LOST 5x07 The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham - Canadian TV Promo #1

Sayid

Lost Redux: Did the Losties Lose --------------?

Wed., Feb. 18, 2009 9:28 PM PST by Kristin Dos Santos & Jennifer Godwin

Tonight's episode of Lost was full of absurdly gaspworthy moments, none of which we'll spoil up here, but if you have your Ajira Airways ticket in hand and your seat belt is fastened, you can flash into this Lost Redux, where we'll figure out what happened in this Oceanic Six-centric installment of Lost.

We discuss the shocking appearances of certain characters we love, point out a few Easter eggs, and, oh yeah, I'll tell you exclusively how the Losties may have majorly misplaced Sawyer, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he wasn't even in this episode...

WHAT WE LEARNED

There's No Place Like Home: In the words of Kate Austen, "We're back." Lo and behold, to get back to the land of Oz, you just implement drunk Jack's wackadoodle plan of getting on a plane and hoping for it to crash! According to Mrs. Hawking, the key was to replicate the circumstances of their first crash as closely as possible and then just ride along a certain flight path identified by the pendulum over the energy cell at the Lamppost Station. (Uh, sure, lady.) But luckily for the kiddos involved, the replica didn't have to be perfect, which explains why Aaron (who was present, albeit itty-bitty, when 815 crashed) could be left behind.


Over the Rainbow: Despite the fact they may be dragging some innocent flight attendants with them, I was honored and proud to watch the Oceanic Six as they experienced a little in-flight turbulence on Ajira 316 and still flew directly into their oncoming fears. Our brave little toasters are going back to the Island! They don't have to?they are safe and rich back in the real world?but they're like Navy SEALs, and now that they have a choice in the matter, they're not leaving their friends behind!

?Donde Esta Desmond? Desmond has done his dream-induced duty and is now returning to the loving arms of Penny. Do you think that reunion sticks, or is Mrs. Hawking right about the Island not being done with Des? Post in the comments.

They Totally Totally Told Each Other So! Boy, Jack and Locke are still so angry at each other! Locke's suicide note was, well, one big fat guilt-complex-inducing rendition of "I told you so," and Jack was crankypants squared when he was left alone with "Jeremy Bentham." Can't we all just get along?

Easter Eggs: (Attention, English professors: Next time you're trying to explain "intertextuality" to your students, just bring up Lost, and they'll get it right quick...)

Ben was reading James Joyce's Ulysses, which is, of course, a psychedelic Irish novel that had a few Easter Eggs of its own and was based on the ancient myth of Odysseus, a lost sailor who is kept from his love, Penelope, by a series of wildly unbelievable but nonetheless thrilling adventures.
Commenter Jules tipped us off to a C.S. Lewis nod: "Did anyone notice The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe reference with the Lamppost Station? They came out of the wardrobe at the lamppost, and it was where they knew they could get back to their world." Holler!
Christian Shephard's white shoes/black shoes situation continues the show's flirtation with those constrasting colors.

Jack's seat number was 8C, and the flight left from gate 15.

Some Burning Questions: This was a good old-fashioned Lost episode. You can tell because of how we are left with tons of new questions after the fact! To wit:

How did hero Hurley learn of Ajira flight 316 from his jail cell, with time to spare to buy up all the seats? (God, that dude is awesome.)?
Why did Hurley bring a guitar? Was it to re-create Charlie's presence on the original flight, or is it for Charlie on the Island?
Why is Sayid in cuffs, and how did he learn about the flight?

Are passenger Caesar (Sa?d Taghmaoui) and Sayid's escort Ilana (Zuleikha Robinson) just unlucky schmucks who are about to land on Lost Island, or are they undercover O6 escorts sent by Team Hawking??
What kind of magical childcare did Kate find for Aaron?
Who beat up Ben Linus and why? I mean, beating up Ben is all in good fun, but it's hard to get the drop on the dude, so who done it?!
If there was no crash of Ajira 316, did the Losties just flash out of the plane, and if so, how is that going to be explained short of an episode of Fringe?


What's Love Got to Do With It? Did Jack come to Kate's house, or did Kate show up in Jack's bed at his house? So confused.

Results may be delayed by up to 120 seconds...
NOTABLE QUOTES

"We're on the same plane, Jack. Doesn't make us together." ?Kate

"Wait a second, we're not going to Guam, are we?" ?Frank J. Lapidus

"FRANK!!!" ?The audience, reacting to identity of the pilot of Ajira 316

"How can you read?" "My mother taught me." ?Jack & Ben, although if you recall from a previous episode: Ben's mother died in childbirth, although she later popped by now and again to haunt him as a ghost. In short: Ben lies and/or this show is kuh-razy.

"JIN!!!" ?The audience, at the end of the episode, reacting to Jin's Dharma-van drive-by

WHAT'S TO COME

Sawyer to the '70s?! I'm told Josh Holloway may be sporting some serious muttonchops soon because he'll be stuck in a different decade (the era of Geronimo Jackson, bell bottoms and disco). Word is, he'll be away from most of the other Losties. And get this?according to my ABC source, he'll be there for years!

This can't be good news for you fans of Kate and Sawyer, right?

Though I am hearing he will have one friend with him. Guesses?
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b100592_lost_redux_did_losties_lose_sawyer.html

TV Guide's "Getting Lost" for 316

Official LOST Video Podcast 02/19/2009

Who May We See Soon?

Lost!!! Last night was awesome. Easter egg for you: Sixth episode of the season, the Oceanic 6 make it back to the Island. One question. Where is Desmond? Will we see him again soon? -Chaz
Faraday's mommy wasn't lying. The Island is not done with Des. Question for you... Think Ben successfully tied up the loose end that got him all bloody pre-plane flight? I'll only say this: We haven't seen the last of Penny either.

Source:http://spoilerslost.blogspot.com/

316 Thoughts

By Paul Burrows

Jack – Man of Science, Man of Faith
Darlton in the Episode Commentary of the Season 2 opening episode stated that Jack was both “The Man of Science” AND “The Man of Fate”. Throughout this series Jack has seen miracles like the healing of his wife. This caused him to believe for awhile. But like most when they have to see to believe when the problems of the world hit them they soon forget the reason for believing. It is when we take the leap without seeing firsthand that our faith grows.

In this episode Jack had to trust in the grand scheme of things and take a few steps into the darkness before he was lead by the light (or the lamppost) It will be interesting to see what kind of Jack emerges when he arrives on the island. I believe that having taken the steps on his own will result in a stronger Jack. He will be the leader that Locke told him that he needed to be in “The White rabbit”.

The island has always been a place to change to become better or to be reborn. As an example of this Hurley, Jack & Kate all ether landed in or jumped in water kind like baptism. In season two Charlie tried to baptize Aaron along with a few other baptism references. Even Locke’s letter was a chastisement or an exhortation to repentance. “I wish that you would have believed.” The Apostles had a hard time believing that Jesus would be resurrected they knew that he was the Savior, but still had a hard time believing that he would come back. Jack received the same chastisement. Reading that chastisement and realizing that he needed to believe along with the rest of the OC 6 taking their own leap of faith caused the chain reaction that brought them back to the island and redemption for leaving.

Narnia – You never come to Narnia the same way twice
The first time they came to the island their airplane crashed because Desmond didn’t push the button. There was a huge crash and somehow all of them survived. I’m not sure what exactly caused them to arrive this time, but this time there was no crash. The OC 6, Ben & Frank were transported to the island. In both Lost & Narnia the main characters ended up where they need to be at a different time then when they originally came.

Random Thoughts
I loved Frank’s reaction to seeing the rest of the OC 6 on the plane and expressing that they weren’t going to Guam.

I also loved Michael Giacchino’s music. Especially when they were boarding the plane. The same music was played when they entered 815, but with more suspense added. His music has always been awesome.

Wednesday Ratings: American Idol and LOST shine

American Idol won the night of course, but LOST zoomed back up over a 5.0 rating among adults 18-49. A few weeks from now, it will face off against American Idol, and that will drop (last week, against an expanded Idol, Lost pulled a 4.4 in the overnights), but for fans of LOST, it won’t matter any.

LOST bested Lie to Me across the board, though it was a narrow margin in total viewers, but that’s before the minute or so of Idol gets removed in the final numbers. I’d guess considering the hour, which also includes Criminal Minds, the second most watched program outside of Idol, that FOX is pretty happy with the results.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/19/wednesday-ratings-american-idol-and-lost-shine/13087

Death?

Question: I want to congratulate you on your 26th birthday coming up on Monday! Now, how about some juicy Lost scoop. -- Anglique

Ausiello: How about you get my age right first. Twenty-six?! Do I really look that old? Ugh. So much for Oil of Olay Daily Regenerating Serum. Anywhoo, Lost scoop: Someone will be joining recent time travel victim Charlotte six feet under before the season is over. My source describes the character as "major-ish," which most likely rules out any of our series regulars. Guesses? Post 'em in the comments section!

