What I Liked:

• Another amazing award-worthy performance from Michael Emerson.  I really hope someone picks up the show Terry O’ Quinn is shopping with the two of them.
• This may have been my favorite flash-sideway so far.  I’m starting to agree with the notion (floated about by Alan Sepinwall and others) that the flashsideways are epilogues for the characters after everything is said and done.
• I loved Leslie Arzt in the flashsideways
• William Atherton was perfectly cast as Principal Reynolds.  It was reminiscent of his many dickish roles in the 80’s
• In Ben’s speech to Ilana about his killing Jacob, it finally made sense why Ben would kill Jacob and it raises the question of what would you do if you were able to confront your God with your grievances and he appeared not to give a shit, what would you do?
• I loved the call back to Nikki and Paulo’s deaths and diamonds.  I hope Miles gets off the island with them.
• I also am starting to like Jack who has turned into season one Locke (although look where that got him in the end)
• Team Jacob has finally come together
• Widmore is back!

What I Didn’t Like:

• With only nine episodes left, it would be nice to know what the payoff is going to be with the flashsideways.  I’m a pretty patient Lost fan but my concern is that we’ll find out and I’ll have to go back and rewatch all of them to see how well it worked in the end.

Lines of the Night:

• “That’s why I signed up for that damn Dharma Initiative and took you to the island. They were decent people. Smarter than I’ll ever be. Imagine how different our lives would have been if we’d have stayed…Who knows what you would’ve become?” – Roger Linus
• “Because, your last name is Kwon, so is his, and I don’t know whether I’m supposed to protect you, him, or both of you.”
  “Protect us. What are you talking about?”
  “You’re candidates, to replace Jacob.”
  “Replace him? To do what?”
  “If you’re the one selected, I imagine you’ll find out.”  – Ilana and Sun
• “Can you believe it? Imagine how different my life would be had that alarm gone off.”
  “How different would it have been? The island still got you in the end, didn’t it?” – Lapidus and Ben
• “Why would I need your money when there are a couple of jabonies under there named Nikki  and Paulo  who got buried alive with $8 million in diamonds on top of them.” – Miles
• “You’re one of the brightest students I’ve ever had. I don’t worry about your future at all.”  – LA X Ben to Alex
• “You know, you really had me fooled with that sweater vest. Linus, you’re a real killer.”  – LA X Arzt
• “Do not open that, there’s dynamite in there. It’s mega unstable.”
  “I know.”
  “So did Dr. Arzt and I was wiping him out of my shirt two days later.” – Hurley and Richard
• “I devoted my life, longer than you can possibly imagine, in service of a man who told me that everything was happening for a reason. That he had a plan. A plan that I was a part of and when the time was right that he’d share it with me and now that man’s gone. So, why do I want die? I just found out my entire life had no purpose. Now, if I light this myself, it won’t work, but you can light it for me, Jack. I made the fuse long enough so you’ll have time to get out.” – Richard to Jack about why he wants to die
• “If you change your mind, I’ll be like a mile away.” – Hurley to Jack as he plays dynamite chicken with Richard
• “I just came from a lighthouse where my name was etched in wood on a dial that turned a mirror that somehow reflected the image of the house where I grew up. Jacob’s lighthouse. He got Hurley to bring me out there because he wanted me to see what was reflected in that mirror. For some reason, he wanted me to know that he had been watching me ever since I was a kid.”
  “Why?”
  “I have no idea why, but I’m willing to bet you that if Jacob went to that trouble, that if he brought me to the island for a reason, that it’s not to blow up sitting here with you right now.” – Jack and Richard about why Jack thinks the dynamite won’t ignite
• “I watched my daughter, Alex, die in front of me and it was my fault. I had a chance to save her, but I chose the island over her. All in the name of Jacob. I sacrificed everything for him. And he didn’t even care. Yeah, I stabbed him. I was so angry, confused. I was terrified that I was about to lose the only thing that had ever mattered to me. But the thing that really mattered was already gone. I’m sorry that I killed Jacob. I am. And I do not expect you to forgive me, because I can never forgive myself.” – Ben to Ilana

Questions:

LA X

• How old was Ben when him and his father left the island?
• How did Danielle and Alex get off the island? Were they even on the island?
• Was the East India Trading Company ship in the book Alex and Ben were studying from the Black Rock?

