The Lost Diary tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1 2010-03-10T17:51:24Z Movable Type 3.2ysb5-20051201 Dr. Linus tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.35 2010-03-10T17:05:43Z 2010-03-10T17:51:24Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. Let's roll ...

9:00 -- "I'm fine, thank you." -- Ben. I don't know about you, but I am ready for Ben to start acting like Ben again and not some scared little bitch.

9:01 -- "It's Dr. Linus, actually." -- Ben. I am obviously curious how Ben ended up a HS history teacher -- he seems a tad over-qualified.

9:02 -- ARZT!!!!

9:03 -- "Just sounds like you care about this place. And if the man in charge doesn't, maybe it's time for a change." -- Locke. Was he talking about the high school ... or the island?

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9:05 -- Miles is gonna find out the truth, but lie about it.

9:06 -- "Linus killed him." -- Miles. Um, or not.

9:09 -- Back at the beach, Ilana is not really in the mood for Ben, considering he just killed "the closest thing she ever had to a father."

9:10 -- Ben's dad is alive. Great.

9:11 -- Interesting ... Ben and his dad still went to the island, but left seemingly of their own free will. Doesn't sound like a bomb went off or anything like that ...

9:12 -- Ok, now Alex (and Rousseau maybe?) are off the island.

9:13 -- Ilana doesn't know whether Jin or Sun is the candidate. My money is on Sun.

9:15 -- "The island got you in the end, didn't it?" -- Ben

9:16 -- Ilana is making it look like she wants to kill Ben. If she really wanted to kill him, wouldn't she have done it by now?

9:21 -- "My mom works two jobs just to pay rent." -- Alex. What kind of jobs could Rousseau have?

9:23 -- Apparently Principal Reynolds was banging the nurse. Hmmm, I wonder if someone who wants to be principal could use that information somehow...

9:24 -- "What are you gonna do, write me a check on this banana leaf?" -- Miles

9:25 -- "Cyborg? Vampire?" -- Hurley. Apparently Jacob made it so Richard can't age.

9:27 -- "There's something I need to do ... Die." -- Richard

9:30 -- Ben in beginning to conspire against the principal. Not exactly Ben and Locke in the hatch ... but still interesting none the less.

9:31 -- "Linus, you're a real killer." -- Arzt

9:32 -- So Richard said this is the first time he has ever been back to the Black Rock -- and he sure made it seem like he came to the island in the first place on the Black Rock.

9:33 -- Richard "can't" kill himself ... so he wants Hurley and Jack to do it.

9:34 -- Really? Jack -- a doctor -- is gonna help Richard kill himself? I don't buy it.

9:35 -- "Now, let's talk." -- Jack. Ok, maybe he has a plan ...

9:40 -- "If you change you're mind, I'll be like a mile away." -- Hurley

9:41 -- So Jack -- of all people -- seems to think fate is going to intervene and make it so he and Richard don't blow up. I bet Richard stops the fuse.

9:42 -- The fuse just went out ... on its own. Top 5 coolest moment on "Lost" ever? I think so.

Lost

9:43 -- "Visiting. What are you doing?" -- Not Locke

9:44 -- Not Locke is taking everyone off the island ... and wants Ben to be in charge. He's also helping Ben kill Ilana ... which I am guessing is kind of his main goal.

9:45 -- Ben's blackmail of Principal Reynolds begins now.

9:46 -- "Linus, may I read you an email?" -- Principal Reynolds. Uh oh, this can't be good.

9:47 -- Oh no -- Principal Reynolds is holding Alex's recommendation letter over Ben's head. Which will he choose? My guess is ... Alex is screwed.

9:48 -- Ben is explaining to Ilana that he chose the island over his own daughter. Yeah, I think flash-sideways Alex is headed to community college.

9:49 -- Team Ilana or Team Not Locke -- which will Ben chose?

9:54 -- Principal Reynolds wrote the letter for Alex. I think I have been wrong about almost everything tonight.

9:55 -- Is it me or did Alex lose a lot of weight?

9:56 -- And now Ben is joining Team Ilana. Up is down. Black is white.

9:57 -- Jack, Hurley and Richard should be showing up soon, right?

9:58 -- Yup, there they are.

9:59 -- WIDMORE!!!!

I always avoid commercials and promos and articles about "Lost" all week long -- but I am sucker for reading the guest stars in the opening credits. I noticed Alan Dale's name -- he plays Widmore -- so as soon as the sub showed up I knew it was him. I need to stop reading the credits.

(BTW -- I think he found the island because of the bomb going off. Kind of like how it showed up for a little bit after the Swan hatch blew up. Just a thought.)

Anyway, for me this episode was the exact opposite of the last two weeks. I had complained that the last two episodes telegraphed very early on that nothing important was going to happen until the end -- "Lighthouse" was all about getting to the lighthouse, "Sundown" was all about Not Locke showing up at the temple.

This week wasn't like that at all -- no end point was established, thus things were happening at all points throughout the show. The most memorable of which was the dynamite fuse going out on its own -- a perfect "Lost" moment if ever there was one.

I give tonight's episode a B+. We learned a good bit of information and I enjoyed watching Ben make decisions as if he has actually changed and learned from his experience on the island.



]]> Sundown tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.34 2010-03-03T16:05:49Z 2010-03-03T16:11:10Z Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary. This week's promos promised our questions will answered -- that's a lot like promising the most shocking rose ceremony ever on "The Bachelor." I think the promo departments for those shows... Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

This week's promos promised our questions will answered -- that's a lot like promising the most shocking rose ceremony ever on "The Bachelor." I think the promo departments for those shows default to that commercial when they just don't know what to do. "Hey, I have no idea how to promote this episode ... so let's just promise answers!" Needless to say, I am skeptical. I think the odds are better that tonight's "Lost" gives us the most shocking rose ceremony ever before it gives us answers.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. My "Lost" plans fell through tonight so I am watching solo. Let's roll ...

9:01 -- Uncle Sayid? Looks like Sayid is not with Nadia in the flash sideways.

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9:03 -- "I want some answers." -- Sayid. I wish people would just start asking questions instead of telling people they want to ask questions.

9:04 -- "I think it would be best if you were dead." -- Dogen. See? Much more direct.

9:05 -- Is it weird I was rooting for Dogen when he fought Sayid? And what's with the crazy baseball hitting the floor? Dogen got that look on his face my grandmother gets when you get crumbs on the carpet.

9:06 -- "Only the ones that won't listen." -- Locke

9:10 -- Looks like Sayid's friend is in the dry cleaning business. He is also stupid.

9:11 -- Playing the Nadia card on Sayid usually works.

9:12 -- "Apparently I am evil." -- Sayid. Miles has been kinda boring this season so far. I miss him.

9:14 -- Dogen has changed his mind and now he wants Sayid to stay.

9:15 -- Dogen is explaining to Sayid how Not Locke has Claire under his spell and plans on killing everyone on the island -- and now he wants him to kill Not Locke. Easier said than done.

9:21 -- Sayid and Nadia are visiting Omar in the hospital -- and, oh look, there's Jack.

9:23 -- Kate's back at the temple and Miles just told her Claire is back -- and he thinks she looks hot. That might be the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said on "Lost."

9:24 -- Not Locke sure knows how to make an entrance.

9:25 -- "Now why'd you go and do that?" -- Not Locke

9:29 -- Not Locke is pretty OK with Sayid trying to kill him. Just because you are pure evil, doesn't mean you can't be forgiving.

9:30 -- Not Locke wants Sayid on Team Not Locke.

9:31 -- "The only thing I ever wanted died in my arms." -- Sayid. Sorry, I accidentally changed the channel to Lifetime.

9:32 -- Insert self-pity spouting Sayid scene here.

9:34 -- Kate is going to talk to Claire who is trapped in the well they used in "Silence of the Lambs."

9:35 -- Claire seems very thankful that Kate took Aaron off the island and raised him on her own. Wait, did I say thankful? I meant bat shit crazy.

9:41 -- "HE CAN'T COME IN!!!" -- Lennon. Confident much?

9:42 -- Sayid is being threatened by the guys who loaned Sayid's brother the money. I don't think this will end well for them.

9:43 -- Is that Keamy?

9:44 -- Yes, it is.

9:45 -- Yup, there's the Sayid we know and love. Odds he kills Keamy? I say yes.

9:46 -- "I can't." -- Sayid. Too easy.

9:47 -- Hmmm, why is Jin in the closet?

9:51 -- Dogen tells Sayid a story about how he got into a drunk driving accident and his son died. But Jacob came along and fixed the problem ... but Dogen had to come to the island. Doesn't that feel like something the Man in Black/Not Locke would do, not Jacob? Is it me or are Jacob/Man in Black just the same person.

9:55 -- RIP Dogen

9:56 -- RIP Lennon

9:57 -- Illana and company are trying to help everyone. Sayid, however, does not want to be helped.

9:58 -- The temple has a panic room. Cool.

9:59 -- Not Locke 1, Temple Others 0.

I've said for a long time that episodes of "Lost" have to be judged by different criteria -- a season finale, for example, is different than an episode in the middle of the season. Well, I think I have a whole new category for episodes -- season 6.

We're in the final season of "Lost" and I think we are all expecting certain things from this season -- and rightfully so. "Lost" has a well-earned reputation of raising questions, but never giving answers (despite what the promos say). But we're coming up on the finish line now -- only 12 episodes left after tonight -- and I am, fairly or not, expecting some answers each week.

I watched this episode and walked away fairly unimpressed -- didn't give me what I wanted. But I did a little reading, watched part of it again, and I grew to appreciate some of what it did give. The Not Locke/Man in Black/Jacob relationship is at the core of what is going on right now and we got a lot of that. I still don't feel like things are entirely black and white (pun intended) but it is interesting to try and figure out.

I thought about giving this episode two grades -- one based on what I wanted and one based on what it gave me -- but that didn't feel fair. So I tried to negotiate them and I have come up with a C+.

One of the key factors for me when I give a grade is rewatchability -- when you watch season 6 again on DVD some day, is this really an episode you will be looking forward to? Me thinks not.



