The Curious Case of Benjamin's Undone: LOST, Episode 5.07 ("The Life & Death of Jeremy Bentham")

Wow. That is about all I can muster and repeat.

Here are my initials thoughts and questions about tonight's new episode.

AJIRA FLIGHT 316

It appears as if the plane landed in one piece on the island....the question is, which island? Caesar & co. are on the smaller Hydra island, and Jack & co. are on the main island.

The plane also seems to have landed rather smoothly/safely. Was it somehow 'placed' there during the event window?

Hurley, Jack, Kate, Sayid and Sun 'disappeared' during the flash on the flight while other passengers remained and crashed on the island in the plane. Were they all 'placed' relatively uninjured on the island during the first crash too (815)?

CAR ACCIDENTS

Sadly, Locke has had very bad luck with regard to cars...

• Mom Emily was run down while 6 months pregnant with him; he was born prematurely
• Locke was hit by a car when he encountered his mom in a parking lot years later
• He was in a car accident in LA after Abaddon was shot

There have been numerous other Losties with car crash experiences as well:

• Michael was hit by a car in NY before flight 815; he was badly injured but lived
• Michael tried to kill himself by crashing his car in the future; same outcome
• Jack witnessed a car crash on the bridge before attempting suicide; everyone lived
• Kate and her doctor ex were in a car accident while escaping authorities; she was fine, he died
• Kate and the Marshall crashed in the rain when she saw a black horse on the road; she escaped, he was knocked out
• Kate crashed the farmer's truck when the Marshall caught up with them; she escaped, he was injured
• Claire and her mom were in an accident; she was injured, mom wound up in a coma
• Before being taken to the island, Locke's dad Anthony Cooper was in a car accident
• Hurley crashed his car after being chased by the police in LA; he was fine
• Shannon's dad crashed into Jack's future wife Sarah; he died, Jack miraculously repaired her back
• Juliet's ex-husband was hit by a bus; he died

OUTRIGGER CANOES

Who did they belong to?

In the future/past, when Sawyer & co. take the canoes and shoot at the people who are following them...will we find out that it was Lapidus and Sun? Does one of them get wounded by a Juliet shot?

PANOPTICON

By now, most of you know that I have a particular interest in Jeremy Bentham (his FB page and blog are still live, FYI). Last summer at Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to pose a question to Damon & Carlton about the selection of that name, and asked if they chose it because of the real philosopher Bentham's creation of the Panopticon. Here is their response:

"The panopticon is obviously, among other things, why we selected that name."

I've always considered the island to be a prison of sorts, and am fascinated by the idea that they are being watched and observed without their knowledge or permission. It certainly seems to be a more feasible concept with the current direction of the show than it was just a few months ago.

TUNISIA

There has to be more than one island exit location. How else do you explain how quickly both Alpert and Big Tom traveled to and fro? That submarine was not a very fast mode of transportation, no matter WHEN and where the island was in relation to the real world.

BEN

I have to say that I've always believed that Ben could really be one of the good guys. Until tonight, I was almost convinced. I'm not sure why I ever thought that way; we have not seem much evidence of good will from that man. Now I have a sinking feeling that not only did Ben go after and possibly kill Penny...he is responsible for the deaths of others' loved ones, like Nadia and Helen (I don't believe her cause of death for one second; come on, she's "where she's supposed to be."). Did he have Juliet's sister taken care of too?

Did Ben 'change the rules' by killing Locke?

Was he waiting to kill him after finding out whether or not he knew about Hawking?

Ben had to know that Locke wouldn't stay dead, that the island determines when he can die based upon the work he did on its behalf.

When the hell will the island be done with Ben and let him die? Hopefully we'll see Smokey or Jacob punish or torture him for his egregious actions at some point.

Did Ben place the obit for Bentham, or did Widmore?

Was he lying when he told Locke that whomever turns the Frozen Donkey Wheel can never return to the island?

If he was genuinely surprised to find out that Jin is alive, is that an indication that he no longer has anyone on the island feeding him information?

Upon his return to the island on 316, how is his relationship with Richard Alpert?

BENTHAM/LOCKE

Even though he is 'special,' he does not heal as quickly off-island.

CAESAR

Obviously he and Illana know each other. Did Widmore hire them to return to the island with Ben and the O5 (minus Aaron)? There is also mistrust between them...

He and Illana know who Locke is; when he gave his name, they gave each other the infamous Lost Look with Island Eyes of Special Secrets.

He went specifically looking for the drawer of Dharma maps; he's either been there before or was well instructed. Given that he found the Imaginary, Real & Space Time diagram, he is also familiar with the island's time shifts, but is pretending to be out of the loop when talking with Locke.

Is there any significance to the relationship between this new Caesar and Frank Lapidus, and Julius Caesar and Marcus Lepidus? If I'm not mistaken, Lepidus was one of Caesar's closest allies and second in command...

CHARLES WIDMORE

How did he know exactly WHEN Locke was going to turn the Frozen Donkey Wheel and exit the island via Tunisia? Does Future Faraday inform them?

Have his video cameras been installed long - did they capture Ben's previous arrival too?

In addition to financially backing Faraday, did Widmore also fund Charlotte's research too? Is that why she knew to look in Tunisia for the Dharma polar bear collar at the archaeological dig site? He is "deeply invested in the future of the island" after all...

We meet him at 17 years old on the island, when he was a soldier under Richard Alpert. Was he being groomed to become the leader of the island at that time? At what point did he assume that position? Was it with or without Alpert's approval/assistance?

If he was indeed exiled from the island, was that at the behest of Jacob or Alpert?

Did he exit via Tunisia as well?

Is he the one who is paying for and continuing the Dharma food drops? Not that we've seen any in a while.

At this point in time (in Tunisia), does Widmore know where Penny is or if Ben did indeed go after her as promised before returning to the island?

CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD

Locke reanimated upon arrival on the island; it appears that Jack's dad did the same after 815 crashed there.

FRANK LAPIDUS

We haven't seen Sun - did she go with Lapidus? If so, why? Did he know that Jack & co. landed on the other island...is that where they were headed?

He'd studied the flight 815 manifest when he was hired by Abaddon to pilot the chopper to the island. Did he then instinctively grab the 316 manifest after talking to Jack and realizing that he was going back to the island?

HELEN

Are we sure that she really died? It seemed like her tombstone was in the same cemetary where she and Locke attended Anthony Cooper's funeral...only, he wasn't dead.

HURLEY

I'm not sure if this is a continuity/production error or not, but prior to tonight, the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute on the show was located in Los Angeles; not in the actual city of Santa Rosa (which is an hour and a half north of San Francisco). When Jack went to see Hurley there, he didn't fly. It is not very relevant but of course I noticed it.

