Lost ReWatch Post #6: Do No Harm, The Greater Good, Born to Run

Good afternoon, Lost friends. Welcome to my 3-episode analysis of this week's Rewatch! This batch of three was not particularly inspiring compared to previous episodes, but I did experience a potential epiphany about a very significant moment between Locke and Walt.

Weekly Caveat
There are 8 other sites participating in this project. In order to provide the most fresh and honest perspective here, I do not read the recaps and analysis posted on my fellow ReWatch friends' sites until after I post my own. We all have different writing styles and are bound to experience similar epiphanies throughout this process. So if you come across any, please keep in mind that we've all seen these episodes multiple times and have analyzed them under relatively kindred microscopes for five years. Also...I am not perfect, nor is my memory; there are bound to be small mistakes here and there as I revisit and discuss all five seasons. So please excuse any errors in advance.

Goosebump-Inducing Dialogue

Do No Harm

Kate: "This baby is all of ours."

The Greater Good

Sayid, to Essam: "Innocent lives will be lost, in service of a greater good." (sounds like the island's/Jacob's mantra)

Sayid, to Locke: "I sense you might be our best hope of surviving here."

Born to Run

Sawyer: "There ain't anything on this island worth staying for."

* and then in Season 4 (episode 4.03, The Economist)...

Sawyer: "I ain't looking to leave. I ain't got nothing back there for me."

Life, Death, Choices

In Do No Harm...

Jack, to Boone: "I'm going to fix this. I am going to save you."

Jack CHOOSES to stay with the gravely injured Boone rather than help Claire deliver Aaron, just as he chose to 'fix' his future wife Sarah after she and Boone's step-father Adam Rutherford were in a car accident.

Jack, to Sarah before surgery: "I'm going to fix you."

Also noteworthy: Aaron is born as Boone passes away.

In The Greater Good...

Kate: "You wouldn't let her kill Locke. You had no choice."
Sayid: "There's always a choice."

Loaded Titles

Do No Harm

If you think about all of the characters we've encountered both on and off the island...there are very few who haven't physically harmed someone (inadvertently or otherwise).

The Greater Good

Talk about a frequently used word. Among many other instances...Ben and the Others always asserted that they were "good" people and "the good guys," and when Jacob met young Kate he told her to "be good."

Significant Firsts

Jack delivers a Locke-line for the first of only two times, "don't tell me what I can't do!" The other occurs in Season 2 (Man of Science, Man of Faith), when Jack says it to Desmond.

A furious Jack attacks Locke for the first time.

The Visual & The Visceral

In The Greater Good, Shannon holds Locke at gunpoint in the rain. In Abandoned (episode 2.06), Shannon is shot by Ana Lucia in the rain.

She is wearing the same blouse in both (obviously, since not much time passed between these two incidents).

In Born to Run, we get our first glimpse of the toy airplane that Kate and her childhood boyfriend Tom buried in their time capsule.

Young Tom was holding that very plane during Jacob's visit to young Kate in the S5 finale.

Whatever the Box/Case May Be

By now most of you know that I am somewhat fascinated by the contents and significance of boxes, cases, etc. on and off the island, given both Ben's infamous magic box speech and this J.J. Abrams video:



It struck me while watching Born to Run that Kate's was a TIME capsule.

...and that it wouldn't have existed if Jacob had not purchased it for her.


Locke

There is a moment in Born to Run that seems absolutely key to the entire series; one which makes me seriously consider for the first time whether Mystery Man/NotLocke OR Jacob had taken over Locke that early on.

As soon as Locke TOUCHES Walt's wrist, Walt pulls away and seems to be both scared and possessed:

Walt: "Don't open it. Don't open that thing."

At that point, Walt did not know about the Swan hatch. We know that Walt has special cognitive abilities, but he seemed genuinely and unusually frightened at that moment.

When Jacob made contact with some of the passengers before and after the crash, his touch seemed to be an unspoken influence on their fate and path in life. It made me wonder about Mystery Man making similar contact - if those he touches receive more direct messages/warnings.

Later in this episode, when Michael tells his son Walt that they don't have to leave the island, Walt responds with "yes, we do." He knew. It was as if that touch by Locke installed a lifetime of premonitions in the young man.

Nadia

When the CIA mentioned to Sayid that Nadia was working at a medical lab, my immediate thought was that perhaps Nadia worked for Widmore Labs.

It isn't such a crazy thought when you ponder exactly why Nadia was in London (home & office for Charles Widmore) when Charlie saved her from being mugged (episode 3.21, Greatest Hits)...

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I apologize for the lack of content for these three episodes; thus far in the Rewatch, they combined to produce very few new theories or overall thoughts regarding the big picture. But stay tuned next week, as we are sure to discover anew little gems and questions as we finish off Season 1 (Exodus, Parts 1 & 2) and begin Season 2 (Man of Science, Man of Faith & Adrift)!

Lost ReWatch Post #5:...In Translation, Numbers, Deus Ex Machina

Thank goodness this week's Rewatch assignment was only three episodes, because I am already out of town for the holiday weekend! But let me tell you...this batch of episodes were particularly revelatory, and I have a tremendous list of thoughts and questions to explore with you.

If you're not already familiar with it, I recommend that you read my Weekly ReWatch Caveat before we begin. Everyone else...secure your overhead bins because you might experience some disagreement turbulence this week.

Abandon, Adapt, Adopt

Three key characters, all of whom escaped adoption at young ages...Aaron was born on the island before mom Claire had the opportunity to give him up. Locke grew up in foster homes but was never adopted by a family. Walt was actually adopted by his step-father Brian but then his real father Michael took guardianship when Walt's mom died.

Alternate Reality...Bites

...In Translation

Jin: In a GOOD world, she would hate him...not me. [referring to Sun and her father]
Jin's father: It is a good world.

Jin's father is obviously off island, which to me is an indication that the real world is good and the island is bad (including whomever resides and whatever happens there).

Deus Ex Machina

Locke: It was a dream but it was the most real thing I've ever experienced. I know where to go now.

Locke has a vision of a bloodied Boone, who is repeating the phrase "Theresa falls up the stairs, Theresa falls down the stairs." She was his childhood nanny.

Faraday had a research assistant (and girlfriend) named Theresa. After he subjected her to a time travel experiment, she wound up...stuck in time. They could very well be one and the same in alternate realities.

Crossing Paths

Hurley is on the TV in the background when Jin is "sending a message" on behalf of Mr. Paik.

Hurley is the majority shareholder of the box company that Locke worked at before Flight 815.

Even though we never see her there, it is revealed the Emily Locke (John's mother) had also been a patient at the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute...as were Hurley, Leonard Simms and Libby.

[Sidenote: even though it fits and would make sense, Damon & Carlton have said that the man who was plummeting outside of the window as Hurley was discussing the cursed numbers was not Locke]

Goosebump-Inducing Dialogue

...In Translation

Jin: I want to go back to the beginning. Can't we just start all over?

Locke: Everyone gets a new life on this island, Shannon.

Locke: We're not the only people on this island, and we all know it. [seems like he points in general direction of The Statue as he says it]

Michael: It's just life. We'll start over.

Numbers

Martha Toomey: He put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
[immediate thought: Radzinsky! Alternate Reality?}

Martha Toomey: You make your own luck.

Deus Ex Machina

Emily Locke: I want to tell you that you're special, very special.

Anthony Cooper: Your mother - she may be a little crazy, but at least she brought us together. Thank God it happened now, while we STILL HAVE TIME.

Anthony Cooper: See you ON THE OTHER SIDE, son.

Literally!

Sawyer made a Lord of the Flies reference. Insert obvious parallels here: a plane crash, working together then taking sides, leaders and outcasts, a mysterious monster, strangers parachuting onto island, killing pigs, hallucinations, accidental deaths, fires, etc.

Loaded Title

Deus Ex Machina

You may want to switch on your leap-of-faith brain for this one....

Traditional definition of the phrase deus ex machina:

a god, introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot; a person who provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty

Deus ex machina literally translates into 'God from the machine.'

To me, there are several scenarios/people that fit the definition and/or description:

• Daniel Faraday's time travel machine, allowing one's consciousness to time travel
• Jacob
  
• Smokey, who emanates mechanical sounds
• Swan station computer

But of course there is no deterring me from linking it to the real Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison.

