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'Lost': The beginning and the end
I know, I know...you're just DYING to read my take on "Exposé." For those of you expecting a "Stranger in a Strange Land" takedown, however, take note: I use and abuse the episode, but not with the same intensity I did before. I only have about one of those in me per year; it's kinda like pushing the button, only at a more infrequent rate. But don't worry, Lost fans: it's coming tomorrow, and the Less than Dynamic Duo will get theirs yet. Today, I want to talk about two other items in the Lost world that have absolutely nothing to do with Nikki and Paulo.
First up? The official Season 5 poster, that's what! It's all sorts of yummy. Click here for a majorly embiggened version. And yes, I know "embiggened" isn't a word, and I don't much care for your devotion to things like "real words."
A few things to note about the poster:
- It's a variation on Season 4's poster, with a mirror image splitting the poster in half. Last year's featured an up/down split, with the real world reflected in the water surrounding the ocean.
- This one features the Oceanic 6 (with team captain ben Linus!) along with Desmond on the left hand side, with John Locke (looking like a lumberjack, and that's OK), Sawyer, Juliet, and Those Freighter Folk Left Behind.
- And yes, Des makes the poster! This makes me all sorts of happy. Not only will he definitely be in the show, but notice how the Oceanic 6 are positioned between him and Ben. I thought from the moment Season 4 ended that a major Season 5 arc would be Ben slowly working his way towards Penny to enact his revenge upon Charles. The positioning of this poster seems to indicate this is indeed on the minds of the writers. Imagine a scene in which Ben has a choice: return to the Island, or kill Penny? What a scene that would be.
- On a more important note: Jack's slightly ahead of Faraday on the "dorky haircut" scale.
All in all, nothing groundbreakingly new here, but it's still great to see it all the same. Next up, we have something even less important than the poster, but six hundred times more hysterical. Remember the ARG? The one in which one attempted to be recruited by the Dharma Initiative? I know, I haven't talked about it for a while. Not like you've missed much. If you had to rank this alternate-reality game in terms of Lost episodes, it's somewhere between "Fire+Water" and "Eggtown." Translation: it wasn't very good. At all. Bad, even. Terrible, indeed.
You might have noticed that I used the past tense to describe the game. That's because as of today, seemingly, the ARG is over. Done. To refresh: the initial stage took you achingly through a laborious series of boring tests consisting usually of multiple choices in order. In short: it was AWESOME. Quite honestly, I forgot all about it until getting an email from Hans Van Eeghen, Head of Recruiting within the DI. And what did he have to say? Let's let Hans tell it to you straight:
Our plan was that together we would commence a glorious adventure: the revival of the Dharma Initiative using the myriad talents of all our amazing new recruits. We imagined not just fulfilling long abandoned goals but taking the Dharma Initiative to a new level of greatness as an organization promoting the peaceful social and technological advancement of all humankind.
Then the financial crisis struck.
Sadly, our benefactors were not immune to this crisis. In fact, unconfirmed reports suggest that much of the money designated for the work of the new Dharma Initiative was tied up in highly leveraged mortgage derivatives. This, however, cannot be confirmed because, I am sorry to report, the principals representing the benefactors - my employers - have gone missing. Based on bills still coming into our office we believe they are somewhere in South America.
This stunning reversal of fortune has forced us to abandon our ambitious plans. In fact, absent this funding, the Dharma Initiative was forced to make the only sensible decision we had available: we sold the Dharma Initiative to the television show LOST.
Um, what?
While this might strike some of you as a shock, the reason for this was not simply that they were the only bidder. As the only remaining Dharma Initiative employee who had not fled the country, I felt that at the very least the show would be able to keep the spirit of the Dharma Initiative alive and in the public consciousness until such time as a reversal of the reversal of our economic fortunes occurs.
So, the DI didn't get any part of that $700 billion bailout money, eh?
