The Package Recap

I am very eager to hear your thoughts on tonight's episode! I for one really enjoyed it! You can read my full recap at my blog, but here's a few highlights:

--DESMOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--Sayid seems to have lost his soul as evidenced by the fact that he can't feel anything (or feels dead inside)
--Sun doesn't trust Locke and I suspect that Jin is the Kwon candidate referenced. I have to say I loved Sun's honest reactions to everything...she doesn't want to look at the bigger picture, she just wants to get her little family back together.
--Mikhail! Keamy! Bad guys!
--I felt a little teary when Jin looked at pictures of Ji-Yeon for the first time. He hasn't seen Sun or even met his daughter!
--War has arrived on the island!
--DESMOND!!!!!

Add a link to your recap below!

Episode Recap: Ab Aeterno

Let's jump into this week's Richard-centric episode - I'm so excited to see where this goes!

• When Richard said "we're all dead" my first thought was, "You've GOT to be kidding me! THAT is where this show is going?!" but then I realized he was just venting and I was relieved. (At least, I HOPE he was just venting ...)
• 1867 in the Carany Islands ... ooh, this is going to be good!
• Richard accidentally killed the nasty doctor - this isn't going to turn out well for him ... At least he got to keep his wife's cross.
• I'm not liking this priest - he's supposed to represent Christ and symbolically forgive all sins, not condemn people to hell!
• Ok, Richard was was just purchased - does this mean he is being sold as a slave to be transported somewhere or that he is enslaved to the captain of the ship?
• Hmm, looks like he was being transported ...
• Smokey is visiting the Black Rock - and he leaves Richard alive. Why? Does this have something to do with being "good hearted" as I've suspected in the past? Not sure that theory really makes sense, but it's all I've got.
• So is Richard hallucinating Isabella or is this seriously what is going on? Because this whole "we're in hell" theory is NOT one that I'm a fan of ...
• FINALLY Jacob arrives. Or not - it's the Man in Black. And he confirms that they're in hell?!
• Is The Man in Black the Smoke Monster at this point? Because I'm a bit confused by all of this ...
  
• The Man in Black's speech to Richard is IDENTICAL to Dogan's speech to Sayid. Significance?
  
• Again, the manipulation of a person by offering to return a loved one from the dead ...
• FINALLY we are getting away from the "we're in hell" theory. Of course, we're doing it by having Jacob try to drown Richard, but still, I'll take what I can get.
• Jacob says he brought the Black Rock to the island. He brings people to the island to prove that they can be good, that people aren't necessarily evil.
  
• According to Jacob the island is like a cork, keeping evil contained. The Man in Black doesn't seem to BE the evil, just a representative of it. Is that what you got out of this part?
• And there is the white rock - it seems to be a symbol of the "game" Jacob and the Man in Black are playing with each other.
• Back in the present, Richard retrieves his wife's necklace and declares that he is changing sides.
• Aah Hurley - speaker-to-the-dead. I'm so glad to have you back.
• If Richard doesn't stop the Locke Monster from leaving the island, Hurley says "we'll all go to hell" - we're back to the hell theme again I see.

It looks like next week will be a Sun-centric episode. Other than that, the previews for next week's show didn't really have much to say.

What did you all think about this week's episode? I enjoyed it for the most part, but I didn't love it. Richard's backstory isn't exactly what I expected - what about you? Share your recap links in the comment section, and let me know what you thought of the show!

Episode Recap: Recon

First off, I'd just like to point out that the summary of tonight's show referred to John as "Locke Monster" - the exact thing I've been calling him all along. :)

And now, tonight's episode:

• off-island Sawyer is a cop, and Miles is his partner - gotta love that!
• Kate is creeped out by Claire's "baby" ... I would be too
• Locke Monster, on the people who stayed at the temple: "The black smoke killed them."
• Locke Monster: "I didn't rescue them. I AM the smoke thing."
• Locke Monster: "It's either kill or be killed, and I don't want to be killed."
• (Is it just me, or does LM have some great lines tonight?!)
• off-island Sawyer is on a blind dead with non-dead Charlotte
• new book: Watership Down, and there were two others on the shelf but I didn't catch the titles - did you?
  
• off-island Sawyer threw Charlotte out for looking at his "Sawyer" album
• back on the island, Sawyer found Kate's dress from their cage-love adventure
• Locke Monster put the smack-down on Claire for trying to kill Kate
• Ok, now Sawyer's found a bunch of dead bodies AND a new character ... great, just great.
  
