The Lost Diary

That episode was amazing!

Awesome.....One of the best of all time. This episode not only posed questions, but provided answers.

"can you fix it brutha".....

Daniel, I gave last night's an A+!

I even cried when Desmond finally connected with Penny!

And I have decided that Farraday is my new favorite cast member. I like him even better than Locke (hold yourself back now, I know thats a strong statement)... notice how clearly he speaks when he's in his 'element'? He also seems to have compassion for the Losties, who are completely lost and don't know what the hell is going on... as opposed to Charlotte, who I am really starting to hate. Frank, too, seems to be a 'help'.

Noticed that Minokowski (sp, sorry) and his episodes were probably the reason that Frank told Farraday to just hang up last week if Minkowski answered the phone. However, Minkowski was a huge clue... they've been sitting there getting bored waiting for orders (from whom?) (for what?) and decided to go to the island? How could that small electromagnetic exposure account for Minkowski & partners severe reactions? Desmond obviously was exposed, he turned the key for God's sake, but the others don't seem to have nearly the exposure, but far worse results (death)...

Also, while Minkowski was being injected with something by the 'dr', I couldn't help but remember the injections given to the Others and Losties early on in the show to keep them from getting the 'sickness'. Seems that someone knew exacty what would happen to them back then, but they stopped doing it ?!

Forgot that I wanted to mention Sayid's compassion. He tried so hard to help Desmond, going so far as to patch the phone for him to make the call... I truly believe he's a good soul, how does he get mixed up with Ben remains another huge mystery to me...

Also, I wanted to ask: did anyone else think that the person that trashed the control room on the freighter is Ben's 'man on the boat'?

I'm not afraid to admit it, I cried and cried because I was happy that Penny and Desmond were finally reunited but also because LOST is BACK!

This was easily one of the best episodes of Lost E-V-E-R. I loved every moment of it. The concept of your conscience being able to time travel totally blew my mind. Wow. WOW!!!! BTW, I'm going to invest in a Studio 60 "countdown to the next show" clock so I can count the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the next episode of Lost.

I agree whole heartedly. This episode was an A+++. But then again, any episode with Desmond would get an A.

I'm even more convinced that Michael is on the boat. Who else would be helping them? I would love to know what was in that journal. We can now see that Penny's dad most likely knows about the island. And to have had Hanso as the owner?! Brilliant!

i'm so floored right now, that i can't even being to process what i'm thinking.

Loved it ... definitely an A+

KABOOM! That was the sound of my brain exploding. Easily the best episode this season. One question. Is Desmond altering the past or reliving it? Remember Penny made no mention of him trying to talk to her when she found him after he got out of prison.

I just figured that the "friend" on the boat that left the door open was the helicoptor pilot. Didn't he say that he really was trying to help Sayid?

Overall, this episode really was amazing! I had to watch it alone last night and I was going crazy!

Thank God for Lostpedia... I spent the hour after the show re-reading all the pages on Desmond, Penny, her father, and the Hansos!

Desmond is my favorite character.. so last night's episode had an even greater impact on me.

I really don't want to start analyzing this episode.. just love it for what it is. Except I want to say that Daniel Faraday is Doc Brown AND George McFly.

"I'm Daniel.. Daniel Faraday.. I'm your density.. I mean.. your destiny."

Awesome episode...so do we assume that some or all of the Oceanic survivors can/do time travel? I believe they do, but they don't "remember" yet. And another thing, since we know Sayid works for Ben in the future, shouldn't we connect the dots that he is the person helping Ben on the boat(but Sayid doesn't know it yet)?

When I saw Minkowski I knew I saw him in another episode. Wasn't he the guy who was in the mental wars with (flashback) Hurley. Wasn't he the one who kept saying the numbers over and over??

Oh my good lord, that was a great ep. My throat closed up with the final Penny and Desmond scene - but that was just a capper to the roller coaster ride.
Some observations:
1. All those theories about Vile Vortexes are starting to come true, eh?
2. The notion of getting "unstuck in time" in not so much "Back to the Future" as it is Billy Pilgrim, from the Vonnegut novel, Slaughterhouse 5. (Now I have to go reread that thing for clues...)
3. So, if you have a "Constant", you can survive the sickness? Can Rousseau, famous 'sickness' survivor, share anything about this? Was what happened to Minkowski what happened to her husband and all the rest of her colleagues?

this time travel episode gave me a theory that i thought was spot on, but then i realized it probably can't happen. I was thinking that maybe as the shows goes on from here the losties will get a chance to go back in time to before the crash and reverse their bad choices, like Locke not losing a kidney, Kate not doing what she did, Sawyer not shooting the wrong man, Hurley not winning the lottery, etc. Maybe they can even prevent the plane from crashing.
sounded good to me, but then it dawned on me that Desmond told Charlie, no matter how many times he tries to save him, he was still going to die. He couldn't prevent it from happening. does anyone else think that this time travel thing could end up being a way for them all to change the outcome of their lives or am i reaching too much?

