Top 5 Flashbacks (or Forwards) We've Never Seen

Hello You All Everybody,
Good news. After a 6-month trial separation (at the request of friends, family members and multiple therapists) from my LOST DVD's, my love affair has been rekindled. Just less than two weeks ago, I set out about rewatching the series, starting at Season 2, Episode 20: Two for the Road (the one where Michael went homicidal on everyone's asses). It's one of my favorite episodes and a turning point in the show, so it seemed as good a place to start as any. And it was. Over the past two weeks, I've poured myself back into the show, reaching the end of Season 3 already and bracing myself for an intensive rewatching of Season 4. If that doesn't sound impressive, keep in mind that I have a full-time job and, like, six girlfriends.

Ok, well I have a full-time job.

As I watch, I find myself more and more frustrated by the absence of some key storylines. Desmond often refers to his visions of the future as the front of a box of a jigsaw puzzle, with moments in time being the pieces he must put together to finish the puzzle. With that in mind, here are 5 puzzle pieces I'd desperately like to find:

5. Charlotte

Yes, we saw some of her backstory in the episode that chronicled her, Faraday, Miles and Frank's respective paths to the Kahana mission. But as Entertainment Weekly's LOST guru (and Dharma Blog Authors' Hero) Jeff Jensen often reminds us, it is not-so-subtly alluded to that this journey for Charlotte is a return trip to the Island. In the Season 4 finale, we see this exchange:

MILES: It's just weird. You know, after all that time you spent trying to get back here.

CHARLOTTE: What do you mean, get back here?

Jensen also compares Charlotte's first Island scene (where she dangles above the water, then drops in and splashes around joyfully) to the scene in Prince Caspian, where the children return to Narnia in a similar fashion. And it would make sense, then, that Charlotte is in no hurry to leave the Island, that she wants to stay and learn more about her birthplace.

What I'm curious about is, what does Charlotte need to find out about? What has happened in her life that's led her on a quest back to the Island, and what is so important to find out that she doesn't want to leave? We've seen her archaeological background, and maybe it has something to do with that. But I, for one, think she's got a more important story to tell. I think it's why she was chosen for the mission in the first place. And I hope that, sometime soon, we'll get to find out exactly what her connection is with the Island.

4. Cindy
Despite her seeminly innocuous role as a flight attendant, the flashes of on-Island Cindy that we see (especially in Season 3) lead me to believe that she - and others like her - are hiding something. Remember, she was a Tailie, and was kidnapped in Season 2's tumultuous scene where Ana Lucia mercifully killed Shannon. Since the kidnapping, we've seen about a grand total of 30 seconds of Cindy. But in that brief time, she seems at peace, alligned with the others and accepting of her place.

Part of me thinks she was brainwashed and indoctrnated among Ben's people. Another part of me believes she's been on Ben's side the whole time, acting as a "plant" onboard Oceanic 815 with the mission of guiding the crashed souls to the promised land. Either way, I'd like to know. And I think when (or if) we learn about Cindy, we'll learn a lot about why the Others kidnap people, what they do to them and what their overall purpose is.


3. Rousseau
What we know about Rousseau is what she's told our survivors: a Cliff's Notes version of a 16-year saga that certainly must omit some key details. What kind of "science expedition" was she on? How did she lose Alex? What really happened to her husband? She said everyone got "sick" with that mysterious phantom illness, but is that a cover for something? We do know that, since landing on the Island, she's become a mercenary recluse who eschews typical societal norms such as, well, bras (this has always bothered me. Come on, Frenchie!).

I'd really like to see how she got onto the Island on a simple boat (considering Charles Widmore himself seems to have trouble doing it) and how her first 90 days there compare and contrast with those of our Oceanic 815 survivors. The good news: rumors point to a Rousseau-centric episode this season! The bad news: possible recurrence of Alex and her ridiculous slingshot.

2. Libby

Libby is often the Achille's Heel of LOST theorists. Her presence in Hurley's story (in the mental institution) is one of those intentinoal vagueries that drives people nuts. Did she know Hurley? Was she working with Widmore (or Ben?) to get Hurley to the Island, perhaps by intertwining his fate with that of the numbers?