Bentham designed the Panopticon as a 24/7 surveillance machine for an observer to watch the prisoners without their knowledge. In "Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison," his good friend and fellow philosopher Michael Foucault said the following:

This architectural apparatus should be a machine for creating and sustaining a power relation independent of the person who exercises it; the inmates should be caught up in a power situation of which they are themselves the bearers.

During the EW Showrunner panel at Comic-Con in 2008, I had the opportunity to ask Damon and Carlton a question. Long story short, they confirmed that the panopticon was one of the reasons that they chose to use the name Jeremy Bentham.

For further contemplation...the Pearl hatch, used as an OBSERVATION & remote viewing station, is located smack dab in the middle of the machine/island. It was marked with a ? on the blast door map, probably because even Radzinsky and Kelvin Inman were unable to enter it or determine its use.

The Pearl logo is an empty white space (which reminds me of the inverted Lost logo that flashed at the end of the S5 finale after Juliet apparently detonated Jughead). Fascinating to say the least.

That this particular episode was Locke-centric only adds fuel to my theory fire. Oh, and this tremendously significant statement by Locke's mother Emily:

You're part of a DESIGN. You do realize that, don't you?

Relationship Development

After the S5 finale, I was disappointed and a tad peeved that Jack's primary reason for wanting to detonate Jughead; that he wanted a second chance with Kate.

But after rewatching Deus Ex Machina, I finally realized just how much Jack loved her from the beginning. I'm no 'shipper, but I do believe that Jack and Kate are meant to be (as were Sawyer & Juliet).

Kate (about Sawyer): Thank you for helping him. I know it was probably the last thing you wanted to do.
Jack: I didn't do it for him.

Shake the Disease

Whenever we find out that an ancillary character has an illness, I am skeptical and assume that they were either born on or have been to the island. For example:

• Juliet's sister Rachel: cancer
• Kate's mother Diane: undisclosed terminal illness
• Locke's girlfriend Helen: brain aneurysm
  
• Miles' mother Lara: undisclosed terminal illness
• Sawyer's uncle: brain tumor
• Walt's mom Susan: blood disorder

Swan Hatch

How is it that Desmond did not hear the trebuchet crashing down onto the hatch in an attempt to break the glass on the door, but finally turned on the light when Locke was banging on it with his fists?

The Visual & The Visceral

Locke's explanation of the game Mousetrap brought Faraday's rat maze to mind.

Locke turning the trebuchet wheel was reminiscent of his frozen donkey wheel stint.

The private detective that Locke hired to find his father handed over information in a red folder, just like the ones that Ben and Alpert used.

Anthony Cooper prepared his son a drink, just as he did right before pushing him out of an eight story window.

Hurley

Of course we'll never know, but I had completely forgotten about the fact that Hurley had a brother and wonder why we never saw him again.

When Hurley was blasting hip hop music from his yellow Hummer and sporting some gold bling after winning the lottery, I had to laugh. So not you, dude.

File under: discrepancy. Hurley was institutionalized for being traumatized after causing a deck to collapse due to his weight...and yet he does not hesitate to cross a rope bridge above a ravine.

When Hurley reunites with Sayid after encountering Rousseau in the jungle, he said "she says hey." Instant reminder of Ghost Ana Lucia's comment to Hurley in S5, "Libby says hi."

Jin & Sun

It occurred to me while watching Jin and Sun immediately following their wedding (...In Translation) that Jin put their honeymoon on hold right after Jacob had told them that "your love is a very special thing; don't take it for granted." Note: yet another use of the word special.

Of course Mr. Paik was responsible for making Jin work instead of celebrate his marriage, but now I have to question if Jacob either knew or made contact with Paik as well.

Leonard Simms & Sam Toomey

Talk about two overlooked yet very significant players in the game of Lost! I am almost 100% convinced that they have either been to or lived on the island; ponder the following familiar elements:

• They served in the Navy
• In the South Pacific
• At a listening station
• Heard numbers repeating on transmission 16 years ago
  

Alternate Reality & Fire and Ice theme alerts! Penny Widmore's team was set up at a listening station in a snowy locale...the POLAR opposite of where Leonard and Sam were stationed. And we now know that there was a strong military presence on the island before the 1970's, including one leader by the name of Charles Widmore.

And for further proof that both Hurley and Australia are essential to this entire story, consider the following:

Leonard: You used those numbers to play the lottery? You shouldn't have done that. YOU'VE OPENED THE BOX.

Hurley: Those numbers, where'd you get them?
Leonard: Sam Toomey, he heard them in Kalgoorlie. It's a town where he used to work.
Hurley: It's a town where?
Leonard: Australia.

In Season 4, Hurley states that "Australia is the key" while playing a game...Risk. When we met Leonard, he was also playing a game...Connect Four. I can connect a family foursome for you: Christian, Jack, Claire & Aaron (who was conceived in Australia).

Leonard's box line resulted in the first substantial "holy sh*t moment" I've had since I began this ReWatch. Hurley basically opened Pandora's box, blew the lid off of the island (so to speak). And this occurs during the same episode where we learn that Hurley owns Locke's box company. COME ON. Let's not forget about death boxes: the coffins of Christian Shephard and John Locke. And Ben's infamous description of Locke's magic box...

Picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you John? What if I told you that somewhere on this island there is a very large box, and whatever you imagined - whatever you wanted to be in it when you opened that box...there it would be?

p.s. Martha Toomey is also fascinating because she is another candidate for some of my favorite theories; she has a missing limb and she was in a car crash.

Locke

After watching him get hit by a car in a flashback and also remove shrapnel from his leg on the island in Deus Ex Machina, I think Locke's theme song must be Tubthumping. "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."

We never really learn HOW it is that Emily Locke knew her son was special. She gave him up for adoption immediately after delivering. However, the presence of Richard Alpert at Locke's birth and Grandma Locke's odd reaction to him makes me wonder about what she knew, who was involved with the car accident that put Emily into labor in the first place, etc.

In addition, even though he didn't grow up with either parent, it is obvious that both of them knew he was "amenable for coercion." Thus, the kidney con.

Did Locke ever tell anyone about his former paralysis and wheelchair besides Boone?

Mr. Paik

Last week, I listed out each incident on Lost that has featured a car accident. The speculation was that perhaps Jacob was behind the wheel during each.

However, during ...In Translation when Sun said "I'm just as important as his car company," I remembered that her father owned Paik Automotive/Paik Motors. Mr. Paik is presumably a 'bad' guy but remains one of the more enigmatic figures with regard to how he figures into the bigger picture and overall arc of the series. He was the reason that Jin and Sun were on Flight 815 after all (to deliver watches...to deliver time).

Walt

He and Locke hold the keys to so many unresolved mysteries. When Locke asked Walt, "got yourself an opponent?"...I hesitated but had to consider the NotLocke & Jacob and the black and white theme.

I also just loved that after Locke confronted Walt about burning the raft, they both talked about how much they like being on the island. Special, party of two.

THE Conversation

Taking MysteryMan/NotLocke's conversation with Jacob from the S5 finale into consideration:

Jacob: I take it you're here because of the ship.
MM: I am. How did they find the island?
Jacob: You'll have to ask them when they get here.
MM: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
Jacob: You are wrong.
MM: Am I? They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same.
Jacob: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.

Danielle Rousseau and her crew crashed on the island, and then they searched for the source of the transmission. Flight 815 crashed on the island, and then they searched for the source of the transmission. Talk about lack of progress...

In Numbers, Rousseau told Hurley that "the numbers are what brought me here; as it appears they brought you." And MM says of the ship, "you brought them here." In my opinion, we can now link Jacob and the numbers definitively.

Sam killed himself and Leonard went crazy after hearing the numbers. Rousseau lost her marbles and killed her entire crew after hearing the numbers. Questionably crazy Hurley just may be the last man standing when all is said and done, when it finally ends and ends once.
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Thanks for reading along this week! Stay tuned for more Rewatch analysis next week, as we revisit major baggage from Jack (Do No Harm), Sayid (The Greater Good) and Kate (Born to Run).

