Here are some thoughts and theories about this week’s episode, “Par Avion.”

Please keep in mind that because I wrote them in the middle on the night on a red eye flight, they might be a tad more scattered than usual and I didn’t have time to gather more than one photo…

So Ben and Juliet had background information about our Losties, and now we know that Mikhail did as well. We know that before the hatch imploded at the end of last season, the Others had contact with the outside world. So here’s the question – did Ethan bring Ben the passenger manifest immediately after the plane crashed, providing the names of the survivors, which the Others then researched? Or, did they already have the information about the passengers because they were purposefully brought to the island as part of the large Dharma conspiracy/recruitment?

The infamous ‘list’ is referenced again. Is Locke on it or not? Mikhail began to say that the Locke he knew of was paralyzed. Freakin’ Rousseau interrupted him so of course Kate and Sayid didn’t hear it. Anyway, Ben (back when he was Henry Gale captured in the hatch) had told Locke he was coming for him…

I’m now convinced that the island ‘monster’ is controlled somehow by the Others or the Hostiles. Locke has been the only one to face it and live to tell; he was spared, probably because he was on the list…

Mikhail said that Kate isn’t capable of understanding why someone would want to come back to the island, given the opportunity, because she’s not on the list. This is another reason why I think Locke is on the list; his recent behavior indicates that he doesn’t want to leave the island.

Are the Others interested in Locke because they want to groom him to become their new leader?

 

Mikhail referred to those not on the list as ‘flawed.’ Kate was a criminal and Sayid was a torturer, but if Locke is on the list, he is not exactly free of flaws…

If the Others are so all-knowing, why are they surprised to see that Locke can now walk? It is interesting that the island seems to heal the survivors but not the Others. Locke can walk, Rose is cancer free, etc., but Ben had a malignant tumor that required surgery.

Just who the hell is ‘Him?’ We know it’s not Ben. Is Jack’s dad, Christian Shephard, too obvious a choice? That name alone, the fact that he has been in several people’s flashbacks…

Locke took some of the explosives before The Flame blew up. So did he set off the explosion manually before abandoning the building or was it related at all to his online chess game?

Sow how on earth do the Others travel back and forth between their village and the beach when there is that deadly security system? They must have some kind of deactivator or chip which allows them quick & easy access in and out of their perimeter.

Why is it that Locke, Kate and Sayid weren’t at all affected by the noise emanating from the security system when Mikhail was pushed into it; was he the only one affected by it because he had broken the force field between the pylons?

There is clearly a subterranean system beneath the island. Something tells me that is where the Hostile Others live and operate. The question is, are they leftover Dharma folks or exiles from Ben’s village?

Recurring Theme Alert: Car Accidents!
Shannon’s dad and Jack’s wife, Kate and the farmer in his truck, Kate and her doctor ex boyfriend, Claire and her mother…

What if Locke wound up in a wheelchair as a result of being involved with one of the above car accidents? Claire said a truck hit her car and we saw in Locke’s last flashback that he drove a pickup…

This season alone, 4 episodes have begun with someone’s eye opening: Juliet, Locke, Eko and now Claire.

This is the fourth significant appearance of birds: Walt willed a bird to die in Michael’s first flashback, a large flying hawk appeared to say Hurley’s name at the end of Season 2, there was a dove in Charlie’s dream last season, and now there are Claire’s migratory birds.

Note to Claire: Good luck getting your message out with the bird. I’m pretty sure you’re in some kind of bubble. Michael and Walt might eat your savior for dinner if they find him out the abyss where they’re currently sailing in circles.

I love how every time the Losties have an Other captured, Rousseau tells them not to believe what they’ll say, that everything will be a lie. And yet our fearless leaders continue to believe whatever comes out of the Others’ mouths.

When Jack’s dad disappeared, his mom sent him specifically to Australia to look for him. Was Jack’s mom aware of his dad’s affair? Did she know about Claire?

Anyone else think it was funny that Claire worked in a tattoo shop when we just had a Jack flashback showing him getting one of his first tattoos? Those crazy half-siblings!

Best last Lost scene ever? You tell me.

That is all I can muster. I need to get some sleep. Thank you for reading, and have a nice weekend.