]]> Lighthouse tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.33 2010-02-24T17:29:58Z 2010-02-24T17:36:21Z Daniel LostWelcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

I judge people based on the TV shows they watch. For example: I met a girl at a bar last night. Extremely attractive, at one point she became infinitely more attractive when she told me she loved "The Wire" and couldn't wait to get home to watch "Lost." Had those two shows been replaced by "Law & Order" and some reality show on VH1, I probably wouldn't have liked her as much as I did. TVGuide.com should start a personals section -- I'd be all over it.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I am watching this Wednesday morning because of the above-mentioned social engagement and my kitchen flooding, which was awesome. Let's roll …

9:00 -- Watching the "Previously on 'Lost'" makes me realize: I REALLY WANT TO SEE CHRISTIAN TONIGHT.

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9:02 -- Jack has a son that inherited his hair. That's even odder.

9:03 -- "I could eat." -- Hurley. Not odd.

9:04 -- When Jacob told Hurley that "someone is coming to the island," every hair on my arms stood up. Liking where this is going.

9:07 -- Jack and his son don't seem to have a good relationship. Is "who is the mother of Jack's son?" gonna be the big reveal?

9:09 -- Claire seems totally normal except for the fact she doesn't bathe and is now Rousseau 2.0.

9:11 -- "I'm a big fan of temples and history and Indiana Jones stuff." -- Hurley  

9:12 -- I have come to the conclusion that every scene not involving Hurley and Jacob is going to suck tonight. I hope I am wrong.

9:13 -- "He's dead, turns up wherever he wants … like Obi-Wan Kenobi." -- Hurley

9:18 -- So Claire is crazy, and she thinks The Others have her kid.

9:19 -- "I'm not by myself." -- Claire. Christian, perhaps?

9:20 -- "Jack (laughing), I almost shot you." -- Kate. Oh, so hysterical.

9:23 -- A lot of boring talk between Jack and his mom leading up to the Claire revelation. Again, more Jacob, please!

9:24 -- So Claire is nuts, but she's only kinda nuts cause she thinks The Others have her kid. Sound familiar? Rousseau 2.0, for sure.

9:25 -- So Christian is still on the island poking around, but who is Claire's "friend"? Jacob?

9:26 -- If a crazy woman asks you if you are still her friend, you always say YES. Jin is no fool.  

9:30 -- Jack and Hurley found Shannon's inhaler and the caves.

9:31 -- "What if these skeletons are us?" -- Hurley

9:32 -- "Because he wasn't in it." -- Jack

9:33 -- Jack's son has gone MIA. When a guy says "Whatever I did, I'm sorry" -- that's usually reserved for a woman.

9:34 -- "Very old school. You and me, trekking through the jungle to do something we don't understand. Very old school." -- Hurley

9:35 -- "I was broken. And I was stupid enough to the think this place could fix me." -- Jack

9:36 -- Jack is amazed they've never seen the lighthouse before -- AND SO AM I.

9:37 -- "Kate took Aaron." -- Jin

9:38 -- Despite all the evidence, Claire still hacked that guy in the stomach with an ax. So, yeah … she's nuts.

9:42 -- I've always wanted to kick open a jammed door.

9:43 -- So Jack's kid can really play the piano -- do we know of anyone he may have inherited that from?   

9:44 -- "I don't know." -- Jack to Dogen. That had to hurt.

9:45 -- I paused the TV as Hurley made the mirrors move around, and there are names crossed out at each degree. "Linus" is one of them, and it appears "Wallace" is at 108 -- but that's crossed out too.

9:46 -- Jack found his name on the wheel and is turning the lighthouse to that number.

9:47 -- "It's the house a grew up in … He's been watching us the whole time." -- Jack

9:48 -- If you want answers, try not breaking the magic mirrors. Just saying.

9:53 -- Scene where stereotypical father/son issues get resolved.

9:57 -- "I had to get you and Jack as far away from that temple as I could … because someone is coming there. Someone bad." -- Jacob

9:58 -- Now Jin has decided the correct course of action is to lie to a crazy person. I do not agree.

9:59 -- "Am I interrupting?" -- Not Locke. This must be the bad man headed to the temple.

10:00 -- "That's not John, this is my friend." -- Claire

People complain about "Lost" all the time, but there is really only one time where "Lost" really annoys me -- when you know nothing in the middle really matters and they are just setting you up for the last 10 minutes.

Those last 10 minutes are cool, but parts in the middle really blow.

So the question becomes, is the end worth the middle? In this case, I vote … maybe a little.

(By the way, this same theory works when judging women in the crazy/hot debate. You can deal with a crazy woman so long as she's hot … but at some point the crazy outweighs the hot. See: Jolie, Angelina)

I give this episode a C-. I am willing to accept that this episode is a bridge to another episode, but on it's own I found it more frustrating that anything. But I loved the Hurley/Jacob stuff, so that kinda saved it.
]]> The Substitute tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.32 2010-02-17T16:10:44Z 2010-02-17T17:55:14Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

You know that bar game where you have to stare at two pictures and touch the screen whenever you spot a difference? I think that's what this season of "Lost" is like. One minute you're yelling "Hey, Desmond isn't supposed to be on the plane" and the next week you're screaming "Claire's sonogram says October but it's supposed to be September!" What will we spot this week?

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I swore to myself I was going to watch "Lost" a different place each week, but every other place is far and Ari lives five blocks away. So here we are. Let's roll.

9:00 -- I avoided promos and commercials all week, so the fact the "Previously on 'Lost'" section is Not Locke heavy has me very excited.

9:01 -- Don't tell John Locke he can't get out of a van! Ok, maybe he can't, but still -- just don't tell him.

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9:03 -- "And your dad …" -- Helen. Ok, now this is getting weird.

9:04 -- "Maybe it's destiny." -- Helen. Not gonna lie, we're four minutes in and it's getting a little dusty already. Locke-themed episodes never disappoint. (*knocking on wood)

9:05 -- Smokie Cam is making me a little nauseous.  

9:06 -- "Alright, Richard. Time to talk." -- Not Locke

9:08 -- I love when even two-bit characters from three seasons ago show up again. How fast did the agent for "Randy" agree to do a cameo?

9:09 -- So apparently Locke "stole" his trip to Australia from his company. Not sure how he ever thought he'd get away with that one.

9:10 -- Richard just asked Not Locke what he meant when he said Locke was "a candidate." Is that the first time Richard asked someone else a question? Usually he's the man with all the answers.

9:11 -- "Come with me and I promise I'll tell you everything." Not Locke to Richard. That feels more like a Ben circa season four line. And who was the little Children of the Corn kid supposed to be?

9:12 -- Ben has had his testicles in Not Locke's purse so far this season, so watching him lie to Ilana is a step in the right direction toward getting them back.

9:13 -- If you could turn into a pillar of black smoke and fly around everywhere, would you ever walk?

9:18 -- "Here's to being dead." -- Sawyer

9:19 -- "What if I told you I was the person who could answer the most important question in the world?" -- Not Locke. Is someone finally going to tell us why Libby was in the mental institution?

9:22 -- Hurley and Locke just had their little meeting and … damnit it's getting dusty in here again!

9:23 -- I want to get the inevitable Jin/Sun reunion out of the way soon. We all know it's coming, it's going to be great … let's just do it already.

9:24 -- Now Not Locke is chasing the Children of the Corn through the woods. Again, why wouldn't you just turn into smoke and chase the kid down? Not Locke is totally underutilizing the whole Black Smoke Monster thing.

9:25 -- "Don't tell me what I can't do." -- Not Locke. Never gets old.

9:26 -- "Don't tell me what I can't do!" -- Not Locke. See? Never gets old. Oh, I am working under the assumption the Children of the Corn kid is Young Jacob till I am proven wrong.

9:29 -- Richard's warning was pretty concise, well-argued, and all around convincing -- but Sawyer is sticking with Not Locke because it makes for better television.

9:30 -- Locke wants to speak with the temp lady's "supervisor." Has to be someone we know, right? Juliet? Libby?

9:31 -- ROSE!!!!!!

9:31 -- OH NO!!! Rose still has cancer!!! There is no God!!!!

9:32 -- "A little after my time." -- Not Locke. There's a phrase you never hear.

9:33 -- As I am basking in the greatness of Terry O'Quinn, I can't help but think that odds are we will finish this episode, the third of the season, and only seen Desmond for like a minute. That better get corrected next week.

9:38 -- Sun, Ilana, Ben and Lawnmower Man are burying Locke. Ben is about to give his last words. Should be good …

9:39 -- "He was a much better man than I'll ever be … and I'm very sorry I murdered him." -- Ben. I just told Ari that when I die, he has to give that eulogy word for word.

9:40 -- Locke tries to call Jack, but gets cold feet.

9:43 -- Locke is explaining to Helen about getting denied on his walkabout.

9:44 -- "There are miracles, John. And the only thing I was waiting for … was you." -- Helen

9:45 -- Not Locke starts climbing down the ladder and Sawyer follows shortly behind. Man you never would have gotten me to do that.

9:46 -- After a rejected scene from the movie "Cliffhanger," Sawyer and Not Locke make their way to some kind of cave.

9:47 -- "Inside joke." -- Not Locke. Throwing the light stone into the river, leaving the dark one behind.

9:48 -- So everyone's names are scratched into the ceiling? Interesting.

9:53 -- Locke as a high school science teacher -- I buy it.

9:54 -- I know that voice …

9:55 -- "Ben Linus, European History." -- Ben

9:56 -- Jacob's list?

9:57 -- "Jacob had a thing for numbers." -- Not Locke. And not just any numbers …

9:59 -- "Are you ready to go home?" -- Not Locke

10:00 -- "Hell yes." -- Sawyer, who is now Team Not Locke

One of my favorite things about "Lost" is that the show is "good" in different ways to different people. Depending on a lot of different factors -- who the flashbacks focus on, how many answers are given, whether or not Kate is soaking wet -- can influence your opinion of the show.

