This Week in Lost - Final Edition?

The Complete Series of Lost, as well as the Season 6 box set, arrived on DVD and Blu-ray today. And while everything on the set has obviously been seen before, the Season 6 collection adds one extra special feature: a 12-minute epilogue that takes place after the on-island events of "The End". So, despite "The End" being... the end, this is truly the last Lost 'episode'.

Epilogue: "The New Man in Charge"

Zach says: The 12 minutes let us see a few glimpses of what Ben and Hurley are up to, although there is nothing TRULY revolationary (if that's not a word, it should be). We get a couple of answers to questions that weren't really important, or that we really already knew the answer to. "Why are there polar bears and where did they come from!?!?!?" Well, obviously the Dharma Initiative brought them to the island for research... you really couldn't figure that one out on your own?

The more important thing we see though, is Walt, and we see what things COULD possibly happen in Lost's near future, assuming there is one for the series, which isn't likely. So, it's kind of weird that they show us these things, which they aren't planning to elaborate on in any form of media. It's not that it's a bad 12 minutes of footage, but it would have been fine if they left it alone, as these don't really add anything to the mythos. But, it's still more Lost, and it's a bit tongue-in-cheek, and fun to see, but overall, it's pretty meh
Zach's Score: 7/10

JDW says: Well, I really loved "The End" and found it to be a really fitting ending to such a wonderful, smart, and mysterious series. But, not everyone was a fan of it, and I can understand that, especially with all those 'unanswered questions'. So what "The New Man in Charge" does is serves the purpose of pleasing those fans that want answers, but also rubs it in their faces.

Most the short is taken up by a lost Dharma video with Dr. Chang that talks about the origin of the polar bears on the island as well as the background behind Room 23 at the Hydra Station. At the same time Ben visits the Dharma food supply HQ, and gives the two workers there a chance to ask one question each, and when one worker asks "How does the island move?" Ben smirks and tells him he only gets one. Which was an amusing nod to those people that complained about not getting enough answers.

However, the best part of this was getting to finally see Walt again. Sure, we still don't know why he's so special, and the ending to this was so vague that really this could go anywhere, but it was great to see his character getting some sort of closure after a long absence. But seriously, all this was was a major tease. "The End" gave the series a great ending and closure, but all this short epilogue did was leave me want more. So really, is this 'the end'?
JDW's Score: 7.5/10

Overall Score: 7.3/10

While we've reviewed this 'episode' by itself, we don't have any immediate plans to review the complete series or Season 6 box sets as a whole. It's not that it wouldn't be worth your time, but it's just a lot to go through on our limited schedules, and this epilogue is the real attraction of the sets for a lot of people.

This Week in Lost - Series Recap

For the foreseeable future, this will be our last ever post about Lost, and obviously, the last iteration of This Week in Lost, putting an end to our first show-based This Week In feature. Like the Season 5 Recap, we'll go through a series of questions. While this is a series recap, the focus will be split between Season 6 and the series as a whole. To make things easier, my posts will be in black while JDW's will be in red. Enjoy, and feel free to comment with your thoughts on the series!

Favorite Episode(s) of Season 6
Zach says: I would probably have to say the finale was my favorite. This is for two reasons: Firstly, it was really good and wrapped up the series well, and secondly, I have a bad memory. There were a ton of great moments in the season that revealed a lot about the characters and mysteries of the island and its inhabitants throughout every episode, so I think overall, this was one of the better seasons, and it held up to all of the expectations I had, more or less.

JDW says: I have to agree with Zach, when everything is said and done, "The End," really is, and should be, the stand-out episode of the season. It did a really great job of bringing all the pieces and people together, even if some faces were missing, and was a really nice culmination to the series and the season. But I also found "Dr. Linus" and "Ab Aeterno" to be really great episodes for giving us a deeper look at characters that have always been mysterious. "Across the Sea" tried that too, but fell a bit flat.

Favorite Episode(s) of the Series
Like I said, I have a really bad memory. I seriously doubt the series finale was my overall favorite episode ever. There were plenty of others that provided great drama and intrigue that I find preferable. Figuring out such an episode though, I cannot do. It might would be a season finale, as those are usually pretty awesome and end on ridiculous cliff hangers that are almost too “omga” for tv.

Unlike Zach, I used the power of the internet to remind me what episodes were awesome. So if I had to pick one episode per season, I'd say: "Walkabout," because when you learn that Locke had been paralyzed it was a big "omg" moment, and really made you feel for the character; for Season 2 it's a tie between the premiere, "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and the finale "Live Together, Die Alone" because Desmond is the best; nothing in Season 3 stood out for me... But in Season 4 we had "The Constant," and who can argue with Desmond and Faraday being in one awesome episode? As for last season, according to what I wrote then I was tied between three episodes, but "The Variable" was definitely my favorite when I think back.

What We Liked
I liked the build-up of the entire season, and putting the pieces together of why they were there and what was the alternate universe, although that final reveal was a bit lame. I liked finally getting some answers as to who Jacob and MiB were and who the candidates were and things like that, although it took more emphasis off previous seasons and the true importance of past events, in terms of island mythology.

Regarding the season, I liked the mystery of the flash-sideways (now ... flash-afterlife I guess) and how there was gradually more and more clues as to what was going on, and will certainly make rewatching this season more interesting know what we know now. I liked getting a deeper look into the island's past, even if a lot of it wasn't really necessary or just made more questions than we needed at that point in the show. I like that despite the lack of full answers, the show can still live on through discussion, and in a sense, will never truly go away.

What We Disliked
I didn’t like not getting ALL of the answers I wanted. I could do without some, but others I wish were a little more explained. While I liked the alternate universe overall, when I got the reveal that they were all dead the whole time, it kind of made some of it not make any sense. Why does Jack have a son? Why are they living their lives completely over again? What the eff is the real point? Why is Desmond trying to kill everyone? It just made some things seem inconsistent.

However, in agreement with Zach, there were answers I would have liked to have gotten, but didn't. Like why was Walt so special, yet completely gone by Season 4? What exactly was the deal with Egyptian mythology, and why would there be hieroglyphics in the Swan Station? What did Eloise Hawking know that we couldn't? And I mean that in both the real world and the afterlife. How were people brought to the island? And if no one could find the Heart of the Island, than who's skeleton was that near the cork thing? What was that cork thing? Obviously I'll never find out, but if I had to complain about anything else, it was not seeing Michael, Walt, and Eko in the finale, and I guess Nikki and Paulo as well; I'm just saying, they were on 815 too, so why not in the church?

What's Next?
Well, I seriously doubt they will do any sort of spin off for Lost or any sort of thing, as that has a huge chance of ruining the series. But, let’s assume they do do SOMETHING extra for the show. There are two main options: do something with the established characters, or do something with new characters. If they are doing established characters, then they would pretty much have to cover the time line from when the series left off, with Ben and Hurley on the island, up until when everyone dies. You could explore Ben and Hurley’s antics, as well as the lives of Kate, Claire, Richard, Sawyer, and Miles. And I guess Lapidus too. Or, you could talk about NEW characters, which would probably set the show BEFORE the Oceanic crew. They could delve more into the lives of Jacob and MiB, but I doubt they would do that, so the show would then be about stuff that happened before those two characters. They could talk about the origins of the island, and the obvious Egyptian-like presence that was possibly the first group to settle there.

While I thing the series as a whole should be left alone for awhile, I'm not unaware that the company that funds Lost is Disney, and will obviously find some way to exploit the franchise in years to come. The best route, I think, is the Star Trek, Star Wars, and every other sci-fi franchise route: literature. By continuing the story, or just filling the gaps, with books and comics you can please (and displease) the truly hardcore fans that would actually buy such things, and the fans that are just about the show itself can ignore such items. I don't know where a Lost feature film would even go at this point, so I don't suggest it, and I have no idea how anyone could consider rebooting the show (like most movies and shows now) in the future because it's just too complex. I think Lost should stay as is, but I know expanding the property is inevitable, and if whatever that may be stays true to the franchise and is interesting, I'll at least take a look.

Averaged Overall Score for Season 6: 8.3/10

We hope you've enjoyed all of our Lost coverage and reviews from the last two years or so. With Fringe and Doctor Who being the only shows running in the next year or so, we'd love to get some feedback on what to review next in this two-person format. Thanks for reading!

This Week in Lost - 5/23/10

It's here, it's The End.

Series Finale: Episodes 17/18 - "The End"

Zach says: It's over. Like usual, I could talk about everything that happened in this episode, but I don't feel it's necessary. And, I won't even give too many details as to the ending, because you've either already seen it, or you don't want me spoiling it for you. But, I may talk about some details/spoilers a bit into my discussion.

