From the Dharma News Room...

Dharma Wedding Announcement
We here at the Dharma Blog are thrilled to announce that on Saturday, September 27, two loyal and faithful Dharma Blog readers, Beth Tiehen and Chad Kreikemeier, will be united in Holy Dharmamony. Our records indicate that Chad and Beth are the third Dharma couple to find love on what Charlie suggests we now call E-Dharmany. Previous Dharma love connections were found with John and D’Ann, as well as Courtney and Joseph.

Chad and Beth met on the comments section page of the Dharma Blog after the episode Do No Harm, where they both left comments on how much they loved the decorations at Jack and Sarah’s wedding. One thing led to another, and pretty soon, they had their first date: watching Fire + Water and eating fish biscuits. We have reason to believe that Chad and Beth will use Lost quotes for their vows. Undercover Dharma Blog readers who are in the wedding party have indicated Chad will use the follow wedding vow (it should sound familiar):

I didn't...write any vows. I've been trying to for a month but I couldn't, so I started to wonder why that was. And as time went on, it only got worse because I'm not good at letting go…or maybe I’m afraid of what'll happen if I fail. But I know one thing. I would have never been able to write anything as beautiful as what you just said. And last night, Beth, you got it all wrong. I didn’t fix you, you fixed me. I love you, Beth, and I always will.

Congratulations to Beth and Chad, our third match on E-Dharmany!

Why LOST Lost
(Huge Kudos to LOST watcher Jon for his added analysis)
Being a LOST fan, I was very excited to see the show nominated for the Best Drama Emmy, but I didn’t expect it to win. Like most fans, I put up the false front of hopefulness that our show would somehow be validated (again) as the ‘best’ there is. But, at the end of the day, the nod went to Mad Men, and deservedly so. The fact is, LOST doesn’t have to prove itself anymore. That the show has managed to exist this long with the eclectic blend of story-telling that seems to bridge every genre and literary motif known to man is a feat that they haven’t produced an award for yet.

But still, let’s ask “Why LOST lost.” The truth is LOST is not a show that plays well against competition because its real competition is itself. The episode that was submitted to the Emmy judges, The Constant, is a perfect example. The Constant was a sequel to the episode Flashes Before Your Eyes…and provided an extension of the themes setup in Flashes and carried out throughout the series since. In short, The Constant was a classic example of LOST improving on LOST.

Unlike predictable dramas that have a plot start and plot end week after week, LOST aims to break at ever higher plateaus, relying on the immensity of its back-stories to bolster any attempt to raise its bar internally. When examined on and episode-by-episode basis, not having a sense of the history of the plot and characters makes discerning LOST’s achievements a formidable, if not impossible, task. The reality is that LOST cannot (and should not) be judged on a single episode. LOST is the televised equivalent of a novel, and as such, even the best chapter is never going to represent the achievement of the story as a whole.

It doesn’t really matter if LOST ever gets another Emmy, because it all comes down to the fact that as long as LOST is succeeding at bucking tradition and providing world-class entertainment, eluding an Emmy for best series is just further validation that it is doing what it does best: coloring outside of the lines, and staying off the ‘business as usual’ radar screen.

Welcome Home, Captain Maher!
The Dharma Blog is thrilled to announce the homecoming of faithful LOST watcher and Dharma Blog reader, Captain Joseph Carter Maher, USMC. Since February, Captain Maher has been serving our country in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, near the town of Akashat. A Marine Corps Captain, Joe served as the XO for the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Delta Company. Joe will be welcomed back to the United States by his wife, Dharma Blog reader Courtney, and many friends and family members. (Note: Joe is admittedly behind in his LOST watching, so don’t engage him in LOST talk until he finishes season 4.) Welcome home, Joe, and Semper Fidelis!

Happy Dharma-Ween!
With Halloween just around the corner, Charlie and I would like to take this opportunity to suggest that our Dharma Blog readers dress up as their favorite LOST character for the holiday. To get those creative juices flowing, here are some ideas:

Jack: Go for a classic Pilot episode Jack look. A suit, covered in dirt. Perhaps some scratches on your face. And don’t forget the small bottles of alcohol in your pocket (for those readers who are of age).

Kate: The normal Kate look is a pair of jeans, a tank top, long wavy hair, and hiking boots. Maybe a pair of handcuffs on one wrist. How about a toy plane around your neck? Of course, covered in dirt, too.

Hurley: Oversized tye-dyed shirt with the Numbers on it would be a nice look. Maybe a bag of some Dharma provisions, too. If you can do the long curly hair, that’d be fantastic.

Charlie: A Charlie DriveShaft look would be nice. The more black, the better. Don’t forget the pieces of masking tape on your fingers that spell F-A-T-E. If you have a guitar to carry along, that’d be a nice touch.

Desmond: Long, wavyish hair that is styled “wild” like his. A jacket/jumpsuit with a Dharma logo. Maybe find a toy gun and a backpack, as well.

Ben: Go for the “Dharma Dad” look. Khakis, a button-up shirt, deck shoes. Googly glasses would be a plus. Do you have a walking stick? How about a walkie-talkie?

Locke: The balder, the better. Wear a white t-shirt with cargo pants and hiking boots. A backpack on your back and a Backgammon set would be a nice addition. Put an orange in your mouth, a la Pilot-episode LOST.

What other ideas do you have? How will you dress up for Dharma-Ween? Send us photos of your best costumes and we’ll post them on the Blog!

Namaste,
Maggie