Well Losties, it's only 6 months until the return of our obsession. 6 months! Shit.
But in the meantime, exciting things are happening. The announcement of Michael's return to the show definitely re-energized some (like me, who feel as though Michael has 1995 Nebraska Cornhusker Football-style "Unfinished Business"), and this week marks the beginning of filming for season 4. What's nice is that because this is only a spring-run, 16-episode season, they'll have most of the episodes in the can by the time of the season premiere. All of this is good, trust me, because it gives the writers/producers great freedom in telling their story completely, coherently and in the manner they wish. And that translates to a better product. So I'm excited.
To tide you over, though, Jeff Jensen has two great new articles on ew.com. Here are links to both.
A Q&A with Harold Perrineau (Michael) on his return to the show, and his interesting thoughts on Season 3.
Doc Jensen's mid-summer analysis of Season 3 and a look ahead to Season 4 (no spoilers). Also some great new theories and recognitions of literary allusions. Brilliant bastard.
Namaste.
.charlie
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Live Blog from the Comic Con
As you probably have heard, the big Comic Con Convention last week has created a lot of Lost buzz. You've most likely heard the gossip about Harold Perrineau (Michael) returning to the shower already...but what else did the producers reveal?
Check out this play-by-play from E! Online about the conversation between the producers and the media! Awesome stuff...enjoy!
4:19 p.m.: If you're the kind of person who gets upset because someone told you Harold Perrineau is coming back to Lost, you don't want to read any further into this liveblog. Fair warning...Meanwhile, the room is almost full. If you're reading this on your CrackBerry at the Convention Center, you might want to haul your butt in here now.
4:46 p.m.: The room is pretty much full, but I hear if you get to the Inkworks booth downstairs sooner rather than later, you can pick up tickets to the Darlton postpanel autograph session.
5:06 p.m.: "Are you ready?" asks the lady. Yes, let's go!
5:11 p.m.: A clip show of season three begins; Michael Emerson calls the Others a "rebel sect." I suspect this is from the DVD. Also, the fans are crazy-loud right now.
5:12 p.m.: More clip show: "By the time you see this I will be dead," says M.C. Gainey, before coexecutive producers Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz make a funny tribute to the unsung Others (your Lukes and your Jasons).
5:13 p.m.: More clip show: Holloway is saying something onscreen, but the screaming in the room drowns him out. Voice-over: "The survival of the Island is now at stake." Told ya! Then it's over.
5:14 p.m.: Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (aka D.L. and C.C.) are here! There might not be any microphones, however. Oops, the mikes are mute.
5:15 p.m.: Yay, they can speak now.
5:16 p.m.: Lost videogame footage; don't care, sorry, I just do the television.5:18 p.m.: D.L., regarding flashbacks: "Ever so slowly going the way of the dodo on the real show."
5:19 p.m.: D.L. confession: "Carlton and I, we're drunk, first off." He continues with a tribute to the fans, saying the fans are the reason there's an ending coming. Season four starts in February, and it runs 16 eps straight.
5:20 p.m.: They have a bell. Damon can ring it if Carlton says too much, Carlton can do the same to Damon. This is their overdisclosure fail-safe. 5:22 p.m.: People are invited to get in the questions line. Earlier we were warned via loudspeaker to not be crazy when addressing the panel, as in don't ask for them to have your babies, hug you or give you a job. As people are getting in line, Damon says, "If hugs are inappropriate, well, then I don't ever want to come here again."
5:23 p.m.: Now comes the Q&A portion of the evening. Dude wants to know about season three's violent turn. (I'm for it, thanks for asking.) Dude wants the powers that be to promise that the Others aren't the good guys. No promises are forthcoming.
5:24 p.m.: Carlton says they wanted a showdown, and that involved a body count. Damon says our guys are more violent but prettier. "When Sawyer is punching you in the face, you're like, More please, you're so attractive, can you take your shirt off please?" But when Friendly does it, it's relentless violence. Says Damon, "If the violence stays intense, it will at least be perpetrated by catastrophically good-looking people."
5:26 p.m.: Writing is a collaborative process. Every writer has their own favorite character. Eddie and Adam love Hurley and Charlie and all the minor characters; Eddie pitched the van idea for Hurley, which connected with the Ben patricide storyline.
5:27 p.m.: Lindelof says, "We have the best job in the world."
5:28 p.m.: Where's Michael? They address the stupid reporter riot yesterday and wanted to announce here that Harold is returning as Michael Dawson, but they tell the questioner they're not talking about how or when he returns.
5:30 p.m.: Damon wants to know why we're being so nice, and then they tell us there are more flashforwards coming. Carlton says flashbacks and flashforwards are both on the show going forward. "How far forward" and "with whom" are the Q's.
5:31 p.m.: Will Jack and Claire find out they are related? Carlton rings the bell on Damon, but Damon nods furiously. The crowd goes wild.
5:33 p.m.: Someone wants to know if we'll be seeing more Dharma sharks. Without addressing the fish issue directly, Carlton says, "You may be learning more about Dharma sooner than you ever imagined." Oh, I smell a clip coming tonight. Apparently, check back at 5:58 (or below at 6:07). Carlton rings the bell.
5:34 p.m.: DVD is out Dec. 11, and no reruns are expected. Why won't anyone listen to me—no one watches or airs reruns anymore! This is a JenFact! Trust me, people!
5:35 p.m.: Did Ben get caught by Rousseau on purpose? Did Ben kill the real Henry Gale? Damon says he will answer one of those questions. The asker chooses the capture question. Carlton: "He got caught by accident." Damon volunteers this, regarding Ben vs. Henry Gale: "They had words."
5:39 p.m.: They were running out of plausible flashback material, so it was time to switch gears into flashfowards. The end date allowed them the certainty necessary to add that element into the show without further antagonizing fans. Carlton: "What you saw with Kate and Jack was not the end of the show." Damon: "The show has never really been about getting off the Island...There's this whole chapter of the story that takes place off the Island." Outstanding!
5:41 p.m.: Chick wants to know when Michael is coming back. She's yelling now, Damon yells back, it's very cute. (Harold's totally here.) And now: "Ladies and gentlemen, Harold Perrineau." Ha!
5:43 p.m.: Harold is taking Q's. Damon says, "Harold is the first and only actor who has left the show as part of a grander design to come back." Uh-huh.
5:44 p.m.: Harold says, "Finally, it has all worked out...really excited to go back to Hawaii." Carlton, regarding poor crazy Michael, "He took some extreme actions." Michael's story is about the power of the Island to be redemptive. And this won't be a quick pop by Redemption Island; Harold is a series regular. TOLD. YOU. Michael returns early in the fourth season, or so says Damon.
5:45 p.m.: Dude ignores Harold to ask about Rachel Blake. Carlton says Rachel probably won't be on the Island.
5:47 p.m.: Damon says the benefits of only doing 16 episodes (versus 22) a year is they can do more ancillary "awesome" stuff.
5:48 p.m.: Someone asks what Damon and Carlton want to do in their post-Lost retirement. They don't think about it because the show is too all-consuming.
5:51 p.m.: Damon: "It's every writer's, actor's and storyteller's dream to have a dialogue with people who are watching a story you're telling. I wouldn't want to make a mistake of trying to chase something like Lost again. Might just write a pamphlet. Or a grocery list."
5:51 p.m.: Dude says he likes Richard Alpert; Damon and Carlton say (I paraphrase) don't get too attached to him, because Nestor Carbonell's on CBS' Cane.
5:52 p.m.: They're writing episode one, but it's still untitled.
5:53 p.m.: "What questions are fans not asking that we ought to be?" Carlton: "Who's in the coffin?" and rings the bell on himself. D.L. and C.C. ask Harold, "Who do you think is in the coffin?" Harold thinks it's the person with the teenage son...probably Locke! Damon would ask, "Who's on that freighter out there, and what do they want out of the Island?" Carlton would ask, "Okay, Kate and Jack got off the Island? Did anybody else get off the Island?"
5:53 p.m.: Five minutes to go in the session, three minutes until the clip, or so we are told.5:56 p.m.: Wasted question; we knew the answer: The falling dude from Hurley's building was not Locke.
5:56 p.m.: Libby time! There have been hints she worked for Dharma, so when do we find out what is up with Libby? Carlton: "It is our intention to get to Libby's story this year, and we think you will be happy when we finish that." Damon: "You're not barking up the wrong tree."
5:57 p.m.: Will there be a Danielle flashback soon? Damon: "There are important things going on in that story, and they have to sync up." They'll do that syncing in this season or next.
5:58 p.m.: They'll have written through episode 15 or 16 by the time we see the premiere, which is to say, try not to get too drunk on spoilers before the season even begins.
6:01 p.m.: A fan named Aaron asks, "Can I call the monster Cerberus?" Damon says...[nerdiness follows] On the blast-door map, C.V. stood for Cerberus Vents. "That's Dharma's name for it, maybe. Cerberus is one of it's names." Damon: "Aaron, may I call you Cerberus?" Aaron-Cerberus: The monster seems kind of seems like it represents judgment. Why did Eko have to die? Damon: The whole deal with the monster will be definitely answered. Carlton: The monster answer is "not going to be 10 seconds of blank tape." Ooh, David Chase burn.
6:04 p.m.: No more Q's for us. H.P., D.L. and C.C. have a group hug. Feel the love; I know I do.
6:05 p.m.: Shooting starts in four weeks.
6:05 p.m.: Our superspecial Comic-Con exclusive clip was "discovered" in "Narvik, Norway."
6:06 p.m.: Aw, I think he likes us. Damon: "This is literally the highlight of our year...This show was born out of the Con. We do it for you and with you."
6:07 p.m.: The promised clip is one of the station orientation films, hosted by Marvin Candle under an alias. The footage begins with him getting his makeup done and smoothing down his Dharma labcoat. Bunnies! It's about bunnies! Bunny #15, to be specific. Marvin, who calls himself Dr. Edgar Halifax in this film, identifies it as station six, the Orchid. He says the viewer has probably realized by now that he or she is not working at a mere botanical research unit. He apologizes for making him or her lie to friends and family members about the nature of the work. He mentions something that sounds like "Kasimir effect" and mentions the "unique properties of the Island." Then there's one of Jacob's subliminal messages. It may have been some variation on "as Jacob loves you." Then there's a bunny riot. One of the station's alarms blares, Dr. Halifax/Marvin panics. There's an intercut clip of someone riding a bicycle. The clip is inserted upside-down, and the rider appears to be in the village green of Otherville...And then, amid the chaos (perhaps this is the Incident?), the filmstrip slides off the reel.
6:08 p.m.: That's all, folks. Our exit soundtrack is "Got Myself a Gun" from the Sopranos credits. Clue, or just Muzak? You tell me.
Love, luck and lollipops, kids; see you in another life (brotha).
**Maggie's note: check out YouTube for the Orchid Orientation film.....it is wild!!
Check out this play-by-play from E! Online about the conversation between the producers and the media! Awesome stuff...enjoy!
4:19 p.m.: If you're the kind of person who gets upset because someone told you Harold Perrineau is coming back to Lost, you don't want to read any further into this liveblog. Fair warning...Meanwhile, the room is almost full. If you're reading this on your CrackBerry at the Convention Center, you might want to haul your butt in here now.
4:46 p.m.: The room is pretty much full, but I hear if you get to the Inkworks booth downstairs sooner rather than later, you can pick up tickets to the Darlton postpanel autograph session.
5:06 p.m.: "Are you ready?" asks the lady. Yes, let's go!
