The Lost Blog

Key Points from "Lighthouse"

Season 6, Episode 5
Episode Air Date: 02/23/10

Point 1

Jack Hurley Jacob

Jacob is a tool.

I knew someone who pulled similar nonsense. Lots of faux wisdom and "you need to learn your own lessons." Total crap. Truth was, this person didn't know how to communicate so they filed all their failings under "Zen Teaching" and fancied themselves quite clever.

Jacob does the same thing. All those smug looks. All those ridiculous lists. Someday -- someday soon -- I hope he regains corporeal form so each castaway can kick him squarely in grapes. No wonder Flocke wanted this guy dead.

But enough with my Jacob rant. Let's dive in to this week's episode.

The 2007 timeline is a trip down memory lane of sorts. Hurley, per Jacob's request and instruction, convinces Jack to tag along on a trip to the island's lighthouse (yet another island landmark we've never seen). Jack is initially reticent to leave the Temple because, medically, he's never seen a zombie transformation and Sayid's brain-eating apotheosis could be quite the show. But Hurley -- again, via Jacob -- tells Jack he's "got what it takes" and this activates the Dr. Daddy center of Jack's cerebral cortex. He's powerless to fight it. So off they go to the lighthouse.

Here's what they see and do along the way:

-- There's a brief Kate sighting. Jack tries to convince her to tag along on the lighthouse adventure, but she's hellbent on finding Claire. (A quest she might want to reconsider ... more on that in Point 3).

-- While traveling to the lighthouse, Hurley and Jack come across three island props that haven't been seen in quite some time: Shannon's asthma inhaler, the shards of Dr. Christian Shephard's casket, and the petrified remains of Adam and Eve. None of these crack open a new chapter in the island's mythology, but the casket prompts Jack to admit he once chased the specter of his dead father around the island. Adam and Even cause Hurley to ponder timeline implications.

-- Upon reaching the lighthouse, Jack offers an incredulous and appropriate remark about its sudden appearance on an island they've traversed many times. Given that -- and Hurley's "maybe we weren't looking for it" response -- I'm wondering if Jacob has / had the ability to create or alter physical structures. Either that or the castaways are just incredibly dense.

The lighthouse looks like it was built by Da Vinci -- or maybe a "Da Vinci Code" set designer. It's got the requisite weathered rocks and ancient creaky gears. Hurley has been instructed by Jacob to use those gears to point the lighthouse machinery to 108 degrees. But as Hurley cranks the contraption, Jack notices numbered castaway names written along the edge of the lighthouse hardware. It's the same name-number combinations written on the walls of Flocke's cave. Jack pushes Hurley aside and calibrates the device to the "23 - Shephard" setting. He's stunned to see his childhood home reflected in a series of mirrors lining the lighthouse.

And this is when Jack realizes he and his fellow castaways have been played all along.

It's a pretty significant conclusion, actually. A bit out of character for Jack, too. He's usually too pigheaded to understand mystical answers -- or those that require a wee bit of outside-the-box thinking. But you really can't expect too much from Jack; it's always one step forward, one step back with this guy. As such, he celebrates his intuitive conclusion by destroying all the lighthouse mirrors in an epic temper tantrum.

-- At the end of the episode, as Jack sulks on a cliff, Jacob reappears to Hurley and tells him two important things: First, the entire lighthouse adventure was orchestrated to help Jack understand how important he is (again ... that's such a lame thing to do). Second, Jacob also wanted to get Hurley and Jack safely away from the Temple so they'll be gone when "someone bad" pays a visit. That certainly doesn't bode well for Sayid, Miles, Dogen, Lennon and the temple denizens who have dedicated their lives to the great and mighty Jacob. It's yet more evidence that Jacob, like Randy Nations, is a huge douche.

Point 2

Locke

The flash-sideways timeline appears to hinge on a question: what would the castaways lives have been like if Jacob hadn't intervened? That's probably evident to everyone else (I'm a little slow these days), but I found it to be a fairly big shift. Maybe the bomb wasn't the catalyst. Or maybe it wasn't the only catalyst. Perhaps Jacob's death and the '77 explosion combined and mixed to create the alternate timeline.

The flash-sideways are also going well beyond what I perceived to be the original idea. Instead of simply showing differences in castaways' lives after Oceanic 815 arrives safely, we're also seeing that pre-Oceanic events differ considerably in the alternate universe. Last week, we learned that Alt Locke is engaged to Helen and appears to have a decent relationship with his father. That's a big shift from Real Locke's pre-island existence.

We see more of the same this week in Jack's alt-timeline scenes. For starters, he has a teenaged son named David. (Note: David's mother isn't shown -- Jack is clearly not involved with her -- but the boy has bright blue eyes that resemble those of a recently-departed fertility doctor.) We also see that Alt Jack has an ability to get past his daddy issues. Much as Alt Locke achieved an emotional breakthrough when he admitted there are things he can't do, Alt Jack bonds with his son by moving past the paralyzing fear of failure Christian Shephard instilled in him. Real Jack can't even think of Dr. Daddy without punching something.

Point 3

Claire Jin

Anyone holding out hope that dirty and disheveled Claire would bear some resemblance to sweet old Claire had those dreams squashed this week. New Claire is a hot mess. And not in a good way. She might be nuttier than Rousseau ever was.

Beyond the insanity, we discover a number of other disturbing things about Ms. Littleton this week:

  • At some point, Claire was taken to the Temple, poked with needles and branded. It looks like she endured the same test Sayid faced (and failed). How she got out of the Temple is not clear.
  • Flocke and the specter of her father, Dr. Shephard, convinced Claire the Others stole Aaron and are holding him in the Temple. Nice.
  • Claire deals with her pain by killing Others and playing mother to an animal skull tucked into a bassinet. (Good thing we know Vincent is with Rose and Bernard ...)
  • Jin, in a moment of panic, tells Claire that Kate has been taking care of Aaron for the last three years. But after watching her dig an axe into the gut of Justin the Other, Jin backtracks and confirms her suspicions that the Others kidnapped Aaron. It's a survival lie.
  • Claire's quick acceptance of Jin's revised story suggests she's a couple sandwiches short of a picnic.
  • Claire vows (theoretically) to kill Kate if she's been raising Aaron. That'll make for an awkward reunion!

Point 4

Island

A few closing questions and observations:

  • Best Line: "I'm a big fan of temples and history and Indiana Jones stuff." -- Hurley to Dogen
  • Second Best Line: "I just lied to a samurai." -- Hurley
  • Is another batch of candidates en route to the island? That's what Jacob tells Hurley, but the entire lighthouse adventure was really just an elaborate teaching mechanism. So it's possible no one is coming. Or maybe this new group is the "they" Jacob referred to moments after Ben stabbed him in the season five finale ("they're ... coming ... aaaagggguuuuu)".
  • Alt Jack briefly crosses paths with Alt Dogen. Maybe Dogen is Jack's new Desmond.
  • David's piano audition was on Friday the 24th, which supports claims that the 10/22/04 date on Claire's ultrasound was a mistake rather than a clue. 9/24/04 was a Friday. 10/24/04 was a Sunday.
  • I hope Sayid and Jack tie a bow around Shannon's inhaler and give it to Sawyer in the series finale.

That's all I've got!

Next Episode:

"Sundown" -- Sayid confronts post-death complications (zombie!). Airs Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc.

MIF!

#1. Posted by: meg at February 24, 2010 12:11 AM

MIF!

#2. Posted by: meg at February 24, 2010 12:11 AM

Wow. 2 MIFs? Do they cancel each other out?

#3. Posted by: mac at February 24, 2010 12:13 AM

Gotta wonder if a name is beside 108 on the lighthouse contraption? Kate maybe?

#4. Posted by: add it up at February 24, 2010 12:21 AM

When ALT Jack met ALT Dogen I thought after Dogen said 'your son is very special' he was going to give Jack a business card for Dharma. =D

I also love the (F)Locke/Claire connection again, and how it paralleled the original connection they had in the past seasons. That may even be the same rocker he built for Aaron.

After Jacob said he brought Hurley and Jack away from the temple, that's when I didn't trust him. I was skeptical before but that response from Jacob seemed smug, and a bit cocky. Not necessarily something someone 'good' or 'right' would say.

And I totally forgot about Christian as her other friend, thanks for that observation Mac. =)

#5. Posted by: Silhouette at February 24, 2010 12:21 AM

Excellent, 'cuz I didn't want to be first.

"Austen" was #51 on the wheel and was NOT crossed out (visible in freeze frame when Jack starts to pay attention to the wheel). #108 was "Wallace," probably just a random pick to sucker Jack. #109 was "Friendly!" Linus was there, too (and you, and you, and you were there.)

Is Jack an idiot? (Yes.) Maybe he's not the Shephard we're looking for, and the "Jin or Sun" was a big hint.

Love how Hurley plays the role of US on the show.

#6. Posted by: LockeBox at February 24, 2010 12:24 AM

Whew! Still taking it all in... Can't wait to see a good screen cap of the names from the lighthouse.. a few notable names crossed off
117 - Linus
124 - Dawson
101 - Faraday
20 - Rousseau

Just as I was really getting excited at the prospect of seeing what else would turn up in the magic mirrors, Jack had to smash the whole thing.

I guess he was ticked off to learn that he was one of the final five Cylons.

#7. Posted by: vacc at February 24, 2010 12:24 AM

party dude

about clair

*paranoid
*axe-wielding hatred of men
*wild darting eyes
*hair and hygiene from hobo town
*has a “sickness”
*her friend (only visits once a month)

come on people. thatz classic PMS. ladies ucan confirm this.

#8. Posted by: party dude at February 24, 2010 12:26 AM

GRAA Mac!!

Ok everyone... I must admit to something. Now this is VERY HARD to say -- but... today Jack was okay. Yes, his breathing was annoying... but I approved of his character. Especially in the "sideways timeline". Daddy Jack is a bunch of not-bad-flubber.

I was yelling at the TV when he broke Jacob's mirrors though...

I think Jack and Kate make each other annoying because he became annoying again when he saw Kate getting water and was like, "well I'm inviting her" blah blah blah.

Sorry I keep complaining about them... but they are frustrating.

#9. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at February 24, 2010 12:33 AM

I can already picture the upcoming Kate and Claire reunion -

Claire: Where's my baby?

Kate: I left Aaron with his grandma.

Claire: (sharpens axe) Why didn't you bring him with you?

Kate: Because you came to my house one night and said "Don't you dare bring him back"

Claire: I meant JACK, not Aaron. At least my kid wouldn't detonate a hydrogen bomb, swallow a poison pill and smash up a lighthouse.

Kate: Actually, I did have to call poison control that one time he..

Claire: (Advances with Axe)

Kate: Wait! Please! You can't kill me. In our flash sideways, I'm going to help you and Aaron.. I mean, after I carjack your cab ride and steal your luggage, I come back and rush you to the hospital so that Ethan can deliver your baby.

Claire: ETHAN?? AAAAAAHHHH!!!

#10. Posted by: vacc at February 24, 2010 12:48 AM

Number 108 on the wheel is 'Wallace' - pretty sure we haven't met a Wallace before, have we? The name is crossed out. Lostpedia has some good screenshots:

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Wallace

Also, 'Austen' is number 51 on the wheel, and is NOT crossed out. Not sure what this means for ol' Freckles, as 51 is not one of the numbers. Nice screenshot here:

http://bit.ly/cJXeJA

#11. Posted by: Jin + Tonic at February 24, 2010 1:15 AM

Apologies to LockeBox for totally repeating your post just now! Clearly a little over-excited.

#12. Posted by: Jin + Tonic at February 24, 2010 1:23 AM

The time for questions is over! is the tagline they keep advertising with. And yet this show has the guts to keep presenting more questions than answers week after week. and yet tey are still managing to make it feel as if there is progress and that we are actually going somewhere. Despite all the new questions I have more faith every week that we are building to a satisfying conclusion.
Boy this weeks episode went quick!
Love that characters actually talk and tell each other what they know once in awhile now such as Jack explaining to Hurley his motives for coming back and ab out how he found the skeletons in the cave.
Also they seeem to ask more logical questions now too. When Jack saw the lighthouse I said to my dad "how have they never stumbled onto this before?"
Then Jack voiced the same question.
A lot of good lines this week:
Kate:Jack I almost shot you
Jack: Yeah I noticed

and

Hurley: "He just shows up when he wants to like Obi Wan Kenobi"

#13. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 24, 2010 1:27 AM

In the latest official podcast, Damon and Carlton admitted the ultrasound date was a mistake. In the alt-timeline, the Losties did return to LAX on 9/22/2004, making the recital two days after the season premiere.

#14. Posted by: Phil at February 24, 2010 1:34 AM

Also, my bet - Wallace is Libby. We never found out her last name.

#15. Posted by: Phil at February 24, 2010 1:35 AM

claire is crazzzy!

Just a few thoughts,

1.why did Jack not remember him having a scar that he apparently got as a child? Related to unexplained nick under his chin in airplane???

2.Also since he fixed things with his son and the story ended in a good note does that mean he redeemed himself in that timeline? the same way john did with accepting his disability and like kate did by helping claire?

3. I guess they really want to beat the idea of the show being a 'game' going on with Miles and Hurley playing tic-tac-toe. lol

5. Claire is crazy! apparently she doesn't see flocke as john locke so who could she be seeing him as?? MIB or in another form??

4. I thought the funniest ironic qoute was when claire was cleaning jin's cut and said 'we got to get that cleaned up, there's one thing that will kill you around here is the infection' . She don't even know the least of it. lol btw did i mention she is crazy!


#16. Posted by: ogchavez at February 24, 2010 1:57 AM

Oh yes, I forgot to add that bit about Claire; thanks for reminding me ogchavez =). I was waiting for her to say 'That's not John, it's '. They're going to drag that out until the end, I'm betting.

I don't know why but that frustrates me to no end, in a good and amusing way though. =)

#17. Posted by: Silhouette at February 24, 2010 2:01 AM

OK, please don't crucify me but I watched 107, now 108, episodes of Lost in less than a month so I could see what all the hoopla was about. Boy, was I missing out. I feel bad for all those who had to ride out the WGA strike and the months between episodes.

Now to my question, if the flash sideways gives a look at the characters' lives without a Jacobian influence, I'm curious about Jacob's ability to control things like appendicitis or cancer or need for learning another language.

We all know Juliet removed Jack's appendix on the island, but apparently Jacob's influence in Jack's life started by the time Jack was 7 and had his appendix removed then. Sidenote: Wasnt Jack's appendix scar on the wrong side? Why does Rose still have cancer and why is Locke still in the wheelchair? If Mr. Cooper is a good guy, then Sawyer's parents must still be living. I sure hope we see some of Sawyer's sideways timeline soon.

Were those untangled paper clips Claire was using to stitch up Jin? That was almost too painful to watch.

#18. Posted by: Don't_hate_the_new_guy at February 24, 2010 2:02 AM

Libby's last name is Smith. Her name was Elizabeth Smith.

#19. Posted by: Jaki at February 24, 2010 2:11 AM

GRAA Mac!

@5: Just for clarification, I'm almost positive that wasn't the same rocker, it was way smaller then the one Locke built for her... and I think we saw that rocker back at the camp beach when someone found it and Charlie's ring was inside of it.

@9: I was yelling too! Jack always a way of ruining things...

I had a feeling pretty soon that these ALT time lines would throw us for a big loop pretty soon. I mean c'mon... Jack has a kid?! I found it interesting that Jack said he'd make a terrible Father on island, as actually did a pretty good job off island. Also, and this is pretty ambiguous, but Jack only took one bottle of vodka in the Alt time line and refuses a drink from his mother as well. No alchy Jack here...

Claire is crazy, I liked her a lot in previous seasons but I definitely found her to be demented in this episode. I'm not looking forward to the same sort of thing going on with Sayid.

One other thing a noticed, but probably looking too deep into this... Did anyone notice the rock behind Jack as he was gazing into the other looked eerily similar to a skull?

Lastly, I don't have time to do it now but in the preview for next week there was some pretty interesting one second clips that you can see in slow mo tivo that may give us some insight about what to expect next week. I'll get around to that tomorrow sometime.


#20. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 24, 2010 2:13 AM

The episode wasn’t the strongest and could have been much better, but Jack’s depth saved the episode from being like the Kate episode two episodes ago. The journey the lighthouse was largely inconsequential, so I was disappointed in that. Claire’s reappearance was simply terrific and the appearance of her “friend” was also great.

Could the part about flash-sideways Jack’s appendix scar be a clue to what’s going on? Juliet cut out Jack’s appendix on the island, so there has to be a connection or else it’s a major coincidence, and there are none on Lost.

Review of the episode on my blog:
http://bit.ly/b7l1TT

#21. Posted by: The TV Obsessed at February 24, 2010 2:14 AM

@vacc (#10)--LMAO!! Too funny

#22. Posted by: Don't_hate_the_new_guy at February 24, 2010 2:15 AM

thank god kate is not the savior of us all.

not a bad ep...good set-up for what's to come. jacob apparently doesnt care if everyone but jack and hurley die...the off-island stuff was more interesting this week, especially after dogen turned up.

what about the hieroglyphs when hurley was in the temple, eh?

#23. Posted by: Thoth Anubis Ra at February 24, 2010 2:19 AM

Mac, I think you're right in thinking that the people Jacob said were looking for the island in this episode were the "they" from his last words.

I mentioned last week (towards the bottom, so I think it got lost in the mess of comments) that I suspected the boy FLocke and Sawyer see is one of these beings. I'm thinking that it's not another group of candidates that are on their way, but a group of beings of similar standing to Jacob & FLocke, who know, or maybe created, the rules that they must follow. Maybe the beings that put Jacob & FLocke on the island to begin with?

#24. Posted by: CDog at February 24, 2010 2:24 AM

@ MAC
I have a theory that the island reality is "the one" so when everything comes together i think the the Alt reality/time line is going to disappear into thin air... but it will be interesting to find out more and dwell into this alt-reality. For example i really love Hurley being super lucky and nothing bad happening to him. Which brings me to a very important point: If in the alt-reality, the island didn't happen, how come Hurley is rich?? didn't he buy the lottery tickets with the infamous numbers???? that is something that needs looking into....
The douchiness that Jacob is exhibiting and is confirming to us is very disturbing, made me think that maybe Flocke/smokey is actually the good guy...
Great recap.... thks mac

#25. Posted by: mapache at February 24, 2010 2:54 AM

Olá a todos!

I think Aaron is the young blond jungle boy.
I also think that the "42 - Kwon" on the cave's walls don’t refer to Sun or Jin, but to their daughter - Ji Yeon!
Last year I said that they could be Adam and Eve and maybe they are...

Sawyer and Jack in the final showdown, replacing Flocke and Jacob.
Black and white, dark and light. The eternal fight of good versus evil.
Although I'm starting to accept the idea that Flocke isn't the bad guy, after all... maybe just another victim of Jacob's faith in the Island. Like Sawyer will be. And Jack.

And this brings a whole new meaning to the sentence: “I’m not going to kill him”, that Sawyer said to Kate. He can’t!

Beijos & Abraços!

#26. Posted by: PreacherOnun at February 24, 2010 5:01 AM

If someone finds a link to the translation of what Dogen says to Hurley please post it.

#27. Posted by: Scott27 at February 24, 2010 6:13 AM

Dogen: "I don't know who's protecting you, but I guess you're lucky. Otherwise I'd have cut your head off."

#28. Posted by: agentmule at February 24, 2010 6:27 AM

"Claire deals with her pain by killing Others and playing mother to an animal skull tucked into a bassinet."

Hmm ... could the skull belong to ancient pet dog, belonging to young Jacob/MIB? Aka "Vincent" bones to go along with their "Adam/Eve" bones in the cave?

Still gonna stick to this theory for a while longer ... not completely proven wrong just yet! Dying to see a scene where Vincent greets Jacob and/or MIB with friendly wagging tail and lots of "owner" affection.

#29. Posted by: ealgumby at February 24, 2010 6:48 AM

@6/LockeBox - "Love how Hurley plays the role of US on the show."

YES! Especially his "good times" chat with Jack, as they wander through the jungle not exactly knowing where they're going or why! :)

#30. Posted by: ealgumby at February 24, 2010 6:54 AM

My brain goes into overdrive as I try to rethink everything with the "apparent" confirmation that the MIB was Christian and manipulating the candidates for 3 years.

The mobisodes show Christian telling Vincent to wake Jack because he has work to do when the plane initially crashes. He appeared as Christian the second the body hit the island!

The only "Jacob" Locke heard was "help me" and then it was "Christian" who said "I am not Jacob but I can speak for him". They never show Locke mentioning Christian. Moving the island was Flocke's idea etc. So many repercussions to untangle...

I love how in true LOST fashion even Jacob and Flocke do not seem to be all good or all bad.

#31. Posted by: Addicted to LOST at February 24, 2010 6:55 AM

Jin: John?!

Claire: That's not John, that's my friend!

Priceless!!

#32. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 24, 2010 7:08 AM

Did anyone notice that "Shepherd" on the lighthouse wheel looked like it was written in a different font than most of the other names?

#33. Posted by: jjblueflames at February 24, 2010 7:27 AM

It's only a matter of time until ANVS . . Anybody notice Vincent's skull . . becomes the watchword of the day . . I can feel that primal surge building even as we speak.

Nevertheless, For three weeks now I have enjoyed watching each new episode - yes, even the extremely unbelievable Kate episode - and I have the same reaction every week: What the Heck is going on!?!?!? Oh well, I'm sure everyone here will explain it to as the week goes on . . . in some cases, over and over again . . :-)

Admittedly, that was a GREAT Ax-whack! Jim . . I would worry a bit if I were you.

And then lastly, Anybody notice that Jack's appendix is on the wrong side of his body? . .

ANTJAIOTWSOHB?

OK, that's pushing it, isn't it?

Have good one.

#34. Posted by: davidrh at February 24, 2010 7:27 AM

#34

That would be JIN . . fumble fingers, sorry!

#35. Posted by: davidrh at February 24, 2010 7:40 AM

On the Lost podcast posted Monday, it was confirmed that the ultrasound date was a goof.

#36. Posted by: BluSerene at February 24, 2010 7:45 AM

Mac, about that Kate and Claire Reunion - battle - girlfight . . .

Is that Juliet/Kate mud hole still available? Oh, I hope so . . .

#37. Posted by: davidrh at February 24, 2010 7:47 AM

Oops, so sorry for restating a previous post, I didn't read them first!

@#33, I also noticed that "Shepard" seemed to be written in sharpie or something different

#38. Posted by: BluSerene at February 24, 2010 7:48 AM

This is a really dumb question that probably has nothing to do with anything, but this bugged me since the first time John talked about going Walkabout. Why does he carry a collection of about 8 knives in a case that obviously weighs a lot. I can imagine that Walkabout involves little else than yourself and maybe a tool or weapon or two, but unless he was a collector and the knives had to be carefully protected, I mean, geeze, what about a sheath? ...and why a bunch of them?

#39. Posted by: sandivon at February 24, 2010 7:55 AM

I do not like the crazier Claire at all! She's Rousseau on steriods!! Yes, if she hadn't killed Justin, he would have tried to kill her, but could you blame him...?!! I don't understand...why did she not remember leaving the campsite and following Christian and eventually leaving Aaron for Sawyer to find? When she showed her potential for craziness in "Jacob's Cabin" when Locke was told to move the island, did she not know/remember that she had a son? How could she have been convinced to believe that Aaron was being held at the Temple? What purpose would that serve and to whom? Again...seems to have more questions to answer wtih not much time left to address them.

Regarding Jack's scar...yes, Juliet did operate on the other side. Guess in the alt sideways timeline, Juliet never operated and he had his appendicts out when he was a child. They laid it out so neatly for us...wonder if that meant anything...?

Jack's teenage son...hmmm... Back in previous season, when Jack learned of Locke's death, pulled over on the bridge to jump, only to help with a car accident rescue... When he was at the hospital, he called his wife to come pick him up and she denied him a ride home. I think there was indication that she had remarried...and wasn't she pregnant in that scene? I haven't checked that out, but I seem to recall that. If my recollection is correct, I think I assumed she had moved on...new husband with baby on the way... Maybe in alt sideways...baby was Jack's. Will be interesting to see how this plays out...

#40. Posted by: Boodle at February 24, 2010 7:59 AM

Let's make a list . .
1. Skull
2. Shepherd's name
3 Jack's scar
4 . . . .

#36
After 47 mentions last week, it begins again. Anybody notice the ultrasound recorded date?

ANTURD.

?!?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

#41. Posted by: davidrh at February 24, 2010 8:01 AM

I continue to get more and more frustrated, and continue to combine that with my unwavering belief that this will all play out and TPTB will make sense of it all. But geez!

I can't think of anything funny to say cause, well, I just can't....unreal.

I think that the people coming to the island could be Widmore and Eloise, the last people to truly believe in Jacob.

#42. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at February 24, 2010 8:20 AM

@41/davidrh - "4 ...."