It is with a heavy heart that I must bid you farewell. Despite my fervent commitment to the mission of the Dharma Initiative, the realities of a broken marriage, heavy casino debt and some unfounded police charges have required that I change my present circumstances. It is with great excitement that I can inform you of my pending senior sales management job at a large multi-brand auto dealership in Dubai. I have enjoyed our brief association more than I can ever express, and if you are ever in the Middle East and need a car, please e-mail me for a special "Dharma rate".
OK, now THIS is high freakin' comedy, people, and almost justifies going through this ARG in the first place. There's an almost Jonathan Swift-ness to this letter, one that sneaks up on you not unlike Swift's famous "A Modest Proposal." Would I rather have had an engaging ARG than an amusing email? Of course, but I appreciate the self-depracating wit all the same. If the choice came down to paying for a location shoot for Lost or a more extensive ARG, I'll take the former, thank ye kindly. But there's something to be said about overtly owning up to the behind-the-scenes forces that closed down funding for the endeavor rather than let it simply slip into the night.
Luckily, there's a silver lining to all this:
In the meantime, you will hear shortly from LOST showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. They will explain to you their future plans for the Dharma Initiative and how these plans might affect you.
Many people soon figured out that email had a secret embedded within it. According to those clever enough to figure this out, inside the source code was the phrase "DSAqandaatgmaildotcom." That's your direct line to Darlton: ask them a question, and if they like it enough, they'll answer it in some public fashion. Not a bad consolation prize eh? Thanks to Shaggysteve for also posting this info over on the Facebook group earlier today.)
So what are you more excited by: the appearance of the poster or the end of the ARG?
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude, then peruses Zap2It's Guide to Lost Facebook group. He also encourages you to join the all-new Zap2It's Guide to Lost Twitter feed. Pretty soon he'll have as many platforms as Ben has pieces of leftover chicken.
Um, I think you left out how good Kate and Juliet look in that new poster. Sure, Kate would clean up nice back in the real world, but Juliet... well look at her.
Also, a Desmon/Ben scene ranks right up there with a Danielle flashback in my hopes for season 5. Based on everything he knows about Widmore, Ben must have known Desmond was on the island the whole time. The real question is why he left him there and what Des will do when Ben comes for Penny.
Oh, and embiggened is my new favorite word.
A-Rob | Nov 19, 2008 6:11:12 PM | #Poster: no Miles, no Jin. No good.
Carol Ann | Nov 19, 2008 6:18:24 PM | #Miles is there, scroll to the side. Don't think you can scroll far enough to find Jin.
A-Rob | Nov 19, 2008 6:26:55 PM | #No Claire? Though we have heard that she won't be a regular cast member this year already. But what of Lapidus.....I really liked that guy.
jacoby | Nov 19, 2008 6:48:19 PM | #Maybe Lapidus will be there, he was never considered a regular.
I'm hoping for a Des/Ben showdown too, but I think you're overanalyzing the poster. =)
Natalie | Nov 19, 2008 9:44:32 PM | #Great poster (as are most Lost advert materials), but I think it's a given that us fanatics will ALWAYS overanalyze every scrap of Lost minutiae available. And now for my 2 cents.
The poster clearly illustrates the divide that will be between the 2 groups until the last scene of Season 5 or even the first episode of Season 6. I think that the poster illustrates the bulk of the major characters, but is by no means a strictly interpreted guide to who's in or out. Aaron isn't pictured, but most fans would agree that he still has a major part to play in S5 & S6. Jin may or may not be back, but his absence from the poster is simply to fuel the speculation about his survival/location. Claire has already been identified as a major character, but one who will not be appearing in Season 5. Hence, no poster.
As for Desmond, I'm sure his importance will be clearly illustrated by May, 2010. His presence on the poster confirms that he will be a fair participant in S5. He may not end up going back to the island, but I think he will. Also, based on Ben's info about them having to go back together, I am assuming that returning to the island is the event that will force Des to do what he promised to not do: He will have to leave Penelope again. That's the biggest reason for their 'happy ending' appearing at the end of S4. That way, Pen & Des have a period of bliss, and then Desmond goes back to the island with the O6 and Ben to 'fullfil his destiny'. I firmly believe that, once back to the island, Desmond will never leave again. Death or duty, it doesn't matter.
