A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 5-6

“We’re not going to Guam, are we?”

A few weeks ago the “Left-Behinders” got their centric episode, which was lauded as one of the most exciting and compelling episodes ever. Now it’s the Oceanic Six’s turn. How did their episode hold up? Actually, I’d say phenomenally well, which is a bit surprising considering that many fans have considered the Oceanic Six the weaker half of this season’s story arc.

Most people would disagree with me, but I actually really enjoyed the two separate stories – with Sawyer, Juliet, and the freighter folks on the island shifting through time and the Oceanic Six, Ben, and Desmond figuring out how to return to the island. Seeing these two groups in such a huge contrast and in such different settings really revitalized the show. Naturally, the Oceanic Six HAD to return to the island – and I’m sure the story will be brilliant upon their return – but part of me wishes they had put off the reunion for a little while longer.

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It’s rather amazing when you think about it, but over the past two seasons or so, Lost has introduced several incredibly awesome new characters. It says like I’m saying “this new character really intrigues me” at some point during each of my reviews. Off the top of my head there’s Alpert, Daniel, Miles and Dan the Lawyer has a lot of potential (although we may never see him again, given what happened at the end of the episode). Right now, though, I’m a huge fan of Ms. Hawking.

In fact, her opening scene was pretty unprecedented. Have we ever had such an extended scene in which a character essentially gave a monologue explaining in full detail one of the show’s mysteries? Speaking of that scene, can somebody tell me what the date was on that top secret U.S. Army photo of the island?

I also loved the way Ms. Hawking interacted with the rest of the characters. It’s almost as if she was representing every snarky fan who watches the show. First she nonchalantly admitted that Ben probably wasn’t being honest when he claimed that he didn’t know about the LA Dharma station, and then she called Jack out on simply discarding something as “ridiculous,” despite all he had experienced in the past three and a half years.

One thing that did surprise me, though: Is it me, or did she seem awfully emotionally detached from her son? She didn’t seem the least bit worried about his well being (he IS on a crazy island with a smoke monster, after all), nor did she seem particularly touched to get his message.

Anyway, we learned why Locke has to die: He needed to act as a proxy, essentially having to take Christian’s place on the flight. And in order to do that, Jack needed to give him something of his father’s. And as a result….

The tennis shoes are finally explained! It seemed that Jack didn’t want to waste the time or money to buy his deceased dad a nice pair of shoes, figuring that nobody would see his feet. So, instead, he threw on a pair of old tennis shoes. Hence why Christian was wearing tennis shoes with a suit during his early Ghost Dad appearances. Did we know that already?

Speaking of Jack, I’m sure I’m not the only one who wanted to throw the television when he returned Locke’s suicide note. I mean, it’s not as if you’re about to do something exceptionally complicated. Ya’ know, not at all something that you might need special instructions for. I’m terribly relieved that he did eventually read it and that we actually got to see the message (and by the way, how much did it kill Ben that Jack not only got to stay “after school” with Ms. Hawking, but that he received a personal message from Locke as well?)

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the turbulence began just after Jack read Locke’s note, which simply read “I wish you had believed.” Perhaps Jack needed to believe in order for them to return to the island, and it wasn’t until he read Locke’s dying wish that he had become a true believer.

I’m curious to see who was brought to the island following the bright light. Obviously Jack, Kate, and Hurley were. The previews suggest that Locke, Sayid, and the officer were as well. I would assume all of the Oceanic Six transferred, and that the officer did as a proxy to the federal agent that was with Kate. But what about that guy who sent his condolences to Jack? They seemed to make a point of bringing attention to him, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him again. How about Frank (awesome seeing him again, by the way)? If you recall, he was originally supposed to be on the Oceanic flight. So it would make sense for him to return, because it was arguably his destiny all along to be on the island. And wouldn’t it be awfully ironic if, after all of this, the island didn’t accept Ben back, and he just ends up in Guam?

Speaking of the (former?) leader of the Others, Ben really is a diabolical little man, isn’t he? Listen to how casually he brought up having to tie up a loose end, presumably referring to his promise to “take care” of Penny (follow up question: How did he get so battered and bruised? What happened to his arm?) And then he carelessly said that he doesn’t even care what happens to the other people on the plane. I’m sure Jack is second guessing who he got into bed with.

That’s as good a segue as any to bring up Kate. I also have to ask: What the hell is her deal? Every time she gets upset, she beds somebody. And after spending the night with Jack, she acts all cold and distant the next day and at the airport, even harshly saying, “We’re on the same plane, that doesn’t mean we’re together.” That chick can be twisted. But I do have a homework assignment for you readers: What do you think she did with Aaron?

