I like making lists!  Here’s one going by seasons of my favorite moments from my favorite T.V. show, LOST.  Season 1:

This one’s very early in the show.  Like episode 3 or something.  It features Jack and Kate and all the losties.  They never have endings with songs anymore.

Season 2:

This one centers on my favorite character Desmond, and my favorite story line, Desmond and Penny.  This scene always makes me cry.  I’d bet it’d make any Lost fan cry.

Season 3:

This scene also features Desmond and the late Charlie Pace, who used to be my favorite character.  This just shows how confusing the story is.

Season 4:

Another Desmond and Penny scene.  You can never get enough of Desmond.  This one’s another tear jerker.

Season 5:

Season 5 is currently on its 5th episode.  It’s going good so far but I can’t post a favorite scene ’till the end of the season.  Please feel free to watch if you haven’t already.  It’s a bit confusing though.

Glick

After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, it s survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island hold many secrets, including a mysterious smoke monster, polar bears, a strange French woman and another group of island residents known as The Others. The survivors have also found signs of those who came to the island before them, including a 19th century sailing ship called The Black Rock, the remains of an ancient statue, as well as bunkers belonging to the Dharma Initiative a group of scientific researchers who inhabited the island in the recent past.

Stills from Lost : The Complete Fourth Season (Click for larger image)

Lost – The Complete Fourth Season is available at Amazon for $36.99. To Order click here
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Other Products of Interest

• Heroes: Season 2
• Lost – The Complete Seasons 1-3
• Lost – The Complete Third Season
• Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season
• Prison Break – Season 3

I know it is time to post something new on my blog. It has been a week and I still have the same Remembering Advent post. I have things tumbling around in my mind and a few of them would be good to write about. Sort-of air my thoughts out a little. The best way to do that is incorporating the use of the bullet point.

• I have a terrible habit of using too many commas and having run-on sentences. I want to write like I talk and in my mind every time I place a period instead of a comma it interrupts the “speech” I am making. I have had a few people comment on my run-on problem and I just want to make a sincere apology to those people now since it’s probably not going to change anytime soon.

• Dustin and I are looking into moving to Aurora from Lone Tree. Every time I watch the news it seems to have a story or two about some drive-by shooting, murder or gang related violence that just so happens to have taken place in Aurora. If Lone Tree is ever on the news it is to announce a new shopping center or future Ikea. Do you see the difference? Barnes and Noble at Park Meadows or Dollar Tree off Quincy? I don’t know if we are ready to tell people we are from Aurora. Even the people who are downtown-snobs and claim they like to live among the “needy” would think twice…
• Aurora vs Lone Tree in pictures:
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• I received Lost Season 4 from my dear mother in law for Christmas. Dustin and I got home on Friday night and finished the entire season by Sunday. It turns out I remember almost nothing from the last season so it was like watching it all new again. Because the writers strike made Season 4 shorter than the other seasons they loaded it up with some amazing special features. Why do they call John Locke Jeremy Bentham? If the island has disappeared how will the Oceanic 6 find it? Will Kate and Sawyer end up together? Is Daniel Faraday stuck on a raft with no ship or island to go to? Why didn’t Penny’s boat pick him up too? So many questions….good thing the 5^th season starts on Jan. 21^st. Editors note: if you haven’t ever watched Lost and you think you might like to start, at this point you might as well forget it. I can’t imagine trying to watch from Season 1. Good luck to you and sorry about the spoilers I just gave away.
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• Yes, I am feeling feisty today.

It’s bad enough COMICS do the variant covers thing.  Sucks that for the most part, it’s not worth buying a DVD on new release because they’re just gonna repackage it a couple months down the road as a Director’s Cut Special Multi-Disc Exclusive Packaging edition and sell it to you again for double the price.

I’ve noticed that Best Buy, Target, and Wal*Mart tend to do these “retailer exclusives” with some of the “big” movies.  Best Buy might have a collectible miniature or action figure packaged with the film; Wal*Mart will have a mini graphic novel packaged with the film, and Target will have special packaging and a disc of Target-exclusive bonus content.

To a SMALL, tiny, tiny, tiny, TINY degree, it can be kinda cool IF things work out your way: I rather enjoy the Green Lantern figurine I got with my JLA: New Frontier dvd, for example.

But it can also be frustrating if there are some sweet bonuses at different retailers: I am NOT going to buy a movie twice just for a bonus figurine or comic or whatever!

In addition, I’ve noticed the use of “gift cards” as “bribery,” particularly at Target.  “Buy ________ now and get a $x gift card to use later!”  Spotted that with the just-relesed-today LOST season 4.  Buy season 4 at $38 and any of the previous three seasons (also at $38) and get a $20 gift card.  They had me right up to “…and any of the previous seasons” part. I own 1-3, and decided I’ll wait awhile for 4.  I’m still working my way through other stuff, and doubt I’d get through season 4 before next summer.

But it IS an interesting tactic.  Rather than offer some “x% off” sale, offer a gift card.  Buy something now, and then since it’s a gift card, you have to come back to that (retailer) store. (Had the offer been “Buy Lost season 4 at $38 and get the $20 gift card” they would’ve had a sale right there with me).

On a whole other note, my YEARS of waiting for the Matrix films has paid off: There’s a new edition in a standard-size DVD case for $9.99 that has all 3 films PLUS the Animatrix.  Sure beats $6, $10, or higher PER film.  Incidentally, there’s also a Superman one like that with Superman, II, III, & IV also for $9.99.  While I won’t buy the films individually, as a 4-pack, seems an excellent value to me.

Now, just waiting for the Kill Bill films to be in a single package for $10 or less…

Lindeloph (left) with Cuse (center) in their home -- the editing bay

Well, it’s all happened at once now hasn’t it? What used to be my wishful thinking has all come crashing down in a heap of escaped dreams. If only I had had the chutzpah – if only I were Jewish. Prepare yourself for the letdown…

A couple weeks back, as I was leaving my place of work, I was walking down a long stretch of road — no cars, no people to speak of, just me and another bloke. As we walked towards each other – we were both trying to exit the premises – all I could notice was the fact that he looked like he was from the east coast. He had on a big coat, his cap, and was holding a briefcase. The only other thing I immediately noticed was his glasses – black, hard rimmed glasses on an unforgettable face; well, unforgettable for a few.

