Lost Reviews and News

Love the review. Kate and Jack BELONG together!

Well done, as usual...now who is on the list of people that the island has 'healed'?

We for sure can name Locke and Rose. Jin is a high probability for getting his baby-making on finally...

I guess it's possible that the answer to this question lies in what your definition of 'healed' is...because people like Eko and Charlie, like Eko said, seem to have been saved in a different way.

Thanks for the recap, and for having it up so early!

I think your math is right. But, last time I checked, most months are 30 or 31 days, so 62 days is just a shade over two months . . . meaning Bernard is right on.

Is it just me, or did it seem like Vincent the dog looked different--more like a large puppy than a full grown dog?

Thanks for the review; do you stay up all night on Wednesday nights to write it?

thanks for the recap,wasnt expecting it up so early, late for everything now but who cares its great being a lost fanatic!!

Mac,

Great review. I'll tell ya, the best part of my week (aside from a new LOST ep.) is to read your recaps. Hilarious ! ! ! And both you and Bernie are right, 64 days = 2 months (a month averages 30 - 31 days). Anywho - Love the recaps - keep em coming. As for Island theories how's this one: The others were originally terminally ill test subjects brought to the island to test the healing properties, then at some point there was a disaster or incident that gave them the advantage over their captors (they might not have been willing test subjects). They then take over the island, continue their own sick little version of "It takes a village to raise a child" and know that they can never leave. They find all these cool gadgets, and gizmos and are happy to live out their lives alone on the island. That is until a plane crash brings a new group into the mix and the Others realize that their island paradise is threatened. Seems a little out there, but there it is. Looking forward to your next recap. Great job as always MAC ! ! !

thanks for the recap, mac, you crack me up!

Did the attempted "SOS" end up looking like a "frowny face?"

Do you think they wanted Claire's baby for stem cell research? This episode leads me to believe that the Others want/need the children for some sort of "healing property." Is this what makes them "good?" My theories change daily- I'll never figure this show out.

Mac,

A little more one my theory - The leader of the "Others" may be either one of the subjects or one of the original scientists gone mad, he develops a messiah complex and believes that he is responsible for curing these people. Part of his psychosis is that only "good" people are healed and "bad" people are not. This goes back to the whole "he wasn't a good person" comment by Goodwin and the "I'm not a bad person" comment by Henry. The children are taken because all children are inherently good (innocent). He sends people from his group to infiltrate the survivors and determine who is "good" and worth saving, and who is "bad". Whew, I'm tired. Like I said it's just a theory. Anyone want to comment?

Also the reason some people are healed and others die regardless of the islands healing properties is that it's "not the right place" for them, as Isaac had mentioned to Rose about his place not being the right place for her to be healed.

I agree with the poster earlier. It's obvious now that the reason for the pregnancy on the island is because of the strange powers coming from the island that also healed Rose & Locke. Also I noticed that the healer back in Australia said that certain places have "forces" or "powers". The word "Magnetic" or "magneticism" have been used alot lately. Any ideas anybody??

Mac, a few notes:

It’s “hereafter”, not “heretofore”. Trust a lawyer on this word useage. ;-)

I like how they addressed the idea of people having become seemingly indifferent to the idea of rescue and return home. I’ve said before that the ultimate effect of the island experience on every single one of our characters has been to focus them inward. This is the first time that I’ve detected the “Lost” creative team pushing that idea so overtly, and it wasn’t just Bernard/Rose who we saw being so inner-directed in this episode, either. The whole point of the closing musical montage, it seemed to me, was to reinforce the theme that *everyone* has an agenda with something other than ‘rescue’ at the top of it.

The term for Bernard/Rose’s snowy encounter is ‘meet-cute’. A rare slip into hackneyed convention for the “Lost” writers.

The Rose/Locke moment was awesome. Putting her knowledge of his miraculous recovery between the lines instead of in the form of stilted exposition is the kind of respect for the audience that keeps me coming back. OTOH . . .

The moment of reconciliation between Rose and Bernard didn’t work. She went from revealing a massive lie about, literally, life and death, to asking him to have faith in her intuition and honesty in the space of about a minute—and Bernard acquiesced without a thought or a doubt. That didn’t work at all.

hey, great review as always,
just a thought but isnt this the second time some kind of faith healer has flipped out on one of the losties, didnt this happen when claire went to some dude about her baby?! just a thought x

Mac, you're messing with my Thursday schedule!! The review is supposed to be posted at around 11AM, at which point I grab my lunch and close my office door to shut out the rest of the world! LOL

The snowy city was Minnesota. Rose = Rose Gale.

Hi Sauron, The guy that messed with Claire was a psychic, not a faith healer.

Minnesota=Minneapolis. Ha.

Hmm... is it just me or is this show losing its way? I think this was another weak episode, and there have been quite a few recently. Who really cares about Rose and Bernard? Big deal - we already knew that the island had healing powers.
Mac, I think your reviews are excellent, but aren't we all deep down feeling a bit disappointed by series 2?

Great job Mac.
I was comepletely depressed that this was a horrible episode, but after reading your review, it make me think that it wasn't so bad after all.

Yes, good to have Locke back to his old Guru looking self.
The preview showed Micheal saying that the Others are barely armed, and that the Losties could take them.
Now, why would the Others be barely armed if they, at one time at least, had a hatch full of guns?
Maybe that was their only stash, and now that the Losties have them, they are scared?
Time will tell I guess.

Anyone notice the license plate on Rose's car? I think it was Minnesota.

Lovely review, thank you. :) I love your humor.

One thing, you misspelled "sophisticated". I think you just omitted a 't'.

Thanks again, and keep it up, please !

Sorry Keith, that License Plate for Rose was from was New York. I checked lost-media for the screen caps.

I think Rose is the person writing the "diary" that's on ABC-TV's Lost website. And that the "real" Henry Gale (the one Sayid found buried) is her brother. I agree with Matt. Her name was Rose Gale before she married Bernard.

On another note, does anyone else think that John Locke might have been going to Australia to meet that same faith healer? I remember from long ago that he said was going there for a "walkabout," but maybe he was going to meet Isaac of Uluru. He ranted at the travel agent that it was "his destiny."

LOVED the part about the Frogurt guy, and also Bernard's line to Eko about the stick. Also, I lol when Kate and Jack get scooped up the in net, and you hear Kate say, "Sorry." Hilarious!

And where did that baby doll come from? (I know, Danielle, but was it Alex's doll, or did Danielle find it somewhere else? Like from other children on the island? I immediately thought it might have come from Emma (the girl from the Tailies).)

When Michael came running out of the jungle, my husband and I both thought it was Desmond. Darn it! It's only Michael.

LOVE your reference to "So I Married an Axe Murderer"..."Harriet, sweet Harriet..." but I digress...

Oh my god, what an episode....thank goodness my old Locke is back....my hopes for him were fading fast, but that scene with him and Rose was classic...

