Friday, February 01, 2008


Lost, Season 4, Episode 1: The Beginning of the End
Thanks for waiting, y'all. It kills me that I can't post my blog the night of the show and beat all the other reporters to the punch, but finally, my column is below. A little more succinct than usual (which isn't a bad thing; having a forced word count stops me from blathering on and on) but most of it is still there. I LOVED the episode, loved that they opened with Hurley, who most people believe is some sort of side character with no real meaning, and after believing that "Dave" was some sort of throwaway episode, it's looking like it was more important than we thought, since the idea that Hurley is seeing imaginary people was in the back of our heads through that entire episode last night.

So let's discuss!! What did you think?

The long wait is over, and guess what? MORE QUESTIONS!

It’s been eight long months. Fans have speculated about who was in that coffin, why Jack wanted to go back, who might have been left behind — but nothing could have prepared us for the words that were uttered by Hurley at the beginning of “Lost’s” season 4 premiere: “I’m one of the Oceanic Six!”

Whoa, dude. I didn’t see that coming.

Episode Recap:
On the island, the survivors celebrate their impending rescue until Charlie’s message splits the group into those who believe the rescuers are legit, and those who think they are dangerous. Hurley sees Jacob’s cabin, becomes the island’s newest disciple, joins forces with Locke, and leads a small mutiny against Jack. In Locke’s corner: Hurley, Claire, Ben, Rousseau, Alex, Karl, Sawyer and several of the background characters. Splitting the group — without any cages involved this time — is an intriguing way to begin the season.

But the really good stuff was in the flashforward. Like the “Through the Looking Glass” flashforward where we saw a crazed, bearded Jack, now we get a flashforward that takes place before Jack’s, with a crazed, bearded Hurley who believes that the island wants them back. To make matters worse…he’s seeing Charlie.

Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had a lot to prove with this return, and they managed to do it (even if there were a few moments where it felt like they were trying to do too much). “The Beginning of the End” felt like a series premiere all over again, with new enemies, new storylines, and endless possibilities.

Highlights:
• Hurley’s cannonball: It’s the happiest we’ve seen him. Even in the past, just about every comment he makes oozes with sarcasm that masks his pain, and in the future, he’s shattered. In this one joyous moment, he believes he’ll be rescued and he’ll finally be free of the money. One second later, he discovers his best friend is dead, and it’s all over.
• Jorge Garcia: All of the Hugo episodes have had comic overtones, and this one was a portrait of a broken man. Garcia really stepped up, and between the tearful scene where he has to tell Claire that Charlie is dead and the various scenes of him losing his mind, he showed he’s a lot more versatile than most people give him credit for.

Biggest “GASP!” Moments:
• Naomi’s not dead (oh wait, give it a minute... okay, now she’s dead)
• Hurley seeing Jacob’s cabin, and then Jacob. Last season the only two people who could see or hear Jacob were Locke and Ben, the two characters who believe the island is a living, breathing thing that can make decisions and determine your fate. The image of the man in the chair and the close-up of the eyeball appeared to be one and the same person, but this time, they seem to be from two people. Not only that, but the cabin is ephemeral, disappearing and reappearing wherever it sees fit. Is Jacob controlling it? Is the cabin another form of the smoke monster? Is it two people or can Jacob astrally project himself the same way Walt seemed to?
• CHARLIE!
• Jack pulling the trigger when holding the gun to Locke’s head. WOW. Until now, the two men have always locked horns, but they know how far they can push the other guy. This time Locke makes his usual “you’re not gonna shoot me, Jack” comment (you know, as many of us regularly say to our friends) and he’s wrong. Something’s snapped in Jack.
• Jack in the future checking on Hurley to make sure he keeps his mouth shut. He takes on the role that Kate played at the end of “Through the Looking Glass,” by telling Hurley to keep quiet, and refusing to listen to Hurley’s pleas that they did the wrong thing. Unlike with the previous flashbacks, we watch this episode with a sense of dread, knowing that Jack will soon be as destroyed as Hurley is, and will be just as obsessed with returning to the island.
• Hurley saying he shouldn’t have gone with Locke. Until now, the flashback has served to illuminate the present, but now, the flashforward will bring dramatic irony to the present, where the viewer can watch the characters’ actions with the help of hindsight. Because of the flashforward, we know that Hurley’s making a mistake by following Locke, and will watch all of the island action with that in mind.