Happy 4th!

Lost ReWatch Post #4: Hearts & Minds, Special, Homecoming & Outlaws

Good afternoon, Lost friends! Given that it is a sweltering 102 degrees outside, I thought it was a good time to switch on the a/c in my little Espresso Hatch and focus on this week's group of four episodes.

Weekly ReWatch Caveat
There are 8 other sites participating in this project. In order to provide the most fresh and honest perspective here, I do not read the recaps and analysis posted on my fellow ReWatch friends' sites until after I post my own. We all have different writing styles and are bound to experience similar epiphanies throughout this process. So if you come across any, please keep in mind that we've all seen these episodes multiple times and have analyzed them under relatively kindred microscopes for five years. Also...I am not perfect, nor is my memory; there are bound to be small mistakes here and there as I revisit and discuss all five seasons. So please excuse any errors in advance.

Enough small talk. Let's follow the cord into the ocean and examine this batch of four episodes...Hearts & Minds (Boone-centric), Special (Michael/Walt-centric), Homecoming (Charlie-centric) & Outlaws (Sawyer-centric).

Alternate Reality Bites

In my last post, I mentioned that some are speculating that Lost may turn out to have been an alternate reality of sorts. Certain sequences deserve a second look, including Boone's vision of Shannon's death and Claire's disappearance...

Locke: It was only as real as you made it.

Jack: It is possible that her memory reset to the crash.

Background Check

After Hibbs made a vague reference about Sawyer and "the Tampa job" in Outlaws, I realized that we never found out the significance of that OR of Sayid's "Basra incident." Add both to the heaping pile of questions far too small to be answered before the series ends.

Behind the Wheel (Getting His Kicks on Route 666)

Literally and/or figuratively - am I the only one who is now questioning whether or not it was Jacob 'driving' the following cars? Because to be honest, many of these incidents influenced how and why each ultimately wound up on the island the first time (and second in some cases)...

• Michael is hit in NYC (S1, Special)

• Locke is run over as he was approached by his long lost mother in a parking lot (S1, Deus Ex Machina)

• Shannon's father crashed into Jack's future wife Sarah (S2, Abandoned)

• Bus that killed Juliet's ex-husband Edmund Burke (S3, Not in Portland)

• Claire's car crash, ejecting her mom through the windshield and putting her in a coma (S3, Par Avion)

• Anthony Cooper's Tampa crash, resulting in his arrival on the island (S3, The Brig)

• Bridge car crash while Jack contemplates suicide (S3, Through the Looking Glass)

• Hurley crashes his car after seeing Ghost Charlie (S4, The Beginning of the End)

• Michael unsuccessfully attempts to kill himself by smashing car into wall (S4, Meet Kevin Johnson)

• Emily Locke is run down in front of her house, causing her to go into labor and deliver a premature John Locke (S4, Cabin Fever)

• Locke's car is rammed by another after he flees Abaddon's murder scene (S5, The Life & Death of Jeremy Bentham)

• Nadia is hit & killed by a car as Jacob himself chats w/Sayid (S5, The Incident)
  

If you'll excuse a rather shameless plug, allow me to name-drop as I quote lyrics from my very good friend Matt Nathanson's song "Car Crash." Certain lines are quite appropro of our favorite show...

I'm wide awake and so alive
Ringing like a bell
Tell me this is paradise,
And not some place I fell.
I keep on falling, down.

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the BOMB drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied.
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dying on the inside
I wanna LET GO and know
That I'll be alright.

Crossing Paths

Sawyer was getting arrested in Sydney at the same police station where Boone was attempting to convince the authorities that his sister was in trouble.

Sawyer and Christian Shephard got drunk and commiserated at a bar in Sydney.


Dirty Flirty

From this group of episodes, I loved Kate and Sawyer's game of "I Never" and the beginning stages of chemistry between Sayid and Shannon.

But even though we all know that they are not blood-related...that sex scene between Boone and Shannon remains one of the more creepy seductions in Lost history. Frankly, I prefer his bromance with Locke.

Goosebump-Inducing Dialogue

Hearts & Minds

Hurley: This isn't a game, man.

Charlie: If there's one person on this island I would put my absolute faith in to save us all, it would be John Locke.

Locke: Time to let go. Follow me. [the last words of the episode, and of course there is a fire in the background; S5 foreshadowing!]

Special

Locke (to Walt): See it before you do it. Visualize the path. See it.
Locke (to Michael): Walt knows his own mind.
Locke (to Michael): He's different. I think Walt should be allowed to realize his own potential.

Michael: This is us taking control of our destiny.
Walt: It feels like punishment.

Walt: Shouldn't we be studying birds of EGYPT or something?

Homecoming

Ethan: Bring her here. If you don't, I'm going to kill ONE OF THEM.

Outlaws

Jack (to Kate, regarding Sawyer): I just don't want you to have to owe him anything. [doh! cue the helicopter whispered favor]

Charlie: I killed Ethan, I can bury him.
Hurley: Yeah, until he rises from the dead.

Christian Shephard (to Sawyer): It's fate. Some people are just supposed to suffer.

The Joke's on...Us?

I find it fascinating that of the very few jokes that have been told on Lost...two of the main ones involve a cold locale. Those of you who read this site regularly are quite aware of my slight obsession with region as it relates to exactly what and where the island is.

So after I listened to the "what is black, white & red all over?" joke (answer: penguin w/a sunburn) in Special, I decided to add it to my ongoing list: frozen donkey wheel, polar bears, Penny's listening station, Desmond's snowman joke, Hurley's igloo drawing (and yes, I'm more than aware that Jorge said it was his idea & not related to the show; I am entitled to not believe him).

In my S5 analysis, I posted the following:

I am reminded of the following Robert Frost poem ("Fire and Ice"), and believe that we will discover at the end of S6 that the island is located either within a volcano or in a veritable snow globe (enclosed in an enormous research biodome housed in a frozen locale, being monitored a la philosopher Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon prison design):

Some say the world will end in fire; some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate,
To know that for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice.

Another visual clue to support my insanity - the comic that Walt was reading in Special...

Loaded Titles

Special

Just look who and what have been described as such:

• Charlie (by mom Megan)
• Desmond (by Faraday)
  
• The island (by Locke)
• Jin & Sun's love (by Jacob)
  
• Juliet (by Richard Alpert)
  
• Locke (by Alpert, mom Emily, pot farmer Mike)
• Shannon (by Boone)
• Walt (by Ben, Big Tom & Juliet)

Homecoming

• Oceanic 6, anyone?

Outlaws

Gee...in addition to our favorite shirtless con man, the list of those who have been arrested or put in jail/prison at some point consists of almost all members of a little group called the Oceanic 6 (plus one great Scot who also got off of the island):

1. Desmond (S2)
   
2. Hurley (S5)
   
3. Jack (S3)
   
4. Kate (S1, S5)
   
5. Sawyer (S3)
   
6. Sayid (S1, S5)
   

Shiny Happy People

It is very disconcerting to see our favorite characters smiling and laughing. It didn't happen very often throughout the first five seasons, but it certainly occurred far more in the first season than the rest.

Rewatching the early episodes, I find myself wanting to yell "run!" and "if you only knew" as if I were watching a dumb horror film.

Significant Firsts

• The first hint of the island's abnormal electromagnetic properties: Locke's compass (and it merits further discussion & analysis that said compass belonged to Locke)

• Waaaalt! Yes, Michael yells for son far too early and often.

• Michael hatches (pun intended) the idea to build a raft.
  

The Visual & The Visceral

In Hearts & Minds, there is a visual parallel with the S5 finale; Jack approached Locke as he was sitting on the beach and staring out at the ocean, just as Mystery Man did to Jacob.

When Jack asked "any ships?"...it reminded me of Jacob's statement, "I take it you're here because of the ship."

There is no denying that the ceiling in Susan Lloyd's house is downright Dharma-ish.

Christian Shephard

The Jack apple does not fall far from this old tree...

One simple phone call and I can FIX everything.

By the way, I love how even back then - they bathe Christian in a supernatural light. Oh, and notice the wheel on the wall behind him...

Desmond

It occurred to me while watching Hearts & Minds that Desmond should have heard Locke and Boone's multiple attempts to break open the Swan hatch door.

