tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64488244862264245632024-03-13T07:30:36.317-04:00Mistaking Coincidence For FateRantings, ravings, and reviews from a craaaaaaazy LOST theorist.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-28584496198745403332015-09-18T08:25:00.000-04:002015-09-18T08:25:00.459-04:00New Lost Book <br />
Hola,<br />
<br />
Long time, no write. Since I last posted here, I got a new job, bought a house, had another kid and... really haven't thought about Lost for quite some time. I may blog again in the future - probably a smorgasbord-type thingy that covers a lot of stuff - science, baseball, board/card games a bit of pop culture. If that comes to pass, I'll post it here.<br />
<br />
But for anyone who happens to come across this blog, I want to tell you that segments from it have been incorporated into a very cool digital compendium on Lost. Best of the web on the show, sort of one stop shopping for anyone who wants to delve into the island and debate the mysteries. <br />
<br />
Official press release is as follows:<br />
<br />
<i>New York, NY <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_316388928" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">September 18, 2015</span></span>
- The Take2 Guide to Lost, available now at all the major eBook
sellers, is a definitive resource of over 400 articles from an
incredible community of Lost-lovers. More than 50 contributors,
comprising established reviewers, academics, award-winning sci-fi
authors, and lay writers, ask and answer all your questions in this
ultimate eBook compendium on one of the most successful TV shows ever.<br />
<br />
It is from those contributors' insights that the exact location of the Island can be found.<br />
<br />
As we all know, Oceanic flight 815 took off from Sydney, Australia, destined for Los Angeles ... and never arrived.<br />
<br />
According to the airliner's pilot, just before dying at the hands of the
Smoke Monster in the pilot episode, "six hours in, our radio went out,
no one could see us. We turned back to land in Fiji and by the time we
hit the turbulence we were a thousand miles off course."<br />
<br />
According to author, blogger, and contributor to the book Kevin Kawa,
"this would mean that after six hours of flight they would have traveled
past Fiji putting them somewhere above the equator. In circling back to
Fiji they probably would have been heading north when the turbulence
hit and they lost control. This would put them in the general vicinity
of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. This is exactly where you would
find the coordinates 4°08'15.0" N, 162°03'42.0" E".<br />
<br />
Although we're all very clear that the Island moved through time and
space across the millennia, it is still pretty certain that it would
have remained around this location at the time the DHARMA Initiative
arrived, as well as when the French expedition with Danielle Rousseau
arrived (and also heard the 'Numbers' transmission).<br />
<br />
Contributor Julie Kushner, of TV Recappers Anonymous, agrees with Kawa.
"If you use the 'Numbers' as geographical coordinates, you actually come
to a position in the Pacific Ocean, near the Marshall Islands, and not
far from Papua New Guinea, which would seem to be the likely location of
the Island during the DHARMA era," she said.<br />
<br />
Another contributor to the Take2 Guide to Lost, professor of physics and
astronomy Dr Kristine Larsen, points to a further anomaly related to
that region. The coordinates are within the area of the Greater Ontong
Java Plateau (OJP), a massive oceanic plateau which was formed
approximately 120 million years ago. It is still unclear whether the OJP
was formed by a 'bolide' impact (meteorite) ... or by an enormous
volcanic eruption, but either way it was certainly a massive event. The
movement and ultimate collision of the OJP with the Solomon Islands,
geologically known as plate tectonics, was instrumental at lifting parts
of the OJP above sea level resulting in the formation of some of the
islands in the neighborhood. It should also be noted that the study of
magnetic fields within the rocks of the Plateau, paleomagnetism, is
primarily used to understand how the Plateau was originally formed.<br />
<br />
Between magnetic fields, meteorite strikes and plate tectonics, the
'Numbers' certainly provide an intriguing location for Lost's Island.<br />
<br />
The Take2 Guide to Lost is now available from all leading eBook sellers:
Amazon, iBook Store, Google Books, Kobo, Nook, and Take2's dedicated
eBook store.<br />
<br />
A sample download of over 400 pages is now available. It contains the
full first chapter, a sample of the Cast and Character Guide, the
Introduction, the Index for all the other chapters ... and the complete
Season 1 of the Episode Guide.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Anyhow, you can purchase a copy here:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2043929813"><br /></a>
<a href="http://take2guide2lost.com/affiliates/jm2020.html">http://take2guide2lost.com/affiliates/jm2020.html</a><br />
<br />
Clicking that link will give you 20% off. <br />
<br />
Hope everyone is enjoying their Lost-less life. But, if not, perhaps this will allow you to revisit the Island a bit. Namaste, all. <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-11892727478350275562011-06-13T13:23:00.001-04:002011-06-13T13:25:10.627-04:00Long Time...How is everyone doing? Still haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, but I have the glimmerings of a new blog in mind, one that would focus on a number of interests of mine, including baseball.<br /><br />I'll have an announcement up here once I get it up and running. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-66368006325628820552011-01-30T19:07:00.003-05:002011-01-30T19:10:24.686-05:00Carlton Reminices...Hey all,<br /><br />Still haven't decided what I'm going to do with my future of blogging, but <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/arts/television/30lost.html?hpw">this article in the NYT from Carlton</a> gave me the impetus to post. Well worth a read.<br /><br />How's everyone doing? My life is crazy right now. Anyone find a suitable replacement for Lost? We're now through four seasons worth of "Dexter" - that's helped.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />JayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-89729774982476895532010-10-08T23:32:00.000-04:002010-10-08T23:33:43.664-04:00Top 108 Moments: #10-1<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"Phone's right over there, John..."<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LockeWindow.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a style="" href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the final installment of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-60-51.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-50-41.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #50-41</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-108-moments-40-31.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #40-31</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-108-moments-30-21.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #30-21</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-108-moments-20-11.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #20-11</span><br /></a><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #10-1</span><span>!</span> The Top 10 is finally upon us! Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10) Cooper throws Locke out the window<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_from_Tallahassee">3.13 - The Man From Tallahassee</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We finally find out why Locke was in a wheelchair<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Brutal. Makes Cooper the #1 bad daddy of the show<br /><br />As Season 3 rolled around, the flashbacks were getting very stale. Yes, flashbacks for Juliet and Desmond kept things kind of interesting (and "Flashes," of course, was outstanding), but there really wasn't much we needed to learn about any of the original cast. However, probably the biggest outstanding question fans had was "how did Locke get in the wheelchair to begin with?" We knew from previous flashbacks that he hadn't always been paralyzed - something happened to him to put him in that chair. So when it was announced that this episode would finally answer that, expectations were sky high. This was a moment that could have easily been screwed up by the writers, but I think it's safe to say it ended up exceeding all expectations and more.<br /><br />Cooper had already betrayed Locke several times. He befriended him to steal his kidney, he used him to avoid the mob, destroying his relationship with Helen in the process, and he remained an albatross around Locke's neck, preventing him from "moving on" with his life (and afterlife, for that matter). But here Cooper morphs from a swindling nuisance to a murderous beast. Not only does he attempt to kill Locke, the end result is actually worse - life imprisonment in a rolling steel cage. And throughout it all, Cooper showed no remorse for anything he did. His son was simply a means to an end for him - a tool to be used and then discarded.<br /><br />If you didn't feel sorry for Locke up until this point, you certainly felt sorry for him now. Much of Locke's miserable life was from his own choosing - his craving for a father figure, his desperate attempts to get into Cooper's life at the expense of those who really cared about him (like Helen) and his starry-eyed dreams of the explorer's life he always craved. But this moment was not his fault. Here he was trying to do the right thing in getting Cooper to leave (although you could probably argue he should have gone right to the police and let them handle it), but underestimated what Cooper was capable of. It's a defining moment for Locke and a defining moment for the show as well, one that was made flawlessly.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LockeDead.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) Ben kills Jeremy Bentham<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Life_and_Death_of_Jeremy_Bentham">5.07 - The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben finally succeeds in killing Locke<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Ben at his most cold-blooded evil<br /><br />Locke's murder at the hands of Ben was shocking at the time, but I think of all the moments on the list this is the one that for me gets even better with age.<br /><br />Ben murdered Locke out of nothing more than pure jealousy and hate - he hated the idea that this man, this one pathetic man, could potentially usurp his power over the Others. And I think there was quite a bit of indignity there as well - Locke was a fairly intelligent guy, but he was no rocket scientist and he was incredibly gullible and far too trusting. Ben hated him because he felt Locke hadn't do anything to earn the Others' trust. The thought that this person whom Richard had apparently known for years could simply swoop in and suddenly take over the power role he had earned with years of hard work and patience was probably infuriating to him. So Ben manipulated the gullible Locke every chance he got, right up until the moment he killed him. Over the course of the show, we've gotten to see many different facets of Ben's personality and we've see him do some really terrible things. But in my book, this was the worst of the worst - a petty act of pure evil committed against an innocent man.<br /><br />And Locke's death couldn't have been more sad and desolate. Ben killed him in a shabby hotel room, alone and without any of his friends or his beloved Island. And right before Ben killed him, he used him until his last breath, pumping him for information and taking Jin's wedding ring so he could eventually manipulate Sun as well. Locke deserved a better death than that - and, let's face it, any death would have been better than being strangled at the hands of your most hated enemy.<br /><br />This moment is also one of the reasons I think the scene in "The End" where Locke forgives Ben is the best of that episode. Think about being Locke at that moment and remembering everything this little man did to you. Then think of the fact he's got a pretty nice afterlife in purgatory <span style="font-style: italic;">despite</span> everything he did. I'd still be pissed at him, but Locke forgave him anyway. Ben got off really easy there, and it made Locke seem like all the better man because of it.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Cooper.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) Sawyer finally gets his revenge<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Brig">3.19 - The Brig</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer finally avenges his parents<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Nobody deserved death more than Cooper<br /><br />Two Cooper moments in the Top 10? Yup. Because Cooper's evil irrecoverably changed not one, but two of our Losties forever. This time, however, it's Cooper who gets his just desserts. This is arguably Sawyer's best scene of the entire show and the one fans had been waiting for since Cooper was first introduced and revealed to be a con man.<br /><br />This is a moment that's truly great largely because it's so satisfying. Purportedly Ben had the Others bring Cooper to the Island for no other reason than to humiliate Locke, but that was such a bizarre scene - Ben kept saying the Others were good people who didn't kill, so why the heck would Locke have to ritually sacrifice his evil dad in order to become their leader? It basically was all pretense for the writers to get Cooper to the Island and set up this scene between Sawyer and Cooper. And given how good the scene was, I guess we can give the writers a little leeway here.<br /><br />Part of what makes this scene so good is just how evil and spiteful Cooper is right up until the end. He's almost comical in that regard; he has no remorse for anything he did. Even under the delusion that he died and went to Hell, he still showed no remorse, asked for no forgiveness and showed no sympathy for anything he'd done. By the end of his berating Sawyer, you wanted Sawyer to kill him just to shut him up. And let's face it, Josh Holloway was terrific all through the show, but this was by far his best scene. He was given the material and absolutely knocked it out of the park.<br /><br />This could be the best scene of Season 3... that is, if we didn't have a certain finale to still discuss.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/science-faith-cap003.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Desmond starts his day<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode: </span><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Man_of_Science,_Man_of_Faith"><span>2.01 - Man of Science, Man of Faith</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond starts his day in the Swan... then gets interrupted<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best. Opening. Ever.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">You're gonna be knowing</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> the loneliest kind of lonely.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> It may be rough goin',</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> just to do your thing's</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> the hardest thing to do.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> But you've gotta make your own kind of music</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> sing your own special song,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> make your own kind of music even if nobody</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> else sings along.</span></blockquote>This, in my humble opinion, is the best directed scene of the show. And it really needed to be given all the hype and buildup over what the heck was down in the Hatch. This is the scene that made "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" synonymous with Lost and introduced one of the best characters of the show. I love, love, love the head fake we're given as we see this person waking up and "starting his day," going through all the motions normal people go through - throw on some music, check the computer, shower, exercise and eat breakfast... until the explosion, that is. Then it's time to grab your jumpsuit, grab your gun and check the periscope. At the other end, high above at the top of a long shaft it's two men, one waving a torch. And the end of the long shot is the exact reverse of the shot that ended Season One. Brilliant.<br /><br />And could there have been a more perfect song? It's from the perfect era, has the perfect sound for this scene and the lyrics are terrific. I've argued before that make Your Own Kind of Music could really have been written for Desmond specifically, as a Lost original. It wasn't, of course, it's just that the writers found the perfect piece to set to this scene. Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News often likes to talk about how certain music, if co-opted in the right way to a great scene, become redefined by the movie that used them, like "Battle without Honor or Humanity" became to Kill Bill or "In Your Eyes" became to Say Anything. "Make Your Own Kind of Music is now like that to Lost - you can't hear the song without thinking of the scene.<br /><br />Man of Science, Man of Faith remains one of my all-time favorite episodes. For Desmond, for the song, for Jack in the Stadium and for the terrific ending. But the opening shot is by far my favorite from the episode and is the best episode opener from the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Shannon.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Shannon translates Danielle's message</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot,_Part_1">1.01 - The Pilot</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Shannon translates Danielle's chilling S.O.S.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: "<span style="font-style: italic;">Guys, where are we?</span>"<br /><br />I don't think the Pilot episode could have ended on a more perfect note. Not only do we get introduced to a terrific Island mystery, we also get Charlie's now classic and oft repeated line ending with the very first trombone of the series. But this more than anything else is the plot line that set things off and running for the first part of Season One. Sayid trying to figure out where the "French woman's transmission" came from, whether she was still alive and what happened to her and her friends was one of the biggest mysteries of the show and probably the one fans most wanted answered. And what a transmission it was, set on a loop for 16 years (I love Sayid's human calculator impression for that as well). But just listen to it again: <br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm alone now.... on the island alone. Please, someone come. The others, they're... they're dead. I-it killed them. I-it killed them all. </span></blockquote>It's ominous, cryptic and chilling, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of the first season. It's easy to forget the questions that were being asked at the start of the show. Are all these people dead? Is the Island really Hell or Purgatory? Does the outside world really exist? If someone was trapped here with some sort of Monster that killed all her friends for 16 years, what does that mean for us? Will anyone ever find us? Are we all doomed?<br /><br />The first season was tense simply because we didn't know anything about the Island yet. And of the little information we did get, this was by far the most foreboding. It ratcheted the atmosphere and suspense of the show up to eleven right from the get-go and no matter how many times I hear Shannon say those words, I still get goosebumps and a tingle of excitement.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Guys, where are we?"</span> Awesome.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/NotPennysBoat.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) "Not Penny's Boat"<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Through_the_Looking_Glass">3.22 - Through the Looking Glass</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Charlie finds his redemption and meets his fate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great:</span><span> Signature death of the series</span><br /><br />Top 5 time! The order is a little fluid here - I think some people might put Charlie's death a little higher up the ladder, but I do like the other four moments just a little bit more than this one.