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I am flying out of town tonight so my weekly LOST blog will be posted tomorrow. I appreciate your patience! 

Stay tuned for thoughts and theories about last night’s new episode, “Par Avion.”

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Dear NBC,

 

Without question, you really need to renew three of your new shows.  I realize that two of them are on the cusp, but stop for a moment to reflect how great your decision was to order more episodes of The Office that first year. Regardless of ratings, you knew in your heart that the show would gain momentum and succeed. For similar reasons (i.e. tremendous casts and smart scripts), I ask that you take a giant leap of faith, trust the fans, and grant a second season to the following:  

 

30 ROCK

Honestly, I did not like the pilot episode. But the show grew on me and is one of the few sitcoms I’ve enjoyed in years. I cringe at Tina Fey’s missteps and I laugh out loud at Jack McBrayer’s earnest naïveté. I appreciate how Tracy Morgan took it down a notch, and I look forward to every scene involving Alec Baldwin. The man is a comedy goldmine.

 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Coach Taylor and Counselor Tami and my favorite television couple right now; you will not find a more honest relationship on the small screen, and their performances on this show are Emmy-worthy. I love how you make us love and then hate Tim Riggins from one week to the next, how we at home feel awkward right along with Matt and Julie, and that it’s not actually a show about football at all.

 

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP

This show is a dream for someone like me; I love watching behind the scenes of movies and television. I have never understood the backlash against this program, as it is original, compelling, funny and addictive. Every week I look forward to Matt’s misery, Harriet’s hypocrisy and Jordan’s power struggles. And Steven Webber is a very pleasant surprise; he is a perfect fit for the role and really stands out among the stellar cast.

 

Thank you for listening, Mr. and/or Mrs. Television Executive. You restored my faith in your network this year with Heroes and these other three new shows, so please don’t let me down. And while you’re at it, would you mind giving us just one more season of Scrubs?

 

Your target demographic and ideal set of eyes,

 

Jo

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Today has been frustrating. I believe that the early implementation of Daylight Savings Time has severely affected the usage of many online functions, including access to email.

 

So I thought I’d post something a little different while I wait for the return of full internet functionality.  Sorry, no photos today. I’m hoping that this will even post!

 

Here are some websites I personally recommend; most are products that I love, including some from ridiculously talented friends.

 

www.clos.com

Try the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yum. Owned and run by a family I know and love, you have to visit their stunning winery if you’re in the area.  

 

www.containerstore.com

Pretty much my favorite store on earth. If you’re organizationally inclined (which sounds ten times better than anal retentive), you must shop here.  

 

www.dillonrogers.com

My only trendy vice; leather bracelets with words & designs that you can also customize.

 

www.giddygiddy.com

If you have a little girl, niece, etc., you have to have these handcrafted hairclips! They are adorable and make great gifts. This is my friend Teri, who is spectacularly crafty and visionary.

 

www.i-deck.co.uk

I researched all iPod speaker systems before purchasing the i-Deck, which blows the Bose system out of the water. I love the deep sound and detachable speakers.

 

www.keenfootwear.com

What can I say…I love comfortable shoes. They’re more durable than Sketchers and offer a better variety of styles, from dressy casual to the great outdoors. My second choice would be: www.bornshoes.com.  

 

www.kukunest.com

My friend Teri just launched this new collection; beautiful children’s bedding inspired by the spirit and adventure of her two daughters.

 

www.lifeisgood.com

It might seem silly, but I love this clothing line for three reasons.

* Their motto: Do What You Like. Like What You Do.

* Their shirts. They are the softest around; destined to become the ones you wear on weekends.

* Their designs. Whatever your hobby may be, it is probably represented in their vast collection.

 

www.mandarinaduck.com

Extremely functional and stylish purses, bags, briefcases, backpacks, etc.

 

www.mattnathanson.com

It is no secret that we’re good friends and I plug his music every chance I get. He is the most talented artist about to emerge. Look for an amazing new album out later this year.

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Last night’s episode was refreshing; it felt like Season 1.

 

Thankfully and finally, someone actually asked questions. I have been yelling at the screen since last season, wondering why our favorite survivors haven’t been in a hurry to chat up the Others about all of the mysteries.

 

Here are some observations and theories about “Enter 77.”

