'Lost': Letters From The Flame, Volume 3

March 18, 06:43 PM

Apparently you all missed "Letters From The Flame," the not-so-weekly feature in which I attempt to answer your questions and concerns about all things Lost. Because your response to my APB looking for questions, queries, and comments? Pretty overwhelming. As such, I tried to answer every question posed rather than spend 3,000 words per question. If I missed your question, it's not because I don't love you. It's not you, it's me. So forth and so on.

This is a long entry, so rather than spend endless paragraphs setting things up, let’s delve right into your questions and comments! Let's start off with an email sent to me by reader David P.

Hi Ryan,

I had an idea when reading through the discussion of The Constant that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else, and I thought you might still be interested.

This episode shows us that it is still December, 2004 in the Lost world (both on-island and off-island), yet it seems that an awful lot has had to have happened since the crash in September. This has even led some to speculate that the wreckage was planted pre-crash.

Most of the events that lead to this speculation come from the flashbacks in Confirmed Dead that introduced us to the four new arrivals to the island. My solution to this, is that we were not seeing flashbacks for these people, but rather flash forwards that are showing their lives post-island. Thoughts?

You know, for a few weeks after the airing of "Confirmed Dead," I really liked this idea, only because it would have been an insanely cool fake out. And given how tricky the show got with off-Island stories in "Ji Yeon," I could totally go along with this theory, if not for events on the freighter since the airing of "Dead." Given the establishment of a 1-1 ratio between days on-Island and days off-Island, it really doesn’t make sense for any of the off-Island stories in "Dead" to be flash forwards. The off-Island stories take great care to show that they happen on the day in which the faked wreckage was discovered, and Gault’s possession of the fake black box from Oceanic 815, I think we can safely put the off-Island events of "Dead" in the past. (Which is a little sad to me, but I can’t ignore the facts.)

A few questions follow from Shaggysteve:

When Sayid and Desmond go to talk to the Captain they notice that the chopper is gone. When they ask the Doc, he says Frank went to run an errand for the Captain. Where did Frank go?

It’s kinda hard to hear first time through, but while Desmond starts to shout at Regina, Ray makes a comment like, "Where else could he land?" after Sayid asks if Lapidus returned to the Island. But what part of the Island, and for what purpose? Still a mystery.

In relation to the last question, how do we know that the Black Box the Captain shows Sayid and Desmond isn't the actual Black Box from the Island wreckage? Maybe someone (Ben or Richard perhaps) moved it off the Island, or possibly retrieved by Frank during one of his errands for the Captain.

I think anyone who can fake the crash can fake a black box recording. It might be the black box from the island, but Gault seems to indicate this box is proof of a faked crash, which implies it’s not the original black box from Oceanic 815.

We see Regina throw herself off the ship, obviously an attempt to kill herself. Was she suffering from the sickness? Also, this very well may be the same sickness that plagued Danielle's people 16 years ago. If that's the case, how is it that Danielle is immune?

I will confess to not put two and two together as quickly as you all in terms of the "sickness," but kudos to you all: I think you’re right. As for immunity: you’ve completely got me on that. But then again, most of the Lostaways and Others seem pretty chill as well. Nary a nosebleed to be found. I’m more curious about how Ray’s throwaway line about the boat not moving ("Whatever you say…") and its relation to just how Danielle’s boat managed to penetrate the electromagnetic field around the Island but the Kahana cannot.

Reader Brian C. chimed in with some justified concerns about a certain psychic child.

I’ve been maintaining that Walt is not "of this world" anymore. This is evidenced (to me at least) by his appearances to Locke and, more tellingly, to Shannon before she bought the farm. With this in mind, was it really Walt that got on the boat with Michael? I really hope that they are reunited as I can’t take another season of Michael yelling "WAAAAAAAAAAALT!" over and over again.

Well, I’m pretty sure that was the real Walt at the end of Season 2. If this show goes the clone route I might throw my Jango Fett doll at the screen. I’m more interested in just how Michael and Walt got separated after leaving via 325. Michael’s on post-suicide mop-up duty, but where’s Walt? Banging on pipes in another part of the ship, perhaps?

Let’s look at a few more questions that deal with this conundrum. This first one is from Mike in RI.

I was wondering what your thoughts were regarding how Michael came to be on The Kahana. Did he get picked up directly after he left the island with Walt, or did he manage to get back to the real world and some how change his identity? I highly doubt that anyone would have been let on that ship without a thorough background check, even a janitor. I also doubt that they could have found both Michael and Walt at sea and never had any inclination that they came from the island. So, how do you think it all went down?