I’m interested in finding out the circumstances behind how Sayid and Hurley ended up on the flight. How did Hurley get out of jail, and why did Sayid get arrested? And, from a writing perspective, wouldn’t have made more sense to just make Hurley the prisoner? Anyway, somebody obviously spoke to Hurley (Ms. Hawking?), but did Sayid have any idea that everybody else would be on the flight? He seemed genuinely surprised. And who the hell gets sent to GUAM when they’re arrested? By the way, how much did you love that Hurley bought every available seat, as to prevent innocent people from being killed (or even worse, ending up on a dangerous island) should the plane crash? Such a teddy bear, he is.

There were some fun “recreation” moments this episode. Of course, there was Locke as Christian. Then you had Sayid taking Kate’s place as the prisoner in transit. You had Hurley taking Charlie’s place, with guitar in tow. Arguably, you had Ben taking Hurley’s place, as the frantic passenger who nearly missed his flight. And can somebody remind me who – if anybody – offered their sympathies to Jack after his argument at the check-in counter when Oceanic originally stated they would not transfer Christian? If it was somebody who ends up on the island, then that may confirm that the guy in first class gets sent to the island.

And how f’n incredible was that ending???? The characters are now stuck in the island’s Dharma era….and Jin is part of the Dharma Initiative!!!

Here are some questions and observations I’d like all of to send me for my Lost: Revisited column (send me an e-mail or comment on my blog):

What year was that top secret U.S. Army photo of the island dated?

What do you think Kate did with Aaron?

How did Hurley get out of jail? Who do you think told him about the 316 flight?

What did Sayid do to get arrested? Did he know the flight was destined to return him to the island?

Other than the Oceanic Six, who do you think got transported to the island?

Who, if anybody, offered their sympathies to Jack for the loss of his father before the doomed Oceanic flight?

Do you think there’s any significance as to where each person “landed” when they returned to the island?

What loose end did Ben have to tie up? How did he get so bloodied and bruised?

If there is anything else you’d like to discuss, I’m here!

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Well that's just great....

So People Magazine is reporting that the love of my life, Rachel Bilson, is now engaged to Hayden Christensen. Well isn't that special?

Perhaps I'm in denial, but I'm skeptical. If anybody has ever read any Rachel Bilson interviews, they've probably noticed how incredibly secretive she is about her personal life. Whenever she's asked about her romantic relationships, she outright refuses to answer, saying that she doesn't discuss private matters. So for some reason, I find it hard to believe that she'd suddenly decide to pour her heart out to some perfect stranger, knowing full well that it'll probably spread to the media.

And honestly, Hayden Christensen? The guy who made DARTH F'N VADER into a whiny bitch??? How is that even possible? At least Adam Brody was cool.

Also in the news:

So it appears that Chris Brown's songs were completely blacklisted from SiriusXM. It goes without saying that any form of domestic abuse is unacceptable, but I can't help but feel like Rihanna is getting preferential treatment here. I mean, if she wasn't famous, would radio stations and sponsors care THIS much about Chris Brown allegedly beating up his girlfriend? How many musicians have been accused of abuse without experiencing this sort of backlash? Didn't R Kelly urinate on a prepubescent teen? It should be all or nothing, because right now the impression I get is that they only care because Rihanna is famous.

Al Sharpton recently spoke out (shocker) against the New York Post for printing a political cartoon, which alludes to the recent chimpanzee attack. The controversial drawing features two police officers standing over a gunned down chimp, with one of the cops saying, "They'll have to find somebody else to write the next stimulus bill."

While I find Al Sharpton to be an extremely vile and obnoxious individual that has exhibited far more instances of racism and bias than virtually any of the people he has accused of such deeds, I have to admit, this was a pretty distasteful satire. When you sit down and look at it objectively, you'll realize that (a) Obama didn't WRITE the stimulus bill, he SIGNED it. Therefore, it's not an attack on him. And (b) even if it was, George W. Bush was CONSTANTLY depicted as an ape. Is Obama completely off limits because he's half black?

That being said, the connection there is absolutely obvious. Who in their right mind would look at that political cartoon and not immediately think the monkey represents Obama? Whether that's the intended message is irrelevant, because that's the immediate connection people are going to make. And the powers that be must have known that. At least they should have.