You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s absolutely no way? Well, considering I am in Burbank, CA, close by to many of the major studios, I suppose, in reality, there actually is a way. I continued on my line. The closer we got to each other, the clearer the face and facts became. I’ve done it. I’m walking stride for stride with Damon Lindelof. This is unreal.  Consider the facts here for a moment if you will:  I write nearly every week about LOST – the show the consumes my thoughts, invades my personal sleep and generally spites me around every turn. I created this blog to vent about my glee for the show and combined cynicism it brings to my Wednesdays, and I was now walking in step with its masked man; its proverbial Wizard of Oz. It all happened so fast.

And then we just kept walking. And walking.

To say that my brain was going crazy would actually be false. He was on his phone, I was listening to my Ipod — let’s be honest though, I had it on pause, just kept the ear buds in to be cool. We walked step for step for the next full minute. The entire time I was deliberately looking away from him, as if to say I didn’t know it was him. As we walked — it must have been a block or so — I made the strict decision not to say anything. I wouldn’t bother him. In an ideal world he would have handed me the summary of Season 5, but it probably would have just been too weird, so we just kept our pace. I wasn’t going to say anything. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to be that guy. Oh, my spider-senses were tingling.

For the next couple weeks I milled that night over in my mind. It’s been my dream for 4 years to be a writer for LOST, to start wherever possible, shouldn’t I have said something? I feel as though I made the right decision – nah, I know I did – I just wonder what would happen if I saw him again.

I did.

Two weeks later, I got a call from my roommate who works at the Disney/ABC Lot in Burbank. He invited me over for lunch and we walked down to the Disney cafeteria. On our way over, we walked right past the LOST writer’s offices and I decided it would be best to just take a deep breath and not focus on the past. We kept walking. I kept thinking. I settled for a salad at the cafe (what?!) and we made our way outside. We hadn’t sat down for more than 5 minutes when low and behold, out of the commissary, five feet away, the entire LOST writing crew plops down, save one: Carleton Cuse. I looked at Todd and he at me as I mumbled the words, “Well, that makes twice…” There I sat, trapped in my own skin, this time confronted with the option of not ruining a phone call, but a large group lunch.

Out walks Carlton.

Son of a…!

I wish I could tell you all that I did the proper thing, just a ‘thank you’ or a ‘I love your work’ type of quip. I wish I came bearing great news of great joy, but I don’t. I sat there like a lump, afraid of burning any future bridges and focused on professionalism – its all very elitist and lame, isn’t it? If I had to live it over, I would’ve done it differently. What exactly this different thing would be, I do not know, but I can say this: The next time I see Mr. Cuse or Mr. Lindeloph, they will know the name Bryce VanKooten. I vow to you on the foundation of this blog. I hereby swear that nothing on this side of Saturn’s rings will keep me from telling them that they can keep their money; I’ll work for free. I’ve never wanted anything more than a position within the LOST writing community. The next time I see their face(s), I’ll make it happen. Perfectly honest, I’ll make it happen, you can bet that freeeaking island on that one.

Shoot them all, Kate.

I just finished watching Season 4 of LOST. It was good; see, this is what I like about this series. It keeps you guessing all the time. Which translates to audience participation by using your brain. Yes, seldom do you see a TV show that makes you use your brain.

There were survivors who eventually found their way to return to their homes and survive the island. It was presented how they “escape” the island. But alas, the island is mystical in the sense that these survivors’s lives were a total wreck after they were rescued. And the only way to redeem and find peace is to return to the island.

But the thing is the island was moved to an unknown location. Who would’ve thought that the place can be move? Okay, LOST writers, engage us a little bit and surprise us with a good story about this come Season 5. And the producers promise that Season 5 will be really disconnected from the previous seasons in the sense that they will devoid us of the fast forward/flashback mode of storytelling.

Hmm, now that made me curious.

PS: The black smoke is not yet fully explained!

(Left to Right) Seth Rogan, James Franco and Danny McBride walk back from a long, crazy night.

One Crazy Night

High as a kite — eh, a great summer escape.

There I was, back in high school, watching two grown men wander the streets of their hometown in search of friends and foe, drugs and dreams. I didn’t have to try very hard to see them walk through their front door to standing parents, awaiting their arrival; their disapproving looks saying it all. Before speaking they pause, minds spinning from the night’s many adventures, they rewind, trying to start from the beginning.  Then, very slowly and seriously, they begin, “You guys…I can explain. This could have happened to anyone.”

Armed with a throwaway job as a Process Server and a mediocre high school girlfriend (the very cute, Amber Heard), Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) has his daily sites set on two things: getting high today and preparation for his high tomorrow. Generally, the only thing deterring him from these goals are the minor obstacles in his path – new costume ideas for the next ‘serve’, scraping together enough cash for tonight’s purchase, calling his girlfriend – and even they rarely seem to keep him from his hazy utopia. In Denton’s eyes, he lives in the pinnacle of life’s glorious drag, sucking down joints like yesterday’s leftovers. Its comic genius, I must admit and no joke is lost among the laborious scenes of everyday puffing.The mellow attitude with which the film opens is only enhanced after we meet Saul Silver (James Franco), Dale’s just-as-lazy drug dealer. If Dale’s a pothead, I’m not sure where that puts Saul — maybe, Dale in a decade?

**Spoiler(s) ahead**

The movie stays in its smoky saga only long enough to paint the scene. After Dale witnesses a cop’s murder by the hands of a crocked dealer (Gary Cole) and leaves a joint of the infamously rare Pineapple Express at the scene of the crime the movie switches gears after he finally begins fearing for his life after realizing the rare weed’s traceability and just like that, we’ve got a full blown mouse hunt on our hands. Between Silver’s lackluster zeal for much of anything and Dale’s predisposition to practicality, the jokes are brilliantly normal and the comedy perfectly understandable. What did we expect, really? Every Apatow movie to date has been about the average man; each time finding himself in an increasingly more improbable, but never impossible, situation. Pride yourself on cleanliness and 1980’s comic books and you could be a 40 Year-Old Virgin. Hook up with a girl out of your league and both of you could very well be unhappy and Knocked Up. Follow around high school boys trying desperately to swipe the V-card and successfully purchase alcohol with a fake ID and I guarantee you the footage will be Superbad. Pineapple Express is no different. Smoke enough weed in a short period of time and this could actually happen to you, there’s not a doubt in my mind.