Source: EW

'Lost' Recap: Keeping the Faith

After most of them seem to buy the exposition from Ms. Hawking, the Oceanic 6 (minus Aaron) hop a plane and set off to find the Island, where we see Kate, Hurley, and a reborn Jack


Jeff Jensen, an EW senior writer, has been despondent since the cancellation of ''Twin Peaks''

They're back. Back where they belong. Back where we want them to be. Nearly 21 months after Jack first bellowed ''We have to go back!'', the Oceanic 6 (minus Aaron, and don't ask why, or else Kate won't kiss you) finally undertook the perilous journey back to the place they never should have left — back to The Island, back to their ''mythic estate,'' to borrow a phrase from James Joyce's Ulysses, which last night's episode had the audacity to namedrop. For now, we only know of three who successfully fell to Earth — all the way to The Island's Dharma Initiative past, no less. There's Jack, blinking awake as he did in Lost's very first episode, this time looking not hopelessly lost, but gloriously born again. There's Kate, whose motivations for making the return trip were deliberately kept from us (all the better for a future flashback episode, my dears). And there's Hurley, whose carry-on baggage included a new comic book (one of my all time favorites, Y: The Last Man, written by Brian K. Vaughan, who also happens to be Lost producer) and a guitar case — a token of Charlie, required to complete the set of symbolic talismans needed to conjure some portal-opening magic. (I think.)

As for the fates of Ben, Sayid, Sun, and pilot Frank Lapidus — not to mention John Locke's corpse and those two mystery characters haunting business class like ghosts (more later) — I'm sure they'll turn up soon. I'm banking on all of them (not Locke, natch) being the Mystery Rafters who were using the castaways beach camp and then later fired on Sawyer's outrigger a few episodes ago during one of the Left Behinders time flash adventures. (The proof: Sawyer and co. found an Ajira Airways bottle in one of the boats.) And how about this for a crazy theory: Remember back in Season 3, when the Others made Kate and Sawyer do hard labor on Hydra Station Island? According to Lost lore, the thing that they were helping to build…was an airplane runway. So…what if instead of getting magically downloaded out of the sky by The Island like Jack, Kate and Hurley, Ben's Ajira contingent merely landed safely on that runway? What if the very reason that Ben wanted to build that runway was because somehow (Jacob? Time loop? Precognitive powers?), he knew that one day he would need it?!

It was certainly an episode explicit and implicit with deep thoughts and wild possibilities, but they were all in service of an ironic mission: Bringing Lost back down to terra firma after five episodes of challenging, far-out time-travel storytelling. ''316'' — that was the title, and for many more reasons than one — was a proverbial pilot episode for a whole new chapter of the show. It effectively returned the series to a place where all fans — the in-too-deep geeks like me who want meaty mythological disclosures, as well as the normal people who just want powerful, character-driven stories — can find some common-ground appreciation. By reuniting the castaways in the setting we all know and love, and by conspicuously omitting key details from various character arcs (Why did Hurley change his mind? Who was that woman with Sayid? How did Ben get roughed up?) that will surely require some traditional flashback storytelling in order to fully reveal, Lost's time-traveling, time-looping, Back to the Future fifth season has now gone all Season 1 on us.


The Conversion of St. Jack
Jack has always been the Man of Science to Locke's Man of Faith. At times, he even persecuted Locke for his crazy and, yes, dangerous yearnings, not unlike the way he tried to bite off Ms. Hawking's head last night by declaring that all of this talk of Corpse Locke being a Christ-like ''proxy'' or ''substitute'' for Dead Dad was just really rather ridiculous. But nobody bites Ms. Hawking's head off. ''Oh, stop thinking how ridiculous it is,'' she scolded, ''and start asking yourself if you believe if it's going to work. That's why it's called a leap of faith, Jack.''

But last night, Doc Shepherd switched teams, convinced by a confluence of coincidence (Kate wants to come back, too? And Hurley and Sayid are on the plane, too?! And freakin' Frank Lapidus is flying the damn thing?!?!?!) and a suicide note from Locke that nailed him with the soul rattling force of a Biblical epistle: I wish you had believed me. It seemed to me that in that moment, as he read those words, something changed in Jack — and that's when The Island struck like rapture. When Jack woke up in the jungle, the note had been ripped, the message abbreviated to just I wish — the language of magic that had come true; the language of a man willing to look for answers beyond himself or his authority. No longer was Jack the Doubting Thomas of the Caravaggio painting in Ms. Hawking's church. He had undergone what they call a ''Pauline'' conversion — named after the former persecutor of Christ, Saul, who beheld a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, became a believer, and renamed himself Paul — and I'd love to note that my most favorite painting in the world, ''The Conversion On The Road To Damascus,'' is also by Caravaggio. (Sorry to make it all about me.)

So back to Ms. Hawking and her ''leap of faith'' phrase, which colored the whole episode, from Jack and co. launching into the skies in hopes of sailing through Ms. Hawking's theoretical windows (or would that be ''wrinkles in time''), or Jack honoring Kate's insistence on mystery about Aaron's whereabouts and being rewarded with maybe the hottest kiss this series has ever seen. The term ''leap of faith'' comes to us via the episode's hidden egghead: the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, whose great intellectual project was reconciling existential experience with an abiding belief in God. Kierkegaard resolved this paradox — this ''concept of dread'' — by actually embracing it with another concept, the ''knight of faith,'' which he articulated in book called Fear and Trembling. The knight's valor isn't measured by unwavering conviction, says old Soren, but by his humble commitment to the never-ending chumbawumba of falling down and getting back up, falling down and getting back up.

''One need not look at them when they are up in the air, but only the instant they touch or have touched the ground…To transform the leap of life into a walk, that only the knight of faith can do — and this is the one and only prodigy.''

We've seen this interlocking dynamic of brokenness and resiliency in John Locke's story. And I should note that interestingly enough, Kierkegaard wrote Fear and Trembling using a pseudonym: Johannes de Silentio. Which means ''John the Silent.'' You know, just like John Locke in this entire episode. Congratulations, Man of Faith. You won the argument without speaking — or breathing — a word.

And with that, Jack was reactivated, jumping into the water (baptism!) to save Hurley, tending to Kate with his healing touch — just as he did in the pilot, but happier. Bye bye, Mopey Bearded Loser. Hello, Hero….

Unless, of course, Jack is just one big sucker. To wit:

You are getting very sleepy...You will believe any crazy story that the creepy old lady last tells you....

As you may or may not know, James Joyce's Ulysses — a day-in-the-life saga about two very complicated Irishmen, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Daedalus — communes deeply and ironically with Homer's Odyssey, which, if you recall, tells the epic saga of what happened to the Greek hero Odysseus (or ''Ulysses'' in the Latin) on his way home after the battle of Troy. Odysseus was the guy who came up with that sneakiest of sneak attacks, The Trojan Horse.

Yes, Odysseus/Ulysses was a very crafty guy. But our old friend Dante — the Italian poet whose notion of Purgatory has spawned many a Lost theory — took a very dim view of this ''hero:'' He saw the guy's mad pursuit of adventure at the expense of his family and marriage as a gross perversion of human reason and therefore a bad influence on impressionable minds. As a result, Dante assigned cunning/ambitious Odysseus/Ulysses to the eighth circle of his Inferno, one reserved for — get this — ''false counselors.''

Now, we can certainly tar Ben with this brush. After all, we saw him reading the book. And Ms. Hawking did confirm that Ben was a liar, liar, pants on fire. But what of Ms. Hawking herself? How much should we really trust this woman and her crazy story about the true nature of The Island? Desmond certainly isn't what you would call a big fan: ''These people are just using us! They are playing some kind of game and we are just the pieces!'' And then he stormed out, though not before being warned by Ms. Hawking: ''The Island isn't done with you yet, Desmond.''

I have to wonder if Desmond might be right in questioning Ms. Hawking's sincerity. His evocative, huffy blast suggests a big picture theory which deserves to be conceived and written at another time. For now, let us note that the clues Lost gave us last night invite suspicion of Ms. Hawking. Consider where she hangs out. On the surface: Church. Underneath it all: A secret laboratory called The Lamp-Post, which is a reference to the street lamp that lights the way into Narnia in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. So far, the iconography seems pure and clean, righteous, orthodox….

Except that there's a giant pendulum swinging through this subterranean lair, marking up a map on the floor with a giant, star-like asterisk, indicating the location of The Island. Ms. Hawking repeatedly refers to the creator of her particular pendulum as ''this very clever fellow.'' (A mystery for another day — but my money is on either Dr. Pierre Chang or Ms. Hawking's time-traveling son, Daniel Faraday.) But generally, the instrument is called a Foucault's Pendulum — and Umberto Eco's classic novel Foucault's Pendulum is about a literary hoax that not only gets mistaken for historical fact, but blooms into a full-on dangerous cult. That's a huge load of ironic, heretical irreverence to have swinging through the basement/subtext of a church. Was Lost trying to counterbalance its exultation of faith by suggesting that organized religion (and especially Christianity) is just one big monolithic crock — a misunderstanding, deception, or even conspiracy that took on a life of its own? Or was Lost going after something less cosmic: Might these be clues meant to suggest that not all is what it seems, that perhaps the castaways are being led astray by ''false counselors'' pushing unspoken, possibly nefarious agendas?

