Jack

New DHARMA Initiative Video (Thanks to DocArzt.com):

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Carlton Cuse/Damon Lindelof/Matthew Fox Panel Recap:

*Jin & Locke will both play significant roles in the show and there is a lot of story still left to be told for each character
*We will see Rousseau’s story this year – not necessarily a flash back – and there was further mention of different story-telling device to be used this year rather than flash forwards or flash backs; I’m having a hard time figuring out what that could mean…
*Kate will eventually see Sawyer again – and the love triangle still has quite a bit left in terms of figuring out who Kate ultimately ends up with
*We will not know when and where we are when Season 5 begins in February. The season will take place both on and off Island, in various times.

Based on what I can tell, much of Comic Con (and obviously part of the DHARMA video) is being used to launch the new ARG – right now this website, http://www.dharmawantsyou.com/, is consistently being updated with a new image continually that should ultimately make out the sketch of a DHARMA logo – look closely for the dots. This should be the primary site (or at least the kick-off point) for the new ARG.

I have to say that the first four episodes of Season 4 have definitely delivered - we may not be getting all the answers we are looking for, but you can definitely feel that the storytelling is moving forward at a much more rapid pace than in past seasons. There was a lot of really great commentary associated with the episode post, and here are a few things that caught my eye:

*Could Miles Be Ben’s Man on the Boat?

-This is something I did not initially consider, but thanks to reader adriennez for bringing this to light. The exchange between Ben and Miles was extremely peculiar, as many of you noted in regards to the precise amount of money that Miles is looking for - $3.2 million:

Miles was the one who talked about using a secret code with Naomi when we first saw him…the whole “tell my sister I love her” thing. I think when Ben said “why $3.2 million, why not $3.3 or $3.4?”, that he was confirming whatever message Miles was trying to tell him. Mile also said that Ben had 3 days and Ben said that he needed a week, which Miles agreed to. I think this was more code talk.

I still think it is more likely that Michael is Ben’s man on the boat - but perhaps that is a unlikely scenario given that the freighties are probably well aware of the identities of those people who were on Flight 815. Something to consider…

*Is that really Claire’s Aaron?

-I am kind of torn on this one - Lindelof and Cuse typically chide the fandom for over thinking some of the stuff they blatantly put out there for us, but I am not 100% sold that the Aaron we saw in the future is Claire’s son. I’ll give you two scenarios I think are within the realm of possibility:

1) My too much time to think Scenario: Something bad happens to Claire and Aaron - Kate is pregnant with Sawyer’s child and ultimately names him Aaron in some weird homage to her Lost-mates. This could also explain why Jack has such a hard time seeing the child - because it is Sawyer’s and because in the future he knows that Claire/Aaron were related to him and he is having a hard time dealing with whatever happened to them. I know this is a bit far reaching…

2) My more plausible Scenario: Something bad happens to Claire and it ultimately has something to do with a decision that Jack made - or, Claire has to give Aaron up for some reason (either she is compelled to stay on the Island, or Aaron is taken from her for some reason). Jack laters finds out Claire was his sister and it makes things even worse. Kate takes custody of Aaron and Jack cannot get over what happened to Claire - hence his unwillingness to see the child.

*The Oceanic 6 (of 8)

-Many of you, like myself, found Jack’s testimony at Kate’s trial extremely interesting, partially because of his fabricated recollection of what happened, but more specifically that the the Oceanic 6 were the Oceanic 8 at some point - it will be interesting to see which characters they position as the two who did not make it (and, are these characters already gone, or will we see two major characters perish in the near term?).

Also, I do not think Aaron or Ben will be or should be considered one of the 6. Aaron was still in utero when the plane crashed (or conceived on the Island depending on which theory you subscribe to), but either way he would not have been listed on the manifest and therefore should be removed from consideration IMHO. We now know that Ben has the wherewithal to come and go as he pleases - and I am sure he finds a way to stay on his beloved Island.