<br /><br />This is the moment of Charlie's redemption, where he chose to sacrifice himself, fulfilling Desmond's vision (which never really came true now that I think about it) and also saving Desmond's life in the process. And make no mistake about it, this was a sacrifice - Charlie had plenty of time to escape and swim for the surface, provided he could tear Desmond away from the communications device after he heard Penny's voice. But when Desmond told him of the vision he had of Claire and Aaron escaping, he made the decision to <span style="font-style: italic;">choose</span> to die because of his love for them.<br /><br />Now I never really liked Claire and Charlie together - I always thought the relationship seemed forced and they really didn't seem to have much chemistry on screen. But everything Charlie did leading up to his death made me feel a whole lot better about it, simply because Charlie's end game felt very genuine, especially in making his greatest hits list to give to Claire and - most of all - leaving his "DS" ring for Aaron (that's another prop I wouldn't have minded owning). That was a terrific touch by the writers and I love the shot of it in the crib. Showing him going through all of that beforehand made his sacrifice all the more poignant and real because it showed us he had made peace with himself and accepted his fate. It really was one of the bravest acts on the show.<br /><br />Now "Not Penny's Boat" is one of the signature, iconic moments of the series and one that - even I admit - even makes me a bit verklempt. I never thought I'd end up being sad to see Charlie go, but the writers did a phenomenal job here.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/PennyWidmore.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) Desmond connects with his constant<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">4.05 - The Constant</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond calls Penny on Christmas Eve<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best scene from the best episode<br /><br />Best scene from the best episode and it's not #1? Well, yeah, because as moments go it may the emotional high point of the series (for me), but I still think the three moments above this one are slightly better.<br /><br />"The Constant" remains my favorite episode, a sentiment I think many of you probably share. It was brilliantly written, perfectly acted and it focused on the best relationship in the show. Some may disagree with that point - Jin and Sun, Rose and Bernard are two other worthy couples there - but in Desmond and Penny you have star-crossed lovers, one of whom waited eight years for a phone call and the other who spent three years trapped inside an underground hatch and who nearly committed suicide if it wasn't for a hidden letter from her.<br /><br />And call me sappy, but I also love that the phone call took place on Christmas Eve. To me, 'The Constant" is the closest thing to a Christmas episode Lost has and there's something about the idea of Penny sitting alone in a nice warm house on Christmas Eve, tree up, fire in the fireplace, waiting. She was probably sitting there thinking, "This is so stupid, Desmond's not going to call," but she waits anyway. And then the phone rings and - miracle of miracles - it's him. It has the same emotional feel to me as Charlie Brown seeing his little tree all decorated or George Bailey being toasted by his war hero brother.<br /><br />I'm toying with the idea of making it a tradition to watch this every Christmas, but somehow I think Em's going to veto that one. Perhaps if I volunteer to wrap the presents every year....<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Walt.jpg" width="400" height="300" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) "We're going to have to take the boy..."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_2">1.23 - Exodus</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Turns out the Others weren't after Aaron after all<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Shocking end to the raft storyline<br /><br />There were really two cliffhanger endings to Exodus, and while the Hatch being opened without letting us see what was inside certainly received the brunt of the fan rage at the end of the season, the conclusion to the raft storyline was much more of a shocker.<br /><br />Of all the head fakes the writers threw at us during the show, the fact the Others wanted Walt instead of Aaron was probably the best crafted head fake of them all. I didn't see this coming a bit - and who would? We hadn't known the Others had access to a boat at the point (let alone a submarine) and it really seemed at first like Michael, Walt, Sawyer and Jin had really escaped the Island and perhaps even got themselves rescued by some kind, local fishermen. But then, the late great Tom Friendly, as he came to be known, delivered <span style="font-style: italic;">the line</span>...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Only, the thing is, we're going to have to take the boy.</span><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><br /><br />And then there was a great dramatic pause in the show, because Michael was taking those words in just as much as we were. And it slowly dawned on us who these people were, what they wanted and that Rousseau was right in her warning, but she merely interpreted it wrong.<br /><br />It was wonderfully set up from start to finish and one of the best cliffhangers I've ever seen on the small screen. And yes, it did lead to Michael becoming a caricature of himself with his oft repeated refrains of "WAAALLLLLLLLT!" and "They took my son!," but both of those lines are now considered classic in the show, despite their unintentional humor. Walt's kidnapping drove the storyline for much of Season 2 and the image of him being taken away by the Others is one of the most indelible images of the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LockeWheelchair-1.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) "Don't tell me what I can't do!"<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Walkabout">1.04 - Walkabout</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We discover Locke was in a wheelchair on the plane<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: This is very likely the scene that hooked you on the show<br /><br />I really struggled with where to place this moment in the Top 5, questioning whether it had been surpassed by Charlie's death or Desmond's phone call to Penny. But coming back to it again, I realized it simply had to be #2. This was the moment that hooked me on Lost and I imagine it did the same for many of you as well. Jack may have been the show's official leading man, but Locke was its heart and soul. And "Walkabout" was the moment we were introduced to him and, chances are, he became your newest favorite character afterward.<br /><br />The setup for this episode was just so good through the first two episodes of the show. Locke was portrayed as kind of a weird, creepy guy with a scar who seemed to have just a little too much affection for Walt, if you know what I mean. I certainly felt he might become the villain of the show right off the bat, especially after his creepy mouth-full-of-orange grin. So when "Walkabout" rolled him out (sorry), I think part of the reason it worked so well is the shock of not only finding out he was in a wheelchair on the plane, but finding out he may actually be the <span style="font-style: italic;">hero</span> of the show as opposed to the villain, given his incredible connection to the Island. It certainly made me do a 360 on his character.<br /><br />There are a lot of moments from Walkabout I could have selected, but this is really the one that deserves to be here, the moment we see him in the wheelchair, being denied his place on the walkabout trip. That was where see him give his best use of "Don't tell me what I can't do!" and why that particular phrase carries such meaning for him. And suddenly all the images of the first couple episodes - when he wiggles his toes, runs around happily helping Jack, telling Walt a secret, even just happily eating an orange - suddenly they all make sense. This man is happy because this place somehow made him whole.<br /><br />People who say "Walkabout" is overrated (you know who you are) simply have forgotten just how powerful it was at the time. If you've never seen the show before and are watching it through for the first time, this is the moment that drags you in.<br /><br />And bravo to Terry O'Quinn who gave John Locke all he had and more.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BeardedJack.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) "We have to go back, Kate! We have to go back!"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Through_the_Looking_Glass">3.22 - Through the Looking Glass</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Turns out Jack and Kate get off the Island after all<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best moment of the show... and one of the best in TV history<br /><br />And so we've finally reached #1! And, really, could it be anything else?<br /><br />It speaks to the writers that the most pivotal turning point of the show not only happened to be one of the show’s best, but will probably go down as one of the most iconic moments in television history. I remember when I was watching “Through The Looking Glass” for the first time, I really wasn’t 100% sure whether we were seeing the past, future or some alternate timeline in Jack’s “flashbacks.” The writers did a really good job disguising it – having Jack say “get my father down here” - really made it seem like it was a normal, old Jack flashback we hadn’t seen before. Would have been no surprise to see he was a boozy, painkiller-addicted surgeon before the plane crash – seemed a normal progression given we’d already seen him losing it after his divorce.<br /><br />And when the episode was over, I remember enjoying it, but not more than, say, the ending of “Exodus.” In fact, I didn’t even have this episode on my original Top 10 list that I made between Seasons 3 & 4. But Jack’s “We’ve got to go back, Kate!” cry not only became one of the most quoted lines of the show, in retrospect it was the moment that turned everything on its head and showed what direction the show was going to follow over the last three seasons.<br />Fitting this scene was the final scene of the first three seasons because it's really an inflection point. After watching this scene, all the questions change from "are they going to get off the Island" to "OMG, what happened after they left."<br /><br />Great moments in TV history don't come along very often and it's rare they come along in the middle of a show as opposed to the end. And it's also rare when they're great moments within a storyline as opposed to something topical or controversial. No, this was a scripted moment and, yes, it had a twist to it, but it was so much more than just a plot device. By the end of Season 3, people had begun to wonder whether Lost was going to turn into Gillian's Island before it was all over, its inhabitants doomed never to leave until the final episode. Here we learn that not only do they escape, they have to return because they weren't supposed to leave.<br /><br />Lost leaves behind a great legacy to television. It demonstrated that a largely intelligent scripted show (despite the ending) could succeed in an era of brain dead, cookie cutter reality TV. And it did so by simply combining an excellent cast, excellent writing and, most of all, telling a great, captivating story. I'm going to miss it dearly - there may be nothing like on television ever again though, given its success, I'm sure some will try.<br /><br />Now if you'll excuse me, it seems I have some "Dexter" to watch. After all, something has to fill the void Lost left behind.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (final!)</span>:<br /><br />Looks like Ben managed to hang onto his lead, but just barely. And I'm fairly pleased with my Top 5 - if you told me Ben, Locke, Jack, Sawyer and Desmond would end up at the top of my list I would have thought that sounded about right. Of course, I split Locke and Smokey up separately and half of Smokey's scenes were played by Terry O'Quinn, so I suppose one could argue that Locke/Zombie Locke was the real winner here.<br /><br />The Season tally was a bit more surprising, both in the fact that Season 3 was the overall winner and that Season 5 was the runner up. I really expected the first two seasons to run away with it, but I guess 1) I really dug all the time travel more than I realized and 2) even though Season 3 is a terribly inconsistent season with some of the worst episodes the show had to offer, it also had some of the best episodes and even the bad episodes had some very, very good moments in them. Season 3 might not be the best season overall, but it certainly had its fair share of terrific Lost moments.<br /><br />Final tallies below:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 25<br />Locke - 24<br />Jack - 18<br />Sawyer - 15<br />Desmond - 13<br />Smokey - 12<br />Sayid - 8<br />Hurley - 7<br />Jin - 7<br />Charlie - 6<br />Michael - 6<br />Eko - 5<br />Jacob - 5<br />Juliet - 5<br />Kate - 5<br />Tom Friendly - 5<br />Charles Widmore - 4<br />Daniel - 4<br />Danielle - 4<br />Richard - 4<br />Claire - 3<br />Penny - 3<br />Pierre Chang - 3<br />Walt - 3<br />Anthony Cooper - 2<br />Bernard and Rose - 2<br />Eloise - 2<br />Frank - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Shannon - 2<br />Vincent - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Ana-Lucia - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Libby - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Roger Linus - 1<br />Sun - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Three - 24<br />Season Five - 22<br />Season Two - 20<br />Season One - 18<br />Season Six - 14<br />Season Four - 10<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Up next</span>: Really not sure. <span>I think I might be done Lost blogging for quite a while. Perhaps I'll revisit my Top 10 list in the future, but I think I'll take a short break from blogging and will likely start up another, different blog sometime soon. There will be an announcement here once I do.<br /><br />In the meantime, I still answer questions and comments, so feel free to post away and especially let me know what moments I missed. I suppose Aaron's birth/Boone's death is one of them - I guess it just never impacted me at all despite it being an important moment on the show. The Pilot opening is another. Anything else I miss?<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed this - I certainly did. Thanks for reading and following along over the years. I'm not through blogging, but I do think I need a bit of a break for now. :)<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-947316978993333112010-10-01T23:08:00.000-04:002010-10-01T23:08:25.950-04:00Top 108 Moments: #20-11<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"John, you fell eight stories and survived, OK? I don't want to hear about what you can't do. Now let's go. It's going to be all right."<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LockeWheelchair.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a style="" href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the penultimate part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-60-51.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-50-41.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #50-41</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-108-moments-40-31.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #40-31</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-108-moments-30-21.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #30-21</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #20-11</span><span>.</span> The Top 20 is finally upon us! Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20) Locke gets put into a wheelchair for the first time<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_from_Tallahassee">3.13 - The Man From Tallahassee</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke is told he's going to have to be in a wheelchair<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Terry O'Quinn is simply amazing here<br /><br />Since this scene hit #20, I think you can probably imagine what its compliment(s) will be in the Top 10 next week. I debated leaving this off entirely because of that, but the thing is it's just too good of a scene not to include. Not only do we get to see the origin of John's "Don't tell me what I can't do" catchphrase, but Terry O'Quinn is simply magnificent here. This is the scene, to me, that above all others earned him his Emmy.<br /><br />It's a completely heartbreaking scene to watch, even moreso <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/thumbnails.php?album=1267&page=17">if you flip through the screencaps of the entire shot</a>. John's in a hospital bed and an orderly comes in to attend to him. He flips open a wheelchair and the camera pans down to it. It's the same type of wheelchair John was using in the Pilot. And as John realizes that chair is meant for him, he starts saying "no" and "I can't do this" over and over again, a horrible mix of anguish and realization at what his life is about to become. And can there be a worse fate for an idealistic dreamer with delusions of grandeur? No more Locke the Explorer or Locke the Hero. The stark reality is he's going to be Locke the Paraplegic, likely for the rest of his life (had Jacob not intervened).<br /><br />This is one of the very best acting performances of the entire series, if not the best overall.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/PennysLetter.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19) Desmond opens "Our Mutual Friend" and finds Penny's letter<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Live_Together,_Die_Alone">2.23 - Live Together, Die Alone</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond realizes he wants to kill himself, but Penny saves him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Shades of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/combined">Shawshank</a>" with Penny's voice over<br /><br />This is a scene that I think doesn't readily come to mind when we think of great Lost scenes, but it's unbelievably powerful. Going into making this list, "Live Toegther, Die Alone" wasn't at the top of my favorite finales list. In fact, largely because I really didn't like the whole kidnapping storyline much, it was close to the bottom. But I think I may need to reevaluate that since Desmond's flashbacks were so incredibly good.<br /><br />And people forget that this scene was the only scene in the show that used "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Our_Mutual_Friend">Our Mutual Friend</a>" to its full potential. I really thought the end of the series was going to have Desmond sacrificing himself in some way and cracking open Our Mutual Friend as he waits for death to arrive. That never happened, but this scene is just as good, if not better. Here, Kelvin is dead, Desmond is stuck in the Hatch alone (and has been alone for nearly 40 days). He's been drinking and is contemplating suicide. He's got a gun. We see him pull the band off "Our Mutual Friend" and open the cover. We know what that signifies.<br /><br />But something falls out of the book - a letter. A letter from Penny. The whole time he was in prison, Charles had intercepted all of his letters to Penny, but he couldn't stop his daughter from putting the most important letter in the place he needed it most. And what a letter it was:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Dearest Des, </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I am writing this letter to you as you leave for prison. And I've hidden in the one place you would turn to in a moment of great desperation. I know you go away with the weight of what happened on your shoulders. And I know the only person who can ever take it off is you. Please don't give up, Des. Because all we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her. I will wait for you. Always. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I love you, </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Pen. </span> </blockquote>Gives me chills. And it reminds me so much of Andy's letter to Red at the end of Shawshank. He gave it to Red to keep him going, keep him wanting to live, because he knew for sure there would be a time where he'd think about ending it all. Shawshank, to me, has one of the best endings in cinematic history and it's really the highest praise I can gave when I say this scene reminds me of that one.