HAPPILY EVER AFTER

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

And now we know why Desmond is so special and unique. He’s the only person in the world to have survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event (and who is still alive because we all know that John Locke was in that room with Des when he turned that fail safe key). Let’s not forget that Mr. Eko and Charlie Pace were present in the “hatch” when it self imploded and stole all of Desmond’s clothes. But alas, THEY are all DEAD and now Chuckie has to resort to plan B (wanna bet he’d planned to use John Locke before dear Ben pulled out an orange extension cord on him and hanged him like a Christmas ornament?).

So this is what I know.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

There, now you know as much as I do.

Have a good day and we’ll chat next week.

Okay, I’m joking. I’ll give it up and share my thoughts with you, but be warned that I’m still struggling with an infected tooth and have been “affected” by antibiotics and painkillers.

Happily Ever After points out a few home truths to us, even if we don’t really want to know them. First of all, there is no such thing as happily ever after and when we believe we have reached that point something, or someone (Charlie and Daniel) is going to come along to point out that although we seem to have it all, the grass is greener in our other lives. I actually pictured myself living on an island paradise with my LOST friends and our every need or want was taken care of. We were pampered and spoiled and never had a care. Our children loved and respected us and did as we asked them, and …… Who am I kidding? It’s human nature to want to accomplish utter happiness and contentment with our lives, yet once we obtain what we believe we want (and are the envy of limo drivers and CEO’s alike) we realize that it was just too easy. Did I forget to mention on ALL KNOWING BUTINSKI NAMED ELOISE?

We’ll get to her in a moment. First let’s deal with what happened on Hydra in 2007.

Poor Desmond awakens to find that he’s back on the island (sort of since he was never on Hydra) and under the qualified care of Zoe, the geophysicist? What do they teach these people in those universities? He’s pretty ticked when Chuckie tells him that he’s kidnapped him and brought him back to the island and the IV pole gave Des a helping hand in expressing his anger. The island, she isn’t finished with him yet. But we all KNEW (okay hoped) that Desmond would be back. I’m not sure we realized it would be under these terms. And wouldn’t you be just a little peeved (read totally pissed off) if you’d just woken up to find that you’d taken from the sterile safety of a hospital and had been drugged for three days straight, then forced to wake up? Yep, me too.

Things get off to a rip roaring start as Chuckie decides to reschedule the “little test” earlier than expected. Of course, Jin is there, in his normal state of confusion (they really need to make him look a bit more assertive) to see what happens when “normal” people get between the giant electromagnetic donuts. Zap! Interestingly, did you notice that when the tech pulled the switch to reset the breaker for that huge honkin’ generator he pulled it down? And did you notice that when he was told to shut it off (after that dude become a Krispy Kritter) he also pulled the switch down? Just thought I’d point that out to you. And how insensitive of Chuckie and his goons to bring poor Des to the zap shack before the BBQ remains of that guy could be removed? Did you see Desmond’s feet plant themselves on either side of the door frame? That kind of reminded me of the time I needed to give my border collie a bath and I picked her up to put her into the tub…..She did the exact same thing with ALL FOUR OF HER PAWS. She won that round, by the way.

Back on track, Linda.

So, the goons strap Desmond to a chair and the one guy thinks to ask: “Do you have any metal on? Keys? Chains? Coins?” To which Chuckie replies: “Of course he doesn’t, you idiot” and rolls his eyes. I am wondering where our esteemed Mr. Widmore found these guys! Oh, and I also wondered if the zipper in Desmond’s pants was metal. They lock him in and hide behind a cinder block wall (that’s comforting to see that they’re taking all those safety precautions), turn on the generator and watch from a distance as our beloved Scotsman gets an unhealthy dose of what apparently is electromagnetic energy and passes out.

I was kind of worried (hoping) he’d wake up without any clothes again.

Of course Desmond survives and comes to, completely calm and accepting of what he needs to do, much to Charles’ confusion. He follows Zoe back to the hospital, but never makes it as Sayid steps up, kills the two goons and sends Zoe running. In a move that totally confuses me, Desmond seems to happily follow Sayid away from Chuckie’s protection.

