The Lost Diary

1) If you haven't already, be sure to befriend the "Lost" Diary on MySpace. It's an ego thing now, I want more "friends" than Brody Jenner.

2) Email questions for next week's L.D.Q.A. to questions@thelostdiary.com. Remember, they don't always have to so serious and, considering it's the summer and all, they don't even have to be about "Lost." Feel free to have a little fun with it ...

Posted by Daniel at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (194)

Welcome to the Throwback Edition of the "Lost" Diary.

A friend of mine asked me this weekend, "What's it going to be like writing about 'Lost' when you already know everything? Isn't that the fun?" And all I could say was, "I don't know."

I honestly have no idea how this is going to turn out. It may be funny. It may be interesting. It may be insightful. It may be none of those things. I kind of like not knowing how this will turn out. Let's roll:


00:00 -- Hey, they didn't begin the show with "Previously on 'Lost.'" Ohhhhh, right.

00:01 -- Watching these first few minutes again, I can't believe everyone doesn't watch "Lost." Jack just wandering through the forrest and then stumbling upon a bunch of screaming people and some flaming wreckage ... just an awesome way to begin a show.

00:04 -- As Jack flies around the crash scene, it's easy to see why everyone followed him in the beginning. Makes the time on the show when he was such a pussy that much more frustrating.

00:06 -- "Yeah, good idea. You go get me a pen." -- Jack. Two things: 1) we saw Boone looking for a pen in the Nikki/Paulo flashback episode and 2) I always kinda liked Boone.

00:07 -- Someone emailed me the other day saying when they first came across the premiere of "Lost," they thought it was a movie. Not hard to see why.

00:08 -- And a piece of flaming wreckage almost hit Charlie. Think of how different life would have been. Sigh.

00:10 -- The first innocent conversation between Jack and Kate. They used to be so good together. Sucks to know now they'll never make it.

00:11 -- First shot of Sawyer, smoking and looking tough. Wow, his hair used to be a lot shorter. Quite possibly the only castaway on the island to undergo any kind of physical transformation. Besides Claire giving birth, of course.

00:14 -- Ah, the fear story. It was so awesome when this came back up at the early part of season three. I like a show that acknowledges its history.

00:15 -- "If that had been me, I'd have been running for door." -- Kate. Yes, yes she would have.

00:16 -- "As if I'm going to start eating chocolate." -- Shannon. Her I do not miss.

00:17 -- Ah, Michael and Walt. Missed you guys. They both look sooo much younger.

00:18 -- Obviously I know they crashed on the island in a plane, but it feels like so long ago that the plane crash was of any importance to anything.

00:19 -- And our first sign that the island is not quite normal -- it's growling. And bending trees. It all begins so simply ...

00:21 -- And now we're on the plane, a sort of mini-flashback. Cindy the flight attendant is flirting with Jack. Traitor!

00:22 -- As a couple of people get lifted off their seats and thrown in the roof of the plane, I remember now why I buckle my seat belt whenever that little light comes on.

00:24 -- Man, of all the things I might do in life, I really hope one of them is not trying to find a corpse with my shoe size.

00:25 -- "You think we should do something about the B-O-D-Y-S?" -- Hurley. Stupidity always equals comedy.

00:26 -- I respected Charlie a little more when he was an arrogant heroin addict.

00:28 -- As we get a glimpse of Locke sitting on the beach, our first thoughts were probably, "That guy is weird." Little did we know that he had just miraculously been given the use of his legs again. What must be going through his mind right now ...

00:30 -- Jack and Kate went to the cockpit to try and find a transceiver so that they could get rescued. Charlie is looking for smack. Priorities.

00:31 -- Man, it used to be easy to break open cockpit doors.

00:32 -- Ladies and gentlemen, it's Greg Grunberg from "Heroes" as our pilot. I, at the time, knew him from "Alias." His only purpose here is to tell how f'ed the Losties are and die a marvelous death. Can't wait.

00:33 -- "Where's Charlie?" -- Jack. Just off scoring smack from the bathroom.

00:34 -- Uh oh, that's the sound of your death Mr. Grunberg. Thanks for the cameo. Don't worry, you'll get on a hit show soon.

00:36 -- The monster sure acts a lot differently now then it used to. Randomly picking up the pilot and killing him -- not it's MO. Well maybe it just needed time to adjust to the Losties.

00:37 -- Charlie falls down and gets his foot stuck in what amounts to some twigs and Jack goes back to help him. Man, even in the pilot Charlie was destined to die.

00:38 -- The camera shot of Kate crying and screaming in the rain -- one of the seminal shots of "Lost." I am of the belief that women always look good in the rain.

00:39 -- "1, 2, 3, 4, 5." -- Kate.

00:40 -- Random question: what determines the weather on the island -- God or Jacob?

00:41 -- "How does something like that happen?" -- Charlie. Brutha, you're going to be wondering that for awhile.

---------

00:01 -- I rather like the "on the plane flashbacks" as sort of an introduction the plot device. I am just on the edge of my seat waiting for the back of the plane to rip off.

00:02 -- Is his shoe really the best place Charlie could think of to hide his heroin? How didn't he get busted by security?

00:03 -- And again, how close was Charlie to nearly biting the dust? Desmond's premonitions probably go waaaaaaay back.

00:04 -- Shannon is in a bikini, tanning on the beach. Oh, right -- that's why she was on the show.

00:05 -- Again, it's funny what you kind of forget -- Sun "can't speak English" and Jin hates everyone.

00:07 -- Sawyer and Sayid are going at it. This the equivalent of "Lost" porn for Lauren.

00:09 -- "Shut up, lardo." -- Sawyer. The first of many insults.

00:11 -- Sayid fought in the Gulf War, just not for our side. Always liked that scene.

00:12 -- Kate in a bra and panties ... also one of the seminal shots in "Lost" history, but for different reasons.

00:12 -- What would "Lost" be if they couldn't film where they do? Hawaii is underrated, if possible.

00:14 -- Kate is headed into the woods with Sayid to try and find higher ground. She used to kick ass.

00:16 -- Watching Jin and Hurley try and communicate is just hysterical. How do you say "dude" in Korean?

00:17 -- Seeing Walt just reminds me what a great character he could have been. I really hope they bring him back.

00:19 -- Shannon was such a bitch. The one thing I don't like about the direction the show has taken is that every one of the Losties is at least somewhat likeable. I liked it better when Sawyer was just an asshole, Charlie was a drug addict, Jin was a controlling bastard and Shannon was bitch. Gave the show some flavor.

00:20 -- Man, that is some cliff they are scaling. I can't believe Shannon didn't die right there.

00:22 -- Locke and Walt, ironic since we just saw the finale of season three.

00:23 -- "You're having a bad month." -- Locke. He's so good with kids.

00:24 -- "Walt, do you want to know a secret? -- Locke. He knew about the island before the rest of them.

00:27 -- And Sawyer just shot a polar bear. God I love this show.

00:30 -- Alright, I am probably repeating myself a bit here, but since the show hasn't really kicked into gear yet, I am left with first impression. Kate used to be awesome. Now all she does is whine and get held at gunpoint. I hope she makes a resurgence next season.

00:32 -- So we just learned Kate is the felon. The "what did Kate do?" question used to be a great one. I remember dying to know what it was.

00:34 -- Our first camera shot of the plane ripping in half. I saw the promos leading up to the premiere of "Lost" roughly 7,000 times and some shots are etched in my head. That one is certainly #1.

00:36 -- The French transmission: Ahhh, the memories.

00:37 -- "Please help me. Please come get me. I am alone now. I am on the island alone. Please someone come. The others, they're dead. It killed them. It killed them all." -- Shannon.

00:38 -- The message has been playing for 16 years. Not a real glimmer of hope, is it?

00:39 -- "Guys, where are we?" -- Charlie. The official tag line of the first episode of "Lost."

You know how when you watch "Usual Suspects" again, and it gets to the end (I won't ruin it on the off chance people haven't seen the movie) you wish you could re-capture the feeling you had the first time you watched it? That feeling of shock and awe and amazement that is completely lost once you've seen it? That's how I feel watching the premiere of "Lost" again.

While I can't un-know the things that I know from having seen every episode of "Lost" already, re-watching the pilot did remind me of that feeling you get when you watch a show for the first time and go, "This show is going to be good." And is it ever.

It's going to be hard to grade these episodes going forward, but this won't be hard: it's an A. Each of the last three seasons, there has been one pilot that absolutely floored me: "Lost," then "Prison Break" and then "Heroes." This one still holds up over time.

I can't help but wonder, what did the producers know when they wrote this episode? Did they know what crashed the plane? Had they thought up the hatch? The Others? Any of it?

I am looking forward to watching these episodes again all summer long. I hope you are too.

Posted by Daniel at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (210)

The "Lost" Diary crew, from left to right: Me, Marisa, Ari, Lauren, April and Matt

During a particularly tense moment of the finale. Don't worry Ari, it'll be ok.