I think everything depends on not where, but when, 325 dumps one out into the real world. Remember, the word used by Ben to describe what Michael and Walt would find is "rescue," which could mean any one of a number of things. I’m thinking Ben has Mick Jagger in mind here, in essence offering Michael a chance at redemption for sins committed on the Island.

Here’s the more interesting question to me: WHY is Michael still working for Ben? Does Ben still hold some control over Walt, in the form of an implant like the one inserted into Claire while under their care? If I had to guess, and I do, since you’ve asked me, and I’m your Lost monkey boy, I’d say that Ben knew about the Kahana before the sky went purple, and had someone from Mittelos Biosciences stationed along 325 (which could dump one out into the real world in the Pacific Ocean, or perhaps near Portland, Oregon) standing by in order to give Michael a fake identity, papers, and an assignment. When asked why he’d ever work for Ben, the switch is flipped inside Walt’s brain/body, and Michael realizes he has no choice.

This makes the most sense to me, because as you point out, if the Kahana spotted two disheveled people arriving from the general direction of a mystical Island, they might not put them to work without any question.

Let’s move onto some queries about Ben himself. This one’s from Jeff:

Why did Richard/Ben's mother tell young Benjamin that it wasn't time yet and he would need to be very, very patient. Why did it take what seems like 20 years for the Purge to take place and Ben to become the leader of the Others?

The exact date of the Purge is unclear (December 21st, year unknown), but you’re right: at least a decade, and probably more, passed between that initial encounter and Doomsday. My best guess is that Ben took an Andy Dufresne-esque path towards currying favor and stockpiling supplies for the big day. I mean, the Tempest is ostensibly a power station; maybe it took Ben years to even realize its true nature? Even after discovering it, it’s not like he could have stolen twenty masks and a few dozen canisters of deadly gas without someone noticing. The Hostiles were powerful, but needed an inside man to truly achieve victory. And given how slowly they age, hey, time was something that they had in spades.

That leads somewhat into Adslinger’s query:

Why are the Others on the Island in the first place? What are they doing there?

Clearly they are staging the mother of all Riverdance performances. I thought that was obvious!

I think the answer to this question depends on who you define as Others, because what we saw in Season 3 were two groups with the umbrella name of "Others" with two different reasons for being on the Island. The Alperts of the Others consist of people who existed on the Island pre-Dharma or subscribe to the notion that the Island is a magical environment. The Linuses of the Others consider the Island to be a place outside traditional society, and as such see the Island as a conscious rejection of the world they left behind. The former worships the Island as a living, breathing entity; the latter cherish the Island as a geographical hideaway.

Both see the Island as a way to live a life that makes more sense than anything off of it, but Team Alpert tries to live in harmony with the Island while Team Linus seeks to impose its will upon it.

Jeff came back to follow Adslinger’s query with one of his own:

To follow AdSlinger's Others theme: considering what we know about Ben's extensive resources and off-island corporate front, why were the Others building a runway on the Hydra island?

Don’t be too surprised if this runway increases in importance as the Oceanic 6 try and leave the Island. That’s all I’ll say for now.

That’s speculation, but it’s not bad speculation, if you ask my biased self. I think we can rule out the freighter as a means for the 6 to leave, which leaves…what, exactly? It leaves some fantastical method of "Beam Me Up, Scotty" technology, the revelation that the sub wasn’t destroyed, a plane landing/leaving via the runway, or everyone using Hurley as a floatation device and praying for helpful tides.

Here’s blog newbie Phrank Loyed with a question about those pesky lists…

While watching Juliet's recent episode I noticed that when Ben sent Goodman and Ethan out to infiltrate the camps he told them, "I want lists within a week." Does that not sound like he is asking the two of them to compile the lists? We had assumed that "Lists" were made by Jacob. (Devil's Advocate: Maybe it was supposed to be a list of the survivors of the crash that Ben wanted.)

However, later in the episode Juliet and Ben are talking about the two children from the tail section... "They're on the list, Juliet. Who are we to question who's on the list and who's not?" This makes it sound like they were on lists created by Jacob.

I have no idea what significance this might have or even if it is significant. It just sort of stood out to me this time around when they showed the crash scene. They have shown that same scene with the same dialogue three times now so it seems kind of important.