Don't forget, she also gave Desmond that boat. Add that to the ammunition of those - like Maggie - who think that Libby was indeed working for Charles Widmore to get certain people to the Island. The LOST powers-that-be have always been pretty non-commital about the possibility of a Libby-centric episode, and now that she's dead that probability has sunk even lower. I think our best hope is a cameo appearance by Libby in someone else's story. Hopefully this time, we'll get some more answers.

1. Richard Alpert
If you know me, you know I love me some Richard Alpert. The ageless wonder keeps us guessing with his ever-changing alliances, smooth talking and seemingly limitless knowledge. As far as we know, he possesses the most Island knowledge (except maybe Ben) and he has been on the Island since...ummm...forever?

To understand Alpert is to understand the Island. And the more I watch this show, the more I believe that this show is about, simply, the Island: what it is, what it does, what it means for humanity. Richard knows - at least more than most - the answers to those questions. And now that he's not tied up on the latest Jimmy Smits project (seriously? Jimmy Smits? Did Richard Alpert lose a bet?), the door's wide open for a Richard-centric story. And we can only hope that, in the event of such a story, the presence of creepy-ass-Ethan Rom is minimal at best.

Honorable Mention: Walt

Walt: Age 19 (projected physical appearance)

Come on. Tell us how he does the thing where he appears to people in different places and times. And why he he went through puberty faster than Hurley through a case of Mallomars.



Side note: Jacob is obviously the A-Number-One character I'd like to know more about, but considering he may just be Ben's imaginary friend, I omitted him from this list.

So whose stories would you like to see? What do you think we'd learn? How many times do you think I've watched the Season 3 finale, Through the Looking Glass? Answer to the latter: 7ish. Including right now. Speaking of which, the scenes where Bonnie and Greta are being all good-looking and awesome in the Looking Glass station are on, so I must go.

Namaste.
Charlie

A New Theory for the Bharma Dog

Hello, Dharma Blog readers!! (Or, as my coworker Amy likes to say: The Bharma Dog.)

Happy Holidays to you and yours…and theirs, too, I suppose. It looks like it will be a White Christmas here in tropical Lincoln, NE, where the average high this past week has been a steamy 4 degrees. We have approximately 4 inches of snow on the ground – and, boy oh boy, the ridiculous ice storm bearing down on us today looks like a doozy. My advice? Don’t come to Nebraska anytime soon…unless you have your Dharma Initiative Parka and a penchant for Frozen Donkey Wheels. Oh, I’d give anything to be in Tunisia right about now…

Mua ha ha. Lost jokes are fun for all ages.

Season 4 DVD:
Since we last spoke, I have had the opportunity to re-watch Season 4 in its entirety, multiple times (including five viewings of “The Constant,” my mostest favoritest episode ever!!!), as well as review the many exciting bonus features (2 whole DVDs!). Although I was planning on doing a full-out review, Washington Post’s Jen Chaney really put my thoughts best:

“Like the Lost DVDs that have come before, this one includes numerous behind-the-scenes featurettes, a blooper reel, deleted scenes, several Easter eggs embedded in its menu screens and a smattering of commentary tracks. … As solid as the whole package is, two extras are most likely to fire up fans fixated on the future of the Oceanic 815 survivors. The first? "Oceanic Six: A Conspiracy of Lies," a faux expose that raises numerous questions about the story concocted last season by the six crash survivors who returned to civilization. And then there's my favorite, "Course of the Future," an interactive feature that requires viewers to place several events from the show in chronological order, a challenge considering the writers' out-of-sequence approach to storytelling. Completing that mission unlocks access to every flash-forward from season four, shown in order, uninterrupted.”

Take it from me: to see every single flash-forward, in chronological order, all at once, was both fascinating and a great review as I prepare for Season 5’s premiere, a mere 36 days away!! Blessed be Season 5!! In summary, I highly/strongly/really/definitely suggest putting Lost Season 4 on your holiday gift list, if it isn’t there already. (Frankly, if it isn’t there already, Charlie and I are both questioning your commitment to the show.)