I believe someone called me racist two weeks ago when I innocently suggested that Rose might be related to the real henry Gale and last night, lo and behold, they just both happen to be from Minnesota....interesting....

Ok, some things I have to add:

-Sawyer was getting oysters with Kate (he fed one to Vincent at the end of the episode...). I think it is rather clever on the writers behalf that they should be lookin for oysters together but she wind up cheek to cheek with Jack in this episode...
-If Vincent looked younger, maybe if we see Walt again that will somehow connect to the fact that he is much older now?
-I noticed that in the scene with Jack yelling there were mulitple black rocks in the background...big ones. Maybe this has something to do with Rousseau's black rock?
-Is the psyhcic and the faith healer the same person? Anyone got pictures to compare?
-D19FFT731 is the code on all Dharma food
-I found Mr. Fake-HG's "They'll never give you Walt" line not only VERY sinister, but also another clue to the fact that he does indeed know Walt and all the Others...

Ok, so they are not both from Minnesota....maybe they are still connected though...

-Another black/white connection as opposing forces...Literally Rose and Bernard....one has hope, one talks about false hope...it made sense in the end, but, nevertheless, I noticed this theme throughout the episode...Also, the shot of Locke walking to the door to talk to Fake HG showed his black shoe and his white sock....ok, that's a little nit-picky, I know...

-I liked Hurley's "Dude, we're gonna need a lot more rocks" line....Reminded me of all you posters that write "We're gonna need a bigger boat"...

-I am hoping someone might be able to procure a picture and maybe make it more focused of the wall in the healer's office (is it an office?) because I am wondering if we will recognize any of the people he has healed...Jin, anyone?

The psychic Claire visited and Isaac of Uluru are not the same person.

Oh, and I think we already know that the fake Henry DOES know the Others and Walt. That seemed clear to me.

I liked in the episode how John knocks on the door to talk to "Henry," and he pauses at first because he's not sure what name to call him. You can tell he's thinking, "His name is not really Henry, but what else can I call him?" Shows what a good actor he is.

And I love that the "old" Locke has resurfaced. My husband and I both commented on how he was losing his mojo the last few weeks, but now he's "back."

ASoisson, I'll have to watch the ep again to confirm this, but I'm 99.99% sure that there was a picture of Locke on the wall of the healer's office along with the pictures of the rest of his patients. So yes, I think Locke went to this healer (and obviously was not immediately healed until arriving on the island, much like Rose).

Regarding scenes for the next new episode: Michael comes back, says the Others aren't armed and that our Losties could "take them". Does anyone else think that this is totally odd and seemingly unlikely? What are the chances that Mike was able to somehow spy on the others and get this info on them without getting caught? I'm betting it's another story- Michael was caught and brainwashed by the others. He's been instructed to bring the losties to the Others, the losties being under the impression that they will go there to 'take them', but the Others will be prepared and take the "good" losties and kill or dispense of the rest.
I just don't see, after all this, the Others being so vulnerable. And didn't Mr. Friendly say, specifically, that Michael wouldn't find them (during the Hunting Party)? I think Michael is now going to be a pawn of the others, a Henry, but one with a familiar face so the losties are less likely to torture him.
Any thoughts? Am I way off base, or does this seem possible?

How is it that Jack suddenly is such an expert marksman that he can hit a small rope with one shot while swinging in a net ? Not to mention identifying hidden traps such as the one that he and Kate ultimately got snared in. Skills we haven't seen before. I don't think they teach those sorts of things in medical school. Perhaps these's more to Jack than meets the eye, too.

MAC- Thanks for having the review up so soon...I was very pleasantly surprised! And it was mega-entertaining as ususal...loved the ebay line!! You hit the nail on the head with the 24 comparison. I thought it was a violin duo, not trio- but oh well, a minor point.

My favorite line was Charlie's response to Bernard's Eko line. Charlie said to Eko, "I like you just the way you are." The way he said it was just perfect.

I loved the part where Sawyer asks Jack where he got the gun...Sawyer was genuinely pissed and confused and I think it really was a setup for the confrontation in the next episode we saw previews for.

I totally disagree that Lost has lost it's way. I really enjoyed the episode and as Mac said, we need episodes like this to help lead up to more climactic ones. It was full of lots of subtle humor and answered a ton of questions head on that we've been wondering for a while:

- Why haven't Kate/Claire told anyone about the medical hatch? (Waiting to be 'invited back into the club'.)
- Where is Michael? (He shows up!)
- Why isn't anyone actively doing anything to get off the island? (Thanks Bernard!)
- Why isn't anyone else using the hatch? (Bernard clearly said to the 'unimportant' Lost characters something like "...you're using the hatch to take showers...")
- What are Eko & Charlie building? (A church!)

Bernard doesn't have the greatest teeth for being a dentist. Just an observation.

I like how Rose said to Locke about it not taking 4 weeks to recover from Locke's injury despite what Jack said.

I like it, because it puts "healing" into perspective with many from the island. Including Sawyer -- maybe the island is the reason why he healed so quickly from his gun shot wound?

Island Theory: Ok so i have been putting together what we learn each episode and i have this; the Others were the 'sick' people that were brought to the island to be experimented on. The island 'cured' them and they began to overrule the dharma employees on the island. They now continue to live on the islnad unknown to the dhrama in the 'real world'.

Does any of that make sense??

How about the preview where Michael comes back with intel on the Others. Do you think he's setting up the Losties possibly b/c the Others have promised to give him Walt, or let him live with them and Walt, if he delivers the Losties to the Others?

That's funny about the faith healer looking like Patrick Stewart! We thought the same thing when we first saw him. I was like "It's Captain Picard!" Anybody else think the black rocks have something to do with the healing power of the island. Benard and company were using them, the ship is named the Black Rock, and when Jack and Kate were at the "line in the jungle" you could see a rather large black rock behind them. Just coincidence? I don't think so.

I aggree Vicki, See my post near the beginning. I think we're on the same wavelength.

Mr. Grimm and Vicky I think your comments fall in line with a point I was trying to make last week which was that it seems odd that the Dharma folks would still be dropping food at the hatch - Unless they don't know it has been taken over by the Losties. I thinmk the Others are trying to keep this fact a secret from the Dharma "management."

I think the reason there are black rocks everywhere is because IT'S A VOLCANIC ISLAND.

I don't think Michael has been brainwashed or is a spy. He doesn't need to "deliver the Losties to the Others." The Others know where the Losties are, know how to get to them, and clearly can get to them whenever they want (witness all the kidnappings). I think Michael found their hideout, and genuinely thinks he can get Walt back. Perhpas the Others are feeling "safe," because they told the Losties to stay on their side of the island and they seem to be obeying.

We enjoyed the episode. The "Henry" scene at the end creeped me out. And I'm very curious to hear what Michael has to say.

Re: Jack's marksmanship.

I think we're being set up to discover Jack was in the armed forces. His character arc is all about leadership issues. The other little clues scattered around--his marksmanship, the tattoos, the poker, the not-really answered question of how he became so deeply alienated from his patrician parents. My bet is that the big alienation issue between Jack and Dad (before he ratted him out for an OR DUI) was Jack's decision to join the armed forces.