Don’t read me wrong here, this movie becomes more and more outlandish with each passing turn, but the jokes are never too far – save the fighting ninja warriors, those were a bit much, I suppose. After these modern-day Cheech and Chongs realize their notorious stash of PE can be traced back to them, they decide to sprint for the middle man — tweener-dealer Red (Danny McBride) and easily the funniest character of this film (and maybe the entire last year).

Each twist of fortunes finds Red fighting against someone else and by the end of the film the now-famous clip of the neck brace-wearing Red chirping, “thug life…” has never rang truer. With the dealer’s goons (The Office’s Craig Robinson and Superbad’s Kevin Corrigan) hot on their tracks, the three underdogs embark on the save-all-except-themselves mission using the PE to finance the necessities: Slurpees and snacks. After Dale gets arrested for blatantly selling to minors, their plan seems thwarted — all hope lost. Arms behind his back, trying to explain to the driving police officer, Dale glances up to see his counterpart – a Slurpee-holding Saul – standing directly in front of the speeding vehicle, willing to take a hit for his friend. The slushy drinks erupt, mostly on the windshield, make the Police cruiser now both their getaway and a seemingly obvious hit-and-run homicide. Misconception…all one big misconception, but hilarious nonetheless. I wouldn’t want to spoil the rest of the film for you, but bottom line: it’s worth a watch if you feel like a night off from responsibility.

Owens publicly criticised the Eagles and team-mate McNabbTerrell Owens' season is effectively over after an arbitrator ruled the Philadelphia Eagles were justified in suspending him for four games.

Owens, 31, was suspended on 5 November for criticising the Eagles, quarterback Donovan McNabb and for fighting with former team-mate Hugh Douglas.

Two days later, the Eagles extended the suspension to four games.

The Eagles were adjudged to have clearly proved the suspension was justified by the arbitrator.

Philadelphia, currently struggling at 4-6 at the bottom of the AFC East, have made it clear they want Owens to play no further part in their season.

In a statement, the club said: "From this point, we look forward to moving on and will have no further comment on this issue."

Owens is seen as one of the best wide receiver in the league, but the Eagles – who lost last season's Super Bowl to New England – have made it clear they are content to let him go.

The player had been unhappy since the off-season, when the Eagles refused to renegotiate his seven-year, $48m contract.

The NFL Players Association had argued that the suspension should be reduced and wanted to force the Eagles to either play Owens or release him.

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As it all goes down, fans wait, watch and wilt till next season.

There’s No Place Like Home: Part 2 & 3

By Bryce VanKooten

Well, its all over. At least for now. How do we all feel? Can we describe it all in one word? Legit. Two words: deceptively inspiring? I suppose we need a time machine to get out exactly how we feel.

This year we saw lots and lots of things happen. Wait, no we didn’t. The season started with the ever-fateful ‘the folks on The Freighter are coming to get us’ and ended with the incredible twist: ‘the folks on The Freighter, although tricksy little hobbits’s––did not get us’. Granted, we got to meet Faraday (awesome, eccentric, all good things) and Charlotte (hmmm) and I’ll be the first to admit that I like them, but frankly––when all was said and done, plot wise… It was a simple season.

Remember first season when we saw a Hatch and were entertained just by the thought of it for about 15 episodes? Or when we saw only the feet of The Others walking by––just a glimpse––and we had more Goosebumps than a 6th grade library? Those were the days when nitwit fans were mixed in with the rest of the nuts and left to fight amongst themselves as to who would get the last handful of theory crumbs. Nowadays though, where do we live?  What is it going to take to get us back to that state of wonderment without that nostalgic sense of hate we so often feel? Can it be that we are too smart for our own good?  Always thinking outside the magic box, we can only be duped if hand-fed lies? I say nah, but that’s closer than not.

If ever there was a breaking point for me, it was the end of Season 3. It was the first season where I had to moan along with the rest of the world week by week (or should I say, week off to week on) because I had used up my luxury of DVD seasons (see previous post Lost: The Logic-Free Fee). It was then when I sat back and said, “Lost, I hereby swear I will disown you like a right-wing father to his hippie son if you don’t impress me beyond belief.” And like a true nonconforming child, it did. There I was, watching Jack drink his life away–– popping pills like a MLB All-star thinking to myself, “Well, it looks like this is it. I have to quit. I gotta shut er’ off.” And then it happened. They took me to the future. And like Never, Never, Land, I was hooked again.

When this year’s finale rolled around, I can’t say I was in as angry of a place, but I can say that I wanted some movement. When Desmond did his Marty McFly bit in The Constant, I went wild. When Keamy went from ‘not that tough’ to ‘okay, he could be tough’ by going hard as The Wire and shooting Ben’s daughter, I coincidentally wanted to jump up and scream, “That’s what I’m talking about!” You can’t have anyone to really love if you don’t have anyone to really hate. Throw in a loathsome person like Benjamin Linus (who we all love, lets be honest) and you have a terrific show. Leverage that dynamic with the island’s properties and now we’re talking. The Season 4 finale did just that. It didn’t do everything I had hoped (i.e. reveal to us the/a time machine, show where the island went after it ducked below the surface, give us more insight into where Ben goes after banished, etc, etc), but it did enough. I liked how the island disappeared. I liked how Sun sold out for her final scene with Jin (fyi; that was heart wrenchingly painful to watch and I likely won’t watch it again; I liked Jin, I did…. I did). I liked how Sawyer was the man, again––if only for a little while. He kind of went to that hey-don’t-forget-I’m-still-Sawyer place where he does things, almost subconsciously, just to show how much cooler than Jack he is. I thought his jump was well placed and perfect. And if you didn’t hear what he said to Kate in the whisper, you can hear it here.