Happy Dharma Birthday, Charlie!
My fellow blogger, Charlie, celebrated his 16th….er….25th birthday on Saturday, December 13th. I think the entire Bharma Dog readership joins me in wishing him a year full of polar bears, the Numbers, and flash-forwards. I contributed to his celebration by contracting the fine folks at The Cookie Company of Lincoln to create a Dharma Birthday Cookie in the shape of the Dharma logo (photo coming soon…once I figure out how to upload images from my fancy-pants new phone). Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Happy Early Birthday, Benjamin Linus!
The uber-accurate Lost timeline over at Lostpedia tells us that the-man-we-love-to-hate, Ben Linus, will celebrate his birthday tomorrow, Friday, December 19. Happy Birthday, Ben! You haunt my dreams. And Charlie’s dreams, too...but he still named his dog after you (photo below). (I’ve also include a photo of my dog, Oakley, who is named after my Great-Grandpa instead of Lost character. I tried to change his name last spring to Dr. Jack Shepherd, but he still won't respond to me. Weird.)

LINUS, age 1 (above) and OAKLEY/Dr. Jack Shepherd, age 10 (below)

When the weather gets bad…start theorizing about Lost.

As I stated before, the last few days in Nebraska have been painfully cold…actually, beyond painfully cold. It has been downright nasty. Here is the view out my back door.

I'm kidding. That's the Platte River. Anyways, moving on. So, what’s a girl like me to do when she has already:
(1) watched Season 4 (a "few" times);
(2) dusted and re-dusted her Seasons 1-4 DVDs and placed them in order;
(3) checked airline tickets to Hawaii and realized she still cannot afford a Lost-cation;
(4) decided she will hire her brother to do the shoveling; and
(5) left multiple messages for Charlie, asking if he wants to play Lost charades?

Well, this girl decided to do a little theorizing. Believe it or not, I have a one that, in my humble opinion, is pretty darn good. And so, my holiday gift to you:

A Theory to Keep You Awake at Night

Preface: This theory requires that you take a few leaps with me, and recognize that while all the pieces may not be there right now, I have a feeling that many of the missing portions will be completed throughout the next two seasons. Even so, I look forward to everyone’s feedback on this!

Evil One and Evil Two (above)

We can all agree that Season 4 of Lost set us up for a continuation of the showdown over control of the island between Charles Widmore and Ben Linus, a long-standing rivalry that is likely to continue its arc through the final two seasons of the show. Both Widmore and Ben want the island for different reasons: it appears Ben wants to protect the island and keep it a secret, while Widmore wants to exploit the powers of the island for financial gain. There appears to be a set of guidelines that dictate what Ben and Widmore can and cannot do. We are still in the dark about what the ‘rules’ are for this game, but we know they exist. (I’ll note that from Ben and Widmore’s bedroom conversation in The Shape of Things to Come, it appears that one of the rules is that neither can kill the other.)

My theory is that, unbeknownst to Widmore and Ben, there has been an unforseen collision of their two worlds in the form of Baby Aaron.

“Hello little baby!! I love you, little baby! I do love you!” -Maggie

“Oh, give me a break, Maggie. You only wrote this theory because you like babies and wanted a picture of a cute baby on the Dharma Blog,” you might be saying. Well, fair enough.

Maggie and a cute baby.

But could my theory be right??

Okay: go with me on this one. I believe that Charles Widmore has two children. One is Penelope (Penny), and the other is Thomas. Who is Thomas? Well, Thomas is Claire’s ex-boyfriend, the father of Aaron.

Aw, Widmore controls their lives! How cute!

I know what you are thinking: Wow, Maggie has really lost it this time. (Puns are fun!)

Au contraire, my friends.

You must be like Charlie and my friend, Micah, who had never heard the theory of Widmore’s Painting.

Please take a moment to look at these two photos (google Widmore Paintings if you want a bigger picture!):

On the left is a screen shot from Raised By Another, when Thomas (a painter by trade) is arguing with Claire, his pregnant girlfriend, about their coming child. Check out the painting in the background. Now, look at the photo on the right, which shows Desmond in Widmore’s office from Flashes Before Your Eyes. Look at the painting behind Desmond. Yep, it appears to be the same painting. Now, how does a painting hanging in Widmore’s office in the early 1990s (when this scene allegedly fits into the Lost timeline) end up in Claire and Thomas’s flat in the summer of 2004? Did Thomas paint it? Or did he somehow acquire it from Widmore?