5:11 p.m.: A clip show of season three begins; Michael Emerson calls the Others a "rebel sect." I suspect this is from the DVD. Also, the fans are crazy-loud right now.
5:12 p.m.: More clip show: "By the time you see this I will be dead," says M.C. Gainey, before coexecutive producers Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz make a funny tribute to the unsung Others (your Lukes and your Jasons).
5:13 p.m.: More clip show: Holloway is saying something onscreen, but the screaming in the room drowns him out. Voice-over: "The survival of the Island is now at stake." Told ya! Then it's over.
5:14 p.m.: Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (aka D.L. and C.C.) are here! There might not be any microphones, however. Oops, the mikes are mute.
5:15 p.m.: Yay, they can speak now.
5:16 p.m.: Lost videogame footage; don't care, sorry, I just do the television.5:18 p.m.: D.L., regarding flashbacks: "Ever so slowly going the way of the dodo on the real show."
5:19 p.m.: D.L. confession: "Carlton and I, we're drunk, first off." He continues with a tribute to the fans, saying the fans are the reason there's an ending coming. Season four starts in February, and it runs 16 eps straight.
5:20 p.m.: They have a bell. Damon can ring it if Carlton says too much, Carlton can do the same to Damon. This is their overdisclosure fail-safe. 5:22 p.m.: People are invited to get in the questions line. Earlier we were warned via loudspeaker to not be crazy when addressing the panel, as in don't ask for them to have your babies, hug you or give you a job. As people are getting in line, Damon says, "If hugs are inappropriate, well, then I don't ever want to come here again."
5:23 p.m.: Now comes the Q&A portion of the evening. Dude wants to know about season three's violent turn. (I'm for it, thanks for asking.) Dude wants the powers that be to promise that the Others aren't the good guys. No promises are forthcoming.
5:24 p.m.: Carlton says they wanted a showdown, and that involved a body count. Damon says our guys are more violent but prettier. "When Sawyer is punching you in the face, you're like, More please, you're so attractive, can you take your shirt off please?" But when Friendly does it, it's relentless violence. Says Damon, "If the violence stays intense, it will at least be perpetrated by catastrophically good-looking people."
5:26 p.m.: Writing is a collaborative process. Every writer has their own favorite character. Eddie and Adam love Hurley and Charlie and all the minor characters; Eddie pitched the van idea for Hurley, which connected with the Ben patricide storyline.
5:27 p.m.: Lindelof says, "We have the best job in the world."
5:28 p.m.: Where's Michael? They address the stupid reporter riot yesterday and wanted to announce here that Harold is returning as Michael Dawson, but they tell the questioner they're not talking about how or when he returns.
5:30 p.m.: Damon wants to know why we're being so nice, and then they tell us there are more flashforwards coming. Carlton says flashbacks and flashforwards are both on the show going forward. "How far forward" and "with whom" are the Q's.
5:31 p.m.: Will Jack and Claire find out they are related? Carlton rings the bell on Damon, but Damon nods furiously. The crowd goes wild.
5:33 p.m.: Someone wants to know if we'll be seeing more Dharma sharks. Without addressing the fish issue directly, Carlton says, "You may be learning more about Dharma sooner than you ever imagined." Oh, I smell a clip coming tonight. Apparently, check back at 5:58 (or below at 6:07). Carlton rings the bell.
5:34 p.m.: DVD is out Dec. 11, and no reruns are expected. Why won't anyone listen to me—no one watches or airs reruns anymore! This is a JenFact! Trust me, people!
5:35 p.m.: Did Ben get caught by Rousseau on purpose? Did Ben kill the real Henry Gale? Damon says he will answer one of those questions. The asker chooses the capture question. Carlton: "He got caught by accident." Damon volunteers this, regarding Ben vs. Henry Gale: "They had words."
5:39 p.m.: They were running out of plausible flashback material, so it was time to switch gears into flashfowards. The end date allowed them the certainty necessary to add that element into the show without further antagonizing fans. Carlton: "What you saw with Kate and Jack was not the end of the show." Damon: "The show has never really been about getting off the Island...There's this whole chapter of the story that takes place off the Island." Outstanding!
5:41 p.m.: Chick wants to know when Michael is coming back. She's yelling now, Damon yells back, it's very cute. (Harold's totally here.) And now: "Ladies and gentlemen, Harold Perrineau." Ha!
5:43 p.m.: Harold is taking Q's. Damon says, "Harold is the first and only actor who has left the show as part of a grander design to come back." Uh-huh.
5:44 p.m.: Harold says, "Finally, it has all worked out...really excited to go back to Hawaii." Carlton, regarding poor crazy Michael, "He took some extreme actions." Michael's story is about the power of the Island to be redemptive. And this won't be a quick pop by Redemption Island; Harold is a series regular. TOLD. YOU. Michael returns early in the fourth season, or so says Damon.
5:45 p.m.: Dude ignores Harold to ask about Rachel Blake. Carlton says Rachel probably won't be on the Island.
5:47 p.m.: Damon says the benefits of only doing 16 episodes (versus 22) a year is they can do more ancillary "awesome" stuff.
5:48 p.m.: Someone asks what Damon and Carlton want to do in their post-Lost retirement. They don't think about it because the show is too all-consuming.
5:51 p.m.: Damon: "It's every writer's, actor's and storyteller's dream to have a dialogue with people who are watching a story you're telling. I wouldn't want to make a mistake of trying to chase something like Lost again. Might just write a pamphlet. Or a grocery list."
5:51 p.m.: Dude says he likes Richard Alpert; Damon and Carlton say (I paraphrase) don't get too attached to him, because Nestor Carbonell's on CBS' Cane.
5:52 p.m.: They're writing episode one, but it's still untitled.
5:53 p.m.: "What questions are fans not asking that we ought to be?" Carlton: "Who's in the coffin?" and rings the bell on himself. D.L. and C.C. ask Harold, "Who do you think is in the coffin?" Harold thinks it's the person with the teenage son...probably Locke! Damon would ask, "Who's on that freighter out there, and what do they want out of the Island?" Carlton would ask, "Okay, Kate and Jack got off the Island? Did anybody else get off the Island?"
5:53 p.m.: Five minutes to go in the session, three minutes until the clip, or so we are told.5:56 p.m.: Wasted question; we knew the answer: The falling dude from Hurley's building was not Locke.
5:56 p.m.: Libby time! There have been hints she worked for Dharma, so when do we find out what is up with Libby? Carlton: "It is our intention to get to Libby's story this year, and we think you will be happy when we finish that." Damon: "You're not barking up the wrong tree."
5:57 p.m.: Will there be a Danielle flashback soon? Damon: "There are important things going on in that story, and they have to sync up." They'll do that syncing in this season or next.
5:58 p.m.: They'll have written through episode 15 or 16 by the time we see the premiere, which is to say, try not to get too drunk on spoilers before the season even begins.
6:01 p.m.: A fan named Aaron asks, "Can I call the monster Cerberus?" Damon says...[nerdiness follows] On the blast-door map, C.V. stood for Cerberus Vents. "That's Dharma's name for it, maybe. Cerberus is one of it's names." Damon: "Aaron, may I call you Cerberus?" Aaron-Cerberus: The monster seems kind of seems like it represents judgment. Why did Eko have to die? Damon: The whole deal with the monster will be definitely answered. Carlton: The monster answer is "not going to be 10 seconds of blank tape." Ooh, David Chase burn.
6:04 p.m.: No more Q's for us. H.P., D.L. and C.C. have a group hug. Feel the love; I know I do.
6:05 p.m.: Shooting starts in four weeks.
6:05 p.m.: Our superspecial Comic-Con exclusive clip was "discovered" in "Narvik, Norway."
6:06 p.m.: Aw, I think he likes us. Damon: "This is literally the highlight of our year...This show was born out of the Con. We do it for you and with you."
6:07 p.m.: The promised clip is one of the station orientation films, hosted by Marvin Candle under an alias. The footage begins with him getting his makeup done and smoothing down his Dharma labcoat. Bunnies! It's about bunnies! Bunny #15, to be specific. Marvin, who calls himself Dr. Edgar Halifax in this film, identifies it as station six, the Orchid. He says the viewer has probably realized by now that he or she is not working at a mere botanical research unit. He apologizes for making him or her lie to friends and family members about the nature of the work. He mentions something that sounds like "Kasimir effect" and mentions the "unique properties of the Island." Then there's one of Jacob's subliminal messages. It may have been some variation on "as Jacob loves you." Then there's a bunny riot. One of the station's alarms blares, Dr. Halifax/Marvin panics. There's an intercut clip of someone riding a bicycle. The clip is inserted upside-down, and the rider appears to be in the village green of Otherville...And then, amid the chaos (perhaps this is the Incident?), the filmstrip slides off the reel.
6:08 p.m.: That's all, folks. Our exit soundtrack is "Got Myself a Gun" from the Sopranos credits. Clue, or just Muzak? You tell me.
Love, luck and lollipops, kids; see you in another life (brotha).
**Maggie's note: check out YouTube for the Orchid Orientation film.....it is wild!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Plane Crash From Every Angle
This is a wonderfully edited piece that shows a linear translation of the plane crash. It's every angle of Oceanic 815's demise, and it's really interesting to see all these things together, when you think about the fact that we only saw pieces of these at a time.
Special Thanks to Bret W. for passing this along.
Special Thanks to Bret W. for passing this along.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
LOST University
In the spirit of nurturing my denial of LOST's 8-month hiatus, we'll take some time here to think about what it would be like to go to college with the cast of LOST.
(Cue cheesy montage of characters doing typical college things, like eating pizza, cramming for a test or "just hangin' out" -- all to the tune of some upbeat generic alt. rock tune)
The "I'm Gonna Be Famous. Seriously" Kid: Charlie Pace. There was always that guy who had a band, and he made sure he told you roughly 8-10 times a week about his MySpace page and/or an upcoming coffee house concert: "It's gonna be really chill. Just me, a bar stool and an acoustic guitar -- covering John Mayer, all night long!" (The anger I'm displaying right now is a defense mechanism for the ultimate sadness I feel over Charlie's death)
The Insecure Rebel: Sawyer. That guy who had to do really insane things to cover some lifelong scar obtained in childhood. Often heard uttering the phrase, "Yeah, I'll drink that."
The Stoner: Hurley. Smoking pot makes you want to eat snacks, and maybe play the lottery.
Token Sorority Babe Who May Or May Not End Up On Girls Gone Wild: Shannon. Be honest, there are some girls who were molded from early age to fit the sorority girl archetype. Usually they have some faux coming-of-age moment around junior year where they realize that they're not good people, which lasts until that day's happy hour. You can only hope they don't make out with their pseudo-half-brother in a moment of confusion. Again, I say, ewwwww.
Token Frat Lord: Boone. His name is Boone. That goes well on the back of a t-shirt and can be chanted easily during a keg stand.
Professor Who Totally Freaks You Out, But Might be a Genius: John Locke. "I don't want to believe that the answers to my questions lie in a Native American sweat lodge. But maybe Professor Locke is right."
Dean of Crazy: Benjamin Linus. My name is Benjamin Linus, and I was born in the quad.
Quiet Exchange Student: Sun. An obvious choice, I know.
Child Prodigy: Walt. Remember that kid in college who was like 8 years younger than everybody, but could project his image to remote locations, summon and kill birds with his mind and warn old men not to "push the button"? There's always one.