*Kate’s Deal

-Stuck in California for 10 years? Sounds like foreshadowing to me, and at least we can fully understand why Kate was dismissive of Jack’s pleas to return to the Island at the end of Season 3. I imagine Kate will have a big decision to make at some point in the next couple of seasons - related to whether she will jeopardize her freedom to make an attempt to return to the Island.

Finally, I wanted to reiterate the need to be congenial in the comment section associated with the posts. Given the level of post-show activity we see, it can be difficult to thoroughly follow and read through hundreds of comments - the problem is further exacerbated by the timing delays that can be seen when a ton of people are trying to post at once. We have a lot of loyal readers who contribute and I would hate to see anyone alienated. Please try to follow the rules we have set forth:

*Read all comments before commenting. If something has already been said, there is no need to say it again.
*Stay on topic. If your comment is about last week’s episode it belongs in that comment thread. Search and find the right post.
*Be constructive, don’t complain about Lost unless you want to discuss your complaint.
*No spoilers or discussion of episode previews.
*Be kind and helpful.

I am looking forward to Thursday night!

What a week for Lost. Seriously, I think that the season was kicked off with an urgency we have yet to see from the show, and definitely lived up to the hype (if that is even possible with the ABC hype-machine in full effect). Everywhere you turned this week, there was something about the show, and this episode in particular. Here is an overview of some of the more interesting occurrences:

*Christian Shepherd was definitely in Jacob’s chair - To make things even better, when that scene was originally shot, Hurley was the one in the chair and then Cuse/Lindelof changed it after the fact; read Jorge Garcia’s interview with Kristin from E! Online for more

*Abaddon - Not sure if you caught his name, but the corporate guy (originally posing as an Oceanic employee) that visited Hurley in the mental institution is CREEPY and his name literally means “destroyer, or place of destruction” - I am sure we have not seen the last of him

*Jack’s Downward Spiral - Being a serious fan of the good doctor, I think it is going to be compelling and difficult to watch how future Jack gets from where we saw him this week (to Hurley “WE’RE NEVER GOING BACK!”) to where we saw him at the end of last season (to Kate “WE HAVE TO GO BACK!”). I think we are going to see the Oceanic 6 tormented by the people they left behind in visions throughout these flash forwards, much like what we saw with the dialogue between Hurley and Charlie.

*Two Factions - At the end of last season I was seriously doubting Jack’s leadership after seeing his sad state of existence. But, I think we were thrown for somewhat of a loop this week when we see Hurley apologize to Jack in the flash forward for going/siding with Locke. I cannot imagine what happens to the group that ends up following Locke back to the DHARMA barracks

This episode would dictate that Hurley will play a much larger role this season and moving forward (Garcia’s acting in this episode was top notch!). On Thursday we should get some better indication of who the people are that show up to the Island and just how nefarious they may or may not be. I still believe there are two distinct groups looking to get to the Island - both for different reasons (one to exploit, one to protect), and that the people legitimately with Naomi are perhaps not “bad guys” at all. The six that get off the Island (Jack, Kate and Hurley are 3 confirmed) become part of some much larger conspiracy to either protect the identity of the Island or perhaps what happened to the people left behind.

As I write this post, there is extremely positive news breaking that the end of the writer’s strike is imminent. My basic understanding is that it’s likely we will get the entire 16 episode season this year based on the strike being resolved in the next few days - great for us and the show!

There’s no shortage of media coverage surrounding tonight’s premiere. You would have to being living under the Black Rock to not know that Lost Season 4 debuts tonight. To tide us over for the rest of the day, since we are obviously too excited to focus on anything else, here’s a list of links to keep us busy while we wait. We thank all of our fellow Lost fans who sent some of these in.

Potential Spoiler Warning

• USA TODAY gives tonight’s episode 4 out of 4 stars in their review: ‘Lost’ rescues a TV season that’s adrift.
  

  Returning with a heart-stopping, perfectly pitched episode that fulfills all the promise of last season’s stunner of a finale, Lost is an oasis in a strike-parched TV desert.