Posted by Daniel at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

Welcome to the first post-season L.D.Q.A. With last week's finale still swimming around in our heads, we should have plenty to talk about this week. But first, a few housekeeping items:

-- The "Lost" Diary has 254 friends so far on MySpace, or about 180 more than I do in real life. Getting to see everyone has led me to make this bold proclomation: the "Lost" Diary is the number one "Lost" blog on the Internet for moms. Seriously, moms dig me. Half the people on my MySpace page have pictures of their kids as their profile pics. So it isn't just my mom that loves me.

-- The Charlie Must Die party was a mild failure. I only ended up meeting one person, but a bunch of my friends were there and I had a few drinks, so that was good. Next time I do something like that I'll come up with a way for us to actually know who we all are. That's why I work for TMZ for a living and I don't plan parties. But I did learn that if I decide to tour the country, I am set. I've got fans in England, Ohio, Rhode Island ... it's kinda cool.

-- As for season one, I am starting this week, so get ready for the pilot episode Diary to be posted this Thursday. I will continue posting entries on Thursdays and plan on watching one episode a week. I can probably get through season one and two.

Alright, on with the show ...

Q: I've taken alot of crap on the message boards, and want to go to you for the deciding vote. In order to be a true "Lost" fan, shouldn't you had to have watched every season? Whitney claims to be a huge "Lost" fan, but she never even watched Season 1!!! Now, I understand some people came to the "Lost" party late, and that's OK. But most were then intrigued and excited enough to watch Season 1. So can Whitney be a true "Lost" fan, even though she never had the urgency or interest to buy or rent Season 1 on DVD to catch up??? Your verdict? -- Rich

A: Well this was the comment of the week on TheLostDiary.com. Rich took some shit for jumping on Whitney, people argued back and forth, yada yada yada. My verdict, Rich? Honestly, it's a hung jury.

Whitney probably loves "Lost" as much as the rest of us. Can talk endlessly about what's going on. Re-watched every episode. Checks every message board. Is she a huge fan? Absolutely. Is she a "true" fan? Probably.

But to have not seen season one, my God! First off, I don't know how you can follow everything (I assume the Internet helps there). Secondly, just for the fact you would have missed "Walkabout," the episode where we learned that Locke was in a wheelchair before he got to the island, is almost criminal. For anyone who didn't watch season one, hopefully my re-watching it will motivate you to go back and see it. It's amazing stuff.

I know I am not really answering the question, I just know for me I would never start watching a show after missing a season, so I can't even fathom what it must be like.

Q: More of a comment than a question: but you said "I wish Richard was more prevalent tonight. Here's to hoping we see more of him next season."I don't think it's likely that there will be too much more; Nestor Carbonell is part of the cast of a new CBS drama this fall. -- Chris

A: Come on, that show is getting cancelled after four episodes, tops.

Q: Did you see Sun and Jin sitting behind Jack on the plane at the very beginning of the episode? -- Gina

A: It wasn't them. I can't believe how many people thought it was. When I read questions like this, I forget not everyone has a DVR. Again, I guess that where the Internet helps.

Q: You have won the sum of €1,000,000:00 (One Million Euros Only) LOTTERY on our 2007 charity bonanza. The winning ticket was selected from a Data Base of Internet Email Users, from which your Address came out as the winning coupon.

A: Sweet, now I can retire.

Q: My question really was in the "future," Jack refers to his father. Didn't we literally see that Jack's dad died in Australia? Didn't he identify the body? -- Lisa

A: My feeling about Jack's dad in the future is that he is really still dead. The writers just used the fact that Jack was a rambling drug addict as an excuse to cover up the flash-forward for as long as they could. By mentioning the dad, they were trying to trick us into thinking it was the past, when it really wasn't.

Q: Why didn't Charlie just swim out the porthole that Mikail put a grenade through? -- Sandra

A: I think he wanted to die so that Desmond's vision would come true and Claire could be rescued. If he survived, Claire doesn't get rescued. Kinda noble.

Q: What was your favorite episode this season? And if you were stuck on the island would youu want off? I'm assuming you would stay on like Locke and Henry. -- Emily

A: The best two episodes were the weird Desmond flashback one and the Juliet flashback episode. But I don't think I could live on the island; they don't have TiVo there.

Q: LOVE your TMZ posts and your new web site. I don’t even think of half the stuff that you come up with. Question for you…..(or a pleading request)….since you are a fan of The Shield, would you please please please start a weekly summary and commentary of that show too?? The Shield and Lost are the two best programs on TV right now. -- Tracy

A: I don't think "The Shield" would lend itself to the Diary format. I do think, however, that "Heroes" would ...

Q: Three more seasons? How? I have never missed an episode, but I was VERY disappointed with how the season ended. Is there any chance the flash forward was a flash to the final season and not a flash to next season? I think the writers made a horrible decision if everyone is really rescued. Gilligan never got off the island, thats what made the show worth watching. I dont need another silly drama. The writers have proven that without the island, the show goes nowhere. What now my lost leader? -- Craig

A: The thing to pick out here is whether or not the flash-forward is here to stay. I say no. I think for this episode it was just there to foreshadow what Jack making that call for help would bring. I actually do hope we see them leave the island and try and re-adjust, though I doubt that will happen. Then again, I'm the guy that wanted to see "The West Wing" continue so we could see everyone's life after the White House.

Q: Would you stop watching if they killed off Henry Gale? -- Kellianne

A: My guess is that at some point we will see Henry Gale die. That said, I will never stop watching "Lost." The producers could drive to my house and kill my dog right in front of me and I wouldn't stop watching. Ok, that's not true -- I don't own a dog.

Q: Could you tell me who it was that played the brunette when Charlie swan into the looking glass? She was the first one to be shot. -- Sissy

A: I only posted this question because it gives me a chance to mention my favorite "only lasted for one season" show: "Boomtown." It's Lana Parrilla and she played Teresa Ortiz on it. Rent season one if you've never seen it (there technically was a 2nd season, but they f'ed with the show so much it's barely recognizable and only lasted a few episodes anyway).

 

Posted by Daniel at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)

Alright, I made a promise and I am sticking to it...

When: TONIGHT!!!!!! 5/25!!!! Figure like 10:30, 11ish.
Where: The Cat and Fiddle -- 6530 Sunset Blvd.
What: Heavy drinking -- MacCutcheon, perhaps?

Show up, get a drink from me. Or buy me one. Whatever works.

I have no idea how this will work. Maybe I'll be the guy in the corner singing "You All Everybody!" at the top of my lungs.

Also, if you plan on killing me or anything, please don't.

-- Daniel

Posted by Daniel at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Time for the final season 3 "Lost" Diary of the year. Tear ...

Earlier this year, I wrote that there are four times when I am super-mega excited for an episode of "Lost": a season premiere, a season finale, the week after a great episode and the week after a terrible one. I need to add a fifth instance: when the season finales of "24" and "Heroes" suck. Such a total letdown on both fronts. I was angry about "Heroes" for two days straight -- all that buildup was for that? Very disappointed. Needless to say, if "Lost" doesn't deliver the goods I am going to have to be severely medicated for my own protection.

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. This week the crew is Ari, Lauren, Marisa, April, Matt and Michelle (making her debut). It's two hours of "Lost" goodness tonight. Let's roll:

9:01 -- Jack is headed back to Los Angeles (on Oceanic Air, mind you) and with a full beard. Looks like he stole it from Mr. Friendly's fake beard collection.

9:02 -- Moving along slowly, something in the newspaper has Jack broken up as he pulls over to the side of the road on a bridge. Is a failed suicide attempt in his future? Oh no, Jack -- please don't drunk-dial your ex.

9:03 -- OK, seriously, what has Jack so despondent right now? This whole thing doesn't feel right.

9:04 -- Jack's suicide is going to have to wait, as a massive car accident just happened. Someone we know, perhaps?

9:05 -- As the Losties prepare for the Others invasion, a few readers made a great point: if the Others are coming a day early, and Juliet marks the tents, won't they know something is up since she shouldn't have marked them yet?

9:06 -- I was amazed last week at how many people said they don't like Rose and Bernard. They're awesome.

9:07 -- Subtitled goodbyes always get me. "Awwww, English." -- Lauren.

9:10 -- Naomi fell from the sky and has been in camp for like two, maybe three days, and even SHE doesn't trust Juliet.

9:11 -- Charlie is getting his ass handed to him by the LGBs (Looking Glass Babes). It's like "Lost" porn to me.

9:12 -- So whoever these girls are, they know Ben. That would make them Others -- but why doesn't anyone else know about them?

9:13 -- "You're inside a room full of equipment. There's a blinking yellow light above a switch. You flick the switch, light goes off, and you drown." -- Desmond. It can all still happen just the way he predicted it.

9:14 -- "But if Juliet told them about the Looking Glass, what else did she tell them?" -- Mikhail. So no one else knows about the Looking Glass. I still think maybe Richard might.

9:15 -- The tents are marked a day early and the Others don't seem to care. Idiots. Gotta say though, I don't want to see Mr. Friendly die.

9:16 -- The room breaks out in applause after each tent explodes. Bernard held his own, but Jin didn't, and now he's being held at gunpoint. I thought that was Kate's move. Oh well, at least they got a few of them before getting captured.