Chemistry Professor: Arzt. That's a cheat, since his character was really a chemistry teacher. Not like my chemistry teacher in high school. Dick Caster was the Chuck Norris of Lincoln Southeast High School. He was a football coach who I'm fairly certain killed bears with his hands on the weekends.
Mascot: Vincent. LOST University, Home of the Fightin' Vincents! Another cheat, as he's the only notable non-human on the show. Unless you count Ben Linus.
University Founder: Jacob. A man whose mythology grows with each incoming class. And one night the kids get a little sauced, stumble into a haunted campus building and swear that if you look real hard you can see his ghost. Nobody believes, until shit gets crazy.
Girl Whose Boyfriend Constantly Obsesses Over Her, Despite her Attending a Different College: Penny. "Hey, Desmond, you wanna go to the bars tonight?" "I can't! Penny's calling! I haven't talked to her since noon! I'll catch ya on another night, brutha."
Guy Who Lives in That Dorm You Never Go Into: Mikhail "Patchy" Bakunin. What's he doin' in there? Why does he wear that eye patch? I'll say it if no one else will, I think he's up to something.
That Guy Nobody Likes: Paulo. Enough said.
Honorable Mention: Michael.
Thus concludes our lecture on LOST U. I hope you took notes, there will be a test.
Namaste,
Charlie.
(Cue cheesy montage of characters doing typical college things, like eating pizza, cramming for a test or "just hangin' out" -- all to the tune of some upbeat generic alt. rock tune)
The "I'm Gonna Be Famous. Seriously" Kid: Charlie Pace. There was always that guy who had a band, and he made sure he told you roughly 8-10 times a week about his MySpace page and/or an upcoming coffee house concert: "It's gonna be really chill. Just me, a bar stool and an acoustic guitar -- covering John Mayer, all night long!" (The anger I'm displaying right now is a defense mechanism for the ultimate sadness I feel over Charlie's death)
The Insecure Rebel: Sawyer. That guy who had to do really insane things to cover some lifelong scar obtained in childhood. Often heard uttering the phrase, "Yeah, I'll drink that."
The Stoner: Hurley. Smoking pot makes you want to eat snacks, and maybe play the lottery.
Token Sorority Babe Who May Or May Not End Up On Girls Gone Wild: Shannon. Be honest, there are some girls who were molded from early age to fit the sorority girl archetype. Usually they have some faux coming-of-age moment around junior year where they realize that they're not good people, which lasts until that day's happy hour. You can only hope they don't make out with their pseudo-half-brother in a moment of confusion. Again, I say, ewwwww.
Token Frat Lord: Boone. His name is Boone. That goes well on the back of a t-shirt and can be chanted easily during a keg stand.
Professor Who Totally Freaks You Out, But Might be a Genius: John Locke. "I don't want to believe that the answers to my questions lie in a Native American sweat lodge. But maybe Professor Locke is right."
Dean of Crazy: Benjamin Linus. My name is Benjamin Linus, and I was born in the quad.
Quiet Exchange Student: Sun. An obvious choice, I know.
Child Prodigy: Walt. Remember that kid in college who was like 8 years younger than everybody, but could project his image to remote locations, summon and kill birds with his mind and warn old men not to "push the button"? There's always one.
Chemistry Professor: Arzt. That's a cheat, since his character was really a chemistry teacher. Not like my chemistry teacher in high school. Dick Caster was the Chuck Norris of Lincoln Southeast High School. He was a football coach who I'm fairly certain killed bears with his hands on the weekends.
Mascot: Vincent. LOST University, Home of the Fightin' Vincents! Another cheat, as he's the only notable non-human on the show. Unless you count Ben Linus.
University Founder: Jacob. A man whose mythology grows with each incoming class. And one night the kids get a little sauced, stumble into a haunted campus building and swear that if you look real hard you can see his ghost. Nobody believes, until shit gets crazy.
Girl Whose Boyfriend Constantly Obsesses Over Her, Despite her Attending a Different College: Penny. "Hey, Desmond, you wanna go to the bars tonight?" "I can't! Penny's calling! I haven't talked to her since noon! I'll catch ya on another night, brutha."
Guy Who Lives in That Dorm You Never Go Into: Mikhail "Patchy" Bakunin. What's he doin' in there? Why does he wear that eye patch? I'll say it if no one else will, I think he's up to something.
That Guy Nobody Likes: Paulo. Enough said.
Honorable Mention: Michael.
Thus concludes our lecture on LOST U. I hope you took notes, there will be a test.
Namaste,
Charlie.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
When they were children...
Today, I will examine the favorite television shows of select LOST characters when they were children. Did their television show selection shape their future? Do you see parallels between these 30 minute episodes and future experiences on and off the island?
Kate – She-Ra
Kate was inspired by the strength and power of She-ra: Princess of Power.
Sawyer – Salute Your Shorts
Sawyer loved the practical jokes and pranks played by the kids at Camp Anawana.
Penny – Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Penny felt obligated to solve the greatest mystery: where WAS Carmen Sandiego? (Side note: In writing this blog, I think I figured out where Carmen has been this whole time: San Diego. How did I miss that? And why hasn't she been caught yet?)
Jin – Inspector Gadget
I don't know why Jin liked the intelligent Inspctor Gadget...it just made sense at the time.
Juliet – Reading Rainbow
In preparation for her future book clubs, Juliet got ideas from Lavar Burton and Reading Rainbow.
Rousseau – 3-2-1 Contact!
The science experiments on 3-2-1 Contact! prepared Rousseau for a life where science couldn't explain everything.
Jacob - Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
The idyllic world of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood gave Jacob hope for the future.
Libby – Rainbow Bright
A great show. Hands down. And Libby was smart to watch it.
Sayid – Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers
The Rescue Rangers strike again! Sayid wanted to be a chipmunk and solve crimes, too.
Mikhail – Pee-Wee’s Playhouse
Creepy. That's all that needs to be said.
Charlie – Alvin and the Chipmunks
You know...brothers who sing together and are short. It makes sense.
Ben – Rugrats
I think Ben looks like a Rugrat.
Jack – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Turtles in a half-shell. Turtle Power! Jack loved these guys.
Locke – Bill Nye the Science Guy
Locke wanted to learn everything Bill Nye knew...and use it in his own twisted life.
Hurley – ALF!
Hahahahahahahah. Hahahahaha.
Claire – Zoobilee Zoo
A weird show, just like Claire.
Boone – Power Rangers
Boone wanted to be a Power Ranger. We all know he had no chance.
Shannon – Clarissa Explains it All
Shannon is basically Clarissa. Duh.
Kate – She-Ra
Kate was inspired by the strength and power of She-ra: Princess of Power.
Sawyer – Salute Your Shorts
Sawyer loved the practical jokes and pranks played by the kids at Camp Anawana.
Penny – Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Penny felt obligated to solve the greatest mystery: where WAS Carmen Sandiego? (Side note: In writing this blog, I think I figured out where Carmen has been this whole time: San Diego. How did I miss that? And why hasn't she been caught yet?)
Jin – Inspector Gadget
I don't know why Jin liked the intelligent Inspctor Gadget...it just made sense at the time.
Juliet – Reading Rainbow
In preparation for her future book clubs, Juliet got ideas from Lavar Burton and Reading Rainbow.
Rousseau – 3-2-1 Contact!
The science experiments on 3-2-1 Contact! prepared Rousseau for a life where science couldn't explain everything.
Jacob - Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
The idyllic world of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood gave Jacob hope for the future.
Libby – Rainbow Bright
A great show. Hands down. And Libby was smart to watch it.
Sayid – Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers
The Rescue Rangers strike again! Sayid wanted to be a chipmunk and solve crimes, too.
Mikhail – Pee-Wee’s Playhouse
Creepy. That's all that needs to be said.
Charlie – Alvin and the Chipmunks
You know...brothers who sing together and are short. It makes sense.
Ben – Rugrats
I think Ben looks like a Rugrat.
Jack – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Turtles in a half-shell. Turtle Power! Jack loved these guys.
Locke – Bill Nye the Science Guy
Locke wanted to learn everything Bill Nye knew...and use it in his own twisted life.
Hurley – ALF!
Hahahahahahahah. Hahahahaha.
Claire – Zoobilee Zoo
A weird show, just like Claire.
Boone – Power Rangers
Boone wanted to be a Power Ranger. We all know he had no chance.
Shannon – Clarissa Explains it All
Shannon is basically Clarissa. Duh.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Lostocracy
What if LOST were it's own government?
Part I of However Many We Feel Like in our "LOST in Society" series.Today we'll examine what happened if the LOSTies staged a coup (on the island, or perhaps off of it in an attempt to give Jack something to do other than drink, abuse pain pills and somehow find it more productive to use maps rather than Google Earth to find his sacred island) to form their own government.
President/King/Czar: Jack Shephard. As if there was any doubt. Even if someone else tried to be president, Jack would talk them out of it. Of course, halfway through his term he would stage an internal battle of conscience over the burden of leadership.
First Lady: Kate. Hottest. First. Lady. Ever. And 10 years after Jack's done being president she can sweep in and polarize the country ("We can't vote for an ex-con!" "But she's so hot!").
Homewrecking Intern: Juliet. This saucy minx is one black felt beret short of being the Island's Lewinsky. At least she's attractive.
Supreme Court Chief Justice: Ben Linus. Sorry, I had to give him a job for fear that if I didn't he'd haunt my dreams.
Vice President: Jin. A bit of a shocker, but from what I can tell of politics, the Vice President is supposed to be a blind supporter of everything the president does, and Jin is that. He seems to trust Jack when nobody else will. Also, like our current VP, he's killed before, and he'll kill again.
Secretary of Agriculture: Sun. Partly because she's always tending her little island garden, partly because her namesake is the giver of life to all plants and vegetation on earth and partly because I thought it fitting that the most boring character on the show be given the most boring job in the government. Yawn.
Secretary of Defense: Sayid. I know some will balk at the idea of putting an Iraqi in charge of our war-time efforts. But seriously, Sayid makes Chuck Norris look like Tobey Maguire. And he's never wrong.
Secretary of Labor: Bernard. Remember when he tried to make everyone construct that giant SOS signal? Oh, Bernard, if you're wife wasn't such a good character you would've been killed off long ago. You are not rambo, you are a dentist. And a Secretary of Labor.
Secretary of Transportation/General Hilariousness: Hurley. Gotta give it to the bus-driving , wise-cracking maniac here. I imagine the real Secretary of Transportation (Mary E. Peters) is a real crack-up in those cabinet meetings - just a guess.
Secretary of Education: Sawyer. He's well-read and he can teach the children about how to turn obscure, dated pop-culture references into clever nicknames. No Smart Ass Left Behind.
Secretary of Bat Shit Craziness: Rousseau. Every government needs a loony hanging around. Clinton had his brother Roger, Bush has Cheney and the Losties have Rousseau. She's crazier than all of my ex-girlfriends combined, and that's saying something.
Under-Secretary of Bat Shit Craziness: Alex. Awww, mother-daughter psychotic behavior.
Token Benedict Arnold: Michael. "No, seriously. The Others wanted to talk to you guys. No, I don't know what it's regarding." Bastard.
Token Rasputin: Desmond. A worthy clairvoyant confidant for the Shephard administration. And little known fact: Desmond and Rasputin share the same chest hair pattern.
Token John Locke: John Locke. Please, like any government could hold John Locke. And no mere cabinet post could contain him. He'll just sit there, biding his time, plotting when/how/where/with what knife he'll defeat Jack.