<br /><br />Lastly Penny's letter not only saved Desmond that day, but it allowed Desmond to save Locke, who was in equally dire straights. After he finishes reading the letter, he hears Locke banging on the Hatch and shines the light up through the window. That light gives Locke the strength to go on. Two lives saved with one letter. Part of the reason I left "The Hatch lights up" off the list because I kinda like seeing it from this moment better. Possibly the most underrated moment on my list.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackRedSox.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18) Ben shows Jack the Red Sox winning the series<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Glass_Ballerina">3.02 - The Glass Ballerina</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben proves to Jack the outside world still exists<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because the writers took advantage of one of the best sports stories in the last century<br /><br />The fall of 2004 really was a fairly eventful time. As Ben points out, we had a presidential election, Christopher Reeve died and one of the biggest sports stories of the century: The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918. And not only did they win, in order to get there they had to become the first team in history to come back from an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven to win the series 4 games to 3. And they managed the comeback against their arch-rival, the New York Yankees, this after the Yankees embarrassed them in the postseason the year before. So when Jack was introduced as a Red Sox fan in Season One, one of the common refrains was "oh man, he's going to totally miss the Sox winning the series." Fortunately, <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Sox">Carlton Cuse is a Red Sox fan</a>, so this wasn't overlooked.<br /><br />As I stated before, the widely panned mini-series at the beginning of Season 3 is a bit underrated as a whole. Yes, it contains a few terrible episodes, but it also had a total of six moments on this list:<br /><br />106) Jack telling Ben: <span style="font-style: italic;">"At least you won't have to be disappointed for very long"</span><br />86) Sawyer gets a fish biscuit<br />85) Locke's smokehouse vision<br />59) Smokey kills Eko<br />23) Flight 815 comes apart over the Barracks<br />18) Ben shows Jack the Red Sox winning the series<br /><br />That's really not too shabby. And let's face it, this was by far the best moment of that mini-series. Not only was it a terrific scene for Jack, who honestly and truly couldn't believe it when Ben told him not only that they won, and that they were down three games to none against the Yankees and came back. But it was also the first time it was confirmed to the Losties that the outside world still existed and that they weren't all trapped in a "snow globe" as Desmond thought.<br /><br />A terrific scene with one of the best payoffs of the show. Added bonus: some quality Jackface here as well.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Eloise-2.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17) Eloise confronts Desmond<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode:</span><span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">3.08 - Flashes Before Your Eyes</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Eloise tells Desmond of his destiny<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the best monologues of the show comes out of nowhere<br /><br />"Flashes Before Your Eyes" was my very favorite episode of the first three seasons. Not only was a wonderful break from the formula and the first episode that introduced time travel to the show, it was a wonderful story as well. Desmond gets a second chance to make things right with Penny. This time he's going to do what he should have done so many years before and ask Penny to marry him, Charles be damned.<br /><br />He goes to buy a ring, picks one out and decides to buy it. But for some strange reason, the elderly shopkeeper resists. In fact, she oddly knows his name. And when Desmond still insists on purchasing the ring, Eloise Hawking (as we now know her), mother of Daniel, wife to Charles, bursts out with the best goosebump-inducing monologue of the show:<br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-style: italic;">I know your name as well as I know that you don't ask Penny to marry you. In fact, you break her heart. Well, breaking her heart, of course, is what drives you in a few short years from now to enter that sailing race to prove her father wrong. Which brings you to the island where you spend the next 3 years of your life entering numbers into the computer...until you are forced to turn that failsafe key. And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of US is dead. So give me that sodding ring!"<br /></span></blockquote>And with that statement, everything we thought we knew about the Island and the survivors was turned on its head. It's one thing to think about time travel, it's another entirely to have someone who knows the future and tries to keep it on its course. This is actually a moment I've wanted to revisit because in order for it to have happened like it did, Eloise must have gotten detailed notes in the past (likely from Daniel) about all the events that happened on the Island that would eventually lead to his death. Her true purpose here, for whatever reason, was to keep the conditions the same that would lead to Daniel going back in time and being killed by her hand.<br /><br />It's hard to say what her "every one of us is dead" was referring to, whether it be the universe ending in a temporal paradox or Desmond needing to turn the failsafe key, but I think it's clear that Desmond was simply a means to an end here - if he doesn't crash on the Island, Flight 815 never crashes and no one goes back in time. Part of me kind of wishes there was a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_If_%28comics%29">What if</a>" version of Lost that could go back and see what happens if Desmond does propose to Penny instead of crashing on the Island. Might make for an interesting story, eh?<br /><br />Regardless, this is one of my favorite shock moments of the show. And it's delivered perfectly by Fionnula Flanagan.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/EkoSmokey.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16) Eko confronts Smokey</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_23rd_Psalm">2.10 - The 23rd Psalm</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Eko confronts Smokey face-to-face<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We see Smokey up close and personal for the first time<br /><br />"The 23rd Psalm" was my second favorite episode of the first three seasons and Eko was, by far, my favorite character. And this moment was certainly one of the most iconic images of the entire show (I'll be using "iconic" quite a bit in these top moments, as you'll all see). Up until now, we had really only gotten one fleeting glimpse of Smokey in "Exodus" and it was really hard to know what to make of him. But this was not only the best full-screen scene with Smokey we had gotten on the show, damn if it wasn't just so freakin' cool.<br /><br />It was also the advent of the "pause your VCR and run it on slow" moments with the show. Yes, the Hatch really introduced the Lost mythology to us, but the images of Eko's life that flashed in Smokey as the camera panned around him was a watercooler moment for everyone on the internet. And it fueled so many questions as well. Why didn't the monster kill Eko? Did it really read his mind? What was it looking for? Did it come from and disappear underground? What the heck is it really? And even though it brought up a lot of new ideas and theories about Smokey, it also answered a whole lot of general questions since it gave us such a good look at him and what he was capable of.<br /><br />It's also worth mentioning that the direction and special effects of this scene were top notch. I love the way the camera pans around Eko and the aerial shot from above was terrifically cool. And this was, I think, the best Smokey special effect on the show. The scene in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Left_Behind">Left Behind</a>" was pretty neat too, but I think this one still wins. This is a moment where, if you weren't really hooked on Lost or were starting to lose interest, you got sucked right back into the vortex.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BlastDoorMap.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15) Locke sees the Blast Door Map<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lockdown">2.17 - Lockdown</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke sees the Blast Door Map during the pallet drop<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Most analyzed screenshot on TV ever<br /><br />I will say that Lost is a show that you have to put some time into to really appreciate and the Blast Door Map is probably the best example. Did you really need to translate and pore over every little detail of the map to fully appreciate the show? Of course not. But this Easter Egg is what solidified Lost's presence on the internet and led to the various summer <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Arg">Alternate Reality Games</a> and the very well done <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Webisode">webisodes</a> that really expanded upon some plot details that didn't make it into the mainstream show. For me, this was a terrific bonus to the diehard fans who wanted more detail into the show (and in the case of the webisodes, nearly an entire new episode worth of material).<br /><br />But the scene itself was incredibly cool. Yeah, overall, the logic behind it was kinda wonky. Why Kelvin and Radzinsky made the map in the first place is certainly a little odd and all the stuff on it doesn't totally make sense ("Cerebus" is probably kind of a misnomer now, eh). But the scene will probably go down in history as the most analyzed screencapture ever. And how cool did it look? With the dark light and the awesome reflection of the map in Locke's eye (one of neatest directorial touches of the show). It was creative, original and, most of all, incredibly memorable and a terrific bonus to the fans by the writers.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Numbers.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14) The Numbers are on the Hatch<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Numbers_%28episode%29">1.18 - Numbers</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: It's revealed Hurley's numbers are stamped on the Hatch<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Mind-bending reveal that ramped up the suspense for the finale<br /><br />Numbers made my Top 10 episode list of the first three seasons. Not only did it give a very unique angle to Hurley's character, but the fact Danielle was brought to the Island by these very same Numbers gave us the idea that perhaps everyone was meant to be on Flight 815 after all. In addition, the episode rammed home the idea that perhaps the Numbers were a bad omen. After all, they were responsible for Danielle crashing on the Island and Hurley blamed them for all of his bad luck. So when the episode ended with a shot of the Hatch and the Numbers imprinted on the side, it made everyone go "Holy ****! Don't open that thing up!"<br /><br />The end of Season One was all about what was in the Hatch. It was like Pandora's Box - you hoped it wasn't imprisoning something awful, you hoped opening it didn't bring about the end of the world. Thing is, though, there really wasn't a whole lot these type of horrible thoughts floating around until the Numbers were revealed - once that happened, the Hatch went from Island curiosity to Little Hatch of Horrors. It totally ramped up the suspense leading up to the finale and made it one of the biggest water cooler mysteries since "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_shot_J.R.%3F">Who shot J.R.?</a>"<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Charlie.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13) Desmond tells Charlie he's going to die</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">3.08 - Flashes Before Your Eyes</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond tells Charlie the universe is out to get him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the best episode endings of the show. Plus: Charlie's going to die!<br /><br />As if "Flashes" episode-long flashback wasn't terrific enough, it also set up one of the best storylines of Season 3 with its ending. I really hated Charlie by the start of that season. His druggie storyline had run its course, his relationship with Claire was annoying and his flashbacks were among the worst of the show. I freely admit I was openly rooting for him to be killed.<br /><br />But then something funny happened - when Charlie went from lame druggie to dead man walking, he became...interesting again. This plot line totally rejuvinated his character and gave him the shot at redemption that he so sorely needed. Brilliant idea by the writers here.<br />But kudos also go to Henry Ian Cusick who so perfectly delivered his end-of-episode speech to Charlie. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it. Take a gander:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">When I saw the lightning hit the roof you were electrocuted. And when you heard Claire was in the water you -- you drowned trying to save her. I dove in myself so you never went in. I've tried, brother. I've tried twice to save you, but the universe has a way of course correcting and -- and I can't stop it forever. I'm sorry. I'm sorry because no matter what I try to do you're going to die, Charlie. </span></blockquote>At the time, I applauded. Hey! Charlie is going to die! Woo hoo! In retrospect, however, this is the moment that not only began Charlie's journey towards redemption, but made him one of the most memorable and iconic characters on the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SwanMovieNight.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12) Jack and Locke watch the Swan Orientation film<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Orientation">2.03 - Orientation</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack and Locke watch a video<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We're going to have to watch that one again<br /><br />This is the moment that was turned into a Superbowl commercial in 2006: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzW5qtpddrs">Addicted to Lost</a>," so it has got that going for it right off the bat. But the Swan Orientation film was one of the most original and creative things the show put forth. Some fans think the DHARMA Initiative was a mistake, that it took away from the mystery of the Island and distracted the characters (especially Locke) from the Island's true purpose. But DHARMA was really as much a part of the history of the Island as anything else, Jacob or otherwise, and this was the moment when we were properly introduced to it. And, oh, what a moment it was.<br /><br />I don't know what most people expected to find in the Hatch. I was kinda hoping it was originally Smokey's prison cell and that we'd find clues inside as to what it was and how it could be recaptured. When we found Desmond and the computer and the button, it really blew my mind because it was simply so different than anything I expected. The film was like the icing on the cake here - it was enigmatic enough to keep us guessing and informative enough to give us an idea about this whole DHARMA thing. Plus, the fact the Swan was labeled as "3 of 6" immediately got everyone wondering where the other stations were and what were they used for.<br /><br />Finally, the Swan Orientation film is about as iconic as Lost gets. Every morning I get up and pour myself a cup of coffee in <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/05/make-your-own-kind-of-coffee.html">a Swan Station mug</a>. Seriously. The Swan logo is probably one of the most recognizable images from Lost, largely because of this amazing 70's style film that introduced it to a legion of fans.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JacobandSmokey.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11) Jacob and Smokey chat on the beach</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">5.16 -The Incident</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey tells Jacob he wants to kill him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: The true villain of the series is revealed<br /><br />This scene could have been #1 had it actually lived up to its potential. It was an incredible start to an incredible finale. We finally meet the true villain of the series, The Man in Black. We finally meet Jacob face-to-face for the first time. We finally see the front of the statue. We see the Black Rock arriving on the Island. We learn Jacob brought the Black Rock here. We learn the philosophy behind the conflict between Jacob and the Man in Black. All of this in a succinct, well-directed, well-acted, perfectly casted scene.<br /><br />I really wish I could have put this in the Top 10, but everything that came after simply diluted the power of this scene. It had so much potential, especially since MiB was set up to be a perfectly evil counterpart to a perfectly good Island god. Instead, they had to go and blur the lines between the two of them with "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Across_the_Sea">Across the Sea</a>." Sometimes lines are drawn perfectly and for a reason - they certainly were here.<br /><br />Regardless of how the series ended, this scene will always remain one of my very favorites. It's a big scene, in a big episode of one of the biggest shows and it knocks it out of the park here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Top Ten Challenge!</span><br /><br />OK. So we are down to the last ten. How about a guessing game? I figure by process of elimination most of you can guess at least half the moments in the Top Ten, if not all of them. Post what you think my Top 10 moments are in the comments and see how they compare to the real thing when I post my own. No prizes for this, just smug satisfaction. :)<br /><br />Hint: The opening of the Pilot is NOT in there as I posted in the comments a week or two, but the Pilot is represented there nonetheless. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #11)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />Seasons 2 and 3 were the big winners this week with four moments each, but Season 5 still clings to it's very narrow lead. But every season but Season 4 is in striking distance of the top (though Season 6 won't be taking the crown). Locke is also probably the only one who can catch Ben at this point. Only 10 more to go! :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 24<br />Locke - 20<br />Jack - 17<br />Sawyer - 13<br />Smokey - 12<br />Desmond - 10<br />Hurley - 7<br />Sayid - 7<br />Jin - 6<br />Eko - 5<br />Jacob - 5<br />Juliet - 5<br />Michael - 5<br />Charles Widmore - 4<br />Charlie - 4<br />Daniel - 4<br />Danielle - 4<br />Kate - 4<br />Richard - 4<br />Tom Friendly - 4<br />Claire - 3<br />Pierre Chang - 3<br />Bernard and Rose - 2<br />Eloise - 2<br />Frank - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Penny - 2<br />Vincent - 2<br />Walt - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Ana-Lucia - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Libby - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Roger Linus - 1<br />Shannon - 1<br />Sun - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Five - 21<br />Season Three - 20<br />Season Two - 19<br />Season One - 15<br />Season Six - 14<br />Season Four - 9<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#10-1! Finally, the Top 10 moments in LOST. Don't forget to post your guesses! :)</span><span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-56780189874236207102010-09-22T00:19:00.001-04:002010-09-22T00:21:03.072-04:00Top 108 Moments: #30-21<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"You would remember! You would remember how deep! You would remember every shovelful, every moment! You would remember what it felt like to place her body inside. You would remember if you buried the woman you loved! You would remember -- if it were true!"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Timer.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the ninth part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-60-51.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-50-41.