LOST - Season 4 - Page 2

Recent article about one of the folks whose name appears in the credits every week, but isn't on the island anymore:

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...=1&si=0#artanc

Not exactly filled with episodic spoilers, but an interesting read nonetheless.

- All we know is that they got off the island somehow. We don't know how, when or why. That's some big info missing.

- I don't see how his life is in danger. He is just depressed because of some sort of "unfinished business" from the island, or maybe he feels like they never should have come back at all.

- If OFF THE ISLAND JACK is offered a chance to travel back in time to the island and fix something, I will fucking scream. This show shouldn't become Quantum Leap.

Will, listen to me. If Island Jack has a gun to his head at some point in the coming season, it will not be dramatic, because we know he makes it off the island later. That's all I'm saying. Furthermore, as the flash-forwards continue, more and more info will be revealed about who made it off the island. Time travel would be one way of circumventing this.

I think that if there was a situation where Jack's life was in danger, the writers would make sure that he isn't the only island dweller who is in peril at that time. They know that the "OMG, is he gonna make it" drama isn't there, so I think they are creative enough not to go to that well (of putting Jack and Jack alone into a life-threatening situation on the island).

I agree with Will on this one. The flash-forward was the ultimate carrot being dangled in front of our noses. We now know that Kate and Jack, at the very least, get off the island. But we have a long way to go before finding out how, when, why, who else goes with them, under what circumstances, who's dead along the way, etc. The flash-forward in no way indicates time travel (at least not to me), nor does it spoil anything - it doesn't even remotely wrap up the rest of this series in a nice tidy bow. I love this show, but I wouldn't be looking forward to it half as much if they'd ended last season's finale with yet another "something happens on the island" scene. I think the flash forward and the TON of unanswered questions it adds in was fantastic.

Totally agree, Lisa, I don't get the time travel vibe at all . . . the show is all about layers of mystery, and the flash-forward was a great way to add even more layers to the show . . . I still think that finale might be my favorite viewing experience of the past few months, film or TV.

I've been dreading an emphasis on time travel since Desmond's flashback episode about his premonitions. Time travel is almost always a shitty plot device unless it's the key point to the plot*, like in Terminator and 12 Monkeys, and I hope they don't resort to it any more than they already have.

I'm pretty sure it's been limited strictly to Desmond, and I still hope they explain that away in some other manner.

I agree with Will and Lisa that there are plenty of ways that the story on the island can continue to have dramatic impact despite the knowledge that Jack and Kate make it off.

* And, no, I will not accept the idea that time travel has been key to the plot all along, and we just didn't know it. That would be the worst sort of retconning.

Oh, of course there are ways to keep it dramatic. I'm not saying the show is ruined forever. I'm just saying the writers are putting themselves in a tough spot, and they've often proven to be...um...less than adept at getting themselves out of these kinds of narrative traps. Time travel would at least be a way of circumventing this.

Season 4 needs more Guyliner Guy!

Nestor Carbonell may not be available, at least for a while, thanks to:

May as well put it here, didn't see it anywhere else: just noticed on amazon the Season 3 DVD set will be out Dec. 11. Amazon has it for $39 preorder.

Scrawled right on the cover: JACOB LOVES YOU

The "Lost DUI Curse" continues!!! Guess we know who might die next on the show...

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar...701984326.html

The Honolulu Advertiser:

The season premiere's title is "The Beginning of the End." Can't wait.

Man, Lost has had the worst luck when it comes to external factors. The cast departures seriously hurt the show, and now that they've spent the third season getting back on track they have to deal with a writer's strike, and now this. It's got to be galling for a show that has the most ambitious long-term storytelling on TV.

So, Zoe Bell has been added to the cast. Not a bad thing at all, in my opinion.

Hope DDK can clean himself up and stay on point when it matters.

I was walking around in a large city recently (St. Louis, I think, but I can't be sure). I was near a construction zone, but I couldn't see it. When I heard the mechanical sounds of the construction, it reminded me of smokey. I realized then and there that there's no denying I'm hooked on this show.

Even if it ends poorly, I'll be watching every episode. I just don't want them to stretch it past the planned outline they have in place.

Is this the chick from Death Proof? If so, this is bad news as she can't act for shit.

She sure can stunt, however.

But can the cunt shunt?