His living quarters were not located far from that entrance, as we see in S2 when Locke & co. finally blast it open. We know that he was down there during that time, after accidentally killing Kelvin and then barely preventing the system failure (that released the electromagnetic anomaly which caused 815 to break apart above and then crash on the island).

Hibbs (Sawyer's former con partner)

Keeping in mind that this post has not been updated since S4, I will refer you to my list of missing body parts that we've witnessed (or heard about) over the years on Lost...

I still contend that most, if not all, relate to time shifts and/or time spent on the island at some point in time.

Locke or NotLocke? That is THE Question

Try as I might, I am still unable to get the idea of S1 Locke being NotLocke out of my head. So with that in mind, I offer up the following exchanges:

Sayid (surprised to see Locke emerge from the jungle): I didn't hear you.
Locke: I'm sneakier than I give myself credit for.

Locke gave Sayid a compass that he had with him when the plane crashed.

Sayid: Don't you need this?
Locke: Not anymore.

After drugging Boone...

Locke: I gave you an experience that I thought was vital for survival on this island.

Sawyer

Shades of Christian's speech to son Jack in a prior episode...when Sawyer goes to get the gun to kill who he thinks is the real Sawyer in Sydney, the gun dealer says:

A man who buys a compact 357 with hollow point loads - he's not looking to scare or steal. He's looking to kill. When it comes down to it, if he finds out he doesn't HAVE WHAT IT TAKES to do the job...

Given Locke's story in Outlaws about his sister's death and his foster mother's belief that she (or at least her soul) became a dog...exactly WHO was the boar that taunted Sawyer throughout that episode? At least Sawyer spares it, unlike that poor tree frog.


Shannon

This is probably not relevant, but Boone mentions that Shannon had been married before. I doubt that we'll ever know who he was, but this is Lost, so it could be a familiar face or name.

Given that Boone had paid off three guys before rescuing her in Sydney, it's a safe assumption that Shannon's ex-husband was one of them.

Smokey

Boone's vision (thanks to Locke's magical island paste) featured the first ever sighting of The Black Smoke Monster; we'd only heard him in previous episodes. What struck me during that scene in Hearts & Minds was that there was a faint heartbeat accompanying the usual mechanical and menacing sounds of Smokey.

In addition, Boone and Shannon hid from Black smoke in what looks like the same batch of trees that Kate and Juliet took shelter in a few seasons later; they were escaping White smoke.

Vincent

File under: coincidence? Vincent disappears just as Claire reappears after being kidnapped by Ethan. Vincent reappears just as the survivors discover one of their own was killed by Ethan.

After further thought, Locke's story relates to not only Vincent, but to redemption for many others on the island:

My sister Jeanie died when I was a boy. Fell off the monkey bars and broke her neck. And my mother, well - my foster mother, she blamed herself of course. She thought she wasn't watching close enough. So she stopped eating, stopped sleeping. The neighbors started talking, afraid she might do something to herself I guess. About six months after Jeanie's funeral, this golden retriever comes padding up our driveway, walks right into our house, sits down on the floor and looks right at my mother, there on the couch. And my mother looks back at the dog. After about a minute of this, of them both staring at each other like that, my mother burst into tears. Beautiful dog, no tags, no collar - healthy and sweet. The dog slept in Jeanie's old room on Jeanie's old bed, and stayed with us until my mother passed five years later. Then disappeared back to wherever it was she came from in the first place. My mother thought that Jeanie had come back to tell her the accident wasn't her fault, let her off the hook.

As crazy as it sounds, my thoughts ran to Charlie (who blamed himself for not protecting Claire when Ethan kidnapped her), to Hurley (who thought that his curse brought them to the island), to Jack (for causing his father's eventual intoxication death), etc.

Walt

When Walt seemed to cause a bird to fly into the window when his mom and stepdad refused to look at him, I was hoping for a split second that it would have been a migratory bird (you know...the one that Claire attached a note to in S3). No such luck.

Then I started thinking about the time on Hydra Island when Walt caused a large number of birds to crash into the Other building where he was being brainwashed (mobisode Room 23)...

We have to reconsider many other strange on-island occurrences that may have resulted before and after that time from the young man's pent up anger and frustration. [sidenote: in this mobisode, which the producers have confirmed as canon...Ben says that Jacob wanted Walt there because "he's special." So of course I now believe that Jacob visited young Walt at some point before flight 815.]

And then there is this...

Walt was reading a book about birds when the bird flew into the window in Sydney.

Walt was reading a comic book featuring a polar bear.

...and shortly thereafter one chased him into the trees on the island.

That about wraps up this week's installment. Advance warning that the next batch may be delayed due to 4th of July holiday travel next weekend (but I will try my best to watch & post on schedule).

Thanks for checking in, reading along and leaving the comments! Enjoy your week.

-Jo

Lost ReWatch Post #3: Solitary, Raised by Another, All the Best Cowboys & Whatever the Case May Be

I realized after my last post that (thanks to a reminder from a comment from my friend Bonnie) I've seen these episodes so many times that I'm overlooking some major revelations during this rewatch. Apologies to those of you who are either new to Lost or are revisiting it for only the second time; I will attempt to point out more of the significant moments, events, statements, etc. from now on!

Overall, I have to say that the S5 finale is throwing me for a loop because despite my best efforts, I can't help but now wonder exactly who had a hand in saving certain people and who was involved with critical, life-altering events that have taken place. Before S5, I was satisfied with the explanation that the island was THE answer to almost everything (that it healed, etc.), but now we have Jacob and NotLocke to factor into this vast equation.

Weekly ReWatch Caveat
There are 8 other sites participating in this project. In order to provide the most fresh and honest perspective here, I do not read the recaps and anaysis posted on my fellow ReWatch friends' sites until after I post my own. We all have different writing styles and are bound to experience similar epiphanies throughout this process. So if you come across any, please keep in mind that we've all seen these episodes multiple times and have analyzed them under relatively kindred microscopes for five years. Also...I am not perfect, nor is my memory; there are bound to be small mistakes here and there as I revisit and discuss all five seasons. So please excuse any errors in advance.

Here are some thoughts about this batch of four episodes...Solitary (Sayid-centric), Raised by Another (Claire-centric), All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (Jack-centric) & Whatever the Case May Be (Kate-centric).

Goosebump-Inducing Dialogue

Raised by Another

Hurley: The reason you were in Australia?
Locke: I was looking for something.
Hurley: So, did you find it?
Locke: No, it found me.

Malkin (to Claire): It is crucial that you yourself raise this child. This child, parented by anyone else, anyone other than you...danger surrounds this baby. Your nature, your SPIRIT, your goodness...must be an influence in the development of this child. There is no happy life, not for this child, not without you. It can't be another (an other?). You mustn't allow another to raise your baby.

All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

Boone: Are we LOST?
Locke: No, we're not lost.
Boone: I think we should GO BACK.
Locke: Don't you feel it?
Boone: Feel what?
Locke: IT.

Whatever the Case May Be

Charlie: Maybe I should have died.

Loaded Titles

This particular batch of episodes featured titles that are far more meaningful and ripe for dissection after five seasons.

Raised by Another: could also refer to Ethan, who was Raised by an Other (born to Amy & Horace Goodspeed, trained by Alpert & Ben)

Whatever the Case May Be: in addition to the Marshal's case, we still don't know the contents of either Ben's case (hidden in the hotel vent off island) or Hurley's guitar case (given that it was provided by Jacob).

Pens!

Honestly, before the S5 finale I never paid much attention to the use and appearance of pens on Lost.

But after seeing Jacob give young James Ford a pen to finish his Dear Sawyer letter, I can't help but notice them now.

So when Claire seemed to take it as a sign to keep Aaron when several pens were conveniently out of ink as she was about to sign adoption papers...it stood out.

And when Christian insisted that Jack sign a falsified document covering up his old man's alcohol-related fatal mistake in the operating room, he was holding onto that pen as if his life depended on it. Turns out, it did. Jack signed it, changed his mind and turned his father in...setting off a series of events that led to Christian's death and arrival on the island.

Insert your fate vs. free will debate here.

Red Shirt Alert!