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 5-5 Revisited

Before getting to the reader mail, I’d like to bring attention to the Reader’s Jeer of the Week in the latest edition of TV Guide:

Jeers to Lost. My wife and I have been avid followers since Episode 1, and now we are lost. It’s too convoluted. The long breaks between seasons didn’t help matters either. We want to be entertained, not challenged to follow the story line. The producers have ruined a really good show.

Comments such as these irk me. When people started watching this show, did they think all of these questions were going to be answered with a simple “A wizard did it”?

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People have been complaining that they want answers, and now that they’re getting them they complain that it’s “too much”? That’s B.S.

Quite frankly, the allure of Lost is that it DOES challenge you to think. In fact, this show practically reinvented the model for episodic television. Admittedly, 24 set the stage for the concept of having to watch every single episode in order to follow the story, but it was Lost that changed the storytelling formula altogether.

And why must the idea of being challenged to think and being entertained be mutually exclusive? The fact that Lost airs Wednesdays, and I’m STILL discussing it with people the following Tuesday, adds significantly to my enjoyment of the program. I love 24, but I’m very rarely picking apart the scenes and discussing new discoveries up until the next episode airs.

It’s been said before, but I think it’s poignant and accurate: At this point, Lost is being written for the viewers that have stuck around. To be harsh, the show was arguably “dumbed down” for casual fans. With that audience gone, that’s no longer necessary. And personally, I applaud the producers for sticking to their vision and not giving into pressures that may have secured them with a larger audience.

Ever since this show garnered mainstream attention, people have doubted if the writers have any idea of where the show’s going. Now people complain that they’re not altering the story to accommodate the audience. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Moving on….

InsidePulse alum Andy Campbell chimes in again with some thoughts:

I look at Christian Shephard as a "prophet" of sorts, in that he can speak for himself ("Say hello to my son for me") and also for the "higher power" (Jacob).

As for the "rules" of time travel... whether people remember meeting someone far in the past... I think they can, but that it's very cloudy and takes something specific to trigger it. That's why it took so long for Charlotte to remember meeting Daniel as a child. That said, I think Richard is outside those rules (as he seems to be outside LOTS of rules). It's clear he remembers meeting Locke, since he went to witness Locke's birth (at the request of Locke himself) and followed up with a visit when Locke was a boy.

Speaking of Charlotte: given what we learned in this episode, it seems to me that she is probably Annie, Ben's childhood friend. The timing is right, and it makes sense that she left the island, because there was no mention of her dying in Ben's "purge."

I liked that we finally got a glimpse of the famed Temple, and another of the Cerberus vents. If I recall correctly, the only other Cerberus vent we saw was when Locke was pulled into one by the Smoke Monster. Did they show another when Ben summoned the Smoke Monster from his "Batcave"?

I can easily see Christian as a prophet of sorts. What I’m most intrigued about, however, is how much of Christian is Dr. Christian Shephard, and how much is Jacob? Granted, the only time we’ve ever seen Christian during his lifetime was through his interactions with other people. Therefore, arguably, we can only judge him based upon how he is perceived by others. Yet there does seem to be a distinct difference in overall behavior and tenor between Dr. Christian Shephard and the spiritual entity we’ve seen on the island. The former is moody and can be vindictive and abusive. The latter, on the other hand, appears to be a patient, helpful guide. That’s part of the reason why I am so fascinated with the “say hello to my son” comment. For the first time in four seasons, I felt like I was seeing Dr. Christian Shephard.

Regarding the “rules” of time travel, somebody did a pretty nice job explaining it. For example, why does Charlotte remember meeting Daniel in the past, but Daniel doesn’t? Simple: It’s part of Charlotte’s past, but it’s Daniel’s future (since he hasn’t gone into the past to warn her yet). That’s why, in all likelihood, Alpert does recognize Locke when he arrives on the island (while Locke has no recollection of ever meeting Alpert). It’s also entirely possible that Rousseau remembers meeting an Asian man when she first arrived on the island. But seeing some random Korean guy again after sixteen years – during which time she saw her friends get possessed and killed, had to execute your lover, had her daughter kidnapped, and had to survive against Others and a Smoke Monster – probably isn’t even a blip on her radar.

By the way, I’m not entirely convinced that Alpert is outside the rules of time travel. There’s obviously something special about him, hence why he doesn’t appear to age, but he also seemed out of the loop during the 1950’s discussion with Locke.