4. ANT_ lists
5. ...
;)

#43. Posted by: ealgumby at February 24, 2010 8:29 AM

So after watching last night's epi, I felt there could no longer be any argument against seeing Smokey as a force of death, destruction and chaos.

We've already seen him deliver death to Eko, Bram and his men, Rousseau's team, etc.

Last night's episode also confirmed that it was Smokey controlling the "Christian" events, and almost certainly confirmed the concept of Claire, the Rousseau team, and eventually Sayid as members of the Undead all-stars.

I felt that any holdouts for Smokey as "good" probably had their hopes dashed by the sight of Claire's axe in the chest of the other, coupled by her threat to kill Kate.

So I was surprised to read Mac's take on those events as Jacob being a douche, followed by several posts that again threw out the idea that Smokey may be the good side of the force.

I've cited before D&C's remarks on how influential Star Wars and the Stand are on Lost, so I won't repeat them here.

But in both cases, the sides of light vs. dark are clearly defined. There is a force of light (Mother Abigail, Obiwan) that does not have the job of defeating the dark side, but instead must identify "The One" or "ones", and to nuture and protect that person at all costs until they find the strength to defeat the evil themselves.

The primary argument against seeing Jacob that way is that it is too obvious, and we have been too well trained to doubt everything we see. But as we head to the end of the series, the time for cat and mouse by the writers will have to give way to the conclusion of the story itself.

It's not Jacob's job to protect everyone on the island- just the final candidate. He identifies his choices and calls the candidates via his magic lighthouse.

Smokey meets them with death and crosses the candidates off. There are no retirement homes on the island, other than Rose and Bernard's love shack bungalow.

Whether the death was caused directly by Smokey or via his influence- the end came to the U.S. Army, Rousseau's team, Dharma, the oceanic survivors, and now, apparently- the Others themselves. Death is coming to the temple, and its bringing Claire and an axe.

Personally, I'm not looking forward to that scene, especially if it means Sayid and Sawyer permanently go over to the dark side.

After the bloodbath, I'm predicting only 12 people will be left on the island- hence the symbolic Last Supper pictures put on the internet before the season started.

Last night also seemed to confirm that the hero is indeed Jack (sorry ilovebenjaminlinus). It was Jack we first saw when the show began, Jack that had the first backflash, forwards flash, and sideways flash. Jack has had more appearances that any other character, and more backstory.

Like it or not, this is Jack's hero's journey, and while that also seems almost painfully too obvious for a lot of us Lost veteran watchers, that doesn't make it not true.

#44. Posted by: Mizzed at February 24, 2010 8:35 AM

Best line of the episode for me:
When Jack sees his childhood home in Jacob's mirrors my 11 yr old son flatly states - "wow, so Jacob is like, a super stalker." Mom *spits shiraz* all over herself.

#45. Posted by: LostinVT at February 24, 2010 8:54 AM

>>#40: How could she have been convinced to believe that Aaron was being held at the Temple? What purpose would that serve and to whom?<<

Flocke wants to get into the temple, but needs a human to break the ash circle. Claire was led to believe that Aaron was being held in the temple to help MIB in someday, but the others won't let Clair near the temple anymore. Now they have Jin, who knows a way in, and possibly an insider (Sayid), hence Jacob's sending Hurley and Jack out to protect them.

#46. Posted by: Russ at February 24, 2010 8:55 AM

@#6 Locke Box& #36 ealgumby...Hurley plays US

I thought the same thing. His speculation about Adam and Eve being he and Jack after they "flashed back to dinosaur times" cracked me up. Sounds like some of our grasping sometimes. And he looked so wowed by his own thought when he said it. I love Hurley.

@#8 party dude..."come on people. thatz classic PMS. ladies ucan confirm this."

You are a deep thinker, dude. phuuuwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Oh, yes davidrh, I used it!)

@davidrh #37 & #41...mud pit girl fight

Claire and Kate can find that mud pit as long as Desmond and Sawyer find it shortly there after. Equality, right?

ANTURD...you make me LMAO. ANT...JWTB!

#47. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 24, 2010 8:56 AM

@#44Mizzed "Personally, I'm not looking forward to that scene, especially if it means Sayid and Sawyer permanently go over to the dark side."

I agree, although, Sayid wouldn't bother me as much as Sawyer. Sayid has always (?) been shown to cross over to the "dark side" without much hesitation when necessary. He may show regret after the fact but in the moment, he'll do it.

Sawyer, however, has always been a reluctant hero character. Obviously he has done bad things but most are in the past. When needed, Sawyer has stepped up. Darlton has made a point of showing us his transformation. I hope that arc wasn't all for nothing.

#48. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 24, 2010 9:10 AM

On the surface this show keeps presenting a good vs evil, light vs dark theme. however they've consistently shown us characters who are not all good or bad. Characters who like real human beings are flawed and imperfect.
Someone mentioned John's coffee mug when he was in the bathtub last week how it had the black and white motif. Looking closely there was a stripe of gray between the black and white. I think ultimately neither MIB or Jacob will be good or bad. It will depend on people's values and perspective who to side with as they are obviously conflicting. Jacob and MIB will belike all the other Lost characters a shade of gray.
Jack and Sawyer have never either been good nor bad but in conflict. They may replace Jacob and MIB on the island to illustrate that neither side is necessarily right or wrong/good or bad.

#49. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 24, 2010 9:17 AM

I think i missed something... Why does seemingly everyone think Christian is Flocke? Especially when Claire distinguishes between her father and her friend?

#50. Posted by: Norm at February 24, 2010 9:24 AM

When Hurley was wandering down the hallway to find the secret passage, he stopped at a lone symbol. I knew what it meant right away! It is called the
Shen, a loop of rope that has no beginning and no end. It symbolizes eternity and protection.

The symbol is often seen being clutched by deities in bird form, Horus the falcon, or Mut, the vulture (the Lady of Heaven). I believe we heard the caw of the Hurley bird during jack and Hurley's trek to the lighthouse.

#51. Posted by: welh at February 24, 2010 9:31 AM

This show is like a nightmare you cannot wake up from. The only reason I watch is because I have 5 plus years invested into it. Mac's "Jacob rant" is spot on. Enough with this pseudo wiseman stuff, start getting to the point. Temples, lighthouses and caves, oh my!
Frankly the flash sideways have become the most interesting part of the show.

#52. Posted by: gables79 at February 24, 2010 9:50 AM

4+8+15+16+23+42=108?

#53. Posted by: harry_hood at February 24, 2010 10:12 AM

I haven't read all the posts yet but have some thoughts to get out:

I have a feeling that both sideways timelines are realities, except the on-island one is happening now, and then in the series finale, they somehow turn back time (not go back in time) to 1977, and the island sinks. So then they get to start their lives over in 1977. Jack would probably be 7 or 8, and somehow that ties back to his appendix.

Why are there 2 sets of lists (the cave and the lighthouse)? I would think it would be hard to keep them in sync. Why didn't Flocke take Sawyer to the lighthouse instead of the cave off the cliff for a safer journey? Is one list Flocke's and the other Jacob's?

Was Locke's name crossed off in the lighthouse too? Why is Linus crossed off if he's not dead? Is it because he took a jacuzzi bath and maybe is also infected? If so, why is Littleton crossed off, and not Jarrah?

Does Jacob know that most of the candidates are no longer in the temple? If not, why does he show no concern that it's no longer safe there? Are Jack and Hurley the only candidates now, or maybe just Jack?

My son gave some insight about the rocks on the scale saying they are no longer balanced since Flocke threw the white one in the ocean. This supports the ying-yang theory that they balance each other. Perhaps both good and evil is necessary for the world to exist. Otherwise if only good, then heaven, and if only eveil, then hell. Evil wants to reign, so good must keep watch over him.

The rocker was probably Alex's.

#54. Posted by: BEMH at February 24, 2010 10:14 AM

Another thought: Do we know for certain Adam & Eve were a man and a woman? In yesterday's repeat of last week's episonde with the "pop-ups" it said that a black and a white rock were found with these bodies. Could they actually be Flocke and Jacob, or the prerequisites to the same?

Also a great line (Jack to Hurley at the lighthouse): Does it say anything on your arm about the door being locked?

#55. Posted by: BEMH at February 24, 2010 10:20 AM

Seems like in the alt timeline all of the daddy issues are evaporating like something that evaporates quickly. Kate blew up somebody NOT her step-father (I believe that was in a podcast or something? Help me out here?). Locke’s inviting his pop to his wedding, and Jack’s manning up and becoming a dad and not just a father. Why do I think Sawyer is no longer a conman and his father is still extant?

Stupid question – Which of Jin’s legs got Claired? Which foot of the statue remains?

Any translation on all of the ToD hieroglyphics?

I’m not familiar with the piece David was playing at his tryout – Maybe davidrh can help? Name? Composer? Any tie-ins? Dogen as nervous stage-dad?

I’m not quite clear on why Claire would be so upset that Kate took Aaron. I mean, Claire just up and disappeared. I would think that, as a mom, she would be thankful that someone took good care of her child. She sure could teach Lizzie Borden a thing or two…

Claire Littelton took an axe
Gave ol’ Justin’s chest a whack
When she found out what she’d done
Gave Poor Jin another one…

Hurley writing Jacob’s notes on his arm…good thing they filmed it before Sarah Palin’s whoop-de-doo.

#56. Posted by: ransomjackson at February 24, 2010 10:20 AM

@50: I think everyone has concluded that Christian is Smokey/MIB taking on his image as he is doing with Locke right now. The only part I'm confused about now is if MIB is stuck in Locke's body, then what is happening with Claire and Sayid, obviously they aren't the same as MIB because we see Claire and John together at the same time... does Smokey have some kind of mind control?

And I'm with everyone else about this whole missing memory stuff. That has GOT to be a big question for the coming episodes. So far (and forgive me if I miss a few) we've seen the following:

Jack doesn't know how he got the cut on his neck on the plane

Jack thinks he recognizes Desmond

Kate sees Jack from inside the cab and seems to recognize him

Jack can't remember when he had his appendix removed

What the heck does this mean? And for that matter, what the heck does this show mean?!?

Endless questions haha

#57. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 24, 2010 10:23 AM

Well, if last night didn't bang home the significance of mirrors, I don't know what!! Here's a theory I have. I don't know if anyone remembers, but wasn't Jack nicked on the right side of his neck? Then when he looked in the mirror, his reflection had a nick on the right side. Same with the appendix scar; on the reflection's left side. Is it really a reflection he's seeing in the mirror or his body from another timeline?

Also, Adam and Eve might be Rose and Bernard, who were with Vincent, after all. The black and white theme in the extreme?

Just over thinkin'.

#58. Posted by: glostover at February 24, 2010 10:27 AM

@ #7 & #8 - omg, you guys slay me!!

#59. Posted by: alexx at February 24, 2010 10:36 AM

@55/BEMH - "Could they actually be Flocke and Jacob, or the prerequisites to the same?"

I think they are Jacob/Flocke, but think they were "originally" male/female ... "young Jacob" seen by MIB/Sawyer probably represents Jacob's original form, and I'd speculate a young girl/woman will be shown to represent Flocke/MIB's original form.

I also think young Jacob/MIB had a pet dog, and Vincent is the Jacob/MIB-type equivalent of that dog. I know, ANVS ... ;)

#60. Posted by: ealgumby at February 24, 2010 10:39 AM

I classify the flash sideways as mere irrelevant filler. In the enhanced version of "The Substitute," it was stated that the sideways story was a "what if" (not an alternative time line) if Flight 815 did not crash on the island.

#61. Posted by: welh at February 24, 2010 10:46 AM

Why did Jack tell Sayid that Dogen wanted to kill him with poison when Dogen wanted to kill the infection with poison? Hurley seems to be the only lostie that will tell most if not all of what he knows and if he doesn't know he'll tell you that too.

#62. Posted by: JamesD at February 24, 2010 10:49 AM

@ #53 harry_hood: so if 4+8+15+16+23+42=108?

then

4Locke+8Reyes+15Ford+16Jarrah+23Sheppard+42Kwon = VOLTRON!!

#63. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at February 24, 2010 10:55 AM

GRAA Mac!

ok, this is probably being too picky, but one thing I remembered during the Jin/Claire scenes was this: the last time Claire and Jin saw each other, Jin didn't speak any English. Now he does, and Claire doesn't even seem surprised. Just rang a little false with me. Right up there with Claire's wig....

This episode was better than the Kate episode, but not as good as last week's. I'm just not loving the 6th season like I thought I would. After all the waiting, I guess I thought we'd be blown away with answers, and that's just not happening yet.

Like the rest of you, I absolutely _love_ that Hurley is speaking for us.

#64. Posted by: alexx at February 24, 2010 11:02 AM

#47
Thanks to you I will not be able to concentrate on work all day!
Desmond and Sawyer in the mud pit!!!! Sigh.................

#65. Posted by: Kompletely Lost at February 24, 2010 11:06 AM

@53 harry_hood posted:

>4+8+15+16+23+42=108?


STAND BACK! DavidRH's gonna blow!

#66. Posted by: Cecil at February 24, 2010 11:25 AM

I love this blog! Never posted, only lurked but coming out of my shell to ask if anyone else noticed the shot of Jack's childhood home where the address on it was 23? :)

#67. Posted by: almostlost at February 24, 2010 11:30 AM

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, but I found it interesting...

In the Temple, Dogen told Jack that the infection happened before...to his sister. Dogen never said Claire's name.

Then, when Jack sees Kate by the water and Kate says she's going to find Claire, Jack tells her not to do it (because he knows she's infected?!)

Does that mean he KNOWS Claire is his sister? How does he know?

I know his mom asked if he knew Claire Littleton in the ALT timeline...but we never knew that Jack knew on the island.

How come he treated her like a stranger all that time on the island if he knew?

#68. Posted by: Juliet's Romeo at February 24, 2010 11:31 AM

@#68

My thought on this was that Dogen explained to Jack that Claire was his sister (off camera). We are now just operating with the understanding that he knows Claire is his sister. Interesting, though, that he did not choose to share this new found information with Kate.

The simplest explanation is rarely the correct one in lost world, but maybe it works here.

#69. Posted by: K9Vincent at February 24, 2010 11:39 AM

@ #68 - (flinching) dude, you're gonna get reamed...

#70. Posted by: alexx at February 24, 2010 11:40 AM

@68

Jack found out claire was his sister at the funeral he attended, after they left the island,when he met Claire's mother. I think that was last season.

So basically he never knew while they were on the island, and so he treated her like a stranger, but found out before coming back to the island that she was his sister. Hope that helps.

#71. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 24, 2010 11:40 AM

Jack knows Claire is his sister because when he was off island as part of the Oceanic 6, he had a funeral for his dad and Claire's mom was there. That's when he found out he had a sister and that it was Claire. Then, Jack returned to the island on the Ajira flight with this information, correct?

#72. Posted by: almostlost at February 24, 2010 11:43 AM

why was the episode called Jughead?

(just kidding ;-P)

someone mentioned above how Jack's name looked different on the wheel - just watched that scene again - seems to me like Jack's name AND Sayid's name are both darker, almost as if someone traced over the originals. Didn't see any others that looked like that.

#73. Posted by: 74 aka Steve at February 24, 2010 11:55 AM

Wow, that was actually quite gentle.

Speculations on the mirror tricks? I'm assuming we'll never get an explanation about how the lighthouse works (or worked before Jack went off), but does such blatant magic suggest anything new about the whole nature of the main mysteries?

Oh, and looks like its Flockey vs Stalkey now.

#74. Posted by: LockeBox at February 24, 2010 11:55 AM

GRAA mac. I'm with you that ALT Jack is probably married (or was married) to Juliet. That was my first impression, but then again, I have been wrong. (NoooOOooOoooo!)

I would also like to put a vote in for a Sawyer and Sayid mud fight! YES!

Jack's son's name, David, is also a biblical name. Just throwing that out there.

And finally, I believe we have a new acronym out of this episode and from all the posts above regarding the appendix scar... ANTS?

#75. Posted by: BunnyLover at February 24, 2010 12:05 PM

I think I now know what Dogen was referring to when he said that "darkness" was about to take over Sayid, and that the same thing had happened to Claire. Since Dogen is on Jacob's side, the "darkness" was Flocke, or the Man in Black. And as we know, the Man in Black or Flocke is Jacob's enemy.

#76. Posted by: Hummus_Luvr at February 24, 2010 12:20 PM

here's a screencap of the rock i was talking about with jack in #20, just found it kinda cool... enjoy.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/8900/lostskull.jpg

#77. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 24, 2010 12:26 PM

I've discovered by lurking here and there that the piano piece David was playing is also the same one Faraday was playing when his mum told him he had to stop. Piano teacher?

Sounds to me like both Flockey and Jacob are big fat liars.

And of course Jack is Jacob's fave candidate. Look at how close their names are...

#78. Posted by: freckles at February 24, 2010 12:28 PM

Anyone Notice The Numbers Add Up To One Hundred And Eight?
ANTNAUTOHAE????

#79. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 24, 2010 12:33 PM

According to the Slate.com recap, Jack told David the TV was set up to watch the Red Sox but in the photobooth pics David was decked out in Dodger gear.

#80. Posted by: freckles at February 24, 2010 12:42 PM

@ 18. / 34. re ANTJAIOTWSOHB?

Jack was looking in the mirror.

#81. Posted by: LockeBox at February 24, 2010 12:45 PM

Libby's last name was SMITH.

#82. Posted by: Ames at February 24, 2010 12:47 PM

Kitty and Snowdrop were Alice's black and white kittens.

#83. Posted by: freckles at February 24, 2010 12:52 PM

I haven't read ALL the comments yet so forgive me if this has already been said...108 is the SUM of the numbers remember? 4+8+15+16+23+42=108. it's a reaccuring theme thruout the entire show. ifthe mirror was turned to 108 degrees what do you think we would have saw? somthingpretty damn important i bet!
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/108

#84. Posted by: Ames at February 24, 2010 12:54 PM

Ransom’s Goofy-ass Theory of the Day

I postulated some time ago that I believe that our Alt Timeline Losties will somehow find themselves headed back to Australia, flying over and crashing back onto the island. I still believe this to be true.

Everyone feels incomplete to me, like they are all halves, waiting to be re-joined. Everyone, including and maybe especially, Jacob and MIB.

What if our Alt Timeline Losties find their way back to the island, meet themselves, and the space/time continuum folds in upon itself, creating whole selves, freeing their cosmic entities (soul, ka, what have you) to continue their journey or voyage of completion? What if the Alt Timeline Losties are the “they” referred to in D-bag Jacob’s cryptic, “They’re coming…”

And what if that ultimate destiny is self-sacrifice? It would have to be the someone with the most to lose. Someone who feels, incomplete, unfinished, broken, and, dare I say it, Lost. Converting (baptizing?) a man of science into a man of faith…now that would be something.

Jacob, by touching our Losties and nudging them into directions they might not have chosen to go, has set in motion a (donkey wheel) turn of events that will surely lead to his own demise, but promises better things for mankind. Or at least some small portion of it.

MIB doesn’t want them to come back and spin the Wheel of Destiny (can I buy a vowel?). He’s trapped, immortal, until the last of the candidates have exercised their free will, typically greed, self-interest and self-preservation, and perished down a path of their own choosing. He wants them to die individually, alone, angry, and without faith or belief. But aren’t those the very traits he exemplifies? MIB doesn’t want Jacob to succeed because that means that he would “re-join” Jacob. And he doesn’t want to be immortal any more either, That’s why he’s looking for a loophole. So he can get off that friggin’ island and go to Vegas and have some mainland fun. Eat something other than fish and coconuts and wild boar, down a couple of cold ones, score some cocktail waitresses. You know, all the sins of the flesh that he’s been denied for so long.

Now I just hafta wait 6 more days to find out that my theory is complete hogwash.

#85. Posted by: ransomjackson at February 24, 2010 1:13 PM

I'm at #78 and so far nobody has mentioned that the "appendix" scar on Jack closely resembles the branding scars left on Sayid and Claire . Will we see Jack put thru the "test"?

#86. Posted by: Len at February 24, 2010 1:14 PM

This might not mean anything, but Mark Pellegrino ("Jacob") has a recurring role as "Lucifer" (Satan) in the TV Show "Supernatural". Personally, I don't trust Jacob...as the season progresses, I agree with Mac. Maybe the Jacobians are the bad guys...?

#87. Posted by: Donnie at February 24, 2010 1:17 PM

One more thought, I think the blond boy is Aaron in the present (2010) timeline. The nuclear bomb set off by Juliette pushed them into the "correct" time. That's why John Locke saw "giant" Walt...just a theory.

#88. Posted by: Donnie at February 24, 2010 1:19 PM

@23 - Sorry to hijack your theory...didn't read all posts before posting. DOH!

I also noticed I'm not the only one who thinks the castaways are now in 2010...

#89. Posted by: Donnie at February 24, 2010 1:34 PM

Why did Jack have to go and smash the mirrors? Wouldn't you want to check out some of the other numbers first?

Kate was #51.

Jack couldn't remember how his appendix was taken out. He also doesn't seem to know anything about his son. Sounds like a lot of memories were lost. This seems important.

#90. Posted by: BostonSteve at February 24, 2010 1:36 PM

Rewatch surprises:

1) David is drinking Apollo soda in the kitchen.
2) Hurley just has directions through the jungle on his arm. Up top is the round symbol where lies the secret passage, then a bunch of landmarks, and finally "pull chain.. 108o" (His other hand carefully obscures the last line when he's still in the temple.)
3) There's a bottle of McCutcheon 60 when Jack's mom pours her drink.

and most importantly
4) The house in the mirror is the same house Jack drives up to find the will - in ALTland at least, it's STILL his dad's house.

Which is what I meant at #8 - despite whatever Jacob wants Jack to figure out, I think #23 is CHRISTIAN Shephard.

So great. No closer to figuring the whole thing out.

#91. Posted by: LockeBox at February 24, 2010 1:45 PM

Long time reader, 2nd time posting so please be nice!! :)

I was surprised at how emotional Jack got when he heard his message to David on the answering machine. He just got very emotional very quickly. And the message was kinda strange.."something happened and I just wanted to hear your voice". what happened in sydney? I know Christian died but Jack already knew that and i'm assuming that was his reason for being in Sydney? (a lot of things are different in this time line so ya never know). I got the feeling that when Jack heard himself he remembered something and that's why he was so emotional. Remember Faraday crying when he saw the footage of the plane down at the bottom of the ocean and he didn't know why?? Just a thought. I think there is more to that scene.

#92. Posted by: Chrissy at February 24, 2010 1:48 PM

I believe the blond haired boy is the same one that asked Ben... "Do you want me to do it? I can do it if you want me to." ... right before Ben was going to kill Rousseau in Ep 512 "Dead Is Dead". Ben eventually stole Alex and the boy was never seen again to my recollection. I have done comparisons and they look identical.

If this is true then it would probably rule out Jacob (or not) and would rule out Aaron because this was 16 years before the Losties.

#93. Posted by: dbwebdude at February 24, 2010 1:49 PM

@#93 that boy with Ben when kidnapping Alex is Ethen.

#94. Posted by: Ames at February 24, 2010 1:56 PM

@#93 i also disagree that they look "identical"
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:5x12_ben_ethan_shut_up.jpg

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:MysyeriousKid.jpg

#95. Posted by: Ames at February 24, 2010 2:01 PM

Loved that Jack picked up a rabbit to get the key for his ex wife's house!!!

I think it is very significant that Jack's memory in this alt life is so fuzzy - suggests it is really a "faux" life.

Also, who plays Jack's mother? Too much plastic surgery but I think it is Veronica Hammill!!!

Wish Dogen did not have the beard in the alt life!!!

Did anyone recognize the other buildings that were reflected in the mirrors? I think one was the university where Faraday worked, but did not recognize the first one shown.

If Locke is back with Claire does that mean Sawyer is there too?

#96. Posted by: weepict at February 24, 2010 2:05 PM

"Sawyer and Jack in the final showdown, replacing Flocke and Jacob."

There is still the Widmore and Linus battle/showdown. What happened to that?

Lighthouse 108; since the numbers assigned to each survivor adds up to 108, does this mean that ALL of them are destined to protect the island?

Protect the Island from what or whom?

And WHO is coming to the Island? Any thoughts?

#97. Posted by: PV at February 24, 2010 2:11 PM

@96

The first building reflected in the mirror appeared to be a pagoda-like structure. Perhaps it was the place where Jin and Sun were married. It looked familiar and was an east-Asian style structure.

Just rewatched online, and Jack's scar is on his right side. The camera showed his reflection when he was first noticing the scar.

Was anyone else hoping that Hurley would yell out to Jack when Jacob appeared and say to Jacob, "Dude, stay here. Don't move. JAAAACCCKK!!!" even though Hurley knew only he could see Jacob.

I want more Sun!!!!!

#98. Posted by: Don't_hate_the_new_guy at February 24, 2010 2:29 PM

David Shepherd-Seems like a bit of a Biblical reference there. (Makes me wonder who/ what the Goliath will be in this scenario? Flocke?) A few weeks ago, another poster offered the Psalm 23 connection to Jack's name and number. Seems like these are some pretty glowing symbols for Jack as hero...although I've been tricked before!