LOST IN TEXAS, my mind definitely went there. Also, I can't help but get behind the statement made by the woman who Daniel posted about before today's post -- who threw out the idea that due to the time traveling aspect that is now prominent, perhaps Desmond is Ben's "man on the boat," and that even Ben seems to know this before Desmond does.

God, it all looks so crazy when I type it out, but I can't even wrap my brain around it the whole way. Damn you, LOST, for being so incredible!

This episode is most definitely one of the top five best LOSTs we've seen thus far. Bravo!

Best Episode in I can't remember how long.

So is this how Penny knows to look for Desmond on an island, because he went to her in 1996?

At what point does she get that memory? Remember the movie Frequency with Dennis Quaid? His son's memories change as thing in the past change ... I think that is what happens here. The person's entire past doesn't change, those memories become brand new to the person in the future while still having the other memories, too.

Good point, LIT, did the serum change the time-warp effects for those people who take it?

The whole Black Rock thing just about had me screaming. One of my friends thinks the original Others may have been on that ship, but how did a pirate get the log? And how is it that only the Hanso family knows what is in the log? My brain hurts thinking about it.

So much more I was thinking last night, gonna have to see what the rest of you come up with.

Halfway through that episode I found myself wandering in circles in the kitchen repeating "I'm so confused" over and over. Great episode and yes I was yelling "please Penny answer the phone PLEASE." The Black Rock showing up..yeah I was not expecting that. Could not catch the name (probably due to the blood rushing to my head) so thanks Daniel, I knew it was important. What Lost in Texas said about the injections...i had forgotten about that. Very interesting. What were those for anyways.

Who is this Hanso person? Have I missed something really big here?

I think penny's dad is the captain of the boat. that would explain why he bought that black rock book, why penny already knows about the island, and why my brain is about to explode.

i read on the TMZ comments that someone thought that claire might suffer the same effects as desmond, so she might be one of the oceanic 6 but be in a time where she never knew she was pregnant and had a kid. i thought that was awesome, so i thought it would repeat it. awesome theory. that would be super sad, but AWESOME!!

Is it possible that Crazy Future Jack is getting unstuck in time and that's why he starts drinking, grows the beard, and kind of loses it?

Excellent episode! This may be silly...but when Desmond was in the bathroom with Penny's dad, why did he (the dad) stopper the sink and just run the water? Then he walked off without turning off the water? That seemed totally weird to me...but maybe he's just a water waster.

What about the time difference. Daniel told Jack that it might seem like a day on the island isn't. I knew the time difference would come into work somewhere...

Best episode EVER!!!!

Why wont they answer pennies call, her dad has something to do with it!!!

Bethie, Hanso is the last name of the guy behind the Dharma Initiative. The Hanso referred to in this episode is presumably his great-great grandfather or something.

Rufus and I both give this episode an A+!!!

Paige ... maybe because water is a conduit?

I get the idea that all of the Freighter Tots all have different agendas, and I'm not certain that anyone knows the full story as to why they're there/what they're doing/what they're supposed to accomplish... they all seem relatively nice, but so secretive... I don't understand why Jack and the gang aren't demanding answers? They are content with a random phone/walkie talkie thing and are satisfied getting half-answers from Farraday and disapproving side-glances from Charlotte.

Why is Charlotte there anyways? She is an archaeologist, who is someone that studies dead civilization stuff...they're obviously not dead. She's got to be there for the Black Rock, right? Why not readily admit that, it doesn't seem like a big deal... unless she's studing something else...

Could they all be dead at the bottom of the ocean and the crash sent them back in time 31 minutes before the actual crash and they're alive for now, but will all eventually die (Faraday says you can't change the future and Desmond told Charlie he'd eventually die no matter how many times he saved him)...

Are they all going to perish one by one as the time line 'course corrects'? Ana Lucia, Ecko, Shannon, Boone, Arzt, and there's probably more. Last week we all saw Kate with a baby we think is Claire's Aaron... Claire must die for that to happen, Hurley brushed death with his car chase, and there's the mystery coffin too... are all of the Losties going to be killed off as the time line 'course corrects' and thats why Farraday sits sometime in the future, in a stupor crying and doesn't know why????

I'm with you WHERE IS THE ADVIL?????

Okay I've got an obvious one that answered a question for me. In 1996, Farraday put on the lead tunic to protect himself from the radiation, explaining that Desmond didn't need it but Farraday did because he exposed himself to radiation 20 times a day. When Desmond asked him "what about your head" it explains Farraday's current condition of forgetfulness. Also, Faraday mentioned that people exposed to radiation and electromagnetic forces are succeptible to this time warp sickness - a possible forshadowing that Farraday will come down with it too since he's been exposed to so much radiation.

Amazing.

