LT50: Connecting Flights and Testing

NOT IN PORTLAND

We are beginning to learn that some of the Others have their own agendas. And have you noticed just how darn willing the Others are to hurt someone?

Picket was dying to shoot someone (no pun intended)
Juliet did shoot someone
They weren't treating Karl very nicely
They shot at Kate and Sawyer

And those things were revealed in just the latest episode, Not In Portland…which some people think should read "Not Important". Get it?

MERCHANDISE

Another spin-off product has hit the market…Lost, the Mobile game.

Now you can pretend you are Jack and decide who you let live!

Word just reached me…Puzzle #4 is out…I'll keep you posted if I find anything juicy!

THE VALENZETTI EQUATION

If you missed the summer game, then you might not have caught up on the Valenzetti Equation. In short, the world was looking grim after WW II, so the best scientists were assembled to figure out how to avoid Doomsday for mankind. Instead, they discovered that the world would end just like R.E.M. predicted in a song! J

Anyway, a formula was discovered by Valenzetti that revealed the exact date the world would cease to exist. This is the motivation behind the Hanso Foundation. The foundation's objective was to alter just one number in the equation and hopefully that would extend or avoid all together the inevitable end. The Dharma Initiative was the name for this research into altering just one number. Of course, it failed, but produced some interesting results in the process.

Alvar Hanso was eventually replaced by Dr. Mittlewerk. The doctor attempted to revive the research and has been accused of using some very questionable methods. The summer game suggests that Alvar is back in control of the Hanso Foundation, but many questions remain.

This history lesson is being brought to you because we have learned the date of the Valenzetti Equation. You might mark your calendars: October 23, 2007.

TIME IS ON MY SIDE

Time is quickly becoming a central theme. The day the series returned, a new website showed up for Mittelos Bioscience. Then it shows up in the show later that night. Some are discounting the new website as "unofficial", but I'm not so sure.

Factoids:

Mittelos means "without means" in its native language, German
The web site knew the characters names and accurate background not revealed until the show aired (a sort of time trick in itself)
The concept of the older woman's x-rays who was then only 26 years old
The guard watching the door where they kept Karl was reading "A Brief History of Time"
Anagrams of the company include "Time Lost"

As for time, that is the subject Danielle told Sayid they were studying (scene was cut from TV show, but shows up DVD).

Can't blame Charlie, but he might have been asking the wrong question. He asks, "Where are we?" Maybe the question should have been "When are we?"

Explain: On September 6, 2001, the only big news event on the Science pages was the discovery of a giant black hole in the middle of our galaxy. Pictures of the galaxy were included in Karl's brainwashing film. And we have several Greek references used in the naming of bodies in the sky. Apollo candy bars may be trying to tell us Milky Way candy bars without paying the Mars candy company (another Greek name).

But back to the black hole announcement… Black holes have event horizons which allows nothing to escape…just like the island. We KNOW black holes can bend light and a theory says they may bend time or stop it completely…just like the island. The electromagnetism of the black hole is what was being released every 108 minutes and now that it can't be released, perhaps time is slowing to a stop…on the island. And black holes trap light making the island invisible to the outside.

September 6, 2001, is the exact date calculated from Juliet's mentioning of how long she had been on the island. (Not September 11 as many are guessing).

The book Karl's guard was reading was open to the page where Stephen Hawking was writing about black holes.

Hmmm…

One last thing on time…looping. The "whispers" we here could be other people who are overlapping their time with the time we are seeing. Just a thought that needed thrown out there.

A THEORY: BLOOD

We haven't been short of blood in this show.

Remember when Jack wanted to give Boone his blood transfusion? Jack sent Charlie out to find out if anyone had Boone's blood type. Charlie came back with these results:

One person knew that had Type A but didn't know if positive or negative.
He also found 2 B positives and 1 AB negative.

World-wide statistics show these beakdowns:

B+ 9% of the population
AB- .7% of the population

Very rare that three of the four had these blood types. Is this a clue?

In Mittlewerk's research (see above Valenzetti story), they reported that the tests had a 30% mortality rate…which accounts for about 70% of the most common blood types being wiped out! But not the few Charlie found.

Perhaps the goal was to wipe out the mainstream population…in fact, that could be the reason Michael and Walt were let go…to act as carriers and spread the disease from the island.

The Others may define "good" and "bad' and "on the list" or "not on the list" based on blood types. We know many captured Survivors had blood drawn.

And that might put more meaning to Tom's line, "You're not my type, Kate." Maybe he meant "You're not BLOOD TYPE, Kate."

Could the disease be carried by mosquitoes? Don't forget that Danielle's map referred to an area called "Mosquito Coast"

PROJECT MONARCH

This is a project rumored to exist but denied by the government. Many of the same features explored in Lost are found connected to this project. It might be worth a read for those who enjoy these things: http://www.aches-mc.org/monarch.html

Oh, and it takes about some humans have "super-human" skills. And it has some connects to German mind control during the war and I've always thought Lost had some connection to Germany. And it mentions the importance of bloodlines – another Lost and Biblical theme.

Worth the read on a cold snowy night!

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Remember the bus that took out Juliet's first husband? Did you notice the advertisement on the side? None other than Apollo Candy bars!

You did catch the fact that Karl was being brainwashed in Room 23, right?

Remember when Juliet was talking with her sister, she pulled up the curtains and said, "We are always on the beach"? A plane flew by. I caught that myself and chuckled a bit. But I was also surprised when someone caught the fact it was an Oceanic plane in Miami.

And did you catch the manufacturer of the pregnancy test that Rachel used? Yep, Widmore.

RACHEL

Rachel is Juliet's sister.

But that is also the name of the hacker in the summer game, The Lost Experience. If you recall, she was first known as Persephone as a nickname, but later we learned her real name…Rachel Hanso, daughter of Alvar Hanso.

And Rachel was the wife of Jacob in the Bible…who died while delivering a child…named Benjamin.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS

Feel free to Save As and then you can expand the size to read it better.

THE MOLE

I'm still convinced we have an Other posing as a Survivor on the beach. Ethan and Goodwin got caught, but something tells me there is another.

Here is my guess: the dentist.

Here is my reason: I can only think of ONE time where anyone said something on the island reminded them of something off the island. Do you remember? Waaay back when, the monster made its self known and one of the Survivors said that the sound it made was familiar.

Another piece of evidence is the jungle. Remember that Goodwin came out of the jungle dry and about 10 minutes late. The dentist also came out of the jungle even later than Goodwin…and he looked pretty dry.

And he seems to be the only one that "pretends" they can get off the island.

And when the sky turned purple where was he? By his wife's side? Noooo…he was protecting Claire from falling pieces of the hatch.

Also consider that his life history may be one of the shortest we know of…including his wife. They married very late in life and recent to the plane crash.

We do have to remind ourselves of the odds of surviving a plane crash, so that sort of shoots a hole in my theory, but it seems we have to take for granted that is was some sort of "controlled crash". I know, but the rest of evidence seems convincing.

You might also recall that he seemed to pass something to one of the stewardess when waiting to board Oceanic Flight 815.

Something tells me that the good dentist might not be that good. More of a Doctor Giggles, perhaps!

And just to be "on the record", I'm going to say his real name is Alvar Hanso.

Alright, I have to get off this limb before it breaks on me!

ADAM AND EVE

Talk of the two skeletons keep coming up. Guesses as to who they are all over the place but here are some popular guesses:

Ben's parents
The DeGroots
Bernard and Rose – if you can't leave, we will both stay
Jack and ???

Let's focus on the final one…time loop…Jack finds a pouch with a black and white stone in it…he keeps it and years later dies and is laid to rest in this cave…but with what woman?

