A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-19

24 is a show that perhaps does not lend itself to reader feedback, unlike a discussion-encouraging series like Lost. But I’m very curious to find out what other viewers think about this conflict between Jack and President Taylor. While I don’t believe Taylor to be right, per se, I’m not sure I side with Jack either. And I think the motivation is what creates the greatest turmoil here. I don’t want to oversimplify things, but to a great degree I do believe that Jack is out for revenge, while Taylor truly believes what she’s doing is for the greater good. Like I said, I know it’s not that simple. I recognize that Jack DOES want justice, and that Taylor is subconsciously determined to use this peace agreement as a justification for all she had lost and given up.

But there just seems something hypocritical about Jack’s current stance. I mean, he’s already made attempts at getting two terrorists Presidential pardons in the past 24 hours. One of them was handling nuclear rods which would have taken countless lives. And the other played a pivotal role in having a foreign president murdered on our country’s watch. And hell, just earlier in the day he refused to turn over one man’s life – the aforementioned foreign president – to spare the lives of millions of innocent people. All because he takes orders from the president.

The reason I ask for the feedback is because I haven’t solidly sided with Jack, but I’ve been watching with my parents, and they would both repeatedly ask, “Why is she doing this?” when Taylor would counter Jack’s actions. Am I the only one who doesn’t see this issue as being so one sided?

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/04/30/24-episode-8-19-review/

A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-13 Revisited PART 1

So since Lost isn’t new this week (booo!) I thought I’d do TWO Revisited columns. The first will focus exclusively on a rather critical e-mail I received (and for once, it wasn’t about me!) and next week’s installment will be the traditional compilation of thoughts, comments, and theories, as well as my responses. Many of the usual contributors to my Revisited columns haven’t sent me their thoughts, so this gives those slackers (ha!) another week to get to me.

So let’s take a look at this e-mail, courtesy of Colin Green, who I presume to be a new reader as I don’t recall ever receiving a message from him before. Strap yourself in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-13 Revisited PART 1"....

Jack (to Locke): "I don't have any idea what you are."
Locke: "Sure you do."

Jack is fine with this answer.

I suppose that depends on your interpretation of Locke’s answer and Jack’s expectations. I took Locke’s “sure you do” to mean that Jack already knows that he’s the Smoke Monster. If that’s also what Jack took it to mean, why wouldn’t he be fine with it? There is perhaps more at stake here than understanding the mechanics of what this cloud of smoke is. So I didn’t really see it as a “I’m satisfied with that response.” It was more like, “Okay, let’s get to business.”

The Smoke Monster says he appeared to Jack as his father. Why? Because Jack needed to find water. I hope that's good enough of an explanation for you because that's as good as it gets on Lost.

If you decide to take that answer to its absolute most literal meaning, I suppose you’d have a problem with it. But not everything needs to be spelled out. The Smoke Monster was merely explaining to Jack that he disguised himself as Jack’s father in order to bring him to a place he needed to be. He was just using the water instance as an example of this. But it was meant to represent the idea that he manifests himself as these dead loved ones in order to lead people to a certain destination, whether it’s geographical, spiritual, or whatnot. I didn’t even think this was an especially complicated or deep reading.

And I think your comment stating that this is as good as it gets on Lost is a bit unnecessary, considering that the previous week Hurley basically looked right into the camera to confirm that the whispers are the ghosts of many of the people who have died on the island. But if you really want to see a guy sitting in a room and just going on a 10 minute wordy explanation for every little thing that has happened, I invite you to watch the ending of the third Matrix movie.

The Smoke Monster to Jack: "John Locke wasn't a believer Jack. He was a sucker." Man, do I know that feeling.

Claire has a heart to heart with big brother Jack. Strangely, she's not acting crazy anymore. Locke must have slapped the crazy out of her a few episodes ago... or maybe the actors really have no clue how to play these characters because even they have no clue what's going on.

I don’t think Locke had anything to do with Claire’s behavior. Actually, her mental adjustment occurred after she had a heart to heart with Kate. In the few times we’ve seen her since then, I’d say she’s been noticeably less crazy. But I will say this: If you didn’t find her creepy and unsettling as all hell during that brief talk, then I don’t think we were watching the same scene.

Locke, Jack, and Claire return to camp from their chats in the jungle. It's now daylight. Wow. Those were some long chats.

I’ll admit that I didn’t notice this, but I’ll take your word for it. And yes, that is some unusual editing, and while it’s certainly a fair criticism, I’m not sure it’s something to get hung up over either.

Sawyer is in the police station with Kate. Kate tells Sawyer that he let her go previously because he went to Australia and didn't want anyone to know he was there. Kate is a runner, an expert tracker, and a psychic.

I wouldn’t say she’s a psychic. I would just say she’s intuitive. She had a gut feeling about something that she didn’t think added up, and she took a guess. And she was right. That certainly doesn’t make her psychic. I didn’t even find it unbelievable, given the context of the series.

Poor man's Tina Fey who previously proclaimed she was a geophysicist not a mercenary, is now a tough as nails negotiator. Apparently Widmore now thinks he can kill the Smoke Monster with a mortar round... although previously Desmond was the only answer to save the world.

Well first off, the Smoke Monster presumably can be killed. He insinuated such when he was talking to Sawyer and confessed that he doesn’t want to be killed. He’s also seemingly the equivalent to Jacob, who we also know can be killed. So I didn’t have an issue with the mortar round.

And we don’t know enough about what Desmond is rescuing them from to fairly call this a contradiction. Presumably Desmond’s mission is to make the sideways characters aware of their island lives, which, I would venture to guess, is a crucial move in this war with the Smoke Monster. And for all we know, Widmore may have been trying to kill Smokey’s non-candidate followers.

And I didn’t find Zoey all that tough. And she’s been acting as Widmore’s representative since his return to the island, so I didn’t find her appearances this episode all that out of the ordinary.

Llana is a lawyer of course. Desmond knows Llana somehow and somehow has been following Claire and somehow gets Claire and Jack together for the reading of their father's will. Don't ask any questions. Just go with it.

I find these “somehows” a little silly. I mean, we KNOW Desmond is investigating the people who were on the island and on Flight 815. The appearance of Ilana as Desmond’s lawyer was curious – and I did ask a question about it in my original review. Who said not to ask questions and to just “go with it” anyway? The series is constantly urging us to ask questions.

Locke tells Sawyer to go get the sail boat. Sawyer asks why they aren't all going together. Locke says, "The bigger the group, the slower it moves." I guess gravity has a greater effect on a large object thus slowing down the time that it takes it to move from point A to point B.

This complaint is just plain weak. The argument that a small group moves faster than a large one makes perfect sense. It has nothing to do with gravity. By nitpicking about something like this, you just make your other, more rational complaints lose credibility.

Sawyer decides he's going to skip out on Locke and take the sail boat to Hydra island. He asks Kate if she knows how to sail the boat. Surprisingly she does. Runner, expert tracker, psychic, and sail boat captain. That's our Kate.

Again, this is a silly complaint. Sawyer and Kate’s discussion about her coming to help him with the sailboat had absolutely nothing to do with sailing. He was asking her because she’s his closest ally, and he wanted to get her away from the Smoke Monster for his submarine escape plan. And besides which, we’re talking about sailing, not rocket science.

Meanwhile, over in the Flash Sideways... Sawyer and Miles go to arrest Sayid. Somehow they figure out that Sayid is at his brother's house. Hey, these guys are good. Sayid almost gets away but Sawyer tricks him with the old garden hose trip routine because it's much cooler than just yelling freeze when Sayid walks through the back door.

Again, not much of a stretch here. They found out Sayid’s name, discovered he doesn’t live around here but that somebody with the same last name does. They figure out they’re brothers. I wouldn’t say that makes them “good,” just competent police officers. And you're complaining because they weren't arrested the way you'd like?

Here's where things get interesting... and by interesting I mean really dumb. Sawyer pulls Jack aside and actually says the line, "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once." I would make an Allo Allo reference here but only a couple people in the UK would get it.

You are correct about that, because I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.

So Sawyer easily convinces Jack to not go with Locke... just as easily as Hurley convinced Jack they should go see Locke... just as easily as Jacob convinced Hurley to leave the temple because Locke was coming to kill them.... just as easily as Michael convinced Hurley to get Jack to go see Locke. Don't think about any of this too much or your head will hurt and you'll start speaking Korean. Sawyer says he has a deal with Widmore and all this is good enough for Jack. Sawyer tells Jack to round up all the cool kids and sneak away from Locke.

“Easily” must be the new “somehow,” because you’re throwing around the word willy-nilly. Sawyer DIDN’T easily convince Jack to do anything, because Jack ultimately disagreed with the plan so much that he jumped out of a moving boat. So I don’t know how you could say that everything Sawyer said was “good enough for Jack,” because clearly it wasn’t. And Hurley following based solely on faith has been completely consistent with his character. But you’re also conveniently ignoring when he asks follow up questions and asks for explanations, which he does do from time to time.

And your comment telling us not to question anything is pretty baseless. The writers clearly wanted us to notice Jack’s willingness to follow Hurley, hence their discussion in the jungle. Jack “easily” getting talked into doing things has been a major story point this season.

Sayid goes to the well to kill Desmond. Locke can't do it because there are some vague island "rules" that help hide the fact that Lindelof and Cuse have no rules. The depth of the well has descreased quite a bit.