Why is there an 8 year span in Desmond's journey (1996 to 2004) but when 2004 Desmond talked to 2004 Penny she said "I've been looking for you for 3 years"?

OMG best EVAR!

Penny's dad bought the diary in 1996. Minkowski said, "YOU'RE Desmond?" and then told Desmond that Penny has been calling the boat.
HEL-LO! The boat is run by Penny's dad!!

AAAAAHHHH!!!

@Brian: the writers have said in their interviews that you can't change the future. Daniel Faraday said much the same thing.

I wonder: when Jack said to Kate "We have to go back," and Charlie says to hurley, "You have to go back," do you think they meant BACK IN TIME? creeeeeepy.

Last week there was a woman who theorized that velocity had something to do with the time-differential. That makes a lot of sense! Helicopters are slower than the "payload", which is slower than radio signals - meaning you get a different time-skew.

Question: what's the deal with the pilot? He sees Flight 815 at the bottom of the ocean and calls in - and becomes the pilot for visiting the Island (?). Then he does all this CRAAAZY stuff, like flying in the wrong direction, giving up the phone for the gun, bringing the wrong people to the boat, bringing the phone to Desmond... Why does he keep getting away with stuff?

Has anyone called Penny's number yet? Just to see? :)

So, if it is almost Christmas in the real world and time passes at a different pace on the island -- what day is it really? If Daniel knows what the ratio is on the time difference, he could make everyone on the boat set their clocks and calanders to match what the Losties think the day is.

Why would Sayid comment on it almost being Christmas, he's islamic?

Remember when Jack asked the pilot about the Red Sox winning the world series? The pilot gave him a really strange look and didn't say anything else. It either hasn't happened yet, or it happened years ago.

Penny said she was looking for Desmond for three years. Did she start looking when his boat crashed, or in 2004 when he said he was going to call?

Lynne, I got the impression by Penny's 3 year comment that maybe three years ago she had finally forgiven Desmond of his wrongs and decided she did want to contact him. I might be wrong, but I just thought she was an angry woman for a long time, but three years ago she had a change of heart...

10:00 -- If you're not choked up right now, I'm sorry -- we can't ever be friends.

best.statement.ever.

I agree with eastcoastlb.....I think Minkowski was with Hurley in the ward, repeating the numbers.
I also wondered if anyone saw the reflection of a city skyline in the water when they have the LOST show screen with the island and water/waves in shadows at the middle and end of the show?

Or maybe... when was the boat race? Desmond would have had to enter the race, right? So when he doesn't come home, Penny would know about it (since it was a Whidmore sponsored race) and maybe that sent her looking. When was that race, anyone remember?

Lost in Texas ... what about the fact that Lawnmower Man pointed out that the pilot in the underwater footage of Oceanic 815 wasn't wearing his wedding ring and couldn't possibly have been the real pilot?

I just found this blog a few weeks ago after being a LOST fan from the beginning. I am so addicted to the site and all of your comments. I feel like I'm in a vortex after going from watching LOST without any "help" to watching it in connection with this blog! I apparently needed the assistance. Anyway...I agree with all of the comments that last night's episode was fantastic. Hopefully once I get a little more in the groove, I'll be able to offer my own insights! Thanks for adding to the experience.

Absolutely amazing episode. One of the best ever, and if anyone disagrees, I'll just punch them in the face. So much new info, but we do know a few things for sure (maybe for sure):

There's not really a time difference between the Island and the real world. They've been Lost for like 95 days, and it was just then Christmas Eve 2004, which is pretty much exactly the right date that it should be.

Also, Daniel Farraday has trouble with his mind due to his experiments. That was great when Des asked about head protection in the lab. He's probably been experimenting on himself for a while, which gave him some side effects, and know that he has bridged the gap between past and present with Desmond, he'll probably be okay.

I get the feeling that Mr. Widmore knew that Desmond was "unstuck" and that's why he gave him Penny's number. Widmore obviously knows something about the island, and wants to know a lot more. He's behind a lot of something. What, I don't know.

Ben's "Man on the Boat" is someone who likes the Losties or Desmond, because he sure did help them escape the sickbay. Is it Michael? Frank? Someone else? Pretty sure whoever it is, is repsponsible for destroying all the communication equipment.

Great Ep!

Janelle, I wondered if the 2004 calendar on the boat wasn't actually the current calendar, but the calendar in Lostie time, since thats what they're all studying...

If thats the case, none of us know what year it REALLY is... maybe the trial and all the fast forwards introduced aren't ff's but the present???

when the helicopter was going into the storm it looked like they were heading at 31 not 32. and when they landed on the frieghter the pilot said that he thought it was safe to stay in the grey area or something like that. so i'm thinking that depending on how far off course you are that affects how far in time your conscience goes? minowski was on a ferris wheel so i assume that means he went so far back he was a little kid. kinda convenient that desmond didnt go back further in time cuz then faraday wouldnt have been old enough to help him.