Which service? His Far East tattoo and affinity for poker suggest a Navy man, or a Marine. Poker is definately a Navy/Marine thing. But what we can be certain of is this: if I'm right, at some point, Jack served with Kate's dad.

Hooked, I think you're on to something. This whole thing about being a good person might not be in a typical "good/evil" sense. Maybe a good person is someone who is a good specimen. Someone who is either easy to manipulate or someone who has strong mental and physical potential. The others want good people to harness the island's energy like the faith healer could harness energy. Most of the losties have some kind of mental or physical weakness. That's why they are not good people. Just a thought.

I don't think Michael is a spy, but I do believe that the others let him "think" he saw something that he didn't. I don't believe he could get so close to see everything and not get caught.

isnt it "demarcation?"

All of a sudden everyone's an english major. Mac, just do you (lol).

Nowone mentioned the preniews for next episode when HG pins Anna L.up on the wall.

I think that Jack was in the CIA/ONI and not a regular type line officer. Hence the connection to Syaeed/etc.

Cam,

That scene just makes me think even more that HG is "him". He's just too crafty to be a simple foot soldier. The losties got the drop on Ethan and Goodwin pretty easily, but HG has been one tough nut to crack. It seems like he knew about A-L's past too. If he's not him, he's defininately not a scout.

yeah, when henry says "you're the killer on this island" to Anna L

very interesting

I kind of disagree. I still thing Faux Henry is just an Other 'foot soldier', who happens to be a really good liar/coniver. He definitely has an agenda, and a mission for being there. But I think he is expendible as far as the Others are concerned. 'He' (The Other Big Cheese) wouldn't put himself directly in danger. Some of the Lostaways can be pretty unstable afterall.

I think FH will be killed by whoever rescues AL when she's being choked.

Black Rock thoughts generated from a Bible Study:

"Torment" is the Greek "basanos". It is a word the meaning of which seems to have developed, or evolved, over time: (a) first of all, it was the BLACK ROCK an assayer would use to test whether gold or silver coins were real or forgeries (he did this by rubbing the coin against the stone, and then checking the color); (b) second, by implication, it came to mean checking any calculation in a financial transaction; and from thence to (c) any type of testing; and finally (d) testing by means of torture. With basanos and related words the general concept would seem to be that of judgment, with perhaps the accompaniment of pain.

I think the theme of this week's ep was not that the island has healing powers, but the fact that alot of Losties, if not everyone on the island has a reason for wanting to stay there. They are better off since they got to the island, not only the "healed" ones (Locke, Rose) but also Kate's not on the run anymore, Hurleys got a girlfriend, Jin and Sun are happy with a baby coming and away from her father, Eko found his calling, Claire has her baby, etc etc...
Another theory that came to me when Isaac was telling Rose about special places that have healing powers, I thought of ley lines, which are lines that connect places of power on the earth and are said to have electro-magnetic forces. Any ideas?

Mac, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time, thank you so much for your reviews!! You know, a great sense of humor in a man is important to many women...if you're not taken already, you are going to make someone very lucky someday!

Rose and Bernard were in Minnesota when they met - Rose's car had a Minnesota license plate on it. It would make sense if she was Henry Gale's previous wife.

I'm also starting to wonder if the ultimate point of the series is that EVERYONE at the end will have the opportunity to leave through some sort of rescue, but ultimately no one will choose to. It's true that it does seem that everyone (aside from Michael and Walt) are finding themselves better off now in a lot of ways. If you think about it, it doesn't sound too bad - especially since most of these people had some really bad issues in their lives at home before the crash. Hmm - Live on the beach, don't have to work, have food brought to you, have the ability to shower, medicine, a doctor. Hey, know of any more flights Oceanic might be willing to book? LOL

Jodi, it was clearly a New York plate on both HER and BERNARD's car - besides, we already know Rose is from the Bronx.

Mac, thanks a lot for bringing in the Cylons and the damn Borg :)

A couple of observations:
- maybe I was wrong and Faux Henry is indeed HIM, a.k.a. the devil. Why did he never reveal his REAL name after being exposed as an Other?
- Somehow I think Michael WAS the exchange. Instead of Walt the Others gave them Michael back. (btw, the Others left their hobo clothes and Zeke's fake beard in the other hatch, so they couldn't show up in person at the "line" this time...)
- There was so much harmony in this episode. I thing it's the silence before the storm, which will leed to the cliffhanger at the end of this season...
- The island seems to heal some people, but some people also get sick! Until now, noone of the plane crash survivors got sick (I suppose because they were "selected"...)... do only good people get sick? Is the medicine/injection only for good people?
- Bernard seems to be some kind of different and perhaps he doesn't belong on this island (is he a "good" person?). Could this mean he will die soon? I don't believe he and Rose will happily live together on this island "forever"... say goodbye, Bernard...

In order to say something positive about ABC -- I think it's a good thing to make Lost available for download on the Internet!

I think you're onto something with the whole "inmates taking over the prison" theory.

We can suppose that the Others were either voluntary or involuntary lab rats in Dharmas experiments. It seems that these Others cannot leave the island, at least for any length of time, for the same reason that Rose cannot, they will lose the islands healing powers.

But they feel the need to kidnap the young Losties, perhaps becuase they've most likely not contracted any disabilities or diseases in their short lives that would demand healing, in turn children are not captive to the island. And the Others feel that the key to ever leaving the island lies in studying the children (or forcing Dharma employees to study for them!)

A comment relating to Henry Gale's statement that, "God can't see this place any better than anyone else". Perhaps the island has gained some sort of invisible properties through electromagnetism or what have you. Perhaps the Others themselves can't even find it, thats why they light the fire on the beach to find their way back after leaving the island for a cruise.

Or, God can't see the island in the sense that no one ever ages in the proper "human" way. The linear birth -> death scenario that we understand as "God's plan" is not followed.

Just a couple thoughts.

it is available for VIEWING, not download!

I'm putting my money on Rousseau killing Henry as he runs out of the hatch. It seems that everyone is watching the Losties!

Mac, as always - great review.

Jodi - Rose's car had a New York license plate. I'm certain of it.

The writers did answer a lot of questions for us: healing power of the island; the hatch that Kate found; why isn't anybody trying to get rescued?

I agree with Deep Cover. I think there's a lot to Jack's backstory that we don't know, and that it will be tied in to an military/intelligence type of situation.

The moment between Rose & Locke on the beach was one of my all-time favorites so far. Great writing, great acting.

Faux Henry Gale just might be the best character on the show - I really hope they don't kill him off.

On the ultra-violet map we read, "the cure is worse than the sickness". The sickness being whatever ail's you, the cure being never leaving the island.

Mike: I totally agree about the faux HG. He is one of the best characters right now, and he needs to stay for a while. The actor who plays him is amazing.

And I want more of Eko!

