We heard Jacob tell Hurley that a friend was trying to find the Island.  And who found the Island? Widmore.

The natural question to ask is: is Widmore really a good guy, or is Jacob really a bad guy?

Damon said, “Here’s the story with numbers. The Hanso Foundation that started the Dharma Initiative hired this guy Valenzetti to basically work on this equation to determine what was the probability of the world ending in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Valenzetti basically deduced that it was 100 percent within the next 27 years, so the Hanso Foundation started the Dharma Initiative in an effort to try to change the variables in the equation so that mankind wouldn’t wipe it itself out.” This information, in more convoluted form, was leaked out via the online games rather than explained on the show itself, says Damon, because, “That would be the worst thing ever. We have to make the show for the hardcore fans who care about the numbers, but we also have to make it for my mom, who just wants Sawyer to take his shirt off.”

Here are some things I feel I can predict in the storyline of Lost, and some things that are standing out.

1. I think the “Incident,” we all can guess, has to do with the bomb called Jughead.  I suspect it has some sort of detonation or radiation leak.
2. I think that Pierre Chang will instruct his wife and child to leave the island because he knows that the Incident is coming, possibly because Daniel tells him so.  I think it would even cooler if Miles told Chang to clear them out, for obvious reasons.  Then Miles would have spent his whole life hating his father for doing what he would eventually tell him to do.
3. I think it’s possible that Miles’ mother’s cancer is directory related to Jughead and the Incident.
4. I  use to think that the Swan’s layers of concrete were to encase Jughead.  Sayid said the only time he’d seen that much concrete was at Chernobyl.  But the construction of the Swan in 1977 reveals that the bomb has found another home for at least 20-something years.  Now I think that again, because I think there’s a trick here: the “Hostiles” were the ones who had the bomb in the 50’s.  Perhaps Horace and Chang know the bomb is out there and intend to steal it and encase it at the Swan, evacuating the radiation every 108 minutes.  I’m still foggy on this, but obviously, whatever the Swan’s original purpose is must be explained shortly.
5. I am a little disappointed at how underwhelming the Dharma Initiative is turning out to be.  They were initially described as a team of elite scientists.  Instead, we’re treated to a slew of janitors, cooks, blue collar workers.  Is it possible that only Dr. Chang and Horace know what the heck is going on? Even the Dharma people themselves are unaware? That makes the DI no better than any old cult, which is a letdown.  They were doing high level experiments.  Who is conducting all the research? If the hatches aren’t all constructed yet, when will those experiments begin, because we all know that the Purge is coming, and it has to be before that.
6. It seems unreasonable and irresponsible for the Dharma Initiative to brand everything.  That seems like a colossal waste of both time and money.  And why jumpsuits? Who is going to see them? Why not just t-shirts?
7. We had better see a connection with the DeGroots and Alvar Hanso or I will be one pissed off dude.
8. I think we will see the following things and events explained, and in the following order: the Hatch, the Incident, the Purge, the Statue, the Dharma Initiative, Jacob, the Island.  The numbers have been revealed to be the Valenzetti Equasion variables.  We will never  get an answer to some minor things, but I suspect all major plot points will be explained.  Included in eventual reveals, I predict: Annie, Ellie == Eloise?, Adam and Eve, the smoke monster, the blast door map, Alvar and Magnus Hanso, and where the eff Bernard and Rose have been.  I think it’s possible they may never explain why Walt is “special,” but I bet we learn why Desmond is.
9. I believe in artistic license.  So unlike some friends of mine (wink wink, E) I don’t mind minor mess ups that don’t really affect the greater plot.  There are some weird Rousseau things: in one season, she said the others were nothing but whispers, but certainly, she saw and spoke to Ben.  Okay, so they hadn’t fleshed it all out in season 1.  But I suspect they know where they are going with the big reveals.

Just a few thoughts.  If you’ve got some, feel free to chime in.

Holy cow! So Charlotte’s age has been a big mystery, since she was born in 1979, but clearly, Faraday saw her in 1974.  You know how big of a deal this is!?

It’s not! Holy shit, people, has it come to this? This is a big deal?  This is the first continuity mistake of note on Lost (yes, there are some other very minor ones that I generally attribute to poetic license, like traveling distances over the island in short periods).  That said, it’s just not a big deal.  It doesn’t ruin the plot, it doesn’t change any of the mystery, it’s just a simple mistake that really isn’t that big of a deal.  So Charlotte is a little older than we thought.  Or she got her own birth year wrong.  Whatever.

Can we get to talking about the important things, like where is Faraday in 1977? Where are Bernard and Rose? Why didn’t Sun go back to 1977? Why can’t Widmore come back to the island? And… ahem… four toed statue?!

