Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Love Letter to Sylar

Dear Sylar,

You may find it surprising to be receiving a love letter, given your current status as a brutal, remorseless killer. However, I suspect you will instead think it only natural. You are, after all, very special. Even though you have just recently murdered one of my favorite people, leaving me uncommonly displeased with you, I find even now that I cannot resist your twisted sense of humor and ghoulish charms. While others, understandably, hate and despise you for ruining their lives or killing their loved ones, I am contrarily pleased with you for being so very good at being so very bad. Life would be so abundantly boring if there was no natural need for balance and therefore a natural need for heroes and villains. Though I sometimes quietly wish (never more intensely than when Micah finally voiced it himself) that you would side with your own, using your powers for good or at the very least for killing that creepy Danko, I find that I rather prefer you accepting your innately evil nature and mischievously making our heroes' lives more trying.

Never since first being introduced to Dexter Morgan have I loved and emphasized so fully with a serial killer. When you flash your cocky smirk and declare that your wicked schemes are so very fun, I can't help but grin delightfully with you and agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment. You are the very thing that shows the Dark Side for what it can be, tempting the soldiers of good out of the light and into the shadows since the beginning of time. While your enemies toil in confusion and seriousness, while they pout and complain, dodge along the morally gray line and live in overall pain and chaos, you fine joy in the simple things in life and live every day past the limits of your potential.

But this isn't the only thing that defines your devilish appeal. Before, when you were merely a veiled figure in the shadows, you were so much more frightening, but you lacked humanity and therefore lacked any real allure. Now however, I know you better and you are so much more than an evil clockmaker out to bring misery for misery sake. You show your deep need for acceptance and love with every person you cruelly murder, with every journey of self-discovery and with every indifferent chuckle. In the rare instances where your humanity shines through - the fervent, however temporary, desire to be good, the understanding of heroes that do not even understand themselves, the occasional helpful act in the name of good- you prove to be one of those highly complex and deeply contradictory villains that have excited all of literary history.

Personally, I find egotistical men very unattractive and I don't wish to blow up your head too much - but you are just too damn cool. If I wasn't so sure of your solid and resilient character, I'd be fearful of ever seeing you again (since you now reside deep, deep under a Nathan Petrelli exterior). But I am sure of your strength of character and sense of self, and even though the pain from the loss of Nathan ( I am VERY angry with you about that, by the way) is still fresh, I can hardly blame you overly much. It is, after all, in your nature to prove yourself as unique and special (since you have killed everyone that has ever loved you, all you can have now is your enemies' fear and respect) and it was rather stupid of Nathan to go up against you with such a passive power while you have so many aggressive powers at your disposal.

I hope to be seeing you again soon. Life will be dull and colorless without your shiningly dark presence to spice it up. Until then, I suppose I can make due with a Nathan-Sylar hybrid. It is, after all, a marvelously cruel deception.

Ever Yours,
Lauren









Love Letter to Chuck

Dearest Chuck,

Before you geekily stumble off into the sunset, now officially spy-like with your new Matrix-y uploaded kung-fu skills, please allow me to thank you for a couple things. It is sad, yet highly probable, that I may never see you again and I couldn't bare to let you go without expressing a few parting intimacies.

Thank you, Chuck, for reminding me that life is nothing without risks and dreams. We can all float through life, never taking the time to better ourselves beyond the minimum that is required from society, or we can take up the beat of Mr. Roboto and, with or without guns blazing, we can leave behind "life as we know it" and steadfastly step towards the unknown. True, we don't all have such as Casey and Sarah to catch us if that step ends up being over a cliff, but we can hope for the best. You showed me that nothing can come from being idle and complacent, with no dreams to speak of, and that risking everything is the only real option we have if we wish to have a regret-less and worthwhile existence.

Also, thank you for being such a strong part of the Nerd Movement, adding your considerably loud and widespread voice to the international memo to all persons that geeks (both the meek and the less meek) will in fact inherit the Earth. We heartily appreciate your support.