I tried to address the various lists a few weeks ago: not sure I have much to add to that initial take. My take is that Ben’s long been seen as the voice of Jacob, and only post-tumor has he strayed from preaching his Gospel, as it were. The list constructed to convince Jack to remove his spinal tumor DEFINITELY conflicted with Jacob’s initial list.

That all being said, in terms of everything related to Jacob’s lists, we have only hearsay. We know there’s a Jacob, but we can’t necessarily assume he makes these lists. The conflict noted by Pickett in "I Do" could merely be a function of Ben changing his mind once learning about Jack’s occupation.

Speaking of Jacob, here’s Other Sean with a query:

Where are Jacob and Walt?

Fire Island, I think. Jacob needed Walt off the Island lest Dateline NBC show up at the cabin. Now that Walt’s off-Island and over statutory limits, it’s picnics and sunset bike rides for the two.

OK, obviously that’s a lie. Jacob has been absent since "The Beginning of the End," choosing to appear only to Hurley in a location different from where Ben took Locke in Season 3. His comings and goings will probably be not explained until Season 6, since he’s one of the five central mysteries this show really can’t answer until then. As for Walt…I covered him above, I think. He’s either re-kidnapped (yawn) or under mental/physical duress thanks to a little Plan B implemented by Ben before letting Walt leave the Island.

Now that we’re back to Walt, let’s hear what Mark. O Estes wants to know about:

Ryan, the radio serial I sent you mentioned something along the lines of a certain path that must be taken to get to the island. It's eerily similar to Lost in so many ways. Also, can we trust that there are actually 324 bodies in that fake crash, due to the fact that the plane, as well as the bodies, are unattainable? When will the Losties realize that they can't trust anything that Ben says "as is"?

I’m going to say that they didn’t count every body; they could only search as far as those ROVs could access. I’m going to wager that whomever staged the crash would have loaded up one dead body per seat and sunk the bad boy. As far as the Losties realizing they can’t trust Ben, that will happen right around the time everyone on the show starts asking themselves the type of questions that anyone with half a brain would given their situation. (Which is a long way of saying "never." Honestly, Sun asked like three direct questions in last week’s episode and I nearly died from shock. I love me some Lost, but I only drink so much Kool Aid.)

Mark and reader Aaron both wanted to know about the missing two people from the Artist Formerly Known as the Oceanic 8. I’ll use Aaron’s query to answer them both.

My question, why would Jack even mention 2 people surviving the crash but not surviving the island (and who do you think they are)?

If everyone thinks Aaron is Kate's son, there's no reason for Claire to survive the crash. Also, if Jin's grave says he died on the day of the crash, that eliminates him also.

I happen to think that Kate’s not passing off Aaron as her own, although I’m simply basing this on the fact that Aaron looks absolutely nothing like Kate. I mean, I’m terrible at ever correctly assessing a baby’s similarity to a fully-grown human, but the kid looks nothing like her. Also, given the aforementioned 1-1 day ratio, one could rightfully question how Kate left on September 22, 2004 without being pregnant and return three months later with a 3-month old baby.

So assuming there are two people clearly identified post-Island as those who survived the crash but later died, Claire HAS to be one of those two. This lie explains Aaron’s existence to the outside world. As such, her body need not ever be found to sustain that story. As for the other…honestly, it would probably be someone who aids in their escape but dies in the process. My guess in that case would be Sawyer or Jin.

But that’s a big "if" on physical bodies being produced at the time of discovery of the Oceanic 6. These two other "survivors" could merely be convenient plot points constructed in the fictional tale of the Oceanic 6.

AndreaC wanted to know something else about the testimony, or rather, its aftermath.

A burning question with me has been why Jack doesn't want to see Aaron and if, in the flash forward after Kate's hearing when Jack refuses to see Aaron, does he know at that point that Aaron is his nephew (and Claire his half-sister)?! Any thoughts on what may have happened there?

I’m going to tentatively say that he doesn’t know, because Jack’s martyr complex is so high that rather than avoiding the physical representation of his half-sister, he’d sit home all day staring at Aaron while punching himself in the groin.

***

OK, that’s gonna wrap up this week’s installment of "Letters From The Flame." Thanks again for all of your questions and comments, and I look forward to producing more in the weeks to come.