Okay, the depth of the well is a fair remark. THAT I did notice. I really don’t have an explanation other than the fact that the writers probably wanted it to seem impossibly deep when Locke through him down there, but wanted Sayid to be able to see his face when he was ordered to kill him. Not that that excuses a blaring continuity gaffe.

But I don’t have any problem with Smokey asking Sayid to do his killings. Why did you have a problem with this? He’s been having Sayid do his bidding since they paired up. He had Sayid send his warning to those in the Temple. He had him kill Dogen and Lennon. He had him spy on Widmore. He had him apprehend Desmond. Honestly, aside from his Temple raid, the Locke Ness Monster has been all about talking and manipulating people, while Sayid and others have done the dirty work. This was completely consistent with their relationship thus far.

And while we don’t know everything about these rules, we do know that Smokey can’t kill Jacob, and we can pretty fairly piece together that he can’t kill the candidates. How does this equate to the creators “having no rules”?

Desmond asks Sayid what he's going to tell Nadia he did to see her again. Desmond words seem to touch the tiny zombified heart of Sayid- a complete rip off of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We're left wondering if Sayid really killed Desmond. The tension is killing me. Really.

So the concept of a once dark hearted person seeing the light based on the words of a kind hearted person was originated by Dr. Seuss?

Claire, who has a major abandonment issues, is abandoned by the cool kids but makes a crazy face and follows them through the jungle to the sail boat. Claire confronts them, Kate tries to do some dramatic acting, unfortunately is not shot in the heart, and everything is cool before you know it... or is it? Jack ruins everything when he decides to start thinking. Jack thinks maybe they should stay on the island because Locke wants them to leave the island. I'm reminded of a certain incident involving the detonation of a nuke. We're not going to help detonate the nuke, we're getting on the sub, now we're going to help so we're getting off the sub, now we're not helping, now we are because I saw you look at her, hey maybe we shouldn't do this because it could be the thing that caused the incident.

You’re a bit all over the place here. Are we still talking about Jack jumping in the water, or are we talking about last season? Whatever the case may be, a moment ago you were complaining about all these characters “easily” getting talked into things. Now you’re upset that they’re thinking about their decisions?

And your criticism seems to have more to do with your dislike of the Kate character and your distaste for Evangeline Lily’s acting. That’s your personal preference, but you not liking it doesn’t make it nonsensical.

The three major players in this drama are Locke/MIB, Widmore, and Jacob. No one has tried asking any of them any pertinent questions about what is going on. Our band of merry morons are in a life and death situation, have been told the fate of humanity is at risk, and they make decisions based on... what? It's all contrived silliness to try and create tension and delay moving the plot anywhere. The characters are morons.

This is just not true. These characters are CONSTANTLY asking questions. Whether or not they receive answers is another thing. Widmore has come face to face with a number of central characters – Sawyer, Jin, Desmond, Smokey – ALL of whom have immediately rattled off numerous questions about how he got there, what he’s doing there, etc. It hasn’t exactly been, “Oh, you’re here? Lovely.” Further, do you recall Jack’s hissy fit when he arrived at the lighthouse and didn’t receive the answers he expected? Dude destroyed mirrors!

Nonetheless, they were thrust into this life or death situation, and they really have no choice but to make decisions based on what they know. It’s not as if they are able to say, “Wait, Jacob didn’t answer my question. I’ll just sit back and allow this chaos to go on around me. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

The sail boat crew arrives at Hydra island and are met by Widmore's all-purpose geophysicist/mercenary/Sayid's nurse/negotiator/gun toting guard. She tells Sawyer the deal is off. Imagine that. Widmore is backing out of the deal. Sawyer should have made him pinky swear. Bad move con man.

And now the big moment no one has been waiting for. Jin pops up on the beach (because he's apparently able to roam around freely) and is finally reunited with Sun. Years of "Where's Jin" and "I must find my wife" have finally paid off. Oh, and Sun can conveniently speak English again. I'm glad that plot line paid off well. Lindelof and Cuse are geniuses.

First off, I was never under the impression that Jin WASN’T free to walk around as he wished. He was never a prisoner. We quite frequently saw him roaming around the island. And saying that “no one” has been waiting for the Jin/Sun reunion reeks of bitterness, and much like some of the inconsequential nitpicking, it just damages your more rational arguments. I’ll admit I was a bit let down by the way their reunion was handled, but there are loads of people that were very anxiously waiting for it to happen.

Jack is back on the beach with Locke. Widmore starts firing mortar rounds one at a time from 2 miles away. Jack goes down but Locke carries Bubba to safety Forrest Gump style. This gives him the chance to delvier the line, "It's OK. You're with me now" while dramatic music lets me know the plot is really heating up. No really, this time they mean it.

Colin, my man, you’re clearly not a hater because the length of this e-mail, as well as the numerous references made to past episodes, shows that you’re an avid and consistent viewer. So why all the anger? And I’m sure you’re a very nice person, but the pettiness and sass of some of your complaints reveals that, yes, you are angry when it comes to this show. There are what, four or five episodes left? Do you have such little faith that they’re going to answer the big, important stuff that you’re not willing to wait another few weeks if the particular question you have isn’t answered that episode? And if you don’t have that sort of faith in the writers, why bother watching? Life is too short to get so riled up over a television show. Especially one that doesn’t seem to bring you much joy.

WWE Draft LIVE thoughts

11:00 - Well I guess that explains why Edge wasn't in the match. As Kyle noted, WWE may not have felt like they had any choice but to turn Edge heel, but I'm not sure I necessarily agree. I thought there was still some fuel in that fire. Plus, having Edge and Jericho on the same roster, evidently both as heels, is a tad awkward.

Then again, we've never really seen an extended Edge vs. Orton feud, so this is at least SOMETHING relatively new. Unfortunately, bitter, angry Edge is not.

Sometime tomorrow, after the Supplemental Draft, I'll give my full thoughts on the new rosters.

10:49 - I am legitimately trying to figure out the lesser of three evils right now. How ironic -- the draft is designed to "shake things up," yet the next PPV's main event is guaranteed to be something we've seen countless times before.

10:43 - Heh, I was expecting Edge to enter into the match.

10:42 - Orton, in fairness, your character was the one who always complained. Batista was the silent assassin.

10:33 - Well, I was half right. I still expect Finlay and Hornswoggle to reunite, though. I'm a bit disappointed that they're depriving Smackdown of Jericho, but honestly he's found a way to succeed on the flagship program (amazingly). But with Cena, Triple H, Edge, Jericho, Orton, and possibly Batista all on Raw now....something's gotta give. And I was hoping it would be Orton. Talk about somebody needing a change of environment!

10:29 - Mark my words. Hornswoggle finds a way to win. Finlay's drafted to Raw.

10:14 - I love the idea of Christian going to Smackdown for all the reasons I stated in my predictions post -- feuds with Jericho and Punk, an increased chance of winning a World title -- but I'm disappointed that he's going to be separated from Edge again. Why not do what they did a couple years ago with the Hardys and have Edge & Christiain reunite, only to be divided mometns later due to the next draft pick?

10:07 - I noticed Steve Austin talking about TNA on his Twitter page, so I decided to check out their website (the show is already over). And after all the hype over this new ranking system, it basically just ends up being the Power 25 -- an (unofficial) system WWE has been using since 2005.

10:02 - Gotta love when Lawler makes fun of Striker for putting effort into his job. Has it really been that long, Jerry?

9:50 - Kofi Kingston moving to Smackdown is nothing but a potentially great thing. It has become clear over the past few months that he wasn't going to break the proverbial glass ceiling on Raw. Maybe he'll get a second shot on Smackdown.

9:33 - Just a sidenote. I like the yellow ring ropes on NXT.

9:27 - Three latest draft picks - R-Truth, which I predicted, John Morrison, which surprised me, and Edge, which I had suspected might happen. R-Truth is a fine move based on my predictions post. John Morrison, I'm not sure about honestly. I just don't know if they'll be able to resist the temptation to revolve him around Miz. And at this stage, I'm not sure that'll help either.

Edge, as I said a moment ago....I had a feeling. He's been on Smackdown for a few years now, and arguably he's achieved all he could there. I'm a bit disappointed only because he was the star of that show, and I don't think he will be on Raw. Although he is my favorite wrestler, and I watch Raw more than Smackdown, so this could be a good thing. Although my suspicions that Orton will be moving to Smackdown now increases.

9:16 - Good news - Mark Henry is no longer wearing that terrible bright red singlet. Bad news - he's now wearing a bright red Raw shirt instead.

9:13 - Odd that the Raw and Smackdown teams are coming down to an individual Superstar's theme instead of the show's team. Although I previously predicted Raw taking, surprisingly Smackdown has the name power.

9:08 - While I commend WWE for already planning their next main event, this is one instance where I think they should hold off a week. Even if one of them does get drafted, by scheduling this match they send the perception that neither of them will, and that no potential title contenders from Smackdown will be traded over either. By the way, I'm guessing Raw wins the battle royal. It'll be the first time in years that Edge hasn't won it for the blue team!

8:58 - I have nothing against Big Show moving to Smackdown, except for the fact that he seems to switch brands every single draft. It's a bit curious though, because it seems he's turned face, and the brand is a bit face-heavy.

8:51 - I would just like to note that Matt Striker is doing a MUCH better job defending the Straight Edge Society than Lawler and Cole are doing arguing against it. Oh, and GO PUNK!