Important Lost Motifs:
One of the most important motifs of the show is time — with the flashbacks, present-day material, and flashforwards, the viewers are watching the show on three different time planes. But there’s also been speculation among fans that the characters are all time traveling, and exist on three different planes at once. Every clip show seems to repeat that seemingly innocuous scene of Hurley and Sayid listening to the Glenn Miller Orchestra on the beach, with Hurley saying they could be picking up a signal from another time, and then laughing it off. But in this episode’s flashforward, that theory seemed to really find legs. Charlie says, in a line that will no doubt be one of the most talked-about moments from season 4, “I am dead, but I’m also here.” Does he mean that he’s dead on one plane, and alive on another, and that Hurley’s living on more than one at the same time? Or is it simply an emotional moment, where he means he’s dead, but he’ll always be “here,” in his heart?

Did You Notice?:
• The cop who interrogates Hurley is Mike from “Collision,” who keeps yelling at Ana to holster her weapon when they’re responding to a domestic call.
• The Oceanic attorney who meets up with Hurley is named Matthew Abbadon, which sounds like “Abandon.”
• When Locke went to Jacob’s cabin, the camera holds on a painting of a dog sitting in the corner. We saw the painting again, suggesting there’s some significance to it.

So Many Questions...
• Who are the other three people in the Oceanic Six? When did they all get together to make this pact that they would stay hush-hush about the island? After we establish who the Six are, will we see flashforwards of people who were left behind?
• Is Matthew Abbadon really from Oceanic? Is he referring to the people left behind when he asks, “Are they still alive?”
• Why did Hurley see Jacob instantly, when Locke only caught a glimpse after staring at an empty chair for some time?
• Was Naomi really just changing the frequency on the phone or was she sending a hidden message?
• Was Charlie really there? When Hurley thought Dave wasn’t real, Dave hit him and it hurt him, but Dave wasn’t there. On the one hand, another mental patient points out that Charlie is standing there, which would suggest he really is there. But on the other hand, Hurley could just be imagining that guy, too.
• Who does Charlie mean when he says, “They need you”? Are “they” the people who were left behind?
• What terrible thing did the Oceanic Six do?

48 comments:

Brian Douglas said...

When it was revealed that Locke's gun was empty, I was reminding of the Brig when Locke says "Why would you hold a knife to my throat if the gun was loaded?" Indeed, why would he kill Naomi....

Now, on to speculating!

So Many Questions...
• Who are the other three people in the Oceanic Six?

Desmond did have a vision of Claire getting on the helicopter, so maybe she's one. Also, what about Michael and Walt?

• Is Matthew Abbadon really from Oceanic? Is he referring to the people left behind when he asks, “Are they still alive?”

It was strongly implied that he wasn't when Hurley asked him for his business card. I'm thinking he was refering to the Others with his comment.

• Why did Hurley see Jacob instantly, when Locke only caught a glimpse after staring at an empty chair for some time?

Because Jacob sought him out instead of the other way around. Remember, Ben said to Locke you don't go to see Jacob, he summons you.

• Was Naomi really just changing the frequency on the phone or was she sending a hidden message?

Perhaps a message about the Others?

• Was Charlie really there? When Hurley thought Dave wasn’t real, Dave hit him and it hurt him, but Dave wasn’t there. On the one hand, another mental patient points out that Charlie is standing there, which would suggest he really is there. But on the other hand, Hurley could just be imagining that guy, too.

Was Dave really NOT there, or was he a manifestation of the island, Jacob, smokey, or all of the above?

Locke did see Boone after his death too, but I think the bigger question how long is the island's reach? Can it extend into the "real" world?

• Who does Charlie mean when he says, “They need you”? Are “they” the people who were left behind?

Could he mean the Others?

• What terrible thing did the Oceanic Six do?

I don't know, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that there were only six of them.

Can't wait to meet the so-called rescuers next week!

Crissy Calhoun said...

totally worth waiting for, nikki. ;)

i think my favourite (funny) line was when Hurley said to Jack that he'd look weird w/ a beard...cause, well, he does.

the Jacob's cabin part freaked me right out of town.

were you reminded of BSG's final five with the Oceanic 6? i'm very curious as to who the other three will be. hmmm...