The two very different interpretations of the episode title further feed this debate. ''316'' refers literally to the number of the flight that carried the Oceanic 6 back to The island. But ''316'' could be also be an allusion to John 3:16, Christianity's lynchpin verse: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. But ''316'' could refer to the sacred text of Lost itself. In the world of television, every episode is assigned a number. Last night's episode, for example, was number 506, or Season 5, Episode 6. Do you know what episode 316 of Lost was? It was the Juliet-centric Season 3 classic ''One of Them,'' that had a flashback story all about how the brilliant fertility doctor came to The Island, and a present-day Island story about how Juliet saved Claire from a mystery illness, thus earning the former Other acceptance in to the castaway camp. But in truth, it was all an elaborate ruse, hatched by Ben and executed by Juliet, playing the role of fraudulent advisor and Trojan Horse. Is Ms. Hawking and/or Ben setting up our castaways for a similar double-cross?

I must admit my new bias about Ms. Hawking. My romantic affection for her has bit the dust, in large part due to Fionnula Flanagan's arch portrayal. It was hard to take her seriously — which was a problem for the episode, given that she may have been supplying us with some monumentally legitimate intel: How The Island, like The Lamp-Post, sits on a pocket of ''unique electromagnetic energy,'' and that all these pockets are connected. The mystery engineer behind The Lamp-Post was particularly interested in finding The Island. Problem: For some reason, The Island keeps moving. ''Why do you think you were never rescued,'' Ms. Hawking said. The only way of hopping aboard, she explained, is to anticipate where and when it will manifest in space-time and then travel through one of its windows.

Look, I'm all for the weird stuff. But as I listened to Ms. Hawking's hammy elocution, even I found myself rolling my eyes. (A model for what she should have aspired to: Michael Emerson's understated yet delicately embellished line readings of Ben's rumination on the Apostle Thomas. Suggested world of theory.) Still, performance aside, this business of ''unique pockets'' of ''connected'' energy- rooted in New Age mysticism and occult-oriented exotica — intersects again with Foucault's Pendulum. The first three pages of Eco's novel are a brief survey of various prominent Lost/Island theories. The narrator beholds the swinging pendulum and ruminates on how it might draw a path linking Atlantis, the lost continent of Mu, from Agartha, the mythic (and hollow) center the world, to Ayres Rock, a natural formation in the Australian outback of mythological significance to the Aborigines. It was also the place where Rose and Bernard sought the faith healer in their only flashback episode, ''S.O.S.,'' which I'm convinced probably explains everything and anything we need to know about Lost.

Equally incredible was Ms. Hawking's insistence that the Oceanic 6 somehow replicate as best as possible the exact conditions of the original Oceanic 815 flight that led them to The Island. I enjoyed the parlor game of figuring out who brought what — not to mention who played what part. Dead John Locke was cast as Jack's Dead Dad. Hurley carried aboard the spirit of Charlie, but it was Ben who actually replicated the late-boarding drama that attended Hurley when he had to hustle his bustle to make the Oceanic 815 flight. And then there was Sayid, playing the part of Kate's fugitive, accompanied by what appeared to be a law enforcement agent. (Say hello to the mysterious Ilana, played by Zuliekha Robinson, who joined the cast in this episode. Ditto to Saïd Taghmaoui, the intense looking dude who eavesdropped on Jack making travel arrangements for Locke's body and expressed his condolences.)

The Exorcism of Jack Shephard
The scene in the butcher shop, with Jack shodding Dead Locke with his father's shoes, saw our not-yet-saved hero taking some bitter potshots at his old Island nemesis. ''Wherever you are, John, you must be laughing your ass off that I'm even doing this,'' Jack sniped. Actually, probably not. That doesn't strike me as Locke's style — but it does strike me as something Christian would have done during his drunken, Jack-hectoring daze, burdening his son with an albatross of father issues. We saw Jack's father demons rear their ugly head to destructive effect last year, ruining his chance at happiness with Kate, and those demons needed to be exorcised. So Locke played the role of meat locker punching bag, too, taking all of Jack's nasty hits. Fun Fact! There was a Twilight Zone episode called ''Dead Man's Shoes.'' It was about a bum who dons a pair of shoes lifted from a mob-hit victim and then takes on the persona of the dead man and seeks vengeance. There was also a movie called ''Dead Man's Shoes,'' a horror film about vengeful victims who become monsters in the process. Imaginary friends are also involved.

That bit of business about Jack's grandfather…
Interrupting Jack's exit from reality was a phone call from a nursing home: Apparently, his grandfather, Ray, has been trying to do some escaping of his own. Poignancy ensued. But here's a crazy Doc Jensen thought: Even though Christian Shephard wasn't physically in the room, his presence was felt via the conversation between the generations and yes, the shoes. In other words, what we had here was a grandfather and a pair of doctors. A grandfather…and a pair of docs. Grandfather…paradox. Hey! Grandfather Paradox! The theory that it's impossible to go back in time and kill your gramps before he has a chance to sire your father because then your father couldn't sire you so that you could grow up and kill your grandfather. ''Grandfather Paradox'' was first articulated in a French novel called The Imprudent Traveler (which sounds like it could apply to runaway grandpa who doesn't know what's best for him), although the book has also been published with the title Future Times Three. Grandfather Paradox is often used to argue against the whole idea of changing the past via time travel. But other theories have been postulated to rebut this rebuttal, including Navikovian Self Consistency Principle, better known on Lost as ''course correction.

Whatever. My big theory?

Grandpa Ray really isn't Jack's Grandpa.

HE'S JACK.

Older. Wiser. Off The Island. And here, at this moment in his history, he's helping his younger self along his path of destiny by giving him what he most needs: His father's shoes.

What Ulysses Means
But for me, the most provocative moment of the episode came aboard the plane, when Jack and Ben had the following exchange:
JACK: ''How can you read?''
BEN: ''My mother taught me.''

Ben was lying, of course. We know from ''The Man Behind the Curtain'' that Ben's mother died during childbirth. He saw a vision of her on The Island, during his hard Dharma adolescence, when the only parenting he got was neglect and abuse from his sad, heartbroken father. When Ben saw his mother, all he wanted to do was run away with her…whatever she was. But she said ''No. Not yet.'' So...when?

Ulysses suggests an answer. To be clear, there were several moments in ''316'' when the story mirrored Joyce's book, much in the same way Joyce's novel mirrored Homer's epic poem. For example, the scene with Kate in bed lost in thought, then greedily kissing Jack, echoes the final chapter of Ulysses, Molly Bloom lies in bed, lost in thought, and chooses her haunted husband hero (read: Jack) over the studly beefcake (read: Sawyer). Another parallel: At one point, Molly's husband, Leopold Bloom, finds himself traveling in a carriage as part of a funeral procession. He is familiar with almost everyone, except one mysterious figure, which the narrative makes a point of doting upon, even though his identity is never resolved. Shades of: The castaways in their own corpse-hauling carriage, Ajira Airlines Flight 316, complete with mystery characters to be revealed later. Maybe.

But why is Ben reading Ulysses? Well, even though he might identify with Bloom, who also is grieving the loss of a child, my bet is that he identifies most with the book's other major character, Stephen Daedalus. For starters, there's the last name. ''Daedalus'' means ''cunning worker.'' That fits. And in Greek mythology, Daedalus is the famous dad whose ambitious machinations get his son, Icarus, killed. (See: Ben and Alex.) He is also renowned for building the labyrinth — part maze, part prison.

Moreover, like Ben, Stephen Daedalus is also deeply marked by the memory of his dead mother. On her deathbed, Mom wanted Stephen to pray for her; Stephen, who considers God nothing more than a ''shout in the street,'' refuses. Now he regrets it.

In the second chapter of Ulysses, Stephen gets one of the book's most famous lines: ''History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.'' He goes on to express sympathies for those figures on history whose lives and glorious potential have been ''ousted from possibility.'' Yet he seems to hold out hope that these stories somehow still exist, 'lodged in the room of infinite possibilities.''

What does Ben want?
Simple.
He's trying to change time in such a way that will dramatically alter the nightmare of his personal history — and allow his mother to live.

Who knows? Maybe in the rebooted world Ben wants, his mother will teach him how to read.

KATE
Whatever happened with Aaron may have involved some of the other Oceanic 6 — or perhaps in the course of her day away from Jack, she learned some crucial intel on everyone's motivations. That's my explanation for her line on the plane: ''Just because we're on the same plane doesn't mean we're together….''

BEN
When Ben told Jack he was going to attend to an errand — a promise to an old friend — I think what he meant was that he was going to go kill Penelope, per his pledge to Widmore. But clearly, something either went horribly wrong or horribly right, judging from all that blood that was covering Ben.

