The Lost Diary

My bad.

I've been a little under the weather the past several days and I haven't felt much like writing or watching TV (yes, that's how you know when I'm really sick). But I'm back with a vengeance and actually looking forward to doing something productive.

By the way, I finally saw "Superbad" last week and I have to say that movie was funny as all hell. I've also started watching "Flight of the Conchords" and "Mad Men" and I recommend them both highly.

That said, let's roll:

00:01 -- Reason no. 752 why I hate Charlie: Michael is looking for his son, but Charlie interrupts asking about Claire's bags.

00:02 -- "WALT!" -- Michael

00:03 -- There are a lot of things I love doing, watching "Lost" being one of them. But there is nothing I'd rather be doing right now than having Locke teach me how to throw knives. You don't have to say it -- I am worried about myself enough for all of us.

00:04 -- "Whoa." -- Boone. Hey. don't steal Keanu's signature line!

00:06 -- When Michael gets all worked up over Walt, I don't feel that father-son emotional type of the thing from him. Feels forced, like Hurley said earlier.

00:07 -- Any conversation that contains the words "I still love you, you know I do" is never going to end well.

00:09 -- "It just can't happen ... He can't grow up here." -- Michael

00:11 -- Ah, the raft. I forgot the raft. I am actually looking forward to seeing this storyline are again.

00:13 -- Any conversation that contains the words "I've been seeing someone" is never going to end well.

00:14 -- Claire's diary is missing. Stop the presses.
 
00:16 -- Sawyer and Charlie fighting makes me smile.

00:17 -- Fashion fact: I have the shirt Boone is wearing. Strangely enough, so does Ari.

00:18 -- "I catch you with my son again, I'll kill you." -- Michael to Locke. Pardon me for saying so, Michael, but I got $20 on Locke.

00:19 -- Any conversation that contains the words "You're not my father!" is never going to end well.

00:20 -- If I were Walt, I wouldn't listen to Michael. What could be grounded be like on the like on the island? No Smoke Monster for a month?

00:22 -- Any conversation that involves the mother of your child asking you if another man can adopt your son will never end well.

00:23 -- "Let's go find your boy." -- Locke to Michael. Locke needs his own theme music.

00:25 -- If I were Charlie, I'd have read Claire's diary. Also, if I were Charlie, I'd have killed myself.

00:28 -- I don't know quite what to make of the whole "dead bird" scene -- I think it's just there to make us wonder about Walt, but it didn't do a hell of a lot for me.

00:31 -- "There is something about him ... Sometimes when he's around, things happen. He's different somehow." -- Brian, talking about Walt. Real stand-up guy this Brian is.

00:32 -- If I ever write a television show or a movie, there will be no box of unread letters. I am sick of that device; it's old.

00:33 -- Walt reads a comic book with a polar bear, and a polar bear attacks him. Now, we saw the polar bear way back in the beginning, so I don't know if the two things are tied together. Still, it's a tad strange (and I'm not even talking about the fact there is a polar bear on a tropical island).

00:34 -- "I'm your father." -- Michael to Walt. Had a little more punch when Darth Vader said it.

00:35 -- "I'm not going anywhere with you." -- Walt to Michael. Ah, how those words must have warmed Michael's heart.

00:37 -- Definitely the best polar bear attack rescue scene I have ever witnessed.

00:39 -- Ugh, again with the box of unread letters.

00:42 -- Welcome back, Claire.

So here's my thing: if this was the episode that was supposed to make us think Walt was "different," they did a terrible job of it. A bird died? That's all you could come up with. And over time, do you really think they paid off this storyline at all? Feels to me like they abandoned the idea and just shipped Walt off into oblivion.

The entire Walt storyline has been a let-down thus far. Then again, he hasn't been on the show for two years, so I guess that's part of it (hallucinations don't count).

Posted by Daniel at 07:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (103)

Ever change a tire at 6 in the morning? I don't recommend it.

Just a reminder, email questions for next week's L.D.Q.A. to by clicking here.

And with that ...

00:02 -- Boone doesn't look too happy about Sayid getting his Iraqi swerve on with his sister.

00:03 -- Shannon's call for help, if memory serves, is all a ploy to get money out of Boone. Lovely girl.

00:04 -- Boone's "suggestion" that Sayid stay away from Shannon seems a tad racist at the time, but he's really doing him a favor.

00:05 -- "Right now, this is our priority." -- Locke. Doesn't look like they've gotten very far with the hatch, does it?

