has the ability to read memories. Either that or it's a really good guesser.

  • I honestly have no idea what I just saw, but I know it was cool.
Returning to the story ...

With the monster safely back in its jungle lair, Charlie scampers from the tree and pesters Eko with questions and comments, the most notable being that Eko's reaction is the exact opposite of what most people do. "I was not afraid of it," Eko says calmly. He's completely unphased by what just happened. In fact, he's far more concerned with finding the Beechcraft. Eko just stared right into the monster's eye and had his brain scanned and he could give two craps about the whole thing. Amazing.

So, Eko is hellbent on finding this plane, which works out because Charlie spotted the aircraft from his tree perch. Shortly thereafter, the pair arrives at the crash site. Eko slowly surveys the plane. He sees the bloody marks he left inside the plane's door moments before his henchman kicked him to the runway. Walking further inside the plane, he looks over broken boxes and cracked Virgin Mary statues. And then he finds what he's really looking for: Toward the front of the plane, buried beneath debris, lies another weathered corpse dressed in priest clothing. Eko unbuttons the corpse's shirt and spreads it open, and there before him is a cross on a chain. It's the same cross the warlord ripped from Eko's neck years before, and it's the same cross Eko's brother retrieved. It's also the cross Yemi was wearing when he was shot on the runway. Seeing it here, on this body, on this plane, means that Eko has found his brother. The realization washes over Eko and he weeps as he cradles Yemi's body.

Sometime later, Eko emerges from the plane clutching a Virgin Mary statue. He hands the plaster relic to Charlie and tells him it's a replacement for the one he smashed back on the beach. Charlie sheepishly accepts it ("Score!").

Eko decides to burn the wreckage so his brother can be properly honored. As the flames consume the fuselage and Yemi's remains, Charlie asks: "So, are you a priest, or aren't you?"

Eko carefully lifts his brother's cross over his head and hangs it around his neck. Looking straight into the flames he says, "Yes. I am."

And with that, Eko recites the 23rd Psalm. Charlie joins him a few sentences in:

"The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the shadow of 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. Amen."
Point 2
Charlie

Claire
There's trouble in paradise for Charlie and Claire. Mid-way through the episode it appeared that Charlie had dodged a bit of a bullet with Claire. After all, he made the chivalrous gesture of dumping out three bags of heroin on the beach. But not so fast there, Chucky. When Charlie returns from his jungle adventure at the end of the episode, he discovers that Claire has packed up all his belongings. She knows he lied to her (I'm not sure how she found out, but it wouldn't take a MENSA member to reach that conclusion) and because of the lies and the deception and, oh yeah, that nasty drug habit, Claire has decided that Charlie shouldn't be around her or Aaron (go Claire!). Charlie doesn't protest. He knows he's busted. So he picks up his belongings and trudges down the beach.

Later that night, in the final scene, Charlie walks into a secluded area past the tree line. He kneels beside a tree and pulls a handful of leaves and brush from a shallow hole. Cradling the Virgin Mary statue, he delicately settles it into the hole and as he positions it, the sound of plaster clacking against plaster rings out. The camera pans up, revealing a hole filled with Virgin Mary statues.

"Paging Dr. Locke ... Dr. Locke, you're needed for another intervention ..."

Point 3
Michael

Locke

computer

During the big cliff-hanger from "What Kate Did," we watched as Michael used the hatch computer to communicate with Walt (or someone pretending to be Walt). Their instant messaging session occurred just as Locke and Eko watched the newly-edited Dharma film. These concurrent events proved important because as Michael typed away, the new footage in the Dharma flick offered a stern warning:

"The isolation that attends the duties associated with Station 3 may tempt you to try and utilize the computer for communication with the outside world. This is strictly forbidden. Attempting to use the computer in this manner will compromise the integrity of the project and, worse, could lead to another incident. I repeat. Do not use the computer for anything other than entering the code."

Whoops.

This dire new information never reached Michael or, more likely, he's decided to intentionally disregard the warning. Case in point: Michael goes out of his way to take over hatch duty when no one is around. This gives him plenty of time to fire up the Hatch Super Computer and reach out to his abducted son.

So, toward the end of this episode, Michael (screenname: SadDad) manages to re-establish contact with "Walt" (screenname: OtherTarget01). Their conversation is brief, but Michael learns that "Walt" is okay. Michael asks Walt where he's being held, but before Walt can fully respond, Jack waltzes into the control center. Michael freezes at the computer as Jack pulls up a chair. At this point, Jack can't see the screen, and he doesn't appear to be suspicious of Michael's activities (Jack's detective skills are sorely lacking). Rather, Jack has dropped in to assure Michael that as soon as they can, the group will develop a plan to find Walt. Michael manages a half-assed "don't-do-be-an-favors" smile. Jack, totally pleased with his leadership abilities, gets up to leave. As he rises, he takes a quick peek at the computer screen. It's completely blank. Michael's secret is safe ... for now.

Now, let's backtrack a moment to address the "find Walt" plan Jack mentioned. Michael's tepid reaction to Jack's comment stems from one very important point: Michael already has a plan.

Earlier in this episode, Michael visits the hatch armory with the intention of grabbing a gun or two in preparation for a solo Other attack. But there's a problem: Locke is sitting in the doorway to the armory, resetting the door's lock combination (the arrival of the Tailies motivated Locke to increase the hatch's security measures, which is a good idea since Ana-Lucia has shown a predilection toward popping castaways). The ever-perceptive Locke knows why Michael is milling around the armory: Michael wants to gear up for a mission.

Instead of trying to talk Michael out of his COMPLETELY INSANE plan, Locke opts to instruct Michael on the finder points of weaponry. The two go outside and Locke shows Michael how to pulverize a 2-gallon tub of ranch dressing (no joke -- Michael shoots a tub of ranch dressing). Michael nails the shot, which is unfortunate because Michael now equates ranch dressing proficiency with Other proficiency. Unless Walt is being held at Hidden Valley, I think Michael's gonna have a problem on his hands.

Point 4
Kate

Sawyer
Kate gives Sawyer a hair cut. Kate and Sawyer flirt. All that Wayne/black horse/daddy-not-my-daddy stuff from last episode appears to have been forgotten.
Point 5
Jin

Sun

Ana-Lucia
During the obligatory closing montage (are they contracted for these things?), there's a brief exchange between Sun, Jin and Ana-Lucia. Jin introduces Sun to Ana-Lucia (the two shake hands) and Jin then presents Ana-Lucia with a delicious bass. The ostracism of Ana-Lucia appears to be waning. Expect it to flare back up when she "accidentally" blows a hole in another castaway.
Point 6
Hurley

Libby
The closing montage also reveals a possible love connection between Hurley and Libby. Makes sense. She's a therapist. He's spent plenty of time in therapy. And hell, if she likes him now, just wait till she sees his bank account.