8:42 - Okay, Kelly Kelly is moving to Smackdown. I can live with that, but I hope Tiffany isn't traded to Raw now. Like I said, I WANT THESE TWO ON THE SAME BRAND!!!

8:38 - Sorry for the late arrival, I had to watch my nephew, but I'm now here to provide my streaming thoughts on tonight's WWE Draft. But before getting into this, let me just discuss how silly I thought it was that last night they inexplicably moved Batista to Raw's Superstar page on WWE.com. Sure, the guy has wrestled almost exclusively on Raw since the build to WrestleMania (and I believe they filmed, but ultimately didn't air, a segment where Batista officially announced he was returning to Raw), but why not hold off a day and have him drafted to Raw at the draft? I mean, it just gives them an excuse to make a "big move," even if it doesn't technically count.

A Case of the.... Smallville - Episodes 9-18 & 9-19

So for the second Smallville column in a row, I’ll be doing a review of the past two episodes. But this time it’s not completely my fault – for whatever reason my TiVo didn’t record “Upgrade,” and the CW website takes FOREVER to post their episodes online. So, to continue my sorrowful tale, I didn’t see last week’s episode until Thursday, and this week’s episode until Sunday.

I’ll try to do my best to do these weekly, as long as technology cooperates. Friday nights are just tough for me to watch “live,” and it’s not even because I’m necessarily doing something exciting. Friday evenings I tend to take care of a few things I couldn’t do during the week, so I may not even get home from work until close to the episode’s start time. And plus I don’t like beginning the episode unless I know I’ll be able to see the ending.

So there you are. That’s my story.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/04/25/smallville-episodes-9-18-9-19-review/

A Draft without ECW

So this is the first year in quite some time that ECW won't be part of the annual WWE Draft. And without that, we're sure to miss out on the castration of the red headed stepchild of the WWE's divided brands. As such, we'll miss out on nuggets such as this:



As a sidenote, the guy who made this video has a pretty hilarious collection. Be sure to browse around.

WWE Draft Predictions

Well, the next installment of the annual WWE Draft is almost upon us, so I thought I’d offer my two cents on some potential swaps. These aren’t so much predictions as they are suggestions. Basically I’m looking for moves that would help both the Superstar and the brand. Now, over the past few years we’ve seen some significant trades. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, last year we saw every single championship change brands by the end of the whole thing (excluding the ECW Championship and Unified tag titles).

To tell you the truth, I think the main event scene shouldn’t be tinkered with all that much. At this point, the only thing that will freshen up the top of the card is if they elevate new people. Guys like John Cena, Triple H, Batista, Edge, Jericho, Undertaker, Randy Orton, and the like have all feuded so often, with virtually any combination of the face/face, heel/face, heel/heel formula that shifting them around wouldn’t do much good. Besides, I really like what’s going on over on Smackdown at the moment, and I would prefer not messing around with that too much.

Anyway, the draft has become an interesting enough show that I think it can carry itself by its name alone. They don’t necessarily need to make massive moves to get people to watch. Besides, I’d like to see them focus more on moving around upper midcard guys who just can’t catch a break on the show they’re on. Hopefully a chance of scenery could be all they need to break the proverbial glass ceiling.

From Raw to Smackdown:

Christian – Ever since Christian returned to WWE and debuted on ECW, everybody went on and on about how this was a political move to punish him for going to TNA all those years ago. I insisted that this was actually good for Christian, as he was the star of the show, a long running “World” champion in the midst of a period in which the other World championships were changing monthly, and he was essentially guaranteed a spot on a PPV card. Well guess what? Now he’s on Raw, and not only is he lost in the shuffle, but he’s not even featured on every single show. He isn’t part of any feuds and he’s not going to be participating at the upcoming Pay-Per-View. Still think this “promotion” was a good thing?

My suggestion would be to move this guy onto Smackdown, where he can start interacting with guys like Chris Jericho, CM Punk, and Edge. I’d love a three way feud between these two. Or hell, why not have him form a loose alliance with Edge as they feud with the Straight Edge Society? Or Chris Jericho and Swagger? This is one guy that DEFINITELY belongs on the blue show.

Kofi Kingston – At least one moderately big name from each show will change, and since I don’t think it’ll be Randy Orton (although I do think that’s a possibility), I Kofi might fit the bill. Let’s be honest, just a few months ago he was getting the strongest push we’ve seen in years. Now he’s basically become fodder for main eventers and semi-main eventers. A move to Smackdown, where competition amongst the full time top faces is a lot lighter, could be good for him. Plus I’d love to see him feud with CM Punk. A face/face match with Rey Mysterio would be pretty great as well.

Cody Rhodes – The Legacy feud is pretty much done with, and both Orton and DiBiase have already moved on. They took Rhodes off television, I presume, because they have no idea what to do with him. So why not move him to Smackdown and pair him up with his brother Goldust?

MVP – MVP’s move to Raw has got to be considered a huge failure. Since being traded to the flagship program, I don’t recall him coming out of a single feud with the upper hand. He may not have been in line for a World title push, but he certainly had some nice momentum for him on Smackdown. Perhaps he can recapture that following a return to the brand he originally debuted on.

Gail Kim – I’m giving up one of the Smackdown Divas, so this is just to event things up. Anyway, she’s clearly behind Eve, Melina, and even Kelly Kelly in the babyface pecking order on Raw, so why not move her to Smackdown where she’s got slightly less competition, especially with Mickie gone.

Chavo Guerrero – Since his comedy routine with Hornswoggle and the Raw Guest Hosts seems to have finished, Chavo has pretty much floundered on the red brand. So why not move him over to Smackdown and reunite him with his aunt Vickie?

From Smackdown to Raw:

Batista – The guy has appeared on Raw more than Smackdown anyway, so why not officially make him a part of that roster? Besides, Smackdown already has a plethora of high profile heels, so his presence there isn’t completely necessary. Plus Raw could use a new top heel.

R-Truth – Why not? While he’s been featured in several feuds and even competed for the championship in the Elimination Chamber, R-Truth just never set the world on fire on Smackdown. Besides, his entrance might work better with the live Raw audience. I’m not a huge fan, but I think a one-on-one feud with Miz for the U.S. title has potential. And actually, way down the line, I wouldn’t mind seeing R-Truth turn heel and have a short feud with Cena, focused on the “I am what you used to be” theme.

Finlay – When was the last time this guy even appeared on television? If that’s not enough of a reason for a change of scenery, I don’t know what is. Besides, with Shawn Michaels gone and DX now done with, this seems like the perfect time to reunite him with Hornswoggle.

Shad – When tag teams break up, they’re usually divided so that they can redevelop themselves. Shad’s the bigger of the two – physically speaking – so I imagine he’ll get the more sizable push. What better way than to send him to the flagship show?

Tiffany – There’s usually at least one Diva swap, and, to be honest, I just want Tiffany and Kelly Kelly on the same brand. I love those two!


A final note – I really, REALLY hope they don’t split up the Straight Edge Society. Every year they seem to break up a unit, whether it’s a faction, tag team, or manager/Superstar combination, and it doesn’t seem to benefit either individual all that much. Or it ends up being the end of the road for one of them (examples: Splitting up Hardy/Shannon Moore, The Brian Kendrick/Zeke, Christian/Tomko, Festus/Jesse, just to name a few). Punk would be fine wherever he goes, but Gallows and Serena are starting to get a little recognition now, and would drown without him. I also think they’re better off on Smackdown, where things seem a little freer and less political (unless you don’t dress nice or shake people’s hands or whatever the hell Punk did to get his title reign cut off).

Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see all three members of the Hart Dynasty move to Raw. They’re being pushed as the next challengers for the tag straps, and WWE is likely more committed to showcasing that feud primarily on Raw. Plus, if they continue to use Bret – even sporadically – I imagine they’ll want to feature him on their “main” show. Or, at the very least, their live one.

And finally, the biggest X-Factor, in my view, is Randy Orton. He’s pretty hot as a face right now, but will he honestly usurp John Cena as the top face on Raw? I highly doubt it. Sure, he sparks a huge reaction at the moment, but right now Cena is their golden child – and rightfully so. He’s a proven draw, and despite the huge backlash against him, people do tune in to watch him, and people do pay for his merchandise. So no, I don’t see him taking over for Cena. I think it’s pretty remarkable that he’s seemingly surpassed Triple H. So a move to Smackdown could be a possibility, and a distinct one since he’s challenging for their top prize at the upcoming Pay-Per-View. But, selfishly, I’m not sure I want this move to happen, mostly because I dig Edge as a face, and I don’t want him shunted down the card because of somebody who is, to me, far less interesting and entertaining. Then again, Edge has been on the Smackdown brand since 2007, so maybe they’re thinking of moving him to Raw (which I hope isn’t the case).

A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-18

This episode continued the trend of putting two characters at odds with each other, without presenting one character as “right” and the other as “wrong.” This occurred, primarily, with President Taylor and Jack. Sure, we’re all expected to support Jack, but I think the President hit the nail right on the head when she said he was looking for revenge. Yeah, justice is icing on the cake for Jack, but let’s be perfectly clear about one thing: Jack is completely willing to make difficult decisions, which includes helping or negotiating with terrorists, when he sees fit. How often does he help a terrorist escape when his family is in danger? How about the fact that he murdered Ryan Chappelle – an innocent man in every sense of the word – under the order of a terrorist? Sure, things always seem to work out for Jack in the end, but that’s really only because the writers decided that that’s how they want to conclude things. It doesn’t take away from the fact that he potentially compromised a whole lot of people for essentially selfish reasons.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/04/22/24-episode-8-18-review/

WWE Releases

So WWE.com recently announced, rather shockingly, the release of two Divas and four Superstars. The guilty parties are Mickie James, Katie Lea Burchill, Shelton Benjamin, Slam Master J, Kung Fu Naki, and Jimmy Wang Yang. I can't say I'm particularly surprised about Katie Lea, Slam Master J, Kung Fu Naki, and Jimmy Wang Yang -- personalities that are rarely used, and when they are it's usually as fodder -- but Shelton Benjamin and especially Mickie James come as a real shock.