Though I am still slightly teary-eyed from the heartbreaking death of Agent Larkin (honestly, who wouldn't weep at the death of something so beautiful), I am optimistic regarding your future. You finally accepted your hero calling and you can now spend your days saving the world, now with actual spy skills and less with luck, along side your one true love. Oh, and also with Sarah too, I guess. Did I mention Casey is extremely sexy? Maybe not as sexy has Jayne Cobb, but still pretty devilish. Maybe you can introduce me....?


Holding Out Hope,
Lauren



Thursday, April 16, 2009

Lost - Some Like It Hoth - 4/15


So of course, prior to last night's airing, it had been a major discussion point as to who or what "Hoth" was. We assumed it was something/someone of great importance, seeing as an entire episode was titled after it. Yesterday afternoon, the ever informative Doc Jenson quoted a fan's theory that it was a reference to The Empire Strikes Back, to the icy planet Hoth, since 1977 was the year Star Wars was released. I, and others, dismissed this idea on the belief that the writers would never attempt to name an episode after a Star Wars reference. As I was falling asleep last night, after being handed the not entirely unpleasant surprise (after all, I am a Star Wars fan myself) that the writers did in fact title an episode after a SW reference, I mentally smacked my forehead in self-exasperation. Of course they would title an episode after Star Wars! How swiftly I had forgotten who we are dealing with here: comic book and sci-fi nerds. Which, in my opinion, are the very coolest of all nerd types. The writing and creation of last night's episode can be described as a nerd's greatest dream come true (for all nerds out there, I use "nerd" as a term of endearment). I can mentally picture the creators, producers and writers of LOST sitting around a table, animatedly discussing the abounding father issues, etc that can be found in the Star Wars movies and then being able to do what very few from their noble caste can do; personify their passionate Star Wars theories, arguments and discussions in an adorable, intelligent and totally awesome character (Hurley) on a beloved television show (on an international scale, no less). I guess it's true what they say, the Force really does connect everything.

So in hindsight, should we have really been all that surprised that they titled a whole episode after a planet from Empire Strikes Back? Yeahhhhh...no.


Miles To Go Before We Sleep

In a recent interview, Ken Leung (who plays Miles) talked about how even though he (and we) knew very little about Miles and his past, it was obvious that he is carrying around something heavy (perhaps an uncommonly heavy chip on his shoulder), that he is hurting from something that occurred in his past. Last night's LOST illuminated the pieces that we were missing and at the same time validated one of this season's biggest theories; that Miles was Dr. Chang's itty-bitty baby boy. I have to hand it to Brett. He was the first person I heard voice this theory, immediately after the first scene of the season that shows Pierre Chang in his Dharmaville house with his baby son. "I bet that's Miles!", Brett exclaimed. I remember brushing that thought under the rug; it was still too early for any crazy theories like that. But, as it turns out, he was correct and I'm all pride and satisfaction at his brilliantly deduced, early-season conjecture. But I digress...



Obviously, Widmore wanted to hire Miles in order to have him "speak" to the yucky pile of purge-ifed Dharma bodies thrown into the jungle pit where Locke once laid, waiting to die from the bullet wound Ben kindly gave him. I'm not really sure what Miles would have learned from those bodies since clearly they were clueless as to Ben's and The Other's plans because, well...they were DEAD. If they had known anything of use, they probably wouldn't be lying dead in a ditch, but we'll just roll with it.
Question: Who were Bram and his gang of kidnapper-wanna-bes working for? Brett pointed out that Bram was one of the men from Ajira 316 who was helping Ilana take over the Hydra Island castaways. This was confirmed when he echoed Ilana's riddle to Lapidus, "What lies in the shadow of the statue"? So, that's an interesting development but who are they working for? If they are against Widmore, it would be easy to assume they work for Ben, but if that's so, then why didn't Ben recognize them on the plane? If they aren't working for Ben, who are they working for? Ms. Hawkings perhaps? And honestly, what DOES lie in the shadow of the statue?