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #50-41</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-108-moments-40-31.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #40-31</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #30-21</span><span>.</span> It's the beginning of the end! Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">30) Sayid tortures "Henry" while the Countdown Timer hits zero<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/One_of_Them">2.14 - One of Them</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sayid tortures Henry Gale while the Timer runs out<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Two great tastes of Lost in one great scene<br /><br />When I was making up my list I originally had these two as separate moments, forgetting they were actually the same (long) scene. I toyed with keeping them separate, but you can't really discuss one without the other, so this is an "extended" moment, if you will. Putting them together makes it the Reece's Peanut Butter Cup of Lost - you get a character moment and a mythology moment all in one. Two great Lost tastes that taste great together!<br /><br />On the character side, you have Sayid interrogating Henry. Sayid, still reeling over Shannon's death, is convinced Henry is lying because he doesn't seem as distraught as he should be over the death of his supposed wife. While I never really liked the Shannon-Sayid pairing much (and not because of Shannon - they just really didn't have much chemistry on screen), I did think that Sayid's grief in the above quote was genuine and used very, very effectively. It's also what drove Sayid to later dig up Henry Gale's grave to see if "Henry" was telling the truth.<br /><br />But while all this was going on inside the armory, outside the Countdown Timer was ticking down. Jack, who didn't approve of Sayid torturing the new guy, told Locke to let him in or else he wouldn't let him push the button. Locke relented at the last minute and raced to the computer, but he wasn't quite quick enough - the timer hit zero... and up popped a bunch of hieroglyphics? Season 2 was arguably one of the most mythology heavy seasons of the show, which is why it didn't sit well with some fans, but the mythology was what kept me hooked on the show.<br /><br />I still remember scouring the net for translations of the likely sequence that popped up and later discovering it translated to "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Hieroglyphs">Underworld</a>" - that's just creepy brilliant. This scene was perfect, classic Lost and had something for everyone to enjoy.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenandRoger.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">29) Ben purges his father<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_Behind_the_Curtain">3.20 - The Man Behind The Curtain</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben kills his father on his birthday while the rest of DHARMA gets purged<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We finally see the purge... and learn Roger's true identity<br /><br />"<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Tricia_Tanaka_Is_Dead">Tricia Tanaka is Dead</a>" was a very good episode that came at a very bad time, largely because it had the misfortune of following arguably the worst episode of the entire show in "Stranger in a Strange Land." At the time, it seemed like yet another filler episode - Hurley finds a DHARMA van, Sawyer has some entertaining scenes with Jin and Hurley and Charlie get the van working and go on a joy ride to shake off the blues.<br /><br />But that episode set things up for two very important scenes later in the season: Hurley coming to rescue in the DHARMA van (which wouldn't have been plausible had we not seen him get it working) and Ben gassing his dad in the very same van. The fact we discover here Roger "Work Man" was in reality Roger Linus, Father of Ben, makes Tricia Tanaka a much, much better episode in retrospect, given what an important part of the Island's history that van (and that body) represents.<br /><br />But I haven't even spoken about the actual scene yet. This is where Ben became the man we came to know and love throughout the series. It's a horrible act of patricide, yet we can't help but feel a bit sorry for Ben as well. After all, it's his birthday and he's a janitor on an Island drinking cheap DHARMA beer with his alcoholic father, who doesn't really love him and blames him for the death of his wife. His father kinda deserves it here, but all of DHARMA? That's what really later takes away any compassion we had for Ben. This is one of the very best scenes of Season 3 and one of the most important in terms of the Island's history.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LaFleur-2.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">28) Sawyer is LaFleur<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/LaFleur">5.08 - LaFleur</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer is revealed as the head of DHARMA security... in 1977?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the best openings of any episode<br /><br />There's really only two episode openings I like better than this one (one which we'll come to very soon), but not by much. It's one of the best plot twists the show ever gave us and really began one of my overall favorite storylines of the show: The DHARMA origins. Two episodes earlier, Ajira Flight 316 crash landed on the Island and Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid had disappeared from it. The first three were found by Jin wearing a DHARMA jumpsuit. Now we knew Jin had been time traveling along with the others, but we didn't know where they ended up after Locke turned the Donkey Wheel again.<br /><br />This episode opens with all the time travelers standing around the area where the Donkey Wheel well once stood. Locke is gone, the well is gone, but the rope remains. Locke turns the wheel underground and the flashes stop - everyone's headaches and nosebleeds are gone. Saywer says now they just have to wait "however long it takes" for their friends to return.<br /><br />Cut to three years later. Two DHARMA guys, Phil and Jerry, are goofing off on duty. One remarks that they better not let LaFleur catch them of it'll be their heads. Suddenly a situation pops up, Horace is outside drunk with dynamite. They go to wake up LaFleur at 3am and meekly knock on the door. A shadowed figure gruffly asks "What?" They explain the situation and the response? A very familiar "son of a bitch" - it's Sawyer, who grabs his DHARMA jumpsuit and heads out with them.<br /><br />It's an amazing scene from start to finish, but the shot of Sawyer's jumpsuit with "Head of Security" written on it is just brilliant, and a moment that makes you go "Awesome!" This scene told us everything we needed to know in perfect style and kicked off a rollicking action-adventure that was the second half of Season 5.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DeadLocke.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">27) Jeremy Bentham is Locke<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode:</span><span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_No_Place_Like_Home,_Parts_2_%26_3">4.13 - There's No Place Like Home</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We finally find out who's in that darn coffin!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We all saw it coming, but it still shocks nonetheless<br /><br />The great coffin debate that went on through Season 4 was one of the most tantalizing mysteries of the show. Everyone pretty much figured it was someone we knew and that Jeremy Bentham was simply an alias, but who it was was certainly up for debate. Locke was one of the leading candidates, but Walt's name was also thrown around a lot, as was Desmond's. And, in fact, <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Locke%27s_coffin">three separate endings</a> were filmed showing Locke, Desmond and Sawyer in the coffin.<br /><br />But despite being the most predicted choice, the scene lost none of its potency. First of all, it meant that at some point in the future (or past, I suppose), John Locke was going to die. Everyone figured the writers would figure out a way to keep him on the show, but certainly not in the manner it was done (which was excellent). Secondly, Ben's assertion that everyone was going to have to go back together, including John Locke, set up a fun storyline whereby everyone had to get on Flight 316 together. It was really never explained why they all had to be on the plane together, but the "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/">getting the band back together</a>" storyline was a nice start to Season 5.<br /><br />Lastly, Locke's image in the coffin is probably one of the most iconic images of the show - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Locke%27s_coffin">just look at how easy it is to find a screencap</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/YoungBen.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">26) Sayid shoots young Ben in 1977</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_No_Place_Like_Home,_Parts_2_%26_3">5.10 - He's Our You</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sayid shoots young Ben in the chest<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Sayid opens up a whole new bag of time travel worms... and theories<br /><br />I almost made this moment the one when young Ben meets Sayid for the first time. That moment was great, largely because you could see Sayid thoughts as he introduced himself to Benjamin: "I am going to kill you, child. And I am going to enjoy doing it." That was great, but clearly this is the better moment of the two and one of the best cliffhangers of Season 5.<br /><br />The metaphysical can of worms Sayid's act opened was simply delicious (and you know I love to eat my worms). At the time, we had no idea whether Ben was actually going to survive because we had no idea whether the Losties could change history or not, so that whole idea was debated. But then, if he survived, the question became why he wouldn't remember being shot by an Iraqi named Sayid later in life, especially after said Sayid tortured him.<br /><br />Both of these debates were answered (they did not change history and Ben's mind was wiped, <span style="font-style: italic;">deus ex machina</span> style, in the Temple), but the ultimate answer then presented an even more interesting and delicious observation: Sayid, by shooting him, made Ben an Other and set him on the path to becoming a murderous, power-hungry man. Then Ben, in turn, used Sayid and turned him into his personal assassin. Thus we have an infinite time loop of abuse between two people.<br /><br />I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard. How marvelous.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DesmondandJack.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">25) Jack meets Desmond in the stadium<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Man_of_Science,_Man_of_Faith">2.01 - Man of Science, Man of Faith</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack meets Desmond in the stadium after operating on Sarah<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because it made Desmond seem almost mystical<br /><br />And so begins the Top 25!<br /><br />To kick it off we have one of my personal favorite scenes from one of my personal favorite episodes. When I saw this scene for the first time, I guessed Desmond might be the person in the Hatch, especially after he said his famous parting line to Jack. And this scene, more than just about anything else, shifted the coincidence vs. fate argument needle firmly into the fate range because it just seemed like too great of a coincidence that this random person that Jack met years ago would be the same person inside the Hatch on this weird Island.<br /><br />But the whole scene was just written so well. I don't think there's been another conversation on the show that's been parsed to the degree this one had been after the episode aired. Every line was analyzed for an underlying meaning. And it had a trippy, ethereal quality to it - was Desmond some sort of mystical person, hinting to Jack of his fate to come? Take a look at the dialogue here:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;">[Flashback - Jack running the steps at a stadium. Another person comes into view running faster than Jack. Jack tries to keep pace but hurts his ankle.] </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Ow, damn it. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: You alright, brother? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: I'm fine. I'm fine. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Take it easy. Keep the weight off. Here, let me have a look. Does this hurt? [Jack shakes his head.] You haven't sprained it then. I don't fancy your chances of catching up with me tonight, though. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: I wasn't trying to catch up. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Aye, of course you weren't. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: What do you know about sprains, anyway? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: I was almost a doctor once. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Small world. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: You a doctor then? [Jack nods. Desmond offers Jack his water bottle.] So what's your excuse? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Excuse? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: <span style="font-weight: bold;">For running like the devil's chasing you</span>. My excuse - I'm training. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Training for what? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: For a race around the world. Impressive, I know. So your excuse better be good, brother. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Just trying to work a few things out. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Ah, a girl, right? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: A patient. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Ah, but a girl patient. What's her name? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Her name's Sarah. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: What'd you do to her then? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Do to her? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: You must have done something worthy of this self-flagellation. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: I told her -- I made a promise I couldn't keep -- I told her I'd fix her and I couldn't. I failed. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Well, right. Just one thing -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">what if you did fix her?</span> </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: I didn't. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: <span style="font-weight: bold;">But what if you did? </span></p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: You don't know what you're talking about, man. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: I don't? Why not? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Because with her situation that would be a miracle, brother. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh, and you don't believe in miracles?</span> [Jack chuckles and shakes his head.] <span style="font-weight: bold;">Right. Well then, I'm going to give you some advice anyway. You have to lift it up.</span></p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Lift it up? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Your ankle. You've got to keep it elevated. It's been nice chatting. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">JACK: Jack. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">DESMOND: Jack, I'm Desmond. Good luck, brother. <span style="font-weight: bold;">See you in another life, yeah?</span><br /></p></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;"></p>The bolded lines were the most debated ones. It's in actuality a perfectly normal conversation, but doesn't it sound like Desmond is some sort of guardian angel or something and that he knows exactly what's in store for Jack? This is one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. I love how it's filmed, I love how it's shot and I love the overall atmosphere of the scene.<br /><br />You have to lift it up. The writers certainly did here.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/TheRaft.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">24) The Raft Launch<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_1">1.23 - Exodus</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The raft finally sets sail<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: An amazing scene for a scripted show<br /><br />When the whole raft storyline began, I thought "no way is this going to work." Meaning there's no way the writers are going to break up the cast and have four principal members out at sea for however long they're out there. In addition, I couldn't imagine having to film raft scenes for an extended period of time. So when the raft actually launched, I was amazed they were going to go through with it. Of course, the trip didn't even last the rest of the episode, but it still gave us an hour or so of hope.<br /><br />But the whole scene itself was amazing. The cinematography was incredible for TV, even given the gorgeous Hawaiian coastline where it was filmed. And really, this scene could fall under the category of reunion scenes because, even though it was a parting of ways for some of these characters, it was also a scene of hope. The four sailors were going to find help and salvation for the survivors. It was a moment of joy, even though it was tinged with sadness for some (especially when Vincent ran into the water). Possibly the most uplifting scene in the series save one, which we'll address a bit later on.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Flight815.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">23) Flight 815 breaks up over the Barracks</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities">3.01 - A Tale of Two Cities</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We see Flight 815 break up... from a slightly different perspective<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Meet the Others<br /><br />Ah, the second best opening scene of the show. This one, I believe, was actually directed by JJ Abrams himself... and it shows. First we meet Juliet, a lovely lass, burning her muffins. She has a book club and her very favorite book is "Carrie." She has excellent taste, I like her already. And then she steps out of her charming house to speak to her handyman who happens to be... Ethan? And then all **** breaks loose as Flight 815 flies overhead and starts to break apart before their very eyes. And who should immediately break into action and start giving directions, none other than Henry Gale, who then turns to Juliet to say:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"Guess I'm out of the book club." </span></blockquote>And then we see there's a small town in the center of the Island. Commercial.<br /><br />*jaw drops to the floor*<br /><br />I stood and applauded after this opening. It was classic Lost, filmed to perfection and turned everything we knew about the Others to that point on its head. Bravo.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Sawyer.jpg" width="400" height="294" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22) Sawyer tells Jack he met Christian in Sydney<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_1">1.23 - Exodus</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer eases Jack's pain<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the best character moments of the show<br /><br />This is a scene that doesn't need much explanation. It's one of the best character moments of the show and one of the best payoffs as well. We knew for quite a while that Sawyer had run into Christian in Sydney, but we did kinda wonder whether it would get mentioned. Well, it did... and it was spectacular. In Sawyer's own words:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Jack. -- About a week before we all got on the plane, I got to talking to this man in a bar in Sydney. He was American, too. A doctor. I've been on some benders in my time, but this guy -- he was going for an all time record. So, it turns out this guy has a son. His son's a doctor, too. They had some kind of big time falling out. The guy knew it was his fault, even though his son was back in the States thinking the same damn thing. See, kids are like dogs, you knock them around enough they'll think they did something to deserve it. Anyway, there's a pay phone in this bar. And this guy, Christian, tells me he wishes he had the stones to pick up the phone, call his kid, tell him he's sorry, that he's a better doctor than he'll ever be -- he's proud, and he loves him. I had to take off, but -- something tells me he never got around to making that call. Small world, huh? </blockquote>Jack's reaction had some serious Party-of-Five- quality Jackface to it as well. Just a great moment and both Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway were simply terrific here. It also sets up another classic Red Sox moment a bit later in the series.