We do know that Desmond doesn’t follow the rules, however, and I’m interested in seeing if he and Ms. Hawking acknowledge their jewelry store meeting. For that matter, I haven’t really discussed the pre-island connection between Desmond and the Faradays. There’s the aforementioned jewelry store encounter with Ms. Hawking, the time trippy visit to Daniel at Oxford, and, if you recall, Ms. Hawking’s other son was one of the monks at the monastery Desmond once resided. Most significant of all: Each of these events led to Desmond’s arrival on the island.

I can buy the idea of Charlotte being Annie, but I’m perhaps even more interested in another idea I read: That Charlotte is actually the daughter of Ben and Annie. Of course, this is a bit harder to believe, given the presumed slim age difference between Ben and Charlotte, but it would explain a few things. For one, it would make sense of Charlotte’s comment about her dad going crazy (Ben did orchestrate the purge that killed all of the Dharma Initiative, after all). The absence of his daughter could also act as the motivation for why he eventually kidnapped Alex and raised her as his own. Whatever the case may be, I look forward to the eventual episode where we do find out what happened to Annie.

I'm not sure what to make of the Smoke Monster and the Temple, but I definitely want to know more (I can't wait for that episode in which we find out more about Smokey). Interestingly, if you recall, the Others retreated to the Temple for safe haven when the freighter folk arrived. Perhaps the Temple is somehow connected to why they aren't time traveling with the island?

If I can go back to the topic of time travel, I am curious how forgiving fans will be if the writers choose not to explain every single apparent paradox. For example, what if the show never explains the fact that Locke set in motion the whole idea that he’s destined to lead the Others, when he only believes that because of what the Others had told him? If the finale of Lost is satisfying and fulfilling, will the typically high maintenance sci-fi fans overlook the fact that not every single relatively inconsequential time traveling question mark?

And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that the compass is a paradox. People argue that if Alpert gave Locke the compass in 2005 (or whenever it was) and Locke gave it to Alpert in the 1950’s….where did it originally come from? As far as I’m concerned, the compass originally came from Alpert. If you rewatch the scene in which Locke presents the compass to Alpert, he gives no indication that he doesn’t recognize it. He’s simply perplexed by the concept that he had given it to him in the future. In my mind, Alpert would HAVE to recognize the compass in order for him to even humor Locke’s story. Crazy island or not, if some dude just walked up to you and handed you something you had never seen before, claiming that you gave it to him in the future, what reason would you have to believe him?

Enjoy the new episode. And keep the e-mails coming, people!

Update: Also enjoy the latest edition of the highly entertaining Lost! Untangled, which I will be adding to my Lost: Revisited blog entries from this point forward, once they become available:

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A Case of the Mondays: TV Round Up!

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-16:

http://primetimepulse.com/2009/02/17/heroes-episode-3-16-review/

A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 7-9:

http://primetimepulse.com/2009/02/17/24-episode-7-9-review/

WWE Raw: As expected, WrestleMania began to take shape last night. It seems obvious that they're now going with Randy Orton vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship, although I'm getting dreadful flashbacks to WrestleMania X-8, where the World title program is focused around the McMahon family drama, and not the, ya' know, most prestigious championship in the industry. I also hope that they don't take the easy route with Triple H and Stephanie by saying, "Silly, we were still married the whole time!" Why not just say that in the past year they reconnected? No need to do one of those dangerous, "on TV we were divorced. Behind the scenes we were still married," promos.

Believe it or not, I'm actually really looking forward to the Undertaker/Shawn Michaels program. At this point it's highly unlikely they'll ever end the streak (which I actually agree with), so why not allow him to have great matches with excellent wrestlers that he has chemistry with?

Still not sure what they're doing with Cena or the World Heavyweight Championship. Not to be snarky (or smarky), but it's a little ridiculous that they completely reshuffled the entire World title, main event roster scene in order to put Triple H in a title match (for the sixth year in a row, save for the year he was injured), yet they don't seem to have a clear idea of what they're doing with their biggest star.

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Well I did not see that coming....

So last night's Pay-Per-View, No Way Out, sure had some interesting repercussions for WrestleMania. The Sunday's event featured two Elimination Chamber matches, for the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships. The first match of the night saw Edge losing the WWE Championship, and Triple H walking away with the gold (by the way....Triple H and the Undertaker in the curtain jerker?) The final match saw Edge interjecting himself into the World Heavyweight Title bout and walking away with THAT gold.