9:20 -- Jack's ex-wife looks a tad pregnant, doesn't she? That's got to sting.

9:22 -- Everyone's worried about Sayid, Jin and Bernard, but Jack's right. They have to keep moving. Though it would be the Jack thing to do to go back and rescue them.

9:23 -- Mark it down folks: the first time I ever truly like Charlie. I love that he's flaunting the certainty of Desmond's vision right in the LGB's faces.

9:24 -- Man, Henry Gale sounds nerrrrrrrrrvous.

9:26 -- (Shaking head) Oh Bernard. I bet they shoot him once he's done flapping his gums.

9:27 -- Something tells me Alex is grounded. No hatches for a month.

9:30 -- Um, what's the temple? Kinda funny that the Others have a bunch of unanswered questions. Welcome to the club.

9:31 -- "I'm going to talk them out of it." -- Henry Gale. Ok, he's good and all, but he's not that good.

9:32 -- "And since when did you start calling me Kate?" -- Kate to Sawyer. I'm holding firm with my prediction that one of them dies.

9:33 -- Oh yeah, Desmond. Almost forgot about him. And now he's making his way down to the Looking Glass. Not sure if I can deal with another scene of Desmond trying to save Charlie. Forget the fact that I want Charlie to die; they've done it too many times already.

9:40 -- Man, Jack looks like shit.

9:42 -- OK, I've got a few questions. First off, who is the woman from the accident? Secondly, when exactly are we? Because, and I know this probably can't be the case, but so far it sure feels like all this is happening AFTER the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. If not, where was Jack coming from and why does he look the Unabomber and what was in that newspaper?

9:43 -- Sawyer is a man with a death wish and he's going back to the beach to save Sayid and company, and it looks like Juliet is going to go with him. Lauren just called Juliet a name I can't repeat.

9:44 -- "Don't wait up." -- Juliet.

9:45 -- Next up at the Looking Glass, Mikhail, sans the eye patch. Charlie is trying to play Mikhail against the LGBs and, again, I'm kinda digging it.

9:46 -- Mikhail is pissed and now Henry wants him to kill everyone. It's like, "Hey, sorry I lied on all these years, but can you do me a favor and kill a bunch of people for me? Thanks, you're the best." Only Henry Gale could pull that off.

9:51 -- "So, you screwing Jack yet?" -- Sawyer.

9:52 -- "No, are you?" -- Juliet.

9:53 -- So not only are there no guns, but now Hurley wants to help too. Ari is convinced Hurley will save the day. Lauren thinks it will happen by accident.

9:54 -- "Why do you have to stop them? Why won't you just let them leave?" -- Alex. That's the million dollar question, ain't it?

9:55 -- Ladies and gentlemen, the man you've all been waiting for. The man the island talks to. The man Jacob asks for help. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the show ...

9:56 -- JOHN LOCKE!!!!! (Applause)

9:57 -- AND WALT!!!!!!!! (Probably not really him, but still)

10:00 -- "Because I love you." -- Jack. Make up your mind Jack: Kate or Juliet. Can't have both. Or can he?

10:01 -- Jack is still rocking the beard, still holding on to that newspaper clipping and headed to a funeral parlor. They are sure dragging this whole thing out.

10:03 -- Who's in the coffin? Apparently Jack is neither friend nor family to the deceased. I can't think of anything that could have Jack this messed up.

10:04 -- Anyone else notice how weird the music has been this week?

10:05 -- "Hello, Jack. We need to talk." -- Henry Gale. Oh it is so ON!!!!!

10:10 -- Mikhail takes down one LGB.

10:11 -- But Desmond shoots Mikhail before he can kill the other one. Now Desmond and Charlie have someone that can give them the code.

10:12 -- Jack vs. Henry Gale doesn't have the same oomph as Locke vs. Henry Gale does.

10:13 -- Rockbottom Jack is struggling. Alright, I am just going to say it: since nothing, and I mean NOTHING is happening in this flashback, it isn't about WHAT happens, but when. Since this whole episode is about them getting off the island, I think this flashback happens after the island -- it's a flash-forward. The whole room in agreement.

10:14 -- "The woman you're traveling with, the one who parachuted onto the island from a helicopter. She's not who she says she is." -- Henry Gale.

10:15 -- So Henry Gale is saying that Naomi is from a group of people who want to kill everyone on the island, if they can find it. He's giving Jack a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" kind of proposition. Is he telling the truth? I say yes.

10:16 -- Now Henry is threatening the lives of Sayid, Jin and Bernard. Yet another no-win situation for Jack.

10:17 -- R.I.P. Sayid, Jin and Bernard?

10:18 -- Jack, we're cool. I kind of like you, when you're not being a whupped little mama's boy. But please stop hitting Henry Gale. We can't be boys anymore if you're going to beat my main man senseless.

10:19 -- "I'm going to lead my people up to the radio tower, and I'm going to make a call, and I'm going to get them all rescued -- every one of them. And then I'm going to come find you and I'm gonna kill you." -- Jack.

10:23 -- "OK, Bonnie, we're both going to die down here, let's be perfectly honest. That one-eyed maniac just killed your friend and shot you in the back. It would appear your glorious leader Ben put him up to it. Are you a sodding idiot? You have the opportunity to make Ben very, very angry. Why would you not take that?" -- Charlie. It's like last week they wanted to redeem Charlie in the eyes of all the women who watch "Lost," and this week it's the men. This is definitely the coolest he's ever been.

10:24 -- R.I.P. Bonnie, but thanks for the code.

10:25 -- "Alex, this is your mother." -- Henry Gale. Reunited and it feels so goooooood.

10:27 -- Do you think Sayid, Jin and Bernard are really dead? I'm kind of 50/50, but if I had to choose, I'd say no.

10:28 -- "Because I want him to see it. I want him to experience the moment we get off this island and I want him to know that he failed. And then I'll kill him." -- Jack. Foolish man, none of those things are happening.

10:29 -- Guess they're still alive. "THANK GOD!" Lauren just yelled at the top of her lungs.

10:30 -- Here he comes to save the day! Hugo Reyes is on his way!

10:31 -- "That's for taking the kid off the raft." -- Sawyer. R.I.P. Mr Friendly. Alright, my predictions have been terrible tonight, but here's another one (or at least an amended one): not only does Sawyer die, but the Smoke Monster (Jacob?) does him in.

10:35 -- Rockbottom Jack is now stealing drugs. Jack mentioned his dad before, but we never saw or heard from him. Worth noting.

10:36 -- "Do you have any idea what I've been through?" -- Jack. Yeah, I think we do.

10:37 -- Another mention of Jack's dad, but we don't actually see him.

10:38 -- It just hit me: this is all like the plot of "Return of the Jedi." One team takes out the shield (in this case, the jammer), while the other team destroys the Death Star (or uses the satellite phone).

10:39 -- "Yeah dude, I told you. I saved them all." -- Hurley. Don't mess with Hurley.

10:40 -- "So much for fate." -- Charlie. Wouldn't light the victory cigar yet.

10:41 -- Penny?

10:42 -- Who is Naomi?" -- Penny. Uh oh, Henry Gale may have been telling the truth. And what is that banging?

10:43 -- Mikhail lived -- again -- and now he has a grenade. Charlie slams shut the door to the communications room, trapping himself inside and keeping Desmond away from Penny. And now, it's happening ...

10:44 -- I don't know what to do with myself. The words I have been longing to type and I can't bring myself to do it. Aw hell, yeah I can!

10:45 -- R.I.P. Charlie.

10:46 -- "Charlie just got us rescued." -- Naomi. Oh, really? Maybe Naomi doesn't quite know who she works for.

10:48 -- "We're here." -- Rousseau. Whenever those words are said on "Lost," cool shit usually happens next.

10:49 -- "I'll celebrate when we're home." -- Jack.

10:50 -- Locke to the reverse rescue!

10:51 -- Even if Locke shoots Jack, he's still going to have everyone else to deal with. Don't know how he's planning to pull this off.

10:52 -- Man they are setting this up to end really, really badly for the Losties.

10:53 -- What's with all the maps, Rockbottom Jack? Who died? When is all this happening? Who is he calling? Juliet maybe? Penny? Kate?

10:54 -- Who's in the car? I am dying here!!!

10:55 -- Kate, I knew it. Damn she looks good. Being able to shower on a daily basis really does wonders.

10:56 -- "Still pulling people out of burning wreckage?" -- Kate.

10:57 -- "Because I want it to crash, Kate." -- Jack.

10:59 -- "We made a mistake ... We were not supposed to leave." -- Jack.

11:00 -- "We have to go back!" -- Jack.

So the whole point of Jack's flash-forward was to show us that Henry Gale was right -- whoever Naomi is with are the bad guys. I kind of like the idea of showing us everything leading up to Jack making the rescue call, and then showing us that it all went to hell, without actually seeing any of what happened in between. Since every season had a theme (the crash, the hatch, the Others), you have to assume that season four will be about whoever was on the other end of that phone.

