LOST - The Constant: Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Maggie's text message to me at 8:03 last night:
"Oh man! Three minutes in and I am so glad I am not writing the review! Mua ha ha!"

Yeah, thanks. I'll do my best to break down The Constant. But first I need to refocus for a second. Because I know what you're thinking about LOST right now: Time travel? Advanced Placement Physics? I didn’t know I’d need a Ph freakin’ D to understand LOST. Forget this, I’m going to watch Eli Stone.

First of all, don’t go watch Eli Stone. It’s the worst. Second of all, settle down. This article will not be a physics lesson. Instead, I’m going to attempt to decipher the forest for the trees on this one just a little bit. In addition, a bit of explanation of last night’s plot development.

Instead of trying to hack into the darkest nether regions of my mind in which rudimentary physics knowledge exists, I’m going to trust that the LOST writers will give us enough Physics/Time Travel 101 lessons during the episodes to tell the overall story that they need to tell.

So let’s look at what we did learn about time travel last night – at least as it pertains to LOST.


The Voyage of the Conscious Mind
For me, one of the most telling phrases last night was when 1996-Daniel Faraday told 1996-Desmond to think of time travel not as a body warping into different periods of time, but rather as one person’s consciousness drifting in and out of moments of their past, present and future. Think of it as one continuous storyline, the story of one character’s life – in this case, Desmond. His exposure to electromagnetism (once after the hatch implosion, again during the helicopter flight and over time with the three years he spent in the hatch) does not cause his physical self to travel through time. His body doesn’t go back to 1996. But his conscious mind – consisting of his thoughts, his memories, his emotions, his motivations – travels back and forth to different instances on his storyline. After the hatch implosion, his conscious mind traveled back to about 1994, where he was on the cusp of breaking up with Penny. There he was warned (by Mrs. Hawking) about the dangers of not submitting to your fate when faced with the ability to transport your conscious mind. After conceding to that fate by leaving Penny, Desmond woke up on the Island with a mind that could leap forward and see visions of the future (“You’re gonna die, Charlie.”). On the helicopter ride in last night’s episode, Desmond’s threshold for electromagnetic activity was once again reached, prompting another journey of his conscious mind back - this time back to 1996.

In summary, what LOST is telling us right now (via the incredible character of Daniel Faraday, who I’m liking more and more each week) is that abnormal and prolonged exposure to radiation and electromagnetic activity can trigger the transportation of one’s conscious mind to a different point in one’s life. If you’ve got your head wrapped around that much, I think you’ll be okay, for now.

The Mad Physicist
“Well Daniel, maybe if you talk real slow, we’ll be able to follow.”
– Juliet

Yeah. And if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his ass when he hopped.

But 1996-Daniel Faraday was surprisingly helpful last night. The bumbling mess he becomes on the Island is apparently a shadow of the man he once was. So how did the man who harnessed time travel turn into the man who couldn’t remember 3 cards? It’s as if his brain has, I don’t know, short-circuited. Wait, that’s it!

Faraday warned Desmond that time travel caused by radiation and electromagnetism could confuse the mind, impair memory and ultimately crash the human hard drive. He said the mind couldn't comprehend the abrupt changes involved in time travel. That kinds of seems like what's happening with Daniel Faraday. So did he travel through time?

Yes. I think he did. And he might still be. Here's why...

While that radiation vest Faraday donned in 1996 protected his torso, his head (as Desmond noted) was unprotected from the radioactive shrapnel let loose during the experiments. This would enable the prolonged exposure to radiation that Faraday himself claimed leads to time travel.
Fast forward 8 years. Faraday, on the Island, is thumbing through the ramblings of his notebook when he finds a reminder: “Desmond Hume is my constant.” This. Is. Huge. Huge, people. When Faraday met Desmond in 1996, Desmond told him he had come from the future, from 2004. It was at that point that Faraday found his missing link. He knows that he’s talking to Desmond in 1996, and he knows that in the future he is guiding Desmond through the wonders of time travel. From that, he can reason that if he can get himself to travel through time, Desmond can be his all-important constant. This is exactly what Faraday needs to test his own theories, to experience the phenomenon of the Island’s acceleration of time travel for himself. And he knows that he sure as hell better write down that name, “Desmond Hume.” Yeah. May need that someday.

So from this we can conclude that, like Desmond, Faraday is trying to tame his own mind amidst the turmoil of time travel – or, that he already has. He knows that you have to have a constant, he knows how to comprehend the things his mind is capable of thinking up. The Island is Faraday’s time travel playground, and Desmond is the safety net he needs to probe the Island and find out why it’s unlike any other physical place on earth.

Interestingly, we also learned a lot from Minkowski. The big, bad voice at the other end of the phone seemingly needs to make a reservation at the Santa Rose Nut House with Hurley, Libby and Leonard (the Numbers reciter). Apparently, a brief excursion toward the Island left his mind in shambles, and eventually he short-circuits, dying in Desmond's arms to reinforce the urgency with which Desmond must tame his own mind.

"Okay Charlie, I kind of understand where you’re coming from here. I see how the Island represents a breeding ground for time travel-inducing elements, and that the conscious minds of Desmond and (probably) Faraday are very susceptible to time travel due to their exposure to those elements. But you said this article wasn’t a physics post. So what’s the big picture?"

Good question. And as often is the case with LOST, the answer to that question lies in the title of the episode…


The Constant.
Among Faraday’s ramblings was the explanation of “the constant” and its paramount importance to mathematical formulae. The constant is any element common to the multiple time periods someone is experiencing, that is relevant and important enough for the person to connect to. For Desmond, this is Penny. She is important to him both in 1996 and 2004, and he knows that by harnessing his feelings for her, he can calm his mind.

Last night, Desmond was able to do just that. When he finally spoke with Penny – in a scene that literally had me hunched forward, perched over my recliner – you could actually see the calm wash over Desmond’s face. You could see him making peace with his abilities and realizing that – time traveler or no – the one thing that was common to the most important experiences of his life was Penny. The mere sound of her voice reassured him of that. And from there, Desmond returned to relative normalcy. This was brilliantly and beautifully illustrated by showing 1996-Desmond and 2004-Desmond simultaneously walking with confidence and smiling with reassurance. It was the first time Desmond had made peace with and appreciated his constant, and so it was the first time both versions of Desmond could function happily.

It was a really well-done shot, and a really important moment in the show, for two reasons. From a theoretical standpoint, we see how once one finds their constant, all difficulties in life are lessened and understandable.

And from a metaphorical standpoint, this moment was hugely significant. LOST’s writers have always said that this show is, at its core, about relationships. The relationships between different people, at different points in the world, connected through a series of other people, events and situations (thus feeding show creator J.J. Abrams’ obsessive adherence to the idea of “six degrees of separation”).

And that’s what last night’s episode was about. All of the intellectually stimulating and utterly confusing twists and turns were combated and softened by the love between Penny and Desmond, the exposition of two people finding their constant. That one phone call was essential not only as a device for plot development, but as a metaphor for the show in general. And I think it was meant to symbolize this: we don’t have to choose between our past, present and future selves. We are instead the sum of our experiences, the result of the lessons we’ve learned and the beneficiaries of a desire to better ourselves. We are creatures that seek redemption (Kate, Boone, Eko), we are people who strive for a higher purpose (Jack, Locke) and we are, at many times, average people who try to make sense of the world we are presented (Charlie, Hurley, Claire).

Once we find the thing that grounds us, the thing that restores calm to our lives, we are able to focus clearly on who we’ve been and who we have the potential to become. For Desmond, that realization was a matter of life and death, as he teetered perilously close to the brink of fatal insanity (side note: “Fatal Insanity” may or may not be the name of my death metal band, should I form one).

Physics lessons and love stories. (No, that will not be the album title for my emo band. Man, I'm forming lots of bands today). Admittedly, the intersection of the two is not the most natural narrative. But what you need to know about last night is that the Island makes time travel possible, but that – at least for the people we know – the relationships they form may be powerful enough to counter those supernatural forces. Moving forward, that concept could become hugely important, as different relationships will continue to be pitted against the Island, which is becoming a microcosm of society's ills, nature's unpredictability and people's inherent flaws.


Cannon Fodder
How’d you like that auction scene last night? Personally, as a proponent of a theory linking Charles Widmore, Alvar Hanso and the Island, I loved it. If nothing else, it served as temporary vindication for my theory of Widmore-influenced Island domination. And I was struck with the torrential downpour of theory fodder put forth by that scene. Hanso, Black Rock, Widmore. I spent most of the night repeating those three things, trying to find a connection (picture Ace Ventura's "Finkel and Einhorn, Finkel and Einhorn, Finkel and Einhorn")

A few interesting things about the auction. For one, it seemed that no price was too high for Charles Widmore to pay for the Black Rock diary that had only been read by a member of the Hanso family. He wanted that thing, and he held up the bid number until he had it locked up. Interesting. Why would he want to spend so much money to secure that diary? My guess: he wants to protect what’s written in it. Or, he's getting it back for his business partner: Alvar Hanso.

Secondly, if you were listening very carefully to the auction scene, you heard that the item up for bids after the diary was a collection of Charles Dickens artifacts. This may seem like a vague literary reference, until you remember that Dickens is significant for Desmond. It was Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend that Desmond promised would be the last book he read. As Desmond’s conscious mind tried to reason with Charles Widmore in 1996, a symbol of his own mortality was lurking in the background. That, boys and girls, is symbolism.