And there you have it: The Lostocracy. As always, your thoughts, contributions and gushing praise are welcome. Just comment below.
Clinging to the days when LOST was on every week,
.charlie.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Upcoming TV Appearances
May 17th 2007 Josh Holloway on The View (Official Site)
May 21st 2007 Evangeline Lilly on Live with Regis and Kelly (Official Site)
May 21st 2007 Jorge Garcia on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Official Site)
May 22nd 2007 Dominic Monaghan on The View (Official Site)
May 23rd 2007 Elizabeth Mitchell on The View (Official Site)
May 21st 2007 Evangeline Lilly on Live with Regis and Kelly (Official Site)
May 21st 2007 Jorge Garcia on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Official Site)
May 22nd 2007 Dominic Monaghan on The View (Official Site)
May 23rd 2007 Elizabeth Mitchell on The View (Official Site)
Monday, May 14, 2007
Embrace Thy Nerdiness
Alright look. Ever since I started this blog, a lot of people have been pointing out what a dork I am. And they're probably right. It's kind of a wonder I don't have braces, live in my parents basement and play Dungeons and Dragons.
Here's the deal. I had to get a new wireless router last week, which meant setting up a new wireless network in my apartment, which meant renaming my router and thus renaming my whole wireless network. So on this list of available networks in my apartment complex, I have the coolest.
The proof:
Yeah that's right. My router is the Dharma router. I should secure that with "Smokey" as the password (get it!? Island security system/Wireless security system).
Wow.
Charlie.
Here's the deal. I had to get a new wireless router last week, which meant setting up a new wireless network in my apartment, which meant renaming my router and thus renaming my whole wireless network. So on this list of available networks in my apartment complex, I have the coolest.
The proof:
Yeah that's right. My router is the Dharma router. I should secure that with "Smokey" as the password (get it!? Island security system/Wireless security system).
Wow.
Charlie.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Some Light Afternoon Reading...
One of the best theories I have read so far. Enjoy! -M
Let's go back to shortly after the turn of the Twentieth century, the days of Einstein and other early theoretical physicists. This was the dawn of the age of quantum mechanics, which provided new understanding and insight into physics at the sub-atomic level. New mathematics described the behavior of the tiny particles that make up all of matter in the universe. The math was clearly described in terms of numbers, symbols, formulas... however the application to nature as we know it was strange, weird, bizarre. It was very difficult to wrap the human brain around many of the concepts of quantum mechanics, and the math alone was inadequate to explain the problems.
Thus, physicists and mathematicians turned to "Gedanken" Experiments, German for "Thought" Experiments. Applying the known concepts of quantum mechanics to situations in the "real world" allowed a conversation to take place in a way most anybody could (sort of) understand.
Before I lose you, here is an example. In the mathematics of quantum physics, time travel is THEORETICALLY possible. One of the most famous Gedanken Experiments is the Grandfather Paradox: If you could travel back in time, could you kill your grandfather?
Logic tells you that no, you could not, for if you did, you would not exist. (Pause here and consider why Locke insists that "he can't" kill his father, he needs somebody else to do it.)
The beautiful thing about Gedanken Experiments is that they are both scientific and philosophical, perfect fodder for a creative writer. In the case of the Grandfather Paradox, while they logic is clear, the actual experience of it is a mystery. Imagine actually standing there in the past, holding a loaded gun to the head of your grandfather... what would actually prevent you? "Something" would, some unknown mechanism of physics... and that is where the writers of "Lost" imagine for us.
"Lost" is a grand Gedanken Experiment, a test of science and philosophy. It asks the question, What if time travel were not only possible, but real, with technology developed in a manner as realistic and consistent with known theoretical physics as possible? And to make it even more dramatic, What if you could travel back in time, AND NOT KNOW IT?
The passengers of Flight 815 have done exactly that, and the writers have made the audience go along with them, sharing the same sense of confusion and mystery.
Let's talk about what we know about time travel today. We are not talking about cheesy movies of the past, where one can travel back to the age of dinosaurs or the middle ages. In fact, in the "real" science of time travel, a few things are known by the constraints of physics and quantum mechanics.
There is a conceptual model of a real time machine, and it works something like this:
A time machine must have two parts, essentially two portals, connected by a wormhole (or black hole or whatever you want to call it).
->Door #1 is built alongside Door #2. Door #1 is allowed to continue along the "present" timeline.
->Door #2 is encapsulated in a bubble within space-time, thus separated from the present timeline. This would require a great amount of energy and technology obviously unknown today... but thanks to the writers of "Lost," it has been solved by Dharma Industries.
The amount of separation would be only slight to begin with... say, 108 minutes. Since Door #1 exists in the present timeline, it can safely be located anywhere (Dharma headquarters?). Door #2, now operating in a different place in space-time, in the past, must be safely located in a remote location, for any type of interaction with it from the outside could be catastrophic. There is a very important concept in time travel here, which is that you can NEVER travel back further in time than the creation of your time machine; hence the impossibility of visiting the dinosaurs, etc.
Now, if the two doors of your time machine were separated by only 108 minutes at the initial "event", but then allowed to just sit there, then both timelines would progress at the same pace, forever separated by only 108 minutes. Traveling to the past, but only by 108 minutes, would not be very interesting. Much more exciting would be to keep Door #2 back at the original time of its inception, while Door #1 continues to move forward in time. You could do this by continually "resetting" the clock on Door #2. Over time, the separation between the two doors would grow and grow, from minutes, to hours, to days, to years.
If you actually had the technology to achieve time travel in this manner, there are MANY profound questions you would have to test and answer in order to be confident that you could safely operate the time machine without catastrophically altering the future.
The Grandfather Paradox is the most obvious, but actually only one of many questions.
ANSWER #1: What is the Dharma Initiative? It is the building and testing of a time machine, as described above. Door #1 is at the Dharma Headquarters, Door #2 is on the Island in the remote South Pacific. The question isn't, Where is the Island? The question is, When is the Island? The answer to that depends on how long ago, in the present timeline, the time machine was created... approximately 14 years ago, I believe.
ANSWER #2: Why must the button be pushed every 108 minutes? This "resets" the clock of Door #2 of the time machine, essentially holding it at the time of its inception in the relative past. If allowed to pass 108 minutes on the clock, then the time machine will lose the ability to reset itself. Why, then, must it be pressed by a person, and not just programmed to reset itself? This is because the controllers at Door #1 do not have control over Door #2 in the past, and should disaster strike, and nobody is left alive in the past at Door #2, it should be allowed to pass 108 minutes and no longer reset.
ANSWER #3: What happened when the clock was allowed to pass 108 minutes? Door #2 of the time machine lost the ability to reset, and will now continue to progress along a timeline into the future, locked at approximately 14 years separation from Door #1. What are some of the other critical questions, like the Grandfather Paradox, that must be answered when considering time travel? Here is a great one: What if a childless woman travels back in time and conceives a child?
ANSWER #4: A childless woman cannot travel to the past and conceive a child, because if she did, she would not have been a childless woman. In "Lost", both mother and child die before the birth, thus preserving the timeline and laws of nature. Perhaps the Others do not fully understand this, and brought in fertility doctor Juliet to see if they can overcome this obstacle. Consider another: What if a child travels back to a time before he or she was born? Perhaps nothing... but what if the child dies in the past, before being born? Again, impossible.
ANSWER #5: The Others abduct children on the Island to protect them at all costs, for they cannot allow the catastrophic violation of the laws of nature of a child dying before being conceived. And yet another: If you travel to the past, will you be the "you" of the present timeline when you arrive, or the younger "you" of the past, or some combination of the two? I do not know, but I believe this offers insight into why John Locke can walk on the Island despite being paralyzed.
ANSWER #6: Locke can walk not because the Island has powers to cure, but because he has traveled back to a time BEFORE he was ever paralyzed. He is somehow a blend of the Locke of the present and the Locke of the past.
Who is Ben?
I believe he is the creator of the time machine. The Others are his associates living in the time-space bubble around the Island and Door #2 of the time machine in the "past." They are managing it and testing the effects of time travel, and strictly controlling who exits this bubble into the outside world.
How does one arrive at the Island? There are two methods of traveling to the site (and time) of the Island.
->First is the controlled method via Door #1 at Dharma Headquarters. It is not via plane, submarine, or any other traditional method of transportation.
->The other method is in the accidental collision with the time-space bubble that surrounds the Island, as happened with Oceanic Flight 815, the Portuguese woman's helicopter, etc.
Despite the many theories that abound in online forums, the Others did not know that Flight 815 was coming or going to crash at the Island. It was a chance encounter. It was a disaster that created a paradox... what happens to a plane that crashes in the present, while entering the past?
This leads to the question of whether the passengers are alive or dead, answered by talking about a cat. Schrodinger's cat, to be specific. Again, quantum mechanics can be very strange. One of the strangest behaviors in particle physics is known as Superposition, which is the ability of a particle to occupy two different states simultaneously (like up and down, left and right, here and there, etc.). In the world we know, you cannot be both here and there, but in particle physics, a world of probability, chance, and duality, you can.
How can one imagine this? Another great Gedanken Experiment was conceived, as follows: Place a cat in a sealed, steel box, along with a bottle of poison. In addition, a radioactive element is placed within the steel box. The decay of this radioactive element triggers a hammer, which breaks the bottle, releasing the poison and killing the cat.
For the observer, outside of the box, you do not know when this radioactive decay happens. Because of the laws of Superposition, the radioactive element can occupy both states simultaneously, for the briefest moment. For that blink in time, the bottle is both broken and intact... the cat is both dead and alive, at the same time.
This is a puzzle of science, but more important perhaps is the philosophical question of what does it mean to be both dead and alive?
ANSWER #7: The passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 are dead at the bottom of the ocean. AND they are ALIVE on the Island. They are both dead and alive. Since they are alive in the "past" of the Island's timeline, can they return to the present in which they are dead? I guess that is the ultimate question that we will have to watch the show to find out.
A suggestion of an answer is found in Locke's/Sawyer's father. We were led to believe that he died in a car accident, and finds himself here on the Island. Of course he would think he's in hell! We believe that somehow Locke "willed" him here, but that was actually never said on the show. In fact, Ben said to Locke, "you brought him here." Perhaps what he means is this:
ANSWER #8: Locke's father did not die in the accident. I believe that we will find soon that Locke is going to leave the Island. The question that nobody asked Locke's father was when did the accident happen? See, Locke is going to return to the "present" timeline, and is going to pursue his father. He is going to find him, perhaps he is even going to cause his accident. He is going to drug and kidnap him, unable or unwilling to kill him by himself. He is somehow going to get him to Door #1 of the time machine and send him to the Island, where he already knows that Sawyer will kill him. Locke is going to "bring him here" to the Island... he just hasn't done it yet. When he is on the "outside" in the present, why is he going to do this? Because he has to, because it is destiny... for on the Island, it has already happened. You know Locke loves destiny. I could go on and on. Why is there a zoo with polar bears?
ANSWER #9: The animals are on the Island for testing the effects of the various paradoxes associated with time travel. Perhaps another reason is that by keeping and preserving endangered animals, like polar bears, within this bubble in the past, there is a resource for their recovery should they become extinct in the future. Consider it a Noah's Ark. How do the Others know so much about the passengers of Flight 815?