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.

in ABC , Lost , Television

Permalink

Comments (65)

Comments

Thanks Ryan

First Commenter | Mar 19, 2008 3:40:40 AM | #

I loved it---regarding the first (or second) question, I think the producers have developed a 1-1.5 day ratio--first with the rocket, then the heli trip taking overnight to reach the ship (island view) but less on the helicopter. Also, Sun believes its been 3 days from her point of view, and the next day, Sayid says the same thing. Perhaps since "The day the sky turned purple" time has been moving more slowly... see Cuse/Lindelof recent interview.

Brandon | Mar 19, 2008 4:58:22 AM | #

Thanks Ryan,
I never thought of the idea that the two bearings bring you different places and/or times. Good call.

Mike in RI | Mar 19, 2008 5:51:06 AM | #

Ryan- I don't think Walt is cloned (Jango Fett) either, but the question is: What if Smokey appears as Walt and gets on the boat with Michael? Thanks for posting my question as I find Walt to be one of the most mysterious of the mysteries on the island. He truly is a mystery wrapped in an enigma! Who is Walt? What is Walt? Where is Walt? When is Walt?

Brian of the North | Mar 19, 2008 6:32:23 AM | #

Brian: Back in the day, I thought that "Cloverfield" was a movie about what would happen if you took Smokey off the Island. Obviously, that wasn't true.

I don't think it's possible for Smokey to leave the island, anymore than it's possible for it to pass through the sonic fence. It's like a giant smokey gopher that's tethered to the ground/tunnels of the Island.

(I can just see the pitch meeting in 2004: "And they survive, and they think they are safe, and then a giant smokey gopher raises hell!")

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 7:02:24 AM | #

Thanks Ryan for your answers. I will check the archives to read your past posts about the lists. Also thank you again Blue Sean for your imput as well.

Phrank Loyed | Mar 19, 2008 7:03:46 AM | #

I'm not sure about the clone-Walt theory either. After all, there have been intimations since early on that the boy, to quote Hank Hill, ain't right (given how much he freaked out his adoptive dad and all).

Putting aside Malcolm David Kelley's growth spurt that made it hard to keep him as a regular, maybe the woman who watched over him (whose name I can't recall) while he was with the Others was teaching him to harness his gifts.

It's maybe a bit of an easy out for the writers, giving him all these abilities to be in other places, but it wouldn't be entirely out of the realm of possibility for the show.

Rick | Mar 19, 2008 7:10:01 AM | #

WAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!

Andy | Mar 19, 2008 7:28:50 AM | #

I am thinking I can incorporate "WAAAAAAAALT!" into my entries and recaps as a way to bypass the censors. Like, if Jack does something stupid, I can type, "What the WAAAAAAAALT! was THAT all about?"

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 7:38:06 AM | #

Agreed, Ryan, I don't think Smokey can leave the island either. In fact, at the end of S2, I think Michael & "Walt" get a certain distance away from the island and "Walt" disappears leaving Michael screaming "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA(commercial break)AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!" going into the commercial break and coming out of the commercial break.

Brian of the North | Mar 19, 2008 7:47:31 AM | #

Ryan, if you do that, I'm so going to start doing it in actual conversation. Deal?

Andy | Mar 19, 2008 7:55:42 AM | #

Crazy random idea, but maybe Jacob is like the Dread Pirate Roberts (see "The Princess Bride) and Walt is now the new Jacob (given his special abilities) and now that Ben realizes the Jacob role passes from qualified individual to qualified individual, he's a little less than pleased, explaining is less strict adherence to Jacob.

Don't get me wrong, this is only if Jacob actually exists. I tend to think Ben made Jacob up as a means of manipulating people but now the island has kind of taken control of his lie and is using it to scare the crap out of people, but I digress. They're both just ideas.

Thanks for all your answers, Ryan. I love your assessment of what Jack would be doing if he did know Claire was his sister!

AndreaC | Mar 19, 2008 7:58:53 AM | #

Well, I was on the fence before, but now I'm sold, Andy.

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 7:59:56 AM | #

I know a certain amount of suspension-of-disbelief is important in shows - especially one like this, but the fact is that no airline would allow a woman in her third trimester to board a plane. This is either a) a goof or b) some indication that the conspiracy goes deeper. Ooooooooo! Er, I mean Waaaaaaaalt!

Nonnie Muss | Mar 19, 2008 8:16:20 AM | #

What if Jack finding out that Claire is his half-sister (that he leaves behind or dies) is what turns him into the the pill-popping, alcoholic mess that we see him as in TTLG?