I’m going to throw this out there: Thomas, indeed, painted it, and gave it to his father, Charles Widmore.

Too big of a leap for you? Consider this:

Do you remember when Thomas left Claire? How he stumbled around his words, and didn’t really have an answer as to why he was leaving Claire? Well, riddle me this: Did Widmore pay Thomas off to stay away from Claire (the same way he paid off Desmond to stay away from Penny), to begin the sequence of events that eventually brought Claire to the island? Widmore said to Desmond that the reason he wouldn’t give Penny’s hand in marriage to Desmond was that Desmond will ‘never be a great man.’ Could he very well have said the same thing to his son Thomas? That Claire, the pregnant daughter of a single mom, will never live up to the Widmore family standards? Verrrrry interesting, eh?

So far, I have proposed that Thomas is the son of Charles Widmore, which makes Aaron the grandson of Charles Widmore. Now, let’s look at the other side of the coin: how Claire’s lineage traces her back to the island, thus making Aaron and equally viable pawn for the Others and Ben.

It has been confirmed that Claire is the illegitimate daughter of Christian Shepherd. Now, we have a very choppy timeline of the life of Christian Shepherd. This is what is known.

We know that as a young doctor, Christian began dating (and supposedly fell in love with) a woman named Margo (Jack’s mother). On their wedding day, Christian’s father (this scene was only recounted to us; we never saw it) told him that he disapproved of their marriage. Nevertheless, Christian’s father gave him a watch that day, which he later passed on to Jack on Jack and Sarah’s (his first wife) wedding day. Soon after his wedding to Margo, he developed a drinking problem, to the point that he would take sporadic trips all over the globe. This addiction eventually led to a trip to Australia, where he met Carole Littleton (Claire’s mother) and became Claire’s father (Charlie, I explain how this happened to you some day).

After Carole’s car accident (remember, the one where Claire survived? And it put Carole in a coma?), and Christian’s first meeting with an adult Claire, Christian changed his life and decided to quit drinking. At the same time, however, Jack’s life and marriage had taken a turn for the worse. Jack concocted a belief that Sarah was cheating on him with his father, leading to a serious and physical altercation during one of Christian’s AA meetings. Unable to cope with this hurtful incident, Christian returned to drinking. This, of course, led to an ill-fated return-trip to Australia, where he ended up drinking himself to death.

Christian’s untimely death, and Jack’s subsequent guilt for his father’s fate, has led Jack to see his father both on the island and after he left the island, seemingly alive and well. Season 4 showed us that he appears to speak for Jacob – appearing to a number of people (and pets) both on/off the island (Jack, Hurley, Vincent, Claire, Locke, and Miles).

So, why does Christian speak for Jacob? And how? Well, I believe that he is somehow a descendant of, or related to, Jacob. This means that Jack, Claire, and Aaron are also descendants of Jacob. Since we know that, at some point in time and for some reason, Ben could also communicate with Jacob. Note: I don’t believe Ben is a descendant of Jacob (some people think he is, which would make him related to Jack…and WHOAH, that would be insane). However, for the length of time he was the leader of the Others), I think he was more of an ‘adopted’ son of Jacob. I think we’re going to see that Locke took over this role when Ben left. (Footnote: I suppose this could also be a model of Christian’s relationship with Ben. I’ll have to think about that a little more.)

AND SO (drum roll), these theories combined represent how (I believe) Aaron is the “collision” of the two ‘sides’ of this rivalry: Aaron is related to both Widmore and “Ben”/island/“Jacob”.

So what does this mean for the future of the show? Well, we all know about the lengths that both Ben and Widmore go to win this power struggle. However, once the realization is made that Aaron represents part of both families, it will be interesting to see how they move forward. Will Aaron be the ultimate prize? Or the ultimate pawn? And with an almost-certain return to the island for the Oceanic 6 (including Aaron), how will this play into the Ben-Widmore game? In other words, why is Aaron’s return to the island worth so much to Ben (granted, we have been told that everyone has to go back, not just Aaron)?