Bottom line, this finale was like a punch in the belly button. A good punch, though. It hurts a bit; torments you for a while, but its good to know that you can still feel. You can still hurt–– and they still care enough to take the time and effort to punch you.

“The island needs you.”

DVD to be released in December. Season 5 way too far away.  You can watch all four seasons on ABC.com in HD streaming.

Created by J.J. Abrams, Produced by Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews, Henry Ian Cusick, Jeremy Davies, Emilie de Ravin, Michael Emerson, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Ken Leung, Rebecca Mader, Elizabeth Mitchell, Terry O’Quinn & Harold Perrineau.

.

Lost may not be the best show on television (Mad Men, for starters) but there isn’t a show that I look forward to watching more, and when it’s at its best, nothing can match its addictive watchability.  This season, a continuation of the return to form in the second half of Season 3, answered a lot of questions, and in true Lost fashion, did so by raising more questions.

It has to be extraordinarily difficult to tell one cohesive story over what will be 100+ hours, and to do so while revealing the mystery a little at a time can be frustrating.  But honestly, for all those out there who compalin about not getting answers, it’s remarkable how much we know about the island and its history and its occupants (yes, yes, the smoke monster is still unexplained) compared to when we started.  Yet, there still seems like so much to explore in the final 2 seasons but I do have confidence in the writers to wrap things up and deliver a mind-blowing conclusion when it comes.

This season really ramped up the action and for the most part, told the story in a different way than before.  The best episodes of the season, the Desmond-centered, “The Constant” (which was possibly the best in the show’s history), the Ben-centered “The Shape of Things to Come” and the Locke-centered “Cabin Fever”, did not fit in the standard Lost-style, but they all worked great.  While the season was quite solid overall, two other stand-outs were Sayid’s, “The Economist” and Sun/Yin’s “Yi Jeon” both of which had big reveals about the future of some of our castaways.

There were some down moments, especially the Juliet (why is she still on the show?) episode, “The Other Woman” which had a ridiculous, ridiculous plot and ending.  They brought back a familiar face (spoiler alert…sort of) in Michael (Harold Perrineau) and while I liked his arc he was definitely underutilized.  I also was not particularly happy about one of the characters that was sent packing, but I won’t say anymore about that.

Though, where Lost has failed in the past is in keeping every character involved, a difficult task given the size of the cast.  This season, they did a much better job, as almost every character had some interesting moments and has become essential to the mythology — even the little-used Claire (Emilie de Ravin) had a great twist in her character.  The new characters were all solid additions, especially Daniel (Jeremy Davies), Miles (Ken Leung) and Frank (Jeff Fahey).  Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) didn’t do much, but the season finale gave her a hell of a storyline for next season.  Even the new bad guy, Keamy (Kevin Durand) was pretty awesome.  I can only wonder if the writer’s strike cost some back-story development for the new additions — hopefully they can make that up next season. 

I said this in my previous review of this season, but it bears repeating — Michael Emerson as Ben is fuckin’ awesome.  That guy deserves every award out there…he has totally changed this show for the better to the point where it’s hard to remember what a Ben-less Lostwas like.  Naveen Andrews as Sayid got some chances to shine this year, and Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond (my favorite character) was similarly excellent.  Some of the original cast — maybe because they’ve been around so long — didn’t have much to do — there wasn’t a Sawyer-centric episode, for example.

The finale kept up the tradition of finishing each season strong, and leaving the viewers with a big question to ponder over the break.  It really is amazing how much the show has evolved since its first season and while a lot of the novelty has worn off, I think the show is as strong as ever, if not stronger.  I can’t wait for Season 5.

Grade: A-

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Well, how was that for a humdinger of a finale?  I can’t say that it was as mind-blowing for me as last season’s, but it was still greatly entertaining, and came with a ton of answers.  Let’s jump right in to the analysis:

“We have to go baaaack!”

I really dug the fact that they started this episode right where the end of last season left off.  It created a really neat bookend to the storyline of Season 4.  While some of the greater mysteries of the island and the series still remain unanswered, it feels as though all of the questions raised at the end of Season 3 and throughout Season 4 were put to bed in this episode.  Starting with who was the “he” that Kate needed to get back to?  That would be Aaron.

Meanwhile, on the freighter…

OK, I take that back.  Maybe not every question.  One of the things that really looks like a casualty of the writer’s strike is the whole Michael plotline.  I’ll get into some of the heftier details in a bit, but let’s start with all of the C4 on the freighter.  Keamy’s contraption notwithstanding, what the heck happened to the bomb that Michael bought on board?  It seems clear that the writers had planned all along for the freighter to blow up, but they seemed to change the method mid-season.  If the bomb that Michael brought on board served no purpose other than to see if he was ready to carry out Ben’s wishes…I’m just not buying it.  I wonder if the writers will address that in any commentary on the Season DVD set.

The Others take back the island

After seeing the 815 survivors on the business end of the Others’ wrath so many times, it was kinda cool to see them do their thing to the remaining freighter folk.  The whispers followed by sneak attacks out of trees with pea shooters?  Taking down a highly trained military group?  Fun stuff.  Of course, I would have liked to see Sayid instead of Richard take out Keamy (at least for the moment), it was a nice sequence.

“So we can go off the island, that’s it?”

Ben’s decisions to allow people to leave the island is becoming more and more understandable as the show progresses.  He knows, as we now do, that if you’re not meant to be on the island, then who cares if you leave?  But if you’re meant to be on the island, as it appears Kate and Sayid are, then the island will be pulling some strings to get you back.  Wanna get off the island?  Sure!  Go for it!  But I know you’ll be back…whether you want to or not.

“Gettin’ big dude”

Nice to see Walt in something more than a 2-second cameo.  I’m hoping that his little visit to Hurley in the insane asylum is a sign of things to come.  I’d like to see Walt be part of the group that tries to get back to the island…if for no other reason than I think we got short-changed on the Michael storyline, and I hope that it’s not dropped completely from the series.