But what does the Widmore-Hanso-Black Rock connection really tell us? Well, nothing right now. But keep it in the back of your mind. Should we find out that parties like Widmore and Hanso really are working together, I will be responding with a big, fat "told ya so."

Lingering Head-Scratchers
Here are a few things to ponder. I do not have enough time or room in this article to get into everything we saw last night, so I'll include a couple of those things in this list. Go ahead and jot your thoughts in the comments section. Because lord knows, I still need help digesting the majority of this episode.

• Did Faraday really travel through time?
• On the ship, somebody sabotaged the communications room. Is that someone the same person who is working for Ben? And is it the same "friend" who opened the door to the sick bay? Methinks hell yeah on all counts (Michael, baby. It's Michael).
• How does the Arctic research station and Penny saying she'd been researching the Island tie into what we're seeing now?
• Anyone else think something was wrong with their DVR due to the abruptness of the flashbacks? No? Just me? Okay.

Hopefully a night of rest has cleared your head on this episode. I am reminded strongly of the Desmond-centric episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes," one of my favorites. It was difficult to comprehend at first, but eventually you could kind of see how it all fit in. I think that's what'll happen with this one, too.

Before we go, the Stephan and Stuckey ratings for "The Constant."
Stephan: 9.1
Stuckey: (I can't get a hold of her on the phone right now. She's sick. But I bet she loved it).


Namaste.
.charlie

Preview: The Constant

Not so very long ago, I was a student in Mr. Scarborough’s AP Physics class at Lincoln Southeast High School.

Most days, I spent those 49 minutes staring out the window at the teacher’s parking lot, wondering whose idea it was that I take this class. I’d rather study history or English over science any day. It was always a challenge for me – sometimes a fun challenge, but never-the-less, a challenge. There were multiple days when I wondered if I would ever need to apply the lessons of the almighty Scarborough in a job or real-life situation.

Lucky me. Mr. Scarborough, the day has arrived. Let’s see how much I remember.

The Constant
Tonight’s Desmond-centric episode is called The Constant. As the ABC press release announces: Sayid and Desmond hit a bit of turbulence on the way to the freighter, which causes Desmond to experience some unexpected side effects.

More side effects? Man, Desmond cannot get a break. Let’s take a look back on how Desmond arrived at this place, courtesy of lostpedia.

Desmond had lived in the station for three years, while Kelvin continually left the Hatch in his suit, under the pretense of analyzing the outside environment. After realizing Kelvin had been deceiving him, Desmond accidentally killed him by hitting his head against a rock. For forty-one days, Desmond lives alone in the hatch. He gradually falls into a deep depression to the point of even contemplating his own suicide. As he opens up Our Mutual Friend (the last book he plans to read), he finds a note that Penny had hidden inside, telling him not to despair, as well as reminding him that she will always wait for him and that she loves him. Even more depressed now, he goes into a rage and makes a mess out of the hatch. As he collapses, Desmond then hears someone shouting from the top of the hatch. Unknown to Desmond, it is Locke asking the hatch for help after Boone's fatal plane injury. When Desmond turns on a light to see who it is, Locke, thinking his prayers have been answered, quiets down. Desmond, similarly, considers the voice to be a sign that he is no longer alone, and regains hope.

At the beginning of Season 2, when Locke, Kate and Jack enter the hatch, they accidentally damage the computer after a brief fight with a very panicked Desmond. Convinced that the world is going to end, he tries to fix the computer, but was unable to. Desmond frantically flees the hatch. Jack catches up with him; Desmond tells him the code, and to enter it every 108 minutes. He then recognizes Jack from their encounter at the stadium, and he asks him about the patient he had mentioned operating on. Desmond leaves saying, "See you in another life, yeah brother?" as he had in their first encounter. Although it was not shown exactly how, Desmond manages his way back to the Elizabeth and attempts to sail to Fiji. However, his plans go awry.

A drunken Desmond returns in his boat, having been unable to navigate away from the island, making him compare it and its waters to "a bloody snow globe." Later he is confronted by Locke who tells him of the station 5 (The Pearl) orientation film he and Eko saw, and Desmond begins to lose his faith in the button. While Desmond wavers back and forth with his conviction on the button, he and Locke trigger another lockdown, trapping Mr. Eko outside the computer room, and they wait for the countdown to hit zero, to see what will happen. Eko uses dynamite from the Black Rock to attempt to get back into the computer room, but he fails.

As the countdown reaches zero, Locke shows the printout he obtained from The Pearl. Desmond realizes that the date of the prior "system failure" was the same day as the plane crash, September 22, 2004. Desmond believes that his failure to push the button that day resulted in an electromagnetic field that pulled down Oceanic Flight 815. He is insistent that the button must be pressed, but Locke angrily reacts by destroying the computer. Desmond retrieves the key to the fail-safe mechanism, wanting to save Locke because Locke saved him the night he shouted at the hatch door. As Desmond uses the key, a bright white light envelops his face.

Upon turning the key, Desmond is sent back to 1996, where he relives the moments leading to his leaving Penny. He remembers the island only after seeing Charlie playing the guitar in the streets (Charlie was playing Wonderwall, by Oasis…one of the lines? “Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me”). He is told by a woman at a jewelry store, Mrs. Hawking, that it is his destiny to be on the island. When Desmond snaps back to the present, he finds himself amidst the hatch's scattered remains, completely naked.

So Desmond traveled back in time…what gives?
The idea of time travel, while never addressed in Scarborough’s AP Physics class, is a theory that has existed for quite some time. No, it was not invented by the producers of Back to the Future. Simply put, time travel is the concept of moving backwards and/or forwards to different points in time, in a manner analogous to moving through space. Some interpretations of time travel suggest the possibility of travel between parallel realities or universes. Time travel has been a common plot device in fiction since the 19th century, and one-way travel into the future is arguably possible given the phenomenon of time dilation in the theory of general relativity.

General relativity? I studied that, right?
Yeah. You did.

I don't remember much...

Me either.

Time travel…gravity…relativity…blah. I just want to watch the show, not study Einstein.

I do believe that time travel is key to understanding Lost. I stumbled upon the Wet Paint lost theories blog a few days ago and found a very interesting article that captures the scientific side of Lost, but in a way that even Birkel could understand.

Take a deep breath…and let’s begin.

Planetary "energy grid theory" operates through geometrical patterns that follow a specific symmetry linked to sacred geometry. The grids meet at various intersecting points forming a grid or matrix. This is equivalent to the acupressure points on our bodies. These grid points can be found at some of the strongest power (energy) places on the planet. These intersecting grid points are called "vile vortices," or area's of the Earth where mysterious disappearances, mechanical failures and time-space distortions were seen to occur. These lines and points, the "matrix of cosmic energy," match most of the earth's seismic fracture zones and ocean ridge lines. In addition, they match outlined worldwide atmospheric highs and lows, paths of migratory animals, gravitational anomalies, and even the sites of ancient cities.

The Bermuda Triangle is one of the "vile vortices," where the grid line's intersect. There is one near Fiji. Another one of these places is in Australia where Rose was taken by Bernard to heal her cancer.

Huh?
On September 22, 2004 Desmond left the Swan Station unmanned. He failed to enter the number sequence in time. The magnetic energy being contained by the station began building.

Oceanic Flight 815 was 1000 miles off course from its path from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, California. The plane is suspected to be somewhere near Fiji.

The Fijian "vile vortices" or "planetary energy grid point" was affected by the building magnetic energy from the Swan Station. The energy stabilized the vortices creating a wormhole. Flight 815 violently passed through the wormhole and was expelled on to The Island, in a parallel dimension.

This parallel dimension has it's own set of rules. The Hanso Foundation sent a group of scientists, the Dharma Initiative, to study these rules.

This Island is only accessible by those who "know" it's secrets... or by those who were in the "right" place at the "right" time (near Fiji on September 22, 2004). The Hanso Foundation knows how to control the wormhole with the Swan Station. It knows how to bring people and animals to and from the Island.

Oh…I see. So when everyone keeps mentioning a bearing of 325 degrees in order to get off the island (Ben to Michael in Season 3, Daniel to Frank last week), they are really talking about the access point…err, the wormhole?
Yes, that’s what I’m thinking.

So Ben knows about this wormhole?
He absolutely does. The Dharma Initiative lost control of The Island. Ben took control. So what happened to the Hanso Foundations involvement? I think Ben has used the wormhole to "lock" them out.

I get it! Wow, Maggie, did you score a 5 on your AP Physics exam?
I don’t want to talk about it.

Hm. That was awkward. So tonight…what should I watch for?
Well, we know that we’re going to be following Desmond tonight, since it is his episode. We’ve got Frank, Desmond, Sayid, and Naomi’s body (RIP) headed to the freighter. If the helicopter boys encounter turbulence (like the press release indictes), then I’m guessing that means Frank had trouble staying on the 325 bearing. But, we know from the previews that they reach the freighter (scenes show Desmond on board the ship), so any fatal helicopter accident is out of the question this time around. More ’96 flashes? Or does Desmond maybe loose his flash abilities?

Also, be on the look out for Minkowski, the character who answered the phone in the Season 3 finale. We haven’t met him yet (at least, we don’t think we have), but he seems to have some sort of authority on the freighter.