Shaggysteve | Mar 19, 2008 8:17:29 AM | #

Actually, Nonnie, I had a friend in her third trimester that was permitted to fly from VA to CO. She ended up having her baby in CO! So, they do allow it. Now, would they allow it on an international flight? Probably not, making Lost a little unbelievable, but it does happen.

AndreaC | Mar 19, 2008 9:01:12 AM | #

Have you seen the bracket for the coolest "Lost" character ever from The Washington Post?

Check it out:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/television/features/2007/lost-central/lost_madness.html

Lauren B | Mar 19, 2008 9:02:30 AM | #

Lauren: It's pretty cool, agreed. Ironically, when I pitched my oddsmaker entry to the powers that be here, I also pitched a bracket concept. I went with the oddsmaker version due to time. But it's a good thing I did, because I'll wager mine wouldn't have been quite so extensive. Or pretty. Or functional.

My coolest Lost character has to be Desmond, followed by Ben. No bracket needed for me to reach that decision.

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 9:22:24 AM | #

Just wanted to comment on the mobile cabin in which Jacob resides. Do you think the chain that caught Locke and nearly pulled him into a bottomless pit is what moves the cabin to different locations? Or maybe the cabin is the center of a Merry-Go-Round and the rest of the island is spinning.

As for the black smoke, could it be some sort of computer projection that could also explain why Jack saw his father and the priest saw his brother and so on?

Dave | Mar 19, 2008 10:21:41 AM | #

Dave- Locke was almost pulled down by the Smoke Monster. I'm not sure if the cabin is another manifestation of Smokey or not, but I don't doubt they are related in some way.

I think we got confirmation that Smokey takes the shape of people's memories during the episode where Mr. Eko dies. His brother's image, Yemi, says to him "You talk to me as if I am your brother" and then Eko is slammed on the ground. I think it isn't too far of a stretch to think that Smokey is also Christian, Kate's horse, Sawyer's boar, etc., etc.

Blue Sean | Mar 19, 2008 10:34:46 AM | #

I believe that Jack does come to know Claire is his sister. The producers have said so in an interview. I think that Future Jack is so guilt ridden about Claire either dieing or not getting off the island that he cannot bring himself to see Aaron.

Beausmama | Mar 19, 2008 10:49:16 AM | #

My favorite character on Lost is, and always will be, John Locke. But this is only when he's allowed to be the cool, knife-throwing, grenade-feeding, Island prophet John Locke. Perpetually-confused, complete tool John Locke (as Ryan said, whenever he comes near Dharma dwellings) just makes me sad.

Anyway, the thing about the last scene of Kate's flash forward is that there are just so few ways for it to be interpreted. It's impossible for Aaron to be Kate's biological child, so Jack wouldn't think it was his (assuming him and Kate ever knock boots) or that it would be Sawyer's, and thus just claiming either of those options as part of the Oceanic 6 cover story wouldn't work either.

So that leaves one logical option: Jack found out Claire was his half-sister, likely right before she dies, and this is why he can't see Aaron; it reminds him of his failure to get everyone home safe.

Other Sean | Mar 19, 2008 10:56:19 AM | #

Actually, I'm looking at this the wrong way. Jack doesn't have to know Claire was related to him to avoid Aaron; it'd still be just a reminder of his failure.

What Aaron could be, though, is a reminder of Christian's indiscretions and his flaws, which we see Jack inherited (alcoholism, unfaithfulness, obsession with work).

Other Sean | Mar 19, 2008 11:02:36 AM | #

"I think it isn't too far of a stretch to think that Smokey is also Christian, Kate's horse, Sawyer's boar, ..." I just have to add to Blue Sean's list in light of recent debate: Harper...

AndreaC | Mar 19, 2008 11:16:38 AM | #

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Walt | Mar 19, 2008 11:26:08 AM | #

Ryan, I love reading your posts/blogs...First of all, wow, what a great season. I have watched from the very beginning and am beyond clueless why this show has not won any Emmy awards.
Here is my question/comment.
Someone above had mentioned the woman who had been with Walt at the Others camp. This woman was Ms. Clue(yes/no/maybe so)...Why did we not get much of a backstory on her? She seemed to be of a rank like our creepy eye patch friend Mikhail.

Holly | Mar 19, 2008 11:28:24 AM | #

Holly | Mar 19, 2008 11:28:33 AM | #

Walt, glad you could stop by!