00:06 -- Kinda ironic when Hurley complains about food, isn't it?

00:07 -- When Kate says the words, "I'll show you, if you want to see" -- does any guy ever say no?

00:10 -- I wish I had Locke to read me bedtime stories.

00:12 -- Hurley and Jin "talking" always equals comedy.

00:14 -- Locke didn't take too kindly to Boone's saying he wants to tell Shannon about the hatch and I can't say I blame him. Shannon sucks.

00:15 -- But tying him up and leaving him in the woods does seem kind of harsh.

00:17 -- Boone and Shannon are merely step-siblings, which makes his banging her less creepy. Slightly.

00:18 -- Unless Shannon can do some things I haven't even heard of, I would definitely break up with her for $50,000.

00:19 -- "Please, don't tell anyone." Sun to Kate about her speaking English.

00:20 -- I find Hurley funny and everything, when they turn him into a bad Benny Hill sketch, it's just a little stupid.

00:21 -- "I'm sneakier than I give myself credit for." -- Locke.

00:22 -- Locke said Boone wouldn't untie himself until he was properly motivated and now he's hearing Shannon screaming and the monster coming. What exactly did Locke smear on his head? And where do I get some?

00:24 -- Now I can't remember -- is any of this real? I don't think so, but I can't remember for certain.

00:27 -- "You set me up. This whole thing was a set-up." -- Boone to Shannon.

00:28 -- I get a little excited for every scene with Jack and Locke.

00:29 -- "Have you never lied to a man you've loved?" -- Sun to Kate. Who, Kate? Naaaahhhhh ...

00:30 -- "Your wife's hot." -- Hurley to Jin. Yes, yes she is.

00:31 -- "Over the lips, past the gums, yada yada. Oh god." -- Hurley.

00:32 -- "How am I doing? With week two of the heroin withdrawal or with Claire being abducted by the freak who tried to kill me?" -- Charlie to Jack.

00:34 -- "We found something." -- Boone to "Shannon."

00:35 -- I don't know what to make of the monster grabbing "Shannon." Did the island tell Locke to do this to talk him out of telling Shannon? Because it sure seems like something other than a regular old hallucination is going on.

00:36 -- "You brought the money because you're in love with me." -- Shannon to Boone. Sometimes I am so glad I am an only child.

00:37 -- Who is more twisted here: Boone or Shannon? I go Shannon.

00:39 -- R.I.P. "Shannon."

00:40 -- "Is that what it made you see?" -- Locke to Boone.

00:41 -- "I felt relieved." -- Boone.

00:42 -- "Follow me." -- Locke.

One of the things I liked about this episode, a theme that I have mentioned several times before, is that we saw what a bitch Shannon was. As the seasons have gone on, every Lostie is now a "good guy." Back in season one, people were still assholes and I liked it better that way. Now everyone is sympathetic and I think it takes something away.

I give this episode a solid B. In retrospect, Locke was already in tune with the island at this point more than we realized.

Something that occurred to me while watching this episode: if I were stranded on the island, I'd be Boone. No real discernible skills, but more than willing to chip in whenever I can. I DEFINITELY would have been Locke's sidekick and I would have been all about getting that hatch open. But I draw the line at sex with step-siblings.

Posted by Daniel at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Since I didn't get a lot of questions this week (good ones, just not that many), I am forgoing the L.D.Q.A. in favor of this instead.

So I've gotten a lot of questions from you guys about what pilots I can recommend for this coming season. I've had a few squared away and decided to watch a few this weekend and figured I'd let you in on what I saw.

Now, I've read several places that the best of the lot this season was "Pushing Daisies." It's about a guy who can bring dead people back to life for one minute -- if they stay alive for any longer, someone else has to die in their place. And, if that weren't enough, if said dead person does stay alive for longer than one minute, he can't touch them again or else they die.

This may sound clever, and it is, but is it a whole show? Are they going to make a "dead person a week" kinda thing -- because if so, count me out. Well I can't comment on what the future of the show holds but I can say this -- the pilot is amazing.

It has the personality of "Edward Scissorhands," a light, almost fantastical feel. I don't want to give too much away about what happens in the pilot, but this show isn't about plot, per se. It's about style. Everything -- from the acting to the writing to the music -- creates a mystical aura that will make you laugh and smile throughout.

I am worried about how this show will carry things out week after week, but after watching the first show, I am definitely, definitely in.