Speaking of the freighter people, I had an interesting conversation with a Lost fanatic a few days ago who suggested that the freighter people WE know (Daniel, Miles, Charlotte, Frank, and Naomi) really aren’t the freighter people. In other words, they were using the freighter to attain their goal…which was to get to the island. Perhaps the people on the freighter are modern day pirates, if you will, who are in no mood for this Einstein time travel island nonsense. Maybe there will be a brawl? I could see it.

Come back tomorrow to see Charlie tackle all the questions that came to your mind during the episode! It will definitely be a late night for him!

Namaste,
Maggie

Review: Eggtown

I don’t know why, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Kate Austen.

While I am not a federal fugitive, I feel like I relate to Kate. I was beyond excited for tonight’s Kate-centric episode. We haven’t seen a Kate-centric since Left Behind (Season 3, Episode 15), when Kate teamed up with Sawyer’s exgirlfriend, Cassidy, to contact her mother.

Eggtown (while strange in title) did not disappoint the Kate lovers out there. We got a full dose of Kate – the lies, the parent issues, the distrust, the selfishness. And we got one hell of a “What the…” moment in (literally) the final frame of the episode.

Baby Aaron Littleton makes it off the island, but believes Kate to be his mother?

Let’s take a step back and join in a collective breath. (Pause for effect.) There’s a lot to talk about.

Eggtown? Huh?
If you read yesterday’s post, you know that Charlie and I have been in a battle royale about the meaning of this episode title. Eggtown sure could mean a lot of things, but this episode did nothing to answer our questions or even guide us in the right direction.

Never fear, friends. Lostpedia is here. Apparently I was waaaaay off with my infertility clinic prediction. Charlie was even further off with his lame reference to Funkytown.

Instead, we have stumbled onto another random literary reference sure to fly off the shelf at your local Barnes and Noble during the next week – The Easter Egg Escapade. I know what you are saying – “Maggie, we know it is Lent, but can you leave church out of Lost?” Nope, I can’t. This children’s book tells the story of Eggtown, a peaceful village where rabbits and chickens live together in harmony. However, a band of thieving roosters, the Take-Its (led by Terrible Timothy Take-It), live in the murky swamps and forests beyond Eggtown, and they conspire to steal all of Eggtown’s Easter Eggs. In order to retrieve the eggs, an unlikely group of heroes, which includes Big Boring Benedict Bunny, Horrible Harriet Hare, Good Gracious Grasshopper, Tiny Tessie, and Boss Baker Bunny, volunteer to go on the perilous journey. The ending features the redemption of Terrible Timothy Take-It.

Hmm. A village where rabbits and chickens live together in harmony. The Others have a lot of rabbits in the Orchid station, right? And didn’t Locke say “I just killed a chicken” when Kate asked about the blood on his hands? Hmm. Perhaps this children’s Easter story is shedding more light on this episode than first meets the eye. I haven’t heard the freighter folk reference any roosters yet, but you can be sure it is on my list of “Things to Watch For” in next week’s episode.

Miles vs. Ben
Kate’s on-island deception was in rare form in this episode. Apparently she has picked up some tips from our resident conman, Sawyer, because she pulled this con off without a hitch. After freeing Miles from the Boat House, she escorts him to Ben, who has been moved into an underground bunker beneath his former residence, which his now occupied by Locke. In a stark and crisp scene, Miles and Ben went back and forth on who knows more about the other. It was uncertain who had the most control, though in the end, it was Miles who was setting the terms: 1 week, $3.2 million. What does this buy Ben? A death warrant in the eyes of Miles’ employer. Steep price for a lifetime of freedom? Or small price to pay to continue down the ever-evolving life path of a very creepy bug-eyed man? Ben joked about it – but why $3.2 million? Seems like a random number to me.

Kate facilitated the meeting to find out if the freighter folk “knew who she was”. And the answer was a resounding yes. Not a huge surprise, as her crime probably made the headlines across the country: Iowa Woman Kills Father By Exploding Farm Home: Warrant Issued For Woman’s Arrest. That’s the stuff the CNN ticker is made of.

The logic leap after this scene would take us to a flashforward in the future where, you guessed it, Kate has to face the music.

The People vs. Katherine Austen
The predictions and speculations were over quickly in this episode. Kate is off the island. Kate is a member of the Oceanic 6. And Kate is most certainly not off the hook for her own version of “The Amazing Race” after she killed her father. The evidence? Oh, right…she told her Mom she did it. But this is America and she is innocent until proven guilty. It’s time to go to trial.

First things first. How does she plead? Not guilty! Wow! How bold! I was impressed, but not surprised. Her lawyer has a plan. Paint a picture of who Kate is, not what she did. Bold strategy, but his client has one heck of a story. We didn’t know how great the story was until your friend (and my boyfriend), Jack Shepherd, took the stand.

“On September 22, 2004, Ms. Austen and I were passengers on flight Oceanic 815, which crashed on an island in the South Pacific. There were 8 survivors of the plane crash, but 2 died on the island. The plane crashed in the water. Had it not been for Ms. Austen, I wouldn’t be here today. She helped me get to shore, she administered first aid, she found food…she saved us all.”

Um. Huh? Looks like we just got our first real peek at the story the Oceanic 6 are under obligation to tell. And while I haven’t watched the first episode of the first season for awhile, I don’t think my memory is that bad. Eight survivors? Crashed in the water? Mother Teresa-Kate saved everyone? It smells a little fishy in this courtroom. The question returns: Why are the Oceanic 6 lying?

Cut to Kate, who slowly stands up at her table. “Just stop, just stop. I don’t want him to say anything more. This is my trial and I want him to stop.” Looks like someone doesn’t want to lie anymore, huh? Sound familiar?

Ironically enough, the woman who got her into this mess also took her out. Kate’s mother decides not to testify against her daughter, apparently having a change of heart when she thought Kate had died on Oceanic 815. After the DA concedes, the terms are set: 10 years of in-state probation. Looks like Kate’s lawyer is going to get a bonus.

Kate leaves the courthouse without handcuffs, and finds a taxi…and Jack…waiting for her outside. Jack admits that what he said on the stand (“I don’t love her…anymore”) was not true. Kate invites him over for a visit. Jack claims he has to go to work. Jack suggests coffee sometime in the future. Kate says there won’t be any trips to The Mill until he accepts her son. Then she departs, as Jack gazes on, glossy eyed and sad.

Kate returns to a lavish southwestern home (the house screams "Oceanic Settlement Money", if you ask me), complete with a cute-as-a-button nanny who oh-so-conveniently has just put Kate’s son down for a nap. Kate goes up to his room and he stirs. “Hi, Mommy” he says. “Hi, Aaron” Kate replies.

Aaron Littleton just called Kate MOMMY.

WHOAH.  Time for a refresher course in Aaron Littleton’s short life...

Aaron Littleton: The Early Days
On November 2, 2004, a short 41 days after the crash of Oceanic 815, Claire delivered a healthy baby boy, with the help of Kate. A bouncing baby boy, Aaron sleeps in a cradle designed by Locke for Claire’s birthday. He quickly becomes the reason for Claire’s every breath and she dotes on him, hesitant to give him to anyone for anything more than a short amount of time. Claire’s relationship with Charlie blossoms to the point that she is willing to let him take Aaron for longer periods of time. Sun soon joins those ranks, as well. So, other than his whole “He was born on a strange island after his mother was in a plane crash” start, Aaron’s life isn’t too shabby.

While pregnant with Aaron, Claire visits Richard Malkin, the so-called psychic who gets creepier and creepier with every episode. Malkin abruptly asks Claire and her friend (Rachel) to leave on the first visit, after he apparently sees a disturbing vision. He tells Claire during her second visit that danger surrounds her baby and she must raise the child herself. He calls Claire several times trying to convince her not to give her baby to adoption and telling her he has an alternate plan. However, he changes his stance on her needing to raise the baby after 4 months, and ultimately convinces Claire to get on Oceanic 815 to give up her child for adoption to a couple in Los Angeles, who he says are "good people". He gives her $6,000 and buys her the plane ticket.

[As an added bonus in today’s post, check out this very amusing article from the Honolulu Sun-Times about casting (and recasting…and recasting) the role of Aaron Littleton.  http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Aug/21/il/hawaii708210307.html ]

Okay, Maggie, I get that this is a huge reveal. But what exactly happened??
If Claire got off the island, why would Kate have Aaron? Did something happen to Claire post-rescue? If Aaron is off the island, how did he end up with Kate?

And Uncle Jack seems less than excited about the prospect of even seeing Aaron. I interpreted that scene to mean that Jack hasn’t seen Aaron since they left the island…Kate said something akin to “When you are ready to see us, you know where we are.”

Possible Scenarios
1. Claire is alive and on the island. She wasn’t allowed to leave the island for some reason. She asked Kate to take Aaron.
2. Claire is no longer alive. It was decided that Kate would take Aaron.

I hate to say it, but I think Claire is going to die and Kate is going to decide to raise Aaron. Kate’s character arc requires that she become a Mother in order to understand where her Mom was coming from during her formative years…and especially during the last few very-rough years. Once Kate becomes a Mother, she will be able to forgive her Mother.

In this episode, Kate tells Sawyer she is not pregnant. Lucky break or hint? Recall that Juliet told Sun that sperm count is 5 to 10 times the normal amount on the island…so why didn’t Kate get pregnant? I’m beginning to wonder if maybe Kate cannot get pregnant – and taking Aaron during his time of need was something she decided she needed to do. I know it seems a little rash, but it might make sense if Kate is infertile.

