A Case of the.... Lost - Episodes 6-1 & 6-2 Revisited

''I'm sorry you had to see me like that'' = greatest Lost line ever? – EW.com Lost review.

While I failed to mention this great quote in my initial review, I didn’t fail to notice it. Not only was it a great line, but it was delivered to perfection.

By the way, the latest unique Lost method of storytelling is officially dubbed “flash-sideways.” Expect that to be the title of a struggling ABC drama next season.

Moving onto the premiere. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the response to the first two episodes of the final season has been overwhelmingly positive. I figured a lot of impatient fans would complain about the confusing new method of storytelling and would bellyache about there not being many big answers or revelations. In my experience, that hasn’t been the case. And that makes me glad.

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Now, in my initial review, I pondered whether these two worlds represented a “real” universe and a “what could have been” alternate reality – however, the overwhelming prognosis seems to be that these two worlds are both real, just separate. I’m willing to buy into that. In fact, this is perhaps alluded to in the book Desmond was reading on the plane, Haroun And The Sea of Stories. According to those who have done more research than me, there’s a famous quote in the book that states: ''What's the use of stories that aren't even true?'' Could this be our subtle indication that both universes are indeed “true”?

Speaking of Desmond, in my review I noted that there were some slight discrepancies between the original Flight 815 and the retconned flight. Most notably Desmond’s presence and Shannon’s absence, Hurley suddenly being lucky, and the missing luggage (Locke’s knives and Jack’s father). I find it interesting that these two particular items were lost, as they’re arguably the items on the plane that most defined them on the island. Odd how once the island is out of the equation, so is the baggage (literal and perhaps metaphorical as well).

In the comments section of my column, Aron referred to the meeting between Jack and Locke “kind of lame” and “a bit too cute.” I have to respectfully disagree, for two notable reasons. The first is that this brief interaction made me notice a huge connection between these characters that somehow, some way, I managed to miss all for these years. You have Locke, who’s paralyzed, and Jack, who’s a renowned spinal surgeon. In that regard, these two are very intimately connected. And, if circumstances were different, they really could have had a beneficial relationship.

The other thing I found interesting was how Locke has always been dubbed “the man of faith” while Jack was “the man of science.” Yet, following their interaction, it was Jack who found solace in faith, while Locke received hope with science. Again, had circumstances been less hostile, they could have helped each other.

Some additional differences brought to my attention by my readers as well as some other columns I read:

In their interaction on the plane, Rose was calm while Jack was stressed – opposite of their memorable “original” talk (thanks Andy, for pointing that out). Along with that, Jack only received one bottle of vodka, while he received two in the pilot. I find it interesting that, so far, Jack seems to be the only one who senses that something’s not right, or that he might have experienced something like this before. Significance? I guess we’ll see.

Now, let’s discuss some of the other people on the flight, starting with Sawyer. A few people have noted that Sawyer was noticeably less conflicted on the flight from Sydney. That’s a fair point. If you recall, he had murdered somebody in cold blood, incorrectly believing that this person was responsible for his parents’ deaths, and then he got in some trouble with the law and was unceremoniously ejected from the entire continent, I presume. When we saw him on the original Flight 815, he had that classic scowl that he was so infamous for in the early years.

In this reality, though, he was significantly lighter. Here’s a passage from the EW.com review:

In fact, I like to think that this not-a-care-in-the-world Sawyer isn't some scheming con man at all, but rather owes his lightness to being a well-adjusted, law-abiding young man with a serious girlfriend in Miami. In some possible world, this surely must be true. Why not this one? But time will tell.

While I’m not sure Sawyer is the ruined man he was in the original reality, I can’t say I agree with this assessment. First off, did you see the way his face lit up when he heard that Hurley was a millionaire? Along with that, I just don’t see your average law-abiding citizen helping somebody in handcuffs escape security, no matter how hot or seemingly nice she may be. I buy that he’s better adjusted, but based on what I saw, the guy is most certainly the rogue we were introduced to in season one. Just take note of his close proximity to Hurley when they departed the plane.