I give the pilot an A and I give the show prognosis a B.

Check back later this week and I'll give you my review of "Bionic Woman," the other pilot people are raving about.

Posted by Daniel at 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Ever work for a website that has no Internet access for a day? It's not fun. My Friday was terrible, sorry I'm late, but here we go.

But first, a reminder -- send in your questions to questions@thelostdiary.com. We were a little short last week...

00:02 -- As Kate and Sawyer begin to disrobe to jump into the water, my mind does what it tends to do sometimes and I wonder, "How much would Lauren pay for a Sawyer/Kate sex tape?" I'm going to text her and ask -- stay tuned.

00:04 -- Dead bodies can sure kill the mood.

00:05 -- What does Sawyer think the man's wallet will do for him ... on the island? Do the Others take American Express?

00:06 -- "Whatever the Case May Be" might be the dumbest episode title in "Lost" history. Oooh, there's a case and we don't know what's in it!

00:07 -- I'm just going to say it -- not a fan of Kate's underwear choice.

00:08 -- You would think Claire still being missing leave people with a greater sense of urgency.

00:09 --  Ok, even though I know what happens with the hatch (duh?) so far the thing I am most excited about is seeing Locke and Boone work on it. I totally would have been Boone.

00:10 -- Ten minutes in, no flashbacks. Weird.

00:11 -- Ah, there we go. I am excited to see this flashback again. I feel like whenever people talk about Kate's backstory, this particular part of it is always fuzzy to people.

00:12 -- Just as Sawyer and Kate start wrestling, Lauren texts me back: "infinity dollars."

00:13 -- Shannon in a bikini. I have nothing to add here.

00:14 -- Sayid asks Shannon for help translating Rouseau's maps -- and so begins the least likely romance in television history.

00:15 -- When people make Sawyer feel stupid, I get happy.

00:17 -- I wish there was more of Rose on the show. She can be a bit one-note, but I still love her.

00:18 -- Kate grabs the case while Sawyer is up in the tree. Did I mention I love it when people make Sawyer feel stupid?

00:21 -- Bankrobber Kate is hot.

00:22 -- I could learn a thing or two about the ladies from Sayid. Or three.

00:24 -- "What else is in the case, Kate?" -- Jack.  

00:25 -- Rose is going all "Good Will Hunting" on Charlie and telling him "it's not your fault." Come one, it's a little bit his fault.

00:26 -- "Maybe I should have die." -- Charlie. Maybe?

00:28 -- There are a lot of things I would do if Kate asked me, digging up a dead body might not be one of them.

00:29 -- When Kate does bad things, I like her more. Now I understand why Lauren loves Sawyer. And by the way, do you think, as we watch season 1 again, we can pinpoint the exact moment when Kate began to suck?

00:32 -- Nobody just asks anyone for anything on the island, do they?

00:35 -- Forget what I said before -- Maggie is the one I love. She killed a BUNCH of people just then. Sometimes we forget how bad she was.

00:37 -- "It belonged to the man I killed!" -- Kate

00:39 -- "It's a fine line between denial and faith. It's much better on my side." -- Rose

00:40 -- Irasp or Waraqi? I can't figure what I would call the love child of an Iraqi and a WASP. Tough call.

00:42 -- All that for a toy plane.

I'm a little short on time this week, so I'll keep it brief.

Can't say I loved this episode the second time around, but it was solid. It is amazing all the bad shit Kate has done that we've forgotten about. She did some SERIOUS damage in that bank -- all for a toy plane. I do think it's kind of cool that we don't learn the plane's significance and who it belonged to until later.

As for on the island, this episode set some things in motion (Sayid and Shannon) and only alluded to what's to come for Boone and Locke.

Good, not great. Still though, I keep getting the same feeling each week I watch "Lost" -- it's better now than it was then.

Posted by Daniel at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm pulling a bait and switch today -- no Diary (I'll post it tomorrow, so come back then). Instead, I am introducing what I am thinking will be my next regular column: The List.

I love lists. I love ranking things. I like saying "this thing here is better than the one before it, but not as good as the one to come." I especially love ranking things in pop culture. My favorite movie ("Fight Club"), my favorite musician ("Prince") or my favorite show about the survivors of a plane crash ("Two and a Half Men").

So that brings me back to The List. I don't know if it will be every week yet, but I definitely think it could be. And it's completely interactive and definitely liable to spark major debate. You have 3 things to do with every List:

1) Read my List.
2) Post your own (if I do 10, don't feel you have to. If I only do five, feel free to post more).
3) Send me suggestions for the next one.