Also, my guess is that Kate didn’t want her mother to see Aaron because Kate knew that Diane would recognize that there is no way Aaron is Kate’s son.

How big of a role does Aaron play in this mythology?
Why did Richard Malkin say that is Aaron special? What made him so dangerous to be on his own, without Claire? Is this a strange homage to The Omen – should we be concerned that Aaron is the next Damien? (I wish the Dharma Blog had existed back in those early days of Lost, as this would be a great opportunity to go back and reflect on what we were thinking during those early Richard Malkin episodes.)

I think Aaron’s role in the bigger picture of Lost is similar to Walt’s role. For some reason, these two boys have strengths and powers beyond our comprehension. We have seen (literally) Walt’s abilities, but we’ve only heard hypotheses about Aaron’s. How and why these two boys have the capabilities they have is beyond me….but I am sure an explanation is in the works.

Let’s Play Memory
Charlotte and Daniel appeared to be playing some version of the childhood classic “Memory”. Why did Daniel have such a hard time remembering three cards? And when Charlotte said two cards was “progress” for Daniel, what on earth did that mean? Is this a Daniel memory problem, or is it related to the island? Since it is Lost, I am going to predict is related to the island. However, when we first met Daniel, he was in a very fragile state. Does he have a memory disorder, like Alzheimer’s? Perhaps. Will the island cure it? Perhaps. Is this a stretch? Definitely.

Where are Frank, Desmond and Sayid?
I got chills when Regina, the no-faced secretary on the freighter, said to Charlotte “I thought the helicopter was with you.” Where are our guys? The previews for next week appear to be very intense – has something happened to our helicopter? I’m afraid to admit that, yes, it appears something has gone wrong. And even though Charlie doesn’t like me saying it, I think something awful is going to happen to Desmond next week…

Stephan and Stuckey Ratings
This week, we will introduce our version of the Siskel and Ebert ratings for each episode of Lost. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being like Expose and 10 being like Through the Looking Glass or Flashes Before Your Eyes, Charlie and I will rank the episodes. We will call them our Stephan and Stuckey ratings.

Stephan gives this episode a 7.6.
Stuckey gives this episode an 8.7.

And….discuss.

Next Week
It is Desmond-centric next week, folks. Put on your seatbelts – I think we’re headed to the chopper.

Namaste,
Maggie

Won’t You Take Me To… Eggtown?

Tonight. Lost. “Eggtown.”
9/8c. ABC.

Poorly constructed Lipps, Inc. references aside, I am eagerly anticipating tonight’s Kate-centric episode. So…

Let’s talk about it
Talk about it
Talk about it
Talk about it

That was the last one. I promise. Quick note - I'm traveling for business all day Thursday (yes, someone employs me). If you comment, it doesn't get posted until I click "publish" (not sure why I have to do that). So be patient, your comment will appear as soon as I have a wireless connection, probably Thursday evening. And don't worry, I've arranged to be left in glorious solitude from 9-10 EST so that I may enjoy LOST. That arrangement cost me the respect of most of my coworkers, but I'll stand by it. Okay, onward!

Kate Austen: Great Felon or the Greatest Felon?
Tuesday’s post pretty much exhausted the topic of Kate and her status as a member of the Oceanic Six. I won’t rehash it, suffice it to say I won't completely assume that she is one of the O6. If you need a refresher or missed us on Tuesday, click here to read that bad boy. And thanks to all the readers who have been depositing their two cents in the comments section – we love to hear from you, it’s like getting a Christmas card, but it’s about LOST so I actually want to read it.

I also discussed the man that Kate cryptically referred to in last season’s finale, implying that someone was waiting for her at home. Speculation points at Sawyer, a child (be it hers, she and Sawyer’s or Claire’s) or maybe Ben Linus.

Instead of beating those dead horses, let’s look at where Kate has been and where she might be going tonight.

Evangeline Lilly (Kate) herself admitted that midway through Season 3, she felt the strain of redundancy on Kate’s storyline: Murder. Run. Repeat. Make out as needed.

Luckily for actors and fans alike, the writers artfully injected new life into the stories of both Kate and Jack with last season’s nail-whittling finale. They’re both off the Island. Jack wants to go back. Kate doesn’t. Jack has nobody. Kate has a “him.” Most importantly, Jack is a mere shadow of the man that Kate so trustingly looked up to and followed on the Island. Also, the Island ordeal didn’t seem to take too much of a toll on Kate’s physical appearance. Not important to the storyline, but a solid bonus nonetheless.


So with a hearty dose of Billy Mays-endorsed cleaner applied to the rust on Kate’s storyline, we look ahead. You can debate amongst yourselves if Kate is truly among the O6 or actually undercover, with an assumed identity. Though, as Dharma Blog readers D’Ann and John pointed out, previews for Eggtown show Kate hounded by paparazzi, thus casting doubt on the possibility that she’s living in anonymity (See? We do read these things). With that in mind, we’ll proceed under the assumption that Kate is indeed an O6.

The obvious first question: why would she leave the Island? She has nothing to go back to. And the Island affords her the under-the-radar lifestyle she has sought since murdering her Pa. Minus the smoke monsters, electric fences, murderous indigenous tribesman and VD-ridden Southern conmen; Kate’s got it made. Her vengeful captor (the U.S. Marshall) even passed away soon after the crash.

But hold on. Kate’s the first one to grab a gun and a knapsack every time the Losties have picked a fight or responded to a threat. We have theorized that the O6 may not have gotten off the Island on their own terms, instead brokering a deal with the freighter crew to return to the mainland, lie about the rest of the people on Oceanic 815 and swear never to return. Sounds like a fight to be picked, and a perfect challenge for Kate.

And in a show steeped with themes of redemption, Kate is certainly someone who could use some. Maybe returning to the mainland is her opportunity to do just that.

Though right now, Kate is settling in to Othersville alongside Sawyer. Perhaps she’s deciding which night of the week will be Taco Night (oh wait. Probably not). So between now and the LAX rendezvous she’s gotta ditch the minivan and Oprah’s Book Club meetings and get herself off this Island. That’s where Eggtown comes in. No, I have no idea what the hell an “Eggtown” is, but tonight’s episode should start to fill in the blanks and (begin to) show how Kate makes the transition to becoming an O6. And whatever Eggtown is, it has got something to do with that. I asked Maggie what "Eggtown" might be, and her well-honed woman's intuition informed me that she thinks Ben is harvesting Kate's eggs and keeping them in a place he calls... you guessed it... Eggtown. Until Maggie told me that, I thought I was the crazy one. Who knows, maybe she's right. But referring to a freezer as "Eggtown," seems uncouth, even for the Others.

Winging It

Last week, I noted that Johnny Locke would have to soon take some desperate measures in order to give his team the leg-up on the Jack Pack. We got that in the form of Locke’s Linusesque kidnapping of Charlotte Lewis and subsequent prisoner exchange for Miles the Ghost Whisperer. Side note: I am saddened that Jennifer Love Hewitt was not chosen for the role of Ghost Whisperer. She has the experience (a miraculous 6-season run on CBS as the Ghost Whisperer), she is all kinds of hot and using her would've allowed the writers to tie the whole narrative of Party of Five into LOST by reuniting two of the Salinger siblings. Wait, does that mean Claire and Jennifer Love are sisters? That Christian Shepherd gets around. And I’ve derailed.

The long and short of it is Locke is operating without a blueprint right now. For the first time in life, the Man of Faith is putting his in himself. There’s no deceptive daddy, no bug-eyed Island demigod, no Island power (Jacob, smoke monster, Taller Ghost Walt) to guide him. He’s making like Bon Jovi and Livin’ on a Prayer (and yes, that’s two 80s song references in one post; a Dharma Blog record).

How does Locke play into tonight’s episode? Well, Kate’s aforementioned transition from suburban sweetheart to off-Island uber-hottie is going to begin under Locke’s watch. He’s led his troops to Othersville, and he’s the mayor, baby.

Locke’s leverage is still a prisoner, but now it’s Miles. Tonight’s Tivo-ready preview reads, “Kate's need to get information out of the hostage may jeopardize her standing with Locke – as well as with Sawyer.” That makes enough sense. But it still doesn’t answer the question: why does Kate rejoin the ranks of the Jack Shepherd Rescue Mission?

Possible answer: she listens to Hurley. We’ve already seen Poppin’ Fresh take a much bigger role in Season 4, even resorting to some trickeration to ensnare Sayid. We also know that eventually, Hurley regrets his initial decision to follow Locke (God, I’m beginning to love the flash forward model); we just don’t know why yet. Maybe Kate and Hurley find common ground by experiencing something that makes them distrust Locke.

For a man that has always operated with the air of being steps ahead of everyone else, Locke is certainly scrambling now. He is becoming frustrated, misguided and unsure of himself. And if we’ve learned one thing from Locke’s flashbacks, it’s that when he’s unsure of himself, it quickly snowballs and renders him directionless and vulnerable. With Locke, when it rains it pours. And for a man that can predict the rain, an unexpected storm sure seems to rattle him.

The curious section of Eggtown’s Tivo Preview is the part that alludes to a rift between Kate and Sawyer. Could the Island Bonnie & Clyde be on the outs? Their relationship has been strained ever since Sawyer’s murder of Anthony Cooper left him emotionally spent. But what could Kate do to tonight to “jeopardize her standing” with the Human Nickname Machine? I don’t know where to begin speculating, so I won’t. But pay attention to that tonight.