Is his drawing of Egypt going to come into play? Even though Jorge Garcia has repeatedly said that his first drawing of the igloo (last season) was entirely his idea, I still contend that it relates to Penny's team who found the electromagnetic anomaly while stationed in a frozen region.

In addition, geographically...Egypt and Tunisia are only separated by one country (Libya). Could it be that Egpyt is another island exit portal? And could the ancient 4 toed statue be related?

ILANA

Does she remind anyone else of a kinder, gentler Ana Lucia? She's also (allegedly) in law enforcement, and kind of resembles Ana's mom Teresa Cortez...a sister perhaps?

JACOB

What the heck is his role in all of this?

MATTHEW ABADDON

So if he was responsible for helping Widmore get people where they need to be, and made sure that Locke was on flight 815...did he and Widmore work with Hawking to determine the coordinates and event window that was occurring that day? Or Faraday?

ROXANNE
Who is she, is she working with Caesar and Illana, or is she the new version of a red shirt with a name that we'll never know?

WALT

After Ben and the others kidnapped him on the island, they asked Michael if he'd ever appeared where he wasn't supposed to. So was he actually traveling/transporting back to the island during his 'dreams' about Locke, without realizing it? Does he remember appearing to Locke after Ben had shot him, advising him to get up because he had work to do? Was that a 'dream' as well?

Does he return to the island? Could he have somehow been on flight 316?

If he does return, when and how will he find out about his father's death?

DID YOU NOTICE...

• In the pilot episode after the crash, Locke enjoyed an island orange. In this one, it was a mango.

• Upon arriving in Tunisia after turning the Frozen Donkey Wheel, Ben had an injured arm and Locke had an injured leg.

[insert huge Nerd Alert sign here]

• Locke as Obi-Wan Kenobi with his blanket head covering, sacrificing himself so that others will survive. Ben as Darth Vadar, killing Locke/Kenobi and turning him into a spirit of sorts (and a more powerful 'force'); another or future Jacob?

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I have SO much more, but I must get some sleep. Thanks again for stopping by and reading - I always appreciate your time and comments!

LOST Tour in Oahu, Part 2

Hello, and welcome to part 2 of our Lost Tour on Oahu! Here are a few more photos that mirror where scenes from Lost were filmed.

Locke, before getting shot by Ethan in "Because You Left"

The real roots

Desmond saves Claire's migratory bird in "Par Avion"

The slippery slope

Young Eko's village in "The 23rd Psalm"

And the actual smoke stack

Flight 815 tires on the beach after the crash

The tires in the prop junkyard

In addition, we were able to visit the fenced-in space where the fuselage and related pieces and props are stored.

The giant fuselage itself was covered up, but Yemi's burned plane sits in front of it.

I believe that the last time all of this was placed back on the crash beach was to recreate parts of the pilot in your favorite Nikki & Paolo episode, "Expose."





We walked a few miles to the Diamond Head Cove Health Bar in Waikiki last week, just because it was Vincent's owner's place. The dog wasn't there, but I did see this on the fuselage beach...

Here are a few shots of the main beach where the Losties (used to) camp and live.


And more from the camp, which is stored up off of the beach when they're not filming.


Although there are many mountain ranges which serve as stunning backdrops to many scenes, I only captured one.

Last but not least, I think that many of my new Lost friends on Facebook from last summer's alternate reality game failure will appreciate this particular photo...Hans remains quite close to the set.

Thank you again for your comments and following along! It was an incredible day and beautiful way to immerse yourself into the Lost world.

Stay tuned for a Lost contest based on filming locations and previous episodes! For prizes, I purchased a few extra Got Lost? tees from the Kos Tour, and they're packaged quite nicely into small paper versions of the tour Hummer!

I Believe in LOST, Episode 5.06 - "316"

I wish you believed in life, believed in fate.

- Aimee Mann, (Believed You Were) Lucky

Better late than never! Below are my initial notes about last night's new episode. It was easily one of my favorites from this season. The powers that be have seriously upped the ante and are providing some of the most compelling, mind-boggling television I've ever had the pleasure of watching and experiencing.

AJIRA FLIGHT 316

The concept of recreating the circumstances from Oceanic flight 815 is brilliant. I love how they had Sayid in custody (like Kate), Locke in the coffin (like Christian), Hurley reading a graphic novel (like he was before 815), Lapidus piloting the flight (as he was supposed to with 815), etc.

Will there be actual wreckage, or were those fated passengers somehow just safely transported from inside the plane down to the island?

Given Hawking's research and revelations about event windows opening up to provide routes back to the island, isn't it more than likely that the passengers of Flight 815 were specifically chosen to take that flight and wind up on the island the first time around?

Is there an actual connection between Ajira and Oceanic airlines?

JOHN 3:16

Admittedly, I am not very religious so I had to look this up. Most you are probably familiar with John 3:16 in the Bible:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

There are myriad ways to interpret that as it relates to Lost and this episode. Let's start with the obvious; John is Locke, and his letter expressed regret that Jack never believed in him.

Ben's tale about Thomas the doubting Apostle would be Jack in this case. In addition, in the Bible quote above...'him' could be Locke, Jacob or even the island. I'm sure I'm missing other elements from both Ben's story and the biblical reference of the episode title, so feel free to enlighten me.

LAMP POST

Lamp Post is an anagram for Map Plots. Coincidence?

That there is a Lamp Lighter in the book The Little Prince was not lost on me either.

Is Charles Widmore funding Hawking's work in that station, like he was for Faraday's research?

Are there other off island Dharma stations? Were they also built over pockets of electromagnetic energy? If the people who built it were only interested in the island, what purpose would other stations serve back in the real world? Let's not forget about the faith healer in Australia where Bernard took Rose to heal her cancer...there was electromagnetic activity beneath his place at Ayers Rock.

We know that the Orchid and Swan stations had serious levels of energy brewing beneath them, and that the Tempest contained lethal gases. Were there also pockets of various elements beneath the rest of the hatches on the island?

Penny Widmore knew to look for an electromagnetic anomaly to find the location of the island. Was she aware of or assisted by anyone? Clearly her father did not want her to reunite with Desmond, and Hawking warned Desmond that Penny wasn't his future, so that leaves...Faraday. Perhaps he visited/informed her in the past or before leaving for the island with the Freighter Four.

I've posed this question before...with all of the new technology, why is the Lamp Post equipped with archaic computers from an earlier era? Is that the only way to compute the event windows with the pendulum?

OCEANIC 6 CHILDREN

It is ironic and kind of surprising that so many struggled to have children on the island, and yet two of the O6 abandon their kids to return there. Yes, I realize that Aaron is not Kate's son. It's all about context right now.

SIMON'S BUTCHER SHOP

It is NOT a coincidence that Charlie Pace's father was a butcher...named Simon. Ben's friend Jill was storing Locke in the coffin in Los Angeles.

