Don’t Cross The Streams

What I Liked:

• I don’t know if I’d call this the best episode ever but when the list is eventually made of greatest episodes of Lost ever, “Ab Aeterno” will be near the top.
• For all intents and purposes, we now know what the island is: a prison for whatever the Man in Black is.  The only reason people keep ending up there is Jacob’s attempts to prove to the Man in Black that when given a choice, man will choose good over evil (and, of course, the Man in Black cheats)
• I loved that the episode played with the most popular theory about the island: that’s its inhabitants were already dead and they were in some sort of purgatory or hell.
• Nestor Carbonell gave an amazing Emmy-worthy performance as Ricardus.  You have to take into account that, up to this point, Richard had only a few lines here and there.  He would show up, say something cryptic and then go away for three or four episodes.  He basically created his character with nothing to build from and he knocked out park. I’m not saying that I didn’t think Carbonell had it in him but before Lost, I only knew him as Batmanuel in the live version of The Tick.
• I will give the writers/producers this: they know how to get you emotionally invested in characters in a short period of time.
• Titus Welliver return as the Man in Black.  While I love Terry O’ Quinn playing notLocke, I hope we get to see him again.
• The parallel between MIB telling Richard how to kill Jacob and Dogen telling Sayid how to kill notLocke
• I love the emergence of Hurley as a major player in the going ons of the island.  In a way, he’s the new Richard

What I Didn’t Like:

• To quote Erwin, Jacob’s “a bit of a dick”
• I would have liked to see some of Richard’s time with the Others

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What I Liked:

• After a slow start (I still liked those episodes), the last three episodes have been pretty solid. It helps that they featured three of my favorite Losties.
• Sawyer the con man is back! I’m glad that the only side Sawyer is on is his own.
• LA X Sawyer…I mean…James Ford was different enough (Cop instead of con man) but complex enough (Still trying to kill the original Sawyer) to make his flashsideway compelling
• The return of Rebecca Mader and her lovely accent.  She cleans up nicely.
• Another strong episode for Evangeline Lilly who has seen Kate’s sole reason for coming back to the island – saving Claire – going horribly awry
• I loved Miles as James’ partner in LA X
• Despite the fact that he just killed a bunch of people, Smokey is still being painted as not THAT much of a villain.  It would be silly if he was an outright villain like Keamy in Season Four.  So far, he’s left us questioning if Jacob is really the good guy here.
• Liam showing up to try and bail out Charlie after he got arrested in the pilot
• The empty look on Sayid’s face as Claire tried to kill Kate
• If there is a Lost spinoff, it should be Sawyer and Miles as cops in LA.

What I Didn’t Like:

• I was really hoping James’ date was with Juliet

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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

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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

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