Personally, I think this finale was by far one of the best episodes of the series. It didn't answer too many of those lingering questions about the island and what it's all about, which, while thinking back about the finale and the series as a whole, can be a little disappointing, but looking at it in a vacuum, just the finale, it was amazing on so many levels.

Every character in the alternate universe "wakes up" at some point this episode, and each and every one of these moments is truly touching. We see flash backs from previous seasons, as well as the characters seeing each other in the present time and it clicks, and the emotion is so strong you can't help but feel something, as you've invested in these peoples' stories and feelings. You were with them through six years and can't help but feel connected to them and understand all that they have gone through. It's great seeing them remember and embrace one another. It was also great to see long neglected characters like Rose and Bernard, as well as Juliet. They may not have played the biggest roles, but it was definitely nice to see them again.

There is plenty to discuss and debate and be upset about. It's hard to fully understand what the alternate reality REALLY is and what its true relevance is. The same is true with the island itself, and what events happen after that of the finale? We will most definitely never get answers to these questions, but I guess they aren't necessary.

You may go into the finale with the desire to get all these answers, about WHAT the island is and WHY everyone is there, but once you get into the episode, you begin to really just care about the characters and getting their own resolution and seeing everyone's story wrap up, and I think this is done very well. I'm going to leave it at that.
Zach's Score: 10/10

JDW says: "The End" was the first (and last) episode of Lost I ever watched with a group of people; hell, I even took off of work just to spend five and a half hours of my life in front of the television. Point being, this was a show that a lot of people have invested so much time in, both with and away from the TV set, and in it's most important moment, it was something that needed multiple reactions, and I think we were all floored.

Years of speculation, theory, and just pure time dedicated to this show, and it was embraced beautifully in a two and a half hour epic. Sure, there's already plenty of people that hated this episode because it didn't answer every single question. But, to be honest, the more I think about some of those trivial things, the more I could care less, because "The End" showed us what was really important: life, and the people you share it with. It was great to see all these familiar faces together, happy at last; sure some were absent, but for the most part their absence was explained.

But seriously, do really need to know how the black smoke monster works? Or how exactly the island can disappear? Or why exactly did Jacob need to bring people to the island? No, not really. And I think if everything was explain, peole would still be pissed off because it get's into "midi-chlorian" territory, and takes away all the mystery that made the show so interesting a discussable to begin with. If the show just always blatantly explained how everything works, we would have never made it passed the first season. That's why FlashForward is so awful.

What the "The End" really was, was a beautifully crafted piece of fan-service for the people that weren't watching with a checklist of unanswered questions. Not only from the actors performances, but from the directing by Jack Bender, and Michael Giacchino's moving score, all the pieces came together really really beautifully, and if you didn't feel anything after spending so much time with these characters, then really, you're soulless. You may not have gotten all the answers you wanted, but I find it ridiculous that people have not gotten some sort of closure or gratification from "The End," because I know I found this ending to be oh so fitting for a show I've invested so much time in, and everyone else I watched it with seemed to be in agreement.
JDW's Score: 10/10

Overall Score: 10/10

I don't think it would be fair to have a review with two 10/10 scores and not give it the VFH Seal of Approval, that just wouldn't make sense. And for an episode of a show that will most definitely be part of every television discussion for the next century, it would be impossible for us to not give this episode some much deserved, extra credit. If we could give this two awards we would. And to those who didn't dedicate six years of thei life to this show, do yourself a favor and get Seasons 1 through 6 when they release in a set on August 24th, you will not be disappointed, especially once you've reached this wonderful, beautiful, and just plain fantastic episode.

Missed the episode? (What is wrong with you?) Watch all 2.5 hours of it on Hulu.

This Week in Lost - 5/18/10

The final episode before the two and a half hour series finale. This Sunday, it all comes to end, and this episode sets it all up. I mean, do I even have to tell you that there's SPOILERS?

Episode 16 - "What They Died For"

Zach says: Let's go to the alternate universe first. The episode opens with Jack, and that odd scar on his neck, which happens to be bleeding. No big deal though, aside from again pointing to its importance. Jack leaves the bathroom and sits to eat breakfast with his son, and Claire. It's good to see Jack having a good relationship with his son, and then with his sister, which never happened in the regular universe. It's interesting though, as in this life, everything seems to be going well for Jack, as opposed to the real universe, where things weren't so good. I'm going to guess that these two different Jacks will come into conflict with one another in the finale.

Desmond shows up at the school again, but this time, Ben catches him, however, but can't withhold him. Instead, Desmond beats the crap out of Ben, which happens to jog Ben's memory of the time when Desmond beat him up after trying to kill Penny. Desmond told Ben that he was trying to help Locke, and get him to "let go", which Ben then tells Locke. This causes Locke to go back to Jack, saying everything is happening for a reason, and that he is ready to get out of that chair. Jack seems happy and willing to help still, but doesn't believe in fate. Sounds familiar, although you would think that Jack would believe as Locke does, after trying so hard to track his father down and finding out that everyone was on that flight...

Desmond isn't done yet though. He then turns himself in for running over Locke and beating up Ben, and gets locked up in jail with Sayid and Kate. He's a man with a plan for sure, and ends up bribing a cop, Ana Lucia, and all three escape, with the help of Hurley. Hurley is most definitely down with Desmond's plan, and even recognizes Ana Lucia, from the island, which is somewhat interesting. How much more does he "remember", and to what point in time? Anyways, Desmond says they are going to a concert.

Now back to the island. Everyone pretty pissed about what Locke did, and agree that he needs to die. Sawyer feels pretty guilty about the bomb, and feels it's his fault, but Jack tries to reassure him. On their way to get Desmond out of the well, Hugo sees child Jacob, who asks for the ashes back and then runs off. Hugo gives chase, to find adult Jacob, who tells him to gather the crew. Something interesting is going on here, as Hugo was the only one who could see child Jacob, but everyone could see adult Jacob. I'm thinking there is something with these ashes, like a phoenix. Anyways, the ashes were thrown in a fire, and once the fire goes out, Jacob will be gone forever, so someone has to step up and become the next protector of the island.

Jacob tells them he brought them there because they didn't have a happy existence where they were. They were alone, and looking for something, so he didn't feel guilty for taking them out of their lives. He also explains that he crossed out Kate's name because she became a mother, and I guess meant she had something to live for, but she could still have the job. This happens to be a bit of a moot point, because Jack steps up to take the job of protector. He says he is SUPPOSED to do it.

So, Jacob leads Jack to a stream, asks for a cup, and fills it with water, which is used like the wine with Jacob and his mother from last episode, to pass the torch. Jack seems slightly hesitant at first, asking how long he'll have to do this job, but drinks willingly. Jacob and Jack also bring up a point, that basically says that only special people can reach that cave with the light, and that you normally can't get there, which is interesting. How exactly is it hidden and protected, and if it is, why do they need an actual person protecting it?

On the other end of the island, we finally catch up with Miles, Ben, and Richard, who are going to Ben's house to pick up some C4 to blow that plane to hell. Well, not sure they're going to make it, as Widmore shows up at the house as well. And soon, so does Locke. Everyone goes crazy, with Widmore and his lady hiding in the closet, Ben going out to meet his fate, Richard going out to try to get Locke to leave, and Miles running the hell out of there into the forest, I believe, with the C4. Well, Richard instantly gets smacked by the smoke monster, and we don't see him again. He could be alive, but he could also be dead. Ben has a bit more luck, but turns to his douche self. It seemed that Ben had truly repented for his wrongs, but now, he is a dick again. Locke talks to him, and says he needs some help killing some people, to which Ben asks why he should help. Locke says once everyone is dead, Ben can have the island all to himself.

So, Ben tells him Widmore is hiding out in the closet, Locke almost instantly kills the female, and asks Widmore to tell him why he is on the island, lest he kill Penny. Widmore says, and is later confirmed, that he brought Desmond to the island as a failsafe, to stop Locke from getting off the island if all of the candidates were killed. Widmore didn't want Ben knowing this for some reason, but it doesn't really matter, as Ben shoots Widmore multiple times. I guess that rivalry is over. It's a bit disappointing to just see Widmore die, but I guess he played his part in getting Desmond on the island.

Ben and Locke then take a stroll to Desmond's well, however, Desmond was apparently helped out via a rope. It's hard to say who let him out, but it couldn't have been Sayid, or he wouldn't have told Jack about him. So, Locke plans to find Desmond and get him to destroy the island. End episode. So, it seems that not only does Locke want to "get off the island", but he really wants to destroy it. It's a little odd that Locke would tell this to Ben, as he already promised Ben the island, so we'll see if Ben continues to cooperate, which wouldn't make ANY friggin' sense. I mean, Locke already tricked Ben into killing Jacob, which obviously didn't turn out to well, yet he still trusts him? He better not during the finale, or he better have a plan or something.