Speaking of Eko, it's interesting how Charlie has this weird good/bad thing going on right now. He helped Sawyer steal the guns, yet he's helping to build a church?! Strange.

And speaking of Sawyer, I like how they addressed the question of why Jack has a gun. Sawyer truly looked shocked. But why didn't Jack question that AL had a gun?! Do you think Sawyer is going to bring a s***storm down on Charlie for giving up a gun?

ok another thing too tie in with the losties being linked..... how about if jacks military experience, came with working with kates step dad or dad, whichever it was, cant really remember who we saw at the recruiting office?! just bit o a thought

Paul - great comment on the whole "cure is worse than the disease". I agree and it makes sense, what good is a cure if you can never leave the island.

please, please do not confuse camera angles and special effects with 'good acting' !

Paul - stroke of brilliance! Nicely done!

Hey guys -- Thanks for the copy editing! (I'm serious). My whole schedule got thrown off last night and I just couldn't sleep, so I opted to edit and post the review at a VERY VERY early hour. Hence the typos (or so I like to believe -- maybe I just do shoddy work).

One thing, though: It's "Invisible Line of Violent Dharmacation." That's where the Others get together and stage Dharmalars wars.

heh heh -- Mac

I'm sold on the whole "healing" capability of the island, to a certain extent. Rose, Locke, Jin, possibly Charlie.

But what about Boone & Shannon? Didn't exactly work out for them!

There's got to be something more to it.

Somebody else mentioned it above - but I too was hoping that it wasn't Michael but Desmond running out of the woods at the end of the episode.

Bring Desmond back - that's one hell of a character, too.

Random gripe (that my husband is sick of hearing from me every time we watch Lost):

WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I ask is Ana Lucia going to change out of that stupid black tank top and blue jeans? She's been wearing them now for 2 months! (And Eko needs a new shirt, too.) Everyone else manages to change clothes. What is up with that?!

FOR EVERYONE OUT THERE. THE FAITH HEALER WAS WAYNE PYGRAM. HE PLAYED SCORPIUS ON FARSCAPE

just because rose is from new york and henry is from minnesota doesn't mean they can't be related... just a thought.

Amanda, yes there are black rocks everywhere because it is a volcanic island. However I think Vikki is probably on to something. There is one scene in particular where Jack is offset from the center of the shot and over his left shoulder is a large black rock. This cannot be a coincidence.

Am I the only one who noticed that Isaac was played, not by Patrick Stewart, but by Wayne Pygram (aka Scorpy from "Farscape"?) Hmmm....Delenn has competition.

Sometimes, a black rock is just a black rock.

one could expect a limited wardrobe on a 'deserted island', therefore, repeated attire fits with the theme OR they are not comfortable wearing someone else's clothes OR they simply like the grunge look!

A few thoughts...

1) Jin = healed. We don't *know* that his fertility issues have been resolved, given the look on Sun's face during their embrace, it seems like her back story might yet reveal a tryst with her english teacher... although their backstory has been featured very heavily already, so maybe not.

2) Rose - real HG connection. I dig it. I could see it happening, maybe the real HG is her son or younger brother?

3) Michael - I tend to think he's coming back to lure the Losties into some sort of trap, thinking he will get Walt in exchange... The Others said Michael would never find them, so it's hard to imagine he's clandestinely learned anything.

4) Random tangent, but the whole "vaccination" of Claire's baby in the medical hatch... they couldn't possibly be vaccinating a baby in utero, as the adaptive immune system hasn't matured. They could be "treating" an infection or something, but not vaccinating.

5) D19FFT731 - the code on all the food, definitely worth consideration in terms of it's significance.

6) The Others & Children, Good vs. Bad people, etc. I still think this all ties into BF Skinner, the psychologist inspiration to Dharma's founders... Skinner had a "it takes a village" sort of approach to child rearing and a lot of ideas about teaching, positive/negative reinforcement, etc. I don't know enough about Skinner or any of the "Walden II" collectives that his followers founded to speak to their ideas about good & bad people, but it probably ties in...

7) Final points - I don't think the plane actually crashed on the island, hence the total absence of crew members from the Lostaways, and the "eating" of one Co-pilot by an unseen monster. Possibly just removed in dramatic fashion back to Other-ville... would be interesting to see him pop back up later.

8) Final final points - I think Charlie is on a road to salvaging his image and returning to his church going roots via helping Ecko build his church... Locke has his groove back. Interesting things are afoot.

That's all for now,
BH

I expect to see faux HG's smug mug shot on tee shirts around the nation. What a classic, he should win an award for that, perhaps a weekend in Hawaii (ha ha)

Recaps are awesome, I got everyone in my office reading them. First, this episode was great, ya can't have every episode hvaing huge revelations, it just goes to show why this series is so great, its character driven as well as action/mystery driven. Second, Jack tells fake HG they are going to get Walt back, then HG says you'll never get Walt back, did he know about Walt, or only say the name after Jack did. Third, in the preview, doesn't HG tell AL that "your NOT they only killer here", crazyness. Last, the problem with all the theories is, they don't connect in anyway, how does a failed experierment healing people connect with a huge monster, or a polar bear, or the numbers???

Yes, Charlie will salvage his image...until Sawyer reveals to the group that Charlie was the one behind Sun's attempted abduction!

Let's not forget that we see the tail end of the plane hit the water during the taillies story. Kind of hard to revive someone from suspended animation in the water.

I think HG said "You're the only killer on this island." Not sure though.

POINT 1 -- I just want to make everyone clear on this, as Amanda pointed out earlier. There are black rocks everywhere because they film in Hawaii, which is a chain of volcanic islands. That's like pointing out that there are tall buildings in the background whenever shows are taped in New York City.

POINT 2 -- I think it's absurd to think the Others captured Michael and sent him back to the Losties (I hate that term too, but it seems to have stuck) to lead them into a trap. If you were the Others, and wanted to attack the Losties, would you

(A) attack their camp (or the hatch) with the element of surprise; or

(B) "trick" them into marching into your territory fully armed and ready for battle?

I think Michael is still operating under free will, and he is doing what he thinks will give him the best chance of rescuing Walt.

JUST REALIZED SOMETHING!... I'm reading up on everyone's responses, but saw what vikki wrote about kate and sawyer with the oysters... (that's when I scrolled down and started writing) well anyone remember I think it was like 2 or 3 episodes ago when bernie asked jin about pearls?
bernie was out looking for pearls to make rose a necklace for her birthday or their anniversory or someothing... well Jin said (well motioned) that there aren't any oysters right? or did he just say/motion that those oysters don't produce pearls? God I confused myself.... you guys get what i'm talking about right?? ok I'm going to read the rest of vikki's post, then I'll prob have more to say...