It goes without saying that I'd hate to ever see anybody lose their jobs, but I have to think there are countless Superstars and Divas that are more disposable than these two. Of course, I recognize that it's a lot more complicated than that -- you have to consider salaries and deals and incentives and backstage relationships and everything, but still. Mickie James has always been featured very prominently on Raw and Smackdown, and is typically either the champion or top challenger. She's also very over, and has the talent to back it up in the ring.

I mean, she's gotta be higher on the pecking order than Gail Kim, Alicia Fox, or Jillian. Hell, Jillian has won, I believe, two matches in her entire WWE career (ironically, both against Mickie James). All three of those Divas are talented, but they're basically jobbers. What's the deal here?

The only thing I can think of is that there's something to Maria's claim that WWE doesn't want you doing outside projects. Mickie James has a country album about to be released. But I'm surprised they let her go considering her past ties with TNA.

Shelton Benjamin, in my view, they likely have decided they've given him enough chances but he just didn't pan out. But, again, compare him to some others. How about Mike Knox? Carlito? Primo? Those Dudebusters ass clowns?

More than anything, I'm surprised these people were released before the Draft. Why not keep them around for a week, if only to build tension for possible trades?

UPDATE (11:00 PM) - I guess I wasn't too far off the mark, as WWE.com just announced that Mike Knox has been released as well.

A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-13

“We’re a bit over our heads here.” – Nurse
“Yeah, I got this…” – Jack

C’mon, how could people not love this guy?

What a wonderful opening ten minutes. It was amazing in the fact that it wasn’t particularly action packed, and overall it was pretty mellow in tone, but it was jam packed with so much goodness. We got some answers, some long overdue reunions, and a few neat interactions. There was just a whole lot going on there.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-13"....

The big reveal in that opening scene was that we seemingly got confirmation that Christian Shephard is, indeed, a manifestation of the Smoke Monster. I initially felt like Locke was being less than honest. We’ve seen him tell the truth before (or, at the very least, his interpretation of the truth), but we’ve also seen him tell untruths, and downright lies. His delivery of the confession felt like the latter. But you know what? This entire season I’ve been urging readers not to overthink things. I’ve been insisting that the writers aren’t trying to outwardly trick us when they give us answers or they ask us to interpret things. So I think it’s time I take my own advice.

And to tell you the truth, Christian being the Smoke Monster makes a whole lot of sense. Smokey taking over Locke’s body is almost identical to Christian’s scenario. And the Locke Ness Monster had knowledge that Jack’s pursuit brought them to fresh water. So, yes, until something else happens that makes me shift gears, at this point in time I openly accept that Christian was a manifestation of the Smoke Monster. This is what almost all of us originally thought anyway.

And I must say, I loved how the Locke Ness Monster got right to the heart of the matter. When Jack asked him who else he had disguised himself as, we all knew what he was asking. And we were all hoping to get that straight up answer. So it was so ultimately fulfilling when the Locke Ness Monster told Jack to just ask what he wanted to know – and Jack did – AND Locke answered! An excellent scene.

And it also led way to what I had hoped would happen in my Revisited column, which was the brother/sister reunion between Jack and Claire. I’ll admit, parts of the interaction felt a bit…..empty. I don’t know if this was an intentional thing, as Claire is bonkers and Jack tends to be emotionally distant, but it just doesn’t seem like any of the characters have managed to capture the proper emotional reaction to seeing Claire. This is a character they all cared quite deeply for, and they haven’t seen her for three years. But so far the response has been underwhelming. I was particularly surprised by Hurley’s distance. When he first saw her, was he even aware that she was crazy? Actually, did he even know she was alive? Yet he acted like he was awkwardly running into a former lover. Strange.

Wait, I had intended on this being a compliment. I meant to say that I’m happy they acknowledged that this is a familial reunion for them.

Speaking of Jack, how gloriously Locke-esque was he. When the Locke Ness Monster went on his verbal rampage, knocking the departed Locke down to size, I somewhat expected Jack to become deflated and completely lose hope. But instead, shockingly, he stuck up for his late rival. And near the episode’s climax, when he was talking to Sawyer, he might as well have shaved his head and given himself a bad ass scar. There Jack was, talking about how the island isn’t done with them yet, and referring to Sawyer by his given name “James.” And he brought up an excellent point – one that I think rattled Sawyer enough that he downright demanded that Jack get off the boat – that if the Locke Ness Monster wants nothing more than to get them off the island, there must be a reason why he doesn’t want them to stay.

And of course the allusion to Sawyer’s own leap of faith – a selfless act to ensure that the Oceanic Six got home safely – wasn’t missed. Hell, Smokey even uttered the same line Sawyer did when he swam up onto the beach: Good day for a swim.

I enjoyed the way Sawyer was forced to make harsh judgments on who could and could not come on their boat. It really accentuated how far they’ve come. In the past, it was always “save everybody, no matter who, and no matter their condition.” But here, Sawyer quite firmly stated that it’s going to be him, Kate, Jack, Hurley, Sun, and Frank. Most of those picks are obvious, as are the exclusions, but Frank was a curious choice. And while they’re not main characters, from a story and character point of view, it seemed odd that Sawyer would completely blow off Cindy and the children. He’s basically leaving them to die, and they’re clearly not evil or crazy.

It was really, really sweet seeing Sun and Jin reunite, but I also can’t help but feel like that reunion came up a bit short as well. I loved how Sun started speaking English once they embraced (although I could have done without Frank spelling it out) and it was a genuinely sweet moment. But, in an odd way, I found her reunion with Hurley and Jack more emotionally charged. But these two are great.

Oh, and Desmond is so totally still alive. As I said with Jin’s faux death a couple seasons ago, if it’s a significant character and they don’t actually show the death, don’t believe that it happened.

By the way, I echo Locke’s sentiments. It is nice seeing virtually everybody together again. It’s been, like, three seasons since that’s happened. Oh, and as a side note, I loved how the Locke Ness Monster had absolutely no reaction to the massive explosion near the camp.

Over in the sideways world, was I the only one who found the Ben/Locke ambulance seen oddly touching? It was almost tragic in a sense – a happier, more humane version of their twisted relationship. On top of actually murdering Locke, Ben has actively attempted to kill his island rival numerous times. Yet here Ben was, acting as his kin, riding in the ambulance with him as he assured him that he was going to be fine and that he was going to get married. It was a brief, touching scene. Perhaps the only one that managed to hit the right emotional buttons (actually, that’s not fair. I also really liked the Kate/Claire scene).

Speaking of Locke, I did catch that Sun recognized him – quite horrifyingly – when they were being brought into the hospital at the same time. As it has been stated, when in a life threatening situation, characters tend to have insight into their island lives. I think that’s what’s happening here, and Sun recognized John Locke as “The Locke Ness Monster.” I do have to say, part of me thought we might get a surprise Juliet appearance as she rushed to save Sun and her unborn baby.

Is it me, or did Desmond come off as exceptionally creepy in his interaction with Claire. Don’t get me wrong, Claire did a nice job of expressing this through increasingly uneasy facial expressions, but if I were her, I probably would have run away terrified. It is interesting that Desmond so actively attempted to unite her with Ilana, because – to my recollection (although variations of that sentence have gotten me in trouble) – Desmond never met Ilana on the island. One might argue that he was merely arranging a meeting between Jack and Claire, but I got the impression that he was legitimately surprised that Ilana was looking for Claire as well. I mean, how would he know that Ilana was also Christian Shephard’s lawyer?

And did I hear Ilana’s last name correctly? Was it Radzinsky? As in, the short fused guy in the Dharma Initiative? And the guy who painted the map in the hatch? In the island reality, she says that Jacob’s the closet thing she’s ever had to a father. This would make sense, as Radzinsky Senior was going loony on the island.

A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-12 Revisited

My college roommate Frank: She really was throwing that dynamite around, eh?
Me: It's almost as if she forgot its 150 year old dynamite.
Frank: And why would she pack it with water? She kinda had it coming.
Me: I mean they have like six people in the group. They can't distribute the load? Like "hey, I'll take the dynamite. Jack, why don't you handle the water?"
Frank: Yeah seriously. And now she blew up the water.

And considering the fact that it hasn’t rained as much as it used to on that wacky island, I’d say that fresh water is more valuable than ever!

With the hilarity out of the way, let’s revisit (that’s the title of the column!) last week’s episode. So what did everybody think about last week’s format, with me dividing up the reader comments by topic, instead of by person? Because, looking through the feedback I’ve compiled so far, I think that might work better for this edition as well. Any preference between that style and the original? Let me know!

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-12 Revisited"....