Island

• How did Ben get out of the temple?
• How long have Ilana and Jacob been in contact?
• If Richard is indeed from The Black Rock, was he a slave or one of the sailors?
• Is there anyone else from The Black Rock on the island? (I don’t recall seeing many black Others on the island)
• Why was Richard given Jacob’s “gift”?
• If Jacob is dead, what blew out the dynamite?
• Is suicide the only play in Jack’s handbook now?
• How did Miles get to Nikki and Paulo’s diamonds so fast?
• How did Team notLocke get to the Hydra Island?
• How did Widmore finally find the island?
• Since Jacob was alluding to Widmore coming to the island, is it safe to assume that he’s on Team Jacob?

What I Liked:

• I’ll never dislike an episode that centers on Sayid – one of my favorite characters from the beginning – and give Naveen Andrews great material to work with
• That opening fight between Dogen and Sayid.  Sayid finally met his match
• The entire Smokey-lays-waste-to-the-temple scene
• Emily de Ravin’s creepy conversation with Kate while she was in the hole.
• Sayid’s flashsideways.  While Locke’s and Jack’s saw them overcome their issues in some way, Sayid’s flashsideways coincided with his present day: he’s a killer and he can’t escape it.
• The final scene with Sayid and Claire walking through the ruins of the temple to notLocke coupled with the “what the fuck” look on Kate’s face all while “Catch A Falling Star” plays.  Just a great sequence.

What I Didn’t Like:

• While I’m not 100% sure we won’t see Dogen again, what a waste of John Hawkes (Lennon)

Lines of the Night:

• “I’ve been banished.”
  “Banished? For what?”
  “Apparently I’m evil. These people say I’m better off dead, which is surprising considering they were the ones who saved my life.”
  “Well, actually, they’re not. They tried to save you, but you were dead, man, for two hours. Trust me, when you sat up, they were just as surprised as the rest of us. So whatever brought you back, it wasn’t them.” – Sayid and Miles
• “Sawyer sent you packing, huh?…I thought about going after him, too. But, um, I knew he’d just end up berating me until I turned around and came back. Is that pretty much what happened?”
  “Pretty much.”
  “Well, welcome back to the circus.” – Miles and Kate
• “She just strolled in here a couple of hours ago acting all weird. Still hot, though.” – Miles about Claire
• “Now why’d you go and do that?” – notLocke to Sayid after Sayid stabbed him
• “There is a man in the jungle about a mile south of us by the outer wall. He sent me back here to give you a message. He wants you to know that Jacob is dead and because he is gone, none of you have to stay here any longer. You’re free. The man that I met is leaving the island forever. And those of you who want to go with him, should leave the Temple and join him. You have until sundown to decide.”
  “What happens at sundown if we stay?”
  “You die.” – Sayid delivers notLocke’s message to the temple Others
• “I’m not the one that needs to be rescued, Kate.” – Claire
• “Hey, what happened out there? One minute you’re banished and the next you’re telling everyone they’re going to die.”
  “That’s the sum of it.” – Miles and Sayid
• “Do you realize what you just did? He was the only one keeping it out. You idiot! You just let it in.”
  “I know.” – Sayid and Lennon
• “Sayid, come on. I know a way out of here. There’s still time.”
  “Not for me.” – Ben and Sayid

Questions:

LA X

• What is Nadia’s backstory with Sayid if he didn’t torture her?
• How did Jin go from being held in customs to Keamy’s freezer?

Island:

• If everyone in the Republican Guard was trained as well as Sayid, how did Iraq lose the first Gulf War?
• Where are Sawyer and Jin?
• Can notLocke actually keep his promise to bring back Aaron and Nadia?
• Are the FlashSideways tied to notLocke’s promises?
• Did the stabbing of notLocke fail because he got to speak first or was notLocke right and the knife would have never worked?
• How did Dogen’s death permit notLocke to enter the Temple?
• Is Dogen dead since he was drowned in the water?
• What ultimately brought Sayid back to life?
• Did Sayid kill Dogen and Lennon because he was tainted, because notLocke promised him Nadia or did him being tainted make him susceptible to notLocke’s offer?
• Is Ben still in the Temple?
• How did Ilana no the secret way out of the Temple when no one else did?
• If Jacob is really a good guy, why did he let all those people in the Temple die knowing that notLocke was on the way?
• If Team notLocke has Sawyer, Sayid, a crazy Claire and a doubting Jin and Kate, how does Team Jacob stand a chance?