• Charlie's brother is looking for him at Sawyer's police station
  
• oh look, Kate is crying ... why is this not a surprise?
• Sawyer's been captured by the Hydra Island people
• Smokey's history? His mama was crazy and it scarred him for life.
• looks like the Hydra Island people are actually Charles Whitmore's people - and they are setting up an anti-Smokey fence
• off-island Sawyer is drinking beer and watching Little House on the Prairie? this is getting weird ...
• and Charlotte shut the door in his face - you go girl! Not that I don't love Sawyer, but a girl's gotta stand up for herself, you know?
• Sawyer and Whitmore are making a deal ... I'm pretty sure this will go badly, unless Whitmore knows a way to kill Locke Monster
• crazy Claire is apologizing to Kate - do we think she is really sorry, or is this more of her craziness?
• now Sawyer is confirming his deal with Locke Monster - who do we think he is really going to side with? I'm thinking he'll go with whoever he thinks is winning ...
• off-island Sawyer is telling his childhood history to Miles
• off-island Sawyer just caught Kate - and I just realized that at the airport, Sawyer was a COP who let an obviously fugitive Kate escape ...
• Sawyer is back to calling Kate "Freckles"

Next week is a Richard-centric episode - now THAT is one that I'm really looking forward to!

As usual, please share your thoughts and recap links!

Episode Recap: Dr. Linus

Welcome to this week's Ben-centric episode of LOST! Here we go ...

• Ilana knows Ben killed Jacob.
  
• In the alternate timeline Ben and his Dad left the Dharma initiative.
• Alex is one of Dr. Linus's students ... creepy.
• Making Ben dig his own grave = REALLY cold
  
• The whole deal with Ben tutoring Alex creeps me out for some reason.
• Hurley calling Richard a cyborg or a vampire is rather funny
• Richard: "Jacob gave me a gift."
• Teacher Guy/Island Guy (what IS his name?!): "Linus, you're a real killer." Ah, if he only knew ...
• Richard: "I can't kill myself which is why I want you to do it for me."
• Richard: "When Jacob touches you, it is a gift. But it isn't really a gift, it is a curse."
• Apparently Jack is now special too, since he can't be killed.
• Ooh, Locke-Monster is visiting Ben. This can't be good ... or can it?
• Dr. Linus, blackmail works only when you can't be blackmailed back. And how awful is it that a principal would threaten to ruin a student's career to get back at a teacher?
• Is Ilana taking Ben because of his confession or because she doesn't want Locke-Monster to have him?
• I love Ben's smile when he's done something good for Alex - maybe he CAN redeem himself after all, at least in some way.
• Aaand we're back on the beach. Does this feel like deja vu to anyone else? Didn't Sun ask for help with the tarp way back when? It seems mighty familiar ...
• It's a LOSTie reunion!
• A periscope? How very 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. And who else could it be but Charles Widmore of course.

I'm not sure what I think about this episode. Honestly, it didn't hold my attention very well, nor did I feel the need to rewind and watch parts of it again. What did you all think?

Episode Recap: Sundown

We're back for another week of LOST live blogging for what looks like a Sayid-centric episode. I'm so excited! Here we go ...

• Alternate-timeline Sayid gets to be with Nadia - YAY!!!
• Or not. Turns out she's married to his brother. Boo. And the brother is creepy. Extra boo.
  
• Dogen is giving a speech about Good and Evil - a huge theme on our beloved show.
• The fight between Sayid and Dogen busted up all the lovely plants. How sad.
• Why does a falling baseball stop Dogen from killing Sayid? (All I keep thinking about when I see that baseball is Commander Cisko from Star Trek Deep Space Nine ...)
• Locke-Monster and Claire are at the temple. This can't be good.
• Back in the real world Omar is in trouble and he wants Sayid's help. But Sayid is doing his "I'm a good man" thing both on and off the island.
• Dogen has a secret box under the plants. And it has a sword in it.
  
• According to Dogen, now that Jacob is gone, Locke-Monster is free and now plans to destroy all life on the island. Do we believe this?
• Dogen wants Sayid to prove that he's good by killing Locke-Monster before he has a chance to speak. Is it just me or does that seem to fit in the NOT GOOD category?
• Omar is in Jack's hospital - go figure.
• Why is it that Kate, wandering the jungle, runs into everyone? First Sawyer, then Jack & Hurley, now Sayid. I'd think the jungle would be a bit bigger than that.
• A Kate and Claire reunion is imminent ... how do we think it goings to go?
• Sayid just pulled out the sword to defend himself from a creepy wind ... no, it's Locke-Monster.
  
• Sayid stabbed Locke-Monster but it didn't kill him. Did Dogen know this would happen?
• If we can believe Locke-Monster, Dogen just wanted Sayid to dead by any means necessary.
• Now Locke-Monster is hinting that the past can be changed ... I wonder what this means.
• Alternate-timeline Sayid feels so guilty about his past that he feels he doesn't deserve Nadia.
  