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SmokeyFace.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">21) Zombie Locke reveals Locke's final thoughts to Ben</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/LA_X,_Parts_1_%26_2">6.01 - L.A. X</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey reveals his true nature to Ben<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">"I don't understand!"</span><br /><br />I believe this is the final Season 6 moment on the list, and it's definitely my favorite of them all. Back in Season 2, a lot of people were complaining about how John Locke had changed, how pushing the button had robbed Locke of all his gung-ho, Shaman/Warrior qualities. But I argued at the time that really the pathetic button pusher in the Hatch was who John Locke really was. He made himself into something different on the Island when it gave him back the ability to walk. He always had a high opinion of himself and he was an idealistic dreamer; he really thought he was put on the Island for a reason and was there to be great leader and to save them all.<br /><br />All that is what makes this speech from Smokey all the more heartbreaking:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"I'm not talking about Jacob. I'm talking about John Locke. Do you wanna know what he was thinking while you, choked the life outta him Benjamin? What the last thought that ran through his head was? "I don't understand". Isn't that just the saddest thing you ever heard? But it's fitting in a way, because when John first came to the island, he was a very sad man. A victim, shouting at the world for being told what he couldn't do, even though they were right. He was weak, and pathetic, and irreparably broken. But, despite all that, there was something admirable about him. He was the only one of them that didn't wanna leave. The only one, who realized how pitiful the life he'd left behind actually was." </span> </blockquote>And Smokey's right, there was something admirable about John. he represented the dreamer in all of us. The young adventurous boy who wanted to go off and do great things, everyone who's every read an adventure novel and longed to have one of their own. Instead he met his death at the hands of his most hated rival in a beaten down hotel, completely bewildered as to how this - <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> - could have been his ultimate destiny. It's totally heartbreaking to think about and even worse as Smokey relays this to Ben <span style="font-style: italic;">using John Locke's body</span>.<br /><br />Best scene of Season 6 for me, hands down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #21)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />I was surprised a bit this week as the tops of both lists were reinforced a bit; both Ben and Season 5 strengthened their grip on their respective tallies. The number of Season 5 moments on my list is especially surprising to me, though in retrospect the time travel storyline did have a tremendous number of awesome moments. But every season but Season 4 is in striking distance of the lead (though Season 6 won't be taking the crown). Locke is also probably the only one who can catch Ben at this point. Only 20 more to go! :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 23<br />Locke - 16<br />Jack - 15<br />Sawyer - 13<br />Smokey - 10<br />Desmond - 7<br />Hurley - 7<br />Sayid - 7<br />Jin - 6<br />Juliet - 5<br />Michael - 5<br />Charles Widmore - 4<br />Daniel - 4<br />Danielle - 4<br />Eko - 4<br />Jacob - 4<br />Kate - 4<br />Richard - 4<br />Tom Friendly - 4<br />Charlie - 3<br />Claire - 3<br />Bernard and Rose - 2<br />Frank - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Penny - 2<br />Pierre Chang - 2<br />Vincent - 2<br />Walt - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Ana-Lucia - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Libby - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Roger Linus - 1<br />Shannon - 1<br />Sun - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Five - 20<br />Season Three - 16<br />Season Two - 15<br />Season One - 14<br />Season Six - 14<br />Season Four - 9<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#20-11! Almost there...</span><span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-24536722339489702672010-09-13T09:15:00.004-04:002010-09-13T09:53:42.033-04:00Top 108 Moments: #40-31<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"I think I crashed your plane..."<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SystemFailure.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the eighth part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-60-51.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-50-41.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #50-41</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #40-31</span><span>.</span> The Top 50 Moments in Lost continues here! Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">40) Desmond reveals he may have crashed the plane<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Live_Together%2C_Die_Alone">2.23 - Live Together, Die Alone</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond discovers he may have made a big "Oops"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: The Flashback that launched a thousand theories<br /><br />This is probably the moment from the show that most made me a Lost theorist. In a terrific reveal following a terrific flashback, Desmond explains to Locke that he may have been responsible for causing Flight 815 to crash. It was an accident, pure and simple - Flight 815 just happened to be overhead at the exact moment Desmond wasn't there to push the button. Nice, neat, tidy and some great storytelling. The problem with the reveal, however, was that if Flight 815 crashing was an accident, it basically meant that everyone <span style="font-style: italic;">wasn't</span> on the plane for a specific reason, which seemed kinda counter intuitive to what the show had given us to that point. And trying to reconcile those two things is what drove me to write about the show.<br /><br />Honestly if the true answer was a bit neater and tidier I'd probably have this moment in the Top 10. But the way this all hashes out is that <span style="font-style: italic;">Jacob ex machina</span> orchestrated the whole accident so his plane full of candidates would be conveniently deposited on his Island. Desmond's accident wasn't really an accident since the Island God was behind the scenes pulling the strings. But regardless of how it all played out, it was a terrific moment of Lost mythology.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenDonkeyWheel.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">39) Ben turns the Donkey Wheel<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_No_Place_Like_Home,_Parts_2_%26_3">4.13 - There's No Place Like Home</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben moves the Island<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Amazing, imaginative scene<br /><br />This really was one of the coolest (pun intended) spectacles the show put forth. So there was a donkey wheel embedded into the rock in a frozen chamber underneath a DHARMA station? And turning said wheel led to the Island moving through space and time? There aren't many shows that could pull a scene like this off and make it look cool rather than dumb, but Lost did it with style.<br /><br />In addition, because we had already seen Ben appear in Tunisia in his parka with his injured arm, we already knew what happened to him afterwards. That made the scene even more goosebump-inducing than it already was. This is also was one of my favorite screencaps of the entire show. If I didn't have a cute daughter, it would likely be my computer wallpaper. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BernardandRose-1.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">38) Rose, Bernard and Vincent are at peace<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">5.16 - The Incident</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Rose, Bernard and Vincent have made a new life for themselves<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because they're awesome<br /><br />I loved "The Incident" - loved it from start to finish. It's chock full of good scenes, including two in this segment of my list alone. And while this isn't the best scene from the episode, it's probably the most heartwarming (and the most anticipated). Everyone fully expected to see Bernard and Rose again, but to see them living happily and at peace on the Island (with Vincent nonetheless) was simply a joy.<br /><br />And Bernard and Rose's story hit all the right notes of Lost's major themes. If you're talking about characters being able to leave their life behind and start over, coming to terms with who they are, being comfortable in their own skin and, most importantly, leaving all the trappings of life behind and living a simple life of peace, Bernard and Rose followed a perfect path. They're truly the only ones who fully embraced what the Island had to offer and were rewarded with a (supposedly) long and happy life together. I would have loved to see Hurley and Ben visiting them later on - maybe having tea and forming a bridge club or something. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SayidHenry.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">37) Sayid confronts "Henry"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode:</span><span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lockdown">2</a></span><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lockdown">.17 - Lockdown</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sayid knows Henry's a fake<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the best trombone endings of the show. Plus: Awesome monologue<br /><br />This is my personal high point of the whole "Henry Gale" story arc. Every time I see this scene I get a shiver of excitement. It's something about Naveen Andrews' delivery here that does it. Here's his short monologue:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">We did find your balloon, Henry Gale, exactly how you described it. We also found the grave you described -- your wife's grave. The grave you said you dug with your own bare hands. It was all there. Your whole story -- your alibi -- it was true. <span style="font-weight: bold;">But still I did not believe it to be true.</span> So I dug up that grave and found that there was not a woman inside. There was a man. [Sayid shows him a driver's license] A man named Henry Gale. </span></blockquote>The payoff is great. Ben didn't expect anyone to dig up the grave - he figured the balloon and the grave marker would be enough. But digging up graves just to prove someone wrong is just so Sayid. And I love, love, love the way Sayid is so cool, calm and collected here - he's got Ben nailed to the wall, but he takes his own sweet time in doing it, especially when he says the highlighted line above. Ben almost thinks he's off the hook, then blammo. It's a terrific ending to one of my favorite episodes of the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Maccutcheon.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">36) Charles offers Desmond a nice glass of scotch... Not!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">3.08 - Flashes Before Your Eyes</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Charles tells Desmond he's not worthy to drink his scotch, let alone marry Penny.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Soul crushing scene for Desmond... and us as well<br /><br />"Flashes" was my very favorite episode from the first three seasons of the show. This is the first of three moments from that episode, though it could have easily been the last. Desmond comes crawling to Charles, who thinks he's there to merely ask for a job. But Desmond has other ideas - he wants to ask him for Penny's hand in marriage. And not only does Charles refuse to give his blessing, he (figuratively) slugs Desmond in the face with a really, really expensive bottle of Scotch.<br /><br />I think this scene makes my hair stand on end so much because we all can relate to moments like this. Not necessarily Desmond's exact same situation, mind you, but being put in a position where you desperately want (or need) something. You probably go through all the possibilities before you attempt to obtain it, bracing for the worst, hoping for the best. But I imagine nothing Desmond imagined came close to what Charles said to him in that office. My heart sunk to my Scotch-free stomach in that scene, right along with Desmond.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JacobsCave.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">35) Smokey shows Sawyer the names in the cave<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Substitute">6.04 - The Substitute</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey shows Sawyer Jacob's cave<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Goosebump inducing scene in which the candidates are revealed<br /><br />This is another scene that could have been a bit higher on the list, perhaps, but just felt right here. Smokey revealing the six candidates to Sawyer told us a lot about the endgame of the show and, for once, the writers were actually speaking plain to us. Granted, many people, myself included, thought there might have been more to it at the time, i.e. this wasn't Jacob's cave, it was Smokey's instead, Smokey was lying to Sawyer or didn't really know who the true candidates were, etc. But here it was - answers plain and simple. This is why they were all here. This was their purpose. These are the people Smokey had to get rid of.<br /><br />It also was a nice way for the writers to give another explanation for the meaning behind the Numbers without having to go into the <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sri_lanka_video">Valenzetti Equation</a> and such on screen and I have to say, I really liked the way they tied them to the candidates instead. Two meanings, neither of which excludes the other. It was very well done and filled with Easter Eggs for people who looked closely - aside from the <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">Blast Door Map</a>, I don't think there was anything else on the show I scrutinized to the degree I scrutinized the cave wall. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Libby.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">34) Michael shoots Ana-Lucia and Libby<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Two_for_the_Road">2.20 - Two for the Road</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Michael murders Ana-Lucia and Libby to free Ben<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Even if it was contrived, it's still shocking<br /><br />During Season 2, Michele Rodriguez became a lightning rod both on and off the screen. Rumors were swirling she was going to be written out of the show due to both fan hatred and her drunk driving arrests, so you could kind of see it coming. Cynthia Watros also had a drunk driving arrest, but her character didn't invite the kind of criticism Ana-Lucia did. On the contrary, most fans were genuinely curious about her character after it was revealed she was in the same insane asylum as Hurley, and most fans (myself included) really wanted a Libby flashback episode. That, I think, is what makes this scene so utterly shocking. Pretty much everyone expected Ana-Lucia to die, but Libby's death came out of nowhere and turned a scene that, had it been just Ana-Lucia, some might have applauded and turned into something truly horrifying instead.<br /><br />There's also Michael's motivation to talk about here. At the time, I thought there was no way Michael would commit murder in order to save Walt, but the scene sits a bit better with me now in that regard. Would I do the same thing were I in Michael's shoes? Probably not. I imagine I would have tried to work out a plan with, say, the former torturer for the Iraqi Republican Guard. But I can also now sympathize with how a parent would do anything to save their child. The scene is somewhat compromised by the writers desire to rid themselves of one, if not both, of the actresses, but it's a great scene nonetheless and a genuine shock when you see it for the first time.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/YoungDanielle-1.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">33) Danielle rescues Jin in 1988</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Little_Prince">5.04 - The Little Prince</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jin is saved by a young Danielle Rousseau<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Looks like we're getting Danielle's story after all!<br /><br />Since she was introduced in the first season, I waited and waited and waited for a Danielle flashback. I loved her character and so wanted to see her story, through her eyes. But the time travel storyline presented a new opportunity - instead of flashbacks, what if we saw all these great events that were alluded to first hand, through the eyes of the time travelers. As a result we got to see some of the origins of DHARMA, we got to see Charles and Eloise in their youth and we got to see the Incident. But none of these trumps my excitement of seeing Danielle and her crew land on the Island. As soon as I heard all these characters speaking French, I realized who they were and jumped off the couch and clapped.<br /><br />But this scene is also great for another reason: It was the first time we were shown that Jin survived the ship explosion. I had guessed that he did and was thrown into the time travel radius surrounding the Island, but until now that hadn't been confirmed. And to have him rescued by Danielle was just the icing on the cake. Jin's short adventure with Danielle was terrific and this moment was one I had waited for since Season One.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/AnotherLifeBrother.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">32) Desmond turns the failsafe key<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Live_Together%2C_Die_Alone">2.23 - Live Together, Die Alone</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond seemingly sacrifices himself by releasing the Discharge<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">"See you in another life, brotha."</span><br /><br />This was really the climactic moment of the Season 2 finale. And it really looked like Desmond sacrificed himself at the time. Of course, since he became a full cast member Season 3, we knew before the season started he had survived, but it was a brave and noble thing he did in the moment and the scene was perfectly executed too.<br /><br />First off, if <span style="font-style: italic;">"See you in another life, brotha."</span> hadn't become etched into the Lost annals of great lines yet, it certainly was after this episode. Secondly, interspersing of images of Penny as Desmond contemplated turning the key was both terrific and foreshadowing. Here, his life and the most important thing in it literally flashed before his eyes as he turned the key, which is probably a large part why the Discharge sent his consciousness back to that moment in time. This moment also set up Desmond and Penny has having the best relationship on the show. It made "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">Flashes Before Your Eyes</a>" all that more poignant and allowed "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">The Constant</a>" to become the best episode of the series. Had I money to burn in the <a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/23/lost-auction-the-dharma-van-went-for-how-much/">Lost Auction</a>, the Failsafe Key would have been very high on my list of memorabilia to own.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/ElizabethMitchell.