Brian Douglas said...

Also, did anyone else think the "Eye" in Jacob's cabin was Locke?

Crissy Calhoun said...

i thought the eye might have been Locke's. Pretty suspect that he showed up right after Hurley's Jacob encounter.

We need a super fan to slow down the footage so we can take a closer look.

Nikki Stafford said...

Crissy: Thanks for pointing that out, because if anyone out there has closed-captioning, WHAT does Hurley say to Jack after saying he'd look weird with a beard?
S.H.O.?
I'd say sho?
Like Saint Joe?

I backed it up 6 times and still couldn't make it out.

Brian Douglas said...

One other thing I forgot to mention, was did you notice how readily Jack lets Ben go with Locke? And after his big spiel about how he didn't trust anyone else to guard him.

Nikki Stafford said...

Brian: Awesome point about the eye! I just put the show back on and paused it, and it certainly could be Locke's eye. There's a slightly arched eyebrow, just like Locke has. I'll see if I can find a screencap somewhere.

The Chapati Kid said...

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. Go to:
trent.blogspot.com

He's got screencaps of Jacob. AND IT'S CHRISTIAN SHEPHERD!!!

Brian Douglas said...

Thanks Nikki.

I noticed the eye color was the same as Terry O'Quinn. Locke showing up right afterwards seems to verify my theory.

Emilia said...

I couldn't be happier to be able to read your commentary the next day instead of having to wait months for your amazing books to come out! Thanks for the analysis!

Nikki Stafford said...

Emilia: Thank you!! :)

Brian Douglas said...

I still miss not being able to read it right after the episode airs though :-(

Anonymous said...

Hurley said "That's H-O"
for the h-o of h-o-r-s-e basketball game they are playing.
I thought I'd missed something too, but went back and CC'd it.
No hidden meaning thing there. sigh.
It was a great return to excellent form though!
Kathy Trites

Anonymous said...

Abbadon is a place in Hebrew mythology. Roughly translates to hell. :)

Will Jack ever find out that Claire's his sister? It doesn't seem like it, and that saddens me.

Did you see Sayid's face when he found out Charlie was dead? He looked so sad and beautiful. (Thus ends Colleen's gratuitous 'Sayid is hot' comment for this week).

Has Charlie picked up Desmond's time leaping powers? Or is Hurley just crazy?

If that was Christian in Jacob's chair, does it mean he was never dead in the first place? He hadn't been embalmed, and his body wasn't in the coffin. (Christian, resurrection - naw) Could mean that he really was working in the hospital in Jack's beardy flashforward.

Brandon Kotowski/ job: fan of LOST said...

For me, the highlight of the episode was when the survivors split into two factions. The despair on Jack's face is priceless, especially since he has now failed at being a leader and "shepherd"(pun intended) to the camp. Rose also makes a nice point when she says about Locke "I'm not going anywhere with that man". This really makes me wonder if Locke's intentions are going too far to keeping people on the island "for their own good". After all, are his actions now contradictory to his in season 2? In "The Hunting Party", he tells Jack "Who are we to tell them what they can or can't do?" Combine that with Jack telling Kate in "Tabula Rasa" that he is not a murderer, yet now he would have killed Locke with little hesitation, and you have some serious character changes going on throughout their stay on the island.

Also: Great work Nikki, I love the Finding Lost books. I'll hopefully be blogging often this season in hopes to be mentioned in the next one! That'd be awesome to show my friends of how much of a LOST fan and guru I truly am. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

My first time coming here! I just read your book and needed to check this out in real time.

I thought it was a really good episode and we now know the flash forwards will work. It'll be interesting to see how Hurley gets from Lockes camp to off the island. I really want to know what they told people when they got home. What are they lying about? Why Lie?

I wonder now how we will refer to the time line. Is the island story now the past? Is the future story really the present? Will they celebrate Christmas and Is the rescue their "present"? It's still Dec 23? Ending on the Dawn of Xmas Eve?

Of note, There was no opening Eyeball shot. I was a wee disappointed in that...but overall I loved the episode.

Emilia said...

Ah, but there was an eyeball, and one we're talking about a lot more than if we'd seen Hurley's as the first image of the season.