BEN

Where did Bug Eyes disappear to right before flight 316...flashed and/or crashed?

He went to see an "old friend" to tie up a loose end. Did he return battered because:

• He shifted back in time to the island when the Losties first captured him in the net, or when Jack beat him up before leaving the island...to change the rules himself
  

• He went after Penny Widmore, as promised (because Charles Widmore changed the rules and killed his daughter Alex)...and Daddy W intervened
  

• He arranged for Sayid to be arrested and placed under custody to somehow be escorted onto Ajira flight 316, in order to replicate Kate's situation on Flight 815

On the flight, Ben was reading Ulysses...which, among other things, directly relates to his pursuit of Penny Widmore. The book invokes Homer's Odyssey and the character Penelope, who:

• Has one son
• Waited a very long time for her husband to reappear
• Fought off 108 potential suitors

BENTHAM/LOCKE

Are there ramifications for Locke's island leadership or was he allowed to die off island because:

a) he didn't actually kill his father as a sacrifice, as instructed
b) he didn't turn the frozen donkey wheel the first time, as instructed?

So the island lets him die temporarily, for the cause.

Who places the obit after his death, and why? Was it to notify/warn the O6?

I also really love that Locke will literally walk a mile in Christian's shoes upon his return to the island. The real question is, will Locke take on a similar role...advising the island's inhabitants as Jacob's mouthpiece?

I was just thinking about this last night, when my friend and fellow Lost fan Doug emailed the photos to me...is it a consistency error that Bentham now has facial hair in the coffin, or does it signify his journey back to life upon island re-entry/re-animation? I will be addressing Locke's life and death as Bentham in a separate blog before next week's episode...

Anyone else hoping that Jack would discover that Locke has 4 toes when he put Christian's shoes on him?

CHARLES WIDMORE

If he and Eloise are still in contact (which is likely because he gave Desmond her whereabouts) after all these years, isn't it likely that he's aware of Flight 316? And if so, why isn't he trying to get back to the island that way? Could that mysterious new passenger be working for him? Was Widmore somehow able to successfully plant a spy among that flight, someone he knew would survive the 'crash?'

Was his race around the world really a ruse and attempt to find the island?

Has he funded other modes of transportation that have tried to get there, in addition to the freighter (Henry Gale's hot air balloon, Rousseau's scientist crew, etc.)?

CLAIRE

Dead or not, will she appear and ask about Aaron now that the group is back?

DANIEL FARADAY

We don't know how old he is, so could he have been the one who figured out that the island was moving and how to predict where?

DESMOND

The island isn't done with Desmond yet. Is that because, according to Faraday, he is "uniquely and miraculously special?" What does Desmond have to do before the island is done with him, and does that mean Desmond will meet his end upon completion of said tasks? Does the island require baby Charlie there to replace him?

Given that Desmond is special, and that the island is very interested in such individuals [see: Walt]...it is starting to look like Libby (as evil twin or cuckoo for cocoa puffs Elizabeth) was working on behalf of the island or Widmore; she's the one who gave Desmond her deceased husband's boat to get there, conveniently when he needed one for Widmore's race.

ELOISE HAWKING

Why is it that SHE knows about his death and also has Locke's alleged suicide note?

How long after she left the island at an unknown age (if in fact she is Ellie) did she become involved with the Lamp Post?

FRANK LAPIDUS

Was Lapidus hired by Ajira with that future flight in mind? Were 'they' aware that it would be an Ajira flight that would take the Losties back to the island?

Does he return to the island too, or is he just piloting the plane with fewer passengers?

Did he shave and give up the booze like Jack, in order to get this gig?

HURLEY

I assume that Ghost Charlie told him about the Ajira Flight, because Hurley appeared to have Charlie's guitar with him. If Hurley was instructed to bring everything in the world that meant something to him when he went back to the island, it makes sense that he'd bring his buddy's guitar. I have a feeling that the only reason Hurley agreed to go back was because he promised Charlie he'd look after Claire.

Why couldn't Hurley swim all of a sudden, upon landing back on the island? I realize that he was supposed to be scared, but I kept thinking about the time he ran and jumped into the ocean without a problem.

JACK

Why was he surprised to hear that Locke had killed himself? I thought it said as much in Bentham's obit (something about hanging from a beam).

The painting in his apartment reminded me of Ben and the Others' creepy cult island funeral wear.


JIN

Will he be upset or relieved to find out that Sun did not bring Ji Yeon back with her?

He appeared in the Dharma van alone, armed and not under supervision...what would make Jin work for them, at least temporarily? How long had he been stuck in that era? How did he explain how he got to the island? Was he brainwashed, a la Karl in Room 23?

I know he lowered his gun when Hurley said his name, but are we sure that he recognized Hurley, Jack and Kate? In theory, he should. However, he may have lowered the weapon in a surprise reaction to them knowing his name.

His Dharma jumpsuit may have a new logo which we have not seen...

KATE

Given that she made a deal at her trial to stay in the state as part of her probation...it is doubtful that she alerted the authorities to her pending trip by handing Aaron over to Child Protective Services. So, possible (or ridiculous) arrangements she made for Aaron may have included:

• Claire's mom
• Cassidy (Sawyer's baby mama to Clementine; she bonded w/her over a con before the first crash)
• Her mom
  

She's seemingly miserable about giving up Aaron to return to the island, but shouldn't she be a tad exciting about reuniting with Sawyer? Perhaps she never actually followed through with the favor he'd asked her (presumably about his daughter Clementine), and is dreading telling him that news.

When she said "why hold onto something that makes you sad?" was she referring to Sawyer, Jack or Aaron?

So much for the old 'live together, die alone' mantra. Her curt response that being "on the same plane doesn't make us together" was cold. In my opinion, Kate Austen continues to be one of the most emotionally stunted and damaged female characters on the small screen in recent memory.

MATTHEW ABADDON

I seem to ask this every week, but...what exactly is his role in all of this? Does he work for Oceanic as he's claimed, or Widmore, Ajira, etc.?

RAY (Jack's grandfather)

He packed a suitcase and said "one of these times, I'm actually gonna get away. They won't ever find me either." That struck me for two reasons. First, because it could have been his bag of personal items for a one-way ticket back to the island. And second, because Ben always said that no one will ever find the island (even though we've seen that to be incorrect). Are we headed for a three generation reunion of Shephards on the island?

PARALLELS

Back in Season 2 (in 'Orientation'), Locke's girlfriend Helen said the following to him:

"You don't know what's going to happen. None of us do. That's why it's called a leap of faith."

Last night (in '316'), Hawking said the following to Jack:

"Start asking yourself whether or not you believe it's going to work. That's why it's called a leap of faith."