The Great Escape of Benjamin Linus
Thanks once again to flash-forwards, we know that Ben is operating his empire from off the Island. But how? Last week, someone remarked that Ben has been almost physically unrecognizable this season, with cuts and bruises littering his mysterious visage. He’s a prisoner to Locke. Sawyer has had a gun to his head more than once. And ole Crazy Rousseau’s liable to straight murder his ass any minute now.

It seems the writers are painting a picture of despair for Linus, if only to give him an even bigger hole to climb out of. He has been to the brink of death several times in the two seasons we have known him, but now he’s a prisoner in his own house, without resources like Richard, Tom, Pickett or Jacob to bail him out.

Soon, they’re going to have to show how Ben breaks away from this thing. Hopefully that’ll start tonight. I (partially) named my dog after Ben Linus, and seeing him get his ass kicked every week is somewhat unsettling.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
With each episode, I have known with some certainty whether I’m seeing a flashback or a flash-forward. But the lessons of LOST history teach me to second guess everything I know. I can safely assume that Through the Looking Glass, The Beginning of the End and The Economist were flash-forwards while Confirmed Dead was a flashback. But had it not been for Sayid saying, “I’m one of the Oceanic Six” in the opening scene, I would question if what we saw in The Economist wasn’t actually a flashback.

And I think we’re in for that kind of switcheroo sometime this season. In the same way that Through the Looking Glass was supposed to be interpreted as a flashback until the very end, I think the writers could soon give us a flashback that, until the end, seems like a flash forward. Make sense? Picture last week’s episode. It would mean that Sayid had been working with Ben before the crash, and that all of his actions on the Island up to this point were carried out with the ulterior motive of serving captain Linus. I know, last week was indeed a flash forward. But once the O6 have been revealed we won’t really have as much of a frame of reference for our flash-forwards. I, for one, would love to see the writers pull an end-around and give us a flashback that looks like a flash-forward. It won’t happen tonight (I don’t think), but it could happen sometime this season.

In Summary... The Return of the Haiku
How could I have forgotten to end each post this year with a haiku? It was a staple of last year's Dharma Blog, so today it returns. Ahem...

Join us as we learn
One more Oceanic Six
And drool over Kate

Enjoy Eggtown tonight. And because I already mentioned the little guy earlier in this post, here’s a new picture of my pup Linus (he comes home next week, after a month at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm).
Namaste.
.charlie

The Oceanic Six: What Do We Really Know?

I'm not sure who Marcus is, but apparently he stumbled upon our blog. While he was here, he left a comment on last week's post that has been giving me fits:

"Anyone believe Kate may not be one of the Oceanic 6? She has quite the checkered past. There are only three scenarios I can see for her being off the the island and not being jailed.
1) she is an O6 and was pardoned.
2) she is an O6 and was given a new identity which seems unlikely given the celebrity status the other O6 have.
3) she made it off the island with the other O6 but was able to go into hiding."

Thanks a lot, Marcus. I thought I knew what was going on with something on this show until I read that comment. Damn you.

"He's gonna be wondering where I am..."Kate's vague declaration from Through the Looking Glass sprouted guessing games rivaled only by the omnipresent "Who's in the coffin?" debates. "Who is he?" At first, many people assumed Sawyer. But the more we see Sawyer swayed by Ben's warnings that the con man has nothing to go back to, the more we start to think Sawyer isn't leaving Fantasy Island anytime soon.

Dearest Dharma Blogger Maggie will tell you without hesitation that "he" is Aaron, Claire's baby. Maggie claims to have an ongoing Desmond-like clairvoyance (or Claire-voyance. Pun!) about Ms. Littleton's untimely death. When I ask her why she thinks that, she usually starts crying. As I'm writing this post, Maggie has reprinted a conversation she had with a friend in which she unabashedly promises that Kate is "with child." Her other theory is that Kate takes Claire's baby when Claire (presumably) dies. Maggie thinks "he" is the baby that Kate is raising, be it her own or be it lil' Aaron Littleton. She'll also tell you that she doesn't believe Sawyer or Jack are the father. This sounds like a job for...


Yes! First time I've done that in at least a few weeks.

I can buy the Mama Kate theory. Maybe. But after last week, I've got a different idea: Is "he" Ben Linus? We know Ben can get off the Island, and we know he somehow caused Sayid to be beholden to him. If Ben can promise Kate anonymity (thus explaining Marcus's aforementioned third option) - and given his limitless connections and abilities, he probably can, somehow - he can probably make her go to work for him, too. God knows Kate can dish out an ass-kicking, especially when given access to a fuse, a lighter, explosives and an abusive stepfather. And while Sayid could work for Ben without the need for anonymity, Kate would require a new identity and a place to lay low. Ben, of all people, could give her that. And she could work for Ben, because what else does she have to go back to? Besides that handsome, young advertising copywriter in Nebraska named Charlie that she dates (whoops, total spoiler!).

If the Ben Linus theory is right (and it's probably not), that means Kate probably wouldn't be one of the much-ballyhooed O6 Heroes. A smoke monster-themed float in a ticker-tape parade is no place for a felon to hide, after all.

So If Not Kate, Who?
Yeah, I know. Again, if our only confirmed O6 members are Jack, Hurley and Sayid, then there's room for three more. The candidates - with my percentage of likelihood and a cryptic explanation of why - are as follows:

• Aaron (60%. "Not without my baby," baby.)
• Bernard & Rose (14%. Rose doesn't like having cancer. Bernard likes Rose)
• Claire (55%. I'd say higher, but Maggie thinks she'll die. And Maggie is wise)
• Jin & Sun (70%. Save the baby, save the marriage, save the cheerleader, save the world. Wait. Wrong show. But they're not necessarily a package deal)
• Kate (75%. Marcus, I love your theory. But I can't commit to Kate not being an O6... yet. It's on my mind though)
  
• Sawyer (10%. As explained before, he doesn't seem to mind Island life)
  
• Locke (2%. Not unless he's tricked. Or promised a reunion with Helen...)
• Vincent (.5%. Is a dog)
• Desmond, Rousseau, Juliet, Alex or Karl (5%. Abaddon and crew would have a tough time explaining how these non-815'ers came to be. And they don't seem to like explaining things enough as it is. Plus, who really wants to learn more about Karl?)
• Some random survivor (35%. I hate to think it's possible. But it is)
• Ben (.00005%. We'd have to learn something big. He's off the Island, but he didn't travel with the O6, I'm fairly certain)

My guess on who the O6 are:

• Jack
• Hurley
• Sayid
• Aaron
• Kate
• Sun (No Jin? Yes, I think he'd stay on the Island if it meant a safe return for Sun and the baby)

And if it's not Kate (and now I kind of hope it's not), I'm going with Claire. Aaron needs a mommy.

Your Thoughts?
Okay, your turn. Post in the comments below with who you think the O6 will be. And tune in Thursday morning for the preview of Season 4 - Episode 5: Eggtown.

Namaste.
.charlie

Sayid Makes Chuck Norris Look Like Tobey Maguire

The title of the post is a quote made (by me) to my friend Beth last year. That quote actually still adorns Beth’s Facebook profile. Last night, it was reaffirmed in the first five minutes of LOST’s Season 4 – Episode 3 offering: The Economist.

My Name Is Sayid Jarrah. I Am a Torturer.

Four Down. Two to Go.
The members of the Oceanic Six are slowly being revealed to us, and last night we learned that Sayid joined Jack, Kate and Hurley in their escape from the Island. That leaves us with two more to learn, one of which will be unveiled next Thursday. We know from this episode that Ben Linus is off the Island (more on that later), but I don’t think he’s one of the Oceanic Six (sorry). We also saw Desmond board the chopper, but something tells me that Captain Frank’s extensive knowledge of the flight 815 manifest will result in Desmond promptly being returned to the Island. So who are the other two? Well that’s a question for next week’s preview now, isn’t it?

Spy vs. Spy
Last night we learned something really important about Sayid: he really likes tall, skinny, blonde chicks with marginal foreign language skills. But who doesn't!?! We also learned that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

We open on “Operation: Tiger Woods Ya’ll,” where Sayid unflinchingly murders a man who disturbs his round of golf (side note: the golf course is set in Seychelles, a remote island located a few thousand kilometers off the east coast of Africa). So while Sayid has left the Island, he hasn’t abandoned his killer instinct. Score one for The Torturer.

Then he meets a lovely young woman, Elsa, whose job entails being at the very occasional beck and call of the titular character of this episode: The Economist. While we know that Sayid is playing her, we are surprised to learn that Elsa is simultaneously playing Sayid. They are both on a mission to learn who the other is working for. Neither gets what they’re looking for, and Elsa ends up in much the same way as the man who Sayid met on the golf course (not the sex part, of course).

Unfortunately, Elsa died before we could learn who her boss was. But we did learn who Sayid’s boss was.

Everybody Has a Boss

Your Enemy’s Enemy is Your Friend.
Man. Are you kidding me? Ben Linus: Child of Dharma, Other, sadistic veterinarian? Sayid is working for Ben Linus? I don’t even know where to begin.

Except right here: Obviously the Oceanic Six are pitted against Matthew Abaddon (the “Oceanic Airlines attorney”) and whomever he works for. And whomever Abaddon works for is pitted against Ben. In the flash-forwards, we are witness to a world where Benjamin Linus and the Oceanic Six share a common objective: stop Matthew Abaddon and the people he’s working for. For the Oceanic Six, the motive is to protect their “secret.” For Ben, the motive is to protect “the Island.” And perhaps their motives are one in the same.