Enjoy,

KC

LT49: Welcome to the Machine

JACK'S TATTOO

In the wacky world of Lost analysis, it might be tempting to connect Jack's tattoo to the name of a character on a old TV show…Fantasy Island. Beside the show's name being related to Lost, the Mr. Tattoo use to shout out every show, "Da plane! Da plane!"

While this tidbit of information might be fun, it likely has nothing to do with Jack's tattoo, its origin or its meaning:

What we might useful to know is that this tattoo includes Chinese symbols from a poem written by Moa Tse Tung in 1925, one line which reads, "Who masters fate's rise and descent?"

We are told that this tattoo will impact the storyline soon.

MR. PATCHY HELPED KELVIN?

In a surprise revelation, it seems that a snapshot of a hand that helped drag the shipwrecked Desmond to the hatch belongs to the same hand attached to Mr. Patchy in the Pearl video! Oh my!

NUMBERS

They don't seem quite as critical as earlier seasons but let's not forget them, especially their sum, 108. The Dharma symbol is thought to be connected to Buddha. A statue in Bangkok of Buddha has the number 108 etched on soles of its feet. And Denver recently raised a 108-foot tall Buddha statue.

The number 108 when translated in religious terms means "great joy"…so the answer to the Lost riddles might be happiness when everything is said and done.

***

Producers have told us that of numbers, the most important is 23. As I sit here, a commercial just aired for a new movie called, "The Number 23". It is being released on February 23. The commercial points out that 2 / 3 = .666 and I have to wonder if this has anything to do with Dr. Pepper and its 23 reasons to like the soda. Let's remember that the summer game, The Lost Experience, had several tie-ins to major products.

FUZZY CHARACTER

In the Season 2 DVD there is a feature showing the connections between characters. One person however is not shown clearly. He is connected to Jack, Christian Shepherd and Claire!

MY FLASHBACK – THE COLLAPSING DECK

The collapsing deck accident was a fatal accident Hurley believes he caused before crashing onto the island. As we learn in the episode "Dave", the deck was meant to hold 8 people, but there were 23 on the deck before Hurley stepped on (15 people over, add Hurley and it's 16), when it collapsed. Two people died, and Hurley developed post-traumatic-stress syndrome, with mild schizophrenia, as a result and was admitted into the Mental Institute. Dr. Brooks, Hurley's therapist, tried to convince him that the accident was not his fault and that the deck would have collapsed anyway.

We do not yet know what kind of deck collapsed, or whether Hurley was in fact to blame for the event.

As Hurley was leaving the hotel in a rush in "Exodus: Part 2", Hurley is about to enter an elevator full of people including Charlie, but due to the "collapsing deck accident" Hurley leaves and opts to run down the stairs instead, thus annoying Charlie who responds by saying "Some of us have a plane to catch!"

MAKES YOU WONDER

We have learned from Juliet that the Dharma Initiative formally disbanded in 1987. So who in the world dropped the supplies? Why was Kelvin still operating the Swan hatch?

What if Ecko had confessed his sins? Would he still be alive today?

REVELATIONS

It seems we have discovered that Norway is a major location for Lost events. For example, the Hanso founder is shown in a building shot and the real building was discovered in Norway:

The fountain in front is in the shape of the Dharma symbols in the hatch.

There happens to be a couple of volcanic islands off the coast of Norway as seen here:

The island is called Bouvetoya and was accidentally discovered by a sailing merchant. His ship was called "The Swan". It lies on a major geological ridge.

The peak of the island is called Olva's Top, named after the old Norwegian king. As is typical in Norwegian culture, names are often mixed in with other letters to make new words. Alvar Hanso does contain the name Olva.

Most of the year, the island is covered in an ice sheet.

Could this island be the model for our Lost world? It's not completely unheard of since it was used to film most of the Alien versus Predator movie.

And believe it not there happens to be a company called Hanso Holdings in Norway!

http://w2.brreg.no/enhet/sok/detalj.jsp?orgnr=952387502

LOST MOMENTS

If you were a fan of Daybreak (me!), then you were disappointed for two reasons that ABC cancelled the show. First, we never get to learn the cause of the Groundhog Day repetition. But more importantly, we don't get the Lost Moments on it anymore. They moved them to air during Grey's Anatomy and I don't care if Dr. Jack is performing surgery in the adjoining ER, I'm not going to watch McDreamy.

So, I head off to YouTube to see them and they do look interesting. Here are a few points:

Cindy is indeed back and is with the Others although as she says, "It's complicated."

Claire nearly drowns and later denies there is any connection to her real-life divorce.

Charlie rummages through Sawyer's tent…wonder if he finds anything.

Hurley is very curious about Desmond's new superhero-like abilities.

The Survivors most definitely need a boat to leave "Alcatraz Island".

JIGSAW PUZZLE UPDATE

Puzzle #4 has NOT been released yet. I was hoping for a nice Christmas present, but the manufacturer's website says "sometime during Season 3" which means it could be May. Wonder what it is they are keeping from us?

The title of the puzzle is called "Before the Crash".

I'll keep you posted, but for now I can tell you that I'm onto a theory. You might recall that the backs light up under a black light and reveal the Blast Door map…but with additional information. The most common…and puzzling additions (pun WAS intended)…are a series of codes like this:

C3/1 C4/11 C1/1+1 C8/13

Well, I have a hunch that someone suggested to me…actually two ideas. First, that this is a code for page number and word number in a book…perhaps Bad Twin. This is similar to one aspect of the Lost Experience game this summer.

My other theory is based on music. All I can tell you write now is that I hope this code translates into a melody that is recognizable as a song.

It will take a little time to see if the codes produce any useable results. I'll keep you posted while I keep checking Barnes and Noble for puzzle #4.

THINGS TO PONDER

The writers could be lying to us, but we have been told:

The Others honestly believe that the intercom in Jack's cell is NOT working

"The more the characters in Lost are found, the closer they are to the inevitable end" - this has a strong connection to lyrics in Amazing Grace

NOTE: Amazing Grace was written by John Newton after a close call at sea. He was captain of a slave ship. Who knows…maybe he did business with another captain of a ship called the Black Rock?

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

We might have overlooked something and I suggest we revisit it – a machine. Maybe, several machines.

The Monster: we have heard what appears to be a metallic cranking sound when the monster is pulling Locke into the hole.

Then consider Michael's drawings he made while recovering from his injury. Check out the bottom-right corner:

Now contemplate this leaked photo:

And when we see Desmond experimenting like he is Benjamin Franklin, it makes us stop and reconsider what other hints we might have overlooked regarding machines!

RUMORS AND TEASES

Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack returns

Juliet was married before, but not to who you think

Please sit down for this one…this is totally unsupported and bizarre, so no masking this as a teaser and since it is so unreliable it surely isn't a spoiler…just a rumor. Here goes: Jack is the father of Sun's baby! Chew on that one a bit.

Speaking of babies…let me leave with this photo to mull over!

Enjoy,

KC

LT48: Bernard

KATE

Thought we could take a closer look at Kate. The big question is have the Others broken Kate? She can escape her cage and refuses – that seems like a pretty short rope they have her on. Or does she have the advantage by playing the innocent and broken prisoner? Maybe she is biding her time to make a move.

Then what exactly went down between her and Ben during that breakfast on the beach? They have showed us her bruised wrists but they haven't shown us what happened yet.

Or is Kate the mole and that is why she didn't run yet? Maybe she isn't an Other, but some deal seems have been made with her. And Mr. Friendly seems to be too friendly to her compared to her fellow survivors. Perhaps Kate volunteered to be a surrogate mother in exchange for Jack and Sawyer's safety – until Ben goes under and Pickett has his own agenda. Wouldn't it be wild if Kate walkie-talkie's Jack that he MUST save Ben since her deal was with him!