The poster would also seem to confirm that Daniel's zodiac boat, wherever it was when the island 'moved', moved right along with it. I feel that his inclusion on the Island side shows that he will exist in the same place and time as the others on his side of the poster. Great for Lost fans, because Daniel is the best character added in the Season 4 shuffle. I had always called Jeremy Davies 'Rat Bastard' since 'Saving Private Ryan' (He played Cpl. Opum, the translator for the group looking to save Private Ryan. His actions from then until the end of the movie solidify his deserving of the nickname). When I heard that he was joining the cast of Lost, I was mad. I was sure that Mr. Davies could never deliver a performance that would remove the stain of his 'Saving' character. I was wrong. Once I got over myself, I realized that he is the only person who could ever be Daniel, and I am very glad he will be back in S5. As for his location at the moment of 'islemove 2004', it makes perfect sense. The islands (Main and Hydra) move together, and it's not hard to believe that a certain amount of water surface is included in that move. I'm guessing that the remnants of the freighter (and any dead bodies) moved as well. My theory is that post-move, Daniel is the only zodiac occupant able to deal with the massive effects (like what happened to Minkowski and Desmond) of the move. He scoops up Jin before returning to the island, and finds Desmond before the nose-bleed induced death thing. Jin may have more problems, because it's gonna be awful hard for him to find a constant, even with Daniel's help.
As for Frank, I like him too, and I think that he may be seen at least a couple of times before it's all said and done. Remember, he was supposed to be the pilot of Oceanic 815, and the creators dropped that little nugget for a reason. I can't believe that they wouldn't return to tidy that up eventually.
As for the ARG, CLASSIC!!!!
They may well have had a lot of content left to funnel to us through the 'New Dharma Initiative', but nothing that we couldn't live without. It was clear by the end of the testing phase that this little ARG was very unpopular with the same fans that enjoyed 'The Lost Experience' and 'Find 815'. Money issues aside (and they are probably feeling the economy as much as everyone else), scuttling the project was the wisest decision made since the ARG began. That they wove the cancellation into different parts of the 'Lost' universe made the cancellation the best part of the game. They didn't have to come up with a 'clever' way to end the project, but they did. Even when an idea fails, I'm glad to see that they put effort and creativity into the killing of that idea.
Expose isn't as bad as SIASL, but it isn't very good, either. The best thing about Expose is that it is the last episode of Lost (so far) that isn't at least fairly enjoyable.
Eric | Nov 20, 2008 12:46:39 AM | #Don't think that your Monty Python reference went unnoticed, Ryan.
nudge-nudge, wink-wink
say no more!
Brian of the North | Nov 20, 2008 6:42:13 AM | #If he's alive, why would Jin need a constant? I thought the whole idea of a constant was so that if your consciousness is ever jumping back and forth between timelines, you have something to anchor you in the present.
But if you're PHYSICALLY back in time, what's the point of a constant? You can't physically be in the future at the same time. It seems to me people will be stuck in the 70's and that's that.
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 7:41:42 AM | #For example, Ben doesn't need a constant. Through the Orchid he jumps from 2004 to 2007/2008. He's not bleeding out because he's physically in the future, not jumping back and forth in his mind.
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 7:43:21 AM | #In the poster, interesting (though not suprising) that Kate and Sawyer are looking at each other, Jack and Juliet appear to be looking not at each other but at the same angle into the sky, Hurley is looking at Jack and Miles is peeking around looking at ...Locke maybe? Everyone else is looking straight out.
Dell | Nov 20, 2008 9:27:35 AM | #Since we're analyzing every aspect of the poster, any ideas on why is says "Dark UFO?" below the LOST title.I thought for a moment that it may be the company that printed the poster, but that doesn't seem right at all.
