Opinion Popcorn

Lost: All About Ben

Lots to talk about and I'm not even sure where to begin, and if I try to make linear connections between what I've surmised in the past and what happened in the latest Lost, it'll leave us, well, lost. So I'm just going to go all stream-of-consciousness - based on just my interpretation of the episode. Haven't read any recaps yet, so I may be updating this posting later tonight with more theories/responses.

Let's get started:

Elba: Dr. Linus writes it in big bold letters on the chalkboard in his advanced European history class, referring to the island where Napoleon was exiled for 300 days in 1814. Maybe I'm just looking too much into this, and I don't mean to channel EW's Doc Jensen or anything, but I thought this was a clear, and more obvious than usual, historical reference for Ben's story line. Let's see. Where to begin. Elba was the first island to which Napoleon was banished for a period of 300 days. Hmmm.

Napoleon: short.
Ben: short.
Napoleon: power-complex.
Ben: Check.
Napoleon: Spent his time on Elba making life better for, er, Elbans (thanks, Wikipedia).
Ben: Has tried to do the same in the past with the Others village.

I could go on, but I'll say that Elba to Napoleon is the island to Dr. Linus. Of course, Elba is also an anagram for Abel. Biblical reference! But really, I'm not sure how the story of Cain and Abel fits into anything at this point, so let's just skip it. Or wait a minute. Could it be that Jacob and Smokey are playing out a island version of the Cain and Abel board game? It would certainly explain a lot, but that would be too easy a thread, wouldn't it?

The Sacrifice: It was good to see Dr. Linus make amends for his failure to protect Alex on the island by sacrificing his political and career ambitions in the parallel world, instead opting for a well-written recommendation letter for Alex. Did he do this with some knowledge or guilt about what happened on the island, a la parallel land Jack's deja vu moments a couple of times this season? I mean, did he sense that somehow, someway, he owed Alex for not protecting her on the island, and this was his way of making it up to her? I am, however, wondering - did he know in parallel land that Alex is his daughter? Not sure.

The Escape: Ever since he broke down in the temple and killed Jacob, Ben's been lost (pun intended). To the point where he's not sure who to trust, what to believe, where to go. He's a broken man, and nothing spoke to that more than the end of the episode, when he's standing there, shoulders slumped, as Jack, Hurley and Richard meet Ilana, Sun, etc. It was a quiet, poignant moment, seeing Ben in the background, just sort of standing there while everyone else is reuniting.

More Random Observations:

I understand how Ben is living a parallel life, but how is Alex out in the real world? This is the second time we've seen an island-dweller in the parallel world, and I'm baffled as to how that happens. Does the island not exist at all in the parallel world? Then why did Ben's dad reference their time with the Dharma Initiative?

We don't ever find out who Alex's mother is, though the recommendation letter, etc., reference Rousseau. So does that mean we're bound to see Rousseau any day now in parallel land?

Jack (man of science and medicine) has now come full circle and become a man of faith. Sitting at across from a lit stick of dynamite with Richard, knowing full-well that it's not going to hurt them since they're both Chosen ones. Could you ever in a million years have pictured that in, say, season 3? When he was vehemently arguing with Locke? Remember that? I paraphrase:

    Jack: Why do you find it so easy to believe it is our destiny to be here on this island?
    Locke: Why do you find it so hard to believe?

Now Jack's a changed man. I suppose the lighthouse lit a bulb in Jack's psyche (ba-dum-bum). He's here with a purpose, though he's clearly not sure what that purpose is.

I thought the biggest bombshell of the night was the last few minutes. The sub surfacing with Capt. Widmore at the helm. Which side is he on? Will this ultimately lead to a showdown with Ben? Is he the Chosen one for Smokey? Or is he merely a sideshow - an industrialist who wants the island purely for selfish financial reasons? Nine weeks to find out!