And where is Claire? Last we saw, she was pretty appalled about the sub getting blown up, so I'm guessing she's not really on Locke's side anymore. She's bound to turn up eventually. Just five days until the conclusion. Holy crap.
Zach's Score: 8.5/10

JDW says: As usual, Zach leaves nothing left for me to say... I liked this episode, to say the least. I mean, it definitely had some answer and finalizing moments, as it should being that this was the last regular episode before this Sunday's two and a half hour series finale. Some of this whole island protection/heart of the island/keep it safe crap is still very vague, but at least Jack stepped up as Jacob's replacement, and I mean... who didn't see that coming? ... Oh, you all knew? Woops.

The flash-sideways universe, however, is still a bit of a mystery. It's one episode away from the finale and it still kind of looks like a "what if" world and not so much connected to the island events other than the Final Destination-like shimmers of island memories. Like, as nice as it was to see Ben get some resolution with Rousseau and Alex, it kind of doesn't really matter if that universe is believed to not be real. And why are they so shifty about revealing Jack's son's mother? We know it's Juliette (I mean, really, it just has to be) so why are they taking their time not telling us? I feel weird saying this, but, one episode to go... it better be the best most answer-making one ever.
JDW's score: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.8/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week in Lost - 5/11/10

This week's episode is all about the origins of Jacob and the Man in Black. And by all, I mean entirely, as the Oceanic troupe, or any other regular character, are completely devoid of appearance in this episode, except for in the last 45 seconds, where we see a scene from the first season (Episode 6, "House of the Rising Son"). What gems can we learn from this episode? Well....a couple I guess, but not as many as I would have hoped for. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Episode 15 - "Across the Sea"

Zach says: The episode opens with a woman at sea, shipwrecked, who happens upon the island. She made it just in time, because shortly after finding her way to land, she is helped by some other woman, and then gives birth. Her name is Claudia, and she seems to be of Spanish descent. Anyhoo, she gives birth to twins, one of which happens to be named Jacob. The other....well....she wasn't expecting twins, so she didn't have a second name picked out. And, as it would seem, nobody else did, because that crafty Man in Black remains nameless throughout the episode....bogus.

Right after giving birth, the mysterious island woman, who I'll call 'Mother', murders Claudia, and takes the role of mother to these two children. She tells them that they are the only ones on the island, and that the island is the only thing in the world. She knows this not to be the truth, obviously, but lies anyways.

Throughout life, it would seem that MiB is the more rebellious child, while Jacob is the momma's boy. Jacob "doesn't know how to lie", while the MiB "is special". In their early teens, the boys happen upon a group of men. They are frightened and the mother uses the line that all men are the same, and "they come, destroy, corrupt," etc. This is when she shows the boys a mysterious cave, with a bright light emanating from it. This is the "heart of the island," and what they must protect. But she cannot do it forever, so one of them must.

Well, later on, MiB is with Jacob, and MiB sees Claudia, but Jacob doesn't see her. MiB follows Claudia to the men's camp, who are the same people from Claudia's ship wreck. Ghost Claudia also tells MiB she is his mother. This leads the MiB to want to live with these people, and leave the island, as he doesn't feel he belongs there. Jacob refuses to follow, even though he feels, rightly so, that 'Mother' doesn't even love him as much as MiB.

Thirty years later, MiB still living with men, and thinks they are rotten, but a means of getting off the island. In fact, he thinks he found a way. They are the ones who dug the wells, and they found the light, and for some reason, plan to put that big donkey wheel in place to channel the light and water and get off the island. Well, the mother finds out, and doesn't like this, so she knocks out MiB, kills everyone, and fills in the well.

MiB doesn't take too kindly, and kills the mother later. Well, Jacob doesn't take too kindly, and tosses MiB in the light cave they saw as children. Guess what effect that has? Well, not quite sure, but the result is that the smoke monster comes out of the well! Holy balls. The MiB though? Well, Jacob finds his, or someone's body who looks like the MiB, down river. So, Jacob carries his body back to camp, and makes a memorial with him and 'Mother'. Guess what? These are Adam and Eve, those two skeletons from way back in Season One, episode 6, "House of the Rising Sun".

Well, that's the end of the episode, and while it answers a few questions, it raises a hell of a lot more.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Who are Jacob and MiB; who are Adam and Eve; where did the smoke monster come from; what's with the donkey wheel?

QUESTIONS UNANSWERED: How long have Jacob and MiB been on the island; what is the smoke monster; what is the island; what is MiB's name; why all that Egyptian stuff?

QUESTIONS PRESENTED: WTF, is MiB dead, I'm so confused; why would Jacob bring people to the island if he's trying to protect it; why does MiB want to kill Jacob; what is this light; who was that crazy 'Mother' woman and how did she fill that well herself; what's with that wine?


So, basically, this episode brings more questions than answers, and with only one episode and the finale left, you would think there would be some more answers. We all wanted to know about the origins of Jacob and MiB, but I kind of feel this episode was like Richard's. Sure, we want to know about their pasts, but what REAL answers did we get from these episodes? Not a whole lot, and this one in particular, just left me with a heck of a lot of questions and wild theories that I'm not sure will be answered. I wish they could have gotten to the point sooner, but I only feel this way because I'm not sure they can tie it ALL together with the time they have left.

They have to talk about what is going on with dead MiB, and who is MiB now; why are Jacob and MiB pissed at each other and why is MiB considered evil if he just wants off the island; AND THEN REGULAR QUESTIONS, like stuff with the Oceanic crew; what's going to happen with Jin and Sun's baby, and Aaron; what's with Ben and Widmore; what happened with Richard, Ben, and Miles, etc, etc. Oh, and how the heck are they gonna tie the alternate universe together?!?!? I don't see how they can really answer all this crap, and mostly because most of the questions sprout from this very episode.

Anyways, random things of note in this week's episode, aside from previously mentioned quotes: Jacob and MiB are always themed in white and black, even from birth; 'Mother' speaking Latin it seems at the beginning; 'Mother' says the children will never have to worry about what "dead" is; 'Mother' made it so the boys can't hurt each other; MiB can see dead people, but Jacob can't; MiB is somehow special; MiB has that dagger; the light is "the source; life, death, rebirth". And yeah. And one other thing, is that before 'Mother' died, she said "Thank you," to MiB. Why? Did she WANT to die, but couldn't kill herself, so had to get someone else to do it? Something's going on....
Zach's Score: 7.5/10

JDW says: Zach and I discussed this episode a lot before he made his write up, so a lot of what we both had to say was covered already. But, if anything I'm conflicted by this episode. I've always been a fan of the episodes that look deeper into the mythology of the island and it's inhabitants. I love seeing parts of the island in the past knowing what I know ahead of time, and there's a wonderful sense of discovery. "Across the Sea" definitely has that, but at the same time, it was kind of "so what?" in the sense that I don't think enough was answered, and with just one episode and the series finale left, I think the focus has to be shifted to the "now what" of the current island dwellers, and not so much the past.

And seriously, unless the names of 'Mother' and The Man in Black are actually Claire and Aaron and there's some crazy explanation for their changed appearence, I see absolutely no reason why we can't get an actually name for the Man in Black already. As so as the second baby was born (I was actually expecting Claudia to birth smoke, which would've been awesome/horrifying) I got all excited for her to finally say a name, and then they went the BS route of saying, "I only thought of one name..." c'mon, JUST TELL ME!!!
JDW's Score: 8.5/10

Overall Score: 8/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week in Lost - 5/4/10

We are literally so f'ing close to the end, it's ridiculous. The tone is tense and trying to wrap everything up is going to be crazy, so with each episode comes great anxiety. What is going to happen in the end?!!?!??!?! So many spoilers ahead in my long post.

Episode 14 - "The Candidate"

Zach says: This week's episode starts with the alternate universe, with Locke waking up in the hospital. Jack immediately lets him know that he is "a candidate" for a new surgical procedure that could allow him to walk again. Locke refuses. This leads to the rest of the alternate universe having Jack figure out why Locke is opposed to the surgery, which is kind of creepy. Damn that obsessive Jack and his desire to fix people.

So, nobody will tell Jack how Locke got injured, so he does some random investigating, which leads him to a dentist, Bernard. Bernard can't tell Jack much, due to privacy stuff, but gives him Anthony Cooper's name, and the fact that he himself was on that flight 815; odd.