OK, PLEASE GO RENT 'THE ISLAND'.. it's a horrible movie, but is a lot like lost, in the sence of medical research on an island.. blah blah blah.

ok somewhat funny, actually stupid thing I said last night while watching lost... we've all noticed and noted that the island "heals" people... well Rose no longer has cancer, lock could walk, sawyer healed mega fast from the gun shot... does that mean that everyone that died on the island is going to come to life? like all dawn of the dead like (ps who here's seen the 2004 dawn of the dead? didn't bernard look like the perfect person to cast as a zombie last night?) ok hahahaha people coming back to life, everyone point and laugh (it is lost, things could happen), I've noticed everyone saying that rose and lock and sawyer have been healed (i think i already said that, bear with me i'm at work) anyone notice that H.G isn't healing from sayid's beating? then again in 'lost' time it's prob been only like a day and a half.

as for everyone's comments on the dog... i hate to break this to you, but that's not the same dog from the other episodes... on average a show uses the same animal for a year or so, unless it's a major role, like mr Ed (who in reality was a zebra) or Eddie on Fraiser (who eventually was replaced by his son after his death).
so... yes the dog looks younger, most likely because it is not the original one. and not to knock the show at all, but if they're going to bring a dog on and off a show, at least make it look like it's on an island, that dog last night not only looked younger, but looked clean, like it just got home from the groomer... a dog like that would be full of mud and insects and yucky stuff, not bright golden yellow. *side note, everyone seems to think that heaven/hell/god/devil is the reason for the show... well maybe the dog is god... dog spelt backwards is G-O-D... (sorry- i'm being obnoxious).

and finally ... any news on Libby? the only thing they showed was her with hurley all cuddly in his tent.
1- WHY WAS SHE IN THE LOONEY BIN!? (I still think she's not a psycologist, but a person pretending to be one)
2- Why hasn't anyone commented on libby and hurleys relationship, other then sawyers "you're too fat" comments
3- anyone notice that that "group" from the other side isn't all that tight knit?
I mean ...
AL- hangs in the hatch because she feels like everyone hates her for killing shannon, well the people from her group didn't even know shannon...
Mr. Eko- doesn't talk to ANYONE, on occasion he'll talk to charlie, (they have to be tied over the drugs)
Bernard- Talks to Rose, (when she's being nice to him- he tries hard) sometimes he'll float around, but not really.
Libby- like I said, talks to Hurley, sometimes Kate and Claire (who by the way no one made a big deal that she's back)
Did I miss anyone??

Ok, I'm shutting up now.

Couple of quick thoughts that struck me:

1. Did anyone notice the way faux Henry sat up when they opened the hatch door? It was creepy as hell, almost insect-like, as he rose to sitting.

2. Considering a scene in the preview: Ana-Lucia is a trained cop. For faux Henry to so effectively pin her, this implies a higher level of strength, perhaps similar to what Ethan showed?

3. Also, faux Henry calling AL a murderer is no surprise, remember, she did kill that other other (grin, I can't remember his name) as well as shooting Shannon. I don't think they know about her rapist, but anything is possible on this show.

4. When Jack wanted the combination, he was willing to "let the button go", but now he bugs Locke "are you gonna get that?" Interesting change in his point of view, don't you think?

5. That gun makes it around. Charlie took it from Sawyer (sort of), then gave it to Sayid, who then yielded it to Ana-Lucia (who cleaned it) and then it goes to Jack. The odds that Sawyer could track this are slim. Remember Jack's line, "when I need the guns, I'll get the guns" after poker? No doubt, that is part of what irritated Sawyer, that this was done so easily and without him too.

6. Eko had one of the great lines too: "There are other ways to be saved Bernard." The whole Bernard/Eko/Charlie exchange was the funniest thing I've seen in weeks. Also Hurley: "Well, we sent a raft... but it blew up." Priceless.

The healing powers of the island could be from what Tom Bethell refers to as hormesis. This is the scientific principle in which things that are toxic at high levels are beneficial at low levels, including radition. Could the island be a long ago test site for atomic bombs? This would explain why air and sea traffic avoid it. Or it could be natural radon radiation that comes from the earth's core. The Greeks discovered the healing powers of mineral springs that had low levels of radiation. Just a thought.

Jin only said there are no oysters here, which I took to mean that particular spot. That doesn't neccessarily mean there aren't any oysters anywhere on the island, but I've been wrong before.

Duff, excellent point, I forgot that she did kill one of the others as well as Shannon. I didn't even think about that. I would assume that he is talking about Shannon though, trying to screw her mind like he did Locke.

Why is Charlie tho sooooo attatched to Eko now? When did that connection start? Does Charlie now have an addiction to .... dark chocolate?

Mac, I was thinking - the next new episode isn't for another 3 weeks. Are you just not going to blog during that time?

I think you should still run something like a gimmick column - oh, I don't know: Top 5 characters on Lost. Or, some wild theory that's been running thru your head. Just a thought.

Dark Chocolate....what's that supposed to mean?

LOL, great comments about G-O-D and the addict/dealer relationship between Charlie and Eko, Megan.

I still don't understand why they haven't mentioned anything about the lack of wildlife...

and something just dawned on me... people have proposed the idea that this island is out in space or something, more or less, not on earth... then where did the fish come from?

and I have a question that I forgot to ask earlier... that I'd really like to have answered.
The plane that crashed that had Mr. Eko's brother (the priest) on it... where was it flying to? I know it was leaving Africa.

And does anyone know the reasons that the cast were in Australia?
so far i've gathered the following (please note I've missed a lot)

Bernard and Rose- Honeymoon
Jack- Picking up his fathers body
Lock- possibly visiting the/a healer
Jin/Sun- Vacation or work (something like that)

I rememebr being told why hurley was there, but don't remember why.

The faith healer Rose visited was, I think, the guy Claire visitied in her first flashback. Just a thought but Claire was in Australia, so was that Isaac guy.

I really don't think anyone is actually "healed" from what they had or have. I think the island just has some sort of affect on everyone.

Nothing is clear on Lost. Good, bad, healed? HG talks about being good -- what his meaning of good? A good person, a good specimen?

Mike -- I only post when there are new episodes (unless there's "Lost" news, but those posts tend to be more newsy and less, uh, sarcastic). I love doing the "Lost" stuff, but it takes a LOT of time, so I need to make sure I balance it with all my other responsibilities.

If you're remotely interested, the Lost Blog is just one part of my overall business (plug! www.foddernetwork.com).

-- Mac

Oh, and for all the people claiming Jack has some sort of military experience in his backstory --

Why then did he ask AL about how many people would be needed to build an army?

Two comments:

1) Interesting the amount of extras they have had on the last two episodes. I kind of liked it better when they didn't show them, but people on the blogs kept complaining and now they mention them all the time and we see them frequently. I couldn't help staring at them during Bernie's speech. They we all nodding like bobble heads--so annoying!
2) Loved the "Bernie you're just a dentist and Jack's a doctor" comment. How many dentists across the country were pissed at that!!

I think it's possible (maybe even likely) that Locke went to visit the same "healer" that Rose did. But even so, Locke wasn't "healed" there - only when he reached the Island was he able to walk. And what about the whole Walkabout backstory of his? Isn't that why he was in Australia?