So as it stands now, both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships are on Smackdown, with Triple H and Edge as the respective champions (sound familiar?) Randy Orton, as winner of the Royal Rumble, will be in one of the title matches. One would presume he'd face Triple H, who's the only face in this scenario. If that's the case, I imagine that Triple H is returning to Raw (wow, didn't even last a year on the supposed "B-show"....what a trooper). Where does this leave John Cena, the company's biggest star? Edge vs. Cena seems a bit out of nowhere, and I don't see Cena getting traded to the blue show.

Two things are for sure: After No Way Out, the Road to WrestleMania has been completely reshuffled. And Raw should be very interesting tonight.

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Christian Bale vs. Peter Griffin

Utterly hilarious. Check it out. Lots of bad language.

"You punch your mother with that mouth?" Boom. Roasted.

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Top Ten Cases: Best horror movies

I was originally going to post this list on Halloween, but it was delayed for personal reasons. However, I figured Friday the 13th would be just as appropriate a day to rank the ten best horror movies. I'm a bit of a horror movie fan, but I will admit that I've mostly only been exposed to the mainstream stuff. I also took some liberties, like grouping franchises together.

I should preface this by stating that I very rarely ever find horror movies scary. Sure, almost all of them have those startling moments that make you jump out of your seat, but I typically don't find myself afraid to be in the house alone or having chronic nightmares. As such, "scariness" won't be the main criteria, although it will obviously play a part. Overall, I'm looking at general enjoyment and the movie's impact on the genre and popular culture in general. Here you go!

Click the "Read More" link for the list.

10) The Blair Witch Project - Scary? Not really. Nauseating? A bit. But this was an incredibly clever film, and you have to commend everybody involved for at least thinking outside of the box. Incidentally, had the Blair Witch Project been more successful in the long-run, this film easily could have completely reinvented the horror movie genre.

9) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - While this movie may not be entirely realistic, and it's been remade more times than...I don't know, I can't think of anything. Even though you're not likely to get attacked by a maniacal inbred who wears a mask made of human skin, it does ellicit certain natural and realistic fears. What happens if I get stuck in some weird place, and with seemingly everybody in on it, survival is fruitless. It really preys on that fear that a disabled car or flat tire can prove deadly.

8) A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise - In the "Freddy vs. Jason" war, I'm a proud member of the Freddy camp. I daresay that Freddy Krueger is the most well known and best recognized horror movie villain of all time (likely competing with Michael Myers and that guy in the hockey mask). This was one of the more difficult franchises to jumble together, since first few films had a much more psychological feel to it. Freddy Krueger was a dangerous, sick, psychopath. In the later films he was practically a stand up comic. I am eagerly awaiting the prequel, in which we see a pre-burnt-to-a-crisp Freddy preying on innocent children. Now THAT'S dark.

7) The Strangers - Now, I can see how THIS might scare the crapola out of somebody. Unlike most of the movies on the list, where the premise is unrealistic at best, and downright ridiculous at worst, this is a genuinely plausible, highly frightening possibility. Basically, three masked serial killers decide to terrorize and murder innocent people, with no personal motive whatsoever. The climax of the film, in which Liv Tyler's character asks why they're doing this to them, and one of the killers answers, "because you were home," is one of the most chilling lines you'll ever hear uttered in any movie. This is one of the very few horror flicks in which you can say to yourself, "this could happen to me." And that's pretty damn scary.

6) Saw franchise - While Scream brought horror movies back to the mainstream, the Saw franchise took away the laughs and brought back the gore, bringing forth films like Hostel. While some might argue that the Saw films are obligatory with their gore, they do set up some interesting psychological debates. Would you kill an innocent person in order to save yourself? Would you put your trust in a madman if it meant saving your life? If you can see past the gore, you'll discover that there's a pretty interesting story there. Also, due to their relatively low budgets, the franchise has been able to release a sequel every year. They've also come up with some clever ways of getting around that whole "bringing the killer back after he's been killed" problem.

5) Scream trilogy - I think it's entirely fair to say that Scream effectively resurrected the horror movie genre. It also completely changed up the formula. Following this film, we had a long string of movies in which there was a masked killer, forcing the audience to guess the identity of the murderer, instead of focusing on a supernatural villain. The fourth wall was removed, as well, with the characters openly acknowledging and even laughing at certain horror movie cliches. The third installment is undoubtedly the weak link, but the first two were phenomenal.

4) Psycho - Talk about cultural impact! To this day you still have people refer to this film as the reason why they were afraid to take a shower. Much like a number of other movies on this list, Psycho was tarnished by silly sequels and unimpressive remakes (honestly, Vince Vaughn as the meek and modest Norman Bates?), but the original still stands as a legend within the genre. Oh, and that twist of an ending is STILL alluded to, nearly half a decade later.