There have been plenty of times I have given an episode a high grade and been called crazy (or vice versa). Even though we all love the show, we all see different things in it and get our enjoyment different ways.

That being said, I woke up this morning (or rather was woken up by a text message. Thanks, Steven -- it's becoming a weekly tradition) and found myself texting, IMing and calling people to find out whether or not I was crazy.

"Last night's episode was awesome, right?"

I take my grades of "Lost" very seriously -- like a high school substitute science teacher. So, that all being said … I give tonight's episode an A-.

I think if you love "Lost" when it's giving you a non-mythology story, you loved Locke's off-island scenes. If you love "Lost" to try and figure out WTF is going on, you loved Not Locke's scenes. To me, it was the perfect combination of everything I love about "Lost."

Doesn't hurt that I love Locke.

I am going to throw out a question here that I am not sure the answer of. Well, I am like 90% sure the answer is "no" -- but I am keeping drifting more and more towards "maybe" as I think about it. Here goes"

Are we sure -- like 100%, lock it down, no doubt about it sure -- the Man in Black/Smokie/Not Locke is really the bad guy here? Just asking.

]]> What Kate Does tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.31 2010-02-10T15:29:42Z 2010-02-10T16:39:47Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

During football season, I often joke that there are only six days in the week -- since Sundays are essentially reserved entirely for football. "Lost" season is kind of the same way -- it's the only day I really care about and if anyone tries to make plans with me on the night "Lost" is on, I just sort of laugh. "Sorry. Can't. 'Lost' is on."

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I caught whatever was going around the office, so I decided to quarantine myself tonight and watch alone. Sucks.

Let's roll ...

9:00 -- We're starting off this week in Other Other Land, with Lennon telling Mr. Miyagi that Sayid is still alive. I just Googled "Mr. Miyagi" to check the spelling -- did you know his first name was Kesuke? I bet you didn't.

 

]]> 9:01 -- Kate is stunned that Sayid was dead ... but now is fine. Why is she surprised? Has she not been watching the show the last six years?

9:02 -- Back in AlternateRealityVille, Kate is trying to flee LAX with Claire and the guy who played the Puppetmaster on "Heroes." Yes, I still watch "Heroes." No, I don't know why. Remember when people compared "Heroes" to "Lost"? How'd that turn out?

9:03 -- After the guy cabdriver runs out of the car, Kate kicks Claire to the curb -- but for some reason Claire doesn't want to leave her luggage behind.

9:04 -- The only thing in the history of "Lost" that has seemed more out of place than the part in Jack's hair was Nicki and Paulo. I can't take anything he says seriously.

9:05 -- Sawyer wants to leave Other Other Land, but Mr. Miyagi wants him to stay -- and apparently he wants him to stay so bad, he's willing to ask in English.

9:09 -- Whoa, it's Mac from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" again.

9:10 -- "I can be very convincing when I want to be." -- Kate. It's called "being hot."

9:11 -- Having a gun and being hot allows Kate to talk the mechanic into helping her out of her handcuffs.

9:12 -- Kate seems to have grabbed Claire's bag by mistake.

9:13 -- Mr. Miyagi has Sayid tied up and is blowing dirt on him. What are the odds he's performing some kind of "Do you have the soul of Jacob inside you?" test?

9:14 -- Sayid passed Mr. Miyagi's test. Is that a good thing?

9:15 -- Or not.

9:20 -- Kate goes to meet Claire and now they're about to embark on some sort of girl bonding road trip to Brentwood. Is riding the bus in Los Angeles so bad, Claire would rather hitch a ride from a fugitive who held her at gunpoint?

9:21 -- "I'm sorry, is this a press conference?" -- Mac

9:22 -- Kate just outsmarted Mac and his friend. I have a very low opinion of anyone who gets outsmarted by Kate.

9:23 -- Jack tells two guards to step aside. Add that to list of things I'd like to say one day and mean it.

9:24 -- Whenever Mr. Miyagi speaks English, it's like when SIlent Bob speaks in the Kevin Smith movies.

9:25 -- Mr. Miyagi is obviously Jewish -- he just laid the mother of all guilt trips on Jack. My grandmother would be proud. I expect Jack will give Sayid the pill ... and call Mr. Miyagi once a week, not just on holidays.

9:29 -- "No, I am not a zombie." -- Sayid

9:31 -- "Who do you care about, Kate?" -- Jin. Great question.

9:32 -- Thelma and Louise are on their way to Brentwood.

9:34 -- Of all the breakups in the world, being dumped by the people who were going to adopt your child has to be among the most painful and awkward.

9:35 -- Kate has tracked Sawyer back to his house in Dharmaville.

9:41 -- Kate rushes Claire to the hospital where her physician is ... Ethan. More alternate reality ramifications from the bomb, I presume?

9:42 -- Ethan is able to comfort Claire -- which is easy for the characters on the show, but everyone watching knows he is Mr. Creepy Von Freaksmeout, so that entire scene was waaaay scarier for the viewers.

9:43 -- Kate wants Sawyer to help her find Claire. This week is all about Kate and Claire and how they are bonded.

9:45 -- Shhhh, Sawyer is trying to cry.

9:46 -- Shhhh, now Kate is trying to cry.

9:47 -- Mr. Miyagi tells Jack his name is Dogen and he was brought to the island, just like everyone else.

9:48 -- "Poison." -- Dogen

9:53 -- Claire lies to the cops to help Kate. Girl power!

9:54 -- Now Claire is giving Kate her credit card. This is all just so weird.

9:55 -- Sawyer stares. Kate stares.

9:56 -- Dogen thinks Sayid is possessed.

9:57 -- "Because it happened to your sister." -- Dogen

9:58 -- Odds Jin finds Claire?

9:59 -- RIP Mac.

10:00 -- "Claire?" -- Jin. Oh man, she does not look good.

I have several different tests I use to judge an episode of "Lost." Let's use the "How would you recap the episode to someone who missed it?" test:

Claire's back and Sayid might be possessed.

That's it. Did I miss anything important?

I really don't have much to add here. Not much happened. Not much to analyze. Not much to break down. I give this episode a D -- and I think I am being kind there.

When you factor in how few episodes we have left, an episode like this makes for a huge disappointment.

-- Side note: I was going to an LDQA this week, but only got like 5 questions. So let's just scratch that for this season. 

-- Hit me up on Twitter if you want: @nyquil32. Yes, I love cold medicine.

]]> Oceanic 815 -- Side by Side tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.30 2010-02-05T13:32:02Z 2010-02-12T18:59:11Z Daniel

]]> LA X, Parts 1 & 2 tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.29 2010-02-03T14:32:12Z 2010-02-03T14:55:06Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

I love making lists -- Top 10 This, 20 Favorite That -- and I am often asked to rank to my favorite television shows of all-time. And every time I do, I leave "Lost" off entirely. See, I can't possibly judge "Lost" until it's over. The final season will dictate how I view the entire series forever. If the final season blows, I will feel like I wasted six years of my life. If it delivers, I will feel completely vindicated. So for me, tonight's episode is the beginning of how I will remember "Lost" the rest of my life.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I plan on watching the final season of "Lost" with as many new people as possible this season, but tonight I am going old school -- just me and Ari.

Let's roll ...

9:00 -- I just watched an hour-long show that was essentially a "Previously on 'Lost'" -- do I need more?

]]> 9:01 -- Jack is back on Oceanic Flight 815 as we are, essentially, re-living the crash again (stewardess and all).

9:02 -- Will the plane crash this time?

9:03 -- "Looks like we made it." -- Barry Manilow, I mean Jack.

9:04 -- Am I wrong to think the plane still might crash? And what's the deal with the cut on Jack's neck? Where'd that come from?

9:05 -- That's weird -- Desmond is on the plane. Desmond wasn't on Oceanic 815. Why is Desmond on the plane?

9:06 -- Cue the creepy Tim Burton music as the camera whips around to show us the four-toed statue ... underwater.

9:10 -- Kate's eyes open only to find her hanging from a tree, ears ringing. Do not adjust the volume on your television.

9:11 -- Kate wanders around the jungle till she finds Miles. How many times do people on "Lost" wake up with no clue where they are? Once a week?

9:12 -- "We're back." So Jack is off the island, but Kate isn't. Interesting.

9:13 -- Ok, Jack really is on the island. Was the first scene just a dream? Damn you, clever "Lost" writers!!!

9:14 -- Jack was wrong about everything, it would appear, and Sawyer is not happy since Juliet was blown up by the bomb. Or was she?

9:15 -- Jack is back on the plane again. If you were wondering the first time I suffered a "Lost"-induced migraine in 2010, the correct answer was 9:15.

9:16 -- Back on the plane, Sawyer hears that Hurley is a lottery winner and he made that "I'm a con man and I am about to do con man things" face.

9:17 -- "I am the luckiest guy alive." -- Hurley. Of course he is -- no hatch, no numbers, no bad luck. But then ... how did he come up with the numbers to win the lottery in the first place. Second "Lost" induced migraine coming ... now.

9:18 -- Juliet is crying for help and now Jack and company are digging through rubble.

9:19 -- Sayid doesn't look good. Someone's in the woods -- my money is on Boone.

9:20 -- Nope, it's Jacob.

9:22 -- Back on Oceanic 815, Sun and Jin are chatting it up. Remember -- this is pre-plane crash Jin, so he's kind of an a-hole.

9:23 -- "If this plane goes down in the ocean way out here, I think our chances of survival are exactly zero." -- Boone.

9:24 -- Boone is on the plane, but Shannon isn't. Is that supposed to be right? And Locke went on his walkabout -- only he never crashed on the island, so he should still be in a wheelchair. Headache #3.

9:25 -- "If this thing goes down, I'm sticking with you." -- Boone.

9:26 -- Ben seems a little broken up about killing Jacob. Remorse? From Ben? Doesn't feel right.

9:27 -- Seeing Locke's body in the casket makes Ben make the same face I have been making for the last 20 minutes. Seeing as Locke is inside the temple AND in a casket, from now on I will be referring to Locke as Not-Locke, since it clearly isn't him and is instead the guy from the beach last season.