ANSWER #10: The Others have had perhaps years, with Dharma Industries in the present timeline at Door #1, to research each of the individuals, and transmit this information to the Island. To the audience and the survivors of 815, it seemed like the Others instantly knew about them. However, it likely required years of research to compile the files. There are still mysteries that remain, and stories that we do not know how they will play out. With this explanation, though, the behavior of the Others is understood. They must protect the timeline AT ALL COSTS. That makes them seem evil to the survivors of 815, but in reality their intentions are to prevent catastrophe.
Let's go back to shortly after the turn of the Twentieth century, the days of Einstein and other early theoretical physicists. This was the dawn of the age of quantum mechanics, which provided new understanding and insight into physics at the sub-atomic level. New mathematics described the behavior of the tiny particles that make up all of matter in the universe. The math was clearly described in terms of numbers, symbols, formulas... however the application to nature as we know it was strange, weird, bizarre. It was very difficult to wrap the human brain around many of the concepts of quantum mechanics, and the math alone was inadequate to explain the problems.
Thus, physicists and mathematicians turned to "Gedanken" Experiments, German for "Thought" Experiments. Applying the known concepts of quantum mechanics to situations in the "real world" allowed a conversation to take place in a way most anybody could (sort of) understand.
Before I lose you, here is an example. In the mathematics of quantum physics, time travel is THEORETICALLY possible. One of the most famous Gedanken Experiments is the Grandfather Paradox: If you could travel back in time, could you kill your grandfather?
Logic tells you that no, you could not, for if you did, you would not exist. (Pause here and consider why Locke insists that "he can't" kill his father, he needs somebody else to do it.)
The beautiful thing about Gedanken Experiments is that they are both scientific and philosophical, perfect fodder for a creative writer. In the case of the Grandfather Paradox, while they logic is clear, the actual experience of it is a mystery. Imagine actually standing there in the past, holding a loaded gun to the head of your grandfather... what would actually prevent you? "Something" would, some unknown mechanism of physics... and that is where the writers of "Lost" imagine for us.
"Lost" is a grand Gedanken Experiment, a test of science and philosophy. It asks the question, What if time travel were not only possible, but real, with technology developed in a manner as realistic and consistent with known theoretical physics as possible? And to make it even more dramatic, What if you could travel back in time, AND NOT KNOW IT?
The passengers of Flight 815 have done exactly that, and the writers have made the audience go along with them, sharing the same sense of confusion and mystery.
Let's talk about what we know about time travel today. We are not talking about cheesy movies of the past, where one can travel back to the age of dinosaurs or the middle ages. In fact, in the "real" science of time travel, a few things are known by the constraints of physics and quantum mechanics.
There is a conceptual model of a real time machine, and it works something like this:
A time machine must have two parts, essentially two portals, connected by a wormhole (or black hole or whatever you want to call it).
->Door #1 is built alongside Door #2. Door #1 is allowed to continue along the "present" timeline.
->Door #2 is encapsulated in a bubble within space-time, thus separated from the present timeline. This would require a great amount of energy and technology obviously unknown today... but thanks to the writers of "Lost," it has been solved by Dharma Industries.
The amount of separation would be only slight to begin with... say, 108 minutes. Since Door #1 exists in the present timeline, it can safely be located anywhere (Dharma headquarters?). Door #2, now operating in a different place in space-time, in the past, must be safely located in a remote location, for any type of interaction with it from the outside could be catastrophic. There is a very important concept in time travel here, which is that you can NEVER travel back further in time than the creation of your time machine; hence the impossibility of visiting the dinosaurs, etc.
Now, if the two doors of your time machine were separated by only 108 minutes at the initial "event", but then allowed to just sit there, then both timelines would progress at the same pace, forever separated by only 108 minutes. Traveling to the past, but only by 108 minutes, would not be very interesting. Much more exciting would be to keep Door #2 back at the original time of its inception, while Door #1 continues to move forward in time. You could do this by continually "resetting" the clock on Door #2. Over time, the separation between the two doors would grow and grow, from minutes, to hours, to days, to years.
If you actually had the technology to achieve time travel in this manner, there are MANY profound questions you would have to test and answer in order to be confident that you could safely operate the time machine without catastrophically altering the future.
The Grandfather Paradox is the most obvious, but actually only one of many questions.
ANSWER #1: What is the Dharma Initiative? It is the building and testing of a time machine, as described above. Door #1 is at the Dharma Headquarters, Door #2 is on the Island in the remote South Pacific. The question isn't, Where is the Island? The question is, When is the Island? The answer to that depends on how long ago, in the present timeline, the time machine was created... approximately 14 years ago, I believe.
ANSWER #2: Why must the button be pushed every 108 minutes? This "resets" the clock of Door #2 of the time machine, essentially holding it at the time of its inception in the relative past. If allowed to pass 108 minutes on the clock, then the time machine will lose the ability to reset itself. Why, then, must it be pressed by a person, and not just programmed to reset itself? This is because the controllers at Door #1 do not have control over Door #2 in the past, and should disaster strike, and nobody is left alive in the past at Door #2, it should be allowed to pass 108 minutes and no longer reset.
ANSWER #3: What happened when the clock was allowed to pass 108 minutes? Door #2 of the time machine lost the ability to reset, and will now continue to progress along a timeline into the future, locked at approximately 14 years separation from Door #1. What are some of the other critical questions, like the Grandfather Paradox, that must be answered when considering time travel? Here is a great one: What if a childless woman travels back in time and conceives a child?
ANSWER #4: A childless woman cannot travel to the past and conceive a child, because if she did, she would not have been a childless woman. In "Lost", both mother and child die before the birth, thus preserving the timeline and laws of nature. Perhaps the Others do not fully understand this, and brought in fertility doctor Juliet to see if they can overcome this obstacle. Consider another: What if a child travels back to a time before he or she was born? Perhaps nothing... but what if the child dies in the past, before being born? Again, impossible.
ANSWER #5: The Others abduct children on the Island to protect them at all costs, for they cannot allow the catastrophic violation of the laws of nature of a child dying before being conceived. And yet another: If you travel to the past, will you be the "you" of the present timeline when you arrive, or the younger "you" of the past, or some combination of the two? I do not know, but I believe this offers insight into why John Locke can walk on the Island despite being paralyzed.
ANSWER #6: Locke can walk not because the Island has powers to cure, but because he has traveled back to a time BEFORE he was ever paralyzed. He is somehow a blend of the Locke of the present and the Locke of the past.
Who is Ben?
I believe he is the creator of the time machine. The Others are his associates living in the time-space bubble around the Island and Door #2 of the time machine in the "past." They are managing it and testing the effects of time travel, and strictly controlling who exits this bubble into the outside world.
How does one arrive at the Island? There are two methods of traveling to the site (and time) of the Island.
->First is the controlled method via Door #1 at Dharma Headquarters. It is not via plane, submarine, or any other traditional method of transportation.
->The other method is in the accidental collision with the time-space bubble that surrounds the Island, as happened with Oceanic Flight 815, the Portuguese woman's helicopter, etc.
Despite the many theories that abound in online forums, the Others did not know that Flight 815 was coming or going to crash at the Island. It was a chance encounter. It was a disaster that created a paradox... what happens to a plane that crashes in the present, while entering the past?
This leads to the question of whether the passengers are alive or dead, answered by talking about a cat. Schrodinger's cat, to be specific. Again, quantum mechanics can be very strange. One of the strangest behaviors in particle physics is known as Superposition, which is the ability of a particle to occupy two different states simultaneously (like up and down, left and right, here and there, etc.). In the world we know, you cannot be both here and there, but in particle physics, a world of probability, chance, and duality, you can.
How can one imagine this? Another great Gedanken Experiment was conceived, as follows: Place a cat in a sealed, steel box, along with a bottle of poison. In addition, a radioactive element is placed within the steel box. The decay of this radioactive element triggers a hammer, which breaks the bottle, releasing the poison and killing the cat.
For the observer, outside of the box, you do not know when this radioactive decay happens. Because of the laws of Superposition, the radioactive element can occupy both states simultaneously, for the briefest moment. For that blink in time, the bottle is both broken and intact... the cat is both dead and alive, at the same time.
This is a puzzle of science, but more important perhaps is the philosophical question of what does it mean to be both dead and alive?
ANSWER #7: The passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 are dead at the bottom of the ocean. AND they are ALIVE on the Island. They are both dead and alive. Since they are alive in the "past" of the Island's timeline, can they return to the present in which they are dead? I guess that is the ultimate question that we will have to watch the show to find out.
A suggestion of an answer is found in Locke's/Sawyer's father. We were led to believe that he died in a car accident, and finds himself here on the Island. Of course he would think he's in hell! We believe that somehow Locke "willed" him here, but that was actually never said on the show. In fact, Ben said to Locke, "you brought him here." Perhaps what he means is this:
ANSWER #8: Locke's father did not die in the accident. I believe that we will find soon that Locke is going to leave the Island. The question that nobody asked Locke's father was when did the accident happen? See, Locke is going to return to the "present" timeline, and is going to pursue his father. He is going to find him, perhaps he is even going to cause his accident. He is going to drug and kidnap him, unable or unwilling to kill him by himself. He is somehow going to get him to Door #1 of the time machine and send him to the Island, where he already knows that Sawyer will kill him. Locke is going to "bring him here" to the Island... he just hasn't done it yet. When he is on the "outside" in the present, why is he going to do this? Because he has to, because it is destiny... for on the Island, it has already happened. You know Locke loves destiny. I could go on and on. Why is there a zoo with polar bears?
ANSWER #9: The animals are on the Island for testing the effects of the various paradoxes associated with time travel. Perhaps another reason is that by keeping and preserving endangered animals, like polar bears, within this bubble in the past, there is a resource for their recovery should they become extinct in the future. Consider it a Noah's Ark. How do the Others know so much about the passengers of Flight 815?
ANSWER #10: The Others have had perhaps years, with Dharma Industries in the present timeline at Door #1, to research each of the individuals, and transmit this information to the Island. To the audience and the survivors of 815, it seemed like the Others instantly knew about them. However, it likely required years of research to compile the files. There are still mysteries that remain, and stories that we do not know how they will play out. With this explanation, though, the behavior of the Others is understood. They must protect the timeline AT ALL COSTS. That makes them seem evil to the survivors of 815, but in reality their intentions are to prevent catastrophe.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
What kind of a Lost Fan are you?
A throw-back to July 2006. Below is an article by Doc Jensen that was worthy of a revival.
THE OFFICE THEORY OF LOST FANDOM
I had the pleasure of interviewing ABC's head of marketing, Mike Benson. During our conversation, Mr. Benson explained that Lost fans can be divided into three separate categories. To paraphrase, they are:
1. Heavy, super-savvy Internet users. Their fandom is expressed (daily) at places like thefuselage.com. According to Benson, the smallest segment of the Lost audience, albeit the most conspicuous. (Certainly the most interesting, in my book.)
2. Casual to heavy Internet users; tech savvy but maybe not tech intimate. They might visit places like thefuselage.com, but they only lurk. Confession: While I aspire to be like the fans at the tip of this tri-level pyramid, Doc Jensen more often makes his home in this nebulous middle stratum.
3. The largest segment of the audience. The tech aptitude is irrelevant, as their Lost fandom doesn't extend to the Internet. Presumably, these fans aren't as interested or invested in what we would call the ''mythology'' of the show.
As I have considered Benson's analysis over the past several weeks, I found myself thinking about NBC's The Office. See, to my addled mind, the breakdown of Lost fandom can be translated like this:
1. THE DWIGHT TYPE. The loud and proud geek. At the annual office Halloween party, Dwights would probably come dressed as Dr. Marvin Candle. They know every word of the Swan and Pearl orientation films. Some have even made their own orientation films and posted them at youtube.com. If you think you're a Dwight, but resent being likened to Dwight, think twice before flaming me with complaints: That would totally be a Dwight thing to do.