JILL THE BUTCHER
I get a Juliet vibe off her. What do you think? Also, I noticed her shop was called ''Simon's Butcher.'' Which reminds me of my favorite Paul Simon lyric: ''Faith! Faith is an island in the setting sun/But proof! Proof is the bottom line for everyone.''

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEN'S THOMAS THE APOSTLE SPEECH
Ben seemed to have someone in mind when he was ruminating on poor, misunderstood Thomas. Who?

MS. HAWKING
She said that unless the circumstances of the original flight were replicated perfectly, ''The result would be unpredictable.'' What did you make of that?

Sorry for the delay on posting this, folks. I was up all night with both some sick children, as well as this noodle-cooker. To make it up to you, I have something cool: An easter egg of exclusive Lost content — an interview with Lost exec producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, discussing this season's creative direction and a hint of how next week's episode fits into the master plan of the season. Start looking for this bonus bunch of fun in our message boards around 4 PM Eastern Time. If you like, and you think it's cool, we'll see about doing more each week.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid12850887001/bclid12789805001/bctid13197582001

Recap: 'Lost' #506 - '316' A brand new number brings a mid-season shift

Posted by Drew McWeeny (Formerly ACIN's Moriarty)

John Locke sure does look dead... but is he? And if he is... will he stay that way?

Who's got two thumbs and loves "Lost" more than caramel corn right now?

This guy.

This week's episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, chief architects of my weekly addiction, and it's got about a jazillion giant things going on it it. Confirmations of theories. Final moves of some major chess pieces. New questions. And an ending moment shocker that immediately suggest some big answers to the show's big questions.

So, yeah... it was a good one.

I was taking notes in the dark on my little reporter's notebook... something, I'll point out, I never do during a movie in a screening room or a theater. I find it too distracting. With me doing this recap each week, though, I want to have a few things written down, things that jumped out at me as I was watching.

[more after the jump]

Great opening tease. For a fan of the show from the very first episode, that image is pretty iconic, pretty direct. Here we go. Island. Jack. Sitting up. That's how this starts. There's a hint of "The Matrix" to it. Like he's waking up in a program, in a cycle that he runs over and over. I'm not saying he is.

I'm also not saying he's not.

I love the piece of paper in his hand that just says "I wish..." Is that part of how they got back? That seems like a pretty big stretch.

Then cries for help. The big jump off a waterfall. And... Hurley and a guitar? That's an odd choice. Why's he got that?

And there's Kate, out cold on the shore. No one else in sight. Jack wakes her up.

"Are we..."

"Yes."

BLACK. 46 hours earlier. That's how you tease an episode. No more talking about it... we're going to get these people to the island tonight. And here's how it all goes down. BOOM.

The episode picked right up where last week left off, and Faraday's mom is a creepy dead eyed wax woman. She freaks me out, man. And the way she explains everything she's got to explain is just skeevy and weird. She's got answers, but she's a freak. She leads everyone into a basement of the church, and it's a crazy room with a pendulum over a map and blackboards filled with arcane equations. And Hawking is basically Madame Exposition, and she presents the Oceanic 6 (or at least those of them who came inside) with an outrageously weird plan and some reasons why it'll work.

She gives the name of the room... the name given to it by the Dharma Initiative: The Lamppost. How very, very C.S. Lewis of them.

I love the patter in that scene, too. There's a lot of great patter in this episode, and much of it has to do with Ben, like when he walks into the Lamppost with Jack.

"Did you know about this place?"

"No."

Jack looks at Hawking.

"Is he telling the truth?"

"Probably not."

Well played all the way around.

So we learn that the island is always moving. That's what makes the island such a special place, or at least one of the things that does. Explanations are made about how to get to it.

And then Desmond lays down a massive bitchfit. I can't blme him, though. He recognizes Faraday's mother now, and he remembers her as a factor in him ending up stranded on the island. He is understandably less-than-pleased to see her, and when she says, "The island isn't done with you yet," she's lucky he doesn't beat her head in "Irreversible" style. That's his life this woman is messing with, treating like a game piece. Great Des moment.

And I think all of that was during the opening credits for this week's episode. That's how dense the start of it is. She explains about Flight 316, how they must be on it. How there's a window of opportunity and that flight is going through it. And they must reproduce the conditions on Oceanic 815 as exactly as they can. That's why everyone has to go.

And then Hawking pulls Jack aside to tell him that he's got to take someone with him. Someone dead... someone to replace his father. Locke, in other words, but wearing something of his father's to tie them together.

Maybe that's what the guitar case was with Hurley at the beginning. Charlie's guitar so that it was more like flight 815.

We learn that John Locke hanged himself. And he left a suicide note for Jack. That note turns out to somewhat of an invocation, tied in to a conversation Jack and Ben have about "Doubting Thomas."

What the hell did Kate do with Aaron?

I love the quick shot of Hurley reading "Y: The Last Man" in Spanish. Not only is it a nice nod to Brian Vaughn, author of the comic and now a writer/producer on "Lost," but it also ties into the Spanish lanuage versions of the comic books found in the 815 wreckage.

Great lines:

"Who cares?"

"We're not going to Guam... are we?"

"How can you read?" "My mother taught me."

And that ending... dear god... the flash suggests that Kate, Hurley, and Jack have been tossed one direction in time while other people from the plane have been thrown in a different direction. We saw wreckage from this flight in the future, so I don't think everyone's together. And I'm guessing Sun did not make the jump with Kate and Jack and Hurley, because that would make everything sooooo much easier. Nope. They're in the past, in the day of the Dharma Initiative, and that's where they find Jin.

Why was Ben beat to hell? And why was he at a marina? Who did he attack? Are they alive or dead now?

Who convinced Hurley and Kate to get on the plane? Why is Sayid being escorted onto the flight by a marshall? How does Frank play into all this? Is Ben pathlogically unable to tell the truth?

Is it next week yet? Is it? Can I just skip forward in time, one week at a time, until I'm done? I can't take the wait, no matter how much I love it.
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2009-1-13-monkeys-as-critics/posts/2009-2-18-recap-lost-506-316?comment_id=929&page=1

LOST 5x07 The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham HD Promo

"This Place is Death" Poll Results

What did you think of "This Place is Death"?

I want to go back! 36
(52%)

Great 23
(33%)

OK 9
(13%)

Bad, Like a shot in the head 0
(0%)

Watching this episode was as horrible as getting the Sickness 0 (0%)

Votes so far: 68

What were your favorite parts of "This Place Is Death"?

Montand losing his arm 16
(27%)

Seeing Smokey Again 23
(38%)

Seeing the Hieroglyph Ruins (cerberus vent) where Smokey entered 16
(27%)

Seeing Danielle's Music Box again 3
(5%)

Ben whining about all that he had to go through to get the OC 6 back 20
(33%)

Finding out that Eloise Hawking is Daniel's Mother 5
(8%)

Finding out some of Charlotte's backstory 13
(22%)

Charlotte’s death 5
(8%)

Appearance of Christian 26
(44%)

Another Moment 3
(5%)

Votes so far: 59


What is the sickness?

Part of Danielle's crazyness 4
(10%)

Smokey or Jacob possessing people 17
(44%)

Time Travel effects 6
(15%)

A type of virus 3
(7%)

Something else 9
(23%)

Votes so far: 38


Who are Charlotte's Parents?

Christian Shepard 0
(0%)

Annie 11
(39%)

Benjamin Linus 4
(14%)

Alvar Hanso 0
(0%)

Eloise Hawkings 2
(7%)

Charles Widmore 6
(21%)

Horace Goodspeed 6
(21%)

Olivia Goodspeed 5
(17%)

Roger Linus 0
(0%)

Someone else 9
(32%)

Votes so far: 28

Ben

Cleaned up and rough action poses. Im currently cleaning up my Widmore & Sayid designs.

EW Doc Jensen: 'Lost': 'Caspian,' See?

To prepare for tonight's episode, ''316,'' Doc Jensen looks for inspiration -- and parallels -- in the work of C.S. Lewis. Plus: a new installment of ''Lost Untangled,'' and the Doc answers Reader Mail

By Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen, an EW senior writer, has been despondent since the cancellation of ''Twin Peaks''
''I felt just the same,'' said Edmund in a breathless voice. ''As if I were being dragged along. A most frightful pulling — ugh! It's beginning again!... All catch hands and keep together! This is magic — I can tell by the feeling. Quick!''

THE TEASE! Why the road back to the Island begins with ''316''Lost producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have often cited The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy series, as a major creative touchstone for their own fantastical epic. (The proof: Charlotte Staples Lewis = Clive Staples Lewis). The above citation comes from Prince Caspian, Lewis' sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in which the four Pevensie siblings return to the enchanted realm of Narnia...many, many years in the future, and via a mysterious island dotted with crumbling ruins, no less. And while Edmund's terrified alarm conjures images of Smokey dragging Montand the Frenchie into the Temple's basement (Rip! Splooge! Awesome!), young Master Ed here is actually describing the sensation of being abruptly yanked back to fantasyland. In fact, his words evoke for me the sound effect of Lost's time flashes. Listen as you watch the following clip from ''The Little Prince'': Doesn't it sound like the castaways are literally being stretched from one point in time to another? (Feel free to zip to the 1:39 mark to get to the point.)