I think Locke is dead.  He died back in LA, and his body was transported back to the island.  Due to the “unique electromagnetic properties” of the island, his consciousness is able to manifest as “real” on the island, but make no mistake: he’s dead, and can never leave.

…And so is Penny.  Ben killed her before he took the O6 back, as he promised Widmore he would.  How else will Desmond ever be coaxed to return to the island? Why, the promise of resurrecting Penny, of course!  Mrs. Hawking told him the island wasn’t done with him, he was just too short-sighted to see why.

The above does pose a few questions: 

Firstly, who else is dead? Surely, if we can spot some of the dead, other people are also dead.

A few other dead people have appeared on or around the island: Hurley’s friend Dave, Yemi, Ana Lucia, Libby, Horace, etc – all appeared after their “death.”  Were they actually there in consciousness? Or was that just the the smoke monster playing tricks, as many have theorized?  

(1) Desmond’s storyline has come complete circle and pretty much ended.
Although there’s a lot of bits to be filled in, primarily revolving around Penny Widmore, Desmond got his happy ending. We don’t yet understand his future flashes, but he reunited with Penny, and for that, we’re all thankful.

(2) We know that time travel is a factor here, and that the island, via its unique magnetic properties, can itself move in time.
Does anyone else go “wow!” just having confirmed that? I loved that we’re actually seeing some real unraveling of the mystery of the island. Guys… where are we?

(3) We know how the Oceanic 6 became the Oceanic 6.
So they didn’t get off the island… the island simply went away and left them back in the real world …or something. What we don’t know is why Jack, rather than simply saying “no one would believe this, so we have to lie,” decided to lie to “protect” their fellow passengers. Protect them from what? I think a better explanation was that everything Locke said was coming true, so better to follow his advice.

(4) We know that Locke made it off the island
My new theory: Locke, like Ben, eventually had to move the island himself (after the 6 go back?), and as a result, couldn’t go back himself. But what we don’t know is when. Because with Alpert and even the amazingly youthful final-scene Ben, it’s hinted that they can move about through space-time.

(5) We know that Sayid can kick ass
The fight between Sayid and Keamy was appropriately long but didn’t skimp on action. What an awesomely choreographed scene. Sayid is a badass, but I am truly scared of Keamy.

(6) We know Sun can get scary
Sun not only coldly took over Paik Industries from Daddy Paik, but left Widmore with a little pee stain in his pants.

(7) We know that Miles knows more than he says
We seriously need to focus on this guy. Dude knows much more than he says.

(8) We know that Charlotte was on the island before
Well… maybe. But it’s very clearly hinted that she was born there. Uh… huh? Born there? But I thought we established that babies can’t be born there. We know they can be conceived there though.

Is it possible that Widmore was once an “others” leader and had to move the island too? But why would he age and Locke and Ben not? Is it possible that Jin is alive? How about Michael, who was visited by Christian seconds before he died? What does it mean that ghosts have visited Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Michael off the island, at a minimum (we don’t know if Sayid has been visited by ghost Shannon or anyone else)? How about the ghosts that visited Claire and Locke (Locke saw Boone some time ago)? Who is Matthew Abbadon? More importantly, what’s the deal with Jacob and the lists? That started all of this.

So many questions, so long to wait until we get any answers. But overall, I really liked this episode.

Richard Alpert, Charles Widmore and “Jacob” were passengers on The Black Rock, and for some reason, are unable to die. John Locke and Michael were also passengers on the same ship, but again – for an unknown reason, they are in some sort of time loop or reincarnation cycle so that they don’t realize who they are. We know Michael can’t be killed. And it looks increasingly like Locke can’t either – he survived as a premie, despite the odds, he fell 8 stories and survived, and was shot by Ben. Locke may even BE Jacob, but it’s irrelevant, the point is, the survivors of The Black Rock are duking it out for control of the island. Not sure what to make of Christian Shepherd just yet – he may be another passenger on the Black Rock, but I think it’s more likely he’s just the form Jacob is currently taking, or possibly the form future- or past-Locke as Jacob is taking. Also, I don’t think Ben is a passenger. If he was, he would not be so helpless now. No, he knows the backstory, and realizes “his time” is not only over, but it never really existed.

I suspect it will eventually be revealed that Widmore is both Magnus and Alvar Hanso.

I’m just piecing this stuff together on assumption, not proof. But I think we’ll see some serious stuff revealed soon, because these types of reveals won’t explain much, and yet, will explain everything. Is Locke’s mother “Emily” the same woman as Ben’s mother “Emily”? Is Christian Shepherd more than a hallucination? Does “moving the island” mean moving it geographically? Or will all of this be revealed to circumnavigate the bendiness of time?

