tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post533672720039323275..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Lost: Goodwin some, lose someAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51671617752117417462008-03-11T20:03:00.000-04:002008-03-11T20:03:00.000-04:00Q: Also, why is Ben's only child adopted? A: I w...Q: <I> Also, why is Ben's only child adopted? </I><BR/><BR/>A: <I> I was making a joke about his success with women. </I> <BR/><BR/>Further speculation: The "her" Juliet resembles died carrying Ben's child.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60107909336986289282008-03-11T17:04:00.000-04:002008-03-11T17:04:00.000-04:00I love reading Undercover Asian Man's posts even i...I love reading Undercover Asian Man's posts even if I don't always agree with them. But in terms of this episode a lot of your points are valid, UAM. Thanks for sharing.<BR/><BR/>But in the end I have to go with Mo Ryan; if all the eps were as good as "The Constant," I really wouldn't care that greatly about logic, consistency, getting answers. But when eps are this bad, the show leaves itself open to such criticism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-33647087963937594252008-03-11T04:47:00.000-04:002008-03-11T04:47:00.000-04:00How bout that.http://blowingsmokethemovie.com/arch...How bout that.<BR/><BR/>http://blowingsmokethemovie.com/archives/2008/03/march_madness_l.phpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30904930348937915262008-03-10T14:38:00.000-04:002008-03-10T14:38:00.000-04:00Here is a bit of fun for Lost fans:http://www.wash...Here is a bit of fun for Lost fans:<BR/><BR/>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/television/features/2007/lost-central/lost_madness.html<BR/><BR/>It's a NCAA Bracket matching up Lost characters to find the most popular. Some of the First Round Matchups are complete blowouts (Jack vs Cindy, Sayid vs Michael), but some of the First Rounders are TOUGH (Jin vs Sun, Hurley vs Swayer). Get your votes in today because Round 2 starts tomorrow. And don't forget to fill in the "other side" of the bracket (the Others vs Dharma, and Random Important Characters), you have to "zoom out" and then choose that side to fill it.<BR/><BR/>GO VINCENT!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21411528634274636152008-03-09T17:49:00.000-04:002008-03-09T17:49:00.000-04:00Wait, Ethan has superhuman strength because he lif...Wait, Ethan has superhuman strength because he lifted up <EM>Charlie?</EM> 5'5", 150 lbs. Charlie? I could see your point if it was <EM>Hurley</EM>...<BR/><BR/>I see what you're saying about X-Files, which was limping along way before they took it out behind the barn. They never really answered anything. (And yet I read an interview with Chris Carter about the new movie, and he was insisting that it was a fresh start because everything had been tied up. Ha!) Maybe Lost will do the same thing. Maybe we'll all be suckers. I hope not, but you could be right. So far, though, I'm enjoying the "mythology" of Lost far more than X-Files.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53950561096986953052008-03-09T15:52:00.000-04:002008-03-09T15:52:00.000-04:00KaveDweller:"Also - there will never be a "logical...KaveDweller:"Also - there will never be a "logical" explanation for anything on Lost, because it is a Sci-Fi show. Always has been. There may be some degrees of explanations for various things, but there is certainly no way to "logically" explain monsters, ghosts, time travel, etc."<BR/><BR/>Please tell me you are being purposefully obtuse and aren't really that hazy-minded. I'm not asking for "logic" as in NASA scientists must verify the possibility of Lost's explanations. I'm asking for logic as in "If the Island was virtually undetectable before Desmond blew up his hatch, why did the Others bother to make up a primitive village and dress in primitive clothes? Who exactly did they expect would a) have the tech to find the island but b) be dumb enough to fall for such a ruse? If there secret was so worth protecting, why not just kill any unwelcomed visitors - they have showed a willingness to do so - instead of 'tricking' them at all in the first place? Just kill all the men and keep all the baby-producing women of the crash."<BR/><BR/>Or "If Ben's priority is to make sure no one finds the Island, then why leave a Giant Four Toed Statue on the coastline? Why not tear it down or at least cover it? You say that the Hatch's field made it impossible for boats to randomly "happen" upon the Island? Well then why the "Primitive Village on the Coastline" ruse again?