And this provides the segue into what I am now calling the “what if” time as we soar through the clouds backwards and out of an Oceanic Arrivals board (if you can find a still of the board, you’ll notice that all of Hurley’s numbers are on that board in various places). It’s Desmond, again in reflection (these are important, but we’ll get to that in a few), and he’s gazing in an apparent trance at the board. That is until Hurley swings by to let him know that his luggage is on carousel number 4.

Desmond helps Claire pull her bag from the carousel (what a gentleman) then offers her a ride, which is declined. I’m going to go off on a bit of a tangent here, but I promise to get back on track quickly.

Am I the only one who noticed the stains on Claire’s shirt? Go back and take a look at the scenes in the airport. I’ll wait here. You’ll see. Big orange stains on her bulbous belly. The least they could have done was give her a clean shirt for this scene. That one looked like she’d been wearing it and slopped mango juice down her front!

Back on track again.

As soon as I saw Fisher Stevens I waited, almost breathlessly, for a reference to a Ferris wheel, but to no avail as his somewhat subdued character just drove Des to the office. But I was glad to see George throughout the episode.

Did Chuckie’s happy greeting to Des surprise you? What about that great satisfied grin? Or that “fatherly” hug? Me neither. The big surprise came when he gave Des a sip of that 60 year old MacCutcheon’s Scotch and told him he was worth it! Yeah, the fact that Des had obtained the one thing he’d always wanted from Chuckie in the “original” time was foreboding. Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for, because all things, good or bad, come with a price and the fact that Desmond didn’t have Penny in his life (yet) was oddly disturbing to me. Being Charles Widmore’s right hand man comes at a cost and poor Desmond was about to get an assignment that would change his life (and hopefully the lives of all the Lostaways) forever.

Have you noticed that some of the people who are dead in the original time seem to have a better grasp of things in the “what if” time? Think back to LA X for a moment, when Jack saved Charlie’s life, and the ungrateful wretch told him that he was supposed to die. This is important, because Charlie gets it. He knows that he’s not where he’s supposed to be. This isn’t the way his life is supposed to be. And, like Desmond in The Constant, he wants to get back to that place where he felt happiest and was loved by Claire (I’m assuming that the rapturously beautiful blond he spoke of was Claire). This is it. The converging of “original” and “what if” starts to become really evident right here.

Daniel too, has an awareness and he recognizes the same “feeling” in Desmond when he sees his mother (who still knows far more than any other (but not those Others) character in ANY time) attempt to dissuade Desmond (again) from finding Penny. I wasn’t surprised to find that Eloise is still manipulating lives despite being married to a magnate (or money magnet) and raising her son (and not killing him) in this time. Some things just can’t be changed, it would seem. Daniel, as in the original time, does not what his mother would expect and shares his feelings and beliefs with Des.

Des has heard from two separate people now of an emerging awareness that things are not as they are supposed to be and begins to question his own life (and happiness) as well. The name Penny strikes a chord with him. Buried deep in his consciousness is the knowledge that his other life was happier with “her” than having the approval from “the man”. When he meets Penny it is the “catalyst” moment that convinces Desmond that their lives are all wrong and tasks George with getting him a list of all the passengers on Oceanic 815.

“I just need to show them something”

HERE IS WHAT I THINK

We didn’t see it, but Charles has already told Desmond what he needs to do and it involves Smocke and a violent explosion of electromagnetic energy. I’m worried that the sacrifice Widmore spoke of is Desmond’s life. Okay, I admit it. I’m worried for every single one of our LOSTies and expect we’ll be losing almost all of them by the end of the season.

DID YOU NOTICE?

I’m not sure if it’s a continuity error, but in LA X, Desmond wore a wedding ring ( DarkUFO has a screen shot of it), but Des isn’t married in this episode and has yet to meet Penny.

Someone asks Desmond in each time if he’s wearing any metal or has any metal fillings. Once in the zap shack and just before he has an MRI. Also, someone shined a light in Desmond’s eyes in each time as well.

When Desmond walks into Widmore’s office you can see a scale with black objects on one side and white objects on the other side to the left and it is balanced mounted on the left wall. Then, when Charles is talking on the phone, you can see what looks to be the same painting on the wall to the right of his desk.