Man of Science vs. Man of Faith Redux

Jack has always seemed to be on the short end of this argument, but never more so than the first hour and 59 minutes of this episode.  Locke plays the ultimate card when he tells Jack, “Lie to them…if you do it half as well as you lie to yourself, they’ll believe you.”  Jack is clearly stunned by the events happening around him, and simply can’t explain any of it.  But he holds on to his science…because he can’t allow himself to feel vulnerable.  He can’t allow himself to not try to fix the situation.  And it appears as though he couldn’t be more wrong…until the end of the episode.  But more on that later.

“I’m surprised you want to leave…”

Very intriguing banter between Miles and Charlotte.  As good ol’ Doc Jensen on EW surmised, Charlotte has indeed been to the island before.  And she’s not ready to leave yet, just like Miles.  But how does Miles know that Charlotte’s been there?  Clearly, Miles knows a lot more about what’s happening than he’s letting on, and it’ll be really interesting to learn more about him, Charlotte, and Faraday next season.

“If you mean time traveling bunnies, then yes.”

Well, I guess this is where LOST puts its cards on the table.  At least to me, up until this point LOST has walked a fine line between superscience and science fiction.  With time traveling, teleportation, and a disappearing island all happening on-screen, there is now no doubt that LOST has moved from “scripted Survivor” to true science fiction.  Part of me is sad to see it happen, as a show that could explain all of the happenings of the first few seasons through superscience alone would have been way cool.  But that’s not the case, and won’t be the case, so now it’s time to just enjoy the show for what it is.  I am curious, however, to see how this play affects next season’s ratings.  I think we’ve already lost all of the viewers that we were going to lose by such a move, but now that it’s done, I’d like to see if that matches reality.

Sawyer takes one for the team

But not before making a request of Kate and stealing a kiss.  That Sawyer, what chivalrous fellow.  I bet he won a ton of points with the ladies for that move.  Not that he really needed to…

“Bentham’s dead.  They said it was suicide.”

So…a mystery to unravel for next season.  Who killed Mr. Bentham, and why was it made to be a suicide?  And who are “they”?  Something to keep in mind when we approach the start of Season 5 in about 8 months,,,

Michael and Jin meet their maker 

Crazy sequence with the freighter and the chopper to start off the second hour.  With almost all of the remaining Flight 815 survivors on the freighter, Keamy’s contraption goes off, killing everyone on board, including Michael and Jin.  Michael does a great job of nearly redeeming himself, and gives the Oceanic 6 enough time to refuel in order to see the iasland disappear and get back to the mainland.  But Michael’s return seems almost completely for naught.

Of course Jin is an entirely different story.  When we had the flashforward earlier this season that showed his gravesite, I had hoped that it was just from him deciding to stay on the island, and that his absence was all part of the ruse that the Oceanic 6 was putting on for everyone.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.  Jin was right on deck when the explosion ripped through the freighter’s hull.  There’s no doubt that he’s gone.  The real question is, when you couple Michael & Jin’s death with Locke’s, is “will anyone live through the series finale?  Much death this season…it seems as though more primary and secondary characters died in this season than in any other…

“Good-bye John, sorry I made your life so miserable.”

Do you believe anything that Ben said in his farewell speech to Locke?  I sure don’t.  The man is an accomplished liar, and I don’t think that changes just because he’s about to turn the frozen donkey wheel.  I think he wants off the island because he doesn’t want to be around for the after-effects of moving it.  And I’m pretty convinced that he can come back.  I’m sure he’ll be testing that theory next season.

And the island goes bye-bye

Science fiction or not, that frozen donkey wheel scene was cool.  The island disappearing in a ball of light was pretty freakin’ awesome, and the special effects folks should be commended.  Good stuff.

And while we’re on the topic, let’s talk some more about the frozen donkey wheel.  Clearly, Ben not only time traveled in this scene, but teleported as well–right into the Sahara Desert as we saw earlier in “The Shape of Things To Come”.  But what strikes me the most about this scene is that it may very well explain *why* there were polar bears on the island.  (The “how” still remains a bit of a mystery.)  It seems to me that the Dharma folks, or perhaps someone else, were training the bears (and probably other animals) to trigger some of the more hairy contraptions on the island.  Why turn the frozen donkey wheel yourself when you can have a polar bear do it for you?  I think that all of the cages on the “side island” were all to train animals to do some of the more tricky tasks on the main island.  The remaining question is…how did they get there in the first place?

The Oceanic 6 are one lucky group

First, they survive a plane crash on the island.  But while that could be explained by the island’s mystical properties, how do you explain them surviving the helicopter crash with the island somewhere else in space and time?  Those 815ers are crazy lucky I tell ya.  Or…maybe the island’s protecting them the same way it protected Michael?  Hmmm…

“There’s a boat!”

Anyone else feel like it was the Season 1 finale all over again when the boat came up on the Oceanic 6?  I half-expected the Others to pop out when they finally came up on it.  But instead…

“Penny!”

Here’s one I completely didn’t expect.  I thought for sure that we wouldn’t get to see this reunion until the last season.  And while the reunion was indeed touching, it makes me wonder how much of Penny or Desmond we’ll see next season.  It looks like that storyline has come to a close.  At least it ended happily!

Jeremy Bentham = John Locke = the man in the coffin

Anyone see that one coming?  (Those of you that weren’t spoiled, that is.)  I can’t say that I did, but then again, that’s what makes LOST so great…there’s always another curve ball in the bag of tricks.  But Locke was one of the show’s favorite (and might I say best) characters.  Unless there’s a trick way of keeping him on the show despite his death, then the show won’t be quite the same.  Oh, and one last thing about Locke/Bentham…while I’m typically not the type to mess around with name association and literary references in this space, let me just gently push you in a certain direction.  As a guy with a poli-sci major, i would be remiss if i didn’t recommend that you do a little Google research on John Locke and Jeremy Bentham, and their respective philosophies.  There might be a nugget or two there for some of you that like to dig into those types of nuances.

Post-Season questions

What will season 5 be about?

Typically, the previous season ends with a clear idea of what the next one will be about.  This one was a bit fuzzy, but I’d venture to guess that it’ll be about the Oceanic 6 (and a few others) trying to find their way back to the island.