But in what must be the king of all ironies, Ben and the Oceanic Six are after the same thing. The Oceanic Six’s enemy is Abaddon. Abaddon’s enemy is Ben. So according to the adage, Oceanic Six is friends with Ben.

Or at least, Sayid is. Maybe he knows that working with Ben is the only way to protect “the secret.” What is the secret? Good question. Call me when you know. But maybe we got a little clue tonight. To quote Dr. Linus, “Need I remind you what happened the last time you followed your heart and not your gun …do you wanna protect your friends or not, Sayid?” I believe that the secret is just that the rest of the Oceanic 815 passengers are still alive, and that The Oceanic Six are not allowed to say so. Sayid, though, knows that Ben may be his ticket back to the Island, and his friends’ ticket off of it.

And apparently, that secret is worth killing to protect. Sayid has become Ben’s hit man, using his years of military training to eliminate targets on Ben’s list. Who is Ben targeting? Presumably, the people who work with Abaddon. My guess is they are all Dharma Initiative people; scientists, organizers, loyalists and those who funded the operation. Was anybody else taken aback by Ben's flippant attitude toward Sayid? He was taking direct shots at the man who once brought him to the brink of death. Now it seems Ben has some serious upper hand on his Employee of the Month, deriding him for following his heart and threatening him with harming the other survivors back on the Island. Let's also not forget the chilling ending, in which Sayid suggests that his next target will know he's coming. Ben's reply? "Good." If the next Sayid episode is called "Sacrificial Lamb," be prepared.

As for how Ben got off the Island, I think the answer lies in the cache of passports, travel documents and foreign currencies that Sayid stumbled upon in Ben’s hidden closet. Looks like Ben has the means to go to and from the Island if and when he pleases. But how does he travel once Locke blows up the submarine?

So we know what Elsa wanted to know (who Sayid was working for), but who was Elsa working for? Or, to put it another way…

Who is The Economist?
Damn. I was really hoping we’d be treated to a visit with The Economist. And secretly – in the interest of selfishly vindicating just one of my theories – I was hoping that The Economist would be Penny’s dad or, even better, Alvar Hanso, the Dharma Initiative sugar daddy. Well actually…

If Sayid is working for Ben, we can assume from the narrative that Elsa is working for the same people as Abaddon (or at least we will assume that for the purposes of this blog post). My hunch is that Abaddon works for the founders and or remnants of the Dharma Initiative – including Alvar Hanso. The Economist, just maybe, is Hanso.

I think Abaddon sent the Fantastic Four (Frank, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel) to the Island to retrieve Ben for Hanso. Ben destroyed the Dharma Initiative, and it's payback time, Hanso style.

Hanso would want to protect whatever the Oceanic Six is covering up. He would also want to punish Ben. When you consider that Sayid (and the Oceanix Six) and Ben are working against the same force(s), it narrows down your options of who that enemy is. My early money is on Hanso. What do you think? Do you have an idea of who The Economist is? Or do you think it’s someone unrelated that we don’t even know yet?

Bracelets, Nerds and Time Travel

“N, I Will always be with you. R.G.”
I don’t even have a guess as to how that whole bracelet thing fit in. Why was Elsa wearing the bracelet that Sayid lifted off Naomi? And why did Sayid seem to react so emotionally when he lifted it off of Naomi? Who is R.G.? I’m filing this one under WTF, right in front of Walt and right behind the Four-Toed Statue.


Daniel Faraday is a Nerd
When he started pulling that equipment out of the chopper, my friend Ben said, “Looks like Faraday’s gonna get his nerd on.” Nice. And true. He geeked out big time, testing the delivery time of a rocket sent to the Island from a freighter. A couple of synchronized stopwatches seem to give Daniel the impression that something is “not good” and “goes beyond weird” is happening. The stopwatches display a 31-minute discrepancy, a revelation that must’ve been catnip for those who buy into the theory that the Island represents some kind of glitch or rip in the time-space continuum and that one can use that to master time travel (see: Desmond). I’m not saying I don’t believe in that, only that it confuses the Dharma Fish Biscuits out of me.

But there’s this: we saw Ben off the Island. We know he’s got all the supplies to go anywhere in the world. But he says he’s never left the Island and that he never will. Is he using this rip in time as a means to do his off-Island bidding without alerting his people? Leaving the Island would discredit him greatly, but nobody would know if he was able to escape through a wrinkle in time.


Lots to discuss, lots to think about. In summary, here's what I think we learned:

• Sayid is one of the Oceanic Six
• Off the Island, Sayid works for Ben Linus as a hit man
• There are some powerful forces allying against Ben and the Six
• Ben and the Six have a common goal
• The Island may, in fact, have some sort of effect on the space-time continuum
• I should probably get a girlfriend.

Here's what we don't know:

• Who is the Economist, and is he part of the same group with Abaddon?
• Who are the other two Oceanic Six?
• Why is Ben working off of the Island?
• What's up with that bracelet?
• What will Desmond and Sayid encounter on the freighter?

And I’ll leave you with the quote of the night…

Miles: Where the hell did they go, Tubby?

Hurley: Oh, awesome. The ship sent us another Sawyer.

Namaste.
.charlie

Preview: The Economist

Lots to talk about this week, team. If you've been keeping up with Charlie's posts, you know a few of the tidbits. If we haven't seen you since last week, have a seat – I'll catch you up.

The Writer's Strike is Over

The exciting news out of Los Angeles is that the Writer's Strike has ended! E! News is reporting that writers and actors for Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty and Samantha Who? will be among the first back to work, trying to crank out as many new episodes as possible to carry the network through to May sweeps. What does this mean for Lost?

• Season 4 will have a total of 13 episodes, down from the 16 that were originally ordered. These missing three episodes will be produced down the line, possibly in addition to season 5.
  


• Lost was originally supposed to air eight episodes, then have a four week break before returning with its final five installments. Now ABC is considering holding the eighth episode until late April, using it to kick off the remainder of season 4.
  

Confused yet? Here is the summary: Lost will air a total of seven episodes (through March 13) on Thursdays at 8P/9P (CST/EST), take a break for about a month, then return Thursdays (around April 17) at 9P/10P (CST/EST) with six episodes remaining. Note: The change in time will coincide with the return of our favorite Seattle Grace doctors on Grey's Anatomy. In the words of one reviewer, ABC is going for the Thursday night Trifecta: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost. You can't blame them…it would be a pretty impressive line-up.

Thursday's bonus episode…that you've already seen

Those of you who don't have DVR and want to relive "Confirmed Dead" will have your chance this week. ABC will re-air last week's episode at 7P/8P (CST/EST) tomorrow, in case you missed it. I am uncertain if this will be a revamped version of the episode, or just a repeat. I suppose I'll watch it, just to see if there are any new nuggets that come along. J

What to expect Thursday: The Economist

The new episode this week is entitled "The Economist." It is a Sayid-centric episode…which means it is either a flashback or a flash-forward featuring Sayid. I'm going to predict that we're flashing-forward and will find out that Sayid is, indeed, a member of the Oceanic 6. I know, call me crazy. ("You are crazy, Maggie.")

ABC's press release offers the following description of tonight's episode is as follows: Locke's hostage may be the key to getting off the island, so Sayid and Kate go in search of their fellow castaway in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful deal.

Okay, so what do we know? Locke's hostage is likely Charlotte Staples, the red-head paleontologist. So if Charlotte is the key to getting off the island, what does she know? Or, should we say, what can she do? It seems to me that the pilot, Frank Lapidus, would be the "key" to getting off the island…afterall, he can fly the helicopter, right? But in true Lost fashion, we're out of the loop on this one. My prediction is that Frank & Co. refuse to take anyone off the island until our Losties retrieve Charlotte from her Locke-prison. I'm guessing that is why Sayid and Kate head off to Othersville: to get back Charlotte so that they can all be rescued.

Other things to watch out for? With the revelation last week that the S.S. Not Penny's Boat is here to pick up Ben Linus, we can only assume that this story line will be progressed in some form or another. It will be interesting to see if Sawyer decides that Ben's life is worth saving if he can provide valuable information to the Losties that will help them get off the island.

A nugget of information: the magazine "The Economist" is a weekly news/international affairs magazine that is edited and published out of London. Wonder if Sayid's flash(fill-in-the-blank) will be in London…

And finally…Lost Valentines = Brilliant

Are you still trying to figure out what to give that Lost fan in your life this Valentine's Day? Well, look no more: it is ABC to the rescue. Just in time to recognize the persecution of St. Valentine, head on over to ABC.com to send an e-mailable Valentine's Day card featuring your favorite Lost character. "Life is torture without you" says the card featuring Sayid. "We go together like PB&J" says Claire's card. "Our love doesn't need fixing" quips Jack's card. The best one? "Need me to make you a mix tape?" asks Sawyer. Send out a few of them to all of your Lost Valentines. They'll definitely appreciate it.

Namaste.

Maggie

Ben's "Man on the Boat"

Episode 2 left us with a horn o' plenty o' mysteries. Among them, Ben's startling, ass-saving admission at the very end.

SAWYER: What do they want?

BEN: Me, James, they want me.

LOCKE: [Gun still pointed] How do you know all this?

BEN: Because I have a man on their boat.