After all, Widmore’s expulsion from the island at some point in the past caused him to go to great and violent lengths to retrieve information that will allow him to return. You’ll recall in The Other Woman the video of Widmore beating a blind-folded and purported Other to a pulp in a parking lot, which was caught on video by Ben. Widmore also hired Keamy and his mercenary team to use the Kahana to find the island. Keamy’s instructions, as you will recall, were to “breach the Island, locate and retrieve Benjamin Linus, and after retrieving Ben, kill every other living person on the Island, including the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, if he found that they existed.” While Keamy’s mission was a failure in the end, he did achieve one success (in the mind of Widmore): he killed Ben’s only daughter, Alex. Would he go to such lengths if with his supposed-grandson, Aaron?

We shall see, my friends. We shall see.

And so…comment away! Poke holes in the theory! Propose your own! I look forward to a lively discussion.

Namaste,
Maggie

'Twas the Night Before Season 4

'Twas the night before Season 4's release, when all through her home,

Maggie was stirring…through her house did she roam.

Her seasons 1 through 3 DVDs were placed by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Season 4 soon would be there.

She went upstairs to lay all snug in her bed,

While visions of the DHARMA Initiative danced through her head.

(Across town, Linus in his 'kerchief, and Charlie in his cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.)

And when morning finally came, Maggie arose with much clatter,

She sprang from the bed (not that you care, nor does it matter).

Away to Best Buy she drove like a flash,

Flung open the automatic door and ran…my, did she dash!

The GE appliances sat on the newly-mopped floor,

lined up like the survivors along the Island's shore.

When, what to Maggie's wondering eyes should appear,

The shiny Lost Season 4 display! Oh, how Maggie did cheer!

With a beautiful blue box, so vivid and fine,

She yelled out right then, "This DVD shall be mine!!!"

More rapid than Smoky, to the cash register Maggie came,

As she skipped, and shouted, and called the characters by name;

"Now, Jack! Now, Locke! Now, Kate and Benjamin!

On, Sawyer! On Desmond! On, Charlotte, Sun and Jin!

To the hatch or the beach! To the Kahana or Jack's hospital!

Now flash(back) away! Flash(forward) away! Flash away all!"

This is me, pretending like I am happy.  It was 20 degrees outside and very windy.

This is me when I found Season 4 on the shelf.

This is me and my new Season 4 Box Set.

This is me and Sarah, the Best Buy Clerk who sold me Season 4.

I couldn't wait to look inside. This is me, under my desk at work, reviewing the bonus features.

Rise and Shine

Like a Polar Bear roused out of hibernation only to find himself on a mysterious, electromagnetically-charged island, the LOST side of my mind is wiping the crusties from its eyes and hitting the snooze button. The Season 5 premiere looms large, scheduled for January 21st (that’s a Wednesday!). Who says January is the most depressing month of the year? Pssssh.

The perfect morning coffee to shake the cobwebs from your LOST hibernation is YouTube fan videos and the ever-cryptic official previews from ABC. This weekend, my YouTube scouring found this nugget:



The Fray!? LOST is getting its Grey’s Anatomy/Scrubs/The O.C. on by playing whatever it is the kids are listening to these days. As long as it’s not a no-talent ass clown like Sheryl Crow, I’m fine. But formulaic alt-rock ballads aside, the preview is pretty interesting. While it’s light on new material (instead recycling dramatic scenes from Seasons 1-4), there are a few nice highlights:

• Start with a plane crash. That’s good. You always open with an old favorite.
• New tagline: Destiny Calls. Interesting, as the concept of “destiny” or “fate” is heavily-tilled ground in the LOST universe.
• Mysterious dude in haz-mat suit pops out of a hatch and startles the skittish Daniel Faraday. More Island people!?! Are we sure there’s a procreation problem? Oh, and later there are people pointing arrows at Faraday and Charlotte. Peter Pan?
• Jack and Sayid come to fisticuffs! Put all your money on Sayid in that one.
• Miles the Ghost Whisperer (not Jennifer Love Hewitt the Ghost Whisperer, unfortunately) looking puzzled. Probably something related to that whole Claire the Talking Ghost thing.
• Hurley’s Got a Gun (sing it to the tune of the old Aerosmith jam. You’ll like it). It seems his paranoia is about to get the best of him. Later, we see him peering suspiciously out the window while Sayid is unconscious on the ground. "We shouldn’t have left, Jack. It wants us to come back."
• Was that Juliet discovering another underground hatch?
• Richard Alpert! Woot!
• Jack ends with “Let’s go get ‘em.” Oh. Snap.
• Oh, and random spliced-in cells of a flaming logo for Ajira Airways, no big deal. Wait. What the…?

Ajira Airlines: No Borders. Now Boarding.
Allow me to Google this for you. Ajira Airlines does indeed have a web site. Conveniently, they use the same “Destiny Calls” tagline that LOST is currently toting. And the copy below it:

Let Your Journey Begin
The skies have no limit with our new destinations launching January 21st, 2009. Take an adventure anywhere around the globe and reimagine your world as big as ours. Check back often to discover new ways to get lost in the world. No Borders, Now Boarding - Ajira Airways.

Obviously, the launch date is no coincidence. Neither is the tag line, “Destiny Calls.” And a little Lostpedia-ing reveals that this is, indeed, an official LOST microsite. Lostpedia’s slogan should be “We nerd out so you don’t have to.” Instead of going to all the trouble of searching through the IP addresses that update and register Ajira Airlines' site, the friendly geeks at Lostpedia have done the dirty work for us. It appears that Ajira Airlines was registered, set up and is maintained by ABC Studios. Furthermore, the site is not hosted by Hoodlum, the Australian entertainment company behind LOST ARG’s (Alternate-Reality Games) such as the now-defunct Dharma Initiative Recruiting Project, and, I believe, the Find 815 game from last year.

You can enter your e-mail address on their site for updates (yes, of course I did). Chances are, it'll launch you into a fun little game for the next month, giving you some clues, hints and even exclusive scenes for Season 5. While you wait patiently by your inbox for that, you can chew on a few fun facts (gleaned from, where else, Lostpedia and interpreted by, what else, my crazy head).

Like everything LOST-related, Ajira is not an arbitrarily selected term. In Hindi it means “island” or “isle”; in Islam, “Eternal Life after Death.” Maggie also pointed out that “Ji” is contained in Ajira, a possible allusion to Ji Yeon, the child of Sun and Jin. Additionally, Maggie informs me that Ajira Airways will be based in Seoul, Korea, home of Sun. How she knows that, I’m not sure. I suspect she obtained the information through questionable means.

It all points to a storyline that will be played out by the now-rich, now-powerful Sun: majority shareholder of Paik Industries. Allow me to dust off my tinfoil hat and provide you with my first completely baseless theory of the year:

Sun uses the Paik Industries manufacturing ties to buy (or create) Ajira Airlines. Remember, Oceanic Airlines went bankrupt handing out settlements to the Oceanic Six, so she might be using their supplies or people. She uses the company’s aeronautical and navigational capacities as a means with which to find out what happened to the Island, and possibly find Jin (provided he made it into the wormhole and didn’t die in the explosion). Her persistence in the matter represents a threat to Widmore’s concealment of the Island, and serves to escalate a feud between them. That feud acts as both a catalyst and an impediment to the Oceanic Six’s return to the Island. Because when it’s all said and done, I think Season 5 will be all about Jack’s efforts to rally the O6 – and Locke’s carcass – back to the Island.

Crazy? Yes! Unfounded? You bet! But it’s December, and we’ve got 53 days to wait for the Season Premiere, titled “Because You Left.” Kinda sounds like the title of a Fray song, doesn’t it?

Namaste.
Charlie

PS: Stay tuned for an announcement on how Maggie and I will be preparing you (via the blog, of course) for LOST Season 5. We'll have full details on our plans for the month leading up to the season premiere - including our first-ever video entry. Be afraid.