Schiano makes a good point about the Jack-in-the-Army thing. I hadn't thought about his question to AL.

I still think that, by seasons' end, there is going to be a huge shocker about one of these characters, and my money is on Jack.

I read about half of the comments and i dont know if anyone brought this up but i think it was bernard that said they had a water trough, this could've solved their water from the caves hike problem.(i notice people are correcting posts on this board and i know this is a run on sentence please be gentle) I dont think this was mentioned before

I want to respond to BioHazard: I think it's safe to say that Jin was healed by the Island, the reason Sun has that expression on her face is because she doesn't know about the Island's healing ability and she assumes that she is pregnant by her teacher. But if you look at the timeline carefully she would be about 4 months pregnant and probably showing if it was the Teacher's. AJ - If you think about the "Healing Island" theory it makes sense, the island was used for various experiments, but the only one that bore any real results was the healing. One of the other experiments may have had a catastrophic failure that wiped almost everyone out, except for those that can be healed by the island. Someone said "What about Boone and Shannon, why weren't they healed?" it goes back to what Isaac said to Rose about his place in Australia not being the right place for her to be healed. It's possible that those that die on the island aren't able to be healed by the island because it's not the right place for them. I have no idea if this theory is correct, I only came up with it last night, and I'm sure lots of others have probably been saying the same thing for weeks but it seems to make sense.

BJ, I hear what you are saying about the obvious connection between black rocks and Hawaii. However, I don't think it was just an obvious way for the writers to have Rousseau make such a big deal about "THE" black rock (not black rocks in general) and the fact that they shoot in Hawaii. I am not sure if this is making any sense, but what I am trying to say is that I think "THE" black rock Danielle speaks about is a specific one, albeit a pretty convenient way to connect the natural setting of Hawaii and the plot line of the show....I just think that we never, if I recall correctly, get confirmation from Danielle that the ship called the "Black Rock" and "THE" black rock she mentioned are one in the same. Therefore, the rock in the background of the shot of Jack yelling (and the black rock that Ethan takes Claire to in the flashback scene during the medical hatch episode for that matter....and the black rocks Bernard uses for his SOS sign...and any of the multitude of black rocks that appear in this show...) might be "THE" black rock....that's just a point I thought about....who the heck knows, right?

Also, all you pros that know how to "efurl" things, let's get crackin with the pictures of Claire's psychic and the Isaac Uluru, the pictures in the background of the healer's office, and pictures of the license plates please :)

Some thoughts on magnetic therapy. You can find more on: http://skepdic.com/magnetic.html

"Iron atoms in a magnet are crammed together in a solid state about one atom apart from one another. In your blood only four iron atoms are allocated to each hemoglobin molecule, and they are separated by distances too great to form a magnet. This is easily tested by pricking your finger and placing a drop of your blood next to a magnet. " --Michael Shermer*

Magnet therapy is a type of "alternative" medicine which claims that magnetic fields have healing powers. Some claim that magnets can help broken bones heal faster, but most of the advocacy comes from those who claim that magnets relieve pain. Most of the support for these notions is in the form of testimonials and anecdotes, and can be attributed to "placebo effects and other effects accompanying their use" (Livingston 1998). There is almost no scientific evidence supporting magnet therapy. One highly publicized exception is a double-blind study done at Baylor College of Medicine which compared the effects of magnets and sham magnets on the knee pain of 50 post-polio patients. The experimental group reported a significantly greater reduction in pain than the control group. No replication of the study has yet been done. (See James Livingston's comments on this study.)

The electromagnetism/healing connection can't be correct. The Losties (at least Locke and Rose) were healed IMMEDIATELY after crashing.

This all looks much more like "live after death", pre-purgatory, coma, a dream, collective therapy (perhaps they all WANTED to be on this "island" -- similar to the movie vanilla sky), ... these theories are not very popular, but real-world explanations for all happenings on Lost just aren't possible anymore (at least in my opinion, why is actually worth nothing ;).

Please proof me wrong! :)

I know there are ALWAYS new questions to ponder on after each EP. But some things that STILL have me scratching my head is:
1. The Polar Bear.
2. What ever ripped the Pilot out of the plane.
3. What ever it is that makes the trees shake when moving throught the jungle.
4. The smoke cloud thing that flashes visions.

These are things that no MAN can do and it seems the losties never seem to talk about it. That would bother the hell out of me if I saw a man ripped through the window of a plan and then hanging dead in a tree.

I don't understand why people think Locke went to this same faith healer that Rose did. He was in Australia for the Walkabout, got kicked out, then got on the doomed plane. The old Locke doesn't seem like the type to go to a guy like 'Picard'. I think he transformed on the island and got his 'faith' once he could walk again. Before that he probably wouldn't have considered going to a guy like the faith healer.

And remember, there's no way Locke could have afforded the $10,000 fee! (I'm assuming he didn't keep the $200,000 from his dad, since later in life he was working in the lowly box company job.)

I think the thing that ripped the pilot out of the cockpit, the thing that shakes the trees, and the smoke cloud thing are all one in the same. It's the island's 'defense mechanism' as Crazy Danielle put it.

Here's what I have so far about why each character was in Australia.

Correct me if I am wrong:
Bernard and Rose- Honeymoon
Jack- Picking up his fathers body
Locke - Trying to go on a Walkabout.
Jin/Sun- Jin delivering watches.
Hurley - Trying to track down Leonard's friend who discovered the Numbers.
Kate - On the run.
Claire - Lives there.
Sayid - Looking for his old girlfriend.
Walt/Micheal - Going back to USA after Walt's mother died.
Charlie - Looking for his brother.
Sawyer - Looking for "Sawyer".
Eko -
AL -
Libby -

Ok, totally off topic... i recently asked if i could get a list of characters and why they were on the plane.. well i found this website (most of you prob know it) http://losthatch.com/characters.aspx

well going down the list I noticed that this guy 'Randy' played 2 characters... both Locks Superior and he worked with Hurley at the fast food place...

What's this about a show named Reckoning coming on in 2 weeks?
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/

Also, the healer Bernie and Rose visit is NOT the same as the psychic Claire visited.

To answer Megan's question about why everyone was in Australia:
Claire was in Australia because that's where she's from. She was flying to Los Angeles to give up her baby for adoption.

Hurley was in Australia to find the guy who could explain the "curse" of the numbers to him, but he was only able to find his wife because the guy he was looking for had committed suicide.

Charlie had gone to see visit his brother and try to get their band back together (I think).

Kate was on the run from the law.

Those are all I can think of right now.

Zeppo: your list is pretty spot on.

Someone mentioned awhile back that they saw a picture of Locke on the wall of Isaac's office. Can someone post a link to a screencap of that if possible?? Thanks!!

I just had a look at www.foddernetwork.com. I didn't know the whole blog network is run by you, mac. I'm really impressed.

Keep up the good work!

more from that http://losthatch.com/character_facts.aspx
website...

