'Lost': My recap for 'The Candidate' is live

Devastated

Posting my thoughts on the episode (which I liked) at the recap, getting caught up on recent comments here.

HARRY: "Or are you seriously telling me that Hurley and Libby are now living in "less joy", your words, in sideways than they would if they went back to the original timeline? Poppycock, I say."

Good show old boy!

HARRY: "...then WHY in the world does he then ask her out to coffee in the near future? There's ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for him to continue seeing Penny at that point. NONE. He knows what he needs to know and IF the answer he was had been to erase Sideways, it's completely POINTLESS for him to think about seeing Penny again in that universe at all. The only possible reason to ask her out for coffee and have a date set to meet her again is that he now knows that Sideways can be fixed and possibly how to fix it. Makes no sense otherwise."

Excellent analysis!

SPLINTER: "...I don't understand why it bothers you (and others) so much..."

Hi Splinter -- and thanks for the welcome back!

I can't speak for others, but I'm not (significantly) bothered by Desmond's ALLEGED helicopter vision apparently not coming true -- in fact, a while back I posted (after seeing the rerun of "Looking Glass" on the ABC late-night repeats) that it now seems to me that Desmond was lying to Charlie about the vision to get him to agree to swim down to the allegedly flooded station. Evidence (besides his demeanor): If he really believed that Charlie had to be the one to do it he wouldn't have tried to do it instead at the last minute. But if he was lying about his vision he would have as he is basically a decent person.

No, what bothers me about Charlie's death (in brief, since I'm sure others don't want to hear it again) was that it was so clearly unnecessary: If you watch the scene he had PLENTY of time to go through the door and close it behind him before much water got through the porthole.

FIFTYPENCE: "Jeez I didn't think a full stop could be so offensive!"

I wonder if "full stop" is a pseudonym for "oh my god stop!" commenter from a couple of weeks ago. (That previous moniker makes me laugh because it reminds me of the shocked wide-eyed cartoon character in some of the old Monty Python episodes.)

MRI: "I look forward to more of your musings on the **** Tube Dude"

I can't help wondering what was bleeped. ("****"?)

There's something disturbing about the fact that Sun and Jin were presented with the choice of dying together or living alone.

All I could do the second I realized what was about to happen as that sub sank down was curse "F*ck you" over and over with different inflections at my TV. Yeah, I realize that with so few episodes left, some characters wouldn't make it but jeez, to lose who we did tonight? My heart hath broken.

RE: TONIGHT'S CHAT

And the MUCCC Award (Most Unintentionally Chilling Chat Comment when reading the transcript after the episode) goes to BRONZETHUMB for:

"If Sun and Jin together were meant to take over the Island, what about Ji Yeon? If she was left alone, I might cry."

RYAN: "Dave tried to convince hurley to kill himself. Subtle, but big, difference. Especially when you realize Smocke probably can't kill any candidate, due to The Rules."

It's reassuring, when you realize how long ago "DAVE" was, that apparently even back then they (the writers) knew that TMIB couldn't kill candidates directly.

GUEST: I have to wonder, like McGoohan's Prisoner, who is number one?

RYAN: "Science is less fun that imagination. Answers are less fun than questions."

Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison to oneself.

OldDarth: "Faith in your fellow man does not require religion."

I always explain to people (who can't understand why I like the movie so much) that this is the true message of the original "Miracle on 34th Street".

RE: SUPERSIZE ME CHAT

And the MUCCC Award goes to DCMEADS for:

"I've always thought Adam and Eve was Rose and Bernard but after last week Sun and Jin seem appropriate."

Moving on...

Robin_MJ: "So young boy may just be Genesis Planet Spock version of Jacob?"

Good one!

Titus: "I think the point of the show is for most of the characters to arrive at their individual incarnations of "found".

Most succinct summation I've ever heard... excellent!

indarltonitrust: "omg eloise just said [in "316" episode] that john is going to be a "substitute" albeit in this case for christian."

Forgot about that! Excellent!

Titus: "I want to go on record that Giacchino's re-do of Ben orignally dour and villianous theme is really beautiful and one of my favorite pieces of music from the show."

I agree that Giacchino is a superb composer!

Finally, I can't close without giving Ryan just due for the best quote of all:

"I WILL pay a lot for this muffler!"

Ryan - what's your interpretation of Jin's death in terms of what we thought we knew about the rules?

Smocke - taking the watch off the Widmore red-shirt...to use as a timing device for the bomb or for some reason to come?

Hard to comment on this one.
All I really feel like saying is Damn Smocke! :)

I haven't seen anyone mention this, but I thought it was a great bit of writing having Jack beg Sawyer to trust him, only to have Sawyer say "Sorry Don, I don't." and pull the wires out anyway.

Made total sense on a character level, seeing as how the last time he trusted Jack with something (seemingly) crazy, Juliet was killed. No way Sawyer was giving him the benefit of the doubt this time. I just thought that was cool and smart long-form writing.

Ryan,

I'm starting to worry that we are NEVER going to get an explanation of who was shooting at Sawyer, Juliet and co. on that outrigger last season. Are you getting that same sinking feeling?