Sunday, July 26, 2009

Exhausted Analysis & Recap of the Last LOST Panel at Comic-Con 09

I just returned from San Diego Comic-Con and had an absolutely incredible time before, during and after the Lost panel. This is my recap and analysis of the panel and experience leading up to it. UPDATE: DocArzt has posted my video of the entire Lost panel here (with the exception of the Lost University and Mysteries of the Universe videos; links to those are below)!


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, thank you very much for all of your extremely nice comments on FB & Twitter while I was there! And a huge shout out of gratitude to Bonnie, Mary Anne and Frank, who were kind enough to don my new Lost Fan tees and be on my 'team.'

Frank and his wife Linda are awesome - they got in line for the Lost panel at 6pm on Friday night, and saved a spot for me! I joined them at midnight, and we had a great time chatting with fellow Lost fans for hours (no, I did not sleep a wink). And not only did my better half agree to attend Comic-Con for the first time, she wore my tee every single day and took some amazing photos at the panel! I also need to thank everyone on Twitter and in line who participated in my Lost Trivia game, and give a belated virtual hug to my friend TheODI (who helped me gather the attention of the tired masses to play along).

I attended Comic-Con as official press, representing the site TVOvermind, on which I am a contributing writer. I was able to participate in the press sessions following both the FlashForward and Lost panels. TVOvermind is one of Jon's (DocArzt) sites, and while there is no way I will ever truly be able to thank him for this opportunity, I was able to snag one of the limited edition bloody Ben Linus bobbleheads for him as a start. :)

THE PANEL

It is hard to describe the energy in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center, the enthusiasm of 6500 Lost fans & press, and the general fervor for the last ever panel featuring our favorite series. But it was electric and exciting to say the least.

I forget the order, but they showed two new videos at the beginning of the panel. The first was a Dharma documentary called Mysteries of the Universe. This video is going to be one of the most talked about and over analyzed for months to come, because it was chock full of Easter Eggs and potential clues. The very first was the statement that "they look like us, they talk like us, they walk among us, yet they are not us." Consider the whole 'us vs. them' mentality and that (in Season 3) we learn that one of Jack's tattoos reads "he walks among us, but is not one of us." HELLO! Conspiracy theorists, start your engines.

The video also mentions secret societies, and that a new clandestine organization has formed (The DI). The pseudo television series Mysteries of the Universe: The Dharma Initiative floats the following words at the end of the video: alien life forms, paranormal activity, monsters, ancient cultures, conspiracy, cults. Now I know they're messing with my head, because while they have addressed almost all of those topics, I would be VERY surprised if they ever went in the direction of outer space. My biggest fear for Lost is that it would end in the style of that last Indiana Jones film; yikes!

One of the next videos to roll was an ad for what appears to the new ARG (alternate reality game), Lost University. Click here to view the official video and site, which has some very interesting suggested reading materials for those of you who enjoyed the Lost Book Club. Nice polar bear mascot on the school logo, by the way.

When the lights dimmed and they announced Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (who entered, appropriately, to The Final Countdown), the venue erupted in applause. Darlton verified what I'd already heard, that this was indeed the last ever Lost panel, and I tend to believe them. Those both in front of the camera and behind the scenes on the series will have moved on to other television shows and films by this time next year, and logistically it would be quite challenging to arrange another Lost panel (despite obvious clamoring for one by lifetime fans).

That they decided to highlight fan-generated content at the panel is a real indication of their unique relationship with the people who support their series. The montage of clips created by very clever fans was very entertaining, and I applaud their creativity.

Of course we knew that there was no way that Darlton were going to actually have the final scene of the entire series written down, let alone in their possession. So when they pretended to lock it up in yet another mystery box, I knew we were in for a treat later.

To be honest, I usually dread the audience question portion of any panel, because of those who choose to waste every one's time with questions that were clearly not well thought out. However, I was very pleased with the inquires and statements from this particular panel. When the first two people asked about the possible similarities between Seasons 1 and 6, we were all very happy to hear their response:
"There is a good chance that you'll be seeing many characters that you haven't seen since the first season."
And then actor/comedian Paul Scheer (Human Giant) appeared at the mic! I'm not sure that everyone in the audience recognized him or realized that he was a plant, but his shtick was hysterical nonetheless. Basically, he presented Darlton with velvet panting of them with a white polar bear and gave us the name of the website accompanying it; check out Damon Carlton And A Polar Bear. Love it.