Later, Claire says SHE was also on 815. Zomga, all of these coincidences are aligning, and people are starting to wonder some things. Christian also wanted Claire to have a music box in his will, for some reason. I checked, and it most definitely isn't the same box that Rousseau had on the island, but it is very similar. So, either this is some crazy connection, but different prop, or there is no connection at all, other than it has SOME significance.

Anyways, Jack finds Anthony Cooper, who is a vegetable, basically. Locke finally reveals at the end that it was his fault, in that he forced his father to fly in a plane with him, which he crashed. So, John doesn't want to have the surgery because he feels responsible, which leads Jack to say that they both lost fathers and that they need to let go. Jack also utters the line, "I wish you'd believe me," which goes back to something John said on the island, so perhaps something clicked then.

So, some important like stuff going on in the alternate reality, and connections are starting to be made with the people. On the island, however, things are going a bit differently. Nothing too important, until the whole gang makes their way to the plane, finally. FYI, Jack, with the help of Locke, free everyone from Widmore. Locke finds some C4 rigged to blow on the plane, however, so that idea is out. Instead, they decide to take the sub. Sawyer, still not trusting Locke, gets everyone on the sub, including Jack, but throws Locke in the water. They escape...or do they?

Turns out, Locke planted some C4, and Jack has an epiphany. He says that Locke wants them all dead, but can't kill them himself, and has to get everyone to kill each other. So, if Sawyer messes with the bomb, they all die, if nobody touches it, they'll be fine. Well, Sawyer doesn't like Jack, so he touches it. Not too smart.

For some crazy reason, Sayid suddenly turns human again, and tells Jack that Desmond is still alive, and "it's going to be you". It's definitely good to see Sayid snap out of it, but it seems a bit out of character at the same time. Oh well, he sacrifices himself to save everyone.....almost. And what does Sayid mean exactly? "It's going to be you"? For now, we can obviously assume that Jack is supposed to be the next Jacob.

Unfortunately, not everyone makes it out of the sub alive. After finally being reunited, Sun is trapped, and Jin will not leave her side. It's quite the touching moment, but overall unfortunate. Doesn't seem right. Oh, and Lapidus dies too, I guess. He was never really important or a candidate, so I wasn't too surprised.

Everyone who got off, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate, are obviously very upset about Sun and Jin, and now know of Locke's true intent, so it'll be interesting to see how they react exactly. And at the very end, Locke says he has to finish what he started, with killing everyone. So, does this mean he KNOWS Jack and the others are still alive, or is he talking about another group of people, and if so, whom? Widmore would be an obvious target, but he isn't a candidate, so who exactly is he going after?
Zach's Score: 8.5

JDW says: Seriously, there's honestly nothing I can say anymore... But I liked this episode, because Flocke was such a badass, shooting people at point blank range, while LA Locke was all sad with his vegetable father... Oh, and I honestly cheered when Kate got shot, but was annoyed to see her still alive afterwards.

But the ending of Sun and Jin was pretty sad, as was the fake crying by Jack and Hurley which I couldn't feel at all.As for Sayid, THERE IS NO SAYID, and I want everyone to know that that was single-handedly the greatest line ever.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10

Overall Score: 8.5/10

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This Week in Lost - 4/20/10

This week's episode didn't focus on any one character in particular, but more so tying together some loose ends, as well as showing the start of "the war". SPOILERS ABOUND

Episode 13 - "The Last Recruit"

Zach says: Lot's of little things happened this episode, so I'll just start with the alternate universe. We see Sayid try to run away after killing those bad dudes, but he was caught by Sawyer and Miles. Sawyer, as you recall, also caught Kate, and they talk, but nothing special happens. Neither "awaken".

Sun was shot in the Sayid incident, and she arrives safely at the hospital, at the same time as Locke, and she is pretty frightened. Obviously, she remembers something about him, and it would seem that it would be of the CURRENT island happenings. Before, everyone have had memories of previous seasons' events, but not about current stuff, so that's a bit interesting. And finally, Sun and Jin reunite on the island, which triggers Sun's ability to speak English again; go figure. A happy moment though, indeed.

However, Desmond's work isn't done yet, as his focus is now on Claire, who he convinces to talk to a lawyer, at the same time Jack shows up to hear his father's will reading. Hey, they're related, and by god, Jack has a moment. It could be that Jack is just stunned that he had a sister he never knew about, but it's more likely that he is remembering. We also see the reunion on the island of the two, which was happy and sad, as Jack swiftly leaves her.

This wasn't the end of Jack though, as he has to operate on Locke. Will he fix him and give him the ability to walk again, or will he try to kill him like he did with Ben? We'll see.

It's also very interesting to see Jack talk about faith, and the island not being done with the Oceanic group. We've seen Jack recently talk about faith, and thinking Jacob brought them there for a reason, but with more connections to Locke, it's just interesting how Jack has made a complete 180 from when he arrived at the island originally.

Widmore's gal sent to deliver a message to Locke, to get Desmond back. He doesn't take too kindly to this, and sends Sayid to kill Desmond, as he can't do it himself I guess, because Desmond is a candidate? Anyways, we don't see him get killed, so he could be alive, or not. I would like to think he's still alive and will be a player in the finale, but we shall see. It would make sense if Jack is the ultimate successor to Jacob, but perhaps it could be Desmond? I mean, he IS doing Jacob's work in the alternate universe after all.....

Aside from all of the above happenings this episode, it appears that the fight is starting. Jack is with Locke, and Widmore captured the rest of the crew and started bombing Locke. I'm interested to see how Locke responds exactly, and to see what Widmore's ultimate goal is. He didn't take too kindly to Sawyer and the rest of the candidates, so what exactly is he trying to do?
Zach's Score: 8/10

JDW says: Well, what's left for me to say? Seriously though, this episode kind of bothered me... It was great to get some gratification and final answers, sure. Jin and Sun are finally back together, Jack and Claire get to confront each other as brother and sister in both universes, and Jack finally tells Sawyer how he feels regarding Juliette's death (Sawyer seemingly forgot all about it?).

But what bothered me was that this episode went against my primary complaint regarding FlashForward, focus. What I love about Lost is that each episode in centric to just one or two characters, and the experience is usually quite intimate. When you don't have that kind of focus, in a show with an ensemble cast, everything just feels too spread out, distant, and... for lack of a better word: lost. Sure, the episode was still better than all of FlashForward, thanks to the writing and actually interesting plot/characters, but I just hope in it's last season, we don't get an unfocused episode like this again.
JDW's Score: 7.5/10

Overall Score: 7.7/10

Also, no This Week in Lost next week. For whatever reason, they're taking a week off... which blows.

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This Week in Lost - 4/13/10

Hurley's week, and everyone loves Hurley! Or that's what they would have you believe... at least you believe that SPOILERS ARE BELOW!

Episode 12 - "Everybody Loves Hugo"

Zach says: Until he disagrees with Richard, who just wants to blow up the plane. I'm sure Hurley would agree, until he sees an old friend, Michael Dawson, who tells him to stay away from that plane.

I'm hoping we can trust Michael, but theoretically, it could have been that man in black, as the last time we saw Michael, he was getting exploded after talking with Christian Shepherd, who I'm personally fairly certain is MiB. And MiB can take the form of dead people, so there's that. By the end of the episode, the entire gang, with Hurley, Sun, and Jack, are at Locke's camp; just what Locke wants and needs....curious.

Some random things where when Illana blew up...oops. And when that kid ran into Locke, and Locke wasn't too happy to see him. It could have been the same kid he talked to before, who told him he couldn't kill Sawyer. So, either it's a young Jacob, or maybe it's himself? Either way, that kid is important. Locke also didn't like the fact that Desmond wasn't scared at all. Doesn't show too much, other than that Locke doesn't like to not be in control, and who didn't see that poor Desmond would go down that well. Poop.

In the alternate universe, Hugo runs into Libby, who is in a mental institution for having "memories" of Hugo and the island. After some talking, they finally go on their long overdue picnic on the beach, kiss, and Hugo remembers, much to the delight of Desmond, which is a bit creepy.

Then we see Desmond run over Locke...wtf? We know he wants to make things more like the island life, but how exactly does this tie in? Maybe that's why evil Locke tossed him down the well? Anyways, the season is winding up, and it's about to go down. Excitement.
Zach's Score: 8/10

JDW says: First off, I don't know what Zach's talking about, so I crossed his part out (don't hate), because I think it's been made very clear on the show that the Man in Black can no longer change into anyone else other than Locke, for whatever reason, and that Hurley could already talk to the dead both on and off the island. Anyways...