BIO:
First Name: Henry
Last Name: Gale
Sex: Male
Citizenship: United States
Address1: 815 Walnut Ridge Road
City: Wayzata
State/Province: Minnesota
Zip Code: 55391
Henry's wife Jennifers maiden name was/is Murphy

BIO:
First Name: Rose
Sex: Female
Citizenship: United States
City: Bronx
State/Province: New York
Type: 815 Passenger
First Episode: S1E1 - Pilot - Part One
Seat Number: 23D

I was hoping maybe to get her address or something linking them together. oh well.

Christina,

I DVR'd the show and I rewound that scene a half dozen times hoping to see one of the Lostaways on there, but none of the faces looked familiar. Besides, I think that was Isaac's wall of fame, you know, folks that he had healed. I don't think he would have a picture of Locke up there cause Locke was still paralyzed when he got on the plane.

This all looks much more like "live after death", pre-purgatory, coma, a dream, collective therapy (perhaps they all WANTED to be on this "island" -- similar to the movie vanilla sky), ... these theories are not very popular, but real-world explanations for all happenings on Lost just aren't possible anymore (at least in my opinion, why is actually worth nothing ;).

Please proof me wrong! :)

Your grammar, or lack there of, is all the proof that is necessary.

C'Mon be nice. Let's comment on the comments, not the grammar etc...

Ok, according to http://lostlinks.net/ the new episode in two weeks called Reckoning is just another recap episode.
Almost got my hopes up there for a second that maybe ABC is going to reward their loyal fans with a "bonus" episode this season.

For the person who was inquiring into the Black Rock. Rousseau took them to a ship whose name was "Black Rock". It was a very specific reference when she said those words.

Maybe when Locke went to see the faith healer, he told Locke the same thing he told Rose.

Margot -- Glad you like the Network! It certainly keeps me busy.

And in show news ...

My two cents on Isaac's Wall of Thanks: We may not recognize those faces and names now, but I bet they'll come into play later on. They pulled the same manuever with Eko's monster experience: We saw snippets of images that made sense given what we already knew about him, but there were a few images in there that are precursors for future developments.

To: Schiano

What Jack asked AL, IIRC, was how *long* did she think it would take to train an army. Like so much else on “Lost”, there is enough ambiguity in both the question and the way he asked it that one can interpret it completely differently, depending on what one knows (or assumes) about his background. Remember her surprise at the question? She’s a cop, and virtually obsessed with the element of island danger in a way no one else was before her, but the idea of organizing an *army* was so far removed from her thinking that it shocked her at first. So what is it about Dr. Jack that his mental choo-choo went chugging down that track? Hmmmmm.

I would cite the point that Jack asked this question as a point in support of the idea that Jack has a military background. OTOH, I would cite the fact that Jack got his butt kicked in hand-to-hand fighting by Ethan Rom as a definite point against, LOL.

But I know this much: the “Lost” writers are trying to set *something* up by dropping all of these recent little character tidbits about Jack on us in such a short space of time. Redirecting our attention to his tattoo, telling us he got it in the Far East, expert poker player, expert marksman, the casual competence with which he handled that gun (pay attention to the way he automatically checks the mag, chamber and safety when he receives the weapon from AL—that’s someone who’s familiar with proper gun safety rules); all of these little heretofore (hah, Mac!) unrevealed facts about Dr. Jack are leading up to something or my name isn’t Deep Cover. ;-)

Touche, DC. ;) You'll notice I changed it, too.

Why has no one yet mentioned the paper Locke was using to recreate the map on? At first it was blank, but after he'd "stretched his legs" he resumed his work on it and it was on a book page all in French. I speak French but haven't had the time to go back and study the page a little more. Any other Francophones out there recognize it? Perhaps a passage from a work by the French philosopher Rousseau???

That was deep - Deep Cover. LOL ;-P

Zeppo -- Nice job with the list. I think you nailed it.

I'll be VERY interested to see how Eko, Ana and Libby ended up in Australia.

Trinity, go to www.lost.com and check out the tail section......that will give you your answer....and please don't post on here anymore thanks

Libby could have been in Australia because she knew Hurley was there investigating the numbers. And by chance(????) they ended up on the same flight home. Eko maybe was doing some kind of missionary work or soul cleansing, Anna Lucia might have been on a manditory leave from duty, or she could be on the run too for murdering the man who killed her unborn child. I'm probably way of, but just some random thoughts.

I will post anywhere I want to. It's a free country. I've probably been on here longer than you have anyway. Forgive me for actually having real work to do and not being able to check out EVERY SINGLE "Lost" link on the planet. How about you take your attitude elsewhere? It's not needed here. Thanks.

Righty-o then....there goes my big theory about black rocks....I totally forgot she showed them...I thought she just told them about it and then they stumbled upon a boat that just happened to have the same name....oh well! Sometimes we are just as good at disproving theories as we are providing them...thanks, hookedonlost...

Mac, we will definitely see more faces from Uluru's "wall of fame"...I am not entirely convinced that if we looked close enough, we wouldn't recognize some of them already....some may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

By the by, Uluru is the aboriginal name for Ayers Rock, an iconic natural landmark in the Aussie Outback, which is a large magnetic mound. Here's a link to more info:

http://www.crystalinks.com/ayersrock.html

Just another interesting "magnetic" connection.

Nice review as usual Mac.

OK they were deffinately in NY probably Rochester or Albany, (Short drive to Niagra Falls) maybe even Buffalo)
I thought Kate and Claire not telling anyone about the other hatch was preposterous.
Also there is no way Michael is a spy, I think we all fall into the trap of thinking more "Island Time" elapses between shows. He hasn't been gone that long. I also thought that was Desmond stumbling out of the woods, Didn't he have a back pack too? Over

Why, thank-you Mr. Grimm. :-D Don't you have a fairy tale to write? ;-p

Aside: though 'tis poor nettiquette to harp on someone's grammar, I have the 'old friend' exception under which to needle Mac. Besides, he knows that if he tries to stop me, I'll derail the whole comment thread into a discussion of beer. Heheheheheheh.

:evil Henry Gale-style grin:

Mmmmmmmm, beer. lol.

In LostLand a black rock is never "just a black rock".
In regards to the island 'healing' some people and not others; maybe it just wasn't the 'right energy' for them.
I really wonder if the situation on the island isn't a case of the inmates taking over the asylum! The initiative having been some neo-utopian, ley-line loving group of experimenting hippy scientists gone terribly, terribly wrong.

LOL Vikki - I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one!

All Knowing All the time - Be nice. Trinity's question was very reasonable.

Trinity - You're always welcome here.

DC: You'll always have old-school street cred! (Anyone who lived through the T@p yellow days will always rank high on my list.)

And finally ...