That's it for now. Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.

Next Episode:
"The Hunting Party" -- Michael embarks on an ill-advised rescue mission. Jack, Locke and Sawyer go after him. Adventure ensues. Airs: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 9 p.m., ABC.




Review by Mac Slocum. All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc.



Posted by Mac Slocum on January 12, 2006 10:53 AM |




The gold-tooth guy DID save Eko's life; if he hadn't kicked him off the plane, then Eko would have died...

One thing bugs me which I would like answered by the writers, since I've given them a free pass on most everything else. How does an old propeller plane taking off from Nigeria end up on an island (assumedly) in the Pacific? Those things don't have that long a range...

#1. Posted by: Geoff at January 12, 2006 11:42 AM

The vessel I want to know about is the Black Rock -- how did a boat like that get so far inland?

#2. Posted by: mac at January 12, 2006 11:45 AM

There were about 10-12 images in the black smoke, only way to view is a frame by frame Tivo look as you mentioned. One of the first shots is of a church with a cross on top. Another is a black woman with another women or child, the first women has a look of terror in her face. Several more I just could not make out clearly since they lasted but a frame or two. Interestingly, you can only see maybe one or two in real time. They must put this stuff in for people with high tech gadgets and too much time on their hands!!

#3. Posted by: John B at January 12, 2006 11:47 AM

Great recap as always Mac. I have missed reading these. Thanks much.

#4. Posted by: dOR at January 12, 2006 11:59 AM

Dude, your key points ROCK. I cannot let a Thursday pass without reading your recaps.
And I swear they are getting better as the series progresses.
Keep on keeping on - or something like that.

#5. Posted by: denise at January 12, 2006 12:00 PM

Aww, you guys ;)

I appreciate the kind words. It's always nice to know people are enjoying this stuff.

#6. Posted by: mac at January 12, 2006 12:14 PM

As has been posted in the forum, screen caps of the images in the black smoke can be found here:

http://lost.cubit.net/investigations.php?
PHPSESSID=0768...1a280b0545b485e25c0f

#7. Posted by: Steve Poland at January 12, 2006 12:30 PM

What do you think Walt was starting to type to Michael when Jack walked in? He started typing "you have to co....".

#8. Posted by: M.E. at January 12, 2006 12:44 PM

Great summary again, Mac. You do a wonderful job of covering the main points and the minor injection of humor is always nice. This week, I loved your statement: "Unless Walt is being held at Hidden Valley, I think Michael's gonna have a problem on his hands."

#9. Posted by: Marty at January 12, 2006 1:17 PM

Mac, there ain't nothing as good as your key points. This is the best Lost Blog in the Internet (I'm pretty certain; I googled around) and I, like denise and dOR, have definitely missed reading these and agree that they kick ass. Keep up the brilliant work, man! (can't wait for next wednesday & thursday)

#10. Posted by: R.L. at January 12, 2006 1:27 PM

Well, what's carved on the pole is, actually, REVELATIONS 3. Which reads, for example:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

SOUNDS QUITE EKO-ESQUE, does it not?

#11. Posted by: Pierre Friedmann at January 12, 2006 1:49 PM

As always great review! (I think that goes without saying.) I'm mainly curious about 2 things:
1. How many other pieces of spliced footage are stashed on the island? And, when will we get to see the full version of "Orientation: The Director's Cut?"

2. Why didn't the tailies see the thick black smoke from the pyre in Exodus parts 1 & 2? Going by the timeline from "The Other 48 Days" it would've appeared within a few days of Goodwin's death because Bernard received Boone's transmission right after Goodwin was killed, then Boone subsequently was killed, and the other castaways hadn't even buried his body yet when Rousseau infiltrated the camp to announce that the others were coming. So, was the pyre a funeral pyre in mourning for Goodwin and were the others coming to recruit a replacement for him? What do you think?

#12. Posted by: Trinity at January 12, 2006 3:55 PM

Although I haven't had time to go back and watch the episode for a second time, let's "rewind" back to when Eko is conversing with the two Middle Eastern heroin peddlers. After Eko talks about the planes, etc. the standing man whispers to the sitting drug lord and I am not sure, but I can almost distinctly hear words in Arabic and the word "Sayid" in his conversation. I have not found anything else on the web and, unfortunately, do not speak Arabic. Did anyone else hear the name "Sayid" and if so, can anyone provide a translation of what was said? Thanks.

#13. Posted by: Jason at January 12, 2006 4:01 PM

Just a theory, but I think Michael is hallucinating when he is on the computer. This would make sense because several of the other islanders such as Jack-his father, Kate-horse, Walt-the bear, Boone-i cant recall, etc... have experienced halucinations at very emotional times on the island (fear, helplessness). The island seems to manifest these hallucinations into reality (maybe for others to see)and the hallucinations are always something feared or held extremely close to the survivor. If you really think about Michael's communications, Walt would have to have some sense (a camera? magic powers?) to know that his Dad is sitting in front of the computer...that is what is so trippy about the whole thing. Mind you he is not the only one who has hallucinated about Walt's presence. I think these hallucinations are going to make Michael go 'Boone'in the next episode. Claire hallucinations also drove her mad...

again. just a theory.

#14. Posted by: ajudicator at January 12, 2006 4:32 PM

@Jason -

I also heard what I thought was "Sayid" during that conversation. Interesting that I wasn't the only one.

#15. Posted by: Bill at January 12, 2006 5:31 PM

I heard Sayid also.

I also wanted to comment, how many people has the "Monster" actually killed? I think the only real death was the pilot. There was Shannon, but that was a hallucination. Is the monster really manevolent? If not, why did it kill the pilot in the Pilot episode? Recall, it didn't kill Locke and while everyone was scared of it in the Exodus episodes, it didn't kill anyone then either.

#16. Posted by: Theoldred at January 12, 2006 5:35 PM

Adjudicator, don't forget too, that when the camera panned back to the computer screen after Jack almost caught Michael conversing with "Walt" (let's not forget the hint on the HANSO site...that is might be a MOLE writing back to Michael) it was blank...I don't recall seeing Michael enter any other function into the computer as he talked to Jack. Even though Michael is clearly a little freaked out by almost getting caught, why wouldn't have Jack seen the screen as he patted Michael on the back as he got up to greet him? I think you might be on to soomething, Adijucator...

#17. Posted by: Vikki at January 12, 2006 5:41 PM

Honestly... I think the monster looked a bit fake. I don't know what to think of it. I mean, how menacing can a puff of smoke be?!

Obviously Eko thought the same since he didn't back away from it one inch.
Seriously... Eko is just oozing charisma. Where did they find this guy?

I read on Sledgeweb's Lost that Sayid also means 'happy' in Arabic.
But I also would like to know what the rest of the conversation was.