Eloise’s brooches are of starbursts and look like the mark that was given to Juliet. Incidentally, Eloise is wearing two brooches (one smaller than the other) slightly parallel to the other, but if the longer portion of each pin were to continue you would see the points meeting.

Desmond’s reflection is seen twice in this episode. Once in the Oceanic arrival schedule board and also in the glass door of the police station. Daniel’s reflection is seen in the limo window as well, although it is more of a silhouette.

When Desmond first meets Penny in the “what if” time, she is running the tour de stade. In the original time, Desmond met Jack while running the tour de stade and it was revealed that Penny had sought him out there.

There are a prolific amount of repeated phrases from other seasons. “What happened, happened” and “The island isn’t finished with you yet” for example.

A friend pointed out to me that Eloise’s hair must be Chuckie’s constant.

QUESTIONS:

Where are Penny and Charlie?

Why is it that Desmond can survive a massive and violent electromagnetic event?

Why didn’t the people on the boat rush to help Desmond when he brought Charlie up out of the submerged car?

What exactly is Desmond violating by looking for Penny?

Why did Sayid let Zoe go but killed the other two?

Is Jack’s hospital the only one in LA? Everyone seems to end up at St. Sebastian.

Since Desmond made contact with his constant (Penny) in the “what if” time, is this what makes him special in 2007?

Does that last question make sense?

QUOTES

Zoe: You’re not in a hospital, Mr. Hume. We had to move you…

Desmond: “ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG”

Desmond (to Charles): “That’s 60 year old Scotch, Charles”

Charles: “Nothings too good for you”

Charlie (explaining about what happened on the plane): “I’m talking about spectacular consciousness altering love. So you know what that looks like?”

Desmond (to Charlie): There’s always a choice, brothah

Des: Why are you running?

Charlie: “Cause no one here can help me”

Charlie: “This doesn’t matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it”

Desmond (on the phone to Charles): “He’s a junkie that drove my car into the ocean. I’m fine, by the way, thanks for asking.

Daniel: “It’s like already loved her….and that’s when things got weird.”

Daniel: “What if this. All of this…..What if this wasn’t supposed to be our life? What if we had someother life and for some reason we changed things……I don’t want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did.”

Desmond: “She’s an idea…”

Daniel: “No, Mr. Hume, she’s my half sister”

Ad the most interesting of them all?

Desmond: “I just need to show them something”

Oddly enough, next week's episode is called "Everybody Loves Hugo" Should be a good one.

Follow The Leader (or are you still with me?)

Okay, so earlier I posted my recap of Follow The Leader. It was such a great episode that I felt, in order to do it justice, I needed two posts.

Follow The Leader was about taking charge. Radzinsky took control of Dharma. Eloise took control of her future son's fate. Jack took control of his own fate. Locke is taking steps to ensure his control of the Others.

I have a few questions.

1. Is Locke really supposed to be the leader of the Others, or, through a series of crazy time loops, did he set himself up as the leader? It's a sort of what came first, the chicken or the egg dilemma. For four seasons John has been told that he is special, that his destiny is not as a regional collections officer at some box company. In light of last night's episode where we see the scene of John and Richard at the Beechcraft from a different perspective and learn that John was watching the exchange between himself and Richard's. So, I wonder; would Richard have assisted John at the smuggler's plane if John hadn't taken him there. Would he have told John that he had to die? And did the island tell John to tell Richard to tell flashing John this in the first place?


2. Is Eloise already pregnant with Daniel in 1977? I've searched for Daniel's date of birth but can't seem to find anything stating the date he was born.
   
3. Is Richard as attuned to the needs and wants of the island as we've been lead to believe? Would the island not have told him about Ben's return, especially after judgement day beneath the temple? And didn't they hear the plane crash? I know it didn't break up in mid air, but didn't it make a great big noise hitting the trees? Richard didn't know that Ben was back and he didn't know where John had gone. Did they even bother to look for him after he flashed away?
   