I had forgotten that in All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues, they actually addressed the genesis of the infamous redshirt.

Boone (to Locke): Ever watch Star Trek? The crew guys that would go down to the planet with the main guys, the captain and the guy with the pointy ears, they always wore red shirts. And they always got killed.

Typically on Lost, background extras are designated and referred to as redshirts. But then they changed the rules...Juliet. They donned and doomed my girl with a red shirt a few episodes before the S5 finale.

Talk about a red herring - Hurley was wearing a red t-shirt too!

Relationship Development

I have never been a Lost shipper (for the uninitiated...shipper is short for relationshipper; a fan who loves/roots for certain couples on shows and creates Brangelina type names, like 'Jater' for Jack & Kate). But I find myself much more appreciative of the flirtatious and dramatic beginnings of both Sawyer & Kate and Charlie & Claire. It was almost disconcerting to watch Kate and Sawyer smile and laugh as they discovered and then explored the waterfall.

Charlie's genuine concern and care for Claire is never more real than right before and then immediately after she is kidnapped.

And for the record, speaking as a member of Team Juliet...I do believe that Kate and Jack belong together, as did Saywer and Juliet; one con, one doctor each.

By the way, one of my favorite Lost relationships has been the friendship between Hurley and Charlie. That golf scene in Solitary and Hurley's hug in S3 before Charlie swam down to the Looking Glass station are tops in my book.

Significant Firsts

• We meet Ethan Rom and Danielle Rousseau. (Solitary)
• Sayid finds the cord on the beach that we later learn leads to the underwater Looking Glass station. (Solitary)
• First mention of The Others. (Solitary)
• Whispers are heard. (Solitary)

The Visual & The Visceral

First introduced in Whatever the Case May Be, Kate's beloved toy airplane is relatively significant....

• The obvious - it represented Kate's fate and future.

• That her childhood friend/love of her life Tom Brennan had this toy in his hand when Jacob visited young Kate is worth noting.
• They buried it in a TIME capsule.
  
• As soon as they dug it up, Tom was killed while trying to help Kate escape.
  

And although they are different, I was reminded of Jack's leaf plane from the pilot episode, as well as the Oceanic toy plane on the crib in Claire's dream and the one in Lapidus' fish tank in S4.


CHARLIE

Despite experiencing an unconventional, cold turkey drug rehab during his first weeks on the island, Charlie was unusually perceptive...

Raised by Another

To Claire (about her psychic's assurance that she & baby Aaron would be fine if they went to LA on flight 815): "Maybe he knew. You know, if he had the gift."

All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

To Jack (after Ethan took Claire): "All THEY wanted was Claire."

DANIELLE ROUSSEAU

After Ben took Alex as a baby, Rousseau managed to co-exist with the Others on her own in the jungle for 16 years. After she captured Sayid, she told him that she had not seen anyone else on the island during that time. Do we really believe that Rousseau lived and roamed freely without threat from Smokey or the Others?

Sayid mentions that there are very challenging mathematical equations on the maps that he stole from Rousseau. My first thought was - Daniel Faraday. Given the time skips that we witnessed in S5, it seems possible that she stole those maps herself.

HURLEY

I forget - do we ever find out how and why Hurley received his real nickname?

LOCKE

I laughed out loud when Locke told Boone about his former occupation, "I made boxes." Sir Hunts-A-Lot wound up IN more boxes than he ever made.

Walt seemed to be able to stop the rain, and Locke was able to start it. Kill me now if someone asserts that they were NotLocke and Jacob at that time, respectively.

Immediately after Locke said "don't you feel it?" to Boone, they find the Swan hatch door. Score one for fate. Of course now that we've seen the Swan being built (and possibly destroyed by Jughead), the implications of that scene and discovery are far more important than the first time around.

RICHARD MALKIN (Claire's psychic)

It is fascinating to rewatch Claire's experience and interaction with the psychic, now that we know that certain people were specifically brought to the island via 815. We didn't see Jacob visit Claire before the fight, but I am now wondering if both Malkin and Thomas (Aaron's baby daddy) were visited byJacob, Alpert or even Abaddon because both of them were instrumental in getting Claire on flight 815; they were clearly scared/paid off by someone.

Malkin: This is what MUST happen. It HAS to be this flight.

Remember that in Season 2 (?), Eko discovers that Malkin is indeed a fraud.

By the way, when Malkin referred to the potential adoptive couple in Los Angeles that he was sending Claire to see, he called them "good" people. So of course now I'm assuming that they're Dharma/Other related.

SAM AUSTEN (Kate's stepfather)

We know that Kate's dad was stationed in Kuwait during Desert Storm with Kelvin Inman (Desmond's future Swan hatch mate), whom we can now assume was on the island working for Dharma.

That fact, coupled with the following statement, leads me to believe that her father was also stationed on the island at one point.

Kate (about her dad): Being in the woods - it was like his religion.

If I had to guess, given his military background and age...Sam Austen probably served with young Charles Widmore.

WAAAAALT

Your wish is your command, special boy. While playing backgammon with Hurley, Walt wishes for double sixes and gets double sixes. He should have fleeced Hurley for more money.

Speaking of...too bad Walt didn't ask for his $20k from Hurley when he visited him at the mental institution. Pay up, Hugo!

Hint, Hint?

Many people are speculating that Lost may turn out to have been an alternate reality of sorts. I'm not quite on board with that theory just yet, but certain lines of dialogue may be interpreted as hints of such a possibility.

You'll find me in the next life, if not this one. (Nadia's note to Sayid)

See you in another life, brother. (Desmond to Jack & vice versa, Desmond to Jack, Dave to Hurley)

See you on the other side. (Ben to Jack, Anthony Cooper to Locke, Jack to Sayid, captain of the sub that Juliet/Kate/Sawyer were on)

In addition, it can be argued that certain scenes that were previously thought to be dream sequences may now be looked at in this light.

• In White Rabbit, Jack sees his deceased father Christian alive and on the island.

• In Raised by Another, Claire wakes up and she is not pregnant. She encounters Locke...but perhaps it was MysteryMan/NotLocke at that time (for those of you who believe that Aaron may be Jacob in an alternate reality, consider Locke's statement to Claire during this dream: "He was your responsibility but you gave him away. Everyone pays the price now.")

There are many more examples...but we haven't arrived there yet. As we rewatch the episodes, I will aim to address possible alternate realities presented in each.

My $.02/Personal Perspective

I have had the opportunity to interview both William Mapother (Ethan Rom) and Andrea Gabriel (Nadia), both of whom are introduced early on in S1.

William is so sweet and friendly that is it almost shocking to be reminded of just how menacing and creepy Ethan was when we first met him.

And I loved Andrea's performance in Solitary; Nadia's inadvertant reunion with Sayid under such brutal circumstances (when she was his prisoner) was intense, and I only wish we were treated to more time between the two in future episodes.

And as for Kate and Sawyer's waterfall discovery...we hiked up to that very location during the Lost tour in February (I was sporting an ill-advised red shirt). It was one of many 'wow' moments along the way that day.

As usual, I would love to hear what YOU thought about this group of episodes, so leave comments if you would like to share and discuss!

Enjoy your weekend, and Happy Father's Day.

- Jo

Lost ReWatch Post #2: White Rabbit, House of the Rising Sun, The Moth & Confidence Man

(Thanks to my friend and fellow Lost fan Hillary P for designing a new Rewatch logo!)

Welcome to round two!

My Weekly ReWatch Caveat

There are 8 other sites participating in this project. In order to provide the most fresh and honest perspective here, I do not read the recaps and anaysis posted on my fellow ReWatch friends' sites until after I post my own. We all have different writing styles and are bound to experience similar epiphanies throughout this process. So if you come across any, please keep in mind that we've all seen these episodes multiple times and have analyzed them under relatively kindred microscopes for five years. Also...I am not perfect, nor is my memory; there are bound to be small mistakes here and there as I revisit and discuss all five seasons. So please excuse any errors in advance.

Just a reminder that this is a strictly Spoiler-Free site; I consider casting news to be spoiler information, so please refrain from referring to what you've heard or read if you leave comments. Thank you!

Without further ado, let's re-examine episodes 5-8 of Lost, Season 1...