• So who’s going to play Captain America? Please remove John Krasinski from the list immediately.
• Are you big enough of a Firefly/Serenity geek to buy this?
• Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano have finally reunited
• The first single from the RAAAAAAAANDY/Dave Sitek mixtape, “AAAAAAAANGRY“
• Woo hoo! Bruce Willis says Unbreakable 2 is still a possibility.
• This indie Haiti benefit album sounds great.  It will feature Vampire Weekend, Julian Casablancas and Beck amongst others
• As much as I love his music, I don’t know about this musical based on the songs of Jeff Buckley, “The Last Goodbye“
• I found this “Ten Rules For Writing Fiction” by various authors very motivating (Part 1 and 2)
• Check out Spec Boogie’s music video for “Bed Stuy“
• These minimalist movie posters by Brandon Schaefer are pretty cool.  I like The Dark Knight and Back To The Future Trilogy the best. You can buy some of them here.
• Ladies, if we were in an argument and you sent me this card, I’d forgive you.
• New restricted redband trailer for Kick Ass (NSFW)
• I don’t think I fit the mold of any of TV.com’s “Five Types of Lost Fans“.
• Terry O’Quinn has been trying to shop a show that would star him and Michael Emerson.  I don’t care what the premise is. I’d watch it.
• Woo hoo! Greek was renewed! (albeit with a smaller episode order)
• A preview for season two of one of the funniest shows you probably don’t watch, Party Down.
• I agree with The Oatmeal’s “10 Reasons to Avoid Talking on the Phone” list
• Someone forward this article to Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh immediately.  Save the Knicks!
• After this trailer, I’m looking forward to this A Nightmare on Elm Street if only for Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy
• Uh oh! Kanye has a new blog.

What I Liked:

• How creepy was crazy Claire?
• I know a lot of people hate Jack but I’m not one of them.  Mostly because I’ve always enjoyed Matthew Fox performance especially in the moments where Jack is most tortured and conflicted
• Jin’s growing terror at seeing how crazy Claire had become
• The reveal of Claire’s “friend” at the end of the episode
• Jack’s flashsideway was pretty good and it was nice to see Jack being a good dad considering his past.
• Even though this was a Jack-episode, Hurley had a great episode (as noted by his several Lines of the Night)

What I Didn’t Like:

• I’ve come to accept this season that instead of trying to make great episodes that tie into the narrative as a whole, this season is basically one long episode (excluding the flashsideways which I assume will tie in at some point).  Because of that, it’s impossible to judge this season until it’s over and we can look back at everything.  Even though it feels like nothing of significance happened aside from the lighthouse dial, when all is said and done, this episode could be pivotal. That said, on an episode-to-episode basis, it has been kinda frustrating.
• Of course Jack broke the mirrors in the lighthouse.
• I kinda wish Jin had stuck with his story that Kate had Aaron so Claire could put Kate out of her (and our) misery.

Lines of the Night:

• “Nothing. I’m just, you know, looking because I’m a big fan of Temples and, like, history and Indiana Jones stuff.” – Hurley explaining to Dogen what he was doing in the Temple
• “You ever try to get Jack to do something? It’s like impossible.” – Hurley to Jacob
• “You know, you and me trekking through the jungle, on our way to do something that we don’t quite understand. Good times.” – Hurley to Jack about their journey to the lighthouse
• “Wait a sec. What if we time traveled again to, like, dinosaur times and then we died and then we got buried here? What if these skeletons are us?” – Hurley to Jack about the Adam and Eve skeletons
• “I came back because I was broken, and I was stupid enough to think this place could fix me” – Jack about why he came back to the island
• “Doesn’t say anything on your arm about the door being jammed?” – Jack to Hurley
• “He’s kind of dead. He turns up whenever he wants like Obi-Wan Kenobi. – Hurley to Jack about Jacob
• “You’re still my friend, aren’t you, Jin?” – Crazy Claire to pissing in his pants Jin
• “Jack is here because he has to do something. He can’t be told what that is. He’s got to find it himself. Sometimes, you can just hop in the back of someone’s cab and tell them what they’re supposed to do. Other times, you have to let him look out at the ocean for a while.” – Jacob
• “I’m so glad to know you were lying, because if what you were saying was true, if Kate was raising Aaron, I’d have to kill her.” – Claire to Jin
• “That’s not John. This is my friend.” – Claire to Jin about NotLocke