2. THE MICHAEL TYPE. The fuzzy middle tier of the pyramid. At the annual office Halloween party, Michaels would probably come dressed as Locke: Season One Island Shaman Hero...though they may adhere more often to the Season Two Hatch-Dazzled ''I Was Wrong'' Fool. The Michael analogy might be a little harsh, but since I myself am a Michael, I do believe these Losties share one characteristic with the character: they awkwardly straddle two worlds. Their enthusiasms trend nerdy, but are wary of ''looking nerdy.'' If you think you're a Michael, but resent being likened to Michael, think twice about flaming me with complaints — that's just the kind of nerdy thing Dwight would do.
3. THE JIM/PAM TYPE. The broad base of fandom. At the annual office Halloween party, Jims and Pams come dressed as...Jim or Pam from The Office. Jims and Pams have seen every episode of Lost, but many of them might TiVo it in favor of American Idol during the spring. They are all certainly the type of Lostie who would look at Andrew Smith's ''Ultimate Lost Theory'' and roll their eyes like a non-fan. The worst thing about a Jim or Pam is that they're probably the type who still believes that Purgatory explains the show, despite the repeated memos from Damon and Carlton. But then, they may have no idea who Damon and Carlton are...
Unsolved Mysteries: My Top 5
One of the hallmarks of this show is its ability to leave doors open, while not losing (too many) viewers to frustration. If you look back at the first season of the show, we thought about the possibility of Others on this island, and wondered about it with the same intensity that we now wonder if Juliet is good or evil. In other words, look at how far we've come. Many decry the show's arrogant attitude toward viewers, claiming that they pose more questions than they answer, knowing that they don't have to answer to anyone because they won't lose addicted viewers. But that's the beauty of LOST. Not to go sound like a religious fundamentalist, but there is a master plan, a storyline, a point A and a point B. And the best part of "The Answer" is the journey we take to get there. As such, the writers make that journey all the more scintillating by carefully manipulating storylines and plot points, leaving some doors wide open, shutting some and throwing away the key, and leaving a few others open just a crack. And be glad they do because, like it or not, it's what makes this show so good.
With that said, there are a few questions that plague me still. The top 5 that give me fits and prevent me from getting to sleep are:
5. What happened to Jack?
Something happened. You don't just go from unadulterated anger to a Kennedy Family Football Game without something going on. Brainwashing? Possible, but that would've messed him up more. A deal with Ben? Also possible, but I don't think a mere deal (from a notorious liar such as Ben) would be enough to so drastically alter Jack's demeanor. I really just don't know, but I think all of it is part of Jack's new plan -- to fend for himself. Looks like the good doc is taking a page out of his new girlfriend's book. And that's interesting, coming from the man who coined the titular phrase of last season's finale: "Live Together, Die Alone."
4. Jack and Juliet's Plan.
Nobody would argue that there is a plan after last week's eerie ending, where the two coyly hinted at a hidden agenda. But what are they hiding? My Lost Sixth Sense tells me it can't be something too evil -- if it were, they would've done a much better job of hiding it instead of acting like a 3rd grader with a playground secret. I have a hard time believing their plan will hurt the Survivors, as they don't have a reason to do that (that we know of). Rather, I think it's a matter of them making good on their promise to each other to survive and get rescued... no matter what. But how do Naomi, the phone, the helicopter, Ben's ominous "see you in a week" warning and the rest of the survivors play into that promise?
3. How does Locke fit into Ben's plans?
Locke is unlike anyone Ben has ever dealt with. His connection with the island is stronger than anyone's, so much so that Ben seems to think it was Locke (and his powerful mind) that brought Cooper to the island. Someone as manipulative as Ben has surely put LOADS of thought into how to best use Locke to serve his purpose. But how will he do that? And, maybe a better question, what is that purpose?
2. The Corporate Overlords.
Maybe I watch this show too much. Maybe I'm too liberal. Maybe a little bit of both. But I find myself unable to part with the idea that there is a connection between corporations like the Hanso Foundation, Paik Industries (Sun's dad's company) and The Widmore Corporation (Penny's dad's company). All of these corporations leave their mark all over the show; from Widmore-brand pregnancy tests to a Paik Industries banner hanging from the building in the background of a Charlie flashback to the explicit mention of the Hanso foundation in the Pearl Station's Orientation film. It's hard to imagine what kind of a common thread there might be here, but my guess is that the leaders of these corporations are in some sort of concord. Apart, they are mere faceless corporations. But together, they could pose a much more sinister threat, with the ability to do something like, ummm, I don't know, stage a plane crash? (Cue that melodramatic "Duh duh duh" music.) If there is a tie, it's importance can't be understated (hooray for conspiracy theories!).
1. The Other Others.
We've been told (those of us who nerd out and listen to interviews with the writers) that there are, indeed, two groups of "Others" (and I use the term "Others" loosely). Patchy alluded to a "purge," in which Dharma scientists were pitted against some sort of insurgency (if I remember correctly, Ben's crew is comprised of said insurgency, or at least remnants of it). But why? What led to conflict? Who's good, who's evil? Who's left? Who really won? And what effect does "The Purge" have on the current island structure. I think this is something that will be at least touched upon, if not thoroughly addressed, in this week's offering: "The Man Behind the Curtain," a Ben-centric episode. An enormous lingering part of this mystery: Jacob. Who is this man that Ben fears so much, and who seems to have some sort of omnipotent presence? I could talk more about that, but what would I write in Wednesday's preview? (That, my friends, is a tease. See you Wednesday).
Far too much time on my hands,
Charlie.
With that said, there are a few questions that plague me still. The top 5 that give me fits and prevent me from getting to sleep are:
5. What happened to Jack?
Something happened. You don't just go from unadulterated anger to a Kennedy Family Football Game without something going on. Brainwashing? Possible, but that would've messed him up more. A deal with Ben? Also possible, but I don't think a mere deal (from a notorious liar such as Ben) would be enough to so drastically alter Jack's demeanor. I really just don't know, but I think all of it is part of Jack's new plan -- to fend for himself. Looks like the good doc is taking a page out of his new girlfriend's book. And that's interesting, coming from the man who coined the titular phrase of last season's finale: "Live Together, Die Alone."
4. Jack and Juliet's Plan.
Nobody would argue that there is a plan after last week's eerie ending, where the two coyly hinted at a hidden agenda. But what are they hiding? My Lost Sixth Sense tells me it can't be something too evil -- if it were, they would've done a much better job of hiding it instead of acting like a 3rd grader with a playground secret. I have a hard time believing their plan will hurt the Survivors, as they don't have a reason to do that (that we know of). Rather, I think it's a matter of them making good on their promise to each other to survive and get rescued... no matter what. But how do Naomi, the phone, the helicopter, Ben's ominous "see you in a week" warning and the rest of the survivors play into that promise?
3. How does Locke fit into Ben's plans?
Locke is unlike anyone Ben has ever dealt with. His connection with the island is stronger than anyone's, so much so that Ben seems to think it was Locke (and his powerful mind) that brought Cooper to the island. Someone as manipulative as Ben has surely put LOADS of thought into how to best use Locke to serve his purpose. But how will he do that? And, maybe a better question, what is that purpose?
2. The Corporate Overlords.
Maybe I watch this show too much. Maybe I'm too liberal. Maybe a little bit of both. But I find myself unable to part with the idea that there is a connection between corporations like the Hanso Foundation, Paik Industries (Sun's dad's company) and The Widmore Corporation (Penny's dad's company). All of these corporations leave their mark all over the show; from Widmore-brand pregnancy tests to a Paik Industries banner hanging from the building in the background of a Charlie flashback to the explicit mention of the Hanso foundation in the Pearl Station's Orientation film. It's hard to imagine what kind of a common thread there might be here, but my guess is that the leaders of these corporations are in some sort of concord. Apart, they are mere faceless corporations. But together, they could pose a much more sinister threat, with the ability to do something like, ummm, I don't know, stage a plane crash? (Cue that melodramatic "Duh duh duh" music.) If there is a tie, it's importance can't be understated (hooray for conspiracy theories!).
1. The Other Others.
We've been told (those of us who nerd out and listen to interviews with the writers) that there are, indeed, two groups of "Others" (and I use the term "Others" loosely). Patchy alluded to a "purge," in which Dharma scientists were pitted against some sort of insurgency (if I remember correctly, Ben's crew is comprised of said insurgency, or at least remnants of it). But why? What led to conflict? Who's good, who's evil? Who's left? Who really won? And what effect does "The Purge" have on the current island structure. I think this is something that will be at least touched upon, if not thoroughly addressed, in this week's offering: "The Man Behind the Curtain," a Ben-centric episode. An enormous lingering part of this mystery: Jacob. Who is this man that Ben fears so much, and who seems to have some sort of omnipotent presence? I could talk more about that, but what would I write in Wednesday's preview? (That, my friends, is a tease. See you Wednesday).
Far too much time on my hands,
Charlie.
ABC sets end for LOST
What you need to know:
LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- ABC has set an end date for "Lost."
The Emmy-winning adventure series will run for 48 more episodes over three seasons. Each season will consist of 16 episodes, which will air uninterrupted.
"Lost" executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who have been vocal about setting up an endgame for the show, have signed on to stay for the remainder of the series' run. Their separate new eight-figure deals with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio include their services on the show as well as multiyear development pacts set to kick in when "Lost" bows out during the 2009-10 season.
"Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve," ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson said.
Lindelof said having the end point in sight was "incredibly liberating. Like we've been running a marathon and we actually know where the finish line is for the first time."
Lindelof and Cuse said they've had "a road map for the series with all the major mythological milestones and the ending in place" for awhile.
"What we didn't know was how long we had to play the story out," Cuse said. "By defining the endpoint we can now really map out the rest of the series in confidence."
There will be some puzzle play, too.
"We sort of view 'Lost' as a mosaic," Cuse said. "Now there are only 48 more tiles that go into that mosaic, and we're figuring out, along with all the other writers, exactly where they all go."
In January, Lindelof and Cuse said that they envisioned the endpoint for "Lost" around episode 100. The agreement with ABC will bring the total number of episodes to 120.
Lindelof wrote the pilot for "Lost" with fellow executive producer J.J. Abrams, and Cuse joined the series in October 2004 shortly after the show debuted to big numbers.
In addition to its instant commercial success and large following, "Lost" has enjoyed strong critical acclaim, capped by a best drama series Emmy in 2005 and best drama series Golden Globe in 2006.
While the show's ratings have softened this season -- it is averaging 15.1 million viewers to date -- it is the most recorded show on TV, gaining 18 percent more viewers through DVR viewing. It is also a popular draw for streaming replays on ABC.com, iTunes downloads and DVDs.
- Three more seasons
- 16 episodes per seasn
- Episodes will air uninterrputed (January - May)
LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- ABC has set an end date for "Lost."
The Emmy-winning adventure series will run for 48 more episodes over three seasons. Each season will consist of 16 episodes, which will air uninterrupted.
"Lost" executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who have been vocal about setting up an endgame for the show, have signed on to stay for the remainder of the series' run. Their separate new eight-figure deals with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio include their services on the show as well as multiyear development pacts set to kick in when "Lost" bows out during the 2009-10 season.
"Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve," ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson said.