My Father's Gun

I found it difficult to concentrate on the Kate/Sawyer/Juliet/Roger/Jack storyline, what with all the minor reveals to the Dharma/Others mythology that the Miles story brought out. I keep forgetting that most of the characters don't know how Ben's father treated him as a kid. Every time they converse with him, especially in recent episodes where he is being all dramatic about the loss of his son, I just keep chanting, "smack him, smack him, smack him...". I feel like Ben's daddy issues should be the catalyst of all the other daddy issues that we've seen in this show. Brett and I ticked them off on our fingers last night: Locke, Jack, Miles, Sun, Jin, Claire, Kate, Sawyer...pretty much everyone has daddy issues on this show and I just can't help blaming Roger for each and every one of them, even though that's hardly rational. Still, he's stands there, all blubbery and hysterical about his bleeding and now missing son and if Jack could just smack him and yell "Since when do you give a damn?!?! This is ALL your fault!" for me, that would just be sugar and spice.

The little expansions on the Dharma projects/mythology (the building of the Swan and Orchid, the hint towards the Island's magnetic energy pocket via the dead guy and his fatal filling, etc) were nicely balanced with the subsequent emotions of Miles dealing (or not dealing, essentially) with his father issues and the shock of discovering he has known about him for the past three years. It's always disconcerting to learn that a character knew something vital before you, the viewer, knew of it. It's a good way to throw off your audience, considering that the opposite is usually the case. While we were distracted by things like Jack's uncharacteristic inaction, the Kate/Sawyer/Juliet doomed romance, Locke's Jesus move, Faraday's suspicious absence and thoughts of eating Hurley's yummy ham sandwiches, Miles had known for years (episodes in our time) of his father's fan-sought-after identity. I think that deserves another mental forehead slap, don't you?


Still, we are obviously being driven to one conclusion when it comes to Dr. Chang and what happened with his family. My assumption is that once the "incident" happens, Dr. Chang starts believing that the Island isn't safe anymore and he sends his wife and young son away to keep them safe. He either tells his wife he doesn't love her anymore to get her to leave or Miles' mom lied to him about the event in order to keep him safe and away from the Island. Either way, it;s obviously that Chang loves his baby boy and that Miles should take the opportunity to get to know his father while he can.


I Hate To Say I Told You So...

But seriously, I told you so. Firstly, DANIEL IS BACK!!!! Wippie!!! I'm really am excited because he is one of my favorite characters and I've missed his cute absent-minded, professor face. Secondly, in your face! I knew he was up to something! This backs up my theory that Daniel has something to do with "the incident" and possibly even the not-so-great future of the castaways. He's been doing experiments off-Island! That part was a surprise and I was totally wrong about him being under the Orchid, experimenting on the Island's power core, but still!! What has he been doing? Are the scientist back because of the work on the Swan? Has Daniel been doing all the science stuff in order to save Charlotte or for some other helpful purpose? Or, is he still secretly working for Widmore? Who's side is he really on? The Others, Widmore's, Ben's, Ms. Hawkings, Dharma's??? I almost don't care, because I'm sticking to my guns that he's going to end up a major player in the season's finale episode involving "the incident".





And All That Jazz
- Some quick thoughts

* Radzinsky? Yeah, still an ass. And it still doesn't get old, knowing that he will eventually splatter his brains all over the ceiling of his beloved Swan. I'm sorry, was that a little insensitive? I just really hate that guy...

* It's nice to see Miles show some emotion other than critical disdain, sarcastic annoyance and blank superiority.

* Jack's still sitting on his hands and I'm still pacing the line of whether I like it or don't like it. I guess it all hangs on whether he's making the right move by not moving or if he's been duped into being a mere lemming by the scheming Benjamin Linus. One guess as to the answer to THAT one.