These won't all be "Lost" related and they don't all have to be television or even pop culture. Much like the L.D.Q.A. I hope to keep it loose and random and fun. So let's see if this works, shall we? Here I present to you the first List.

Top 10 "Lost" Quotes From Season 3

10. "Well, I know your name as well as I know that you that don't ask Penny to marry you. In fact, you break her heart. Well, breaking her heart is, of course, what drives you in a few short years from now to enter that sailing race, to prove her father wrong, which brings you to the island where you spend the next 3 years of your life entering numbers into the computer until you are forced to turn that failsafe key. And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of us is dead. So give me that sodding ring!" -- Ms. Hawkins, "Flashes Before Your Eyes."
 
One of the better lines from the trippiest episode of "Lost" ever. I loved the whole pseudo-flashback thing.

9. "Shephard wasn't even on Jacob's list." -- Pickett, "I Do"

A great throwaway line that means so much.
 
8. "No, I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say I was going to do it, I was just wanted you to understand how you were going to die." -- Jack, "I Do"
 
Jack so rarely grows a pair, it's an occasion when he does.

7. "Two days after I found out I had a fatal tumor on my spine, a spinal surgeon fell out of the sky... and if that's not proof of God, I don't know what is." -- Henry Gale, "The Cost of Living"
 
Honestly, this whole List could have been Henry Gale quotes. I like to think I am showing some restraint here.

6. "Because I want it to crash, Kate. I don't care about anyone else on board. Every little bump we hit, turbulence... I actually close my eyes, and I pray... I pray that I can go back." -- Jack, "Through the Looking Glass"
 
The line itself is only good, but I love the foreshadowing of it.

5. "You know, the last Other that we came in contact with, he kidnapped Claire. Some of us chased him into the jungle. Charlie got mad, we buried him over there." -- Hurley, "One of Us."

By far the best line Hurley has had that wasn't completely predictable and self-depricating.
 
4. "Actually, we're not quite in Portland." -- Richard, "Not in Portland"
 
I freakin' love this line. The delivery was just spot on.

3. "When I saw the light hit the roof, you were electrocuted. And when Claire was in the water, you drowned trying to save her. I dove in myself so you never went in. I tried, brutha, I've tried twice to save you, but the universe has a way of cause-correcting and I can't stop it forever. I'm sorry - I'm sorry because, no matter what I try to do... you're gonna die, Charlie." -- Desmond, "Flashes Before Your Eyes."

This line wouldn't have made the List if Charlie hadn't actually died.
 
2. "Your flight crashed on September 22, 2004. Today is November 29th. That means that you have been on our island for sixty-nine days. And yes we do have contact with the outside world Jack. That's how we know that during those sixty-nine days, your fellow Americans re-elected George W. Bush, Christopher Reeve has passed away, Boston Red Sox won the World Series." -- Henry Gale, The Glass "Ballerina"
 
Perhaps the greatest five minutes in "Lost" history was highlighted by this explanation. The Others had communication with the outside world -- one of the biggest revelations of season 3.

1b. "Let me put it so you'll understand: picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you John? What if I told you that somewhere on this island there is a very large box and whatever you imagined, whatever you wanted to be in it, when you open that box, there it would be. What would you say about that John?" -- Henry Gale, "The Man From Tallahassee"
 
1a. "I'd say that I hope that box is big enough for you to imagine up a new submarine." -- Locke, "The Man From Tallahassee"
 
This needs no explanation.

Posted by Daniel at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

Hey now ...

Q: When the show returns next year, who do you think will be the first to die and why?  My vote is on Juliet for turning against Ben and The Others. -- Michelle

A: No way Juliet dies, can’t see it happening. We know it can’t be Jack or Kate and they probably didn’t bring Michael back to kill him off right away. I’ve said for awhile now I think Sawyer is expendable, but I don’t think they’d do that in the premiere. Let’s see what storylines they set up in the premiere before we start killing people off. 

Q: What do you think about Drew Carey being the new host of "The Price Is Right"?  -- Aly

A: Seems like a weird combination. I don't think of Drew as a "host" type, but he's so damn funny I think it could work.

