In recent weeks, I’ve received quite a bit of heat from people on Twitter over my passionately vocalized opinions towards the FOX hit Glee, including suggestions that I simply stop watching the show should I continue to approach it with such bitter cynicism. I could understand their reaction, simply because I’m not very funny, thus rendering these frequent attempts at snark essentially null and unworthy of being brought up. But I just cannot quit Glee. There’s a certain charm to its wild tonal and character inconsistencies that make it one of the most worthwhile television experiences this season. Though I always vocalize solely my frustrations over the show’s utter incompetence and idiocy, those same factors may be what I love about the show so much, because, pardon the pun, no show brings me as much glee as Glee.

Creatively, the show is nothing short of fascinating. Some weeks ago, Todd VanDerWerff posted an interview he did with Ian Brennan, largely concerning the conception of the series through its current, ongoing creative process. Brennan described the development of an episode as the three writers (Brennan, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Falchuk) essentially spitballing ideas on a week-to-week basis, and collaboratively drafting a script around whatever sticks. This model breaks away from the standard television conventions, and probably plays a large part in what I find so endearing about Glee – its insane energy. But I had to grow into this appreciation. Contrary to the constant embitterment I seem to direct at the show, I’m enjoying this season much more than the last, not in spite of its ridiculousness, but because of it.

I watch and judge television on a very emotional basis. Shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica, though ripe for thematic and philosophical analysis, ultimately spoke to me through emotional demonstrations – episodes provoked tears, or joy (very rare on BSG), or utter shock. Glee is similarly emotional, though not to a deadening capacity. The insanity of the show brings a certain frankness and alleviation on a weekly basis. That it doesn’t necessarily try to be a critically good show is what makes it a great show, one that rewards week to week. It’s entirely unpredictable in its clichéd predictability (if that makes any sense), putting something new forward every week and trying to one-up itself constantly, often to its detriment. It’s when the show settles for bored mediocrity, like the most recent episode Comeback, that I fail to be emotionally rewarded. The Big Bang Theory is the same mediocre shtick week to week, abiding to its formula and failing to develop its characters because people continue to watch. Were Glee to ever do that, I would love the show a whole lot less.

From a critical standpoint, is the show terrible? Absolutely. Flimsy characters service the plot, rather than the plot servicing them. They are shapeshifters of variable likeability and common sense on a week-to-week basis. Yet, the variability of these characters, regardless of whether it makes sense or not, energizes and invigorates the show to the extent of it being thoroughly enjoyable. Being pissed is just as equal of an emotional response as being charmed – Glee stimulates me emotionally more than anything else currently on television.

And it’s not like the show is terrible through and through. Episodes like Duets, The Substitute, or Silly Love Songs have generally received praise for their smaller scale stories revolving around a central emotional core. Does that mean that they are devoid of any insanity or off-the-wall humor? Absolutely not. But they do prove that the show is capable of bringing emotionally fulfilling episodes that no other show currently on can do, and it’s episodes like these that make me want to continue to watch Glee. That, and the fact that an excellent episode like Duets could fall directly before that ridiculous atrocity of a Rocky Horror tribute.

Good grief, I need to write more regularly. This is embarrassing, because I’m basically out of stuff to say. There’s a lot more that I feel beyond what I’ve typed in this short (failed) articulation of my opinion on the show, but I’m too out of it to properly phrase them. Criticism of the show’s presentation of diversity (and the undeserving praise it acclaims for it) is an intensely heated discussion point, but at this moment, I don’t really care. Though nitpicking (read: tearing a show apart) is fun, and Glee provides more than enough material for that to happen, it’s not primarily why I watch the show. The show’s capacity for fun and alleviation amidst all the droll, played-out crap on television is why I tune in every week. The three writers rarely seem to settle for anything less than their all, and that unique passion could bring out an awful Britney Spears tribute, or it could bring out a warm, earnest Silly Love Songs. You never know what you’re going to get the next week, and that’s a core element of the fun of the show.

Besides, if I didn’t watch Glee, I wouldn’t retain nearly enough enjoyment out of Glee Sucks dot com.

I swear, there’s a good reason I haven’t typed anything up in the last two weeks.

The aforementioned reason can be summed up into one word: Meh.

While Dr. Linus was a nice redemption story of a consistently intriguing character, I wasn’t impressed. Michael Emerson was superb as always. The further implementation of Miles’s sarcastic humor was a welcome addition to the show dynamic. While the end slo-mo of the Losties reuniting was overdone (Where’s Jin?!?!?!), the score’s comment on how the Island, the beach they lived on for the first four seasons of the show, is their home – that stroke of genius absolutely saved that otherwise painful series of hugs, smiles, and introductions.

Dr. Linus was definitely a parallel episode to Sundown. While chronologically the episodes don’t fall on the same date, as far as themes and ideas go, Sundown and Dr. Linus were one and the same, reflecting bad and good respectively. Sundown followed Sayid’s descent to darkness, being consumed by the evil within by the end; in Dr. Linus, we witnessed Ben, one of the baddest, most manipulative men on the Island, transform before our eyes into one of the good guys. Both episodes ended with sides being taken, the teams well-defined. At the end of Sundown, I was left wanting so much more, and that epic prelude to something more epic stuck in my head all week. At the end of Dr. Linus, I wanted the same thing – more – but for an entirely different reason. I was let down. After all the incredible plot progression of Sundown, the epic it foreshadowed, the epic it delivered, Dr. Linus didn’t live up. It was straight-forward, it was stand-alone. In my opinion, all the lavish praise directed toward it was unearned. I was let down.

And I’m sure the general opinion of Recon has been well voiced. I enjoyed the episode – it probably featured the best flash-sideways story (at least premise) of the season thus far. But at the end of the day, it felt purposeless, it felt like a let-down. The horribly flat ending didn’t help the episode’s case at all.

Don’t get me wrong, as episodes by themselves, Dr. Linus and Recon were fine hours of television. Lost always is. But when put in the context of this being Lost’s final season, that we are closer to the final hours of Lost with every episode, they disappoint. It being the final season, every episode should be a “The Substitute,” a “Lighthouse,” a “Sundown.” Three very different episodes, fantastic in very different ways. But fantastic none-the-less.