DESMOND’S HIT AND RUN
The biggest question from this episode is why did Desmond run Locke over? – DaBooty, my blog

That pretty much sums it up better than one of my long-winded introductions. I didn’t really discuss this too deeply in my original column, mostly because I didn’t read into the scene all that much. For me, the explanation seemed pretty clear (which I’ll get to in a moment). But, surprisingly, a lot of others had differing theories. I’m going to list all of these responses consecutively, and then offer my thoughts at the end. Here they are:

I liked the episode. The ending was "woah" to me. Why did Desmond do that? Was it because his memories were bleeding over and he thought Smoke Monster was ACTUALLY Locke, who tried to kill him? Or is there some other reason? This Desmond seemed to be travelling around visiting Flight 815 people, but why did he run over Locke? – Kyle, my blog

I have heard some people say (including Kyle) that maybe he did it out of some kind of revenge for what Flocke just did to him on the island. I don't subscribe to this theory because revenge is a very unDesmond like thing to do. Instead I think he did it because it is what will ultimately show Locke his island self.

Desmond is acting very much like a Jacob figure. He stepped in with Hurley, didn't really explain who he was or what he was doing, and then he nudged Hurley in the direction he was supposed to go to see Libby. It was as if Desmond knew exactly what he had to say to get Hurley where he wanted him. I think the same thing applies to Locke. I think Des knows that hitting Locke will result in an emergency room visit and I am willing to bet he will be attended to by a certain spinal surgeon who will hopefully fix Locke and jog some memories for him. – DaBooty, my blog

All that why did Desmond run Locke in this article was ill thought. RIGHT AFTER he ran him over Sideways Locke had a combination of the look he had when he landed on the island and could walk/ and the post Jacob touch after he fell. Sideways Locke is about to start walking after Jack operates on him. – EW.com comments section

So, basically the thought process seems to be that Desmond blasted Sideways Locke with his car for one of the following reasons: (a) revenge because he suddenly recalled what Locke does to him on the island, (b) to stop the Smoke Monster from taking over Sideways Locke’s body (not necessarily represented in the excerpts above, but a theory I’ve heard numerous people share), (c) to bring him to Jack to trigger an Island memory, or (d) to bring him near death in order to trigger an Island memory.

My theory, from the get go, was that Desmond was trying to bring Locke to the brink of death so that he can have his “near death vision,” much like he and Charlie had. It did seem a bit curious that he would go to such extreme lengths – after all, there are better ways to accomplish this task than to plow down an innocent man in a wheel chair. But now that I think of it, this very well could have been a mechanism to reunite him with Jack as well. Desmond knows that Jack works at the hospital, so maybe it was necessary to do something so dramatic in such a public domain.

I will shoot down possibilities (a) and (b), though. As DaBooty notes, revenge is a very uncharacteristic of Desmond. Despite all the crap that Widmore put him through, he never behaves violently around him. In fact, this guy gets screwed over quite a bit, yet the only time he responds physically is when he’s provoked to the extreme. And as I told my friend Frank, referenced in the conversation at the beginning of the column, in my view killing Locke would only assist Smokey in taking over his body (although there’s no indication that Smokey even has this intention), as the Smoke Monster manifests himself as those who have died. So, again, killing Locke only aids him.

So, final answer: Desmond was merely trying to bring Locke to the cusp of death so that he could trigger some Island memories, and reuniting him with Jack is only icing on the cake.

I'm surprised Doc didn't mention (and many other posters aren't) how Desmond tells Ben that he has a son named Charlie. Ben asks him what his son's name is, while inquiring why he is parked at school, and Des replies with "Charlie". If this isn't proof that Des DOES have full awareness of both realities, I don't know what is. Originally, sideways Des did not have a family at all. – EW.com comments section

While I did notice this, for whatever reason I didn’t mention it in my review either. And that’s too bad, because it is a rather significant “throwaway” line. While we do know that Desmond is aware of the dual realities, the extent of what he knows is still a mystery. He’s aware of an alternate existence in which he falls in love with Penny, but does he know about the island? Does he know about time travel? The fact that he named his fictitious son Charlie – the name of his son in the island world – is quite telling. It may indicate that he’s far more aware than we initially thought. This scene, however, brings up another issue….

UNIVERSAL TIMELINES
Now for a little nitpicking. One thing that is bothering me about the "memories" or the merging of the universes is the fact that they are operating in 2 different time periods. Its not as though both universes are taking place in 2004. The sideways is 2004 and the island is 2007. How are the sideways people having memories of their island selves that didn't even happen yet?

I guess when you have a show that deals with these types of complicated scientific theories, you just have to suspend your disbelief. – DaBooty, my blog

DaBooty is selling himself short, as this is more than mere “nitpicking” in my view. And actually, it’s a facet of this show that I don’t think has been completely explained or reconciled. Case-in-point: When Faraday and the rest of the Left Behinders were traveling through time, Daniel had a conversation with Hatch-bound Desmond. When the memory was integrated into Desmond’s brain, it just so happened to occur in the real time present. Why? Why wouldn’t this memory come to fruition when Desmond met everybody for the first time on the island?

I think there’s a similar disconnect here. In the sideways world, it’s 2004. Yet when Desmond started having visions of his island life, he saw baby Charlie, who wasn’t born until sometime after 2005, I would say (I don’t recall how old Charlie was when we saw him in 2008). Likewise, when Libby and Hurley had visions of each other, they imagined things that wouldn’t have happened yet in the island world. I believe the sideways world is still occurring days after Flight 815 landed. Libby and Hurley didn’t meet until both were on the island for a month and a half. So, for some reason, these characters are having visions of things that wouldn’t have happened yet, if the sideways and the island worlds are happening in a linear timeline.

However, I don’t believe this is a case of sloppy writing. Instead, I’m inclined to believe that this is merely showing us that the sideways world didn’t come into existence until after the events of the Incident, which for all intents and purposes occurred sometime in 2008 (even though it was technically 1977, the events that transpired that resulted in several of the characters going back in time kicked off in 2008). I’m starting to believe that the first time we saw the sideways world, with Jack on Flight 815, was the moment that universe was created. And these characters were born in that moment, with memories of that life already ingrained in their mind.

In other words, the events of the 2004 sideways world are actually occurring AFTER the events of island world 2008. That’s my current line of thinking, anyway.

THE SIDEWAYS WORLD
In what may very well be a trend for the rest of the series, arguably the more interesting, mythical, theorizing stuff occurred in the sideways world. Here’s what some people had to say.

I did not pick up on the fact that the dead people from the island are the ones who are first starting to remember. That is totally spot on. – DaBooty, my blog

Now my follow up question is, was this deliberate? And if so, it’s a bit surprising that Locke didn’t pick up some repressed memories during his various interactions with Jack and Ben, the two most intense relationships he had on the island. Then again, love seems to be the catalyst for these triggers (as was the case with other dead characters like Charlie, Daniel, and Libby), so maybe the lack of an island romance is what’s blocking these memories. This thought process is echoed in the following passage from the EW.com review:

In the wake of last week's episode, we now know that having a soul mate is beneficial if not essential to lighting up the Sideways peeps with past-life Island awareness. This brings us to the Hurley's T-Rex shaped Man of the Year award. Tyrannosaurus Rex: ''king tyrant lizard.'' An interesting allusion for an episode about leadership, but also an ominous symbol for a season that finds the castaways shuddering under the dark cloud (literally) of potential extinction — provided, of course, you actually believe Charles Widmore and Richard Alpert when they say that some kind of reality-blotting catastrophic event will occur should Smokesaurus Rex succeed in escaping The Island. Yet the psycho-spiritual-celestial-quantum mechanics of the Lostverse seem to allow for the continuance of mind and/or spirit provided that one has love in their life. The best articulation of this Good News comes to us in Penelope's ''Live Together, Die Alone'' epistle. Bottom line: The castaways need a constant, a better half, an Eve to their Adam or vise versa. – EW.com review

The reviewer’s choice of wording here is important, I think, as there’s a distinct difference between “soul mate” and “constant.” Of course, in some instances, the person can be one in the same (as it was with Penny and Desmond, in the time traveling island universe). But as we saw with Daniel and Desmond, a romance does not have to exist in order to be constants. The person simply needs to be a bridge that connects the two worlds.

So if it’s true that the sideways castaways need a constant in order to get a glimpse into their island lives, then Jack should suffice with a critically unstable Locke.

THE ISLAND GHOSTS
I didn't think the big reveal about the whispers was all that surprising. Frankly, they just confirmed a theory I had for a while now. Illana dying was rather surprising. As soon as she stepped away from the group I thought to myself "uh oh" and then boom! So much for her protecting. I feel like some other characters who Jacob may be done with are going to meet their end soon as well. My guess is that now that Hurley is communicating direclty with Jacob, Richard is no longer needed. – DaBooty, my blog

The past few seasons have done a pretty effective job of weeding out practically every single unnecessary character, no matter how unsubstantial they may be. The freighter explosion killed practically every surviving member of Oceanic Flight 815 that isn’t in the opening credits. And those that were fortunate enough to avoid getting on the freighter were killed off within the first episode of the next season (flaming arrows, anyone?) And just a couple episodes ago we discovered that everybody else on the Ajira flight had been murdered as well.

So with this in mind, DaBooty may be right about Ilana’s disposal. Ben quite frankly pointed out that the island was done with her, but that comment might have a double meaning in the sense that the show was done with her as well. While there are a lot of fans out there complaining about all these new characters being introduced in the last season, you’ve got to also recognize that they’re doing away with those that evidently won’t be playing a part in the finale.

