Television

[harrie]

I thought Bullock's query whether she really earned the Oscar or just wore them down was kind of cute self-deprecation, but none of the acceptances compared to the filmed flash onto Lauren Bacall's accepting Oscar with gratitude for a 2-legged man.     

Ms. Bacall was indeed one of the evening's high points - though now the hubby's even more in love with her.  But I'm okay with that, might even fight him for her.

[Gintaras]

All it took was a knife to kill Jacob, so I assume that Alpert couldn't kill himself but needed someone else to do the honors, but with Jack similarly tagged, the dynamite wasn't going to work as long as both of them were in the hull of the ship.  Otherwise, Black Locke could have done away with his competition a long time ago.

There appear to be some game rules here, which to this point have only been hinted at.  I assume when all is said and done there will be an on-line game that comes out of this show, along with a board game for those folks who prefer the privacy of their own home to play games.

[Lhoffman]

Do you think that knife that killed Jacob had special properties?   When Sayid stabbed Locke, it didn't even faze him.

[Gintaras]

I think Jacob wanted to "die."  It seems it better suits his interests.  Odd that he dissolved into so little ash in the fire as if he was really nothing more than a spectre to begin with.  These bodies that Jacob and Black Locke have, and probably Alpert too, appear to be little more than spectral images.

[barton]

Probably ties in with the Egyptian theme there -- the human spirit, in the Egyptian religion, has several components, some more visible than others.

Agree that Jacob wanted to die -- most likely, as a means to step down from the post he's held for centuries and let someone fresh take over. 

[Kam]

Probably ties in with the Egyptian theme there -- the human spirit, in the Egyptian religion, has several components, some more visible than others.

Agree that Jacob wanted to die -- most likely, as a means to step down from the post he's held for centuries and let someone fresh take over. 

Most likely, Jacob's death was viewed by Jacob himself through the lens of 'Progress'.  It only ends once.

I thought the best moment on last week's episode was when Miles told Ben that Jacob was hoping he was wrong about Ben, right up til when the Knife plunged into his heart.

[madupont]

You've been reading Norman Mailer: Ancient Evenings. Or some such; its been about 26 years since I perused that.

[Gintaras]

The odd part is that Ben thought all this time he was doing the bidding of Jacob, but it seems it was the MIB who had control over Ben.  Alpert appeared to feel similarly "duped."  Jacob seems to prefer to work in riddles whereas the MIB seems content to play things pretty straight up.  Little wonder he appeals more to the "lostaways."   Even Jack seemed at wit's end at the lighthouse (not surprising) but has gathered his thoughts a little bit since then and has garnered that Jacob is trying to tell them something (D'oh!).  But, like the Lemony Snicket novels, this show is designed to string you along as long as possible (my daughter and I are up to Book the Eleventh), aiming for a veritable "big bang" at season's end.

I have to wonder a little about the Alice in Wonderland reference back in episode three or four, where Jack notes the book lying on his son's bed.  Again, this appears to evoke the idea this is all just a dream, and like Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge we are being made privy to the final thoughts of Flight 815 as it hurtles toward its crash in the Pacific.  Remember Charlie's "I was supposed to die!"  But, there are too many angles involved here.  The Widmore sub appears to be dragging the "science" factor back into the script.  In the end, this may just be a more picaresque Cube.

[harrie]

Lost has featured various book titles for the viewers' entertainment since the beginning.....which makes me fondly recall Sawyer's collection of reading glasses, but I digress.  So far, all the books have been red herrings, albeit entertaining ones.

I'm loving both Michael Emerson's work and Ben's transition from efficiently evil guy to deflated, seemingly rudderless guy without a tribe.  Unless he's just infiltrating Ilana's group,and the whole "who will have me" was an elaborate setup......sorry, can't help the speculating, it's just fun.  That being said, as Kam noted - Ben's reaction when Miles spilled the beans was perfect.  IMO, of course.

[barton]

I can't see "Lost" turning into "Cube."  The show might have gone that more Kafkaesque direction in season one, keeping a smaller cast and maintaining a greater sense of unresolvable mysteries without recourse to either science or mythology.  Keeping it existential, IOW.  That could have been a pretty cool show, and would have enjoyed a "firefly" lifespan, I'd guess.   

There is the same playfulness with names -- in the film, all the characters were named for famous (or infamous) prisons.   

[barton]

BTW, speaking of Miles, have any anagram heads had a go at his name.  "Miles Straume" looks like it might have been designed to contain some kind of teasing anagram (like Ethan Rom and "Other Man").

[Kam]

BTW, speaking of Miles, have any anagram heads had a go at his name.  "Miles Straume" looks like it might have been designed to contain some kind of teasing anagram (like Ethan Rom and "Other Man").

Assume Timer L

Time Massuer L

Resume Stimula

[Gintaras]

To my knowledge, Miles is the only one left who was actually born on the island, so I would think he has some significant role to play in this when all is said and done.  I would think that his power to read the final thoughts of the dead is derived from the island and could be a link for good or for bad.  The way he held up that diamond at the end of the last episode makes me think he knows a hell of a lot more than he is letting on.  If there is any "mole" among the "good guys" it is Miles.

[barton]

Yeah, he does seem significant, but whose mole he might be, no idea.  He was originally hired by Widmore and was part of the group on the Katana (IIRC the boat's name), but he is also the guy who offered to cut Ben some slack for 3.2 mill.   

I played around with his letters and got "real time muss," "summer at isle," and "slim meat user."   I also got "Smile at Remus," but that didn't seem as relevant.  Unless there's a Joel Chandler Harris connection I've missed somewhere. 

Well, resume stimula! 

[Earl]

His name kinda sorta sounds like the word "maelstrom." Make of that what you will. Or not.