9:31 -- The search for Juliet continues.

9:32 -- "Your friend Jin won't be able to see me ... Because I died an hour ago." -- Jacob. Well duh.

9:33 -- So Hurley has to take Sayid to the temple and bring the guitar case with him. When Hurley asked Jacob "Who are you?" for a split second I thought he was going to say "Batman."

9:34 -- I'm going to say it -- I hope Juliet dies. If a giant bomb goes off, someone should die. Even on "Lost."

9:35 -- Since the plane didn't crash, Charlie got to do his beloved heroin ... and promptly OD'd.

9:39 -- Here I am, rooting for Charlie to die again. Just like old times.

9:40 -- "Yeah, you're alive." -- Jack to Charlie.

9:41 -- Sawyer and Juliet get the dramatic reunion music usually reserved for Desmond and Penny.

9:44 -- Jack says there is "nothing I can do for him (Sayid)" which gives Hurley the green light for Operation Temple.

9:47 -- The Not-Locke version of the Smoke Monster
kicks ass.

9:48 -- "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." -- Not-Locke

9:52 -- "I have to tell you something, it's really important ..." -- Juliet. Fantastic timing.

9:53 -- RIP Juliet.

9:54 -- "You did this." -- Sawyer. Was he talking to me? Cause I only wrote I wanted Juliet dead, I didn't actually kill her.

9:55 -- "I was supposed to die." -- Charlie. Yes, yes you were.

9:56 -- Did Jack imagine Desmond?

9:56 -- As we begin our final descent into Los Angeles, I am reminded of all the people we could have seen on the plane -- Shannon, Michael, Walt, Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko, and Libby. If they all were shown, the GUEST STARRING credits at the beginning of the show would have lasted 15 minutes.

9:57 -- Soft music, slow motion montage ...

9:59 -- And Locke's wheelchair. Guess he lied about the walkabout.

10:04 -- "It's not a guitar, man." -- Hurley. Um, what?

10:05 -- "Jack Shephard, please go to the nearest courtesy desk." What are the odds his dad's coffin has gone missing.

10:06 -- "We're not exactly sure where it is." -- Oceanic guy.

10:07 -- Operation Temple encountered a brief obstacle (giant wall), but seems to be moving along well.

10:09 -- WHISPER WHISPER WHISPER and now Kate's gone.

10:10 -- WHISPER WHISPER WHISPER and now everyone is captured.

10:11 -- "Guess we found the temple." -- Hurley

10:15 -- Kate needs to go to the bathroom, no doubt to plot her escape. Poorly.

10:16 -- Kate escapes.

10:18 -- Sawyer is burying Juliet. Guess she really is dead. I feel kinda guilty.

10:19 -- Sawyer wants Miles to tell him what Juliet was trying to tell him before she died.

10:20 -- "It worked." -- Miles. Ok, so is it possible everyone is on the island ... AND off the island? Headache #4.

10:21 -- "They were on the first plane." -- Stewardess. She's had more lines tonight than in the previous five seasons combined.

10:22 -- "Jacob sent us!" -- Hurley

10:25 -- "Hey, excuse me. I carried that case across the ocean and, like, through time. I want to know what that paper says." -- Hurley.

10:29 -- So what are the odds Sun bolts now that she's in Los Angeles? That was her original plan, right?

10:30 -- "No english." -- Sun

10:31 -- The Temple's hot tub seems to be broken and isn't healing people properly.

10:34 -- RIP Sayid? That can't be right.

10:35 -- No, seriously -- that can't be right. Not Sayid. I don't even remember how he got shot in the first place.

10:40 -- Kate continues her escape. I always find myself rooting against her. Which isn't saying much -- she always gets captured.

10:42 -- Claire? I completely forgot about her.

10:43 -- Creepy Asian Guy totally speaks English.

10:44 -- "Cause he's dead. What, you guys didn't know?" -- Hurley

10:46 -- "Let's not resort to name calling." -- Not-Locke.

10:47 -- Hearing Not-Locke talk about Locke is kinda like hearing someone deliver their own eulogy.

10:48 -- "I want to go home." -- Not-Locke

10:51 -- "Goodbye, dude. If you ever want to talk, I'm around." -- Hurley to Sayid.

10:52 -- Seeing Locke and Jack together brings back Season 2 memories.

10:53 -- "They didn't lose your father, they just lost his body." -- Locke

10:54 -- "Nothing's irreversible." -- Jack

10:56 -- "I'm seeing it, but I'm still not believing it." -- Lawnmower Man.

10:57 -- "It's good to see you out of those chains." -- Not-Locke. Apparently Richard and Not-Locke have a long history.

10:59 -- Back at the temple, everyone is bummed out about Juliet and Sayid dying. Tough afternoon for the Losties.

11:00 -- "What happened?" -- Sayid

Season 1 of "Lost" has always been a bit of a conundrum to me. On one hand, it's the consensus best season (not sure if I agree, but I think it's a fair choice). On the other hand, if someone told you they were about to start watching "Lost" and they wanted to skip one season and still be able to figure out what's going on, they could skip Season 1, right?

I mean -- no Others, no hatches, no Jacob, no Ben, no Richard, no Desmond, no time travel. In a weird way, it's like it's own separate show.

But it's taken us all the way until Season 6, but we're back to a Season 1 type of story -- the What If Oceanic 815 Didn't Crash universe. It's just a bunch of characters, that we have grown to love, living normal lives (a la the flashbacks from Seasons 1 and 2). If you loved Season 1, you are no doubt loving this half of "Lost" -- the Flashsideways, as I believe they are being called.

So let's focus on the 815 universe, because I don't think I am ready to tackle what's going on on the island. Desmond is on the plane, they lost Christian (and Locke's knives), Charlie tried to swallow heroin rather than flush it, Sun hates Jin, Claire isn't going to give birth to her baby in a jungle and Hurley has good luck (think that's all the differences, off the top of my head, for now).

I've always said certain episodes get graded differently than others, season premieres being one of them. I give this episode a B+. It didn't knock me over with crazy revelations, but it set up Season 6 in an amazing way -- which, considering how high the stakes are, is pretty damn impressive.

Two quick things:

-- I am finally on Twitter. I still think it's stupid, but it's kinda fun sometimes. @nyquil32

-- I'm going to try and bring back the LDQA. Email me your questions at questions@thelostdiary.com. Reminder: don't feel like your questions have to be just about "Lost." Have fun with it.

-- Just read this article. I think it helps understand last night and where they are going this season w/o spoiling anything. Recommended reading.

]]> Creepy tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.28 2010-01-22T15:08:38Z 2010-01-22T15:09:07Z Daniel ]]> It's almost that time ... tag:thelostdiary.com,2010://1.27 2010-01-06T14:52:04Z 2010-01-06T15:05:52Z Oh, I'm also on Twitter now -- @nyquil32.... Daniel

Oh, I'm also on Twitter now -- @nyquil32.

]]> The Incident, Parts 1 & 2 tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.26 2009-05-14T14:33:18Z 2009-05-14T14:34:58Z Daniel Welcome to the season finale edition of The "Lost" Diary.

In the locker room before the Super Bowl, they always show the coaches giving some kind of pre-game speech to rally the troops. Really? You need a speech to get you excited about playing in the Super Bowl. Well I wasn't too into this, but now that my coach said that, let's win this thing! Come on, it's the Super Bowl!!! If you need a pep talk before the Super Bowl, you shouldn't be playing football.

I think you know where I'm going here. It's the season finale of "Lost." 'Nuff said.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I am watching tonight's episode live, with (gasp!) commercials, from my mom's apartment in Queens, as I just happen to be back in NY this week visiting friends and family. Let's roll ...

9:00 -- For all that's been going on, that was a really short "Previously on 'Lost.'"

]]>
9:02 -- "Nice talking to you, Jacob." -- Guy who wants to kill Jacob

9:03 -- So the statue is still standing, there's a ship that looks like the Black Rock, and we've got a 30-something Jacob -- loving it.

9:06 -- Young Kate was just busted trying to steal an NKOTB lunchbox. Sad, on several levels.

9:07 -- Jacob just bailed out Young Kate and told her she's not going to steal anymore -- like he was telling her, not suggesting it to her.

9:08 -- The sub is getting ready to head back to the mainland and Sawyer wants no part of helping Kate stop Jack. I think we all know how this will turn out.

9:09 -- Sayid and Jack are going to take apart Jughead and bring to the Swan so they can blow up the pocket of energy.

9:11 -- Locke is leading the merry band of Others on their way to meet Jacob.

9:12 -- Even Richard is baffled about Locke is back among the living.

9:13 -- Locke plans on killing all the Ajira people -- or, better yet, having Richard do it.

9:14 -- Now the Ajira people seem to like Lawnmower Man, even though a few minutes ago they were knocking him unconscious.

9:15 -- Great, another mystery box. I am getting sick of mystery boxes.

9:18 -- We're at a funeral, and I am guessing our friend Jacob will be intervening again. My guess is the kid is Sawyer and it's his parents funeral.

9:19 --  Jacob gave Sawyer the pen he used to write THE LETTER.

9:21 -- Sawyer is starting to wrap his head around Jack's plan. But Juliet has made his decision for him.

9:22 -- Sawyer and company are going all Under Siege and getting the sub commander to take them back to the island.

9:23 -- Taking apart a hydrogen bomb looks fun and easy.

9:24 -- Locke is throwing his power in Ben's face, again -- and he continues to annoy the shit out of me.

9:29 -- Not all of Jacob's little visits are good -- in this case he distracted Sayid and Nadia got run over. Bad Jacob.

9:31 -- Operation Jughead is moving along as scheduled.

9:32 -- Richard just knocked out Eloise and is going back with her, leaving Jack and Sayid on their own.

9:33 -- Sayid and Jack are simply blending in to make their way across Dharmaville. Sayid doesn't exactly blend in well in Dharamaville, if ya know what I'm saying.

9:34 -- Who would have thought Ben's dad would have been the smart one to find them? And, uh, did he just shoot Sayid in the gut?