While there may not have been any "major" questions answered -- the numbers? Jacob? Michael and Walt? -- We did learn why Henry Gale does what he does. Why does he jam communications off the island? Why does he keep such a tight hold on information? Why doesn't he let people off the island? Because people are looking for the island and they want to destroy it. I've said it once and I'll say it again -- you have to trust Henry Gale when the chips are down. He doesn't lie about the important stuff. He's always right.

Other than that, I am just going to start throwing out thoughts as they come to me:

-- "Lost" was 120 minutes tonight. Let's take away 30 for commercials, leaving us with 90. Of said 90 minutes, Locke was in two of them. Not a good ratio.

-- Oh, and Jacob was in none of them.

-- Are we done with flashbacks? Are flash-forwards the new thing? Or was this a one-time deal? Feels like just a one-time thing.

-- Charlie, we've had a long history. Wish I could say I was sad to see you go, but after all the buildup, you literally had to. At least you went out on a high note. See you in another life, brutha.

-- As for Charlie's death, a few people asked me, "Why did he close the door? Why didn't he swim out the window?" Because Desmond told him he had to die for everyone to be saved. He wanted Desmond's vision to come true, down to every last detail.

-- I wish Richard was more prevalent tonight. Here's to hoping we see more of him next season.

-- Can Mikhail ever be killed?

-- Jack referred to his dad a lot in the future. Is he alive?

-- Is Kate with Sawyer in the future? Was Henry Gale the one who died? Who else made it off the island?

This episode felt to me like it was such a setup for next season, I don't even feel like I could give it a grade. It would be like talking about "Kill Bill Vol. 1" without making mention of "Vol. 2." This episode felt more like a season premiere than a finale. That said, obviously it was amazing.

So it's over, huh? Where did the time go? But don't worry, I'm not taking eight months off like "Lost" is. Over at TheLostDiary.com, I am going to re-watch Season 1 (and probably 2 as well) and post new Diaries for them every Thursday. I haven't seen any of the episodes since they originally aired, so I think it will be interesting to watch them again.

Meanwhile, on Mondays, I'll be posting the Q&A columns -- and I imagine this week's will be crazy. E-mail your questions to questions@thelostdiary.com and hopefully we'll get enough throughout the "offseason" to keep the Q&A columns going as well.

It's been quite a season. I went back and read the first Diary from Season 3, and man have things changed. That column only got 46 comments. The last two weeks got over 1,300 combined. You know what the first timed entry of the first column said? "9:00 -- Right now if I had to rank the best characters on TV, Henry Gale would be top 5. Charlie would be somewhere around 10,451." Some things never change.

See ya next season, bruthas.

Posted by Daniel at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (260)

Forgot to mention this originally, this is from the guys at NobodysWatching.tv -- they did this awhile ago, but I thought it was fitting. Actually, I met one of the creators the day before it went up on their site and he showed it to me. There is actually one mistake in the beginning part of the video. See if you can catch it.

Posted by Daniel at 02:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)

Welcome to week two of the Monday Q&A column. I thought last week's went pretty well, so hopefully we can keep things going.

Two notes before we continue:

1) I started a MySpace page for The Lost Diary. Here is the link: www.myspace.com/lost_diary. I haven't done anything with it yet, but I figure if you want to, you can subscribe to the blog, this way I can tell you when I post new stuff once the finale airs.

2) Here is my preliminary plan for the summer, let me know what you think: I am going to re-watch season one and write Diary entries from the beginning. I don't think I have seen a single season one episode since they aired the first time, so I thought this could be kind of fun -- maybe I'll catch things I didn't notice the first time around. What do you think?

These are all taken from actual questions emailed to me, or comments made on TMZ or here on this site. Let's roll:

Q: This "Charlie must die!" crap is getting tremendously old. Yes, we're aware you hate the character. Yes, we know you want a fictional character to perish. Is there any way you could, you know, try watching this episode without letting you hatred for both a character and the fact that the actor is dating a reasonably attractive woman not taint your inane blog? ... This entire diary minute-by-minute format is a pretty intriguing way of blogging about a show that I think people find interesting, and it's sullied by the infantile whining of the writer who dislikes a character and sees fit to write about it in nearly EVERY SINGLE BLOG POST. -- Tony

A: Well you couldn't read the comments about last week's Diary without reading about Tony. His comments (I pasted two together for the sake of this Q&A) ignited a firestore on the message boards. Many, many people came rushing to my defense and quickly attacked Tony mercilessly.

Only problem though ... it was a great comment!

Here's the thing about TV critics (and most critics in general): They often write about and review shows they just don't like. Why would I want to read the opinion of someone who hates what they're writing about? Would an "American Idol" fan want to read a blog I wrote about the show? Of course not! I hate "American Idol." I think the best criticism comes from fans, true fans. A show should only try and please it's fans, and when it doesn't, who better to call them on it but the fans themselves?

Same thing goes here. Tony obviously reads the Diary and enjoys it. So when he sees me, in his opinion, ruining it by constantly bitching about Charlie, he voiced his opinion. I loved his comment so much that I wrote him to say so. If someone who hated my blog, or never read it before, posted that same comment I wouldn't have cared. I'm not above criticism either. Except for the Henry Gale thing.

And on the bright side, everyone calmed down after awhile and Tony fit right in with the rest of the gang. Good times.

Q: I believe I have come up with the "ultimate Lost question", tailored for you. But before I ask, I just wanted to say that my fiancee and I absolutely love the column, because for a true Lost fan, the show goes far beyond the 1 hours it's on television. It consumes you for the next six days and twenty-three hours. And your column is the creme of that which consumes. Anyway, so here is the "ultimate Lost question"... If the writers of the show gave you the chance to have Charlie die in whatever manner you desired in the next episode, but you could never see another John Locke and Henry Gale scene ever again, would you take the opportunity to kill off your most hated character? In other words, would you sacrifice your most favorite thing for the joy that comes with choosing how to destroy your most hated? -- Jeff (Methuen, MA)

A: This is the type of question I love. Obviously I agonized over this one for days. Not only would this guarantee Charlie's death, but it would allow me to make it slow and painful. Actually, I wouldn't even take that route -- I wouldn't even show his death. It would happen off-camera somewhere and then someone would go, "Hey, what happened to Charlie?" And someone else would say, "Oh, him? He's dead." And then everyone would carry on like nothing happened.

But to answer your question, I'd let him live. I couldn't imagine life without Locke and Henry Gale in it. Curses to Jeff from Methuen, MA!

Q: Does it ever aggravate you that people don’t actually watch or maybe listen to the show? There are so many questions that people ask in the blog that they’d know the answer to if they just paid attention! I want to b---- slap those people. Or, even better, they could read responses that TELL them the answer instead of just posting the same darn question two pages later …. It would drive me nuts to do what you do. -- Janelle

A: "Lost" is a confusing show and there is a lot of shit going on and you can't expect everyone to remember every little thing that happens. Sometimes people are doing other things when they watch, maybe the kids are yelling, maybe they don't have TiVo. It's not like an episode of "The Ghost Whisperer" or something (sorry JLH!). There is only one question that annoys me ...

Q: What happened to Mike and Walt? -- Tons of people.

A: I have no idea. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Q: Really now.................what is this show all about ?? Dying to know. -- Maureen

A: (Sigh)

Q: Rose, Kate or Juliet? I can't decide. Who would be the best companion on a cold, rainy island night. Rose obviously has experience and could keep a man warm...., kate's feisty and substitutes self realization and dealing with problems with bumping uglies (every time you wanted to get it on you could just remind her that her father never loved her), and juliet has all that doctor knowledge that could be used for the sexification. It's a tough choice. -- Clint.

A: I had to email Clint back right away. How could you leave off Sun? She's completely underrated. But let's leave her out of it since she's pregnant and I don't get down like that. Let's drop Rose, because I would never do that to Bernard. That leaves Kate and Juliet. Both incredibly attracted women, both have issues. As much as I love Juliet, I can't trust her. Gotta go with Kate, if for no other reason than to shut her up sometimes.

Q: Do you think Juliet lied about not knowing that there were people in The Looking Glass? I still don't trust her. Once a mole, always a mole. What do you think? -- Jessica in Brooklyn

A: No, I think Henry Gale lied to her (and probably everyone) about the Looking Glass and what goes on down there. Why? I am guessing we'll find out this week.

Q: Would you agree on the following airplane seat assignments?

Locke– Aisle
Hurley – Aisle and middle
Jack – Business class window
Sawyer – Aisle
Claire – Aisle
Jin – Middle
Sun – Window
Charlie – middle
Kate – Window
Sayid – middle

A: I like most of those answers. Without trying to remember back to what we saw on the show (like I don't think Jack was in business class or a window because he said something to Rose from across the aisle as the plane was going down), those all seem to make sense. Charlie seems like the type to book some kind of late, super saver fare that would put him in a middle seat.