There might also be a little hint in the line, "You taste like strawberries." Maybe she really does because that is what she had for breakfast on the beach! What this implies is not quite clear, but something to ponder.

STRANGEST THEORY OF THE WEEK

Nathan was an Other. This is the guy that Ana Lucia was going to torture to get information from because he kept disappearing for hours to "use the bathroom". We all agreed that this seemed odd for a person to go wandering off in the jungle this spooky. Natural reaction would be not to leave anyone's sight. Consider that they had approximately 15 people kidnapped under their noses the first two nights in a row…then Nathan goes on natural hikes?

But wait, you say…why would Goodwin – who is an Other – kill his own guy? Because I think Goodwin might have feared that Nathan would crack under Ana Lucia's interrogation techniques!

And while we are at it…Cindy is a mole for the Others as well!

So, that leaves Bernard. Yep, another mole. Anyone who came out of the jungle after the crash, who is dry, and not injured is a candidate and Bernard scores the Trifecta!

Remember also that Bernard got up to use the bathroom on the plane and wasn't with Rose during the crash (Jack held her hand).

And there was this Bernard who dated the Oceanic pilot's wife (scene cut from TV but in DVD).

Let's back up a bit…to the boarding of Oceanic Flight 815. Bernard and Rose, who met just five months earlier, are sitting in the airport. Again, Bernard gets up to make a phone call. To who? He is a life-long bachelor, so no children. He is in Australia, so likely no local phone call. When he stands up to make the call, he reaches into his bag and pulls something out:

When Bernard stands up to walk to the phone he is carrying this device in his hand. He brushes another person walking by – the Oceanic flight attendant (who looks an awful lot like Cindy).


She is carrying a bad and Bernard has the device in his hand. Maybe this isn't planned, but the sign above them reads, "Communications". Then the flight attendant walks past Rose two times:

Is this some pre-arranged meeting with Cindy and Bernard? Are they keeping an eye on Rose? Does the device maybe short out the plane's radio later on? Was it some form of the list or a recording of a certain event?

Consider this about Bernard as well:

He was fixated on the radio they found in the hatch and actually spoke to Boone on that drug smuggler's plane. Ana Lucia finally took it away and soon Cindy vanished.

When the sky turned purple, what was Bernard shown doing?

He was protecting Claire and the baby!

He seems at times to understand Jin's Korean language

Rose said the monster sounded familiar…had she heard it from Bernard?

Bernard seemed to be able to know the exact number of days they were on the island…but he forgot Rose's birthday. That's hard to forget when you love someone and easy when you have a whole list of facts to remember that aren't really your facts.

He gave Rose his wedding ring on the plane. A keepsake…or he had another wife on that plane.

The radio from the hatch AND the S.O.S. signal on the beach are false leads. They aren't meant to be rescued, but to communicate to his friends, the Others! At the time, it seemed Ben was trapped in the Swan hatch as a prisoner.

Did Bernard know that surveillance camera's word pick up his strange S.O.S. signal? Would that odd prompt sign that ended up as his only work really be a prompt sign to kick some plan into action? Keep in mind how Bernard controlled the building of this..he wouldn't let Jin start on another spot until they laid three wide.

In Dante's Inferno, we find only a few characters who make it to the final circle. Not surprisingly, there is John the Baptist and St. Mary. The guide? Bernard.

Perhaps his name is Bernard Jacobs.

Let's fill in some gaps…who was Bernard's other wife then? The pilot's mother. Who could that be? The older woman in the book club in Othersville.

So how does this Strange Theory of the Week end? With Bernard being "Him".

SMOKEY

We have an indirect connection of the sound of the monster to Bernard via Rose, right? And we know the island is "metallic" for lack of a better description. And we know Bernard removed his ring – metal. Hmmm…

And when we see Cindy for the first time after the crash…

…she is not wearing jewelry (but does have a strange look on her face).

The pilot – the first killed by Smokey the monster – was wearing his wings…well, for awhile! HA! Interestingly he did lose those wings (metal) during the attack.

And to top it off – and to connect a common time/watch theme – guess what other metallic object the pilot was wearing? A watch!

And in my ever continuing study of the Whispers…here is the exchange during the pilot's last minutes alive:

Look they helped their captain
Hurry it up
Let him see you..then try to grab him
Kill all of them
I told you the plan
Kill the pilot, chase them away

Hmmm…

QUESTIONS

The last Lost Tidbits we began asking five questions and we continue now…

Question: Who is the Guy with the Eye Patch?

We've had it pointed out that the mural on the Swan wall shows a guy with an eye crossed out…it is the left eye and the patch is the right eye…but everyone knows the eye them.

Question: Why didn't Ben take Jack earlier?

The most logical answer lies in the timing of the Others gaining information about Jack's abilities. In Survivor time, we only have about three weeks elapsed between the meeting at "The Line" – where they could have grabbed Jack and when they actually took him through Michael's efforts.

Question: Where was Desmond hiding his boat?

The question is really where was Desmond and Kelvin hiding the boat? It seems the Others are shocked to learn that a boat exists. How could they not know? Maybe Othersville was their only known existence until this plane noise makes them run out into the streets and look up. Perhaps Radzinsky, Kelvin and Desmond were all doing their jobs without the Others even knowing it?

Question: Just where are the Whispers coming from?

One theory is that voices are "outside the island" as we know the island. The whispers are clearly a conversation (usually a two-person) and seems to not only be observing but also dictating behavior.
Question: Healing Power comes from what?

It might be good to remind ourselves that healing happened at Ayers Rock in Australia (not for Rose, but others). And Sarah was healed in a way that shouldn't have been possible. Do the healing powers extend from the island? Are their other "hot spots" which can heal? Does Jack and Christian's hospital have an unusual high rate of success?

And why does the island cure Rose and Locke but not Shannon (asthma) and Ben (tumor)? We can explain away a few deaths due to trauma (Marshall wounds, people who died on 815, and those with bullets in them).

TWINS

The book, Bad Twin.

Kate's husband looks a lot like Ethan.

The two doctors, Marvin Candle and ???, look like brothers.

Hmmm…

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS

I'm taking a brief break from Lost Tidbits since the next few weekends are going to be filled with holiday events. I might get one more written in December, but definitely look for them to start up again January as we usher in the second half of Season 3. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this image planted in your brain. Don't worry, I'm one of the good guys. J

Enjoy,

KC

LT47: Puzzling

THE NEXT EPISODE

Man, it seems like a long wait until the next Lost episode. And let's pray that the Cyclones basketball team doesn't have many Wednesday night games that month and bumps local viewing. The next episode is entitled, "Not In Portland".

This is supposed to be Juliet-centric show. New characters include Edmond, a man who has knack for gaining funding for his lab and for taking credit for other scientist's work. Also, we could meet Albert who is a recruiter for a state of the art bio-lab. It sounds like we might actually be getting a Dharma-centric episode and we will learn a bit more about these Others.

THE FOURTH PUZZLE

During the Christmas, I hope to unwrap a present containing the fourth Lost jigsaw puzzle. The front side is cool, but it is the back side that has some interesting hints. The backs, when completely assembled, show the Blast Door Map. And since the door never closed completely on TV, this is the only place to see it all. Plus those codes around the edges – so far, no one has figured them out. Here is a snapshot to give you general idea of the "black light" backside:

A CLOSER LOOK AT MY PUZZLES

In puzzle two, called "The Others", there is an out of place picture which I finally found someone who had noticed it. Don't know what it means, but it happens to be a picture of a sign on the wall in Hurley's (and Libby's) hospital.

It reads, "Rec Room Rules: Listen and Respect Others". Hmmm…

THE TUMOR

When we left Ben sedated on the operating table with a bleeding kidney sac…the reason he was there in the first place was the tumor. Here is a shot of the x-rays:

I'm no medical expert, but Jack says the tumor is located in L-4 vertebrae, but the x-ray shows the tumor in L-2. Writer goof or just too much analysis?

