Preview: Destiny Calls, Because You Left, & The Lie

Ever since Oceanic 815 crashed into our lives on September 22, 2004, Charlie and I have asked many questions: Where/What/When is this island? How did so many people survive such a traumatic plane crash? Are there really polar bears on this island? For the love of God, what do the numbers mean? Why do some survivors see dead people on the island? What was the Dharma Initiative and why did they have so many hatches? Can we pleeeease be extras on the show? Pretty please? Were all of the Others part of the Dharma Initiative? What is the significance of Hanso and his Foundation? Why do pregnant women on the island die? What is the deal with the purple sky? Is the island just a “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon” experiment? Why is there a four-toed statue? Who is Charles Widmore and why does he want to find the island? Has Widmore been there before? Who/What is Jacob?

Today, The Dharma Blog join hands with Lost fans across this great nation in anticipation of this evening’s premiere (which is certain to add a few more questions to our list). Ladies and gentlemen, we are less than 9 hours away from Season 5 of Lost!!! Congratulations for surviving this long eight month hiatus! The Dharma Blog encourages you to celebrate throughout today. I, for one, will be having Valentino’s pizza for lunch…and I might even have a breadstick, too. Charlie is spending the day at a Turf Grass Convention in Des Moines for work and….wait….hold on a second. That isn’t a fun way to celebrate, Charlie! Come baaaaaaaaaaaack [to Lincoln]!

As we look ahead to tonight’s episodes (there are three: Destiny Calls (review show of the last four season), Because You Left, and The Lie), we must be honest with you, the readers: (1) [contrary to popular belief] we do not write for Lost; (2) [even though we think we should be,] we are not accredited members of the media and, therefore, have not been able to prescreen tonight’s episodes; and (3) [yes,] Charlie does, in fact, sleep on rubber sheets (watch our video blog below this comment doesn’t make sense to you). While it might be fun to share some really juicy scoop to share with you about tonight’s episode, Charlie and I have been practicing a near radio-silence during our preparation. We don’t know what is going to happen (we never do, believe it or not).

Tabula Rasa, my friends. Tabula Rasa.

However, we have a few ideas to plant in your head…three theories we’ve bought into recently…as you mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally prepare for tonight.

Theory Number 1: One Coffin and One Plane
Right before he died, Christian Shepherd's behavior in Australia was very reminiscent of Jack's behavior after he left the island. So...what if Christian was on the island before the crash of 815 and manage to leave somehow (Frozen Donkey Wheel...or some other way). When he returned to the mainland, he wanted to go back to the island (just like Jack, for unknown reasons)...but he couldn't (maybe that's why he went to Australia in the first place)....

He started to have a drinking problem (just like Jack, post-rescue)....

And the final consequence/result of this situation was Christian returning to the island in a coffin...
...just as it appears Locke will return (under the watchful eye of Ben)...
...and now Christian seems to be working for/with Jacob...
...what if Locke is headed on the same trajectory...

Theory Number 2: Three Ways to Explain the Island?
On behalf of Charles Widmore, Matthew Abbadon selected the science team onboard the Kahana, in part, for the purpose of disabling the Tempest and prevent an Island-wide counterattack by the Others. (We have yet to find out what is their entire mission.) The career paths of these three unique people (Charlotte, Miles, and Daniel) enable them to interpret what is exactly happening on this island very differently from one another:

1. Charlotte Lewis: A cultural anthropologist
2. Miles Straume: A spiritualist with psychic communication skills
3. Daniel Faraday: A physicist

Now, think about the island and what has happened through each lens. Scientific. Natural. Supernatural. Interesting, huh? Each member of the team, theoretically, could explain (parts of) the island-happenings through their own area of study. Cultural anthropology? Check out the ruins of the Black Rock and its descendents…and the society that has been created. Spiritualist? How about all those ghosts that wander everywhere? Physicist? That whole shifting time thing might be something to look into.

So, as these three individuals continue their island quest, they might be worth a little attention. Who knows what clues they might lead us too.

Footnote: Let the record show that Charlie and I still hate Charlotte. She is super annoying.