Q: Did you happen to go back and watch Charlie’s entrance into the looking glass hatch? The brunette woman that came in second, was that Sawyers girlfriend that he conned and that later took up with Kate? It looked like her…wouldn’t that be weird?
-Tristan

A: A lot of people said this and I don't buy it. What I do like, however, is that maybe Henry Gale girlfriend Annie is down there somewhere. We never heard anything about her during the purge. I don't think Henry would have killed her.

Q: Hey Daniel - do you read internet spoilers? My advice? DON'T. Theories I love. Theories are fun. Guessing the mystery is fun. Knowing the plot before it airs? Not so fun. I regret having read that spoiler. Look away! Look away! -- Michelle

A: Well said, Michelle. Do you read the last chapter of a book first to find out what happened? Do you sneak into the end of the movie you're going to see so you find out how it ends? Why read spoilers? What is the point? I will never, ever understand that. In that vain ...

Q: Dearest Daniel,

I am weak....I am a sad, weak little girl that broke under the pressure of temptation *weeping*...I have "spoiled" myself!! I broke down and read the rumored synopsis of the upcoming episode and the Season finale!!! What was I thinking!!!! Now I want to shoot myself at the thought of how utterly disappointed you would be at my blatant display of weakness **hands buried in face with shame** Don't get me wrong, they were out-of-this-world-great, shocking, fantastic but now I wont be surprised ...i....i....i think I will commit self-flagellation now....If Sun's dad were here he would say the following, "You have shamed me and brought dishonor to our family" :)

Self banishment from the LOST-community is the honorable thing to do. :) -- Ana

A: See what happens when you read spoilers, children? Ana and I talked it out and she's fine now, but it was touch and go there for awhile.

Q: I hope that you discuss the Lost Writers Show that aired on Thursday night. I found it very interesting to compare what we as viewers want answers to, and where they are trying to lead us. I felt like they didn't give us any new information, but it did open my eyes to where I was completely 'off', or things that had been pushed to the back of my mind. -- Elle

A: I thought it was ok. The one thing I did like was that they said definitively that the plane crashed because Desmond didn't punch in the numbers in time. Even though the show clearly showed this, people still seemed to believe something else was up.

Q: I want to say I really love your blog; it's the highlight of my mornings on Thursdays, and I look forward to it from the minute "Lost" ends Wednesday nights. I think you're funny and I like that, rather than trying to dissect everything that happens (which I think is really cool and fun, but there's a lot of it that goes on on other sites), you're just a fan like the rest of us, freaking out when something awesome or unbelievable happens, and getting just as excited. -- Kim

A: This is my favorite comment ever. I started writing this column as a way to have fun with the most fun show on television. The motto I have for "Lost" is, "It isn't my favorite show, but it is my favorite show to watch."

I am glad everyone has fun reading it and I love the amazing community we have here. My friends like to say I have a loyal following of fans, but honestly I feel like we're all in this together -- I just happen to be the guy who works at TMZ.

Only one more to go. Where has the time gone?

Posted by Daniel at 03:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (83)

Time for another edition of the "Lost" Diary.

Tonight's episode is a Charlie flashback one, so obviously I am anticipating his (hopefully painful) demise. If you haven't been with me since the beginning, I hate Charlie. I think his character is useless on the show and it doesn't help things that the actor who plays him is dating Evangeline Lilly, who plays Kate. You can't be the worst character on one of my favorite shows AND date someone that hot. Just ain't right. So I apologize in advance if I spend half this episode begging for Charlie to die.

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. This week the crew is Ari, Lauren, Marisa, April and Matt. April made cupcakes tonight and Charlie might die -- what more could I want?. Let's roll:

10:00 -- "No matter what I do, you're gonna die, Charlie." -- Desmond, from a few weeks back. Please don't be a liar, Desmond. Please, please, please.

10:01 -- Someone goes running through the beach, grabs a boat, and makes off with it into the ocean. Couldn't really see who it was, but it looked like Karl, Alex's boyfriend.

10:02 -- "I don't know, stuff? Probably secret stuff." -- Hurley. Sawyer's attempts at humor have worn thin on me, but Hurley's have not.

10:03 -- When was the last time we saw so many characters together? Feels like the old band is back together.

10:04 -- Jack's speech was awesome. Seriously, I am ready to go and fight the Others right now (except for Henry Gale, of course). It was like he channeled his inner "Braveheart." The entire room just broke out in applause. Anyone who complained that Jack has turned into a (female cat) can rest rest easy now. Just one question: Why exactly did he blow up the tree?

10:07 -- Before this flashback starts, I am making a pledge: I will only say nice things about Charlie until he dies. This pledge only lasts for this episode. What are the odds I can keep it?

10:08 -- As soon as Lauren realized it was a Charlie flashback episode, she yelled out, "It's your night, Dan!" Don't jinx it Lauren.

10:09 -- Um, Charlie has nice handwriting.

10:10 -- "Look on the bright side: you're not really dead, right?" -- Naomi. Right?

10:11 -- The Others have a station, the Looking Glass, that jams all signals off the island, including Danielle's distress signal that has been playing for 16 years. Maybe if she explored the island a bit, she could have learned some of this stuff sooner.

10:12 -- Let's see ... um, Charlie is ... nice to Aaron ... when he isn't kidnapping him and dragging him into the ocean. Wait, does that count?

10:13 -- So, apparently, Charlie has to die for there to be a rescue. Seems like a fair trade to me, right? But wait ... they aren't getting rescued in the next two episodes (Hello? Three more seasons!) so there is no way the helicopter comes and Charlie can't die (at least not like that). Oh man, I am getting a bad feeling.

10:17 -- Um, Charlie was a cute kid.

10:18 -- So let's review now: the episode is called "Greatest Hits" and it's starting to feel like Charlie's flashback scenes are the most memorable moments of his life -- one might call them the greatest hits. Is this an homage to Charlie? A swan song? I am starting to get excited again.

10:19 -- It seems Charlie drowns to death. Slow and painful, I like that.

10:20 -- Charlie volunteers to swim to the hatch and flip the switch. He's admirable, I'll give him that.

10:21 -- Oh dear lord, I have never been so happy to see a middle-aged interracial couple in my whole life. I speak for every single "Lost" fan when I say this: We missed you, Rose and Bernard.

10:22 -- I am usually turned off to "Lost's" sappier moments, except when Sun and Jin are involved.

10:23 -- The boat from the beginning of the episode swims ashore, and lo and behold, it's Karl, who happens to take a nasty open-sand tackle from Sayid.

10:24 -- "No, they're coming tonight ... They're coming right now!" -- Karl. Uh oh.

10:27 -- "Here's your gun back." Henry Gale to Alex. How much do I love this man?

10:28 -- Whoa, so Henry Gale is planning on taking any women they can find and killing any men who get in their way. You're making it hard for me to love you, Henry.

10:29 -- Alex is the one who warned Karl to warn the Losties. Why exactly do the Others let her hang around when they make plans?

10:30 -- "Is he my father?" -- Alex. Wow, this is like that scene in "Empire Strikes Back" when Luke finds out Darth Vader is really his dad -- only the exact opposite.

10:31 -- "They know, Karl. But thanks." -- Juliet.

10:32 -- Two things about Jack's second "Braveheart" speech of the night. First of all, I'll say it again: welcome back, Jack. Glad you go your cajones back from Juliet's purse. Second, if Desmond is going to try and do something to help save Charlie, I will black out with rage. Just saying.

10:33 -- Another Charlie greatest hit and I can see why. Oh, it's because of his brother and the ring. Eh, I guess that was nice.

10:35 -- Odds Charlie gives Aaron the ring?

10:36 -- Guess not.

10:41 -- Charlie is good at fending off muggers with a guitar. Wasn't Charlie playing the same song in the same place as he was in Desmond's weird flashback episode from earlier this year? Oh, and by the way, the girl that Charlie saved was Sayid's girlfriend, Nadia. Small world, huh?

10:42 -- If Charlie is making a list of the five greatest moments in his life, what reason does he have to write one down every 15 minutes?

10:43 -- "Nothing is going to happen to me, Rose." -- Bernard. Uh oh.

10:44 -- "Then I am staying too." -- Rose. Double uh oh. This can't be good.

10:45 -- "I like you better since you got back, Jack." -- Rose. Man, I missed her. She said what we ALL were thinking.

10:46 -- Jack's "Braveheart" speeches were good. But Sayid matched him with the "you're our leader, so act like one" speech.

10:47 -- Charlie's "goodbye" to Hurley was touching. Doesn't change anything between us though, Charlie. Your death is still my Christmas morning. Santa better come down that chimney in the next 13 minutes!

10:50 -- The suspense of the Others' raid is killing me!

10:51 -- Ah ha! I knew Charlie left Aaron that ring. Too easy.

10:52 -- Into the ocean go Charlie and Desmond ...

10:53 -- Charlie's number one memory is meeting Claire -- how sweet. Of course, it's sooooooo sweet that I am now 100% certain he's going to die.

10:55 -- Desmond is trying to take Charlie's place. Do not take this moment from me. I don't ask for much, brutha! Let the little hobbit die!!!

10:56 -- Desmond, no, please stop. Come on Charlie, be a man!!!!