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 12:26:22 PM | #

Hmm. That Washington Post bracket thing reminds me of DarkUFO's Lost Fantasy League.

Jeff | Mar 19, 2008 12:33:47 PM | #

Ryan, thanks for answering my question. I just think that if there were more people like Frank who caught on fast that the plane crash was a fake... WAIT! Does this mean that Abbadon is working for Widmore and Oceanic Airles? Why else would they include Frank on this trip if just to shut him up? Dang...

Other Sean: The John Locke you love is the John Locke I hate. It's those actions that you like of him that make me pray that he is slaughetered by Smokie before the closing credits of Season Six.

Mark O. Estes | Mar 19, 2008 12:58:18 PM | #

Assuming Kate isn't pretending to be Aaron's biological mom, what's the alternative? That the authorities let a woman on trial for murder and other crimes adopt a baby who has other living relatives? I know this show pushes things, but that seems too preposterous even for LOST.

milo | Mar 19, 2008 1:12:10 PM | #

Any more preposterous than the trail itself? Lost is many things, but "Murder One" it ain't.

Ryan | Mar 19, 2008 1:37:05 PM | #

milo-

so it's not preposterous that she gave birth to a toddler? plus, most of Claire's relatives are dead. no mom, no dad, i seem to remember a aunt somewhere, but don't remember...

i'm thinking they let the O6 do whatever they wanted. and if she had kept Aaron alive in the life raft (or whatever their story is), i'm thinking they let her keep him.

mri | Mar 19, 2008 1:39:52 PM | #

I'd agree that the trial (trail?) was pretty preposterous - I hope they don't pile on even more unbelievable stuff by trying to get us to believe that they'd let her adopt a kid while possibly on the way to years in jail.

As for giving birth, we know that the show involves time travel. They may get off the island and find that months have passed during the time they traveled back, allowing enough time for Kate to have got knocked up and give birth. After all, we know Walt has aged three years in a span of three months. And Claire's aunt is alive, wouldn't she want custody of the kid instead of letting an escaped convict take him?

I'd much rather see the show explain the situation with the scifi elements they've already established than explain it with a plot device like an adoption that would never happen in a million years in the real world.

milo | Mar 19, 2008 3:24:38 PM | #

Holly - LOST won the Emmy for best dramatic series after its first season.

righteousdude | Mar 19, 2008 4:12:05 PM | #

I found that whole Kate episode completely disappointing. Not just because of the ridiculous reason she got off the hook for her crimes, but also because none of the characters in the episode felt right. I hope they use different writers next time, cause Liz Sarnoff and Gregg Nations unfortunately did a terrible job.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 7:03:20 AM | #

Those two also wrote "Stranger in a Strange Land," my least favorite Lost episode ever.

If this were five years ago, I could so make a "Missing Link" joke right now.

Ryan | Mar 20, 2008 7:09:54 AM | #

I think the Oceanic 6 are passing off Aaron as Kate's biological child. My reasoning is based on the way her mother requested to see him. It seemed like her dying wish to see her grandson and I don't think it would have mattered to her as much if she knew he was adopted.

We could take Kate's refusal as just part of her relationship with her mother. Or maybe she's afraid her mother would take one look at him and say there's no way he's hers, and blow their story.

David P | Mar 20, 2008 7:22:37 AM | #

The thing that got me was there were so many people - I believe Kristin from E!online was one of them - saying (if you read spoilers) that Eggtown was going to be Evangeline's best acting to date and it was an Oscar-worthy performance, yadda yadda etc.

When the episode aired, I just kept thinking "What were these people smoking?"

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 7:24:23 AM | #

Jeff- It is my opinion that Kristin thinks every episode of every show is the best ever. I love her for her allegiance to "Arrested Development" and "Friday Night Lights" but she can be a little aggravating with her critiques.

Blue Sean | Mar 20, 2008 7:35:36 AM | #

Agreed, Blue. She's almost manic.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 8:07:07 AM | #

Totally agreed about Kristin. Her actual news items can be interesting sometimes. But she tends to hype shows more than review them, too much of a cheerleader instead of a critic. And her personality is absolutely grating, she seems more interested in trying to be cutesy and making her videos and articles about herself than just passing along the content.

milo | Mar 20, 2008 8:40:14 AM | #

And I swear to God, if I hear her say "baby daddy" one more time I'm gonna punch something.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 8:45:44 AM | #

Maybe the assessment of Lilly's performance was just because she was wearing visible make-up for once. I couldn't help thinking through the whole episode how she didn't look "right" to me, but maybe others mistook her grooming for a great performance....