<BR/><BR/>Or "why does Dharma continue to drop of huge amounts of food and supplies to the Island even though they must realize all their people have been slaughtered and out of contact? "<BR/><BR/>Or "Why is no one afraid of the "Monster" anymore? They've been on the Island just a few months, and surely haven't forgotten how many people it's killed - including their good buddy Echo - in that short time frame. So why is it virtually ignored now as everyone wanders around, alone sometimes, without any real concern anymore about something no one understands?"<BR/><BR/>Again, I'm not looking for Einstein's seal of approval, I'm just looking for consistency within the Lost world. Internal Logic, which good Sci-fi has plenty of, even if its about spaceships traveling faster then light or time travel.<BR/><BR/>Look, I don't doubt people's ability to "fan wank" explanations like Ethan Rom worked out (go rewatch that episode, it was much more than being strong, he was purposefully made to seem superhuman [one extended arm lifting Charlie easily] and by implication make the Others seem similarly dangerous), or settle for the weak explanations to come ("Jacob said don't tear down the 4-toed statue!!! That's why!"). The human mind WANTS order so much that it will see and believe patterns where there are none. I think Lost's storytellers are going to rely on that fact heavily to find redemption. <BR/><BR/>But as a writer and storyteller, I do not think what they are doing is fair or honest at all.<BR/><BR/>Put another way: if you gave me 10 "startling scenes" - for instance a) Abraham Lincoln on the moon in a spacesuit b) the sun appears looking like an eyeball for one day, c) lions roaming the streets, occasionally walking on their hind legs, and ignored by people around them like it's an everyday thing d) The ocean is now bright green e) Jin telling Sayid in perfect Arabic "Our plan is working PERFECTLY", etc, etc. - I can put up SOME kind of story together that links all these super trippy, mind blowing events POST FACTO. It will be very loose, and of course would have to involve supernatural things, but I could do it.<BR/><BR/>OR I can hire a skilled writer, who had nothing to do with creating these 10 startling events and had no previous knowledge of them, present these 10 things to him, and have him make up a story NOW that links them all, even though he JUST got the information today. His story will be loose and far-fetched, but he's skilled enough that at least it is SOME KIND OF explanation. This is in fact what I think is happening with Lost. They aren't quite done with the "throwing things up just for ratings" stage, but they've seen the initial backlash and ratings drops of the Twin Peaks / X-Files suspecting crowd's abandonment, and are now committed -and SCRAMBLING - to tie it all together, no matter how loose that tie has to be.<BR/><BR/>As to why, then, do I continue to watch - 1) Technology - without Tivo and the ability to watch it on my own schedule and commercial free, I would have dropped it long ago, and 2) this is the first X-Files/Twin Peaks series that has declared an end date and promised to give explanations. I want to see how they do it and the public's reaction, same as I did with the X-Files and never got to truly witness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-67080729491426913512008-03-09T03:59:00.000-04:002008-03-09T03:59:00.000-04:00Even if you didn't think that Ben had a little cru...<EM>Even if you didn't think that Ben had a little crush on Juliet, they telegraphed it so strongly that the whole thing played out predictably.</EM><BR/><BR/>Guess I wasn't smart enough to predict it! Ben's last scene was like, "Whoa..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86264308249930549152008-03-08T17:43:00.000-05:002008-03-08T17:43:00.000-05:00Jim, I guess the quotes were because where that st...Jim, I guess the quotes were because where that story would go even within the episode was so predictable. Even if you didn't think that Ben had a little crush on Juliet, they telegraphed it so strongly that the whole thing played out predictably. I didn't necessarily know that Ben had a thing for her, but once that was brought up in such an obvious way, it seemed obvious where that would go. That, added to the fact that we got Credulous Locke again this week, just made me feel meh about this episode. It's true that for once Ben did offer up some real info and held up his part of the bargain, but it just felt recycled. <BR/><BR/>but again, I'm back to really loving Lost again so I'll allow a ratio of 1 meh episode if it's surrounded by 5 or 6 good or great ones...Mo Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01685367085407381479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-91532880031956795342008-03-08T15:59:00.000-05:002008-03-08T15:59:00.000-05:00Maybe I'm just not remembering correctly, and if t...Maybe I'm just not remembering correctly, and if that's the case please forgive but I don't feel like dragging out my S2 box set, but I have a question. In the episode where first see The Others react to the plane crash and Juliet is hosting the book club it seems like there is lots of hostility between Ben & Juliet ( I guess because of the Goodwin thing). The scene in this week's episode with Ben & Juliet's "date" takes place after the plane crash (because of discussion of children being abducted & the list). Doesn't it seem strange that Juliet seems to be so nice to Ben in this scene after being fairly openly hostile to him earlier? Or am I totally missing something that would explain that in this week's episode?