I liked the episode... to an extent. Hurley is one of the best characters of the show, and it was great to see him, as well as old faces like Michael and Libby, but despite it supposedly being a Hurley-centric episode, it really felt like it was about everyone else. Like, come the final third of the episode he was barely even there, as the flash-sideways went to Desmond/Ben/Locke. But hey, at least they seem to be running with concept that love can't be found in the alt-world without unlocking visions of the island world... but I dunno, I wanted to like this episode more, but I wasn't fully feeling it. And seriously, Illana just blew up, what the heck?!
JDW's Score: 7.8/10

Overall Score: 7.9/10

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This Week in Lost - 4/6/10

Hot dang, this week's episode was definitely one of the better ones in the season, not that the others have been bad, except for Kate's, gah. Spoilers ahoy!

Episode 11 - "Happily Ever After"

Zach says: This week focuses on Desmond, who has always been a fan favorite and an interesting character, and this week shows us again how he is so special and important to the series. I'll let Jared throw in all the details he wants to about Desmond and his past, as well as the possible future, but let me say a few things about the episode itself.

Firstly, we see Desmond on the island, which Widmore forced him to come to for some vital reason. After being subjected to a deadly electromagnetic force, we see him in his flash sideways, which the remainder of the episodes takes place in. Here we see a few differences from his "real" life, where he works for Widmore and is actually his go-to guy. Widmore instructs him to take care of Charlie, and from there, the tale unfolds.

After an underwater adventure, Desmond starts remembering things, from the island, and as it would turn out, various other characters are having visions and remembering things from their other lives as well. It's pretty cool to see all of this unfold, and it would seem that that wise Eloise Hawking, or should I say Eloise Widmore, knows a lot about what is going on, and with the help of her son, Daniel, aka Daniel Faraday, some serious shit is about to go down.

Near the very end of the episode, Desmond comes to on the island, and through his vision, agrees to go along with Widmore's plans, although Sayid comes to "rescue" him, so we'll see how all of that turns out. Only 5 episodes remain, and the plot is surely thickening. I'm excited.
Zach's Score: 9.5/10

JDW says: Like most people, I love Desmond-centric episodes, and to be upfront, while this episode was still great, I don't think it carried the same weight and emotion as previous Desmond episodes. But, even if the emotion wasn't there, this episode is extremely important to this season, as it's the first to finally address the purpose of these flash-sideways. As it would seem, the sideways version of Faraday (now Daniel Widmore) is very much aware that everything in Los Angeles is not as it should be, and thinks that a strong energy blast may have caused it, one by his own hands.

Now this isn't the first time that Desmond has traveled into an alternate world where he is very much aware of his life on the island. You may remember the Season 3 episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," where Desmond travels back to 1996 in his mind and the Season 4 episode, "The Constant," where he contacts Faraday in the past because of what he sees in the future. In both these cases, especially the former, Desmond always sees and hears constant signs that remind him of the island. This episode's interactions with Charlie were no different, so it was great to see Desmond, still being Desmond.

But, I also felt the episode was really predictable despite being great. Like, as soon as Widmore was acting nice to Desmond and then mentioned his son, and not daughter, I pretty much knew where the episode was going; heck, I even said it to Zach before the events happened and I was all right. Regardless, I'm just glad these flash-sideways seem to be going somewhere.
JDW's Score: 9/10

Overall Score: 9.3/10

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This Week in Lost - 3/30/10

You know, it's SPOILER TIME.

Episode 10 - "The Package"

Zach says: This week's episode is about Jin and Sun, although it touches on a lot of stuff on the island. The Kwons' flash sideways isn't too exciting, but definitely has its differences. Jin and Sun aren't married, but in love, and she's pregnant. That's about it. The rest follows the events that happened before Sayid found Jin in the fridge during his episode.

On the island though, some interesting things go down. Locke tries to get Sun to come with him, but she refuses, and Jin gets kidnapped by Widmore, who needs him for some reason, probably because he worked with the Dharma Initiative. Widmore also shows that he knows a lot about the Man in Black, and says that he can't let him leave the island, or everyone is dead. It makes enough sense that Widmore would know something about this, seeing as how he was a leader of the Others way back when.

Apparently, Locke DOES intend to leave the island off the airplane, and he needs all of the people on the list, the candidates. I would assume he actually needs them dead, instead of needing them to go with him, as if there is no candidate, there is no Jacob, and no person trapping him on the island.

And then the end of the episode comes, revealing the probable item behind the locked sub door, Desmond. Desmond has always been an interesting character, what with his time traveling and odd behavior shown in a past episode, so this could be key to solving some mystery. We'll find out soon enough
Zach's Score: 8/10

JDW says: Well, it's hard for Lost to get much better than it was last week (even if Zach couldn't see that), so I went into this week's episode with not as high hopes, as to not disappoint myself. And, the episode was pretty much lack luster... the flash-sideways was generally uninteresting, as it didn't really reveal much, and we knew what was going to happen because we'd already seen most of it in Sayid's flash-sideways.

I did appreciate the mentioning of Jin and Sun's daughter though, because it seemed liked Sun completely forgot about her own daughter just to find Jin (who didn't know that the baby was born). But otherwise, I didn't find this episode that great, and despite the confrontation between Smokey and Widmore, it felt like nothing significant happened. Finally seeing Desmond again though.. that was promising, here's to hoping next week is better.
JDW's Score: 7/10

Overall Score: 7.5/10

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This Week in Lost - 3/23/10

Plenty of MAJOR SPOILERS lie ahead...

Episode 9 - "Ab Aeterno"

Zach says: This week's focus is Richard, and we get to learn all about his heritage and who he really is. I was pretty excited for this week's episode, although after watching it, I felt it didn't quite offer exactly what I was hoping.

If you've been following any Lost related rumors in the past 3 seasons or so, then you would assume that Richard came to the island via the Black Rock ship, which was clued to more than a few times this season alone. This fact is officially revealed this episode, as Richard was dragged as a slave, but freed by the mysterious "Man in Black".

I personally believe that the time it took to get Richard to the island was a bit drawn out, and could have been shortened to reveal more about Richard's island doings, however, we only see him before he reached the island, and then the time period when he gets there initially; nothing in between from when he gets to the island to the present day.

Keeping it in the same period as when Richard lands though, gives us our earliest view of Jacob and the Man in Black though, which was nice. We see that they don't like each other, which has always been evident, and that MiB is up to his old trick, trying to get someone else to kill Jacob. Although we see Jacob actually defend himself and kick some ass, which was a bit odd.

Then, we learn of Richard's actual role on the island, and what the island is technically for; containing evil. So, the last 15 or so minutes were a bit more insightful, but overall, we did learn a bit about Richard's life off the island, and his overall motivation, kind of, but other than that, I thought the episode was a bit of a let down. Let's see if the candidates can keep it together, and contain that Man in Black from escaping.
Zach's Score: 7/10

JDW says: Well, for the first time this season, Zach and I are at a major disagreement. Why? Because I loved this episode. Sure, it's the only episode this season without flash-sideways, bringing back the flash-backs of old, and this episode goes back, a lot, to 1867 (hell, most of the episode is in Spanish). And sure, it didn't really give too many answers regarding the candidate's future. But I still think this episode was very relevant.

I really enjoyed the period piece that was Richard's flash-back, it was a new, interesting setting to see in the Lost world, and the relationship between Richard and his wife was actually kind of touching, albeit a bit cliche. The episode also showed off Nestor Carbonel's acting range, from a poor man on Spain's Canary Islands, which quite the fluent Spanish tongue, to a battered man trying to learn English in order to save his life and start anew, to the Richard we've known and seen before. It was like watching a different person on screen, and made Richard much more interesting, for me at least. So, it didn't really bring the show forward, but still, it filled in quite a few gaps.

It gave us answers to stuff like 'Who is Richard?' 'Why doesn't he age?' 'How, when, and why did he come to the island?' 'How was the statue destroyed?' 'How did the ship get to the middle of the island?' 'Has the Man in Black tried to kill Jacob before?' 'What exactly is the island?' and more. Heck, even the idea/rumor that's been around since the first season that everyone on the island is dead and in Hell and/or Purgatory is mentioned. If anything, this episode was the ultimate fan service for those that have stuck with the show and tried to dig out every detail.
JDW's Score: 9.5/10

Overall Score: 8.3/10

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This Week in Lost - 03/16/10

What lies in the shadow of the statue? Spoilers, below at least...

Episode 8 - "Recon"

Zach says: This week's episode is based on the beloved Sawyer, or James as he is known in the flash-sideways. His flash sideways life is similar to what it is normally; still searching after the con-man who killed his parents and still has major issues with it, however, he happens to be a cop this time around, partnered with Miles, interestingly enough. There aren't too many super reveals during this peek into his alternate life, but I guess it's interesting to see how he's on the right side of the law this time around.