Lindelof said having the end point in sight was "incredibly liberating. Like we've been running a marathon and we actually know where the finish line is for the first time."
Lindelof and Cuse said they've had "a road map for the series with all the major mythological milestones and the ending in place" for awhile.
"What we didn't know was how long we had to play the story out," Cuse said. "By defining the endpoint we can now really map out the rest of the series in confidence."
There will be some puzzle play, too.
"We sort of view 'Lost' as a mosaic," Cuse said. "Now there are only 48 more tiles that go into that mosaic, and we're figuring out, along with all the other writers, exactly where they all go."
In January, Lindelof and Cuse said that they envisioned the endpoint for "Lost" around episode 100. The agreement with ABC will bring the total number of episodes to 120.
Lindelof wrote the pilot for "Lost" with fellow executive producer J.J. Abrams, and Cuse joined the series in October 2004 shortly after the show debuted to big numbers.
In addition to its instant commercial success and large following, "Lost" has enjoyed strong critical acclaim, capped by a best drama series Emmy in 2005 and best drama series Golden Globe in 2006.
While the show's ratings have softened this season -- it is averaging 15.1 million viewers to date -- it is the most recorded show on TV, gaining 18 percent more viewers through DVR viewing. It is also a popular draw for streaming replays on ABC.com, iTunes downloads and DVDs.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Charles "Jacob" Widmore
This theory is still in its infancy, and any number of things could happen in the coming weeks to shoot holes in it. But I think it's interesting, and even if it's not 100% true, I will cling to the belief that something is up with Penny's dad, Charles Widmore. Without further adieu...
Theory
I believe that the “Jacob” whom Ben so greatly fears/respects is none other than Penny’s father, and here’s why.
The Biz
Widmore is the great entrepreneur and purveyor of a convenient array of LOST-related goods and services. Witness his commercial contributions to the show (taken from Lostpedia, I believe):
The Race
Don’t you find it odd that Desmond could get so far off course in a sailing race that he would be marooned on a desert island? I mean, if it’s a race, there would be other people around him, right? And if they saw him going astray, surely they or “race officials” would save him (or “course-correct” him, if you will), right? Well they didn’t. Somehow, in the middle of a sailing race, Desmond veered far enough off course to lose his way, and nobody came to his rescue. Something’s off there.
The Baa Baa Black Sheep
We know Charles didn’t approve of the Desmond/Penny (or Desny, if I were writing for a trashy supermarket tabloid) relationship. What better way to preemptively rid your family of a black sheep than deserting him on a remote, untraceable island?
The Penny Factor
I think Penny is partially aware of her father’s goings-on. I doubt she knows everything, but who does? She knows enough to know that there is a distant island on which her father conducts some sort of possibly sinister operation. She even knows or suspects that Desmond is there. So she contracted the Arctic cartographers to try to detect the electromagnetic anomaly and then triangulate the island’s location in hopes of finding Desmond (by the way, reread that last sentence. It’s amazing what kinds of things this show leads you to say – and somehow it makes sense). But all of these efforts must be done under the radar, away from the watchful eye of her father. Because of that — and probably because the arctic poles would provide some sort of ultra-clear detection of an electromagnetic anomaly — she has outsourced the search mission to these two Portuguese guys.
The “Brutha”
Brother Campbell’s picture with Ms. Hawking, combined with his longstanding relationship with winery patron Charles Widmore, would suggest (as you noted this morning) that the monk is somehow a pawn, or a signpost if you will, in the master plan for Desmond’s life. It begs the question, what other characters in Desmond’s life did Widmore have a connection to? My guess: Libby. Perhaps she was planted into Desmond’s life after being cured of her mental illness by an island concoction. Believe it.
The Flashes
I believe these were somehow imprinted in Desmond (via the hatch implosion) to ensure that he’d follow the path, and that he was incentified to do so by the hope of reuniting with Penny. Perhaps this is an invention of one of the Widmore companies or a product of island research.
These are my thoughts, I’d love to know what you think.
See ya in another life brutha,
Charlie.
Theory
I believe that the “Jacob” whom Ben so greatly fears/respects is none other than Penny’s father, and here’s why.
The Biz
Widmore is the great entrepreneur and purveyor of a convenient array of LOST-related goods and services. Witness his commercial contributions to the show (taken from Lostpedia, I believe):
- Sponsored or manufactured the balloon of the real Henry Gale.
- Was the maker of the pregnancy test used by Rachel ("Not in Portland"), Kate ("I Do"), and Sun ("The Whole Truth").
- Widmore Industries is seen on the London building where Charles Widmore has an office. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes").
- The Photo Stand where Desmond and Penny had their photo taken had a sign above it with a very similar shape to the Widmore logo.
The Race
Don’t you find it odd that Desmond could get so far off course in a sailing race that he would be marooned on a desert island? I mean, if it’s a race, there would be other people around him, right? And if they saw him going astray, surely they or “race officials” would save him (or “course-correct” him, if you will), right? Well they didn’t. Somehow, in the middle of a sailing race, Desmond veered far enough off course to lose his way, and nobody came to his rescue. Something’s off there.
The Baa Baa Black Sheep
We know Charles didn’t approve of the Desmond/Penny (or Desny, if I were writing for a trashy supermarket tabloid) relationship. What better way to preemptively rid your family of a black sheep than deserting him on a remote, untraceable island?
The Penny Factor
I think Penny is partially aware of her father’s goings-on. I doubt she knows everything, but who does? She knows enough to know that there is a distant island on which her father conducts some sort of possibly sinister operation. She even knows or suspects that Desmond is there. So she contracted the Arctic cartographers to try to detect the electromagnetic anomaly and then triangulate the island’s location in hopes of finding Desmond (by the way, reread that last sentence. It’s amazing what kinds of things this show leads you to say – and somehow it makes sense). But all of these efforts must be done under the radar, away from the watchful eye of her father. Because of that — and probably because the arctic poles would provide some sort of ultra-clear detection of an electromagnetic anomaly — she has outsourced the search mission to these two Portuguese guys.
The “Brutha”
Brother Campbell’s picture with Ms. Hawking, combined with his longstanding relationship with winery patron Charles Widmore, would suggest (as you noted this morning) that the monk is somehow a pawn, or a signpost if you will, in the master plan for Desmond’s life. It begs the question, what other characters in Desmond’s life did Widmore have a connection to? My guess: Libby. Perhaps she was planted into Desmond’s life after being cured of her mental illness by an island concoction. Believe it.
The Flashes
I believe these were somehow imprinted in Desmond (via the hatch implosion) to ensure that he’d follow the path, and that he was incentified to do so by the hope of reuniting with Penny. Perhaps this is an invention of one of the Widmore companies or a product of island research.
These are my thoughts, I’d love to know what you think.
See ya in another life brutha,
Charlie.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Raise Your Hand if You Saw This...
My keen and perceptive eye beheld a hidden little trinket in last night's episode. As Desmond goes to turn in his robe to his "brutha" (so that's why Desmond says "brutha"!) there is a picture on his "brutha's" desk. The picture is the man and a woman who looks pretty familiar.
That's right, it's Ms. Hawking, from Desmond's "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode.
Another interesting moment from our Brutha:
When he has Desmond help Penny with the wine (awww, there's your Grey's Anatomy moment, ladies), he tells Desmond "She's an old family friend" or something of that sort. If my conjecture that the Widmore name is important, that would mean that maybe, just maybe, Desmond's "Brutha" received orders to redirect Desmond away from monastery.
In short, was "Brutha" in cahoots with Ms. Hawking and/or The Widmores? What purpose did he serve in charting the course of Desmond's life?
Noodle that one.
Charlie.
That's right, it's Ms. Hawking, from Desmond's "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode.Another interesting moment from our Brutha:
When he has Desmond help Penny with the wine (awww, there's your Grey's Anatomy moment, ladies), he tells Desmond "She's an old family friend" or something of that sort. If my conjecture that the Widmore name is important, that would mean that maybe, just maybe, Desmond's "Brutha" received orders to redirect Desmond away from monastery.
In short, was "Brutha" in cahoots with Ms. Hawking and/or The Widmores? What purpose did he serve in charting the course of Desmond's life?
Noodle that one.
Charlie.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Summary of what is to come.
This will blow your mind. If you want a good summary of what is coming up (with quite a bit of information), take a read.
3.17 - Catch 22 (Desmond Centered)
Desmond gets a flash of the future and enlists Hurley, Charlie, and Jin to join him on a mysterious hike. Hurley becomes suspicious that Desmond may be acting without everybody's best interests in mind. Desmond's vision reference the cable that Sayid, and later Hurley, found in season one. If you'll recall, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse told BuddyTV that a major reveal was coming up concerning that cable later on. This episode will close with Desmond and the gang finding a mysterious parachutist named Naomi who may have compelling information concerning one of the current island occupants.
3.18 - D.O.C (Sun/Jin Centered)
Juliet finds out that Sun is pregnant and tells her that women who conceive on the island could die if they carry to term. Sun responds by telling her that the baby may not have been conceived on the island, in fact it may not even be Jin's child. So the two set off for the medical hatch to try to determine when the baby was conceived. Meanwhile, Desmond and his crew scramble to save the life of the mysterious Naomi and are assisted by an old enemy, seems eye patch guy survived the fence after all.
3.19 - The Brig (Locke Centered)
Locke slips away from the others and lures Sawyer away from the beach. Flashbacks will reveal what Locke has been up to with the others since they abandoned their 'village'. In a secluded Dharma holding cell, Locke will bring Sawyer together with Anthony Cooper for a fate full encounter that will resolve a long-standing season one mystery. Meanwhile, Naomi will return to the beach with some alarming information concerning flight 815, but can she be trusted?
3.20 - The Man Behind the Curtain (Ben Centered)
The past of the island is explored including how Dharma came to be there, why, and what the fateful 'purge' was really all about. Flashbacks will show Ben through various ages up until adulthood. The mysterious 'Jacob' will finally be revealed, and the question of whether any Dharma members still live will be revealed.
3.21 - The Truth About Lying / The Greatest Hits (Charlie Centric)
Rescue is finally at hand for the survivors of Oceanic 815, but first someone must reconnect an underwater sonar beacon. Despite his foretold death, Charlie volunteers. Copious rumors suggest that Charlie dies in this episode, but some new rumors I've been hearing suggest that this is a huge misdirection and there will be another highly unexpected major character death instead.
3.22/3.23 - Through the Looking Glass (Jack Centric)
This episode promises a Jack revelation of legendary proportions! Also, there will finally be an en masse collision between the beach folk and the Other's. On the speculation end of things, folks are saying that the island folk will split into two factions themselves, one led by Jack, and one by Sawyer, but the division will be at the will of another, and for purposes no one will expect.
3.17 - Catch 22 (Desmond Centered)
Desmond gets a flash of the future and enlists Hurley, Charlie, and Jin to join him on a mysterious hike. Hurley becomes suspicious that Desmond may be acting without everybody's best interests in mind. Desmond's vision reference the cable that Sayid, and later Hurley, found in season one. If you'll recall, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse told BuddyTV that a major reveal was coming up concerning that cable later on. This episode will close with Desmond and the gang finding a mysterious parachutist named Naomi who may have compelling information concerning one of the current island occupants.