Theory Number 3: With enough money…
Penny Widmore once said, "With enough money and determination, you can find anyone." This quote couldn’t ring more true than now, at the start of Season 5. I might even amend the quote to include ‘anything’ as well as ‘anyone’. As Ben said to Widmore in the infamous Bedroom Scene last season, ‘the hunt is on’ for both of them. Will it end up that the one with the most money, wins? (And what the heck are they winning again? The island? The powers of the island?)

Our Charlie believes that Charles Widmore has not only been to the island before, but that the island was literally/figuratively taken from him by Ben. He also believes that there is a chance that Mr. Paik (Sun’s Dad) knows about the island and may or may not have been there before, too. I am not sure if I can take that leap…but it is definitely possible because of their deep pockets.

A few things to think about tonight: who is financing Ben and his Carmen-Sandiego-like worldwide chase? Is Ben financing Ben? Do you think Mr. Paik is financially backing Widmore and his chase? How will the Oceanic 6 settlement money fit into Ben’s plan…do you think Ben will convince some of the O6 to let him use their money?

Folks, it is real simple: Season 5 will have a heavy emphasis on the hunt underway by Ben and Widmore…and with enough money, they will be able to find anyone (anything?).

Extra Special BONUS Theory 4: An Ode to Emily
I’m sure my older sister, Emily, has decided I have officially lost it at this point. Sorry, Emily, this isn’t a theory about you. This is a theory about the show’s Emilys…with much of the brainstorming and theorizing courtesy of our Charlie.

In attempt to understand Ben’s place in the island leadership and Locke’s apparent ascent to (and fall from) leadership…think about this:

Ben Linus and John Locke were born three months premature to mothers named Emily. Ben's mother (Emily Linus) died when Ben was born. What if pregnant women started dying on the island only after Ben arrived there….a manifestation of his mother dying in childbirth? (Pregnant mothers die on the island at around three months before the due date.)

John's mother (Emily Locke) did not die when he was born. What if Claire and Sun were able to survive pregnancy because John had arrived on the island…a manifestation of his mother NOT dying in childbirth?

Okay, so what if people on the island were on the lookout, for some reason (to fulfill some prophecy), for a boy born to a woman named Emily three months early? Horace and Olivia Goodspeed were on the abandoned country road in the middle of Oregon (32 miles outside of Portland, to be exact), when Emily Linus went into premature labor and gave birth to Ben. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Ageless Richard was at the small county hospital the day teen Emily Locke was in a car accident on her way to visit her “twice my age boyfriend” (hello, Anthony Cooper), which triggered premature labor, which resulted in the birth of John. Coincidence? Absolutely not.

Horace managed to bring Ben to the island (through a job offer to Ben’s father, Roger, and claiming they will develop Ben’s ‘innate talents’) and things started going wrong. This was because they chose the wrong premature child whose mother's name was Emily.

Then, somehow John found his way to the island (not through coincidence, but over time through the hard work of people like Matthew Abaddon and others) and things changed. Why? Because Locke was the correct child born premature to a woman named Emily.

Okay…wanna know how far you can take this Emily theory? In The Wizard of Oz, “Aunt Em” is really Emily Gale. And the actress who plays Claire Littleton, mother of Aaron, is named Emilie de Ravin! And the actress who plays Emily Linus is actually Michael Emerson's (who plays Ben) real-life wife?

I hate this show.

Celllllll-e-brate good times, come on!
Charlie and I want to see how you celebrated the return of Lost! Send us photos of your Lost celebrations/parties (our readers stretch from Texas to Omaha, and from DC to Los Angeles) and we’ll post them on the blog. Joe Cwik, we know you are having a pretty wild Lost celebration down in Uruguay (no lie)…send us some photos already!

For those of you in the Lincoln area who want to come to the official Dharma Blog Season 5 Premiere Ball (okay, it’s not a ball, but I want to use the word), shoot either of us an email and we’ll get you the details.

Also, want a great, Dharma Blog-endorsed, way to get ready for tonight? Watch our VLOG (Video Blog) below! Charlie and I think it is worth 15 minutes of your time!

We’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! We’re baaaaaaaaaaaaack! We’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Namaste, and we’ll be your constant,
Maggie and Charlie