Life on the island however, continues as normal. Nothing too terribly exciting happens this week, although we learn that Widmore has indeed made it to the island, although we don't see him actually on it himself, which could be important, but instead, he is camped out on the submarine.

Other than that, we see (F)Locke as more of a human character, who has emotions and talks about his mother, and issues he has. He is very convincing at making these people trust him and tells them that he is going to protect them. However, it's unclear if he is being truthful about his intentions and feelings, as he lied about being the smoke monster, and instead, says he was protecting the people from it.

I would like to think that he is playing everyone, and trying to get them to do something for him, but it's hard to tell. Sawyer on the other hand, is definitely playing everyone he meets. Locke sent him to the other island to see what was going on. Sawyer meets up with Widmore and makes a deal to deliver Locke to him, to kill. Obviously, Sawyer is making deals with both sides for his own benefit, and doesn't trust anyone, so we'll see how that all plays out.

One interesting bit we get away from this is that Widmore seems to know what's going on, which makes enough sense, as he was a leader on the Island before. So, Widmore wants to kill Locke as well, so what happens when he inevitably meets up with Ben?

Another tidbit, is that Sayid is totally gone. Claire attacks Kate right in front of him and he just sits there. Somethings up with that, so I'm gonna go ahead and predict that Hurley is going to have to kill him or something. It'll be a trying time, I'm sure. Anyways, this week's episode I didn't really think was that great, but next week's will feature Richard, so that should be plenty interesting. Until then.
Zach's Score: 7/10

JDW says: After last week's phenomenal episode, it was more than unlikely that this week's episode would be as good, and considering it focused on the somewhat likeable but usually hateable Sawyer, there was pretty much not amazing to be expected. And the episode was just that, it was alright, had some things to say, but otherwise was kind of dull.

Sawyer's flash-sideways was interesting, if only because we got to see what became of Miles and Charlotte in their alter-lives, and even Charlie's brother and Kate show up. But Sawyer's L.A. life felt very much like Locke's and Kate's stories, in that they don't feel very important, and the supporting characters just feel like "oh hey, look at that!" cameos. Also, anyone else notice that Ajira flight 316 was featured again... on 3/16?! I wonder if that was planned...
JDW's Score: 7/10

Overall Score: 7/10

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This Week in Lost - 3/9/10

On time, and you should just consider this normal now, SPOILERS BELOW!

Episode 7: "Dr. Linus"

Zach says: Holy crap, I liked this week's episode a lot. Not much really happened, in terms of action or REAL secrets being unveiled, but it seemed important on a lot of different levels. First of all, we learn about Richard's origins and basically why he's lived so long. Unfortunately, we see him lose faith, but it happens to be restored by Jack, who has indeed started to believe.

This week's episode focuses on Ben and his flash-sideways, and by golly, it's good to see the outcome of the event. I wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do, but he definitely surprised me both in the off-island universe and the one on the island as well.

One interesting note occurred while Ben was talking with his elderly father, who was wishing he had had a better life and that they had never left the island. This means that Ben and his father DID go to the island, but left for some reason, and as we know, the island is now underwater. So, via the time line, the hydrogen bomb could have sunk the island, but why did they leave in the first place? What changed?

Also, Illana mentioned that Jacob's list was indeed for his replacement, and that there were six candidates left. I can't think right now, but there are definitely more than six Oceanic members on the island. And of course, something interesting always happens at the end of each episode, this week being no exception. We see a sub in the water....one with Widmore in it...It's definitely good that he is back, as it would be really weird if that plot point was left out, but there is so much going on. It'll be interesting to see how he fits in and who's side he is on.
Zach's Score: 9.5

JDW says: I can't agree more, this episode was not only this season's best so far, but it was one of the series' best for the reason alone that it showed that characters' attitudes can change, regardless of where fate has left them. This episode particularly focuses on how seeming invincible characters like Ben and Richard can change, but characters like Illana and Jack also get their chances too.

As Zach mentioned, in the scene with Ben's father (who doesn't seem to hate him now), it's the first time where the flash-sideways actually makes reference to the island, which raises the question as to what exactly is the flash-sideways, if the events prior to the explosion actually did happen, including the time-traveling Oceanic Six.

Regardless of the revelations in the episode, "Dr. Linus" was just full of the right kind of suspense. The type where you just can't figure out what's going to happen next because you aren't expecting the characters to go in that direction. But it was a nice chance, and definitely a start to what should be so many more answers this season.
JDW's Score: 9.5/10

Overall Score: 9.5/10

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This Week in Lost - 3/2/10

On time this week! Still doesn't mean this review won't be SPOILER-filled.

Episode 6 - "Sundown"

Zach says: I'm a bit on the fence with this week's episode. It featured Sayid, like I assumed it would, but it wasn't all that great, as far as giving us new information about the island and so on. However, it definitely did a good job of building up the suspense for future episodes, and showing how Locke has a few cards up his sleeves.

First, Sayid wants to know why Dogen wanted him dead, to learn that Dogen believes he has no good in him. However, his flash sideways shows this isn't necessarily the case, and with Sayid, you never really think he is a bad person, but just pushed to do some not good things. The end of the episode shows just this, as he kills a few people in both the present and his flash sideways. The former is more interesting, as Locke pretty much convinced him to do so.

[SPOILERS] Now, we see Locke take over and destroy the temple and its inhabitants, except for those that have joined his side, which number in the 30's. Locke is most definitely building an army, with Claire and Sayid in tow. Kate doesn't really know what to think of it, so we'll see who's side she chooses, although I would assume it would be with Jack and Jacob. We finally see Jacob's troupe of followers, with Lapidus and Sun, who were aboard the Ajira flight come to the temple before its destruction, although they didn't do much aside from picking up Miles.

The only question left in my head is where is Sawyer? He wasn't with Locke, and we haven't seen him since the cave. If he is with Locke, I'm thinking he can persuade Kate to tag along as well, but who knows how long that would last.

So, nothing too phenomenal about this week's episode, aside from Locke taking over the temple, possibly the last stronghold of the island's inhabitants. All that is left is to do away with the rest of the Oceanic group. [END MAJOR SPOILERS]

Obviously, Locke needs these people to accomplish some goal, or he would have killed them all by now. And thinking back to young Jacob who we saw a few episodes back tell Locke he couldn't kill Sawyer, what is with that? Locke can most definitely kill some people, as he took out the temple, but he isn't "allowed" to kill Sawyer and perhaps the rest of the Oceanic cast? Do they have to kill each other? I'm thinking something important is going on here, and I'm excited to find out exactly what. [END MINOR SPOILERS]
Zach's Score: 7.5/10

JDW says: Well, I know I won't spoil the episode for those of you who have yet to see it. But, the gist of it is that this is a Sayid centric episode. In his 'flash-sideways' the love of his life, Nadia, is still alive, but married to his brother; on the island, he has nothing left, he is 'sick' and is wanted dead by the inhabitants of the temple.. not his ideal life either way.

I'm not sure what Zach's complaining about though, I really liked this one. It's the first time in a long time where something truly drastic and game-changing occurred on the island. And while that may not 'reveal' much about its secrets, it's still a big deal, and I think was presented very well. But seriously... where was Sawyer?! Hopefully next week has some answers in that department.
JDW's Score: 8.8/10

Overall Score: 8.2/10

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This Week in Lost - 2/23/10

Because it's a day late, I decided to make this one extra detailed and spoiler filled... so if you still haven't seen the episode, don't look!

Episode 5 - "Lighthouse"

Zach says: This week's episode focuses on Jack, both in the current era at the island, and that of his "flash sideways" where we see what his life could have been like had the island been underwater.

On the island, he is still confused about his purpose and brokenhearted. Hurley talks to Jacob's ghost again, who instructs him to take Jack to this lighthouse to supposedly help someone get to the island, however, this is most likely a lie simply to get Jack to the lighthouse. Once there, Hurley tries to get Jack to set the degree to 108. When looking at the 360 degrees on the lighthouses' wheel, Jack notices each degree next to names, including his own. This would then explain the infamous numbers both on the cave wall and elsewhere referenced in the series. Jack and Hurley then notice some bizarre images in the lighthouse mirrors, infuriating Jack, as he believes Jacob has been watching and manipulating him for years.

Jack goes on a bit of a rampage, however, but Jacob assures Hurley that this is so Jack can realize how important he is, and that he needed to get Hurley and Jack far away from the temple, where something bad is about to happen.

From that, it would seem that Jack and Hurley are the most important characters, however, Kate, Sawyer, and Jin are also away from the temple. What does this mean for Miles and Sayid though? Are they unimportant or will they find a way to escape the impending doom? And what is this trouble that will befall the temple?