I welcome *everyone* to point out my grammatical errors, my factual errors and my errors as a human being (but be nice with that last one). I don't mind at all.

wow, it has taken me a while to get through all these comments and i totally forgot what i had to say...boy, did i have a lot to say!

i too agree that this was a great episode and it answered a lot of questions. i for one enjoyed it coz i could actually predict some of the things that happened before they happened!!!

thanks whoever came up with the list of why each character was in australia. are we certain that jin and sun were there to deliver the watch?(i thought california was where they were supposed to deliver it). did we ever really learn why they were in australia?

did anyone else think it odd that at the end when they showed all the different characters doing their own thing(with the background music), sayid was nowhere to be seen...where was he?!!

i was also wondering about jack being such a pro with guns and hiking and leadership and control issues...i can't wait to find out how a spinal surgeon had the time to learn all that he knows.

mac, once again, great review. have you written any books that are available on the market? i for one would definitely read 'em. keep up the great work!

katePlusSun=Fun: Nope, no books (yet), but I'm mulling an idea that may turn into something. Glad to know I'll have at least one reader!

I think Libby was on the plane because she was stalking Hurley?!?

Locke was not healed because he never made it to see the healer. The tour guide would not let him on the bus.

i too at first thought the healer would have a connection with locke, but locke was in australia for a walkabout and not to be healed. i don't think there is any connection between the two....but don't take my word for it!!!

i loved the scene where jack was asking kate to join him on his "others" excursion and smartass sawyer thought jack was talking to him...i love the tension between these two guys.

someone at the top mentioned something about being annoyed with the other losties(not the main characters) showing up a lot this season...i think its really cool that we actually get to see them and realize that there are other survivors and somebody else could be writing the diary...not necessarily rose. i have to admit that i too thought it was minnesota when i saw the snow(live here and you would associate anything to do with snow with minnesota). too bad otherwise we would have gotten to see some lost characters around the MOA!

hey mac, i am sure everyone on this blog would flock to the bookstores for your book!

I guess I've been reading this blog faithfully, because the moment I saw the good old Locke back, I thought (word to word): "Locke's Obi Wan mojo is back!" Locke's one of my favourite characters so this is great.

KatePlusSun: In the closing montage, Sayid wasn't included because (I think) they meant to show the people who are content on the island, and have found some sort of peace. Goes with the theme of how some people want to stay on the island for various reasons, and some want to leave.

I don't know which camp Sayid belongs to yet, after what happened with Shannon...unless of course Locke tells him about the cute Iraqi woman whose house he inspected...

The Sayid/Shannon debacle is right up there with the whole "monster" idea from the beginning of Season 1 as "worst storylines."

Can't complain about much more than that, though.

Regarding Jack's constantly expanding skill set:

Although it's certainly possible Jack was in the military (National Guard?), it's also possible to have the skills he showed just by being a hunter.

I don't know any doctors who hunt, but it's possible.

In addition, plenty of people know how to use a gun without having been in the military. I took a training class myself, and we were taught the works, from pistols to rifles. I can strip a .45 down, clean it, etc. and fire a pretty tight grouping on a target too. But I've never been in the military. Just a thought.

Maybe Jack's mother's maiden name is MacGuyver ;)

Refresher: dharma \ 1. essential quality or character, as of the cosmos or one's own nature. 2. conformity to religious law, custom, duty.

I think Eko knows there will be an eventual showdown between good and evil, so he is building the church and gathering disciples (Charlie) in preparation. ????????

Oh, and to Mr. Snarky:

Your grammar, or lack there of, is all the proof that is necessary.

-- Posted by: Stater of the Facts at April 13, 2006 03:50 PM

Thereof is one word my friend. Don't be so critical.

Megan and others who have pondered this element: islands in the middle of nowhere have very little indigenous insect and wildlife. Most species are brought there by accident or on purpose by travellers to the island. Seeds, carried by water and wind, and some birds arrive on their own.

Mac,
Loved the 'married an axe muderer' reference. Maybe Alvar took the Colonel's place in the Pentablet after he went tits up. It would explain how the man became so powerful, don't you think?

My theory on the healing powers of the island is that they are only effective as long as they are on the island and whatever handicap or illness they had would come back upon leaving the island. As far as those who have died on the island, i.e. Shannon and Boone, they weren't sick or handicapped (at least not physically) to begin with. The island heals, it does not resurrect.

Also, is there really such a thing as a bad episode of 'Lost'? I think not.

Okay, this might have already been mentioned, but I (sadly) don't have time to read through all the comments posted above (this is such a popular blog!): did anyone notice the strange look on Sun's face in the final sequence of the show? Jin was all smiling and happy and rubbing her stomach, and then the camera pans up to Sun, who's looking off in the distance. I thought he had also been healed by the island, but could that distant look on Sun's face mean Jin isn't the father? I'd love any input from you guys out there!

I am almost afraid to post since you all seem so grammitically aware! :0) But, I'll take a chance. I want to make a few points:

1. I do not think we know why Jin and her husband were in Australia, do we?

2. At first I was disappointed in this episode, especially since last week. Then after reading Mac's review I felt that he was right. The detail and the buidup is part of the "drug" that hooks us all on Lost. I LOVED the look into those two's past. Tgus goes the continuation of black and white.

3. Sayeed was absent because he was off filming that movie maybe.

4. How do you all know the names of the locations on the map? I paused it on my dvr and still couldn't see anything.

Hey Mac! That MacGuyver comment is very very funny!

I will expect Losties to be climbing a cliff face upside down soon with nothing but a Dharma fork, knife and spoon on their way for a special island healing.....

Great recap--thanks so much! You have created some great expectations with your key points.

I have been reading this for a while but this is the first time I have posted something. My gut feeling is Libby is an "OTHER". Is the mental Hospital Hurley was at invloved with Darma???

ya know the theories and all that, well,... everyone is wrong

"we're gonna need a bigger boat"

If Jack's Mum was Macguyver, then couldn't Jack have built an F16 out of a few palm fronds and some sticky tape by now?

Mac, Still pondering last week's comment about a generic oreo. Yuck. Crackers, maybe.

All, A Lot is two words.

All, I say we met up somewhere during the next 3 weeks and share a beer. Have a Lost Convention.

Thanks, Mac. You're a good guy! :)

I don't know why anyone thinks this was a "weak" episode. Not only was it extremely touching and moving, and the story headed exactly where everyone wanted it to go, but that net scene was as close to soft-core porn as network television will allow! I needed a cigarette after that!

Good comments, with regards to my comments about there not being an actual plane crash - while there certainly was plane wreckage and carnage, it doesn't seem that anyone should've survied, especially a crash in which the plane violently breaks up in mid-air. Sayid has acknowledged it, as have other characters. Something about the crash itself is suspect.

In my ongoing attempt to get at the ideas of BF Skinner and how it might relate to the Dharma Initiative, I came across something interesting. Skinner had a classic publication called 'SUPERSTITION' IN THE PIGEON (google it, you can find it - it's also mentioned in wikipedia)...

The gist of it relates to reinforcement in a stimulus - response conditioning setup, that is pigeons were placed in cages and given food at regular intervals, and were observed to "con