Did you guys read how Daniel completely abandoned his car at a 76 station on Santa Monica Blvd to make it home in time to watch LOST? Man, thats some dedication!

Daniel, you rock! Now, go fix your car-

LiT: love love LOVE the theory of "course-correcting"!

Best episode ever! (I'm a Desmond fan.) Desmond was not having any flashbacks in this episode. There were no "Lost" whooshes. He - that is, his consciousness - was traveling back and forth in time - these were not remembrances, but movements. Now, much of the "bad guy" motivation is explained - who ever is rich and powerful (like Penny's dad) would surely want to keep secret and kill, if need be, to be able to control time travel. But I can't quite figure out how Ben, et al, figure into this.

i think the calendar was the current time or how would penny know what day to answer the phone?

All these time travelers have amassed wealth and power, and maybe Ben went rogue and cloaked the island as a refuge, which could make him a good guy or a bad guy ... maybe a good guy who has to do some bad things?

I thought the same thing about Penny's dad, Paige. Why did he leave the water running? That HAD to have meaning. I'm beginning to think that he actually wants Desmond to find Penny and that maybe he isn't a jerk, but will actually end up being a good dude. Or I could be fatally flawed with that little theory!

I agree with what so many of you are saying, that with the time travel possible, what we have seen of our favorite LOSTIES futures may actually change based on their current actions. And perhaps, even some of their past actions might change based on what happens now.

Lost and the Sopranos. That's it people!

Hey! Loved the show last night! And I love reading this blog and all the comments. Just something that I thought of though....someone earlier said that how come the other losties weren't experiencing the same things as Desmond. In my own opinion, I think it's because they weren't exposed to all that radiation that Desmond was exposed too. And I think that Minowski and the other guy that tried to go to the island when they were bored must have not been on the EXACT coordinates that they needed to be on. Didn't Faraday say that if they weren't on the exact coordinates that SOME people get confused? So maybe thats what happened to Minowski and the other bored dude. I mean we dont know what the boaties have been exposed too. They could have been exposed to some sort of radiation too. And then not taking the EXACT coordianates caused them to get confused as well.I dunno. Just my thoughts. :)

the thing with Penny's dad was interesting. In the bathroom, he turned the faucet on and off with a towel (not his bare hands) and then left the water running when he left the room....I think someone has a little bit of OCD, and I think this will come back with more detail. After all he is very controlling.

I don't think the man on the boat is michael. He has been a pain in the butt to everyone that knew him (both on the island and prior). I can't imagine that the freighter tots would have taken to him that quickly to allow him access to things that would later be of help to the losties. I think Sayid is the man on the boat.

and speaking of....just interesting that he was not exposed to radiation or electro magnetic waves on the island and in his prior military career. Just saying....

Once I fully digest this episode, I will probably give it an A. Right now, my head is spinnning.

Great comment Larry- I think you're right about Faraday-

I was completely blown away by the episode last night. It has been a long time since I sobbed over a tv show..but come on..you'd have to be a cold-hearted soul not to have been touched by the Desmond-Penny phone call.
Just some observations:
Desmond is key to the Lost experience and story. He is now Faraday's constant. He has the time-travel ability, conquered the "sickness" that is causes, and is able to see the future.
I thought it was interesting that Faraday told Desmond that their meeting in the past would not mess up the future, the future being what it is no matter what.
Can Ben/Henry travel at will, with no ill effects?
So many questions to be answered!!!
Love you Daniel...always a pleasure to read your blog. I laughed at loud at your comment at 9:56pm!!

what if all of the flashbacks we have seen in season 1 and 2, are the flashback of those people "unstuck" in time?

I buy into the idea that time is not slower on the island, as someone said. But people are bouncing back and forth in time.

I'm wondering if the plane at the bottom of the ocean really is the actual crash and they are all dead in the past, or is it future, or is it present?????????

The Ben/Sayid flashforward, could it be a flashback?

I just had a thought! Remember the Desmond flashback when he met charlie singing in the streets, before the crash...Then we see charlie in Hurley's flash forward. Sorry Daniel, I think Charlie is unstuck in time, and while he may be dead on the island, he keeps hovering back and forth in time...Just a thought.

I could be wrong, but I think around the time Desmond spoke to Jack at on the bleachers Desmond also spoke to Penny and told her he was going to enter the sailing race to earn her father's respect.

Also December 24, 2004 is 93 days after September 22, 2004 which is when they crashed. I think it is 2004.

The guy at SRMH that kept repeating the numbers isn't Minkowski. I looked it up on lostpedia, but I forgot what his name was. Sorry.

hmmm some hand-washing going on...

Sayid washing his hand after using the gun to kill the girl.
Panny's dad washing his hands...

Literary allegory, perhaps? Pontius Pilate washed his hands after sentencing Christ to death on the cross...