AndreaC | Mar 20, 2008 9:32:28 AM | #

lol, if that's the case, I'd love to see what Kristin thinks of Vantage Point with Matthew Fox wearing a suit.

On second thought, I'd hate to see what she thinks of Vantage Point with Mattew Fox wearing a suit.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 9:46:38 AM | #

WAAAAAAALT! (FLAME)

Sorry, Ryan (or anyone else who cares to comment), that I forgot to ask this on your previous flame blog, but another question that just occurred to me is about Mr. Eko. The actor who portrayed Mr. Eko I believe requested to leave the show and they dealt with that by killing him off. But I wonder if the writers/producers had any long-term plans for his character in the grand scheme of the show that they then had to change to accommodate his leaving - does anyone know? I just wonder what role they would have had him play in it all, for example, whether he would have been on one of Jacob's lists? I guess we could ask the same of Ana Lucia, huh?

AndreaC | Mar 20, 2008 10:21:34 AM | #

Oh dear. What the WAAALT are you all talking about? I have no idea who Kristin is, and I'm not going to go off and figure it out! I'm loyal to Ryan (and all you crazy posters over here). You all make me laugh ... and think. I can't handle any more thoughts, anyway.

RE: Danielle's immunity to the "sickness" that afflicted her shipmates -- maybe it was her pregnancy? Hormones...

I had something else to respond to, but have already forgotten it. (See? I told you I couldn't handle too much thinking!)

djc | Mar 20, 2008 10:25:07 AM | #

Andrea, I believe that Adewale had a 1 season contract with the show. The same goes for Michelle. They both had limited arcs that weren't really meant to tie into the longterm mythology of the show.

In fact, I remember hearing on a S3 official podcast that they originally wanted to kill off Eko in S2, near the finale, but with Anna Lucia and Libby dying, it would have been a bit too much death.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 10:28:45 AM | #

Thanks, Jeff, I didn't realize that - it just seemed to me that the writers and the media both made such a big deal about Eko that I just automatically figured he would have stuck around if the actor hadn't left (I thought I read he asked to leave to star in a movie he really wanted to do).

AndreaC | Mar 20, 2008 10:53:11 AM | #

One thing to think about in anticipation of tonight...

Zap2It has a clip of tonight's ep here:

http://www.zap2it.com/video/?clipID=2291836

Now, given that the writers love Stephen King, and "The Dark Tower", think about this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Tower_glossary#Thinny

Ryan | Mar 20, 2008 11:35:19 AM | #

I don't buy that Eko was always planned to die at that point, his story seems very unfinished.

In particular, the show made a big deal about him building a church on the island, only to completely forget about it. I know the show often drops things for a long time - in many cases they get back to them, but I suspect there will be little or no mention of the church going forward. It definitely seems like they had bigger plans for Eko that they changed their minds on.

milo | Mar 20, 2008 12:06:18 PM | #

Yeah, I can't wait to see how that plays out! Love the placeholder Star Trek alarm.

There's something about the whole freighter and its crew that reminds me of the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner or Moby Dick, in that the boat and its crew seem damned. I'm sure eventually the show will veer away from that imagery, but it's pretty cool.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 12:08:58 PM | #

djc- Kristin is the "TV Diva" over on the E! network and she has a blog on eonline.com. You aren't really missing much. And I am right there with you milo on her writing. I feel like I am reading the postings of a 16-year-old girl with all of the "I heart this", "OMG that!!", etc., etc.

Blue Sean | Mar 20, 2008 12:17:57 PM | #

"Diva": another word that makes me want to punch a baby.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 12:21:35 PM | #

Why would Claire ask Kate to raise Aaron for some reason when Sun would have been a much better choice? I still believe Kate stole Aaron at the last second hoping she could avoid prison if she was a mother.

tom48066 | Mar 20, 2008 12:48:27 PM | #

That assumes that Claire asked her. It's possible that Claire is still alive but was pulled into the jungle kicking and screaming by Others.

I think Kate is pretending to be Aaron's biomom, which would be a stretch for Sun, especially considering that would mean she'd have two overlapping pregnancies. Not to mention, even if Sun would be a better mom, would she really want an adopted baby as a pregnant single mom?

milo | Mar 20, 2008 1:07:55 PM | #

What are you saying... Juliet wouldn't be a good mom ;)

RLD | Mar 20, 2008 2:32:40 PM | #

Can you imagine if Juliet was your mom? Would you EVER forget to brush your teeth before bed? I say not. Yikes.