No amount of cool stunting (or cunt shunting) could lure me back to this show after the shit that was the first 6 eps of season 3, and I was religious up to that point. As dumb as Heroes sometimes is, at least shit happens and questions get answered.

You missed out because the second half of Season 3 was some of the best television ever put on air.

and if that matters Sayid and Desmond (just mentioning a few examples) had a lot of "action".

Look I..........tolerate Heroes. I don't hate it nearly as much as everyone else on CHUD, there as some cool bits in there but come on. Yes things happen on Heroes but only kind of. I mean did you see the season finale? All that build up and then nothing. The Lost season 3 finale really paid off in a big way. I guess I can understand peoples frustration but I never watched the show when it was on tv. I kept hearing all about Lost but never saw an episode so I decided to to download all the episodes. I literally watch all 3 seasons in about a month. So for me there was no real wait. Althought after the finale I am starting to feel a little of that. But to say things happen and get answered, I don't think thats true. I mean all the really BIG questions on Heroes still haven't been answered.

found it!

Good work detective!
But it is still short of hundreds of posts from the infamous 10-31-07 till today.

I was excited this was back, but sadly we lost some good posts from the past few months. So bizarre.

Of course it gets found after I open a new one. I was thinking about it for three days, and when I decide to because I couldn't find it anywhere... BAM!

I'm calling it Judgment Day.

If it turns out to be an elaborate Trick R Treat viral marketing ploy, I'll be somewhat annoyed.

So, anyone want to lay odds on who gets the first ep's flashback? Here's my pre-coffee go: Jack's the obvious favorite, having opened the last two. I'd put him at 8:1 at most, maybe even 10:1. Locke at 4 or 5:1, Kate maybe 7:2. Sawyer, Sayid, Desmond all at even money; Hurley or the Kwons at 1:4 or 5. Juliet or Ben, let's say 2:3, Rose/Bernard at 1:10, and Vincent as the 50 to 1 longshot.

Adjust for the action.

What I wouldn't give for a Vincent flashback, Trav.

Weren't we promised a Vincent flashback back in Season 2?

By the by, if I had to predict, I'll say that Episode 4.1 will be a Ben flashback.

I just hope/predict that that 4.01 will be a flashforward of Jack or Kate.
Just because I want to know mor about the future of the castaways. But I reckon that is unlikely that they will contiunue with the same flashforward as the closing episode of the 3rd season. But atleast a flashforward of someone would be awesome.

Hasn't every season opened with a Jack flashback so far? I'd imagine they'll stick with him.

For those worried about the flashforwards ruining the dramatic tension on the island, if you're still out there, the writers would have to be incredibly dense not to realize that they can't hold a gun to Jack or Kate's head on the island and have it work anymore. And since it's always been written so meticulously (they may ask for a lot in terms of suspension of disbelief, but more than almost any other show they expect the audience to remember what they've seen), I see no reason to think they'll suddenly come down with a case of the "durrrrr"'s.

I remember reading that the premiere might possibly be a multi-centric flashforward that is focused on Hurley and Sawyer. That would be cool.

My guess is that the S1 episode "Special", which was the Michael/Walt/Vincent flashback episode is all the flashback Vinnie's gonna have, unless we get one this season. Honestly though, what I wouldn't give to see a golden retriever do the haunted, "thousand-yard-stare" thing that they always do before going to a flashback.

I think that the people who leave the island, whoever that will be exept Kate and Jack and casket-person maybe, will do so after a few episodes. By now I reckon most of the stories from the past of the survivors have been told anyway. And the writers have proven that they can tell an interesting story in the future without giving to much away. I mean they gave us three seasons of flashbacks without being repetitive or spoiling the show. It just adds another layer to the puzzle that Lost is in my eyes.

The night an episode begins with a silent close-up on one of Vincent's blinking eyeballs, I will jump off the couch and through the ceiling.

Another thing I'm curious about, is with Claire (let's say, 1:3 for the opener) and Aaron. Desmond saw them being helicoptered out (or just boarding a helicopter?), which suggests they're going to be among those "rescued." In Season 1 and 2 there was a lot of action centered around protecting Aaron and keeping him with his mother. Obviously that's an easy dramatic button to push, baby & mother in peril, but there were definitely some, well, larger implications as to their importance in the grand mythology going on, especially Aaron's. Now that we have some more background on the Others' and Juliet's research/intent, is their "greater role" sort of diminished to merely keeping them safe like everyone else? That would kinda stink.