I have to admit that I yelled at the tv, too, when Jack smashed the mirrors. I wonder if TPTB could hear the collective yelling of the dedicated Losties from their tower?

#99. Posted by: lardiea at February 24, 2010 2:47 PM

@#94 Doh... you are so right.

I should have done more research. Plus Ben actually says his (Ethan's) name. I didn't hear that the first time around.

Thanks for pointing that out to me Ames.

#100. Posted by: dbwebdude at February 24, 2010 2:52 PM

I heard that if you freezeframe in David's room there is a picture of Juliette and David, thus confirming this article's suspicion of her being David's mother. Can anyone confirm this? I haven't tested it yet.

#101. Posted by: halexmorph at February 24, 2010 2:57 PM

@Mac - "...Dr. Daddy center of Jack's cerebral cortex." hahahahahahaha!

@Mac, @52 gables79- Jacob Rant - We're starting to see what could've gotten MIB/Esau worked up to the point of his scene on the beach with Jacob in last season's finale. His passive-aggressive pathway to enlightenment gets old fast!

@6 LockeBox - 51=Austen. Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

@13 Crispy Seaplanes - "A lot of good lines this week." It WAS a lot for a non-Sawyer episode. In addition to those already mentioned:
- Claire - "If there's one thing that will kill you around here it's infection." Just ask Justin!
- Hugo - "...you and me trekking through the jungle on our way to do something that we don't quite understand - good times!"

#102. Posted by: robinpiney at February 24, 2010 2:58 PM

Something to ponder:

When Flocke shows up at Camp Ghost Claire, she says it is not Locke but her friend. Jin sees Locke (as we do) but the inference is that Claire is seeing someone else. If it was Christian she is seeing, then she could have said this is Christian or my father, but she did not. Is it an illusion or a spell cast upon individual viewers so the character will react in a certain way. Remember, Claire wanted to leave the island, and Locke did not. So she may be seeing MIB as a different character than Dead Locke.

#103. Posted by: welh at February 24, 2010 3:00 PM

I thought when Jack listened to his message, he got sentimental because David "saved" it. It would have been a few days ago, so why is it still on his machine, and before the audition info. I took Jack's response to be surprise and sadness that David saved that message basically saying he wanted to hear David's voice.
So Jack went to Australia thinking his father was still alive, correct? So this message was to David when he discovered that Christian was dead.

#104. Posted by: Rudy at February 24, 2010 3:01 PM

I think the noise that the flashes make has changed. This season it has sounded like smokey approaching but somewhere in the middle of the episode it sounded more like the old whoosh.

And when Locke met the man in Jacob's cabin that said "help Me". Online screen shots showed it looked like Locke himself. But now the MIB looks like Locke. So was the cabin keeping the MIB in or Protecting Jacob? Because if The MIB is smokey, he wasn't trapped in the cabin because he was all over the island. So it must have been Jacob, but looking like Locke?

#105. Posted by: berkyo at February 24, 2010 3:19 PM

Haven't posted in awhile, but there was so many good posts today, had to jump in!

From reading various posts, i'm confused why Flocke would say Kwon could be Jin or Sun, since it goes by birthname right? Unless it eludes to the fact Jacob was there during the marriage and that constitutes when they were selected (maybe i answered my own question)

To the question about who the little boy is, maybe it was a young sawyer? Jacob touched sawyer when he was 8, then flocke and sawyer see a 8 year old boy that has very similar attributes (age, hair color)

I think the good evil thing is still Jacob is good, Flocke Evil, they're just trying to give you so many sides you're as confused as the people on the island (which to me, ads to the flavor of the series). Sure it's annoying that Jacob is teasing Jack, but really, how can we appreciate Jack's utter disdain when we ourselves don't feel the same way. I'm sure everyone wanted to grab a pole and bash something in :)

Also someone mentioned Sheppard could be Christian, but christian is dead, so he'd be crossed off? Unless they are referring to david, but clearly the house in the mirror was Jack's childhood house

I guess the people coming to the island is another group of people who have no idea what they are getting into, including someone named surnamed Wallace?

Also WHERE IS WALT?!? It seems a tad odd they seemed to dedicate alot of efforts to let you know Walt was special, but he's so special he's appeared in small cameo's since season 2 pretty much.


#106. Posted by: Quite Visible Jacob at February 24, 2010 3:22 PM

Jack thought his father was still alive when he went to Australia.

#107. Posted by: Skulley at February 24, 2010 3:23 PM

Everyone has noted that Psalm 23 refers to "The Lord is my shepherd," etc...

Guess who wrote said psalm? David!!!

#108. Posted by: freckles at February 24, 2010 3:27 PM

@57 in response to 50

I was thinking they were the same until Claire mentioned that Locke was not Locke, but she referred to Christian as her father. I can't wait for this answer. If Flocke is Chritian why didn't he turn the wheel to leave the island when Locke was at the wheel?

#109. Posted by: Norm at February 24, 2010 3:38 PM

I'm really confused by this:

If MIB/Smokey only became FLocke when Ajira crashed, who has Claire been talking to for the past three years, and how could she have been talking to Christian and "Friend" if Christian is also MIB/Smokey? And does Claire still see MIB while everyone else sees "Locke"

#110. Posted by: Rudy at February 24, 2010 3:39 PM

I had a bit of a start when I loaded the page to see how many posts there had been since my last reading - and the number of comments was ........ 108!

Another comment on something I just can't seem to get. If, according to Daniel - whatever happened, happened (when they were flashing back in time) - then I just don't see how the bomb could have actually exploded, because if it was, and the anomaly was destroyed, then why would the Swan have been built, and how then could they have been thrust ahead in time to the remains of the Swan?

Aack - nosebleed.

And - to the poster who suggested that the ALT timeline might end them back up crashing over the island - the island would have to then be 'raised' since it's submerged in the ALT timeline.

I've been a big fan of LOST throughout the years, but I am getting rather impatient for a few more answers. All I can think of is that May 23rd is getting closer and closer and I'm still profoundly confused and lost.

And finally, GRAA Mac!

Susan

#111. Posted by: Susan at February 24, 2010 3:49 PM

The piece David was playing in his audition was Chopin's "Fantaisie Impromptu"

#112. Posted by: irishfan at February 24, 2010 3:54 PM

I agree that the island time line is in 2010. That is why the Ajira flight saw a flash and it changed from night to day before they crashed.
This also puts Aaron at the right age to be the blond boy. It will be interesting to see the roll a 20 year old Walt will play in this time. I'm sure were also not done seeing something important from Jin and Sun's baby, now about 6 years old.
Final scene will be Sawyer and Jack repeting the Jacob MIB beach scene word for word.

#113. Posted by: S.W. Confused at February 24, 2010 4:01 PM

Locke is the best character on this show. Claire is creepy as hell. I miss Faraday. This season is insane so far.

#114. Posted by: boozy at February 24, 2010 4:07 PM

Now we have 4 generations of Shepards (4 1/2 if you count Aaron) and the sign in the hall for the auditions for the music school said "Welcome Candidates." So take your pick, David has to be there for some reason.

Are the flash sideways how life would have been if the plane had not crashed or how life would have been if there was no Jacob's list?

Libby's last name was "Jughead"

#115. Posted by: lostsox at February 24, 2010 4:10 PM

Wallace as 108.

How about - that is the name of the Man In the Black shirt on the beach with Jacob.

#116. Posted by: DocH at February 24, 2010 4:26 PM

@ 101. halexmorph: I combed the scene in David's room, and I'm pretty convinced there is not a single clue to his mom's identity anywhere in the house, and quite deliberately.* There are some pictures visible behind Jack when he plays the answering machine, but didn't recognize anyone.

(* Perhaps she hadn't been cast yet?)

#117. Posted by: LockeBox at February 24, 2010 4:29 PM

Curious: Why is it so important to claim MIF when the poster has nothing to say?

#118. Posted by: Alida at February 24, 2010 4:34 PM

#118. Posted by: Alida

GO HERE -

www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/archives/2009/04/lost-blog-acron.shtml

READ -

MIF - Meg Is First. A tongue-in-cheek response to those enthusiastic (and irrelevant) "First!" comments that sometimes appear when a new review is posted.

LEARN

Sometimes used as Mine Is First.

#119. Posted by: ANON2 at February 24, 2010 4:42 PM

@96: "Loved that Jack picked up a rabbit to get the key for his ex wife's house!!!"

I cannot BELIEVE I didn't post that first... must be slipping...

#120. Posted by: BunnyLover at February 24, 2010 4:48 PM

Thanks, Anon2, for your response & explanation. Everything was fine until your sarcastic "LEARN." That was unnecessary.

#121. Posted by: Alida at February 24, 2010 4:49 PM

@106 Quite Visible Jacob queried:

>Also WHERE IS WALT?!? It seems a tad odd they seemed to dedicate alot of efforts to let you know Walt was special, but he's so special he's appeared in small cameo's since season 2 pretty much.

I think Walt is absent for quite ordinary production reasons. The actor is six years older now than when the series started, at a time of life when six years makes a tremendous difference. They papered over the problem once by jumping the time three years (equivalent to the time since production started) in the story timeline, from 2004 to 2007.

But the story timeline hasn't gone any further than 2007 (pace 2010 believers) while Malcolm David Kelley has grown another three years older and bringing him back now would further strain belief - especially not in the ALT still apparently set in 2004. So we done't see Michael and Walt deboarding ALT815.

#122. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 24, 2010 4:57 PM

@121 Alida:

a) Tradition. See 5+ years of back posts to see why.

b) Because we are wild and crazy guys...

And it seem few of the people posting MIF! are actually Meg.

#123. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 24, 2010 5:00 PM

And for another tradition:

WELCOME! all you new posters, whether long time readers or you just found this place.

CONGRATUATIONS! You've found the courage to push your name (or moniker) and opinions out there in cyberspace for all to see.

I well remember, long about the end of season two, first finding the courage to do so myself, wondering whether I'd be ridiculed, attacked, or just ignored. But what I found here was a wonderful place full of friendly people.

That's mac's (That's Mac Slocum, writer of this blog and owner of the Fodder network) doing, building a very friendly and accepting place and the regulars try to assist in keeping it that way.

About the only thing not tolerated here is flames and x-rated posting, and when we unintentionally step on somebody's feelings, we're quick to appologize.

If some things don't seem to make sense at first, it's probably a tradition based on some event in the past. Frequent mentions of 'Jughead' for instance, stem from when I was guest reviewer of episode 5-3 when mac had to be out of town on Lost night. With my head down scribbling notes, I failed to notice "Jughead" stenciled on the side of the bomb and asked in my review if anybody could figure out the episode name.

ANTP (anybody notice the picture?) and "hey the numbers add to 108" are subjects that newbies (or even oldies who hadn't read the preceding 500 posts) kept bringing up long past the time it had been discussed ad nauseum on the blog, and so frequently draw an 'arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh' from certain quarters.

But it's all in fun, and you'll find a lot of decent theorizing (ask vacc about his Djinn theory), speculation, and frequent pointers to other cool stuff surrounding our favorite TV show.

Jump right in and let us know what you think. We'll welcome the new point of view.

#124. Posted by: Cecil at February 24, 2010 5:19 PM

I like the thought that the alt time line is faux...and a higher power seemingly has made everything hunky dory. Locke finding love and coming to grips with himself, Jack finding his true, loving father self, Hurley, the luckiest man alive and even Kate perhaps is on the road to clearing her name. Also kinda of Wizard of Ozish with all the side characters showing up as regular, good hearted folk.

#125. Posted by: dharma boy at February 24, 2010 5:23 PM

A couple of posters have mentioned that Jack thought his father was alive when he went to Australia. Have I missed something in the flash sideways? I was still under the assumption that Jack was in Australia to bring his dead father home. Can someone help me if I have missed something?

#126. Posted by: AmyR at February 24, 2010 5:26 PM

Losties in Other contexts report:

It's two in a row for "Forgotten".

Last week, Tania "Alex Rousseau/Linus" Raymonde as a surrogate mother.

Last night, Sam "Bernard Nadler" Anderson as the driver of a wrecked subway train.

#127. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 24, 2010 5:29 PM

@126 AmyR worried:

>A couple of posters have mentioned that Jack thought his father was alive when he went to Australia. Have I missed something in the flash sideways? I was still under the assumption that Jack was in Australia to bring his dead father home. Can someone help me if I have missed something?

No, you haven't missed anything. It's speculation about what the 'upsetting event' was in Australia that made Jack call home just to hear David's voice, as we heard last night when he played the phone messages.

#128. Posted by: Cecil at February 24, 2010 5:32 PM

You are such a nice man Cecil!

And Thanks Mac for the review.
And all the posters that help me sort my tangled thoughts.

BTW wasn't the Dharma station in LA where Mrs Hawking and the pendulum were also called the lighthouse?

#129. Posted by: berkyo at February 24, 2010 6:22 PM

GRAA Mac!

@#34, davidr: Yes, I did notice that Jack's appendix was on the wrong side. Unless I noticed wrong I see three possibilities:

1. Another error. If that's the case, then: Hey! Don't get all sloppy now.

2. My first thought when I saw the scar was: Jack for some reason donated his kidney to Anthony Cooper taking away Cooper's reason to betray Locke, hence Locke's lack of hatred for his father. But the scar is probably too low to be from a kidney transplant.

3. We're really seeing a mirror universe in more than one way. After all, we've been hit over the head with mirrors all season long: Jack in the plane, Locke in the bathroom, Jack again today, the mirrors in the lighthouse (anyone else thinking the lighthouse showed the ALT world, not the Island world? through the looking glass!) and I'm sure there was a mirror somewhere in Kate's episode.

#130. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 24, 2010 6:41 PM

@129
BTW wasn't the Dharma station in LA where Mrs Hawking and the pendulum were also called the lighthouse?

...or was it the 'lamppost'?

#131. Posted by: dharma boy at February 24, 2010 6:46 PM

@-mac.
thanks for another great review,
i believe only a fan of the show could write a piece with such passion,
i had a feeling whilst reading your recap that this episode didn't quite cut it for you,
im kinda with you on that, i did enjoy the episode, however i hate to learn new things we were promised in one sentance or in some cases half sentance-stammer- - -cut to new scene,
ITS TOO LATE TO PULL THIS STUFF ON US NOW!

#132. Posted by: san at February 24, 2010 7:03 PM

Jack's Appendix: He was looking in a mirror, so an appendix scar on his real body (on the right) appears on HIS left (OUR right) in the mirror image. Or, am I missing something? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

#133. Posted by: Alida at February 24, 2010 7:07 PM

last week smoke,
this week mirrors,
-remind you of magic acts...

#134. Posted by: san at February 24, 2010 7:13 PM

...or was it the 'lamppost'?
#131. Posted by: dharma boy

Thanks

#135. Posted by: berkyo at February 24, 2010 7:13 PM

@130 Plain Simple "nyone else thinking the lighthouse showed the ALT world, not the Island world? through the looking glass"

Yep! I love this idea. Someone (Locke Box?) mentioned this much earlier in the posts and I thought it was a great idea. The mirrors allow them to remember/see their alternate selves. The island has served as a mirror through which they could examine/learn about themselves.

Someone also mentioned that 23 was Shepherd's house number. If that is true, nice catch!

The mirror moment in Kate's episode was at the chop shop when she went to change and rummaged through Claire's bag.

I have to say that I am not jumping on the "they're in 2010" bandwagon. I can't compute why that would make sense. I'm not sure how that would advance the story in any way. Some might argue that it would allow for the aging of Walt, Ji Yeon & Aaron, but I don't feel like a 3 year jump would be enough to make Ji Yeon and/or Aaron old enough to play a relevant/candidate-like importance to the story line. JMHO. Of course, I'm sure I will be proven wrong...

#136. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 24, 2010 7:18 PM

@96

The first mirror image shown is supposed to be the home of Sun's Father, and also the place where she and Jin became engaged and later married.

I actually got to visit a lot of our favorite LOST scenes on a LOST tour that I took when my family took a vacation to Hawaii. If any of you ever get the chance to experience that... do it... before the show is over because I'm not sure how much longer they will keep it around afterwords. It was such an amazing experience.

#137. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 24, 2010 8:02 PM

#136 Lost2theworld - when you mentioned the chop shop mirror and Kate, that helped me remembered that she had said to the man, "Do you have a place where I can change?" I immediately thought of the ISLAND! This week, Claire announced Justin as someone she "thought was dead but turned out to be pretending." I immediately thought of HER. These are the little things I love about the writing of this show. But, the big picture, at this moment, I'm not too clear on!

#138. Posted by: Sayidisn'tso at February 24, 2010 8:05 PM

Hi, my first time commenting on this forum. I just want to say that Mac's reviews are great to read and so are all the responses.

I'm convinced that the island is simply a place for a battle between good and evil, light and dark, fate and destiny. Originally it was Jacob and Flocke/Smoky/MIB and now its looking like those two are lining up Jack and Sawyer to possibly take over those roles; Jack being a doctor who saves lives and Sawyer being an criminal who killed someone intentionally ie good and evil.

I love the fact that we seem to get progression but still have many many many more questions. Also- WHERE IS WALT!!!!

#139. Posted by: Seb Daniels at February 24, 2010 8:22 PM

Quick little sidenote: I want to offer a big, hearty WELCOME to all the folks who are posting for the first time this season. I'm really glad you're jumping in!

I also want to thank all the regulars for being so gracious, welcoming and inclusive. Those are rare qualities in online communities and I truly appreciate your generosity. -- mac

#140. Posted by: mac at February 24, 2010 8:26 PM

@130 Plain Simple "nyone else thinking the lighthouse showed the ALT world, not the Island world? through the looking glass"
The is my first post so if this has been speculated before please forgive me. I'm just about positive there is not just an ALT world but that there are many and maybe an infinite number. In the ALT sequences I don't think we're seeing what would have happened if the plane hadn't crashed, I think we're seeing what is happening on a different world where the plane never crashed and that the island is now on that world. The bomb didn't reset the clock, it moved the island to another world. As to the lighthouse amongst other things I keep thinking what would you see in the mirror set on for example 23 if you could rotate the lighthouse? Shepard's house on another world? And I think it can be rotated- the island can be moved via donkey wheel for sure and the lighthouse is on the island.

#141. Posted by: oohmyhead at February 24, 2010 8:33 PM

If some things don't seem to make sense at first, it's probably a tradition based on some event in the past. Frequent mentions of 'Jughead' for instance, stem from when I was guest reviewer of episode 5-3 when mac had to be out of town on Lost night. With my head down scribbling notes, I failed to notice "Jughead" stenciled on the side of the bomb and asked in my review if anybody could figure out the episode name.

Best guest review ever. Cecil, c'mon, it's not like you let a "little roller up along first" get through your legs in the 6th game of the World Series and........never mind.
Thank God there were no hieroglyphics on that bomb.

#142. Posted by: lostsox at February 24, 2010 8:41 PM

It's looking more and more like any answers are going to come pretty late... but did we expect otherwise?

How about a brief thread where we come up with what we what answered, such as who exactly (he's not a what) is Smokey?

Mac, if this catches your interest, could you set it up please? Maybe TPTB will see it and use it as a checklist! :)

#143. Posted by: The Duf at February 24, 2010 8:50 PM

From Mac's review - "Jack realizes he and his fellow castaways have been played all along. ... He's usually too pigheaded to understand mystical answers -- or those that require a wee bit of outside-the-box thinking."

@6/LockeBox - "Love how Hurley plays the role of US on the show."

I've already commented on how I agree Hurley "mirrors" us, the viewing audience, in this epi. What came up in a discussion this afternoon with Alaïs_Longthought though, was how that might also mean we're both being played. Hurley questions nothing, and just does what he's told ... dude sharing the back seat of a cab hands him a guitar case and tells him to jump on a plane, and off he goes, right? Does that naiveté ALSO mirror the possible gullibility of the audience? Is it *supposed* to? Are TPTB playing us, just as Jacob played Hurley & Jack?

I know, inconceivable, as it's obvious to even complete dullards that Jacob is the epitome of all that is goodness, and would never consider "playing" anyone, right? Cough cough. Yeah, I know, I must be a freakin' moron ...

Hey, here's a thought ... why DIDN'T Jacob appear in the lighthouse? Jack wondered where he was, but of course Hurley didn't ... never even occurred to him to think twice ... just like US? Hmm ...

So maybe it means nothing. Or, maybe it means Jacob *couldn't* enter the lighthouse. Gee, that would be kinda weird though, given the "obvious" correlation between "light" and what has traditionally been held to be good/true. Of course I have no proof Jacob could not enter the lighthouse, nor does anyone else have proof he could. Let's be clear about one thing ... it is a logical fallacy to claim truth based upon lack of proof to the contrary.

We can speculate all day long about such things as whether the names/numbers in the lighthouse actually belong to Jacob or MIB, and likewise about the names/numbers in the cave, and on and on. Those are points of conjecture, regardless of how "obvious" one might think the answers to these questions might be. I can lay out hundreds of different scenarios, from "plausible" to "ludicrous," to explain myriad events on this show, but they are ALL just theories until PROVEN otherwise via canonical evidence.

There is a huge gap between real proof and even apparent "likelihood." Really, there is, and failure to grasp the significance of that difference makes intelligent, and courteous, discourse impossible. Of course, I'm just a fool to believe in such things as the value of debate before all the facts are in.

Like it or not Galileo, you are a heretic, and you *will* recant. Oops.

#144. Posted by: ealgumby at February 24, 2010 8:52 PM

I know the producers promised that this season would resemble season 1. Someone commented previously how the character-centric episodes are following the order of season 1 (Jack & mix, Kate, Locke, Jack). I'm not sure how long they can or will keep that up, but I also noticed that the episode names from the first season are important to this season:

- Tabula Rasa was the first Kate episode. It means clean slate, which pretty well describes the flash-sideways of this season.

- Walkabout was the first Locke episode, and this season's first Locke episode dealt with his attempted walkabout in the alternate timeline.

- This week's Jack episode featured the Alice in Wonderland book, and the corresponding episode in season 1 was called White Rabbit.

- Next week's episode is called Sundown. Which mirrors the Sun-centric sixth episode of season 1 "House of the Rising Sun." (Kind of a foreboding name for Jin & Sun fans).

Anyway, just thought it was interesting.

#145. Posted by: CDog at February 24, 2010 8:59 PM

im not surprised that jack is screwed-up,
the ghost of his dad kicks around on a mysterious island wearing tennis shoes and his mothr is janice dickinson!!

#146. Posted by: san at February 24, 2010 9:11 PM

“DUDE!!” a.k.a. “What I Learned on the Lost Blog Today”

Jacob is a tool.

Clousseau is crazy.

The cradle is not Aaron’s, but the skull may be Vincent’s.

4+8+15+16+23+42=Wallace

Libby is not a Wallace, but may be a Jughead.

Friday looks like Sunday on an ultrasound.

Alt-Jack’s appendix scar is on the right side, but his appendix is flashing sideways. Ditto Locke’s kidney, except on the left.

Island Jack knows that Claire is his infected sister, but his infected sister does not know that their father was MIB or that Flocke is not her friend, but she can perform surgery using paperclips.

Jack found out Christian was dead in Australia before he called his son David who wrote Psalm 23 and took piano lessons from the Oracle lady. Also, Dogen’s son is creepy and may be a stalker.

Aaron and Walt tested positive for HGH.

A Lighthouse lures candidates, while a Lamp Post locates islands.

RNM lost his funny this week, but Cecil retains his nice.

Mirrors are the new Hatches/DonkeyWheel/BlackRock/Submarine/Numbers/Smoke Monster.

Next week questions will be answered! Or not.

#147. Posted by: Clementine at February 24, 2010 9:11 PM

I'm with Don't_hate_the_new_guy. If Locke and his father are on good terms, why is he in a wheelchair? Anyone?

#148. Posted by: mushlyann at February 24, 2010 9:13 PM

2 comments: 1) in the alt timeline- why are all the characters in LA now- Ethan, Dogen, Ben Linus, Rose, et al.?? are they all together in one city for a reason or just convenient storytelling

2) if bomb created alt timeline at time of explosion (1977) wouldn't characters only be different after that point- How can Ben be a teacher in the alt timeline if he was on the island in '77 and already cured by the others? wouldn't he be dead and underwater with the island in the alt timeline?

#149. Posted by: sewardsv at February 24, 2010 9:40 PM

How did I miss the whole Jack sees scar *in the mirror* thing? I even went back to watch the scene again. There goes one mystery. :)

#150. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 24, 2010 9:47 PM

@111, Susan: "Another comment on something I just can't seem to get. If, according to Daniel - whatever happened, happened (when they were flashing back in time) - then I just don't see how the bomb could have actually exploded, because if it was, and the anomaly was destroyed, then why would the Swan have been built, and how then could they have been thrust ahead in time to the remains of the Swan?"

I see no reason to assume Jughead exploded. At least not in Island time (or whatever we're supposed to call it).