Tonight's Lost is entitled ''316.'' If you've seen the promos or read EW's recent cover story about the show, then maybe I'm not giving away too much when I say that tonight, some or all of the Oceanic 6 pull a Prince Caspian and officially start their journey back to the Island. Or, put another way, ''316'' is the dedication page to a whole new chapter in the veritable Chronicles of Lost. And if you go to your local bookstore today and buy HarperCollins' 2001 single-volume compendium of all seven Narnia novels, you know what you'll find on page 316? That's right: The dedication page to Prince Caspian. Go ahead. Take a look.

Yes, I know: PSYCHOPOMP!

LET HIM EAT PERFUMED CROW! Atoning for my Turkish Delight debacle Last week, in the TV Watch recap of ''This Place Is Death,'' I made the claim that Turkish Delight — the allegedly yummy treat that the White Witch uses to tempt Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe — is made of chocolate. But it turns out that I was, like, totally wrong! According to reader Kate Halleron of Newport, Ore.,: ''Turkish Delight contains no chocolate. Turkish Delight itself is made from sugar and rosewater. Tastes like perfume. Not too many people who didn't grow up with it are likely to acquire a taste for it. Kinda like Vegemite. Or turnip greens. Or lutefisk.'' I stand corrected — and nauseated! To make up for my gaffe, I am going to make sure that in a future episode of Totally Lost, we have a scene where we prepare a tray of Turkish Delight...and I make Dan eat it.

So, to atone for my Turkish Delight error, I'm going to give you three new provocative and timely Lost/Narnia connections — one of which serves as a BONUS TEASE for tonight's episode.
DEATHWATER ISLAND From the book Voyage of the Dawn Treader After successfully surviving a tempest-like storm, Edmund, Lucy, and King Caspian discover yet another mysterious Narnia island that's home to a dormant volcano and a once-glorious civilization that has fallen into ruin. The island seems to be imbued with great power — its waters can turn anything into gold. But Caspian gets greedy. He wants to exploit this alchemical magic to bolster his royal power. To that end, he demands that Edmund and Lucy keep the island a secret. Edmund refuses, but his motivations aren't wholly virtuous, either: He just resents Caspian trying to pull rank on him, ''one of the four ancient sovereigns of Narnia.'' Lucy gets pissy and tells them both to get over their bad selves — ''You're all such swaggering, bullying idiots!'' — when suddenly a deus ex machina vision of God-like Aslan spanks them into moral submission and wipes their memories of the episode. All that remains is the fuzzy recollection that the island should be avoided at all costs. ''This is a place with a curse on it,'' says the valiant rat Reepicheep. ''And if I might have the honour of naming this island, I should call it Deathwater.''

LINK TO LOST: A pact to keep the island a secret? Sounds like ''The Lie.'' ''The Man Behind The Curtain'' revealed that the Island on Lost is home to a dormant volcano. The same episode also revealed that Dharma was engaged in ''gemology,'' suggesting that the Island is rich with precious minerals. It also should be noted that in the episode ''The Other Woman'' we learn that the function of the Dharma station known as the Tempest was to manufacture cyanide gas. Cyanide is an essential ingredient in extracting gold from ore and refining other rocks and minerals into valuable gems. (''Chemical weapons facility'' my ass. I am utterly convinced that Dharma was there to rape the Island of all its natural riches.) ''The Shape of Things To Come'' depicted Ben and Charles Widmore as bullies and would-be Island sovereigns locked in a battle over control of the Island. ''This Place Is Death'' reminded us that the Island has its own ancient civilization, and it also had Charlotte — Lost's proverbial Lucy — pulling from a fuzzy memory that ''This place is death!''

LOST/NARNIA CONNECTIONS (cont.)THE YELLOW RINGSFrom the book The Magician's Nephew In this mythology-revealing installment, the book's child heroes find a pair of matching magical yellow rings in an ancient box from Atlantis. The kids think that the rings give them the power to transport themselves to Narnia — and they do. But the story reveals that the rings belong to Narnia, and because they do, they want to return there.

LINK TO LOST: Thematically, the off-Island castaways are like the rings, wanting/needing to be returned. In ''This Place Is Death,'' Sun received a gold band — Jin's wedding ring — which inspired/compelled her to return to the Island.

THE LAMP-POST From the books The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew (SPOILER ALERT!) One of the most iconic landmarks in Lewis' Narnia saga, the lamp-post is an eternally lit street light located in the enchanted woods of the Lantern Wastes. After Lucy pushes her way through the wardrobe closet that leads into the Lantern Wastes, the lamp-post is the first marker she encounters. It literally lights her way into Narnia.

LINK TO LOST: As you will learn tonight — unless you've already had this spoiled for you in the teaser clip ABC has posted online — ''The Lamp-Post'' is the name of an off-Island Dharma station that the weird science enclave used to find the Island. It is certainly located in an unlikely place — you know it better as the computer lab underneath Ms. Hawking's church.

LOST MADE SIMPLE (HA!) Assuming John Locke's axle-fixing crank on the frozen donkey wheel actually worked, ''This Place Is Death'' brought to an end — for now, at least — the castaway time-flashing story. However, I can tell you it will take about two episodes to dramatize the fall-out (so to speak) of Locke's actions. Last week, I tried to sort through Lost's depiction of time travel, but my analysis didn't take into account the events of ''No Place Like Death.'' For a more up-to-date (and more learned) assessment, check out Popular Mechanics, which has started a fun and very accessible blog critiquing the science of Lost and other prominent sci-fi stories.

READER MAIL! ''You were remiss when you stated that C.S. Lewis' first Chronicles of Narnia book was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It was actually a book called The Magician's Nephew. It tells of the creation of Narnia, the origin of the Witch, why the wardrobe is magical, the significance of the lamp post, etc. You should check it out it's an easy read and it may have ties to Lost that you can fish out.'' —Sean Ahern, Jacksonville, Fla.

Did I jump the Dharma shark on my Narnia references last week or what?! However, this mistake isn't as egregious as my Turkish Delight screw-up. The Magician's Nephew is indeed considered by Narniaphiles as the first installment in the Chronicles — but it was actually the sixth book published. Still, I know enough about Narnia to know that these matters are of weighty importance to... uh... those for whom these matters are weighty. To atone for THIS mistake, I offer all of you TWO MORE Narnia tidbits that overlap with tonight's episode.
1) Tonight's episode features a magician. 2) Tonight's episode also features Jill the Butcher, the off-Island Other who has been keeping Locke on ice for Ben. As it happens, there is a famous Jill in the Chronicles, too: Jill Pole is the headstrong heroine of The Silver Chair and The Last Battle. Like many of Lost's Others, Ms. Pole is very adept with a bow and arrow. More fun facts about Jill Pole that have intriguing Lost resonance: Jill attended a cruel, weird boarding school known as the Experiment House, whose name gives me a Dharma/Room 23 vibe. Also, just seconds before she was transported to Narnia for The Last Battle, Jill and her friend Eustace were traveling in a train when there was a ''jerk and a noise,'' and then — FLASH! — they were suddenly in Narnia. The big revelation at the end of The Last Battle — Spoiler Alert! — was that the ''jerk and a noise'' was actually a train derailment. Like the castaways of Lost, Jill had been brought back to Narnia via disaster.

''I think your theory that Faraday didn't remember Desmond until Desmond actually went and met him is correct. However, why did Charlotte remember Faraday telling her she would die on the island? The event had not yet happened for Faraday — but Charlotte still remembered it. Was she mistaken and it wasn't actually Faraday!?'' — Amanda in Austin
Amanda has definitely found a provocative flaw in my theory. And she may have also found a neat way to bail me out! But here's another caveat: Charlotte was ''recovering'' this memory amid special circumstances — her mind was madly shifting from one point in time to another due to the time travel disease — and so, perhaps, the normal rules don't apply.

''What is up with Locke getting things jabbed/stabbed/shot through his legs? Is this some Island blackmail? 'I gave you back your legs, now do what I say or I'll take them back! And here's a sharp stick through your knee just to remind you!' What do you think?'' —Danielle in Cincinnati (P.S. If I pretend my last name is Rousseau, will you answer me?)

First of all, I like your Island blackmail theory. Such a gangsta, this Island is. (Hey! Did John Locke do a Godfather impression in Lost's pilot? You know: the creepy orange peel smile?) But here's another thought that comes to mind, specific to what we saw in last week's episode and the theme of this week's column. Since we saw Locke turn the frozen donkey wheel, we now know that he will be leaving the Island. I am reminded that in most fantasy literature — specifically, The Chronicles of Narnia — you don't really get to keep what you gained in fantasyland, beyond memories or learning. The kids in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe all grew up and grew strong while they were in Narnia... but when they went back to ''the real world,'' they physically reverted back to being the kids that they were right before they left. Ergo, in ''This Place Is Death,'' because John had to go back to ''the real world,'' he had to surrender what he physically gained: His legs.