The more important question is what impact would this type of tumor have? Would it cause the loss of limb? Like a left arm? Like in Marvin Candle and others? Is something the Others are doing causing this tumor in all of them?

Another theory wonders if this x-ray is not of Ben, but someone else. Like Sarah? Locke?

MERCHANDISING

Books, puzzles, action figures…and now, Lost: The Video Game. A company has won the rights to develop a video game and is due out in 2007. They tell us it will be available in many formats including a PC version.

QUESTIONS

Intriguing and frustrating. That seems to sum up Lost after three years of Wednesday nights. In our extended break, I will attempt to share some questions that are still waiting for some answers.

The Outside World
We aren't sure of the Others and the Dharma Initiative people are one and the same. However, we do know that the Others have access to ESPN and they know the route for rescue. So, the question is: Why don't the Others leave the darn island for a little spinal surgery?

Skeletons
Jack identified the two skeletons in the cave in Season 1 as male and female. He also found a pouch containing a black and white stone which we assume Jack still has today. So, the question is: Are these people from the Black Rock, the Dharma Initiative, Danielle's science group, Adam and Eve or Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan?

Always
Ben Linus reveals that he has always lived on this island. First, we have to consider that Ben is an expert liar (funny if that is the disease! I mean, consider this: the disease is that no one can tell the truth…Ben has to say he is Henry, Danielle has to say her daughter was kidnapped, Juliet has to say she wants Ben dead…now that would be crazy). So, the question is: Does Ben mean he was born here, or that his family crashed years ago, or that he is a descendant of the Black Rock or the Four-Toed society?

Aaron
The first time we met the Others was when Claire was kidnapped for her baby. We learned that Claire was to be killed and Aaron to be taken. And we can't forget the psychic who warned that the baby should be raised only by Claire and then turned around and got her on Flight 815. Now it seems the Others have lost interest in Aaron, so the question is: What was so important about Aaron?

SIDENOTE: Is that strange picture on the wall or what?

The Disease
We are introduced to a disease of some sort early and often – Danielle's crew gets sick, Desmond injects himself to avoid the disease, the Quarantine label on the hatch door, the extra injections from the food drop that Charlie finds, etc. So, the question is: Is the disease real or part of the experiment that someone is running?

Enjoy,

KC

LT46: Two Out of Three Viewers

LOSTICIL

Have you heard about the new drug? It is for those who are lost about Lost. Have you got friends who can't keep up? Maybe you missed an episode. Or perhaps you don't read Lost Tidbits through…completely…ten times. Then Losticil might be just the answer for you. Check out this link for more information: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1723243

Please, check with your doctor before starting any new drug. Side effects may cause repetitive mumbling of numbers, seeing black horses and in extreme cases purchasing a Lost-related product.

HURLEY AND HIS BROTHERS

Rumor says that we will meet Hurley's little brother. He has another brother by the way. We briefly saw the older one in the episode, "Numbers".

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Major correction alert! According to most sources the day after the final Ecko episode, most people thought that Mr. Ecko whispered to Locke, "We're next".

We have official sources who tell us the transcript was "You're next". Seems as if Smokey, the monster, has some unfinished business with Locke.

Now why in the world would Ecko and Locke both stare down the monster and then later it kill Ecko and now will go after Locke? Ecko saw black smoke and we assume Locke is telling the truth about seeing while light. Of course, we have only seen black smoke as in the time it tried to pull Locke into a hole. And what is down that hole?

Has Locke changed in some way that it now wants to get him? Hmmm…

QUESTIONS

What did the Others have planned that was to happen in two weeks?

Possible answers:
· Ben's operation
· The Others were planning to leave the island
· Time to let the hostages go
· Juliet is planning a take over plot
· Jacob is arriving
· Finish building the project Kate and Sawyer are working on
· Fertility treatments

What is the North referring to on Ecko's stick?

Possible answers:
· As explained last week – up
· The Others fake camp was on the north side of the island
· It means the North Star associated with Jesus' birth
· Leads to the Flame hatch
· Leads to the radio tower
· Reference to the arrow in Desmond's mural
· Compass reading
· Hydra Island
· An exit from the snow globe
· At night, looking up reveals the sky is "wrong"
· Climb a mountain and look north

Does Ben survive the surgery?

Possible answers:
· Yes
· No

Why are the Others lying to Ben and keeping Alex from him?

Possible answers:
· The only advantage the rest of the group have over Ben
· After Danielle handed Ben to the Others she has been busy leading a take over to get her daughter back
· Suggests Juliet's cue cards were truthful
· Because some Others have done something with Karl and they don't want Ben talking to Alex and discover this
· They just didn't want to concern Ben right before surgery
· Alex has some special powers and they don't want her warning Ben of impending events

Who is Jacob?

Possible answers:
· The "him" we have heard talked about
· Ethan, dead, but it is his list he made
· The patch man
· A man in the Losties camp that we haven't identified yet
· The man standing near Ben at the funeral
· A man about to land on an airstrip that Kate and Sawyer are clearing for him
· Paulo
· It could be a last name, as in Nikki Jacobs
· Alvar Hanso

WHISPERS

There are a lot more than I realized when starting this project. So, let me share the most recent one…when Ecko is thrown to the ground and Locke comes running up, we hear the whispers. They say:

It's over
Ecko
Locke
Right now
What happened
Shhhh
What's happening
Now we got his ?
I don't want to kill him
Is she following

When you read this it seems apparent we have at least two people involved in a conversation. And it also seems that only one of them gets to see things, but we hear both sides of a conversation.

And, I've noticed there are references as to having control of the situation (I don't want to kill him).

There is also a gender reference – the only woman at the scene is Nikki. Or is the "she" referring to someone the speakers know about at their location?

**

Now consider this whisper…it is when they are ambushed by the Others on their way to the camp with Michael leading the way:

He is asking him something
Yeah, but what happened
They saw a smoke signal
Elizabeth
Try the sequence
Had to be given lessons
Turn it on beside you
I'm frightened
Intruder alert
Do you think I should lock this
No, I've seen them before
Close the door
You all need me

Woah! First, let's focus on that name…Elizabeth is Libby? Think people who die on the island hang around as whispers? Could this explain how Ecko ended up dead since the brother and at least one drug runner died there?

Try the sequence sure makes me think of typing in numbers.

And I've notice a theme of someone being frightened in these whispers. Why would dead people be frightened?

What are they locking? What door is being closed?

Well, most definitely something to think about. Remember, these are being put there for a reason, but the writers must know that only a small segment of the viewing audience will have access to this stuff. I'm looking at them as little clues. But like the show as a whole, what it means…well, I'm lost.

Enjoy,

KC

LT45: What Did You Say?

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" – Charlie

We are going to be asking that of the show for several months now…until February. I'm sure you caught the fact that Daybreak is going to fill the time slot for the next 13 weeks (and I plan to watch that déjà vu thing). And during that show and other ABC shows, we will be given short snippets of the second half of the season.

Be assured that Lost Tidbits will report each mini-episode revealed.

"LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND LOOK NORTH" – Mr. Ecko

Consider Danielle's following island map:

Notice the compass drawn in the upper-left corner. This type of marking is used for a top-down map, not a profile map. But assume it is not an error, then where would you be if north is straight up in the air away from a land mass?

If a boat, like Desmond's were to travel due west – as he stated – for two weeks, and then arrive back at the same place he left then this drawing would explain the situation:

"WE'RE STUCK IN A BLOODY SNOWGLOBE" – Desmond

That's right, Desmond. And lest we forget the key question asked by our keeper of the Swan Hatch was, "One did one snowman say to the other snowman?".