After Jin gets caught in that bear trap, he runs, not literally of course, into Claire, who has been on the island for 3 years. She isn't quite as sure of herself as she was when we saw her in the cabin a few seasons back. She thinks the Others have her baby, but Jin first says Kate has it, and then reverts back and says the Others have Aaron. Now, for some crazy reason, Jin says he can get Claire into the temple, and who happens to stop by, but Claire's friend, faux-Locke, who she knows isn't Locke. So, it would seem that the impending doom is going to come from both Claire and evil Locke. This leaves us with a few questions about Claire, her sanity, and who's side she's on. How long has she been friends with anti-Jacob and what has he told her? I'm sure we'll learn more in the coming episodes.

However, this is a story about Jack, so half of the episode revolves around his life on the main-land with his son, David. Yeah, apparently Jack has a son now, and he is suffering from the same thing Jack was with his dad; fear of failure. Jack and his son aren't very close, and Jack is very perturbed by this. However, by the end of the episode, they make up in a very heart-felt moment, and it was nice to see something good happen for Jack, who is always caught up in a bunch of shit that he doesn't deserve.

So that's basically it. More of a synopsis from me than usual, but yeah. Some interesting things are going on, but nothing too incredible. A few questions come up, like why is Kate all of a sudden looking for Claire? Or maybe that was her reason for going back to the island in the first place... it's been awhile and I don't recall. And who is number 108? Jacob instructs Hurley to position the lighthouse to degree 108 to help someone get to the island. Was he just saying that to get Jack and Hurley there, or is there really a person coming to the island, Mr. 108? Could it be Charles Widmore? Perhaps we'll find out in the future.
Zach's Score: 7.5/10

JDW says: Not like I can really say much more than that... but overall I felt this was a good episode, though it wasn't a great one. Not only were we treated to answers to questions like, "Where has Claire been?" "What are the numbers?" and "Why is Hurley the best character?" but we actually got to see character development. I personally really liked the alternate-Jack story between him and his son, and I think it's the first of these "flash sideways" that really hit with meaning, re-instating the show's running theme of father-related problems.

But what this episode also brought back was "the mystery of the island". Just when you thought you had everything about the island figured out, like giant statues, underground hatches, and secret temples, a new location is brought up, the lighthouse, and it's probably the most mysterious location yet. Perhaps when jack brings up "Alice In Wonderland" during the flash-sideways it's a reference to how the lighthouse is a looking-glass into the lives of everyone who has been on the island. Though maybe that's just over-thinking, but hopefully we'll find out who number 108 is soon enough, I hope it's Desmond.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10

Overall Score: 8/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week In Lost - 2/16/10

Sorry for the lateness, busy schedules and what not.

Episode 4 - "The Substitute"

Zach says: This week focused back on evil Locke and the story at hand, or at least that's how I like to view it. However, we didn't get to see anything from Claire, which was disappointing, but I'm sure that's where the story will go next week. In this episode, we see "Locke" seemingly try to recruit some people to his cause, whatever that may be exactly. Richard is a bit of an interesting case. He refuses him outright, even though apparently Richard doesn't know too much about Jacob's overall plans, but still trusts him and completely distrusts Locke. So, Locke instead goes to Sawyer, who agrees to follow him to get some answers.

Locke takes Sawyer to a special cave where there are many names scribble on the walls, most importantly of which, are those of the Oceanic 815 and main characters, who also have very familiar numbers by each of their names. Another important scene takes place where Locke sees what would seem to be a young Jacob, who tells him that he can't kill Sawyer, as it would be breaking a rule. To this, Locke replies that he can't be told what he can and can't do, which is exactly what real Locke said when people denied him because of his disability. So it was very interesting to see this correlation here.

Aside from that, not too much else happens. We see what John's life would have been like if flight 815 didn't go down, and he seems to have not had too much faith, which is completely different then who he became on the island. We see a little bit from Sun and Ben, who I would think will come into their own further into the season. This week was definitely better than the drama driven events of the last episode, and hopefully the final season will keep up with the pace in exposing the rest of the island and the overall plans of Jacob and his adversary.
Zach's Score: 8/10

JDW says: Hard to say was hasn't already been said, but I'll try. Was definitely strange for this episode to disregard the whole "sick" Sayid/evil Claire revelation that we saw last week, but at least it also left out Kate... regardless, this was a Locke centric episode, and if we have learned anything from previous seasons it's that Locke episodes are usually good and full of answers. Though, unlike the rest of our island dwellers, this episode was split between Jacob's rival (in Locke form, of course) and Locke if he had landed in LA.

The parallels of these two different men was really interesting (even if one was in the form of the other), to the point that one questions if they're really different at all. But, as much as it is fan service to see the alternate versions of Helen, Rose, and Ben in Locke's post-landing life, their inclusion still feels irrelevant to me. It's like, I'm not really sure what to make of the post-landing storyline because the island storyline still feels like it's the "real" storyline. This episode didn't really help with that, as the island storyline actually revealed a greater importance of 4 8 15 16 23 42, but otherwise I still feel a bit unfulfilled.
JDW's Score: 8/10

Overall Score: 8/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week in Lost - 2/9/10

Yeah! We're still here, and so is Lost, so let's get on with it!

Episode 3 - "What Kate Does"

Zach says: Well, after a superb season premiere, it seems the writers are back to their old ways, giving us two different universes, and not showing much in either, until of course the very end, where some bomb shell is exposed, leaving viewers to wait until next week to learn what it could all mean.

I kind of thought we were done with this sort of thing, but if past seasons are any indicator, we probably aren't. You'll have a couple really good, intense episodes with lots of cool things going on, but the rest, will be boring, reveal very little of anything important or interesting, and rely on pure drama crap. Sure, it may be nice for some to see a bit deeper into their favorite characters, but that is more meant for previous seasons when you were just getting introduced to them.

This is the frigging final season, and I just don't care about Jack's insecurities or how Sawyer actually cares about people. I want to know about the friggin' island, the Others, what Jacob's nemesis is up to, and all that good stuff. I don't want to have to wait until the last damn episode to get more answers. The premiere was awesome, the finale will probably be amazing, but something damn well good better happen in the middle.
Zach's Score: 5/10

JDW says: This week's episode, to say the least, did not live up to last week, and really how could it? Last week was pretty fantastic. But I agree with Zach, it's really troubling to see Lost, in its FINAL SEASON mind you, going back to its old ways of sitting around, crying to each other, and not really going anywhere.

Sure, it was really interesting to see faces like Ethan show up in the "alternate timeline"/"flash sideways" but, it was nothing more than a cameo that referenced the events that actually happened in the show's early seasons. But it didn't really do anything, it was just a "Hey! You remember that?" sort of moment, that otherwise was irrelevant. If this was one of last season's episodea, I'd of trashed it. The fact that it's part of this season makes me a bit more frustrated.
JDW's Score: 7/10

Overall Score:6/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week in Lost - 2/2/10

This Week in Lost is back! Sure, we may have thought FlashForward was going to be the new Lost, but to say the least, that show hasn't lived up to its promise. Feels pretty damn good to have the original back! Let's do this!

Season 6 Premiere: Episodes 1/2 "LA X"

Zach Says: The first major question that the season will continue to answer probably, is whether or not the bomb worked, and if so, how? The season premiere showed us two planes of existence; one in which the Oceanic Six and others from the 1970's get transported back to the present, and another in which the Oceanic Flight 815 never crashed on the island. It is clear that the first was effected by the bomb, however, the second may have nothing to do with it. With the latter, the island is underwater, so probably won't play too much of a role in that universe, but what is the importance of it then? One interesting thing is that Jack saw Desmond on the plane, and thought he recognized him. Does Jack remember the island? Has it even happened? One other weird thing is that Desmond should have been on the island anyways, so maybe the hydrogen bomb event DID happen and sunk the island, stopping future events from happening. And where the heck is Boone's sister, Shannon? I'm assuming though, that this alternate universe will play a major role in the season and be used to do more than just explore the characters.

More interesting things are going on on the island though. Everyone from the 70's is now back at the Swan station, but now, in the present, 200x, with everyone else, including Lapidus, Sun, and Ben. Near the beginning, the show confirms a lot of our suspicions that we've had all during the fifth season: the John Locke looking fellow that's been walking around is NOT the real John Locke, but Jacob's unnamed nemesis, who does happen to also take the form of the smoke monster. He did get Ben to kill Jacob, although Hurley can still see him, and even gives him some instructions, so Jacob and his plans are certainly not done. Jacob's enemy isn't either though, as he wants to "go home", which seems to be off the island someplace.