Lost: 'Sundown' Brings Some Answers

After slogging through last week’s disjointed Jack episode and reading that not all questions are going to get answered, according to LindeCuse, this week’s show restored my faith in all things Lost. Though to address the point about not all questions being answered. I think this is an attempt on LindeCuse’s part to leave some ends untied because if they faithfully try to close every loophole and answer every question, they’ll end up contradicting themselves with some plot point at some time. After all, us Losties are a scrutinous bunch, aren’t we?

Getting back to last night, though. Sure, there were some questions at the end, but I loved just about every minute of last night’s show. I loved how Sayid’s character – no matter how hard he tries to escape his past – finds himself facing it time and again. Sort of a metaphor for the show, if you think about it in abstract terms. Aren’t all these folks constantly facing and re-facing their pasts, and isn’t their past somehow affecting their lives on the island?

Some observations and completely stream-of-consciousness rambling (with spoilers, so beware if you haven’t watched yet):

• It’s not a surprise that it happened (what on the show can surprise us anymore? Nothing!) but the fleeting moment we see Jack in the hospital as Sayid and Nadia are rushing by was very cool. I can’t pinpoint why, it just was.
• I felt like the theories we’ve been spouting are finally being somewhat validated. I mean about Smokey, Jacob, good vs. bad, etc., and that this episode, more than any others in recent past, drove us to the logical showdown at the end of the series. There are two distinct camps being formed now which will ultimately face-off before it’s all over.
• I found it depressing that in the promos following the show, the line, “The end is near” was used. There’s finality about it that I’ve been avoiding.
• Claire nailed her role last night. The evil sneers, the staring daggers at Kate. She stole the show in the few minutes she was on.
• Stunned that Sayid killed Dogen and his sidekick. But I suppose it was inevitable. The guy had been playing Sayid for a pawn, and perhaps Sayid is fundamentally different since he awoke from the dead. Having a chance to see Nadia, per Smokey Locke’s promise just sealed the deal.
• Was it me or was the background music when Sayid, Kate, Claire emerge from the temple weird and unlike most slow-mo segments on Lost? It was a little too Nightmare on Elm Street creepy-kid music for my tastes.
• I haven’t looked this up yet, but wasn’t it Sayid who killed Keamy on the island two seasons ago as well? (UPDATE: According to Aaron C., who's seen the entire series on DVD much more recently, it was Ben who killed Keamy in the Orchid Station. Makes sense because of his rage at Keamy killing Alex. But my general theory still stands). Killing Keamy again last night in the parallel universe lends credence to the theory that the fates of the chosen ones (i.e. the main cast) are intertwined no matter where they land.
• I’m still not sure how Ilana knows as much as she does about the inner workings of the island. That’s a huge question that needs to be answered in my book. Combine her knowledge of the secret passage in the temple and the fact that she and her buddies brought Locke’s body to the island for Jacob and it’s obvious she’s a big player, but how and why?
• Do you think that maybe Keamy was supposed to be the recipient of the watch and money Jin was bringing into Los Angeles? It’s obvious that his father-in-law partakes in some pretty unethical (that’s an understatement) business practices. Maybe he sent Jin to L.A. to deliver the goods to Keamy and the deal went sour.
• I liked how Miles was just sort of hanging around and serving as the information conduit for all those Losties passing through the temple.
• Let’s get back to Sayid for a second. I think this episode told us more than we might immediately perceive about the bigger picture. Sayid’s attempts at a new life (to the point where he had Nadia marry his brother, Omar) and cleansing himself seem to fail miserably each time. First he gets off the island and is an assassin for Ben. Then in his parallel life he’s forced to take care of business for his brother. On the island he’s forced to try to kill Smokey Locke and then kills Dogen. I think the moment you see him sitting at the foot of the springs, you know that he’s a “lost” cause and really, there’s no saving him. I guess that’s what I was getting to in my intro above. That all the characters are invariably fated to have their lives intertwine and ultimately deal with the same issues – even if the plane didn’t crash.