I think we'll get to see more of Eko's 'Big Jesus Stick', because now we only saw partial pieces of scripture. And I read somewhere that Eko's stick is an ongoing clue. Since I am a bit of a 'biblethumper' myself, I can't wait to see what cool scriptures they come up with.

#18. Posted by: SnakeJake at January 12, 2006 6:16 PM

Your review of the episode was great (as usual). Just one detail that you mention only generically, but I believe was more specific in the episode -- the man Eko shot was the priest who begged the armed men not to take any children (the warlord specifically ordered his men to put the priest in front of the boy). Maybe not too significant, but the fact that his brother became a priest is not, perhaps, so surprising then.

And, just to state another symmetry, Eko and his brother both substituted themselves for the other when trouble came (first Eko with the warlord, and then his brother with the soldier's bullets).

Very interesting stuff... The interplay between Eko and Locke will be very interesting to watch. They seem to be two sides of the same coin (very similar in some ways, and very different in others). Sort of plays into the black and white symbolism in season 1 (literally, and figuratively).

#19. Posted by: RRM at January 12, 2006 6:17 PM

Very good review. I came across your site about three months ago and you explain everything perfectly. Good job.

#20. Posted by: Michael at January 12, 2006 6:36 PM

I looked up some of the scriptures you can see on Eko's stick. (you can't see the numbers of the verses, so I read the whole chapters)

Colossians
Titus 3
Revelations 3
Psalm 23
Psalm 144

I wrote down some of the more important pieces.

Titus 3:
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Revelations 3:
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Psalm 144:
1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.
3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

And this one seems interesting because of the smoke reference.
5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

Of course...
it could also mean absolutely nothing, but it never hurts to read your Bible. ;-)

#21. Posted by: SnakeJake at January 12, 2006 6:53 PM

Vikki, the reason Jack didn't see the screen as he patted Michael on the back was because the computer was in screensaver mode. The 108 minute timer is for when the computer will go into hibernate and the hard drives quit spinning. With old mainframes like that you wouldn't want them to quit spinning as this would kill the machine. Kind of far out, but who knows? I love this show!! And Mac's "key points" are awseome. Keep up the good work!

#22. Posted by: Danras1 at January 12, 2006 7:02 PM

And to follow up on what RRM said....there was the whole conversation between Claire and Eko about the story of Moses and Aaron....perfectly paralleling what happened between Eko and his brother, Yemi...when Moses couldn't speak, it was Aaron who did so...I believe there has been some references in this comparing Eko to Moses, and Eko has gone through periods of his life when he did not speak either....can we consider Yemi's sacrifice for Eko a metaphor for speaking for Eko? I don't know...just a thought...

Eko and Locke being two sides of the same coin...like the two sides of a backgammon board...the yin and yang of black and white...

Danras1...thanks for the info...so the screen would just go to black automatically...it's not like our modern computers that go into screen saver or whatever after a certain period of time? because the conversation between Jack and Michael didn't last too long...

I can not get enough of this show!

#23. Posted by: Vikki at January 12, 2006 8:52 PM

greatest line ever "what are you going to beat me with your jesus stick?" brilliant charlie...

#24. Posted by: Laura aka wolfie at January 12, 2006 9:36 PM

One thing to remember about Michael's discussion with "Walt." Whoever was IMing on the other end asked "are you alone?" That was really chilling. I understand the hallucination theory, but given the Hanso warning about using the computer for anything else, I can't help but think the danger is real.

#25. Posted by: Sharon at January 12, 2006 11:46 PM

I don't think it's Walt on the other end of that computer. We have no idea how many Dharma "experiment stations" are on the island. One could be fully functional and in the midst of conducting Dharma's biggest experiment yet.

#26. Posted by: AnaLuciaFan1 at January 13, 2006 1:24 AM

I think the ranch dressing has a greater meaning than anyone suspects, one brought to my attention by Mac's astute summary. Eko and Charlie say the 23rd psalm incorrectly. They say "...walk through the shadow of the valley of death," transposing valley and shadow. I think the monster/security system/black cloud is the shadow, and the island the valley of death...the "hidden" valley (ranch) of death. Its creamy!

I also have another theory, maybe this one has been offered up already though. I think they have crashed on the other side of Fantasy Island. On one side that remains as yet unexplored, Ricardo Montalban is using the Island's powers to grant people's wishes. Unaware of this on the other side, the "lost" survivors are seeing the images in their minds repeatedly come to life. They have no way of knowing that there is a resort on the other side of the island! The others are recruiters for the resort who take the children to be Cabana Boys for the resort's guests. Cheap child labor. Wasn't Fantasy Island on ABC too? Come on...its no more far-fetched than that dung heap "Bewitched," and I don't give Hollywood any credit for coming up with anything original anymore. This is just someone at ABC's "re-thinking or re-imagining" of "Fantasy Island." Just wait...you'll see. I guarantee there will be midgets in the near future, if not Herve Villachez himself!

#27. Posted by: Tom at January 13, 2006 1:25 AM

Great review, mac. btw, are you a professional writer?

I'm not religious myself, but I think this Psalm 23 (one of THE numbers...) is the actual reason why Eko isn't in fear of the "monster".

I think the dialogues between Eko and his brother are actually worth a more detailed inspection:
Eko: "God has given us this opportunity...".
Yemi: "God did NOT bring you here, Eko. Your own greed did...I will always love you, but I will not help you. It's good to see you again, brother"
...and later...
Eko: "think of the lives you will save..."
Yemi: "my signature does NOT make you a priest, Eko. You'll NEVER be a priest."
...
Eko: "I guess we are both sinners now."
Yemi: "Perhaps we are, but God will forgive ME, Eko."

I think the fact, that Eko isn't in fear of the "monster", shows that Eko actually lives in peace with God and he doesn't fear to be judged by him. Quite interesting...

#28. Posted by: Margot at January 13, 2006 4:06 AM

Just really love your Key Points summaries! Usually I am so into watching the show that I miss finer points and tiny details. Reading this brings me up to where I want to be!

#29. Posted by: LostLady at January 13, 2006 4:23 AM

Hi,
At the top of the comments here someone mentioned about how they did not understand how the black rock ended up in the middle of an island?
Well i have a theory, it seems this island has a few underground stations, this is because i think its a man-made island that rose above sea level thus as the black rock passed over it, it got caught up in it. It seems like the island has a very natural scape to it so i ass/u/me that it was built over the bunkers below as oppposed to the bunkers built into an already exsisting island.
This could open up all kinds of stories from it.
is this island built by made made materiels?
Are the bukers connected?
Is the island connected to anything else does it go further down the rabbit hole?
This is me probably just going a bit mad but it may be something?


Keep up the good work, this is the most enjoyable blog I've read.