9:35 -- Luckily for Jack, he's carrying a gun with 75 rounds -- or else he would have been in trouble.

9:39 -- Kate and Sawyer are arguing over which shore they are paddling towards. I hate them as a couple.

9:40 -- VINCENT!!!!!!

9:41 -- "They found us." -- Rose. She does not look too happy to see everyone.

9:42 -- Apparently Rose and Bernard have become island hippies.

9:43 -- "It's always something with you people." -- Rose. What does she mean, YOU PEOPLE???

9:44 -- Frank wishes he didn't know what was in the box. I, on the other hand, I AM DYING TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE BOX.

9:45 -- How do these Ajira people know so much about the island? They found Jacob's cabin in like two seconds.

9:46 -- Seems like Ilana, who is in quite bad shape in her flashback, knows Jacob. That's weird, right?

9:47 -- Ilana is having them burn Jacob's cabin. Just because the man ain't home doesn't mean you can just torch his house.

9:51 -- Jacob is chilling on a bench and reading when Locke just happens to get tossed out a window.

9:52 -- "Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. I am sorry this happened to you." -- Jacob

9:53 -- Locke continues to boss everyone around.

9:54 -- Locke is trying to have a romantic moment with Ben, reminiscing over the hatch door, but Ben is having none of it.

9:55 -- "I lied. That's what I do." -- Ben

9:56 -- "Why the hell wouldn't you want to kill Jacob?" -- Locke. Decent point he's got there.

9:57 -- Come on, now Jacob is at Jin and Sun's wedding? Did he give away the bride? Catch the bouquet? Serve the cake?

9:58 -- "Who was that random white guy?" -- Sun to Jin. I may have added a few words there.

9:59 -- Sawyer, Kate and Juliet vs. Jack, Hurley, Miles and Sayid. I'll take the team with the hydrogen bomb.

(At the halfway point -- not much has happened, I am digging the Jacob scenes, and the Ajira crew is providing all the cool mysterious scenes)

10:03 -- Jacob lives in the foot of the statue. He has domain over the whole island and that is where he chooses to live?

10:04 -- Sayid is bleeding to death, but Jack can take time out to have a heart to heart with Sawyer.

10:05 -- Jack is doing a surgery and he messes it up -- and Christian tells Jack the "count to five" thing.

10:06 -- Post-surgery, Jack is having a little vending machine trouble and he's a tad pissed at daddy over what went down in the O.R.

10:07 -- "Is one of these yours?" -- Jacob

10:08 -- Sawyer tells Jack about how his parents died, and about how he could have fixed it, as a way to try and talk Jack out of blowing up the H-bomb.

10:09 -- So Jack is doing all this for Kate? Puh-lease.

10:11 -- A Sawyer/Jack brawl -- good times. I would think Sawyer would win, but for the show's sake, Jack will.

10:12 -- Juliet is now on Team Jughead.

10:16 -- Juliet's flashback didn't have a Jacob appearance. Odd.

10:17 -- In the middle of all this, Juliet is dumping Sawyer. Um, Sayid is still bleeding to death. Can someone get on that?

10:18 -- "If I never meet you, then I never have to lose you." -- Juliet

10:19 -- Looks like it's time for ... The Incident.

10:20 -- You know what my biggest qualm with TV shows is lately? Whenever people get into fights, they are always bloody and bruised -- but their faces never swell up. Why is that?

10:25 -- Hurley is getting out of prison. Now, remember -- we don't know how Hurley ended up on the plane. Jacob, perhaps?

10:26 --There's Jacob -- and he's got the guitar!

10:27 -- Jacob can probably just talk straight to Hurley, since Hurley will just assume he's a figment of his imagination.

10:28 -- "Who are you dude?" -- Hurley

10:30 -- Jack is on his way to deliver Jughead.

10:31 -- "See you in Los Angeles." -- Jack

10:32 -- Locke and company are still outside the statue, waiting to head in.

10:33 -- Richard seems a little hissy about Ben coming in to see Jacob too, but Locke calmed him down.

10:34 -- Why does Locke think Jacob is someone who can be killed?

10:39 -- Miles just told everyone exactly what I have been saying for awhile now -- the Losties are actually completing history, not changing it.

10:40 -- Razinsky is starting to batten down the hatches, no pun intended.

10:41 -- Another "Lost" gunfight.

10:42 -- Even with Miles trying to inject common sense into everyone, seems like Jack is going through with it anyways.

10:43 -- I don't know what a hydrogen bomb is supposed to sound like, but I think it's supposed to me make some kind of noise.

10:44 -- "This don't look like LAX." -- Sawyer

10:45 -- The electromagnetic energy is doing its thing.

10:46 -- This is starting to remind me of the scene in "Return of the Jedi." Instead of Sarlacc eating people, we get a giant electromagnetic pocket that is sucking stuff in.

10:47 -- RIP Juliet. Think Sawyer is gonna blame Jack for all this?

10:51 -- The Ajira people are coming face to face with Richard and company. This should be good.

10:52 -- Ilana gives Richard the riddle, and he knows the answer. Of course. "He who will protect/save us all."

10:53 -- "If this is Locke, who's in there?" -- Sun. RIP Locke ... again?

10:54 -- And there is Jacob, just kinda chilling. What does he do all day?

10:55 -- "Found your loophole." -- Jacob. What does that mean?

10:56 -- Ben's got daddy issues again -- this time with Jacob.

10:57 -- Ben went through with it and stabbed and Jacob. It can't be that easy, right?

10:58 -- "They're coming." -- Jacob. RIP?

10:59 -- The bomb still hasn't gone off, and now Juliet is trying to set it off with a rock. Which worked. And that's it. Season over.

There was a lot to like about tonight's episode, and a lot not to. Let me try and break it down, in random bursts as they come to me.

-- As I have been preaching for awhile now, I don't really think the Losties are there to re-write history -- I think they are there to play their role in it. Like Miles said, Jack wasn't preventing anything from happening, he was causing it. Nothing that happened tonight really changed that for me.

-- Jacob's flashbacks went along that line as well. Giving Sawyer the pen to write his letter was merely filling in a gap in history -- didn't change anything.

-- I really liked Jacob's Enemy and how he seems to have taken over Locke's body. It explains why Locke was such a douchebag since he died.

-- I am also really intrigued with Ilana and her crew. What is going on there? Who do they work for? Jacob's enemy? Widmore?

-- The ending felt like a cop out. We waited for two weeks for the bomb to go off, it goes off, then nothing. We have to wait until next year to find out what happens. It feels like the writers don't have an answer for what happens next and they need the time off to figure it out.

-- A little too much walking and talking for my tastes.

-- Nice that they brought back Vincent, Rose and Bernard.

-- I miss Desmond.

I talked last week about how I thought the episode before a season finale should be judged differently than other episodes. It's meant to tease the finale, so plenty of unanswered questions is a good thing. But when the finale does the exact same thing, it can be troubling.

Tonight's episode was quite good, and I highly enjoyed it, but it didn't feel like a season finale. It's best moments really were ones that asked new questions and a season finale should be tying up loose ends, not making new ones.

I am going to do something I have never done before and give tonight's episode two grades. As an episode of "Lost," I give it a B+ -- I was into it the whole time and it definitely kept me interested throughout. It raised some GREAT questions for next season that I am really into and looking forward to seeing play out.

As a season finale, I have to give it a D. It really didn't deliver in a way I was hoping and, in fact, it was actually more counterintuitive than anything. "Lost" season finales rarely do what I like them to do, and I'm cool with that. I have gotten used to episodes that ask more questions than they answer, but let's face it -- we're getting down to the wire here folks. Time to start bringing this plane in for a landing, pun intended.

And so ends the fifth season of "Lost." I think overall we got a very solid season, certainly one that is worthy of "Lost." But I don't think this season raised the bar, it kept things at an even level.

I have a feeling, that when you go back to watch "Lost" on DVD years from now, this season will be the least interesting to re-watch. We'll have the answers to the questions this season raised (at least I hope so) and when you remove the element of mystery from this season, I don't think you have a strong season. Certain movies are only meant to be watched once; they don't have "rewatchability." This season of "Lost" feels that way to me.

Doesn't mean it wasn't good, but I don't feel like it reached that "other level" of earlier seasons.

Let's try and have a final LDQA for the season. Send your questions to questions@thelostdiary.com and I'll post a column next week. Remember, they can be about anything and everything, have fun with it.

Til then ...]]> Follow the Leader tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.25 2009-05-07T17:39:58Z 2009-05-07T17:41:32Z Daniel
It actually stunned me on Wednesday when I learned two things -- 1) Next week is the season finale of "Lost" and 2) Wednesday was the series of finale of "Scrubs" (no matter what ABC decides).

Long time readers will remember I have a special affinity for "Scrubs." Simply put, I have never had as strong an emotional attachment to a show as I had to "Scrubs." It was not a comedy, and it was not a drama -- it was just a show and I think that is what drew me in. I felt like J.D. and Turk were my friends -- I wanted to buy my own stuffed dog, and I sometimes refer to people by girl's names. I have laughed as hard as I ever laughed during some episodes -- and cried like a baby during others.

I don't think I will ever encounter another show like it.

Who wants to watch "Lost"? Let's roll ...

]]>
9:01 -- Hey Jack, if a guy on a horse comes riding at you at full speed -- duck or move out of the way. Just a thought.

9:02 -- Eloise Hawking seems to be taking killing a future version of her son quite well.

9:03 -- Richard likes building boats in a bottle. I would think not aging would afford him cooler hobbies. Whatever.

9:04 -- "I have a purpose now." -- Locke

9:05 -- "He's kind of an advisor. And he's had that job for a very, very long time." -- Ben

9:06 -- "I watched them all die." -- Richard.

9:09 -- "I'm not afraid of anything you can do anymore, Ben." -- Locke

9:11 -- Kate and Jack discussing the ramifications of changing history doesn't have the same feel that listening to, oh I don't know ... two smart people talk about it does.

9:12 -- Eloise is recounting the first time she met her future son. In that particular instance, if you'll remember, she did not shoot him in the back.