And don't let it escape us that Penny's monitoring station was in a very cold place.

Oh, and we have polar bears.

In the 17th century, Sir Edmond Halley suggested a theory to account for variations in the earths magnetic poles: a hollow earth with a smaller sphere—an inner world that might well be inhabited—spinning inside. This was the first "scientific" speculation that the earth was hollow, but the idea was already ingrained in nearly every culture and religion. And from Dante's Inferno to Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth to Max McCoy's Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth, this timeless notion has been constantly explored and re-imagined in works of art and literature.

But Hitler also believed this concept and sent people to find the opening to the hollow center of the earth. And we shouldn't need to remind you of the Hitler and Germany connections found with the Hanso Foundation this summer!

"I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO WATCH A MOVIE" – Juliet

Sharp eyes have noticed that the home movie that Juliet made for Jack to read was missing a cue card! It is the first one, but when we are shown the TV screen, it is moving away.

In slow motion it seems to read: "Read these and stay focused". We don't miss anything here at Lost Tidbits!

"BROTHA" – Desmond

The Bible theme has been prevalent in Lost. John, James, Benjamin, and Aaron are just a few names that are found in the Bible. And at times the survivors have specifically pointed out the references such as when it was made clear that Moses has a brother named Aaron. The missing Orientation clip was found in a Bible and the Mother Mary statutes have been used.

So, let's examine the idea of "brothers" - or "brotha" as Desmond pronounces it – with the telling of a Bible story.

There were two brothers born on the same day – twins. (think Bad Twin). They were opposites and even fought in their mother's womb. The oldest was loved by his father and the youngest by his mother (think every character on the show).

The oldest brother had claim to the family blessings and birthright, but the youngest brother was an expert con man (think Sawyer).

The youngest brother fooled the father and the eldest brother on several occasions. The first time he was 15 years old (think the Numbers). But he wasn't prepared for the responsibility of those blessings and the birthright.

In order for God to use the youngest brother in his new role of responsibility it took years of conditioning (think of the test and trials of the survivors). God used many methods to teach and train the younger brother, including visions (think of Charlie's vision).

Eventually, the youngest brother, the con man, was out conned by another person (think Ben getting the best of Sawyer). It cost him dearly by way of years of servitude (think Jin), but eventually he got the woman he loved only to discover she couldn't have children (think Kate/Sun).

Another woman ended up giving the youngest brother the family he wanted and God needed (think fertility doctor, Juliet). One of the sons the younger brother had was named Ben.

Meanwhile the eldest brother went without the blessings and birthright and spent his life plotting revenge. The struggle between brothers continued and many feel that struggle continues today.

The younger brother did finally meet the responsibilities of continuing the Jewish line while the older brother fulfilled his prophecy of constant warring against his brother with his own nation.

The younger brother's name is Jacob which means "grabber". His bad twin is Esau which means "red". On any given day it was sometimes difficult to decide who was the good son and who was bad son.

I've decided that the book, "Bad Twin", is a retelling of this Bible story.

**

And to follow-on with Ben in the Bible…he was one of 12 brothers…and was accused of stealing by his brother Joseph in order to force his brothers to return to Egypt…this was of course after the eleven brothers dumped Joseph in a pit to die out of jealousy for the nifty coat of many colors that his father, Jacob, gave him.

"IT'S STUPID TO LIE ABOUT YOUR NAME" – Walt

Out of the mouths of babes, huh? That line was when Sawyer was explaining to Walt that Ethan might not be using his real name. Ironic, huh?

But speaking of names…the Hanso Foundation owns the Apollo bars company. Think about it, EVERYTHING is Dharma (Dharma water, Dharma corn flakes, Dharma ranch dressing, etc.) except the Apollo bar. And the company was formed by M. David Benson (Ben son). So, Ben is the son of Alvar Hanso?

We have had plenty of name connection to mythology and religion. But let's not forget the military connections. Sayid and Kelvin were military as was Kate's father. Locke played military games. Desmond began to pick up military lingo from Kelvin with the use of the "hostiles". And if anyone knows the NATO phonetic table, they could help me out. For example,

C = Charlie
E = Echo (Mr. Ecko)
J = Juliet
M = Mike

"WOW, YOU GUYS HAVE SOME REAL TRUST ISSUES, DON'T YOU?" – Ben (ex-Henry)

And why not after all they have been through (did I just say BEN through? HA!). And most of all they discover that Henry Gale is not Henry Gale. First, Ethan tries to infiltrate the group and the Survivors finally figure it out. Then Ana-Lucia discovers that Goodwin is a mole.

Not sure if you recall this or not, but the Hanso Foundation website initially came up and it offered an easter egg if you clicked the right thing that was an animation of the computer conversation that Michael held with Walt. Anyway, when it gets to the part where Michael types, "Who are you?"…the answer on the show is different than the answer on the website. The website response was "Mole".

I sense a theme here. And why I'm suggesting is that there still is a mole among the Survivors! Someone better at staying undetected than the three previous attempts - for he has gone undiscovered. And he is still working on that list that Jack doesn't appear on. Yes, I'm suggesting Jacob is among them. My guess it is one of the Survivors that we – and they – have come to trust.

Any ideas as to which person they should not trust now? My money is on the new guy – Paulo, the golf club guy. There is a bit of a problem with his friend, Nikki, for it seems they know each other pretty well – like pre-crash ("You always say we never get included"). The strongest reasoning is that Jacob has learned to lay low and Paulo's character is very much been out of sight…until now.

Also consider the games that Lost has revealed to us so far. For example, if you take the "P" and mirror it you get an upside "b". Turn the "u" in Paulo to right and you get a "c" on its side. The "L" looks close to a "j".

PAULO = bacjo = Jacob

Anyway, it's a theory!


"IF I DON'T SEW IT UP WITHIN AN HOUR, HE'LL BLEED TO DEATH" – Jack

You must admit that was a nice twist of events on Jack's part! Check out Tom and that look on his face:

Less noticeable is that face in the door window! Who the heck is that?

"PARDON ME FOR APPEARING DESPERATE, BUT BEFORE THE PILOT WAS RIPPED FROM THE COCKPIT, HE DID SAY THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO FIND US UNLESS WE GET THAT TRANSCIEVER WORKING" – Charlie

We started with the midsection. Then we found the cockpit and the pilot. And finally we found the tail section. The only thing missing is the first class part of the plane. Maybe it is lost! HA!

Or maybe not. What if it has survivors as well? Imagine if the reason we haven't seen some new characters is because they were from the first class section. Hmmm…like Nikki and Paulo. Sources indicate that they brought this actor in because he speaks Portuguese…the same as the guys in Penny's Monitoring Station. Coincidence or fate?

"I WAS IN A PSYCH HOSPITAL A FEW YEARS AGO" - Hurley

As viewers of Lost, we know all the connections of the Survivors, but the Survivors haven't really connected any dots yet. The closest would be when Sawyer and Jack are revealing they have a common thread with Christian. Or maybe that Libby and Hurley were in the ward at the same time, but didn't put two and two together.

Rumors indicate however that two Survivors will finally recognize the fact that they know each other. I'll tell you that one of them is Desmond. And I'll tell you that Desmond has done this lightning rod experiment before. And I'll tell you that Desmond had his ability to see into the future before the Swan hatch exploded…that's how he knew that Sarah would be fine after surgery. But that's all I'm saying…for now.

And remember, I said RUMORS!

Enjoy,

KC

LT44: So Long

FLASHBACK – THE VACCINE

We have seen Ethan inject Aaron prenatal but say there wasn't enough for Claire.

Desmond shot up with stuff for years every nine days.

Charlie found a kit and took an injection.

In the real-world there is no known injection process for weekly shots that lasts for years.

RX is used to indicate a new drug in the testing phase. Rx is short for the Latin word, "recipe".