#30. Posted by: dave at January 13, 2006 6:18 AM

Let me take you back an episode or 2 (or 20).

Remember when Sayid found a line on the beach (when he left the group because of what he did to Sawyer) and followed it up to eventually find Rousseau? Where does that line come from? Being on the beach it must have been the sea. Bear with me here...In the scenes that we have seen Walt since he was abducted, he has been wet. Is Walt being kept in/under the sea? In earlier episodes one of the 'others' killed a member of the survivors by coming from the sea.

Just a thought!

Furthermore, I believe that Adjudicator is right about Michael and Walt's computer IM's. It's imaginary. Either that or there is an element of ESP as each knows when the other will be in front of the computer.

Eko has become my favourite character and I am sure there is lots more to come from this incredibly cool dude.

Mac...thank you for your summary. I have missed reading these during the long break through December. Wow, it's good to be back.

#31. Posted by: English Addict at January 13, 2006 8:40 AM

I love this website wouldn't know what to do on Thursday without it. Best on the web!!!

#32. Posted by: Amber at January 13, 2006 9:04 AM

Interesting point about Wet Walt. I always thought it had to do with his capture, but thinking back, he never got wet then. His Dad and Sawyer and Jin went overboard, but Walt was plucked off the raft to the "others" boat. Hmmmm, you might be onto something.

#33. Posted by: John B at January 13, 2006 10:52 AM

YES this is the absolute BEST Lost summary site EVER! The show goes so fast sometimes, it's nice to have a thorough review that points out all the details. :D

My personal theory is that the Others are somehow psychic, and the "monster" is their watchdog so they can communicate with it police the island (see what it sees). All the weird stuff on the island seems to do with the power of the mind (hallucinations, whispers, visions, people being converted into Others, experiments where you think the world will end if you don't push a button every 108 minutes, etc.) and the monster we saw reinforces that. How else could the monster have displayed those images from Eko's past if it wasn't reading his mind?!? There was no camera there when Eko killed the old man to save his brother from the drug runners as a child, so how could the cloud know about it AND have pictures about it?!

#34. Posted by: Paul at January 13, 2006 11:35 AM

I've been around long enough to hear the, "purgatory," and "limbo" theories. Its my opinion that there really never was a plane crash and that it was a "mock" crash by the foundation. We all know that each person has an issue that they are dealing with that is too coincidental to be random.
Could they all be brainwashed and made to believe that a crash did occur? This would explain the total unreality of so many people surviving.

#35. Posted by: texasrobster at January 13, 2006 2:27 PM

I think the "black cloud" was a highly sophisticated swarm of nano particles similar to the Michael Crighton book, "Prey." Its able to read minds etc. Any thoughts?

#36. Posted by: texasrobster at January 13, 2006 2:29 PM

I just stumbled upon this blog and it is the best so far. great summary and interesting feedback. i just thought i'd mention that the drug dealers didn't really say Sayid but rather Sayidina. I don't know what it means but i am pretty sure it has nothing to do with sayid.

as for walt being wet when shannon(i really miss her!!) and sayid see him, maybe he managed to escape from the boat and drowned and it is his ghost that we see??? Just a thought!! Any comments anyone?

Keep up the good work Mac!!

#37. Posted by: Rizwan at January 13, 2006 4:04 PM

Hi u guys, iam a Morrocan

>> The two drugsdealers who sold the Heroin to Mr Ecko were indeed Arabs and I will Translate what their said before getting slashed.

At a certain moment Mr Ecko tells them to accept his moneyoffer as a plaisure to them because without him they can't get it out of Nigeria: Well, ofcourse not happy with Mr Hulk's proposal=> the one arab said to the other: "Ould la Haram Sayidna" which litteraly means " The son of a bastard he tricked us!" . You see Sayidna has nothing to do whith the caracter of Our Iraqi playboy Sayid but simply way with the arab verbe of "sayed", meaning tricking someone to do something they don't want.

Thats it guys hope i didn't dissapoint some of you conspiracy theorist lovers..

Ciao.

#38. Posted by: Samir at January 13, 2006 4:09 PM

Staying in tune with what Texasrobber said above...I remember reading an interview with one of the show's writers and he states in that interview that "the plane crash was not an accident". I'll try to find that interview to let everyone know exactly where the quote came from. Anyway, I'm really starting to think that the whole situation on the show is one huge Dharma experiment. Think about this for a moment..."The Others" are always spoken of as savage killers. Their actions and the way they look(from the little we've seen)are also protrayed as savage...BUT..the two members of "The Others" who infiltrated both groups were clearly NOT savage. They both seemed to be normal, intelligent people(Goodwinn moreso than Ethan). What should that tell us about the rest of "The Others?" I could be way off base about this idea, but it's been something I've been thinking about since we saw what happened to the "tailies". Any feedback?

#39. Posted by: AnaLuciaFan1 at January 13, 2006 5:36 PM

@Vikki:
I could've sworn I heard another single keystroke when Jack turned his back to Michael to pull up a chair. The camera panned back so Michael's hands were not visible, but possibly that's when he hit some sort of 'delete' button, or turned off the monitor? Either way, I don't believe it's a hallucination.

#40. Posted by: Trinity at January 13, 2006 10:01 PM

The island is clearly an experiment gone awry, just take a look at the Hanso website with regards to active projects. All of the projects listed on site are going on in one way or another (life-extension, electromagnet research, e.t. life, eugenics, cryogenics, math forecasting, accelerated remote viewing. The real question is who is now controlling the experiments or are they controlling themselves? We keep forgeting about the crazy dude that Hurley met in the mental hospital...obviously a reject or escapee from the experiment, but how did he get back to civilazation? The clairvoyant said Claire's (no pun intended i'm sure) baby is supposed to be evil...i'm still waiting, but i'm sure its going to be big and the baby will go missing again soon. Ok I'm rambling and just confusing myself now!

#41. Posted by: Adjudicator at January 13, 2006 10:28 PM

hi mac, great synopsis, as usual! you have me lmao! now, i didn't catch "Driveshaft rules" on Eko's stick. how do you remember the details so vividly? are you taking notes along the way? lol....... i am thoroughly enjoying your way with words, and would love to join in the commentary.

#42. Posted by: silkyway at January 14, 2006 12:08 AM

You guys have totally made my day. Not only have I received a TON of nice comments, but the other comments have added lots of great observations, information and clues.

Along those lines, I'll let you guys in on a little secret: I rely on you to catch a lot of the things I miss, and without fail, you do it. Whether it's the Dharma logo on the shark (seriously -- how did I miss that? Did I lapse into a coma?) or a translation of the Sayid/Not Sayid comment (AWESOME translation, btw), I think this blog gets exponentially better because of the astute comments you guys offer.