4. Did anyone notice how freaked out Ben and Richard were by the new Locke? Its almost like they have been running the biggest scam on island, like selling candy to school children out of their back packs, and the new principal is about to catch them.
   
5. When is Sun going to realize the John has no intention of even attempting to reunite her with Jin? He keeps giving her platitudes, words that are meant to keep her calm but really don't promise anything. She needs to get ruthless again.
   
6. How does Jack know for certain that his reason is to detonate Jug Head and possibly stop the plane from crashing, thus reversing everything that has happened in the last three years? Yes, I see him making decisions and having faith that they are the right ones! He reminds me of someone standing in line at the convenience store buying everything on the counter just because it's there. They never really planned on buying the Tic Tacs in the special anniversary packaging. I understand why he wants to explode the bomb, I just don't see how it is going to work. Wouldn't the fates of EVERYONE on board that plane need to not be connected to the island? John Locke? Mr. Eko? Daniel? Charlotte? Doesn't he realize that some of the survivors don't want to erase the past?
   
7. What's with Sawyer and Juliet making a deal and leaving their friends behind? What happened to loyalty? What happened to looking after each other?
   
8. What's in Hurley's guitar case? Seriously, it's not a guitar. At least, it better not be. I have a feeling that it carries something that is going to help them return to 2007. Either that or it's the largest collection of Twinkies on the planet. I've never had one of those things and I hear that they'll survive a nuclear explosion and still be edible.
   
9. Where has Sayid been hiding out?
   
10. Did Hurley pack a can opener when he stole the food?

Here's what I'm thinking.

I think that, despite detonating the hydrogen bomb, the accident at the Swan site will still occur. Radzinsky is intent on drilling and even the threat of cataclysmic failure isn't about to stop him. Jack will not be able to stop the incident at the Swan station. I don't know anything about the explosive power of a hydrogen bomb but I'm pretty sure it's mighty destructive. I wonder if it will be strong enough to neutralize the energy that is released when Radzinky begins to drill into the ground. Somehow I doubt it. The universe will make sure it happens and no matter how frequently one goes back in time and changes what has been done leading up to the major event, it will still happen. The outcome will be the same with minor changes along the way.

Quotables!

Ben - His name is Richard Alpert. He's a kind of.....advisor. And he has had the job for a very very long time.

Ben - What John, don't you trust me here with my former people? Afraid I'll stage a coup?

John - I'm not afraid of anything you can do anymore, Ben.

Ben - Well, in that case, I'd love to come along!

Sawyer - Son of a bitch! *after Phil hits Juliet*

Radzinsky - Who the hell is Hugo Reyes?

Phil - He's the fat guy.

Ben - Your timing was impeccable, John. How did you know when to be here?

John - The island told me. Didn't it ever tell you things?

Ben - Uhm, no.

This week I have two favorite quotes.

Richard - Well, you seemed pretty convinced, especially when I said you were gonna die. I;m certainly glad that didn't have to happen.

John - Actually, Richard, it did. *stunned look from Richard*

And

Richard - I'm starting to think that John Locke is gonna be trouble.

Ben - Why do you think I tried to kill him?

I have few thoughts about Jacob. Who he is, where he came from and can he be killed, but that will need to wait until tomorrow. Until then...

Arcticroses

Follow The Leader (Or How Jack Got His Groove Back)

Well, that was interesting. Okay, it was awesome! It was widely rumoured that Follow The Leader was a Richard centric episode and I know a lot of people were eagerly anticipating learning about his backstory. I, too, am a bit disappointed that we didn't learn anything new about Richard. Or did we? I'll get back to that later. First, let's get to what went on, shall we? Follow The Leader didn't have any flashbacks or flashforwards, it just travelled along two parallel lines. One in 1977 and the other in 2007. This episode was about what it means to be in the position to lead and what happens when the masses disagree with you (paging Horace Goodpeed). Also, it's about what happens when one decides to take charge of one's own destiny, grab the proverbial bull by the horns, so to speak.