The last two episodes have been very character-centric. Hell, the season has revolved around the singular characters, and there’s nothing wrong with that; in television, characters should be the most important element. However, character development, character growth, that can all happen without pushing the story to the background. Every week, we’re promised our questions will be answered. Can you name a single question that has been answered within the last two weeks?

At this point in the season, the weakest link is undoubtedly the flash-sideways. We’re almost halfway through the season, and in the context of the show, we still have no hint of the flash-sideways mattering. I have faith that it will matter. But there hasn’t been any gratification, no clues to munch on. The flash-sideways are just there. And while they function very similarly to the flashbacks of Lost’s first three seasons, it’s completely different. I’ve been rewatching Lost in preparation for when it all comes to an epic end Sunday, May 23^rd. The flashbacks are there to expand the characters, for experiences to reflect on and off the Island, for the core of these characters, their motivations, their fears, their histories, to resonate throughout the story. The way they were implemented was very structurally sound – as characters experienced events on the Island, they recalled similar experiences in their life off the Island. In the acting, the editing, the directing, you can see how they are reflecting on their lives before the crash. Around Season Four, with the flashes being pushed to the future, they became much more about advancing the plot rather than fleshing out the characters. This continued on through Season Five, in which many episodes didn’t even have a true centricity, the story instead choosing to focus on the big plot picture. But now, in Season Six, we see them trying to return to Season One structure with these flash-sideways. The stories are straight-forward, not particularly consequential in the big picture. At the moment, it really just feels like a device for the writers to have fun with the What If? scenario and bring actors back to shoot a cameo here, a cameo there. They don’t feel important – It’s not like the Islandverse characters are reflecting on their LAverse selves, and vice versa. It’s two different realities, one of which doesn’t feel all that relevant to the season, to the series. I’m sure that in the end, it’ll all make sense, it’ll all be justified. But I can’t just strap in and enjoy the ride if the puzzling circumstances of character connections are constantly on my mind, if the end isn’t even barely in sight. When these alternate backstories are proposed, backstories it took these characters three seasons to build up, and you just know that every question concerning the differences of the realities, every opened plot, is not going to be resolved. At the end of the day, I just sure as hell hope the writers know what they’re doing.

I feel like that missing plot of an episode can be traced back to the flash-sideways, the fact that at least a third of the episode, probably more like a half, is devoted to these flashes. While we could be delving into the mythology of the Island, answering questions, advancing the plot in a less minute fashion, we’re instead getting Sawyer feeling all alone. And while these function well for analyzing the true cores of these characters, couldn’t we get by without them?

Thankfully, we are getting a break from the LAverse (at least I think we are), with the long anticipated Alpert-centric episode AB AETERNO. My only hope is that it doesn’t disappoint. I don’t need Lost to become infamous as the show that pulled a Heroes.

The point is LOST. All this season, no episode has been like another. “The Substitute” was mythos-heavy, mind-blowing madness. And while “Lighthouse” still contained a little bit of insanity, it was primarily a very well done character study of Jack. So what is “Sundown”? We didn’t learn a lot about the Island, or Smokey, or Jacob. We didn’t gain much insight into Sayid’s character via the flash-sideways. It did however, move the plot along at an epic pace. They’re coming. And by that, I mean week after week amazingness is upon us. Sundown.

So, due to the nature of this episode, I’m gonna try abandoning my usual droll format and go with something a little more insightful, a little more to the point, a little more interesting. If you prefer one format over the other, please comment! I’d love to make these reviews as easy on the eyes and comprehension skills as possible.

We didn’t learn tons from the flash-sideways. We saw Nadia again (Yay!), but this time with Sayid’s brother Omer (not to be confused with Omar, who comes into play (if that’s what they call it) a bit later on). Sayid still loves Nadia, Nadia stills has feelings for Sayid, Omer is the third wheel in this relationship despite being the frakking husband. Child actors like the one who played David Shephard are rarely happened upon, as demonstrated in this episode, the kids’ dialogue feeling clunky and unbelievable (in part to both the writing and the acting). Happy Sayid, however, is a WONDERFUL sight, and seeing Naveen Andrews with a smile across is face is just a delightful experience that occurs far too rarely.

When Omer gets involved with the Los Angeles crime scene, taking a loan to open up a second dry-cleaning shop, things don’t end well, delivering Omer to a hospital where Dr. Jack Shephard, M.D. also presides. Sayid ends up getting involved, finding himself in a van with Omar, mercenary / grenade fodder extraordinaire from Season Four Island time. Omar and random other meatbag bring Sayid to the restaurant kitchen of none other than Martin Christopher Keamy, who’s making eggs! This reminded me of the episode “Eggtown,” which, coincidentally enough, contains the fantastic line, “Enjoy your breakfast.” I’m sure Keamy could cook up an enjoyable breakfast indeed.

So Keamy is still awesome in this alternate universe, though in a totally different way. While not the absolute bad ass he once was, he makes you smile. Sayid’s diplomacy with Keamy ends in the death of Omar and other meatbag, at which points Keamy pleads for his life, offering to call off Omer’s debt to him. Sayid, however, keeps his gun aimed at Keamy’s heart and pulls the trigger. He cannot forget.

This was the core point of the Sayid flash, as is so often with his centric episodes. At his center, at his core, Sayid is a killer, and he cannot forget that part of him. He tortured people. In the Islandverse, he was an assassin under Ben. At his most basic, Sayid is a killer. More on that later.

Sayid then hears muffled cries and banging noises coming from a walk-in freezer. Sayid enters the freezer and ungags the man, who proceeds to plead for mercy in Korean. It’s Jin. I sense future flashsideways! Which means that Keamy will return! Huzzah.

As insane and eventful as the on-Island stuff was, there’s not much I can say without boring you with near-verbatim Lostpedia recaps. Let’s see if I can pull this off.