The second (real) fan question resulted in yet another outburst of applause, because Darlton said the following:
"Technically speaking, if Jack and crew were successful, it could mean that Faraday would be happily married...You could be seeing Faraday on the show."

I love how they keep changing the rules of the game on Lost; that every season premiere and finale are mind-blowing and unexpected is one of the main reasons that I absolutely love the show. So when Darlton said that they are doing something different in Season 6, I was not surprised. We've had flashbacks, flashforwards and time shifts...so I'm on board for whatever new method of storytelling they choose for the final season.

I would love to hear the 100 submissions of original music that ABC received for their Lost Theme Song contest, because the winning song was pretty impressive. UPDATE: here is a link to the song by the first runner-up (which I really like): Kawnar's "Where We Are."

As for the "commercials" that played, I will point you in Doc's direction. He has posted the Hurley & Oceanic videos, as well as the Kate video. There is already some fascinating speculation about the underlying meaning of the content in each of these videos, and after I recover from Comic-Con I plan to address them in detail as well.

When Jorge Garcia appeared at the mic, it was a fantastic surprise to almost everyone there (many had seen him attempt to walk the exhibition floor a day earlier). He asked Darlton if the commercials indicate that Jack's actions in the S5 finale worked and flight 815 didn't crash. Darlton's response? "Trust us." Jorge's comeback? "The last time you told me to trust you guys, you said that Nikki and Paolo were going to be awesome." Classic!

And I was thrilled when Darlton reiterated that only the questions "that matter" will be answered by the time the series ends. I have been guilty of this in the past, but I really think that people need to come to terms with the fact that some smaller details may remain mysteries because they are insignificant to the larger picture.

When we heard the distinctive voice of Benjamin Linus, we knew were were about to experience the brilliance of Michael Emerson in the flesh. He and Jorge traded barbs back and forth at the mic, and it was so damn funny. I got an instant visual reminder of the great scene between Ben and Hurley outside of Jacob's cabin, when they shared an Apollo bar. Jorge told the audience that Emerson originally wanted to play Hurley, and then proceeded to show us Emerson's audition tape. It featured Emerson in a bandanna, reading one of Hurley's scenes in a very non-Ben and non-Hurley way; rather blandly. It was fantastic.

Emerson and Jorge then joined Darlton on stage, and we were told that we would be treated to more Richard Alpert in the final season, as well as his backstory.

"As one might infer, Richard's flashback is fairly involved."
So of course I am hoping we'll see just how the Black Rock landed in the middle of the island, and Alpert's association with it.

My favorite fan question of the panel was from the dude in the Dharma suit who said that he cried like a girl when Juliet died. I feel your pain, man. I cried too. He asked if Juliet was okay, and if not...can they make her okay? Imagine my joy from Darlton's response:
"This returns to the idea of whether or not her detonating the bomb had the desired effect. And if it did, my guess would be that she's okay. Elizabeth Mitchell will be on Lost in the final season."
Next, legendary Comic-Con reporter/comedian Bob Stencil put on a brief theatrical performance at the mic, complete with fake nose bleed and "hold on, I need my Constant," followed by the opening of a Dharma beer. Darlton are obviously familiar with him, because they gave him a custom Bob Stencil hatch t-shirt!

The next fan question was one I knew that would not receive an upfront response - if Jacob's nemesis MysteryMan/NotLocke was named Esau. Darlton had Emerson answer, and he was as vague as they tend to be. While his name is probably not Esau, those who believe he is are heading in the right direction.

After a fan inquired about Nestor Carbonell and eyeliner, they showed my favorite video of the day...Carbonell sitting at a dressing room vanity table, talking to himself in the mirror: "Richard Alpert's not immortal. You are." And then he proceeds to put on eyeliner, and freaks out when he discovers it is cobalt because he only uses Onyx. Priceless. Carbonell then appeared on stage, which was a nice surprise.

