ABC/MARIO PEREZHot damn. Or shall we say…hot purgatory!?
That was another juicy episode of Lost, in which we were presented with a new mind-blowing question: Are Josh Holloway's and Matthew Fox's chiseled abs going to live on forever? This is serious stuff, people!
Also, what did the show's bosses Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse tell me about Aaron, Walt and the mother of Jack's son? And what does Nestor Carbonell say about where Richard Alpert's loyalties really lie? Here's the scoop...
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Benjamin Linus Can Be Redeemed: Both Flash-Sideways Ben Linus and Island Ben Linus did the right thing when push came to shove! (One tear.) Dr. Linus the school teacher sacrificed his shot at the principal's chair in order to protect his beloved (on-Island daughter) Alex Rousseau, while on the Island, Ben chose to follow Ilana, so it certainly seems that "Henry Gale" (Ben) is a sort of Tin Man who had his heart all along. (Mild Spoiler Alert: You will soon see that redemption remains a very big theme for this series, and will continue to be so until the very end. We know the Losties aren't dead because the producers have said so, so it's not purgatory, but still, from what I understand, the Island can redeem them somehow.)
Team Jacob Has the Beach—and Ben, Jack and Hurley: Sawyer and Kate have to be playing double agents secretly working for the other team, so right now it certainly seems as though the cards are stacked against the Locke Mess Monster. Hol. Ler. Put that in your Smoke Monster and smoke it!
Jack Is Invincible! At least it certainly seems so after the Black Rock's dynamite suddenly fizzled in his and Richard's presence. Richard Alpert mentioned that he was given a "gift that is more like a curse" because Jacob touched him, and we can only assume that Jacob's "gift" is to live forever. As you know, Jacob also has touched Sayid, Jack, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, Kate and Hurley in their past lives off the Island. So we may soon find out that they also don't need to worry about face cream, à la Alpert.
Easter Egg: The book that Ben reached across in "the library" (as he picked up the bottle of Oceanic 815 water) was The Chosen by Chaim Potok, a best-selling 1967 novel about a boy who is raised in "silence" by his father. At the end of the book, the father breaks his silence and explains that he was concerned his son was losing compassion for others, so he wanted him to experience pain and desire. After realizing the son has compassion, they reconcile and the son is set free. (Ben = the son, and Jacob = the father? Mayhaps! All I know is I have a long list of books to tackle once this show is over.)
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
Is Richard Alpert Good or Evil? When asked if we can safely assume that Richard is Team Jacob, Nestor Carbonell tells me, "I don't know. I don't wanna wreck it. It's complicated." (Hmmm...Did Richard tell Hurley not to believe a word Jacob says because he's swinging Team Black, or because he fears the man appearing to Hurley isn't really Jacob?)
You can see what Nestor has to say right here…
Nestor also promises: "I will not lie to you—episode nine, you're gonna get big reveals about the Island. Episode 15, even more so." Remember, Michael Emerson told us of episode 15: "It's set in a time and place that you will never have seen on a network series before. When was the last time you saw a network drama episode that none of the series regulars were in the episode?" My money's on Jacob and the Man in Black. But where are they?
Aaron Is "Important"…But What About the Mother of Jack's Son? These questions are tackled in our latest round of "False, True or Hell No We Won't Tell You" with executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who are always good sports! (And yes, I'm aware that after tonight you already know who's coming back to the Island: That other "W.")
Check out the video right here…
Damon and Carlton say that Claire's son Aaron is "important" and "definitely figures into the end of the show." Damon says we "will see Walt in some form again." And they wouldn't comment on whether Kate or Juliet might be the mother of Jack's baby. "Big one," Carlton says. "You're good, though. You're very good." My money's on Juliet!
That Four-Letter Word…For you who are still guessing the four-letter word that describes what the Island is, here are the clues you know:
- It has one vowel.
- It has no a's and no e's.
And here's your new clue:
- Ummm...Please don't whine that I can't say anything more right now! Sorry!
What did you think of tonight's episode? Are you excited to see what Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) is up to next? And how about that tease for next week? Could they appeal to the shippers any more? Yeesh!
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Check out the latest sneaky shots in our Spoiler Stills gallery!