Questions:

LA X

• Is the scar Jack has from his appendectomy as a child or the one when Juliet gave him one in “Something Nice back Home” (Season 4)?
• Who is David’s mother? He’s too old to be from his marriage to Sarah in the original timeline
• If David’s mother is not Sarah, why did she and Jack get divorced?
• What did Christian leave Claire in his will?
• Is it important who you reconnect with in the flash sideway?
• Why does a spinal surgeon drive such a piece of shit truck?

Island:

• Why does Dogen wear a butterfly clip?
• Why haven’t the Others tried to kill Sayid? Because he’s a candidate?
• When did the Others find Claire and how did she escape (well, considering everyone but Miles and Sayid have made it outside the Temple, the second question is kinda dumb)?
• What the hell was that thing inside the crib?
• Since Claire is acting like Rousseau now, was Rousseau also infected?
• Who is the person named “Wallace” (That was the name at number 108)?
• Is “Wallace” really coming to the island or was the whole point of Jacob’s plan to get into Jack’s head and get them away from the Temple?
• Why is Kate’s name crossed out (She was number 51)?
• Ultimately, do the Numbers refer to everyone’s spot on the Lighthouse wheel?
• Who built the Lighthouse?
• What action must Jack perform that Jacob needs to prepare him for?
• If Claire doesn’t see NotLocke as John, who IS she seeing?

What I Liked:

• It’s great seeing Terry O’Quinn – easily the best actor on Lost – toggle between NotLocke on the island and a seemingly more accepting of his situation Looke in LA X.
• Unlike Kate’s flash sideway where, despite the details she was essentially the same person she had become on the island, Locke’s was a completely different story and infinitely more interesting.  Considering he’s dead on the island, I guess it would have been piling it on if he didn’t find contentment in LA X
• I love the pairing between NotLocke and Sawyer because Holloway and O’Quinn haven’t shared many scenes together on the show (nothing really significant since ‘The Brig”).
• The numbers! (Just for a recap: 4 – Locke (John); 8 – Reyes (Hurley); 15 – Ford (Sawyer); 16 – Jarrah (Sayid); 23 – Shephard (Jack); 42 – Kwon (Sun and/or Jin)
• Ben’s eulogy and Lapidus’ reaction
• Speaking of Ben, another “oh shit!” LA X moment when Ben showed up as the European history teacher in Locke’s high school
• Other great connections, Hugo in the parking lot and Rose at the temp agency making the most of her one scene with Locke. It was only appropriate that she was the one who set Locke straight on accepting his limitation considering they were the ones healed on the island.
• It’s always great to have Katey Sagal on my TV screen now that Sons of Anarchy isn’t on
• Richard Alpert scurrying through the woods like a scared deer

What I Didn’t Like:

• If Sun and Jin miss each other on her way to the temple, I’m going to be really annoyed.
• I know Sawyer is distraught over Juliet but for a con man, he’s way too trusting of NotLocke

Lines of the Night:

• “You sure ain’t John Locke…cuz Locke was scared, even when he was pretending he wasn’t.” – Sawyer to NotLocke on how he knew he wasn’t Locke
• “You know the rules. You can’t kill him.”
  “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” – Mystery kid and NotLocke
• “John Locke was a … a believer. He was a man of faith. He was a much better man than I will ever be. And I’m very sorry I murdered him.” – Ben’s eulogy for Locke
• “This is the weirdest damn funeral I’ve ever been to.” – Lapidus in regard to Locke’s funeral
• “What I am is trapped. I’ve been trapped for so long I don’t remember what it is like to be free” – NotLocke to Sawyer
• “What was that all about?”
  “Inside joke” – Sawyer and NotLocke about the white stone NotLocke took off the scale and through into the ocean
• “Jacob had a thing for numbers” – NotLocke regarding the numbers on the cave walls
• “What do you say, James? Are you ready to go home”
  “Hell yes!” – NotLocke successfully recruiting Sawyer