Ryan | Mar 20, 2008 2:34:03 PM | #

Plus, all your friends would think she's hot and you'd be embarrassed all the time.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 3:10:50 PM | #

All of this "WAAAAALT!!!" talk makes me think of "They weh trying to HUHT mah babee!!!!" talk. I watched season 2 this summer and before I finished it I was about ready to throw something at my TV because I'd heard Claire say that so many times. To this day, that phrase is the only thing I can say in an Australian accent.

Lauren B | Mar 20, 2008 5:33:36 PM | #

Ack! Great episode tonight but so many questions raised.

Jeff | Mar 20, 2008 7:49:18 PM | #

Kind of in response to tom48066 regarding why Kate wanted to take care of Aaron - I don't think even Kate is that low and duplicitous, but your comment made me think that maybe her motivation to raise Aaron has something to do with her backstory and when she broke into the bank to steal the toy plane. Now, I'm not a Lost expert and I tend to forget small yet important details, so I could be wrong, but I don't recall ever learning exactly who that toy belonged to or why she wanted it so bad - but perhaps she lost a child or baby sibling and now she sees a chance at redemption in raising Aaron. Now, would she manipulate Claire's fate to do so? I don't think so, like I said, I don't see Kate as that inherently bad - I think she is so driven that in a bad situation, she'll do what she has to to keep her and the other Losties alive (although I have no doubt she'd hurt/kill an Other or a Freightie). The only Lostie among Locke's group that I doubt she'd protect is perhaps Locke himself, IMHO. Thus, if Claire doesn't make it, I doubt Kate did anything to help her die or not make it off the island.

AndreaC | Mar 21, 2008 5:20:46 AM | #

Immunity to the sickness (temporal displacement)?

Obviously, bearings are important. Faraday was quite insistent that the chopper had to leave the island on the exact same bearning. Ben gave Michael a precise bearing. Somehow Flight 815 came in on the right bearing (or it doesn't matter at altitude?)

Someone up above (djc??) came close to my theory about Danielle. She was pregnant. But rather than hormones, I think it was a matter of Alex serving as her Constant.

meggins | Mar 21, 2008 9:22:26 PM | #

After the whole shoot 'em up of Dannielle, Carl, and Alex by unseen people, I've always wondered...are there Other Others on the island? A different camp all together? I bring this up because in the Ep. "..and Found" when Jin and Eko take cover and a group of "Others" walk by barefoot, there is something supernatural about that, now we know that the Others aren't as primitive as we believed they were at the time. Maybe there is a primitive camp of others somewhere. My mind is spinning!

DSI | Mar 27, 2008 2:13:45 PM | #

I've only just come to this blog, and only read a handful of entries so far, so forgive me if someone else has already posted this theory...

I think Claire is still alive, but Aaron was sent back with Kate as kind of a "decoy mom".

I think Ben's faction of the Others is working on some kind of breeding experiment to develop the powers/abilities that seem inherent in the children. (At least, the children of "the Good Ones"...). Maybe they have the ability to "channel" the weird properties of the island in a way that adults can't, for the most part.

I assume Christian had some involvement with Dharma and the breeding program (via Jacob's direction...?), so it would make sense that his kids, Jack and Claire, would be part of it, and "on the list", so his grandson, Aaron, would be of particular interest to Widmore's group (or whomever else is after the Island and the abilities it bestows).

So maybe Aaron was sent off with Kate pretending to be his real mother as a way of protecting him. She wasn't one'a the "good" ones, so her kid wouldn't be of any interest. Aaron wasn't yet born or named when Claire got on 815, so he wouldn't be recognized as being on any pre-arranged list. So, by faking the death of Claire in the crash (and thus her unborn baby), the O-6 can smuggle Aaron off the island by passing him off as Kate's and thus "undesireable". It's a bit of a wild guess...any thoughts?

Beast! | Apr 22, 2008 5:05:58 PM | #

Name:
Email Address:	optional
URL:	optional
Comments:

'Lost': Letters From The Flame, Volume 3

Zap2it TV Talk

About This Blog

Latest Posts

Link to Us

Shows We Recap

Nielsen Top Shows

Zap2it Show Guides

Other Zap2it Blogs

Zap2it Partner Blogs

Other Links