Let's Get 'Lost' with Bostondevil

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Are you trying to tell me that everybody else made the Hitchhiker's connection too?

I don't think anyone here ever made that connection. You bring a unique perspective, to say the least!

[DukeUsul]

I found a couple of threads that talked about how 'Lost' was losing it halfway through the first season. I found them highly amusing.

So do we... so do we. Someone posts the same thing in the middle of each season. Then things just start steamrolling. It's amazing how they pick up the pace of the storytelling every season.

[Bostondevil]

Flashback: Kate and the Marshall with a customs officer. The customs officer asks, "Why do you need 5 guns?" He then holds up the toy plane and asks, "What's this?" The Marshall, in full on wanker mode, tells the story of Kate. The plane belonged to her childhood sweetheart who she got killed a couple of years ago. She started calling the Marshall at home after that trying to explain that there were mitigating circumstances to her situation. The Marshall thinks she was taunting him, so, to taunt her back he told her about the plane which he had stashed in a safety deposit box in New Mexico. She stages a robbery of that bank, shoots the lunkhead she seduced into pulling the job with her, takes only the plane and leaves all the money. He speculates that keeping the plane with her is her way of atoning for Tom's death because she doesn't care about anybody else but the one thing she does care about is keeping that toy plane. He holds the plane in front of her face. She jumps up and tries to choke him with her handcuffs against the wall. The Marshall manages to hit her and she drops to the floor. Marshall: That's why I need 5 guns.

Charlie gathering messages for a bottle that is going on the raft. Rousseau is taking Jack, Locke, Hurley and Arzt to the Black Rock. Kate decides to go too, for old time's sake. Locke notices the scratches on Rousseau's arm. It was a bush. Locke: Some bush. I think he might know when he's being lied to too.

Arzt complains that Hurley can't pronounce his name. Hurley keeps calling him Ernst. Hurley remembers his first name from the manifest, he thinks Leslie is a b*tchin' name. Arzt: Arzt is fine. You go Arzt, make the most of your screen time, buddy!

Rousseau: This is it - Territoire something I don't understand and I even speak French - Dark Territory. (Direct translation would be Territoire Sombre but I don't think that's what she says, but I could be wrong.) Anyway, they must move quickly through the Dark Territory. This is where her team got sick and Montain lost his arm. Arzt bails. Jack says that he thought Arzt wanted to help them handle the dynamite. Arzt: That was before Montain lost his arm. Jack asks what to do about the dynamite. Arzt: Be very careful with it. Thanks, Arzt. Hmmm, maybe he doesn't blow himself up after all. I've grown to like Arzt. He and Hurley could be good for some high comedy moments.

Sawyer was out in the jungle making a new mast. It's perfect. Yea, Sawyer!

The Expedition hears weird noises. It's Arzt. He's running back towards them - followed by the LMM. Locke tells Hurley to stay still. Rousseau, Kate, and Jack hide in a bamboo hut. The LMM passes. They gather but Arzt is missing. Hurley notices. Where's Ernst? He steps out of another bamboo hut, "It's ARZT!" Rousseau explains that the LMM is a security system. Like any security system, it's protecting something. What? The island.

Walt gives Vincent to Shannon. He tells her that Vincent took care of him after his mom died. He could always talk to Vincent. He's a good listener. You can talk to him about Boone if you want. Aw.

Flashback: Shannon in the airport. Sayid asks her to watch his bag for a moment. She says, "Sure, whatever." Boone comes back, he can't get them into first class. Shannon is a bit b*tchy about it. Boone: One day you're going to appreciate everything I do for you. Shannon walks away, leaving Sayid's bag. After some more bickering she goes up to a security guard and says some Arab guy put his bag down and walked away from it. What did he look like? I don't know, Arab?

Sayid gives the Rafties a flare gun. There is only one flare.

The Expedition reaches The Black Rock where they meet Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner! The Jacks have a tussel until it is agreed upon to call Jack, Jack and Captain Jack, Captain. As I'm sure you all know, The Black Rock is an 18th century sailing vessel. Adam and Eve? Too long ago. How long has this island been claiming the Lost? And where is Amelia Earhart?

Sun brings Jin a book that spells out some useful English words phonetically in Korean. Jin: I'm sorry. I'm in this place because I'm being punished. I have to go because I'm going to save you. Stay with Jack, he will keep you safe. Sun: Who will keep you safe? They have a tearful hug and kiss. I think they've made up.

Everybody gathers to send The Rafties off. Lots of hugging. Charlie gives Sawyer the message bottle. The raft goes in the water. Vincent tries to swim after it. Walt yells for him to go back. He does. Shannon gets him. Sail's up and they are off.

Last shot - the pillar of black smoke.

[Bostondevil]

I won't get the whole episode done right now, but I'll start.

Claire packing up but panicking with Turnip Head. Believable moment - she's a new mom, they are an irrational breed. I remember.

Sayid will be leading a hike to the caves. Everybody should go to the caves and stay there. Charlie wants Sayid to give him a gun to protect Claire. Sayid won't do it. He tells Charlie to pack her up and carry her baby to the caves.

The Expedition. Hurley, looking at The Black Rock: How exactly does something like this happen? Rousseau: You're on the same island that I am. You go girl, we're not supposed to explain it, we're supposed to live it. Rousseau leaves them, the dynamite is in the hold. Jack, Locke, and Kate explore the hold. Arzt and Hurley stay outside. Inside the hold are the skeletons of many slaves. It really is all very Pirates of the Caribbean. Locke thinks the ship was on it's way to a mining colony.

Kate finds the box of explosives. She's about to open it with a crowbar when Jack says that maybe they better take it outside to open it. Good idea!