Questions:

LA X

• Why is Helen still with Locke?
• Helen said that Locke’s dad was coming to the wedding.  Is this Cooper?
• If the dad she is referring to is Cooper, did he still steal his kidney and push him out of a window?
• Is that Desmond in the poster behind Locke in the temp agency? (link)
• If so, who is the woman because that sure isn’t Penny?
• Why does Locke’s alarm clock sound like the alarm in the Hatch?
• How did Ben leave the island?
• Is there a significance to who each person is being drawn to from the plane?
• Are Kate, Jack, Jin, Sawyer, Sun and Locke still under the influence of Jacob since they were all touched by Jacob before 2004?

Island:

• Why did Ilana collect Jacob’s ashes?
• How does Ilana know about Jin?
• Who was the mystery kid? Jacob?
• Why could Sawyer see the kid but Alpert couldn’t?
• Why can’t NotLocke kill Sawyer?
• What are the rules?
• Are these same rules that Widmore broke when Keamy killed Alex?
• Why is NotLocke trapped on the island?
• What need to happen to free NotLocke?
• Why is NotLocke stuck as Locke?
• What is the “inside joke” regarding the white and black stones on the scale?
• How do the numbers correspond to each person?
• Why isn’t Kate one of the main numbers since we saw Jacob touch Kate?
• Did Jacob physically contact the other people on the wall? Other names were (Claire and/or Aaron) Littleton , (Charlotte) Lewis, (Gary) Troup, Bargas, Aguila, O’Toole, Lacombe, Domingo, Grant, Goodspeed, Reynolds, Burke, Almeida, Costa, Faraday, Straume
• Why are Littleton and Straume crossed out if Claire, Aaron and Miles aren’t dead?
• Does “42 – Kwon” refer to Jin or Sun?
• Why can’t NotLocke leave the island on his own?
• Why can NotLocke leave if he’s with Sawyer?

LOST Valentine’s Day Card 06: Sayid

Originally uploaded by lee bretschneider

What I Liked:

• Well, I’m not a fan of Kate-flashback/forward/sideways episodes so I’m glad we got it out of the way early
• Since I recently rewatched seasons one and two of Lost, I can fully appreciate the growth of Josh Holloway as an actor.  The scene with Kate on the pier mourning Juliet should be his Emmy reel.
• Naveen Andrews playing Sayid but not really Sayid.  He was clearly a little off and it showed.
• I’m glad we’re done with the Dogen speaks/Lennon translates dynamic.  It was wearing thin fast.
• How creepy was Ethan showing up as Claire’s obstetrician?
• Since Sawyer is in mourning, Miles has picked up the slack in witty lines
• I’m glad Jin finally mentioned Sun.  Jack got her on the plane and hasn’t thought about her for one second since.
• Jack finally did something smart in not giving Sayid the pill and forcing Dogen’s hand
• As a huge It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia fan, it was great to see Rob McElhenny back as Aldo
• The last shot of island Claire!

What I Didn’t Like:

• Well, it was a Kate episode.  Her backstory has never been compelling and we had skipped her flash-sideway, I wouldn’t have complained in the end.
• I missed the NotLocke part of the story
• Something is going to need to happen in the Temple.  This is getting to be too much like the last time they were prisoners of the Others.  A lot of standing around, asking questions and not getting answered

Lines of the Night:

• “Of course he’s fine…He’s an Iraqi torturer who shoots kids. He definitely deserves another go around.” – Sawyer to Kate about Sayid’s resurrection
• “It’s the Others. They caught us…Again.” – Hurley to Sayid about their current predicament
• “As you can see, Hugo here has assumed the leadership position.” – Miles
• “You’re not a zombie, are you?” – Hurley to Sayid
• “Ever see a big pillar of black smoke, makes a tikka-tikka sound, gets real pissed off?” – Aldo to Late about what the Others are protecting the 815ers from
• “We’ll be in the food court if you need us.” – Miles
• “I’m sorry. I never should have followed you.”
  “Which time?” – Kate and Sawyer
• “She was sitting right there, right where you are now, trying to leave this place and I convinced her to stay.  I made her stay on this island because I didn’t want to be alone. You understand that, right? But I think some of us are meant to be alone.” – Sawyer to Kate about feeling responsible for Juliet’s death
• “There’s a darkness growing in him…and once it reaches his heart, Everything your friend once was will be gone.”
  “How can you be sure of that?”
  “Because it happened to your sister.” – Dogen and Jack about Sayid’s infection