Some thoughts from the Lost panel:

I can’t help but feel that everything that happens in the Temple is derailing the final season. The show seems to lurch to a stop whenever these new characters (with the exception of Cindy, of course, who has been there throughout the whole show and we’ve just never noticed her) have a seat to talk or play with a baseball. And even when, finally, Smokey storms the castle and Sayid goes all Jason Bourne on the two characters we didn’t need this year, the feeling I was left with was more of a “now we move to the next strange new location we’ve never seen before for another big confrontation.”

And where in the world is Sawyer in all this?

Aaron C.

This was one of my favorite episodes. Now the sideways reality is starting to make more sense. When Sayid made the deal with fake Locke, it appears that in the sideways reality he got what he wanted… although with many consequences. In the sideways reality Nadia is alive but married to Sayid’s brother. Also Jin has been beaten and locked up by Keemy. They both are with Team Smokey on the island. On the other hand, Hurley, who is Team Jacob, is doing pretty well in LA and Jack is mending things with his son. I think Jack will soon be Team Jacob as well.

I think the sideways reality is determined by the decisions you make on the island… choosing good over evil and fighting temptation. Kate was following Team Smokey at the end of the episode… Wonder if she’ll be sucked in by Smokey. So many questions still…. 10 episodes left!!!

Rumana S.

Where Does Greivis Rank?

There's been a lot of talk lately about where so-and-so ranks in the pantheon of greats, and it's usually a conversation that is perfect for sports talk radio and the water cooler, but ultimately results in no clear decision and a broken friendships.

My thought has always been that in most team sports, it's incredibly subjective, and in the one sport that uses the most statistics to measure greatness - baseball - we'll never really know because of the steroid era. Football is much more subjective for several reasons:

- Science, fitness, supplements (both legal and illegal) and training regimens continue to help athletes jump higher, run faster, hit harder.

- The criteria for judging individual greatness in a team sport often depends on the quality of one's teammates, the system implemented by the coach, and the quality of the opposition.

- Times and schemes change. More quarterbacks throw for more yards today than a decade ago because the NFL has morphed into a passing man's league.

Which is why the question of whether Peyton Manning belongs in the pantheon of all-time greats despite just having won one Super Bowl and throwing a key interception in the loss to the New Orleans Saints bothers me. His career isn't over yet, he made one ill-timed throw in a big game, but the fact that his team (and let's not fool ourselves - he's the one singular constant on this team over the last decade) has won 10+ games for more seasons than I can remember definitely puts him in elite company.

But getting back to the question at hand, where does Greivis Vasquez rank in the annals of Maryland basketball? The Washington Post's Mike Wise wrote about it in passing, and ESPN980's Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban debated it on The Sports Reporters earlier this week.

Me? I'm going to go ahead and stick Greivis into the top ten for a couple of reasons:

1) Looking at the post-championship years, the Terps haven't really done much. Not to mention the recruits who were supposed to carry the banner forward (specifically John Gilchrist, Nik Caner-Medley, Chris McCray, Travis Garrison - the list goes on) failed miserably, as evidenced by multiple NIT showings. For Vasquez to pretty much be the alpha dog on this team and know that he's going to be the focal point of the opposition's defense, and still put up the numbers he is, is amazing.

2) The numbers: By the time he's done, Vasquez may well be top five in several statistical categories.    

Unrelated to my list, but as Wise pointed out, Vasquez is probably also the most hated player the Terps have ever had. Maybe its the flamboyancy, the over-the-top shimmy, the talking back to opposing fans, but not many Terps have engendered as much vitriol from fans as Vasquez.

I do think that for some, it makes it harder to put Vasquez into the top ten for specifically that reason - that he expresses too much emotion and is prone to the occasional "what the hell was he thinking" play, but you have to consider his body of work over his career at Maryland.

Here's my top ten (in random order):

Len Bias, John Lucas, Walt Williams, Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, Albert King, Juan Dixon, Adrian Branch, Buck Williams, Greivis Vasquez.

It's tempting to consider the following names as well, but seeing as how this is a top TEN list, there's just no room:

Steve Blake, Gene Shue, Lonny Baxter, Keith Booth, Joe Smith, Steve Francis, and Johnny Rhodes.