Desmond didn't press the button (remember, the button is bad according to taller ghost Walt) so that Penny's people would pick up the magnetism signal from the island.

So how long would it take to get a crew together and get a boat to the south pacific? And who said on the boat that we think we are stlll in the south pacific? It sounds like their nav systems are all fouled up.

Just random thoughts here.

When Ben sent Michael and Walt off the island and headed for the exact bearings to get out, they would have run into the freighter.... Last night Minkowski said they had been stationed there for a long time, bored and waiting for orders... a tugboat carring Michael and Walt would have arrived there.

Personally I've never liked the Michael storyline, but it seems plausible that those people are on that boat somewhere. If not, where?

Okay, I have to say that I loved this episode. A++ Glad to see that I was not the only one. Way to come back. Confused from 1st commercial and I love it. Big step up. I guess that is all it takes to love it... confusion! But no this has been like the best episode in a minute.

And I just remember thinking Penny pick up the phone, Penny pick up the phone.

Okay, so in Daniel's journal about Desmond being his contant... did he write that in 96 or some time after 96 after more experiments? Lost...

God, I love this show. I was in a total daze 4 a while after just kept thinking.

Brilliant episode. It was the best episode of Lost I’ve ever watched and I’ve been watching from the beginning. When the show was over, I thought, ‘That was better than ‘No Country for Old Men,” and Daniel, you nailed that sentiment in your commentary. That one hour of TV was better than most of the movies I saw all year. So Daniel, if you apply for a job as a critique or TV advocate, I’d happily be a reference. ;) You have a way of pegging and articulating what people feel about the show and that’s not easy to do. Props to you.

My only question has to do with the Penny/Rescue Ship thing. I don’t get why/how Penny told Charlie that she had nothing to do with the rescue ship, and yet Minkowski told Desmond and Sayid that Penny had her own hotline to the ship. Was Penny lying to Charlie? Was Charlie communicating with the 1996 Penny instead of the 2004 Penny? Is there another ship? What’s the deal?

A few things:

Lynee - Penny's only been looking for Desmond for three years because that's when he disappeared during the race.

The calander appears to be the correct date because Penny answers the phone and it's Christmas. The Freighties would not be catering to the Losties needs, because they're not really there for them anyway. So, I think the date is right. The time difference has to do with something else, like a Vortex. It takes time to get through the Vortex is all.

I don't think Minkowski was the guy in the mental hospital who gave Hurley the numbers. On IMDB, it lists a different actor. His name was Leonard Sims.

BEST episode ever!! I could barely breath during it I was so afraid I'd miss something! I think the friend on the boat is Michael. It would have to be someone who's been on the boat awhile for them to be able to know so much about the crew. At the same time though, Michael could be too obvious of a choice. I love this show! I could barely sleep last night, my mind was running in circles trying to figure everything out. I'm anxious to see how that journal from the Black Rock comes into play. It must be important for them to have brought it back.

Could water be the catalyst for time travel? Sayid and the ice, Whidmore and the faucet, Desmond splashed his face with the water in the sink and transported... its raining when he's doing situps/running at the army base/ raining in the phone booth... there's water in the ocean/ the helicopter flew through a storm to get to the freighter.../Charlie died in the water/ there's an underwater Dharma place 'Looking Glass'... water must have something to do with it...

But when 815 crashed, Ben ran out of the barracks and looked up into a clear, blue sky to see the plane crash apart...

Anybody else get the reference to Kurt Vonnagut's slaughter house five?

Minkowski is not the same guy as Leonard (guy in the mental ward with Hurley who repeated the numbers) but they appear to have the same 'sickness' [http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Leonard] and possibly a similar type of job.

Loved this episode! I agree- A+. Couldn't stop with the WTFs.

Regarding a past theory...
Why is the identity of the man on the boat so important? It doesn't really matter who is on the boat, it is someone no one knows about from one of Ben's off the island visits so that he has no direct connection to the island. Like the women in the looking glass, important for one, maybe two episodes. If it were Michael, he would have shown himself to Sayid rather than just open the door (but then that would raise too many questions and take away from the importance of this episode). It is enough that Ben has information.

This week's theories...
Could Daniel have been over exposed in his own experiments to cause him to have minor flashes? Or even self experimentation after Eloise died? Remember when we first meet him, he is being taken care of and crying over the crash of Flight 815 and he doesn't know why. Which brings us to the cards- maybe his short term memory is effected by his experiments. He can remember 2 of the 3 cards and that is an improvement. Having found Desmond (as his Constant), before he gets on the helicopter, and being on the island has helped to fix the problems he caused through experimentation.

Okay, I'm not sure if i misunderstood Penny...But didn't she say that she's been looking for Desmond ever since she spoke to Charlie 3 YEARS AGO?

Can anyone clarify that for me, cause it's been driving me crazy.