Not to mention that frustrating Australian psychic. If he was legit, his whole "can be raised by no other!" "he needs your goodness!" rantings still seem to carry weight on their story, and his manipulation to get her on 815. If he was a fake, like he told Eko to get rid of him, he still manipulated her to get on 815, but who put him up to it and why? Again, Claire and Aaron seem to have a much larger role in the "mythology" -- instead of just trying to live through and react to it -- than anyone, except maybe Locke and Desmond.

So, are they gonna leave the island? Are they really now just a mother and infant trying to be safe, no different from Rose, or background castaway #12? Or is there a bigger role Aaron is being protected for? (And let's not forget he's Christian's grandson, for the more out-there theorists.)

Desmond also saw Charlie die. Repeatedly.

Are you kidding me? I'm ecstactic that Jack and Kate were in the flash forward because if I ever have to see another one of their pre-island flashbacks I'd stab my eyeballs out. They were the most repetitive, boring shit ever.

I kinda agree and have to admit that I worded it shitty. I wanted to point out that their pre-island stories are told and that is is another layer to tell flash forwards.
But the most repetitive and boring shit ever? I reckon we have seen a different show then. Some have been dull but that´s ridicoulusly harsh. Some great character stuff there. It was rather some of the on-island stuff that got dragged out into boredom territory.

if the dog gets a flashback, we'll be that much closer to a Michael Berryman cameo. fingers crossed!

And changed the outcome himself, repeatedly, and finally eye-witnessed it happen exactly as he'd flashed it the last time.

But I didn't wanna get bogged in another precognition/semantics thing. Whether she gets on a chopper or not, my long-winded concern was more, have Claire and Aaron been relegated to Lostaways X and Y, with the mundane concerns of relationships and survival, or will they have a grander role in the scheme of things, as elements of S1 and 2 seemed to suggest? It's something I'm definitely curious about, and would find the former a little disappointing.

Whatever. ONE WEEK TO GO. God, has it really been since frickin May.

Please refresh my memory of Kate's character stuff because all I remember was endless stories of daddy-issues and fleeing from the law.

You just answered your own question.

I have to agree with Jan and Diva. Everyone of Jack's flashbacks sucked. Stalking his wife, the Tats, Not making it out with the hot Italian chick, they added nothing that couldn't have been told in 1 flashback.

Kate's were even worst. Taco Night anyone???

Charlie, Claire, Juliet, Ben, Locke, Eko, hell even Nikki and Paulo had better flashbacks.

But, but...Kate had Capt. Mal Reynolds in her flashback! I'm sure the ratings that night were above average because of all the Browncoats tuning in!

Desmond said he saw Claire and Aaron get on a helicopter. But the people sending helicopters were not, as he assumed, Penny's, but most likely agents of the Hanso organization or whatever. Jack, Kate (and others?) have been taken off the island, presumably by the Hanso people, and are being prevented from speaking about their experiences. It could easily be that they're using Claire and Aaron as leverage to keep Jack quiet.

Thanks for agreeing their stories made for repetitive and boring TV.

Less than a week left! Can't wait!

Anybody know what time it's supposed to air? that 10/9 pm slot was killing me (yes, I am the mother of two small children and have no life). I'm hoping it will move to an earlier slot.

I'm betting we'll see a Jack-back, if not in the first episode, then at least in the first 2-3. And yes, I'd much rather see flash-forwards with Jack, as I feel his past has been done to death.

I also wouldn't mind a Claire flash-back. IMO, Claire's had some of the best flashbacks of any of the cast--it's on the island that her character is a little unused. I've just been watching S1 again, and I would like to learn more about Aaron's "destiny," as well. Hopefully, the writer's haven't forgotten about the importance they placed on him way back when.

I agree, Ady, Claire has had really great flashbacks, and true too that she's very underused on the island.

Also in agreement that Jack's and Kate's flashbacks were the most boring. The only good thing in Jack's was that we first have Desmond's set up when they're both running the stadium steps. They keep Desmond in the flashback just long enough that you know he's going to pop up again somewhere. And for the record, I have to say that Desmond has quickly become one of my favorite characters on this show.

As for the timeslot, I know the premiere is at 8 PM, but not sure about the schedule for the season.

Less than a week! I can hardly wait.

Is it wrong of me to feel sad that this thread used to be 12 pages long and is now 3? So much good discussion lost.