Vaccines are only used in prevention…not post-exposure!

My favorite theory is that the vaccine is a "CR", Cerberus Repellant. This could indicate to the security system on the island who is a friendly or a hostile.

"GND" is also printed on the labels of the bottles we have seen. GND doesn't have any clear meaning but it is a drug used to protect against the psychoactive effects of cocaine.

DESMOND'S NEW ABILITY

So Desmond can see into the future. How does that figure into the 5 iron he borrowed? Many feel he built the lightning rod because of a future vision – it was going to hit Claire's tent! He tried to get her to move by claiming the roof needed fixed. But when Charlie rebuked that idea, he resorted to building a lightning rod. And he seemed very pleased with himself when it worked!

IN THE DARK

When moving Jack from his "aquarium cell" to the "operating room", they had to walk him past Sawyer and Kate. But they wanted to keep him in the dark, so they used a hood over his head and blasted a loud alarm. More head games? They don't mind Sawyer and Kate talking and seeing Jack, but they want to keep Jack in the dark.

Many conclude that the brainwashing requires Jack to stay ignorant of his friend's condition. Yet, Jack has begun to turn the tables on Juliet by making her question her rank in the Others organization chart (just like Ben did to Jack and Locke when he was a prisoner).

It appears that Jack was beginning to get to Juliet and Ben helped reinforce this conflict when he walked in and demanded her assistance. For payback, it seemed that Juliet then enlisted Jack's help in an attempt to save Colleen…for Ben seemed upset about Juliet's decision. The wedge has effectively been place by Jack…can he drive it deeper?

IT TAKES TWO

So, we have TWO islands! There must be some good reason for this. I kept thinking that the impact of the security system, the healing effects, and so on were on one SIDE of the island…but now I'm leaning towards the big island being the "special" one.

And why do you think Ben wanted Sawyer to see this? Was it the conclusion of a con game (rabbit, pacemaker, two islands)? Or was it to show him that he can't escape "Alcatraz Island"?

SPEAKING OF ISLANDS

There is called Angel Island and is located in San Francisco near the Golden Gate bridge.

Of course the Golden Gate bridge has shown up on Isaac's wall and on Gannon Car Rental brochures that many people have been seen carrying (at least three).

The only access to Angel Island is by ferry. Hmmm….

Years ago Angel Island was connected to the mainland, but when the sea level raised after the Ice Age…where you get where I'm going!

The island was used for immigration processing and is known as the Ellis Island of the West. The Chinese Exclusion Act made it difficult for people to process and they were kept on this island for years sometimes during the appeals process. They carved writings in the walls of the buildings where the place was described as a "jail".

A quarantine station was opened on the island in Ayala Cove.

The island is located near Alcatraz Island.

PRISON TIME

Our group of Survivors sure are a rowdy group…we know Sawyer and Jack have been in prison…Sayid was held as a prisoner…and Kate was heading to prison. Oh my!

The address that Sawyer refers to is near Coral Springs, Florida. That is the home of the Miami Hurricanes and based on their antics this season, they belong in prison…connection? J

Ok, a more serious connection is that Juliet said she went to school in Miami.

Sawyer's prisoner ID was 840. The man he conned in prison was ID number 248. And the storage locker where the money was held was 23C.

I know the badge reads "Department of Corrections", but at first glance I thought it said, "Department of Connections"…now that would have been funny!

STEPHEN KING CONNECTION

Speaking of connections…King wrote an essay called "On Writing". In it he describes writing as a sort of time travel/telepathy thing between the author and the audience. He then began to describe how this works and wrote:

"Look-here's a table covered with a red cloth. On it is a cage the size of a small fish aquarium. In the cage is a white rabbit with a pink nose and pink-rimmed eyes. In its front paws is a carrot-stub upon which it is contentedly munching. On its back, clearly marked in blue ink, is the numeral 8."

Hmmm…

And keep in mind that King's "Hearts in Atlantis" was sitting on Jack's bookshelf in a flashback.

And the fake brand of cola that King uses in books was found on Henry Gale's balloon!

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

No, not the Led Zeppelin song…although they should have used it in the show.

I'm talking about the reference to communication that went something like this: "After the sky went purple, comm. went down, can't get a call out"

First, we learn that communication was down for at least a period of time. Second, we should notice the reference to the purple sky…they don't seem to understand the electro-magnetic thing (although Ben seems to know).

DRAW ME A PICTURE

We learned that Desmond drew the mural on the Swan hatch wall, but did we know how revealing it was? Here are some of the thousands of words we might have missed earlier:

Sun falling from boat:

Fish biscuits:

Missing an eye:

Othersville:

POSSIBLE LINKS AND OTHER STRANGE RESEARCH

Benjamin Linus…Linus…as in the ill-fated son of the Greek god, Apollo…as in Apollo candy bars.

Is the new show Heroes required viewing for Lost fans? It seems so…the running themes of fate, strange numbers/helix-shape showing up, a mythology linked to scientific theories, estranged parents, and super powers!

Is the Sun/Jim storyline more important than we realize? Perhaps the parenting style of Sun's father is similar to how Carl/Karl was taught his lesson when trying to escape.

Is the Bible themes still the key to unraveling the secrets to Lost? Consider Adam and Eve after being banished from the garden…they had to work harder to produce anything – a lot like Kate and Sawyer. The Others are like the Old Testament law…strict, unyielding and full of consequences. And in the end, the Others want Kate and Sawyer to produce a Cain and Abel…perhaps twins…and one might be a Bad Twin!

MUSIC CLUE…or is it KLUGH?

Back in the late '80s, a British band by the name of the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (or the JAMs) sampled Clark's tune, "Downtown", in their hit song ''Down Town.'' Now, in case you aren't up on your pseudoscience or fantasy literature, ''Mu'' is the name given to a speculative place that some believe is the true cradle of civilization, an ancient civilization that colonized the world, which would then explain the curious similarities (hieroglyphics, astrology/zodiac blah blah blah) that exist among several other far-flung ancient civilizations.

According to the Mu lore, the reason why archaeologists haven't been able to dig up Mu is because Mu is located on the floor of the Pacific Ocean — a sunken continent, not unlike the mythic Atlantis.

Now: Remember those hieroglyphics in the Hatch? According to the Lost producers, they spell the word ''Underworld.''

''Downtown'' = ''Down Town'' = ''Underworld'' = Mu?

Friends... could the island actually be the lost continent of Mu?

LITERARY REFERENCES

It seems that Sawyer and Ben share the same reading list. The shot below is from prison where Sawyer is filling his time. Did Sawyer not finish the book, because Ben got the best of him in that exchange!

In Of Mice and Men, a character squishes a mouse to death. In Lost, Sawyer squishes that tree frog. And let's not forget that in Stephen King's Green Mile, a character squishes a mouse!

In Of Mice and Men, a character kills his brother to gain his freedom. As they say, "every man for himself"!

RESEARCH PROJECT

I'm on a new project! The Whispers. Actually, I'm calling it my Communications Study since it will encompass all audio aspects. It's fairly decent size, so it will be its own edition of Lost Tidbits.

The point of mentioning it here is that the whispers hidden in the audio track of every Lost episode haven't gone away. While we don't see the characters spinning around in the middle of a jungle trying to figure out what and where the sounds are coming from…they do continue. And little clues can be found in these whispers.

So, be on the look out for my Communications Study!

ECKO TIME

If you haven't noticed the Tail Enders are sure getting thinned out. Ana Lucia, Goodwin (sort of), Cindy (kidnapped?), and now Ecko. Bernard better watch his back!

And those guys that Ecko killed in his church…same as in his illusion on the island. Did you notice they were missing body parts when Ecko was finished with them?

TALK PEOPLE!