So, let me thank all of YOU for the great work YOU do. It's a pleasure to write these reviews and it's even more of a pleasure to read what you all have to say.

And to answer a few of the questions posed (feel free to skip ahead if you could care less about this biographical stuff):

* Writing: If you consider a professional writer to be someone who gets paid to write at some point in his/her career, then the answer is "yes," I'm a professional. These days, that's not my primary activity, but I've worked as a editor/producer for a long time.

* Note Taking: Way back (and I mean WAAAAY back), I used to write similar reviews for the X-Files (shout out to the X-Files crew from the T@p days -- some of them still linger in these parts). I experimented with note-taking, but after a few weeks I realized I was neglecting the most important thing: enjoyment of the show. So now, I just watch the show and try to absorb as much as possible. As I write things up I'll scan back through my TiVo (when I die I want my TiVo buried with me) and catch the finer details. There isn't a lot of skill involved in any of it, I'm afraid -- just watching and then spewing this stuff out there ;)

#43. Posted by: mac at January 14, 2006 12:19 AM

oh trust...those were the days, do you still have your xfiles write ups someplace? they were brilliant.
i can't believe that no one has mentioned how disapointed they are in charlie. yes that isn't a huge part of the show at the end of the day, but man i was so mad at him for hording all those statues.
eko is the coolest man on this earth. i'm glad he went good cause he was a bad bad man.

#44. Posted by: Laura aka wolfie at January 14, 2006 12:52 AM

yea, Laura, I am disappointed that Charlie stashed the statues and the possibility (likelihood) that he will lapse back into the sleaze. I love Eko too and glad he went good. but you have to admit, he was quite the hottie as a bad boy...

#45. Posted by: silkyway at January 14, 2006 1:12 AM

Thanks, Trinity....I must have missed that keystroke sound...we shall see!

I think I have mentioned this before, but perhaps the visions of wet Walt have something to do with the accelerated remote viewing experiment listed on the Hanso site...maybe the fact that he is always talking backwards is due to the experiment going awry, like Adujicator said. Maybe Walt himself is being held somewhere where he has figured out how to use this remote viewing thing but just doesn't have it down quite yet???

#46. Posted by: Vikki at January 14, 2006 10:23 AM

Going back to the idea that Walt may be held under water somewhere, could this tie in to when that women "drown" in the water in the first season? Maybe the others had somethign to do with that? Great key points btw, keep up the great work!

#47. Posted by: Dan at January 14, 2006 1:11 PM

I went back and watched the episode (White Rabbit) and the woman who "drown" was named Johanna, and Kate said that she wasn't supposed to be on the plane, she got an ear infection while SCUBA DIVING off the barrier reef and the doctor grounded her for two days, giving her a ticket on Flight 815. Wouldn't you think that a scuba diver would be able to swim well? Perhaps she wanted to explore the ocean floor off the beach, and she saw something (Other's underwater secret lair)?

#48. Posted by: Dan at January 14, 2006 2:09 PM

Try this idea: I think the 'incident' at this Dharma experiment station opened up a doorway between the real and spirit worlds, between the living and the dead. If the computer is not reset, the doorway will re-open. It will be interesting to see if Michael/Walts conversations will interfere with the timer.

I don't believe any of the strange visions are hallucinations. The 'veil' between the living and dead worlds is so thin, sometimes things/people can see through.

There are two types of others: One, the physical human ones with two subgroups, rational like Ethan/Goodwin and the savage ones who attack and aren't quite so well dressed. The 2nd type of others are the spiritual ones of whom we have only heard the whispers in the jungle. I don't know that we have seen them have any physical abilities, yet. The monster is clearly another type of entity.

I hope to put a post about this soon, here:
http://filmfodder.infopop.cc/eve/
ubb.x?a=frm&s=7051093421&f=2071074421 The best Lost forum on the web!

Can't say enough about Mac's astute observational and witty communication skills!

#49. Posted by: Davoid at January 14, 2006 5:29 PM

This just might be an awkward coincidence, but what the heck ? things happen for a reason. Although far-fetched, maybe this discovery unravels some secrets! I am not an ?A? student. I slack off and throw crunched-up paper balls around the classroom. Read my history textbook? ? certainly not! But one very boring lesson about the Revolutionary War led me to just about fall asleep on my textbook ? right before I fell asleep, something caught my eye.

?John Locke, an English Philosopher, believed that all people have a natural right of life, liberty and property.?

Sounds familiar to the John Locke that?s on our show? Having chills running up and down my spine, I looked up his name on the Internet and found very intriguing facts about him. He wrote and developed philosophy. His ideas are in the Declaration of Independence.

I hope this ?find? helps.

Now I have a reason to read my textbook! I love LOST!

Sarah
Age 13

#50. Posted by: Sarah at January 15, 2006 5:54 PM

Where’s Desmond?

Did he run off to join Ricardo Montalban and Tatoo on the other side of the island? Sipping Mint Julips served under the Baobab tree by the child labor provided from the stolen children? Or did he slip into a vortex beneath the cement enclosure in the hatch that covers several more subterranean levels, which all probably connect to the LA subway system? Any thoughts


Edie

#51. Posted by: Edie at January 15, 2006 5:57 PM

polar bear got him

#52. Posted by: Laura aka wolfie at January 15, 2006 7:41 PM

Hey, a blog worth reading, incredible! Thanks for the comprehensive work, mac! :-)
Interesting idea there, Dan. We know the ocean around the island is not made up of your typical tropical waters, what with the Dharma-sharks and Others-kidnapper-boats wandering around, so there might be something to it.

#53. Posted by: qkrnxtl at January 15, 2006 11:45 PM

Oh, and on Desmond: He will show up at the exact perfect time that the series needs him to show up. :-D

#54. Posted by: qkrnxtl at January 15, 2006 11:48 PM

LOL -- Desmond ex Machina ;

I like it.

#55. Posted by: mac at January 15, 2006 11:49 PM

tv.com says that in an upcoming episode ana lucia follows the cable that sayid found into the the water and finds an underwater hatch

#56. Posted by: thomas elliott at January 16, 2006 5:49 AM

Ooooh...

I would just love another hatch. The episodes around the hatch were the most exciting ones.

#57. Posted by: SnakeJake at January 16, 2006 6:59 AM

Observation on Eko's Jesus stick:

It may be another red herring that the producer's amuse putting before us fans. Here's a look at Titus 3:9

"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."

Sure the stick is a clue, but they could also be warning not to read TOO much into either.

#58. Posted by: kidomaha at January 16, 2006 4:06 PM

It looked to me that Michael saw the whole of the sentance that "Walt" wrote before he was interrupted. The look of realisation and his reactions to Jack's plan made me think he knew where to go to find Walt. (or at least where whoever is on the other end wants him to go)

Just some thoughts.
I read these blogs after every episode. Keep up the great work!