• AOL Television did a “‘Lost’ A to Z Guide” - 26 reasons why season 4 will be pretty interesting. Thanks Andie
• ToeKnee found a few preview articles that are worth repeating here: ‘Lost’ finds new ways to intrigue from the Boston Globe and one from nj.com here: Sepinwall on TV: ‘Lost’ season four review
• Here’s a video interview with Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) on redlasso.com from this morning on the CW 11 New York Morning Show
• This interview with Michael Emerson (Ben) is a good one. He describes the character of Ben here:
  

  He’s certainly an antagonist. He certainly makes things happen. He provokes behavior in the part of others and his methods are mysterious and frightening. We fear Ben because we fear the unknown. If his agenda were more clear, we might feel differently about him. I think a day will come, and maybe I flatter myself here, when we see more clearly what his sight is, who his enemies are, and we may decide he’s a more heroic character than we thought previously

• Finally, you can listen to a podcast interview Matthew Fox from Australian radio station Triple M. It’s broken into 3 parts. Thanks Jason

Enjoy, see you all in the comments tonight!

Eight agonizing months later and Lost finally premieres with Season 4 - Episode 1, most appropriately titled “The Beginning of the End”. This episode marks the turning point for the entire series; we will now be counting down from 48 to the conclusion of the show (hence the title of this episode). We will get answers to the myriad questions that are still out there, and I am positive a few more questions will come up along the way. ABC’s official show description:

Warning, possible spoilers!

“Feeling that their rescue is close at hand, the survivors don’t know whether to believe Charlie’s final message that the people claiming to liberate them are not who they seem to be. The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 70-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them. Even heroes have secrets…”

It is difficult to tell based on the information that is out there how the series will play itself out moving forward. My basic understanding is that there will be few episodes where only one character is the central figure, flash forward vs. flash back, etc. I think it is safe to say that Jack will play a fairly large role in this initial episode. Further, I believe you can expect the show to build immediate steam this year, as opposed to dragging along in any capacity or introducing pointless new characters. We know our beloved characters get off the Island - now we get to see how.

Obviously most of my attention has been diverted to Find815.com, but what better way to conclude the Missing Pieces mobisodes just how they started, featuring Christian Shepherd. Only one problem - this time he is having a conversation… with Vincent (yes, the dog)… on the Island, just after the initial crash of Flight 815 and prior to Jack awakening.

Given the various comments Lindelof and Cuse have made related to Jack’s father, I am not 100% sure what to take from this. It either reinforces the Island’s ability to severely distort reality or perhaps is intended as a misdirection for us leading into Season 4. I am interested in getting your thoughts.

Lots going on in the world of Lost, which is a good problem to have!

*Related to Find815.com, moving forward we will publish a distinct post for each update as it happens. Feel free to chime in and help add to the collective. Last night, after the clue hunt and video, a new voicemail from Sam’s mother was also made accessible from his mobile phone on his desk. The next update will occur tomorrow evening, at 9 PM EST.

*Entertainment Weekly will post an interview with Matthew Fox this week that is quite interesting, and definitely has a spoiler-esque feel to it related to Season 4 and beyond. You can see excerpts from that interview here.

*FlyOceanicAir.com billboards are showing up in all of the cities cited in the initial press release; this one is currently up in Portland, OR:

How cool is that?

Operation Sleeper features Jack & Juliet, and more specifically the conversation where Juliet informs Jack that she is still working with/for Ben. In terms of an episodic timeline, this would have occurred between D.O.C and The Brig, and it is interesting to see how Juliet breaks the news to Jack. We get to see Juliet question whether or not Locke actually blew up the submarine and basically reinforce the amount of time she has been on the Island:

Jack - So you’re only here because he sent you here?
Juliet - Yeah.
Jack - Why are you telling me this now?
Juliet - Last night with Sun, we saw the baby growing inside her. If she’s still on this island in about a month, both of them will be dead. I’ve been living Benjamin Linus’s dream for three years. Three years. It’s time to wake up.