I would rank the inability of Survivors to share facts with each other as the most annoying thing about the show. Mind you, I'm not suggesting the script writing is poor, I'm saying the stranded people on the island really do have trust issues and it frustrates me.

In keeping with that theme, I can tell you (see, I share!) that Sawyer doesn't want to share with Kate what he saw on his walk with Ben! Talk people!

HEAD GAMES

How about that flashcard movie from Juliet. I liked the movie title – To Kill A Mockingbird. Do you know how many books I have to read now? J I know, I should have read at least half of them by now, but no teacher could motivate me the way Ben does!

So, do we believe the flashcards or not? Consider that if they wanted Ben dead they surely had a million different opportunities to do so…why must it be Jack that kills him?

So the flashcards are just part of the head games, right? What if I told you that little blonde girl we were suppose to see in Jack's cell (and on the playground) is Juliet's child and that is just ONE reason that Ben has a hold over his own people! This Ben guy is TWISTED!

THE AYES HAVE IT

Bad pun. Mr. Patch is not someone we have seen before. And kill the rumors that it could Radzinsky…the producers say no way.

It might also have been our first glimpse in another station – The Flame. No verification, but it is a good bet.

LOCKE AND HIS JOURNEY

Locke has unleashed his spiritual side again and there may be no way to convince him to question his faith ever again. Of course, that's about the time he probably should wonder if God is really speaking to him. Hey, didn't Sawyer read a book about God talking to people?

Wouldn't it make sense if Locke then picked up where Ecko left off? In fact, if I were him, I'd find his Jesus stick!

Notice in the flashback where Ecko was told that he owed Yemi a church? That must have been why he was building it on the island. But was it for Yemi or that black smoke monster?

SHORT AND SWEET

This Tidbits is short of shorter than normal, but we know we will have a couple of months to fill. In that time the 4th Lost Puzzle will be released, I hope to finish Brothers Karamazov, and I'll complete that Communication Study.

Hey, it's always nice to run into a reader of Lost Tidbits. Hi, Jason! Yes, I'm a freak.

Bye, Mr. Ecko…you'll be missed.

Enjoy,
Kerry

LT43: Tripping Magnets

MAGNETIC ANOMALY

HURLEY: So what did happen? DESMOND: The failsafe key must have detonated the electromagnetic anomaly -- made the hatch implode.

Could they have an electro-magnetic anomaly detector? Don't laugh, we had them mounted on airplanes in to search for submarines in the wars and to locate mineral deposits. This is the best picture I could find to show you want they look like…it is mounted on the tail of the plane here:

Remember that Hanso produced military devices!

Of course, rumors are circulating that says Penny's phone call at home is "not what is seems"…so maybe it was a Desmond dream!

OF ALL THE THINGS I CONSIDERED

Writing the words Locke and weed in the same sentence never occurred to me!

And it would have been "happily ever after" had it not been for that pesky undercover cop, Eddie. The background story to Locke has got to be the best one we have.

Do you think the cops got it wrong about building a bomb instead of dope? While watching the show, we guessed drugs during the commercial break based on the greenhouse and fertilizer. It didn't even occur to us that fertilizer is used for making a bomb. Then we considered if were hiding something that used fertilizer is would be best to store it in a greenhouse like building instead of say a bakery!

BEST LINES OF THE WEEK

The nominees are:

Charlie:
"You're well aware that I detest you, right?"
"What? No phone calls…no letters."
"You're not taking drugs are you? Your zero tolerance policy towards drugs and all..."
"Einstein of the bear community"
"Are they mute and constructing buildings as well?"
"I hear they're wonderful conversationalists" (about the trees)

Hurley:
"Bear…is that you?"
"So the hatch just blew off your underwear?"

And the winner is…

Charlie to Locke: "Hairspray? Hate to be the one to have to tell you this but..."

LIZZY

Remember when Locke and Eddie are walking through the commune and a woman passes by and Eddie says she is interested in Locke? He called her "LIzzy". Short for Elizabeth? Or Libby?

Hmmm…

BIBLE REFERENCES

We see a few more scripture references on the Jesus stick.

And we have the Daniel in the Lion's Den analogy (Ecko).

THE CAVE

Was that interesting cave or what? Forget the bear…how about the Dharma logo on the clothing of bear bait? I'm pretty sure that was the Pearl hatch logo we saw (that viewing station). Guess they needed to stretch their legs one too many times! Or is this the remains of Kelvin?

And what about that toy truck in the cave? Have we found the children?

TRIPPING

An edition of Lost Tidbits mentioned the amount of "basic instinct" on the show. Now we have to mention the drugs! We have the weed in the greenhouse and that trip-inducing paste. Charlie even mentioned heroin. For just a one-hour show, you have to admit we there was plenty of drug related scenes. I'm surprise they don't have Sawyer being offered a cigarette!

Speaking of the trip…

How freaking were these scenes? I liked Sawyer and Kate being "put together" in Locke's mind, but showing Jack as "still in the picture" – figuratively and literally! Nice touch.

Boone's advice:
Claire and Charlie are fine...for now.Sayid will take care of Jin and Sun.Desmond is taking care of himself.Sawyer, Kate, and Jack are (or were) beyond Locke's help.Hurley will be fine.

Sharp eyes noticed that the clothing and makeup resembled that promo of the Lost characters dancing on the beach.

And Ben Linus made the vision! Wasn't Linus in the Peanuts comic strip the one with a security issue? He carried out that blanket. And then we see Ben as a security guard as he "test", "checks", "examines" three survivors luggage: Jack, Kate and Sawyer.

And consider this…Locke might have known that the group was heading back to the Others camp (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and Michael)…but he couldn't have known only Kate, Sawyer and Jack were to be taken captive, but yet his dream properly arranges them!

And do you think there is a reason why Locke put his sweat lodge in the same spot that Ecko selected for building his church?

SUPER POWERS?

Perhaps Desmond always had the ability to see into the future. It would explain the conversation he had with Jack in the stadium.

Also, I felt it odd that Desmond didn't grab Penny at the stadium instead of jogging…he KNEW he loved her but felt it important to prove something first…easier to do if you know the future.

TAKE TWO

Did you notice that John had no hair in his photo? He could have been shaving it since a driver's license is good for four years in California, and then grown it out for the hippy commune.

Notice the two birthdays don't match. His "real" birthday is July 15, 1952 – the actor, not Locke.

The city seems wrong too, San Fran…although he could have moved from LA at one time, but we know he had to have moved back later then???

And the car registration was for a sedan…and that truck didn't look like a sedan to me!

Prop mistakes…or were we being SHOWN that there were enough reasons for the cop to have arrested Locke and thereby we were shown how easy the policeman was being? I think the later, and a hunter John should have sensed it. To be honest, I never thought undercover cop until the show told me!

THE NUMBERS – IT IS JUST A COINCIDENCE?

The numbers include the 4 and then I found this:

QUESTIONS

Why was Desmond naked?
How did the threesome escape the hatch and certain death?
How did Desmond know about Locke's speech in advance?
Why did the Others burn Kate's clothes?
How did the Others get on the boat with Sun?
Why was there a human intercom inside the water tank that Jack is being kept in?

BEST THEORY OF THE WEEK

Goodwin told Ana Lucia that the children were in a "better place".

But that may not be true. Alex doesn't seem to be thrilled with her lifestyle. And there was Walt whose refusal to cooperate might have helped him gain his freedom. And Carl doesn't seem to be conforming.

Now consider the book the club was reading is "Carrie" by Stephen King – about an alienated teen with special powers.

The theory of the week says that the children may have escaped and are now living near the Black Rock in primitive fashion. This sort of works…we saw no toys are playground or school in Othersville. We DID see the teddy bear with bare feet and what appeared to be younger people.