Hurley 1 & Hurley 2 (Stuart); TheODI & I arranged for them to meet in line & both asked questions at the panel

Hurley look-a-like Stuart, who many Lost fans recognize from previous Comic-Con appearances, then made a very nice statement to the panel about the fond memories of the show and camaraderie with fellow fans. He also asked about the Dharma food drop from Season 2, and Darlton said they are going to address that in the final season. Check that mystery off of your list, kids. [sidenote: I interviewed Stu after last year's panel; he is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet]

Another cool Hurley look-a-like (who was handing out leis to fellow fans in line before the panel and greeting them with "Namaste!") asked Darlton about how much of the Dharma Initiative we'll see in S6, and basic response was - very little.

The last fan question was regarding Jacob, and if he ever appeared to the Losties as any other image other than himself. The answer was no, but I wish someone would have asked the same about MysteryMan/NotLocke! Then Darlton gave him a wooden statue of Claire's migratory bird because he said the secret word (Claire). I thought for sure that Emile de Ravin was going to walk out on stage at that point, but unfortunately I was wrong.

Darlton gave shout outs to their entire team, who have worked so hard behind the scenes for the last five years; it was a very nice gesture, and classy.

When they said that they had one more surprise guest, the possibilities seemed endless (of course I was hoping for Liz Mitchell). But when they showed a montage of Sawyer clips, the audience went understandably wild. Josh Holloway is definitely a fan favorite, and certainly deserved that kind of response after his stellar S5 performance.

Holloway is so damn charming in person; he OWNED that room (and the same could be said for the press room; more on that later). He pointed to Nestor's seat and said "the make-up chair's right there." Ha!

Holloway brought out a taser and pretended to zap Damon with it in order to steal the key to open the mystery box containing the last scene from the series finale. He called Carlton "Lurch" and said "I will shock your friend J.J. Abrams here again!" And then he called Damon "Linda" and put his hand in a pitcher of water. SO great. Carlton also gave up his key, opened the box and handed Holloway the alleged scene.

Emerson took the scene from Holloway, saying "oh my God, you don't know how to read, do you?" We found out that it was actually a scene from Heroes when Emerson mentioned the names Sylar and Parkman. The very best line of the panel? When Emerson said, "What the f*ck is this?!"

While I know this little act wasn't intended to be a dig at the other series (because Darlton are friends with some of their creative team), it does point out in glaring spotlight just how far Heroes has fallen...compared to the consistently stellar writing, acting and production on Lost season after season.

After Darlton thanked the fans for their many years of support, they showed a touching tribute (In Memoriam) of the characters who have died on Lost. Now, given that they had just revealed that we'd be seeing both Faraday and Juliet in S6...I am quite intrigued that Faraday was among those in the video but Juliet was not.

The last special guest of the panel appeared immediately following Charlie's death scene in the tribute video - Dominic Monaghan! The crowd basically gave him a standing ovation but they did not have time for him to address the audience. [sidenote: if you're interested, here is my footage of Dom in the FlashForward press room just after he was announced as a new member of that cast, fielding questions about Lost and FF. I inquired whether or not he'd been cast on FF when he filmed that infamous ABC promo video tease..]

The panel came to a close as Dom gave his friends a hug on stage. It was over too quickly, but none of us will ever forget that hour of our lives.

BEHIND THE SCENES

After the panel, I headed to the press room. It was quite crowded, as you can imagine it would be for such a popular and final season series. Many online and print media outlets were there, and everyone was very polite about sharing the small spaces to listen in as cast members answered a few questions each.

While I did not have the opportunity to ask a question due to limited time with each actor, I was able to film some responses from Nestor Carbonell, Jorge Garcia and Josh Holloway. Apologies for the poor audio; as you can see, the press room was packed and there was not much room between interview tables. Unfortunately, time ran out before we were able to sit with Michael Emerson.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I was VERY pleased with the Lost panel and it exceeded my expectations by a mile. It was full of laughs and nostalgia, but I think I'm in denial that this is the last one. I would spend the night in line again in a heartbeat because it was worth every minute of it. The number of cast members that appeared was impressive and we appreciated it so much. I really loved how they introduced each surprise guest, rather than simply bringing them out on stage all at once. I realize how very lucky we were to be among the 6500 people who were there to experience this in person, and it is a memory that I will cherish.