#151. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 24, 2010 10:30 PM

@Clementine #147...you summed up everything racing around in my head perfectly!

#152. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 24, 2010 10:35 PM

GRAA, Mac! Had a LMAO moment at your description of Jacob... ; )

#39. sandivon: Locke's knives:

While I think you're right that Locke wouldn't be carrying the case of knives around the Australian Outback, I'm sure that to get those knives on an airplane they had to be in that sort of carrying case.

#56. ransomjackson: Various & sundry:

I saw a piece of music by Chopin on David's desk in his mom's home, but am not sure if that's who the composer was for the piece he was playing. I would be curious to see if it was the same piece of music that Daniel was playing (which someone else may have mentioned; apologies if so). I also thought I saw the word "temple" handwritten on a sheet of music, but am not sure.

I like your poetry. ; )

And ealgumby & I were laughing about the same thing re Sarah Palin...I had said it was too bad that this episode was filmed before it happened; otherwise TPTB could have given her a shout-out by having Hurley write on his hand. Now wouldn't that have gotten the conspiracy theorists going! ; >

#67. almostlost: House no. of 23:

Unless I'm totally misremembering, it wasn't Jack's childhood home that had "23" on it; it was David's home w/his mother. And it wasn't just "23"; it was "233." I looked really carefully because I had the same initial thought. : )

#96. weepict: Who plays Jack's mother?

It is Veronica Hamel. She has NOT aged well.

More later...

#153. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at February 24, 2010 10:47 PM

@151 Plain Simple -

"I see no reason to assume Jughead exploded"

Then what got them 'back to the future? Do you assume that the flash was the time shift - not the bomb exploding? What would have prompted the time shift back to their 2004 present? I mean, I agree with you, but I just can't figure it out.

#154. Posted by: Susan at February 24, 2010 10:50 PM

@61 I went back to check out the enhanced version of "The Substitute" and it indeed stated that the sideways story was a "what if" This is disturbing in that all we know about Jack from his back stories, for example, he has no teenage son. Many other elements are present in the sideways story such as Benjamin Linus being a teacher, Evil Ethan an ObGyn are changed from the story we have been following so far. And we have little puzzles like Jack wondering when he had had his appendix out. That was not a 30 year old scar. If the producers are not playing foul, would that imply the crash changed all their back stories? Even those not involved in the crash? Certainly, if the plane hadn't crashed, Ethan and Ben would still be on the island 2 days after it would have crashed.

Or is this yet another Wizard of Oz allusion where the reality is different from the dream but has the same cast of characters. If after 5 years these guys are going to tell us this is all a dream, people will be storming ABC headquarters.

Can somebody assure me that TPTB are not getting fatally sloppy? If I can't believe in TPTB, will Santa Claus be next?

ps @26 I am skeptical that blond jungle boy is Aaron, but I like it!

#155. Posted by: August Paul at February 24, 2010 10:53 PM

@ all those who keep commenting on the island time-line (is it '07 or '10?) Don't forget, Faraday said something along the lines of time being relative. Time on the island doesn't work like time elsewhere. Remember the rocket test? Anyway, they (the writers) can pretty much say that it's any year they want.

No mention of the new teams:

Team Jacob:
Jack & Hurley

Team fLock:
Sawyer, Claire, Jin & Sayid.

Kate is still a free agent. She already chased after Sawyer who wanted to play solo and then told Jack she was looking for Claire. Seems to me, Jacob is happy with his squad.

Remember when they chose teams the last time (season 4?....right before we met Faraday) Hurley went with Locke and then, while beating Jack in a game of Horse at Santa Rosa Sanatarium and Day Spa told Jack he should have gone with him--while, unsuccessfully, trying to explain that they made a mistake by leaving.

No mention about Jack's reason for returning to the island....that he was broken. I'm thinking Jacob didn't break him until he finished with his tantrum (notice we saw the smashed casket last night as well) by smashing the mirrors and figuring out how to give David what he needs. (I'm thinking experiences in ALT world effect characters in MTL & vice versa)

Is Wallace (#108) important or was Jacob just wanting Hurley to turn the mirror to get the chance of Jack to notice things in it?

How is it that the temple is so well fortified yet Claire was able to escape. Is there a gotta-have-a-crazy=gun-totting-mother-who's-looking-for-her-child rule? Am I the only one who thought of Tom Hanks' friend, "wilson' when Jin looked in the bassinet?

@Mac GRAA

#156. Posted by: PZ at February 24, 2010 10:55 PM

The Duf wrote in #143---How about a brief thread where we come up with what we what answered, such as who exactly (he's not a what) is Smokey?

Along those lines, seven of us lost fanatics where i work are playing a 'lost' game we invented before the start of the season. What we did was take 63 burning unanswered questions and divided them up between the seven of us. We rated our own questions to which we thought would surely be answered from one point to nine points.

a random question from our game 'How did locke & eko escape the hatch implosion?' was rated worth one point; more than likely it would not get answered. 'Is Jacob dead?' was rated worth nine points, likely to be answered this season.

In short, what seemed like a great thing for us fanatics to enjoy during this final season as our questions from five seasons would finally be answered, TPTB decided to throw at us a flash sideways and a hundred new questions.

Our little lost game is almost lost before the first episode this year was over.

I thought a score of thirty to forty points would win the game, now one of us may win with as little as ten to fifteen points.

anyway, we all love our show and are enjoying any points we may recieve each week.

a little sidenote. the tiebreaker we came up with had a multiple choice question:
Who will be together at the end of the series (happy or not)?
A. Kate and Jack
B. Kate and Sawyer
C. Kate and Juliet
D. None of the above
I'm hoping for C.

#157. Posted by: day1lostfanatic at February 24, 2010 10:58 PM

@144, ealgumby: What was that all about? Not that I disagree with what you're saying for the most part, but what triggered this?

Clementine at 147: Thank you. That made me laugh repeatedly.

As I've been saying all through last season (which was when I first came to this blog), most characters on this show are constantly being used. I'm glad more and more people start realizing that Jacob is a tool. :) However, it seems now that MiB is also manipulating. It seemed a bit out of character that he would lie to Claire about Aaron. From what we've seen thus far MiB prefers openness of information.

#158. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 24, 2010 11:00 PM

I've recently started reading here and this is my first time posting.
I love reading these reviews and everyone's ideas and theories.
Just gotta say I want to see more Desmond! Hope they bring him back soon! And does anyone think Penny and Desmond's son Charlie is going to have some kind of role in the remaining episodes?

#159. Posted by: NicaGirl at February 24, 2010 11:01 PM

I think the timeline is 2007 not 2010. Didn't Jin tell Claire that Aaron was 3? Apparently Jin is somehow under the impression it is 2007. Not sure quite how he would know that but...

#160. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 24, 2010 11:01 PM

whoops - I meant to say back to their 2007 present!

#161. Posted by: Susan at February 24, 2010 11:08 PM

@125 Your reference to the Wizard of Oz appeared sometime between when I first logged onto the blog and when I wrote my comment. Not ignoring you. This seems to happen a lot here. MIITM (mine is in the middle)

#162. Posted by: August Paul at February 24, 2010 11:11 PM

Susan @ 154: I haven't figured it out yet either. Let's list some of the things we know:

*We have no idea what the ALT world is yet. It seems confirmed that whatever it is, it takes place during September 2004, so it cannot be set in the same timeline as the 'original' story. It may be a what-if story, it may be an alternate timeline for whatever that means, or the writers may come up with some other explanation. So far we just don't know, we only know it's not the original timeline.

*Everything we have seen up to LA X is compatible with Daniel's whatever happened, happened. The ALT world may be in contradiction to that hypothesis, but it's too early to tell. It seems that at least the original timeline continued in some form or the other and in that timeline (the Island story in season 6) whatever happened did indeed happen.

*So that means that if Jughead exploded there should be traces of that event in the Island timeline and there aren't. So I think it's safe to say that Jughead did not explode, unless we're supposed to believe that the special Island energy at the hatch's site somehow absorbed Jughead's blast and turned it into another time flash or something like that.

*What made the 1977 Losties jump to 2007? What triggered the time flash? Again, we don't know. As speculated above it could be that Jughead did explode and somehow its energy was used to create the time flash instead of blowing up part of the Island. But then, there could be any number of causes, since we don't really now what rules these flashes obey. Some people have speculated that Jacob's death had something to do with it, but that doesn't seem very likely. Why would his death in 2007 cause a flash at that specific time in 1977?


Btw, when Jack's son's name David was mentioned I was sure we had seen someone's son called David before on the show, but I just couldn't remember when or where. Surely must be important right? ... only... now I think I might have had a personal flash back to Sheridan's and Delenn's son David on Babylon 5. How did that find its way into my Lost musings?

#163. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 24, 2010 11:22 PM

Shephard is #23. The last episode is May 23? Arrrrggggghhhhhh

#164. Posted by: August Paul at February 24, 2010 11:23 PM


“I saw a piece of music by Chopin on David's desk in his mom's home, but am not sure if that's who the composer was for the piece he was playing.”
Posted by: Alaïs

Yes, someone (Irishfan, in #112) did identify the piece earlier. It’s Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromtu”, another of the composers very showy works. The middle melodic section was
used by songwriters in the 30’s (I think) for the song, “I’m always chasing rainbows”.

Here’s a nice rendition:
http://bit.ly/ahXefl

#165. Posted by: davidrh at February 24, 2010 11:24 PM

@24 CDog: "I'm thinking that it's not another group of candidates that are on their way, but a group of beings of similar standing to Jacob & Flocke, who know, or maybe created, the rules that they must follow."

Sounds like the Q will show up any day now!

I also noticed that the alt timeline has everyone getting a (mostly) happy ending. I am ready for it to end and merge back with the sweaty islanders though. It's like the writers couldn't come up with enough material to fill out the season so they made the alt line in order to use up time. There are only 13 episodes left, get to it!

#166. Posted by: PiecesofArzt at February 24, 2010 11:32 PM

Greetings all,

Posted once a long time ago, back again to see if anyone thought of a couple of points:

Dogen exists in the same time as Jack in the ALT world. That means that Dogen is roughly from the same generation as the Losties. Additionally, that probably means he's not a samurai as Hurley thought (Dude, I just lied to a samurai). He may be trained in the traditional art of bushido and martial arts, but definitely post World War II generation. Which if that is the case, did he come along with the French team?

Next is the lighthouse wheel and the cave names. In the cave, I remember seeing numbers around the 200's. If the numbers on the lighthouse wheel were corresponding degrees, then that would make a maximum of 360 candidates at any point and time. Do you think that's why some of the names have been re-written (Jack and Sayid's name) maybe to replace Jacob's and the MIB's old names on the wheel?

My two cents.

Arch

#167. Posted by: DM Arch at February 25, 2010 12:00 AM

Thanks for the great episode review.

I've also really enjoyed the reviews at this website. Another thoughtful writer.
http://bit.ly/brq8Z8

#168. Posted by: Karlos at February 25, 2010 12:04 AM

Well, I can see that finding the time to post long responses just isn’t in the cards for S6…I barely get home from class in time to see LOST & then need to steal time from homework to just read Mac’s reviews. I haven’t even read the comments for the first four episodes (hanging head in shame). But there are a lot of questions I had after these episodes, like:

Who, or what, are the true essences of Jacob & MIB? Are they spirits that take on material form when necessary? Where did they come from originally? Who were the people whose bodies Jacob & MIB were using? Why is MIB now set as appearing as FLocke? Is there really something special about Locke that makes his body most appropriate for MIB?

One thing I noticed was FLocke’s burning of Jacob’s body. If a body gets burned or buried, does that mean no one can use it again? Is that why in past seasons we’re heard insistence on the necessity to bury bodies?

There’s been lots of speculation about Jacob & MIB being demi-gods…I guess the only type of gods they remind me of are the Greek/Roman ones: petty, inscrutable, & manipulative. At this point I’m not convinced that they’re gods of any type, or that either one is good or evil. As I said last season, I’m still inclined to think that each one has both good & evil parts, & that the black & white aspects that we’ve been beaten over the head w/for going on six years now refer to choices we have to make ourselves. Do we choose to do good, or evil? JMHO, of course…

Speaking of making choices, I think I posted this last season, but it really struck me again when the scene was repeated in LA X this season. Jacob is very cold toward Ben when Ben confronts him in Jacob’s foot lair: “What about you?” It reminded me vividly of a scene in Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Fionavar Tapestry in which the mother of a demigod is confronted by her son. She speaks coldly to him & he recoils & cries out that he’s going to his father. After he leaves the mother is upbraided by her friends, who want to know why she didn’t speak kindly to him to bind him to their side. Her reply is that he is random & must be free to make his choice. We haven’t seen much of Ben this season, but I have to wonder whether the pivotal moment in the series will be Ben making a choice for good or evil.

Obviously the themes of free will & choice are really important to me, which is why I dislike the idea that everything is predetermined, fated, & the only choice the characters have is to accept their fate or continue to rail against it. I’m not a PTB & they’re the ones developing the plotline, so obviously I’ll need to accept whatever it is that they dish out, but I would like it so much better if they did it my way (but wouldn’t everyone like that? ; > ).

Another theme I like is that of redemption. Seeing Charlie in the LA X reminded me of that, as w/o the plane crashing he didn’t get his chance at redemption as he did on the island. It’s kind of interesting that for most of the characters, the alt-timeline finds them all in better circumstances, but Charlie is a notable exception.

Thinking of LA X reminds me of something else: WHDH, or What Happened Didn’t Happen. It’s not only events after what would have been the plane crash that are different; it’s before as well. Hurley is happy & carefree. Boone came back from Australia w/o Shannon. Jack has a teenaged son. So somehow, the reset went further back in time than the moment of the crash. How far back? I dunno.

And on the subject of WHH, or WHDH, I’ve been thinking about that again & I simply don’t see how WHH can be true. Eloise illustrated the concept to Desmond by pointing out the guy who died (I forget how) & when Desmond objected to her doing nothing to save him, replied that even if she had saved him, he would have died the following day in another way. Maybe so. But in that intervening 24 hours, who knows what other people The-Soon-to-Be-Dead-Dude would have spoken to? What events could he have influenced just by being there? Maybe there was something he actively did that made a difference for even one person. My point is that no matter what we do, actively or passively, makes a difference in the world. After all, we’re all going to die one day, but we don’t just lie down & wait for death to come, figuring that nothing we do makes a difference.

Finally (at least for now), the resemblances of LOST to The Stand & Star Wars have come up again. I’m not familiar enough w/the Star Wars universe as it’s expanded from the original movie (which I did see 13 times) to comment, but I’ve read The Stand numerous times & have mentioned in the past that TPTB have said specifically that Charlie Pace is analogous to Larry Underwood. I agree that Mother Abigail is good, & Randall Flagg is evil…but Mother Abigail was not manipulative, & Jacob has been. Whether MIB ends up being as evil as Randall Flagg I can’t say as yet. But as far as the rest of the characters in The Stand, they’re human, having both good & bad traits, & it’s the choices they make of their own free will that end up being important. Neither Harold nor Nadine were fated to do what they did (I don’t want to be more specific here in case I spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t read it). Again, JMHO, but the idea of someone being fated to do something seems rather like a cop-out to me…if you’re as old as I am, you’ll remember Flip Wilson’s “The devil made me do it!” It’s an easy way to avoid taking responsibility for one’s own choices & actions.

Finally (for real), thanks davidrh (#165)…I obviously hadn’t read as far as Irishfan’s post. D’oh! Why one should read all posts before posting… ; )

#169. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at February 25, 2010 12:11 AM

Something I noticed while I was musing last night was the parallels in the ALT and Island time lines.

The most obvious is Jack saying he wouldn't be a very good father on the Island, while ALT Jack is a good father. Locke's relationship with his father, coming to terms with his handicap, and so on.

What amused me last night was that both Island Jack and Claire, since they're siblings, seem to have a tendency to destroy things. Jack with the mirrors, and coffin, and Claire with her axe and gun. I'm not sure it's intentional but I just thought that it was interesting to note.

#170. Posted by: Silhouette at February 25, 2010 12:26 AM

@143 The Duf proposed:

>How about a brief thread where we come up with what we what answered, such as who exactly (he's not a what) is Smokey?

>Mac, if this catches your interest, could you set it up please? Maybe TPTB will see it and use it as a checklist! :)

Mac set up "Lost Theories" category for just that purpose. Write out a theory, send it to him (mac@foddernetwork.com) and then others can shoot holes in it/praise you to high heavens.

For a link to the Lost Theories category and to see what's already posted, scroll up to the top and look on the right hand side of the blog (or just click my name below).

#171. Posted by: Cecil at February 25, 2010 12:27 AM

ANTTVFHOTLR?

Anybody noticed the TV Fodder headline on the lower right?

"Jack Won't be Back to LA Anytime Soon"

It's about the 24 Blog and refers to Jack Bauer, but it seems weird but somehow appropriate for the Lost Blog as well.

#172. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 25, 2010 12:32 AM

I was reminded of this spoof from a couple of years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk6AyGnnltw&feature=related

Not only is it still hilarious to watch, it's also scarily accurate in some places. Sinking island, going back in time, seeing the same events play out again in ALT world (yes, yes, I know I'm matching 'predictions' after the fact, which is completely nonsense, but still fun).

#173. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 25, 2010 12:56 AM

@58 glostover:

"wasn't Jack nicked on the right side of his neck? Then when he looked in the mirror, his reflection had a nick on the right side. Same with the appendix scar; on the reflection's left side. Is it really a reflection he's seeing in the mirror or his body from another timeline?"

and...

@130 postsimple:

"We're really seeing a mirror universe in more than one way. After all, we've been hit over the head with mirrors all season long: Jack in the plane, Locke in the bathroom, Jack again today, the mirrors in the lighthouse (anyone else thinking the lighthouse showed the ALT world, not the Island world? through the looking glass!) and I'm sure there was a mirror somewhere in Kate's episode."

Great ideas, great posts. I completely missed this on the first viewing, but I think there's definitely something to this continual mirror/reflection dynamic: Jack staring at his reflection in the water, the "Alice in Wonderland" reference, Jack's breaking of the mirrors with the looking glass, etc.

Doc Jensen's review had another take- that the mirror revealed the heart or longing of that person- Jack with his never ending father issues looks into the mirrors and sees his boyhood home.

I initially bought Jack's reaction- "who is Jacob and why has he been spying on me?", but the deeper explanations of the mirror seem closer to the spirit of Lost.

Jacob apparently doesn't care whether "108" is called to the island or not. The purpose of the lighthouse trek is for Jack to self-reflect- to look into his past (or if the posters above are correct, an alternative life path).

The end of the episode- Jack staring at the ocean in thought. The parallel storyline- Jack reflecting on his childhood, his own relationship with his son, and choosing to fix the problem- to not be "broken".

In the spirit of Mac's review, I guess we can have a running debate on Jacob: douche or not. He has repeatedly talked of free will, of individuals making their own decisions, but requiring occasional pushes when stuck in their lives.

All of the Lost characters are broken and stuck, not because of Jacob, but because of their own life choices. Does anyone believe that Jacob paying for Kate's lunchbox led to her murder of her father, or handing Jack a candybar led to his destruction of his father's life?

They're broken, and the island gives them an opportunity for redemption. So does occasional push=douchedom? What about Hawking's interference in Desmond's timeline, or Abaddon suggesting a walkabout to Locke?

#174. Posted by: Mizzed at February 25, 2010 1:28 AM

@174, Mizzed:

Lost has been post simple for quite some time. Me, not so much. ;)

If Jacob had only interfered in their lives in these small ways I would agree. After all, we all interfere in each other's lifes each day in similar ways. But if we are to believe the Others they have been doing Jacob's will all along and they have been continually manipulating everyone on the island.

#175. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 25, 2010 1:49 AM

This season reminds me a lot of the

#176. Posted by: bushhound2 at February 25, 2010 2:30 AM

This season reminds me a lot of the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" (the one where Spock has a goatie). Although in that episode it is an alternate universe(not timeline), everything is opposite. The trek chararacters are evil, where we're used to them being good.

In this season of lost, the alt timeline has our characters as redeemed, instead of flawed (except for charlie). The mystery is how the resolutions of the timeline question will explain the "how" of each timeline.

#177. Posted by: bushhound2 at February 25, 2010 2:34 AM

Jack's smashing the lighthouse mirror was his "Charlie shoots Ethan through the chest multiple times right when everybody else was about to ask him a few REALLY pressing questions" douche moment.

#178. Posted by: Catbarf at February 25, 2010 2:51 AM

#148. Posted by: mushlyann at February 24, 2010 9:13 PM

I'm with Don't_hate_the_new_guy. If Locke and his father are on good terms, why is he in a wheelchair? Anyone?


I noticed that he told Helen, "I am tired of wondering what my life would be like out of this chair!" This makes me think that in this timeline he was born that way. Otherwise, why would he wonder since he already knows what its like out of the chair since he had only been injured a few years prior in the original timeline.

#179. Posted by: Jade at February 25, 2010 3:24 AM

@155

Darlton stated in a recent podcast that they are NOT fans of dream endings and that the only dreams in the show have served a purpose.

#180. Posted by: Don't_hate_the_new_guy at February 25, 2010 3:27 AM

@#174. Posted by: Mizzed
"Does anyone believe that Jacob paying for Kate's lunchbox led to her murder of her father, or handing Jack a candy bar led to his destruction of his father's life?"

Long post warning - I rant on...

Yes I do. A lesson never learned promotes behavior the same. Jacob has interfered with free will constantly...I think this guy may be a total douche.

I also thing claire may not be insane, but simply surviving. the only reservation I have is that she does not remember abandoning Aaron in the jungle.

On another note: In the bible, there are many references to God observing the lives and deeds of those he "chooses". Jacks reaction is absolutely counter to his "New" way of thinking. He should looked at the other images as well. and @#$&^ me by jack should have seen what the image was at 108. the sum total of the other "numbers".

I hope we get some definitive answers soon, or I am rapidly becoming disinterested.

I feel like the alt time line is the actual real time line and the main players will have an eventual consciousness jump to the real time line once they die on the island mind $%#% time line. This is why they all seem to remember some part of their past even though the events and people they seem to remember are in their future past. just like Desmond remembers Charlie on the street in the rain.

The time line correct ts itself. they will all die like Richard said. it is the only way to progress...

Jacob is a douche, and MIB just wants to find a substitute and go home.

Ps. Hurley needs to stop being a FR#*(%ing doormat and tell Jacob to come clean or get LOST.

Skeptical... Yes, but waiting for an ending!!!


#181. Posted by: Hurley's Beard at February 25, 2010 4:26 AM

#181. Posted by: Hurley's Beard I also thing claire may not be insane, but simply surviving. the only reservation I have is that she does not remember abandoning Aaron in the jungle

But do we know she abandoned Aaron?...could he not have been taken from her and then she was told the others had taken him to the temple? What I'm trying to say is...why would she remember that if it did not happen that way. All we know is that she walked away from the fire in the jungle and then they found Aaron in the crook of a tree.

#182. Posted by: surefoot at February 25, 2010 7:33 AM

Has anyone seen a translation of the hieroglyphics in the lighthouse? They can be seen very clearly above Jack's & Hurley's heads when they're at the top, over one of the openings looking out to sea ... very curious to know what that reads, but haven't had the time to look into it further. welh?

#183. Posted by: ealgumby at February 25, 2010 7:39 AM

After seeing all these episodes, i have started getting a feeling that even after I finish watching the LAST episode of the entire series, there would be loads of questions that would remain unanswered. but that's just me I guess..... :-(

#184. Posted by: Sumgb at February 25, 2010 7:47 AM

I don't really have any insight to add, just thought it was cool to see the son of a guy I grew up with on the show. The father of the actor who played David (Dylan) lived right across the street from me when we were kids. Pretty surreal to see him on my favorite show.

#185. Posted by: DW at February 25, 2010 9:00 AM

@agentmule #28 - thanks for providing that translation of Dogen at the temple.
My Japanese is very rusty. I actually thought what he said to Hurley was
"Why did the Smoke Monster cross the road? To get to the other SAYID"

#186. Posted by: vacc at February 25, 2010 9:20 AM

@vacc #187

HA!!!!!!! Others at work just wondered what caused my sudden outburst! Thanks!

#187. Posted by: Boodle at February 25, 2010 9:55 AM

JACKS APPENDIX. I can understand events changing in the ALT world, but why would his appendix have been taken out when he was a kid when on the Island it was fine until he was and adult and Julia had to take it out.

Also my theory is that this visitor Jacob mentions is Charles Widmore.

#188. Posted by: ALEX ANGEL at February 25, 2010 10:33 AM

JACKS APPENDIX. I can understand events changing in the ALT world, but why would his appendix have been taken out when he was a kid when on the Island it was fine until he was and adult and Julia had to take it out.

Also my theory is that this visitor Jacob mentions is Charles Widmore.