3.18 - D.O.C (Sun/Jin Centered)
Juliet finds out that Sun is pregnant and tells her that women who conceive on the island could die if they carry to term. Sun responds by telling her that the baby may not have been conceived on the island, in fact it may not even be Jin's child. So the two set off for the medical hatch to try to determine when the baby was conceived. Meanwhile, Desmond and his crew scramble to save the life of the mysterious Naomi and are assisted by an old enemy, seems eye patch guy survived the fence after all.
3.19 - The Brig (Locke Centered)
Locke slips away from the others and lures Sawyer away from the beach. Flashbacks will reveal what Locke has been up to with the others since they abandoned their 'village'. In a secluded Dharma holding cell, Locke will bring Sawyer together with Anthony Cooper for a fate full encounter that will resolve a long-standing season one mystery. Meanwhile, Naomi will return to the beach with some alarming information concerning flight 815, but can she be trusted?
3.20 - The Man Behind the Curtain (Ben Centered)
The past of the island is explored including how Dharma came to be there, why, and what the fateful 'purge' was really all about. Flashbacks will show Ben through various ages up until adulthood. The mysterious 'Jacob' will finally be revealed, and the question of whether any Dharma members still live will be revealed.
3.21 - The Truth About Lying / The Greatest Hits (Charlie Centric)
Rescue is finally at hand for the survivors of Oceanic 815, but first someone must reconnect an underwater sonar beacon. Despite his foretold death, Charlie volunteers. Copious rumors suggest that Charlie dies in this episode, but some new rumors I've been hearing suggest that this is a huge misdirection and there will be another highly unexpected major character death instead.
3.22/3.23 - Through the Looking Glass (Jack Centric)
This episode promises a Jack revelation of legendary proportions! Also, there will finally be an en masse collision between the beach folk and the Other's. On the speculation end of things, folks are saying that the island folk will split into two factions themselves, one led by Jack, and one by Sawyer, but the division will be at the will of another, and for purposes no one will expect.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
An essay about the Widmores
Okay, so most of this is from lostpedia. But it is still fun.
The Widmore Corporation is a conglomerate of companies which have been featured on Lost and in the Lost Experience. It is owned by the Widmore family.
Widmore Construction has been in a "Fire + Water" flashback, where Driveshaft is filming their videoclip near Battersea Power Station, which has a Widmore Construction banner hanging from one of the building's walls. Widmore Construction is also mentioned on Thomas Werner Mittelwerk's answer phone on the Hanso phone line (part of the Lost Experience) alongside Paik Heavy Industries.
Widmore Labs
- Sponsored or manufactured the balloon of the real Henry Gale. (see photo to side; obtained on set)
- Was the maker of the pregnancy test used by Rachel ("Not in Portland"), Kate ("I Do"), and Sun ("The Whole Truth").
- Widmore Industries is seen on the London building where Charles Widmore has an office. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes").
- The Photo Stand where Desmond and Penny had their photo taken had a sign above it with a very similar shape to the Widmore logo.
Charles Widmore is a wealthy member of the Widmore family, father of Penelope (“Penny”). Charles offers Desmond a job, which Desmond declines saying all he wants is his daughter's hand in marriage. Charles does not give him permission saying Desmond "will never be a great man." ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
He disapproved of her relationship with Desmond, and while he was serving his time, Charles intercepted letters that Desmond wrote to Penelope. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
He attempted to bribe Desmond to cease the relationship and never see Penelope again. He sponsors the sailing race around the world that Desmond, in an attempt to regain his honor, was participating in when he crashed into the Island.("Live Together, Die Alone")
Penelope Widmore dated Desmond for two years prior to him meeting her father in 1996. Eventually, Penelope moved into Desmond's flat (he was apparently too proud to move into her larger one). After Desmond failed to get a job at the Widmore Corporation (or permission to marry Penny) she was rather pleased because she disliked the company of her father, and they decided to celebrate. Later, they met in London and had a photograph taken. Desmond has still been planning to marry Penny, but suddenly changed his mind just as he was about to purchase the ring. At the split up, Penelope told him he did that because he was a coward. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
Desmond joined the army but Penelope never forgot him. She placed a love letter in Desmond's copy of Our Mutual Friend before he was sent to military prison. However, he wouldn't find it until much later, after the death of Kelvin, roughly three years after he shipwrecked on the island.
Penelope's letter to Desmond: While Desmond was in prison, he wrote many letters to Penelope. Her father intercepted all of these letters so that Penelope would not be aware of them. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
After Desmond's release from prison, Penny tracked him down in the U.S. She asked him why he never wrote to her, and whether he ever had a chance to read Our Mutual Friend. When Desmond asked how she found him, she replied that with enough money and effort, you can track anyone. She then learned that Desmond had been told by her father that she had given up hope and had become engaged to another man. She neither confirmed nor denied this, only stating that they hadn't set a wedding date yet. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
More than three years later, after the discharge and the detection of an electromagnetic anomaly by the two Portuguese-speaking men at the listening station, Penny is notified by telephone at 3:05, her local time, that they 'found it.' She is referred to by the callers as "Miss Widmore" which would seem to indicate that she was not married at the time. On her nightstand is a copy of a similar photograph of her and Desmond as the one that Desmond carries. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
The Widmore Corporation is a conglomerate of companies which have been featured on Lost and in the Lost Experience. It is owned by the Widmore family.
Widmore Construction has been in a "Fire + Water" flashback, where Driveshaft is filming their videoclip near Battersea Power Station, which has a Widmore Construction banner hanging from one of the building's walls. Widmore Construction is also mentioned on Thomas Werner Mittelwerk's answer phone on the Hanso phone line (part of the Lost Experience) alongside Paik Heavy Industries.
Widmore Labs
- Sponsored or manufactured the balloon of the real Henry Gale. (see photo to side; obtained on set)
- Was the maker of the pregnancy test used by Rachel ("Not in Portland"), Kate ("I Do"), and Sun ("The Whole Truth").
- Widmore Industries is seen on the London building where Charles Widmore has an office. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes").
- The Photo Stand where Desmond and Penny had their photo taken had a sign above it with a very similar shape to the Widmore logo.
Charles Widmore is a wealthy member of the Widmore family, father of Penelope (“Penny”). Charles offers Desmond a job, which Desmond declines saying all he wants is his daughter's hand in marriage. Charles does not give him permission saying Desmond "will never be a great man." ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
He disapproved of her relationship with Desmond, and while he was serving his time, Charles intercepted letters that Desmond wrote to Penelope. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
He attempted to bribe Desmond to cease the relationship and never see Penelope again. He sponsors the sailing race around the world that Desmond, in an attempt to regain his honor, was participating in when he crashed into the Island.("Live Together, Die Alone")
Penelope Widmore dated Desmond for two years prior to him meeting her father in 1996. Eventually, Penelope moved into Desmond's flat (he was apparently too proud to move into her larger one). After Desmond failed to get a job at the Widmore Corporation (or permission to marry Penny) she was rather pleased because she disliked the company of her father, and they decided to celebrate. Later, they met in London and had a photograph taken. Desmond has still been planning to marry Penny, but suddenly changed his mind just as he was about to purchase the ring. At the split up, Penelope told him he did that because he was a coward. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
Desmond joined the army but Penelope never forgot him. She placed a love letter in Desmond's copy of Our Mutual Friend before he was sent to military prison. However, he wouldn't find it until much later, after the death of Kelvin, roughly three years after he shipwrecked on the island.
Penelope's letter to Desmond: While Desmond was in prison, he wrote many letters to Penelope. Her father intercepted all of these letters so that Penelope would not be aware of them. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
After Desmond's release from prison, Penny tracked him down in the U.S. She asked him why he never wrote to her, and whether he ever had a chance to read Our Mutual Friend. When Desmond asked how she found him, she replied that with enough money and effort, you can track anyone. She then learned that Desmond had been told by her father that she had given up hope and had become engaged to another man. She neither confirmed nor denied this, only stating that they hadn't set a wedding date yet. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
More than three years later, after the discharge and the detection of an electromagnetic anomaly by the two Portuguese-speaking men at the listening station, Penny is notified by telephone at 3:05, her local time, that they 'found it.' She is referred to by the callers as "Miss Widmore" which would seem to indicate that she was not married at the time. On her nightstand is a copy of a similar photograph of her and Desmond as the one that Desmond carries. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Good Things to Come
So this year I've heard some mixed reviews for LOST on the whole. Now I am not a blind subscriber to all things LOST. They've made frustrating missteps and avoided certain storylines that I would've liked to see covered. But I still hold to the belief that this show is the best on television. And I think I'm about to be proved right in the next month or so.
In the coming weeks, we will be treated to flashbacks for Juliet, Desmond, Jin/Sun and Charlie -- these are for sure. And word on the street is, we're going to get the back story on these two:
The DeGroots (sp?). If you don't remember who they are, consult the Orientation Film that the Survivors found in the first hatch. And I quote: "Gerald and Karen DeGroot. Two doctoral candidates from the University of Michigan... (who) imagined a large-scale communal research compound." That's right, it's time to learn about Mama and Papa Dharma (and maybe their son, Ben? No no, what would be too good. But what if...)
My point is this: disappointed with the show or more hooked than ever (like me) I think the pieces are in place to make this an exceptional last 1/3 of the season. We'll examine mysteries such as the Jin/Sun paternity issue (hopefully more interesting than the Anna Nicole Smith story [cue vomit]), John's father and Charlie's fate.
A lot of seeds have been planted in the last year, and I think we're about to see just what they grow into.
This is not the official preview for 4.11, just an overall summary/teaser for the stretch run of Season 3. It's gonna be a good one.
Charlie.
In the coming weeks, we will be treated to flashbacks for Juliet, Desmond, Jin/Sun and Charlie -- these are for sure. And word on the street is, we're going to get the back story on these two:
The DeGroots (sp?). If you don't remember who they are, consult the Orientation Film that the Survivors found in the first hatch. And I quote: "Gerald and Karen DeGroot. Two doctoral candidates from the University of Michigan... (who) imagined a large-scale communal research compound." That's right, it's time to learn about Mama and Papa Dharma (and maybe their son, Ben? No no, what would be too good. But what if...)My point is this: disappointed with the show or more hooked than ever (like me) I think the pieces are in place to make this an exceptional last 1/3 of the season. We'll examine mysteries such as the Jin/Sun paternity issue (hopefully more interesting than the Anna Nicole Smith story [cue vomit]), John's father and Charlie's fate.
A lot of seeds have been planted in the last year, and I think we're about to see just what they grow into.
This is not the official preview for 4.11, just an overall summary/teaser for the stretch run of Season 3. It's gonna be a good one.
Charlie.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
season tres (from James)
Though the beginning of the season started with the fascinating pan-out to reveal The Other's modern community, I've felt a little dissapointed with the direction of season 3, at least for the first half of episodes. I was starting to lose interest, the excitment was fading, and while I'm finishing the show even if there is a giant magic box on the island that's holding Jack's Dad and Kate's stallion, and Lock's wheelchair...I was kinda' bored. BUT...these last few episodes have restored my faith in the show, and have me anticipating each episode almost as I did during season 1. They brought back the characters I know and love, returned some of the island's mystical capabilities, and the castaways are exploring again. The show is back on the island. Though i can't say i was really into desmond's recent episode(let's hope he's not a christ figure or something equally overdone). In a recent podcast, the creators said if you don't think the others are that bad, just wait. While I liked the others better when they were still mysterious and i thought they lived in huts, I'm excited to see how bad they'll become(ethan is a badass). I also haven't given up the theory that there's another group on the island. Other than that I still hate Alex and her dumpy boyfriend (he should soon be killed). Good preview, Charlie.
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