Questions:

LA X (That’s what I’m calling the alternate universe from now on)

• How long can you possibly get away with a stolen cab?
• Is Ethan just a normal obstetrician now?
• Why did the name “Aaron” come to Claire?
• Did Kate feel something when she saw Jack in the cab or heard the name “Aaron” for the first time?

Island

• Why does Sawyer need to be in the Temple? Just for protection from Smokey?
• What indicated that Sayid failed the test?
• What was Aldo trying to prevent Justin from telling Kate and Jin?
• Is this the same infection that Rousseau’s men got?
• What has “claimed” Sayid?
• Where did Sawyer get an engagement ring on the island?
• Did Claire “die” when her house blew up in Otherville?
• What’s made Claire turn into Rousseau?
• Was it Claire who laid those Rousseau-like traps on the island?
• When was Dogen (and Lennon for that matter) brought to the island?
• When did the Others come across Claire?
• How do they know that Claire is Jack’s sister?

What I Liked:

• Did anyone ever see Sliding Doors?  It’s the first thing I thought about when it was clear that this alternate timelines story telling device was going to be the direction this season.
• I like that the alternate universe isn’t simply “What if the plane hadn’t crashed?” but is operating on a larger scale of “What if they detonated that hydrogen bomb?” showing their plan was short-sighted even to being with. (At least, I think it is.)
• We finally have our villain, NotLocke a.k.a. The Man in Black a.k.a. SMOKEY (I knew it!), A recurring theme in this show is “who are the good guys” here.  We still don’t know what’s really going on with The Others but now we know who, above all, is the Big Bad
• It was great seeing all those old faces on Oceanic 815: Boone! Arnzt! Frogurt! Charlie! Captain Norris!
• The island in under water in the alternate timeline (with a Dharma shark swimming around)!
• Terry O’ Quinn as Smokey might have his second Emmy all locked up if he’s going to be acting like this all season.
• Hurley taking charge after Jack’s “failed” mission has taken whatever leadership away from him
• The Temple! Finally!
• Cindy, Zack and Emma from the Taillies are back!
• Sawyer looking like he’s already planning a con on Hurley

What I Didn’t Like:

• While I will always prefer seeing Elizabeth Mitchell to not seeing her, I don’t know if we needed another tearful goodbye between Sawyer and Juliet.  It takes away the impact of the powerful scene in the season five finale.
• It was annoying that after hearing Juliet’s voice under the hatch, everyone forgot that Sayid was bleeding out.
• It sucked to see certain things back to normal in the alternate timeline, namely Jin being a dick again and Charlie being a junkie
• While I’m glad we’re finally at Temple and as much as I love John Hawkes (credited as “Lennon”), do we really need MORE characters to try to sort through?
• I have no idea what’s going on. I rarely put a theory on record but here’s my first thought: Jack is sorta like Desmond living in this alternate parallel universe and, at some point, he (or all of them) is going to have to choose for everyone which reality. (This post-episode interview with Cuse and Lindelof may have confused me more)

Lines of the Night:

• “This thing goes down, I’m sticking with you.” 2004 Boone to 2004 Locke on the plane
• “If she dies, I’ll kill him.” Sawyer to Kate about Jack
• “I died an hour ago”
  “Dude! That sucks!” – Jacob and Hurley
• “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.” – notLocke to Ben after turning into Smokey
• “We should get coffee sometime…we can go dutch.” – a dying Juliet
• “James. Kiss me.”
  “You got it, Blondie.” – Juliet and Sawyer
• “You should have let that happen. I was supposed to die.” – 2004 Charlie to 2004 Jack
• “It worked” – Juliet’s posthumous words to Sawyer via Miles
• “The paper says is your friend there dies, we’re all in a lot of trouble” – Lennon to Hurley about the note inside the ankh that was in the guitar case Jacob gave to Hurley
• “I don’t like the way English tastes on my tongue” – The mysterious temple leader
• “You’re the monster.”
  “Let’s not resort to name-calling” – Ben and notLocke
• “Do you want to know what he was thinking when you wrapped the cord around his neck? ‘I don’t understand.’ Isn’t that just the saddest thing you ever heard? He was a victim. Weak, pathetic and irreparably broken. But he was the only one of them who didn’t want to leave. He was the only one who realized how pitiful the life he left behind was. I want the one thing that John Locke didn’t. I want to go home.” – notLocke to Ben about John Locke
• “Nothing is irreversible” – 2004 Jack to 2004 Locke regarding his spinal injuries