Compared to the first few episodes, I did not find as many hidden gems and relevant chunks of dialogue. We've been spoiled by the heightened intensity and pace of Lost since Season 4, and that has never been more obvious as I'm rewatching from the beginning.

Relationships & Foreshadowing

White Rabbit

• Claire bonds with Kate while folding and sorting clothes on the beach. The two would later bond (S4, Eggtown) while hanging laundry in New Otherton, when Claire asks Kate to hold Aaron but Kate admits to not being great with children.

House of the Rising Sun

• Regarding Charlie's guitar, Locke tells Charlie that "you'll see it again. Because I have faith." Locke already knew where the guitar case was when they crashed the first time, but we have yet to discover the significance and contents of his guitar case when it returns the second time (with Hurley on Ajira 316). That Jacob was the one who gave Hurley the case makes it all the more intriguing.

• When Locke finally decides to show Charlie where his guitar was, he simply said "look up." Shades of the inscription on Eko's Jesus stick that Locke later uses as a virtual compass, "lift up your eyes and look north, John 3:05."

• Locke tells Charlie that "this island might just give you what you're looking for, but you have to give the island something." In the future, all Charlie wanted was for Claire and Aaron to get off of the island, and he sacrificed his life because he thought it would result in their rescue. So if Locke's words are true, we just might see mother and child get on that helicopter before the end of S6.
  

• I had to laugh at Michael's exasperated assertion that "time doesn't matter on a damn island." As we later learn, that is far from the truth.
  

The Moth

• Locke explains to Charlie that "butterflies get all the attention, but moths...they spin silk, they're stronger, faster." I instantly recalled the first scene in the S5 finale, where Jacob was spinning thread in the foot of the statue. So would that make Jacob the moth and Mystery Man the butterfly?

• Jack dislocates his shoulder and has Charlie put it back in. In S3 (Left Behind), Juliet dislocates her shoulder and has Kate put it back in. Which reminds me...we never found out how the hell Juliet had dislocated her shoulder three times prior to that. That was one talented and mysterious fertility doc.
  

Confidence Man

• After watching Jack calm Shannon down when she's having an asthmatic panic attack, Hurley dubs it a "Jedi moment." Our first hint that the big man is a Star Wars fanboy comes long before S5 (Some Like it Hoth).

• We see Sawyer reading the letter that he wrote to the real Sawyer, the very letter that we now know he finished writing using a pen provided by Jacob. He kept that letter for years, and his pursuit of the real Sawyer is the reason that he wound up on Flight 815. This gives credence to the theory that Jacob brought James 'Sawyer' Ford to the island.
  

Adam & Eve Skeletons

In House of the Rising Sun, Kate discovers a male and female skeleton couple in the cave, whom Locke refers to as "our very own Adam and Eve."

Jack finds a pouch on them containing a black stone and a white stone, and visually I return to the scene in the Pilot with Locke showing the black and white backgammon pieces to Walt. {Add these stones to the black and white theory that permeates the entire series; my count is now two after last week's shoe symbolism}

The popular theory is that Bernard and Rose will wind up as Adam and Eve. Given that Jack's estimate in 2004 was that the skeletons had been there for 40-50 years, and that Rose and Bernard had time shifted back to 1954, I can see why many are on board with that thought. I am still not convinced (unless an alternate reality is introduced in S6), and to me, the stones are not necessarily an indication that the couple would have been interracial.

CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD

When we get a glimpse of Ghost Christian in his suit and white tennis shoes in White Rabbit, it is only natural to now question WHO he is at that moment.

Mystery Man/NotLocke? Jacob? Smokey? There are arguments in favor of each.

JACK

I love that White Rabbit begins with Jack making a choice; he chooses to take a beating and fight for his friend in the schoolyard. We've seen him struggle and waver with difficult choices throughout the entire series thus far, from hesitant hero in the Pilot to resolute ringleader in the S5 finale.

In this episode, Jack chooses to save Boone in the ocean rather than the woman who was drowning. We will see very soon in an upcoming flashback that Jack chose to save his future wife Sarah rather than Shannon's father when the two were in a car accident.

It is when Jack is unable to 'fix' someone, when fate intervenes and choice/control is removed, that his life begins to unravel. He saved Boone...this time. He will not be able to do so in the near future after Boone's fatal fall in the yellow Beechcraft plane. It is shortly after Jack failed to save the Marshal that he started to follow his ghost father Christian in the jungle.

Consider Christian's relevant and rather cruel advice to his young son during a flashback:

Don't choose, Jack. Don't decide. You don't want to be a hero. You don't try and save everyone. Because when you fail, you just don't have what it takes.

Later, Jack's mom demands that he find his father in Sydney:

I want you to bring him back. Bring your father home, Jack.

Though Jack is talking about Boone here, this statement could just as easily refer to his father (whom he sees standing in the ocean immediately after saying the following):

I thought I could bring him back and still have the time. I was there. I didn't try.

LOCKE

In White Rabbit, I had to pause after Locke's prescient statement that "a leader can't lead until he knows where he's going" and reflect back on the last few episodes of S5. Many believe that after Ajira 316 landed on the island, Mystery Man used Locke's deceased shell to gain eventual access to Jacob (thus, the loophole). But Richard Alpert's instincts were correct - Locke was never meant to be the true leader of the island. Even after taking on Locke's form, Mystery Man/NotLocke did not know where to find Jacob; Alpert was the one who led him, Ben and the Others to the foot of the statue.

I realize that reconsidering exactly who Locke was in the earlier episodes of the series is a very hotly contested debate right now. Personally, I am leaning toward Locke being Locke up until Ben kills him in S5. That being said, I am now viewing him in a different light as I rewatch S1...

It is not mere coincidence that when the beach contingent ran out of water, Locke voluntered to go into the jungle alone to retrieve some, and the very next time we see him he is saving Jack over the ledge.

Locke had said "I know where to look," referring to both the water and Jack's exact locale. This event is immediately followed by one of the most significant conversations to ever take place on the island:

Locke: I live in the real world. I'm not a big believer in magic. But this place is different. It's special. The others don't want to talk about it because it scares them. But we all know it. We feel it. Is your white rabbit a hallucination? Probably. But what if everything that happened here happened for a reason? What if this person that you're chasing is really here?

Jack: That's impossible.

Locke: Even if it is, let's say it's not.

Jack: Then what happens when I catch him?

Locke: I don't know. But I've looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful.

[Considering that Jack said 'when I catch him' and not 'if,' I am hoping that we will be treated to a father and son reunion in the final season.]

By the way, it merits discussion that up until he meets Benjamin Linus in S2, Locke walks around that island with an alarming overconfidence, quite sure of himself; there are definite shades of future Mystery Man/NotLocke. As soon as Ben begins to target his weaknesses and push those buttons, Locke acquiesces into an insecure and emotionally unstable man. It seems as if the tables have turned at the end of S5, with Mystery Man/NotLocke in control and Ben in a new and vulnerable position after Jacob dismissed and exposed his value as a pawn.

SAWYER

Watching the amazing transformation of Sawyer over the course of five seasons, I have a new appreciation for Confidence Man. After reading his letter, Kate tells Sawyer that he wants to be hated by everyone, and is the first to realize that his tough-guy facade is a fraud. This episode is the first that offers us a peek at the softer side of James Ford, as he calls off one of his cons when he sees that the couple he's scamming have a young son.

p.s. I am not a huge fan of Kate, but I will say this...that first kiss that she begrudgingly gave Sawyer in Confidence Man when she thought it would result in him handing over Shannon's inhaler? Way hotter than all of the makeout sessions and sex between any of the characters we've seen since (including the now infamous cage match). That is my $.02 assessment.

SUN

Even though I have yet to read it, I thought about the title of the book that Jacob was reading in the S5 finale ("Everything That RISES Must Converge") while watching House of the RISING Sun. There is probably not a correlation, but worth a mention anyway.

S7?

In The Moth, when I saw Charlie's hand emerge out of the dirt, I laughed out loud and thought of Darlton: zombie season?

So there you have it. I appreciate your time and eyes, and look forward to your minds. Bring on the comments, but please be constructive if you have vehement disagreement with anything I've speculated or stated.