Speaking of which, that was a nice reveal when Hurley crawls out of his car. For the first few seconds of the episode, I was convinced it was a flashback in which Hurley was watching an episode of Expose.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous/Kathy

Au contraire...but there IS a hidden meaning to the game of horse!! They got to H-O- right? And What was Charlie standing next to in the gas station? HoHo's?

Now...H and O are what letter in the alphabet?

(hint: 8 and 15)

Anonymous said...

Oh and by the way....this episode confirmed for me who was in the coffin in last year's finale.

Jack and Kate knew who was in the coffin. But who did they know and have a connection with?...that NO ONE would show up for the funeral? Only one we know of....Michael.

Think about it...he comes back to mainland.....but he can't enter society again because he has NO LOGICAL story to give the world as to why and how he is back. So he is forced into anonymity...changes his name.

Then the Oceanic six come along...and they are celebrities. That drives Michael crazy...in fact I'd bet we will see him pop up in a Jack flash-forward making contact with the six.

Nikki Stafford said...

Kathy: Thanks for clearing that up! It was driving me nuts. :)

Nikki Stafford said...

redeem147: I'll have to go back and look at Sayid. I can always count on you to keep me posted on what Sayid is doing in the background. :)

Someone on the Wizard message boards pointed out the meaning of Abbadon in Hebrew, so that was cool.

Re: Christian, check out my comments in that post re: whether or not he was in the coffin.

pete said...

Great opening episode; it creates many fascinating story lines for the upcoming season.

Did you notice: the car Hurley was driving (and crashed) at the beginning of the episode was the same car his father always promised to help him with as a child.

Anonymous said...

Saza,

I am starting to think the Ho Ho Ho is a big clue. We keep getting hints of them being in the arctic somewhere...polar bears, penny's people, "snow globe", the snowman joke and now Hurley drawing an eskimo and an igloo. The North pole has an magnetic anomoly. So is the Ho ho ho a hint of Santa, who lives at the north pole? It's also Dec 24 as I pointed out. I am not sure what it means or if it's all red herrings, but I feel it's might mean something.

Anonymous said...

As I posted on the link re: Christain Shepard being Jacob, there was a clue in during the show following LOST in which there an ad for Oceanic Golden Passes during which there are sketchy cutaways to the plane of flight 815 buried in the ocean. So, is everone dead and in purgaroty? What of the flash forwards? After watching the first 3 seasons on DVD, the waiting a week between episodes is going to be hard.

sneakypig said...

On DarkUFO someone has a very convincing argument that Matthew Abbadon is the Smoke Monster. Abbadon has an eerie similarity to Eko's brother Yemi that should up right before Eko died.

And if you watch you don't really see Abbadon leave but if you watch the shadow on the wall it doesn't really add up.

Anonymous said...

What an awesome season premiere! These flash forwards are going to create a fascinating new dimension to the show. I hope they keep playing with our minds so that we can't figure out the flashbacks from the flashforwards, at least for the first part of the show.

Favorite moments:
- Hurley telling Claire about Charlie, it broke my heart
- Hurley seeing Charlie at the institution, I totally didn't expect that one
- When Jack tells Hurley is thinking of growing a beard, its sort of a wink to the audience about the flashforward in the season finale to put the timeline into context, very clever
- When Jack actually pulls the trigger on the gun, even though he didn't know it was empty, but you see Jack's dark side, the other side of him saving lives as a doctor, instead able to take one
- Danielle telling Ben that Alex is NOT his daughter

Questions: In addition to those above:
- Why would Hurley see Charlie in the water with the hand up to the window, then the explosion with the water gushing in, it was Desmond who saw Charlie like that, how could Hurley know the scene in such detail?
- Why did Rose and Bernard side with team Jack? They promised each other because of Rose's cancer that they would never leave the island, because her cancer would come back, wouldn't it make more sense for them to go with team Locke?
- When the parachutist falls from the sky from the helicopter, why are only Jack and Kate there? Where is everyone else? Singing Koombayah around the fireplace?
- Why can Hurley see Jacob? He doesn't have Locke's "powers" does he?
- Are they going to somehow work in Sam Thomas from Find815 into the show? He found "Oceanic 815", is there another plane out there? (alluded to by Naomi last season)

All in all a great episode, can't wait for next week! As always, looking forward to your reviews Nikki! Even if for only 8 short weeks...sigh...