Thank you again for following me on Twitter and being such a great reading audience! I truly appreciate all of your comments and loved meeting so many of you in person this week.

-Jo

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Elizabeth Mitchell at Comic-Con

As most of you know, I have an unlimited supply of love for Juliet on Lost and overall admiration for Elizabeth Mitchell. So earlier today when I had the opportunity to ask her a question at the Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women - Female Power Icons panel, I jumped at the chance.

I am in San Diego covering many television panels as press at Comic-Con for TVOvermind, but took this opportunity to address Mitchell directly because I will not be able to do so following the V panel on Saturday.

The truth? My heart was racing, my knees were knocking and everything I had thoughtfully planned out to say to her flew out the window when I approached the microphone. The convention staff are very strict and insist upon actual questions rather than statements, so that threw me off course. But I was not about to be stymied, so I managed to say a little something to her AND throw in a question at the end. I believe it sounded like this...
"Elizabeth Mitchell. I am your biggest Lost fan, in a non-stalker kind of way. I even designed my red t-shirt in your honor. I've loved you since Gia and can't wait for V. My question is this: what has the transition been like from working on Lost in Hawaii to the set of V? Thank you!"
It is a blur at this point, but I was relieved to have received a laugh from both her and the audience with the stalker comment. Below is my favorite photo - my better half was able to capture her response to that:

And hey, a smile from Sigourney Weaver and giggle from Zoe Saldana aren't too bad either. :)

The above photo illustrates her reaction as I rambled on after declaring myself a non-stalker. For the record, she answered my question by basically saying that both sets are equally amazing to work on.

It was the best 30 seconds of my Comic-Con thus far, and a true Lost highlight in my life. And while I know that I will see Mitchell again at the V panel, I am still holding out hope that she'll make a surprise appearance at the Lost panel shortly before that...and I promise not to go near a microphone at either. :)

File this one under: had to share.

UPDATE: Click here to hear my question and watch Mitchell's reaction for yourself!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Authentic LOST Artifact Auction: Photo Preview from Comic-Con!

Hello from San Diego! I have posted the details here on DocArzt, but wanted to let you know that at the end of the sixth & final season of LOST...they are auctioning off a majority of the props and clothes used on the show from all six seasons! They have plans to cut pieces of the Oceanic Flight 815 plane into smaller pieces for fans to purchase, as well offer as a plethora of equally impressive items that true Lost fans are going to want on their shelves for a lifetime.

If you are here at Comic-Con as well, please let me know so we can find one another! And don't forget that my Twitter Trivia contest starts tomorrow; prizes include Lost tees, book club selections, DVDs & more.

More updates from the floor Thursday-Saturday! Oh, and keep your eyes & ears out for a new DocArzt podcast tomorrow where he reveals my little secret about the Lost panel this weekend...

-Jo


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

New LOST Logo for Comic-Con 09!

Several months ago on an unusually hot evening, I was standing in front of our oscillating fan and had an epiphany; I knew exactly what I wanted for a new Comic-Con Lost t-shirt this year. So I called upon my friend Brian, a graphic artist who designed the current logos for both of my sites, and he delivered once again.

I am and always will be a Lost Fan; it is a designation that I wear proudly. We all do. It's perfect.

When it was recently announced that Darlton & co. were planning to pay tribute to Lost fans at the Comic-Con panel, I laughed because of how relevant this logo turned out to be.

If you are going to be there, come find me! I have several hundred of these buttons to pass out at Comic-Con, and will be wearing this logo on a blood-red tee all week. Of course I had to go with a red shirt in honor of my girl Juliet. A few fellow fans & friends will be donning the shirts as well; I may have a few more available if you're interested in joining Team JOpinionated. :)

Just a few friendly reminders for Comic-Con:
  1. My LOST panel coverage will appear on DocArzt
  2. My other television panel coverage will appear on TVOvermind
  3. I am hosting a Twitter-based Lost trivia contest for Lost fans at SDCC
  4. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for frequent updates from San Diego, Wednesday-Saturday
If you have any questions, let me know! I will try to respond to all questions and comments via FB & Twitter while I'm there (if the free wi-fi in the convention center behaves).