But your question was more about the recurring motif of Locke's legs being busted. It's interesting to note that Locke loses his legs whenever he gets put on a new path — and, perhaps, sometimes as a karmic scolding for deviating from the path he's supposed to be on. Locke succumbed to the temptation of chasing after his cruel, criminal father — and he got tossed out a window. Locke got caught up in the Hatch's weird drama — and he got his legs crushed under the Blast Door. What happened right before Alpert gave him his mission to bring the Oceanic 6 back to the Island? That's right: shot in the leg by Ethan. Every time Locke's hero's journey gets rebooted, he's delivered back to a square one: Busted legs. But then he takes the leap of faith, and he's healed anew.

In tomorrow's TV Watch recap of ''316,'' we will speak more about leaps of faith, restored destinies, and various signs and wonders to be interpreted. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1550612_20250233_20259645,00.html

TV Guide’s 25 Greatest TV Villains

TV’s 25 greatest villains, according to TV Guide:

25. Wilhelmina Slater, Ugly Betty (Vanessa Williams)
24. Eric Cartman, South Park
23. Angela Channing, Falcon Crest (Jane Wyman)
22. Newman, Seinfeld (Wayne Knight)
21. Dr. Gaius Baltar, Battlestar Galactica (James Callis)
20. Cigarette-Smoking Man, The X-Files (William B. Davis)
19. Boss Hogg, The Dukes of Hazzard (Sorrel Booke)
18. Nina Myers, 24 (Sarah Clarke)
17. Dr. Michael Mancini, Melrose Place (Thomas Calabro)
16. The One-Armed Man, The Fugitive (1963 TV series)
15. Star Trek villains: Borg, Klingons, Q, Kahn
14. Dr. Robert Romano, ER (Paul McCrane)
13. Arvin Sloan, Alias (Ron Rifkin)
12. Leland Palmer, Twin Peaks (Ray Wise)
11. Angelis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series; David Boreanz)
10. The villains of the original Batman TV series (1966)
9. Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell, Prison Break (Robert Knepper)
8. President Charles Logan, 24 (Gregory Itzin)
7. Benjamin Linus, Lost (Michael Emerson)
6. Sylar, Heroes (Zachary Quinto)
5. Montgomery Burns, The Simpsons
4. Amanda Woodward, Melrose Place (Heather Locklear)
3. Lex Luthor, Smallville (Michael Rosenbaum)
2. Alexis Carrington, Dynasty (Joan Collins)
1. J.R. Ewing, Dallas (Larry Hagman)
http://hauntedsandiego.com/wp/?p=1922

Lost's Michael Emerson: "We May Already Know Annie"

Feb 17, 2009 11:27 PM ET by Gina DiNunno

Lost
It's virtually impossible to tell whether Lost's Ben Linus is a good guy or a bad guy. As much as we keep churning out the theories, TVGuide.com turned to Michael Emerson himself for his thoughts on Ben's upcoming storylines. How much of Ben's past will we see during the time jumps? Will we ever meet Annie? Have we already?

TVGuide.com: Has Ben's revenge mission against Charles Widmore been trumped by the getting the Oceanic 6 to return to the island?
Michael Emerson: I think Ben has not forgotten what Charles Widmore has done to him, and I think he's going to try to take care of that business at the same time as he's taking care of the larger mission.

TVGuide.com: With all this time jumping happening on the island, will we see young Ben again?
Emerson: Yes. In fact, now that we are sort of ping-ponging around in the time-space continuum, all those backstories are re-emerging in more important ways. And the characters are, to some extent, going to be recontextualized. I know Ben is. You're going to learn things about him that either mitigate or intensify some of the judgments you've made about him.

TVGuide.com: It's pretty hard to tell if he's good or bad on any given day.
Emerson: I think they mean you to be right there and not know. You may leave the series at the final conclusion still not knowing if he's good or bad.

TVGuide.com: Did Ben's little girlfriend Annie die in The Purge?
Emerson: We don't know. That's still up in the air, but I'm guessing that's one of the most burning questions of the backstory that I'm sure will be dealt with. We have so much bouncing around in time and space to do this season it will make you dizzy. It's also going to provide some thrills and chills. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: So you think Annie will pop back into the picture?
Emerson: Yeah, I think so. In fact, I may go so far as to say we may already know Annie. Have you considered that? I'm not speaking from knowledge of a script because that's not a thing that has been written, but stranger things have happened on the show. Everyone is more connected then they ever thought, and it's often by blood.

TVGuide: Maybe Ben has unknown relatives on the island as well?
Emerson: That's a good one. Or it could be a deal where maybe some people never escaped a time or place. Or maybe some people are no longer in control of the when of their lives. Our writers are smart sci-fi guys and they're going to push the envelope.

TVGuide.com: How about revisiting that crush Ben had on Juliet?
Emerson: I think it must be explained, or its end must be explained — the end of those feelings. You might want to put that in the file labeled "Stuff Ben Doesn't Have Time to Think About But May Be Able to Further Down the Line." I suppose it's possible, though, that the writers have made us understand that Juliet made her feelings too clear to Ben and the world, and he's moved on.

TVGuide.com: How often have your scenes crossed with Fionnula Flanagan's Eloise Hawking?
Emerson: Well you haven't seen it yet, but I've worked with her a lot. One of the tributes to the genius of our writers is they will introduce a character like Eloise Hawking in a one-off kind of deal and we all think, "Oh, that was an interesting side journey that we could have gone on and didn't." But the writers haven't forgotten about it. They've brought it back around so it dovetails neatly with what's going on.

TVGuide.com: Can you give us any idea on when or how we'll next see Jacob?
Emerson: Jacob seems to have fallen away from our consciousness. The show is so much more wrapped up in intermediary leader figures. There seems to be a whole raft of people Ben must answer to, but they're not as high up as Jacob. Jacob seems to have receded into the mist again — sort of mysterious and godlike. He continues to be much talked about, and ultimately is the force behind the island. And the island is changing. We thought of it as a rock in the water, but now it appears to be more of a movable organism now. So to be in charge of such a thing — what does that mean? These are questions I ask myself.

TVGuide.com: Do you ever find yourself just reeling after reading a script?
Emerson: I have read a couple of scenes in the middle part of the season where I've dropped the script while reading it, or I stood up and said, "Oh my God, they can't do that, can they?" And they can. They can do whatever they want. There are a couple of things that will just make your hair stand on end. People across the country are going to jump up off their sofas and scream, "No! No way!" I just love it. [Laughs]
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Lost-Interview-Emerson-1003014.aspx

Trio of actors pose for 'Chameleon'

By Borys Kit

Feb 16, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

Corrected: Feb 17, 2009, 04:03 PM ET

Marc-Andre Grondin, Ellen Barkin and Famke Janssen are starring in "The Chameleon," a psychological thriller being directed by Jean Paul Salome.

Grondin, a French-Canadian actor nominated for a Cesar in France, is making his English-language debut, as is Salome.

The script, written by Salome and Natalie Carter, revolves around the reunion of a young man (Grondin) and his family after being positively identified in an unsolved missing-persons case. The reunion turns bittersweet when suspicions arise about whether he really is their son.

Barkin will play the mom, and Janssen is an FBI agent. Nick Stahl and Emilie de Ravin also star.

The movie is based on the life of Frederic Bourdin, a man who assumed at least 39 identities, three of them missing teens. Bourdin was profiled in the book "The Chameleon" by Christoph D'Antonio and the movie is taking its cues from that.

The project has been in a the works for awhile, with several cast incarnations coming and going as financing was cobbled together.

Bill Perkins, Cooper Richey, Ram Bergman, Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar and Pierre Kubel are producing. Perkins and Richey are also financiers.

ICM, who reps Salome, packaged the project and is handling North American rights. Gaumont and Canal Plus are distributing in France.

Grondin, repped by ICM and Marc Hamou at Thruline, appeared in "Che."

The CAA-repped Barkin next appears in "Brooklyn's Finest" opposite Richard Gere.

Janssen, repped by CAA and Brookside Management, co-stars in Pierre Morel's "Taken" opposite Liam Neeson. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i79da12a20aa4355a8ae27240c7c6217a

(Misfit) BIGs SPOILErs for TONIGTHs episode!!

Yes It is I the GREAT spoilerGATOR back for more spoilers ON losts!! jay Jay Abrimhims AND carton Curse WILL be MAD at me for spilling THE news!!

MY fiend WHO works FOR columbian Television GOT hold of a Secret SUPER copy of tonights EPISODE called 317!!

here WE see a FLASHFORWARD with Bernhard (AKA the EVIL alfred Hano!!)!! It LOOKS like he IS in a HOSPITAL or some kind OF caring center OR a space shuttle!! This ONCE again Proves MY theory ABOUT him!! You can READ that THEORY here!!