And here's where it starts. People posting without reading the previous posts, or previous weeks posts. Awesome! I love reading the same stuff over and over again!!!

Oh, on a personal note, my cable company decided it had to do a weekly emergency test when Desi was getting Penny's numbers. I don't think I missed anything, but need to send a nasty note with my next cable bill.

That's interesting Gina, when did that happen. I don't remember Penny and Charlie speaking 3 years ago. Refresh my memory.

this was one of the trippiest episodes ever...i dont even know how to explain it or even discuss it with others.. but it made me really happy and restored my faith in the show. i agree with you daniel when you invest years in a tv show its so rewarding to get a great episode.. i have been watching lost since pilot episode and i was in school at that time, didnt have a tv and watched it at my freinds apt...then moved got married and still watchin it and glad that my husband watches it too.. actually that was the first thing we talked about when we first met :)

Did anyone else scream at their Tivo when it went to "dead air" ??

It was funny afterward!

A little nod to the Sopranos, maybe?

this was one of the trippiest episodes ever...i dont even know how to explain it or even discuss it with others.. but it made me really happy and restored my faith in the show. i agree with you daniel when you invest years in a tv show its so rewarding to get a great episode.. i have been watching lost since pilot episode and i was in school at that time, didnt have a tv and watched it at my freinds apt...then moved got married and still watchin it and glad that my husband watches it too.. actually that was the first thing we talked about when we first met :)

All I can say is Sayid ROCKS!

The communications control room trashed? "No problem, just get me a battery, some wires and some tape. Here you go. Oh, btw, I'm so sorry the battery won't last long. If only I had some gum, I bet I could charge it up." I just love this man!

Great episode! A+++

Daniel Farraday is shaping up to be an awsome character.

Gina-I think she said that she was looking for Des for 3 years because thats the time that he took off in the boat, then landed on the island.

By the way-Does anyone remember what the purpose of that was? Was it a race? I remember it was Libbys boat. Was it a sail around the world? I just can't remember.

I think the communication between Charlie and Penny had happened recently. Like we saw.

Whats the relationship between Penny and Dad? I can't remember... but to answer Gerri's question, Minkowski said that Penny kept calling to the freighter but they were ordered not to answer... she told Charlie she didn't know Naomi, so she might not know what her fatheris up to and she's being kept in the dark because they don't want her to know about it... but she's obviously got her own resources out looking for Desmond (remember the Portuguese guys in the submarine?)... She's on to them, but I think her Dad is purposely keeping her in the dark. Why, I don't know.

Lost in Texas, I think you're onto something with your water observation. In The Economist after Sayid shot the man on the golf course the sprinklers went off. At the time I thought that was a little odd, but didn't think too much of it. It seems that water is a key piece to the big puzzle that is Lost.

Penny said "What Boat? Who is Naomi?" That is why I think the phone call between her and charlie was three years ago. Because she didn't start looking for Desmond yet.

Maybe she was trying to reach her father, who is also looking for the Black Rock, when Charlie picked up her signal? Maybe Penny's dad is on the boat and could HE be Ben's contact?

suddenly i feel like penny's dad has SO much to do with everything. i feel like his boat race was staged, just to get desmond to the island! i don't know why he wanted desmond there, but if he bought the black rock journal in 1996, it would be too much of a coincidence if desmond landed on that island in penny's dad's boat race.

also, after re-watching the eggtown episode, i have to mention how disturbing kate's face was after she picked up aaron at the end. terrible acting in my opinion, she didn't need to open her eyes and make such a weird face to convey the fact that something crazy just happened. boo kate.

I wonder if Charlotte is there to investigate the four toed statue?

Man I love this show!!

water could be factor in going forward in time. There was the rain and the sink, but there wasn't water everytime he went forward. Maybe the water surrounding the island and boat have to do with bringing him back to 2004?

Why this was the best episode of all time:

This is the very first episode that took an unsolved issue (Desmond's future flashes), then made us understand the seriousness of the issue (Desmond going to die unless he can find a constant), and then in the SAME EPISODE provided a real, solid answer to the issue.

The best part of that whole process is the issue and the answer is enough to keep all of us talking for at least the next week.

Just think of what would happen if they could adopt that format for each episode... imagine the possibilities.

I found myself watching it with a huge grin on my face, wondering if everyone else would agree that this was the best episode of lost ever. It really was.

At no time did I stop and think to myself, when are we going to see the other characters. IT was all about Desmond and Faraday. There were only a handful of other Losties in the episode and they only had a couple lines, and I can't say I missed seeing them. The episode was simply brilliant.

My coworker and I did our usual Lost Post Mordem this morning. The question is once Penny became the constant, did Desmond's path "course correct" so now 1996 Desmond is the same as 2004 Desmond? I imagine it as a string being all jumbled then pulled into a straight line again. Is that how that works?