#189. Posted by: ALEX ANGEL at February 25, 2010 10:33 AM

First time poster here. I'm currently in the midst of re-watching Season 2 (for about the 6th time) concurrently with S6 and my biggest question that I want answered (a rather obvious one at that) which has existed since S1 and continues to perplex in S6...who the hell are these "Others" and what is their purpose? It seems as though just about every "other" the writers have chosen to introduce to the audience the past few seasons have been rather salty to the losties every step of the way (sometimes justified, sometimes inexplicable IMO). Ethan killing Scott (or was it Steve?), the kidnapping of Walt and subsequent "testing" of him, the others ambusing the Tail section survivors, Ben being Ben, Widmore ordering the killing of mother and child, nerve gassing the hippies in the Purge, etc. Even this season, when jack & co show up at the temple and are promptly ordered to be shot on site by Dogen, even after Cindy vouched for them. Then Jin was about to fall at their hands until psycho Claire showed up. Is this a case of severe trust issues, assuming everybody is possessed by the dark side of the force/island, or could it possibly be that their intentions are not so pure? Are they mindless drones that reflect the persona of their leader? I am confident that we will gain a little more insight into what makes this rag tag group tick simply because it has been 5 seasons in the making. In the words of Lapidus, "in my experience, the people who go out of their way to tell you they're the good guys? Are the bad guys."
Knibb High Football Rules.

#190. Posted by: Jin Soaked Whiskers at February 25, 2010 10:42 AM

#186. Posted by: vacc

"Why did the Smoke Monster cross the road? To get to the other SAYID"

He shoots, he scores from 3-point range! Bravo!!

We have a history in this blog of doing haikus. I haven't seen any for a while so I thought I'd take a shot at haiku-ing the ep.

Here goes my humble attempts...

Matted tangled mop,
No hair care for Jungle Claire
Justin doesn’t care.

Jin’s leg is punctured,
So Nurse Claire stitches him up
With paper clips. Ouch!

Jacob tells Hurley,
"Take Jack to the Lighthouse so
He can bust mirrors."

Jack’s tweener David
Excels at the piano
While Dogen’s boy sulks.

#191. Posted by: ransomjackson at February 25, 2010 11:15 AM

@153
Thanks for clearing up my comment on the house number (233 v. 23) and whose house it was. I appreciate the info!

#192. Posted by: almostlost at February 25, 2010 11:22 AM

My problem with everyone rebutting theories with, "well the directors and producers said X, Y, Z that dismiss your A, B, C."

Didn't the producers say everything on the island could be explained by science?

Didn't the producers say that the island is not purgatory? Well, it looks awfully a lot like redemption which, in my opinion, can be almost considered purgatory (without the deatch part).

#193. Posted by: hider at February 25, 2010 11:33 AM

to #190

Great question, I've been trying to put that into words for some time now. E.g. how do you get tapped to be a 'other'?

There seems to be an awful lot of reject candidates on Jacob's list. Where are they all now? Dead? Off the island? Others? It seems that you don't necessarily kick the bucket if your candidacy fails, but where do you go from there? I don't see the Others keeping failed candidates in their company....so who are they really?

And what about the polar bear?

#194. Posted by: sampsen at February 25, 2010 11:38 AM

@ 183 -- ealgumby:

I hope at the end Mac will grant honorary degrees in Quantum Physics, Literature, Theology and Egyptology . . . . . . I found only one fuzzy frame of the lighthouse hieroglyphs but this my best translation:

I approach the Devine Spirit, Lady Nephthys.
Support the King.
Fetch your Father's (Geb) Support.
Give and justify that which binds the Two Lands after binding the dangerous under ruler scourge.
Destroy Hell's entrails (on the) Island, our Garden.

Nephthys is the patron of the dead, funerals and protector of the house. She is the sister of Osiris and wife of Seth. She helped put together Osiris after Seth's murdered him. She is often depicted on a boat riding with the dead toward the Blessed Land.

Her father, Geb, is the God of the Earth, and a member of the Ennead, the council of the founding gods.

#195. Posted by: welh at February 25, 2010 11:59 AM

@130 and 147 re: kidney transplant idea

Aren't your kidneys located in your lower back?

#196. Posted by: zup at February 25, 2010 12:30 PM

@193, hider: The purgatory interpretation is a bit far fetched. Sure, the Island has some things in common with purgatory, but apparently it is not purgatory. It's also not supposed to be Hawaii, although it has a lot in common with that place as well.
The science bit has been bothering me as well, especially this season. Last season we had the time travel conceit, but by and large we could still see the show as science fiction. This year it looks like we have definitely travelled into fantasy land with smoke monsters turning into dead people, Hurley apparently 'really' seeing dead people (which up to now always was a bit ambiguous in my mind) etc. I suppose these are not the first instances of fantasy on the show (e.g. Miles speaking with the dead), but it seems they have given up all pretense that these things are going to be explained in a non-supernatural way.

@194, sampsen: The polar bears were used in Dharma's time travel experiments, right?

[Edit: Commenter's name changed per request]

#197. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 25, 2010 12:36 PM

Plain Simple, I'm with you. I had always thought there was to be a scientific explanation for everything. After all, isn't the smoke monster a security system? The word system sounds like something mechanical is involved, as does the sound he/it makes!

[Edit: Referenced commenter's name changed]

#198. Posted by: Sayiditisn'tso at February 25, 2010 1:07 PM

@58 glostoverand
@130 postsimple
@174 Mizzed
@176 Plain Simple
@177 bushhound2

So let's see:
- Mirror/reflection dynamic
- Alt reality
- Father issues
- Undead walking around
- Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" (the one where Spock has a goatie)

Will Lost simply be a six-season-long episode of Fringe??? ;-)

#199. Posted by: fpalma_is_lost at February 25, 2010 1:07 PM

@146 Margo Shepard is actually played by Veronica Hamel

#200. Posted by: Ames at February 25, 2010 1:56 PM

#186 - Vacc

L'ed MAO so hard my poor dog thought I was having a fit.

Thanks for the best gafaw I've had in a while.

#201. Posted by: tweedle_dee at February 25, 2010 2:24 PM

Dogen Wallace anyone???
It could happen!!
(don't be racist)

#202. Posted by: GXG at February 25, 2010 2:37 PM

Very long time lurker of this blog and I might have even posted once or twice before, but not often.

I've just got a theory to throw out there about why Claire wouldn't remember that she had run off into the woods with Christian and left Aaron to fend for himself. Remember...she underwent those tests which she obviously failed (as did Sayid). Maybe anyone undergoing that special spa treatment loses some memories of their former lives. Sayid hasn't really had a speaking part since his post-death baptism, so we don't know yet how all this affected him. Is he the same Sayid? Does he recall he was a torturer in his former life? I'm guessing we'll find out a lot more about Sayid next week, but thought I'd thrown this theory out there for discussion, criticism, whatever.

Love Lost, love this blog. Fire away!

#203. Posted by: grannyvi at February 25, 2010 2:56 PM

Bear with me please, I’m trying to organize my thoughts.

#163 plain Simple: “So that means that if Jughead exploded there should be traces of that event in the Island timeline and there aren't. So I think it's safe to say that Jughead did not explode, unless we're supposed to believe that the special Island energy at the hatch's site somehow absorbed Jughead's blast and turned it into another time flash or something like that.”

That’s exactly what I think happened. Jughead went off, but it didn’t result in a traditional nuclear explosion because the nuclear energy and the electromagnetic energy merged to create a flash that threw the castaways into 2007. That’s why Juliet survived (albeit temporarily.) Jughead + electromagnetic energy created a similar effect to Desmond turning the failsafe key in the hatch (only that had a different time travel result.)

Secondarily, Jughead going off messed with whatever happened happened. If the incident never happened, the hatch was never built, so the plane never crashed.

One of the things I’m having trouble with is if Jughead cancels out the incident only in one timeline, how did the electromagnetic anomaly get “stopped” in the other incident. In other words, “originally” the bomb did not go off, Radinsky and his goons drill into the pocket and everything got sucked in. How did that stop? Was there a limited pocket that only had enough energy to suck in some of the stuff around it then it fizzled out and they built the hatch to stop it from happening again? Maybe it doesn’t matter, but it bugs me.

OK, so in this scenario the Incident never happened, which creates an alternative timeline. For Kate, Charlie and Claire (and maybe others we haven’t learned about yet, like Sawyer), not much seems different in this new timeline (as far as what happened to them before 2004). Things are very different for other castaways this time around. Things are different for the island too (it’s submerged.) So what was different in the past that changed the future? Why would the incident not happening change their lives pre-crash? I’m thinking that for some reason, Jughead going off somehow caused Jacob to not be involved with their lives. Why would his appendix need removing when he’s a kid instead of 30 years later on the island? Maybe Jacob was visiting him and influencing his life way earlier than what we saw at the end of season 5 (the Lighthouse suggested as much,) but it seems ridiculous to think Jacob porevented his appendix from being infected when he’s a kid so he could later have it out on the island.

So assuming I’m right (fat chance) Jacob influenced everyone’s lives from early on in their lives (like Locke being born prematurely) to eventually get them to the island. That would include everyone, including Ben and Dogen, who we see in the alternative timeline leading normal lives. But for some reason, Jughead going off negated that and created a Jacob-free new timeline.

Could it be because Juliette exhibited free will and became The Variable at the end of season 5? This was very clearly pointed out by the Narrator in the recap of the season finale. I think the WHH rule made the bomb not go off when dropped into the shaft, but Juliette demonstrated the extreme power of the human spirit (or something) by hitting it with the rock and changed the past (and future.) Maybe that was the “it only happens once” part of the discussion between MIB and Jacob. It proved that humans are “worthy” or something, thereby ending their “game.” At least in that timeline.

None of this answers the question of why our castaways and Jacob are in 2007 fighting Flocke and all this candidate business. So I’m probably way off base.

I have another theory that is completely different from this one, but I’ve already rambled enough.

Any thoughts?

#204. Posted by: bouds at February 25, 2010 3:04 PM

@204, bouds: "One of the things I’m having trouble with is if Jughead cancels out the incident only in one timeline, how did the electromagnetic anomaly get “stopped” in the other incident. In other words, “originally” the bomb did not go off, Radinsky and his goons drill into the pocket and everything got sucked in. How did that stop?"

According to your own hypothesis Jughead and the EM energy combined to make the time flash. That answers your question, doesn't it? Jughead explodes and the EM energy goes haywire at the same time and they combine to flash the castaways to the future instead of blowing up the Island. So far so good, I can buy that in terms of Lost's rules. But that doesn't explain the flash parallels, which makes me think, like some other posters, that Jughead is not (directly) responsible for the flash sideways. We might not have seen yet what causes the separate timeline, if that's what it is.

#205. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 25, 2010 3:26 PM

My vote for best post of the week:

@vacc #186 "Why did the Smoke Monster cross the road? To get to the other SAYID"

Glad I wasn't drinking something when I read that or I'd probably have to get a new monitor and keyboard... Thanks for the LOL vacc!

#206. Posted by: BunnyLover at February 25, 2010 3:59 PM

@204. Posted by: bouds

Bear with me please, I’m trying to organize my thoughts...

...I have another theory that is completely different from this one, but I’ve already rambled enough.

Any thoughts?
--------------
Yeah. Next time - organize your thoughts first and I might not completely skip over your contribution to the conversation.

#207. Posted by: DanPillar at February 25, 2010 4:08 PM

Plainsimple - but in my half baked theory, there are two different incidents, one where jughead went off, and one where it didn't. Where it went off, the electromagnetic energy was negated, but in the other, which is what we saw play out in seasons 1-5, there was no bomb. So something else stopped the release of electromagnetic energy.

I had an earlier theory I posted here that eloise turned the frozen donkey wheel at the moment that Juliette was bashing on Jughead with the rock, and that's the flash we saw. That hasn't been disproven, but I've moved on.

#208. Posted by: bouds at February 25, 2010 4:13 PM

David, I believe, was the name of Libby's husband. I know there is speculation that Juliet is David's mother. It could also be possible that Libby is the missing mom.

Interesting thought that the Frozen Donkey Wheel "shifts" the island to one of those alternate timelines. It could be that one of those turns puts the island in an alternate timeline where the sea level is higher, so the island is below the surface of the water.

This shifting/alternate timeline/reality/multiverse theme also may be a play on Stephen King's epic Gunslinger/Dark Tower novels. That is set in a multiverse as well.

I'm wondering if the end of the series will take place in a studio rendition of the island and Jeff Probst will appear with the jug(head) of votes to see who becomes the island's next Jacob.

#209. Posted by: Gumbo at February 25, 2010 4:17 PM

I have finished my translations of the hieroglyphs in the temple hallway as Hurley searched for the secret passageway:

The first one on his left:

SON WHO MAKES OFFERS (TO) GOD HORUS

The first one on his right:

YOU SAID TO THE MAN: ETERNITY.

The second one on the left:

OSIRIS' YOUTH (SON) HORUS CONTROLS BIRTHS.

The third one on the left, where Hurley stopped and was ready to touch:

The symbol of a coiled rope means ETERNITY and PROTECTION.

#210. Posted by: welh at February 25, 2010 4:35 PM

I'll leave the deeper issues to the rest of you. Here are my thoughts of the day:

Jack's mom says that David was upset "at the funeral". She didn't say "your dad's funeral" or "his grandfather's funeral". There was a ring of vagueness about it - like it could have been David's mother's funeral. After all, Christian's body is still missing, so maybe they haven't had his funeral yet.

Re: David's mystery mom. David's eyes appeared unusually blue. Kind of like Charlotte's. I realize there's no established connection between her and Jack off-island. I'm just sayin'.

If I've missed a major point here, I'm sure someone will correct me.

#211. Posted by: lovelost at February 25, 2010 5:52 PM

Finally read all...

@ransomjackson 56. Nice job on Lizzie Borden and goofy-ass theory at 85. More on that later hopefully.

@Clementine 147. That was great!

@vacc 186. Fantastic!

Going chronologically, something I noticed from the caption in the enhanced "Substitute":
"This version of John Locke is Smokey." This version? Does that imply there are other versions of Locke?? Multiple alt timelines on and off the island??

Conversations I would have liked to hear, as opposed to the usual Lost song and dance:
Flocke: I was a man
Sawyer: OK, douche, so what's your damn name?

Jin: You've been out here all alone?
Claire: No, I have my friend...Johnny Jughead.

When Claire kept referring to her "friend," I had other thoughts in mind so am thankful at least there was a someone.

Moving on...some very important numbers. This week’s comments so far include:
28 references to Jughead:
9 to Douche
4 to Tool
More than 100 to Jack (apparently, Internet Explorer can’t count past 100, wtf??)

So relieved that Claire, aka Rousseau 2.0, used the axe. I have enough axes to grind as is from the past coupla seasons. Here's a question, though: Is that really Claire or someone else who has claimed her body and knows her memories?

Finally, did I miss something? I thought Christian's funeral has not occurred in the alt timeline. If so, then who's funeral did David go to? Didn't Jack's mom say that maybe David was upset after the funeral?

#212. Posted by: Scooby-Dude at February 25, 2010 6:42 PM

@166 PiecesofArzt: If Q showed up, that would explain all of the meddling as well as any other theory. I like it!

Several people have asked about the difference between the "Dharmaville Others" and the "Temple Others". I'm wondering, too. Are they the city mice and country mice, respectively? I'm pretty sure Richard was not living in one of the bungalows and joining in the book club. Tom Friendly and Co. dressed down to scare the Oceanic folks, but they were clean-shaven most of the time. Juliet got branded for her crime (old school punishment) but Carl got the HDTV torture treatment (modern technology). Now it looks like all the Others are either in the Temple or on their way to the Temple. But was Dharmaville abandoned 30 years ago (bomb blew up, changed timeline) or recently (Keamy shot it up, Donkey wheel, Locke takes Ben's place)? Or maybe I'm asking too many questions and my nose is starting to bleed...

I REALLY hope we get a Richard flashback episode - I think it will clear up a lot... or not.

#213. Posted by: jaybee at February 25, 2010 7:00 PM

Oh fer cryin out loud. I quote myself:
"Finally read all..." Uh, that is except apparently Lovelost's question at 211, which I repeated. D'oh!

@welh 151
I believe we heard the caw of the Hurley bird during Jack and Hurley's trek to the lighthouse.

So is it possible that Flocke is to Smokey as Jacob is to Hurley Bird?? Or maybe just the opposite, since the bird said Hurley but Jacob uses Hugo.

Therefore, it must be the case that the bird is the word (of Smokey).

#214. Posted by: Scooby-Douche at February 25, 2010 7:21 PM

A couple of interesting points:

1) Listening to a Lost podcast, I was startled to hear that, when the young blond kid wsa talking to Locke last week, what he said was "WE can't kill him.", not "YOU can't kill him." I went back to my DVD and player it over and over. The syllable is dropped (intentionally?) so it's almost impossible to say for sure, but watching his lips I think you can make a darn good case that is *was" "WE".

If so, I wonder what this means?

2) In this week's show, Justin tells Jin "Untie me and I'll snap her neck." (Meaning Claire, who he says is going to kill them all.)

Thinking back to Ethan and Steve (or was it Scott); Goodwin and Nathan; The Others and one of the mercenaries at the battle of the Helicopter; Widmore-54 and Copeland;....

Broken necks seem to be the Others' preferred method of killing. I wonder what this tells us about the Others?

#215. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 25, 2010 8:17 PM

@ #208. Posted by: bouds

I think they had at some point in the series said that the pocket of energy builds up. The incident released the pocket of energy. It would have then built up again. They built the Swan to contain and control the build up, releasing the pressure periodically toprevent another catastrophe. IDK I might be remembering completely wrong...

#216. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 25, 2010 9:50 PM

@#212. Posted by: Scooby-Dude
"Going chronologically, something I noticed from the caption in the enhanced "Substitute":
"This version of John Locke is Smokey." This version? Does that imply there are other versions of Locke?? Multiple alt timelines on and off the island??"


In 2007 there are the MIB John Locke and the dead John Locke. In 2004 there isthe ALT John Locke who is marrying Helen and more at peace with his disability. That's what I think they were referring to when they said that version--to specify which they were talking about since we've sometimes seen 3 versions of Locke in one episode.

#217. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 25, 2010 9:57 PM

@vacc 186:

I invite your attention to the comments after the season 5 Key Points "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham", comment #191.

Just more evidence that

"Great Minds Think Alike".

P.S. Great to have you back. Howza 'bout some more photos to caption?

#218. Posted by: Cecil at February 25, 2010 10:24 PM

#174. Mizzed: Push or manipulation?

I don’t think there’s any question that Eloise’s middle name is Manipulation; IMHO she’s the most manipulative character on the series, although Island Locke & Ben have an excellent shot at making it onto the medal podium in this event as well. And yes, Abaddon is manipulative too. But it’s not an either-or; just because they were manipulative doesn’t mean that Jacob’s not manipulative too. (And for the sake of fairness, I think MIB is manipulative too.)

So what’s the difference between a push & manipulation? JMHO, but I think it’s a matter of perspective. The pusher thinks s/he is doing the other person a favor; the pushee feels manipulated. Like Mac, I can speak from experience here…I had an erstwhile friend who thought that I needed to learn how to stand up for myself, so he manufactured an argument. I can tell you that once I found out—a month or so later—what he had done, I was furious, & that was the end of our friendship.

However, for the sake of argument, let’s say Jacob pushes for people’s own good. Was it occasional? We’ve only been shown visits by Jacob to a few people, but we don’t know that Jacob only visited these Losties once each, or that he didn’t visit other Losties. I would agree that handing a candy bar to Jack isn’t a cause of Jack’s behavior, but I would disagree that paying for Kate’s attempted shoplifting is benign or good for her. Giving the pen to Sawyer so he can complete his letter? Well, I guess that while journaling as therapy works for some people, it didn’t for Sawyer. Wishing Jin & Sun happiness? Telling Locke it’s going to be okay? Both seem benign enough. The one visit that Jacob paid that I simply can’t see as anything but bad…even evil…was the visit he paid to Sayid, which resulted in Nadia’s death. I truly fail to see how Nadia’s death was beneficial to Sayid; I do think, though, that it was beneficial to Jacob, because it allowed Ben to enlist a grieving Sayid as an assassin working for “Jacob’s team.” JMO, but that’s not even pushing; that’s manipulation, pure & simple.

#219. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at February 25, 2010 10:52 PM

aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAuuuuuuuOOOOOOOOOOO


(That was a yawn)

No one in particular. Just a general all-encompassing gesture . . .

#220. Posted by: davidrh at February 25, 2010 11:12 PM

re: Why did smoky cross the road? = other Sayid.
-----------------
vacc should be the first one to tell you that particular joke has been out there floating around the internet for 3 to 4 weeks now... and not an original.

tho mister rose links above to the grandparent of the joke.

sheperds cross the road?=sayid

#221. Posted by: Vacuum Cleaner at February 25, 2010 11:38 PM

@219 Alaïs_Longthought:

Can't disagree with your points- I think the morality of the manipulation will come down to whatever the resolution of the show is- saving the world, yes; Jacob finding a substitute in a drawn out version of The Santa Clause, not so much.

An idea I've had on the Sayid-Nadia situation is that perhaps Jacob detained Sayid at the corner to save his life for the island endgame, while sacrificing Nadia.

That sounds harsh, but an element of Lost that has always bothered me is if the Oceanic crash was Jake, Kate, etc.'s destiny, what about all of the other people killed in the crash and later on the island- collateral damage?

The sideways scenes this year suggest a possibility- that if the Jack group finds redemption back on the island in the original timeframe, then everybody gets a second chance- Shannon, Artz, Frogurt, Boone, Ethan- perhaps up to and including off-island characters like Nadia.

I still am struggling with the idea that the Sideways scenes are the final chapter, occurring after the end of the original timeline, but it's the only explanation that right now seems to fit.

Survivors find their path, or Dharma, and are resurrected/rebooted to a world with no crash, no sacrifice, and no island? We'll see...

******

belated apology to Plain Simple for the name mixup, and to Scooby-Dude reborn as Scooby-Douche- lol!

#222. Posted by: Mizzed at February 26, 2010 12:28 AM

#221

You're such a party pooper... :(

#223. Posted by: Tweedle_Dee at February 26, 2010 12:51 AM

BTW, Lostpedia continues to assemble a list of candidate names seen in both the cave and lighthouse. Other than Kate Austen, among the recognizable new lighthouse names include:

Stanhope (Harper or Goodwin?)
Inman (Kelvin)
Montand (Rousseau's team)
Radzinsky
Friendly (Tom)
Campbell (Brother?)

Brother Campbell is interesting, since he has no known presence on the island.

Speaking of manipulation, has anyone been more manipulated than Desmond?

Right before his wedding, he falls down drunk in the street and is led by a monk to a monastery run by Campbell, a friend of both Hawking and Charles Widmore. There he helps them make Moriah wine- Moriah being the name for the biblical mountain where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac.

Campbell sends him on his way at the very same moment when Penny Widmore arrives- the whole thing seems like one giant set-up to get Desmond on his way to the island, especially when combined with the later Hawking, Widmore and Libby interactions.

Speaking of Desmond, I had a brief intuition before the 108 degree name was revealed that it was going to be Desmond- ironic it was another Scottish name.

Desmond was conspicuosly missing from the Last Supper promo, so perhaps he is not fated to return to the island. BTW, do recent epis add meaning to Sayid, Sawyer and Claire all grouped together on Locke's right hand side in Lost Supper promos #1 and #2?..along with Kate?

#224. Posted by: Mizzed at February 26, 2010 1:46 AM

@195/welh - re the lighthouse glyphs

I carefully watched that scene again, and noted that there are actually four different hieroglyphic sequences shown (to varying degrees, only one completely), one on each wall. One can be seen clearly and completely, the entire bottom half of another is shown, and about the first half of the remaining two.

A couple things about these. First, they all begin with the same two symbols, which indicate "go call/invite" based upon both the Gardiner and Alsaadawi translations. Two of the four sequences then literally reference a temple as a central object of the message. I can get bits and pieces of the remainder, something about choosing justified/true/good over the land (?), but can't quite put it all together for the complete message, let alone the partials.

I can see where some of your translation comes in (I assume you looked at the complete one), but puzzled over glyphs for the Nephthys and Geb refs (?). Haven't tried this for quite a while and certainly having a difficult time of it, but wonder if you could take another look and see how the temple fits in?

These, at least in my crude estimation, seem to be some sort of instructions related to the temple and the island. I'd really like to see TPTB come out with an official interpretation for these, but guessing that won't happen any time soon. I tried to hunt around and see if anyone else came up with different translations, but found nothing (didn't search super diligently, but nothing turned up easily).

Anyway, thanks for your reply/time.

#225. Posted by: ealgumby at February 26, 2010 2:00 AM

@222 Mizzed wondered:

>That sounds harsh, but an element of Lost that has always bothered me is if the Oceanic crash was Jake, Kate, etc.'s destiny, what about all of the other people killed in the crash and later on the island- collateral damage?

Jacob: "So?"

#226. Posted by: Cecil at February 26, 2010 3:25 AM

@ 207

Uncool.

#227. Posted by: Jin + Tonic at February 26, 2010 7:20 AM

HAHAHAHAHA

#207 and #221.

