Well, Lost fans, hope you had a great weekend digesting all the events from "The Shape of Things to Come." Me? Well, I did a bit of Spring Cleaning, during which I rummaged through the basement, decluttered the TV room, and looked far and wide for any doors covered in creepy hieroglyphics. As Meatloaf might have once said, two out of three ain't bad.

On top of that, I studiously planned all the shape of things to come for this week's entries here on the blog. I work hard for the money, so you better treat me right, people. First up? The latest and greatest Lost podcast, done tonight with my loving and extremely tolerant wife. Topics discussed?

1. The fate of Sawyer based on actions in this episode
2. The importance of the game of "Risk"
3. The subtext in the first encounter between Sayid and Ben after Nadia's death

Feel free to create your own drinking game for these podcasts; that is, of course, assuming you're 21. We came up with the initial rules thanks to listening to our own work before unleashing it upon an unsuspecting internet and hearing our own tendencies played back to us. If you're under 21, go hog wild with some vitamin water as you sip each time you hear one of the following.

When I'm Talking

1. You hear me say "which is to say that"
2. You hear me say "in and of itself"
3. You hear me say "That begs the question"
4. You hear me say "absolutely"
5. You hear me use "77th" to describe a comically exaggerated number of any particular thing
6. You hear me say "absolutely" in response to something the wife says

When She's Talking

1. You hear her say "yea," "sure," or "totally" in that "I'm only pretending to listen, I can't believe I am married to someone who talks into his computer" (This is the only rule so far, but should get you nice and happy all the same.)

Feel free to suggest your own rules!

I tried to pick topics not directly addressed in last week's recap, in order to examine the episode from every angle possible. And in that same vein, I'll be attacking this week's blog in a similar manner. First up, I'd like all your questions and concerns for the latest edition of "Letters from The Flame," the ongoing segment in which I address reader queries and thoughts about the show at large. Email me with your topics for the week, or, if for some reason email isn't your thing, drop a comment below, prefaced by an enormous "WAAAAAAAAAAAALT!" above it so we know it's a "Letters"-centric query.

But that's for Wednesday. In the meantime, I have yet another task for you this week's other entry in anticipation for the newest episode of Lost. I have two topics I'm considering writing about but what to know which one would garner the most interest. I'll leave the decision completely up to you. Those topics?

1. Topic #1: I'll look at multiple options in trying to answer the question: "Where/when did Ben go when he went through the creepy, crazy closet door?"
2. Topic #2: Here's the working thesis statement: "The Lostaways are currently the least important players in the Lost universe, which makes the show one of the most daring and interesting shows ever aired."

So there you go: vote on your preferred topics, email me your questions for "Letters from The Flame," and let's work together to make the time between episodes seem that much shorter!

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

Comments

I vote for Topic #1.

Morgan | Apr 27, 2008 7:01:34 PM | #

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Really either one of those is fine with me. I too want to know what other people think happened when Ben went through the door. And plus, what do the other Others actually know about Ben. If he had to keep his room secret from them, how much do they actually know about Ben. As far as the lostaways go, I also am starting to think the happenings off the island are better than things on the island.

Also, this may be a WAAAAALT!but I'm sure sometime you'll tackle Ben/Widmore's rules, but I've been thinking of something too. Ben told him that he'll never find the island. But really, Widmore did find the island, with the freighter folks already there. If Widmore's true focus was getting back to the island, why wouldn't he go on the freighter with them? Or was this just an exploratory mission.

Or, could this power struggle between Ben and Widmore be a whole, this island isn't big enough for the both of us, kind of thing. The only way Widmore can be on the island is if Ben isn't there, and vice versa.

A-Rob | Apr 27, 2008 7:14:14 PM | #

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Btw, has anyone pointed out the subtle action that Darlton and Company took to show that Ben and Widmore were neither good, nor evil, but rather a shade of gray? Namely how in their confrontation, there was not a single point where you could see the whole fact. It was also half-lighted, half-darkened.

I can't wait for this week's episode. The promos and trailer seem to be selling us something. At first the whole Jack and appendix thing seemed lame, but I have a feeling the show is trying to sell something about the Sheperd clan's ties to the island. Only time will tell.

Tony | Apr 27, 2008 11:11:13 PM | #

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I find Topic #2 quite interesting. I was thinking the same thing myself after Thurs. episode, about how along with taking the Lost story to a global level, its also seriously diminished the relevance of the Lostaways compared to the microcosm that was Season 1.

Other Sean | Apr 27, 2008 11:50:01 PM | #

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I like topic #2 as well. I wouldn't mind a week of discussion that didn't revolve largely around the mythology, as much as I love it.

Jeff | Apr 28, 2008 6:24:05 AM | #

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Me? I'll take anything, anything at all. I'm hooked. I.Need.Lost.NOW! Need.discussion.