We'd love for you to follow our ReWatch group on Twitter and join our Facebook group. And don't forget to bookmark and check out the fantastic analysis of the other participating sites:

1. All About Lost
2. DocArzt & Friends
3. Houston Chronicle's Tubular
4. Jacob's Cabin
5. The Joshmeister
6. Lostaholics
7. Lostpedia Blog
8. Sledgeweb

Behind the Hit & Run: An Interview with Andrea Gabriel (Nadia)

I had the great pleasure of meeting Andrea Gabriel at the LOST Weekend charity auction in April, and I can tell you without hesitation that she is both hysterically funny and very sweet. Andrea is quite personable and refreshingly real; the kind of person you'd want to meet for martinis on a Friday night to talk and laugh about your job and your week.

At that point in time, the last time fans had 'seen' Nadia, Sayid was burying her in Iraq. But given that not everyone who dies stays that way on Lost, I outlined to Andrea reasons why I thought we would probably see Nadia alive again. Unbeknownst to me, she had just returned from filming her pivotal finale scene in "The Incident." But Andrea was the consummate professional; she did not give any inkling whatsoever that she would ever return, let alone in S5.

I managed to remain relatively spoiler-free for the entire season, so I was thrilled when Nadia appeared in the finale! Of course I contacted Andrea right away, and she was kind enough to answer a few questions about her scene and experience on set. Shortly thereafter, we wound up chatting online for a while about theories. To be fair, I did most of the speculating. No surprise.

1. How far in advance were you asked to appear in the Season 5 finale?

I was given notice probably a little over a month before shooting. They kind of give you the heads up that you might be needed and to let them know if you're going to be leaving the country or heading to prison or giving birth or something. Nothing is set in stone until you're actually booked though, so you're kind of on pins and needles as your dates are approaching, and hoping that they didn't change their minds. The actual booking can come a week or even the weekend before, so it's always best to find someone to watch your cat for that window just in case.

2. What was your initial reaction upon reading the script, that Nadia was going to be the victim of a hit and run in front of Sayid?

I was sooo psyched! I was a little bummed that they went straight to the funeral in Season 4. Although in retrospect, starting with that and going backwards with the reunion and the end of Season 4, and now the death, does add drama and time jumping trippy layering to the story that wouldn't have been there had they gone in sequence. But I was very flattered that they would spend any amount of time on my demise in such an important episode. I knew the filming would be intense and I was very excited for that type of scene.

3. When did you go to Hawaii to film that scene?

I was in Hawaii for two days. Flew in on a Friday at the end of March, and flew back on Monday.

4. How long did it take to film?

The actual shooting of that scene only took one day, maybe eight hours of work.

5. Tell us what that scene involved.

They had me, a dummy and a stunt chick. Isn't it cool they found such a little stunt person? Her name is Dana Reed and she rocks. She's such a badass. For my part, they had me in a harness that fit under my dress around my rear like a rock climbing harness. I hit my mark, turned, said my line, and was whipped (quite fiercely actually) out of frame to land on some crash mats. So the part where Nadia is getting hit is actually me. Then they took another shot of a car hitting the dummy (it flew apart both times) so they could sequence that in with me getting hit. Finally, they had my lovely stunt double on the hood of the car as it put on the brakes and sent her rolling off. Altogether it looked pretty harsh, huh?

6. What was it like to reunite with Naveen?

It was so awesome. Working with Naveen is always a treat, and it's so wonderful to reprise the relationship, even if we're filming some brutal stuff. He's such a pro, and of course it helps that we've been working together for some time. So at this point we have a shorthand and just fall back into our characters when they call 'action!'

7. Do you think that Nadia's story is officially over, or do you hold out hope that if the detonation of Jughead propelled Sayid & co. back to the future on Flight 815...that perhaps they will reunite in Los Angeles?

Oh, if only I knew. I have learned not to surmise even a little what the powers-that-be have planned, because regardless, I will be wrong. I have wondered, though, if the plan worked...does that mean that Charlie, Shannon and Boone, the Tailies, etc. will still be on the plane? If they're dead, then wouldn't Nadia be dead as well? And also, if they land in LA, will they rally to return back to the island a third time? Because they have to go back, right? There are too many questions left unanswered. Ohh, my brain. It burns.

8. What did you think about the Season 5 finale?

I thought Season 5 was so good! And the finale was intense. It was so funny when you and I chatted after; I had missed more than half of what you referred to. These things happen when you open a bottle of wine within the first ten minutes of a two hour episode. Thanks to my friend Jo (who illuminated the fact that I had NFIWTF had happened), I rewatched it. Thanks, Jo! And yes, it was amazing. And brain burning. ;)

9. Many are theorizing that in your scene, Jacob was saving Sayid. My take on it was that Jacob was responsible for Nadia's death because he needed Sayid to return to the island. What is your interpretation?

Good question. I think Jacob just needed Sayid. And by saving him and seeing that Nadia is taken out, he made sure that Sayid would be in the right place (and alive) to come back to the island. Two birds with one stone. so to speak.

10. What are you currently working on, and where will fans see you next?

Right now I am just auditioning and keeping busy. I'm in the running for a few cool projects, but I'm old-school and keep them quiet until they have a release date. But when something is coming out, I will be sure to give you a heads up! In the meantime, you can find me cleaning up cat hair.

(Nadia the cat, from Enter 77)

I would like to thank Andrea for taking the time to answer these questions for us, and encourage all of you to become a fan of Andrea's new Page on Facebook!

Please leave any comments or questions you might have for Andrea below, and thank you for reading along!

Lost ReWatch Post #1: Pilot, Parts 1 & 2, Tabula Rasa, Walkabout

I am finally ready to go, like a sailboat donated by a mental patient or a hot air balloon funded by a rich industrialist. So grab a glass of Dharma drugged orange juice, and prepare to submerge yourselves into the murky waters we've been swimming in for five seasons of Lost.

My Official Lost ReWatch Caveat

There are 8 sites participating in this project besides myself. In order to provide the most honest and fresh perspective here, I am not reading the recaps and analysis posted on my fellow ReWatch friends' sites until AFTER I have posted my own. We all have different writing styles and are bound to experience varying epiphanies throughout this process. So if you come across any similarities, keep in mind that we've all seen these episodes multiple times and have analyzed them under relatively kindred microscopes for five years.

Also...I am not perfect, nor is my memory; there are bound to be small mistakes here and there as I revisit and discuss all five seasons. So please excuse any errors in advance, and enjoy the ride!

All Four One

Rather than share my thoughts about each individual episode, I decided to format this first ReWatch entry by category and character, from all 4 episodes combined. Let me know what you think; I'm open to suggestions!

It is quite fascinating to watch the first few episodes of Lost now, keeping in mind what we just witnessed in the Season 5 finale.

We know exactly where Ben and the Others were when 815 broke apart above them, but I find myself wondering where Jacob was during that time...

Relationships & Foreshadowing

• Locke helps Jack move people away from the engine before it blows up; this is the first thing he does upon discovering that he's no longer paralyzed.

• Charlie is the first person that Sayid meets; they share a Nadia connection (unbeknownst to Sayid, Charlie had saved her from being mugged in London before Flight 815).

• Hurley collects and distributes the airline food. His issues with food and desire to be liked is established immediately.

• After Jack's tells Kate his 'count to 5' fear story, she says she would have run for the door. He tells her "you're not running now." But she did and she does.
  

• Charlie wants to prove his worth right away (or at least prove to himself that he's a viable helping hand even while high); he volunteers to accompany Jack and Kate into the jungle to look for the transceiver. He will later save Jack in the cave after it collapses.

• Locke is eating an orange on the beach; he eats a mango on the beach shortly after apparently reanimating after the Ajira 316 "crash."

• Sun looks at Kate with envy as she bathes openly in the ocean. Sun later dons that blue bikini and enjoys a similar moment of freedom.

• Hurley tells Sayid that he likes him. They later form an inadvertent team as part of the Oceanic 6, escaping bad guys in Los Angeles.

• Kate hides at the base of the Banyan trees while attempting to avoid an encounter with Smokey for the first time. She later hides with Juliet in a very similar base of trees when Smokey flashes and scans but spares them.