Meanwhile, Arzt is telling Hurley the long, boring story of his life. He notices Hurley waning interest and gets testy. He says he knows a clique when he sees one, he teaches high school. Arzt is listing his grievances when Kate, Jack, and Locke bring the crate outside. Arzt goes a bit ballistic. What are they doing? Don't they know what dynamite does in 90 degree heat. (It's that hot? They don't really act like it's that hot most of the time. I've come to the conclusion that the place is more sub-tropical, I think it's probably more like 82 degrees. For one thing, the bugs would have mostly destroyed a 250 year old wooden boat by now in a tropical environment, right?) Anyway, in 90 degree heat, dynamite sweats nitroglycerine which is very unstable. Arzt lifts one stick out of the crate, a sticky that looks particularly 'sweaty' if you ask me, takes Kate's outer shirt, wets it, then wraps the dynamite in it. He's explaining exactly how to handle it when, predictably, he blows himself up. Oh Arzt, we hardly knew ye, but it was fun while it lasted.

Jin/Sun at the airport. Sayid walks by in the presence of some security guards. He is now free to go and they apologize for the misunderstanding. Jin goes to the bathroom to wash out his shirt. A man dressed as a tourist starts speaking in Korean to him. It's a well done moment and pretty spooky. White guys speaking Asian languages is always a fascinating disconnect for me. Anyway, this guy works for Mr. Paik. They know that Jin was planning to run away. Fake tourist: You are not free, you never have been, and you never will be. Poor Jin.

The raft: Lovely shot of the island's mountains. Michael: How does a place this big never get discovered? Sawyer is singing a Bob Marley tune. Michael notices, it's a friendship building moment.

That's it for now. I should have the rest of it done tonight.

[Bostondevil]

Shannon struggles with luggage. She is bringing Boone's things too. Sayid is at first a little annoyed then he tells her he will help her carry it all. Now, c'mon, he has a hike to lead.

The Expedition. Hurley is a bit stunned by what happened to Arzt: That was messed up. He just exploded in front of us. Hurley thinks it's his fault. He tells Kate that he's kind of bad luck. Locke and Jack pull out 6 sticks of dynamite. Unlike Arzt, they pick the ones that haven't weeped out a lot of nitroglycerine. They follow Arzt's instructions and wrap the sticks in wet cloth.

Charlie with Claire, Rousseau appears, looking for Sayid. Charlie heads off to get him. Rousseau wants to hold the baby. Claire is understandably reluctant. Claire has a flashback of herself giving Rousseau the scratches on her arm. Claire asks when did she scratch Rousseau. It's pretty spooky and then I remembered her diary, she's dreamt of the Black Rock. Did she dream that? What is the island trying to tell Claire? That Rousseau is dangerous?

Flashback: Charlie waking up in his hotel room. He tries to find his stash. There's a girl there. She wakes up and asks for a bump. When he won't share his drugs with her, things get a bit ugly. The girl beats on him for awhile but ultimately calls him pathetic and leaves. I don't have any experience with the situation but that scene seemed pretty believeable to me.

Charlie finds Sayid. Meanwhile Rousseau has knocked Claire out and taken the baby. Charlie blames Sayid and hits him. He goes to hit him again and Sayid grabs him by the throat: Do not hit me again. Instead of fighting, the should find Rousseau. Sayid and Charlie leave to find her. Sayid knows where she is going.

The Expedition decides to split the dynamite 3 & 3 between two packs. The draw straws to see who will carry the packs. Locke and Kate get the short straws.

The Rafties turn on the transmitter for 5 minutes. Sawyer is reading the messages. 'Tracy' has a hubby and 2 kids in Fresno yet she is sleeping next to 'Scott'. Walt says "Steve! Scott's dead" (One more named survivor, that gives us a name for 25 out of 51, counting the baby.) Sawyer: Who the hell is Hugo and why does he have $160 million to leave to his mom? Walt can't believe Sawyer is reading the private messages. Walt wonders what Sawyer would think if he read Sawyer's note. Walt can't because Sawyer didn't write one. Sawyer: The only letter I ever wrote is to the man I'm gonna kill. Walt: Why are you gonna kill him? Sawyer: Because I need to. Walt: Why? Sawyer: Because.

Sayid gives Charlie a gun but tells him, "This isn't about revenge. Don't make it personal." Claire comes up to them, hysterical. She wants to come with them. Sun is with Claire. They tell her it's not a good idea. Let them do this. Claire makes Charlie to promise to bring Aaron back. The baby's name is Aaron. Shot of the pillar of black smoke.

Flashback: Michael talking to his mother on the phone at the airport. Can she maybe take Walt? Michael: He's not supposed to be mine. It was never part of the plan. Walt overhears this. While Michael has his back turned, Locke goes by in a wheelchair.

The Rafties, Michael teaches Walt how to steer the boat. Walt wants to know why Michael and Susan broke up. It just didn't work out. Walt: How come I never saw you? Michael tells him that his mom didn't want him to, she thought it was for the best. Walt: She was wrong. Then the raft hits a log and the rudder breaks off. Sawyer takes off his shirt, dives in, and swims for the rudder. That's 2 shirt off episodes in a row! Jin and Michael throw him a rope. They drag him and the rudder back to the raft. Michael tells Sawyer that he saved their asses then gives Sawyer back his shirt. He discovers the gun. He is not pleased that Sawyer has it. Sawyer realizes Michael now knows he has a gun.

The Expedition staggers their line for safety as they head back. If something happens and they need to run, take the packs off first.

Shannon/Sun at the caves. They talk about Boone. Then Sun wonders, "Do you think all this, all we've been through - do you think we're being punished?" Shannon: Punished for what? Sun elaborates, all the bad things we've done, all the lies we've told. Shannon: Who do you think is punishing us? Sun: Fate. Claire: No one's punishing us - no such thing as Fate. This statement from the woman who was pushed onto the plane by a psychic.

Charlie - Sayid running. Charlie can't run as fast as Sayid. Sayid declares it's time for a break. They stop at the plane. Sayid tells Charlie about the heroin. BAD IDEA!!!!!! There's a shot of Charlie looking at a broken Virgin Mary spilling out little bags of heroin at his feet.