• Dogen is surprised to see Sayid alive.
• Locke-Monster's message to the temple people: leave the island with me by sundown or you'll die. I'm thinking that this may be how the island ends up submerged but I could be WAY off here.
• Kate is confessing to Claire and Claire is giving her the evil-crazy eye.
• I wonder if Sayid's message to the temple people was really the message Locke-Monster gave him or if he changed it in some way.
• Omar's "business partners" now have Sayid. And the mercenary from the ship, Keamy, seems to be the guy in charge.
• And just like that, Sayid is in control of the situation. That is why you NEVER mess with Sayid.
• Who is banging away in the freezer? It's Jin! Man, this is turning into a LOSTie reunion.
  
• (Is it weird or cool that the alien chief from "V" just did a commercial about the Visitors liking Lost?)
• We're back and the pool with Dogen and Sayid.
  
• Dogen's story: He was a successful businessman in Osaka but got in a drunk driving accident and his son died as a result. Someone came to him and said he could save his son but in return Dogen had to come to the island and never see his son again. And that person was ... Jacob.
• Sayid wants to stay.
  
• But wait, now he's trying to kill Dogen in the pool?! I guess this means that Locke-Monster is now in control of the temple ... Will this turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing?
• It's looking like a VERY bad thing.
• Ilana and crew are here!
• Ben is creeped out by Sayid. I think I would be too.
• Poor Sun, she is too late for Jin yet again.
• Claire and Kate emerge from the pit. Was anyone else expecting Claire to try to kill Kate while she was in there?
• Locke-Monster, Sayid, and Claire all seem to have a connection with each other. It's sort of like watching a zombie army as they're all walking away, don't you think?

I really liked this episode! There was a lot going on but it seems like our LOSTies are finally getting back together ... that makes me happy.

What did you all think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments and link to your recap if you posted one.

Book Review: On The Road, by Jack Kerouac

I decided to read On The Road, by Jack Keruoac, for this challenge because I usually love the classics and I figured it would have a lot of say about LOST. Oh how wrong I was!

I absolutely hated this book. When my husband sees a movie he ends up not liking, he always says "Well, that's an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back." In this case, this audio book took 11.25 hours of my life that I'll never get back!

If you want to know what I disliked so much about this book check out my complete review on my blog.


*** Relation to LOST ***

The point of this book, in my mind, is that avoiding responsibility and living always “in the moment” can give you a fulfilling life. Not sure if that was what the author was intending to say but that’s what I got out of it. And, of course, I totally disagree with that. Because of my animosity toward this book I didn’t give much thought to the LOST connection. Instead I relied on the internet to tell me what makes this book special to the show.

Here’s what LOSTpedia had to say: “When Ben checks into the hotel in [the episode] The Shape of Things to Come, he uses Dean Moriarty as a pseudonym. Moriarty is a principal character in Kerouac's famous work.”

Seriously?! THAT is why this book is related to LOST?! Ugh. That’s what I get for not looking at LOSTpedia before making my book list …

Book Review: After All These Years, by Susan Isaacs

Review snippet: "After 25 years of marriage, Rosie's husband files for divorce claiming to be in love with a much younger woman. But just before the divorce is final Rosie's cheating ex is found dead in their mcmansion. Now to avoid false imprisonment she is about to go on the lam. Rosie has only days to piece together his final weeks and learn who killed him and framed her."

The LOST connections:

• In the season 2 episode 4 ("Everybody Hates Hugo") this book is seen on Sawyer's bedside as he recovers from injuries inside the Swan station.
• The same season that we learn the truth about Kate and "What Kate Did" (season 2 episode 9).
• Kate (like Rosie) lives on the run and later reunites with a childhood flame.
• Both characters also carry strong desires to trust someone.
• The story also seems to say: don't be so quick to judge a person as guilty.

Review by Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com

To read my review in full please visit After All These Years review.

Book Review: Animal Farm, by George Orwell

{PHOTO ARRANGEMENT CREDIT: TALES OF WHIMSY}

Review snippet: "A good book can sooth you, inspire you, or even enrage you. That is what happened to me with Animal Farm. I didn't expect to become so emotionally charged by this novella. But at times the porky hypocrisy had me ready to scream at the other animals."

The LOST connection: "Referenced in Season 3 Episode 14 (Exposé) when Dr. Leslie Arzt shouts "The pigs are walking! The pigs are walking!" in reference to Kate, Jack, and Sawyer not telling the group about the guns they found. With this outburst Arzt cautions everyone that Kate, Jack, and Sawyer have become just like their oppressors (the others)."

Review by Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com

To read my review in full please click on Animal Farm review.