<BR/><BR/>If I did miss something, it's probably because I thought this week's episode was pretty craptastic. And I even like the Juliet character.JChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11251502182111287115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1169469894940247192008-03-08T11:02:00.000-05:002008-03-08T11:02:00.000-05:00Oh, and I assumed Rom worked out a lot and knew ho...Oh, and I assumed Rom worked out a lot and knew how to fight. He kicked Jack's ass and was able to hoist Charlie's weight on the end of a rope, but I don't see how that's "superhuman strength."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47216076315988221912008-03-08T10:49:00.000-05:002008-03-08T10:49:00.000-05:00Holla if you'd rather see her interacting with Rob...<EM>Holla if you'd rather see her interacting with Robin Weigert rather than 'find out' that Ben had a creeptastic crush on her.</EM><BR/><BR/>Why the quotes? They've always been shown to be officious and cold toward each other. Now we know why.<BR/><BR/>UAM, let's say that next week they answer every single question you have. Then what?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77509152655528422072008-03-08T10:33:00.000-05:002008-03-08T10:33:00.000-05:00Did they ever explain why Ethan Rom seemingly had ...<I>Did they ever explain why Ethan Rom seemingly had super human strength - and then ignored that feature in all of the other Others?</I><BR/><BR/>I never wondered this. Characters on this show each have different talents (sometimes mysterious ones) that other characters don't have. <BR/><BR/><I>Or why they marched around in tattered clothes and primitive sticks at one point [Jin and Swayer hid in the bushes and watched them pass by, and we saw their primitive garb]?</I><BR/><BR/>I thought this was so that the 815 survivors wouldn't know that they had civilization on the island. Not let their adversaries know what they have. Also so that they would fear them as "hostile natives" of some sort. Keep them confused, basically.<BR/><BR/><I>Or explain the whole disguise wearing B.S. for the crew who took Walt, but then had Ben, Ethan, and Goodwin, walk right into their camp undisguised?</I><BR/><BR/>Well, I thought they were disguised as scruffy seamen so that the raft crew would believe they were just guys on a boat (and therefore able to rescue them), and get close enough for them to grab Walt. The clean cut look would have seemed strange in that context. Goodwin and Ethan were pretending to be fellow survivors of 815, and Ben was pretending to be a dude who crashed his balloon, so I don't know why they'd need disguises. There's nothing about the Others' regular clothes that make them look like anything other than regular people.<BR/><BR/>And the numbers haven't disappeared at all.<BR/><BR/><I>All that time learning about Jin's marriage woes and Kate's daddy issues and Swayer's con man days, all barely worth remembering as any type of explanation compared to what is going on now, yet they chewed up hours with it.</I><BR/><BR/>I guess this is just a matter of taste, but I think character development is valuable in and of itself. I think certain details of people's pasts will come into play, but not every single detail. Sometime viewers just, you know, care about the characters.<BR/><BR/><I>Also - there will never be a "logical" explanation for anything on Lost, because it is a Sci-Fi show. Always has been. There may be some degrees of explanations for various things, but there is certainly no way to "logically" explain monsters, ghosts, time travel, etc.</I><BR/><BR/>Sci-fi stories don't completely lack logic. They need <I>internal</I> logic. They need to create a world with rules and tell a story within those confines. It's still well within the realm for LOST to end up that way. We'll find out.