Anyway, DaBooty brings up a fair point about how “necessary” Richard is at this point in time. With Hurley communicating with Jacob, Richard’s role as a representative seems a bit unneeded. And one of the biggest spectacles of his character was the mystery behind it, which, essentially, has been answered. We know why he doesn’t age, we know his relationship with Jacob, we know how he got to the island, and we know how long he’s been there. Now, does this mean the character is no longer necessary? Thankfully, since I love the character, I think the answer is no. Consider this: the island wouldn’t let Richard die, meaning it’s not done with him yet. At that point, Hurley was already communicating with Jacob on a fairly consistent basis. Sure, at this point the viewers didn’t know Richard’s backstory, but does the island care about that sort of thing? No, of course not. Otherwise Rousseau wouldn’t have died when she did. This leads me to believe he’s going to play some part in the finale, which means that the show’s not done with him either. At least, I hope not.

Are these ''ghosts'' really ''ghosts'' or are they illusions conjured by some Island agency, i.e. Jacob or the Man In Black? If they aren't illusions, are they managed or controlled by some Island agency, i.e. Jacob or the Man In Black? Finally, whether these ghosts are puppets or not, what are their true intentions? Do they want what's best for the castaways, or what's best for themselves, or what's best for their masters? – EW.com review

I will allow somebody from the EW.com comments section to offer their thoughts before I respond:

Doc is too cynical. If Michael is trapped for "what he did", why would he add more bad juju by steering Hurley wrong? Why assume Hurley's instincts are bad? I know people lie a lot on this show, but do sometimes mean what they say.
Great moments: Jack trusting Hurley even though he knew he was lying. Libby telling Hurley, "I want to be with you because I like you." Both of those were EARNED through years of getting to know these characters. – EW.com comments section

I agree with the poster here. As I’ve said in the past, mostly regarding the good/evil categorization of Jacob/the Man in Black, I honestly don’t think the writers – for the most part – are trying to “trick” us. Not this late in the game, anyway. And don’t get me wrong, some things are certainly ambiguous – like Widmore, for example. But with Smokey and Jacob, everything from their actions, to what they say, to how they act, to explicit symbolism, points in the direction that Smokey is bad and Jacob is good (if you want to put it in such simple terms). As viewers, I think some of us tend to over think things. It happened with Jacob and Smokey, and I think the EW.com reviewer is doing it here with these ghosts.

Besides, if we take things at face value, we’re left with a few satisfying answers. We come to understand why some people appear as ghosts on the island, while others don’t. We get confirmation on the whispers. And Hurley – and perhaps the audience – can forgive Michael for what he had done. Tricking us just leaves us with the original question unanswered, as well as a few new questions being asked.

THE SMOKE MONTSER MYSTERY
In last week’s column I brought up the fact that Christian appeared on the freighter to tell Michael the island no longer needs him, which should have been an impossibility if he’s a manifestation of the Smoke Monster (who, as Locke, made it clear that he can’t merely smoke up and fly across the water). Kyle offered this perspective on the matter:

One other point though that might actually support the idea of Smoke Monster = Christian. One of the arguments against it seems to be that he's trapped on the Island, so how did he get to the freighter/mainland to visit Michael and Jack? And we still have no clue. But if the whispers, and presumably the people Hurley is seeing (they didn't say that flat out, but it seems the conclusion they wanted us to make, since I doubt Hurley got this whole theory about the whispers based solely on Michael's one appearance), are dead people who are, as Michael and Hurley put it, "trapped on the island" and unable to move on, well, they've been appearing to Hurley off Island as well. I don't think Christian is one of those people, since nobody other than Hurley has been able to see any of them (whereas lots of people have seen Christian), but if they're both trapped on the Island yet able to appear briefly off Island, maybe Smoke Monster can too. Something to think about. – Kyle, my blog

Kyle brings up some good points here, but to be perfectly honest I think it more supports the idea that Christian is an island ghost. When Michael and Hurley discussed the idea of ghosts being trapped on the island, I didn’t take it to mean the same thing as Smokey being imprisoned there. To me, it meant that they couldn’t pass on to the afterlife (Heaven, for the sake of simplicity). But I’m not sure that means they can’t appear elsewhere. Michael saw Libby in New York. Hurley saw Charlie, Ana Lucia, and Eko in Los Angeles. Jack saw his father in Los Angeles. Michael saw Jack’s father on the freighter. So, to me, this is a case of semantics. By saying that ghosts are trapped on the island, I took it to mean that they’re trapped in this universe and are unable to pass through to the next life.

What seems curious to me is this inconsistent, for lack of a better word, portrayal of people interacting with ghosts. At this point in time, it’s being presented that Hurley is special because he’s able to see and talk with dead people. Yet, as I noted above, select other characters have shared this ability. Most certainly not to the extent of Hurley, but he’s also definitely not the only one.

Alright, that’s it for this column. I’ll be back following this week’s new episode. One thing I do hope, though, is that we get a nice Jack/Claire scene. The revelation that Claire and Jack are siblings was pretty huge, yet we haven’t really seen much of a reaction from Jack. Sure, he was shocked when he first found out, but it seems strange to me that he doesn’t share Kate’s devotion to rescue her. I’m sure the new episode will focus on the first confrontation between Jack and the Locke Ness Monster – as it should – but I hope they don’t completely ignore the first interaction between Jack and Claire since finding out they are related.

And as a final note, I must also mention how funny I find it when one character in the sideways world asks another, “Were you on Flight 815?” Honestly, how many people ever remember their flight number? Wouldn’t it be more realistic to say, “Hey, were you on that 9:00 flight from Sydney to Australia?”

And here's the latest edition of Lost Untangled!

A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-17

Remember last week when I mentioned the difference between a tragic death that significantly alters the story and a sad death that simply progresses the plot? Last week was the former. This week was the latter.

I don’t mean to make light of this most recent character demise, but it certainly lacked the feeling of there being grand repercussions, like when Hassan died. I will say this, though. Following Tony’s faux death, the whole meaning behind silent clock has changed. It was once a poignant, respectful way of expressing shock and sorrow. Ever since the powers that be used it as an excuse to explain that Tony wasn’t REALLY dead (which was a super lame justification), it’s just become a typical, somewhat emotionless conveyance to the audience that somebody has died. It’s now something that’s expected, completely devoid of the emotional, respectful symbolism it once expressed.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/04/16/24-episode-8-17/

The Last Recruit Preview

Here's a basic rule of thumb: Lost + Charlie & The Chocolate Factory = THE AWESOME!

A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-12

This was an interesting episode of Lost. On the one hand, it featured a surprising death, the return of a significant character, the reunion of some central characters that have been kept apart for quite some time, and a fun little answer or two (the whispers! Confirmation!) Yet, at the same time, it seemed to lack of enormity and epic feel of some of the episodes that we’ve seen in recent weeks.

By no means is that a criticism of this episode. It furthered our understanding of the sideways world, and it was a legitimate joy seeing a confident, but still vulnerable Hurley take the leadership role. And his scene with Jack in the jungle, where Hurley confessed that he lied about Jacob commanding them to see Locke, only for Jack to admit that he was fully aware of that, was one of my favorite all season.

In fact, I think it’s a scene that even Jack-haters would appreciate. One of the major criticisms of his character is his arrogant attitude and bossy nature. He put all of that aside here when he came clean about some of the mistakes he’s made and that he recognizes that he’s perhaps supposed to sit back and let somebody else take the lead. I thought that both characters came across as very likable and real. I appreciated that Jack didn’t call him out in front of everybody, and liked that both were willing to face the consequences of their decision.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-12"....

Speaking of people facing consequences….wow, how about Ilana? That was….shocking, actually. And trust me I’m pissed about this, but I literally turned away from the television for a split second and suddenly I hear a massive explosion. I turn to the television to see the resulting blaze and I thought to myself, “Did that just happen?” It was very unexpected and I have to admit, a little disheartening. Ben’s poignant observation said it best, though: Jacob handpicked her to do a job, and moments after fulfilling that task, she’s blown up. As Ben said, the island was done with her.

But nonetheless, the various factions have been reshuffled somewhat. We have Richard, Ben, and Miles trying to blow up the plane. We have Hurley, Jack, Frank, Sun, Sawyer, Kate, Claire, Sayid, and the Locke Ness Monster wanting to get off the island for various reasons. Then we have Widmore, Jin, and a well-bound Desmond simply trying to stop the Smoke Monster. I’m guessing the three groups will come together on Hydra Island. And wouldn’t that be weird? If the epic battle – the ultimate climax – didn’t actually take place on THE island.

But I must say, it was rather surreal seeing Jack and Locke come face to face again.

Following this episode, can I ask if anybody still honestly believes that the Smoke Monster can possibly be the good guy? I mean, whenever this guy is threatened by somebody, he tries to kill them. And he usually does so with an incredibly menacing look on his face. I mean, just rewatch that scene with Desmond. He was downright chilling – making vague threats before tossing him down a well. C’mon, he’s a dick!

I think it’s also important to keep in mind who the characters are siding themselves with, as well as their motivations for doing so. Perhaps the purest character of them all, Hurley, is Jacob’s biggest follower. And like him or not, but Jack is the series’ “hero” if there ever was one, and he’s chosen Jacob as well. And while Ben has been historically villainous, this season has thus far been about his redemption. And who has he sided with? That’s right: Jacob.