Sayid barges into Dogen’s chambers, demanding for information about the machine and the tests Sayid endured in “What Kate Does.” And Dogen delivers one of the most important (though somewhat forced) lines of the season:

“For every man there is a scale. On one side of the scale there is good. On the other side, evil. This machine tells us how this scale is balanced. And yours tipped the wrong way.”

I’m sorry, Dogen, did you say scale?

In this episode, it became quite clear that infection was not a method of Smokey seizing control of a host. He still had to recruit Sayid. The infection, however, lapses the host into a primal state, in which one’s core emotions, one’s true soul, seizes control of one’s thoughts and actions. At his base, Sayid was a killer. And after the infection reached his heart, such was what he became. We saw this in the flash-sideways – despite his best attempts to abandon his life as a torturer and a killer, that life kept dragging him back in. At her core, Claire was just a mother concerned about the well-being of her son. After three years on the Island evading Others and the like, she went crazy, psycho killer Clousseau. A.k.a., best Emilie de Ravin ever.

In both cases, however, they weren’t automatically claimed by Smokey. It comes down to free will, one of those central themes the show has always revolved around. Smokey takes advantage of their mentally malleable state, bringing the infected over to his side of this war with Jacob. Now that they are no longer candidates of Jacob, having died and been infected, they are free game for either side – only Smokey takes advantage.

And oh yeah, the imagery with the scale. Like that scale in the cave, white stone on what balance, black rock on the other. One theory I’ve seen getting kicked around is that Jacob and Man in Black are, in fact, the same person, an ultimate case of split personalities. Was the scale being tipped in favor of the dark a way to represent that the darkness won, that in the end, it was Smokey who emerged victorious? There’s good and evil in all of us, shades of grey, if you will, and for it to be as clear-cut as presented in the cave just seems ludicrous to me. Neither Jacob nor Smokey represent pure good or pure evil to me. Merely varying violent shades of the same black. And lest we forget, it only ends once. Everything before that is just progress.

So we have an epic brawl, senior ninja master versus Iraqi soldier! And it was probably the best fight on the show thus far! Just pure awesome. Team Jacob nearly wins the feud had it not been for Dogen’s baseball dropping to the floor. But alas, it does, and the round is over with Dogen on top, banishing Sayid from the Temple. RING DING DING!

Claire arrives at the Temple, sent by Smokey, and tells Dogen that Smokey wants to see him. Dogen, the smart pretentious Asian he is, respectfully refuses, sending Sayid with an ancient ceremonial dagger instead to finish the Man in Black off. And Sayid does so, stabbing Not-Locke in the chest after some epic Smokey sound effects and whooshes are cued. It’s not very effective as Not-Locke removes the blade from his chest.

“Now why’d you go and do that?”

Master manipulator Not-Locke gives Sayid his “Join me on the Dark Side” speech. If Sayid delivers a message to Dogen, he will give Sayid anything he wants, anything in the entire world, much akin to Ben’s magic box of Season Three lore (“It was a metephor, John.”). The only thing Sayid ever wanted died in his arms, and he will never see Nadia again. But what if you could, Locke asks. “What if you could?”

One more step towards the flash-sideways being relevant. Does Smokey know of a way to cross the universes? Was Smokey from another universe where the Island never existed, and that universe, the LAverse, is his home?

Sayid returns to the Temple, announcing that bad stuff is going down at sundown, and the only way you will live is if you join Smokey, who is leaving the Island. Apparently, the Templees were obligated to inhabit the Temple by Jacob as well. Innnnteresting. Meanwhile, Kate finds Claire and her creepy imaginary baybay who hearts “Catch A Falling Star.” In this awaited encounter, Emilie de Ravin perfectly delivers probably the creepiest line of the episode, punctuated by sinister smile:

“He’s coming, Kate. He’s coming and you can’t stop him.”

de Ravin’s performance in this episode, as well as the rest of the season, has been just great. Never have I loved her character more than these past few episodes, and perhaps it’s because Claire just really isn’t Claire, not complaining about her baybay and how she doesn’t want Aaron around Charlay. Instead of whining in a high-pitched wail, she addresses her problems with axe swings and horrifyingly sung lullabies. Clousseau = amazing.

Later in the pool room, we gain some insight into the character of Dogen, accompanied by some epic cues of the Temple theme and Jacob’s theme. He had been a banker in Osaka with a twelve-year-old son who loved playing baseball (ANSWER ALERT!). He learned the hard way to never drink and drive, getting in a serious car accident with his son on board after celebrating his promotion with some co-workers. His son in the hospital, Dogen was approached by a man who struck a bargain: Dogen’s son could be saved, but only if Dogen came to the Island and worked there, never to see his son again. Jacob drives a hard bargain. After reciting his sorrowful tale, sundown hits, and Sayid chooses to stay. Stay to kill Dogen by exacting revenge and drowning him in the Temple pool! BAMF!

Lennon walks in to the sight of Dogen floating in the pool, and he’s a bit appalled at this sight. Apparently, Dogen was the only thing keeping Smokey out of the Temple (and the ash wasn’t? I’m confused…), and now that he’s dead, the Smoke Monster is free to wreak all the havoc he wants. Sayid knows. Lennon’s throat is slit, and he falls in the pool alongside his pretentious Asian former leader. BAMF!

Smoke Monster proceeds to charge through the Temple, killing Others left and right, sending Miles and Kate fleeing for cover. BAMF!

As if with most epic episodes, parties converge. While Kate joins Claire in her prison hole to escape from the Smokey train, Ilana and the rest of the Statue Crew bust into the Temple, finally almost reunited with the true primary characters. Much to my amusement, Sun’s only lines of the episode are questions (something along the lines of “My husband is alive? Where is he?”). And Ilana proves her status as an important character, knowing all the secret vaults of the Temple better than any and all of the Others. And she’s been on the Island for not even a week! Ben splits off from the groups and finds Sayid sitting near the pool. Ben tells Sayid it’s time to escape, to which Sayid eerily replies, “Not for me.” The Sayid we’ve known and loved for the last five seasons of the show is dead, as far as I’m concerned. Because that glimpse of complete bewilderment, confusion, and terror in Ben’s eyes – it was because the man he was looking at was no longer Sayid. He’s been infected. He’s been claimed.