Sort of funny story about "The Drew Carey Show." I had never seen an episode until about five years ago. Working in a Warner Brothers building, one of the channels on our TV was the Warner Brothers feed of its syndicated shows -- meaning every day at 10:00AM we got an hour of "Friends” and an hour of “Drew.” Let me tell you, that show is damn funny. In the pantheon of shows (I am talking individual episodes of TV here), you can’t beat the episode of Drew that lampooned the fact the show never got nominated for an Emmy.

While I am on THAT topic – the greatest episode of television I ever watched was the lucid dreaming episode of “Ed.” In the show, Ed learned about the concept of lucid dreaming – which, as I remember, was the ability to control what happened in your dreams. Anyway, about 10 minutes in, Ed goes to sleep and the rest of the episode is him, in his dream, working out his love life with the other characters on the show, Albert Einstein and … Taye Diggs. The real Taye Diggs, playing himself. I don’t think the show is out on DVD, but if you can find this episode, I highly recommend watching it.

Whew. Moving on …

Q: Obviously, they aren't going to explain every single mystery when they end the show.  Some things will just be left to the imagination. What is the ONE thing that you absolutely just HAVE to know before the finale or DURING the finale? Also, what is the ONE thing that you absolutely want to remain a mystery when the show ends??? That something that people will continue to talk about forever. -- Nannie    

A: I am going to choose not to answer either of those questions, but instead make a parallel between this show and another of my favs that your question made me thing of:

I am as a big a fan of “Alias” as there was. The first two seasons of the show rank up there on my all-time list without hesitation. Now, if you were a fan of the show you know the big mystery that stretched out over five years was what the hell Rambaldi was up to. I’ve seen every episode of “Alias” and re-watched most of them – even I don’t know what the f**k that was all about; some kind of weapon or something. By the end of the show, it was all secondary.

Now, do I think “Lost” will ignore some of the main questions the show has raised? Eh, maybe. But I am worried that we’ll get left hanging on a few things that will slowly go by the wayside over the next three seasons.

Oh, I got it now – I never want to know about the four-toed statue. I hope that never comes up again.

(Another side note: watch the movie “Way of the Gun” and see how the characters all talk about “what happened in Baltimore.” You know it’s something bad, but they never tell you what it was. Point being, sometimes you don’t need to know what something is as much as you need to know what it represents. Like in “Lost” – if I don’t find out about the whispers on the island, for example, does it really matter? It’s just there to establish that strange things are happening there.)

Q: What do you think Henry's reaction to Michael's return will be? Will he try to cover up the fact he manipulated Michael into betraying and ultimately killing the Losties? And what kind of punishment will Michael get for killing Libby and Ana Lucia and leaving the island? A dose of good old fashioned Iranian torture? -- Jenn

A: Pretty sure you mean Iraqi, but whatever.

Um, here’s my first reaction – how do we know which side Michael will be on? Who knows where he went, who he was with or what happened to him. Like you said, the Losties probably won’t welcome him back with open arms, so maybe he drank the Others Kool-Aid and he’ll be on their side now.

Posted by Daniel at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)

The title says it all -- the theme of Losties and there fathers begins in earnest with this episode. Last week's episode has left me in a good mood for this one, so let's roll:

00:01 -- Jack and Locke go searching for Charlie and Claire. I'm down for anything that involves Jack and Locke bonding.

00:02 -- "Jack, shhhhhh." -- Locke.

00:03 -- "You're asking the wrong question: not how, why?" -- Locke.

00:04 -- Is there anyone more stubborn than Jack? Seriously, not just fictional characters here.

00:05 -- And our first flashback of the episode reiterates that point. He won't even let dead people die.

00:06 -- The beginning of the Boone and Locke relationship. It's funny how I miss certain pairings of people: like Jack and Locke in season 2 and Locke and Boone from season 1.

00:07 -- Under the category of "things that may only interest me": tonight's ep was written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (JAVEE-air GREE-joh MARX-watch). The director, Stephen Williams, has a much less cooler-sounding name.

00:08 -- "How many drinks did you have at lunch, Dad?" -- Jack. Here we go.

00:10 -- Apparently Locke hurt Michael's feelings. For once, I want to watch a show where the main character don't chirp at each other over nothing. Nobody is as bad as the people who work at CTU on "24." In the middle of a national crisis those people will bitch about anything.

00:12 -- Jack feels guilty that Claire got taken, since he didn't believe her when she said someone was after her. If I sneezed right now, Jack would feel guilty.  

00:14 -- "You're just full of surprises." -- Locke to Kate.