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">31) Juliet detonates the bomb</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">5.16 -The Incident</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Juliet ends it all with a bang<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Heartbreak. Pure heartbreak.<br /><br />One of the greatest travesties of Lost's run was that Elizabeth Mitchell didn't win an Emmy for her work on the show. Heck, she wasn't even <span style="font-style: italic;">nominated</span> once for a Supporting Actress Emmy and it wasn't until the last season that she even got a Guest Actress nomination (she <a href="http://www.emmys.com/nominations?tid=68">lost to Ann-Margret</a> who did a guest turn on Law and Order: SVU). But she was the heart and soul of Lost in Season 5 with her love of Sawyer, giving us new and improved reasons to hate Kate all over again. Now to be fair, I did think Evangeline did well on her side of the stage - it's just that the writers totally made Kate the villain in this love triangle. Juliet, despite her introduction as the tough new Other in Season 3, turned out to be one of the sweetest, most vunerable characters on the show and just when she thinks she's got Sawyer safe and all to herself in 1977 - *BAM* - in comes Kate again to wreck a beautiful relationship.<br /><br />Juliet detonated the bomb out of heartbreak for Sawyer. She thought that as long as Kate was around she would always be #2 in his heart, so she decided to end it all and give him what she thought he wanted. I always hated the Kate-Jack-Sawyer love triangle. Not only was it annoying, I honestly didn't care who won. Juliet-Kate-Sawyer not only made me care, it actually made me root for Juliet and feel awful - totally awful - after this heartbreaking scene. Kudos to Elizabeth Mitchell who was totally robbed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #31)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week both Ben and Season 5 maintain their respective leads, but take notice that Desmond and Season 2 leaped up quite a bit this week - I imagine by the time the list is complete, both are going to be considerably higher than they are right now. I'm expecting a great deal of shuffling in both lists in the weeks to come; the top of the list is quite different character and episode-wise from the bottom. Well, except for Ben - Ben's just all over the list. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 17<br />Locke - 14<br />Jack - 11<br />Sawyer - 10<br />Smokey - 9<br />Hurley - 7<br />Desmond - 6<br />Jin - 5<br />Sayid - 5<br />Charles Widmore - 4<br />Daniel - 4<br />Danielle - 4<br />Eko - 4<br />Jacob - 4<br />Juliet - 4<br />Kate - 4<br />Michael - 4<br />Richard - 4<br />Tom Friendly - 4<br />Charlie - 3<br />Claire - 3<br />Bernard and Rose - 2<br />Frank - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Penny - 2<br />Pierre Chang - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Ana-Lucia - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Libby - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Sun - 1<br />Vincent - 1<br />Walt - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Five - 18<br />Season Three - 14<br />Season Two - 13<br />Season Six - 13<br />Season One - 12<br />Season Four - 8<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#30-21</span><span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-53833086013686970162010-08-31T20:10:00.006-04:002010-08-31T20:37:34.041-04:00Top 108 Moments: #50-41<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"Widmore? Charles Widmore?"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/YoungCharles.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the seventh part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-60-51.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #50-41</span><span>.</span> The Top 50 Moments in Lost begins here! Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50) Locke meets a young Charles Widmore in 1954<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Jughead">5.03 - Jughead</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Seems there were some familiar faces on the Island way back when<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Terrific surprise, but it also sheds light on why Charles wanted the Island<br /><br />Pretty much all the Desmond-centric episodes are classics and Jughead is no exception. Season 5 began with a whole slew of revelations as the time travel storyline began and quite possibly the biggest revelation of all was Locke discovering that the hot-headed young Other they encountered was none "other" than Charles Widmore himself! This revelation led to the further (correct) speculation that the curly, blonde gun-toting Other, "Ellie," was another familiar face - Eloise Hawking.<br /><br />These revelations completely changed all speculation surrounding Charles. Up until that point, Charles Widmore seemed simply like a wealthy industrialist who wanted nothing more than to exploit the Island for personal gain. The fact he was an Other caused us to immediately question why he was <span style="font-style: italic;">no longer</span> an Other and made us wonder just how deep his conflict with Ben went. It was a great plot twist and Locke's surprise on screen mirrored our own.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/TheBlackRock.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">49) The Black Rock is <span style="font-style: italic;">a pirate ship?</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_1">1.23 - Exodus</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The Losties see the Black Rock for the first time<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the classic, all-time images from the show<br /><br />The first time we heard the words "Black Rock," most people thought Danielle was simply describing an ominous Island structure. And when she volunteered to lead a group deep to the Black Rock deep into the "Dark Territory" in Exodus, I think pretty much everyone was expecting something along the lines of a lava field. So when the camera panned up onto the majestic, land-locked pirate ship in the middle of the Island, my mind was completely blown.<br /><br />Not only was the shot gorgeously filmed, it remains to this day one of the neatest things I've ever seen on the small screen. Wonderfully imaginative, beautifully filmed, perfect in its execution.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SawyerPolarBear.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">48) Sawyer shoots a polar bear<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot,_Part_1">1.01 - The Pilot</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The Island has an indigenous population of polar bears?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Introduces one of the strangest mysteries of the show<br /><br />Falling into the same "wonderfully imaginative" category is the introduction of the Island's indigenous population of polar bears. We already knew the Island had some sort of Monster at this point, but Monster Islands fall squarely into the category of fantasy. A tropical Island with polar bears, however, suggests there's also a more mundane mystery happening. Again, it's a brilliantly imaginative scene and also probably the best explained Island mystery of the entire show.<br /><br />It's also worth mentioning that this scene sets up so much in terms of the characters. We learn Sawyer has a gun and handcuffs he got from a Marshall who was on the plane. We discover Sayid has some sort of military training since he knows how to disassemble a gun. And all this leads to a great Kate flashback where we discover not only that she's the fugitive, but that she's also a terrific liar (since she lied about not knowing how to handle a gun). As an added bonus, I also love <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/T-shirts">Sawyer's t-shirt</a> from the Pilot - one of the few pieces of Lost apparel I'd like to own (along with <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/04/miles-shark-t-shirt.html">Miles' shark-bear t-shirt</a>).<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/AltBen.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">47) Locke forgives Ben</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode: </span><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_End"><span>6</span>.17 - The End</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke forgives Ben for killing him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Ben gets a bit of redemption. Plus: We find out he's a great #2<br /><br />This is my very favorite scene from "The End." Locke and Ben are simply terrific here, pure and simple. Ben's humility and sorrow are in such stark contrast to Locke's happiness. It's worth noting that probably for the first time, Locke is about to join a group of people he can truly call his friends. He was always very alone on the show, always thinking of himself as a leader. The only person he really bonded with was Walt, and that was more like a father-son relationship (or master-student, perhaps) than a true friendship, but now they're all inside waiting for him to rejoin them.<br /><br />Ben, on the other hand, still isn't comfortable with the group, despite the fact they would probably accept him (Hurley definitely would). And while he does get a modicum of redemption here, simply apologizing to Locke isn't going to make up for all the things he did to that group of people in the church. The difference here is that he realizes this now, thus his hesitance to go in. Ben, like Locke, was also alone for much of his life, so he decides to stay with his Purgatory family - Danielle, Alex and his dad - instead. Both Terry and Michael deserved an Emmy for this scene alone.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Carton.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">46) Ben shoots Desmond in the carton, gets pummeled</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dead_Is_Dead">5.12 - Dead is Dead</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben tries to murder Desmond and Penny, but gets pummeled instead<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Scene we were waiting for that didn't disappoint.<br /><br />When Ben declared to Charles he was going to kill Penny back in <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Shape_of_Things_to_Come">The Shape of Things to Come</a>, it set up some dreadful anticipation on the show. I don't think there was anyone actually rooting for Ben to succeed (and if you were, shame on you), but we all knew it was coming. And when Ben arrived on the plane battered and bruised after taking care of some "unfinished business," I certainly feared the worst for Penny, despite the fact it looked like she and/or Desmond put up a good fight. Little did we know we wouldn't actually get to see the scene for several more episodes.<br /><br />But it was totally worth the wait - my heart leapt out of my stomach when Ben shot Desmond. But then he hesitates, gets tackled and pummeled by an adrenaline-pumped Desmond and thrown in the harbor. The scene runs the gamut of emotions - fear to horror to hope to relief. And when it's later revealed that Desmond's life was saved by the strongest jug of milk in existence, hilarity is added as well.<br /><br />Goes without saying - drink your milk, kids. Just might save your life someday. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/HurleytotheRescue.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">45) Hurley drives the DHARMA van to the rescue<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Through_the_Looking_Glass">3.22 - Through The Looking Glass</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Hurley saves the day in his own unique way<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Makes you stand up and cheer<br /><br />The DHARMA van <a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/23/lost-auction-the-dharma-van-went-for-how-much/">sold for the highest price by far from the Lost Auction</a> - a cool $47.5K. I don't know if it was worth it, but it is quite possibly the most recognizable prop from the show. And who would have thought back in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Tricia_Tanaka_Is_Dead">Tricia Tanaka is Dead</a>" that the van would have played such an important role in the story? That episode seemed like joke filler at first glace, but it was really there to set up two important scenes: Ben gassing his dad as a birthday present to himself and Hurley saving the life of his friends from the Others.<br /><br />This is a scene that makes you stand up and cheer. When Hurley comes barreling out of the jungle and flattens one of the Others, it was awesome, plain and simple. I think the smile on Jorge Garcia's face right afterward was genuine, a reflection of our own.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Penny.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">44) The Listening Station finds the Island<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Live_Together,_Die_Alone">2.23 - Live Together, Die Alone</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Penny's Russian friends pinpoint the Island<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Looks like the outside world exists after all<br /><br />One of the primary questions of the first two seasons was where the heck is the Island anyway? Was it on Earth, in our time? Was it in a parallel dimension? Is it really heaven or hell (or purgatory)? And the corollary to all of this was does the outside world even exist? We didn't get the answer to that question until the very last scene of the second season where we learned that 1) yes, indeed it does exist and 2) Penny was actively looking for it to find her long lost love. It was an enormous revelation and one that instantly obliterated a whole category of theories that had been batted around for two seasons.<br /><br />This scene is also a good example of finishing off an inconsistent episode with a bang. "Live Together, Die Alone" is not my favorite finale by any means, largely because 1) I thought the whole kidnapping storyline was weak and 2) those scenes were juxtaposed with Desmond's terrific flashbacks, which kind of made them worse. But by finishing off the episode with such a terrific scene, it sent me into the summer with a heady Lost buzz. Great capstone to a great season.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/TeddyBear.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">43) The teddy bear walks by</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/...And_Found">2.05 - ...And Found</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jin and Eko watch the Others walk by their hiding spot<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Creepiest. Teddy Bear. Ever.<br /><br />Early in Season 2, the Others were still a nebulous bunch. Ethan, the Other we had seen the most, seemed to have superhuman strength and endurance, though he was a very real human being who could be (and was) killed. Then there was the group that had kidnapped Walt who seemed to be a rag-tag bunch of violent hillbillies straight out of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/">Deliverance</a>." But we really had no idea who or what they were, why they wanted Claire, Walt and the other Tailies and what happened to those they had kidnapped. Did they experiment on them? Eat them? Turn them into zombies for <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Debunked_theories">the zombie season</a>? That latter one may sound strange, but after watching the Others walk by in this episode, it didn't seem quite so far fetched.<br /><br />We hadn't seen Zack or Emma yet at this point - they first appeared two episodes later in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Other_48_Days">The Other 48 Days</a>" - so we had no idea who the teddy bear signified when they walked by. But Jebus, this was a freaky scene at the time. Barefoot, silent and one dragging alone a teddy bear on a string - how could you <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>get the chills seeing that? And then, when we finally do see Zack and Emma with the bear, it made it even creepier because you had to think what the heck did the Others do to them?<br /><br />Turns out, the answer was "nothing, really," but the teddy bear is simply terrific for giving us the creepiest toy this side of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey">Stephen King's monkey</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Frank.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">42) <span style="font-style: italic;">"We're not going to Guam, are we?"</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/316">5.06 - 316</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Frank notices some familiar faces on his flight<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: In a goosebump inducing moment, Frank returns with a terrific line<br /><br />In general, I loved the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/">getting-the-band-back-together</a>, returning to the Island storyline. Some of the pieces didn't quite make sense after all was said and done, but watching everyone board and take their seats on Flight 316 was awesomely cool, especially when Ben came in and Hurley freaked out. But the very best part of the scene - the part that really gave me goosebumps - was when we heard Frank Lapidus' voice come over the intercom. Frank comes out to speak with Jack , surveys the cabin and sees Hurley... and Sayid... Kate... Sun... Ben... and realization slowly creeps across his face, prompting the best line of the episode:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"We're not going to Guam, are we?"</span></blockquote>It's a terrific line, a terrific scene and one of the many reasons Frank was one of my favorite characters on the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/GotMilk.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">51) <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">You guys got any milk?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Whole_Truth">2.16 - The Whole Truth</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Henry Gale plays some mind games with Jack and Locke<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Moment when Ben became the best character on the show<br /><br />I think many people might have placed this scene a tad bit higher on the list and I shuffled it around a great deal before settling on it here. After all, "Got Milk" is now classic Lost - and probably one of the most memorable moments of the second season. The Henry Gale story arc was by far the best Season 2 had to offer and <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;">You guys got any milk?</span><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span> was by far its most memorable line.<br /><br />Thing is, as great as this scene was with Ben - and it's probably the scene that finally cemented him as the leader of the Others in the eyes of the writers - it's not the end of this story arc and I actually liked a few of the subsequent scenes even better than this one (and you'll be seeing some of those scenes very soon). So feel free to shuffle them around in the list if you disagree.<br /><br />I think this scene might have been higher on my list had Ben actually set a trap for Ana-Lucia, Sayid and Charlie at the balloon. But that's nitpicking, I suppose. Instead we got Ben playing some delicious mind games with Locke and Jack... and eating cereal. And who eats cereal without milk? :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #41)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week Ben maintains his lead in the character rankings and Season 5 pulls away a bit in the Seasons. I'm expecting a great deal of shuffling in both lists though in the weeks to come. The top of the list is quite different character and episode-wise from the bottom. Well, except for Ben - Ben's just all over the list. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 15<br />Locke - 12<br />Jack - 11<br />Smokey - 8<br />Sawyer - 8<br />Hurley - 7<br />Daniel - 4<br />Eko - 4<br />Jacob - 4<br />Jin - 4<br />Richard - 4<br />Sayid - 4<br />Tom Friendly - 4<br />Charles Widmore - 3<br />Charlie - 3<br />Claire - 3<br />Danielle - 3<br />Desmond - 3<br />Michael - 3<br />Kate - 3<br />Frank - 2<br />Juliet - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Penny - 2<br />Pierre Chang - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Bernard and Rose - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Sun - 1<br />Walt - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Five - 15<br />Season Three - 13<br />Season Six - 12<br />Season One - 12<br />Season Two - 9<br />Season Four - 7<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#40-31</span><span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note</span>: I'll be away this coming weekend for four days, so the next installment may be delayed a bit, depending on how much typing I can get done while I'm away. Happy Labor Day, everyone! :)<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-20679121429301502622010-08-24T20:36:00.008-04:002010-08-25T14:43:12.347-04:00Top 108 Moments: #60-51<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"But when he asked to see you, he gets marched straight up here as if he was Moses. So... why him? Hmm? What was it that was so wrong with me? What about me?!"