Also, with the whole time issue... is this why women die during pregnancy on the island? Either the island is operating faster or slower than real time. Is this what is causing a fetus to develop too slow or too fast and ultimately kill the women? I think that has some real possibilities, I am just not smart enough to come up with a rock solid theory. Anyone want to flush that out for me?

Can't wait to see what you all have to say!

I wouldve been confused had I not been sent an email yesterday explaining the Valenzetti Equation. The email helped explained everything (hatch, turnkey, healing of Lockes legs, walt, why richard didnt age, Jack's dad, etc) - so I knew why it was happening, esp to Desmond. Too long to post as a comment, so I suggest all fans look it up. After reading about it - cant wait to see what happens next!

I think maybe Ben's man on the freighter is Sam. He's been getting encrypted e-mails and messages, radio broadcasts that can't be explained. He also doesn't trust the other people on the boat. He just wants to find his girlfriend, a stewardess for Oceanic. If you go through all the extras on the Lost website, Sam has no idea who is pulling his strings and sending him the info.

If Ben was able to get the broadcasts of Sam saying how he wasn't going to give up looking for the plane and his girlfriend, Ben may have found out how to reach him and use him.

I agree it was the best episode ever! We have a few questions though. The diary that Pennies dad bought came off the original black rock that was found on the island and in the auction they said it to be from the 1700's? dynamite was not invented in the 1700's (it was invented in the 1800's) so is it the same boat? or a have we got it all wrong? Also why does Daniel not remember Desmond? Did he forget when he got to the island and did he know this was going to happen (hence writing it down?) also we are confused about Desmond's original back story and when he left on the boat race. What year was that, did he and Penny not see each other before he got on the plane in 2004?

Our heads are spinning and next Thursday can not get here fast enough!

great great episode. a few thing i want to throw out there

1) faraday mentioning that the future cannot be changed
2) faraday cannot use short/long term memory. he can think things out, but cant remember anything. so the card test was not an esp test, but a simple memory test, and he could only remember two of three
3) why did mr whidmore leave the water running and plug the sink? he was not suprised to see desmond at the auction and i can imagine that he knew what was going on to desmond. he could have known desmond was going to the island and was helping setup the whole penny connection. crazy, but the man just bought a journal off the black rock from hanso, so what the hack
4) faraday had written down that desmond was his constant, reaffirming that it had happened and farday just cant remember anything (in my mind)
5) as much as i hope that michael is the man on the boat, i am 99% certain mr indestructible (mikhail) swam from the dolphin after blowing it up to the frieghter

first time posting here and only the third time reading this site, so go easy on me

I absolutely love this show. Last nights episode was so f@#$*ing good there needs to be a new word for "f@#$*ing good".

Holy Crap. That's all I can really say. I am speechless...

Wow you guys write fast, I'm loving the reading, just having a hard time catching up. Someone way back is talking about people in the flashbacks being 'unstuck'. Apparently to be 'unstuck' you have to find your constant, right?

...You know how all the Losties seem interwoven into each other's lives but they don't know it? Aboard the 815 flight, they were a bunch of apparent strangers, but there were all sorts of connections that they didn't know (Jack/Claire; Sawyer/Locke to name a couple)... it always seemed to obvious to be coincidental... I wonder if those people they are connected to are their 'constant'.

Just throwing it out there, but it has obvious holes. I mean, Desmond and Jack met at a different time running stadium stairs, but it didn't seem to do anything... did it?

I probably make no sense, do I?

just a little after thought - faraday could remeber where he was, what he was doing, and precise variables in an experiment - but could not remember meeting someone from the future? pokes a whole in my theory that it is one timeline and doesnt get changed, but maybe faraday was intentionally hiding their previous meeting...

At the end of the episode, I saw/imagined something that I am not sure really happened.

Once Desmond was done with the 2004 phone converstation with Penny, did his nose stop bleeding and his memory of being on the island and Sayid come back? It seemed that once he found and connected with his "constant", that everything fell back into place the way it actually is in 2004 time. Did anyone else notice that??

Lost In Branff - What I heard about the Black Rock last night was that it disappeared after setting sail in 1845. The Journal up for auction (Hanso's journal) was found in (or off the coast of) Madagascar.

I didn't hear anything about the 1700's. Maybe I misheard.

By the way, there's a supposed Vile Votex between the African mainland and Madagascar, which would explain how the Black Rock ended up on the island, and the journal was found near Madagascar.

Hi everyone. I really relate to the blog this week because I got so choked up last night watching Desmond and Penny that I sat there afterward wondering if I was being too sentimental. But I rewound the tivo and watched it again and came to the conclusion that this was just good television writing. It just really moved me.
It's going to take me a few days to digest all of this! But I love the posts guys!

Jess - Yes, that's what happened.

I absolutely love this show. TV has never been better. Last night, I had goose bumps all over. Screaming at the tv, only with Lost.