Hurley, Jack, Kate, and others from the 70's realize they are in the present and attempt to save Sayid's life by following Jacob's instructions. They go towards the temple and run into yet ANOTHER set of Others, previously not seen in the series. They take Sayid to a spring, which heals wounds, and I would think lets people not age, which would explain Richard Alpert's immortality. Sayid is supposedly a very important person, so we'll see how that plays out.

That's just about all of the really important stuff that happens in this opener. It seems the main arc will be that of Jacob's nemesis trying to get off and perhaps destroy the island and its inhabitants, and everyone else trying to stop him. There will be some conflict with Sawyer and how he copes with Juliet's death, as well as other scenarios that play out, but the one that fascinates me the most is that of the alternate dimension where the plane never crashed and what importance that will bring to the show.

There are lots of things learned from the first episode and interesting things one can notice, especially with the alternate reality and the incongruities with what happened in the first season. I'm very interested to see how it all plays out and can't wait for the finale. The season definitely started right.
Zach's Score: 9/10

JDW Says: I was going to make a big explanation about what happened in last night's two-hour premiere, but I think Zach already covered, well, everything. For me, the first half (essentailly Episode 1) was the best, and not just the best of this premiere, but certainly one of the major highlights of this show's entire run. There was just something about watching it, and realizing, "Wow, this is the last season premiere of Lost," and then seeing so many familiar faces, many of which haven't been seen since the first season, like Boone and Leslie Arzt (Remember him? He blew up all over everyone).

But what also made this premiere so great was that for the first time in a long time, the show answered some major questions, even while bringing up so new ones. Finally, we are given a true identity to the infamous "smoke monster," even though we still don't have a name for him yet, it really brings together all the interactions with him over the previous five seasons to something a bit more comprehensive.

But, as Zach said, the real question now is what do we make of these two realities? The one, assumingly real one, in which the bomb detonated but now everyone isn't sure what's going on and the new, hypothetical one, where it's as if the plane never crashed and the island is submerged in the ocean. But what doesn't make sense of this reality is that (at least I noticed this, and Jack seemed curious as well) why isn't Jack's hair short like it was when the series started? Why is Boone not with his sister, Shannon? Why does Hurley claim to only have good luck? And what the hell is Desmond doing on the plane?! I guess that's why we're supposed to keep watching, there's definitely some motivation now at least.
JDW's Score: 9.2/10

Overall Score: 9.1/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

This Week in Lost returns tomorrow!

Just a reminder for everyone! Tomorrow night marks the return of This Week in Lost! For those that would rather watch the show BEFORE reading our review (like you should) the event starts at 8 PM EST on ABC with an hour long recap special, with the two-hour long season premiere following at 9.

May I remind you this marks the start of Lost's sixth a final season, so it will also mark the beginning of the end of the feature. Thankfully we have other This Week In features to keep you engaged for when Lost finally ends.

See you then!

This Week in Lost - Season 5 Recap

It's been a week since Lost's Season 5 finale, which was awarded a VFH Seal of Approval, just saying. Now that you have hopefully watched the episode already, and the season is over, we thought it would be a great time to take a look back at the season and share our thoughts (Spoilers and all!). It's a much different version of This Week in Lost, but we hope you'll enjoy!

Favorite Episode(s)
JDW says: While the season finale was my highest scored episode of the season (and that's mainly in comparison to the crap we received in weeks prior, I'm actually tied between two episodes. There's the Desmond focused, third episode, "Jughead", which not only let me get a deeper feeling for my favorite character of the show, but really made the aspect of time travel exciting and worthwhile by revealing much of the island's past. The other episode, was Lost's 100th, and this season's fourteenth, "The Variable", which not only focused on my new favorite character, Daniel Faraday, but also killed him off come the episode's end. Both these episodes are truly Faraday's shining moments, and make me hope the character has a chance of returning for season 6.

Zach says: The finale was by far my favorite episode this season, which returned to what Lost is really about and made a few exciting revelations, like who Jacob is and what’s the story with Locke. Like almost all of Lost’s episodes, this one ends in a cliff hanger, but what it did answer and show was pretty amazing. It was awesome to finally see Jacob and see what he was planning, although we don't get full details on that of course. We did see him meet up with most of the Lost crew, which was very interesting and makes me want to know what exactly he was doing and why. This episode was my favorite not only because it felt like what Lost is all about, and really pulled the season together, but also because it is culminating into something grand that will be season 6. I can't wait.

What We Liked
JDW says: To be honest, I was really skeptical of the whole time travel aspect that was introduced this season. But being a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek, I can't say I'm not open to the idea. Thankfully the writer's managed to bring the idea into Lost in a controlled manner, without screwing things up, and creating even more mystery to the series. I also enjoyed the development of newcomers Faraday and Miles, and finally revealing Jacob and the giant statue he inhabits.

Zach says: The beginning of the season started out fairly well, with the island gang flying through time, meeting up with interesting characters which revealed a lot about the island’s past and a variety of things. This time travel aspect played well into the series and answered a lot of questions, while revealing a ton of information about characters, such as Charlotte, Ben, and Charles Widmore, just to name a few. It was also semi-interesting to find out if Jack and Ben could get everyone to come back to the island and to find out what happened to Locke.

What We Disliked
JDW says: Where to start? There's the unnecessary "love rhombus"* of Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Juliet; which to me felt like ABC trying to attract it's Grey's Anatomy viewers than bringing anything worthwhile to the show. And from that group is Kate, who was an interesting character with a mysterious past when we first met her, but she's since become "the annoying one" and the character I personally wish would just die already; and her focused episode, "Whatever Happened, Happended", was definitely this season's low-point. I'm also not a fan of having a white screen ending, and having to wait a year to see what's next, but I can't really argue with that...

Zach says: There was too much drama that didn’t lead to anything this season. One would be questions about Jack, Kate, Juliet, and Sawyer, but it was more on the minds of the viewers and not something that was outwardly portrayed in the show, thankfully. Season 4 seemed to do this a lot too, where there were entire episodes of drama or other crap that didn’t lead to anything important happening. There may have been a few details and a back-story on a character, but nothing exciting or truly important to the series; just filler. This happened again this season and it just felt like a complete waste. Hopefully, season 6, the last season, will answer questions and not be filled with useless crap.

What's Next?
JDW says: When a season of Lost ends with a white screen that may or may not reset time as we know, it's kind of hard to predict where to go next. Then again, it's hard to predict where Lost goes even with a clear ending. At this point though, I think we can all assume that Jacob's unnamed rival was not only fake Locke, but Christian, Yemi, Alex, and possibly even "Smokey". Which really comes down figuring out who this man is, and what exactly did he want to kill Jacob for? I'm also very curious to know how long Jacob and his rival have been around for, and what is the significance of Egyptian culture to the island. And of course, we all want to know what happens after the flash.

Logically, I'd like to assume that everyone is alive due to contractual obligations of actually appearing on the show; but it's really hard to know exactly where this all goes. What I'd really love to see is everyone returning for the final season, dead characters like Boone, Charlie, Claire, Libby, Mr. Eko, amongst others. While the season finale did prove that "dead is dead", I think it would be really great to see the people that started on Oceanic 815 come back. Not to mention we still have some unanswered questions for living, off island characters like Desmond, Walt, Abadon, and Charles Widmore. And that's really what I want to see from season 6, is no questions unanswered, because I'd hate to feel unfulfilled after all this time.


Zach says: There are a ton of things we can speculate about what happened in the past seasons, what will come from the finale, and how everything fits together from revelations that came from the finale. Did the bomb work and the events of the past 5 seasons never take place? What’s going to happen with Jacob and the other man? What is going to come of Ben and Widmore? Countless questions and speculations can be brought up, but here’s what I think will happen in season 6.

I’m going to assume that the bomb was successful, and the 1977 people will return to their original places, but still remember certain events and use their knowledge to achieve some goal. It’s possible that setting off the bomb will spare Jacob’s life, as it wouldn’t have happened, but it’s also very possible that 2007 will continue as is, and something will come of Richard Alpert and the Others plotting against Locke. The season has to focus on giving some answer, so I’m guessing it’ll be centered on the story of Jacob and his rival, and what comes of the nuclear bomb going off. I think we’ll also get more answers about what is so special with the island, and what Jacob's motives are. The Oceanic Six and friends will obviously have a huge role in this story as well, and we will see how they are all connected, why, and for what true purpose.

Season 5's Average Overall Score: 8.3/10

*"love rhombus" phrase created by Zach and in no way should be considered property of JDW.

And with that, our coverage for Lost's fifth season is done. Because of this, This Week in Lost will be on hiatus until the start of season 6, which will supposedly begin in 2010. Hopefully we'll be able to continue weekly updates with This Week In for another series, but at this point nothing is planned. Thanks for reading!

Need to catch up on Lost? Catch it at ABC.com