Speaking of the EW.com review, I’d like to touch upon an idea I quite liked, regarding Jin and Sun:

Jin got hauled off, and Sun got pressed: Did she know English? Did she have an explanation for the undeclared cash? Cliffhanger. Theory? Jin brought the money to finance his new life with Sun in the United States.

I quite like the idea that Jin, despite his fall from grace, was actually planning to escape with Sun once they arrived in the US. While the concept of the crash saving their relationship is romantic, I think it would be an interesting twist to learn that Jin actually had seen the err of his ways and set out for a fresh start by his own accord.

Moving onto the island reality, as a viewer I find it interesting that Sawyer blames Jack for Juliet's death. I say "as a viewer," because we're privy to certain knowledge that the characters may not have, and we also don't share the same emotional bonds. But, after thinking about it, I realized that it's not Jack's fault at all that Juliet died. If it's anybody's fault, it's Kate's. Follow me here. Juliet died after she was pulled into the hole by the electromagnetic activity. Except the electromagnetic activity had nothing to do with Jack's big plan. That happened because of the Dharma Initiative's construction, and would have happened whether or not Jack intervened. So, basically, Juliet was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But why were they there?

If you recall, Sawyer and Juliet were on a submarine, set to finally get off of the island. They would have been free or clear, had it not been for Kate, who convinced them that they should return to the island to stop Jack. Of course, once they actually got there, Kate pulled an about-face and decided to assist her former fiance with his grand mission.

Just some food for thought. Also, regarding Juliet’s dying words that, “it worked.” I’m going to go with the popular opinion, which is that, when she died, her consciousness “merged” with the alternate timeline, and her comment about getting coffee and going dutch is some “code word” for them in that other life. The good news is, this might mean that Sawyer and Juliet find happiness together in this other timeline.

We also finally got to see the inside of the Temple, with more than a few people bringing up the curious point that the Others are evidently attempting to keep the Monster out of the Temple, yet he also seems to live beneath it. How odd… Also, for what it’s worth, the Asian man is named Dogen, and his translator is named Lennon. I’m curious how they fit into the island hierarchy, compared to Jacob and Ben.

Another great observation from the EW.com review: One of my favorite developments in the episode was the emergence of Hurley as castaway leader in the wake of Jack's crisis of self-confidence and Sawyer's ''Don't call me boss no more'' meltdown. And, as the article also points out, Hurley became the show’s newest “Man of Faith” when he followed Jacob’s orders to take Sayid to the Temple. The scene with Dogen and the Uber Others also reminded me of the methods the Others took in the earlier seasons. While we have come to learn that they may actually be the relative “good guys,” they’re still not above killing innocent people who might threaten their way of life.

Anyway, there are some people out there claiming that Sayid is Jacob resurrected. I don’t agree. I just believe that the healing resurrection worked – just not as fluidly as it would have if the water was “clear.” Oh, and while we did learn how the island heals people, I’m still a little confused. Even if we’re to believe that the water (in the general sense) has healing properties, Locke was cured before he ever set foot in the water. What’s up with that?

I am curious, though: What dire matter did Lennon need to talk to Jack about? Could it have anything to do with his dead father running around the island causing all sorts of hijinx? Speaking of which, is Christian Smokey? If so, that means Smokey CAN leave the island, as we saw him at Jack’s hospital (remember the smoke alarm?) That seems to contradict this belief that Smokey is being held captive on the island.

Oh, another thing a lot of commenters were talking about: Was Fake Locke’s comment to Alpert about being free of his chains a physical thing (as in, he was a slave on the Black Rock) or a symbolic thing (as in, he’s no longer being oppressed by Jacob)? Honestly, I suspect the former. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

I think we can all agree, though: Terry O’Quinn absolutely nailed this episode. His facial expressions were absolutely amazing. I’m in awe of how comforting he comes off in his interaction with Jack at the airport, and how chilling he could be while talking with Ben in the foot of the statue. Inredible stuff. I was a bit surprised, though, how harsh Fake Locke’s assessment was of real Locke. I had always imagined a certain kinship between Locke and the Smoke Monster, almost as if Smokey respected him and felt he was special. Instead it just seems like Smokey, just like everybody else, was manipulating the poor guy.