And who has sided with the Smoke Monster? Well, there’s Sayid and Claire, who are absolutely off their rockers. And then there’s Sawyer, Kate, and Jin – all of whom are not with Smokey because they believe in what he’s preaching. Instead, they’re with him because of outside factors.

Basically, those following Jacob are doing so because of their faith in him. Smokey’s followers are there due to circumstance. That’s a very important difference.

Now, in my Revisited column, I discussed how characters that are dead in the island universe seem to have a certain awareness in the sideways world. This trend continued this week, as sideways Libby suddenly recalled her island life with Hurley after seeing him on television. And it was her intervention – and a little nudge from Desmond – that eventually triggered Hurley’s memories. It was actually very reminiscent of the whole Desmond/Charlie ordeal. Methinks this could play a significant role should we see Juliet pop up in the sideways universe.

Anyway, while I was never hugely invested in the Hurley/Libby relationship, it was nice to see Hurley finally get his beach picnic date.

And just a few random questions to ponder: Will we ever find out why island Libby was in the mental institution? Is there any further story behind Libby’s husband and how she gave Desmond the use of her boat? And in the sideways world, did Hurley use “The Numbers” to win the lottery?

A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-11 Revisited

As one might have expected, there was quite a lot of feedback and information to deal with following this extraordinary Desmond episode. So instead of the typical, “this person said this, and here’s my response” format, I’m going to divide the feedback into different categories. Hopefully this will assist with the general flow while maintaining some focus.

Let’s jump right in.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-11 Revisited"....

TURNING SIDEWAYS UPSIDE DOWN
For the first time this season, virtually the entire episode took place in this strange, new “sideways” universe. Up until this point we haven’t really known what this world is. Is it a “what if,” as I originally theorized, simply showing the viewer what would have happened had the island never existed? Or is it something more substantial? As in, this isn’t simply a world that exists for the benefit of the viewer – instead, it’s an actual alternate universe that exists due to the events of the Incident.

Following this episode, the latter most certainly seems to be the case. We can rather conclusively state that the world certainly exists, as Desmond seemingly transferred his consciousness from one reality to the next. And, in the sideways world, Daniel Faraday very strongly implied that an atomic bomb could very well give birth to a new, “not right” world. Here are some comments and theories provided regarding what we discovered about the sideways universe.

As for the episode, I thought it was amazing. There were so many subtleties like Eloise forgiving Desmond by saying what happened, happened. I am so intrigued by what her role is in all of this, how she came to have that role, and when she took on that role. If we hadn't seen her as a teenaged girl in the 50s and then again older in the 70s, i would think she is Jacob or MIB's mom or something. As interesting as that would be, it just doesnt pan out. – DaBoody, my blog

I completely agree. Much like with Widmore, I was beginning to worry that the dramatic shift in this year’s story was going to mean that, ultimately, characters like Eloise and Widmore wouldn’t play a part in the grand scheme of the things. I’m exceptionally pleased to see that my worries were all for naught. If anything, these two will seemingly play a rather significant role in the rest of the season.

Desmond freed himself from his seatbelt and swam to the surface, then took a deep breath and dived back down to rescue Charlie, á la his Looking Glass rescue mission in season 3. Desmond tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. He kept trying. And that's when something weird happened. It was as if some supernatural force — angelic? demonic? Jacobesque? Smokeyesque? — took possession of Charlie's body or manipulated him like a puppet on a string and turned him in his chair and slapped his palm against the window. – EW.com review

There was something incredibly creepy about Charlie’s sudden resuscitation, followed by his slow, deliberate movement of turning towards Desmond and placing his hand on the window. Even as I watched the episode, it felt like he was being, well, possessed. I don’t want to say that his behavior was sinister, but there was definitely something eerie and unsettling about it. Was a supernatural force taking over his body? I think it’s possible. But if so, who was the puppet master? Smokey? Jacob? I’m inclined to say the former, since the latter prefers to take more of a “no interference” approach. Could this mean that Smokey wants the individuals in the sideways world to be aware of the alternate, “real” universe? If so, why? Then again, the sideways version of Charlie did seem to be a bit of an asshole, so who knows.

I was wondering how Desmond knows that this phenomenon that he experienced only applies to the Ocean 815 passengers and not just the whole world at large. I mean, Faraday (or Widmore) wasn't on the plane, but he experienced it. It seems strange that he would want the flight manifest completely out of the blue when he has no basis to think that those people are special. I guess he did see Charlie in his flash, but i dont know if that would be enough to make that jump to say that it must apply to everyone on the plane, especially when Farady wasnt on it. – DaBooty, my blog

DaBooty added this a little later on:

I now believe that Desmond wants the manifest because he has attained some sort of enhanced consciousness whereby he has knowledge of both realities at the same time. the look that Des has at the end of the episode when Sayid grabs him was very zen-like and i believe thats because his sideways counterpart and him have connected and share the same consciousness. Maybe they don't know everything the other knows, but they probably know enough where Des at least knows he needs the manifest. – DaBooty, my blog

I, too, wondered how Desmond knew that there was any sort of connection between Flight 815 and this other world where he found love with Penelope. As DaBooty notes, of the major players in this revelation – Charlie, Faraday, Eloise, and Penny – only one person was actually on the flight. But I’m willing to submit to this idea that Desmond may have acquired some insight from his island self, which at the very least enabled him to make the connection between the flight and alternate universe. Of course, I think we need to find out a little more before conclusively coming to that, well, conclusion.

Eloise definitely seemed to understand the origin, purpose, and more importantly the rules of the Sideways world. She also seemed to have knowledge or vision for what should be happening and when, and Desmond's search for Penny threatened the implicit order. She scolded him for wanting more than what he always wanted: Charles Widmore's approval. – EW.com review

The violation was the peek into the other timeline - sparked by Charlie's taking him for a dip in the brink. Desmond has taken a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge - Eloise fears that what he knows may spur a personal agenda that will interfere with his intended role – EW.com comments section

I think this is an accurate interpretation of what Eloise meant, but I’m not sure it gets to the crux of the issue. How does Eloise know of the alternate universe? Is she literally the same Eloise we all know? As in, they share a consciousness? And, perhaps most importantly, who set the rules that Desmond is violating? So this isn’t so much about what she meant, it’s more about what her comment means.

BACK ON THE ISLAND
While the island portion of last week’s episode took a backseat to the sideways stuff, it wasn’t without its fair share of thrills and mysteries.

In past seasons, Widmore's search for the Island has been about regaining power. This time, his intent appears to have something to do with some form of saving the world. What would account for his changed mission? By what means would he acquire information that would have this revised intent (could still want power)? Whatver happened to his telling Desmond to take Penny & go someplace where they couldn't be found? – EW.com comments section

This motivation shift actually really is curious. Looking back at the previous couple of seasons – and no, I haven’t rewatched them, I’m just going by my memory (how dangerous!) – there’s really nothing that indicates that his motives are altruistic. Or, rather, that it has anything to do with this struggle between Jacob and the Man in Black. Yes, he refers to a war, but there’s nothing about his overall behavior that leads me to believe the writers were sneakily referring to what has occurred this season. So I must wonder, what caused this change? And how did Widmore become aware of what had occurred? Did it have anything to do with the “altered” timeline because of what happened during the Incident? Was Widmore not on the island at that time?

Widmore sure painted himself out to be the Professor Snape of Lost — the secret savior disguised as a bad guy. Did you buy it? Also: I wasn't sure if Widmore's words and deeds indicated that he was aware of the Sideways world and testing for it, or if he's oblivious to the Sideways world and was merely testing Desmond's electro-magnetic fortitude. I'm thinking the latter. What did you think? – EW.com review

Unlike the scenario above, Widmore’s actions and behavior in last week’s episode leads me to believe he DOES know about the sideways world. Everything just seemed a little too deliberate and precise. And coupled with the fact that his other-world wife and son CLEARLY know something of the conflicting worlds all leads me to believe that Widmore is somehow, some way aware of the existence of the sideways universe. Everything worked out just a bit too well and specifically for it to be a convenient coincidence.

Regardless, I think the great work that lies ahead for Desmond will require sacrifice, as Widmore indicated, because Desmond has the most to lose. By choosing to help Widmore and his friends in whatever capacity that is required — fighting Smokey; shepherding souls — it will mean giving up the life he fought so hard to attain in the Island world. His one consolation will be that he's seemingly assured a second chance at the same happiness in the Sideways world. – EW.com review

There’s just one notion I don’t completely agree with here – in what way does Desmond have the “most to lose”? Sure, he could potentially lose the life he fought so hard to have, but isn’t that true for everybody? Consider the growth of characters like Jack, Jin, Sawyer, and countless others. Wouldn’t they also lose what they’ve fought for? One might argue that Desmond’s sacrifice is greater because he has a certain awareness that the others don’t yet have. But I do believe they will eventually achieve the same level of knowledge – so isn’t their sacrifice just as great?

In fact, one might argue that Desmond could conceivably get the best of both worlds – a happy life with Penny, as well as the affection and approval of Widmore. Actually, after this, he could potentially get that in both worlds.