CRAZY THURSDAY THEORY

I realize that they were using a fake newspaper clipping for Bentham's obit, but it did mention that he had a son and I have to believe that it is significant that they chose to include that fact.

I believe that Helen got pregnant before breaking up with Locke, and that their son will join Clementine Ford, Charlie Hume, Ji Yeon Kwan, Aaron Littleton and Walt Lloyd as the sixth member of the Lost Offspring Club; Kids Exceptional (LOCKE) to return to the island in the future.
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Phew, and wow. What an episode! I can't wait to watch 316 again this weekend; don't be surprised to see further thoughts posted before next week.

I say it every time, but in all sincerity...thank you very much for taking the time to stop by and read my frequently off-kilter stream of consciousness about Lost. It gives me great joy to be able to share and engage with fellow fans.

Have a nice weekend!

Programming Note: Blog Delay for "316"

Please forgive me - I am unable to post thoughts & theories about tonight's phenomenal new episode for reasons relating to travel (ironically), but will do so tomorrow evening instead. The second half of our Lost Tour recap is also on the way.

Thank you for your patience!

- Jo

LOST Tour in Oahu, Part 1

Before I begin, I need to thank and acknowledge Jeff from Kos Tours; he was far more than our tour guide and ride, and really made today one of the most memorable and exciting experiences of my life! And a huge shout-out to Sam & Holly, who were also on our tour and put up with hours and hours of my endless Lost chatter and theorizing. You are patient souls and we were thrilled to have spent the day with both of you as well!

Given that I have to catch a flight home in a few hours, I only have time to post photos from actual filming locations right now (with a few obvious exceptions), accompanied by matching screen captures from the show. So please consider this a rough first draft; I really wanted to post these before I left Hawaii and because so many of you were kind enough to follow my journey on Twitter and Facebook today. The next entry will include pictures of the beach camp, the fuselage and pieces from the wreckage, various props, etc.

So stay tuned for more details and very cool photos after I am home again...and after tomorrow night's new episode airs.

* One caveat: this is and always will be a spoiler-free blog. We did witness live filming today, but I feel that I owe it to my loyal spoiler-free readers to remain silent about what we saw. All I will say is that is was amazing and surreal to be so close to the live production and set, and that we were able to watch a few scenes being filmed with some familiar faces.

When I have more time, I will add the titles of each episode from the photos below.

Anthony Cooper's house, stalked by Locke

Bad daddy's real pad

Desmond flashes back to military training

Not filled with Scotsmen on a normal day

Eko's church

...remains unfinished

Hurley's 1st lottery house

Thankfully the real one isn't cursed & didn't burn to the ground

Jack meets Kate in the pilot episode

It was rocky from the start

Jack's Thailand vacation beach

No sign of Bai Ling (phew!)

Jack's Thailand vacation beach, take 2

The coast is clear...literally

Jin brings Sun to the temple

It is breathtaking in person

Jin proposes to Sun

Note the Dharma-ish bench

Jughead on the island...

...and Jughead hidden on a prop truck

Kate buried her ex's toy airplane time capsule beneath this tree


...and then, like most men in Kate's past/path, he died

Miles parachutes onto the island

In reality, the ash layered rock is much darker in color

Other Rock Point

...does not actually have that opening

Pala Ferry

no Hurley, Jack, Kate or Sawyer held captive today

Radio Tower

nowhere near where it was on the show

Sawyer's Sweet Shrimp Shack

different name, same location

The sub before Locke gets to it

...and the sub in storage

The waterfall

No one resembling these two were swimming underneath it

Yemi's plane

The actual tree they superimpose it upon

Various fuselage beach camp tents

We took several hundred photos and I can't wait to share the best of the rest with you very soon!

I will say that taking this tour is exhilarating and exhausting (I have even more respect for the actors now...walking along their beach was surprisingly challenging); an absolute treat for true Lost fans who have the opportunity to travel to Hawaii. Even after the series ends, Kos will be offering this journey and I highly recommend it to all of you (we chose the 8 hour tour, but they also offer 2 and 5 hour versions).

Have a great day, and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!

- Jo

Oahu, Day 2: A Hurley Burger

Special thanks to my new Twitter friend Sheila, editor of GoVisitHawaii (a great travel and vacation advice site) - she suggested the Rainbow Drive In for lunch because that is where Sayid drove Hurley for a burger after springing him from the mental institution in "Because You Left."

Above is a photo from the show, and below is one that I took this afternoon before we enjoyed a cheeseburger and delicious traditional plate lunch there.

Aloha for now!

Oahu, Day 2: Jin, Meet Sun!

If I told you that these hotel discoveries were coincidences, would you believe me? Because they are!

I was strolling around downtown Waikiki this morning, and recognized the green marble outside of The Royal Garden Hotel because that is where Jin first met Sun (see photo above; his head is down as he opens the door for her). Below is my photo of the front entrance; notice the same gold ornate table right inside the door.

We are very excited to meet up with Ryan & Jen from The Transmission this evening, as they live here and have been providing excellent Lost news and analysis since the beginning of the series on their fantastic podcast!

And of course tomorrow we will be on the Lost Tour all day long. So no, I will not be sleeping any time soon. And yes, it's worth it. I planned our entire vacation around this brief trip to Oahu for Lost. That is love; I am lucky that my valentine is a fan...and doesn't mind my dedication to a television show.

:)

- Jo

Oahu, Day 1: At Sun's Hotel!

Aloha from Oahu! I don't have much time but I wanted to share that we are staying at the hotel where Sun's Los Angeles scenes were filmed for "The Lie" and "The Little Prince!"

Above is a photo of Kate and Aaron approaching Sun's suite, and below is my photo of that same area on the top floor.

I'm giddy over such a small detail now...but stay tuned for far too many updates and photos on Tuesday via Facebook and Twitter. After the Lost Tour, a full report should be up either late Tuesday night or Thursday (after this week's Lost episode blog).

Thanks for checking in, and have a nice day off tomorrow (most of you)!

Responding to Your Comments about "This Place is Death"

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to leave comments. Second, I apologize for not responding more often!

I wanted to address your fantastic questions and theories about "This Place is Death" before moving on to the next episode...

Ben
Hillary is curious as to why Ben didn't know that Locke had to move the Island. Did he know but moved it anyway, because he wanted to leave and had no other means to since the sub was gone?

I think that Ben knew Locke had to move it himself, but like most of his other successful manipulations of the man, maneuvered himself into place to do so instead. I'm not sure if Ben wanted to get off the island or not, and judging from the fact that Ben said he'd visited Locke before his/Bentham's death, it's possible that he'd been back to the island. So there are obviously more methods of transport than the sub (including time travel).