In a column-related matter, I’m thinking of posting my Revisited columns on Sunday nights, instead of Mondays. With 24 and Heroes (for now, anyway) both airing on Monday nights, I thought it would be a bit overwhelming for both you and me for me to post a 24, Heroes, and two Lost columns in the span of two nights. But I also know that Sunday nights might not have the same Internet activities as Mondays. So my question – if I posted these on Sunday nights, would that have an impact on your viewing habits? Sound off below!

And, just like last year, please enjoy the first installment this season of Lost Untangled! Although I love the muppet, under this new format, not a whole lot gets untangled. Oh well...

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Sneak Peak! Lost: Jacob & Smokey - An alternate perspective

I'm going to post this in my Lost: Revisited column, but I thought I'd let my loyal blog visitors get a glimpse at it first. This is a video I made in response to a funny comment I read on the EW.com website, regarding the relationship between Jacob and the Man in Black/Smokey D. Enjoy!

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The NXT Step...

So this past Tuesday on ECW (which nobody saw, because they were busy watching Lost!!!) Vince McMahon announced that the third brand would go off the air in three weeks, to be replaced by NXT -- a new show that will allegedly feature unknown talent trying to scrape their way into the WWE.

Watch the announcement:



Now, I can't say I'm particularly surprised by this announcement, because WWE's management of the ECW brand over the past couple of years has been atrocious. The brand started off good enough, with legitimate champions who were actually treated as World Champions, a nice mix of known names and talent that haven't really received a proper opportunity on one of the two other brands, and it had its own unique, gritty feel. But then WWE very curiously decided to simultaneously make this show indistinguishable from Raw and Smackdown, yet strip it of any legitimacy it may have had. I'd hate to pick on Chavo, because he's a talented guy, but I think everything sort of fell apart when he nabbed the title. Suddenly he was participating in the Royal Rumble when, in actuality, the winner should have had the option of challenging him. And honestly, he didn't look anywhere near the league of the WWE and World Heavyweight Champions -- or their challengers, for that matter. In that regard, ECW was destined to fail.

I couldn't help but laugh at Tazz's Twitter remark that the ECW originals and Paul Heyman weren't thanked during McMahon's announcement. First off, the entire announcement, minus introduction, was about a minute long. He's not like he did some 20 minute promo here. Besides which, every single ECW Original has gone out of their way to say that THIS ECW has nothing to do with their famed indy federation. But now that the BRAND is being discontinued, their entitled to a "thank you"? Why would they acknowledge guys that haven't even been with the company for several years?

What I find interesting, though, is that based on the ad I've seen for NXT, the new show seems to be taking over that gritty, edgy feel that they deprived the ECW brand of. And I am skeptical of the success. If ECW failed with names like Christian, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Goldust, and so on as part of it, how's it going to do minus the recognizable names?

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Inside Pulse TV's Top 15 Shows of 2009

Inside Pulse TV conducted another "Best of" list that I participated in (bumped from writing about the #1 show to #12 -- should my ego be bruised???) Be sure to give it a read:

It’s February 3, 2010, so you know what that means? Another “Best Of” List. No, not best of January 2010. Lets go back to 2009. Better late than never. It’s time to talk about “Inside Pulse TV’s Top 15 Shows of 2009″.

