I gotta tell ya, I looooved LOSTS’s season finale. I saw Cesar’s tweet just after the airing and I think he may have had some issues with it. Hopefully I can divulge some of the awesomeness to bring him back around.
1. We finally meet Jacob.
Excellent way to introduce this Oz-like character. Hanging on the island in maybe, what, the 1600’s? Maybe Ben can answer this question, but I am sure the type of ship sailing into the island in the first 10 minutes of the episode will give away the year. And who is the other character and what is their relationship? My bet is they’re brothers, maybe even Cane and Able. Now for those of you that listen to the podcast you’ll know I am not a very religious man, but I do find the mythology and stories surrounding christian religions (heck, any religion for that matter) fascinating. So I think I’d love to have some catholic mysticism injected here. Thoughts?
2. Jack finally gets back to form
So he finally has a purpose again…saving everyone. He has something to fix again. And in true “Jack-fashion” he’ll do whatever he needs to do to fix it. Also, I love the 180 degree turnaround in Jack’s concept of faith – the pragmatist is almost entirely gone.
OK, so we’ve been given a TON of info in the episode. I love the pendulum, very cool . Dharma doesn’t seem to be a mystery now (to me at least). I guess they are (were) a scientific organization working on the island doing experiments with biology and electromagnetism. The one thing that I am confused about though, is are they still around? In season 1, there was a Dharma supplies drop, so they must be still around and still think they have functioning operatives on the island (at least until Keamey shows up). But they haven’t been in the story line for a while…or have they?
So here’s my theory…Widmore is Hanso. The Dharma Inititive is his company that he set up to exploit the island in his quest for power. This is why Richard and the Other-Others battled against Dharma in the past and recruited Ben to help them wipe Dharma out on the island. They want Widmore to stop the exploitation of the island. I think that after that Widmore, at some point, was banished from ever returning to the island, which is why he needed the Initiative to get back to it. I think he dedicated his life and resources to finding that Island again, and when he did (using the pendulum)
This theory also explains a little bit more about the confrontation with Ben and the we-can’t kill-each-other pact they have. Ben clearly made a deal with Widmore after Richard assisted him in destroying the Dharma Initiative on the island. What tht deal is, is still a secret, but I am sure we’ll find out.
Think about it, Widmore protects his interests in the island by masquerading as Alvar Hanso. That way he can keep his legitimate enterprises going, while he keeps the more clandestined “Island” business going.
So, I have this love/hate relationship with BSG. I’ve been a fan since the old days and I even watched Galactica 1985 as well (The Starbuck/Cylon episode…none better). I’ve enjoyed the new show with a couple slips in which I just stopped watching altogether. I never put it together until last night, when I was watching this Friday’s episode (on TiVo) and was just starting to get that uncomfortable feeling again. The one where I think “I just don’t want to watch this” it’s too much.
Too much blood, too much anger, too many machinations. It just felt like it went off the track.
But then I realized, I’m uncomfortable because, while this is SF and fantasy, the themes are real – almost too real. I was thrown by Gaeta’s mutiny at first, but then I realized that it wasn’t a shark-jump. Gaeta was always a man of conviction when he felt he was doing the right thing. Even when he was working for the Cylon shadow gov’t on New Caprica – he fed the resistance info. He was always about anti-cylonism.
So if Gaeta’s motivations where sound, then maybe, just maybe the show wasn’t off track as I originally felt. It’s no secret that BSG is actually a very powerful drama wrapped in a SF package and I guess I had to come to grips with that more. BSG is an incredibly layered show with some of the best writing in any SciFi show. Once I realized that I wasn’t getting my escapism from BSG (far from it, BSG makes you think), I gave in.
The fervor I had for the show in previous seasons is back. And just like LOST, I’m excited to see where it goes.
I’ll end with a salute to Saul Tigh (played by Michael Hogan). He started as my least favorite chracter, but he’s steadily become my favorite. Hogan’s raspy growl and colorful language brings an emotionality to the Adama/Tigh pairing that (until recently) was required to balance Adama’s stoicness. He makes the eye patch work (especially as he compensates with the rifle scope – genius!) and his loyalty should be an example to the entire crew. I’m along for the ride with this mother frakker, All hail the XO.