* Hurley is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. I love that they are giving him this outward appearance of unimportance, but that he always ends up saying the one most important thing in any single episode. This seems very Tolkien to me. You know the whole Hobbit thing, "the smallest person can change the world" yadda yadda. Hurley comes off as the least important character in the group, often times sitting on the bench while the real action happens, but he is the heart of the group, the comic relief and the one person who you can count on to be completely honest and sincere. He is just as important and Jack or Sawyer or Kate and this episode reminded us of that.




Alrighty, that's it for this week. We have another dark and pointless LOST-less week next week, but hopefully we will all meet alive and well the following week for a new LOST. Until then, sate your LOST thirst on this, a new Lost Untangled.





Aloha!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Blue October - SotD

So, as any good Stephenie Meyer fan knows, Blue October recently released a new album, Approaching Normal, and even though I'm not a huge fan, there are some really great songs on the album. Meyer's number one pick was "My Never", which as she claimed at the New York City Breaking Dawn concert, it made her immediately think of the Jacob/Bella relationship. It really is a beautiful song, but I think I'm going to go with one of my own favorites for your Song of the Day. Enjoy!




"Picking Up The Pieces"
By: Blue October

I really need to talk with you
I keep stepping on the vein
That keeps my lifeline flowing through
I wanna be your perfect stick of glue
But I don't feel perfect at all
Sad and insecure flaw

I find it hard to hold conversation
I get sweaty sick and I wanna walk away
Its not you its strictly me in this situation
I'm wondering will it ever go away...just go away

Sometimes I feel like weeping
Awake and when I'm sleeping
Perfecting how to put a game face on

This puzzle I've been keeping
Has been in hiding creeping out the closet door
Spilling out onto the floor

How long will I be picking up pieces
How long will I be picking up my heart

I'll be as honest as I feel
I'm getting more paranoid and I'm hearing things
And they never turn out real
It feels like my heart is made of pure steel
It's just so heavy all the time

Yea I'm scared of death
And I'm scared of living
I gave up on the past cause it's unforgiving
I misplaced my trust

I watched my word begin to rust
I'm a balloon about to bust
I need a place for reliving

But sometimes I feel like weeping
Awake and when I'm sleeping
Perfecting how to put a game face on

This puzzle I've been keeping
Has been in hiding creeping out the closet door
Spilling out onto the floor

How long will I be picking up pieces
How long will I be picking up my heart

How long (in another space and time)
Will I be picking up pieces in the corner of my mind
How long (its getting oh so hard to find)
Keep picking up pieces in the corner of my mind
But I still walk on

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Lost - Dead is Dead - 4/8



Ok guys and gals, no big LOST post this week. Work is kicking my arse so time is of the essence. For this week, and I know it's a bad week to drop the ball considering last night's wowza episode, how about a few quick shout-outs and a giggle-inducing Lost Untangled? That work for you? No? Yeah well, get over it! It's all you're getting! Be grateful!
Sheesh, some people...


Shout-Out Number 1:

So it turns out that not only do our castaways have problems learning from their mistakes, but so too does their number 1 tormentor. It seems that Ben's constant manipulation of the people around him has brought him nothing but trouble. You'd think that after all this time, he would have learned, but no, he still tries to control every aspect of everything and everyone surrounding him and he certainly doesn't care how many lives he either ends or ruins in the process.





Which brings us to Shout-Out Number 2:

Why is the Island instigating this behavior???!!! If anyone deserves to die, if anyone should be on the "naughty" list, it's Ben Linus. Why is the Island allowing him to live? Why hasn't Smokey taken out that trash? Well, a possible reason, discerned from last week's illuminations, is that Ben is a creature of Smokey's. He's a creature of the Island. It saved his life, probably had many grand plans for him. It's possible that the Island and/or Smokey aren't ready to give up on him and his ultimate mission, if he has one. And let's face it, he probably does. If Ben's tactics for dealing with the situations that arise around him shed light on the nature of the Island itself, I can't say that I believe the Island is a good and benign entity.