And thus commences one of the most impactful, artfully brilliant, and most exciting cliff-hangers of an episode of Lost ever. I need not comment on the exhilaration and disturbing sensations associated with my viewing of it. You can experience the haunting, ethereal brilliance  again for yourself.

As I said at the beginning of this post, “Sundown” didn’t deliver a ton of mythos, nor did it deliver a ton of character development. But if I were to describe the episode in one word, it would be eventful. It was an entirely different beast compared to the rest of the season, and I loved it all the same. And the while some parts were quite epic, the amazingness of the episode lies in sensing the epicness that is to come. “Sundown” was like last season’s “Follow the Leader” – not tons of epic transpired. But tons of epic will.

And think about it, we have 18 hours this season, which places us at only a third of the way through the season. These past six episodes have been the calm before the storm, the build before the levels of epic only the final season of a show could pull off. I have no doubt the next twelve episodes will be the most consistently extraordinary run of television ever (with maybe one fluke somewhere in the middle). “Sundown” was the penultimate episode to a twelve-part series finale.

They’re coming.

“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away…

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day…”

EPISODE RATING: (4.3/5)

So, as I said yesterday, a HUGE part of the awesomeness of this episode was the nostalgia factor. Callbacks to Season One, especially “White Rabbit” (as seen in the flash-sideways as well as on-Island amazingness) are prominent throughout, and every time something was mentioned or referenced from earlier events, I just wiggled around in my seat in joy, a gleeful grin transfixed on my face. Awesome.

It opens with Jack’s face, muddled in the droplets of rain rippling the surface of the water. Just like his face in the water, Jack’s intentions and motivations on the Island are muddled as well – he’s unsure of what his purpose is, what he’s doing on the Island. And that’s the deepest observation you’re going to get from me in this blog.

Curiously, the rain stops as Dogen exits the Temple and approaches Jack. They’re all buddy buddy now, it seems.

@fanboytristan It’s called tic-tac-toe you upside-down fool.

Hurley goes into the Temple to ask for directions to the kitchen (didn’t Miles and Hurley say they were going to the dining hall a day ago?). In the Temple, he finds GHOST JACOB. EPIC. After informing him the kitchen is at the end of the hall, he tells Hugo that he’s come because he needs Hugo’s help. Hurley needs a pen, for he’ll have to write some things down (equally EPIC). Someone is coming to the Island (more on that tomorrow). Jacob needs Hurley to help him find it. Can I say EPIC once more? Cause damn, that describes Jacob’s theme. Boy, am I glad Giacchino isn’t doing ten thousand movies like he was last season. The score this season has been INCREDIBLE. And epic.

Now random Sayid scene. I suppose it’s necessary considering the infection epicness that will likely transpire next week.

And Hurley’s in some random hallway with hoards of hieroglyphics as epic Temple theme plays. Hurley’s a big fan of “temples, and history, and Indiana Jones stuff.” Pretentious Asian Dogen finds him, but as Hurley’s about to be busted, we see Ghost Jacob again! He assures Hugo that he’s a candidate, that he can do whatever he wants. Hugo reassures it to Dogen. And Dogen is FREAKED OUT.

It’s clear now that the slip of paper inside the breakable wooden ankh was a list of Jacob’s candidates, and that with this information in hand, it is absolutely vital that they be protected. Hurley, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Kwon, and Sayid. ESPECIALLY Sayid. Though risk was involved in dunking Sayid in the Temple pool, it was necessary that they try to revitalize him at all costs. They couldn’t risk it being their fault Sayid, one of Jacob’s last remaining candidates, is dead. This is why the guards stepped aside for Jack without any question in “What Kate Does,” why Dogen walks off saying that he would behead Hurley was he not a candidate. As they are candidates, they are to be protected, because, in essence, any one of them could be the next Jacob, their future leader.

“I just lied to a samurai.”

Jacob really is a manipulative bastard. He makes sure Hurley takes Jack to the Lighthouse. How so? Hurley tells Jack, as a message from Jacob, “You have what it takes.” Now how did Jacob arrive upon this information? Obvious answer is that Jacob extrapolated it from Jack’s memories or from his observations via crazy lighthouse mirror. But could Christian actually be on Jacob’s side? Could the infection actually be a result of Jacob’s doing, explaining Smokey’s apparent lack of knowledge of the claiming of Sayid? While this is unlikely, the theory that Jacob is the real bad guy would be helped big time by this. Jacob was a huge keeper of secrets.

Jack and Hurley stumble upon Kate on their journey. She’s very odd, very out-of-character in this go around. Maybe it’s because she’s no longer tortured by the love triangle with Sawyer’s current emotional state. But she seemed very upbeat and off in the scene. Maybe she’s just back to her “flirt with Jack” Season One standards? The exchange at least didn’t induce a groan. Kate probably won’t be this happy once she finally finds Claire.

Poor Hurley is sorry for “wrecking Jack’s game with Kate.” Jack steps on a random object on the ground, though it’s not really all that random an object. It’s an inhaler! And Hurley knows! “Dude, it’s Shannon’s.” EPIC! By Hurley’s directions on his arms, the two have stumbled upon the caves! Oh, how I have missed thee. And what’s in the caves but Adam and Eve? It’s been theorized since their introduction that they could be a couple of the characters we fell in love with from the pilot. And with the introduction of time travel craziness and what-not… Hurley lays it down.

“What if we time-traveled again to, like, dinosaur times? Would if we died and then got buried here? What if these skeletons are us?”

And Jack’s not an ass about it. No “That’s ridiculous, Hurley, there’s no such thing as time travel.”  No “Dinosaurs never existed, Hurley.” Jack is a much more reasonable man with Hurley in this scene, and though his character’s undergone a huge shift of attitude, of faith within the last couple seasons, I believe a huge portion of Jack’s open-mindedness can be attributed to the fact that he’s talking to Hurley, that shred of innocence and fun among an Island filled with not much other than distraught and despair. And as we see next, Jack is much more open with Hurley about himself and his experiences. Around Hurley, Jack isn’t trying to be a leader; Jack is just being Jack.