Once again I asked all the Inside Pulse TV staff members to give me their “Top 10 Shows of the 2009″. Any show that aired new episodes during 2009 were eligible to be on their lists. All channels and genres were eligible as well. I got close to 20 lists with each writer not knowing what shows the other writers considered to be the best. After getting these lists, I assigned each show on each writer’s lists a point value from 1-10. The #1 show on each list was given 10 points. The #2 show was given 9 points. #3 got 8 and this continued to the #10 shows each getting 1 point. Once I added up the numbers, there was clearly a major line between the “best” and the “rest”. However, the line was between the Top 10 and the rest, it was more like the Top 15. So I made an executive decision and decided to create “Inside Pulse TV’s Top 15 Shows of the Decade” list instead of a top ten list.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/03/inside-pulse-tvs-top-15-shows-of-2009/

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episodes 6-1 & 6-2

I’m going to continue the model I did last year, which I thought was very successful and fun. I’ll post my immediate thoughts on the episode the night it airs, and over the next week I’ll collect comments and theories from readers and columns I’ve checked out, and post a “Revisited” column to be posted the following Monday. So you can e-mail me, visit my blog, or simply leave a comment on this page.

So after a hiatus that felt like it would never end, Lost finally returned with its final season. I think Murtz put it best when he referred to tonight as one of the two biggest nights in television, with the other night being the actual series finale. The premiere was most certainly a head scratcher, and I certainly enjoyed it, however I can’t help but get this sinking feeling that the overall prognosis will be that the episode was a “disappointment.”

Granted, the premiere for the final season was so incredibly built up that it likely would not have fulfilled most people’s expectations, but I also think a fair argument could be made that Lost should have returned with a rather significant “bang,” if only to assure viewers that yes, they will be making those immense revelations that we’ve all been holding out for.

But, again, that’s the skeptic in me. There are many, many fans out there that don’t want to wait and see where the show’s going. They just want answers. Like I said in the IPTV Lost roundtable, I’ve got a pretty optimistic attitude and I feel pretty strongly that we’ll get answers to all of the questions that matter.

Click the "Read More" link for the full column.

Anyway, onto the episode. Like I said, it was a head scratcher and yes, it was awfully confusing. My interpretation is that we were seeing “what happened” and “what could have been.” But I’m not sure we necessarily know which reality is which. In one version we saw Flight 815 successfully landing at LAX. Now, was that what happened after the bomb detonated, which in turn negated the opportunity for the hatch to bring them to the island? Or was this merely a glimpse of what would have happened had Jack’s plot worked?

In this reality, Charlie (who is now alive) nearly dies choking on his drug condom, but is saved by Jack. However, he’s arrested for possession. Meanwhile, Kate manages to escape captivity. Sawyer sets his eyes on rich boy Hurley, perhaps planning on swindling him of his cash. Jack and Locke meet, and the possibility is set that Jack could possibly heal his spinal injury. Most curious of all, perhaps, is that Christian Shephard’s body is missing.

This is worth examining, actually. From all indications, everything is exactly the same, except that the plane lands. However, there were four differences I noticed: For some reason, Shannon decided not to leave Australia, Hurley is now really lucky, and, interestingly, Locke’s knives and Christian’s coffin are missing. What’s so significant about these differences?

In the alternate version of events, the Losties are catapulted back to the present day, where their plot failed. As a result, Juliet died and Sayid was at death’s door. Oh, and I can’t resist but to this up, as it was very telling and deliberate: Kate ran to Jack, and not Sawyer, when she saw both of them lying lifelessly on the ground.

Anyway, it looks like things are getting quite tense between Jack and Sawyer – and it brings me to a point I’ve been making since the end of last season. Yes, I’ve always been Team Jack/Kate, but in my view, the writers have done such an effective job of showing that Sawyer and Juliet are so madly in love with each other that, in my view, having Sawyer and Kate end up together couldn’t possibly be considered a “happy ending.” Especially so shortly after her death.

So it seems that even though Jacob is dead, he can still appear as a ghost. Hurley’s genuine and immediate “I’m sorry dude that sucks” in response to Jacob’s revelation that he was killed an hour ago was great. I also really loved his uncomfortable, brief, and exceptionally vague conversation with Jin: “Dude, if I asked you to take me to a hole in the wall where you went with the ‘French team,’ would you know what I’m talking about?” Long pause. “Yes.”