Yes that’s right! Unfortunately he’s stuck back when Russo crashed on the island so this is going to be interesting. It’s funny though how he always gets into situations where language plays a part. All of his main storylines revolve around it (especially Sun’s sneaking around and learning english). I’m excited to see him back and I’m intrigued about this. So is Jin now at the same time as Sawyer, Locke and crew? Has he been shifting the whole time, just out of it?
Also, as pointed out by Doug in a previous comment, Miles is indeed the baby son of the Dharma Initiative instructional film guy (what IS his name?). This was clinched this episode with Faraday’s comment about length of time on the island affecting the neuro-disorder with the time jumps.
I saw Ben being the catalyst for the blood sample debacle a mile away, it seemed like a logical way to get Kate to WANT to leave and go back to the island. Still curious about Ben’s end-game though.
It is also clear now that Jack is back to his old tricks. He told Kate that he “could fix this.” This of course goign back to Jack’s need to fix anything broken. He now has a purpose and that singularity that he exhibits to confront this purpose is back in full swing.
Best line this episode: “Who was that?” asks Syaid…”My lawyer.” says Ben, in a matter-of-fact tone that was perfect.
So, just as I finished telling myself “They’re giving us all the answers! Time travel, they’re unstuck, Ben did it, they need to get back and save everyone.” LOST throws me a curve and does what it does best – gives some answers and leaves even more questions.
So here are some thoughts:
1. The whispers heard in the jungle throughout the first several seasons are not only Others, but could be the time travellers as they jump through time. The people in the current time-frame can’t see them, but can hear them, somewhat. I’m thinking this because of something Faraday said – “If it happened, it can’t be changed.” Maybe to themselves, they are slightly out-of-phase? OR, maybe I’m just tired
Ben is wicked devious. It’s so hard to read him though. What is his end-game?
What’s the deal with the butcher?
Does anyone else think it’s funny that Jack is now going on faith?
Sun is now a badass! I’m am curious to see what happens when her and Ben meet.
So Locke is not dead. I am pretty sure he will come back to life on the island – maybe through a time incident, but he will come back.
I love the fact that the Dharma Initiative is back in the game. We lost them a bit, but now maybe we’ll find out who the hell Hanso is.
Anyone else REALLY intrigued about Richard now?
OK, that’s it, not a very substantive post, but I had to do a bit of a brain dump. OK, gotta run and catch some Z’s.
I gotta say I think I’ve been Jack-rolled. You know, “Jack-rolled” – the 5 season old network-TV phenomenon that gets unsuspecting viewers to watch yet another shark-jumping episode of 24. Yeah, I definitely was…how is that that none of these villians can get anything done without compromising a law enforcement agency (or the President himself, for that matter).
You know, I’ve been a 24-hater since the second season. Ever since Kim had her “Dr. Greene” moment and had every conceivable tragedy happen to her – I just couldn’t do it anymore. The amazing, tense writing and action of season one had me hooked. But then the same shit kept happening. How come it took them this long to close down CTU? An agency riddled with that many leaks, charged with anti-terrorism?!?!? Uuugh.
Needles-to-say I had to watch the episode. The wife likes the show, so i thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and see if it could capture the old magic.
Nope.
Tony Almeida is a bad guy? Really? He was FUCKING dead. Come one, this isn’t Melrose Place, they couldn’t come up with a different vehicle to get Jack back?
OK, so let’s talk about what I did like:
Colm Feore. Every since “Storm of the Century” he’s been the man.
Janeane Garofalo. Interesting casting choice, of course we need to fill the socially akward hole left vacant by Chloe. So far, nice job.
The FBI’s digs. Plain, Steel Case desks and partitions. This is really what a gov’t agency office looks like. The old CTU had too much high-end hardware and ridiculous-looking software.
Jack didn’t say “Dammit” yet, but he did say “We have to do it My Way.” Uuugh.
Peter Wingfield. Methos is awesome. Nuff Said.