Christian Shephard
Jackie asked if Christian brought flight 815 to the island (just as John Locke is bringing the Oceanic 6 back). Christian was dead and in the coffin when he arrived there, and (allegedly) Locke will be as well. When Christian arrived on the island, he was alive again. The big question is...what about Locke upon his return?

My gut reaction is that Locke is alive or at least will be once he returns 'home' (the island). Of course the use of an anagram for Reincarnation (on the van in which Ben is transporting Locke: Canton-Rainier) may be a ruse to throw us off the real trail...

Jackie is also wondering if Christian choose certain people to be on that plane and end up on the island, and what his connection with the island was (if any) outside of his job as a doctor and being a father to Jack.

My response is that IF Christian had anything to do with the selection of those passengers, he wasn't alone. Widmore and Abaddon may have had a role in that process, if indeed there was one.

Along those same lines...Hillary is pondering whether the island only wants Locke and/or Jack. To her, everyone else on the plane was incidental (except possibly Claire). She thinks there is more than a ‘6 degrees of separation’ link (for Jack and Claire to be related, on the plane with their dead-ish dad Christian, then on the island). She wonders if there is a Jack/Locke connection that hasn’t been revealed yet.

Given the high number of character connections (most of them not familial), I tend to think that more than just Locke and Jack were meant/destined to be on that plane. I don't think that Locke and Jack share any relatives, but perhaps the island needs to pit one man of science vs. one man of faith (earlier versions included Widmore v. Ben).

Christian Shephard & Jacob
Nurby is considering that Christian IS Jacob, and MsDee reminded us that Christian said he can "speak for" Jacob but is not him. Then again, Christian appeared to Locke down at the Frozen Donkey Wheel with a lantern (rather than a flashlight; Jacob loathes modern technology, but it could also have been an indication of era).

I don't think that they're one and the same, but I've certainly been wrong before.

Danielle Rousseau & Jin
TheFanta inquired whether or not Rousseau had ever crossed paths with Jin on the island after the crash in 2004, and KissMyApocalypse said that they may have met when she came to the fuselage beach and could have recognized him.

Although I do not recall a specific scene or conversation between them, Jin was with Jack and almost everyone else when he brought them into a clearing with Rousseau to demonstrate their dynamite capabilities (in preparation for the Others' attempt to kidnap pregnant women at the beach camp).

Hillary asserts that if Rousseau were alive in the present day, she would remember Jin in the same way Desmond remembered seeing Faraday in the past. Good point...

Danielle Rousseau & Robert
Both Brad and JRkinsella pointed out that Rousseau had removed the firing pin from Robert's gun.

Thank you - I'd missed that while looking down to take notes (remind me to never watch Lost live again w/o a DVR)!

That being said, I still believe that the island wasn't ready for Rousseau to die...because of her unborn child Alex. Hillary doesn't remember Alex doing anything significant, but I think her role and death in the Ben/Widmore 'rule changing' game was huge and will ultimately affect the outcome of the island and the Losties.

Desmond & Eloise Hawking
LoriS and KissMyApocalypse believe that Desmond recognized Hawking in that last scene at the church.

I agree, and SHE did not seem at all surprised to see him with Ben and some of the Oceanic Six. But what will she make of her prophecy about/for him? Desmond DID marry Penny but he also pressed that button to save the world (for a time).

Faraday
Hillary asks...did Faraday tell Pierre Chang/Dr. Candle about the where the well was, which is why the Dharma Institute built the Orchid in that location? Was he pretending not to know Chang during the construction scene to assure that no one figured out they knew each other?

It is quite probably that Faraday was the one to alert Chang to the whereabouts of the well. I'm not sure when those two actually met and interacted, but it certainly sounds like Faraday is the one videotaping Chang in the Barracks video that aired last summer at Comic-Con.

Four Toed Statue
Hillary thinks that whoever was making the 4-toed statue messed up, and for whatever reason didn’t correct and finish it. And that the writers are just having fun with us over-analyzers. I theorized that the statue is somehow related to The Temple.

Honestly...Darlton have said that they originally wanted it to have 6 toes, but ABC preferred 4. And the man who created the model of the 4-toed statue which was used on the set and show said in a podcast that it was changed from 6 to 4 because it was difficult to differentiate a regular 5 toed foot to a 6 toed foot. Regardless, I believe that they will somehow weave its significance into the series before the end of next season.

Jacob
Hillary is also curious if Jacob hates technology because of the H bomb.
I'd always assumed that Jacob's existence on the island pre-dated the bomb era, and that he's from a much earlier generation that never embraced modern conveniences. Or he's an 'it' or a ghost and it's all irrelevant.

And to answer her inquiry whether or not Jacob is the island's God...I certainly hope not. It seems to easy. Hillary wants to know if the sacrifices that the Island demands are parallel to Jesus being sacrificed. For that, I will step aside and let those with a stronger religious background ponder and answer.

Locke
Hillary wants to know how Locke knows that the O6 are alive.

That crossed my mind as well. If I had to guess, he flashed forward in time during a shift and saw them arrive back on the island (via Ajira Air).

Miles
TheFanta made an interesting observation about Miles' behavior during the last two episodes. Among the many deceased people on the island that he could communicate with...was Charlotte one of them? Did he skip forward in time (either with or w/o the others in Marooned 5) and encounter her spirit?

The Oceanic Six Hillary wants to know why Claire and Charlotte both warned not to bring Aaron and Sun (respectively) back to the island, if they’re all supposed to come back. If the Island/Jacob is far reaching enough to prevent Jack and Michael from killing themselves, to allow Jack to see his dad, for Kate to see Claire and Hurley to visit with Charlie...why would it send conflicting messages?

That is a very good point. Did anyone else receive similar warnings that we simply haven't seen yet? It seems that a certain subset of Ghosts (Christian, Ana Lucia) are working toward a common goal - to get the O6 to return. The other Ghosts (Charlie, Claire) seem to want the opposite.

My curious friend Hillary also asked...if the 06 weren’t supposed to leave, why were they able to? Why didn’t Ben know?

And my question is, why DID the island allow them to leave? Was it a test to see if their collective character had changed? Second chances? And did Ben know that they'd have to return as a group at some point?

Hillary also wondered...if Sayid is working with Ben, why tell Hurley ‘to do the opposite’? Because he knows he was taken advantage of after his wife died and is now in too deep to get out of working with Ben? He tells Ben he had to make sure Hurley was safe, but doesn’t say safe from who/what. Widmore would be the best guess.

I never considered WHO Sayid was keeping Hurley safe from. Widmore is a logical guess, and so is Abaddon. Had Abaddon visited any of the other O6 or just Hurley (because he was safely locked up in the mental institution)? Was Sayid aware of Abaddon?

Smokey
I asked how Robert knew that Smokey was a security system for The Temple, and Hillary said that he and his crew were 'compromised' when they went to save Montand.