So if you read the IPTV Lost roundtable discussion, you’ll see that I asked about whether we’d learn more about Jacob’s list. It was something that was frequently discussed over the first two seasons, but was seemingly put on the backburner as Ben’s role increased. Well, the list was certainly alluded to tonight. My guess: The people on the list are people that have to stay alive in order to be present at a critical event in the future.

One thing that bothered me was the scene that Jack and co. made during Sayid’s healing. I mean, after all the insane crap you’ve experienced, is holding a guy under water really the most unbelievable thing you’ve ever seen? I think I would have just trusted the crazy ass island. And from a directional standpoint, I personally think it would have been more powerful for them to watch in silent and confused awe.

Now, again, the question is: Which of these realities is “real” and which is “the path not taken”? I’m tempted to predict that this entire season will follow this model, with one timeline following the lives of the Losties if they had stayed on the island, with the other chronicling their lives had they landed safely in Los Angeles. And perhaps we won’t find out until the very end which one is real.

Anyway, the episode did give us some fun tidbits of information. First and foremost, we got confirmation, in my view, that Fake Locke, the Man in Black, and the Smoke Monster are all one in the same. We pretty much already knew this, but I’m glad to get solid confirmation that Jacob’s nemesis is indeed Smokey D. But I have to wonder, what does he want with Alpert?

We also found out what happened to Cindy the Flight Attendant and the kids. I also daresay that these Uber Others are the whispers in the jungle that we’ve been hearing since season one. Who are they, though?

Here are some questions to consider for the Revisited column:

Which timeline do you think is “real” and which do you think is “what could have been”?

Is there any significance to Locke’s knives and Jack’s father getting lost in the “LAX” reality? If so, what are your theories?

Any significance to Jack having a cut on his neck? Was this a wound he suffered before getting onto the flight (I don’t recall)? Or is this some sort of hint?

Is there a certain reason why they attempted to revert certain characters back to their season one selves (notably Hurley and Sun), yet others were unapologetically looking like their current selves (Jack and Charlie)? And before you argue about changing hair lengths/styles, you should realize that they usually make an attempt to fake that, no matter how unnatural it may look.

Who are these Uber Others?

Was the piece of paper inside the symbol Jacob’s list? If so, what do you think the list represents?

Who is Ilana and who were her people (the ones who stormed into the statue)?

Any other thoughts or comments, you know how to reach me!

Note: I should probably set some ground rules as it relates to potential spoilers when you send your thoughts, theories, and comments. Basically, if you find something out that wasn't revealed in the episode or the coming attractions at the conclusion of each episode, as a courtesy to me and any others who deliberately avoid spoilers, please refrain from revealing said information. Any theories you come up with that is purely based on what we've already seen are just fine. I didn't run into any issues with this last year, so I appreciate everybody's continued cooperation.

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A Case of the Mondays: 24 & Heroes Reviews

A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-6 Review:

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/02/24-episode-8-6-review/

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 4-17:

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/02/heroes-episode-4-17-review/

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IPTV Feature: What will happen the final season of Lost?

The following roundtable feature -- of which I participated in -- currently apppears on the Inside Pulse TV website. Enjoy.

Lost is back tonight with a huge premiere event to kick off the Final Season. The hype is in full overdrive, and with only 24 hours to go, the IP TV staff is on the edge of their seats!

I poised this question to the IP TV crew: What do you think will happen in the Final Season of Lost?

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/02/02/iptv-roundtable-what-will-happen-in-lost-the-final-season/

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The Lost Supper

Well, the big Lost premiere is tomorrow night! I had planned to do a lot more on this blog to build up to the big event, but due to other obligations and my desire to discuss the Royal Rumble (which was last night) and The Vampire Diaries cast Q&A, I really haven't had the time. If I can find the time, I'll post a special Top Ten Cases before the episode airs (don't hold your breath, though -- they tend to take me a while, and I haven't even started yet).

Also, I encourage everybody to check out my Preparatory Guide to the Final Season of Lost. This is ideal for anybody who has missed any episodes or simply needs a refresher course on what happened last season. Check it out!