How do the Oceanic 6 return to the island?

This is the $64,000 question, isn’t it?  Since Ben was teleported off the island at the time it was moved, and the others simply saw it vanish before their eyes, no one really knows where (or when) it is.  Locke probably knew, considering he came mainland after the island was moved.  But that also explains why Jack was so upset to read about his death.  He was the only one that knew where the island was and how they could get back.

Where’d the island go?

It’ll be interesting to see if it moved only through time, or if it also moved through space.  Maybe now it’s somewhere really cold?

What’s Locke’s story?

Tracking Locke’s journey from new leader of the Others with the island in a new locale to his trip back mainland as Jeremy Bentham and into a coffin will likely be one of the more intriguing stories of season 5.  I’m looking forward to how that all shakes out.

Overall, I think it was a great end to the season, even if it wasn’t as spectacular as the Season 3 finale.  I’m curious to hear what you think!  Give me your thoughts on the finale (including anything I may have missed), Season 4 as a whole, and what you think we can expect next year! 

Holy Shit! Wow. That was an EPIC 82 minutes of TV. Also, lots of WTF’s

Some Lots of Spoilers follow!….Locke was the one in the coffin!!!!!

The boat exploded!

Jin did, most likely die!

The island disappeared!!

Desmond & Penny!

Hurley & Mr. Eko! Playing chess.

Awesome beginning to that part, I thought… just a straight transition from the ‘previously’ into new content.

I really didn’t see Locke leaving the island, but obviously whatever happens after the 6 leave is really bad. I think I’m gonna need to rewatch this episode; especially with the knowledge that Jeremy Bentham is Locke.

What will happen to those that remained on the island e.g. Sawyer, Juliet…. (are there any others?).

Presumably, Ben moved the island physically as it did disappear right out from under the chopper. Though this episode added to the confusion regarding time-fuckery.

How did Miles (ghostbuster dude ) know that Charlotte was born on the island? Why did he choose to stay on the island. Charlotte I can kinda understand but not Miles.

Nice sacrifice by Sawyer; what he whispered to Kate was obviously him asking Kate to do the thing that annoyed Jack in the not-so-distant future.

I don’t really understand why Ben can’t come back to the island seeing as he’s the one who moved it. I kinda get as to why he had to leave though; he had to turn the frozen donkey wheel to move the island and that resulted in him teleporting into the desert and into the future!

The call Kate received in her ‘dream’ was pretty interesting. I fully expected it to be saying something and it was. Backwards. When played forward it says “The island needs you. You have to go back before it’s too late” [hear it here].

I wonder who Claire was telling Kate not to take back to the island; Locke, or perhaps more likely Aaron?

Who should Desmond prevent from finding him? I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that Jack does get to see Desmond ‘in another life, brotha’

Anywho, I’m sure in the time until the next episode (it’s in bloody 2009!) I’ll have posted something about Lost again even if it’s just some more questions that have formed in my head or as is more likely, me whining about how long it is until the next episode.

On that matter then, these will resume at an un-announced date in 2009. Farewell.

/

Oh and was it just me hoping that they didn’t blue-ball us with finding out who was in the coffin? I would have been annoyed if we got as close and didn’t find out; I’m glad we did.

Edit: Ben says “we’re gonna have to bring him too”… Does that mean Ben is going back as well?

Oh yer and Hoffs / Drawler (the name of the funeral parlor) is an anagram of Flash Forward; wasn’t it nice of the Lost writers / producers to tell us that last year?

Last night the fourth season of LOST wrapped up and it left me feeling intensely satisfied. 

It is inarguably clear that the writers now have an end-goal in sight and are steadily working towards it.  I’ll admit, in earlier seasons, they played it pretty fast and loose with previous plot elements and characters.  That didn’t bother me, mind you, I enjoyed the ride no matter how bumpy, but I understood how it could be frustrating for some.  Those days are over, though.  Season four was tight from the get-go and only got better with each episode.

In fact, this fourth season was probably the most consistent, reliable, and well-written of any previous seasons.  And as all season finales must, it left us with plenty of questions.  Consequently, it also unquestionably answered some gargantuan mysteries posed throughout the season as well.  I’ll say it again because I think it bears repeating, I think this was probably its strongest season in terms of pure story-telling from the first episode to the last and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the pure craft and creativity involved in delivering such an intricate and well thought-out tale.

There’s such beauty in how the title has taken on a whole new meaning!  (Spoilers  ahead!)  How perfect that it is literally the island that is now lost.  I love the irony as well that Jack previously wanted nothing more than to get his friends off the island so they could be found, and now that he’s accomplished that task, he’s the one who must gather them together to take them back.  Of all people, how befitting that he’s the one most lost without the island!  It’s the classic case of not knowing what you truly want until you can’t have it any longer and then subsequently feeling empty.  Aren’t we all guilty of that in some aspect or another?

Oh, sure, there are still plenty of questions, but isn’t that entirely the fun of the show?  Those questions that leave us with such a plethora of possibilities, I can’t help but get excited to see what’s in store of us!  For instance, where (or when) is the island?  What has Sawyer and Juliet been up to for the last three years?  Was that really Locke in the coffin?  (Totally NOT who I thought it would be, by the way.  My money was on Michael, and I’m pretty sure they manipulated me into thinking so from the beginning.  I’m such a sucker.)  What is the significance of the name Jeremy Bentham?  Did Jin and Michael really die?  Is Hurley really nuts, and if not, why is he talking to dead people?  Best of all, has Sun turned evil because Jack let Jin perish?  (Oh, what a wonderful villainess she would make after being repressed for so long!  I’d love to see all her spite and anger unleashed!)  Furthermore, what’s in store for the fantastic additions to the cast in the fourth season-Miles, Charlotte, Frank, and the wonderfully quirky Daniel?  What’s Claire’s connection to Jacob and Christian?  Is that really Christian, or is that pesky smoke-monster doing impersonations again?

This season’s finale delivered the “wow-factor” in terms of surprise, action, drama, adventure, and pure excitement.  I know season five is a long ways off, but like so much in life, anticipation is sublime!  Thanks to all involved with LOST for giving us a season to be proud of!