Interesting that this is now the 3rd Missing Pieces (out of 5) to feature Jack in some form or fashion. I am not sure that really has any implication on what we will see in Season 4, but as fan of his character, I hope so. However, with roughly 7 of these left, I do hope we will get to see more on Locke, Sawyer, Kate, et al.

As many of you know, Season 4 Trailers are now starting to show up in in cinemas, and I confirmed that with some friends who saw one prior to a showing of Beowulf this past weekend (though they said the digital 3D trailers were all a bit distorted). I have not been able to find anything online yet that looks 100% legit, but here is something I found which looks comparable to what they saw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqUC4ty95Tw

Though it has not yet been posted on ABC.com, the third mobisode can be found here. In my opinion, this is the most interesting thus far, given the characters involved (Jack and Ben), the setting (a chess match), and the dialogue, as noted below:

Ben - It’s been a long time since I had anybody with a little skill to play against. I don’t suppose there’s anything I could do to convince you to stick around. Relax Jack. Just an idle question. We have a deal. I fully intend to honor it.
Jack - Intend to, or you will?
Ben - It’s not entirely up to me. If the island doesn’t want you to leave, it won’t let you.
Jack - What the, the island’s going to sink the sub?
Ben - No. No. I promise you I won’t do anything to prevent you from getting home. But if you do leave this place, the day may come when you want to return.
Jack - Never.
Ben - I’ve learned never to say never. And if that day comes, I hope you remember this conversation.
Ben - Was a nice try though.

Obviously, this conversation turns out to be prophetic in two very obvious ways. One, though the Island does not physically sink the ship, Locke does, and we all know that Locke has some mysterious bond with the Island itself. Further, at the end of Season 3 we all remember Jack in his miserable, addicted state-of-mind, constantly jumping on flights hoping for another crash, and then finally, desperately pleading with Kate that they had to go back to the Island.

*Also, here is an interesting article from the New York Times that depicts why these particular mobisodes (if that is what you call them) might be a good case study in how Hollywood should deal with the WGA.

In an interview Mr. Cuse said that while it took five months to reach an agreement, he believes the “Missing Pieces” deal could serve as a template for resolving at least some of the dispute over payment for online use of material.

“I think it is a pretty good model,” he said last week. “What it shows is that there is basically room for a partnership between writers and the studios in a new medium. It’s where I wish we were headed instead of being stuck in this standoff.”

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

As most all of you know, you can now find the first two Missing Pieces episodes on ABC.com. I would recommend watching them, if for no other reason than it’s new content and we are still a few months away from the premiere. You can find a brief summary below, along with my thoughts:

“The Watch” - This takes place just before Jack & Sarah’s wedding, and we actually get to see Jack and Christian having a functional, somewhat emotional, father and son moment. It’s interesting to see this dynamic between the two, given that the vast majority of what we have seen to date is turbulent at best. Christian gives Jack a watch that his father passed down to him on his wedding day, and unlike his father, Christian believes Jack is making “the absolute best decision” by marrying Sarah.

“The Adventures of Hurley & Frogurt” - This basically takes a 180 from the first episode. A funny, satirical exchange takes place between Hurley and Neil, referred to as “Frogurt”, a character that has been mentioned before, but until this episode never actually appeared on Lost. Nothing earth shattering here, but again, an interesting, condescending exchange. After seeing Hurley take some DHARMA Cabernet from Bernard & Rose’s tent for his picnic with Libby, Frogurt basically tells Hurley he needs to take the next step in his pursuit of her, or move out of the way so he can have his shot. Hurley let’s Frogurt know that he is well beyond “doing laundry” with Libby.

I’m not sure you can read into these too much other than for the sake of character development, but at this point I am interested in ANYTHING new related to Lost. We will continue to get one of these per week, leading up to the premiere for Season 4 in February.