Whoa! Awesome! After several episodes of watching Ben physically and emotionally get the crap knocked out of him, proponents of the "Don't underestimate Benjamin Linus, he's already 100 steps ahead of you" theory were finally vindicated. Looks like Ben knows more than he let on. Go figure.

We're Going Home Walt. We Are Going Home.
But who is the man on the boat? Maggie hinted at several suggestions in her post last Friday (Kelvin, Michael, Minkowski, Annie, Mikhail), and I've got my theory, too. Maggie hinted at it, but I think it's a definite possibility that the "man on the boat" is none other than... Michael Dawson, the daddy dearest of Taller Ghost Walt.

I know, right? Here's what I'm thinking. For one thing, ABC and the LOST powers that be have made no secret of the fact that Harold Perrineau will be returning for Season 4. Pun alert: you'd have to be living under a Black Rock not to hear that (God, what have I become?). This has led to rampant speculation as to how his return will play out, and how they will write him back into the story. When we last left Michael, he had sold out his fellow survivors in order to get Walt back. He and Walt were promised a safe exile from the Island as they set off on a compass bearing toward home.

So how then, if Michael and Walt were promised a trip home, could they return to the Island? Side note: Walt is scheduled to return, too, though it is unclear if it will be actual, living, breathing, flesh & blood Walt or ghosted, creepy, deep-voiced spiritual-guide-of-Locke Walt. But why would Michael (and Walt?) choose to return when all they wanted was to get off the Island? Answer: they didn't choose.

Benjamin Linus Modus Operandi 101 says, "Find what people are emotionally invested in, then exploit it." I don't have to connect these dots for you, do I? Because my idea is this: Ben knows that Michael desperately wants to establish a relationship with Walt. He's using that as leverage to make Michael (and perhaps, eventually, Walt) do his bidding. And the first assignment: get on this boat, find out who these people are and what they want, then report back to Ben.

The Son Also Sets
So - other than trying to figure out how the hell Michael got from his little dinghy to the freighter - that makes sense, right? What doesn't make sense, to me, is how Walt plays into the picture.

We know he's got the ability to project himself into different settings (right, Shannon, Locke and Sayid?). We also know that his powers are more than Linus & Co. can comprehend. And we could infer that Walt really didn't want anything to do with the Island again, after seeing him plead with his father to take him away from the experimentation and examination regiment of the Others.

But hold on. Flash forwards have shown us how Jack and Hurley regretted leaving the Island. And Ben has promised multiple characters - most recently Sawyer - that a life off the Island would be, at best, a life unfulfilled. Could Walt end up regretting leaving the Island? Maybe he misses the Island because it was the one place he could really harness and use his abilities, and because on the Island, he had a parent who paid attention to him and even a creepy Uncle Locke who taught him to throw knives. The kid has spent a life being ignored, despite showing obvious signs of extraordinary abilities.

Not buying it? Try this. Obviously, the Matthew Abaddon Island Rescue Ops group wants to keep the Island - and its Oceanic 815 inhabitants - a secret. It's possible that Abaddon intercepted Michael and Walt and sent them back to the Island (against their will). That would actually play into Ben's hands, giving him the opportunity to promise Michael true freedom - if not for himself, at least for his son.

Chime In
What do you think? Can you shoot some holes in the "Michael is the Man on the Boat" theory? The comments section awaits your systematic tearing apart of my theory and your own ideas about who it could be. Discuss!

P.S. Gold Star to the first person who comments on the Ryan Adams reference. Scratch that, two gold stars.

Namaste.
.charlie

The Light Grows Brighter

Still more encouraging news coming from the Writer's Strike, as it seems the end may truly be at hand. This article from CNN (and a host of others on every major news site) would seem to indicate that we are a few formalities away from a full-fledged return to new TV.

The question now becomes, "When will my favorite show (a.k.a. LOST) produce new episodes?" For our purposes, we know we've got 6 consecutive new episodes to take us through March. It is highly unlikely (if not impossible) that the other 8 episodes of the promised 16-episode Season 4 will not be ready to go at the end of this first 8-episode run. The unwritten "deadline" for uninterrupted new episodes of any show was January 31st. It looks like the strike may very well be resolved within 2 weeks of that date. And even before these final agreements are ratified by the masses of writers, certain personalities are already returning to work as early as today. That includes LOST God, producer and show-runner Carlton Cuse who, along with Damon Lindeloff, is the brains behind the whole operation.

That's a good sign. My guess is production was very abruptly halted when the strike began. There are probably rudimentary scripts lying around (well, locked up in an Al Gore® Lock(e) Box) and some outlining that needs to be done to get to the point they wanted to reach by the end of Season 4. Hopefully Carlton and Co. will be hard at work in the next few weeks. And more importantly, we can hope that they decide to finish out Season 4 over 8 episodes. There's been talk that some shows may shorten their run to accommodate for the strike. So we could get 4 or 6 episodes of LOST, meaning a 12- or 14-episode season, instead of 16.

Either way, it's exiting. It's been an arduous last couple months for American TV watchers, who have been forced to resort to shows like Fox's The Moment of Truth, which I'm fairly sure is, in and of itself, a sign of the apocalypse.

Oh, and I know this is The Dharma Blog and not The Diary with a Unicorn on the Front of It Blog. But here's to hoping that Scrubs gets back to work and can finish strong in their final season. It's an underrated yet brilliant show that deserves nothing less than the opportunity to finish telling their story the way they intended to. If the strike gets resolved, rest assured I'll be toasting to it with an Appletini - easy on the 'tini.


Namaste.
.charlie


Addendum: Maggie has forwarded me a short article that interviews the good doc Jack Shepherd about LOST's return to filming. Click here to read it.

Confirmed Confused

New characters, new motivations, new questions, new answers, new revelations.

It is hard to believe, but it appears Lost is no longer about Oceanic 815.

Flashback or Flash-Forward?
As I watched the off-island vignettes about our helicopter folks, I was viewing them through a flash-forward lense. I was assuming the Season-4-will-be-flash-forward rule was the law of the land. Once I saw Frank Lapidus drop the toy airplane into a fish tank, exuding regret and guilt for not being the pilot on that fateful day, I decided that it was not a flash-forward. I believe that the Charlotte/Miles/Daniel/Frank vignettes happened before they got on that helicopter...if that makes sense. (To be honest, the whole Lost timeline sure can make a girl confused.)

Profile: Matthew Abbadon
What we learned: He is the messenger for whatever organization is behind this freighter/helicopter rescue mission. He organized the individuals who were on the helicopter and recruited Naomi to lead the charge. He chose each person for a “reason”: a physicist, an archaeologist, a medium and a pilot.

Things that make you go Hmmm:
When Naomi calmly asked “What if we find survivors of Oceanic 815?”, Matthew responded “There are no survivors of Oceanic 815.” There are a few ways to interpret this statement. First, we could take it face-value that Matthew believes (for some reason or another) that there really are NO survivors of 815. But this is Lost, people. Never take things at face value. I believe he made that statement as a firm reminder to Naomi of the “story” they are supposed to be selling to the world: that there were no survivors of the crash. So why do they need to sell this story? Not sure.

Matthew’s statement that everyone was chosen to be on the helicopter for a specific reason was eerily familiar to the theory that everyone on 815 was there for a “specific reason,” too. Those who believe in that theory usually fall into Locke’s Men of Faith camp, not Jack’s Men of Science Camp. But Matthew’s statement turns that theory upside down: if Matthew played a role in selecting the members of the helicopter team, does that mean he maybe, could have, possible selected the passengers on 815? Never say never.

Going back to Matthew’s visit to the Santa Rosa Hospital last week to see Hurley, this episode almost certainly changes the whole meaning of that scene. When Matthew asked Hurley “Are they still alive?”, I think he was asking about his helicopter crew, not the 815 people.

Connections to lookout for:
I’m not sure where to even begin with how this guy could fit into the mythology of Lost. It is tempting to believe that he is playing a huge role, but I remind you, for example, that we used to think Mr. Friendly was the end-all, be-all of the Others…but we were wrong. Could it be that Matthew is simply “the face” of the Others? We’ve seen people in this role multiple times on this show – Ethan was sent out by Ben to do recruiting, Mr. Friendly was bearded and dirty for his duties as “scary jungle man”, and Jin lived his life delivering messages for his father-in-law. I think it would be a safe bet to assume that Matthew is not the beginning and the end when it comes to whoever is financing and planning this Ben-napping.

Profile: Daniel Faraday
What we learned: Daniel claims to be a physicist who in Essex, Massachusetts. A quick search for information about Essex reveals that the town, located on Cape Ann, just 30 miles north of Boston, has historically been known as the oldest continuously operating shipbuilding area of the United States, boasting over 4,000 two-masted vessels.

Things that make you go Hmmm:
Why was Daniel so upset about the TV coverage regarding the discovery of Oceanic 815?
Combine Daniel’s gun with the gas masks that Jack and Kate found…and Dan doesn’t look like he’s all that friendly. Are they here to give Ben a taste of his own medicine?

Connections to look out for:
Our only Massachusetts connection on the show so far is that Sun’s mister (is that what you call the male equivalent of a mistress??), Jae Lee, went to Harvard, so be on the lookout for that.

Interesting that Essex is a town that builds ships – we’ve seen a few ships during the last 3 seasons of our little show.