The Expedition moves slowly through the jungle. Hurley has fantasies about what's inside the hatch, mostly involving Twinkies and TV dinners. Locke likes Twinkies too. What does Locke think is in the hatch? Hope, Locke thinks hope is inside. Spooky music - an eagle flies by - Dark Territory indeed. Jack and Kate see a shadow move rapidly through the trees. The LMM arrives. Locke puts his pack down and heads toward the LMM. Jack, Kate, and Hurley all run. Jack puts his pack down, Kate does NOT. I'm holding my breath hoping Kate doesn't explode them all. Kate, c'mon, you're smarter than that. Jack realizes what Locke is doing and heads back. The LMM descends upon Locke who finally looks frightened. It grabs him by the legs and drags him towards a hole. Jack gets there just in time and grabs Locke by the arms. Jack: We need the dynamite. Kate takes off her pack, no, it's in Jack's. Well thank goodness! Macho, arrogant move Jack, but you were right to do it.

Dinner time!

[Bostondevil]

Locke wants Jack to let him go. Jack tells Kate to throw the dynamite into the hole. Locke tells her not to. Kate throws the dynamite. Explosion sound. A cloud of black smoke comes out of another whole a few yards away, gathers itself, and spirits away. My husband who was allowed to watch this with me says, "Smokey". OK, I'm game, the LMM is now dubbed Smokey. They pull Locke up.

Michael finds Jin's dictionary. Michael: I hope you know how lucky you are man. Michael? He does. We saw it. Michael gives Jin the watch. I'm not sure why he had it. Maybe when they helped pull Sawyer out of the water, not sure. Jin brings it back over to Michael: You. Michael says thank you, hoping Jin will understand. There is some serious male bonding going on on that raft. It's a good thing Kate didn't come. When she wanted to go, I kept thinking about something that only women would think about. I'll leave it there, but, really, most of us womenfolk would not willingly choose to go on a raft for an indefinite period of time because of it. It's bound to be bad enough on the island.

Sun/Claire Sun asks what Aaron means. Claire doesn't know. (I checked wikipedia, it's unclear what it means but one of the options is 'one of light'. I'll go with that one in this context. Another choice is pregnancy but I prefer one of light. Maybe both are implied.) Sun tells Claire that Charlie will bring back Aaron because he said he would.

Charlie sees a bundle that is so obviously not a baby but he grabs it anyway and springs a trap. He gets hit in the head by a bunch of rocks. Rousseau has learned to set a trap in a hurry. Charlie is bleeding a lot. The wound is deep enough to require stitches. Sayid wants to send Charlie back. Charlie won't go and tells Sayid to fix it. Sayid reminds Charlie that he's not a doctor. Charlie reminds Sayid that he is a soldier and surely he's knows some quick way to patch a wound. Sayid does. He pores gunpowder in the wound. Charlie: Gunpowder? Is this because I hit you? Sayid then says this won't be pleasant. Charlie, I gotta hand it to you, you are NOT a coward. Neither are you Sayid. Sayid lights the gunpowder and Charlie screams, luckily that part is handled in longshot.

Flashback: Hurley snoring. He has overslept due to an electrical short that toasted his alarm clock. He can't miss his flight because his mother's birthday is tomorrow. He quickly packs and exits Room 2342. C'mon Hurley, why did you agree to stay in that room? I'm sure the hotel could have found you another one. Actually, given Hurley's obsession with the numbers, I find it an unbelieveable moment, not a clever way to put the numbers in the script again. The first elevator that comes is full. Charlie is on it. Mad dash to the airport full of mishaps. Hurley has to buy two tickets because of his size. He's in the domestic terminal, he needs to get to the international terminal. More mad dashing, he tries to cut the security line. The don't let him. Arzt is there, he says to the guy in front of him: Now? You're taking the compute out now? Oh Arzt, I am going to miss you. Hurley pays a guy $1600 for his scooter chair. He gets to Gate 23 just as they close the jetway doors. Hurley: For the love of all that is good and holy in this world, let me on this plane. Gate attendant (Gemma, I like that name) makes a call saying they've got one more. She opens the jetway saying, "This is your lucky day." Hurley picks her up in a big bear hug.

Hurley is whispering the numbers, it's gotten dark by now so they are carrying torches, around the dynamite, wow. Anyway, Kate picks up on 23 and mentions that the reward for turning her in was $23,000.

Jack wants to know why Locke did what he did regarding Smokey. We get a serious BSLR speech. It's an important conversation. Perhaps you all remember it. Locke thinks he was being tested.
Jack is a man of science. Locke is a man of faith. I'm not repeating it exactly but here is most of what Locke says.
This is not an accident. We didn't crash here by coincidence. Eash one of us was brought here for a reason. The island brought us here. The island cose you too, Jack. It's destiny. Boone was a sacrifice that the island demanded. Survival is all relative Jack.
Jack: I don't believe in destiny.
Locke: Yes, you do. You just don't know it yet.
Somehow I think this sort of discussion will loom large in later seasons.

The Rafties turn on the transmitter. Sawyer/Michael discussion, starts out about Walt. Sawyer says Walt would have seen the back of his hand by now. His daddy never beat him because he shot himself when Sawyer was 8. Michael: Is that why you want to die? Michael figured out that the only possible reasons Sawyer wanted to risk his life by joining them were either that he was a hero or he wanted to die. Sawyer: I ain't no hero. Then they pick up a signal.

Flashback: Locke in a wheelchair at the gate. The special loading wheelchair is missing. They won't be able to get Locke onto the plane. Two Oceanic employees offer to carry him onto the plane. Locke accepts the help although he doesn't seem particularly happy about it. They carry him to his seat. He drops the plane safety care and can't reach it. Locke, helpless, it's a sad sight.

The Expedition reaches the hatch. They begin to set up the dynamite.

Charlie and Sayid find the fire that is producing the black smoke. Nobody is there, then they hear the baby crying. Rousseau appears with Aaron. The Others didn't come. She just wanted her Alex back. Sayid is very understanding, Charlie less so. Sayid takes Aaron and hands him to Charlie. Charlie kinda lets her have it now that the baby is safe. Rousseau: I heard them say they were coming for the child. The Others said they were coming for the boy. I hear that and I think, boy? The boy is Walt. And the show has already shown us how special he is. Plus he told Locke not to open the hatch. WALT!!!!!! But thank goodness, he's off the island. Run, hide, or die. Walt ran.