Nikki Stafford said...

Saza: AWESOME catch on the 8th and 15th letters... I love it!! :) I've thought Michael was the one in the coffin from the get-go, and I think you're right on target with the reason for why he might be in there. The other option is still Locke, and while I kind of dismissed that theory until this episode, now I'm thinking it's a possibility, and why Kate reacts with such disgust. Michael could have committed suicide because of being forced to hide, but Jack is acting like whoever died did so because it was his fault. I wonder if Michael will come back to the island, insisting that they need to stay, and Jack manages to get them "rescued" without listening to Michael, and Michael ends up back in the cruel real world he'd already escaped once, but this time couldn't get back.

Nikki Stafford said...

Pete: There are SO many things in this episode I noticed on the 3rd viewing, and haven't been able to post, and that was one of them (and yes, I'm looking for all of the really deep things and missing the obvious, like his dad's Camaro). Thanks for posting that! One thing I DID notice was the car he crashed into -- it was the horrible Bonneville of death! I've mentioned it in my previous books, but this brown Bonneville is always featured as being crashed into or causing the crash. It's the one that ran into Michael, bumped into Locke in the parking lot while he was pursuing his mother, and crashed into Kate right after Tom had been shot. It's the one Hurley crashes into in this episode. I'm sure it's a red herring that the writers have dreamed up to make us search, but I think it's hilarious.

Nikki Stafford said...

Debjbaba: Welcome to the site!

Nikki Stafford said...

downthehatch: I agree. When I saw Hurley drawing the igloo, I immediately thought of the guys in an igloo-like hut at the end of season 2, seeing the anomaly show up on their screen. They're in a blizzard. And as you say, there are a LOT of snow references, considering they're on an island.

I'm seeing a snow sidebar in a future book of mine. ;)

Nikki Stafford said...

sneakypig: Welcome! (I'm so happy to see so many new people here!) That's interesting about Abbadon... though I don't think Lieutenant Daniels... er... Abbadon, really looks like Yemi. He's dark-skinned, but that's pretty much where the similarity ends for me. The shadow thing is really interesting though!

Nikki Stafford said...

Roland: Hello my dear! I agree with your highlights, and shared a lot of them. I wonder if Desmond maybe tells Hurley at a later date about Charlie holding his hand up to the window... though that would be more difficult considering they've just split up! So, good point, I think.

Rose and Bernard are an interesting pair. In SOS it was clear they've decided to stay on the island, yet when impending rescue is at hand, Rose is as giggly as a little girl. (Then again, she just found out her husband was alive, so maybe that's the secret to her happiness.) I think they don't want to go with Locke because he's completely nuts as far as they're concerned: Rose just watched him kill someone in cold blood. Even if they go with Jack, they can stay behind, but it leaves them at a disadvantage: They're all alone if they do.

Anonymous said...

Downthehatch, this may be a better theory for the Ho Ho Hos than Santa Claus:

Don't dismiss this absurd subject so quickly. Ho Hos figured prominently in last nights episode, it was where Charlie was standing in the store when Hurley freaked out, AND the letters "HO" appear briefly in the background when Hurley flips out at Matthew Abaddon. While chocolate cake may have nothing to do with the secrets of Lost, the element the letters 'Ho' represent may!

Originally dubbed "Element X" by Jacques Soret and Marc Delafonatine, who discovered it, Holmium (chemical symbal HO) is said to possess "the highest magnetic moment (10.6µB) of any naturally-occurring element and possesses other unusual magnetic properties."

Did the light bulbs just go off? Of course this is not common knowledge enough to be something meant to be revealed, rather this clue was injected with the idea that the brainier members of our community (like KeepingAwake, who tipped me off to this) would disseminate it for the rest of us numb-skulls. What does it mean? Speculate away.