It LOOKS like the CRAZED dentist has DEVELOPED some New PERsonalities!! Can THIS man GET any more Demented!!

http://themisfitishere.blogspot.com/

Does Fox Plan To Wipe Out Lost Once And For All?

By Graeme McMillan, 7:30 AM on Tue Feb 17 2009, 2,122 views

Fox has, apparently, declared war on ABC's Lost... by permanently moving American Idol opposite for the rest of the season. But what effect will this have on the island drama, and what's behind the move?

Lost's audience has been slowly dropping since its return, and last week's two-hour episode of Fox's Idol made that drop even sharper... but, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox's decision to push Idol to 9pm on Wednesdays is actually more a defensive maneuver than it initially seems, protecting their new drama Lie To Me (starring the Abomination himself, Tim Roth) from losing audiences to Lost. Any collateral damage to ABC's flagship drama is purely coincidental... and a very happy accident.

ABC, on the other hand, are likely to see things the same way; with Life on Mars continuing to fall in the ratings, don't be too surprised if the network announces that Lost will be returning to a safer 10pm timeslot within the next few weeks.

Fox Moves 'Idol' Against 'Lost' [THR Live Feed]

Source: http://io9.com/5154775/does-fox-plan-to-wipe-out-lost-once-and-for-all

"LaFleur" ABC Press Release

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=021309_08
SAWYER CONCOCTS A LIE WITH SOME OF
THE OTHER SURVIVORS, ON ABC'S "LOST"

"LaFleur" - Sawyer perpetuates a lie with some of the other island survivors in order to protect themselves from mistakes of the past, on "Lost," WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Note: This program will repeat Wed., March 11 from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET.

"Lost" stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet and Terry O'Quinn as Locke.

Guest starring are Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed, Reiko Aylesworth as Amy, Christopher Jaymes as doctor, Kevin Rankin as Jerry, Patrick Fischler as Phil, Molly McGivern as Rosie, Carla Buscaglia as Heather and John Skinner as Other #1.

"LaFleur" was written by Elizabeth Sarnoff & Kyle Pennington and directed by Mark Goldman.

"Lost" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish audio via SAP. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

This episode of "Lost" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.


ABC Media Relations Contact:
Jeff Fordis (818) 460-6676, jeffrey.a.fordis@abc.com


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LOST 5x06

New LOST Ajira Airways Billboard Spotted in LA!!

From ODI

Hey All,As most of you know by now, Ajira Airways is an airline like Oceanic Airlines created for LOST.Ajira was first seen as a part of a LOST ARG before season 5 began and in Episode 5x04 The Little Prince an Ajira Airways water bottle was found by the Losties.Well we were just informed that a new LOST Billboard that actually has the Ajira Logo breaking through has been spotted in Los Angeles. I have not seen this billboard yet and do not know where it is located, but here is a nice picture of it!!No word if there are any more, but the last time ABC used billboards, they were for Oceanic Air in the apparent "destination" cities. If you spot one, please take a picture and send it in. Thanks to Quinn for the image and Amber for the heads up.
(Click to Enlarge)

http://the-odi.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-lost-ajira-airways-billboard.html

Jin/Sun Reunion?

Mostly Grey Lombotomy stuff, Lost at the end.

316 - Canadian Promo

Teen Actor Discusses Theories of LOST Baddie’s Origin

February 14, 2009 · By Tony Dillard · Posted in Lost, TV

For 13 year-old actor Sterling Beaumon, saying too much about his role as a young Benjamin Linus on Lost could cost him, a fine of five million dollars, to be exact. In the February 16th issue of TV Guide, the teen spoke about his upcoming four-episode storyline that will examine the origin of the former leader of the Others.

Due to a nondisclosure clause in his contract, the actor could only offer some vague facts about the history of Ben, who will start off as a good guy. Beaumon claims that young Ben will end up helping the castaways (possibly during a time-warp) and that a never before revealed group, that is, not the Others or Dharma, will impact the youth’s decision to turn bad. Also, in upcoming episodes, a new location on the island will be revealed as a place of unattainable safety. It was clarified that this refuge is not Jacob’s cabin.

Beaumon also played twenty questions with TV Guide, revealing that one or more of the following theories was confirmed as fact to the actor by creator Damon Lindelof: 1) Linus and Locke are brothers, 2) Widmore employee Charlotte may in fact be Annie, the red headed girl who befriended a younger Ben in season three, or 3) Dr. Pierre Chang, from the Dharma Initiative films, is Miles Straume’s father. Fans will have to wait over the next few weeks to find out which of the theories is the gospel truth.

Along with Lindelof’s revelations, the actor offered some theories of his own about Charles Widmore. “Widmore has been on the island a looong [sic] time,” Beaumon said. “His presence is (always) felt. I think Widmore may be Jacob.”

TV Guide also sat down with 19 year-old actress Melissa Farman, who plays the younger version of the French nomad, Rousseau, to discuss her role in Ben’s origin. According to the actress, in an upcoming episode, the story of how Linus became the father of Rousseau’s daughter Alex will also be revealed.
http://comicbook.com/blog/2009/02/14/teen-actor-discusses-theories-of-lost-baddies-origin/

316 - Sneak Peek #2

LOST 5x06

Official Lost Podcast with Damon and Carlton DarkUFO Summery

Posted by DarkUFO at 18:23
Thanks to TLA for this great summary.

* They're writing the finale right now.
* The 'temple' seen in 'This Place is Death' is "not necessarily the temple" and isn't where the smoke monster lives but rather his 'Camp David'. Will they be returning to that location? - "Damn straight".
* Whatever happened to Rousseau's team under the ground with monster 'altered' them. And not for the better. But there's a question about 'who went wacky first'.
* Damon and Carlton wrote the scripts for '316' and 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham' simultaneously and the reason the episodes were switched will become apparent once they're seen. Darlton thought it would be 'cooler' to show the original 5.07 first. This has only happened once before in the history of the show and they challenge fans to guess when, noting that it was 'way back in season one'.
* There is some information in '316' that is better to see before 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham'. Carlton: "I would assume we're going to find out how Locke ended up in that coffin". Damon: "Can't wait".

Questions:
Which successful cast member of Lost would you like to see become a successful cast member of 'Dancing with the Stars'?
Jorge (Hurley)

In the episode 'Jughead', when Desmond finds Theresa, is she in the same kind of 'time trance' as Eloise the rat or Minkowski?
That's a very perceptive observation. (Also hints that Theresa will appear again)

Is resurrection 'of a sort' possible for Christian? Is he something more than an image the island is using to communicate?
In '316' someone will talk about Locke's body in relation to Christian's. The word 'proxy' might be mentioned.

And thanks to The ODI for these additions.

that what we saw was ONLY the outer wall of the temple, not the temple itself...and there is little walk to the temple..

also a few of the jokes at the end had one tidbit included about juliet and ben

When answering fan questions:
13) They joke about Sun's dog because of a fan question.
14) We will hopefully learn before the show ends what "you look like her" meant during Juliet's Season 4 therapy session with Harper.
15) Joke that Season 5 is "Zombie Season" indeed

Some Episode Snippets - Episode 5.13 and Episode 5.14

Posted by DarkUFO at 16:36

Thanks to my various sources who have given me some little snippets for Episode 5.13 and Episode 5.14 that I've pulled together into a single post.

Episode 5.13 - Some Like It Hoth
- Leading up to 5.13 Faraday has gone "missing" after exploring the Orchid amongst other things
- In 5.13 he reappears and is seen by Miles
- It's a pretty big reveal, as Daniel's whereabouts and activities have been missing for a while
- We some some some experimental stuff being taken from the Sub
- We see Radzinky and some Dharma Scientists in black uniforms along with Pierre Chang
- Daniel has been busy with something and is the setup for something big to happen

Episode 5.14 - The Variable
- This episode (still in draft production) is a direct follow up from The Constant
- It continues with Desmond's and Daniels adventures
- We get more info on why Daniels notebook statement "Desmond is my Constant"
- This episode starts filming in about 10 days
- The early planning of this episode may explain why Desmond left the army

Source: DarkUFO
http://spoilerslost.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-episode-snippets-episode-513-and.html

14 Questions With: Michael Emerson

AOL Television

He might play one of the creepiest characters on television, but in real life, Michael Emerson is thoughtful, affable and endearingly intrigued with Ben Linus, his sinister 'Lost' alter ego.

And he's not alone: Ben is one of the most talked about, love-to-hate-him TV villains of all time, and his latest plot to get the Oceanic 6 back to the island from which they fled is revealing more of his devilish, multi-layered mind game each week.