Anyway, most of you have probably seen the awesome "Last Supper" promos that have been released, featuring the cast of Lost. As far as I can tell, three different versions have been released, and everybody and their mother have attempted to interpret them (I haven't indulged in any other theories -- I'm avoiding any and all Lost-related articles like the plague. So be assured, this will be spoiler-free!)

I thought I'd attempt to dissect the promo as well, however, I figured I might do it in a bit of a different way. For the purposes of my reading, I'm merely going to match up each character with the person they're taking the place of in the classic Da Vinci painting (as such, the promo I use is irrelevant, as their placement is the same in each photo), and in turn I'll attempt to determine the significance of the arrangement.

Click here to view my "cheat sheet" (handwritten by me!) that reveals where each Last Supper attendant sat

First and foremost, you have Locke sitting center stage, representing Jesus. I'm not going to delve into this, as the resurrection allusion is obvious. Shall we move on?

For those of you unfamiliar, the disciples in Da Vinci's Last Supper are broken up into four threesomes, with each group reacting differently to the news that one of them will betray Jesus. Do note, however, that this isn't a perfect person-to-person representation, as the Lost promo contains one extra person. I'll do my best to compensate.

First, you have Ilana, Alpert, and Claire as Bartholomew, Andrew, and James Minor, respectively. According to Wikipedia (yeah, I haven't turned against this valuable resource like the rest of the world) all three are shocked by the news. It's interesting that these three people have this particularly stunned reaction to whatever news "Locke" is revealing (is it that Jacob is dead? That he's not really Locke? For the purpose of this examination, lets assume the former (it was, after all, arguably the climax of the finale). If that's the case, this makes some sense. Ilana seemed to have a personal relationship with Jacob, and Alpert was seemingly the Other with the closest connection to him. Then there's Claire, who many speculate IS the Smoke Monster, or, at the very least, has co-mingled with the Smoke Monster (under the guise of Christian Shephard). If that's the case, she may have a vested interest in Jacob's fate.

Then you have Sayid, Kate, and Sawyer as Peter, Judas, and John, respectively (an argument could also be made that Sayid, and not Kate, represents Judas. It depends on your perspective on where each disciple is positioned). According to interpretations, Judas is withdrawn, as hints are given within the painting that he's the one that will turn against Jesus. He's also the only one with his elbows on the table (the Lost cast, on the other hand, clearly have not been to etiquette school). Peter is angry and holding a weapon, foreshadowing his violent outburst later. John appears to "swoon." Peter's angry and is about to react with violence? If that doesn't describe Sayid, I don't know what does. That leaves Kate as Judas, an interesting representation. While blowing up the hatch was Jack's idea, one could easily argue that Kate was the driving force behind it. When she opposed it, she raised an army to attempt to stop Jack. When she ultimately decided to stick with him, the army relented.

Follow me with this. If Jack's plot doesn't undo the plane crash, but instead jumps them forward in time to the moment that "Locke" and Ben killed Jacob, and ultimately results in fake Locke's demise, then Kate submitting to Jack and allowing him to take action (instead of fighting him, and possibly stopping him), could -- in a sense -- be interpreted as Kate betraying fake Locke's mission. Yeah, it's a stretch, I know. It seems a bit odd to me that they didn't go the more obvious route, with Ben acting as Judas.

According to dictionary.com, swoon means "to faint; lose consciousness." And in many interpretations, John is described as "feminine looking" (to you Da Vinci Code enthusiasts, this is who Dan Brown erroneously mistakes for Mary Magdalene). I'm sure Sawyer appreciates that comparison. I suppose this could be referring to Sawyer's emotional status at the end of the season (and, one might presume, the beginning of this season), after losing the love of his life, Juliet. Interesting, though, because it was actually Jack who lost consciousness during the climatic ending of last season.