He recalls the events of “White Rabbit” when he chased an apparition of his dead father and came upon the caves. He points out his father’s smashed coffin, and, knowing that Hurley will believe him, explains how his father wasn’t in it. Matthew Fox’s performance in this scene, in later scenes, and in this episode as a whole, truly provides some great insight into the man that is Jack Shephard.

“This is cool, dude. Very old school. […] You and me, trekking through the jungle, on our way to do something we don’t really understand. Good times.”

Leading up to this season and throughout it, Damon and Carlton have been labeling Season Six as a return to the tone and feel of Season One, and this scene is brilliant in its reflection of the past, the present, and the future of the season. Amidst all this mythological craziness, it seems these things have opened gateways into new locations, new ideas, and especially revisiting old locations in a whole different light. Jacob, the Man in Black, the Temple, the Cave, the Lighthouse – it’s all very new to them, very new to us, and allows us to experience once more that sensation of discovering a new DHARMA station, of stumbling upon some mind-blowing craziness for the first time. Though it’s the final season, the show has found a way to recapture that sheer joy and excitement of the first season. And I’m loving it.

Thus we come upon the lighthouse. And for the sake of time, your reading pleasure, and having enough crap to cover for the week, I’m saving all of my theories concerning the titular Lighthouse for tomorrow and following days. Call me out if you must, I stand by my shameless decision.

“Pretty cool, huh?” You got that right, Hurley. Also cool? Dreamboat Doctor kicking down a door. BAD ASS.

Hurley’s out of breath after ascending the stairs of the Lighthouse. Poor Jorge Garcia. Hurley then proceeds to begin turning the wheel to 108 degrees, as Jacob told him to. We discover on the wheel names! From the cave list! And many, many more! Dawson, Rousseau, Friendly, AUSTEN (51) – the shots of the names are very close, very intentional. The writers are now giving us material every week to obsess over. And I’m loving it.

Interestingly, as Jack’s gazing into the four mirrors of the beacon (“Electricity wasn’t invented yet”), he sees a pagoda, the same pagoda Sun & Jin (KWON 42) were married at. Hurley turns the wheel more, and Jack sees the church of Sawyer’s parents’ funeral (FORD 15). Now, I hate to break this to you, Hurley, but you’re turning the wheel the wrong way if you wanna make it to 108 (WALLACE).

So the question right now is: Who is Wallace? Jacob said that someone was coming to the Island, and that this someone would need to beacon of the Lighthouse to find it. Is Jacob’s claim legitimate, or was it all just a ploy to get Jack to realize his purpose?

Going off of the assumption that someone indeed is coming to the Island, the obvious identity of Wallace is Desmond. William Wallace was a Scottish hero, and Desmond, similarly, is Scottish. The numbers were an important aspect of his life, and Desmond has always been singled out as a special one. Somehow, a storm brought him to the Island. Perhaps it’s his destiny to return, and to finally bring his character back into relevant territory after his character was excluded from the main story in Season Five. Plus, Henry Ian Cusick’s been in the credits every week this season. Remember Harold Perrineau in Season Four, Daniel Dae Kim in Season Five? A return to regular status is being staged.

If it wasn’t Desmond, however, I can think of only one other plausible candidate (See what I did there?), and that is Waaaaalt!!! Sadly, Walt has faded out of relevance in the seasons since his departure from the Island. Remember the good ol’ days where he was just a big giant (See what I did there?) WTF? The dead-eye knife accuracy, the creepy appearances to Shannon and Locke, the birds. Walt’s story deserves to be resolved, though I feel as if he’s the Irish chick that was left back in the alternate reality and never mentioned since. Though he’s had a guest appearance here and there, those were wasted opportunities, serving only to remind us that the character still exists and didn’t fall into some rift of time and space. I thought one of the conventions of jumping from 2004 to 2007 is to accommodate for Malcolm David Kelley’s growth? I want my Walt back.

So back to the relevant events, Jack turns the beacon to a bearing of 23 degrees, marked SHEPHARD. And in that mirror, he and Hurley see his childhood house. Unleash the Crazy Jack. He brings his voice down to a menacing tone, demanding for Jacob to appear and explain to him why the hell he has been watching them the whole time. Infuriated, he unleashes his long-kept rage by brutalizing a telescope and bringing himself 36 years bad luck by smashing the mirrors of the beacon. CRAAAZY!!! No prominent neck vein, however.

Outside the Lighthouse, Jack is perched upon a precarious cliff. Like Batman. Ghost Jacob appears to Hurley, armed with more sarcastic comments and all-around awesomeness. 108 Degrees will find a way to get to the Island without the Lighthouse. And he needed to get the two of them away from the Temple, for someone bad is coming. Jacob reveals to Hurley part of his plan – it was his goal to help Jack discover his purpose. “Sometimes you can just hop in the back of someone’s cab and tell them what they’re supposed to do. Other times, you have to let them look out at the ocean for a while.” And in this episode, just as Jacob tried to help Jack realize himself, I realized who Jack was.

As a Jack episode, it had it all. Daddy issues. Crazy Jack. Crying. But it was well written, very enjoyable; it was fun. It really did evoke nostalgia for Season One. The trek through the jungle – very Season One. Revisiting the caves, Adam & Eve, Shannon’s freaking inhaler! – very Season One. And above all, the episode was a whole lot of fun. Hurley truly shined in this episode with all his quippy one-liners and dead on quotes as the voice of the audience, and I hope this kind of magic continues. Also with Hurley was Ghost Jacob, forming an awesome, entertaining dynamic reminiscent of the Baltar / Six relationship on BSG. I really hope it continues. The Giacchino score was dead on this week, quoting the epic beyond EPIC themes of Jacob and the Temple, along with accommodating the trek scenes with that sense of awe and wonder. This season is the show’s final, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.

Remember, epic Lighthouse theories tomorrow! And comment, comment, comment! This desperate blogger begs you!