Emerson talked to AOL TV exclusively about getting the island back on track, watching the show on TV to fully grasp where it's headed, who he enjoys acting alongside and why a scene involving cereal sticks out in his mind as a favorite. -- By Maggie Furlong

1. When you get a line like "That's my lawyer," do you get direction on how to say it, or is that all you?

I just like to fiddle around with delivery, you know. Sometimes in the gravest of circumstances, a more nonchalant reading of a line turns out to be entertaining. [Laughs]

2. Ben Linus was only supposed to be on a few episodes. At what point did you realize that he might be sticking around?

Well, there was a point in the early going where it occurred to me one day, "Wow, wouldn't it be crazy good if I was actually the leader of the Others. That would be so unexpected and cool." And I mentioned it to a director -- this was in one of the early episodes when Sayid was still beating up on me -- and the director said, "I can't discuss that with you." [Laughs] So I thought, "Oh, something's up here."

3. What's it like signing on for a gig knowing that you'll have to endure numerous torture scenes?

Luckily I had no idea! One day -- January 10 of 2006 -- I flew to Hawaii and the next morning I was, you know, hanging from a palm tree. And people had said, "Oh, 'Lost,' great show … it's rough work though." That was the word in the acting circles. And it's true -- it has been rough work. But very rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's a great character and I love the way they write my part; I love the scenes that I get to play.

4. People really have latched on to Ben Linus … why do you think that is?

It's so nice! People, I guess they respond to the sort of ambiguity of the character. And they invest the character with power and foresight and a certain kind of wit and almost superhuman management skills … [laughs] … which is fine.

5. Did you ever think that your character would get to have a moment as emotional as last season when his daughter, Alex, was executed in front of him?

No, I never dreamt that that would be a way that they would provide a turning point for the character. It was surprising and shocking -- even in the terms of real life, you're stunned to think that Tania [Raymonde], who plays Alex, is not going to be here anymore to do scenes with. I'd had that kind of real-life sadness about it, and then the sort of pace and shock value of the actual execution kind of took the breath out of you. It was a hard scene to play too -- I was looking out a window of an interior set at a tape mark on the wall. They shot Keamy and Alex days later in an outdoor location. So I didn't have that to play off of … I just had to conjure that in my mind as a kind of imaginary image and go with that.

6. Do you have a favorite moment that you've gotten to play on the show?

Wow … in the whole of my tenure? Goodness. I do enjoy the moments of wit, or the moments of sort of nonchalant delivery. I loved that breakfast scene that I had with Jack and John Locke in season 2, where I ate cereal. That was a fun scene to play because I think that was the first scene I ever played where I understood that Ben had all the cards in his hand, and that he was a prisoner in name only. It was sort of an exhilarating dynamic, to be held but to still be running the show sort of. It was kind of great.

7. Is there any cast member you haven't gotten to act alongside much yet, that you're hoping to have more scenes with?

I always long for more scenes with Richard Alpert, because I get along with Nestor [Carbonell] so well, and I think his character is just chilling and strange and compelling. I'll also be happy someday when Ben has scenes with Miles [Ken Leung]. Because Miles … he's kind of a wag, isn't he? He's kind of a smartass. It'd be fun to have a little duel of wits with him, if he thinks he's so smart. [Laughs] ... Miles is very much on everyone's mind because there's a storyline going on right now in the filming that he figures very prominently in. So you've got a big dose of Miles coming down the pike here! You're gonna go back in time with Miles, which is delicious, to see what he used to be like. Oh man, it's so great. [Laughs]

8. Do you think Ben considers himself a bad guy or a good guy?

I don't think he thinks about it much -- he thinks of himself as doing the best job he can with limited resources, and he's very consumed by his mission, his battle, his quest -- whatever it is that he needs to get done, he believes in it. I think he believes too that he's a good guy, that he's ethical. He has lapses … he's made some mistakes, and some of them are kind of grievous. Sometimes he can be quite childish and snippy ... he doesn't do well when he's thwarted. He sort of reverts to a not very well-socialized teenager. There's something in him that is frozen in his youth, but maybe the storyline means to explore [that]. We are going to revisit Ben's youth this season, and we're going to revisit certain scenes we've seen before, but framed in a new way -- new perspective, re-contextualized. Ben's mom [played by Emerson's real-life wife] hasn't yet been called upon to appear. But I'd say that possibility is still out there.

9. Do you feel like you have to watch the show when it airs to fully understand what's going on?

It's made so much more clear in the telecast -- I mean, you read the script and it's dizzying. The script says, "Now we're in 1954." "Now we're in 1978." And it's hard to keep that all straight. You just have an overall sense of the blurring … we're just bouncing around. But seeing it on TV, they illustrate it quite well. They do the best they can to let us know where we are, and why. And … it won't go on forever.

10. So have you been able to sort of step back and decide what you think will happen? Could Ben's return to the island with the Oceanic 6 possibly be the end of that flashing?

I don't think it works the way you describe -- but that's good, that's logical what you said, that their arrival would be the fix. I think the fix and their arrival are unconnected, even if they did coincidentally happen in something like the same timeframe. That's assuming that there is some … I'm talking about a small fix, not a big fix. This business of things being unhinged in time and space … that's … that's ongoing on some level. Hmmm … we're kind of talking about things we shouldn't be talking about. [Laughs]

11. You've played quite a few very disturbed individuals -- are you drawn to that type of role, or is it just a coincidence? And are you ever worried you'll be typecast?

It's just some kind of accident. I never thought about it before I did it. It's not the thing I would've steered toward or have chosen. I enjoy the playing of villains -- I enjoy playing any kind of character that has a kind of complex psychology, and these kinds of characters have that. It's sort of a freak of how I got started in television, and how people have continued to sort of seek me out for that type of playing. It wasn't a tone that was ever part of my repertoire on the live stage, and it hasn't really been my movie tone either. It's just sort of what they have wanted me to do on television. I'll have to figure that out a little better when 'Lost' is over, and see if there is some new tone to be explored in future TV work.

12. How do you imagine life changing when the show ends after next season?

I have a lot of things in my life that I didn't fully know or absorb while I was in it. I tend to perceive a thing better in hindsight, so I'm sure there's going to be a lot of nostalgia in me, for the time spent in Hawaii, for the time spent working on the show, for the people I worked with and the relationships I had. But at the same time, I think I won't be the only one who will be relieved to return to North America, to pick up the life I had before my 'Lost' adventure, and not be always traveling, and not always be five time zones away from loved ones and all of that. Like everything else, it'll be the end of a sort of golden time, but hopefully set the stage for equally compelling projects.

13. Are there shows that you watch and think, "Man, if I wasn't on 'Lost' …"?

I was always really jealous of 'Deadwood' -- I like period, and I like what a language program it was, how many different kinds and colors of antiquated English speech there was in it. At the other end of some kind of scale, I'm a great admirer of 'The Wire.' People always say, "Well what do you want to play?" And I never have a good answer, because the best things you play always come out of left field, completely unpredictably. The best roles I've played -- the top 10 -- are roles I was unaware existed before I got them; I wouldn't have thought to ask to play something like Ben. I mean, who knew? So, now it's sort of an article of faith with me; I'm going to sit back and wait and see what comes around on the wheel of life and hope that it's equally compelling. [Laughs] It's all wheels … wait till you see!

14. Where do you keep the Emmy you won for your guest role on 'The Practice'?

My Emmy sits on a metal and glass stand, in the corner of our tiny little dining area in our apartment in New York. It's in kind of a shadowy place, but that's all right. It catches my eye every so often. There is a note of tragedy attached to my Emmy, because it flew home on my lap on the night of Sept. 10, 2001, and before I'd even unpacked it the following morning, we had this earth-shattering tragedy in our city. The whole mood of celebrating it or that achievement sort of went out the window, and has never sort of fully returned. It is also a memento of that time and those events. I never got that day where I sat there and looked at it, and held it in my hand and fully absorbed the fantastic-ness of it. But it's there.

Official LOST Video Podcast - 02/12/2009

LOST 5X06

'Lost's' Infamous Smoke Monster To Be Revealed

By KATIE SAWYER
Feb-12-2009

Source: Yahoo! News

This story may contain spoilers.

Finally, one of the most interesting mysteries on ABC's hit show "Lost" is about to be solved.

Daniel Dae Kim, who plays the recently "resurrected" Jin, said in a recent interview that the origin of the puzzling smoke monster will soon be revealed.

The "smoke monster" has plagued our castaways since the show began, and is famous for having killed Mr. Eko. Producer Damon Lindelof has called it "one of the biggest secrets."

Not only will viewers get to see its lair, but Kim says the monster is "as old as the island."

In regards to the atomic bomb that was recently discovered on the island, Kim suggests that we'll find more about that as the series wraps up.

"That's a huge red herring if it's a red herring," he said. Nothing is ever just a coincidence on this island, so we'll be seeing the bomb again.

Last but definitely not least, Kim also said that viewers shouldn't get too worked up over a reunion of Jin and his wife Sun (played by Yunjin Kim) just yet. Fans only recently found out that Jin had survived the freighter explosion, and even Sun thinks he is dead.

Though Sun will return to the island, Kim said the events don't mean "they're particularly in the same place or chronologically in the same time."

As always "Lost," promises to keep fans on the edge of our seats till the very end.

"Lost" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
http://www.syfyportal.com/news426064.html