Sunday, April 27, 2008

LT85: Widmore and Ben Face Off

MEET WHO?

The name on the passport is "Kevin Johnson" and the passport number is 012153 – the same as we saw on one of Ben’s passports in his secret room – the Swiss passport.

The birth date is listed as July 08, 1963.
The expiration date is listed as July 01, 2009.

The nurse in Michael’s hospital room after his attempted suicide with the car is the same nurse that spoke to Michael back in Season 1 and told him the bad penguin joke. Ok, another cold weather reference. And we have another repeat encounter with a very obscure character that Michael obviously forgets her (but clearly remembers his first dream of seeing Libby). Let’s not forget the first time the nurse and Michael met it was after getting hit by a car and now this time a car was the weapon of choice. But that pesky island just won’t the man die!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN


Not the Willie Nelson song, but the book by Jack Kerouac. The major influence on Kerouac’s semi-auto-biographical work, “On the Road”, is a character named Dean Moriarty – the same name Ben used on this passport we found in his secret room…and used on his travel’s to Sayid’s funeral. The opening paragraph states that "with the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road."

Another major character in the book is Sal whose best friend is the city (island anyone?). Kerouac tells us that a “tremendous thing happened" (incident anyone?) and that the meeting of Dean was a meeting between “the holy con-man (several candidates anyone?) with the shining mind (Ben?), and the sorrowful poetic con-man with the dark mind that is Carlo Marx (Locke?)."

The name Dean Moriarty is also the worlds first literally super-villain.

Kerouac wrote another book named, “Dharma Bums”.

HERE’S SMOKEY

So Ben can summon Smokey! Not sure I feel he has complete control over it, but he did stand there like he knew it wouldn’t turn on him. Maybe he can give it some “scent” to follow – yeah, I still think Smokey is somehow related to a dog.

But “control” would be too strong of a word, since we know Smokey went out and killed the pilot of Flight 815 on Day 1 with motivation or direction it seems.

When Smokey came barreling through Othersville, did it remind you a bit of that Coors Lite train a coming? And many swear that either Smokey had a face when it first approaches or it was one of those flashes of memory.

BEN CAVE


Opportunity is sometimes defined as when one door closes, another is opened. Well, then we have lots of opportunities as I’ve never seen such a small room with so many doors! But the one with interest is the one that leads to the Ben Cave.

First, he needs a maid as that place is filthy!

Second, we need someone to interpret those symbols. I’m reminded of the 108 minute clock and those Egyptian symbols.

Third, when we speak of odd TV everyone should include David Lynch of Twin Peaks fame. Remember this image from that show’s conclusion? Yeah, I happened to be watching that series on DVD:


ODDS AND ENDS

Ben speaks Turkish and Arabic when trying to communicate with the two horsemen in the desert. The two horsemen speak to each other and one says, “He has no trail.” The other one answers, “Where did he come from? Down from the sky?”

Recall that in the future (I think) Jack will not be able to get drugs without a prescription and of course he can’t write his own. On the island, it’s “Mother’s Little Helper” anytime he wants it.So, was it really an antibiotic? Sharp eyes say YES. It reads Amoxicillin on the label and anyone with kids and ear aches know this stuff.

We learn the Keamy’s full name is Martin Christopher Keamy. In Mayan astrology the word pronounced the same as Keamy stands for death.



Check out the real-life organization named Blackwater Worldwide which is a private security firm. Look for their company logo and see if it reminds you of anything!

OVERDRESSED

Could it start any stranger with Ben over-dressed for desert travel?


Notice the name, Halliwax. Yeah, the same name used by Dr. Marvin Candle in the Orchid video released during the summer at Comic Con. Everyone caught the fact that the same scientist is in all the videos but uses a different name each time (not to mention his arm is sometimes missing). The flame trend in the name has been noticed as well: candle, wax and um…can’t recall the third so just go with me on that.

We can then draw a few conclusions: Dr. Candle had a parka which indicates cold weather location. Ben now has Dr. Candle’s jacket. So, Dr. Candle is cold. HA!

And peek close at the Dharma logo – we have a new one!

As for the smoking jacket, we have the strong idea that Ben can jump time, but perhaps not control it as well as he would like.

And before I leave this subject…did you notice that Ben landed in the Sahara with an injured arm? Yeah, same one Candle/Halliwax loses in future videos. He is him?

DOCTOR MY WORLD

When the doctor washes up on shore we have Bernard calling out…funny how only Jack and Kate first respond. (NOTE: We also find only the main characters slip into Ben’s house…it would be nice to see a Mary or a Steve get a few scenes of bewilderment.).

Anyway, the Morse code says the Doc is fine. Maybe we have two doctors and one is cut-throat (pun intended) and the other is fine on board the freighter. And when did we start requiring dentists know Morse code? Good stuff.

Here is how two doctors might work: someone cuts his throat and throws him overboard. His body floats, but not at that right heading so it time travels itself on shore. So the Doc is alive on board and someone is going to slit his throat in the future? Lost yet?

DID YOU MISS THIS?

Indeed Ben has been to Tunisia before as he is a preferred guest at the hotel. This is the same place where Charlotte examines the polar bear and finds a Dharma collar on the skeleton. Did Ben bring a pet with him on one of his teleportation trips?

Did you pick up the piece Ben was playing on the piano? It was Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor.” Its significance is that among its various titles are “The Burning of Moscow” and “The Day of Judgment.” But you have got to love a guy who keeps a weapon in his piano bench. Is this the same piano Jack was playing?

To be fair to the writers who planned three quick deaths even with Sawyer hollering “Get back inside”, these actors HAVE been on previous episodes. Yes, in the background, but two attended Nikki and Paulo’s funeral among other scenes. So, at least they weren’t complete unknowns.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

Some wonder why I love this show as much as I do…well, for starters, they keep referring to things I enjoy like this:

The game is called Risk and is about world domination. Notice how Hurley whines about Australia being the key to victory in this game (many would actually debate that Australia is key to getting at least second place in the game, but that debate is for another day).

CALLING YOUR BLUFF

Out of all the action in the last episode, I think this mind game that ended in tragedy was the most interesting. Of course, I’m dying to find out the REAL relationship with Ben and Alex/Danielle. Yikes, did I just saying “dying”?

The only hope for fans of Alex is that in some Star Wars – Obi Wan kind of way, she will actually make the “force” grow stronger by her death. And as for Keamy…well, I wouldn’t want to be in his boots when Ben catches up to him.

I’ll leave this edition of Lost Tidbits with a prediction for you to mull over: Penny is on the freighter.

Enjoy,
KC

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