3) Halloween - High on the camp and supernatural without being explicit about it (which, in my eyes, is a potentially hurtful thing), I normally wouldn't rank this so high. But that's why I'm specifically referring to the original Halloween, and not the franchise. The original Halloween was a pretty terrifying premise: A madman escapes from an insane asylum and starts massacring teenagers. He does so while wearing a mask on Halloween, effectively avoiding any suspicion whatsoever. It got silly when Michael Myers suddenly continued to come back to life and had super strength (and I think he was possibly psychic at one point), but the original was a surprisingly strong film.

2) Carrie - While I have stated that horror movies don't scare me, this is the one exception to the rule. I have only seen this movie a handful of times (I can probably count it on one hand), and the first time I saw it I was a young child. The final scene, in which Carrie's hand emerges from the grave and grabs a mourner's hand, is one of the only times in the history of watching television and movies that I have jumped up and continued to be scared for quite some time. I don't think I remember a single line from that movie, but that scene is forever etched in my brain. You can go ahead and skip that 1999 sequel, though.

1) The Exorcist - Is this the scariest movie of all time? Honestly, I didn't find it that bad. But at the same time, how could you deny the impact this film has had on the movie industry as a whole? The image of the adult male standing on a streetlight-lit sidewalk is absolutely iconic. For better or worse, virtually everybody associated with that film will forever be remembered for THAT film. And unlike practically every other horror film, this movie was completely devoid of camp. And while it may not have rattled me, there are many, many people out there who legitimately believe this to be the scariest movie of all time. Between sequels, prequels, and remakes of prequels, the Exorcist has never come close to being duplicated.

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In defense of Christian in ECW

Those of you who watched ECW this Tuesday were in for a real treat, as Captain Charisma himself made his long-awaited return to Titan Land. It was a legitimate jaw-dropping moment (and I do mean that literally -- my mouth was wide open as he made his way down the aisle). I thought it was handled wonderfully. I was genuinely surprised, and he was immediately thrust into the World title picture.

Of course, the next day virtually every IWC "figurehead" was questioning why WWE would do something as ridiculous as putting Christian on the C-brand. While all we would have loved to see Christian make God tap out in the middle of the ring for both the WWE and World Heavyweight Champions in the main event of WrestleMania to become the ruler of the company, I honestly don't think putting him on ECW was a bad idea. If you recall, back in November, I actually recommended having Christian as a member of the ECW roster.

In the past six months or so, my view of ECW has changed dramatically. Yes, it used to be the "C-Brand" -- and by quite a distance -- but I don't think it's entirely fair to compare it to Raw and Smackdown, because the show follows a different model. It's a great place for new talents to debut and make a name for themselves (like CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, Ricky Ortiz, and Jack Swagger) before moving to Raw and Smackdown as a legitimate competitor.

It's also an ideal place for midcarders to reinvent themselves after floundering on the main brands, like John Morrison, The Miz, Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero, and Mark Henry. Finally, it's became a welcome home for upper midcarders to shine, with hopes of returning to Raw or Smackdown on a higher level than when they left. This has happened with Matt Hardy and Finlay. And when they do leave the program, that will ABSOLUTELY be true with Morrison, Miz, and Mark Henry.

So why not have Christian debut on ECW, where he can be the absolute center and star of the show (something that would not be the case on Raw or Smackdown)? It looks like they're setting him up for an ECW title win at WrestleMania (nothing to scoff at), so how about keeping him on the roster as their champion for a few months before moving him over to Smackdown as an established star?

And that's another thing people need to consider: Not everybody watched TNA. To many fans, Christian may just be that moderately used midcarder that was around three years ago. This is a wonderful opportunity to earn him credibility in the eyes of those fans.

And that feud or alliance with Edge will be waiting for him for as long as he's working for the company, so this isn't a "now or never" situation.

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 5-5

I’d say everything’s coming together quite nicely, wouldn’t you?

Everything with Jin and Rousseau was absolutely phenomenal. I loved how, at the beginning, Jin would look at Rousseau and her boyfriend with a pained expression on his face. Naturally, a lot of that has to do with the fact that he’s currently estranged with his wife, both of whom have no idea if the other is even alive. But, to me, there was another level to it. I think it was genuinely difficult to see Rousseau and her boyfriend so happy together, knowing the tragic fate that awaits them.