Shout-Out Number 3:

Charles Widmore. I have a serious problem with this development. We finally get a good look into the past of the two arch-enemies and if you, like I, were hoping for a dividing line that would show us which side to take, you were probably sulking at the end of the episode too. I'm a very story-orientated individual and I like to have a side to stand on. The battle between Ben and Charles is at the core of this whole story, the origin of it even. But it turns out, where one shows compassion, the other shows cruelty and where the one who showed cruelty shows mercy, the other shows heartlessness. Neither seems more evil or more good than the other. They are in every way, different sides of the same coin.

So, the only side we can take is that of our poor, unfortunate castaways. As far as I'm concerned, this story will end with Charles and Ben on one side and any of our surviving victims of fate on the other.


Shout-out Number 4:

John Locke is a rock, he's an island. He's the Island? Anyway, he's pretty stoic and calm for a murdered, dead guy. Locke may be a little looney-toons, a little fanatical at times, but you could never say he's not badass. Just like the quick scene between Sawyer and Richard in "LaFleur", one of our once confused and lost castaways finally gets the upper hand in the never-ending battle against The Others. When I see Locke standing calm, collected and divinely knowledgeable in the face of the beaten and sulking Ben, I can't help but flashback to the scene in Season 1 where he is kneeling on top of the as yet unopened hatch door, striking his fists uselessly against the metal and glass, praying for guidance. He has come far since then. I can't help but wonder if he will be our castaways' ultimate salvation. Possibly their only salvation.





Shout-Out Number 5:

Smokey. Pretty sweet, no? Egyptian in origin, yes? Did you notice the carving of Anubis (?) kneeling in front of the smoke monster is very similar to the statue we saw in "LaFleur"? It looks like the origin of our Island might possibly date back to early Egyptian times after all. Also, one of my many big questions concerning this scene, is Smokey Alex (Echo's brother, and Walt, Horace, Christian?) or was something else behind her form? They made a point of showing Smokey going back into his little holes in the Temple's alter, so it's possible that it's something else entirely that is taking the forms of people who have died on the Island.


Shout-Out Number 6:

Little Ben is the CUTEST!!!!!!


Shout-Out Number 7:
Bye bye Caesar. You were a useless and annoying character. I think we will now forever refer to you as "Frogurt".




I know there are a million other things to discuss, but head over to Doc Jenson's site for a more in-depth review and check out Lost Untangled below. I'm plum wore out!





See you next week for "Some Like It Hoth". Don't ask me, I have no idea.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Mortal Instruments

Hello gentle readers,

I'm here to tell you about a wondrous and intriguing new book series, The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare. As you may (or may not) have noticed via my reliable sidebar, I've been inhaling these books within the last couple weeks, living and breathing the enthralling story held within it's crisp pages. I am now about halfway through the third and final volume and I must say that it is incredibly difficult to focus on anything, be it work, television, rare social outings or yes, even this blog, but barreling through the last 300 pages or so of this book. However, I cannot take credit for discovering this series. One of the members of my unspoken and very small book club (Tina, Katie, Heather and I) discovered them, told another member and that member in turn gave them to me, insisting I start reading them immediately. Slightly unwilling but having no other reading options at hand, I started the first book, City of Bones, and despite my prideful and stubborn nature, was soon captivated by yet another teenage girl's extraordinary story. I can't help but wonder what it is about these young teenage girls (and even boys) who go suddenly from a normal, safe life to a life filled with thrills, chills and spills (Bella). They are at first too young to align ourselves with, too young to be able to confidently stand in their shoes and experience their story. And yet they all have something in common; they are all "old souls", mature beyond their 15 or 16 years and they all remind us of ourselves, or maybe, they remind us of what we really want; to be special, to have a life of adventure, to fall in love, to make a difference. And consequently, we find we have no trouble at all looking through the eyes of a 15 year old girl or a 10 year old boy. I am of course speaking of Bella Swan, Harry Potter, Zoey Redbird, Eragon and numerous others including the newest, Clary, from this series.