Colm Feore. Wait, did I say him already?
The rounding out of the Robocop cast. Seriously. Peter Weller, Paul McCrane, Kurtwood Smith, Ray Wise.
OK, so I’ll probably give the 3rd hour episode a shot and see, but I don’t know. I am SURE Tony is running something that is a big-picture thing and he’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason…but again?!?!?! IT’s the same story over-and-over-again.
Well, maybe not the best day. But if you’re a fan of the steadily downward sloping Heroes, then this past Monday was indeed the best day ever.
I’ve been lukewarm on Heroes for a while. Last season was a bust, severely damaged by the writer’s strike. This season seemed to get moving , but it was still a little “meh.” Well “The Eclipse, part II” finally got the old chutzpah back and I’m excited to see where it goes.
With the genius casting of Breckin Meyer and Seth Green as small town comic shop employees (owners?) Tim Kring and crew where able to capture what made this series great in the first place. The wonder and awe that came from actual, real people possessing what used to only exist on the inked page. By using the comic shop as a storytelling tool, the viewer is both in AND out of the story; “Kirby plaza doesn’t count, they never actually even talked” – friggin’ genius.
Being a long time comic reader and huge X-Men fan, I was always intrigued with the melodrama that ordinary people with extraordinary abilities faced. The Cockrum/Clarement years that pitched a perfect allegory for racism and put it in a fantastic realm of super powered mutants set me on the path of believing in the characters and the amazing storytelling that accompanied them.
Heroes recaptured that for me in its first season. But from the second season through the beginning of the 3rd, various ridiculousness and especially Hiro’s shark jumping idiocy almost pushed me out the door. And for those of you that listen to the podcast know, jumping the shark is a series killer for me.
Finally, the show feels back on track, and with the cancellation of Pushing Daisies (a travesty, I know) the possible (probable) return of Bryan Fuller to fold bodes even better news. So, what stood out?
Peter wasn’t an idiot.
Finally, the youngest Petrelli finds his strength. Consequentially, without his powers intact. Although, I am sure now that the Eclipse has ended he has them back, at the very least his absorbing powers.
Hiro did something right.
Seriously, about friggin’ time
Matt Parkman is back on track.
I felt for a while that Greg Grunberg’s character was on the verge of getting eaten by the smog monster (LOST reference, anyone?). The hilarious attempt at reading Speedster’s father’s mind sans powers was excellent.
Claire gets her groove back.
Getting killed is the best thing to happen to her since, well not getting killed.
HRG kicks ass.
He does, he really does. HRG contiunues to be the most consistently excellent part of this series.
Ando speaks REALLY good english.
Seriously, where did that come from?
Mohinder is back, sorta.
Get this guy back on track. His new storyline is too Jeff Goldblum for me.
Meyer and Green.
‘Nuff Said.
Nathan is a bad guy.
Well, not really, but he is a politician. He’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason. I’m real interested to see where it goes.
Sylar is back and badder then ever.
Zachary Quinto’s Sylar is the second best thing on the show (to Jack Coleman’s HRG) and it’s awesome that he’s back as the villain. He was interesting “good”, but he’ soooo much better “bad”.
Seriously, this guy is OWNING the debate. I could have swore he just said “ONE minute bitches!” I’m waiting for him to break out Master Blaster and start the “2 men enter, 1 man leaves” chant.
I almost didn’t watch this debate since I was sure it was going to be the same old finger pointing. But as soon as Brokaw laid down the law. I was in for the haul.
Essentially, King sold the rights for The Dark Tower series to JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof for $19. Yep, that’s right nineteen bucks. Damon expresses that this will probably happen after LOST wraps. It’s an exciting proposition. I think Abrams and Lindelof can do a good job. Roland’s story is such a complex tale and I think if anyone can do it, these guys can.
I am currently reading the last book book now (I took a break to read Watchmen). I’ve been a fan of this group of stories since the came out and I for one, am very excited about this development. I’ll continue to dig up some info and post any developments.
![[del.icio.us]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Google]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[LinkedIn]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/linkedin.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://iconogeek.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
Loading ...