9:13 -- Eloise seems very open to the idea ... wait, scratch that. Eloise seems very open to the truth and therefore seems willing to help Jack and Kate. Kate doesn't really like the idea that Jack, essentially, wants to erase her from his life. She always looooooves Jack ... when she can't have Sawyer. I'd erase her too.

9:14 -- The bomb is back at the Dharma Initiative, which Jack and Kate are now excommunicated from. Good luck with that.

9:15 -- Sawyer and Juliet -- whom I have to admit I kinda forgot about -- are Dharma captives now. Sawyer always make for such a willing captive.

9:16 -- Of all the interrogators we've seen, this guy is the least threatening.

9:20 -- So little actial time has really passed, I forgot the Dharma folks are still looking for young Ben.

9:21 -- It was only a matter of time until someone hit Juliet.

9:22 -- Hurley as always, wants to go back and rescue Sawyer. Gotta respect that.

9:23 -- Dr. Chang is able to trip up Hurley with a very complicated series of mathematical questions -- or, rather, by simply asking him, "What year were you born?" That's like being asked "What year did you graduate high school?" when you're using a fake ID to buy beer. You have to know this stuff, Hurley!

9:24 -- Dr. Chang, like Eloise, is also coming around to the truth. When you're on that island, and you see all sorts of crazy shit, you should be open to the idea of your children traveling through time to detonate a bomb that will destroy an energy that will prevent a plane from crashing.     

9:25 -- Eloise is fully onboard now, but Charles Widmore needs some convincing.

9:26 -- When Locke continuously points out that he's "the leader" to Ben and Richard, he comes off like kind of a dick. Right?

9:27 -- Locke is telling Richard what Richard is supposed to tell Locke during one of the island skipping sessions.

9:28 -- "Me." -- Locke

9:32 -- We're getting the Richard/Locke/bullet scene again. Ben is a little catty as Locke and Ben watch from a distance.

9:34 -- "Actually Richard, it did." -- Locke

9:35 -- Dr. Chang has walked into the Sawyer interrogation and the nerdy guy isn't too happy about the whole thing.

9:36 -- Kate is having second thoughts about the whole H-bomb plan and wants to leave, which leads to a whole gun thing. And where there are guns ...

9:37 -- ... there's Sayid. And the nominees for The Greatest Coincidence in a Drama are ...

9:42 -- Sayid has been running around this whole time thinking he killed Ben. Sorry, pal.

9:43 -- Kate has now completely removed herself from Operation H-bomb.

9:44 -- "Sawyer always has a plan, right?" -- Hurley. His plan is to leave you behind, pal.

9:45 -- "We'll buy Microsoft." -- Sawyer. "Back to the Future 2" anyone?

9:46 -- "Good riddance." -- Sawyer

9:47 -- The underground waterway seems to lead right into the Temple or some other tunnel system.

9:48 -- Eloise is kinda hot soaking wet.

9:49 -- Dickhead Locke is making a speech to his flock.

9:50 -- "I'm starting to think John Locke is gonna be trouble." -- Richard

9:56 -- Back on the sub, wouldn't you know it -- Kate has been captured and could ruin Sawyer's plan. So not like her.

9:57 -- And there goes the poorly animated sub ...

9:58 -- OH MY GOD I THINK I JUST FIGURED OUT HOW THEY ARE GOING TO GET THE BOMB. That was a lot of all caps, but bare with me -- "Imagine a box ...."

9:59 -- "Well, now what? -- Eloise

10:00 -- Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Jacob we go ...

10:01 -- "So I can kill him." -- Locke. Why would he tell Ben that?

There are two ways to handle the episode before a season finale. The less common, used often by "The Wire," is to wrap the majority of the plotlines up, and use the finale as an epilogue of sorts. I love this format and it's another reason why "The Wire" was so amazing.

But there's nothing wrong with the tried and true method of setting the table for the season finale. An episode like this does need to be judged a little differently. The entire purpose is to tease things for next week. It's an approach I hate every other week of the year, but next week -- when I am sitting in front of my TV fiending like a meth addict -- the true beauty of this week's episode will be revealed.

I can't believe I have to wait 6 days!!!!!!!!!!!

I give this episode a B+. I have absolultey no idea what will happen to anyone or anything next week -- AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

]]> The Variable tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.24 2009-04-30T14:07:48Z 2009-04-30T21:20:26Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of the "Lost" Diary.

So tonight's episode is being billed as the 100th episode of "Lost." Do you think the producers really care? Do you think JJ and company went "It's our 100th. We better make it good!" I don't think they care in the slightest, but either way ABC has promoed the hell out of it and being that we just had a week off, I am excited as hell. Let's roll...

9:00 -- Picking up where we last left Desmond, he's being brought into the ER. Penny gets a visit from Mrs. Hawking.

9:01 -- Back on the island, Faraday has returned and he's intent on seeing Jack and finding out how Jack got back to the island.
]]> 9:02 -- "As a matter of fact Dan, it was your mother." -- Jack

9:03 -- "You don't belong here at all." -- Faraday

9:06 -- If we're going to get Daniel Faraday's life history tonight, I think we're in for a good ride.

9:07 -- "I can make time." -- Little Faraday. Creepy line, right?

9:09 -- "Phil, Jack. Jack, Phil." -- Sawyer. Phil doesn't look comfortable.

9:10 -- Faraday is down in the Orchid ... in a scene we've already seen once before.

9:11 -- Faraday seems to think another electromagnetic explosion is about to take place and he's trying to convince Dr. Whateverhescallinghimselfthisweek that he has to evacuate the island. Don't see it happening.

9:12 -- "I'm from the future." -- Faraday

9:16 -- "Dr. Chang, Miles is your son." -- Faraday

9:17 -- Seems like Faraday is running around like a crazy mad man ... on purpose. This should turn out interesting.

9:19 -- "Some industrialist ... Widmore." -- Faraday. It's nice to see some mother issues on the show -- it's a nice change of pace from all the daddy issues everyone has.

9:21 -- Sawyer is plotting on leaving Dharmaville before they get caught.

9:22 --  Faraday tells the Losties that his mother is one of the Hostiles and that she can get them back where they belong, presumably he means the present.

9:27 -- We're back to when Faraday was crying while watching Oceanic Flight 815 -- but this time we get more to the story.

9:28 -- Widmore came to visit Faraday and to make the offer to be part of the freighter. He didn't go to anyone else personally -- but he did with Faraday. Daddy guilt?

9:30 -- "It will heal you, Daniel." -- Widmore

9:31 -- Jack wants Kate to take them out to see the Hostiles; Sawyer is not a fan of this idea.

9:32 -- HUGE MISTAKE on Sawyer's part -- he called Kate "Freckles" again, which made Juliet tell Jack where to find the Hostiles.

9:33 -- "When you realize you made a huge mistake, we'll be back at the beach. Right where we started." -- Sawyer

9:34 -- I can't tell if Young Charlotte's accent is cute or nails on a chalkboard.

9:35 -- A good old fashioned Dharma/Mexican standoff -- that did not go well.

9:36 -- Jack is pretty handy in a shootout for a doctor.

9:37 -- "Sound the alarm!" -- nerdy guy.

9:43 -- I don't really trust anyone who calls their mom "mother." It ain't right.

9:44 -- Mrs. Hawking wants Faraday to take Widmore's job. Of course she does.

9:45 -- Faraday will go on the freighter if it makes his mother proud. Ugh.

9:46 -- "Any one of us can die, Jack." -- Faraday. I'll take OMINOUS PHRASES for $200 please, Alex.

9:47 -- The Dharma alarm is going off -- gonna be hard for LaFleur to sneak off now.

9:48 -- Oh him? Um, he's just a guy I keep in my closet. What, is that weird?

9:51 -- Faraday has been talking for awhile, but I think I can sum it all up with his -- He's going to try and make it so that everything that has ever happened, doesn't happen. Should be interesting. And, oh yeah, he's going to use an H-bomb to do it.

9:55 -- Back where we began, Mrs. Hawking is explaining everything to Penny.

9:56 -- Woo hoo! Desmond is going to make it. Really, did you expect it to turn out any differently?

9:57 -- Oooh, Widmore and Hawking, face to face. This should be good.

9:58 -- "He's my son too, Eloise." -- Widmore. That settles that.

9:59 -- "We disappeared off a plane in mid-air and ended up in 1977. I am getting used to insane." -- Jack

10:00 --  Getting shot in the back by your mother from the past has got to be one of the worst ways to die.

10:01 -- "I'm your son." -- Faraday. Can someone explain to me why Faraday had to go in guns blazing? Did that make any sense at all?

Alright, are you ready? Are you really ready? Here it comes ...

Oh my god.

I.

Absolutely.

Positively.

HATED.

This episode. (Preparing for the backlash...)

Alright, I will try and present my gripes in an organized fashion and without the use of four-letter words. Here we go ...

Fake suspense
This is one of my biggest pet peeves and something "Lost" rarely suffers from. Desmond survived being shot by Ben. Well, DUH??? Did anyone really think THAT is how Desmond would die? And does anyone really think Desmond is going to die at all? He's probably the most beloved character on the show.

And finding out Widmore was Faraday's dad -- was there anyone who didn't think that already? They danced around it all episode long when really it came as a shock to no one.

And I can't believe how many people IMed me this morning -- "I can't believe Faraday is dead." Really? You think he's dead? In that case I also have some land out in Florida I'd like to sell you ...

(UPDATE -- Uh oh. Sounds like I am way wrong about Faraday)

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk ...
What actually happened last night? Faraday got shot. Everything else was about people talking about doing things.

"Let's go to the beach." "Let's go find my mom." "Let's blow up an H bomb."

And, let's be honest -- not an exactly an A effort from the writers when it comes to the dialog. Sometimes "Lost" can get away with this, last night was not one of them.

Hey, remember everything we told you? Yeah, not so much
We cannot change anything about the past!!!!!

Oh wait, yes we can.