So, if you enjoyed Twilight, if you loved Harry Potter and tried out the House of Night series and also enjoyed it, give these books a try and I guarantee you'll love them too. Also, for you gals out there, if you love Edward and/or Jacob, you'll fall just as hard for Jace. Or as Stephenie Meyer says, "Sorry Edward and Jacob, I'm spending my night with Jace", or something to that nature.

Check out the official site, for fun fan artwork and other cool stuff.





Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lost - Whatever Happened, Happened - 4/1




People say that LOST is at its best with character-centric episodes and last night's episode, "What Happened, Happened", did not disappoint the people of that opinion. Not only that, but we finally got one of the lost histories that we have been missing since that portentous night at the docks with Ben, Sun, Jack, Kate and Sayid. Woohoo for back-story! Woohoo for a new kernel of Others insight! Woohoo for even more parental issues! Woohoo for Island time-travel explanations! Er...semi-explanations, cause let's face it, Miles is no Daniel Faraday...



Carry On Wayward Physicist

And speaking of Faraday, I say again, WHERE THE FRAK IS HE?!?!?! Seriously, does anyone know the last time we saw him? Oh yeah, it was 3 (THREE!!) episodes ago! Where is my adorable, absent-minded mad-scientist? Is he still mourning for his dead Charlotte? He is perhaps off stalking her younger, and let's face it, probably less bitchy self? Or, after three years, has he forgotten her and instead moved on to working on becoming the 1977 Pulitzer Prize winner for solving the time-space paradox? Has he grabbed his hard-hat and snazzy Dharma jumpsuit and exiled himself to the Island's netherworld, where he can study it's mysterious, magnetic energy core and thereby discover some possible way to save Charlotte in the future...er past...er....? And now that we're thinking about it, LOST's amusing and geekified executive producers, Damon and Carlton, have confirmed the title of the finale episode as "The Incident". Is this is the same incident that is connected to the Swan station and the annoying button-pressing dilemma that plagued our castaways in Season 2? The strange absence of Faraday and the reminder of one of our very first scenes from the premiere episode this season, of Faraday in the caverns right next to the Island's power source, leaves me with the strange conviction that Faraday himself might be behind "the incident". Take that Jeff Jenson!!!


Happiness is a Warm Explanation

Even though we seemed to have misplaced our resident Time Travel 101 instructor, his unlikely substitute has stepped up and attempted to teach the severely baffled class himself. Unfortunately for us, once Professor Miles' seemingly heaven-sent, much-desired time-travel lesson is thwarted by Hurley's non-stop inquiries, all the information he offered up is now suspect to being a load of BS. And there again goes our rug, pulled out from our time-traveling distracted feet. Should we believe Miles' explanation that the future is in fact in the past and that our castaways are still on a straight line, that even though they are alive in future years, they can still die because they have already crashed on the Island, met the Ben and the Others, left the Island and came back in 1977? Just nod your head yes or no...So, who are we to believe? Miles is hardly the expert, but with Faraday off doing...whatever it is he does, his is the only word we have to go on.



I have to say, on a personal level, I do NOT like this development. Even though I like the idea of everyone having their own personal destiny, especially Jack, I don't like the idea that they can't change all the bad things that will happen in the future. Even more so, I HATE the idea that they themselves are the cause of all their future pain, that even though they know the future, they are doomed to keep it on it's intended path. That they came back to the Island for that very reason is just too morbid to accept. I have always looked at this show as a show about redemption. Redemption for villains, redemption for fallen heroes and redemption for everyone in between. If our lost castaways have no chance at redemption, no chance at changing things or ever being happy, I see no point to the show at all. I doubt that's what the writers have in mind, but you never know and Miles' statements about time-travel certainly point to that end.