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I may also be in a tiny minority that wouldn't be so sore about it if certain things never get explained. I don't really like my stories all tied up neatly with a bow. There's a fine line, of course. I don't like glaring loose threads or non-endings. But the hint of lingering mystery is nice. Again, probably just a matter of taste. Just flirting <I>is</I> fun! Like, really fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-40535256690537203942008-03-08T02:23:00.000-05:002008-03-08T02:23:00.000-05:00Dana: "Of course, maybe you just want to be a buzz...Dana: "Of course, maybe you just want to be a buzzkill."<BR/><BR/>I think anyone who has been burned by devoting years to the X-Files (I still don't forgive them) or Twin Peaks will understand both my demand for real answers and my disdain for the illogical, ill-fitting, semi-answers that are usually offered instead in these situations.<BR/><BR/>kenrick: I read it as well.<BR/><BR/>Also from Lostpedia regarding The Numbers: "Damon Lindelof did make a comment at Comic Con in 2005 that "We may never know what the Numbers mean". He quickly regretted this, as he got tons of unhappy fan mail demanding to know what he meant exactly, and since then, the writing team have declined to comment directly or expand on this topic (except through The Lost Experience)." <BR/><BR/>See where this is going? Notice any pattern?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-79939516498833219512008-03-08T01:26:00.000-05:002008-03-08T01:26:00.000-05:00I guess I must be slow. I didn't catch Ben's "maj...I guess I must be slow. I didn't catch Ben's "major crushing" on Juliet last season. Yes, he was always trying to get in her good graces, and she kept rebuking him, but I figured that Juliet hated Ben because he's kept her on the island to do her research, and Ben is so sure he's doing good, and is agood person, he wants everyone to believe him totally. ("We're the good guys, Michael.") They did lay it on heavily this week though.<BR/><BR/>Now that Ben is free, how long do you think Sawyer, Hugo, and Claire will stay around? And major points for Claire pointing out that Charlie only said three words.<BR/><BR/>Re "The Other Woman": Not only is Alan correct, but Juliet is also the woman from the Others, hence, "The Other Woman."<BR/><BR/>lar said, "I am confused on one point--Juliet has been on the island three years. But was it just me, or did they made it seem last night as though she and Goodwin started their affair not long after her arrival?"<BR/><BR/>The affair started a few months after she arrived, and lasted at least a year. Two years plus a few months isn't that farfetched.<BR/><BR/>@Undercover Asian Man: First let me answer this "Or explain the whole disguise wearing B.S. for the crew who took Walt, but then had Ben, Ethan, and Goodwin, walk right into their camp undisguised?" because it's straightforward. Ben was either captured, or caught on purpose, but either way, he was pretending to not be one of the others, but Henry Gale instead. And Ethan and Goodwin were undercover as crash victims. Kind of hard to blend in if they look like homeless or scraggily mountain men.<BR/><BR/>But the bigger issue is that if you're watching this show just for answers, this is not the show for you. Hey, you know six people get off the island; why not stop there? I'm watching for the journey, the characters, and the writing, not the plots. If you just wants plots, stick with "Heroes."<BR/><BR/>Plotwise, last week's episode wasn't much different from a number of other sci-fi unstuck-in-time or other reality-bending episodes, but the writing and the characters raised it from a bad episode "Voyager" to a great episode of "Lost."afogliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02820361829972093800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51658910081341033422008-03-08T00:30:00.000-05:002008-03-08T00:30:00.000-05:00eennnh, this was my least favorite episode of the ...eennnh, this was my least favorite episode of the season, and the weird thing is, I *like* Juliet a whole lot. I think Elizabeth Mitchell is one of the best actors on the show. But puh-leaaaze, we didn't learn much. Holla if you'd rather see her interacting with Robin Weigert rather than 'find out' that Ben had a creeptastic crush on her. Yeesh. <BR/><BR/>Two threads I'm not too fond of -- "Juliet didn't like being on the island and felt trapped there" and "Ben manipulates Locke, plays him like a violin and gets exactly what Ben wants."