I do not necessarily think that is the case...my interpretation was that Robert stated it more as a fact than a guess, and assessed it as such after one encounter with Smokey (whereas our somewhat clueless Losties never speculated it to be after many run-ins). I simply got the feeling that Robert knew more about the island than we were led to believe and that there was more to him than even Rousseau knew.

Hillary also thinks that Nadine may have been killed by Smokey because she was too close to The Temple. I tend to disagree only because she was disposed of in the same way as Flight 815 pilot Seth Norris...perhaps Smokey held her responsible for bringing her crew of strangers to the island and/or crashing there too. Of course neither death relates at all to how or why Smokey killed Eko.

Time Shifts
I speculated that the pushing of the button every 108 minutes in the Swan hatch released energy which was building up below the island and powering the Frozen Donkey Wheel; that it caused the island to dislodge and result in time shifts.

Hillary pointed out that the young Widmore era would have been familiar with the time shifts...so why wouldn’t they believe them when they said they’re from the future?

I believe that young Widmore and Ellie were from/in an earlier era on the island than the Dharma workers beneath the Orchid that made fun of time travel when Faraday was there. In addition, I think that only the upper echelon of Dharma were aware of the island's many capabilities and were privy to that kind of intel.
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I really appreciate all of your feedback, and look forward to it every week. If you ever want to share a thought or theory but are too shy to post it, please email me and I will do so anonymously on your behalf.

We are heading to THE island tomorrow...much more to come very soon!

Aloha! LOST Thoughts from Hawaii about "This Place is Death" (Episode 5.05)

Aloha from Maui, Lost fans! I am currently blogging from the balcony of our hotel, which is equally ridiculous and comfortable. We are in Maui this week, and will be going to Oahu for the Lost Tour on Tuesday!

As usual, below are my initial thoughts and theories about tonight's episode, "This Place is Death." Upon a second viewing, my plan is post further analysis (yes, even while on vacation). And please excuse the lack of photos that accompany this post; in the interest of time, I thought it was more important simply get these questions out before morning.

I say 'wow' quite often after new episodes, and this was no exception. I am struggling to wrap my head around the connections and threads through time, and am so impressed with the direction and story thus far in S5.

BLACK SMOKE MONSTER

How did Robert (Rousseau's baby daddy) know that Smokey was a security system for the Temple?

Smokey does not arbitrarily kill just anyone on the island...so what was Nadine's particular crime against humanity/the island?

Is Smokey (or its functionality) affected by the time shifts at all?

FROZEN DONKEY WHEEL

Were the time shifts occurring because the wheel had become dislodged from its axis? Will they stop now that Locke turned the wheel?

NOSEBLEEDS

Locke has been on the island as long as Sawyer...is he immune to them because of his role/destiny on the island?

THE ORCHID

HUGE shout out to Lost fan Doug D. Not only did he recently read "The Little Prince," but he left this insightful comment about the similarities between the book and the show on my blog BEFORE tonight's episode aired:

Hey Jo, I wanted to see what you think about what I've been throwing around about the "Little Prince" title for the episode.

If you haven't read the Little Prince, there are spoilers about the book below.

I think that the Little Prince was a reference to Locke. We are thought to believe that it is Aaron because he is a young boy. But there are so many things that point to Locke. I've only read the book once, so I'm probably missing a lot, it is a great read.

Now some of this might be a little out there, but here goes.

1) The story starts off with the Little Prince wanting the pilot to draw a sheep, the pilot ends up putting the sheep in a box. I think maybe Locke understands the "magic box" now.
2) His search for 6 people, just like Locke's trip to get the O6 to return:
geographer - Hurley
businessman - Sun
Lamplighter - Sayid
drunkard - Jack
King - Ben
Conceited Man - Kate

3) The Little Prince is always asking questions and will not give up until he gets his answer. Sounds a lot like Locke.

4) On Earth the Prince meets a Fox, he tells him about taming things. I think the fox is either the island itself or Smokey.

5) And of course the snake says that the Little Prince must die to return home. Sounds like the advice that Richard gave Locke...

Doesn't it look like there is a well in next weeks promo, similar to the well the little prince finds in the story...

I'm sure there is a lot more in the story, and I need to re-read it.

So kudos to you, Doug, because there is indeed a well and it is integral.

THE TEMPLE

In Season 1, Rousseau said that Montand lost him arm in the Dark Territory. Is it called that because Smokey surrounds and guards The Temple?

It seems odd that Keamy and his mercenaries were at The Temple when they shot and killed Karl and Rousseau in the future...where was Smokey during that time?

Ben sent the remaining Others to The Temple at one point. Is that where Flight Attendant Cindy and tail section kids Zach & Emma are? What about Goodwin's wife Harper?

Is a clue to the 4 toed statue inside of The Temple? It can't be a coincidence that Charlotte is an archaeologist and someone who made reference to a leader around 200 BC.

It seems that unlike the hatches and stations, The Temple was not created by Dharma. So who built it, and how long ago?

AARON

Does Kate bring him back to the island?

BEN

Is his fate controlled by the island as well? If Sun had pulled the trigger, would the gun have jammed?

I love that it's his fault that the 'very bad things' are happening on the island, and not the O6; because HE left. Is that really why he's working so hard to get everyone back there?

Will he be able to return to the island even after turning the Frozen Donkey Wheel, because he wasn't supposed to be the one to do it?

When Ben first discovered that Daniel Faraday was one of the Freighter Four who had landed on the island, was he already working with or aware of Faraday's mom (Hawking)?

WHEN did Ben visit Locke, and was it on or off the island? Did Locke willingly hand over Jin's ring and try to sell Ben on the story?

Does Ben go after Penny now that Desmond has entered the picture and he knows where to find him?

CHARLOTTE

How/why does she speak Korean? Did Faraday instruct her to learn the language in the past, knowing that it would come in handy on the island in the future?

How did Charlotte know about the well? Given her age, she was probably on the island after Dr. Candle instructed the Dharma workers to avoid the Frozen Donkey Wheel. So where was the well during that period?

Could Eloise Hawking be her mother too? It can't be a coincidence that both Charlotte and Faraday only make reference to their mothers. If they are brother and sister, their relationship will have been creepier than Shannon and Boone's.

Given that she mentioned Carthage, which is present day Tunisia (where she discovered a Dharma polar bear collar before going back to the island)...

DANIEL FARADAY

Exactly when and how did he and Charlotte become close? It struck me as odd that he didn't know about her island upbringing and language skills.

Back when he was the mean, evil man who warned young Charlotte to never return to the island because she'd die...was he working with or for Alpert, Ben or Widmore?

DANIELLE ROUSSEAU & CREW

Why would an 8 months pregnant woman embark on a research trip in the first place?