• Kate lies to Jack about her relationship with the Marshall, establishing a pattern of lies between them that continues forever.

• Jack first states what we later discover to be true about everyone who dies on the island, "any bodies we bury aren't going to stay buried for very long."
  

Shoes! Significant

We see what appears to be one of Christian Shephard's white tennis shoes hanging in a tree very shortly after Jack opens his eye after waking up on the island.

Regardless of whether or not you believe any of the Mobisodes to be canon, I think it is absolutely significant that Christian is wearing both of his white tennis shoes in So It Begins, when he says the following to Vincent:

"I need you to go find my son. He's over there in that bamboo forest, unconscious. I need you to go wake him up."

After Vincent takes off and approaches Jack (as we witness in the opening moments of the Pilot), Christian delivers the line that both Walt and Ben later say to Locke, "he has work to do."

Continuing with the prevalent Black and White theme that has permeated Lost since the beginning...we must now ponder the two pairs of Christian's shoes that seemingly play a very symbolic and noteworthy role in the entire series. Jack placed white tennis shoes on his father in the coffin before Flight 815, and he placed his father's black shoes on Locke in the coffin before Flight 316. Given Jacob in his white frock vs. Mystery Man/Not-Locke in his black frock...

CHARLIE

I just have to say that I noticed and loved the juxtaposition of blissfully ignorant Shannon painting her toenails while dark horse Charlie was writing in black ink on his taped up fingers.

There is a sad irony to Charlie's statement that "every trek needs a coward," given that he turned out to be anything but. And it was one of the first of many overt references to The Wizard of Oz that we've come to enjoy on Lost.

Those of you who are frequent readers are already familiar with (and probably tired of hearing about) my Crazy Charlie Theory. Long story short...due to the time travel elements which were introduced in Season 5, the possibilities are endless for connections on this show. My theory is that Charlie Pace is in fact Charlie Hume, son of Desmond and Penny. Why am I bringing this up again now? Because in "Walkabout," Charlie mentions that his grandfather used to take him fishing. IF my theory is correct, he would be referring to Charles Widmore. Although we've never actually seen Widmore fishing, he is certainly quite interested in boats (there is a model of one in his office, he sponsors a boat race around the world, he bought the original Black Rock ship journal). Worth contemplating, at least in my opinion.

CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD

Would a deceased passenger traveling in a coffin be listed on a flight manifest? This question occurred to me when we got a glimpse of Ghost Christian for the first time, in "Walkabout."

I am assuming the answer is no, because Hurley would have asked Jack about the relation if he saw another Shephard listed.

CINDY (Oceanic 815 flight attendant)

Her whereabouts on the island after the crash continues to be one of the main lingering questions that fans have for the producers and writers of the show. Early on in Season 1, I decided that there was an underground living space beneath the island, and then after she was taken I just assumed that she resided there with the two children from the 815 tail section (Zach and Emma).

When Cindy resurfaced out of nowhere in Season 3 to 'observe' Jack, Kate and Sawyer after they were kidnapped by Ben and the Others, I thought she might have been a former Dharma employee or child of Dharma; a plant, working for Oceanic and on 815 for a specific journey to the island.

We saw Jacob interact and make physical contact with Jack long before he boarded 815, designating that Jack was one of the chosen ones to come to the island. Before crashing, Cindy was the one who enabled Jack by secretly giving him extra bottles of alcohol. If she knew what was going to happen, then she probably knew who he was. Giving him that booze served a dual purpose; it soothed the about-to-be hero's nerves and cleaned the wound he obtained during the crash. Everything happens for a reason, yada yada yada.

One more strange Cindy issue - when the plane broke apart, she was in 1st class going after Charlie. So how and why did she wind up crashing with the tail section? Then again, Charlie was in 1st class yet wound up crashing with the fuselage...

HURLEY

Hurley mentions to Sayid that he had a buddy who fought in the Gulf War. We never find out who that was, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Kelvin Inman. Inman, Desmond's former hatch buddy, served in the Gulf War and blackmailed Sayid into torturing Iraqi prisoners before setting him free.

JACK

Until now, I never paid much attention to Jack's admission that he'd taken flying lessons.

Will he be the one at the end of Season 6 piloting the helicopter that finally takes Claire & Aaron off the island, per Desmond's vision and Charlie's sacrifice?

LOCKE

We now know that Locke's destiny was to get to that island. IF the writers/producers want us to now ponder the possibility that Mystery Man took over Locke's body upon arrival after the crash of 815...the clues to support that are prevalent in the first few episodes. Locke is the one who finds Vincent and discovers the Swan hatch. Locke is the one with the hunting wherewithal, the one who provides a major food source for the survivors (boar). Locke was the very first survivor to actually see Smokey. Locke knows exactly when the rain starts and stops. Almost all of his early actions were demonstrative of a man who has been to the island before.

For those of you who are now convinced (after Season 5) that Locke IS Smokey, I recommend that you replay the very last scene in "Tabula Rasa." Turn up the volume high, because that episode ends on a very creepy close-up of Locke...accompanied by very distant yet audible sounds that are quite distinctly Smokey. This is the first time I noticed it, and it resulted in goosebumps.

Additionally, the very end of "Walkabout" features a disarming smile from Locke that fades into a shot of engulfing flames. I will refer you to my second S5 finale analysis (see: Theme Alert!), because I am rather enamored with and outline the significance of fire on Lost. Especially following Jacob's apparent demise/rise from the ashes.

RAY MULLEN (Kate's farmer con)

In Season 4, I wrote and published an article called Missing Limbs & Time Travel: A LOST Connection. Disregard the outdated information that has since proven me wrong, but take into consideration what we've seen in Season 5.

It now seems entirely possible that the man who turned Kate over to the Marshall was either stationed on the island during an earlier era or related to Dharma in some way. His statement to Kate sealed it for me, "everyone deserves a fresh start."

SMOKEY

Regardless of who or what summoned the Black Smoke Monster for the first time after Flight 815 crashed, it's intent seemed to establish territory and send a message to the survivors on the beach.

In the Pilot (both episodes), Smokey appears in the jungle, at the beach and at the nose of the plane to kill pilot Seth Norris. Are we sure that it is just one entity? Given the speed and distance it travels, and that we've seen it emanate from beneath the Temple...it would make sense that Smokey travels via the recently discovered tunnels that run underneath the island.

It still strikes me as odd that Smokey killed the pilot of Flight 815. We have only witnessed it actually kill 4 people: Norris, Mr. Eko, Nadine (Rousseau's crew mate) and Mayhew (one of Keamy's mercenaries). [Sidenote: indirectly, Smokey's actions have led to the deaths of many others.] If we are to believe that at least some of the 815 passengers were destined to wind up on that island, and that Smokey protects that island...why kill the man who brought the chosen ones there?

My strong belief that Rose's side comment about hearing Smokey for the first time ("that sound it made; there was something familiar about it") is significant is rarely met with anything but resolute disagreement. But after watching the Pilot episodes yet again, I am still convinced that her follow-up statement about being from the Bronx holds two possible clues. First: one of Smokey's distinct sounds is that of a taxicab receipt printout (very NYC). Second: Smokey's seemed to emanate from below the ground, and its metallic sound and sheer strength resembled a train (NY subway).

I mentioned this after the S5 finale and am still puzzled by the ramifications of it...only Locke and Juliet/Kate have seen Smokey as white light. It spared all of them. But we still don't know what Locke saw when black Smokey approached him for the first time in "Walkabout."

WAAAAALT

There were subtle hints about his abilities early on.

When his father Michael told him that he'd go look for his dog after the rain stopped, the rain came to an immediate halt...as if directed/willed by Walt.

You Know That I Can Use Somebody

It is interesting to note that Kate had Sawyer (at least attempt to) kill the Marshal, and Locke later has Sawyer kill Anthony Cooper. And here we thought that Locke was always the only one who was "amenable to coercion."

Then again, Mystery Man/Not-Locke has Ben kill Jacob...

A Question for YOU

If some of the Flight 815 passengers were specifically brought to the island, were the people who died in the process considered collateral damage to those who brought them there; were they mere casualities of the overall 'plan?

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- Jo