But if threatened by a btrwrth-branding smoke monster, I'd say I'm probably slightly more interested in #2 and the global war away from the Island right now.

djc | Apr 28, 2008 6:33:13 AM | #

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Hey Ryan, just listening to your podcast, great stuff, your wife sounds out of your league. I played Risk as a kid and if I remember correctly, Australia is the key. In the game if you hold one entire land mass, such as Oz, you get more armies when the round of battles is over, so you get 3 extra armies for holding Oz. Also, its easy to defend because it can only be attacked from 2 other countries, whereas a land mass like North America, while worth more if you can hold it, is infinately more difficult to defend because it can be attacked from many different countries. Im not sure how this fits into Lost but like you said in your podcast, maybe its something to do with whoever set the whole thing in motion is from Oz.

Colin | Apr 28, 2008 6:49:10 AM | #

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Colin, my man, let me assure you: it is _I_ that is way out of HER league, trust me on this.

This Oz stuff is pretty fascinating though, especially given all the references to "Wizard" over the years.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 7:11:16 AM | #

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WAAAAAAAAAAAAALT! Hey, I'm back from Florida. This may have been covered, and I just watched last weeks ep on my computer, but did anyone notice the red-shirts slipping on a certain viscous, sticky, sweet fluid as they came out of the cabins to greet Sawyer. Easily one of the (un?)-intentionally funny moments of the series. BTW a true btrwrther doesn't need to say it.

Brian of the North | Apr 28, 2008 7:48:09 AM | #

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Definitely #2. The Lostaways are taking a step back because of the global scale BUT in the grand scheme of things, their importance continues to be extremely important (namely, Jack, Locke, Aaron, Walt, and Hurley - all of whom have an even deeper relationship with the island than the others).

Ryan E. | Apr 28, 2008 10:05:00 AM | #

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I gotto say both topics sound intriguing and since there likely isn't enough time to discuss both, I'll go with #1 only b/c while #2 is an interesting topic I take it as a statement of fact that is generally accepted without seeing the proof.

I really like A-Rob's question of what are the rules? I hope that - assuming it doesn't get answered in this week's ep - is a talking point b/w eps next week.

Rishi | Apr 28, 2008 10:05:13 AM | #

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"Colin, my man, let me assure you: it is _I_ that is way out of HER league, trust me on this."

The loud smacking sound you all heard immediately following that comment was his (undoubtedly-way-hotter-than-he-is) wife performing a "Gibbs" to the back of his head.

I vote for topic #1 as well.

Also, I'd like to get my WAAAAAALT! out there for this question:

Does the island need some kind of conflict in order to thrive? Ben knows he can't kill Charles and, I'm guessing, Charles can't kill Ben. Michael can't die; apparently neither can Jack or Locke (although we don't know that for sure yet) because they apparently all have work to do. So, if one side is trying to control the island for good and the other side is trying to control the island for self-serving reasons like money and profit, why does the Island need each side alive?

And feel free to make a drinking game for everytime I say "apparently" because I apparently say it a lot.

AdSlinger | Apr 28, 2008 10:24:46 AM | #

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Adslinger--more to the point, Ben knows that he can't kill Widmore because he knows either how or when Widmore will die. Therefore, no matter what he does, Widmore doesn't die by his hand. Or worse, it messes with a pre-existing timeline and would "break the rules" to pour Widmore's syrup before its time. (Just like offing Ben's "daughter" was, perhaps, breaking the rules. Mayhap it wasn't her time.)

Brian of the North | Apr 28, 2008 10:47:04 AM | #

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Ryan, you're a brave man spouting off stuff like that. Your wife must not read these comments.
I vote for #1 as well.
Plus how did Ben end up in the Sahara? I know I don't watch as closely as some people but that flew right over my head. Is there a portal? Did Ben leave the island for a moment when he went down into the basement and wind up in the Sahara? Cause if he did my mind is blown!

Colin | Apr 28, 2008 11:15:49 AM | #

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Topic #2 please.

My question for letters from the flame is one that I have posed from time to time and that is:

How did Ben become the man that he is? He grew up on the island. He met ageless Richard Alpert when he was young and was told to have patience. He grew up, killed his father and, I assume, lost his dear Annie in some horrible fashion. What does all this have to do with Juliet and Ben's obsession with her? So, how does this man become the super spy/assasin/globetrotting mastermind that he is today? Who did he learn from, Widmore himself? Were Ben and Charles Widmore allies at one time and had a major falling out over the island? I hope these questions get answered when they finally wrap up the series.

Chris | Apr 28, 2008 12:02:41 PM | #

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Wow, I really couldn't have messed that up earlier any worse. I blame the lack of coffee and the quickness of my reply.

I meant to say, in all honesty, I am way out of her league. No way I meant anything else.

If you'll excuse me, I am off to purchase the contents of an entire florist shop.