It was also awesome seeing the reversal of the classic role. Throughout the first season, Rousseau acted as the “guide,” or sorts, to the Oceanic survivors. She told them about the Others, and I believe the Smoke Monster as well. This time, however, Rousseau and her crew were the confused and startled newbies, while Jin was the knowledgeable, grizzled veteran.

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

I am disappointed, though, that we didn’t see the “what” and “how” of the sickness that afflicted Rousseau’s crew. It’s too bad that they just “flashed” past that. One second everybody is happy, the next lovers are killing each other (perhaps one of them received a text message asking for a booty call). Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed what we saw and I’m grateful to get that….but there also seemed to be a gaping hole in the story (obviously). The question is: Why not just tell us now?

By the way, I think we may have already known this, but I liked the fact that the Smoke Monster was around in 1988. We did get one tidbit: It’s a security system (which Rousseau has mentioned before) that protects the temple. The same temple that the Others used as a safe haven when the freighter folk made their attack.

I will also say that the reunion between Jin and Sawyer was one of the most genuinely happy and touching moments I’ve ever seen on this show. This series is just fantastic at reunions, between when Michael, Jin, and Sawyer rejoined the Oceanic survivors after their raft trip went awry, and when Jack, Kate, and Sawyer returned from their Others adventure. It’s quite the striking contrast when compared to what we saw this very episode, with the Oceanic Six and Ben.

Speaking of which, considering how cold and dark Sun has been so far this season, it was rather nice and refreshing seeing her have that gentle conversation with her daughter.

How could you not love an episode with Christian Shephard? I tell ya’, between Christian and Alpert (with Dan the Lawyer on deck), this show honestly has the best line up of minor characters in the history of television. Christian made an interesting comment by noting that he had told Locke, and not Ben, to move the island. Perhaps that is the reason why things ended up the way they did. Maybe the Oceanic Six leaving was inconsequential. And if it wasn’t, consider the fact that Ben was the one who told them they could leave. While it goes without saying that Ben is up to SOMETHING, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that he’s no martyr here. I also find it interesting that Christian, who is acting as the “voice” of Jacob (I think), had such a negative view of former golden boy Ben.

I did find Christian’s, “say hello to my son” comment very intriguing. For a while now, I’ve been wondering if this spiritual entity is actually the ghost of Dr. Christian Shepard, or if it’s just a vessel for a more power being (like Jacob….or the Smoke Monster). This seemingly throwaway salutation may indicate that yes, indeed, this is Christian (although the Smoke Monster has shown method-actor like commitment to the role of whoever it is disguised as).

So it seems that Charlotte was the first casualty of this temporal displacement. Before dying, she made a few interesting revelations. She confirmed what we already knew, which is that she was born on the island. But she also disclosed that Daniel had gone back in time and warned her never to return to the island, or else she would die. Interesting. One must wonder, though: I was somewhat under the impression that this time traveling was happening because the donkey wheel became dislodged. Locke evidently fixed this. Does that mean that the island has been stabilized? If so, will they no longer jump through time? If that’s the case, Daniel MUST get off the island somehow, because we’ve already seen him on the island during the Dharma era.

Speaking of confirmed suspicions: We now know for a fact that Ms. Hawkings is Daniel’s mother!

This week’s assignment, to be discussed in next week’s “Revisited” column: What’s the deal with Christian Shephard? Is this all-knowing spirit actually him? Or is it a higher power? Can his situation (dying right before the crash and then being resurrected on the island) be equated to Locke’s?

Also: What are your thoughts on the “rules” of time travel? Charlotte suddenly remembered meeting Daniel as a young girl. Does Daniel remember meeting a pre-island Desmond? Does Widmore remember meeting Locke? Does Richard remember meeting Locke? Any theories?

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 5-4 Revisited

The first e-mail comes from former Inside Pulse writer Andy Campbell. It focuses mostly on the previous week’s episode, but it’s still relevant:

I love your theory about Desmond & Penny being "Adam & Eve" and Charles Widmore being Penny's son rather than father. I think that's awesome.

As for Locke being Jacob, it's an interesting idea for sure, but I believe Jacob had a different color eye (brown) than Locke (blue). I wouldn't write off that theory completely, though.