Of course, you're free to disagree with this list and whether Vasquez belongs on it. Neither of us will be right, but isn't debating to no end the whole point of top ten lists?   

Where Does Greivis Rank?

There's been a lot of talk lately about where so-and-so ranks in the pantheon of greats, and it's usually a conversation that is perfect for sports talk radio and the water cooler, but ultimately results in no clear decision and a broken friendships.

My thought has always been that in most team sports, it's incredibly subjective, and in the one sport that uses the most statistics to measure greatness - baseball - we'll never really know because of the steroid era. Football is much more subjective for several reasons:

- Science, fitness, supplements (both legal and illegal) and training regimens continue to help athletes jump higher, run faster, hit harder.

- The criteria for judging individual greatness in a team sport often depends on the quality of one's teammates, the system implemented by the coach, and the quality of the opposition.

- Times and schemes change. More quarterbacks throw for more yards today than a decade ago because the NFL has morphed into a passing man's league.

Which is why the question of whether Peyton Manning belongs in the pantheon of all-time greats despite just having won one Super Bowl and throwing a key interception in the loss to the New Orleans Saints bothers me. His career isn't over yet, he made one ill-timed throw in a big game, but the fact that his team (and let's not fool ourselves - he's the one singular constant on this team over the last decade) has won 10+ games for more seasons than I can remember definitely puts him in elite company.

But getting back to the question at hand, where does Greivis Vasquez rank in the annals of Maryland basketball? The Washington Post's Mike Wise wrote about it in passing, and ESPN980's Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban debated it on The Sports Reporters earlier this week.

Me? I'm going to go ahead and stick Greivis into the top ten for a couple of reasons:

1) Looking at the post-championship years, the Terps haven't really done much. Not to mention the recruits who were supposed to carry the banner forward (specifically John Gilchrist, Nik Caner-Medley, Chris McCray, Travis Garrison - the list goes on) failed miserably, as evidenced by multiple NIT showings. For Vasquez to pretty much be the alpha dog on this team and know that he's going to be the focal point of the opposition's defense, and still put up the numbers he is, is amazing.

2) The numbers: By the time he's done, Vasquez may well be top five in several statistical categories.    

Unrelated to my list, but as Wise pointed out, Vasquez is probably also the most hated player the Terps have ever had. Maybe its the flamboyancy, the over-the-top shimmy, the talking back to opposing fans, but not many Terps have engendered as much vitriol from fans as Vasquez.

I do think that for some, it makes it harder to put Vasquez into the top ten for specifically that reason - that he expresses too much emotion and is prone to the occasional "what the hell was he thinking" play, but you have to consider his body of work over his career at Maryland.

Here's my top ten (in random order):

Len Bias, John Lucas, Walt Williams, Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, Albert King, Juan Dixon, Adrian Branch, Buck Williams, Greivis Vasquez.

It's tempting to consider the following names as well, but seeing as how this is a top TEN list, there's just no room:

Steve Blake, Gene Shue, Lonny Baxter, Keith Booth, Joe Smith, Steve Francis, and Johnny Rhodes.

Of course, you're free to disagree with this list and whether Vasquez belongs on it. Neither of us will be right, but isn't debating to no end the whole point of top ten lists?   

Lost: Conning the Con Man

Each week of Lost brings bittersweet emotions. On one hand, we're nearing the finish, and hopefully the questions that have been keeping me up at night will all get answered, all loopholes will close and we'll happily resume our lives. On the other hand, the show's six-year run has kept many of us riveted and I don't think we're ever going to see anything like it again.

But enough about the big picture. Here are some observations and questions – mostly questions – about the most recent episode, The Substitute, which focused on John Locke, and the island's Smokey Locke. I think it answered some questions and built-up some intrigue towards the finale. Of course, it raised an equal number of questions. After all, what would an episode of Lost be without more questions? I do think that this episode was one of the rare episodes in which you get a combination of set-ups and WTF! moments.