What kind of scientists travel with that kind of fire power?

In the future, will she remember encountering Jin 16 years earlier?

Was her crew actually sick? Did Smokey have any affect on their mental capacity?

Is Robert really Alex's father? He didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on Danielle, who was pregnant with his alleged daughter.

DESMOND

Does he recognize Eloise Hawking from his visit with her in the past (when she told him that pushing that button would save the world)?

Does he return to the island as well? If so, do Penny & Charlie come with him?

ELOISE HAWKING (I recently explored her possibilities here)

Given that we saw young soldier Ellie on the island, isn't it possible that Faraday was born there too? If so, why is he immune to the time shift sickness/nosebleeds?

Could Charles Widmore be Faraday's father? Why else would he be financially backing Faraday's research?

JACOB

He is remarkably absent during all of the time shifts. What was his/its role on the island during each era?

LOCKE

After Locke turns the Frozen Donkey Wheel, WHEN is he?

Even though she and Ji Yeon were in Korea before he died, did Locke visit her as Bentham and lie about Jin being alive?

MATTHEW ABADDON

I realize that Lance Reddick is busy over on Fringe, but Abaddon has been noticeably absent during the O6 reunion. He doesn't seem to be involved with their return yet he was the one who recruited the Freighter Four for Widmore. Does he really represent Oceanic?

MILES

IF he is the son of Pierre Chang (Dr. Marvin Candle) and was also born on the island, wouldn't he be experiencing the effects at a more rapid rate like Charlotte?

He was the first one to allude to the fact that Charlotte was born on the island...and yet he can't recall whether or not he was. Does he know about Charlotte's past because he's communicated with a deceased relative on the island?

SUN & JI YEON

Does Sun bring Ji Yeon back to the island with her? If they have less than 70 hours to return, that would give her time to fly her to LA from Korea.

Why tell her daughter that she has a new friend (Aaron) unless she knew/thought the two would ever actually meet? I didn't exactly get a warm and fuzzy feeling of sincerity when Sun was 'helping' Kate in the last episode.

If Sun really believes that Jin is alive, will she continue to work with Widmore to kill Ben? If not, will she continue to let him believe that she is?

I BELIEVE THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE

Aaron Austen/Littleton. Ji Yeon Kwan. Charlie Hume. And let's not forget about Walt. They HAVE to be significant to the future of the island and conclusion of the series entirely.

DID YOU NOTICE...

Jin told pregnant Danielle not to go after/save Robert from Smokey, just as Jack told pregnant Sun not to go after/save Jin on the freighter.

Robert told his crew that they "don't leave anyone behind" when he went after Montand and Smokey, and Jack apologized to Jin...for leaving him behind (on the freighter). Live together, die alone (in both cases).

Robert's gun jammed when he intended to shoot Danielle; the island was not ready for her to die.

A boat at the Long Beach marina is called Illusion.

Christian Shephard told Locke that his death would be a sacrifice. Locke referred to Boone's death as "a sacrifice that the island demanded."

CRAZY THEORY OF THE NIGHT

The pushing of the button every 108 minutes in the Swan hatch DID serve a purpose...it released energy which was building up on or below the island; energy that propels/powers the Frozen Donkey Wheel and causes the island dislodging and resulting time shifts. That is why Hawking met with Desmond in the past, to assure him that pushing that button would save them all.
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I've never needed to watch an episode again more than this one. Perhaps it is my current locale or state of mind, but my usual process is particularly slow this evening. I will be downloading it from iTunes in the morning and hope to re-watch before this weekend.

Thank you for your patience! Please feel free to illuminate me with your brilliant theories and poke holes in my exhausted attempts.

The "Sickness," The Vaccine & Nosebleeds: An Exploration

As usual, I have no idea if any of this weaves together. But there has to be at least a sliver of correlation between the Dharma vaccine, the 'sickness' and the nosebleeds...

THE VACCINE

When we first met him, Desmond had been living on the island in the Swan hatch for three years and injected himself with a Dharma vaccine every 9 days (but did not know why; bunk mate Kelvin informed him that it was necessary to avoid the 'sickness').

Juliet has been on the island for just over three years, and is now experiencing the nosebleeds. Which leads me to believe that the vaccine may actually serve as an immunity to averse affects from the shifts back and forward in time...and Juliet was never vaccinated.

Remember that upon Ben's arrival on the island with his dad during the early Dharma days, all new Dharma employees and residents were injected with an unknown substance. And given Ben's lack of symptoms and many years on the island...it seems to make sense that the vaccination prevents time shift illness.

Side note: I believe that both the fertility vaccination that Juliet used on her sister Rachel and the injection that Ethan gave pregnant Claire are separate formulas from the one discussed above.

NOSEBLEEDS

In addition to those who are currently experiencing nosebleeds during the time shifts (Charlotte, Juliet & Miles), we have also seen other nosebleeds occur under different circumstances. However, it appears that at least on the freighter and due to a specific proximity to the island, a connection with one's Constant is the fix.

Ben's Dharma purge (gas from the Tempest was released)

Desmond on the freighter

Dharma worker beneath the Orchid

Horace Goodspeed during Locke's dream/vision

Minkowski on the freighter

Out of these four examples, I am primarily interested in the unknown Dharma worker. Was he simply affected at that very moment because he'd been on the island a certain amount of time, or was it because of his Frozen Donkey Wheel discovery and proximity? And why wasn't that particular Dharma employee injected with the vaccine upon his arrival on the island?

DISCREPANCIES

Faraday seems to think that the nosebleeds directly relate to how long one has been on the island. But Rousseau's crew was only on the island for 2 months when they started experiencing the sickness. So if that is the case, the 'sickness' and nosebleeds are not related and you can simply ignore this post entirely. :)

On the freighter, Dr. Ray injected Minkowski with an unknown substance when he started to experience the effects of mental teleportation...but Minkowski had the nosebleed after receiving the shot.

QUESTIONS

• If the island dictates when someone dies (i.e. when they're finished working on its behalf), does it also control if and when someone experiences time shift illness?

• Many of us are assuming that both Charlotte and Miles were born on the island and are possibly children of Dharma...and that they were getting nosebleeds because of that fact. But isn't it unlikely that Juliet was born/raised there too?

• Is it possible that Charlotte, Miles and Juliet do NOT have Constants? I would think that Juliet's sister would be hers...
  

• Was it Ben's decision to no longer vaccinate/immunize Others after he killed off the Dharma folk? Did he want some of his people to have a short shelf life on the island? Even Juliet?

• Since Richard Alpert is ageless, is he immune to the sickness and nosebleeds? What about the rest of the remaining Hostiles?

• Would Paik or Widmore Industries be the manufacturer/supplier of the vaccination?