Because that’s where all of this is going. Time is the key, and if time is pliable and actually bent, nothing is certain. It explains how Richard Alpert is everywhere, he can go back later and be right on time. It’s how Ben is so powerful. It’s eventually going to explain Adam and Eve, Christian’s empty casket, Desmond’s flashbacks, etc.

It’s all very exciting.

If Ben knew and understood the evil of Widmore, he might not trust ANY of the Losties. In fact, if this were the case, imagine the big reveal when we find out that one of our own is, and always has been, a Widmore spy! What if it were revealed that Bernard or Juliet or Sawyer was undercover the whole time? Better yet – Sun’s father has worked with Widmore, Jin works for him… could Jin be the one?

Ben seems to have some evil ways, but if he knew that someone intended to purge the island to resume development of the greatest weapon the world has ever known, he might be suspicious of everyone – even in his own camp before the crash of 815.

Here are some random mysteries that need further explanation: the 4 toed statue, Richard Alpert not aging, the Hostiles pre-Dharma, “The List,” Jacob, Walt, the Dharma project and all of its research, The Black Rock and why Widmore wanted it, who Alvar Hanso is, who Tovard Hanso is, who Magnus Hanso is, their connection to the island, how Lenny (the guy who shared the numbers with Hurley) got off the island how Libby factored into everyone’s life, why Kate says Aaron is her son, and about 200 others.

We’ve got a long way to go, but slowly, things are beginning to unravel.

Heroes, on the other hand, was a masterpiece for former comic-collectors like me. It was a self-contained storyline, and presumably, the writers knew where they were going with the season since episode 1. I LOVED Heroes, and there were some scenes during this season that inspired the “WTF?!” moments that I was missing from Lost. When HRG (now “Noah Bennett”) had the Haitian shoot him and wipe his memory, I was stunned. I leaned up in bed and said “Holy @%!” And then I wrote this piece on why Heroes was better than Lost. But the funny thing is that, despite my little rant, the episode that I called “just dumb” ended up being crucial to the finale storyline, since Hurley’s appearance in the van dramatically altered the action.

Whatever Lost …er …lost in the mini-season of season 3, it certainly regained the second portion of the latter half. With answers coming faster and faster – facts on the purge, Dharma, Rousseau, Mikhail, the hatches, Jacob, the hostiles, Juliet, etc. – the show picked up and hit its stride. This finale did not end with me being as mesmerized as the incredible season 2 finale, but it certainly gave us a ton of information and raised a slew of new questions. Sadly, I was a little disappointed that I noted Jack’s RAZR-esque cell phone, because it seemed a pretty big detail for the producers to have missed, so I wasn’t caught by surprise when Jack’s story ended up being a “flash forward.”

As far as answers go, this finale probably gave us more understanding into the characters, especially some of the Others, and gave us more plot movements, than any other Lost episode… arguably ever. Even Ben’s flashback – a treasure trove of information – didn’t give us as much action as the finale.

Heroes, on the other hand, is the perfect kind of show to which I can commit. I knew, from the get go, that the writers had said that rather than serialize over years indefinitely, they would wrap up the storyline in one season. To be brief: they did, mostly. Of course, several of the Heroes survived, some improbably, and it looks like many will be back, including Sylar.

As much as I loved Heroes, the fact is, the season final was mostly a snoozer, necessarily. We all knew how it had to end. We knew the bomb had to go off. We knew that it ended in New York. So a lot of it was winding down rather than ramping up to a *one massive cliffhanger.*

Sadly, I was let down by Heroes, though. First of all, some gripes: what in the blue hell was with Peter showing up on the Devereaux building? And when he asked for an explanation, he gets “it doesn’t matter.” What? Do the writers honestly believe that’s enough for us?

Secondly, deaths. Mohinder died. But then didn’t. Peter died, but then didn’t. Claire has died a few times, but then didn’t. Parkman died. DL died. Linderman died. Nathan died. Peter died. Sylar died. But sadly, I don’t buy it. As far as I’m concerned, Tim Kring and crew might bring any of them back, no matter how bizarre the explanation.

And then there’s the issue of action. Heroes has, for most of the season, built up the action only to let me down – big time. Peter from the future, who claims, “I haven’t had a big battle in a while,” fought for 2 seconds without breaking a sweat. The final showdown with Sylar was just pathetic. He smacked Peter around, who, despite having a million powers, decided to… punch him? And not use any other power? Not even invisibility? And Hiro ran Sylar through with a sword from a distance of 10 feet. Can’t Sylar stop time, or bend the sword, or hear him coming from that distance with his super hearing, powers he’s already demonstrated? When Hiro tried to kill him from 2 feet away, he failed, but from 10+ feet, he succeeds. Ih… what?