Questions

On the island:

• How did Kate end up in a tree?
• Is it significant that Kate’s eye was the first one we saw (as opposed to Jack’s in season one)?
• Why did they end up in the present when the hydrogen bomb detonated?
• Did Rose and Bernard end up in the present as well?
• Is Hurley the only man on this island to hold a gun and not automatically turn into Jack Bauer?
• Why can Hurley see Jacob?
• Can Miles see Jacob?
• Why did Juliet believe that the bomb worked?
• Why does ash stop Smokey?
• Who’s this leader of the Temple?
• Why are these Temple Others different from the Others we’re used to?
• Why are the Others at the Temple in trouble if Sayid dies?
• Why isn’t the water inside the Temple clear?
• What was supposed to happen when they put Sayid in the water?
• Is this what they did when they brought young Ben to the Temple after Sayid shot him?
• What does shooting the flare mean for the Others?
• Where is “home” for Smokey?
• What chains were Richard in?
• Where is Smokey taking Richard?
• What did Miles sense when he touched Sayid’s body?
• How is Sayid alive again?

Alternate timeline:

• Why was there blood (or some red mark) on Jack’s neck?
• Why is the entire island underwater and when in the timeline did that happen?
• Why is Desmond on the plane?
• Where does Jack remember Desmond from?
• Was Desmond really on the plane since Rose and Bernard didn’t see him and he never returned to his seat when the plane landed? If not, what’s THAT all about?
• What occurred in this timeline that Shannon didn’t go with Boone on the flight?
• Why does Hurley now believe he’s “the luckiest guy alive”?
• Is US Marshal Edward Mars the worst US Marshall in the history of US Marshalls?
• Does Sun really not speak English in this timeline?
• What happened to Christian’s coffin?

• Parts 2 and 3 of Maureen Ryan’s long interview with the producer’s of Lost, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof
• SCI-FI Wire posts “The 100 questions Lost better answer or we’ll be pissed.” I think they are going to be pissed.
• Ever wonder what’s on David Bowie’s iPod?
• They remixed Brendan Fraser’s awkward laugh and clap from the Golden Globes.
• Newsweek thinks Lost is a show about faith above all else.
• Are you a fan of ABC Family’s Greek? It’s in danger of being cancelled. Help Save Greek!
• How I Met Your Mother got renewed for a sixth season. Woo hoo!
• Postbourgie discussed Whole Foods’ new policy of offering steeper employee discounts to people with lower BMIs.
• Lilly McElroy throws herself at men.
• Joe Queseda tells USA Today that “heroes will be heroes” again in the Marvel Universe. Nobody tell the Punisher.
• Metromix looks at the Twenty moments that defined The Simpsons
• LOST: The Subway Map.
• Apparently, the Hulk is going to be in the Avengers movie. Did anyone tell Edward Norton?
• Comic Books Should Be Good’s Year of Cool Comics covers Neil Gaiman’s “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?”
• The Scordit Blog created a pretty cool interactive Lost Past Connections Chart.
• One of my favorite shows of 2009, Party Down, finally gets a DVD release date
• SCI WIRE looks at 15 weird roles Lost’s actors had before they became stars
• Did you know that every episode of Lost is streaming on Hulu?
• The Ack Attack! posted The Top 100 Lost Lines of All Time
• Pee Wee Herman got an iPad!
• Damnit! Torchwood’s John Barrowman has been cast as the villain in Desperate Housewives.  I just got used to not watching that show.
• 10 reasons why 109 will miss Dollhouse