#59. Posted by: MagicalTrevor at January 16, 2006 5:32 PM

Just a couple of random thoughts, and I don't know if they have been covered in previous blogs. If these are repeats, I apologize:

I have the Season One DVDs and when I popped in the first one the other day, the little intro for Season Two played that goes something like, "They find out they are NOT the survivors they think they are." I can't quote it exactly, because my sister has borrowed my set. Once again, that just makes me think the plane crash is all part of a plan.

Today I sat down to do my morning Buddhist prayers, lit my incense offerings to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and then when I picked up my prayer beads, I could not believe that I had never made the connection that there are 108 beads. Duh!! I guess I have been a good Buddhist and let go of my extreme attachment to Lost when I do my practice. ;-) In the tradition that I follow, the number of beads represents the 108 attachments that a person must let go of before attaining enlightenment. Those were quite a few attachments that I saw in Eko's black smoke on Wednesday, but he seems pretty enlightened so perhaps he has found some peace with his past. I just did a quick search and found this:

http://www.salagram.net/108meaning.html

This site lists about 108 reasons from a variety of traditions and scientific sources from whick they could have picked 108, so once again, who knows what those writers are up to.

I am a high school teacher and the homework for all my classes on Wednesdays is to watch Lost and then we discuss it on Thursdays. Suddenly, the thinking skills of my inner-city kids have come alive. The theories they come up with are pretty creative and they have been right on a few times. This blog is our main resource, so thanks for all the effort. Man. Why didn't I ever get assignments like that when I was in school?

#60. Posted by: Sara at January 16, 2006 6:00 PM

Very interesting comments everyone. Just a few more things that caught my attention, and even more now that Eko has entered the scene. First off though, Sarah age 13 way to go with the history work and I am very impressed that at 13 you have the courage to write on this sight. Second, Mac I miss the X-files more than anything. Yes, I was a dork back then too. Now to some observations. When I am not watching lost I am a law student so I find research enjoyable as evidenced in my last post. There are two things that I found very interesting on the HANSO sight. One is that they are studying math forcasting. I have heard several people try to explain what this is, each getting it wrong (I have not read all the posts so someone may have gotten it, but I did not se it so sory if you did). Math forcasting is a study that tries to formulate equations to predict the future, or at least where a certain person will be in the future when set off by a certain event. It is based on the theory that you can send a marble in motion inside a box and based on the angle and force you can determine where that marble will be at any point in the future. As we have seen by the flashbacks all of the people on the show had a reason, or event for being on the plain. These could be the event that set them in motion, or part of a series of events that put them into motion with the HANSO soundation knowing that they were all going to be on that plain at that point in time.
A second observation is that they are studying juxtapositional eugenics, which would imply that they are running side by side comparisons on genetic charicteristics for survival and human perfection. This could be why it was so important to forcast who would be on the flight. This would seem logical if you look at their backgrounds. We have a crazy person, a doctor, a criminal, a conman, an orphan, a priest, a celebrity, a teacher, a mother etc... And does it sit odd with anyone else that it seems that Claire is the only one on the island with children and she had hers there. No one else ever talks about having children. But they may be determining moral and personal charicteristics that promote survival.
Another point, it is clear that walt is using remote viewing, or as some people refer to it astral projection, (I know I can't spell). However the water is interesting. It seems to be a running theme of the show. First it was the search for watter and Jack's dead father leading them to it. Then there was the rain, at one point in the first season Locke was able to tell exactly when it was going to rain, then the issue with the tides, the boat being in the middle of the island, and now walt being wet when he appears. I do think that water plays an important role maybe if they do not push the button the world really does end but they are the survvivors, the new Noah's arch meant to repopulate the world and that is the water referance. As I mentioned previously the life ship foundation which is a real world life extention project was consered with flooding, and what better way to avoid flooding then by making a floating island, or maybe a self contained bubble.
Any way, I will stop my rambeling for now and look forward to your posts in the future.

#61. Posted by: hubguy at January 16, 2006 7:30 PM

I too love this blog. Not only does it provide amazing insight into each episode, but your creativity and excellent writing skills (with humor quite frequently inserted very appropriately) is reason enough to check this out weekly. I love a good writer, and when the subject matter is something that interests me, that's certainly a plus. So thanks, Mac.

This is the first time I've offered an opinion because, up to this point, I've been overwhelmed with possibilites. But there are a few things I am fairly certain of.

The first is, I definately think this is an experiment, or at the very least, has been orchestrated by a particular person or group. It's purpose, I cannot begin to guess.

The second, I believe that everyone on the island was meant to be on the island. I believe that through the process of "scouting", events were manipulated to ensure each one of these people was on the plane.

My third thought begins as a question. Are there any people on the island that worked for Oceanic? To my knowledge, everyone that survived the crash was a passenger. If this is correct, and I haven't missed something than don't you think that's a bit odd? This would lead me to believe that either the people who work for Oceanic Airlines were/are either in on it, or were simply used as a means to get the passengers on the island and were not part of the plan, therefore either killed or let go.

My fourth thought is that none of the events, strange creatures or "supernatural" occurences are actually anything more than technological creations. I honestly think that though there may be a small level of spirituality and psychological manipulation, most of it is part of advanced methods of science and technology.

My final thought is this... I have a suspicion that one or more of the members of our main cast are moles and know what's going on. Goodwin was brought into the group and attempted to blend in, what makes us think he's the only one who did that? Just because he was already on the island doesn't mean that someone from the island/organization might not have been on the plane and established raport from the very beginning.

These are just some of my thoughts...possibly already expressed by others, but I'd be interested to see if anyone else might agree or have any brainstorms of their own that might support or disprove any of them.

#62. Posted by: Ellen at January 16, 2006 8:31 PM

First off, to echo everyone else, great blog!
Secondly--I think one of the survivors was an Oceanic employee. I can't remember her name (someone help me!)--short brown hair, Australian accent. When the Tallies are talking about lighting the bon fire on the beach, she says they have to light one because the rescuers don't know where to look. She's the one who says they were hundreds of miles off course. I assumed she was a flight attendent, but I could be wrong.

#63. Posted by: Becky at January 16, 2006 10:53 PM

This universe was created by the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. From these elements came the three attributes: Raj {birth}, Sat {protection} and Tam {destruction or death.}

The mathematical or geographical evidence proves that one circle has 360 degrees in space. Why is this circle or wheel of life considered to be of 360 degrees only? If we take a circle and start dividing it using the four elements and three attributes, all the logic can be observed.

The circle itself, is considered the first element of space, since we must consume space in drawing a circle. In this space {or circle}, the four remaining elements and three attributes create the idea of time. The circle is divisible by the product of four elements multiplied by three attributes. This involves the belief that the three attributes exist in the circle. By moving three times, each element completes its revolution.