It's like Junior High school all over again! A Bully and a Tattle-tale.

#228. Posted by: davidrh at February 26, 2010 7:25 AM

Question...does anyone know if at any time, the scribbling on Hurley's arm is viewable? (Hi-Def/dvr?) So, he's following Jacob's instructions and nosing around the "hieroglyphic" area when he was interrupted by Dogen. Next thing we know, he's getting Jack and trekking through the jungle in search of the Lighthouse. What was he looking for originally? Was whatever he was looking for pre-empted by Jacob's visit? Was the goal to have Dogen find Hurley snooping around only for Hurley to let Dogen know that Jacob is speaking through him? (Like the supposed point of the Lighthouse experience was to prove Jack worthy?) Don't know.

#229. Posted by: Boodle at February 26, 2010 8:46 AM

@Boodle: Here's the best screen capture I could find. It's still pretty hard to read:

http://bit.ly/aKw8SS

#230. Posted by: mac at February 26, 2010 8:49 AM

@mac #230

Thanks mac!!!

It is darn near impossible to read...probably on purpose. Wow...so hard to make out the writings that it confirms to me that it's important. First word looks like "Push" and then Hurley's finger in over the next word/symbol...? It almost looks like that one symbol that's "horseshoe" looking with the bar across the top. I think Hurley was supposed to obtain (obtain what?) something from there, but couldn't complete it.

#231. Posted by: Boodle at February 26, 2010 8:54 AM

I was thinking how important it is that Juliet ended up "dying" in what we are led to believe is 2007. She had to be flashed with the others back to 2007 to die in that year in order to ultimately "survive." If she had died in 1977 when she hit Jughead, then she would never be able to return and be alive in the ALT 2004 timeline (which we will most likely see in upcoming future episodes with her going "dutch" for coffee with Sawyer)

This "dead, but alive" in ALT timeline idea is similar to what we see with John Locke, who "dies" off island by being murdered by Ben in 2007, yet has already been shown to be very much alive in the 2004 ALT timeline that we viewed in The Substitute. So maybe WHH and Dead is Dead are negated by the ALT timeline, as long as the death happened after the year 2004 in the original timeline?? So Jacob is actually still alive in the ALT timeline universe...

Hopefully when we see the convergence of the two timelines-- the merging of the ALT timeline with the old (or new) 2007 timeline, it will make sense...

#232. Posted by: deb at February 26, 2010 9:00 AM

@225 - - ealgumby:

The representations of the hieroglyphs in the temple hallway were like sloppy cursive writing: hard to pick out exact lines in places. Also, I have found a couple of symbols that appear to be combined constructs or just sloppy set design. This makes translation more difficult. I am not an expert but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn.

My usual course of investigation involves this research pattern: screen cap imagines, lostpedia, a search of Gardiner index, then searches of a phonetic and alphanumeric databases then a generalized search for X symbol. The problem is that the glyphs can represent numbers, single letters, representations (of particular gods, objects, concepts), phrases, phonetics or words. It is more of a puzzle than a language so it is open to interpretation because a single symbol can represent a sound which can represent dozen of words, phrases or concepts. I have found the phonetic tables more useful in explaining the meaning of any symbol. I put all the results down in columns under the symbols and try to piece together what the whole "sentence" represents.

I did see another symbol set behind Hurley that I have not gotten around to investigating yet. The temple hallway glyphs may have been decorative phrases because it does not seem to have a cohesive theme like the ceremony at the spring or the prayer at the lighthouse.

#233. Posted by: welh at February 26, 2010 9:39 AM

NERD!!!! kidding, I love ya

#234. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at February 26, 2010 10:53 AM

If he's a nerd, do we give him a swirlie in the boy's room?

Then I guess we all have to self-dunk.

BTW, for Nerds of a different flavor, Survivor review's up. Click my name. Leave a comment.

Who knew the Heroes would be the bulies pushing around the 90-pound weakling (but Smart!) Villains. Are the Villains Nerds?

#235. Posted by: alabamao68 at February 26, 2010 11:37 AM

Oops, autofill stucka partial email address in the name above - that's me thre.

#236. Posted by: Cecil at February 26, 2010 11:39 AM

@233/welh

Yes, it seems translating hieroglyphs is more art than science … leave it to TPTB to leave us ostensibly tangible clues that are still ambiguous in practice!

I have approached this similarly … Lostpedia first, primarily just to see if there are any “official” or consensus transliterations from the viewer community and/or production staff. Then I hit a book I happen to have in my library, “Understanding Hieroglyphs” by Hilary Wilson, which provides a good reference for some of the more common structures and symbol combinations. Next, Gardiner. Finally, I found this site from Ossama Alsaadawi, this is an absolute wealth of info:

http://tinyurl.com/yc9xc74

From what I’ve read, I tend to believe Alsaadawi might be a truer source for real Egyptian hieroglyphs than the traditional Champollion/Gardiner interpretation. However, as the Lost glyphs are not real, I’m guessing they will adhere to the traditional “common wisdom” in terms of their creation by staff, and our interpretation. So when Gardiner/Alsaadawi disagree, Gardiner’s probably the better bet for understanding made-up TV glyphs.

All of that said, it seems the prayers/messages in the lighthouse have a common theme. Two of the four are nearly identical, including the one we can see fully. IMO these both deal with the temple, which stands out in the middle of both sequences. The one we can see in full also clearly refers to the land, but in one possible interpretation that “land” is Necropolis, or city of the dead.

Like you said though, there are many ways to read these. It’s also difficult, IMO, to determine when the symbols are phonetic (as in a proper name) and when they are part of combinations/phrases. I try to follow the basic sequencing rule of looking for known symbols/combos first and then phonetic when that fails, but there are SO many possible combos that can be super difficult.

My first pass through I came up with something like “go to the temple of light and choose good over Necropolis.” Then I looked again and came up with “summon the good son to the temple as justified ruler of the island.” To my really inexpert eye, both seem plausible, and I never even considered looking for proper names. And that’s just the one we see completely.

The one that is “bottom half only” we see behind Jack shortly before he breaks the mirrors; this one includes most of the same symbols from the first, but there are differences. Unfortunately, the important aspects of those differences are not shown. The other two are obscured by the mirrors and Hurley, so we only see the first few symbols of each; one seems to be directions to come/go someplace for something (?). Really hard to draw any conclusions from those, not that it would be easy even if we had full view.

Ugh. I’m really hoping we get an “official” translation in the enhanced viewing of this epi; as always I’d like to believe there’s an important clue here! ;)

Complete aside … This is yet another case where it’d be great to have a *useful* version of “Search By Sight” or “Google Goggles” … but the technology is just not there yet. I envision dragging a picture to a web site for upload, and having it come back with helpful references. In this case, ideally, translation(s). You can really make yourself crazy trying to go about this the “normal” web-search way … SO many “create a phonetic glyph version of your name” sites out there, which are completely worthless for a task like this, yet no easy way to filter those out, let alone search based on the sequence of symbols we can see, but not “type” into a search engine. Do we have any blog members that work for Google/Bing/etc? If so, then get right on this, please! ;)

@234/RNM -

I'll see your nerd, and raise you a geek! :)

#237. Posted by: ealgumby at February 26, 2010 11:48 AM

NOTE ON LINKS:

We've run into issues with long URLs screwing up the page layout. If you're going to post a URL, I ask that you please shorten it using a service like TinyURL (http://tinyurl.com) or bit.ly (http://bit.ly).

Thanks! -- mac

#238. Posted by: mac at February 26, 2010 12:16 PM

@208, bouds: "but in my half baked theory, there are two different incidents, one where jughead went off, and one where it didn't. Where it went off, the electromagnetic energy was negated, but in the other, which is what we saw play out in seasons 1-5, there was no bomb. So something else stopped the release of electromagnetic energy."

Huh? But there was a bomb in season 5 (I noticed it was called Jughead btw), so how could what we've seen in seasons 1-5 be a timeline without bomb?

The most reasonable (if you allow me to misuse that word for a minute) explanation I can come up with based on what we've seen so far is this: Jughead explodes and its energy interacts with the EM energy below the hatch site. We've already seen when Desmond blew up the hatch that this EM energy has weird time travel properties, so my guess is that the effects of this blast somehow travelled through time as well. The castaways were send to the future (2007) where the normal timeline we've seen in previous seasons continues, but also events in the past were changed. To resolve the resulting contradictions in the timeline, the ALT world had to split off.

There are two reasonable (still within the minute!) alternatives I see now:

1.) Jughead didn't blow and something else caused both the time flash and ALT, but since we know of the time travel properties of the EM energy I think we're justified in speculating that Jughead's explosion was related to the time flash.

2.) Jughead did explode and cause the time flash, but the existence of ALT world has nothing to do with Jughead and we will see its origin in episodes to come. I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be the explanation that stands up in the end, but I list it as an alternative because it's not based entirely on what we've seen so far. It based on the insufficiency of what we've seen so far.

Anyway, without the ALT world there wouldn't be so much of a mystery as far as the timeline is concerned. If we disregard ALT I think the Whatever Happened Happened explanation is still valid. Explaining ALT is the challenge now.

@231, Boodle: I had the impression that Hurley was about to push the stone with the symbol. Presumably to open up this secret passageway he mentioned to Kate when they met later in the episode. Of course, they never actually showed this happening, so this just might be what they want us to think. [evil] Mwahahaha [/evil]

#239. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 26, 2010 12:34 PM

#216 - thanks. I can be satisfied with that answer.

This season is doing my head in more than any of the other seasons. But I'm loving it!

#240. Posted by: bouds at February 26, 2010 12:53 PM

After watching "The Lighthouse" for about the third time, some different things occurred to me.

1) When Claire is talking to Jin in her rendition of John's spirit box, she said "Lucky I'm still alive." Now this may be way off, but im pretty sure that every character on the show that we can say for sure has passed away, we have seen them either a) die or b) seen their dead bodies. Mistake me if I'm wrong but this isn't the case with Claire. A thought could be that she is in fact alive, and has obviously gone insane as a result of her being isolated to any other "human" contact. What I think may have also spurred this insanity is what the fortune teller told her way back, "You cant let anyone else raise this baby." (or something along those lines" This would obviously drive her crazy if she thinks the Others have her son, and would also explain her reaction of anger once Jin reveals that Kate has been raising Aaron for 3 years. I don't really know how this would relate to her seeing her "friend" or Flocke but we have seen Smokey show himself in different forms to other people still Alive on the island (this raises another question, just how long has Smokey been using Locke's image,it seems odd because he only died a little before they returned to the island). Any speculation would be appreciated.

Also the second thing I noticed, and this was brought to my attention because I read a post somwhere talking about Jacob and MIB playing some sort of game and our Losties are the pieces,was when Jack met Dogen at the music tryouts. He says to Jack, "Your son has a gift. How long has he been playing?" To which Jack's response was, "I don't know." This seemed funny to me because Jack later said to David that he didn't know he was still playing. And if Jack was so "into it," then he should have known. The reason this off the wall thought came to me is because Dogen delivered that line in a very odd way, like it had some double meaning to it. Any thoughts?

#241. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 26, 2010 1:11 PM

*Correct me if I'm wrong* Oops!

#242. Posted by: csmithfdub at February 26, 2010 1:13 PM

@237 ealgumby, all

Long post alert:

I guess it is time to be a tour guide into my mummified brain:

The last hieroglyphs I found was behind Hurley. The symbols were: Maze looking square, three small stacked boxes, a reed and a sail.

The maze square can symbolize a building, yard, or house (h).
There is no direct symbol for three stacked boxes. A single small square represents a stool (p).
The reed symbol usually means "I, me, my" (i).
The sail symbol can mean sailor, sail, wind (with 4 different phonemes).

Just looking at the basic symbols, the result is jibberish. The second symbol of the three little boxes is a big ? in trying to figure it out.

So from base research you have a transliteration of
HOUSE + ? + ME/MY + SAIL(OR)

In researching the p, I came across a very ancient reference to Ptah. Ptah was the creator being who called the world into being, having dreamt creation in his heart, which created the world from submerged land and then he created Atum to rule over creation. Other interpretations of Ptah symbol include "open" "opener" "risen land" or "release sail." Other meaning on the p include "support," "base," "bird," "these," and "jug." It could mean that three different "peas" are represented in the sentence.

Going back to the first symbol, h, one finds an old reference to "document," as well as "house," and "yard."

In reviewing the sail symbol phonetics, if it was to represent the sound n?w, it could mean "Horus and Seth." If it was to represent nf?, that could mean "that one." There are different ways of representing even sounds that vary from dynasty to dynasty.

The reed symbol (i) has other interpretations as well, including older references to "Thoth," the exclamation "oh!," and "leaves."

Complicating matters is that these symbols can be read right to left or left to right.

So I normally list columns of possible word meaning(s) for the symbols. Sometimes it is easier to take two symbols at a time to find logical matches. With the Yard and box symbols, you could get numerous word combinations like:

Ptah's House
Ptah's Yard
Ptah, open (the) base house.
Open Ptah's support document(s)
Yard release sail(s).

Then if you look just at the last two symbols:

My sailor.
Oh! Horus and Seth.
Leaves that one.
I sail.

Looking at these potential combinations, nothing strikes me as "temple worthy" inscriptions. Is it a statement, command, prayer or direction?

From right to left:

Ptah's houses I sail (?)
Open Ptah's support documents, oh, Horus and Seth (?)

From right to left:

Sail(or) Thoth support these open house(s) (?)
Horus & Seth, my open support (for these) house(s) (?)
That one, Thoth, open(ly) support(s) these houses/documents (?)

None of these really makes "that's it" sense to me, so I cannot draw a clear conclusion on this one. But this shows my long process of research and thinking, which at times ends with banging one's head on a stone temple wall.

I do agree with ealgumby that TPTB have clearly indicated that the Egyptian symbols are important or they would not have continually used them over and over again, especially at this late stage of the game. If they were not important, the sets could be decorated in non-Egyptian symbols, or just cave man drawings, or just left blank. I agree with the concept that a major portion of the LOST story is "hidden in plain sight."

This ends the tour, please file directly out through the gift shop on your right.

#243. Posted by: welh at February 26, 2010 1:36 PM

Plainsimple @ #208- Sorry, I'm clearly not explaining myself well. What I meant by the first incident resulting in what we see in seasons 1-5 was that there was an original incident where Jughead was not blown up and that caused the hatch to be built, which later caused 815 to crash, which led to all we saw in seasons 1- until the very end of season 5. This would mean that Daniel was right, humans are variables and the Whatever Happened Happened rule can be broken. I think this is what we're supposed to believe, based on dead Juliette saying "It worked." as well as the comment by the narrator about free will trumping destiny in the season 5 review show. This probably caused the sideways timeline to appear.

If that is not true, then it's always been the same and the original incident was in fact caused by Jughead and it is an eternal timeloop, a possibility that was mentioned in the Season 5 finale and would explain why we still have a continuation of the original timeline on island in 2007. That would mean i guess, that the sideways timeline has always existed or at least has nothing to do with the Season 5 finale.

The problem is, I can think of a dozen reasons why none of this makes any sense. So I'll just move on and wait for the next installment on Tuesday.

#244. Posted by: bouds at February 26, 2010 1:47 PM

@243/welh

Ptah's House = temple ... no?

#245. Posted by: ealgumby at February 26, 2010 2:10 PM

JUGHEAD blew up? Jughead is in a cave... leaking like a sieve. Juliet set-off the DETONATOR to Jughead. The reaction would be more like a couple of dynamite sticks or C-4/8 - not a mushroom cloud.

WGNABA - We're Gonna Need A Bigger Arm. Hurley's instructions covered alot of territory. Beware Hugo when your imaginery vision tells you to drop your pants and to start writing 'War & Peace' on your thighs.

And why does Hurley need to write instructions? (A: Fool's Errand) His vision met him in the hall, met him at the Lighthouse. If his vision can't turn the dial, then fine, but instructions? He could have just walked there with Hugo.

#246. Posted by: DocH at February 26, 2010 2:58 PM

@245/ealgumby

Maybe.

Each god had their own cult, i.e. their own temple, where priests worshipped that specific god. Each Pharoah constructed his own temple so he could worship all the gods and prepare for his passage through the underworld. For example, the pyramids were constructed as burial tombs adjacent and/or part of a temple complex.

House could mean temple.
House could also mean royal lineage.

#247. Posted by: welh at February 26, 2010 3:13 PM

@246 DocH quibbled:

>JUGHEAD blew up? Jughead is in a cave... leaking like a sieve. Juliet set-off the DETONATOR to Jughead. The reaction would be more like a couple of dynamite sticks or C-4/8 - not a mushroom cloud.

The detonator for an H-Bomb in an A-Bomb, as stated in the episode itself. 10-1000 times less powerful than the H-Bomb, but still quite a lot more powerful than dynamite or C-4.

The smallest fission weopons are 5-10 KT (thousands of pounds of TNT equivalent), the largest around 500KT.

The smallest fusion weapons are 1-2 MT (millions of tons of TNT equivalent). The largest ever made was a Russion super weapon of around 100MT, although with modular construction there's no real theoretical upper limit, only practical ones.

#248. Posted by: Cecil Rose at February 26, 2010 3:19 PM

@246/ DocH

I would like to get a final, consistent "rule" on what ghosts can and cannot do on the island.

Why can't Jacob turn a wheel, pick up an object, or write instructions on piece of paper?

Ghost Christian could not help up Locke when he fell down the well to the FDW, but then again he/it held Aaron. Flocke can move objects around, like backpack and canteen, and use a machete. I recall when young Ben saw his ghost mother in the jungle, he wanted to go towards her but she stopped him. Ghost Horus appeared like a hologram to Locke at the cabin.

#249. Posted by: welh at February 26, 2010 3:21 PM

#249: Why can't Jacob turn a wheel, pick up an object, or write instructions on piece of paper?
-----
What? It's not really there. It is all in Hugo's head. That's why no one else sees it. A hallucination, if you will. The only reason we see it is because it would be a really boring show (pantomime) if we had to guess what Hugo was seeing.

#250. Posted by: DocH at February 26, 2010 3:34 PM

@Doc H
If Jacob is just Hugo's hallucination, then how does this hallucination tell him to go to a place he's never seen before (the Lighthouse) and that place does actually exist...

#251. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 26, 2010 3:57 PM

@241, csmithfdub: "I don't really know how this would relate to her seeing her "friend" or Flocke but we have seen Smokey show himself in different forms to other people still Alive on the island (this raises another question, just how long has Smokey been using Locke's image,it seems odd because he only died a little before they returned to the island). Any speculation would be appreciated."

Claire knew Flocke wasn't Locke. There has been some speculation that she sees him in a different form, but that's not what I got from the episode. She sees him as Locke just fine, but knows he's not him. Which would make sense if he only recently took on Locke's form and before that she knew him in one of his other forms. Perhaps Christian, although Claire does distinguish between her friend and her father, so Christian might not be MiB. It's doubtful that he is Jacob as well since Claire's words seem to indicate that her friend (Flocke) and Christian were not in conflict. Perhaps Christian really is the resurrected Christian. Locke obviously is not, since we saw his dead body being buried. As I said in a post above, we really seem to be off into fantasy land, so who knows what the story will turn out to be.

#252. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 26, 2010 4:02 PM

hard to believe we stil dont know the name of MIB yet,
richard called him "you"
claire called him "my friend"
the writers seem to be trying very hard not to disclose his name which makes me think it aint bill,andrew or fred!!
why would his name be such a mystery...
has to be a name we already know.
the writing on hurleys arm-
recipé for ranch dressing,
or directions to an ancient lighthouse,
yep er, ermm, one of those.

#253. Posted by: san at February 26, 2010 4:27 PM

Of the 273 things that still bother me, I am particularly bothered by the fact that during the loose times when our friends were bouncing about in time, why only them? Was Claire time jumping also? Would that have driven her nuts with no one to confirm that it was happening to them as well? And if Claire was not, why not? Were Rose and Barnard time jumping as well? If not, why not? Were the names of Claire, Rose and Barnard on the cave wall or the lighthouse wheel? Were only the "candidates" moving around in time? Juliet was not a candidate, but she was time jumping as were Daniel & Charlotte, and Miles. I get bothered by what appears to be inconsistency than more than by violations of scientific possibility. Have TPTB lost their continuity guru?

#254. Posted by: August Paul at February 26, 2010 4:27 PM

@ DocH,Crisp:

Let's just focus in on Jacob and MIB. The possible explanations:

1. Ageless humans
2. Supernatural beings; gods
3. Ghosts or spirits
4. Shapeshifting beings made of physical (electromagnetic) matter.
5. Alien brain bacteria that cause hallucinations in humans
6. Avatars in an on-line game

#255. Posted by: welh at February 26, 2010 4:49 PM

@112 and 165. If it was indeed "Fantasie Impromptu" by Chopin that David was playing (I haven't replayed the episode to check) then it was the same piece Daniel Faraday was playing when his loving mother told him to stop and dedicate all his efforts to science so she could put a bullet in him a few years earlier when he was older. Or something... Has anyone tried playing this piece backward? Does it sound like "You all everybody?"

#256. Posted by: August Paul at February 26, 2010 4:50 PM

#251.
... then how does this hallucination tell him to go to a place he's never seen before ...
---------------
A what point did I suggest that Smokey/MIB was not in control of the visions that Hugo is seeing?

#257. Posted by: DocH at February 26, 2010 5:23 PM

@255/welh - Jacob/MIB possibilities:

7. Bardo consciousness

#258. Posted by: ealgumby at February 26, 2010 5:34 PM

@221 Vacuum Cleaner wrote : "vacc should be the first one to tell you that particular joke has been out there floating around the internet for 3 to 4 weeks now... and not an original"

It appears that I've just been lawyered!

I'll represent myself in this matter.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Lost Blog.. Vacuum Cleaner has asserted that my prior posting (#186 by vacc entered as exhibit A) was, in fact, the result of shameless plagiarism of content that had been previously entered into the public domain commonly referred to as "the internet".

Further, he cites a follow up posting (#218 by Cecil entered as exhibit B) in which that poster refers to a posting that followed mac's writeup of season 5 "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" (post #191 entered as exhibit C) in which cecil had provided the same punch line to a similar query.

It appears on the surface, fair jury, that Vacuum Cleaner has me dead to rights, and that the only recourse is to admit my own guilt and withdraw my posting.
However, I would prefer to present evidence in my own defense, then leave that decision entirely up to the will of the readers of this blog.

Point 1
-------
While it is considered common etiquette and good manners to skim through the postings of a particular recap to make sure another poster has not already said essentially the same thing, I firmly do NOT believe it should be required to review the entire postings of every blog entry before making a contribution to this blog. That said, it would even be more prohibitive to expect that a person read everything that has ever been posted on every web page of "the internet" prior to sharing something with this particular LOST community.

Point 2
-------
A clear connection has already been established between the smoke monster and Sayid during season 6. As such, I make no claim that I am the only person among 12.1 million viewers to have had this thought, only that the thought sprang to my mind independent of anything I have read on the internet.

Point 3
-------
As Cecil has already offered that the posting in question shares similarities to a posting from last season (see exhibits b and c) - then I submit to the fair readers of this blog that the posting by Vacuum Cleaner (#221 entered as exhibit D) is - in and of itself - far from being original (other than the implication of plagiarism - which was noticeably absent from Cecil's contribution - Exhibit B).

Point 4
-------
My final piece of evidence (Entered into evidence as exhibit E) is the defendant's long standing history of contributing to this LOST community. Vacc's contributions over the years have been frequent, insightful, creative, amusing, and highly original. In support of this claim, I invite the prosecution to perform a google search using the following phrase : "Posted by: vacc at" site:www.filmfodder.com and comb through the 654 postings I've already contributed to this particular blog. By contrast, exhibit D appears to be Vacuum Cleaner's very first contribution to this forum.

Closing Argument
----------------
C'mon, do I really need one??

The defense rests, and leaves the verdict in the capable hands of the Jury.


*** In the event of a mistrial or a hung jury, I vow to find my way to the Island, to be judged by the smoke monster itself.

#259. Posted by: vacc at February 26, 2010 6:34 PM

@255/welh - Jacob/MIB possibilities:

8. Artificial Intelligence gone rogue


#260. Posted by: Sayidisn'tso at February 26, 2010 7:16 PM

I just discovered something! If you take 108 and SUBTRACT 42, 23,16, 15, 8 & 4 you get ZERO! Is that significant? Maybe everything is for nothing! We've been ADDING the numbers to get 108, but in the alternate time line maybe we should be SUBTRACTING!

#261. Posted by: Equals Zero at February 26, 2010 7:34 PM

@259_vacc-(perry mason of the lost blog)
loved your post vacc,
concise-informative & true.

#262. Posted by: san at February 26, 2010 7:37 PM

regarding vacc's great joke

http://tinyurl.com/OtherSayidJoke

There were a few hits.

#263. Posted by: TanziTwo at February 26, 2010 8:24 PM

@255/welh - Jacob/MIB possibilities:

9. Confused ex-bowls of petunias

#264. Posted by: Plain Simple at February 26, 2010 8:46 PM

Who dares accuse vacc of plagarizing the interwebs??!!