Then a few things: if the storyline was truly about love, why did Peter have Nathan sacrifice himself, rather than just fly into the stratosphere himself? Or better yet, why didn’t Claire kill Peter in the name of love – romantic love, familial love, whatever? Now THAT would’ve been a shocker. I’m afraid – really afraid – it’s because we’ve been duped and Peter and/or Nathan are both still alive via some scheme the writers have cooked up.

Heroes was a great storyline, but the constant rule bending, improbable actions, and lack of utilizing the powers have left me a little cold. Ultimately, I felt a little cheated by Heroes, and it’s their own doing. The long hiatus from February through late April killed it for me, and I was sold hook, line, and sinker. A hiatus doesn’t work; it actually accomplishes the opposite thing, and often ends with a viewer losing steam. Heroes slowed down as the conclusion approached.

Heroes was a great show marred by some simple problems, bad timing, primarily, amongst them. Lost, on the other hand, has left me on a high note, opening up a big mystery while revealing a ton of information. While I enjoyed the entire season of Heroes, I’m remembering it in my head with some disappointment. While I was often frustrated with Lost, I’m looking back on it with satisfaction. With more and more viewers turned off by serialized drama that may or may not see a conclusion, Lost is doing right by its fans now by giving us breadcrumbs of the mystery while keeping the questions coming at a digestible rate.

This season goes to Lost. For the sake of the 12 million plus loyal viewers, I hope I can say the same for next season.

So in the last week, I finally got around to rebuilding everything, but rather than host the photos, I decided to create a group on Flickr. I posted all of my camp pics. Many are of people I was once friends with, but have long since lost touch with, or worse, forgotten.

Imagine my surprise when I got an email from an old counselor who wrote to tell me “the “some dude” posted in your pictures is Damon Lindeloff. The same Damon Lindeloff that is co-creator of the TV Show – Lost.”

(c) 1990, Adam Scheinberg, some_dude.jpg, originally uploaded by Adam and Jennifer.

I thought to myself – really? So I did a quick scan over to google images to check out what Damon Lindelof looks like. Lo and behold, it looks just like him (see image on left). And he’s the right age, born in ‘73. And he is from New Jersey – my camp was mostly people from NJ and NY. So, this is very likely Damon Lindelof, one of the main writers of Lost, and at some point, at least, I was obviously friends with him. Kinda cool.

Update: Added “now” picture locally.

I think it’s becoming more and more likely that Mikhail is Radzinky, or at least the same person whose eye was found in The Arrow. It also seems likely to me that there’s a connection between Mikhail, a Soviet spy, and Kelvin, who we know was an American military officer (also a spy?).

A few months ago, I said Lost was no longer #1 for me, but Heroes took too long a hiatus and LOST made up for it in a VERY VERY large way by unraveling the mythology, giving us lots of tidbits to keep us going, and really course correcting – to borrow from my link.

So I guess I have to say that Lost is back to #1 for me. Here’s hoping the season finale kicks our butts.

Now the show is getting silly. They answer no meaningful questions at all, but raise even more with props like a car in the middle of the island. The room that Karl was in. The “mark” that Juliet got. As great as the Juliet episode was – where we actually learned a lot, even if it answered no real burning questions, even the Desmond one was cool, but the Jack one was really kind of silly and this Hurley one was just dumb. The backstory is just too unbelievable now with all the possible “curse” stuff. I mean…. a meteorite? Come on, Lost producers.

Here’s what I think the LOST producers should do: slowly reveal answers. Dig deeper into the Mythology and let us in on the stuff that actually addicted us: who the heck are the Degroots? What happened to them? What’s with Dharma and where did it go? What the heck are the Others doing on the island and why on earth have they approached the survivors as hostiles?? Tell us about Radzinsky and Kelvin and why they were there and what they were doing. The entire thing is now so complex and so bulky that no explanation could possibly address all of the mysteries that have been laid out. So we are doomed to be disappointed.

Heroes has replaced LOST as my #1, mostly because the plot advances comfortably. This Monday I was just blown away when HRG let the Haitian shoot him and then the Haitian reached forward to give him the mind wipe. I haven’t felt that way about Lost in a long time. Maybe when Michael shot Libby or the first Desmond flashback. But nothing has recaptured me like the first few episodes of season 2 as we explored the hatch and met Desmond.

Anyway, enough about Lost. I pray that as this season advances, we get a little more on track and focus on letting us in on the actual story. It’s just not a show worth watching if all we’re going to get is a little levity about a heavy guy riding a truck down a hill. If Hurley flashes back and we meet Cheech again, I’m turning it off. Now, if Hurley flashes back and we meet Libby in the hospital, that’s a different story.