Profile: Charlotte Staples Lewis
What we learned: Thanks to Ben, we know a whole lot about this woman. She was born on July 2, 1979 in Essex, England to parents David and Jeannette. She was raised in Brownsgrove and has two younger sisters. She did her undergraduate studies in Kent and received a PhD in cultural anthropology from Oxford. Looks like Ben is still creating binders of people’s lives (which is just creepy! Sidebar: I wonder if my life binder would include my 3rd Place Nebraska State Chess Tournament Win when I was in 4th grade…). We also learned that Charlotte is a pretty bad liar.

Things that make you go Hmmm:
When Charlotte uncovered the collar bearing the Hydra Station symbol, I sent Charlie the following text:

“Holy sweet mother god almighty CRAP bejeez unreal glory be my gosh in
heaven.”

Since that statement really doesn’t bring much to the table, let’s look at the facts. There is a skeleton of a polar bear in Tunisia with a Hydra collar. Obvious questions: “What?” “Huh?” “How?” “Are you kidding me?” I’ll address each of these questions individually:

“What?” : Obviously you didn’t hear me the first time. Charlotte found a skeleton of a polar bear in Tunisia with a Hydra collar.

“Huh?” : Like you, I do not think it makes sense.

“How?” : We know from the Orchid training video that the Orchid station was conducting some sort of animal experiments. There are many rumors out there that the The Orchid conducts time travel or teleportation experiments, which means the polar bear may have been accidentally transported to Tunisia. The Orchid may borrow the animals from Hydra to conduct such experiments, which explains the Hydra logo.

“Are you kidding me?” : Yeah, I’m just joking.

But seriously. When Charlotte found the skeleton and the collar, her body language and smile made it very clear that she knew exactly what she was looking at. She recognized the DHARMA logo and seemed to be less than bewildered that a polar bear could find its way to the middle of the Sahara Desert. What does all of this mean? Well, Charlotte knows about DHARMA. This is pretty big.

Connections to look out for:
We’ve had a lot of flashbacks in England, so I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that Charlotte will have some connection with one of these Brits: Charlie, Nadia, Penelope Widmore, Charles Widmore, Liam, Brother Campbell, Ruth, Lucy Heatherton, or Ms. Hawking.

And, in case you were wondering…:
If you are like one of the readers of this blog, you are asking yourself “did Mr. Eko grow up in Tunisia?” No, my friend. Mr. Eko grew up in Nigeria. Africa, you see, has 46 countries if you include Madagascar, and 53 countries if you include all the island groups.

I’m assuming you all know that Tunisia is a country on the very north coast of Africa, situated on the Mediterranean coast. Approximately 40% of the country is covered by the Sahara Desert. The remainder of the country is very fertile and was known as the “bread basket” of the Roman Empire.

Nigeria, on the other hand, is located in West Africa and lies on the Gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic Ocean). Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and the eighth most populous country in the world (140 million).

This is what you get for skipping world geography in college.

And now back our regularly scheduled program.

Profile: Miles “If you tell them my last name, I will cut off your fingers” Straume
What we learned: Miles is a medium living in Inglewood, CA, which is a suburb of LA. For $100, he will eliminate the ghosts from your house. He is called to the home of the lovely Mrs. Gardner to exorcise her grandson’s ghost. Miles charges her $200 because her grandson was murdered. He goes up to the grandson’s room, turns on what looks like a Dust Buster, and appears to be communicating with the ghost. According to my google search, the Dust Buster makes and spreads cold air and is a common device that real-life ghostbusters use to flush spirits out of their hiding places. After saying “You can leave once you tell me where it is,” there is a clatter on the book shelf across the room. When Miles moves the book shelf and opens the vent, he finds a stash of money (LOTS of money) and drugs.

Things that make you go Hmmm:
Are there really mediums-for-hire out there in the world? How bizarre! If anyone knows a medium or has hired a medium, I’d love to learn more about it.

Why did the grandson have a stash of money and drugs? And more importantly, how did Miles know about it?

Miles’ weird facial hair has GOT to go.

Connections to lookout for:
When I think of drugs and lots-and-lots of money on Lost, I think of three huge connections:

Drugs: Charlie and Mr. Eko. Did the grandson’s drugs originate in Nigeria with Mr. Eko? Did he sell drugs to Charlie and Liam? Did he meet either of these characters at some point?

Lots-and-lots-of money: Hurley. Did the grandson know Hurley? Steal from Hurley? Inherit from Hurley?

Frank Lapidus
What we learned: On that fateful September day, Frank Lapidus was supposed to fly the plane, a scene that reminded me of Gary Sinise in Apollo 13. Instead of going down with this plane, Frank (for some reason) did not get on the plane and has lived a life of guilt and depression ever since. Watching Frank drop the toy plane into the fish tank was just heart-wrenching. The poor guy must be blaming himself. As he watched news reports on the discovery of Oceanic 815, he was immediately drawn to the swollen fingers of the so-called pilot. He knew Seth Norris (the guy from Felicity) very well – so well, in fact, that he recognized that the body on TV did not have a wedding ring on. What did he do? Why, he called the NTSB, of course! And instead of talking to the staff assistant, he went straight to the manager. And then to President Andrew Shepherd.

…I’m kidding, but I really love that movie and think it would be awesome if Michael Douglas had a cameo as President Shepherd in an upcoming episode.

Another sad-but-true moment was when Frank admitted to studying/memorizing the entire manifest of Flight 815, easily recognizing that Juliet was not on the plane. How pathetic. You really feel for the guy. But whoah...Miles did not take that news well. Where did he get the photo of Ben, by the way?

Things that make you go Hmmm:
Frank was hanging out in the Bahamas at some tiki shack. What was he doing in the Bahamas? How long had he been there?

The wreckage of 815 is obviously a hoax. A "find" of Oceanic 815 kills all investigations. This brings us back to the question that is plaguing the whole show: who in the world is behind this whole scheme?

In the meeting between Matthew and Naomi, Frank is described as a drunk. And, gosh, he sure looks similar to our resident drunk, Christian Shepherd…

Except for the Others submarine, every single mode of transportation that has attempted to reach the island has crashed or malfunctioned in some sort of way. So, how on God’s Green Earth did Frank land the helicopter on the island?

Connections to lookout for:
I’m wondering if Frank and Christian Shepherd knowing each other somehow. Not only do they sort of look alike, they seem to share similar, shall we say, “hobbies.”

Another OMG Moment I need to briefly address: Hurley & the Cabin
In a conversation I had with Charlie on Tuesday of this week, I told him that I thought it was a “huge deal” that Hurley could see Jacob’s cabin. This was confirmed during the episode last night – did everyone see Ben’s wide-eyed look at Hurley when Hurley claimed to see/know about the cabin? We’ll have to watch carefully as this develops over the next several episodes.

You’ve got questions…we’ve got answers.
Believe it or not, we got a lot of answers last night.

Q: Who are the freighter people? A: It is a group of 5 helicopter people, plus a small contingent on the freighter that includes Minkowski and Regina (the woman who answered the phone), among others. Naomi is the varsity team captain.

Q: Why is the freighter here? A: To get Ben Linus.

Q: What is the monster? A: “I don’t know.” – Ben

Q: Can Miles really talk to ghosts? A: Yes, he was able to determine that Locke did kill Naomi.

But, in true lost style, we also got a whole host of new questions.

Q: Why do they want Ben?
Q: How the heck does Ben have a guy on the boat? And who is it? (See below for a few possible answers.)
Q: Why didn’t Frank get on the plane?
Q: How is that Hurley can see Jacob’s cabin?
Q: Who planted a dummy plane crash at the bottom of the Sundra Trench?
Q: Whose bodies are inside the fake plane crash?
Q: Does Naomi’s team really know what they are doing on the island, or do they only have part of the story?

Who is Ben’s guy on the boat?
We know from the way he phrased the statement that Ben’s “guy on the boat” is likely male. Here are a few ideas to get your brains moving:

Ben's man on the boat is Kelvin. The Others found Kelvin, who was not dead, on the rocks after his altercation with Desmond. Kelvin then began to work for Ben. Kelvin being the man on the boat would explain why Naomi knew about Desmond and had his photo, as the boat is not Penny's.

Ben's man on the boat is Michael. Ben required this as part of their agreement to let them off the island.

Ben's man on the boat is Minkowski. He was not there when Miles had called him, possibly informing Ben on the members of the "team."

Ben's man on the boat is Annie, his childhood friend.

Ben’s man on the boat is Mikhail. As several times before, he may not have died from the grenade. He also proved before that he has the skills to do background checks on people, just as he did for all the passengers of Flight 815.

How much more abuse can Ben take?
Oh, my friend, he can take a whole lot more. That guy is just creepy as all heck. He has, once again, survived a brutal beating -- the third "big" beating by my count (Sayid had a shot in season 2, Jack had a shot in season 3, and now Sawyer in season 4). For being a scrawny, mouse-looking man, he sure can put up with a lot. Although I know they couldn't kill off Ben in this episode, Locke looked like he wanted to kill him. Is Ben going to die this season? Is Ben the guy in the coffin? Oh, to know the answers to the questions that keep me up at night.

And finally, the Fantastic Four has arrived?
The helicopter team pays homage to the main characters of the Fantastic Four. The FF characters are a scientist (Daniel), a young hothead (Miles), a test pilot (Frank) and a young woman (Charlotte).

Coincidence? Absoutely, positively not.

Summary Statement
Awesome episode. I was blown away.

See you next week!
Namaste,
-Maggie