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenJacob.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the sixth part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-70-61.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #60-51</span><span>. This is the last of the first half - we cross the halfway mark in this post</span>. Pretty much all the humorous scenes are gone, now we're starting to get to the nitty gritty of Lost goodness! Starting next week: The Top 50 Moments in Lost. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">60) Ben kills Jacob</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Parts_1_%26_2">5.16 - The Incident</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben unleashes years of pent up frustration into Jacob's chest<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: The loophole comes full circle<br /><br />Putting aside the fact it never was fully explained why Smokey was trapped in Locke's body when he took his form or if Smokey's master plan was really to manipulate Ben into killing Jacob, you can't really argue with the results. This is the moment we realize Zombie Locke is really the MiB - certainly a WTF? moment on its own. But this scene is really great because of Ben - selfish, childish manipulative Ben, who finally finds himself on the wrong end of a scheme, and his speech to Jacob right before he kills him is one of the best of the show.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/05/lost-episode-review-516-517-incident.html">I said at the time</a> it reminded me a bit of "Field of Dreams" in that regard, where Ray Kinsella asks the ghost of Shoeless Joe "What's in it for me?" Joe's response was "Is that what this is about, Ray? You?" In many respects that scene is a perfect parallel - albeit in an alternate twisted universe - to this one. Ben spent the entire show professing that everything he did was for the good of the Island, but really Ben was simply doing whatever he needed to do to remain in power. In addition, he also had a childlike need to feel wanted, needed, respected and important, in much the same way that Locke did, ironically. So Ben lashed out at Jacob like a child, just like Smokey hoped he would. Michael Emerson did an amazing job with this scene - one of his best of the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SmokeyEko.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">59) Smokey kills Eko</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Cost_of_Living">3.05 - The Cost of Living</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey kills Eko for allowing the Hatch to implode<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Eko goes out with a great line. Plus: Did Smokey mock him at the end?<br /><br />This is a scene that I hated at first, but has grown on me a lot in retrospect. Eko was my favorite character in Season 2 and I was greatly disappointed that the writers were forced to write him out of the show due to <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Adewale_Akinnuoye-Agbaje" title="Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje">Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje</a>'s demands. But there are two terrific things about this scene. First off, there's Eko's unrepentance of his life. I love, love, love this line<span style="font-style: italic;">:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"I did not ask for the life that I was given. But it was given, nonetheless. And with it... I did my best." </span></blockquote>When Eko was first introduced, it seemed he was truly trying to repent for his past sins. But upon reaching the end, he suddenly realized he wasn't repentant at all and took responsibility for all that he'd done. It turns Lost's major theme of repentance and starting over on its head - really Eko was probably the only character on the show who completely embraced his pre-Island self at the end, flawed as it was.<br /><br />The second thing I love about this scene is something that may not have actually been intentional, but if it was, it was terrific. I first thought that Smokey's method of killing Eko by bashing him against trees was kinda lame, especially in contrast to the way he shredded the pilot. But after the episode aired, some people commented that Smokey actually made the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_Cross">Sign of the Cross</a> as he was flinging Eko around. Did he really? Hard to say - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXHfHZZMxYw">judge for yourself</a>. But if the writers intended to have Smokey mock Eko by killing him in that way, kudos all around. Simply brilliant.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/KateFootball.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">58) Jack spikes the football<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Par_Avion">3.12 - Par Avion</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Kate, Locke and Sayid find Jack enjoying a nice game of football with Tom<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Kate's expression is priceless<br /><br />The second half of Season 3 starts to pick up steam this episode as Sayid, Locke and Kate finally make their way to the barracks to find Jack. But when they arrive, they find the unthinkable - Jack happily playing a game of football with Mr. Friendly. As far as episode enders go, this one was hardly a shock - after all, we knew Jack had made an agreement with Ben to go home. But what really made this ending a classic was Kate's expression at the end. Her shock at seeing Jack happily cavorting with one of the main antagonists of the series to that point was simply hilarious, the perfect mix of incredulity and horror. Makes me laugh every time I see it.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Lafleur-1.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">57) Sawyer confronts Richard in 1974</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode: </span><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/LaFleur"><span>5.08 - LaFleur</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer convinces Richard to keep the truce by dropping Locke's name<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Sawyer unwittingly reinforces Richard's opinion of Locke<br /><br />LaFleur may very well make it onto my overall Top 10 list in the end and this scene was one of the very best of the episode. The best thing about the whole time travel storyline was how Richard's opinion of Locke was reinforced over the years by all the time travelers. The only reason Richard even considered Locke important at all was because he disappeared in front of his eyes in 1954. Twenty years later, Sawyer appears on the Island and drops Locke's name as he tries to keep Richard to preserve the truce:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><blockquote>SAWYER: Yeah, I know about it. I also know that 20 years ago, some bald fella limped into your camp and fed you some mumbo jumbo about being your leader. And then poof... he went and disappeared right in front of ya. Any of this ringin' a bell? That man's name is John Locke, and I'm waitin' for him to come back. So... you still think I'm a member of the damn DHARMA Initiative? </blockquote><p></p>In doing so, Sawyer unwittingly helped reinforce Richard's opinion of Locke in 1974, and in doing so played a major role in Jacob's eventual demise in 2007. Goosebump inducing scene for me and very well played by Josh Holloway.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SmokeyBen.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">56) Ben is "judged" by Smokey</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dead_Is_Dead">5.12 - Dead is Dead</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey tricks Ben into helping him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Great at the time, even better in retrospect. Plus: Smokey Alex is awesome<br /><br />This is a scene that I think loses something by not having all the Egyptology stuff explained, especially the hieroglyphs of Smokey appearing in front of Anubis. Still, the scene was awesomely great at the time, made even better once we learned that Smokey and Zombie Locke were one and the same since this was probably the critical point which allowed Ben to be pushed over the edge into killing Jacob. After all, how was he supposed to say no to the visage of his beloved, dead daughter?<br /><br />Speaking of which, Smokey Alex was simply terrific here. The part where she pins him to the stone column and tells him to do whatever John Locke says (and even accuses Ben of trying to kill him again) was darkly brilliant and effective. Made for a nice return cameo for Tania Raymonde too.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/KateJacob.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">55) Jacob gives Katie</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> a gift</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">5.16 - The Incident</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We see the first of the candidates being born<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: All Jacob's moments are great, but Kate's is the best<br /><br />I really wanted to put all of Jacob's flashbacks into one moment, but in the end I decided to pick just one to represent them all. Jacob's flashbacks are great because they answered one of the series' most important outstanding questions: Were all the Flight 815 survivors on the Island for reason? The answer was a most emphatic "yes" after seeing Jacob touch all the candidates at critical moments in their past. It was tremendously well done and another reason why The Incident is a standout episode.<br /><br />The reason I picked Jacob's flashback with Kate is because of all the candidates, hers had the best Easter Eggs for the fans. Yes, it was cool seeing Sawyer write his letter and John hitting the pavement in the background, but seeing Kate getting caught shoplifting the lunchbox she used for the Time Capsule she buried with Tom was something that probably wouldn't have been picked up by everyone. And before you say "Hey, you always thought the toy airplane was lame," which it was, it's still Lost history and a very neat reference for observant watchers. If you prefer one of the other flashbacks to Kate's though, feel free to insert it here.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Ethan.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">54) Hurley finds someone is not on the manifest<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Raised_by_Another">1.10 - Raised by Another</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Hurley discovers Ethan wasn't on the plane<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the most ominous moments of the show<br /><br />And now we start the top half of the list! Woo!<br /><br />First up is probably the most ominous moment of the first season, if not the entire show. For nine episodes we had gone along seeing weird things and getting the feeling the Island wasn't all it seemed to be. Polar bears and Monsters were menacing enough, but the former could be killed while the latter was rarely seen. However, when Hurley discovered that there was someone in their group who wasn't on the flight manifest it suddenly presented a very real, very tangible threat to the group.<br /><br />I remember my heart sinking into my stomach when Hurley told Jack there was someone who wasn't on the plane. Then a quick cut to creepy looking Ethan staring at Claire and Charlie, alone in the jungle. It was one of those "oh ****" moments and one of the best trombone endings of the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenandJuliet.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">53) Juliet and Ben have a little chat</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/One_of_Us">3.16 - One of Us</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben outlines his plan to Juliet<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Terrific shock ending<br /><br />Speaking of trombone endings, here's another one. We finally start to like and sympathize with Juliet. Jack trusts her, and tries to convince the group to do the same. And just when it seems she really is one of the group we get a terrific flashback of her and Ben, going over his plan to scout out the camp for pregnant females, stealing them away and killing the rest. And all of this was delightfully juxtaposed with Juliet setting up a tent at the beach as she's looking around and scouting out her new found friends.<br /><br />Not only is this a terrific scene for Juliet, but it's also a terrific scene for Ben, solidifying his status once again as the master manipulator of the show. This is the way Lost episodes are supposed to end, on the edge of your seat and wanting more. One of the best endings of the third season.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DanielsJournal.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">52) Desmond Hume will be my constant<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">4.05 - The Constant</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Daniel reads his journal<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Terrific epilogue to the best episode of Lost<br /><br />Yes, yes. The true ending and emotional high point of "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">The Constant</a>," if not the entire show, was Desmond's Christmas Eve phone call to Penny. But nearly as good is the actual scene that The Constant actually ended with: Daniel, sitting on the beach and reading through his journal, coming across the words "If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be my constant."<br /><br />Those words eventually became a catchphrase for the entire show, spawning <a href="http://shop.cafepress.com/lost-constant">a legion of fan related merchandise</a>. It was the perfect ending to the best episode of Lost.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BernardandRose.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">51) The Tailies reunite with the rest of the beach folk</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Collision">2.08 - Collision</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The Tailies complete their trip across the Island<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best reunion scene of the show<br /><br />Of all the reunion scenes on the show, nothing tops the reunion on the beach as the Tailies arrive at camp with Sawyer, Jin and Michael in tow. Bernard and Rose were the centerpiece here, of course. But we also got to see Jin and Sun together again, Sawyer and Kate, Michael and Vincent and, to a lesser extent, Jack and Ana-Lucia. We had waited for this moment since the raft survivors discovered the Tailies on the other side of the Island, but in my book it exceeded all expectations. Not a dry eye in this household when Bernard and Rose embraced.<br /><br />Lost tried many times to replicate the emotion of this scene, but I don't think any of them topped the original.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #51)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week Ben pulls away a bit in the character rankings, but the real change was in the seasons, with Seasons 3 and 5 leapfrogging Season 6 into the lead. After next week, I might split the rankings into Top Half and Bottom Half - remember the halfway point for this really at #54-55, with #54 being the first moment in the top half of the list.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 12<br />Jack - 9<br />Locke - 9<br />Smokey - 8<br />Sawyer - 7<br />Hurley - 5<br />Jacob - 4<br />Daniel - 4<br />Sayid - 4<br />Tom Friendly - 4<br />Charlie - 3<br />Claire - 3<br />Michael - 3<br />Eko - 3<br />Jin - 3<br />Kate - 3<br />Richard - 3<br />Charles Widmore - 2<br />Danielle - 2<br />Desmond - 2<br />Juliet - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Pierre Chang - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Bernard and Rose - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Frank - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Sun - 1<br />Walt - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Three - 12<br />Season Five - 12<br />Season Six - 11<br />Season One - 10<br />Season Four - 7<br />Season Two - 6<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Top 50 begins! #50-41</span><span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-71637277956031267292010-08-17T13:40:00.003-04:002010-08-25T09:29:54.317-04:00Top 108 Moments: #70-61<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"Dad?"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Whoisthis.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the fifth part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-108-moments-80-71.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #70-61</span><span>, starting to get into some more of the<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>substantial</span>ly great scenes from LOST, really only one humorous scene this week, and we're creeping ever closer to the really powerful moments which make up the Top 50. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">70) Michael talks to "Walt"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/What_Kate_Did">2.09 - What Kate Did</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Michael talks to <span style="font-style: italic;">someone</span> using the Swan computer<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Great early shock ending...<br /><br />In making these lists it has continually surprised me how many great stand alone moments are in overall poor episodes of the series. I think I speak for the majority here when I say that "What Kate Did" was a bit of a let down. We had been waiting for a season and a half to discover why Kate was on the run and who she murdered (remember she admitted to killing someone to Sawyer), but they fact she killed her abusive step-father just didn't quite fit with the intensity with which the Marshall pursued her. And the other minor plots in the episode - Kate tending to Sawyer (who appeared to be possessed by Smokey pretending to be Wayne) and Kate meeting a black horse that reminded her of one from her past - were similarly weak.<br /><br />But it's easy to forget that this episode had the mind-blowing ending that helped Season 2 get its groove back. Michael communicating with "Walt" opened up so many new questions and possibilities. Was it really Walt Michael was talking to? (nope) If not, how did the Others know Michael was there? (the Pearl) Are there more working DHARMA stations out there? (yep) Is this all an elaborate trap? (yep)<br /><br />The second half of Season 2 is one of the best overall runs the show had starting with 1) Eko's backstory and our first really good look at Smokey, 2) the introduction of "Henry Gale" 3) the Blast Door Map and the pallet drop, 4) Michael's shocking murder of Ana-Lucia and Libby, 5) our first look at The Pearl and 6) Desmond's return and the destruction of the Swan. But all that started at the end of "What Kate Did" and it was the moment Season 2 got back on track.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Cradle.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">69) Locke makes a cradle</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Numbers_%28episode%29">1.18 - Numbers</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke makes a cradle for Aaron<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Shaman Locke at his best<br /><br />Most people consider "Season 1 Locke" to be the classic Locke - he's the hunter, the shaman, the all-knowing wise man who's on the Island for a purpose. When Locke realized he could walk again, he also gained the self-confidence he never had before in his life and he used that self-confidence to great effect in the first season. Granted, a lot of that was all wishful thinking on Locke's part, but his confidence didn't wain until the end of the second season (and the arrival of Henry Gale).