I'm so close and yet, I've gotta go to a tech rehearsal. I've only got 2 more pages of notes, then I can start watching Season 2.

[Bostondevil]

The Expedition is still rigging the explosion. Careful movements, tense moments but they get it done with no further loss of life. There's a Jack/Kate disagreement, discussion about him putting the dynamite in his pack instead of hers. Jack: Everybody wants me to be a leader until I make a decision they don't like. Very well put, Jack. Just keep doing what you're doing. I still think you a bit to good to be true but the show needs you. Jack confesses that, if they survive the night, he and Locke will be at odds. Does Kate have his back? Yes.

Everything is set to go, dynamite-wise, and we finally find out why Bad Luck Hurley came on this particular expedition. No, it's not for comic relief, although the moments with Arzt were priceless. He sees the numbers on the side of the hatch. He tries to stop the explosion. Locke lights the fuse. Hurley tries to stomp it out saying "The numbers are bad, the numbers are bad." Jack tackles him to save him and Explosion!

The Rafties argue over firing their one and only flare. The boat(?) on the radar is moving away. Michael: Please, God. And he fires the flare. The boat starts coming back. Happiness on the raft. They hear something approaching, we see waves, then a bright light is shining on them. Much rejoicing on the raft. Then the other boat comes into view, it's 3 brothers and their sister dueling with their banjos. The oldest says: Only the thing is, we're going to have to take the boy. It all turns bad. Sawyer pulls his gun, gets shot, and falls in the water. Jin dives in after him. The Deliverance brothers board the boat, beat on Michael and grab Walt. After they have Walt in their boat, the sister tosses a Molotov cocktail onto the raft as Michael dives off.

Sayid and Charlie bring Aaron back. Shannon runs to hug Sayid - darn. Shot of a Virgin Mary statue in Charlie's pack - darn, again.

Flashback: Plane boarding. Shots of all the regulars getting on the plane. Shannon looking through her purse as Boone holds up her inhaler. Arzt helps Claire with her carry on bag. Jack and Locke nod at each other (Locke was one row behind Jack, on the other side of the aisle.) Hurley is the last to board. He sees Walt playing with a GameBoy and gives him a thumbs up. Walt smiles. Hurley sits down, puts his headphones on and starts reading the Spanish comic book. It's opened to the polar bear page.

The hatch has been opened. Last shot - down a long scary shaft with a broken ladder.

And we're on our way to Rivendell.

[Bostondevil]

Now I get to watch Season 2. Before I start, a couple of things. I predict that at least some of the Rafties make it back. I predict an ongoing story of Season 2 will be about getting Walt back. I predict we meet survivors from the tail section. I hope that Sawyer is not dead, I think the show really needs that character. Total time elapsed from crash to Walt's abduction is, I think, about 6 weeks. I predict Season 2 will cover slightly more time.

I will not predict what I think is in the hatch. I really have no clue. I think Charlie might get back on the drugs. I hope Sayid and Shannon doesn't last, yuck.

I predict the man of science/man of faith, man of logic/man of emotion, Kirk/Spock thing continues. I hope we get another character named for each of the three categories, a philosopher, a Hitchhiker, and, of course another Duke bballer (Shane, Shane, Shane!) And now on to Season 2.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Now I get to watch Season 2. Before I start, a couple of things. I predict that at least some of the Rafties make it back. I predict an ongoing story of Season 2 will be about getting Walt back. I predict we meet survivors from the tail section. I hope that Sawyer is not dead, I think the show really needs that character. Total time elapsed from crash to Walt's abduction is, I think, about 6 weeks. I predict Season 2 will cover slightly more time.

I will not predict what I think is in the hatch. I really have no clue. I think Charlie might get back on the drugs. I hope Sayid and Shannon doesn't last, yuck.

I predict the man of science/man of faith, man of logic/man of emotion, Kirk/Spock thing continues. I hope we get another character named for each of the three categories, a philosopher, a Hitchhiker, and, of course another Duke bballer (Shane, Shane, Shane!) And now on to Season 2.

[Spockvoice] Fascinating! [/Spockvoice]

[InSpades]

You should really be forced to wait 4 months to watch the next episode like the rest of us were . That was pretty much torture. Such a good ending to season 1.

[Bostondevil]

I'm sorry my dear, but that's the beauty of waiting 5 years to start this in the first place! (Besides, too late )

[Bostondevil]

I'm getting behind, sorry for anybody who's waiting for my Season 2 reactions. I have watched 3 episodes and I'll get my notes typed up this weekend. In the meantime, I watched some of the Season 1 bonus features. I enjoyed how they had everybody read for Sawyer even though they weren't intending to cast any of them as Sawyer, that's the only side they had for the auditions apparently. Jorge Garcia reading Sawyer was awesome!

At first Jack was going to be played by Michael Keaton in a guest starring role and he was going to be killed in the first episode by the LMM (instead of the pilot). Kate was going to be more in the leader role with Jack dead. Several people who read the script talked them out of killing off Jack. I think they made the right choice. The Jack/Locke philosophical conflict is going to play out better over the seasons if you don't have the man/woman sexual tension added to the mix. Anyway, because of the rather late change in the script, Matthew Fox was one of the last actors to be cast.

They read Yunjian Kim for Kate and thought she was so good, although not Kate, that they created the character of Sun specifically for her. Daniel Dae Kim speaks English, of course, but hearing him speak English for the first time was a little freaky, ditto when you hear Naveen Andrews speak with his British working class accent.

The producers bought an actual L-1011 for the shoot, had it split up in Arizona and transported to Hawaii. The polar bear is CGI even though Abrams didn't want CGI but the polar bear model that they used looked too hokey on film. Not in real time but in freeze frame, yep, absolutely ridiculous. Things you have to think about in the digital age.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I've never seen any of the bonus features. Would you recommend them?