<BR/><BR/>Been there, done that, got the T shirt. I do like Ben and I do like Locke (at least badass Locke), but I felt like I'd seen this movie before. Locke is just a sucker for Ben's manipulations, we get it. <BR/><BR/>So yeah, Widmore's in charge of the search for the island. Saw that coming. Jack is a gullible person who will generally make the wrong decision. MMmm, knew that. Kate gets clocked by someone she knows is lying. People run through the jungle hot on the trail of ... other people running through the jungle. <BR/><BR/>It wasn't Bai Ling bad, but it was a bummer after such a string of good eps. Still, it's to be expected that there would be a couple meh ones in the mix. And I must say, I didn't hate the Kate ep as much as everyone else, so this was my Eggtown, if you will. <BR/><BR/>Randomly, I think the pregnancies on the island don't go to term because of the time problems. If time doesn't go forward at the "right" rate, babies can't develop the right way. Just a thought... probably already been theorized by lots of people but thought I'd just throw that out there.Mo Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01685367085407381479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-89139184896118561232008-03-07T23:27:00.000-05:002008-03-07T23:27:00.000-05:00If it is Widmore's boat, he DOES know who Ben is, ...<EM>If it is Widmore's boat, he DOES know who Ben is, because the four people from the boat have all said they are looking for Ben Linus...</EM><BR/><BR/>Dang it. You're absolutely right! I hate when my brilliant theories get derailed by dumb facts. Okay, so Widmore probably isn't the Economist, since the whole point of Elsa's seduction of Sayid was (will be?) to get Ben's name, and Widmore already knows it. <BR/><BR/>But we do know that Widmore and Ben are at odds, which among other reasons is why I disagree with anonymous that nothing happened this week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11641951805016932592008-03-07T21:34:00.000-05:002008-03-07T21:34:00.000-05:00He's definitely on the short list, doncha think? B...<I>He's definitely on the short list, doncha think? Ben knows who he is, but not vice versa, which is the same dynamic with Ben and the Economist.</I><BR/><BR/>If it is Widmore's boat, he DOES know who Ben is because the four people from the boat have all said they are looking for Ben Linus (by name) and have his picture. Miles even knows his financial situation.<BR/><BR/>Also - there will never be a "logical" explanation for anything on Lost, because it is a Sci-Fi show. Always has been. There may be some degrees of explanations for various things, but there is certainly no way to "logically" explain monsters, ghosts, time travel, etc.<BR/><BR/>Whether their will be some other all encompassing reveal summaries everything, is up for debate. I personally think at least 50% of this stuff is made up as they go along and will never be answered (but don't care). There are people who think it is planned out, though. But it still will never be logical.KaveDwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12232802155367343812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37041852773480606222008-03-07T21:07:00.000-05:002008-03-07T21:07:00.000-05:00kenrick: i read it. :)kenrick: i read it. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-78751580571758553142008-03-07T20:39:00.000-05:002008-03-07T20:39:00.000-05:00^ UAMNot to be flip or anything, but frankly, if y...^ UAM<BR/><BR/>Not to be flip or anything, but frankly, if you've been watching LOST because you expected some kind of all-encompassing theory that connected each of the various threads of mythology perfectly....you've been a bigger sucker than most of the viewers from day one.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I think we can accept that the producers are not omniscient demi-gods that can out-think all the rest of humanity. How exactly is that a revelation?<BR/><BR/>Of course, maybe you just want to be a buzzkill.Dana Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137232846374148119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-92165182850619861272008-03-07T19:44:00.000-05:002008-03-07T19:44:00.000-05:00The numbers have appeared in various forms this se...The numbers have appeared in <A HREF="http://lostpedia.com/wiki/The_numbers" REL="nofollow">various forms</A> this season. Not as blatantly as they used to be, but they still pop up. As for whether there's any rhyme or reason to any of this, maybe there isn't. But I'm enjoying it! If they leave us hanging at the end, we can grab pitchforks and torches and storm their solid-gold mansions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5864084187614646962008-03-07T19:28:00.000-05:002008-03-07T19:28:00.000-05:00Patrick: "There was a final explanation about the ...Patrick: "There was a final explanation about the numbers? Somehow, in all of the hullabaloo, I missed that. What was the 'reveal'?"