This only irks me minorly, because nothing has actually happened yet, but Faraday's whole speech about variables kinda felt like the writers wrote themselves into a corner (and instead of just walking up the wall) they are now re-writing themselves out of it. I am not fully passing judgment on this yet, but right now this just is starting to feel cheap to me.

If you're still reading this, and you're thinking to yourself "WHY DO YOU EVEN WATCH LOST IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH?" -- calm down. I don't have to like every episode of "Lost." One episode doesn't change my entire feeling on the show. Hey, Prince's new 3-CD set kinda blows -- and I still saw him in concert 6 times in a 3-day span. And you know what? He can keep putting out shitty albums and I'll still think he is the second coming.

I will gladly read through the comments and I look forward to people actually trying to raise good points on why this episode was good.

Oh, I give it a D-.

Til next week ...

]]> Some Like It Hoth tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.23 2009-04-16T14:19:12Z 2009-04-16T23:04:06Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

The last two weeks have been so phenomenal, I am almost approaching tonight's episode with nervous trepidation. Can "Lost" really knock three in a row out of the park?

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I am actually writing this at 3:30 AM Thursday morning. I went to the Clippers game last night with my friend Aaron (congrats A-Dogg, you have finally made the Diary) and I didn't get home til almost 11:00 PM. So I decided to take a quick catnap before watching "Lost." Let's roll ...

9:00 -- I don't know if my brain can handle a Miles-centric episode of "Lost" right now. I am going to need to seriously focus.

9:01 -- "I told you! I can hear him!" -- Little Miles]]>
9:02 -- Sawyer needs Miles to erase the security tapes. I want to do something once that requires me to go back and erase the video tapes. Just once.

9:03 -- Horace is about to bring Miles into the Circle of Trust. Apparently the Dharma Initiative is nothing more than a bunch of fourth grade girls. Horace is going to write mean things about Miles in his slam book.

9:04 -- What's going on in Grid 334? I feel like this season of "Lost" has given me so many great Fantasy Football team names for this year.

9:05 -- "The ditch had a gun?" -- Miles

9:06 -- "So what really happened?" -- Miles. It just occurred to me -- Miles is The Sarcastic Ghost Whisperer.

9:10 -- Miles' mom isn't looking so good. And MIles, with that hair and those piercings, isn't looking too good either.

9:11 -- Miles knows nothing about his father. Wait, a character on "Lost" has daddy issues? Surely you jest?

9:12 -- "Somewhere you could never go." -- Miles' mom

9:13 -- Horace needs Miles to drive the package to Dr. Chang. Based on his reaction, it sure seems like Miles knows Dr. Chang is his pops.

9:14 -- "It'll help with global warming, which hasn't happened yet, so maybe we can prevent it." -- Hurley

9:15 -- In a surprising move, Ben's dad actually noticed his son is missing. Quite the plan Juliet has to explain Little Ben is missing -- "Um, I don't know."

9:19 -- Hurley asks Miles how to spell bounty hunter. Is Hurley writing "Star Wars"?

9:20 -- Using his incredible sense of smell, Hurley was able to detect there's a dead body in the van.

9:21 -- Miles explains to Hurley how Alvarez died, apparently not realizing that it's incredibly creepy that he knows all this stuff.

9:22 -- I can't tell now if I think Miles is a scumbag for doing what he does (talking to the dead for money) or actually providing people with an amazing service.

9:24 -- Hey it's Naomi, the hot chick from the freighter. I miss her.

9:25 -- Ben's dad has decided to search for his near-dead son by sitting on a swing set and drinking Dharma Beer.

9:26 -- "You're just jealous my power is better than yours." -- Hurley. Sorry, my TiVo accidentally switched to "Heroes" there for a minute.

9:27 -- Dr. Chang ... kind of a dick.

9:28 -- "That douche is my dad." -- Miles. Sorry, I meant douche.

9:32 -- The Sarcastic Ghost Whisperer passes his audition by "talking to" the guy who helped Widmore fake the Oceanic 815 crash site.

9:34 -- "How cool is it that your dad is that guy from all the movies?" -- Hurley

9:35 -- Miles and Hurley discuss how Miles can't save his mom and dad, the whole time travel thing and all.

9:36 -- Instead of thanking his lucky stars that a hot woman seems to like him and his son, Ben's dad wants to turn Kate into Horace. Good thinking.

9:38 -- Miles just learned his dad likes country music. That can't be easy for him.

9:40 -- "42." -- Hurley

9:44 -- I've always wanted to get kidnapped into the back of a van to have a secret conversation.

9:45 -- "Do you know what lies in the shadow of the statue?" -- Kidnapper guy. Hmmm, now where have we heard that question before ...

9:46 -- If Miles is "playing for the wrong team" why don't they just kill him?

9:47 -- "Maybe he'll let you hold baby you." -- Hurley

9:49 -- "I'm writing 'Empire Strikes Back.'" -- Hurley. Seriously?

9:50 -- Phil is going to blackmail LaFleuer because he knows LaFleur took Little Ben. This will not end well for Phil.

9:56 -- Miles is going back to visit the guy whose dead kid he talked to so he can tell the truth. Daddy issues much?

9:57 -- Hurley is trying to help rationalize Miles' relationship with his dad by relating it to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Wow, that is a stretch if I ever heard one.

9:58 -- "Let's face it, the Ewoks suck dude." -- Hurley. If he wants to re-write history, Hurley should make sure Jar Jar Binks never happens.

9:59 -- Welcome back, Faraday.

So I think there are two "must know for next week" things from this episode. First is the guy who tried to stop Miles from going to the island. A quick trip to Lostpedia confirms he's the guy with Ilana on the island when Frank returns. Thus the riddle.

Second is Faraday coming back to the island. Where has he been? I'm guessing the Dharma Initiative never saw him come back with Sawyer and the rest of them or else they wouldn't be bringing him back on the sub as "a doctor from Ann Arbor."

Or maybe he was sent to Ann Arbor by the Dharma people and now he's just coming back? I have no real answers here, but I do feel like this is just another small step towards what I have been thinking for weeks -- the Losties are all here to play their role in history, not change it. Daniel HAS to come back in the mix so, at the very least, he can tell little Charlotte that the island "is death."

And finally, I'm sorry -- but Hurley's "Star Wars" analogy has to be one of the worst pop culture references I have ever heard. Is Hurley trying to say that Miles actually CAN change history if he talks to his dad because Luke and Vader didn't talk and look how that turned out? That's weak. Worst episode title ever.

And here's another thought I have -- is "Lost" setting the tables for the Losties to change history ... simply by making up with all their fathers? If you think about it, the Purge happened almost entirely because Little Ben hates his dad.

Anyway, I give this episode a C. It wasn't anywhere near the last few weeks' episodes, but a Miles-centric ep was going to be great for me no matter what. No major reveals and no big twists, but Miles is the most underused character on the show, so I was glad to see him get his due.]]> Dead Is Dead tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.22 2009-04-09T17:13:13Z 2009-04-09T16:21:44Z Daniel (Sorry I am late this morning. I am home sick with a wicked stomach bug. Good times.)

Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

I try not to look too closely at episode titles, but the last two weeks have been tough to ignore. "Whatever Happened, Happened" told me we were going to discuss the rules of time travel, as they apply to "Lost." "Dead Is Dead" strongly suggests to me we're going to bring Locke back into focus and, hopefully, explain exactly what sort of state he is in. I am also holding out hope we get a little face time with another "dead" person -- Christian. Crossing my fingers on that one.

Let's roll:

9:00 -- A very Ben-centric "Previously on 'Lost.'" Interesting.

9:01 -- "Jacob wanted it done" is how Richard explains to a young Russell Crowe why he took Little Ben to the Temple.

]]>
9:03 -- Ben looks as completely shocked as we have ever seen him when he sees Locke alive again.  

9:04 -- "We don't have a word for it. But I believe you call it, The Monster" -- Ben. Sorry to correct you, but it's Black Smoke Monster, or just Smokie for short.

9:08 -- "I killed him? Because he looks fine to me." -- Ben

9:09 -- Ben is now trying to turn Caeser against Locke. As usual, Ben cannot be trusted.

9:10 -- Ok, now we're somewhere between the past and the present, and Ben and Ethan are hunting ... or something.

9:11 -- Wow, we're about to watch Ben steal Alex from Danielle. Her French whining is really quite annoying.

9:12 -- "Every time you hear whispers, you run the other way." -- Ben to Danielle

9:13 -- "I assume you're referring to the fact that I killed you." -- Ben to Locke

9:14 -- "I just didn't have time to talk you back into hanging yourself." -- Ben

9:15 -- "I was just hoping for an apology." -- Locke

9:16 -- Just when I thought things were moving along smoothly, Ben went and shot Caesar in the chest. I kinda liked him.

9:17 -- "Consider that my apology." -- Ben

9:20 -- "Home sweet home." -- Ben

9:21 -- "No sense in me dying twice." -- Locke. Is it just me or is the dialog particularly good tonight?

9:22 -- Back at mid 80s Others camp, Ben is battling with Wimore (with a weave) over the fate of Alex. I am starting to wonder -- is tonight the night we learn how Widmore got off the island?

9:24 -- Locke and Ben are playing The Island Loves Me More Than You.

9:25 -- Who is Ben going to find in Alex's room? Sun? Claire? Alex? Christian?

9:26 -- Sun and Lapidus are trying to explain to Ben about the 1970s Dharma cast photo.

9:27 -- "Well, you might want to look outside." -- Ben

9:30 -- Lapidus is trying to talk sense into Sun, which actually makes no sense at all. The least logical choices are usually the best ones.

9:31 --  Ben is heading into the Bat Cave to cast the Black Smoke Monster signal and bring out ol' Smokie ... which is apparently done by unclogging a drain. Um, what?

9:34 -- Toupee Ben is pushing Alex on the swing and talking to Richard about seeing someone off on the sub.

9:35 -- So it seems Widmore was exiled from the island for boffing Penny's mom on the outside.

9:36 -- "I'll be seeing you, boy." -- Widmore. Least threatening sounding threat I've ever heard.