So far, including the addition made by the nimble brained Theory 156 below, we have:


Charlie stands by the Ho Hos when Hurley sees him in the store. (KeepingAwake)
The chemical symbol for Holmium in the background at the sanitarium (KeepingAwake)
Jack ending his game of 'Horse' at 'Ho' (Theory 156)
As pointed out below, H is the 8th letter in the alphabet and - you guessed it - O is 15! HO=815! (Trevor)
HOLM is Greek for island. HOLMIUM is the Latin word for Stockholm, based on the Greek for Island. (KeepingAwake)

I got this from DocArzt's website. It sounds more logical.

pete said...

christemple, those are some pretty cool beans. Well done.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, pete. You should really be thanking Doc Arzt though.

Brandon Kotowski/ job: fan of LOST said...

I was watching "the Beginning of the End" for the fourth time, and I noticed something. In the beginning, Jack is very clear that he does not want Ben to travel with anyone else but him, so he can keep an eye on him. Yet when they are splitting up and Ben asks to travel with Locke to the Barracks, Jack easily lets him go. Is this implying that Jack is fed up with Ben and his lies, or does Jack hope that Ben will lead Locke to his death?

Nikki Stafford said...

Brandon: Someone else asked that a few days ago... I'm trying to remember who to attribute it correctly, but I can't find it immediately. Anyway, it's a really good question: Why is Jack so insistent one minute, and then just blithely lets him go the next? I'm thinking a couple of reasons. One, he just held a gun to Locke's head and pulled the trigger. I think that was a REALLY significant moment. His Hippocratic oath is to Do No Harm, and he was just about to KILL someone. That's SO huge in Jack's character, and something that hasn't been talked about enough because we've been too caught up in ho-ho's and Jacob and Abaddon. But I think something snapped in him, and he knows it.

Secondly, after Hurley leaves -- the one guy who's always stuck by Jack and never questioned him (remember when someone else tried to lead them momentarily, and Hurley was all, "Jack wouldn't have done it that way, dude") -- Jack realizes he just can't keep things together anymore.

And thirdly, maybe he just knows that Rousseau will give him an elbow in the face if he steps out of line again. ;)

How much do I love that you're on your fourth viewing! Now I don't feel alone. LOL!

Brian Douglas said...

It was me who asked that, Nikki. :-)

Jason and Alicia Halm said...

Hey Nik - you watch The Ten yet? ;p Great to be back here posting to your blog again!

This may seem dumb - but going back on the H-O thing. When playing horse, Jack and Hurley each only take two shots - and when Charlie is standing by the Ho Ho rack - that's H-O twice. H2O is water. Maybe that's as obvious as Cheech's camero, but I just felt like we had to mention it.

Nikki Stafford said...

Hi Jason! Haven't watched The Ten yet, but I saw it the other day and was about to rent it when my husband saw a documentary he wanted to see instead. One of these days... ;)

Saza pointed out the Ho-Ho and H.O. in horse thing, which is what sparked all this discussion in the first place, I think. Good point on the H2O! I was also thinking about names the other day. We've had George Minkowski and Radzinsky, two major characters that still remain mysteries, and they have Polish names. Which makes them... Poles. Part of the North Pole theory? Hmm...

Jason and Alicia Halm said...

Just so ya know gang, obviously all of you got the H and the O thing rolling and Ho Ho and So So on on... That's an idea that didn't even occur to me. However, once you mentioned H O, the H2O thing seems to be a tie to it as well b/c water is what claimed the life of Charlie. It's how he sees Charlie for the first two times since the island (HOx2 or Ho Ho) and then in Water (H2O) at the police station.

I wanted to throw a thought or two on who the rest of the Oceanic Six are.

Jack, Kate and Hurley are it as of now.

Hints that we have looked at thus far tell us that Jack has a secret, and it's tearing him up. So, the question is: Did Jack do something - or did he agree to do something that he didn't want to do? There's no doubt that Jack has transformed into violent-Jack (blow 'em to hell, punching out Ben, pulling the trigger on Locke). However, I still get the vibe that you have to really piss off Jack to push him to those extremes. What if the guilt Jack was simply leaving behind most of the survivors? It seems to me that if there was a conflict and lives were lost - Jack could get out of bed without mixing a Screwdriver. Jack's always been okay after the fact once he makes a firm decision. Where Jack seems to struggle is coming to that final decision. Jack's dilemma comes in making the choices that he has never wanted to make. Jack has always been pushed into taking control of situations - either from others or through circumstance. That's where his demons hide - in the process of making a decision. So, I will put it to you - what if Jack and Kate and Hurley was forced to leave some behind on the island. Further, what if it was due to their own request ala Locke, Ben, etc? I think that Jack feels like he made the wrong choice due to the confidence that everyone else has in their decision to stay behind on the island. Maybe the secret that Hurley and the rest of the Six are keeping isn't as devious as we thought?