Here we go:

• Did the numbers on the ceiling of the cave correspond with the famous Lost numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42)? I haven't read this week's recap by Entertainment Weekly's Doc Jensen yet and I'm sure he has an answer, but it might be interesting to see if the numbers somehow end up corresponding with some of the names of the chosen Jacob scribbled on the wall.
• How come everyone in the parallel universe has the same conditions, afflictions and general lifestyle issues that they escaped from except Hurley, whose life apparently did a 180 after he won the lottery? I mean, Locke's still wheelchair bound, Rose has cancer, Kate's a fugitive, Claire is preggers, etc. So what's up with the change in fortune for Hugo. Wasn't he trying to escape the ill will of the numbers and the lottery? How come he's hugely (pun intended) successful in alternate Los Angeles?
• Was it me or did you fully expect one of the students at the school where Locke is a substitute to be Walt. Maybe the kid he asked directions from to the staff lounge? Would've been interesting to see.
• If parallel Los Angeles really happens, what the hell is Ben Linus doing there as a European history teacher? He was never on Oceanic 815 and therefore never a part of the original Losties. He was an Other, which leads me to believe that this whole parallel universe thing is a shamockery, and he's still an Other who's in L.A. strategically to bring our Losties to the island as part of Jacob's army. Remember – he's a great actor, this Henry Gale. Though how this fits into the chronology of the show, I have no idea.
• The fact that all the parallel universalites have the same issues and afflictions tells me that even after the plane landed at LAX safely, and even if these people are living their lives, predestination has them going to the island before it's all over.
• I think the little boy Smokey Locke comes up against is Jacob. Not sure why I feel that way, but his "You can't kill him" line was referring to Sawyer, who is a chosen one. Smokey Locke can't kill Jacob's peeps. Is that part of their agreement, too? And don't ask me how the Jacob channeled the little boy. I have no idea, but it's just a hunch. But think about it – if Sawyer is indeed one of Jacob's chosen ones, and Smokey Locke knows his name is scribbled on the wall of the cave, what better way to cross off another name than to do exactly that. So the kid reminds him of the rule, which is why we get the amusing "What kid?" line from Smokey Locke when he get back to Sawyer.
• I was amused by the little speech Smokey Locke gives Sawyer in the cave, about how Jacob used him like a puppet at a vulnerable time in Sawyer's life. He was doing exactly the same thing to him at that very moment. Wasn't he? And we know that Smokey Locke is incredibly manipulative, what with the whole "Ben, you need to kill Jacob" bit. For him to convince Sawyer to turn on his friends – especially Jack – should be easy. But then again, maybe this is a precursor to a bit in the series finale, when we find that Sawyer still does care about the Losties and plays along with Smokey Locke because he somehow realizes he's being conned. The conman being conned. Hmmm.
• I think as we race to the end, it bears to be noted that nearly every major character – Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley, Claire, Jin, Sun, Alex, Penny Widmore, Walt, Shannon/Boone – have major daddy issues. Not in the "my dad didn't hug me enough," but in the "my dad stole my kidney and threw me out a window" sense. I was discussing it with a few friends and we agree that this plot point needs to be addressed before the show ends.

So there you have it. Some thoughts on The Substitute. I'm sure all of this will either make sense or be thrown out the window after I read Doc Jensen's analysis later today.

Lost Season Premiere: More Questions. No Answers.

As is the case with the last four Lost season premieres,  we were treated to all sorts of eyebrow-raising revelations and very little clarification, not to mention the introduction of yet another set of characters. This time, the temple-dwellers. Theories abound about the chronology of the latest episode, who was on the plane that lands at LAX, and how you can draw some parallels between what has happened on the island in the last few seasons and how they play out even after the plane lands in Los Angeles like it's supposed to. I guess it lends some credence to the theory that all of this is predestined. The connections, the relationships, all of it.

Some random observations and theories, followed by some thoughts by fellow Losties and friends.

- Juliette doesn't know if it worked or not because at the very moment she struck the bomb, time shifted forward.