[Bostondevil]

If you've got the DVDs, yeah, watch them. There are several interesting bits but I wouldn't go out of my way to get the DVD.

[Bostondevil]

Season 2 opens with a shot of a green flashing cursor circa 1982. It's the PC I used to boot up from a floppy in the computer lab in that building just up the hill from Engineering. I think they've torn that building down.

Anyway, there's a beeping sound. Somebody wakes up goes to the computer and types something. We can't see the face and I don't recognize the hair. Is this a flashback, don't know yet. Anyway Mystery Man has a morning routine, he puts a record on the turntable 'Make Your Own Kind of Music', makes breakfast, exercises, injects himself with some yellow liquid (this is kinda WTF?) then - BANG. He goes into warrior mode, puts on a jumpsuit, gets out his rifle, adjusts some mirrors so he can see down a corridor, oh, he's in the hatch.

The Expedition looks down the hatch. They drop something. They hear a splash but it sounds like shallow water, a puddle, 40-50 feet down. Jack and Locke have a disagreement, the first of many, I suspect. Locke wants to go down right now, Jack heads back to the caves. Reluctantly Locke comes too.

Flashback: Sarah is brought in after a car crash. Jack, wearing a bad wig, gets the info. The other driver, a man in his 50s, needs to be intubated but apparently there isn't anybody else in the ER who can do this besides Jack and he's busy with Sarah. He doesn't take time to go intubate the other guy and we hear the emergency team call the time of death. Jack takes a piece of the steering column out of Sarah's chest. She mumbles something that Jack understands, she has to dance at her wedding. I'm still not sure if we're supposed to believe that the other guy died because Jack was concentrating on Sarah or if it's an example of the first rule of triage with multiple victims, help the ones that can be saved first.

At the caves, Shannon can't find Vincent and goes to search for him. Sayid follows.

Hurley asks Locke why he lit the fuse. He was obviously trying to stop him. Locke evades. Kate notices that the inside of the hatch door say 'Quarantine'. I'll say the hatch was never meant to be opened from the outside.

Shannon/Sayid They hear Vincent barking. They see him. Sayid goes to circle around behind him. Shannon gets scared when Sayid doesn't answer her. She falls. When she looks up she sees a dripping wet Walt whispering something we can't hear. Spooky. It's obvious not actually Walt but it's very real. The island is messing with us. Walt is a lot like Jack's dad, an hallucination with substance.

The Expedition is heading back to the caves. Kate wants to know why Locke wants to go into the hatch so bad. Jack asks Hurley about the whole "The numbers are bad" thing. Hurley has been in a psych ward (Hurley was a patient with Lenny? Wow, didn't pick up on that, even when the doctor recognized him, I thought he'd done some volunteering.) Hurley talks about how all Lenny ever did was repeat the numbers. So, one day when Hurley was buying a frozen burrito he thought, hey, I should play those numbers in the lottery. (The one ring finding a way to resurface!) Anyway, Hurley won $114 million but then the bad stuff started happening. His grandpa died, his house caught on fire, the chicken joint where he used to work got hit by a meteor, well, meteorite actually. Jack reacts to all this with, "You were in a psych ward?" I gotta say, that was my reaction too. Hurley asks Jack if he believes him about the numbers. Jack says that they are just numbers. Hurley tells Jack that his bedside manner sucks. How can you not love Hurley?

Flashback: Jack brutally honest, emphasis on brutal, with Sarah about he injuries. She will probably be paralyzed from the waist down. Dad overhears this and tells Jack he needs to give some hope every now and then. Jack, not one to provide false hope. It's not false hope, it's just very unlikely, but it's still hope.

Shannon tells everybody that she saw Walt. This story upsets the crowd but they are distracted by the return of The Expedition. Jack tells everybody about the hatch, that they got it open, that they were hoping to hide inside but that's not going to be possible tonight. Charlie asks, "What happened to Dr. Arzt?" Jack: He didn't make it. I'll say. They will stay together tonight. The sun comes up in 3 hours and we're all going to see it together. Locke heads back to the hatch. Waiting might the prudent, safe thing to do, but he's tired of waiting.

Kate/Jack. They talk. Jack really believes everything will be OK. Kate is going to the hatch to help Locke. Live together or die alone.

Flashback: Jack talking to Sarah's fiance who can't deal with the situation. They set him up as an absolute wanker so it's kind of hard to believe that he ever got Sarah in the first place but, oh well. Part of the problem is Jack's brutal bedside manner. Not everybody can deal right off the bat, Jack. Sometimes when your life gets shattered, you act like a wanker for a few days at least. But it's not really Jack's fault, it's the writers. We already know Sarah is going to marry Jack. The level of toolishnes written into the fiance is unnecessary. OR - Sarah calls Jack over before she goes to sleep. She tells him it's OK, she can roll around at her wedding instead. Jack leans down, "I'm gonna fix you."

Locke at the hatch, Kate shows up. She's surprised he hasn't gone down yet. He was waiting for her. Oh that Locke, so wise. Locke lowers Kate first, she's lighter, he's stronger, makes sense. Tense moments, mini-crisis with the rope. Locke is holding it so she doesn't fall too fast and it's making his hands bleed. Kate, scared in the hatch, counts to 5. Then she yells "Stop!" Locke straining to hold her steady. Kate: I think there's something down here! A bright light flashes, the rope goes quickly through Locke's hands, injuring them even more. He calls to Kate, no answer.

Jack comes back to the hatch too. No Kate, no Locke. He calls down the hatch, no answer. Jack wraps cloth around his hands and repels down the hatch using the rope.

Flashback: Jack running stadium stairs. Someone else is running too. Jack gets competitive and runs faster. He twists his ankle. They helps him. He examines Jack's ankle. Jack: Are you a doctor? The guy was almost a doctor, once, brother. The Scottish guy is training for a race around the world. Jack is trying to work a few things out. He made a promise to Sarah he couldn't keep. He didn't fix her. Scottish guy: But what if you did? Jack: I didn't. Scottish guy: But what if you did? Jack: With her situation it would be a miracle. Scottish guy: You don't believe in miracles? The Scottish guy is Desmond. He shakes Jack's hand and parts with "Good luck, brother. See you in another life, yeah?" He's very memorable, that Desmond.