Tee | Nov 20, 2008 9:31:31 AM | #Dark UFO is the website that was hosting that particular pic, that's all. Nothing to interpret. Had I found a bigger one without the watermark, I would have. Sorry about the confusion.
Ryan | Nov 20, 2008 9:43:08 AM | #DarkUFO is the Lost fan site that broke the exclusive on the poster. It's a watermark.
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 9:47:37 AM | #Oop, you beat me to it, Ryan :)
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 9:48:43 AM | #Thank you guys! Ya'll always come thru for a girl.
Tee | Nov 20, 2008 10:07:22 AM | #*tips cap, rides off into sunset on his trusty steed*
Ryan | Nov 20, 2008 10:38:43 AM | #Curse you, Ryan McGee! ;)
I've been driving around town all morning singing snippets of "I'm a lumberjack and I'm o-kye...!" That, and I've been emboldened to look for opportunities to use "embiggened" at least 3x a day. It must become widely used, just as btrwrth will someday be included in a reputable dictionary.
My son informed me today that he needed a Cinnabon (he's had ONE in his 5+ years of life) because it would make his headache go away. To think -- I shoulda been drinking btrwrth, not taking T*lenol for those pesky aches!
djc | Nov 20, 2008 11:39:16 AM | #Ryan, do you happen to visit Chud.com at all? They like the word "embiggen" there, too :)
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 12:03:08 PM | #That I do not, though I figured I wasn't the first one to use it. I think "Ain't It Cool News" uses it quite a lot as well.
I just dig the word!
Ryan | Nov 20, 2008 12:28:48 PM | #Me too. Maybe it was AICN I was thinking of. It's a sweet word!
JeffC | Nov 20, 2008 1:58:24 PM | #They used the word in an episode of The Simpsons that had to do town founder Jeremiah Springfield, I think it was his creed "A noble spirit embiggens even the smallest man" or something, and Lisa questioned the word's validity there too :)
Anyway, awesome poster. I hadn't heard Claire would not be coming back, so it was a little bit of a shock to me. Although since she is tucked away with He Who Will Not Be Seen, can't say I'm really surprised. It just means her, Jin (if he's not dead), maybe even Walt (if he doesn't appear during S5) can come back in S6 as special guest stars at key moments.
Maybe I'm just over-analyzing, but I find the line-of-sight of the characters in this image to say alot:
1) Ben's looking slightly up/forward, so is he looking to the heavens (and an omniprescent entity he once knew well?) or is he staring daggers at Jack?
2) Jack and Kate are staring to the side, towards the Island folk. Likewise, Sawyer is staring to the side, towards the "real world." Maybe they're staring at each other? Sawyer jealous that Kate is with Jack? Sawyer staring at Jack, blaming him for all of Season 5's coming misfortunes on the Island?
3) Sun just looks wounded :(
4) Hugo seems to be looking at Jack, possibly for guidance? Even off the Island, he looks at Jack as a leader.
5) Desmond looks like a cross between angry and worried. Makes sense, and I agree about the O6 seperating him from Ben to be important. But notice how Desmond is further into the background, appearing smaller or behind the rest? Kinda like he's hiding...
6a) Oh Locke, don't you look confident. The Island is his now, he knows it. Some psych person once told me that crossed arms is a sign of defense, body language that sends the message of being rebuffed, turned away - what you're selling, this person isn't buying, or listening but skeptical. So it's like Locke is saying "Don't come knockin' on my Island door."
6b) Juliette also has crossed arms, possibly signifying everything I said above, and the way she is positioned, she looks to be protecting Faraday (and maybe Miles). She's also standing next to Sawyer. The most interesting thing though is where she is looking; off to the side, away from the Island.
7) Faraday seems to be looking the same direction as Juliette, but he's got that "I'm suddenly curious" squint in his eyes. Whatever he's looking at, it's making the wheels in his brain turn.
8) Miles, like Desmond, seems to be the farthest in the background, possibly hiding, possibly being protected. And hes's definently looking at his Island cohorts or someone in the O6 club.