I also need to ask this on the Christian topic - why does Jack ask where his father is in Through the Looking Glass?

Here's another question on a side note (if it is more sinister than I suspect): Do you think the island requires a sacrifice every so often? One thing that is drawn to the island is death...

Anyway, I think the Six are as follows:

Jack, Kate, Hurley, Locke (in the coffin imo), Sawyer (the person that Kate has to get back to) and Sun (with baby or course) - though I'd be willing to swap out Sun with Claire in a pinch.

Brian Douglas said...

My bet on the Oceanic Six: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, and Hurley are the obvious choices. Well, maybe not so much with Locke considering he wouldn't want to leave, but I still think he's one of them. As to the sixth, I want to say Desmond except obviously he wasn't on the flight. In that case, I'd have to go with Claire due to her connestion to the Shepard family.

I think it was Michael, not Locke, in the coffin.

Nikki Stafford said...

Jason: Ooh, intriguing question! I know it's way too early to call, and they'll want to through us for a loop, so I think besides Kate, Jack, and Hurley... Claire (because Desmond had a vision of her getting into a helicopter)... Sawyer (I didn't at first, but I think Kate would be FAR more shaken up if he weren't)... Michael? Do you think he comes back this season to the island? Or will Perrineau only be appearing in flashforwards? I wonder if he ends up back on the island, and ends up one of the 6?

I'm thinking Sun and Jin will be left behind, and it could be something that would bother all of them.

I think Michael's in the coffin.

Locke *could* be in the coffin, and I think he's a viable option.

Sawyer could be in the coffin, and maybe he betrays Kate in some huge way, which is why she looks shocked that Jack would care about him, and snubs him when she reads the obit. It would also explain why no one came to see him.

However, it says he has a teenage son. Could he have one he doesn't know about?

I'm still thinking Michael.

Jazzygirl said...

Hello everyone! I'm a Lost addict and Nikki, I've read both your books. I rushed out to get the one on Season 3 immediately. It's like my bible! I even bought a few as Xmas gifts! :)
I just rewatched it for the third time and wow...it DOES look like black smoke when the "oceanic lawyer" leaves the mental institution! And by the way, that guy's eyes are so evil and freaky!!
The only new things that I'd like to comment on are:
The dog painting - I don't think it's a lab but is it linked to Vincent somehow? He IS the dog of death afterall.
When they show "Jacob" in the rocking chair, the pan up from his feet. He's wearing white sneakers that look like keds almost and it sounds like he's breathing hard?
And right before Hurley goes to the cabin, there are those damn whispers again!! Nikki, I was so happy when you translated them in the first book. I'm curious to what they're saying now. And the whispers that Sayid's party heard as the other group approached...I really think they were island whispers prior to the real whispers.
I think that's all for now. I'm so happy to be able to discuss this in real time!!

Nikki Stafford said...

Hi Jazzygirl, and welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed the books. As for the whispers, I'm so glad someone finally asked! I backed it up and had my ear right against the speakers with my eyes closed, but just couldn't figure it out. However, someone has posted at my pal DocArzt's blog some possibilities. You can see it here:
http://www.docarzt.com/lost/lost-401-the-beginning-of-the.php

They suggest:
"It is not like they're coming to us"

"is jacob a prisoner?"

"Are you afraid of this island?"

updated: "Hurley really is very special"

Brian Douglas said...

Re: Vincent

He doesn't bring death, he just shows up to warn people when death is around. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to do much good.

Jazzygirl said...

Thanks Nikki. As always, they don't make any sense. LOL I've always felt like they come from these people who are watching the island.
Brian, that's what I meant. He brings the omen of death. I just call him he dog of death b/c whenever I see him I know something's comin'!

Anonymous said...

Why did Rose say she didn't want to go anywhere with Locke? Miracles happened to both of them on the island. Rose's cancer was cured, and Locke was able to walk. She also never wants to leave the island, and thats what Jack wants to do. So why did she go with Jack and not Locke?