Jack goes down the hole but there's no white rabbit this time. He walks through a corridor. He sees shoes on the floor. He walks by drawings and a magnetized wall. The key around his neck floats towards the wall. The drawing is the hatch's very on Guernica. We see the number 108 prominently displayed and the word 'sick'. Mirrors adjust to watch Jack. Then 'Make You Own Kind of Music' and the bright light. Jack comes upon the old style computer equipment and sees the terminal. Jack reaches out to touch the computer, Locke says "I wouldn't do that if I were you." We see Locke, somebody is holding a gun to his neck.

Flashback: Sarah wakes up in recovery. Jack is there. He smells. He's just been running stadium stairs. He's come there straight from running. Why? He's intense. Really? I hadn't noticed. Sarah asks about Kevin - must be the fiance. He's not there. Jack tells Sarah that he wasn't able to fix her. Sarah: You're yanking my chain, right? Jack: No. Sarah: Then how come I can move my toes? He tests her feet and legs, she can feel it. They cry and laugh together.

Standoff - The guy holding a gun to Locke's neck is Desmond. Jack recognizes him - "You." Gotta say, very effective that.

But we still don't know if The Rafties are alive or dead.

Forgot to point out that the very first episode of Season 2 is called Man of Science/Man of Faith - I told you that's going to be a major recurring theme. I know, it's a no brainer, but still.

[Bostondevil]

OK, now we're going to find out what happened to The Rafties. Whew.

The Raft: Michael screaming for Walt. Sawyer is alive - he gets to Michael, just as Michael goes under, and drags him onto some wreckage. Sawyer gives Michael mouth-to-mouth.

Locke yelling to Kate at the top of the hatch. We're backtracking a bit here.

Sawyer revives Michael. Where's Walt? Uhm, Michael, don't you remember the Deliverance Boys? They took him. I don't think they are planning to bring him back.

Flashback: Michael at a lawyer's office. He's the best Michael can afford. Susan wants Michael to sign away his parental rights. Michael wants to fight. The lawyer tells him it's going to be expensive. I just don't get some of this back story. Let's face it, even though she paid for Michael's rehab treatment, she is being a gigantic b*tch about Walt. Why? Why insist that Brian get to adopt Walt? I really just don't understand, at all.

Michael/Sawyer on the wreckage. I'm not going to spend too much time on the Michael/Sawyer floating on the wreckage saga. They fight a lot. Let's leave it at that. I'll mention what I think are the important details. One is Sawyer yells for Jin. Glad somebody remembered him.

Locke in the hatch. He takes off his shoes. OK, now we know why they focused on the shoes in the last episode. They are Locke's. Did Jack recognize them? Anyway, Locke sees a hexagonal black & white symbol - the word Dharma is in the middle. He finds Kate on the floor. She says, "Behind you." It's Desmond. Desmond asks, "Are you him?"

Sawyer shouting for Jin. A shark bumps their raft. Sawyer spies another piece of wreckage and swims over to it.

Flashback: Deposition, Susan's lawyers going after Michael. It's uncomfortable to watch.

Sawyer/Michael. Sawyer takes the bullet out of his shoulder by himself with his bare hands. OMG. Sawyer - not a coward.

Desmond: Are you him? Locke says yes. Desmond can't believe he is finally here. Who is she? Kate, she's with me. Desmond: What did one snowman say to the other snowman? When Locke can't answer, Desmond realizes that Locke is not 'him'. He still has a gun on them. Locke tells Desmond about the plane crash - they have been on the island for 44 days (that's about 6 weeks if you ask me ). Desmond asks Kate to tie Locke up. Locke convinces him that it would be better if he tied Kate up instead. Locke tells Kate he's doing what's best for everybody, puts her into another room, and closes the door.

Jack at the caves tells Hurley he's going back to the hatch after all. Claire/Charlie/Aaron. Claire finds the Virgin Mary statue. Charlie takes it from her and stores it away again.

Sawyer/Michael still fighting. Sawyer points out that the Deliverance Boys boat wasn't designed for the open ocean. The boat must have come from the island. Sawyer also figures out The Others wanted Walt - not Aaron.

Flashback: Susan thinks Michael will win in court. Susan asks Michael to sign the papers anyway because it's not about her or Michael, it's about what's best for Walt. Personally, I think what's best for Walt is to grow up thinking that his father loves him, but what do I know?

Kate locked up with her hands tied behind her back. She manages to get her hands in front of her. She has a knife and is able to cut herself free. She turns on the light, she's in a pantry. Most of the food is labelled with the black and white Dharma hexagon. She sees and air vent and starts moving boxes so she can climb up, then in a very believeable moment spies a box marked candy. She eats a chocolate bar then stuffs a few more in her pants before climbing into the air vent.

Locke tells Desmond the story of Oceanic Flight 815. Desmond is surprised to learn the world is still out there. Desmond wants to know how many people have gotten sick. Locke: No one. Beeping noise. Desmond, still holding the gun on Locke, has him type in 4 8 15 16 23 42 and hit Execute. The clock resets to 108. We hear Jack's voice.

Desmond goes into self-protection mode. Kate yells to Jack from the air vent but Jack doesn't hear her. Standoff, we're back to where we left off last time. Desmond fires his gun. It hits the vent where Kate is watching the scene. She was saved by a the metal grid in front of her. She watches the standoff. Jack recognizes Desmond.

Sawyer/Michael. They see one of the pontoons from the raft. Sawyer swims for it. A shark follows him. We see the black&white hexagon underneath the shark's tail. That's freaky. We get an opening of Jaws shot of the shark approaching Sawyer from below. Michael shoots the shark, blood spurts out of the water. Sawyer? He's OK, well, still alive at least. Sawyer pulls Michael onto the pontoon.