But I could totally believe he would steal material from old seasons... vacc has such a hard time coming up with new stuff. Really, it's a wonder he can string two thoughts together on his own. D'oh! Basically, anytime I see his name, I just assume that I originally wrote whatever he posted. And then I feel really good about myself.

~~~

And Equals Zero wins the Blog today.

#265. Posted by: Clementine at February 26, 2010 8:55 PM

I hardly post at all, but I've been an avid follower of this blog since season 2.
First, Mac you're the best.

I thought i would say a few things about the regular bloggers of this site.

if not for you guys, i would never read the posts---period. Your intelligience, insights and humor into every detail of the show have enhanced my love for Lost tremendously.

and vacc, if i was on the jury, all i can say after four years of reading your posts, and i probably have read all 654 of them:

NOT GUILTY.......

please continue sharing any thoughts you have with us. And tomorrow when i tell the sayid joke to my friends, i will definitely give you props.

i will definitely miss not having this blog to read after the season is over.

#266. Posted by: day1lostfanatic at February 26, 2010 10:23 PM

Why did the chicken cross the road?
We polled several of our favorite LOST characters and here's what they said -

Claire: That's not a chicken, that's my BABY!

Faraday: Either the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken. From a relativistic standpoint, it's just as likely that the chicken was stationary and the road was in motion.

Frogurt - Chicken? Why are we talking about chickens? What does it even matter why he crossed the road? Didn't you hear what I just said? We can't even get fire!! (Thwunk - takes a Fire arrow in the chest)

Sayid: (Grabs torture kit) I don't know, but perhaps I can loosen his tongue.

Hurley: What chicken? (Coughs up a feather)

Miles: (Hovers over road-kill chicken, closes his eyes and makes whispering sounds) He says that he didn't cross the road.. He fell from the back of a Mr. Cluck's truck when it hit a speed bump.

Ben: I'm sorry, but I already ate the dark meat.

MIB: At some point in that chicken's life, probably when it was young and miserable and vulnerable, Jacob came to see it. He manipulated it, pulled it's strings like it was a puppet. And as a result, choices the chicken thought it had made, were never really choices at all. He was pushing that chicken, Pushing it... to cross the street.

#267. Posted by: vacc at February 26, 2010 10:28 PM

#254. Posted by: August Paul

"Have TPTB lost their continuity guru?"

I'm afraid so.

#268. Posted by: mtncbn at February 26, 2010 10:34 PM

#256. Posted by: August Paul

"Or something... Has anyone tried playing this piece backward? Does it sound like "You all everybody?"

you made me spit wine. job well done!!

#269. Posted by: mtncbn at February 26, 2010 10:38 PM

#259. Posted by: vacc
\
NOT GUILTY

( ? was that the question ? )

#270. Posted by: mtncbn at February 26, 2010 10:54 PM

#267. vacc: Why did the chicken cross the road?

ealgumby & I were laughing our heads off over those...too funny! : )

Desmond (alarmed): That chicken just got run over & killed!

Eloise (unmoved): The chicken would have died tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next day...

Oh, & most emphatically NOT GUILTY. : )

#271. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at February 27, 2010 12:18 AM

@#259. vacc

You will notice that vacc pleaded nothing - not guilty - not innocent - just baffl'em with BS. A liturgy of words intended to divert. The links indicate that more than 3000 honararie' have mentioned the quip that vacc lends too. altho... vacc appears to be decent sort... vacc fails to nod a parta to words he is not author to.

#272. Posted by: SamClems at February 27, 2010 2:18 AM

It's pretty sad that this blog after so many enjoyable years is devolving into a bunch of sniping over the authorship of a stupid joke. Good grief people, it's not that important. Get over it.

#273. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at February 27, 2010 2:43 AM

@263 TanziTwo came up with a great search:

>http://tinyurl.com/OtherSayidJoke

Neat. Wish Google dated the material it found, so I could tell if I was the first to come up with that punch line, although to a different joke. And for the record I'm sure vacc, a very creative guy, came up with it independently.

Take it easy, Crispy old man, I don't think anybody's being mean-spirited here.

#274. Posted by: Cecil at February 27, 2010 3:29 AM

Do we need a prayer meeting?

:-)

#275. Posted by: davidrh at February 27, 2010 7:12 AM

@Cecil, Crispy Seaplanes, SamClems, TanziTwo, Vacuum Cleaner and others.. Okay, this got way outta hand, so I stayed up all night and tracked down the origin of the punch line in question.

I was surprised, and a little disappointed to discover that the punch line "To get to the other Sayid" actually predates Cecil's entry by over 20 years.

This was first authored (quite unintentionally) during those dark days before spell checkers by a young song writer by the name of Mikle Jaxsin, who was famous for typing all of his lyrics while wearing a single white glove.

This naturally led to frequent misspellings which not only included the joke at issue, but also the very popular preschool song "Old McDonald had a farm.. F-J-F-J-P"

#276. Posted by: vacc at February 27, 2010 7:39 AM

Vacc -- I believe you're covered under the fair use provision. The "it's a TV show so let's not get too worked up" guideline is also in play ;)

Nice defense, BTW. You available for traffic hearings? I might give you a call in the future ...

#277. Posted by: mac at February 27, 2010 8:36 AM

Who wins in the sure to be a battle royal fight between kate and claire?

#278. Posted by: Davey at February 27, 2010 8:52 AM

We need an acronym besides LMAO for some of the funny posts. mtncbn lost some wine last night over playing the Chopin piece backwards (nice, August Paul), I just lost some coffee this morning over the confused bowl of petunias (thanks, Plain Simple, haven't thought about that in a while).

How about "JSMDAOMS" - Just Spit My Drink All Over My Screen - or is that too gross?

And remember, if we don't laugh together, we'll cry alone - or something like that.

#279. Posted by: jaybee at February 27, 2010 9:17 AM

We should have been making a list of our questions that we want answered during the time between this season and last. I think we are going to remember a lot of thing we wanted answered after this show is over.

Here is a list of some of mine:

Numbers: Weren’t the numbers around from way back when? Didn’t someone mention that someone back in the thirties found or discovered the numbers? Even as far back as when Rousseau came to the island as a young woman they were being broadcast.
So – do we think the numbers have always been assigned to Hurley, Locke, Ford, Sayid, Jack, and Kwon? Or are those same numbers used over and over for the best candidates?

Polar Bears: Why did Walt find a comic book with Polar Bears on it? Why did Charlotte find a Polar Bear collar in the desert? Why were Polar Bears still running around after the Dharma Initiative had been destroyed? And – what ever happened to the second Polar Bear?

Wild Life: There seems to be no wildlife on the island except of contrivances like the Polar Bears, Kate’s horse, the spiders that bit the two kids that were buried alive. You never see a bird fly by or anything – highly unusual for a tropical setting.

Libby: Why was Libby in the insane asylum with Hurley? Who was Libby’s husband that died and left the boat that she gave to Desmond?

Ways off the island: Desmond tried to sail away from the island; he said it was like a snow globe that he couldn’t get out of. Walt and his dad were give coordinates for leaving the island that seemed to have worked. How did the helicopter manage to crash, get picked up by Penny’s boat, be taken to another location, get on an airplane and get home?

Christian: Although we assume that MIB manifests himself as Christian, Locke, Vincent, etc. Why would he (as Christian) assist Locke to turn the wheel so he could go back and bring the others back? MIB doesn’t want anyone coming to the island.

Mr. Friendly: Why did he earlier wear a fake beard and mustache as if he were disguising himself when nobody had ever seen him before? Remember Kate finding the makeup kit in a locker with the beard, etc?

Juliette: Who was she supposed to have looked like that Ben was so infatuated with? Remember the comment “she looks just like her?”

Walt: Did Walt kill his mother?


#280. Posted by: tesla at February 27, 2010 9:32 AM

Either the polar bear was the bomb or it was playing Chopin.

The funeral David was upset about may have been Jack's grandfather. Where are his shoes now?!

#281. Posted by: Gumbo at February 27, 2010 2:01 PM

It seems as if history keeps repeating itself. Rousseau is now Kate, both looking for their babies. Both set traps, both are crazy.

#282. Posted by: meg at February 27, 2010 2:18 PM

@MAC: Great review, that Claire is a hot mess! One question though, "he's never seen a zombie transformation and Sayid's brain-eating apotheosis could be quite the show" So Sayid is turning into a zombie god?
Also, as for the date screw up, I believe Darlton confirmed that the date on the ultra sound (just like Charlotte's originally stated DOB) was a production error.

@4. add it: As others have stated, 108 was "Wallace", which was already crossed out. This supports the theory that Jacob just wanted Jack to see what he saw in the Lighthouse, and the "mission" was just a clever ploy. FYI, these are the names (? is a partial name or illegible) I could make out. All are crossed out expect Ford, Jarrah, Shepherd, Kwon, and Austen:

13 B?
14 Pryce
15 Ford
16 Jarrah
17 Barnes
18 Kueffner
19 Nguyen
20 Rousseau
21 McHenry
22 Moorhead
23 Shephard
24 Kluxen
25 Asher
26 Bozarth
27 Dorrie
28 Holland?
29 M?
30 Wade
31 Toms?
32 Rutherford?
33 Novak
34 Grimaldi
35 Brennan
36 Syzmanski
37 Torres
38 Lindstrom
39 Mortoka?
40 Dowsen?
41 Troene?
42 Kwon
43 Barnes
44 Martinez
45 Rapp?
46 Ashika?
47 Erupts?
48 Stanhope
49 Meyers
50 Hemmer?
51 Austen
52 Oriren?
53 C?
54 Olarti?
55 Ken?
56 Hansen
57 Grimaldi
58 Bert?
59 Suzart?
60 Kys?
61 Dav?
62 I?
94 Cohen
95 Pollette
96 Greeso?
97 Pattison
98 Horton
99 Sookson?
100 Bardfield
101 Faraday
102 Normand
103 Horeman?
104 Lewis
105 Chan
106 Strazynski
107 Homson
108 Wallace
109 Friendly
110 Spons?
111 Klein
112 Horton
113 Worden
114 Yamada
115 Bargas
116 Lambert
117 Linus
118 Chavez
119 Almeida
120 Rodriguez
121 Nielson
122 Free?

#283. Posted by: FenwayBen at February 27, 2010 2:45 PM

#283

So we still don't know who's on first?

#284. Posted by: davidrh at February 27, 2010 3:32 PM

@280 tesla wondered:

>Juliette: Who was she supposed to have looked like that Ben was so infatuated with? Remember the comment “she looks just like her?”

I think I got this one. Young Ben had a pre-teen crush on this lady in the motor pool who inexplicably knows how to deliver babies as well...

Then years later he finds a fertility doctor who looks just like his long-ago first love... Because she *is* her.

Juliet looks just like... Juliet!


#285. Posted by: Cecil at February 27, 2010 4:33 PM

One thing I noticed, Claire appeared to have been in the jungle for three years...I believe all in the same time zone. She tell Jin she has been hiding "since you all left". I think that she didn;t move because she had already been removed from the candidate list. I think that only the "active" candidates moved through time, and that the movements were not random...Jacob, or the Island, or something/one wanted them to be in those times, expecially 1977. That someone/thing wanted them to detonate the bomb, and create the "alternate" time line. The one where Oceanic lands is the world as it should be...Jack has a son and is able to connect with him, Claire keeps Aaron, Locke comes to terms with all of his issues, Kate loves the thrill of being on the run instead of being conflicted, Ben terrorizes high school students and facility but doesn;t go aroudn killing people...and who knows what else. But that also explains why Sun didn't time travel (that would make Jin, not Sun, the Kwon we are looking for).
Rose and Bernard are the possible flaw in my theory...

@5. Silhouette: Didn't we see the original cradle destroyed at the beach camp at some point during season 4 or 5? Sun found Charlie's DS ring in it.

@53. harry_hood: Really? The numbers add up to 108? I never noticed!

@61. welh: Careful, Neither Darlton nor anyone on the writing staff write those pop-ups. I believe they are written by the promotions department, just like that "The time for answers is now" or whatever the tagline is.

@101. halexmorph: The top photo on the wall opposite the mirror could be Juliet, but I can't say for certain.

@112. irishfan: I figured as much, given the annotated sheet music that Jack found...though wouldn't David have brought that sheet music with him to the audition?

@163. Plain Simple: Hurley's imaginary friend is Dave...

@212. Scooby-Dude: Why are you nusing Internet Explorer?!?

@267. vacc: LMAO!

Charlie: "Guys, where are the chickens?"
Rose: "My husband keeps reminding me that chickens wanna be in the air."
Sawyer: "He was probably going to Bear Village. How the hell do I know?
Jack: "If chickens don;t live together...they're gonna die alone!"

Also from the lighthouse:
122 Freed
123 Ling
124 Dawson
125 Owens
126 Penti
127 Mora
128 Paddock
129 Lampb?
130 Tillman?

#286. Posted by: FenwayBen at February 27, 2010 4:35 PM

@284 davidrh asked:

>So we still don't know who's on first?

No, but what's on second.

#287. Posted by: Cecil at February 27, 2010 4:35 PM

@284. davidrh: I couldn't see 1-12 at all, sorry

@285. Cecil: I agree completely, Juliet looks just like Juliet! ;)

#288. Posted by: FenwayBen at February 27, 2010 4:38 PM

@280 tesla:
I agree that certain questions would be worth separating from general episode discussions. It's probably a little late in the game though since we're 1/4 way through Season 6 and the promo for the next episode promised ANSWERS!!

Perhaps it would still be worthwhile to post a few of the real biggies right away for some focused discussion, theorizing - even gloating (for those whose theories prove to be right).

As to the questions you posed, a couple of random thoughts

Numbers: I like your closing query - are those same numbers used over and over for the best candidates? While I'm guessing not, perhaps there is some inherited qualities to them - for example Sheppard may have once been Christian, or even Jack's Granddad - or one day possibly Jack's son David.

Polar Bears: Why did Charlotte find a Polar Bear collar in the desert? And – what ever happened to the second Polar Bear?
I've always believed that the 2nd polar bear is the one Charlotte found in the desert (it was an entire skeleton, not just a collar). It was probably trained to turn the donkey wheel so that the island could be moved without the leader suffering the consequences of never returning to the Island. (Less likely theory is that the 2nd polar bear became the leader of the others.. As Charlie pointed out once, they are the Einsteins of the bear community)

Wild Life: There seems to be no wildlife on the island.. Besides the Boar, there were also those homing pigeons - perhaps they were used to ferry lists for Jacob? And don't forget the Hurley Bird!

Christian: Assume that MIB manifests himself as Christian why would he (as Christian) assist Locke to turn the wheel so he could go back and bring the others back?
MIB likely accepted this as the only way his plan to kill Jacob could succeed. Perhaps he really believed Locke would fail - and this was all a long con to get him to off himself. As insurance he set it up so that anyone who was a candidate would be deposited in the Island's past. This also strengthens the case for Kwon being Jin and NOT Sun, and adds importance to Jacob's dying words "They're coming" since MIB assumed that by 2007 the remaining Candidates were already dead.

Mr. Friendly: Why did he earlier wear a fake beard and mustache as if he were disguising himself when nobody had ever seen him before?
I doubt he was trying to conceal his identity. The goal was to give the impression that they were a backwards, outdoor dwelling tribe and a clean close shave just wouldn't fit the bill.

Juliette: I just noticed Cecil beat me to the punch on my answer to this one.

Walt: Did Walt kill his mother?
I highly doubt it, but I do believe that her death was necessary to set things in motion, so maybe Jacob's influence was at hand.

#289. Posted by: vacc at February 27, 2010 5:13 PM

@280 tesla

I'll take a whack on some:

* The "special" numbers were not broadcast until Dharma arrived on the island and built their radio tower, circa 1972.

As for Jacob and his numbering system, it does appear that some of the numbers at the lighthouse have been reused.

Polar Bears: brought to the island by Dharma as part of their experiments, although there was a suggestion in season #1 that Walt had the ability to summon animals with his mind.

Libby: apparently was in the mental hospital due to grief over her husband's death. Never revealed why she gave Des the boat, but reading between the lines suggests she was a Widmore operative.

Off the island: the freighter (and helicopter) had the appropriate coordinates to safely get on and off the island- the same coordinates used by the sub and by Michael and Walt to sail away. Not having those coordinates= sailing in circles, i.e. the snow globe.

Christian as MIB: Smokey needed Locke to return dead for his loophole plan. Locke would never leave the island unless sent on a quest he felt was his destiny. Bring 'em all back=quest=loophole body.

Mr. Friendly: part of the ruse created by Ben to keep the Oceanic survivors in the dark about the location of the barracks and the true nature of the Others.

As for Walt killed his mother..??? Didn't she die of cancer?

I'll add 3 things that bug me about season 6, most of them previously called out by other posters:

1. The show made a big stinkin' deal out of both Walt and Aaron. Both have now been non-factors for an extended time.
2. The show made a medium sized deal about Des and his "specialness". Other than his cameo on the plane, no Des all season.
3. A heaping amount of the plot from seasons 2-5 was driven by Ben, the Great Deceiver. This season- strictly second banana status on the edges of all the action. Was Ben just an inflated pawn, and now in season 6 merely a supporting character?

#290. Posted by: Mizzed at February 27, 2010 5:29 PM

sorry, vacc- I was writing my response at the same time you were! Good to have you back and active, BTW.

#291. Posted by: Mizzed at February 27, 2010 5:31 PM

@289. vacc: Mr. Friendly had a beard because he didn't want the Lostaways to figure out he was gay. ;)

#292. Posted by: FenwayBen at February 27, 2010 5:42 PM

Despite reading this blog for longer than I care to remember, this is my first post :-)

Nothing particularly earth-shattering, but was thinking that now we now that the Numbers can be attributed to certain people, was the number station transmitting those numbers in a bid to call said people to the island? Or as a message to someone else off-island to start recruiting?

#293. Posted by: Stimps at February 27, 2010 6:27 PM

@293-stimps,
glad you decided to make a comment,
doesn't have to be earth-shattering - just relevant, which i believe your post was,
my feeling was that the swan station WOULD transmit the numbers unless blocked by typing to the computer,
which desmond failed to do.

#294. Posted by: san at February 27, 2010 7:32 PM

Was going to ask if woman supposed to be adopting Claire's baby in "What Kate Does" is indeed the same woman who Claire meets with to confirm said adoption way back in "Raised By Another."

Then remembered this amazing invention called Google and was able to determine that in fact, it is NOT the same woman. The first woman's name was Arlene Stewart, and if we remember, Claire reneged the whole giving Arlene her baby dealio after the psychic's warning that Claire should raise the baby herself.

It gets interesting in "What Kate Does" - the adoptive mother, newly ditched by her husband, is a different woman. I don't know if anyone has checked out her riveting Lostpedia page, but her name is Lindsey Baskum. Lindsey Baskum is an anagram of "Used by Malkins". Malkins is the psychic!

Curious, no?

Also, I was idly pondering Smokey/MIB and his motives. So far, we know he's some sort of "security system" and can take on the form of others. What if he's not the only island recruiter? He wants to home, so does this mean someone has to take his place as chief island ass-kicker? Seems pretty convenient that the one person he takes to his secret cave and tells the candidate story to just happens to be the ex head of Dharma security...

Thoughts?

#295. Posted by: Jin + Tonic at February 27, 2010 7:55 PM

@ #113. Posted by: S.W. Confused at February 24, 2010 4:01 PM

Final scene will be Sawyer and Jack repeting the Jacob MIB beach scene word for word.

This sounds so right. For a couple of seasons, I have thought the ending would be back on Flight 815 with it landing in LA a la Stephen King's ending to The Dark Tower saga. You've definitely got me reconsidering.


What happens to folks who only exist in the ALT timeline when it collapses? Is David destined to end up on the island never aging (like Richard) because his timeline doesn't exist?

Does MIB have a timeline he can go home to?

Another thought, two places with the candidates names listed, the cave and the lighthouse. We see MIB in the cave and Jacob at the lighthouse. Anyone think that the normal place these guys hung out was the other locale (i.e the cave was Jacob's and the lighthouse was MIB's hangout?) Maybe MIB was the one who has been watching...

#296. Posted by: add it up at February 27, 2010 10:37 PM

Brian - whomever this person is - has a new addition up on his site "Lost and Gone forever" entitled....Lost is Depressing.

As usual - he has some interesting observations.

It's interesting that "Brian's" writing has spawned dialogue on this blog - I wonder if MAC'S reviews have spawned interest in other blogs? Anybody know? Does anybody here "Cross-Blog?"

hmmm. "Cross-blogging" . . . Would that be considered kinky?

#297. Posted by: davidrh at February 28, 2010 4:29 PM

Just for the record: I'm only here because I don't understand hockey.

#298. Posted by: davidrh at February 28, 2010 4:30 PM

298. Posted by: davidrh at February 28, 2010 4:30 PM

not much to understanding hockey...Canada 3/USA 2...Canada Rules!!!! (please accespt my apologies for that totally un-Canandian moment of bragging but hey!)

#299. Posted by: surefoot at February 28, 2010 8:01 PM

as my japanese isn't quite up to scratch i asked a friend to translate dogens response when hurley told him he was a candidate & could do what he wants,
TRANSLATION: i will never return for a meal at mr. clucks,
your chicken is dry & insulting to my palate,
you kill tricia tanaka then insult me,
my piano virtuoso wannabe son shall dine elsewhere (KFC)

#300. Posted by: san at February 28, 2010 8:03 PM

Wow! I've had a busy weekend and haven't read since Friday. Lots to catch up on. I re-watched the episode and loved it. Lost was given a brief salute during an SNL digital short and there is an essay saluting it in the latest episode of Rolling Stone. It's worth the read!

#301. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 28, 2010 8:06 PM

@299. surefoot: You put the "What" in "What's new?"

#302. Posted by: FenwayBen at February 28, 2010 8:38 PM

GO CANADA!!!

is it so much to ask for a little more Charlie in our side-flashes?! come on!
and some more Des and Penny! GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT... we also want answers by the way.

#303. Posted by: driveshaft at February 28, 2010 9:13 PM

@ #280 - tesla

Gonna give a shot at the answers and try not to repeat any previous posters. apologies in advance if i do. :)

Numbers: seems to me that these numbers were always a calling - being broadcast, being used in the swan. this one i still don't get yet, but i think that the numbers were always assigned to these individuals... except jack, considering his name was in sharpie...

Polar Bears: Walt seems to be able to make things appear when he's thinking about them, as we've seen multiple times. sure hope they'll explain walt's "powers" by the end. The first polar bear was shot by Sawyer, the second, which attacked walt, somehow ended up in the donkey wheel room, thus ending up in the tunisian desert. why it didn't move the island or jump the losties thru time... i don't know.

Wild Life: watch again... there's more than you think. Lapidus saw a cow when he arrived! Sawyer followed not only a boar thru the jungle, but also a treefrog. i don't think kate's horse really counts. Lots of spiders, lots of boar, the pidgeons, etc. Even bunnies!

Libby: Can't wait to find out the truth here. Libby seems to me like a bit of a gold-digger... Had a rich husband who died somehow, she ended up with a nice new yacht! she lies to hurley about how he knows her... and she pretends to like him cause she's going for his money! And i'm guessing she was paid by widmore to give des the boat.


Ways off the island: this ones been answered nicely by Mizzed in #290. basically if you don't have the right coordinates (which michael, lapidus, and faraday all had) you're either sent back towards the island - if you're leaving it, or you travel to the island at a different time than you left - if you enter it at the wrong point.

Christian: My favourite part. And although it's been answered, i'm gonna shoot at it anyway. MIB takes over a new manifestation in hopes that it will lead someone to follow him and help him destroy jacob. The body of Christian gave him opportunity to appear as him to invoke interest in certain crash members, ie appearing to jack. he used the image of Yemmi to try to get Eko to follow him, but Eko saw thru the lies, making Eko useless to MIB, which is why he killed him. As Christian, he was able to influence Locke's decision to move the island, forcing the oceanic 6 to leave so that he could convince Locke to leave and die so that the 6 would return and bring his body, which would let him assume the identity of Locke, convincing Locke's followers to do his bidding. Though he didn't want people coming to the island, he still needed a way to kill Jacob first.


Mr. Friendly: answered by Mizzed also.

Juliette: i LOVE Cecil's answer. I'm runnin with it.

Walt: No i don't think he killed his mother. Jacob did... because she was annoying.

#304. Posted by: driveshaft at February 28, 2010 10:15 PM

ACK's recap is up. Funny, funny, funny!

#305. Posted by: lost2theworld at February 28, 2010 10:46 PM

@286 - Fenway Ben

"...That someone/thing wanted them to detonate the bomb, and create the "alternate" time line. The one where Oceanic lands is the world as it should be..."

Why would the alternate time be the world as it should be?

IMO neither time line is the way it was intended to be.

PURE SPECULATION FOLLOWS!!!! IMHO-->

The island time line we have seen over the past 5 seasons was a fabrication from the norm as created by "Jacob" or whoever through direct manipulation and influence at critical junctures in the lives of our pawns.

The alt time line is a manifestation of a split that has occurred long before the events of season 1. Entire personality traits have changed through an alteration in the very structure of the pawns lives. Strangely enough, the Alt time line probably occurs simultaneously on the calendar as the losties adventures on-island, but after the entire ordeal from their point of view. their consciousness' appears to have jumped to another version (re-boot) of themselves. flashes of the reality they lived through are coming through like they did for Desmond post fail-safe.