10:57 -- Yes!!! Charlie, I've never loved you more. But did you really need to hit him in the head with an oar?

10:58 -- Please, I can't take another week of this. Just let him die before this episode ends.

10:59 -- "I'm alive!" -- Charlie. Yeah, I see that.

11:00 -- Hmmm, chicks with guns. Desmond didn't see that coming, did he?

That was like the "Mission: Impossible" version of "Lost." It had the foot to the pedal from the opening scene to the very last moment. I have never been more exhausted watching an hour of television in my life. The anticipation involved with everything that was going on nearly gave me a heart attack. I need a shower and a nap.

This episode was really just a bridge between last week's episode and next week's finale. But what a bridge it was! Jack was back to his old self and Rose and Bernard were just back. That alone is enough to give this episode an A. Except for the fact that ...

... CHARLIE DIDN'T DIE!!! I SAT THROUGH CHARLIE FLASHBACKS FOR NOTHING!!!

So I have to give the episode a B. You can't NOT kill Charlie -- when you set him up to die so perfectly -- and expect to get an A from me. Not happening.

As for Charlie not dying, well, I'll be alright. Don't worry about me. I mean, it's just a TV show ... right?

Final thoughts: We shouldn't be surprised that the Looking Glass wasn't what we thought it would be. Juliet said that all she knew about it was what Henry Gale told her and -- surprise, surprise -- he lied. There is more going on in that station than we realize -- another way off the island, maybe? Or perhaps it is the real way off the island.

Time for this week's question: Why does God hate me? Seriously, WTF?!?! Just kill Charlie already, please! OK, seriously. Here is my real question ... I have asked this one multiple times, but with only one episode left, it's fitting to ask it again. The producers of "Lost" come up to you and say, "We'll solve one mystery for you in the finale, which one do you want?" What do you choose?

As for other "Lost" Diary business, I thought the Q&A went well, and I'll definitely do another one. You can send your questions to questions@thelostdiary.com and the article will appear Monday at Noon ET on www.thelostdiary.com. Now that we've got one under our belts, you can see the kinds of questions I chose, so feel free to have fun with it.

See you next week.

Posted by Daniel at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (74)

Welcome to my first ever "Lost" Diary Q&A (The L.D.Q.A. for short). Between the comments on this site, TMZ, and almost 200 emails of questions I got, we should have plenty of material.

As you can tell, I tried to stay away from questions like "What happened to Mike and Walt?" or "What happened to Rose and Bernard?" I don't have the answers to those questions and I'd really just be guessing. Given the overall tone of the "Lost" Diary, I picked questions that immediately made me react -- either because they made me laugh or made me scream.

I had no one to spell check or read over this, so pardon me if there are a few misspellings.

Hope you guys enjoy reading this because I loved reading all your emails. Here we go:

Q: Do you type as you watch and then edit the entire thing or does it go out raw just as you typed it while watching? – Mimi

A: Every reaction and prediction I have, I write down as soon as I have them. The play-by-play stuff and some of the jokes I add in later. Sometimes I want to go back and take out my bad predictions, but you got to take the good with the bad.

Q: I LOVE reading your post on TMZ after I watch Lost! I want to hang out w/ you! Is that weird? – Paige

A: Maybe just a little.

Q: Do you read all the comments on your blog?  It takes me a while to read them, I find them facinating, but you have a huge following.  Just wondering if you read them all.  Thanks! – James & Melissa

A: Yes, I read all the comments. But this week – my God!!! You guys wrote more comments than ever before and even I got a little lost. And you also got a little off track, which I love. Like this one…

Q: Would Richard or Sawyer make your “Top 5” List? In case you don't remember, on “Friends” Ross asks Rachel that if she could sleep with ANYONE and not have it matter for any reason, living or dead, who would be on her list? -- Casey

A: I used to have a list just like this, but I don’t have one anymore. It’s just one person: Jennifer Love Hewitt. Jennifer, if you’re a “Lost” fan, call me! There’s plenty of room on the couch for you.

Q: Do you think we’ll have anymore flashbacks of Juliet naked in bed?

A: One can only hope.

Q: “Lost” is not afraid to kill of people, how would you feel if Henry and Locke both died? – Laura.

A: Besides wearing all black to work the next day, I honestly don't know what I would do. Laura, if this actually happens, I am blaming you.

Q: So if I may be so bold as to suggest some party locations in the West Coast since the Day of the Dead Charlie is fast approaching:  Dodger Stadium parking lot, an airplane hanger,  the beach (appropriate) or perhaps Griffith Park (oh wait, its half gone!).   There are quite of few of us planning to attend. When is Charliepalooza exactly? – Janice.

A: When I first wrote about the Charlie party, I think I had maybe a few thousand readers. Now that this Diary has gotten bigger, I don’t think I can afford this little party. We’re going to have make it BYOB.

Q: First of all, great articles on TMZ, I wait every week for them, and often wonder while I'm watching the show: "WWDT" (What Will Daniel Think) about certain issues and scenes that come up while watching Lost.  I'm thinking of printing bumper stickers.  Wonder if it would catch on? – Amanda

A: Probably not, but I think you’re on to something.

Q: Explain the Ben/Henry Gale (or Benry as some call him) thing. – Marc.

A: Ok, first of all I hate “Benry.” I think that name sounds stupid. Henry Gale was the name he had when we first met him, and, I don’t know, I just like it better than Benjamin Linus. It’s a matter of preference I guess. Plus, now everyone who reads the “Lost” Diary can use it as a way of knowing who read the Diary and who doesn’t. I think we’re the only ones still calling him Henry Gale.

Q: I hate Jack. Discuss. – Brett

A: He is a tad whipped these days, isn’t he? I think every character has a different journey on the island, and depending on where they are on that journey makes them more or less likeable (like Locke last season when he had no balls). I think Jack will make a comeback and I think it will happen soon.

Q: What is with Mikhail’s eye patch?!?!   Why would they give him an eye patch? – Cathy

A: Anytime someone wears an eye patch, their coolness factor doubles. So why not give him an eye patch?

Q: I started your reading you blog a couple of months ago.  I would like to go back and read your analyses of seasons 1 & 2.  Are they archived?  When did you start doing this? – Carla

A: I started halfway through season 2 and they all appeared on TMZ. But when we switched publishing platforms, I lost a lot of them. I am going to try and go back and re-publish them all here, but it’s going to take some time. Stay tuned.

Q: Who is supposed to be taking care of Vincent?  How come no one has ever steps in dog poop since there is no one to clean it up?  Why hasn't he been eaten by a polar bear or gored by a boar?  -- Laura

A: Shannon seemed to be taking care of Vincent once Walt left, but nowadays I don’t know. Got to assume he’s picked a favorite spot in the jungle and does his business there. And I would assume he could outrun a boar or a polar bear. He’s a crafty little dog.

Q: Do you believe based on what we learned this week, that there is a connection with Henry (Ben's) mother dying in child birth, and the fact that women cannot carry a child to term, and deliver on the island? -- Renee

A: A few people suggested this and I think it's a FANTASTIC THEORY. Henry Gale obviously grew up feeling guilty about his mom’s death, so he somehow projected that onto every woman on the island. A lot of people suggested this connection and I really like it. Could be the kind of thing that gets revealed during a later Henry Gale flashback.

Q: Did you notice that Richard looked exactly the same age in the flashback as he does now? I mean, sure, it could just be a poor job by the make-up artists, but what is up with that? – Jessica

A: Ari and I argued over this one for a long time. Is it possible that Richard doesn’t age? Yes, of course. But it looked to me like they tried to make Richard look younger (with the longer hair), but maybe they didn’t do a great job. So while it looked like Richard didn’t age, and that is probably the case, I am not completely sold on it.

Q: Since Henry was really with the Dharma Initiative in the beginning, was he just acting like he didn't know anything about pushing the button every 108 minutes (season 2) & did they not know what happened when the button didn't get pushed in time (because of Locke)? – Coleman

A: You would think Henry Gale knew about the Hatch, but he might not have known what exactly went on inside there. It’s possible he got “captured” on purpose so that he could see what went on inside the Hatch – but yet it wouldn’t have made sense for Henry Gale to try and talk Locke out of pushing the button since he had no clue what it did. It doesn’t quite add up.

Q: I think Ben couldn't see Jacob at all.  I think he was pretending.  Evidence?  Ben didn't know what Jacob said to Locke. – Tim

A: I think people can only hear Jacob when he’s talking to them. Locke didn’t hear Jacob when he was talking to Henry Gale, and Henry couldn’t hear him when he was talking to Locke. Just a thought.

Q: Did the Hostiles usurp the Initiative both on and off the island? -- Erik

A: Before we knew the Others killed all the Dharma people, I used to think that Dharma didn’t know what was going on on the island – or who was doing it. Now, I don’t know who is running things off the island. Sounds  like the subject for a future flashback.

Q: Ben is smart but must forget things. Locke was shot just below the heart on the left side. Normally a fatal shot because it shreds the kidney. But Locke gave his kidney to his father so the bullet would pass through and Locke will heal.