Flashback: Susan brings Walt to see Michael before she leaves for Rome. Michael brought Walt a present. It's a plush toy polar bear! Michael tells Walt that his daddy loves him very, very much and he always will. Michael tells Susan to let Walt know that the bear is from him, sometime.

Morning on the pontoon. The tide and currents have brought them back to the island. Michael is upset about Walt. He's going to get him back.

Michael and Sawyer ge to the beach. They hear Jin calling their names. He comes running towards them with his hands tied to a piece of bamboo behind his back. They untie him and he says "Udders". We see him look, Sawyer and Michael follow his eyes to see a band from The Lord of the Flies approaching. Oh my!

[JasonEvans]

Come on... did you really notice the Dharma logo on the shark the first time you saw the episode?!?!? Impressive. Many people miss that.

These recaps remind me how good the end of season one and beginning of season two were. Jack meeting Desmond in the hatch was one of the real highlights of the show.

-Jason "BD rocks!!" Evans

[Bostondevil]

Remember when I said I saw one later episode from Season 2? It was this one. I remember thinking two things at the time: 1) Wow, I really have no idea what's going on! 2) Someday I'll have to watch this show from the beginning because even though I have no clue who these people are, it does look like an interesting show. Seriously, imagine watching the pilot then more than a year later you watch this episode. As I was watching it this time, I kept thinking, how come I didn't figure out what was down the hatch? I think it's very hard to remember details when you are out of the loop.

Anyway, here we go.

The band from 'Lord of the Flies' led by a very large, very fit black man beats on The Rafties, knocking them out. Note: I'm not using the term African American because this guy could very well just be African. The Rafties are thrown into a pit and covered by a bamboo grate.

Desmond fires the gun, we've backtracked again, narrowly missing Kate. Jack to Locke: Is this what you were talking about Locke? Is this your destiny? All roads lead here. Hmmmm, all roads lead to Desmond in the hatch? Do they?

Flashback: Locke in group therapy. He gets fed up with the whiners in the group. You want your $30 back? I want my kidney back. No kidding. Can you get it back? I'd sue for it Locke. Really. Why not? Be a thorn in that guy's side, embarass him. After the meeting Helen comes up and flirts with our John. Somehow I think it's a different Helen, somehow Peggy Bundy doesn't strike me as the phone sex type, oh, cross that, maybe she does .

Jack keeps asking, "Where's Kate?" Kate meanwhile has come down from the air vents. She's also located a gun. She sneaks up on Desmond and whacks him. His gun goes off as he falls to the floor. The bullet hits the computer. Desmond sees this, "Oh! What did you do? We're all going to die." Our safety depends on a circa 1982 PC computer? It's true, we're all going to die.

Desmond begs to be let up to fix the computer. He points to the clock on the wall - it's counting down (97 minutes right now). Desmond looks at Jack closely for the first time, "Do I know you?"

Flashback: Locke, still in the bad wig, leaving Helen's bed in the middle of the night. He sits in his car outside of Anthony's house. Anthony confronts him. From the conversation, Locke has been pulling this stunt for months. Anthony even moved, because of it? He doesn't say. Anyway, he asks Locke what he wants and Locke says, "Why?" Anthony: There is no why. You think you're the first person who ever got conned? You needed a father figure and I needed a kidney. That's what happened. Get over it. And John? Don't come back, you're not wanted. I get it, Locke. I don't think I'd be able to get over something like that easily, but c'mon, if you're going for revenge, really go for it. I'd aim for the pocketbook, I really would.

They let Desmond up but Kate keeps a gun on him. He looks for parts to fix the computer. Then they send Kate to get Sayid. Sayid will fix it, Sayid fixes everything.

Jack has the gun now and he makes Desmond tell his story. Three years ago his boat(?) crashed on the reef. Calvin found him and brought him down there. Desmond hears the alarm, watches Calvin type in the code and push the button. Calvin said he was just saving the world. Desmond helped him save the world for awhile, they took shifts. Then Calvin died. Desmond has been saving the world by himself since then. Let's say Calvin lived for another year, that makes Desmond getting no more than 100 minutes of sleep in a row for 2 years? That man is sleep deprived. He's probably crazier than Rousseau at this point. He sure as heck isn't functioning normally. That kind of sleep deprivation makes the body have seizures. I'm just saying. It's surprising he can even remember the code.

Desmond gets to work. Jack/Locke argue about whether to believe any of this story. Desmond sends them off to watch the film. Where is the film? Desmond: Top shelf, behind Turn of the Screw. Projector's in the pantry. Turn of the Screw? Why that book? Everybody know the basic story? It's a ghost story. Or not. It's framed as a story within a story. A man reads from a manuscript written by a supposedly dead woman. The bulk of the story is first person - it's written by the woman, a governess. It's her voice we hear. She's off at a country estate taking care of two children with instructions not to bother their uncle with any issues. Things happen at the country house. She's either seeing ghosts or she's crazy. It's an odd piece. It's even odder when you compare it to everything else Henry James wrote. (The Golden Bowl, The Bostonians, The Portrait of a Lady, to name a few.) It stands out. That's Henry James, born in Cambridge, MA emigrated back to England. His brother was William James, an early influence in the new science of psychology, also a philosopher. The psychology building at Harvard is called William James Hall. He was a philospher too. Oh all right, I'll go check wikipedia - philosophy of religion and pragmatisim.

Back to 'Lost'. Short scene of Kate running for Sayid, disrupting what had been a calm morning on the beach. Wait, they all thought they were going to die in the night right? Everyone is remarkably calm. Well, Kate ruins it for some.

The Rafties in the pit. Saywer gets Michael and Jin to give him a lift up. He tries to move the grate but can't. While up there, a huge knife slides in right next to his face. They fall back. The very large, very fit black man stares down at them then throws a woman into the pit. It's Anna Lucia. See, Michelle Rodriguez, I knew she was coming back. Is the very large, very fit black man Rose's husband? Wow. That doesn't really fit.