1977

We pick up where The Variable left off. Daniel has just been shot and killed by his mother, and I am ready to crucify Eloise at the stake for murdering her son. Kate and Jack are about to flee when Charles Widmore comes upon them and captures them, taking them into the Others' camp. We see Eloise flip through Daniel's journal and an odd look crosses her face. Sort of like recognition, maybe? She realizes that Jack and Kate are not Dharma and tells Charles to put them into her tent, where she tells Jack and Kate about her encounter in 1954 with a young man who told her he was from the future and then disappeared before her eyes. She adds that she just shot and killed that same man and that he told her he was her son. With her frame of mind opening wider and wider to understand what just happened, she was ready to believe Jack when he told her that they can undo what just happened. They just need to get to the hydrogen bomb. Oh, is that all? Just follow the simple instructions in the journal and voila, all will be undone! But, Eloise is willing. We don't know it yet, but I'm sure she is pregnant at that time. Eloise decides to take Jack and Kate to the hydrogen bomb. Ooops, one problem. They buried it underground, but Dharma sort of built their town right on top of it!

Jack has found his purpose, and boy oh boy it's a doozie! Kate doesn't understand why Jack would want to erase all that has happened over the past three years. She's convinced that what ever happened happened and nothing is going to change it. When she tries to leave Jack to find the others, Eric the Other aims his rifle at her and is about to shoot her when he himself is shot. Sayid pops up out of the bushes and aims his gun at Richard and Eloise, who readily surrender. As an aside, did anyone else notice that just before she put her hands up she dropped something into her bag? I wonder what it was.

Jack explains to Sayid what the plan for the bomb is, much to Kate's displeasure. She has everything to lose if Daniel's plan works and Oceanic 815 doesn't crash, but lands safely in LA instead. Remember, she was a fugitive on her way home to be prosecuted for a couple of murders. Sayid, on the other hand, has a whole new life to gain if Jack succeeds. He was on his way to LA where he knew his beloved Nadia lived. As a plus, neither Ben nor Charles would be a threat to Nadia's life in the future. Can you imagine how tempting it would be for Sayid if there were even an inkling of a chance that he could have a long life with Nadia.

Richard and Eloise lead them into a pond and through a long underwater tunnel to where they secured Jughead. Of course, no one really knew what to do from there and dear Eloise is going to have to learn to understand her son's journal really quick.

Meanwile, back in Dharma village of the damned Sawyer and Juliet are about to feel the deranged aggressiveness of Radzinsky, and pimple faced Phil (at least it looks like a pimple just beneath his right nostril) looks on in glee. He's gonna get payback, I'm sure. Horace tries to be the leader but ole Stu has staged a coupe of his own and taken charge. Peace loving Horace hasn't got the stomach for what happens next. When Sawyer refuses to talk, Phil takes it out on Juliet.

Of course, while Sawyer is on the receiving end of Stu's fist, Hurley is raiding the Dharma kitchen for food, then sneaks away. He is followed by Dr. Chang, who needs to know the truth. In one of the best scenes of the episode, certainly the funniest, Peirre quizzes Hurley. He was doing pretty good until he couldn't remember who the President of the US was in 1977. Miles and Pierre had a quick bonding moment and then they went their separate ways. Miles, Jin and hurley to the beach, Pierre to evacuate the island.

Dr. Chang rushes to find Horace, and stumbles upon the beat fest, demanding that the island be evacuated now. If they keep drilling at the Swan and even of cataclysmic proportions is going to happen. Radzinsky says it's the drilling will go as planned and tells Pierre that he is in charge now. Sawyer makes a deal. "Well tell you everything you want, just put us on the sub." Or something like that. But not before Radzinsky demands a map to the Hostiles, which Sawyer provides. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm thinking that map is the same as the one Daniel has in the future. Dharma is evacuating the island of all non-essential personnel. Miles, Jin and Hurley watch from the bushes and are surprised to see their friends being led to the sub. When Hurley asks what the plan is to rescue them, Miles tells him there isn't one. Besides, there are thirty guys with guns against two (Hurley doesn't have one).

Sawyer and Juliet board the Galaga. He tells her that they'll be okay. In the real world these guys have no authority. They'll buy Microsoft and bet on the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 and be rich. On the sub they affirm their love for each other. So sweet. Just as the sub is about to be closed a pompous and smug Phil arrives with Kate. She too, is being deported. He took great joy in telling them that she was caught coming into town!