Other Sean | Nov 20, 2008 2:13:04 PM | #In reference to Constants
As illustrated in the episode "The Constant", here's what I assumed happened - Minkowski travelled too close to the island (or maybe crossed the invisible line that would mark what 'gets moved' bye the FDW) at the wrong compass degree. After returning to the boat, he has a physical precense in both times (2004 and ?). As his psyche bounces back and forth, it becomes more 'damaged', until he arrives back in 2004 with so much damage, that his physical body 'dies' before his psyche can leave again. BTW, I hope we eventually get to see what happens at the other end when a 'constant-less' being dies. Probably interesting enough for a 2-minute scene. Anyway, Desmond was just lucky enough to have Daniel close by, and was able to talk to him just long enough to be able to find him back in 1996. Without that crapshoot, bye-bye Des! With 1996 Des clued in, he just happens to be able to set-up a possible AT&T Constant Connection, if only Penny will give him her new phone number. Seriously, when she says that he'll just call her tonight or tomorrow, and he says "I won't call for eight years", her reaction face is Top-10 of all-time. Anyway, after one more jump (I'm betting that Des was 1 or 2 'leaps' from death), he gives Sayid the number, and establishes that connection that always makes me cry.
Back to poster theory
When the Island moved, we never saw the remains of the freighter again. I thought almost immediately that if Jin, Daniel, and the debris didn't move at the same time, the O6 definitely would've seen or hooked up with some of that. So I am supposing that all that moved along with.
All Frank did to upset Desmond's 'katra' was momentarily hit the wrong compass degree on the flight back to the freighter. I'm guessing that being on the water during IsleMove could be a small problem. After the move, it's very possible that the compass degree needed to safely make it back to the island is unknown to them. I'm just supposing, but I would venture to guess that at least one 'known' character will die in S5 due to effects of the island move, and another 'known' character will almost die because of it. As for my first post, oops!! As for Daniel finding Desmond before it's too late, whoops!!! Des is with Penny on an undisclosed location honeymoon, and Daniel will have a hard time finding him. Oh Well, details to CC & DL.
Eric | Nov 21, 2008 7:04:43 AM | #Not quite the poster, but...
My view count on S4 episodes continues to climb slowly. There are so many pieces that make classic TV, and all-of-a-sudden, I'm slightly worried that Michael Giacchino might not make it to May, 2010. He is a big reason that huge emotional moments feel exactly as they should.
When actors die prematurely, TV series can have a hard time moving on, and sometimes can be mortally wounded by losing the wrong character. My all-time favorite TV show is Hill Street Blues (Lost is #2). After 4 years and change, Michael Conrad died, and was subsequently killed in the show (His character, Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, died while 'enjoying' an activity with his girlfriend). His death and 'funeral' (they spread his ashes on 'the epicenter of the Hill', then had street sweepers clean it up immediately) were handled perfectly, but the creators spent the rest of the series trying to replace his character, and never succeeded. Sgt. Esterhaus was the character that popularized the phrase 'Let's be Careful Out There!'. If I had watched Hill St. like I watch Prison Break, I would've jumped ship after that.
Maybe someone could come along and continue creating the music that helps Lost achieve such emotional resonance, but I'd rather not have to wonder.
And, playing in the background as I type is one of the all-time best lines of Lost: "Jesus Christ is not a weapon". It doesn't feel that way at 7:30am when the suits come to the door.
Eric | Nov 21, 2008 8:04:14 AM | #i didn't notice it in the commercial they played during grey's, but in one during life on mars they showed desmond running out of a room and penny yelling "where are you going". i had to rewind my dvr and rewatch out of shear excitement that desmond will play a seemingly major part and hopefully return to the island with the rest.
also, in terms of the ARG, darkufo had an interesting post about where this might be headed: http://lostoctagonglobalrecruiting.blogspot.com/2008/11/ajira-airways-destiny-calls.html
Morgan | Nov 22, 2008 6:09:18 PM | #
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