- Anyone coming back from the dead is smokey. Or maybe not. Because if the plane sequences were flash forwards in time, some people (Boone, Charlie) were alive. Couple that with Sayid coming back to life at the end of the episode, and you might think that the island can bring back the dead. Odds that original Locke (not smokey Locke) comes back to life before the end of the season? 50-50.

- Was it me or did Claire look a little chubbier when they flashed over to her while Kate hijacked the cab? Does that mean she was pregnant?

- Why wasn't Shannon on the plane?

- Did you notice the hostess on the flight (who is also part of the temple-dwellers) say she knows Jack/Kate/Hurley/Jin from Oceanic 815? So those two segments are connected, which, if you're interested in putting some sort of warped chronology around things - happened in sequence. Airplane, then time-shifting to temple.

I could go on and on, but here are some observations from some friends:

You were spot on with the Smoke monster being the "man in black" in season finale. I will say this, there are way too many people living on this island now, with that Temple and all those "new others," its like a metropolis. I am still trying to digest Smoke monster taking the form of different people like the Terminator movies. Also I am a little concerned about how dead people constantly come back to life. Those two things kind of make be cautious, but overall it was enjoyable. I cant figure out if I enjoy it because it was genuinely entertaining or because I have invested tons of hours in energy into the first 5 seasons.

Mrugesh A.

While the least interesting part of last night’s show for me was the group that got thrown by Jughead (as opposed to the group at the statue or the group that landed in L.A. – both of whom were fascinating to watch), I think the best possible resolution for me at the end of the series is going to be seeing these people actually stay on the island. It’s almost too right for them to find their way off of it, and at this point their lives have been so intertwined together around this adventure that I would struggle to see them diverge again. That said, there’s obviously some higher good versus evil confrontation in the mix, and I’m under the impression that Jacob/Sayid isn’t getting out of there no matter what.

Also – could they please throw Ana Lucia back into the mix? Every other guy gets their favorite LOST girl tossed back in, throw the feisty cop my way, production team!

Aaron C.

Poor Sayid :(

Now that we know the smoke monster (Smokey), one of the few characters introduced in season one that is still a force to be reckoned with in this epic final season. Now we know that Smokey actually is a character, an alter ego presumably from Jacob’s friend in black introduced in last season’s finale. Not only that but he is the alter ego of those reincarnated characters whose body the black shirted comrade assumes. Lost yet?

Through out the seasons, when characters die off, the reappear after death, only for those that see the “ghosts” to think they are “seeing things” – except of course for Hurley and Myles who actually can/see talk to dead people. With the exposure of John Locke’s corpse while there is a John Locke living amongst the Losties, we realize that something has possessed the dead bodies all along, i.e. Jack’s father. Even further, this being is able to transform into Smokey.

What I would like to bring into the conversation and an element that I think might be an integral element in episodes to come is the protection from Smokey. Last night we saw Jacob’s body guards and the new friendly temple dwelling Others sprinkle a line of some ash looking substance (possible magnet?). In the old days of the Ben Linus Others, there was a giant electric force field that kept Smokey out. So what is this and how did these people come to find out what wards him off? Smokey has an Achilles tendon, but is he only impaired in his monster form or in his human form as well, and if that is the case, can he be killed? Jacob was…

Abbi C.

I went back to watch the Pilot episode of LOST before watching the start of Season Six. I had forgotten about when Locke was teaching Walt how to play Backgammon. As he was describing the game he said “two sides, one light, one dark." I couldn’t help but notice during the first hour… all of the scenes on Oceanic 816 and at LAX were very bright and most of the scenes on the island were very dark. Also, when Locke was talking to Ben, his face kept going in and out of the light. Cool stuff.

I also noticed that for the most part, the Losties lives in the alternative time line weren’t necessarily better. Locke was still paralyzed, Charlie was drugged up and heading to jail, Kate was still in handcuffs, and Rose probably had cancer. We didn’t find out too much about Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid and the other characters, but odds are they would ultimately find more fulfilling lives on the island.