You Give Motherhood a Bad Name

Kate's lost back-story turned out a bit...anticlimatic. When we saw her waiting in Jack's bed and then again the following day on the plane, we couldn't help but fear the worst when it came to the whereabouts of dear Aaron. How could we not? She just looked so...destroyed. I'm not a mother myself (my own mother tells me to NEVER have children. Apparently I don't have the patience) so my opinion might be meaningless but it seemed like an awful lot of drama for merely leaving Aaron safe and sound with his own grandmother. Ok, so maybe it was her basically giving up what she had come to think of as her own child, but if she really cared that much, why did she decide to go back to the Island? I'm certainly not buying that whole "I'm going back to find Claire" excuse. Was she just running away, afraid that she didn't, in the end, possess the mommy-gene? Was she going back for Sawyer? They never actually gave us a specific reason for why she suddenly changed her mind so drastically. One minute she thinks everyone trying to go back to the Island is crazy, then she almost loses her son in a store (honestly, what mother hasn't?), and the next minute she suddenly joins the crazy "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" group. What gives?


So, she gets back to Island, only to find exactly what she left behind; a young boy who needs her and who she needs in return. Ever since arriving on the Island, Kate has kept to herself, going with the Dharma flow and never once acting like her old Island-self (eagerly joining or creating various missions, being a badass, etc). Was Kate so gung-ho about saving young Ben because she had just lost her own son? Probably. So what's the next logical step in Kate's story? Or with everything else that is developing, do we even really care? For all we know, Kate has fulfilled her pre-destined duties by getting Ben to The Others and is now a completely useless character, unless of course you count riling up the native macho men (Sawyer & Jack). *Yawn* Bored now.



Try a Little Otherness

This is where the questions REALLY started, the first being, why does everyone think that The Others can save Ben when they couldn't? Do they have a mystic healer? A Charmed whiteligher perhaps? A temporarily evil witch by the name of Willow who can telepathically pluck the bullet out of him? A leashed reaper who would spare his life? Or is this the same thing/being/process that healed Locke and Rose once they landed on the Island? From what Richard claimed, that Ben would never be the same, that he would forever be one of them, that his innocence would be lost, it all reminds us of our original impression of The Others, sans the seemingly rational and even helpful Richard Albert; BAD, EVIL, CREEPY. Richard Albert has put a benign face on The Others, and as Ben has done multiple times before, he has temporarily blinded us to the true nature of what our castaways are dealing with; something far more dark and complex than merely a people who have had their lands forcefully occupied by Dharma hippies.



So back to the never-ending questions. Does Richard have ANY idea what is going on? Does he know anything about what the future holds, about who the nearly-dead boy in his arms will eventually become. And why is he bringing him to Smokey's digs, The Temple? Is Smoky the "mystic healer"? And how are they going to brain-wipe Ben and isn't that awfully convenient? That does answer one question though, that Sayid shooting Ben is not, in fact, the catalyst that creates the older, creepier Benjamin Linus. Ben won't remember being shot so does that also mean he won't remember any of the castaways? That when he meets them as Henry Gale, he didn't in fact know them all previously? Looks like it.

And why, oh why, does Richard Albert NEVER AGE?!?! Can we please get a hint, a clue, anything? It's very vexing!

One last awesome clarification. In the last scene, we see how shocked Ben is to see Locke alive and well. This answers a major question for us, that Ben indeed killed Locke thinking that he was dead for good, with no idea that bringing him back to the Island would bring him back to life. As if we needed more clarification that Ben is a slimy, manipulative jerk-face. Still, it's good to know and I certainly hope Locke smacks him one good. At the very least.



Ok, LOST-amores! See you next week for "Dead Is Dead", where maybe Benjamin Linus will get what's coming to him. Adios!



Disclaimer

The views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.