Though the show’s executive producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, insist they are opposed to any continuation of the series past May’s finale, that hasn’t stopped one Lostie from penning his own spin-off of sorts. Terry O’Quinn, who plays Locke/Smoke Monster, tells me he is shopping around a bible for a TNT-type show that would pair him back up with his real-life chum and on-screen foe, Michael Emerson (Ben) – as suburban hit men juggling family issues. Though Terry asked me not to spill show specifics, he has spoken with Lostcreator J.J. Abrams about the project and says, “I really hope this works out because Michael would be in his prime in this. We’d play kind of awkward partners.”

“It’s very sweet of him,” says Michael. “I’m all in favor of it. Any reason to work with Terry again.”

William Keck, TV Guide

AWESOME. As long as it’s not Ben and Locke. They could be characters EXACTLY like Ben and Locke, but if it interferes with Lost canon in any way, I’m done. The series finale should be the end of the series, the end of the Lost universe, not an invitation for it to continue on and on via spin-off. No. This show should depict the marvelous suburban misadventures of Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson, perhaps playing characters very similar to Benry Linus and John Locke, but NOT Benry Linus and John Locke. If so, AWESOME. Best thing ever.

Apologies for the lack of decent blog post. Was oot and aboot for majority of my writing time, and some personal shit got in the way. PERSONAL SHIT. Suffice to say, second part of my review of “Lighthouse” will be up tomorrow.

Though every scene was not an entry into intense mythos speculation, what really resonated with me was the total nostalgia factor, prevalent especially throughout the main story featuring Jack and Hurley. But let’s start, as per usual, with the flash-sideways. (EDIT: And not touch on that nostalgia crap until tomorrow.)

Jack arrives from work at his fancy spinal surgeon Los Angeles apartment, immediately proceeding to unbutton his shirt promptly after he sets foot past the door. I call fanservice. He looks into the mirror and notices an appendectomy scar (not unlike the one he obtained in Season Four’s “Something Nice Back Home”). His mother Margo calls him on the phone, updating him on the status of his father’s coffin (It was checked into Berlin), at which Jack brings up the scar. Apparently, his appendix was removed when he was seven or eight after he collapsed at school. Jack is confused by this; he doesn’t seem to recall it, but says that he “guesses” he does.

One does not just forget an important event of his childhood. Especially if said event occurred at the age of seven or eight, not too young to remember being operated on, especially upon garnering a nice scar from the surgery. The obvious explanation for unexplainable memory lapse? Universe bleeding. All season, the producers have been trying to get it in our heads that neither universe is to be treated as the alternate of another; there is no timeline A and B. These two universes seem to be co-existing, bleeding into each other, elements influencing the characters, whether it be their memories or their physical state (remember peculiar neck gash from “LA X”?).

Margo Shephard fails at life, due to her inability to find a will sticking out of a very-well located shelf. She wants Jack’s help combing through all the papers for Christian’s last will and testament. Jack notices the time (no special numbers), excusing himself and hanging up.

Jack drives to a school, St. Mary’s Academy, where he picks up David, his son. Jack apologizes for the several times he’s been late, but David is dissatisfied. At Jack’s apartment, awkward parenting ensues as Jack is inquisitive as to whether David is reading Alice in Wonderland. David walks out. Those were the good ol’ days. Of Christian reading to Jack. Of Jack reading to David. Of Jack reading to Aaron. Tales of madness, of the dangers of an overdose, of white rabbits.

In the kitchen, David asks why Jack wants to talk when they only see each other once a month, clearly the absurd terms of a divorce between Jack and not-Sarah. Jack is beckoned to his mother’s large house, the camera lingering on a nice exterior shot of the place. Margo Shephard offers Jack a drink which he refuses. Good for him, kicking the alcoholism curse that seems to be a recessive trait on the paternal side. She explains that David was very upset at Christian’s funeral. Cue like father, like son issues. David doesn’t communicate well with Jack. Jack didn’t communicate well with his father because he was terrified. David may be terrified of Jack too. Margo finally finds the envelope containing the will in an incredibly convenient, visible place. Good job, Mama Shephard. Did Jack’s father ever mention a Claire Littleton?

Jack arrives at the apartment with pizza and drinks, calling for David, who isn’t home. Jack later leaves a message for David, explaining how he’s sorry, and that he’s driving to his mother’s house. At not-Sarah’s, Jack finds the house key under a pottery rabbit (callback alert!) and goes in. Jack goes into David’s room and doesn’t find David, only a mess. David is clearly a gifted pianist, indicated by the intense Chopin sheets laying on his desk. Also in his room are some photo booth shots of Jack and David, who is wearing a Dodgers cap. The Shephards have horrible taste in baseball teams.

Jack listens to two messages on the answering machine, the first of which is from the Conservatory, confirming David of his 7:00 slot on Friday the 24^th of SEPTEMBER. The other is of emotional “White Rabbit” Jack.

Jack goes to the auditions at Williams Conservatory, where he sees David playing Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu.” And thus the controversial score kicks in. As David is playing the piece, an incredible display of technique and skill and playing, Giacchino score kicks in, underlying Jack’s pride in his son. And while this may indicate that Jack can hear nothing but the good he’s so overwhelmed with pride, I would have LOVED to hear the piece. Because seriously, nothing highlights emotion better than the music evoking it in the first place.

Asian kid in sweater vest tells Jack that David is a really good musician, and as he leaves, he hugged by his father, who is none other than Dogen, better known as Pretentious Asian. Dogen turns and tells Jack that “They are too young to have this kind of pressure.”

In David, Jack sees himself. He was pressured by his father Christian to “have what it takes.” And Jack was pressured and islanded because he had to be the surgeon his father wanted. Jack realizes that he can be the father Christian never was to him.

Jack waits for his son outside, and they share some outstanding father-son bondage, featuring great performances and writing with both characters. The relationship in this episode very much had the potential to be sappy, and corny, and poorly done. But instead, we received an emotionally legitimate conversation between the two that gets you where it counts while still not being cheesy. Well done.

This review structure really isn’t working out for me, is it?