My question is….how will these two time lines resolve themselves. Because it’s obvious they are connected somehow.

Mike K.

The Bomb
So when the bomb exploded, there was that white flash. After watching last night, it’s pretty obvious that instead of that white flash being an explosion, it was really just another flash in time. Also, we know that Jack’s plan to set off the bomb did work because Juliet told us from the dead.

Dead People

Initially, I thought that because the island travels back and forth through time, Locke had left the island in a later time period than when he had become a leader to the others. That’s why there was a dead Locke and an alive Locke. But oh how wrong was I? So now we know [Locke’s body] is the guy in black that has wanted to kill Jacob. So what’s this guy’s motive and what does he want out from the island? And Sayid came back from the dead… Pretty sure someone or SOMETHING has taken over his dead body as well.

Jack’s Father.. and my conspiracy theory:

His dead body is on the Island!!!! He’s always been on that island I think. I think Jack’s father is a very important part of the island and the reason all this is happening. I think he is trying to bring them all to the island, for a reason we will find out soon. we know they have all been linked somehow in the past, even if it was for a moment…but there is definitely a bigger purpose! Maybe it’s to save the island from evil, or maybe it’s because they were once apart of something special on the island, or maybe it’s because they need to complete something that was never finished on the island…. Or do you think these Losties have special powers and can only use them if they are all on this island together (lol, that sounds a little more like xmen… oops!)

Anyways, This just goes to show that regardless of Oceanic’s 815 safe landing at LAX, these people are meant to get back to that island!!! Ahh, last night left me in awe. I lost sleep over trying to figure out the ending…

Rumana S.

Some 'Lost' Theories Hours Before the Season Premiere

UPDATE: A good article from my friend Lisa Todorovich about some of the Lost cast members being sourpusses. Seriously? You work on what most consider the most compelling show on television, on location in Hawaii. Get. Over. It.

In no particular order or anything, but here are some theories, opinions and predictions I have based on last year's Lost season finale. Whether they will play out or not remains to be seen, and some we may never know for sure. None of them are based on any factual knowledge, and I'm probably just blowing smoke (no pun intended). I'm just going through some mental exercises to prepare for the premiere.

- Juliette was pregnant with Sawyer's kid.

- The smoke monster is the man in black, who is also Jacob's rival. Remember - the smoke monster materializes in the form of Alex (Ben's daughter) to order him to follow Locke (into whom smokey later shapeshifts).

- All the characters Jacob literally "touched" in the finale live, and the one he doesn't - Juliette - dies. The other character he didn't touch in the season finale - Sayid - is bleeding profusely and at death's door when we left them.

- Jacob has the same shapeshifting abilities as smokey. Think about it. Jack's father, the guy from Hurley's mental hospital, Mr. Ecko's brother, etc., all people who died or have no right being on the island are there at convenient times to tie their counterparts to the island.

- Jacob isn't dead, and his "they are coming" statement refers to his chosen ones (Jack, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer).

- Widmore is an operative of smokey/the man in black and the battle between him and Ben is precursor to the larger battle between good/evil, black/white.

So there you have it. Some popcorn to munch on before 9 p.m. EST.

Let's Try This Again

Like Brett Favre on a late-August day, I've waffled with the idea of restarting my blogging endeavor for a while now. And once again, like No. 4, I'm going to give it one more shot. If you've been to this space before, you've no doubt read about my taste in movies and music, the '80s, parenting, multiculturalism, and of course, Lost.

So it would only seem appropriate to kick Opinion Popcorn version 2.0 off on the day the final season of Lost is premiering. And this being the last season of Lost - when hopefully many of the mysteries of the island will be revealed and there will be closure - so will this be the attempt at Opinion Popcorn. If we're able to launch this boat off the island and somehow find sustained winds pointing us in the right direction, we'll keep it going. If we encounter turbulence and electromagnetic pulses, we'll bail, but not until after the Lost season ends.

So keep your browsers tuned to this frequency and let's try this once more.

-Gagan