So now we have the number 12 {3 x 4}. This division gave birth to our 12 months, and also to the 12 horas {1/2 of the day or Ahoratri}. We now have 360 degrees as well as 12 divisions. We can now further divide the wheel of time: there are 27 fixed stars (nakshatras) along with three attributes that divide the time in smaller portions. So this 27 + 3 = 30 is interpreted as 30 degrees or days of one part of the wheel (circle) or month. All of this is only half of a day. The night is yet unaccounted for. Therefore, we multiply these 30 degrees by 2. This gives us our reference of 60 seconds in a minute.

Thus the 360º x 30º = 10,800. Zero {0} is considered ‘Purna’ or complete. So we take out the last zeros and are left with 108. The idea of our total universe is represented by this number of 108. Offering 108, devotees believe that they are showing ultimate or complete respect to the Supreme.

#64. Posted by: jkg at January 17, 2006 10:19 AM

@ hubguy: Here's a similar question to your children observation. I was thinking to myself about how much I'd miss my family if I were stranded on an island, then it occured to me that nearly all of the characters had some sort of "falling out" or problem that ended up severing all their family ties. Jack and his father (and ex-wife), Kate's mother dying while she was on the run, Saywer's family goes without saying! Jin and Sun were trying to escape from her father, Claire mentioned how her mom had practically disowned her, Charlie and his brother had an argument right before he boarded the plane, Walt's mother died and we never hear anything about Michael's parents (except for the short phone call from the airport). Oh, and then there's Locke's crazy, dysfunctional family unit. It just seems that nobody on that island had any reason to stay in civilization. Sure there's people that miss them, but no one has any real ties left.

#65. Posted by: Trinity at January 17, 2006 11:46 AM

@jkg

That may be the biggest stretch I've ever seen to explain the numbers. Plus, it makes no sense and isn't remotely connected to the show.

@Becky

The pilot in the tree told them that they were way off course but I vaguely remember a stewardess early on.

#66. Posted by: PiecesofArzt at January 17, 2006 12:53 PM

The Tailie who disappeared right before Shannon was shot was a flight attendant. I think her name is Cindy, but I'm not totally sure. She is the attendant who talks to Charlie and chases him to the restroom during his flight flashbacks. She also talks to Jack and gives him his drink during his flight flashback. Both of these flashbacks are from the first season. She does tell the Tailies about the whole way off course and no one is going to find us thing.

#67. Posted by: Faix at January 17, 2006 1:38 PM

Just to confirm what Faix said: the Tailie/stewardess is/was named Cindy.

#68. Posted by: mac at January 17, 2006 4:08 PM

Mac~
How can we view season one's lost blog?

#69. Posted by: Lil at January 18, 2006 10:44 AM

Lil

All of the reviews, including those from season 1, are available under the Lost Reviews link on the right-hand side. The direct link is:

http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/archives/
cat_lost_reviews.shtml

Hope that helps!

#70. Posted by: mac at January 18, 2006 10:47 AM

Thanks so much! And I agree with everyone else I look forward to Thursday for your great reviews!

#71. Posted by: Lil at January 18, 2006 10:58 AM

SIMPLE GEOGRAPHY

CHARLIE MAKES THE COMMENT ABOUT HOW A PLANE FROM NIGERIA ENDS UP IN THE SOUTH PACFIC? THE OCEANIC FLIGHT IS FROM AUSTRALIA TO CALIFORNIA. ABOUT A 7000 MILE TRIP. THIS LITTLE TWIN ENGINED PLANE FROM NIGERIA FINDS ITSELF ON THE ISLAND THEY CRASH ON, BUT NIGERIA IS AT LEAST 10,000 MILES FROM ANY POINT ON THE FLIGHT PATH!! THIS IS HALFWAY ACROSS THE GLOBE IN A LITTLE TWO ENGINE PLANE? THERE IS NO WAY A DRUG SHIPMENT PLANE COULD EVER GO THAT FAR ON ONE TANK OF FUEL. (BY THE WAY, ECKO BREAKS THE FUEL LINE ON THE PLANE TO START BURNING HIS BRO, SO THEY STILL HAD FUEL LEFT!) IF THEY WERE JUST SELLING DRUGS AND LOOKING TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY, WHAT COULD MAKE THEM GO HALF WAY AROUND THE WORLD. THAT PLANE COULD NOT DO THE TRIP. I BELIEVE THAT LOST IS HELL, OR AT LEAST SOME TYPE OF PURGATORY.

#72. Posted by: JAKE3841 at January 18, 2006 8:55 PM

Good point about the plane. I have been wondering about that for a long time.
Someone mentioned above that this whole thing was planned and that the survivors were all chosen. Maybe the plane was a set up to test both charlie and eko?? But then what about Locke dreaming about the plane actually crashing?? Every theory and question brings up more questions!!!!
Hey Mac, love your writing especially the humor. Keep up the great work buddy! Can't wait to read the blog tomorrow.

#73. Posted by: katePlusSun=Fun at January 18, 2006 9:57 PM

Did anyone catch that ZEKE in talking with Jack made a direct point to quote Alvar Hanso?
“From the dawn of our species, Man has been blessed with curiosity. Our most precious gift, without exception, is the desire to know more - to look beyond what is accepted as the truth and to imagine what is possible.”

Right off the hanso website!

#74. Posted by: JAKE3841 at January 18, 2006 10:19 PM

Yes, Jake, I caught that quote and even recited along with him! What does "Zeke" mean, though? (Some of Sawyer's jokes are lost on me, I guess.) Anyone suspect we will be seeing more of Alex this season? Supposedly there's a new, younger cast member joining us (around 16 years of age, so I hear).
OT: Locke being given the manifest explains how he knew Hurley's real name. Also, it appears Hurley may have already met Libby in the psych ward. He said in the trailer that she was familiar, and remember she's a shrink. Man, the web just keeps gettin' thicker.