Jin’s foot looks like it was brutalized by a bucket of red paint. Claire checks if the Others are dead and frees Jin from the bear trap. She tells Jin that she’s been living in the jungle ever since the other survivors left the Island three years ago. Jin, being the man of the situation, tries to walk on his bleeding leg, but instead passes out.

Later, Jin wakes up to discover a tent fashioned very much in the style of Rousseau’s, complete with a dead boar head baby in a cradle. Claire returns to the camp with none other than Justin! He’s alive! He was a cool Other… She intends to torture Justin to find out what they did with her bay-bay, to find out where Aaron is.

And this is where I have problem with the story. Claire is just too crazy. She wants Aaron back and is convinced the Others have taken him. Yet, she has an animal carcass warming the sheets of a cradle, as if it was what she was treating as her son. Too much there, Lost.

She also needs to clean Jin up. “If there’s one thing that’ll kill you out here, it’s infection.”

AMAZINGNESS.

Justin tells Jin that Claire intends to kill them both; if Jin releases him, he can snap Claire’s neck. Outside, Claire boils the medical equipment while sharpening her trusty axe with a stone.

Claire returns and treats and stitches Jin’s nifty gashes. Claire explains that she hasn’t been alone. A friend, as well as her father, told her the Others have Aaron. Confirmation of Christian’s direct connection to Smokey? I’d say so. Claire picks up the axe and threatens Justin with it , demanding to know where her son Aaron is. Justin denies knowing anything about Aaron. Strike one. Claire responds that the Others at the Temple had stuck her with needles and branded her, her being infected. Once more, Justin denies nothing anything about Aaron. Strike two. Jin panics and tells the truth – Kate took Aaron and raised him off-Island. Aaron’s three. Justin asks once more to be untied, because he had nothing to do with Aaron’s disappearance. Strike three, you’re out. Axe to the chest.

Jin explains later that he was supposedly lying to save Justin’s life, and that he saw Aaron when he was at the Temple. Baaaad move, Jin. Claire breathes a sigh of relief. If Kate did take Aaron, she would kill her. Locke then walks into Claire’s camp. (Yes, Locke. That’s what he’s called in the writers’ room, so that’s what I’m calling him.) But don’t worry, that doesn’t make him John. Claire tells Jin, “That’s my friend.” WHO’S YOUR FRIEND, Claire? What’s his name? RAAAAGGGHHHH!—

LOST.

Apologies for the boring blog post today, kids. I haven’t yet rewatched the episode, and the craziness with Jack and Hurley screamed of dedicated blog post and intense notes. And expect the Absolute Insanity to continue. I’ve got a few new theories…

But rather than typing up a blog, I’m just gonna link to the Absolute Insanity blog saga (blogga?) because I can. #flyboylazy #flyboysellout

Part 1: “The Substitute” Recap, Part 1

Part 2: “The Substitute” Recap, Part 2

Part 3: Theory Time – The Monster

Part 4: Theory Time – The Man in Black

Part 5: Theory Time – Jacob’s List

So let’s go over what we know thus far:

Jacob’s List is a list of candidates, scrawled on the surfaces of a hard to reach cave. These candidates are on the List because, according to Jacob, they are possible future protectors of the Island as Jacob was before his death. If you are no longer deemed fit for position of protector of the Island, whether through death or inaction, your name is crossed out. These names include crash survivors, members of Rousseau’s team, some Others, the Freighties, DHARMA people, and the U.S. military operation that came to the Island in the late 40s, early 50s. All these candidates were supposedly brought to the Island by Jacob, pushed in a direction in which their actions would eventually lead to them coming to the Island. Also among these candidates, crossed out, is the critically denied Gary Troup, who was sucked into a turbine in the pilot after writing the piece of crap mystery “novel” that is Bad Twin.

The list now consists of (8) REYES, (15) FORD, (16) JARRAH, (23) SHEPHARD, and (42) KWON. (4) LOCKE was on the list as well, but due to his untimely death and Terry O’Quinn’s apparent allegiance to the Smokey side, his name was crossed out for eligibility as future protector of the Island. Too bad, so sad.

So my number one question, going back to Season 3. 3×06 What Kate Does – Pickett makes first mention of Jacob, stating that “Shephard isn’t even on Jacob’s List.” 3×12 Par Avion – Mikhail Bakunin the one-eyed Other tells his captors why they’re not on the List: Kate, because she’s flawed, Sayid because he’s scared, Locke because he’s angry. And yet Shephard, Sayid, and Locke were all on the list. Kate is a bit of a different story. She’ll be discussed later…

So Shephard is on Jacob’s list. As are Locke and Sayid. I honestly have no crazy-ass theories on the matter, just that the writers better sure as hell know what they’re doing. Those were the first two mentions of Jacob’s list ever, and they better not be disregarded, or blown off as a “different list.” Though I have to ask myself: How do they even know of the list?

When Not-Locke told Richard of the candidates, Richard hadn’t a single clue as to what Not-Locke meant. He was as bewildered as the audience, the man who was the Others’ connection to Jacob. If Richard didn’t know of these candidates, how are we to expect that he knew of this list, let alone who was on that list? And if Richard doesn’t know, how would Ben know? How would Pickett and Mikhail know? I’m fairly sure the majority of Lost fans, actively engaged with the goings on of the internet or not, don’t have recollection of that LEGENDARY line from Season Three. But some people do, including this guy. If Danny freaking Pickett was the true backdoor leader of the Others…. I’ll leave it at that.

Is there any rhyme or reason to the correlation between numbers and names? Or did Jacob just throw some darts at a dartboard until he ran out? I’m DEFINITELY leaning toward the former, in that the names are listed in order of either likelihood of accepting the position or order of priority, who is best qualified to take on the position, with (8) REYES being more qualified than (313) LITTLETON. Let it also be known that (313) LITTLETON is less qualified than (###) TROUP. Crossed out Littleton really is useless.