First, it seems that trauma is capable of punching a hole between worlds. In the same way Desmond broke on through to the other side during the panic of his underwater crisis with Charlie, I think we can also conclude that Sideways Claire pulled Aaron's name from the memory of her mirror twin during her delivery scare in the hospital with Kate. – EW.com review

I brought up the possibility of “death” or “near death” being the bridge between worlds. It seems noteworthy that the characters that have alluded to the sideways worlds – Charlie, Faraday, and possibly Juliet – are all dead in one of the worlds. But the idea of a traumatic event triggering it is worth noting as well. Indeed, it was Charlie’s near death that brought him glimpses of the real world. Ditto for Desmond. And one might argue the same to be true with Claire. I suppose the real question will come should we ever get another Sun/Jin episode. After Sun was shot, there wasn’t any real indication that she was overcome with thoughts and emotions that came from her island existence.

PICK YOUR POISON
Finally, Desmond. I think his job is to pull a John Locke/Jeremy Bentham and offer each castaway a chance to cross over into the Sideways world. I do think that's the direction of movement — Island to Sideways. I think Desmond's ''talent'' is to help each castaways open up a psychic channel for the crossing to occur. That means that Sideways Desmond has to work his people and Island Desmond has to work his people. And I think both iterations of the individual has to agree to create the channel. If Sideways Jack doesn't want to merge with Island Jack, is isn't going to happen.

It was a clue, I think, to where we're headed with the interchange between Island and Sideways worlds. I don't think it'll be a matter of, say, Island Jack's consciousness displacing and replacing Sideways Jack's consciousness, but rather both minds blending to form a unique and stronger new persona. Desmond's job: get Charlie Pace out of jail; get him to the gala; make the willful wife and artsy-fartsy boy happy. Widmore joked that should Desmond fail to get Charlie to party, his wife would ''destroy'' him. That, too, played to me to like a clue — I wonder if the bitter rivalry between Eloise Hawking and Charles Widmore is not yet over. – EW.com review

I combined the two non-consecutive passages above because I think they compliment the idea the EW.com reviewer is professing. I personally hope the author is wrong, because I feel like it would be a bit disappointing for us to watch these characters grow and develop, only to ultimately end up virtually completely different people that we didn’t even know before this season. This view is accentuated by one of the posters from the EW.com review, shown here:

I really hope that the end of LOST isn't the combination of realities. That would be extremely dissatisfying to me because by definition they would be a completely new person with two different personalities merging. I think the real crux of Desmond's mission is to convince the Sideways-reality that even though their lives might be "better", that their Island lives have a PURPOSE. I think they will have to make some sort of sacrifice to make the Island reality the real one and defeat MIB. – EW.com comments section

I agree with the above comment. The EW.com reviewer seems to suggest that Desmond’s mission will take place on the island, with the end result being existence in the sideways world. I hope the opposite is true, that Desmond’s mission will be to track down the people in the sideways world and convince them that this universe is not “right,” and that they belong in the island world. Daniel seemed to plant this idea in his head, and his request for the manifest seemingly supports this.

I’m going to paraphrase one of my favorite lines from the first season of Heroes. Linderman says to Nathan, “Do you want a life of happiness, or a life of meaning?” That’s what I think the poster above is suggesting. Things in the sideways world might be “happier,” but they’re not quite right. As John Locke said when he was time traveling with Sawyer, without the experiences of the island, he wouldn’t be the person he is today. I think that’s the message Desmond will extend to his sideways brethren.

Another thing that I found interesting and I wonder if this will play out for the rest of the season is which world will they choose? It seems that Charlie, Desmond and Faraday are choosing the other world and may take steps to try to get there due to love, but what will motivate some of the other people. Darlton said early on in interviews that neither world is less real than the other, so are we supposed to be rooting for one of these worlds? If they really are separate and distinct then why can't they just go on how they were. Charlie should just find Claire and be with her in the sideways world, not try to bring himself to the other world (he does die there afterall). While i admit that i still dont know where all of this is going, I am just stating that i am perfectly ok with the worlds staying separate, even though that would be somewhat of a waste because we've watched it all season wondering what is going on. – DaBooty, my blog

Now, DaBooty brings up a good point. Will these two universes continue to co-exist, with each person having the option to “live” one of their two lives? Or will they have to collectively decide which world to live, and the other will vanish? This is an interesting question, because I think the former would be disappointing, and the latter has some significant repercussions. I mean, the whole purpose of Jack’s mission was to give life to those they’ve lost. So, sure, the island world is “right” and they have “purpose,” but does that make it okay to deprive guys like Charlie and Boone a second chance at life?

Or perhaps these departed characters are doomed. Guys like Keamy and Mikhail suffered fates that were similar to their island lives. Maybe those that have died in the island world are destined to die in the sideways world as well.

And why would the “mixed bag” option, where some characters choose sideways while others choose island, be a disappointment? To me, it would feel like a cop out. Not to drudge up an old argument, but clearly many, many fans out there feel very passionately about who Kate ends up with. Wouldn’t it feel cheap if she chooses Sawyer in the island world, and Jack in the sideways world?

THE REUNION
Regular readers of the EW.com review know that the author believes that all of the central characters will come together in the sideways world at Locke’s wedding. This seemed entirely possible, as it makes sense timeline wise (his wedding is set for, I believe, sometime in October – a month or so away from the current period) and there are conceivable reasons for why many of the characters could show up to the wedding. Perhaps a budding friendship with Jack. Or a new business relationship with Hurley. Or Sawyer hunting down Locke’s dad in his mission of vengeance. But, one of the posters at the EW.com review brought up another possibility for how these characters might come together:

So, Charlie and Claire are in the same hospital now, right? And Jack works there, and Sun is injured and being taken by Jin to...the hospital! And maybe Sawyer will need to take Kate to the hospital?! And Sayid will be checking on his brother... in the hospital! I got it! The island = a hospital where people go to get fixed, though the hospital fixes their broken bodies but the island fixes their broken hearts..... OK, maybe I took that one too far. :-) – EW.com comments section

I think there’s something to this observation. Yeah, I’m not sure I buy into the symbolism of the hospital (sometimes a cigar is just a cigar – it’s probably just a plot device), but I think it’s worth noting that virtually all of the “surprise” character interactions or path crossings have occurred at the hospital. And in many instances, the sideways portions of the episodes have concluded with a character perhaps going to a hospital. As mentioned above, Sun was shot. And Locke was contemplating an appointment with Jack. I don’t know, there might be something to this.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Against better judgment, I decided to make reference to the longing gaze sideways Kate gave sideways Jack, after more than a couple of characters made reference to an unexplainable but overwhelming feeling of love for somebody they don’t know, because of feelings they have for the person in the “real” world. I was worried about bringing up such an observation because of the rather nasty and mean spirited comments I have received in recent weeks regarding the Jack/Kate, Kate/Sawyer allegiances. But hey, it’s my column and I’ll talk about what I’ll talk about. But, thankfully, those people didn’t make their presence known. And my longtime readers – who are much more respectful – chimed in as well.

They can add me to the list of people to insult because I completely agree. If LOVE is somehow going to bridge the gap between the two worlds, Kate's longing look at Jack was probably because she felt that connection. I am willing to bet that we will see a similar connection between Sawyer and Juliet! People just need to calm down and get off your back. If the writers wanted Sawyer and Kate to end up together, they wouldn't have placed so much attention and heartache on the Sawyer and Juliet relationship. It would be unsettling for me and an insult to Sawyer and Juliet's relationship to have Sawyer end up with Kate. – DaBooty, my blog

Count me with you guys on the Kate/Jack side. Juliet's the one I'd rather see with Sawyer, in the alternate reality. Those two seemed to have something real. – Kyle, my blog

DaBooty and Kyle both touched upon one of my main points, which is that I really don’t have anything against Sawyer and Kate. And I feel like that has been overlooked in many of these arguments. I like Sawyer. A lot. I just think the writers have done a FAR better job with his relationship with Juliet. For me, Sawyer and Kate seemed more about lust and passionate. They both got off on the fact that there was something “wrong” about their relationship. But with Juliet and Sawyer, it genuinely felt like true love. And sure, many people will argue that we’re comparing five seasons with a handful of episodes, but I don’t think that matters. What happened in that handful of episodes, to me, was far more powerful than the flip-floppy, inconsistent romp we saw for the previous few years. So, to me, seeing Sawyer end up with somebody other than Juliet would simply be a disappointment. It would be a betrayal of the man we’ve seen Sawyer grow into.

And, as I’ve noted in the past, from a writing and character growth perspective, I think Jack and Kate ending up together is the stronger story and more satisfying conclusion. But let’s get down to my main point: Kate undeniable was taken off of her game when she set her sights on Jack while she was in the airport cab. This is the EXACT scenario that Faraday laid out when he saw Charlotte – a stranger in the sideways world, but his love in the island world. So there ya’ go.

MYSTERIES OF THE SMOKE MONSTER
And, of course, it wouldn’t be one of my columns if I didn’t discuss the Christian/Smokey mystery. It’s completely unrelated to anything that happened in last week’s episode, but it was an excellent point that I think is pretty hard to dispute.

If Ghost Christian=Smokey, How did "I can't fly over water" Smokey get to the freighter to be hanging out with Mikey before he got blowed up? – EW.com comments section

Of course, I suppose there’s the distinct possibility that the writers are just making up these Smokey rules as they go along. Like Miles, with this talking to the dead ability. One second he’s able to talk to a deceased person while in the person’s room, even though the body is nowhere to be seen – despite the fact that we would later learn he does in fact need to be near the body. We also discovered he can’t talk to people who were cremated. Even though he later talks to Jacob’s ashes. So who knows, really?

Alright, that’s it for me for now. I’ll be back following the new episode. Enjoy!

And here's the latest episode of Lost Untangled!