• Back in Season 3, after Jack, Kate and Sawyer were taken to the smaller Hydra Island and put in the tank and cages (respectively)...Jack and Kate awoke to discover band aids on their arms; both were made to look like their blood was taken, but were they possibly injected with a highly concentrated dose of the vaccination? And if so, why them? Sawyer did not have a band aid but he could have been injected with the same thing when Ben pretended to have placed a pacemaker in his chest.

I'm sure that after I post this, many more related incidents will pop into my head that I'd wished I'd included. Alas, I have vacation brain and am hours away from flying to Hawaii. I'm sure that you'll hear more from me in the next 10 days than you ever really wanted to.

Aloha!

LOST, Episode 5.04 - "The Little Prince"

First of all, thank you for your patience and for not spoiling anything for me! I was excited and impressed to be able to watch Lost the day after it aired without knowing an iota about what was going to happen.

Second, I am insane. Rather than enjoying a free afternoon outside by the pool in Palm Springs, I am inside my hotel room watching and writing about the show. Priorities, people!

Third...this entry is dedicated to Neal G. in NYC because it's his birthday. Neal once wrote me an epic email about why he reads this blog; it is printed out and hangs on my home office bulletin board to remind me exactly why I do this and love it. So happy birthday Neal, and thank you!

Fourth...wow. What an episode.

Below are some initial thoughts and questions. This is an abbreviated and preliminary post; I don't have time to go into great detail but will dedicate myself to it this weekend.

Obviously since this is a day later, many of my questions and theories will have been either answered or debunked. But I still wanted to get them out of my system immediately following a first viewing and before reading any other blogs and articles.

AJIRA AIRWAYS

I get that this is a tie-in to the Alternate Reality Game and experience, but I have to say that I find it distracting and not organic at all to the episode and show. Unless it relates to my crazy theory (posted at the end)...

BESIXDOUZE

This is a French word for asteroid and refers to the asteroid that "The Little Prince" lives on in the book. Of the myriad possibilities which might explain the crux of Lost, I will not be ascribing to the one which posits that the island is an asteroid. FYI. Then again, there are volcanoes on asteroids and we know of one in particular on the island...

I do find it fascinating that Besixdouze translates to B Six Twelve. It made me think about vitamins. And because everything on Lost is related, I had to research them. Vitamin B6 is essential for pregnant women...and pregnant Rousseau crashed on the Island of Infertility. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in the brain and nervous system...and those experiencing nosebleeds on the island are due to the neurological fluctuations caused by the time shifts.

It also can't be a coincidence that they chose a word which contains the word Six. Not only because of the Oceanic 6, but because there were six members in Rousseau's crew.

DARTS

The men who are after Sayid have used darts rather than guns; clearly they are not interested in killing him. Who has an interest in keeping him alive to use him? Abaddon? Widmore?

NOSEBLEEDS & "THE SICKNESS"

I was quite surprised to see Juliet experience a nosebleed. I assumed both Charlotte and Miles had them because they were born on the island, but Juliet has only been there for 3 years. Don't tell me she's a Dharma Daughter too...

Is there a correlation between the hemorrhaging that occurs during a time shift nosebleed and the hemorrhage that occurs when one enters the live sonic fence near the barracks?

Does Rousseau's crew actually die from a sickness or was it related to the time shifts? They weren't on the island for very long. In S1, Rousseau blamed the Others for infecting them. Will we see that happen?

AARON

Even though Jack told Kate that "Aaron is my family too," we still don't know if he told her that he's Aaron's uncle. She might think that he's referring to his feelings toward Aaron that developed when she and Jack were a couple.

CAROLE LITTLETON (Claire's mom)

Was she really in LA to receive her Oceanic settlement?

CLAIRE

In the time shift when Sawyer saw Kate deliver Claire's baby, why weren't Jin and Charlie there? In that S1 episode, both were right nearby watching.

DAN NORTON (Attorney)

Was he representing Oceanic or Claire's mom in her settlement? Given that he also represents Ben...it will be very interesting to find out either way.

DANIELLE ROUSSEAU

She and her crew crashed on the island 16 years ago. Rousseau gave birth to Alex a few days later, and Ben allegedly 'adopted' her shortly thereafter. So will Jin encounter a young Ben?

The voice repeating the iterations on the walkie talkie was male. Does Rousseau attempt to create a similar distress signal after her crew gets sick?

JACK

Note to women: when Jack Shephard says he can 'fix' something...run.

JIN

After he jumped or was blown off the freighter, his body wound up inside the radius.

Will he remain alive and eventually reunite with the Marooned 5?

KATE

Really, Kate? Of the men you mention who've died from Flight 815 on or because of the island, you care more about Michael than Boone? Does she forgive Michael for killing Libby & Ana Lucia because she would have done the same for Aaron?

MONTAND (French scientist/crew member)

So we finally meet the man who eventually loses an arm near the Dark Territory. Was it chopped off by one of the militant hostiles who wanted to lop off Juliet's hand?

Did he lose him arm in the same way or at the same time as Dr. Marvin Candle?

ROSE & BERNARD

Did they really take the Zodiac raft, and was Vincent with them?

SAYID

Who is after Sayid? The men who were working with Elsa (his German con girl), the men whom Ben was having Sayid assasinate from his mysterious list?

SUN

Is she after Ben or Jack?

Did Widmore provide the intel and gun?

DID YOU NOTICE...

The Rousseau Raft is shaped like a Dharma logo.

And I was unable to locate a screen capture of it, but I believe that there was only one wrapped red foil chocolate among the other chocolates in Sun's Gun Box. The use of red (at least in black and white films) is usually symbolic of impending danger or death.

CRAZY-ISH THEORY OF THE DAY

The Oceanic Six finally return to the island...on Ajira Airways. The fresh bottled water on the beach in the canoes is theirs. Using Ms. Hawking's coordinates, they are able to land/parachute/crash on the island during the event window that she calculated would occur after 70 hours from their present time off island.

There are many parallels between the title of this episode and the book itself; I believe that Aaron is the Little Prince who finally returns home. On Ajira. To the island.
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I have so much more to discuss, but not enough time to do so today. Please stay tuned for further analysis sooner than later.

And I am thrilled to be able to watch next week's episode and then blog about it while in Maui. A few days later, I will be embarking upon the 8 hour Lost tour on Oahu and providing many updates and photos!

FYI: Blog Delay This Week (Ep 5.04, "The Little Prince")

Hi Lost friends. This is just an FYI that I will be out of town on business and unable to watch Lost and post thoughts this week until late Thursday afternoon (PST). Of course I will remain offline from Wednesday on...to avoid all spoilers, recaps and theories.

Thank you in advance for your patience (I'm talking to you, Neal Gold)!

:)
Jo