Thanks!
-Jo

Monday, July 20, 2009

Lost ReWatch Week #7: Exodus Parts 1 &2, Man of Science Man of Faith & Adrift

Open your eyes and look within;
Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
Bob Marley, "Exodus"

This was a particularly enjoyable batch of ReWatch episodes; a stroll down memory lane and reminder of just how impactful and stellar the end of the first season was. The emotional exchange between Jin and Sun before he got on the raft, the handoff of Vincent from Walt to Shannon and the raft departure from the beach were just a few of the more poignant and beautiful scenes from the S1 finale.

And I really think that that opening scene of Season 2 is the best to date; watching the events unravel down in the hatch as the others break into it above, and meeting Desmond - phenomenal and still riveting.

Crossing Paths
  • Ana Lucia and Jack flirt at the airport bar before boarding Flight 815. We will later find out that she helped Jack's father Christian Shephard drink himself to death...which is why Jack came to Australia in the first place.
  • Although Michael didn't notice, Locke is getting wheeled past him in the airport.
  • Sayid asked Shannon to watch his bag at the airport; she turned him in to security.
  • When Michael was chasing Walt in the hotel room, Charlie was in the elevator.
  • When Hurley was trying to cut through security, Dr. Arzt was in line.
  • Before the crash, Jack and Desmond met while running at a stadium.
Dark Territory

When we met Mystery Man/NotLocke in the S5 finale, he approached Jacob on the beach from an undisclosed location. It is worth pondering whether or not he might reside in the Dark Territory. It would certainly fit with both the black & white and good vs. evil themes.

[sidenote: anyone else now wonder if Jacob and/or Mystery Man had anything to do with the Black Rock relocating from the ocean to the middle of the jungle? they were watching it at sea together, after all...]

Distracting Discrepancy

I very rarely complain about the occasional prop or inconsistency error because I don't find those elements to be distracting and the production staff is only human. However, seeing the brand new washer and dryer in the Swan in 2004 still stands out to because they are the only modern machines to ever appear on the show.

I seriously doubt that they were dropped off on a pallet or delivered via sub, and regardless - why those particular appliances? Jacob and the Others seemed to outright dislike and/or avoid modern technologies altogether (case in point: the archaic computers). No real overall significance....just pointing it out.

Games People Play

In Exodus, Part 2...the following conversation between Jack and Locke is obviously quite integral.

Locke: "You ever play Operation?"
Jack: "You like to play games, John?"
Locke: "Absolutely."

There are some of you who are very frustrated with my speculation about Jacob and Mystery Man's possible connection to the characters in the earlier seasons, but I do believe that the writers intended for us to second-guess everything that has happened with them in mind. That is why, in this particular scene, a smug Locke taunting Jack reminds me of Jacob's attitude toward Mystery Man on the beach.

By the way, the irony is not lost on me that Locke asked the doctor if he's ever played...operation.

Backgammon, Chess, Mousetrap, Risk. The boxman is quite the strategist.

Goosebump-Inducing Dialogue

Exodus, Part 1
Ana Lucia: "Jack, the worst part's over."
Exodus, Part 2
Mr. Paik's goon, to Jin: "You are not free. You never have been, never will be."

Sun: "Do you think we're being punished; the secrets we kept, the lies we told?"
Shannon: "Who do you think is punishing us?"
Sun: "Fate."
Open Water

I assume that Big Tom and his theatrically dirty team of Others on the boat that took Walt knew about the raft's whereabouts because Ben was alerted to their presence when the ladies in the Looking Glass station picked up a signal from the radar that Sayid put together for the raft.