Another big question out of the episode was as to which Kwon is up on that list, Jin or Sun. My theory? Both. They were both pushed to the Island by Jacob. Sun could have been on that flight by herself, Jin likewise, but certain actions and motivations, all derivative of their true love for each other, led them to the point at which they both boarded that plane, they both crashed on the Island. Jacob recognized them as two halves, and as such, should Kwon be the protector of the Island, it is the Kwons. Heartfelt, I know.

However, if it had to be one or the other, Sun or Jin, there’s one deciding factor. When Ajira 316 was pulled into the Island, Hurley, Jack, Kate, and Sayid flashed out. Linus (whose name is curiously crossed out. Roger? Please no.), Lapidus (also curiously), Ilana (even more curiously), and Sun Hwa-Paik Kwon all remained on that flight, taking them to Island circa 2007. Out of all the Oceanic Six, it was Sun that remained. She was singled out among them all, which means that either she’s the one on that cave wall, and Jacob dragged her with the rest of the people aboard that plane to 2007, or her being singled out from 1977, she is the one not on the wall. But should this logic apply, Lapidus? Ilana?

I firmly believe it was Lapidus’s original destiny to fly Oceanic 815, bringing him to the Island. Then he came aboard the freighter, and left again with the Oceanic Six and Desmond. Then he came back, this time flying Ajira 316. He was definitely meant to come to the Island, and though he didn’t crash with the rest on September 22^nd, 2004, the universe has a way of course-correcting itself. But is he a candidate on the wall? Ilana and Bram seemed to think he was a candidate, a potential future protector of the Island. But does this mean his name is written on the wall?

Also, Ilana. As hand-selected protector of Jacob, it would seem she is one of the best suited candidates. And yet we didn’t see her name last week, and if we did, it was crossed out. Could Jacob have picked her specifically because she wasn’t on that list?

Then we have Austen. She was touched by Jacob, why is she not on there? Did Kate bring Jacob hours of frustration with her constant changes in relationship loyalties? Was he sick of who she would choose, and just shunned her storyline from his life? She flashed with Jack and Sayid and Hurley to 1977. By the logic presented earlier, this would make her a candidate, right? And yet, right now, there is no confirmation.

It really all comes down to the one number missing from our little sequence. 4 8 15 16 23 42. What did that reset the hatch clock to? 108. Who is 108? It could be Lapidus, it could be Ilana, it could be Austen. Only the episodes to come will tell.

Piggy-backing off of my Smokey and the zombies theory a few days back, with the infected, the claimed being the black pawns at the hands of Smokey, the candidates could be the white pawns. Smokey can’t kill them, for they are Jacob’s, and he is to protect Jacob and anything of his. But then couldn’t Jacob just list any names he wants, essentially calling dibs before the darkness can infiltrate their soul? Or is this list really not Jacob’s at all?

Could this list be that of the blonde boy’s, the referee’s, the ultimate player’s, the gamemasters? Perhaps every name on that list begins neutral, and depending on who grabs them first (Jacob by touch, Smokey by infection), that is where their loyalties lie in respect of the game. It’s not really Jacob’s list at all – it’s a list of the pieces on the metaphorical game board.

Here’s something to tickle you, however. Why was Jarrah untouched by Not-Locke. He died and was claimed, much like Littleton. And yet, his name remains clearly on the wall. Could the sickness, the darkness be a different entity altogether? Food for thought.

So with these names and numbers supposedly the key players, the pieces on the board, the candidates for protector of the Island, why the hell is Gary Troup, the writer of the unreadable Bad Twin, up there? In the good company of Shannon Rutherford and Claire Littleton no less? I read this theory somewhere and LOVED IT: 4 8 15 16 23 42. They’re the only important ones. The rest, which are crossed out, are just there for show, to trick the Man in Black into making untrue assumptions about the list. Or they’re just there to frak with the audience. Either way, this would explain why Linus and Straume are crossed out, why freaking Gary Troup (and Sullivan the hyper chondriac!) is on the list in the first place! Jacob certainly did have a thing for numbers – those numbers and names were critical to him and are critical in the mythology of the show and the outcome of the game.

However, I’m absolutely curious who #1 ends up being. Here’s hoping that numero uno matters, and that Jacob’s very first, best suited, most important candidate was none other than… the Man in Black.

Comments are very much appreciated, cause I’m sure I missed a helluva lot with Jacob’s list! Share your theories, your thoughts, anything! Anything and everything is appreciated.

#1 – Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

Premise: The search for Earth after a devastating Cylon attack, sending the most outstanding cast ever (for now) on an adventure ripe with political commentary, incredible Bear McCreary score, and the best frakkin’ writing of any show.

Why You Should Watch It: While Lost will likely become my favorite show ever, this show is the greatest show I have ever seen. The cast is absolutely incredible, led by the powerhouse performances of Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonald as Admiral and President of the fleet respectively. Katee Sackhoff is outstanding as the renegade Kara Thrace, James Callis terrific as the ever so lovable bringer of the apocalypse Gaius Baltar, Tricia Helfer, a relative nobody before the show, brings fantastic distinct performances to all of her roles… Hell, every single person on the show deserves an Emmy, the casting is so damn good.

The score is AMAZING. It truly defines bad ass in the greatest musical way imaginable. The themes are richer, get richer, and composed by one of the coolest guys ever, Bear McCreary.

And WordPress decided to delete the second half of this blog. Frak. Seriously, I actually had more shit to say. A bit more embellishment on the score, some big praises for the incredible writing, the adult nature of the show, the implementation of fake curse words, Ronald D. Moore’s amazingness as a showrunner with his scotch drinking, cigar smoking, cursing AWESOMENESS. All gone. Allow me to shove my foot up your ass, WordPress, in an absolute fit of rage.

Highlight Episodes: 33, Act of Contrition, The Hand of God, Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Fragged, Resistance, Home, Final Cut, Pegasus, Resurrection Ship, Downloaded, Lay Down Your Burdens, Occupation, Exodus, Unfinished Business, The Eye of Jupiter, Rapture, Maelstrom, Crossroads, The Hub, Revelations, Sometimes a Great Notion, The Oath, Blood on the Scales, Someone to Watch Over Me, Daybreak

In other words, GO FRAKKING WATCH IT!!!