#75. Posted by: Trinity at January 18, 2006 11:31 PM

Hey mac, is there any room left on your rearend for me to pucker up to? Seriously, your blogs are the best and all the "lovin" you get is well deserved. Don't take offense, I just figured you might appreciate the 'witty banter'.
Question: did anyone notice that the statue that eko gave to charlie as a replacement for the one he shattered was just like any of the others, yet when charlie hid it with the rest of his stash, it seemed darker than the others, almost black?
Also, after having gone to see 'The Chronicles of Narnia' with my kids, I decided to steal my daughter's box set and read through them all again. Now this is a stretch, but in the 4th chronicle, 'Prince Caspian', the Telmarines had control of Narnia and had driven the natural Narnians into hiding (i.e. talking animals,fauns, centaurs, etc.). They were referred to in the book as "the Others", quotation marks and all. Also, at the end of the story, the captured Telmarines were given the choice to stay and live peacefully or be sent through a "doorway' or portal created by Aslan with three large sticks that would send them to another land. This other land happened to be our world and through the portal was an island in the South Pacific that was also the origin of the original Telmarines who came to Narnia. The people of the island were a mix of the native women and pirates, who killed off the native men. Eventually the people died off and the island was now uninhabited.
Like I said, I know this is a stretch and I certainly don't expect to see Aslan pop up in a future episode, but if nothing else, it is a strange coincidence.
One other note. I was talking to my dad, a retired b-52, dc-10, and 727 captain, and he said that no matter how much turbulence you have, the fuselage will not break in midair like Oceanic 815 did. towards the middle, but not at a seam. We know that the survivors are not on the island by chance and it makes me wonder if somehow, the plane was hit by a projectile of some sort, the turbulance before the crash maybe a missed first attempt that came close enough to the plane to shake it up a bit. I don't think they were missiles, per se, because there was no explosion, but maybe it had something to do with the black vapor/monster. It might also explain why 45 people survived a 35,ooo foot fall without hitting the water. In the pilot episode, none of the survivors were pulled from the water, they were all on the beach. Even in sand, a body would bounce at least a couple hundred feet back into the air after hitting land, don't you think?

Once again, thanks for the awesome reviews, but most of all, giving fans of Lost an opportunity to share thoughts and theories, no matter how far fetched (like mine) they are.

#76. Posted by: Curtis at January 18, 2006 11:50 PM

Hey, did anyone catch Harold P. (Michael) on the Bob and Tom show this morning? I think it was a slip, but he pretty much gave it away that it wasn't Walt that he was communicating with on the computer and tried to cover by saying that as a fan, that's what he would believe. Very interesting.

#77. Posted by: Curtis at January 19, 2006 12:06 AM

yoyo whats up? Mac thanks for doing this man, i love reading these AWESOME reviews of the show. Can't wait for tonight's epsiode's review:D I have a theory: I think taht when the "survivors" hit the ground, they died, and when they all wake up theyre living life the way they wanted. Such as, Locke waking up and all of a sudden having his legs working again. How the hell woudl that happen in the real world. This place has to be limbo for the "survivors" after their death after the plane crash. Anyone else also think that they died after the plane crash?
Anyways, just wanted to get my thoughts across.
Bye!

#78. Posted by: Ross at January 19, 2006 3:42 AM

Yes, more like purgatory than Limbo. Maybe the "good" (children, adults after serving their time or comitting good deeds) are taken by the Others to heaven.

My new theory. The Swan site was being used to study the strange electromagentic energy from that part of the island. They tried to harness it. Something went terribly wrong! The "incident" was that the electromagentic forces went out of control - strong enough to pull a PLANE off course and even pull it to the island! Since the equipment is now malfunctioning and the incident has caused the lab function of the bunker to stop, they must hit the code every 108 minutes to keep it from happening. This would explain both the ripping apart of the Oceanic flight and the beechcraft making it so far out of their normal range. Yes, those are two times that someone didn't hit EXECUTE in time. (C'mon were all human, the training film was made in 1980 about the code. Do you think after 25 years nobdy has goofed at least once?)

When the force pulls "unwelcomed" air passengers
The Others (dharma scientists) have to figure out what to do with this contamination to their "utopian experiment". They take the young from the group because they are innocent AND will not corrupt their sociological experiment because they can be trained (brain washed, whatever). Its clear that Zeke is a Dharma employee or at least knows them. What do you think?

#79. Posted by: JAKE3841 at January 19, 2006 8:33 AM

Does anyone know that an airplane can be refueled? All I've seen is 'the plane can't fly that far'. Duh. An airplane with two priests lands and pays for gas with cash and then takes off again. Why be suspicious? Several jumps would put them over the Pacific where (insert magnetic theory) brings them down.

#80. Posted by: PiecesofArzt at January 19, 2006 9:45 AM

Ummm... call me stupid, but who is Zeke?

#81. Posted by: GeekyGal at January 19, 2006 10:37 AM

Mac, you TOTALLY rock. I knew I'd find excellent reviews of Lost here. Like the good ol' days...

#82. Posted by: Walker at January 19, 2006 11:51 AM

Ok... read Mac's latest recap of last night's episode and ZEKE is the name Sawyer gave the bearded man.

#83. Posted by: GeekyGal at January 19, 2006 3:01 PM

To state what has already been said - this blog is an absolute necessity for LOST fans to visit this site weekly for interpretations & insights. Thanks for maintaining this, Mac!

Going back to texasrobster's second comment on the monster's makeup - I was pleased to read someone else making the analogy of nanoparticles as written in 'Prey'. Surprised this subject wasn't explored further here.

This is a great read and has good detail on nanoparticles, whether some or all is fiction or not. I picked up a copy of this book on a layover in Cincinnati a couple years ago and couldn't put it down. I think LOST fans would enjoy it.

#84. Posted by: Jacob0310 at January 23, 2006 5:41 PM

hello, i just rediscovered these (thank goodness to long boring college classes with time to browse the 'ole computer!) from everything that has been going on on lost it is hard to catch up but this is really cool. i usually watch lost (and tape it) then watch it again, and then read up on it the next day. i have been thinking for quite some time now, a lot of the characters seem to have been brought there for a reason, and are all connected (claire and the baby, etc.) have you (or anyone out there) ever considered that maybe mr. eko was meant to go to the island as well? cause if you think about it, he was originally supposed to go on the beach craft that crashed there, and there he was again on flight 815... not sure if that means anything, but that thought has been in the back of my head since the 23rd psalm was on...

#85. Posted by: katie at March 30, 2006 11:47 PM

huebun

#86. Posted by: Harley Ebert at October 31, 2006 10:55 PM

aslrrih

#87. Posted by: Josh Mattos at November 1, 2006 4:21 AM

A musical about the witches from The Wizard of Oz breaks West End box office records, its producers say...

#88. Posted by: Andre Armenta at November 12, 2006 10:43 AM

Classical singer Russell Watson postpones his forthcoming UK tour after undergoing brain surgery...

#89. Posted by: Arthur Chapin at November 22, 2006 4:37 PM

COMMENT WARNINGS
  1. If your post contains spoilers -- or even hints at spoilers -- add ***** SPOILERS ***** to the top of your comment.
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  3. Super-long URLs screw up the page. If you post one of these, people will get very angry at you and really, no one wants that. The solution is easy. Go to www.tinyurl.com and create a mini URL.
  4. Do not post under multiple identities and then have inane conversations with yourself. This kind of nonsense will get you banned from the blog.
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  6. Please scan through previous posts to see if someone has already addressed your theory or comment.

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