Significant Firsts
  • Rousseau refers to Smokey as a security system.
  • We see the Black Rock ship.
  • Claire finally gives her son a name, Aaron.
  • Charlie encounters the Virgin Mary heroin-filled statues.
  • Jack and Locke determine that they are men of science and faith, respectively.
  • We find out that the woman Jack saves instead of Shannon's dad in the ER is his future wife, Sarah.
  • We get our first glimpse of NotWalt, as he appeared in the jungle to warn Shannon. {there are two prevailing theories here; a) that it was actually him, keeping in mind that Bea Klugh later tells Michael that Walt can appear in a place he's not supposed to be, and b) that it was a Smokey manifestation.}
  • It is revealed that Desmond is the man living in the Swan hatch.
  • We get our first look at a Dharma logo, their computer system and branded food supply.
  • Locke enters the numbers on the hatch computer for the first time.
The Swan: Season 1 & Season 5

I think it's safe to say that most of us had no idea just how important the original hatch was going to be to the show in the long run. Some of the parallels between the first and fifth season finales are fascinating.
  • In the S1 finale, Hurley asked Locke what he thought was inside and he answered "hope." Jack's decision to detonate Jughead in the Swan during construction in the S5 finale was based on hope as well.
  • In the S1 finale, Locke said that "the path ends at the hatch." The same was true for S5.
  • In the S1 finale, Jack needed reassurance from Kate that she "had his back." Sawyer repeatedly asked the same of Juliet toward the end of S5.
  • In the S1 finale, Jack said that "if we survive tonight, we're going to have a Locke problem." We all know that WHENEVER and wherever Jack & co. wind up to open S6, they will definitely have a Locke problem.
The Visual & The Visceral

As much as it pains me to revisit that scene, when Jack and Kate were rescuing Locke from Smokey's clutches as it tried to drag him down into a hole, it reminded me of Sawyer's attempt to do the same when Juliet was pulled into the Swan shaft.

And while Juliet was dragged down there by actual chains, in Locke's case we only heard the sounds of chains and pulleys when Smokey attacked him.

Michael gives young Walt a stuffed polar bear as a goodbye present. And then one chases Walt on the island.

Danielle Rousseau

I am now wondering if Rousseau was indeed responsible for the black pillar of smoke that she said the Others lit. First of all, the Others did not tend to advertise their whereabouts or plans.

Second, the only other time that smoke appeared was during a time shift back to the late 80's when Jin saw Rousseau shoot her baby daddy Robert (see distant plume in photo above).

Jack

I now wonder if Jack would have been able to perform the 'miracle' surgery that allowed his future wife Sarah to walk again had Jacob not made contact with him before that time, during his residency.

Perhaps all of Dr. Fix-It's successes since then have been nothing more than enabled victories due to the brief touch of the real miracle worker...

Locke

As ridiculous as it sounds, one of my favorite Locke moments of all time occurs in Man of Science, Man of Faith...when he corrects Kate's grammar. A tip of the cap to Mr. Lindelof for this little gem:
Kate: "Why do you want to go down there so bad?"
Locke: "-ly. Why do I want to go down there so badly."
Sawyer

The first real inkling that Sawyer has a heart underneath the gruff exterior comes during one of my favorite scenes of the entire series...when he tells Jack about his encounter and conversation with his father Christian at a bar in Sydney.

On a Personal Note...

I never realized that Walt was watching Power Rangers in the S1 finale. While that is an absolutely insignificant point with regard to the overall series, it makes me laugh because I was an extra on that show in 1994.
---

That wraps up this installment. Don't forget to visit my fellow ReWatch friends, who are providing their own perspective about each episode!

And apologies...due to my busy schedule this week at Comic-Con, I will not be able to complete the next ReWatch batch until next week. Thank you in advance for your patience!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

LOST Panel at Comic-Con 2009

As most of you know, I will be at the last ever Lost panel next week in San Diego on July 25, providing frequent updates both in line beforehand (among thousands of fellow fans) and during the panel itself. The best way to follow along will be via Twitter.

I have partnered with DocArzt to bring you comprehensive coverage throughout Comic-Con! Details about the many television panels I will be attending from Wednesday through Saturday will be posted on TVOvermind; here is a look at my tentative schedule (including Dollhouse, FlashForward, Fringe, V, etc.).

On Saturday, all Lost related Comic-Con updates and videos will be posted on Doc's site, followed later by a very detailed recap right here by yours truly.

If you will also be there, please let me know! I am hosting a Twitter-based Lost trivia contest and will be handing out many prizes along the way (tees, books, DVDs). Click here for more information.

So if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here, on Twitter or Facebook!

- Jo



Sunday, July 12, 2009

Lost ReWatch Week #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)!