Dang.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 12:03:12 PM | #

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Ryan, after being married for almost 15 years, I think the way you say it, if you're looking to sleep in the same room tonight, is "She's way out of my league." The way you're saying it now implies that you're shmokin hot and she is not. Better find a candy shop too. Unless you meant it the other way, in which case, you'd better find a Motel 6.

Brian of the North | Apr 28, 2008 12:10:40 PM | #

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Also, Ryan, don't skimp on the syrup when you make her b-fast in bed tomorrow.

Brian of the North | Apr 28, 2008 12:11:40 PM | #

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Oh man, Brian, you brought up the "s" word.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 12:13:20 PM | #

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And I'm leaving the initial gaffe up because 1) well, caching makes it stupid to delete, and 2) I know what I originally meant, which is a variation of something I say in every other entry I write: my wife is better than me in 99/100 catgories, with my sole victory coming in "knowledge of hobbits."

I also sent frantic emails to her pre-clarifying everything before I posted my retractions here, and honestly, I think she's just glad I didn't use the word "frak" in my apology, so everything's cool on the homefront.

For now.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 12:20:19 PM | #

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Hey Ryan, sorry to go off-topic, but any comment on the fact that the season 4 DVDs will be the same price as the first three seasons ($59.99 list), even though it will only be 14 hours of content compared with the 23-25 hours of the first three seasons?

milo | Apr 28, 2008 1:46:52 PM | #

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Is that for the normal DVDs, Blu-Ray, or both?

I'd say that 1) I'd pay $60 for the Blu-Ray without blinking, as Season 3 looks GORGEOUS on my high-def TV with Blu-Ray, 2) initial sales should push that into the $45 range pretty easily in the first few weeks out, and 3) yes, unless they push out the same amount of overall content having the same basic price is fairly silly. If every episode had audio commentary, for instance, that would justify the price.

Then again, this is Lost. Like the hard core fans would hold off buying this under any circumstance. Not a reason to overprice the DVDs, but it's certainly in their minds, of course.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 2:33:49 PM | #

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I would like to see topic #2 being discussed, only because the door as been more than dissected on the blog already.

Waaaaalt

I would really like to know how Widmore knew the location of the island (wether he knew through Penny or the brasilians in the ice cave) and why the hell Ben was so sick after landing in the Sahara, presumibly via The Orchid.

And does anybody know where I can buy the Season 3 of Lost in Blu-Ray? Because they don't seem to sell that in Europe.

sin laden | Apr 28, 2008 2:57:47 PM | #

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That's for regular DVD. Bluray will list at $96.99.

milo | Apr 28, 2008 3:31:36 PM | #

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You've listed suggested retail price, no way it sells for $96 when all is said and done. I got this year's Blu-Ray set for $50. I expect this year's prices to fall around the same when all is said and done.

Ryan | Apr 28, 2008 8:17:58 PM | #

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Is "said and done" a new drinking game? When all is said and done I'll happily play.

Brian of the North | Apr 29, 2008 6:36:04 AM | #

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so i'm totally down for topic #2...post on my friend, post on.

mri | Apr 29, 2008 6:44:48 AM | #

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Brian: definitely. And remember, if you're under 21, you have to chug Mountain Dew. Or should I say "Dharma Dew"?

mri: The consensus is with you. That's the topic for tonight!

Ryan | Apr 29, 2008 7:16:44 AM | #

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Some points in no particular order:

Ben walks into Widmore's bedroom in 2005 (assuming a direct time line from Tunisia to Iraq to Australia). By this time the Six are back in civilization. So the Freighter may or may not have survived its exploratory mission. Ben may have won that round of the battle, which may be the meaning behind his saying "you'll never find the island."

Australia is obviously important to Flight 815, but perhaps the Black Rock was also heading there — filled with penal colony prisoners. That's how Oz was first populated by the west. IF Widmore was the captain of the Black Rock, that might explain his viciousness.

When Ben finds himself in Tunisia, the Six are off the island (so he isn't teleporting himself until a year after Alex's death). They have back in civilization long enough for Sayid to find Nadia and marry and live with her for a year. Yet it's still 2005. Desmond and Sayid discover it's Xmas eve (2004) on the freighter, So Alex's death is sometime after Xmas but before New years. {Michael was in the hospital at Xmas time before the freighter arrived at the islan, so the Michael time line is definitely inconsistent and may be an error on the writer's part, or a hint that Michael's story was a lie — remember his flashback is the only one in the history of the show that is told by a character]. So if Ben did engineer (or commit) the murder of Nadia, he's been doing some serious moving around the globe in space if not in time. What was happening on the island during that year has yet to be revealed, but the destruction of the freighter seems to be part of the story. For Widmore to know that Alex was killed means that Sayid repaired the radio of the ship so they could communicate back to the mainland. But they failed to communicate to Widmore where they were? No co-ordinates? Or is the island not in a static location in space-time, and only Ben's backdoor (The Orchid/Temple) can take one to it?