 

Mikhail mentioned being stationed at a military listening post. Penelope Widmore has that team of Portuguese-speaking men at a listening post somewhere surrounded by snow, looking for Desmond via an electromagnetic anomaly. Oh yeah, and they were playing chess, just like Locke was on the computer in The Flame…

 

Mikhail said that his house, The Flame, was the communications hub for all hatches. Does that mean that The Flame is in the middle of the map that Locke saw on the hatch blast door?

 

Freakin’ Locke. He was responsible for the implosion of the main hatch, and now for the explosion of The Flame hatch. Sigh.

 

Then again, is it possible that Locke’s actions weren’t the reason that The Flame blew up? There were cameras inside, watching all of the action as they do in all hatches. And there was at least a minute delay between the time Locke pushed the numbers and went outside, and when it actually detonated. Perhaps someone in another hatch pulled the switch because they saw it had been compromised.

 

Now that The Flame is gone, are all hopes of communications with the outside world gone? The satellite dish is gone, and I assume that because it was the hub, the cables running underground to all other hatches will also be affected.

 

When Locke was pushing buttons on The Flame computer, as directed by Dr. Candle from the Orientation films, one of the options was to enable the sonar communications. This adds fuel to my theory that there is an underwater hatch…

 

Was The Flame the only hatch prepped with explosives in case of emergency/infiltration?

 

Why, if the Others are supposedly against killing people, would Mikhail shoot Klugh rather than let her be taken by the Losties?

 

So now we know there are 2 sets of Others: Ben’s group and the “Hostiles.” Mikhail said there was a ‘purge’ which resulted from a war between the Dharma folks and the Hostiles.  Obviously the Dharma folks lost the fight, as there are none of them left. Are the Hostiles the ones with dirty feet who walk without leaving footprints? And was the ‘purge’ the same thing as the ‘incident’ that the Orientation Films referred to?

 

Mikhail had a fridge full of meat. Was it cow, boar, or what?

 

Also, if they’re hungry and almost out of Dharma food, why on earth didn’t Kate and co. take the cow back to the beach with the other supplies they’d gathered?!

 

I don’t know about you, but Mikhail seemed to recognize Rousseau, or at least her name. That woman is SO not telling the truth…

 

Mikhail said that the satellite hadn’t worked for years, but Ben had a video of the Red Sox World Series, which took place only months earlier (remember that the show is currently taking place in late 2004).

 

As soon as I saw that satellite, I expected Sayid to head right for it. He has been the island’s communications guru. After Mikhail told him it wasn’t working and that it could contact the outside world, why didn’t Sayid try to fix it??

 

We’ve now met two ex-military people who were recruited by Dharma and lured to the island because they had a chance to ‘save the world’ – Kelvin (Desmond’s old hatch mate) and Mikhail.

 

Kelvin’s first hatch mate, Radzinsky, apparently shot himself to death. What if he didn’t succeed; what if it is Mikhail and that’s why he has the eye patch? Remember that it was Radzinsky who drew the map on the hatch blast door in the first place, so had he lived, he would have known where to find and/or take over the hatch hub…

 

Sayid lived in Paris after escaping from the Iraqi Republican Guard. Isn’t Rousseau French?

 

I’m not sure if Sayid admitted to torturing that woman in the hopes that he’d be released, or if he really did do it. Although he claimed that he never tortured women, in his Season 1 flashback he was supposed to do so to Nadia before realizing her true identity.

 

Although Sayid had the opportunity to kill Mikhail, he didn’t. Just as the woman’s husband chose not to kill him in the flashback. Mercy, mercy me.

 

Add Sayid’s cat, Mikhail’s cow and Mrs. Klugh’s horse to the growing list of animals that have appeared on the island.

 

Obviously the cat Nadia was meant to represent Sayid’s long lost love, Nadia. Remember that when she escaped the prison with Sayid’s help during his flashback in Season 1, she wrote the following on her photo for him: “You will see me in the next life, if not this one.” Thus, the cat.

 

As we saw when Eko died earlier this season, it seems like the Black Smoke takes many forms, as manifestations of people’s pasts and memories. So was Nadia the cat another version of the Black Smoke?

 

On the map that Sayid took from The Flame, there is a place called The Barracks. Is that where Other Village is?

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