<BR/><BR/>Well sort of. They finally gave a concrete meaning to the numbers as: "The numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, are explained in the Sri Lanka Video, as the numerical values to the core environmental and human factors of the Valenzetti Equation." - from Lostpedia<BR/><BR/>You learn this from playing the game "The Lost Experience" which was held over the summer between seasons (I don't remember which ones). I did not play any of the "Lost Experience" online game, but just read about it after it was concluded. See here:<BR/><BR/>http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Valenzetti_Equation<BR/><BR/>After this, the numbers have all but disappeared from the new episodes of Lost, so I would think that is the only explanation we are going to get. Wonderful. Another completely made up concept, "the Valenzetti Equation", that is unsatisfactory compared to the weight and screen-time these numbers were shoved down our throats as "mysterious". Just like how all the original Losties' back-stories seemed SO intertwined that the 'mystery' was how they all ended up together on 815 - that seems like a non-issue now that it's all about Ben. All that time learning about Jin's marriage woes and Kate's daddy issues and Swayer's con man days, all barely worth remembering as any type of explanation compared to what is going on now, yet they chewed up hours with it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-22763158845193931612008-03-07T17:47:00.000-05:002008-03-07T17:47:00.000-05:00Or How come those magic numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42) ...<I>Or How come those magic numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42) don't appear everywhere anymore - could it be because the ultra lame 'reveal' about what they mean was deemed so insignificant that they are now embarrassed about how much emphasis they were given before?</I><BR/><BR/>There was a final explanation about the numbers? Somehow, in all of the hullabaloo, I missed that. What was the 'reveal'?pgillanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627255978843800751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30404920508271740512008-03-07T17:13:00.000-05:002008-03-07T17:13:00.000-05:00I'm inclined to agree with you, UAM. I "gave up" ...I'm inclined to agree with you, UAM. I "gave up" after season two, which amounted to watching the last ten minutes of each episode of season three, but I'm back to watching season four. It helps that there's nothing else on tv.<BR/><BR/>You can fault me for this, but I've learned to throw a lot of logic out the door and just go along for the ride (I do this for a lot of movies I watch as well). To some degree I'm watching the series now as if the "mysteries" from the first two seasons never happened. During the first season I got caught up in the speculation and tried to figure it all out, but I've since dropped that... mostly - it's still kinda fun to tease your brain. I don't see how they can come up with any satisfying explanation for all the random stuff they've introduced without heavily relying on "magic." Yeah I mean, millions of people on the interwebs are throwing theories out there to no satisfying conclusion, so either the "answers" will be some variant of what's been discussed or something completely ridiculous and disappointing, or something so mind blowing my head will explode.<BR/><BR/>I don't even remember what the "answer" was for the LOST numbers, so if there was one it was probably pretty lame.<BR/><BR/>So about this episode. I thought it was quite weak. I liked and didn't like that they tried to trick you into thinking it was a flash forward, well I didn't like the way they did it. When it first started I thought it was a flashback, 'cause the setting looked so old, but then they brought in a psychiatrist and threw the word "celebrity" around so I thought ok, maybe Juliet gets off the island. Of course it turned out to be a flashback, and I was annoyed that they even referred to Juliet as a "celebrity" 'cause that doesn't make any sense.<BR/><BR/>This was a terrible case of let's not talk to each other about anything so we can maintain a false level of suspense.<BR/><BR/>And no, I didn't seriously think that Faraday and the other girl were going to gas the island, especially since Faraday doesn't seem the type, Ben is a liar, and Miles would be killed too. And of course Lost does this kind of stuff all the time.<BR/><BR/>I had no problem with the flashback, mainly 'cause I didn't remember a lot of the stuff that they apparently retread. I'm glad they finally settled the Jack & Juliet love angle, 'cause the Sawyer Jack & Kate triangle was getting old.<BR/><BR/>At this point I'd be almost surprised if they spy actually IS Michael. Even in the previews they made the spy look like he had his fro. So yeah, maybe it's Libby as other people were suggesting. Although I never heard the news of the character coming back so I'm taking your word for it.<BR/><BR/>Also, Locke kinda sucks and I liked Ben's line at the end of the episode.