You asked for thoughts on Richard Alpert, and here is mine: I think he is one of the ancient inhabitants of the island... from the days the ruins were made. The way it plays out in my mind is that, at some point, he takes off his shoes to reveal 4-toed feet... just like the statue... meaning that the statue was a colossus of Richard himself.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

Even though I presented the theory of Penny actually being Widmore’s mother, and not daughter, to be honest I’m not sold on the idea. Unless they slyly reveal that Penny was adopted, it just seems too complicated and convoluted, and for what result? A neat little “betcha didn’t see that coming!” moment that doesn’t really add anything significant to the overall story? Trust me, I think we will see many, many interesting twists that we aren’t expecting. I’m just not sure this is one of them.

My theory that Locke and Jacob are one in the same was based strongly on the idea that the Oceanic survivors can’t see their past or future selves, which was evidently shot down in last week’s episode. I still think it’s a possibility, just not for the reasons I originally assumed.

I love the idea of Richard having four toes, and discovering that the statue is actually a destroyed or unfinished relic of the unaged inhabitant. What I do wonder about Richard, though, is why is he perpetually the right hand man? Considering his seniority and possible immortality, why isn’t he the leader? He indicated that the selection process is very intricate, so what is he missing (aside from a fifth toe, possibly)?

Speaking of the four toed statue: What is with the fascination with this thing? I very, very rarely ever read articles or message boards regarding Lost, because I’m scared to death of accidentally coming across a spoiler, but it seems like whenever I do, somebody mentions the four toed statue. This thing was shown once and, if I remember correctly, hasn’t been mentioned a single time (on the actual show), yet there are mounds upon mounds of people who continuously ask “what’s the deal with the statue?” As if THIS is the one unanswered thing that needs to be answered. I just don’t get it.

The following comes from one of the comments on the EW.com review of last episode:

Has anyone yet noted that this season is about -- more than anything else -- motherhood? Danielle is going to give birth, Kate is being Aaron's mom, Desmond looking for Faraday;s mom, Charlotte forgetting her mother's maiden name...

I really loved this observation. So much of the series has had this common theme of people being/having crappy fathers (Jack, Locke, Michael, Ben, Penny, Sawyer, Kate, Sun, Hurley....need I go on?) that it's an excellent point that this season HAS placed the focus on mothers. And in virtually every case, the mother represents some form of salvation (Kate is protecting Aaron by posing as his mother, Desmond needs to find Faraday's mother in order to save everybody, Charlotte forgetting her mother's maiden name is putting her life in danger, etc.)

This can be explored even further. This season's darkest character has been Sun, who, despite being a new mother, has been completely detached (geographically – but perhaps emotionally) from her daughter. We've also seen Claire's mother mourning the apparent death of her daughter. This is worth noting because of the fact that they had fallen out before Claire's fateful plane ride. And finally, Hurley's mother is the only person he's entrusted with the truth about what actually happened following the crash.

Through the magic of time travel, we've also presumably seen Daniel interact with his mother in the past, and we've now met a glowing, very pregnant Rousseau (a far cry from the emotionally beaten woman we met in the first season).

I think everybody should make a point of noticing any other mother references that occur throughout the rest of the season. Please e-mail me any that I might have missed.

As I mentioned in my original column, I’m rooting for Kate to end up with Jack. But since they already screwed the pooch with the flash forward episode, and have set up Sawyer as this martyr of sorts, I’m a bit skeptical. However, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised to read many of the posters on the EW website talking about how Sawyer is a lot more into Kate than she is into him. The way the author of the review so eloquently put it, Kate didn’t fall out of love with Jack, she fell out of trust. And I think I unwittingly echoed this sentiment in my review (that’s right, I’m hitching my horse to that wagon) when I discussed two longing looks: Kate’s expression was a clean shaven, well dressed Jack stepped out of his Jeep, and Sawyer when he saw Kate delivering Claire’s baby. Again, it’s important to note who was staring at who: Sawyer was gazing at Kate, while Kate set her sights on Jack.

Honestly, I think Jack should end up with Kate, and Sawyer should end up with Juliet. By the way, I didn’t read the Lost article in the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly (with Jack and Kate on the cover), but in the tidbits I saw, they are surprisingly pushing for the Kate/Sawyer pairing. Even from a storyline perspective, I just don’t think that relationship is as strong. What do you guys think?

One final note: Last week’s episode really pushed this whole temporal displacement syndrome (the nosebleed thing). What I don’t get is that, theoretically, couldn’t all of them just use each other as their constants? I mean, they’re people they know in the present, and are with them in the past/future as well. For that matter, isn’t the whole temporal displacement thing when your body and consciousness are at different points in time? That’s not what’s happening here, so perhaps this is something entirely different. And, as such, a constant wouldn’t solve it. Thoughts?

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