Previously on Lost, the Oceanic 6 are totally in different places all over the Island. Hurley is with Locke & Ben, who totally gave himself up to Keamy, who totally wants to kill everyone on the Island. Kate & Sayid got captured by the Others while going after Jack, who is with Sawyer, going after Hurley. Sun & Aaron are on the Freighter with Desmond & like a bunch of C4. SO how to they, & not the others, get off the Island?

1.) Whoa, we’re opening in the flash-forward from the Season 3 finale? “We have to go back??” Also, who the hell is Jeremy Bentham? I totally think you just made that name up! And what horrible things happened the day they left?? Two hours, we better get some freaking answers.

2.) Now that Jack & Sawyer found Hurley, why, exactly, are they going after Locke? Why don’t they just get on the helicopter already? I thought the only reason they didn’t go with Frank in the first place was because they didn’t have Hurley. Confused.

3.) “Boom.” Desmond is conveniently a bomb expert. Luckily.

4.) Oh look, Jack just remembered they only came back for Hurley. Unfortunately, Ben once again ruins all plans by being taken to the chopper. Kate is running from the Others? Wait, I thought she was already caught?

5.) Annnnd there’s Sayid. This fight with Keamy is a little anticlimactic since we know Sayid isn’t going to die. So long, Keamy.

6.) “They help us free you, we let them off the Island.” Can it really be that easy?

7.) Whoa it’s awkwardly old Walt, visiting Hurley in the flashforward! He looks…weird. Walt, nobody came to see you because your dad totally killed two people. I mean, awkward! Again, with the Jeremy Bentham character again. Someone better the hell explain who this dude is.

8.) “Well, Jack, you put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger.” Touche, Locke!

9.) “I’d want to be on that boat within the hour.” I’m confused. Now that Keamy’s dead, isn’t the only threat the C4 on the boat? Does Locke even know that Keamy’s dead? Why do they still need to move the Island?

10.) “It isn’t even on yet.” I’m still confused. If the bomb is not on yet, who was going to set it off?

11.) Faraday! YES! I love him so much. He’s just so fidgety & awkward. “Thanks for helping us.” Aww, that’s right. Dan is awesome.

12.) “I’m gonna keep my eye on you, Shorty.” Hee! I love you, Rose.

13.) “Oh, no, you’re very dire.” Hehe…oh, Miles. You’re hilarious. “What do you mean, get back here?” “What do I mean?” Yeah, Miles, what do you mean?? Charlotte’s been on the Island before? Okay, you know what, it doesn’t matter, Charlotte, cause you totally need to leave with Dan.

14.) “Is this the magic box?” Heh. If I were Ben, I would just tell Locke what the hell is going on already because all the whining would get really annoying really fast. I do enjoy how Ben talks to him like he’s like 5 years old. “Unique experiments through space and time.” It IS time travel!

15.) “Metallic objects must NEVER be placed within the vault.” Meanwhile, Ben is piling on the metallic objects. “If you mean time traveling bunnies, then yes.” Hee!

16.) Meanwhile, back the chopper…Keamy still looks dead. Frank = Kenny Rogers…heh.

17.) “It’s safe now.” Touche, Sayid-who-doesn’t-know-about-the-C4.

18.) “We can come back & look for Claire, right?” Yeah, Claire’s dead, yo. Let it go.

19.) Whoa! Keamy’s alive. I knew it was too easy. What is it with people completely unable to kill other people on this show? Body armor…convenient. And Keamy’s still rocking his confusing armband thingie that I forgot about. Which is how he would set off the C4! Touche, that’s actually pretty smart. Except of course Ben doesn’t really care if the people on the boat die.

20.) “You killed my daughter!!” Well, that was anticlimactic. Hope you got him for real this time, Ben. That’s the key, always go for the neck or head. You’re on a TV show, get your killing methods down. “You just killed everyone on that boat.” “So?” See?? Did I not just call this? Um, question. Why don’t they just take that armband off Keamy & put it on one of them before his heart-rate dies?

21.) “I’m going to stay, Daniel.” Awww, Charlotte. “There is no ‘for now’!” What does that mean?? She’s still looking for where she was born…wait a second. Wait a second. If the time-traveling theory is true, then Charlotte could be…who? I’m confused. Never mind, I thought I figured something out, but I didn’t. And I’m sad Charlotte & Dan aren’t together anymore. Except…Dan doesn’t get off the Island either, right? And we were promised a Dan-centric episode next year, right? So maybe he stays on after all.

22.) “I’d feel a lot better if we were a few hundred pounds lighter.” Looks like Sawyer thought of jumping off before Hurley. And there’s the thing he asked Kate to do. Touche, nobody even trying to stop him from jumping. Everyone must like Sawyer about as much as I do. Also, you see how I’m ignoring the kiss? It’s cause I don’t care.

23.) I gotta say. The Samsung Glyde looks pretty nifty.

24.) Flash-forward…ooh, Sayid just killed some dude outside of Hurley’s mental hospital? Was I supposed to know who that was? Cause I didn’t. Hurley: “Why would I go anywhere with you?” Good call. I mean, a) he hasn’t seen you in forever, b) visiting hours are totally over and c) you’re dressed in all black & looking pretty much like you just killed someone. “Bentham’s dead.” WHO IS BENTHAM?! WHO?? “Checkmate, Mr. Eko.” Aw. I’m sad we didn’t get to see him.

25.) Are you kidding with this? Keamy’s still alive? Come on. You guys SUCK at this.

26.) “Go! I stay.” Oh no. Is this how Jin dies? If so, I’m sad. Oh, but here he comes. No time!

27.) Wait a second. The Island won’t let Michael die, right? Or…not? “You can go now, Michael.” “Who are you?” Yeah, who are you?

28.) Oh no, Jin!! He didn’t actually want to stay. That really does suck. There was no need for him to stay…why did he stay, actually? It’s not like he helped Michael at all. That sucks for Sun.

29.) Hey, wait a sec…isn’t Daniel on the raft with another round of survivors, trying to get to the boat & it’s totally exploded? Awkward!