When last we see the Galaga it is diving below the surface heading to parts unknown.

2007

In 2007, we see Richard with the ultimate hobby. Building ships in bottles takes diligence, excellent eyesight and more patience than I could ever muster, not to mention a steady hand. And didn't that ship look like a model of the Black Rock? It did to me. Anyway, he is told that He is back and Richard leaves his tent. He is met by John Locke, boar on his shoulders. John brought dinner, which is an effective way of winning people over.

Richard notices something is different about John and tells him so. John has a purpose, a new reason for being on the island. Something tells me that this new John's purpose may not be a good thing. But, hey, he brought dinner, right? John had brought Sun and Ben as well, and when Ben explains that Richard is an advisor, and has been one for ever and ever amen, Sun approaches him to ask about their 1977 friends. I have to say, I was not believing him when he said that he watched them all die. I called out, NOOOOOOOO and my dogs gave me that "you are disturbing me" look! John assured her that he would find a way to reunite her with Jin. If what Richard said was true, then it will only be in death that Sun sees Jin again.

Locke takes Richard and Ben on an errand. They must move quickly as there isn't much time. I honestly did not expect that that errand was to the Beechcraft where Richard took the bullet out of his leg. I should have seen it though. The signs were there. The Ajira water bottle on the beach, the flashing survivors being shot at. Out of the bushes stumbles flashing Locke and Richard attends to him, telling him that he must get the others to come back and that he'll have to die to do so.

While Richard is busy with flashing Locke, John and Ben have an interesting conversation that made me giggle. But I stopped giggling when John practically accused Ben of never seeing Jacob, and by the look on Ben's face, John's assumption is correct. There's something odd about that, but I can't seem to pin point exactly where my doubt originates. Anyway, we hear a POP and see Richard kneeling over nothing. Richard tells John that flashing John appeared to be convinced of what he had to do, then added that he was glad that John didn't have to die in the end. I loved the look on Richard's face when John told him that he did have to die.

Back at the beach camp John wonders if there are more Others and learns there are more at the Temple. He tells them that for far too long they have been blindly following orders from some unseen omnipotentate and that has to stop. If someone is giving orders, then John, for one, wants to know exactly who is giving them. His people agree and Richard and Ben acquiesce to take them to Jacob. Early in the morning the Others depart on their pilgrimage to find Jacob. Ben tries to distract him by telling him that Richard has some concerns about his leadership. When that doesn't work, he tries to remind him that he promised to reunite Sun with Jin, but to no avail. John doesn't care about reuniting his people. He's going to kill Jacob!

BOMBSHELL!

I'll post more tomorrow after I have watched the episode for the fourth time. We are having some rather severe weather right now that keeps knocking out power. I'm okay on the laptop, but my Internet connection is dicey right now.

Let me know what you think. As always,

I love excellent conversation.

Arcticroses.

Something's Not Quite Right

Today I was waiting for the Young Author's Conference to end so that I could collect my daughter and come home. When I first arrived at the University Campus where they hold the event, a happy woman grabbed me into a "glad-to-see-you" hug, stepped back and said: "You're not you!" when she realized I wasn't who she thought I was. Oh well, now I can blame an evil twin for all those things that I'm accused of. After we negotiated past the awkwardness, we started talking and learned we are both huge fans of LOST. It's always great fun to debate the wheres and whys of LOST with someone and we both found we have some ideas that are the same and some that differ. For instance, she thinks Widmore is pure evil and that Illana and Bram are working for Ben. I disagreed. Anyway, just before the kids all returned to the lecture hall for the end of day ceremonies, she said something that kind of troubled me.

"Isn't is strange that Kate, Jack and Daniel were able to reach the Other's camp? They sort of sneaked up on them!"

Holy Shizzniks, Captain Fantapants! I wish I'd paid more attention to that. As soon as I arrived home I plugged in and watched the last fifteen minutes ..... again. Dumdadadum! She was right! For the first time in LOST history someone was able to sneak up on the Others.

I'm not sure what that means or if it even means anything. I just thought I should mention it.