A: Wow, now we're taking things to a whole other level. But is it at all possible that Henry Gale didn't want to kill Locke. I mean, if he did, wouldn't he have shot him in the head? Maybe it's all a test of some kind.

Q: And, for those ppl that come on here praising how "superior" Heroes is to Lost ... with your attention spans you will be griping about Heroes when it too is in its third or fourth season. (Heroes is a good show too, but quit comparing them already.) -- Miss Smith

A: My friend Matt and I had this argument a month of two ago. I love "Heroes," it's a great show. But the first season of "Heroes" isn't as good as the first season of "Lost" and I don't think it's fair to compare a show's first season with a different show's third. Let's see if "Heroes" can keep it going for several seasons.

Q: What is your favorite television character of all time? Here's my top 5: -- Mattattack

1. John Locke
2. Tony Soprano
3. George Costanza
4. Jebediah Bartlett
5. Jean-Luc Picard

A: Wow, another tough one. I am going to leave "Lost" characters out of it. I am sure I will forget a few, but:

1. Al Swearengen ("Deadwood")
2. Vic Mackey ("The Shield")
3. Jack Bristow ("Alias")
4. Leo McGarry ("The West Wing")
5. Veronica Mars ("Veronica Mars")

Q: Hmm.. you know, I dont really mind Charlie..... -- ?!?!?!?!

A: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Alright, hope you liked the first edition of the L.D.Q.A. Drop me a comment and let me know if it worked for you. I hope to do two more leading up to the end of the season. If all goes well, I think we can make it a weekly thing while "Lost" is off the air as our way to "keep in touch" while it's gone.

Posted by Daniel at 02:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (92)

Time for another edition of the "Lost" Diary.

Have I mentioned how awesome you guys are? I've got two reasons. First of all, you got my back. Someone posted a comment about the Henry Gale/Ben thing, and there were comments galore defending me. I thought about relenting and just calling him Ben, but then one person wrote: "If Daniel ever starts calling Henry Gale 'Ben,' I will cry. It's now a point of honor." Amen to that, brutha.

The other thing I love is that you guys have quietly formed a great little community of "Lost" fans here, and I think we need to do more with it. More on that later on in the article.

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. This week the crew is Ari, Lauren, Marisa, April and Matt. Let's roll:

10:00 -- I'm a guy, so I will never fully understand the rigors of childbirth, but I have to assume that giving birth in the jungle doesn't help matters.

10:02 -- "Call him Benjamin." -- Emily. So I guess Henry Gale wasn't really born on the island.

10:03 -- It's Henry Gale's birthday! And I didn't get him anything. What do you get Henry Gale anyway? Tivo?

10:04 -- Uh oh, Richard screwed up and the tape recording is missing. Meanwhile, Locke returns to the Others camp with his father's dead body on his back? Um, where do you want me to put this, Henry Gale?

10:05 -- "So why don't you start at the beginning." -- Locke.

10:07 -- Alright, first question of the night: Who is Jacob? Better yet, is there even a Jacob?

10:08 -- The fact that Locke is calling out Henry Gale about there being no Jacob makes me immediately believe that there is. Henry Gale doesn't lie ... except when he does.

10:09 -- Is the island a research facility or a Club Med?

10:10 -- Alright, so Henry Gale had to be at least 10 years old when we see him get to the island -- he HAS to remember coming there. So is he lying to everyone when he says he was born there or does he just not remember?

10:11 -- "There are properties on this island that exist nowhere else on Earth." -- Dr. Marvin Candle. No kidding, doc.

10:12 -- "Roger Workman" is the "name" of the corpse that Hurley found in the horrible van episode. But that wasn't his name; it was his name and title. Hurley found Henry Gale's father's dead body. Creepy.

10:13 -- Mikhail is freaking out about Naomi being on the island, and so is Henry Gale.

10:14 -- "He and I are going to see Jacob." -- Locke. Did you see the looks on everyone's faces when Locke said that? Wow.

10:15 -- Locke's beating of Mikhail is interesting for one reason: no one stopped him. Not even when Henry Gale asked them to. Very telling.

10:18 -- Alex feels that Locke needs a gun if he's going to see Jacob. I wonder if we'll find out tonight how Henry Gale came to be her "dad."

10:19 -- Dharma Middle School is interrupted by the Hostiles. Another possible question we might get answered tonight.

10:20 -- So Henry Gale's dad was a prick; no real surprise. I hope we see a little of how he rose to power and not just the kid Henry Gale. Not as interesting. But I guess there will always be more Henry Gale flashbacks.

10:21 -- Is Kate's only purpose on the show to say and do stupid things?

10:22 -- "This isn't a man you go and see. This is a man who summons you." -- Henry Gale.

10:23 -- Did you see the sly smile Locke flashed Mikhail as he walked past him? Classic. By the way, remember when I said Henry Gale never lies except when he does? I think he's totally lying about taking Locke to see Jacob. He WANTS Locke to meet Jacob. Better yet, Jacob WANTS to meet Locke.

10:27 -- Lil' Henry Gale has a girlfriend -- how cute. She'll be dead by the end of this episode, most likely by the Hostiles.

10:28 -- "Kinda hard to celebrate on the day you killed your mom." -- Henry Gale's dad. Father of the Year material right there.

10:29 -- Run, Henry Gale, run!

10:30 -- "It's not time yet, Benjamin." -- Henry Gale's mom. Very "Shining"-esque, don't you think?

10:31 -- OK, seriously, someone just play the damn tape already.

10:32 -- No one trusts Jack, Jack doesn't trust anyone. Why is everyone so paranoid? With everything that has happened, don't they have more -- A LOT MORE -- to worry about than each other?

10:37 -- I see it all happening before it happens. Lil Henry Gale goes looking for his mom, deactivates the sonic fence, the Hostiles come in and kill most everyone. Did the Hostiles (aka The Island) conjure up Henry Gale's mom's ghost so that all this would happen? Poor Lil Henry Gale. Let's see if I'm right.

10:38 -- What's with Henry Gale and rabbits?

10:39 -- "Mom?" -- Lil' Henry Gale. Um, no, that's Richard.

10:40 -- OK, so did Henry Gale join the Hostiles, overthrow the Dharma Initiative and create the Others? And doesn't Henry Gale seem like he should be older than Richard?

10:41 -- "We're here." -- Henry Gale.

10:42 -- Time for final Jacob predictions. My friend at work thinks that somehow Locke is Jacob. If he turns out to be right, I will explain his theory later. If he's wrong, I will make fun of him tomorrow.

10:43 -- "Are you sure this is what you want?" Henry Gale to Locke. Um, yeah, of course this is what we want!!!

10:44 -- Oh my God. Henry Gale is crazy.

10:45 -- Or is he? We went frame by frame through the scene and you can see "someone" there. WTF?!?!? So many new questions ...

10:46 -- "That was Jacob." -- Henry Gale. Seems like a pleasant guy.

10:50 -- So Henry Gale knows he wasn't born on the island. At least he's not completely insane.

10:51 -- So Henry Gale's great Dharma education allowed him to grow up and become a janitor?

10:52 -- If I never see another blue van again ...

10:53 -- Henry Gale is checking his watch. My theory about him and the Hostiles wasn't quite right, but he's definitely about to lead the revolt.

10:54 -- R.I.P. Henry Gale's dad. Did Henry Gale have to kill his dad to prove himself like Locke had to?

10:55 -- R.I.P. everyone. The Hostiles = the Others.

10:56 -- Henry Gale is explaining how he chose sides and helped to "purge" the Dharma Initiative. And somewhere along the line he became King of the Others. It would be interesting to see how he usurped Alpert for control. Jacob, perhaps?

10:57 -- Wait, I'm sorry, did Henry Gale just shoot Locke?

10:58 -- "He said, 'Help me.'" -- Locke. Wow, did you see Henry Gale's face just then? He really, and I mean REALLY, wants to be the only person who can talk to Jacob.

10:59 -- "Well I certainly hope he helps you, John." -- Henry Gale.

Whenever I watch an episode of "24," and Jack Bauer is put in a life or death situation/cliffhanger, I always laugh. Really, they're going to kill Jack Bauer? Come on. So is John Locke an unkillable character on "Lost"? Are certain characters easier to kill of than others? Yes and Yes. Let me explain:

Locke is one of the two most indispensable characters on "Lost" (Henry Gale being the other). Those two characters, more so than any others on the show, are connected with what is happening on the island. They are the ones that are most rooted in the entire essence of the show; the island itself. Juliet, Desmond and Hurley are up there, Sayid and Sun, too. But those two are the heart and soul of the show right now.

And the opposite is true for so many other characters. Charlie, for example, has nothing to do with anything (which is the main reason I hate him). Is there any mystery to him? Anything unsolved? Does he bring anything to the table? And most importantly, if we just lifted him off the show, would anything be missing? He is completely and utterly dispensable. So is Claire, Jin, Kate, Sawyer (sorry Lauren) and in a lot of ways even Jack.

**MILD SPOILER ALERT. READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH AT YOUR OWN RISK**

From what I've heard (try as I might to avoid it), five characters die before the end of the year. Charlie, Claire, Jin, Kate and Sawyer are the most dispensable characters, as I just mentioned. Could it be them?