9:37 -- "Dead is dead. You don't get to come back from that, not even here." -- Ben

9:38 -- "It's not a train, John." -- Ben

9:39 -- Locke says he knows where the Black Smoke Monster is. Must be where he almost got dragged into hole way back when.

9:43 -- "I assure you Sun, I'm the same man I've always been." -- Locke. Exactly the same, just undead.

9:44 -- Ben just called Charles and told him he was about to kill Penny. I don't think any of us believe he succeeds.

9:45 -- Locke has led Ben and Sun to the Temple and Ben remembers being healed there. That doesn't seem right.

9:46 -- "If you ever get off this island, find Desmond Hume and tell him I said I was sorry." -- Ben. Um, ok ... now I am a little worried for Penny. And for Little Charlie.

9:47 -- And now I'm worried for Desmond because Ben just shot him.

9:48 -- But Desmond cannot be taken down by a bullet! And he just served up quite the ass whoopin' to Ben.

9:52 -- Hey, I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but "The Unusuals" is premiering next on ABC.

9:53 -- Lapidus has returned back the new Losties, who are now apparently armed and crazy.

9:54 -- "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" -- Ilana. Is that a trick question?

9:55 -- I am fully prepared to not exhale for the next five minutes.

9:56 -- Ben, seeming genuine, really does want to be judged for letting Alex die.

9:57 -- Ancient drawings on the wall seem to represent the Black Smoke Monster.

9:58 -- The Smoke Monster is playing "This Is Your Life" with Ben.

9:59 -- The Smoke Monster is gone and a ghost Alex has appeared and she's not happy.

10:00 -- Ghost Alex is a huge John Locke fan. Hard to blame her.

10:02 -- "It let me live." -- Ben

A few weeks back I introduced the idea that I like to judge episodes now by how long it would take me to tell someone all the things they HAD to know about the episode in order keep up. This episode passes that test with flying colors.

I once said about Ben, "He's always telling the truth. Except when he isn't." Ben has always said he has acted with the island's best interests in mind, not his own. And, by the island's account, that's true -- the Smoke Monster spared him. What greater sacrifice can the island ask for than his own daughter? He sacrificed her to keep Widmore from getting back control of the island, something the island clearly doesn't want.

Now comes Ben's ultimate test of island faith -- can he play second fiddle to someone else? Can he truly follow John Locke, even when the island demands it?

We're focusing a lot on Ben and Locke (and obviously so), but what's brewing with Ilana and the new Losties? That has all the makings of being something interesting.

I thought about it long and hard, and I give tonight's episode an A. I thought the writing was utterly top notch, we got great information, and any episode with that many Ben/Locke scenes surely has to be great. I thought the actual showdown between Ben and the Monster was a little cheesy (would have preferred something more Mr. Eko like) but that's a small complaint.

Two classic episodes in a row. Can we make it three? See you then ...]]> Whatever Happened, Happened tag:thelostdiary.com,2009://1.21 2009-04-02T15:40:00Z 2009-04-02T15:42:13Z Daniel Welcome back to another edition of the "Lost" Diary.

We've got a lot of different things going on right now (time travel, Little Ben got shot, etc.) but I need to focus on something that impacts the entire show -- Juliet vs. Kate. Now, Sawyer (and Jack before him) is faced with that very same conundrum right now and I have to say I like the way he's going. I am very pro-Juliet. I put it to a vote among my friends and Juliet won 7-4 (we're talking long term prospects here, not a one-nighter). Reasoning ranged from "Kate would drop me as soon as someone better came along" and "Kate gets kidnapped every five minutes." Makes sense to me.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. I am watching solo tonight as I only got home just in time to watch the West Coast feed after nearly two hours at the gym with Satan -- I mean my trainer Adam. He's like Ben, but with an ill-fitting tank top. Let's roll:

9:01 -- Jin awakens from his Sayid beating and, inexplicably, tells the Dharma people where Sayid is heading. Why'd he do that?

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9:03 -- Ben's dad has the hots for Kate. That is gross on several levels.

9:04 -- It's Kate flashback time. Is anyone happy about this?

9:05 -- Based on Aaron's age, it looks like it's pretty soon after the O6 returned home. And -- HUGE PLUS -- we get Cassidy, played by the wonderful Kim Dickens.

9:06 -- "Sawyer sent me." -- Kate

9:10 -- Kate just told Cassidy the truth (except about Aaron) and now Cassidy is not too happy with Kate.

9:11 -- "That's not your baby, is it?" -- Cassidy. She learned a lot from Sawyer, that's for sure. Anyone think Cassidy is somehow responsible for taking Aaron from Kate?

9:12 -- Kate is freaking out over Little Ben, which is totally natural.

9:13 -- Horace quickly narrows down the possible traitor -- and Ben's dad and Jack are among the finalists. Things could get bad for Jack before the night is through.

9:14 -- Ben's dad is showing actual concern for his son. Doesn't really suit him right.

9:15 -- Little Ben is in surgery -- does anyone else think Jack is going to have to fix him?

9:16 -- "Checking to see if I'm disappearing. 'Back to the Future,' man." -- Hurley. I have made so many "Back to the Future" references over the years, I feel totally vindicated now.

9:17 -- Miles is reiterating the "can't change the future" idea.

9:18 -- "Then he dies." -- Ivan Drago, I mean Jack.

9:20 -- "I've already done this once ... I don't need to do it again." -- Jack

9:21 -- Do you know how you've been having all these time travel related discussions over the past few weeks? About fixing the future, disrupting the future, changing the future? Listening to Jack and Kate and Miles and Hurley have these same conversations ... NOT HELPING!!!

9:22 -- "You didn't like the old me, Kate." -- New Jack. I like New Jack.

9:24 -- Ben's dad has figured out that Little Ben is the one who busted Sayid out of jail. I am kinda shocked he was able to put two and two together and get four.

9:25 -- "Say that again." -- Hurley

9:26 -- "When we first captured Ben, and Sayid like tortured him, why wouldn't he remember being shot by that same guy when he was a kid?" -- Hurley

9:27 -- "Huh, hadn't thought of that." -- Miles

9:28 -- "They?" -- Kate. Juliet wants to recruit the Others to fix Little Ben.

9:33 -- Juliet and Kate are prepping Little Ben for transfer, presumably without telling anyone else. Obviously everything turns out fine (right?) but on the surface this is a terrible idea. Though you have to imagine Richard will come through for Little Ben.

9:34 -- Hey, it's the scene where Sun holds a gun to Ben's face ... again. This is like the Desmond/Locke/Jack scene from season 2.

9:35 -- Kate is now with Aaron, in the time we know SOMETHING happens and she loses Aaron. Come on, Cassidy!!!

9:36 -- If "she lost him in a grocery store is the answer," I will kill someone.

9:37 -- I've said it before -- Kate looks 10x better without makeup. The less she showers, the hotter she is.

9:38 -- Kate has arrived at the Others medical drop-off point. Oh wait, that's right -- THERE IS NONE.

9:42 -- Kate is commiserating with Cassidy over losing Aaron for a minute -- like that hasn't happened to every mom. Is Kate just going to give Aaron to Cassidy?

9:43 -- Sawyer and Kate are dragging Little Ben out into Otherville.

9:44 -- "I'm doing it for her." -- Sawyer

9:45 -- Juliet is talking to Jack about Ben, right after he got out of the shower. Why can't Juliet be the one soaking wet right now? Damn you, "Lost" writers!

9:46 -- "I came back because I was supposed to." -- Jack

9:47 -- Sawyer's face while Kate talks about Clementine is just priceless.

9:48 -- You don't find the Others .... the Others find you.

9:53 -- "He's your grandson. And your daughter Claire is alive." -- Kate

9:54 -- Kate just dropped a few bombshells on Claire's mom and now she's about to drop Aaron on her too.

9:56 -- "I'm going back to find your daughter." -- Kate

9:57 -- Everybody be quiet, Evangeline Lilly is trying to act. First time for everything.

9:58 -- "Don't worry, we got them right where we want them." -- Sawyer

9:59 -- "If I take him, he's not ever gonna be the same again ... He'll forget this ever happened and his innocence will be gone. He'll always be one of us." See Miles? THAT is why he didn't remember Sayid shooting him.

10:00 -- Ellie and Charles are both here still, but it's unclear what the Others hierarchy is right now. Loves it.

10:01 -- Is Richard taking Little Ben to Jacob? Oh my god he is, he is, he is, he is, he is, he is ...

10:02 -- "Hello Ben. Welcome back to the land of the living." -- Locke

"Ask me some more questions about time travel." -- Miles

Ok, where do we begin?

Why?
When discussing why the O6 returned the to the island, I lumped their reasoning into one generalization -- all of their lives were better on the island than they were before it. But I think the last few episodes confirmed that there is a lot more going on than that. Each person is there for their own reason -- their own destiny.

Sayid's was there to shoot Ben. Kate said she went back to find Claire. You get my point.

Back to Sayid -- if his destiny was to shoot Ben, is the island done with him? Just asking.

How?
Whatever happened, happened -- or so we are being told. The Others do their Purging, Dharma loses. I raised the idea a few weeks back that the Losties aren't there to change history -- but rather to play their role in it. That theory has begun in earnest with Sayid shooting Ben and beginning him down his path.

We've seen how things unfold -- Ben helps the Others wipe out Dharma. Or so we think. Something tells me we'll see a few more moments like the Sayid one that show how the Losties help facilitate what happens.

When?
Miles explained to Hurley that Little Ben could not die because we've already seen him grow up to become Big Ben. We are currently in Big Ben's past -- but how many people does that really apply to? Eloise Hawking, Charles Widmore, Richard Alpert ... is that it? Everyone else is in their present, as Miles explained, so anything can happen to them. So my question is this -- the Losties can't change the future, but can they change the present?

I give this episode an A-. I thought the writing was top notch, the acting was great, we got some answers, filled in some gaps, and really got a lot to think about. It's been awhile since we've had any Tivo moments, but this season has felt more like a marathon than a sprint. Slow and steady.]]>