00:15 -- "It's stupid to lie about your name." Walt to James Ford, I mean Sawyer.

00:16 -- "So a tribe of evil natives planted a ringer in the camp to kidnap a pregnant girl and a reject from VH1 hasbeens." -- Sawyer. Actually, yes.

00:17 -- I wonder if at the time they had Boone give that little speech about the guys in the red shirts on "Star Trek," they knew his fate?

00:19 -- Not hard to see why Jack and his Dad never did get along, is it?

00:23 -- When Sayid and Sawyer go at verbally, I always find myself hoping it turns physical, for Lauren's sake. Is that bad?

00:25 -- I do not, for the life of me, remember how to play backgammon. Something about moving all your pieces around the board or something.

00:27 -- "They teach you how to predict the weather at a box company?" -- Boone to Locke.

00:28 -- Kate is now soaking wet and I am going to need a moment.

00:29 -- "No more warnings." -- Ethan. If you're keeping score at home, that's Ethan 1, Jack 0.

00:32 -- "I need to, um, revise my statement." -- Jack. Father's Days in the Shephard home are about to become awkward.

00:33 -- Alright, now I know what you're thinking: Charlie is hanging from a tree, so Daniel must be happy. Well, you're wrong. At the time, this scene ENRAGED me. The guy was hanging from his neck from a tree and he lived? Are you kidding me? This was probably the angriest I ever was at "Lost" and it really had nothing to do with Charlie. He should have died right there.

00:37 -- And the worst four minutes of "Lost" ever are finally over.

00:39 -- "All they wanted was Claire." -- Charlie.

00:41 -- Watching Boone and Locke discover the hatch is actually cooler the second time around.

I'm sorry, I can't speak rationally about this episode. I hate the Charlie scene the first time around -- this time I really, really hate it.

So here is my question to you -- am I wrong here? Was that scene completely and utterly ridiculous or is it just me?

----

1) If you haven't already, be sure to befriend the "Lost" Diary on MySpace. I am currently at 592 friends -- eight more until 600 and like 60,000 more to overtake Brody Jenner. The journey of a thousand miles ...

2) Email questions for next week's L.D.Q.A. to questions@thelostdiary.com. We've been getting some good questions lately, so keep 'em coming.

3) I've been throwing around a lot of ideas for a third weekly column, but I need a theme. Feel free to throw one at me and we'll see what sticks.

 

Posted by Daniel at 01:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

Sorry I am a little late today. Went to see the new "Bourne" movie last night -- liked, didn't love. I also finished season 2 of "BSG" this weekend -- good, not great. Anyway, let's roll.

Q: So, now that Charlie's dead (YOU killed him! I won't forgive you!) you gonna hate relentlessly next? I haven't forgiven you for ill-wishing him. I also blame you for the death of my goldfish that died just one day after Charlie. Coincidently, the fish was named Charlie. I think some of your negative energy must have been accidentally redirected to the wrong Charlie. I wonder how many other Charlies died that day cause you couldn't stop your haterade.
 
Love the blog (except for that fact that you killed my fish) -- Emily

A: To make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs.

 

Q: I remember watching the extras with the producers on the season one DVD set, and they said that originally they wanted Jack played by Michael Keaton and that he would die in the pilot.  How much do you think the show, the interaction of the people, etc. would have changed had Jack died in the pilot?  Who would have become the leader of the group, do you think? -- Shannon

A: I think Sayid would have become the leader. He seems to be the person most people could come to agreement on (except for early season 1 Sawyer). He's a great combination of practical and spiritual. Hell, Jack or no Jack -- he should be the leader.

Q: We could play a version of Sawyer and Kate’s “Have you ever?” game. Have you ever…
-- Not picked up the phone knowing it’s your boss because LOST was on?
-- Interrupted a conversation at Starbucks because you overheard people talking about LOST and had to pitch in your two cents?
-- Dreamt you were one of the main characters or that you were sleeping with one of the characters?
-- Looked into a flight and hotel to Hawaii just so you could stalk one of the actors?

-- Janelle

A: I can't decide if I think you guys think I am crazy or whether or not I should be worried about you. Do I qualify as a character witness?

My answer to all of these is "no." The closest I have come to any of these is the 2nd one, but not about "Lost." After seeing "Memento" in the theaters for the 4th time, I held what amounted to an impromptu Q&A session about the movie in the theater lobby.

Q: Am I the only person that thinks Christian Shepherd is really dead? -- Jen

A: Yes.