Jack thinks Desmond is insane - there's no way pushing that button is saving the world. I tend to agree with you Jack, but we are on this bizarre island, who knows what he's saving? I think Desmond is crazy, but not for the same reasons as you.

Jack and Locke watch the Orientation film. It's both bizare and great fun. They did an excellent job of making this quirky bit of the story look authentic. It starts off with the Black & White symbol followed by 'Orientation film - Station 3 - The Swan'. It also at some point, maybe earlier says orientation 3 of 5 (or is it 6), so presumably, this is not the only station. Where are the others? We don't know. Anyway, Dr. Marvin Candle comes on and explains that this is the orientation film for Station 3 of the Dharma Initiative. The Dharma Initiative was created in 1970. It's the brainchild of Gerald and Karen DeGroot, graduate students at the University of Michigan. Gerald looks like a cross between Antonin Scalia and Jack Black (with just a little bit of my 8th grade math teacher). High comedy, this film. I love it. They envisioned a large scale communal research compound. I bet they did. Swedish industrialist Alvar Hanso provided the funding. The shot zooming in on ole Alvar standing, with great posture, in his office? I couldn't be happier with that little bit of entertainment. They list the fields that the Dharma Initiative is interested in studying. It's the hokiest thing you will ever see, it rivals 'Duck and Cover'. Station 3 is a laboratory designed to study the unique electromagnetic fluctuations emanating from this section of the island. For some reason, I think this might be important. Ever since 'the incident', they've instituted a new protocol. Teams of two will take shifts and enter the code into the computer every 108 minutes. From the time the alarm sounds, you will have 4 minutes to enter the code and hit 'Execute'. Please complete the task in a timely and accurate manner. There are going to be teams of 2. It is recommended that they take shifts. Please do not use the computer - film cuts off, but we can assume he was about to say, 'for anything else'. Replacements are supposed to come in 540 days (108 X 5). Dr. Marvin Candle thanks the viewers of the film and says the continued success of the Dharma Initiative depends on them. The film ends. It's copyright line says Hanso something, Productions maybe? The copyright year is 1980. At the end, Locke says, "We're going to need to watch that again." Nod to the fans, right? I'm sure you've all seen it many times.

Flashback: Helen gives Locke a key to her place for their 6 month anniversary. One condition though, when he stays over, he stays over, no sneaking out in the middle of the the night to sit in front of Anthony's house. Helen followed Locke one night and knows what he does. Locke accepts the deal and they kiss. I like Helen. She's good for you Locke, you idiot. Somehow I don't think this ends well.

Jack is not going to watch the film again.

The Rafties talk to Anna Lucia. They were all on Flight 815. She was knocked out, woke up underwater, swam to the top, and made it ashore. Sawyer assumes she's been alone since the crash, he's mightily impressed. I don't remember exactly what happens next, but something about her story makes me suspicious. Sawyer, for a con man, you're way too trusting of what's in front of you. Sawyer shows Anna Lucia the gun and says that they will have a surprise for 'Shaft' the next time he shows up.

Jack tries to argue with Desmond that it's all just a mind game. Desmond thinks about that possibility every single day. But, you saw the film, this is an electromagnetic station. Everytime he walks past the concrete wall, brother, his fillings hurt.

Desmond turns on the computer. The lights go out. Desmond cries, "It's over!" He puts together some supplies, food, and vials of the yellow stuff he injected into himself. Then he leaves.

Locke is dismayed. Locke: This isn't what's supposed to happen. Jack: What was supposed to happen, John? Jack leaves. Locke, angry and frustrated: What am I supposed to do? He seems to be appealing to the island again.

Flashback: John, leaving in the middle of the night. Cut to him sitting in front of Anthony's house again. Helen followed him and rear ends his car. She's mad. She tells him he's going to have to choose, him or me. Locke can't. Helen tells John, that, yes, he can choose. Helen tells him that he can't know the future. "That's why it's called a leap of faith."

Kate comes back with Sayid and Hurley. Kate and Hurley try to find the circuit breaker box. Hurley finds the pantry instead.

The Rafties in the pit. Anna Lucia has conned them. She went into the pit to try and find out who they were, where they had come from. She gets the gun from Sawyer and is pulled out of the pit. Yeah, I think I remembered that bit. I didn't trust her from the beginning.

Jack chases Desmond down. Desmond remembers where he's seen Jack before. He pushes for the rest of the story. What happened to the girl? Jack (upset): I married her. Desmond: You're not married to her anymore then? . . . See you in another life, yeah? At some point during this convesation Desmond tells Jack the code.

Sayid fixing the computer. Locke asks Sayid, "Don't you need to know why?" No, Sayid doesn't. He's a good soldier. Kate finds the breaker. Sayid turns on the computer. The cursor appears. The alarm is beeping. Locke starts typing in the code. Hurley hears the numbers and wants Locke to stop. Locke types in 4 8 15 16 23 32. Hurley hears that and says, "Go ahead, dude, do your thing." Jack shows up and corrects the last number. Locke wants Jack to push the button. Locke can't do it alone, metaphorically speaking, he doesn't want to. It's a leap of faith, Jack. Jack pushes the button in Galaxy Quest style with 1 second left.

Locke: I'll take the first shift.

[Bostondevil]

Come on... did you really notice the Dharma logo on the shark the first time you saw the episode?!?!? Impressive. Many people miss that.


-Jason "BD rocks!!" Evans

Yes. I did. Remember, I'm trained to watch these shows thinking absolutely everything is important, including the name of the candy bars, Apollo. I don't mention everything in my recaps, like the name of the candy bar because, well, it's a lot of stuff to type. But yeah, I saw the Dharma Initiative symbol on the tail of the shark. I do watch every episode twice now. Once I just watch, perhaps jotting down a couple of highlights, but mostly just concentrating on the screen and then I watch it again, stopping and starting as I take notes. I didn't know it was a Dharma Initiative symbol until after the third episode though.

[Bostondevil]

I would have missed it had I been knitting while watching the show. I have to say, this project is seriously cutting into my knitting time. When I watch 'Lost', I WATCH IT!