<BR/><BR/>This post is so long I bet zero dollars that no one's going to read it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70624046458503590212008-03-07T16:24:00.000-05:002008-03-07T16:24:00.000-05:00Ever since the "mystery" of the show moved from th...Ever since the "mystery" of the show moved from the Island over to Ben, this show has suffered a lot. Everything now revolves around Ben, who is supposed to be 3 steps ahead of everyone, but seems to get captured and beaten up a lot for a genius manipulator (couldn't he come up with brilliant plans that doesn't involve him getting his face smashed by everyone?). And no one has given a plausible explanation of why the Others ever put up with Ben's crap in the first place - he has not given them much except cryptic commands and no rewards, and doesn't seem to have a stick to wield over them (oh yeah, except he talks to Jacob - yawn).<BR/><BR/>I don't get why many keep saying this is the season where we've gotten answers, and the producers are playing 'fair' on that front. I still feel the same chain yanking from previous seasons. They have yet to address so many of the low-hanging fruit questions from the first 3 seasons. Did they ever explain why Ethan Rom seemingly had super human strength - and then ignored that feature in all of the other Others? Or why they marched around in tattered clothes and primitive sticks at one point [Jin and Swayer hid in the bushes and watched them pass by, and we saw their primitive garb]? Or explain the whole disguise wearing B.S. for the crew who took Walt, but then had Ben, Ethan, and Goodwin, walk right into their camp undisguised?<BR/><BR/>I hate to be the constant cynic, but how can people possibly believe that things were not being made up on the fly purely for shock value? It is incredibly easy to put images and concepts up on the television screen that hooks people in if you promise - but never give - logical explanations for them. Why don't they reveal that Kate is actually Jack's sister? Or that Widmore is actually a supernatural devil? OMG!! Does that make Ben = J. Christ?!?! It is so SO easy to shock an audience by putting up, startling, illogical images up on screen. We find them SO trippy BECAUSE we expect a logical explanation eventually, but if you never intend to give one, you can pull off this stunt again and again.<BR/><BR/>Or How come those magic numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42) don't appear everywhere anymore - could it be because the ultra lame 'reveal' about what they mean was deemed so insignificant that they are now embarrassed about how much emphasis they were given before (literally every early episode seemed to reference them)? I really expect a lot of Lost's HUGE MYSTERIES to be resolved like these numbers were - huge build up and overplayed significance, ultra-pedestrian "please forgive us and ignore from now on" explanation. <BR/><BR/>It is just not probable that literally millions of minds speculating on Lost, including the ACTORS themselves, cannot come up with anything remotely logical about what is happening. The producers WILL provide an answer - one I suspect that is HEAVILY borrowed from this Internet speculation from fans, and mixed and matched - and will try to be inclusive of all the little mysteries. But they have played the 'make it up' gambit for so long that they will be stretching credibility - both of the explanation and the fact that they 'knew it all along' - to an outrageous degree. It is no surprise that time travel will be involved because that is the easiest, cheesiest way to explain illogical happenings (any Star Trek fan will tell you how lame it is to have a "Reset Button" like Time Travel, that allows you to do outrageous things in the 'present', but then 'fix' it in another time line.).<BR/><BR/>I would love to bet that the final explanation will be so unsatisfactory and full of holes that it will be argued for the rest of time that they were making things up in the first three seasons, and doing damage control in the last. We are allowing the pretty girl to constantly tease us, and many of us are ok with it for now because the flirting itself is enough, but I'm pretty sure there is going to be a backlash coming real soon once we realize it was never going to lead anywhere real.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76652413426558715242008-03-07T16:06:00.000-05:002008-03-07T16:06:00.000-05:00Whoops, looks like one of my comments didn't get t...Whoops, looks like one of my comments didn't get through. (Sorry, I just get excited.) I was just saying that there seem to be strong parallels between Ben's relationship with the Economist and his relationship with Widmore. He knows a lot about them, they don't know who he is; both the Economist and Widmore are very rich and very motivated to control the island; etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com