They way it should be, has yet to be seen.

#306. Posted by: Hurley's Beard at February 28, 2010 11:54 PM

I guess the original baby crib was destroyed when the beach was attacked, and Claire died then too correct? I haven't re-watched any LOST seasons so I could be mixing things up. If so, that's an interesting connection.

And another observation I wanted to note was that while I was at work (ah data entry provides me with such fun musings about life hehe) I was thinking about what Desmond said to Jack. He always said 'see you in another life' and I realized in the first ALT episode, we saw that Desmond did meet Jack in 'another life'. Hmm.

#307. Posted by: Silhouette at March 1, 2010 1:06 AM

I guess the original baby crib was destroyed when the beach was attacked, and Claire died then too correct? I haven't re-watched any LOST seasons so I could be mixing things up. If so, that's an interesting connection.

And another observation I wanted to note was that while I was at work (ah data entry provides me with such fun musings about life hehe) I was thinking about what Desmond said to Jack. He always said 'see you in another life' and I realized in the first ALT episode, we saw that Desmond did meet Jack in 'another life'. Hmm.

#308. Posted by: Silhouette at March 1, 2010 1:11 AM

Sorry for the double post. I got an error message the first time.

#309. Posted by: Silhouette at March 1, 2010 1:12 AM

That's ok, Silhouette - it happens all the time.

#310. Posted by: davidrh at March 1, 2010 9:52 AM

That's ok, Silhouette - it happens all the time.

#311. Posted by: davidrh at March 1, 2010 9:53 AM

@297/ davidrh: I started a blog page just to organize my notes, thoughts, and theories prior to the Season. It seemed like the most efficient way than a thousand scraps of paper on the living room sofa.

#312. Posted by: welh at March 1, 2010 11:27 AM

Hey y'all.

I am a very old poster returning after a long hiatus. I moved to Africa and had to do a lot of catching up with Lost. However, now I get to watch the episode a day or two after you guys so its great to be back!

Mac, just wanna say thanks for the great work you do. My Lost experience just isn't the same without your blog. Keep up the wonderful work.

And to everyone else, your comments, observations etc. make this show so much more interesting. Red...neck...man, you rock dude!

Just wanted to say this...will post my opinion after I have read through the rest so I don't end up repeating stuff.

WGNABB(log)!:-)

#313. Posted by: katePlusSun=Fun at March 1, 2010 12:02 PM

@297 davidrh - "Cross-blogging"...Would that be considered kinky?

Not if you're Mormon.

#314. Posted by: robinpiney at March 1, 2010 2:32 PM

@313 katePlusSun=Fun riposted:

>I am a very old poster returning after a long hiatus...

Welcome back. So where are you posting from now? Too bad Frapper is dropping the map. We never got an actual poster from Africa. Or Antarctica, either, although we did have fictionl posts from both. The only two continents we missed.

#315. Posted by: Cecil Rose at March 1, 2010 2:41 PM

@296 add it up - "Is David destined to end up on island never aging (like Richard) because his timeline doesn't exist?"

EXCELLENT! - Way to back into a theory on the Guyliner's perpetual agelessness! We seriously do need a Richard-centric episode. I suspect it won't occur til near the series end.

Props and Lost Blogger Hall Of Fame membership to welh, mizzed, ealgumby and vacc for theorization above and beyond the call of duty. You folks continue to replenish the gray matter I've killed off pondering the possibilities the last 5+ years!

And I propose an Honorary Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Benjamin Linus Law School of Dharma University be bestowed upon vacc for his sterling defense exhibited in this week's post #259!

#316. Posted by: robinpiney at March 1, 2010 3:01 PM

@255/welh - Jacob/MIB possibilities:

10. disgruntled ex-lovers


vacc is INNOCENT, INNOCENT I say!


@vacc #267...Why did the chicken cross the road?
We polled several of our favorite LOST characters and here's what they said -

Jack - If only (sniff) I had led the chicken across the road, he would still be here. (sniff, eyes brimming with tears) It's all my fault.

#317. Posted by: lost2theworld at March 1, 2010 3:47 PM

The question is Why
Did the chicken cross the road?
Because it was Lost!

IITY?

#318. Posted by: ransomjackson at March 1, 2010 3:55 PM

Dogen on the Island seems like a man who has been there for a long time. I initially figured he was also on the Black Rock. But if so, how can he be there at the piano recital with Jack in the ATL?

What if some folks on the Island are actually aware of their ATL selves, maybe even share some memories.
Like, maybe Dogen at the Temple remembers Jack from the piano recital. Maybe Ilana meets Sun and Jin in the ATL, and that's why she knows about them on the Island as well.

I'm already coming up with huge holes in this little theory, and I haven't even yet read all the posts yet, so I'll stop there.

Btw, I definitely prefer psycho Claire over moody Claire. Apart from the hair ofcourse.

#319. Posted by: Mischa at March 1, 2010 4:25 PM

@318 ransomjackson -
"The question is Why
Did the chicken cross the road?
Because it was Lost!"

I thought it was because it was stapled to the duck !

#320. Posted by: Hurley's Beard at March 1, 2010 5:31 PM

There's got to be something about all these children that keep popping up. The ones taken from the first crash showed up at the temple, then the blonde boy appeared in the Jungle, Jin and Sun have a daughter and now Jack has a son. Could there be another group coming to the island? Is Jack's son a big key to the story? Is he what makes Jack so special? Aaron was the only child (that we know of) born on the island so he's gotta be pretty significant. Could these kids be who Jacob was referring to when he said "their coming"

Another note...am I the only one that thinks Elana keeps looking at Sun kinda funny, like she knows something about her? Also, in the previous episode, I think one of the posters at the Job placement place when Locke is talking to Rose, looks like Sawyer and Kate are in it? Anyone notice that?

#321. Posted by: guest at March 1, 2010 6:53 PM

IT. IIEOY?

#322. Posted by: Cecil at March 2, 2010 12:55 AM

@313 katePlusSun=Fun: Welcome back for sure, and thanks for the shout-out! If you tell me that you moved to Africa, I can only assume that it was to Tunisia looking to see if anyone just happened to 'pop-in' with a heavy coat on. If you worked for Widmore it'd complete me!!

#323. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at March 2, 2010 7:20 AM

Why did the chicken cross the road?

TO GET TO TUESDAY NIGHT!!!!

BTW: WElh - Super site!

#324. Posted by: davidrh at March 2, 2010 8:02 AM

@316/robinpiney:

SPOILER ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We ARE getting a Richard-centric episode! It is Ep #9 and -- according to some stuff I've read -- is gonna be a whopper! Backstory on Richard and Jacob and their relationship.

#325. Posted by: GatorGal at March 2, 2010 9:04 AM

@Cecil 315...I am posting from Kenya. I won't tell you how I get to watch Lost only a day later then you though:-)

Claire looks scary as hell. I agree that she sees Flocke as Locke but knows its not Locke. I would have loved to see Sawyer walk into Claire's lair behind Flocke and see Jin - that exchange of looks would have been priceless.

Someone mentioned that Jack's son might have been upset about his mother's funeral, but Jack leaves a message on his cellphone in which he says something to the effect of.."I know your mother is out of town..." so that would very much make her alive.

Vacc...innocent! If there was an award for funniest poster, you would be a winner in my books - right next to Red...Neck...Man!

Thanks for your insight guys!

#326. Posted by: katePlusSun=Fun at March 2, 2010 9:10 AM

Red...Neck...Man@323...I didn't actually move to Africa...i just found myself there after spinning the frozen wheel.
Widmore wanted me to kill some of the top posters on mac's blog so I ran away to Kenya and live amongst the wild animals now!

#327. Posted by: katePlusSun=Fun at March 2, 2010 9:18 AM


@326 katePlusSun=Fun teased:

>I am posting from Kenya.

So what brought you to Kenya?


>I won't tell you how I get to watch Lost only a day later then you though:-)

Found a way fo defeatng the country code on the ABC website? A friend who emails large files?

#328. Posted by: Cecil Rose at March 2, 2010 9:25 AM

Vacc @ 267 made me laugh. Laughing is good, except when you're drinking something. Or when you're at a funeral. Or when you're otherwise caught in the giggle loop. None of which I was, so it was good! Thanks Vacc.

Thanks FenwayBen @ 286 for the David-answer!


Road crossing chickens:

Locke: It looked into the eye of the other side and what it saw was beautiful.

Boone: Because it couldn't fly well either.

Vincent:

Michael: Chickeeeeeeeen!

Nadia: O look, a cute chicken on the r...

Radzinsky: Because it's a spy! Kill it, kill it. It even named its children Hatchlings! How does it know the name of our new station?

(Hmm... I never realized before that when the Losties were down the Hatch they were the Swan's hatchlings)

Hurley: To go to Australia to be the star in my new commercial.

Jack: I don't know and I want answers! So I'm going to smash the chicken into a million pieces. That is sure going to help us find out the answer!

Walt: Chickens crossing the road? What is it? Is that like Frogger?
Locke: Not really. It's a better game than Frogger.

#329. Posted by: Plain Simple at March 2, 2010 12:33 PM

Hey, Vincent fell mute in my previous post. What it was supposed to say was

Vincent: [munch munch snack]

#330. Posted by: Plain Simple at March 2, 2010 12:35 PM

I thought that this last episode was the perfect addition to season six, the final season, and once again answered nearly no questions. I mean come on now, we are what 5 or 6 episodes now in to it, and we do not really know anything more now then we did at the begining. So far, in my opinion, the first episode was the best. They have a lot of room for improvement here as far as I am concerned.

Besides the obviouse, I am most interested in finding out what is up with christain. His body disapears after the crash. Jack sees him strolling in the woods, which we now know is how he found the caves. He is Claires father too. He has been with her for 3 years in the woods to. I cant wait for that little mystery to unfold.

I hope tonights episode reveals something other than a odd lighthouse, that they never saw...

And what is up with the other island? Where did that bad larry go?

Lot of questions, very little answers.

#331. Posted by: lostsurvivors at March 2, 2010 12:48 PM

@321 There's got to be something about all these children that keep popping up.

Let's not forget that Sawyer has a little girl. Do you think it's possible that Sayid, Hurley and Locke have kids too in an alternate timeline? That would make them the parents of the ones that are coming to the island. Jacob had to push them in the right direction so thier lives would be in the right place at the right time so these kids could be born. hmmmmmm......

#332. Posted by: LOST & FOUND at March 2, 2010 1:32 PM

What did the chicken say to the other chicken after they crossed road?

We have to go back!

#333. Posted by: DocH at March 2, 2010 2:17 PM

All the chicken jokes are cracking me up!! You all are too much! Thanks for the laugh!

#334. Posted by: Boodle at March 2, 2010 2:21 PM

Observations upon the REWATCH:

- Jack pulls the key to David's mom's house out from under a WHITE RABBIT statue on the front porch

- Loved the "All candidates Welcome" sign in the foyer of the music academy

- #108 on the sundial appears to be WALLACE. Could this be Walt?

- Biblically, David was a SHEPHERD'S son who tended flocks ... until he fought Goliath.

- Fun to see the bottle of McCutcheon liquor in Jack's dad's study!

That's all...counting down hours till tonight.

#335. Posted by: GatorGal at March 2, 2010 2:29 PM

@329 Plain Simple
Liked your additions to the Chicken Crossing.. and really liked the term "Swan's hatchlings"

Here's my chicken crossing Haiku
------------------------------
Chicken crossed the road
Was such a beautiful sight
Poultry in motion

#336. Posted by: vacc at March 2, 2010 2:32 PM

What did the chicken say to the other chicken after they crossed road?

Nothing....the chicken's numbers were no good so Jack smashed their mirrors, Claire axed em, the others fried them up and Hurley sold them as the special of the day at Mr. Cluck's, then Flocke crossed them off the list, But don't worry, they will be back next week in a sideways flash!!

#337. Posted by: gg at March 2, 2010 2:36 PM

Why did the chicken cross (out) Highway 108?

Because it is no longer a Candidate.

***

Why did the chicken cross the road?

It flashed sideways.

#338. Posted by: Plain Simple at March 2, 2010 3:01 PM

i live in hope that the story will gather some kind of momentum anytime soon,
i muss admit to feeling a little cheated with this sideways-flash nonsense,
it now feels as though we get half an episode each week with very little being revealed from the plot on-island,
i guess we will have to endure side-flash episodes for all the main characters,(could be a good few weeks of this to come)
i do still enjoy the show but im disappointed with the way the writers have gona about the start of season 6,
where is charles widmore,has he given up on the island?
where is desmond,he was told the island wasn't finished with him?
i hate to complain about what has been my favourite tv show for 5 years + but want to enjoy its final season so much.

#339. Posted by: san at March 2, 2010 3:05 PM

A few minor observations ...

Watched the lighthouse scene over and over again trying to get good hieroglyph snaps, and noticed some things along the way:

(1) There's a continuity error ... the mirror is pointing at about 50 degrees when Hurley starts pulling the chain ("glass part" at about 230 deg, already past the telescope in the corner), which is also where it is when Jack yells for Hurley to stop after seeing the church steeple in the mirror. In between (after Hurley starts) we see the mirror mysteriously pointing at about 120 degrees and falling (back side up around 300, not yet having reached the telescope tripod in the corner).

No big deal, but it is definitely a production error ... they must have taped both the scene where Hurley starts pulling and Jack tells him to stop with the mirror pointed at about 50 deg ... the movement in between was probably taped separately for the drama of seeing the whole thing move slowly.

(2) My mild annoyance with this production error springs entirely from my desire to figure out where the mirror was pointing when Jack sees the Asian-style pagoda-type building first and the church steeple later ... but since there's inconsistency with the shown rotation of the mirror, not sure anything can be made of that.

(3) For what it's worth ... when Jack first glimpses the pagoda, the mirror would have been pointing somewhere in the 100-110 range, based upon the last time we saw it, right before that happened. There are three interesting possibilities in that range: 101 (Faraday), 104 (Lewis), and of course 108 (Wallace). No way it was near 42 (Kwon) at the time though, unless we assume multiple continuity/production errors (or the possibility/likelihood that TPTB did not anticipate anyone trying to make this correlation!).

(4) When Jack sees the steeple and tells Hurley to stop, the mirror is clearly pointing somewhere close to 50 degrees ... hmm, 51 (Austen) seems a good bet. Not so much 15 (Ford) though, with whom the steeple seems to be associated (church where Jacob gave the pen to young Sawyer) ... unless we really dig deep into the BS bucket and claim 51 is the "mirror" of 15!

(5) Also ... Hurley asks Jack to stop him when 108 is reached, but Jack just stares as the pointer drops right on by. Even if we assume the pagoda was seen when the mirror was pointing at 108, why didn't Jack tell him to stop then? Nope, the pointer just cruises right on by, on its way down to the 50 range (and then not much further to 23 under Jack's control). So, was Hurley asleep during this time as well? Dude could clearly see the pointer went right by 108, had he been looking at all, which one would assume he might (?). Maybe it's a nit-pick, but after watching the scene a few times, it's pretty glaring IMO.

(6) Many/most people seem to be of the opinion that Sayid's and Jack's names are replacements for earlier names, as they are written in darker, apparently with a marker ("Sharpie"). I see the names emphasized with a marker, but drawn right over the top of the same names in the "standard" darkness of all the other names ... no replacement of names, or reuse of the numbers ... JMHO.

(7) The names do not appear to be all of the same hand (due to different writing styles). Could be a production error ("Okay, everyone grab a pen and start writing!") or indicate more than one person was responsible for putting the names there. In the past, when I've hoped to find significance in things such as this, it has always proven to simply be production boo-boo ... that's my guess this time as well, and it means nothing important.

(8) For those on the wildlife hunt, we can very clearly see several shore birds flying outside the lighthouse when Hurley and Jack reach the top.

#340. Posted by: ealgumby at March 2, 2010 3:06 PM

@339 San

I'm with you.....this flash-sideways crap better make some sense.....I've set my expectations pretty low for this last season. I just don't think they can "wow" us anymore.....after all the analyzing, predicting and prognosticating. I'm just lowering the expectations and hoping that I am entertained. Flash sideways remind me of season 4 when each of the 6 that made it off the island would have a scene in the final moments....ya know like Sayid w/ some mystery person.....who is putting the needle is Sayid's arm?....its Benjamin Linus. Every flashfwd seemed to be like that. This year its Locke interviewing with Rose or the buxom psychic....Jack running into Dogan. It better make some damn sense or it is worthless filler.

That being said, every other episode has been good this yr, so tonite's episode may be the best ever......AARG!

#341. Posted by: Diggler at March 2, 2010 3:23 PM

TGIT! Bring on the new episode!!

#342. Posted by: lost2theworld at March 2, 2010 3:43 PM

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get the Flocke outta the way.

#343. Posted by: Rich in Baltimore at March 2, 2010 4:09 PM

@336. vacc - poultry in motion.

Ooh, you delicious, subtle troll you! Just tempting fate there.

I'm hoping for big things from tonight's episode, otherwise I might have to Jack my TV.

#344. Posted by: LockeBox at March 2, 2010 4:18 PM

In the LOST world:

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Answer: Why did the chicken cross the road?

#345. Posted by: welh at March 2, 2010 5:04 PM

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because nobody tells it what it can't do!

#346. Posted by: lost2theworld at March 2, 2010 5:15 PM

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road...

Fox Mulder:
You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

Richard M. Nixon:
The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did *not* cross the road.

Jerry Seinfeld:
Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, "What the heck was this *chicken* doing walking around all over the place anyway?"

Oliver Stone:
The question is not "Why did the chicken cross the road? But is rather, "Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

Darwin:
Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically dispositioned to cross roads.

Louis Farrakhan:
The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken crossed the "black man" in order to trample him and keep him down.

Martin Luther King, Jr.:
I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.

Grandpa:
In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken had crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.

Machiavelli:
The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.

Albert Einstein:
Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

Buddha:
Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The chicken did not cross the road - it transcended it.

Ernest Hemingway:
To die in the rain.

Pat Buchanan:
To steal a job from a decent, hard-working American.

Thomas de Torquemada:
Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll find out.

The Bible:
And God came down from the heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the Chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

Darwin #2:
It was the logical next step after coming down from the trees.

Saddam Hussein:
This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

Dr. Seuss:
Did the chicken cross the road?
Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes the chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed, I've not been told!

O.J. Simpson:
It didn't. I was playing golf with the chicken at the time.

Colonel Sanders:
I missed one?

New Yorker:
Get that freakin' chicken off the freakin' road or I'll break its freakin' neck!

New York Chicken:
Hey! I'm walkin' here!

Philadelphian:
Cluck you!

Bill Clinton:
This administration will do everything within its power to provide free access to ALL chickens on ALL our nations roads, at ANY cost.

Hillary Clinton:
That's MY chicken.

Melanie Griffith:
Don't lie about your chicken. Defy it.

Dan Quayle:
Chikken, did sumone saye chikken?

Jack Nicholson:
You WANT that chicken on the road. You NEED that chicken on the road. You're just too much of a chicken to be on that road YOURSELF!

Jewish Chicken:
Vaat? The pig crosses the road and no one notices. But I cross the road and now it's a Federal case already?!

(Written by Anonymous and stolen by BunnyLover - hope you enjoyed...)

#347. Posted by: BunnyLover at March 2, 2010 5:23 PM

At last finally got to the end. Interesting reading.

Couple of thoughts

1. It is probably just me but I think you could basically ignore seasons 3 - 5 in terms of the story arc. Season 6 could very easily continue from when Desmond resets the hatch. In this respect I think the story, it's answers and the core of it's resolution will be much simpler than we are anticipating.

Although it has been a great ride.

2. Now this thought occurred to me last night just as I was dropping off to sleep, after having read a load of the comments. I think it may have been sparked by references to the Dark Tower. Lets see if it holds any interest in the cold light of day.

Could the island be a link to lots of other timelines/Alt worlds? Is jacob bringing people from the Alt worlds on many occasions.

Maybe they are of the same family line. So Shepherd/Ford/Locke etc all had ancestors on the Black Rock, but ancestors from an Alt timeline.

This is so that one of them can fulfil their destiny as candidates or whatever it is that Jacob wants them to do. However once he has grabbed then from that timeline their part in that time is over and Jacob can't tap it for candidates anymore.

As the conversation between MIB and Jacob went something like
MIB "Why do you keep bringing them here? Ends in destruction etc etc"
Jacob "It only has to end once, everything else is progress."

Are them the same specific people?

Could this then mean that the Alt timeline is one that hasn't been used for candidates yet. As we can see they characters are not the same as the ones we have known for the previous 5 seasons.

Probably complete tosh, but made me sit up in bed.


#348. Posted by: Titch1975 at March 2, 2010 6:10 PM

Why did the chicken cross the road?
...because Kate blew up the house.

...it didn't want to get a flaming arrow in the chest like Frogurt.

Road crossing chickens:
Jacob: Hurley, tell Jack the chicken has the right stuff-ing. He'll know.

Michael: There's a chicken, WAAAAAAAALLLLLT!

Tom Friendly: I prefer the rooster.

#349. Posted by: Gumbo at March 2, 2010 6:41 PM

Aha!
Just realised another black/white connection. The MIB's list (inside the cave)- dark and black. Jacob's list (the top of the lighthouse) - light and airy.

This is my first post in six years of reading this blog, so if it's been mentioned before fell free to throw rotten fruit and tell me to get off the stage.

#350. Posted by: Blue at March 2, 2010 6:50 PM

@347/BunnyLover - more chicken ...

Can’t resist … for fans of “Five Easy Pieces” …

Nicholson:
“I don’t want the chicken to cross the road … I want you to hold it between your knees."

Also, in keeping with the Einstein entry, a few more for fellow geeks …

Planck:
The chicken did not cross the road … its quantum state changed to the other side.

Heisenberg:
I can see the chicken was on the other side of the road, but how quickly it got there, or whether it remains, I cannot conclude.

Schrödinger:
If we don’t watch it cross the road, then arguably the chicken is simultaneously alive on the other side, and dead in the middle of the street.

Hawking:
The chicken disappeared into a black hole before reaching the other side, although my knowledge of its disappearance presents an information paradox … quite the conundrum.

#351. Posted by: ealgumby at March 2, 2010 7:16 PM

So I am very behind on this blog... but someone showed me this:

http://tinyurl.com/y9oo7yr

I am very upset. This bites. My dorm has cablevision, and I am in the NYC area.

#352. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at March 2, 2010 7:36 PM

re: (1) There's a continuity error ... the mirror is pointing at about 50 degrees when Hurley starts pulling the chain...

Not to mention the chain. Old time lighthouse - with a $12.99 Sears chain for a loading dock door. Maybe MIB and Jacob get the catalog.

- - - -
Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because Carlton & Damon have had it on retainer for 5 years and haven't had the chance to work it back into the overarcing plotline until now, what with the writer's strike awhile back.

#353. Posted by: DocH at March 2, 2010 7:40 PM

@329. Plain Simple: No problem! And Giggle Loop reference for the win!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Daniel Faraday: I could tell you, but you wouldn't understand.

Charlotte Lewis: Deh moon eh (in a perfect Korean accent)

Miles Straum: You want me to tell you why the chicken crossed the road? Pay me 3.2 million dollars!

Frank Lapidus: Wait...we're the chicken, aren't we?

Aaron: I want juice box!

Mr. Abaddon: What happened to the rest of the chickens?

My favorite though was "no one tells a chicken what he can't do!"

;)

#354. Posted by: FenwayBen at March 2, 2010 8:12 PM

@350 Blue revealed:

>This is my first post in six years of reading this blog, so if it's been mentioned before fell free to throw rotten fruit and tell me to get off the stage.

Well it's about time! We've been waiting for you.

#355. Posted by: Cecil at March 2, 2010 10:48 PM

@352 ilovebenjaminlinusxx pronounced:

>I am very upset. This bites. My dorm has cablevision, and I am in the NYC area.

Don't worry too much until it actually happens. Cable companies and networks play chicken like this all the time. It rarely actually goes to the drastic extremes.

Without giving anything away, did you watch the 'Next Week on Lost' after the show (Sundown) tonight. Ominous for your favorite character.

#356. Posted by: Cecil Rose at March 2, 2010 10:54 PM

If number 42 at the lighthouse is 'Kwon' then it must be Jin and not Sun. Sun's last name was not always Kwon. If Jacob has been spying and intervening on their lives since they were little then it should show their birth name, her maiden name.

#357. Posted by: islandnation at March 3, 2010 10:14 AM