'Lost': A double dose

I'd planned on dropping some reader-based requests on you tonight, but I want to hold out a bit more in hopes of getting more feedback. As such, Lost fans, I'm going to offer a two-for-one: two topics in one entry. And you don't even have to pay extra. Wait, this site's already free? Man, you guys get a good deal. I'm gonna start charging Dharma dollars before year end.

Topic 1: You Write, Everybody!

Part of the reason that I'm holding out is due to the increasing size of the Facebook group for this site. According to that, there are quite a few of you that read here but don't comment. It's either that, or you just wanna be in the cool club over on Facebook. But that seems a little far-fetched, to be honest. I'm going with the "silent but deadly" theory: you're like Lost analysis assassins, unwilling to give away your presence until absolutely necessary. While, as Salt n' Pepa would attest, this is very necessary.

Here are the four topics again, for your perusal. Pick your favorite two and drop your comments below. If you've already submitted your vote, you need not do so again.

1) Swan Subterfuge. In "What Kate Saw," we learned that the orientation film for the Swan was edited, omitting information about the Swan computer. We know, although our Lostaways don't, who was behind this fanciful editing. But why was this footage edited? Why would using the computer for communication cause an incident? And how does the Blast Door Map fit into all this?

2) Making a List, Kidnapping Twice. We've gotten our first tastes of the many lists that have pervaded the show. Jacob's made some lists, and so has Ben. But are they the only two? Why bother actually writing them out, as opposed to merely committing them to memory? And just how long has this list-making been going on in the grand scheme of things?

3) The Good, the Bad, and the Dharma. Goodwin tells Ana Lucia that Nathan died because he was not a good person. Nice line of reasoning from a murderer. How do the various groups in Lost decide moral authority over others, and what does it say about the nature of the Island? Moreover, is the Dharma Initiative just another example of such moralizing or do they stand outside, as men/women of science?

4) Black Swan screaming in the dead of night. The main protagonist of the newest alternate-reality game for Lost goes by the handle "Black Swan." What is the significance of this, and how does it impact how we view both the Incident and the Dharma Initiative's goals as a whole?

One more thing: I'm setting the new membership goal over on Facebook at 150, so if you're a reader who's not on there, by all means join. If you have friends that you know love the show, invite them to join. If you're walking down a busy street, shout "WAAAAAAALT" or sing "You all, everybody!" and recruit anyone who joins along.

And when I asked for more commenters earlier, that wasn't some pathetic cry for more attention. It's a serious request on my behalf. We already have a pretty vibrant commenting crew here, but I'll wager there are a lot of you who can add a lot to the conversation here. I find that my best entries are inspired directly from reader comments. I don't pretend to have ultimate insight into this show; I need y'all to feed my input. I mean, how else am I gonna swipe your ideas and claim them as my own? Honestly.

This also extends, in a way, to our place in the online Lost universe. The idea that only one site can give you everything you need to slake your Lost thirst is downright silly. The very fact that I maintain a spoiler-free site means a good chunk of Lost fans avoid this site as if there were a Quarantine sign affixed to it. But I do want to make this one of the must-visit Lost sites on the interwebs, and one way to do that is give people an accurate sense of the smart, funny, and interesting community that's formed here since I took over nearly a year ago.

So while I want to grow the community over on Facebook, neither you nor I should forget that this blog is the nexus of this little part of the Lost fandom universe. So let your voice be heard, not only in terms of the specific request above, but in everyday entries. Think of this as the virtual extension of where you normally get together with friends to discuss the show: dorm room, coffee shop, penitentiary yard, etc. I'm not here to be the authoritative voice declaiming from on high: I'm here to provide a conduit for conversation in which you should all feel welcome to participate.

Topic 2: On the Fringe

If you're like me, you watched Fringe last night. I was curious to see if the show took place on Earth-JJ, and sure enough, there were enough shoutouts to other J.J. Abrams works, especially Lost, to tantalize even the most casual Lost viewer.

Now, Mr. Eko would undoubtedly tell me not to mistake coincidence for fate. But he's fictional, so I can ignore him. Here are some of the similarities I noticed last night while watching the semi-meh premiere of Fringe.

The Numbers were everywhere. Passenger 108 aboard Flight 627 (6+2+7=15) started the chain reaction. The Artist Formerly Known as Abaddon's office number? 4290 (4+2+9+ um, 0=15). The COO of Massive Dynamic has worked there for 16 years. I mean, they didn't even TRY to hide this. Speaking of Massive Dynamic...

...Massive Dynamic is established as a nominally benevolent organization that may have deep secrets buried amidst its humanitarian work. Hanso Foundation, much? Exactly, especially when you consider...

...the CEO of Massive Dynamic worked on experimental, government-funded research in the 1970's along with one of the show's protagonists. Were they called the Dharma Initiative? No, but...

...they did work on something called Kelvin Genetics. Kelvin, of course, is the name of the man who helped train Sayid to torture and taught Desmond how to trip the security measures inside the Swan. Some of those aspects overlap quite nicely with the academic interest of the Degroots....

...now, the Degroots' research yielded an Incident threatening life on the Island, whereas the work of Kelvin Genetics yielded a Pattern threatening life on this planet. A Pattern is nothing if not a series of incidents, no?

Anywho, there's a lot to enjoy about Fringe, even if it's not currently up to snuff with Lost. If you noticed anything I missed, be sure to let me know below!