This proves why we love this show so much. The day after, I can't wait for this column. I search all the Lost websites looking for more clues. My friends and I talk about it everyday. Come Tuesday, the countdown begins....

Love, love, love this show, and this column, brutha!

Ok, this is weird too. Did anyone notice that on the wall calendar in the communications room, most of the days are marked off with a black X, some of the days are marked with a red X. And, there are four days in a row in October that aren't X'd off at all? The four days are October 20th-23rd. No days in October have a red X. The red ones start in November.

How far have I decended into LOST think?

Could Penny's dad be The Economist?!?

Hey Daniel...

Can you believe this week's show? As a huge fan of LOST, I loved this episode, so many questions, I too needed Advil. I can't believe I'm going to say this but this is the first show that I loved this much that didn't have Locke or Ben in it...how can that be...I am speechless.

Great show A++++++++. I hope next week will be just as good but I really think at this time that will be really hard to do!!

Could Desmond David Hume be the Economist? (David Hume was a Scottish Enlightenment Philosopher/Economist)

I don't think all of the Losties are unstuck. I don't think that's what their flasbacks are. If that were the case, don't you think they'd all come unhinged like Desmond did on the helicopter when he didn't know where he was or who Sayid was?

Also, just throwing this out there. Do you think the Dharma foods are laced with the "medicine" that was given in shots? They have cattle, chickens, and at least one farm on the island. What's the purpose of occasional food drops?

Kristin J - I think the point of the food drops are to keep the Dharma workers from going crazy. The food drops are more luxury than necessity (i.e. sweets, wine, beer). Sure, a person can survive off the island, but the Dharma workers were to be there for a long time, which would make them homesick, so the need for "regular" stuff seems likely.

That being said, there indeed could be "medicine" in that food. Excellent point.

Holy freakin' Lord! This ep had my head spinning, and in the best way possible. Definitely the most exciting ep of Lost ever in the sci fi aspect of it.

And I admit I teared up when Des and Penny reconnected, and I'm liking the quirky Mr. Faraday.

Can't wait to see who their "friend" on the boat is. And lucky for Des that Sayid is with him in case neck snapping is required.

I LOVE this show!

Ok friends, here's another weird one. The auctioneer doesn't say the journal was written by Hanso, he says it was written by the ship's first mate. He says the contents are known only to the family of the seller, Hanso. So it was found among artifacts of pirates in Madagasgar and the family of Hanso read it and are selling it. Who was the First Mate? I think, somehow, it's Faraday! He wrote the journal and it contains more of his scientific writings! And Penny's dad wants it.

Neat idea Larry! I'd love to see that jump from Desmond being nothing in the eyes of Whidmore to The Economist! But then Sayid would be out to kill him in the future, and right now he saved his life!?

However... wait a minute, you might be on to something. I have a feeling that Sayid and Desmond are now gone from the island forevermore. Desmond was no threat to Ben on the island, but now he is the only person to fully understand the two time lines he can be 'in'. Perhaps he is going to quickly learn (somehow) how to control it better (water, perhaps?) and amasses wealth and knowledge by jumping through time (just like Ben) but is out to get Whidmore (and Ben) for his bad luck? Just a thought-

That said, I think Sayid is a double agent- if Desmond is the Economist, I highly doubt that Sayid would turn on him after all he's done, and Desmond is a good soul. So is Sayid...

I'm in my own little world imagining this... Larry, do you understand any of my rambles?

All losties have been exposed to some EMI, since they flew in airplane 3 months ago. So it possible that all could somehow feel the effect of traveling off island. As Hurley said to Jack in the mental ward. "we need to go back" back in time?

I am, right now, glad that I am unemployed so I can keep up with the comments and not miss any real work. But now I need to go and won't be able to catch up until Sunday. Can't wait to see the rest of the ideas and thanks for a great recap Daniel!

"Remember the movie Frequency with Dennis Quaid? His son's memories change as thing in the past change ..."

And Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Juliet, was Dennis Quaid's wife in that movie! Hmm . . .

wow, you guys brought up stuff i didnt even think of to ask...

ps im just glad that pennys dad is mr meade from ugly betty! love him! haha.

anywhos...i dont think theres time travel for everyone...just desmond/daniel/minkowski have those crazy flashback/dejavu things...

also pennys dad/christian/hanso all connected? you guys know i stand by my belief christian has a big part of this...

and was i the only one watching and saying come out michael...come out and show yourself!!!

Let us not forget, not only was the auction lot number 2342, but the frequency number was 2.342...God, I love Lost

ps can someone PLEASE "off" charlotte. i am SO sick of her!

I was bawling like a baby by the end of the show. WOW! LOST this week was wonderful. 100 times better than last week. I would definitely give it an A+.

Like some other posters have said, I found myself yelling at the TV for Penny to answer the phone. Great moment for Penny and Des. Fantastic episode!