**OK, YOU CAN COME BACK NOW**

So in summary, Jacob will "help" Locke. The show needs him.

On to Jacob now -- who or what is he? Why couldn't Locke hear what he was saying to Henry Gale? Why couldn't Henry Gale hear what he was saying to Locke? What was that powder around Jacob's home? Is he trapped there somehow by Henry Gale so that no one else can talk to him? How many questions can I ask about a character we saw for about a second and only said two words?

I feel like I learned a lot this week, a lot of new questions were certainly raised, and some good ones were answered. But, like I said, I don't think Locke is really dead, so the cliffhanger doesn't really do much for me. I give the episode an A.

So here is my question to you this week: Who do you think are the two most indispensable characters on the show? You already know my answer.

So as I mentioned, I love the little community we've got going here. So for the last two weeks of the show, I am going to try and write a second "Lost" column, which will run the next three Mondays (assuming you guys are into it). The idea for the column is a mailbag. I'll take some things from the comments here at TMZ, but I mainly want you guys to email me questions and we'll do a sort of Q&A thing. They don't have to be hardcore "Lost" questions, but let's try and stay on topic a little bit.

You can email me at questions@thelostdiary.com. I will post the article on my personal website for the "Lost" Diary, which is simply www.thelostdiary.com. Look for it Monday morning.

See you next week.

Posted by Daniel at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (276)

Time for another edition of the "Lost" Diary.

So I try and avoid promos and commercials as best I can, but they always find a way to creep in. This week, some people posted on TMZ about a confrontation between Locke and Sawyer. With Locke's dad looming on the island, I have to assume that this could be the week we learn that Locke's dad is the original Sawyer (the man who conned Sawyer's parents, driving his dad to kill his mom, then himself). If that's the case, tonight's episode could be off the charts.

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.

This week it's a special East Coast edition of the Diary. I am back in Queens, N.Y. for the week, so I am not with the usual crew. Instead, I am watching with just one other person; my mom. If she says anything about Sawyer along the same lines as Lauren usually does, it would be uncomfortable. Let's roll:

10:00 -- The "previously on 'Lost'" goes through Locke's history, so I imagine this will be the night we find out what he's been up to since we last saw him.

10:01 -- We're flashing back to eight days ago. I love when "Lost" does an "on island" flashback.

10:02 -- Normally during "Lost," I have no problem typing while a scene is going on. When Locke and Henry Gale are involved, I barely even breathe, much less type. What did Locke's dad mean when he said, "Don't you know where we are?"

10:03 -- "Would you like to come with us?" -- Henry Gale. Can I come too? Is it weird that I want to be Anakin Skywalker to Henry Gale's Chancellor Palpatine? Actually, don't answer that.

10:04 -- We cut back to Kate and Sawyer spooning. Would have thought Kate would have been the little spoon. Oh well.

10:05 -- I bet Lauren even finds Sawyer taking a piss to be sexy.

10:08 -- So Locke has Henry Gale tied up in the forest -- would have thought it was his dad. Actually, I still think it is. I just figure Locke would have had a tough time explaining that one to Sawyer.

10:09 -- "We've been waiting for you." -- Cindy. That rates pretty high on the creepy scale.

10:10 -- So as a gesture that he is ready to be a true Other, Henry Gale wants Locke to kill his father. And why should this take any convincing? I would think Locke would jump at the chance. Oh right, he's not a killer. We shall see.

10:12 -- My mom is actually taunting me with Charlie's presence. She's a loyal reader and more than aware of how much I hate him, but she doesn't have to rub it in.

10:13 -- So Desmond and the crew are keeping parachute lady hidden in a tent on the beach. My mom recognizes her as the chick from "Vegas." Good catch, mom.

10:14 -- Locke is bringing up Sawyer's parents. I feel my prediction is on its way to coming true. I am downright giddy.

10:16 -- Sawyer says he won't kill anyone, Locke says he'll change his mind. Prediction time: since it's pretty obvious Locke has his dad tied up somewhere and not Henry Gale, do you think Sawyer will kill Locke's dad? I go with yes.

10:19 -- Let's welcome Sayid back to the show. All together now, "Hi, Sayid."

10:20 -- Parachute lady is named Naomi. Good to know. Other than that, I don't know what to make of her whole story.

10:23 -- "It's time." -- Henry Gale. Well you just know something cool is about to happen when Henry Gale says that.

10:24 -- "The hesitation that you're feeling is just the part of you that still feels like he has a perfectly good explanation for stealing your kidney, throwing you out of an eight story window." -- Henry Gale. I bow at the feet of Henry Gale.

10:25 -- Locke's dad doesn't think that Locke can kill him. He can't do it, we all know he can't do it. Why doesn't Henry Gale know it?

10:26 -- Man, the Others sure enjoy gathering to watch a man get stabbed on a pillar.

10:27 -- "I'm sorry, he's not who we thought he was." -- Henry Gale. Reminds me of the scene in "The Matrix" before we found out Neo was the one. I guess that makes Henry Gale our Morpheus.

10:28 -- "It's an old slaving shape, mid 19th-century." -- Locke. Is there anything he doesn't know?

10:29 -- Yup, Locke's dad is the one tied up. Things should really start to get interesting.

10:33 -- OK, seriously, Naomi's "satellite phone" is really just the iPhone. I didn't check the credits closely, did Steve Jobs produce this episode?

10:34 -- If Locke weren't harboring a couple of hostages, I would hope that he would have asked Rousseau what she wanted with all that dynamite. I am pretty sure a crazy French woman should never be given a whole crate of explosives.

10:35 -- So Alpert gave Sawyer's file to Locke so that he could figure out Sawyer's connection to his dad. Great move.

10:37 -- "If there were any bullets in that gun, why would you hold a knife to my throat?" -- Locke. That right there is what makes him John Locke.

10:38 -- So, apparently, the Others staged a car accident so they could get Locke's dad onto the island -- or at least that's how it sounded. Interesting note: Locke's dad referred to Locke as his "dead son." This probably confirms Naomi's story about Oceanic Flight 815 being "found" and everyone aboard being "dead."

10:40 -- "If this isn't hell, friend, then where are we?" -- Locke's dad.

10:41 -- "A con man goes by many names, friend. I've been Alan Seward, Anthony Cooper, Ted Maclaren, Tom Sawyer ..." -- Locke's dad. God this is getting good.

10:42 -- "Sawyer's my name too." -- Sawyer. Just a great scene all around. Very possibly the best scene not involving Locke or Henry Gale this season.

10:45 -- "Don't tell me what I can't do, John." -- Henry Gale. Locke's favorite line, thrown back at him.

10:46 -- "Unless you're carrying your father's body on your back, don't bother." -- Henry Gale.

10:47 -- Wait a sec, you're telling me Sawyer still has that letter on him? Come on.

10:50 -- "You wanna go to hell?" -- Sawyer. Great line to say as you're strangling a guy with a chain.

10:51 -- "Thank you." -- Locke. So Locke didn't actually kill his dad, but he might as well have. Not sure how this makes him feel any better about it.

10:54 -- "Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of her." -- Jack. What a tool. My mom had a better description: "A**hole."

10:56 -- "We should tell her." -- Juliet. Well, I guess that confirms that Jack is working with Juliet somehow. But tell her what exactly? Something is up here. They are definitely double-crossing Henry Gale somehow.

10:57 -- Locke is giving Sawyer Henry Gale's tape recorder so he can go back and warn the camp that the Others are coming soon. Seems like Juliet and Jack might be on verge of warning them anyway.

10:58 -- "I'm on my own journey now." -- Locke.

10:59 -- Remember when Henry Gale said, "Unless you're carrying your father's body on your back, don't bother"? Guess Locke is taking that literally.

I can often judge an episode by how many quotes I write down. I am a huge fan of dialog -- Aaron Sorkin and David Mamet being the masters. When Locke and Henry Gale are prominent in an episode, I know I am going to get some great scenes. You can just tell the writers of the show love writing for those two characters.

I am giving this episode a B+. I really enjoyed seeing how Locke had spent his time with the Others. The performances and writing were top notch and there were at least three scenes that had me holding my breath. No startling revelations (we all saw the Sawyer/Locke's dad thing coming) and no killer ending is what kept it from getting an A.

A couple of leftover, random thoughts before I finish. What did Henry Gale mean when he kept saying that Locke was the one that brought his dad to the island? Will the island take revenge on Sawyer for killing someone? A meeting with the black smoke monster, perhaps?

Before I get to this week's question, I owe you guys my answer to last week's. "The Wire" is my favorite show on television and is probably the best show of all-time. If you don't watch it, and if you trust me on the matters of television at all, you'll rent season one when you have a chance. Nothing else compares.

On to our question for this week: As a fan of shows like "The Shield," I have no problem when good guys do bad things. Locke's dad was a shitty guy who ruined Sawyer's life. I am perfectly okay with Sawyer killing him. Are you? See you next week.

Posted by Daniel at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (263)