Q: If you could own any "Lost" action figure which would it be? -- Kristina

A: Ah, that reminds me! They have "Lost" action figures at the store downstairs from my office, but I haven't gotten one yet. They have one of everyone looking down the hatch at the end of season 1 -- that's the one I want.

Posted by Daniel at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Have to say, I am a tad excited for this episode.

For some reason, I always have the hardest time remember Claire's backstory. What was it the psychic guy said to her? Who was her baby daddy? So with this Claire flashback episode next on the list, I am definitely looking forward to it.

Let's roll:

00:01 -- Claire awakens (via the patented eye-opening shot) to the sounds of a baby crying and -- oh by the way -- she isn't pregnant anymore.

00:02 -- Even in a nightmare, roaming around in that jungle at night is not a good idea.

00:04 -- My lord, Claire has some lungs on her.

00:05 -- Jack could be my doctor any day.

00:06 -- Thomas -- not the kinda guy I picture Claire with.

00:07 -- "My mom would disown me." -- Claire. Um, shouldn't her mom be in a coma?

00:08 -- Way to step up, Thomas. Wonder if he'll ever come up again?

00:09 -- I've said it once and I'll say it again: how did Jack not seal the deal with Kate? He had her in the palm of his hand. Am I the only person rooting for Kate to end up with Jack? (Though I guess we kind of know that doesn't happen)

00:12 -- Richard Malkin , the psychic. Now I am excited.

00:13 -- Whatever the fake psychic saw, it sure scared the bejesus out of him. Did he see the plane crash? The island? The Others? Is Aaron the devil?

00:14 -- Dear lord if I never hear Claire scream again it will be too soon. It's like the sound of two wild monkeys raping a cat. Make it stop!

00:15 -- "So I had an idea. I am out here looking for some psycho with Scott and Steve, right? Then I'm realizing, who the hell are Scott and Steve?" -- Hurley. I always find Hurley funnier when he's stating the obvious then when he is just plane stupid.

00:16 -- As Charlie puts a blanket around Claire (a fine gesture, to be sure) I am wondering how Charlie would have reacted if someone else had put the blanket around her? I am going with "sulked a little bit, mixed with a doses of the evil eye."

00:17 -- Oh, Thomas -- don't do it.

00:18 -- He's doing it.

00:19 -- Shit, he did it.

00:20 -- "No, it found me." -- Locke.

00:21 -- Far be it for the Dr. Jack Shepherd to give any kind of medical diagnosis that might make Claire seem in any way wrong about her attack. Right, Charlie? I mean, Charlie was right, but still.

00:22 -- "Where are you from, Ethan Rom?" -- Hurley. Yes, Ethan, where are you from?

00:26 -- "It is crucial that you, yourself, raise this child ... This child, parented by anyone else, anyone but you ... danger surrounds this baby." -- Malkin.

00:27 -- "You musn't allow another to raise your baby." -- Malkin. Or is it "an Other?"

00:30 -- "I am so not moving to the rape caves." -- Shannon.

00:31 -- "You could just give it to me because, dude, you could use the points." -- Hurley. He does have a way of talking to Sawyer, doesn't he?

00:32 -- Charlie is a bastion of calm, isn't he?

00:34 -- When Claire asks Arlene and Joseph Stewart if they could sing "Catch a Falling Star" to the baby, do you think they'd actually say no? They're adoptive parents -- would THAT be a dealbreaker for them? "Sorry, we're desperate for a kid, but we draw the line at 'Catch a Falling Star.'"

00:35 -- Charlie, you're going to regret asking Ethan for help.

00:36 -- Do you think there ever was a couple in Los Angeles?

00:37 -- "Maybe he knew." -- Charlie.

00:38 -- "It has to be this flight. It can't be any other." -- Malkin. Had to be that flight, eh?

00:39 -- Welcome back, Sayid.

00:40 -- "We're not alone." -- Sayid.

00:41 -- "He wasn't on the plane." -- Hurley.

00:42 -- "Hello there." -- Ethan.

Just a phenomenal episode. Great backstory, great writing and we meet our first Other, Ethan. This really feels like the first episode where "Lost" -- as we know it now -- really begins.

I give this episode an A. I really don't remember liking this episode as much then as I do now. If I wasn't looking forward to re-watching "Lost" each week, after this episode I certainly am.

Alright, here's my question: any predictions about Aaron's fate?  

Posted by Daniel at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)