And someone said once that imitation is the highest form of flattery…well the Others might have been mimicking the children by dressing primitive. Maybe it was an attempt at getting closer to the escaped children rather then wearing their Sunday best.

Perhaps we do have a third group on this island…and they are the children. Their special powers may be what keeps them alive and free, yet likely under-developed (think X-Men school, that episode of original Star Trek where the children pound their first and say that rhyme).

The possibilities of the theory are:

Alex is a double-agent – a spy for the children's group
The Others are good in that they know what will happen when the children grow older

SIDENOTE: Many people are confused about Ben telling Goodwin and Ethan to infiltrate and report the list back in three days. We know the tail-enders got abducted that first night. The confusion may disappear if we learn that the Third Group were the ones who raided the camp the first night! Perhaps the Third Group was saving the children?


Enjoy,
Kerry

LT42: Thunder Island

OTHERSTOWN

Cause we're living here in Otherstown…see the patio furniture…see the well-built ranch houses…see the thing the garden hose rolls up into…heck, I think there is a little sign in the yard near the sidewalk that reminds of those warnings they put after the yard has been treated.

So, what was "out of place" in the Othersville? No clocks. I suppose you couldn't or wouldn't disable the clock that comes built into a decent CD player, but no time measuring devices could be seen in any of the screen shots. And none of the residents of O-town were wearing watches. None.

Oh, and where are the kids? Maybe they were all at school, but no toys on the lawn, on sitting on a shelf in any screen snapshots!

No time and no kids…no wonder the Others are a bit protective of their turf. Oh, and if you've seen "The Village" by M. Night Shyamalan then a few bells might be ringing. If you haven't seen, then as I side note, let me recommend it. Watching Adrian Brody's character mutter the words, "Bad color" is worth the rental fee alone.

SPEAKING OF TIME

Go way back in your memory and recall that there was a line cut from Season 1 that appears to be important. Sayid and Danielle are meeting for the first time and he asks what her science team was studying. She replies, "Time".

Now remember the two skeletons in the cave that many came to call Adam and Eve. It could be two people who are now alive.

Time warping would help explain a lot of things and we already know that scientifically we can do some pretty cool stuff with time. Maybe not Lost kind of stuff, but many scientific theories haven't been refuted.

BASIC INSTINCT
I was going to use the S word, but feared the email filters might block it! So, we will simply say that "Basic Instinct" seems all the rage lately. Here are some examples of what I mean:

The Others seem to be putting Sawyer and Kate in a bonding ceremony of sorts – zoology hounds correct me if I'm wrong, but – doesn't it seem the way the Others are treating Kate and Sawyer exactly how zookeepers would try to mate animals?
Of course, we have the actual Sawyer/Kate kiss. More "basic instinct".
Rumors are suggesting that Tom (Zeke) is not interested in Kate's "type" because she is a she.
And we have more…an actual peek inside the bedroom…high infidelity…bedroom eyes…lying eyes…busted…honor…manipulation…death…tangled web

Side note: That poor sucker, Jin. He has discovered that Sun has betrayed him. He is handling it fairly well, I'd say…with restraint even, one might say. Yet, the betrayal that Jin is aware of wouldn't hold a candle (or a glass ballerina) to the two other betrayals: one, you CAN'T be the daddy and two, you AREN'T the daddy. The guy is having his heart ripped out and he doesn't even know the half of it. Poor sucker.

Ok, back to more "basic instinct". Ok, it's not much but other than Rose and Benard we don't see the snuggle of couples like that pair of Others. Not much, but it counts toward the totality of my point.
Can I count as evidence the voyeuristic tendencies of Ben? How many hours do you think he spends watching closed circuit TV in the Hydra hatch?
Let's wrap this up: Two weeks that Ben referred to at breakfast is Kate's ovulation timeline. Stealing Aaron didn't work. Obviously something about Alex didn't work. Now it's Kate's turn. Will it be a Jack, Jr.? James, Jr? Mini-Ben?

THE ART OF WAR

How did soldier Sayid not read this book during his training? He had to of not read it because he some bad strategy decisions in his field of expertise. Geesh, he was so making bad mistakes, that for a moment the thought flickered through my mind that he is an Other was luring the couple into a trap for them.

With every fiber of his tank-top, Sayid wants revenge more than to be the hero. Get your head on straight, Sayid…the survivors need you! Or they could turn to level-headed Locke for leadership…or Rose…

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

The hotel room number where Sun had her affair was 1516.

And did you catch the Dharma logos on items in the Hydra hatch?

LIGHTS, CAMERA, and ACTION
Action: Let me draw your attention to the top-right screen. It's the scene that Sayid is seeing when using his binoculars! Yes, there is a camera inside his binoculars. No way can you call this a production error. On other snapshots, screen 1 changes to a similar view of the beach and dock.

Camera: At this point in time, camera 1 is showing a room with some large and padded chair in the middle of a room. All the other cameras keep the same basic shot. And camera 4 at one point has one of those scrolls through it that blacks out half the screen, but the shot appears to be another angle of Jack's room.
Also, look closer and you will see food on the table in camera 2, but NOT in camera 4…so maybe this is a different chamber shot?

Lights: Every screen has an obviously bright light in it except Kate's. This next picture is a close-up and doesn't include Kate, but it shows the bright lights better. This bright spot is missing only in Kate's screen.

WE FOUND AMELIA EARHART
The color photos are from the show and the black and white are of the famous aviator who mysteriously disappeared years ago. Heritage.com offers a free face recognition tool…it matches Amelia 99.034% accuracy. She would be 108 this year, but if time moves at a different rate on Island X, then maybe…

I promise not to keep suggesting a correlation, but Atlas Shrugged comes to mind again.

MIRROR, MIRROR

Imagine for a moment a scene where an angel is pointing a mirror at a woman who is looking at herself while lying naked. Art fans might recognize this description as The Rokeby Venus.

In the painting the goddess Venus is depicted lying on a bed, looking into a mirror held up by Cupid. The face reflected is the dimmed mirror appears to be that of an older woman, which has long intrigued experts. Some think it is a commentary on the vanity of beauty which is transitory due to aging. Some think the face over over-painted by another artist at a later time. Another explanation is that the face is not aged, merely out of focus, a sharper face would distract our immediate attention form the form of Venus, be seeing the nude first, and the face afterwards we are "caught" in our own voyeurism. The face in the mirror is also substantially larger than it should be, and the mirror is angled such that, in reality, it would reflect a different part of the goddess's body.

Hmmm…

NAME THAT EYE

Maybe it's been too long and you might have forgotten about the Whispers. They are still being found by techie folks and they keep a constant theme about eyes and being seen and such.

Oh, this is Locke's eye.

And while on the audio clues…people swear they heard strange animal noises at two points – when Sayid was looking at the map (whale noises and oh, there was a whale drawn on that map)…and when Kate and Sawyer were back in their cages (bear?).

And don't forget…Benry (HA) is not only watching but listening.

THE PLANE

Skipping back an episode…many people think they see Smokey, the black smoke, in the shots of the plane breaking up.

HYDRA

Ok, we grabbed the connection to mythology. I've been corrected…the Hydra grew two heads back after someone cut one off. The way the creature was defeated was when a friend helped Hercules…Herc sliced and this guy cauterized the neck real fast. Oh.

But in the field of science, the hydra is a living organism found in most fresh water sources. Scientists are mostly interested in its regenerative process. I assume the water bug got its name from Greek mythology, but both explanations are interesting and fit the Others possible study motives.

NEW QUESTIONS

Would Juliet really shoot Kate?

Is Alex going to be an ally or is this another trap?

Where is Mrs. Klugh?

Will Jack cooperate just to get another shot of ESPN?

Why are we noticing clothing changes for Juliet and Ben that seem odd?

Enjoy,

KC