On the far reverse side of the table, you have Frank, Miles, and Sun representing Simon, Thaddeus, and Matthew, respectively. In this threesome, Matthew and Thaddeus have turned to Simon, seeking him out for answers. I find it interesting that, if we follow this correspondence, Sun and Miles are turning to Frank for guidance (I'm also wondering if it was deliberate that Sun was paired with Miles instead of the more obvious Jin. It's also interesting that Miles is part of this threesome instead of Ben, who was grouped with them in the "present day," while Miles was in the past). Frank's role as a guide, of sorts, is an interesting one. But it's not unfitting, either. It was Frank who was SUPPOSED to pilot that fated Oceanic flight. He was the one who safely landed the freighter helicopter there. And he was the person who successfully brought them back in 2008. He was also the one who took Jack and co. from the island to the freighter, and he was the one who brought Sun to the island. Has he provided "answers"? No. But he has gotten them out of precarious, seemingly impossible, situations.

Then, near the center, you have the foursome of Jack, Jin, Ben, and Hurley standing in as Thomas, James Major, and Philip (it's worth noting that Thomas and Philip are standing, as are Jack and Ben). Wikipedia describes their reactions as Thomas being upset, James Major being stunned, and Philip requesting additional information. With four people matching up to three, we can obviously be a bit more liberal with this comparison. Right off the bat, what I find interesting is Thomas being upset. Could this represent Jack? After months and years of denying that there was anything special about Locke, Jack finally became a believer. Hell, he's the one who urged Alpert not to give up on the walkabout (and who knows how different things might have been had Alpert not heeded Jack's advice). Imagine how deflated Jack must feel when he finds out that there might no have been anything extraordinary about Locke after all. And make no mistake -- Jack is the type of guy that would beat himself up over drinking the proverbial Kool Aid.

I also like the idea of Ben being James Major. Like Jack, despite his resistance, Ben became a believer in Locke. When he finds out it was all a ruse, and that he was a mere pawn, I'm not sure I necessarily see Ben getting "upset." He seems far too manipulative and cunning. He seems more like the type that would roll with the punches and re-evaluate his next move. To me, "stunned" would be a better word. For that matter, I can also imagine Jin in this role. The poor guy is CONSTANTLY thrown into situations where he's out of his element (whether it's a language barrier or the fact that he's seemingly always out of the loop). "Hey! Lets mix him up with the tailies! No, lets put him on the freighter where Michael is aboard! Nah, lets throw him in the past and introduce him to Rousseau!" The poor guy is constantly confused.

I feel fairly comfortable comparing Hurley to the inquisitive Philip. Just think back to the hilarious time travel discussion between Hurley and Miles. He's another guy who doesn't necessarily know much, but certainly asks for more information.

Well, that's just one (long winded) approach to this clever marketing campaign. Be sure to check back later, I'll try to post more Lost goodies before the premiere tomorrow!

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The Vampire Diaries cast Q&A

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Q&A session with Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder (BOONE!!!), and Paul Wesley of The Vampire Diaries. Watch the video below for details of the event:



Also: CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

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A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 9-10

I don’t know what it is, but Smallville always does the best “Previously” montage videos. Great stuff.

Anyway, Smallville returns from a rather long hiatus and, yet again, we get a Green Arrow-centric episode. I feel like Oliver is going through the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man 2 syndrome, where there’s this inexplicable desire to give him literal increased face time. There have been numerous moments this season where Oliver SHOULD have been in Green Arrow mode, but instead of rocking the bad ass costume, we see him as normal old Oliver. I suppose I can give them a free pass on the Saw-esque episode, because, thematically, it was more about Oliver overcoming his demons than the Green Arrow once again becoming a superhero, but I’m still disappointed that, in the future episodes, we saw Oliver fighting the Kandorians instead of the Green Arrow. I think back to that awesome visual of Oliver aiming his arrows at the sky filled with flying Kryptonians, and it just would have looked THAT much cooler if he was wearing the hood and sunglasses. The dude’s got a pretty awesome costume – let’s take advantage of it.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/01/31/smallville-episode-9-10-review/

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