30.) Alternate endings! That’d almost be worth waking up early for if I didn’t know they’d end up on YouTube anyway.

31.) Sun flashforward…Charles Widmore! “As you know, we’re not the only ones who left the Island.” Wait….WHAT???

32.) I always get a kick out of the Dharma branded liquor. “Is that our boat?” “It was.” Touche! Why are you not more upset?

33.) “I’m going somewhere cold.” Oh, touché! Here’s the time travel thing. “Whoever moves the Island can never come back.” Well, that’s a bummer. And what a sacrifice for Ben, yes? PS: why does he think he’s going somewhere cold? We know he’s going to Tunisia.

34.) And look! Locke is the new leader of the Others. How come Richard Alpert always looks like he’s wearing too much makeup?

35.) Oh, he’s going somewhere cold before he time travels. “I hope you’re happy now, Jacob.” Wait, so he moved the Island to 2005? OMG, what is happening? Wait, the chopper & the raft aren’t on the Island yet! Whoa! “Where the hell’s the Island??” OMG!

36.) Wait a second. No, it doesn’t make sense that he moved the Island in time, because it wouldn’t disappear physically…it’s not like the Island grew there or anything.

37.) “We’re out of fuel!” Okay, that sucks. Might even be worse than crashing in a plane because I’d just be deathly afraid of getting killed by the rotators. Okay, so they have a raft. And they’re supposed to be rescued in this episode…so…wait. Kate, Jack, Sayid, Aaron, Hurley & Sun are all on the chopper…But so are a bunch of other people…

38.) Oh no! Desmond better be okay! No! Wake up!! Wake up, Desmond! Oh, okay, thank God. Doesn’t explain why he & Frank aren’t with the Oceanic 6 though. And where the hell is the other raft? I want Faraday!

39.) Ugh. I don’t care about the flashforward. Creepy phone calls! Awesome. OMG, it’s Claire!! ZOMG!! She’s totally dead, yo. “Don’t you dare bring him back!” Okay, so it was a dream. Of course it was.

40.) “I can’t believe he did it. He moved the Island.” Yeah, Jack, he kinda did. Oh look, it’s a boat. “We have to lie.” Um, why, exactly? “What do you think is going to happen to the people that we left behind?” That…is not a good answer. I’m still confused. But Ben’s already off the Island, so if that’s the only really the only thing Widmore’s looking for, then why would the people on the Island still be in danger? And also, in Sun’s flashforward, it looked like Widmore already knew they were lying & that someone else made it off the Island… Confused!

41.) OMG! It’s Penny!! IT’S PENNY! IT’S PENNY! OMG!! IT’S PENNY!!

42.) Wow, so Penny really was close to finding the freighter. Touche. WTG, Penny! Oh Jack, please be more excited to see Penny. It’s freaking Penny! Awww, I’m so happy for Desmond.

43.) Okay. So Sun says other people got off the Island. Is that just Ben? That’d be who Charles Widmore would think Sun would mean that would mean she’s helping him…. Um, question, what happened to the other raft?

44.) Okay, if they’re going to Membata & Des & Frank aren’t, that explains the Oceanic 6. I hope that doesn’t mean this is the last we’ll hear from Desmond. Bye Des! Love you!

45.) The rescue was nice. I’m still not sure why it’s so important for them to lie. Ben is off the Island. So what would be Widmore’s reason to destroy it now?

46.) Annnd drunk Jack’s beard’s flashforward, where he’s trying to break into a funeral parlor. It’s Jeremy Bentham’s coffin…who is Jeremy Bentham? Not Ben, because he’s behind Jack. Who?? WHO IS HE???

47.) “After I left the Island, some very bad things happened.” HOW is it his fault? “The Island won’t let you come back. All of you have to go back.” WHY??? Ask questions, Jack!

48.) “Sun blames me…” Ohhh. He’s the second person, besides her dad, that is responsible in her mind for Jin’s death.

49.) “I have a few ideas.” Again, ASK QUESTIONS, JACK! WHAT ideas??! “I said all of you…” Pan to Jeremy Bentham…OOOH! It’s Locke!! Ahhh! WHAT??? How did he get off the Island? What was the horrible thing that happened on the day they left that he told all of them? Why do they have to go back? How do they all go back? Why isn’t Jack ASKING THESE QUESTIONS??? We’ll find out (or not) next January.

EDIT: As expected, video of the alternate endings that aired on GMA today is now online. You can view them HERE.

The 2 hour Season Finale of LOST is tonight. Shelley, Josh, Dustin and I are going to sip pineapple juice from plastic coconut shaped cups and eat fishsticks in honor of the LOST castaway island diet. I have many questions I am hoping they will answer. Here is a small sampling of my questions:

1) Who is in the coffin that made Jack grow the unibomber beard and try to jump off a bridge?

2) Is the island going to “move” like bug-eyed Ben said it could be?

3) How do the Oceanic 6 get set apart from the rest of the group when they seem to be all jumbled up with ones who do not get rescued?

As usual LOST will partly answer a few questions, but leave us with about 20 more in the last 5 minutes of the finale, leaving us to quietly stare at each other for about 3 minutes after the credits start until someone finally breaks the silence with “oh man, what does that mean?!?!”

Oh LOST, how I will miss thee until next season.

Happy LOST day!  That’s the last time I can say that this year (isn’t that depressing?), so I thought I’d make sure I did so.  In reality though, I don’t have much to add on to the challenge from 2 weeks ago.  None of the questions we thought might get answered did, so you have to feel as though tonight’s show is going to be just jam-packed with revelation after revelation.  I’m not even going to mess around.  Here are the questions we expect to have answered tonight.  Please give me your thoughts on any or all of them below!

1. Who is in the coffin?

2. Who dies tonight, and how?

3. What is the nature of the Orchid station?

4. Is Locke successful in moving the island, and if so, to where?  (Or to when?)

5. How do the Oceanic 6 actually leave the island?  Is it via the freighter, or by some other means?

6. What happens to the survivors of Flight 815 that are not part of the Oceanic 6?

7. What happens in the secret “Frozen Donkey Wheel” scene?

Enjoy the episode tonight folks!  It’s the last one until late January 2009!