William Robinson | Apr 29, 2008 7:52:50 AM | #

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Oh man, I hope they don't make Michael an unreliable narrator...I'm fine with Ben lying out of both sides of his mouth, but I would be really angry if Michael's flashback in "Kevin Johnson" was made up/altered.

Ryan | Apr 29, 2008 8:17:52 AM | #

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Yeah, I said list price, not street price.

My point is that the disks are priced the same as the first three seasons even though it's only about 60% of the content.

I guess you're OK with that, but it bugs me (and it makes it look like ABC's whole motive in splitting into 3 seasons of 16 instead of two seasons of 24 is so they can charge more).

milo | Apr 29, 2008 9:42:25 AM | #

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ryan-

i hope you're right...unless there's some uber-cool reason for it, i don't want Michael lying.

mri | Apr 29, 2008 10:39:34 AM | #

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WAAAAAAAAAALT!

Have you seen this "Earth as a sandwich" website? Essentially it shows that if the earth were squashed down like a sandwich and you stuck a toothpick through Tunisia, it would come out in the middle of the South Pacific. There is no chance that this could just be a coincidence, right?

John | Apr 29, 2008 11:16:16 AM | #

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sorry forgot the link. Here's the site: http://www.zefrank.com/sandwich/tool.html

John | Apr 29, 2008 11:17:35 AM | #

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Mmmmmm....sandwich.

Now I'm hungry.

But seriously, Sean, that's pretty cool.

Ryan | Apr 29, 2008 11:28:05 AM | #

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That sandwich thing is cool. So basically it means that the island is probably on the exact opposite side of the world from Tunisia - like if there was a hole directly through the earth where you could come out on the other side. Interesting.

milo | Apr 29, 2008 12:38:29 PM | #

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I prefer to think of the world as two pancakes. The North Pole being a pad o' butter. The evil queen, casting a long feminine shadow over the plate, is ready to pour her sticky malfeasance over the world. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!

Brian of the North | Apr 29, 2008 1:45:58 PM | #

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BTW, I have it from an inside source that one should be on the lookout for a certain product placement in a future episode.

Brian of the North | Apr 29, 2008 1:48:42 PM | #

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BOTN-

if that happened that would be soooooo btrwrthy.

:-)

mri | Apr 29, 2008 2:02:27 PM | #

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If Mrs. B appears, I might lose my mind with joy.

Speaking of which, we have something planned soon for y'all. You should enjoy it.

Ryan | Apr 29, 2008 2:05:36 PM | #

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Just read something interesting from Kristin at Eonline.

Apparently if you were to squish the earth flat like a sandwich and then insert a toothpick where Tunisia would be, the other end would come out in the South Pacific where the Island supposedly is.

Definitely interesting.

Any thoughts?

Shaggysteve | Apr 29, 2008 2:54:38 PM | #

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Sorry.

Didn't realize it had already been posted. I read it, but in my rush to tell everyone didn't read the other comments first.

My bad.

Shaggysteve | Apr 29, 2008 3:00:31 PM | #

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It would depend on where you put the fold line. No matter where you are, you could be "exactly opposite" absolutely anywhere on the globe. Tunisia is 10 degrees east of the prime meridian. Do you assume the island to be 10 degrees east of 180 longitude? Tunisia is 35 degrees North of the equator like Memphis , Tennessee. Do you then put the island at 35 degrees south? That is the latitude for Melbourne at the southernmost part of Australia.

Once again, where's the "fold line"?

Mary | Apr 29, 2008 4:07:06 PM | #

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Mary-

That's a good point. The sample could be manipulated to be all sorts of different results. However, it still brings up an interesting theory of how he might travel through the center of the Earth somehow to reach his destination. It may be boiling hot in the middle but in between I'm sure it can get mighty cold without sunlight. Hence, the Dharma Parka or Dharka.

This also begs the question of why Ben left the Island at this point in time? Did he find out about Nadia's death and knew he had to get to Sayid? (It can't just be a coincidence that he saw Sayid on t.v. when he arrived in Tunisia.) Or as theorized before, has Ben seen an outcome played out and is somehow course-correcting off the Island?

Shaggysteve | Apr 29, 2008 4:19:11 PM | #

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Mary, you don't really fold anything, the tool just shows the point directly opposite the original point.

It's not really ambiguous at all - for any point on the earth, there's one point exactly opposite it, as if you traveled straight down through the center and came out the other side. For tunisia, the other side is east of New Zealand. Coordinates are about 35/10 for Tunisia and -35/-170 for the opposite side. You can see it by just sliding the pointer to Tunisia.

milo | Apr 30, 2008 8:54:00 AM | #

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