<br /><br />One of the best examples of classic Locke was actually just a sub-plot in one of <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2007/07/top-ten-episodes-7-118-numbers.html">my favorite overall episodes - "Numbers.</a>" The main plot of the episode was Hurley's backstory and his trek across the Island to find Danielle. It was the first time we had gotten any of Hurley's past and it was simply fabulous from start to finish. But intertwined with that story a curious series of scenes with Claire and Locke, where Locke asked a very pregnant Claire for some help on a project. At the end, Locke cleverly reveals they were working on making a cradle for Aaron, which became a prop staple for the remainder of the show.<br /><br />And the really neat thing about it was that the way it was filmed, it was really hard to tell they were making a cradle until Locke flipped it over (I thought it was some sort of booby trap myself) so we were just as surprised as Claire was.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Eko.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">68) Eko tells Michael a story<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Three_Minutes">2.22 - Three Minutes</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Eko tells Michael a parable as they mop up Libby's blood<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Eko at his best<br /><br />This is probably my personal favorite overall scene of Lost, partly because it so perfectly encapsulates why I loved Eko during his far too short Lost run. When Michael shot Libby and Ana-Lucia I didn't but his motivation at first - thought someone so completely innocent as Michael would never stoop to murdering an innocent person to save someone they loved. It still bothers me a bit, but perhaps not as much as it used to now that I have a kid myself. Granted I'd like to think were I in Michael's situation, I would have tried to work out a plan with, y'know, the people I've come to know and trust instead of going off (including a certain Iraqi Guardsman) instead of murdering them.<br /><br />That being said, after Libby died and her body was removed, we saw Michael staring guiltily at Libby's blood on the floor of the Swan. He was wiping it up with a rag when Eko came across him and they had this exchange:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><p>EKO: Hello. </p><p>MICHAEL: I didn't hear you come in, man. </p><p>EKO: I left my shoes outside. They were muddy. </p><p>MICHAEL: Did you find him? Henry? </p><p>EKO: No. </p><p>MICHAEL: I hear you're a priest. </p><p>EKO: Yes. </p><p>MICHAEL: I guess you believe in hell, then. </p><p>EKO: [helping Michael clean the blood] For a brief time I served in a small parish in England. Every Sunday after Mass, I would see a young boy waiting in the back of the church. And then one day, the boy confessed to me that he had beaten his dog to death with a shovel. He said that the dog had bitten his baby sister on the cheek; and he needed to protect her. And he wanted to know whether he would go to hell for this. I told him that God would understand -- that he would be forgiven, as long as he was sorry. But the boy did not care about forgiveness. He was only afraid that if he did go to hell -- that dog would be there waiting for him.<br /></p><p></p></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;"></p>It's an amazing scene, especially as Eko starts helping Michael wipe the blood he spilled off the floor. And he's right too in that Michael, at that moment, didn't really care about forgiveness; he did what he thought he had to do (even though it went against his very nature) to save Walt. He was sorry for what he'd done, but he was more afraid of what his punishment was going to be than being forgiven for it. Incredibly powerful scene, and one of my very favorites of the show.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Locke07backgammon.jpg" width="400" height="226" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">67) Locke tells Walt a secret over backgammon</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode:</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot,_Part_2">1.01 - The Pilot</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke tells Walt a secret<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Boy, does that Locke guy seem creepy. Plus: Foreshadowing<br /><br />The first two episodes of the show, Locke looked like he was going to be the villain. Between <a href="http://www.heathgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/locke-orange.jpg">the orange smiley face</a>, his weird eye scar and his friendliness towards Walt, he gave the impression of a pedophile rather than a shamanistic hunter/tracker with delusions of grandeur. And nothing more encapsulates this than his conversation with Walt over backgammon where he asks him whether he "wants to know a secret." When I first saw this I thought "<span style="font-style: italic;">Yeeek, run, Walt, run!</span>" But it's simply a great set up for "Walkabout" which came two episodes later.<br /><br />Now that the series is over, however, it's really an even better scene in that it perfectly foreshadows the general plot of the show in the very first episode. In fact, now it almost seems like it should be Smokey Locke saying those words rather than the real thing. Who knows, maybe it was...<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Ben.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">66) Ilana and Ben have words</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dr._Linus">6.07 - Dr. Linus</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ilana confronts Ben over Jacob's death<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Ben finally shows some regret<br /><br />Ilana really didn't do very much during her short run on the show. In fact, since I left her death scene off this list, I think this may be her only moment to make the list, and only because Ben is so incredible here. Ben never really redeemed himself in what we saw on the show. Yes, he apologized to Locke in Purgatory and it was certainly hinted he had a nice run at #2, but even after he realized he was used as a pawn by Smokey and may have played a key role in bringing about the end of the world, he still lied and connived and generally showed no remorse for what he'd done.<br /><br />It wasn't until Ilana chained him up and made him dig his own grave that he actually started to think about the consequences of his actions. And so came this honest explosion of emotion from Ben where he actually admits how alone he is in the world and about how, on this Island where all these people formed wonderful relationships, he has no one to turn to, nowhere to go but to Locke, because Locke is the only person who would have him. Ilana, to her credit, then forgives him and allows him to rejoin the group.<br /><br />The writers have repeatedly said the show was all about the characters, something I generally disagree with. But in Ben's case, I concede; Ben's character moments in the final season were by far the best of any we saw and this moment was near the top of his list.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Daniel.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">65) Daniel witnesses the Orchid being built</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Because_You_Left">5.01 - Because You Left</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We see the Orchid being built... and Daniel is there?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Guess there's going to be time travel on the show, eh?<br /><br />Back in my Best Season Opener poll, "Because You Left" didn't receive a single vote. Not surprising given that it really is the weakest of all the season openers, but it's so easy to forget that it opened with this terrific foreshadowing scene. Remember that, at this point in the series, there was no physical time travel yet, only Desmond's flashes and mental trip in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">Flashes Before Your Eyes</a>." And in the season finale, the Island had simply disappeared - we hadn't yet learned to where or when.<br /><br />But this episode opened things up with a bang. What did this single scene have?<br /><br />1) A look a Pierre Chang's life with DHARMA on the Island<br />2) The revelation that the Donkey Wheel was found by DHARMA on the Island<br />3) A look at the Orchid while it was being built<br />4) The revelation that <span style="font-style: italic;">Daniel was present while it was being built</span><br /><br />And that last one was a huge "whoa" at the time. And to their credit, Darlton didn't leave us hanging as to how Daniel got there since we immediately saw the Losties on the Island were flashing through time. The time travel/DHARMA past portion of Lost was one of my favorite stretches of the show and this scene gave us a delightful taste of what was to come.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/HurleyTimeTravel.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">64) Miles and Hurley talk time travel<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Whatever_Happened,_Happened">5.11 - Whatever Happened, Happened</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Miles and Hurley freak and geek out<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because every fan had this exact same conversation<br /><br />This is really two separate scenes, but I'm mashing them together as one. The screencap above is from the first brief portion where Hurley checks his hand to see if it disappears, ala "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/">Back to the Future</a>." But then the scene shifts and when it returns to our dynamic duo they have this conversation:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;">[Hurley is seated in the house, questioning Miles.]<br /></p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Let me get this straight. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">[Miles is pacing.] </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: All this already happened. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: Yes. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: So this conversation we're having right now...we already had it. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: [Claps his hands] Yes! </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Then what am I gonna say next? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: I don't know. [Shakes his head.] </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Ha'! Then your theory is wrong! </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: For the thousandth time, you dingbat, the conversation already happened, but not for you and me. For you and me, it's happening right now. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Okay, answer me this. If all this already happened to me, then...why don't I remember any of it? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: Because once Ben turned that wheel, time isn't a straight line for us anymore. Our experiences in the past and the future occurred before these experiences right now. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">[Hurley's face tightens in confusion as he thinks, Miles stares at him.] </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Say that again. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: [Pauses in exasperation and pulls out his gun and holds it out for Hurley to take.] Shoot me. Please. Please! </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Aha! I can't shoot you. Because if you die in 1977, then you'll never come back to the island on the freighter 30 years from now. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: I can die because I've already come to the island on the freighter. Any of us can die because this is our present. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: But you said Ben couldn't die because he still has to grow up and become the leader of the Others. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: Because this is his past. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: But when we first captured Ben, and Sayid, like, tortured him, then why wouldn't he remember getting shot by that same guy when he was a kid? </p><p style="font-style: italic;">[Miles blinks and looks around. Hurley raises his eyebrow.] </p><p style="font-style: italic;">MILES: Huh. I hadn't thought of that. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">HURLEY: Huh. [Crossing his arms.] </p></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;"></p>We now know that Ben didn't remember Sayid because of the effects of the Temple Spring. But I swear I had this exact same conversation about time travel with my brother. In fact, <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/03/time-and-again.html">I even wrote a blog post about it</a>. It's a terrific scene for the geek in all of us. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Counttofive.jpg" width="400" height="298" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">63) Jack teaches Kate to count to five</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_2">1.01 - The Pilot</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack meets Kate and has her stitch him up<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Became a signature moment of the series<br /><br />This is the second moment from the Pilot to make the list (along with the moment above) and I can tell you there will be more. The Pilot was so iconic, there are several moments from that episode that simply have to be included. And haters can hate, but Kate meeting Jack for the first time over suturing is certainly one of them in my book. Not only does this scene get referenced many times during the series (when Kate flees from the Monster later in the episode, as Kate is lowered into the Hatch by Locke, Jack's password for Kate when he knew she escaped from Hydra Island, etc.), and we actually get to see the story Jack tells about his botched surgery later on in <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Parts_1_%26_2">The Incident</a>.<br /><br />It's a terrific scene, both Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly are super here and the latter looks fabulous (if you met her on the street you'd never know she was a fugitive who just survived a plane crash).<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/ChristianinWater.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">62) Jack sees Christian on the beach<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/White_Rabbit">1.04 - White Rabbit</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack sees his dad standing in the water<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Iconic image of the first season<br /><br />When I first made the list, this image was one that immediately popped into my mind. When I went back and looked, I was surprised that this wasn't the first time Jack saw Christian on the Island; in "Walkabout" Jack sees <a href="http://lostchap.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/christian-shephard.jpg?w=500&h=280">his dad standing under a tree</a> on the edge of the beach. That scene was the first time we got a clue there might be something going on with dead people on the Island. But this is the scene that sticks out in my mind for me - right after Jack rescues Boone from drowning, he looks and sees his father, wearing his funeral suit, standing in the breakers on the beach. It's such a striking image, it's one that's stayed with me throughout the series.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Kapow.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">61) Alt Desmond runs over Locke</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Everybody_Loves_Hugo">6.12 - Everybody Loves Hugo</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond runs over Locke<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Shockingly great at the time<br /><br />There are several "Theory Making" moments during Lost - moments that turned everything we thought we knew about the Island on its head. The finding of the Hatch was one, Jack's first flashforward was another, Locke being revealed as Smokey was huge. All of these fundamentally made us question the nature of the show itself and where the plot was heading and they made for great, momentous television.<br /><br />And even though it turned out to be a bit disappointing in the end, Desmond running down Alt Locke was a mind-blower. At the time, we still had no idea that the Alt was Purgatory. In fact, the predominant theory was that it was an alternate timeline. So when Desmond ran Locke down in a way which really made it look like he was trying to kill him, my first thought was "What if Alt Locke was really Alt Smokey?" After all, he didn't have to seemingly kill any of the other Losties to wake them up - this was something totally different from how he approached the others, it made us think Alt Locke was different and needed to die. Alas, it was not the case, but it made for the best week of Lost discussion of the final season and was a terrific, heart-stopping ending to a great episode to boot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #61)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week not much change at the top of the character rankings and Season 6 also keeps its lead, but Season One leaps up with four entries on the list.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 9<br />Jack - 8<br />Locke - 8<br />Sawyer - 6<br />Smokey - 5<br />Hurley - 4<br />Charlie - 3<br />Claire - 3<br />Daniel - 3<br />Michael - 3<br />Sayid - 3<br />Tom Friendly - 3<br />Charles Widmore - 2<br />Danielle - 2<br />Desmond - 2<br />Eko - 2<br />Jacob - 2<br />Jin - 2<br />Kate - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Miles - 2<br />Pierre Chang - 2<br />Richard - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Frank - 1<br />Ilana - 1<br />Juliet - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Walt - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Six - 11<br />Season One - 9<br />Season Three - 9<br />Season Five - 8<br />Season Four - 6<br />Season Two - 5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#60-51</span><span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-16118074725509342212010-08-08T14:10:00.004-04:002010-08-08T14:28:55.255-04:00Top 108 Moments: #80-71<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"Well, look at that. Somebody's hooked on phonics."<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DharmaBeer.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the fourth part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #80-71</span> - keep in mind that most of the really powerful moments are reserved for the Top 50. A lot of the bottom of the list goes to humor and cool character pieces. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">80) Sawyer tries to teach Jin some English </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Tricia_Tanaka_Is_Dead">3.10 - Tricia Tanaka is Dead</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer teaches Jin all the English he ever needs to know<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Funny scene, largely because Jin and Sawyer have a great friendship<br /><br />Nothing builds friendships like being forced into awkward situations together. Sawyer and Jin first bonded on the raft, a bond that was reinforced during their trek across the Island with the Tailies. It's one of the unlikeliest of friendships, but one that really worked well on the show. It's not often you talk about chemistry between friends, but Sawyer and Jin had far more chemistry than Sawyer and Kate.<br /><br />"Tricia Tanaka" for me was an okay episode the first time through, but it's one that looks even better in retrospect because 1) it introduces us to Roger "Work Man" several episodes before we discover who he really is and 2) it sets up Hurley's awesome drive-by save in the season finale. But the best scene of the episode was shortly after Jin reunites with Sawyer, who had just returned to the camp after his stay on Hydra Island. Sitting in the van, drinking what must have been some seriously skunked DHARMA beer, they have this exchange. I think I'll let it speak for itself:<br /><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">SAWYER: I'm sorry. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">JIN: I'm sorry. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">SAWYER: Okay, nice. Keep it coming. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">JIN: You were right. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">SAWYER: Okay. That's two. Hit me. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">JIN: Those pants don't make you look fat. </p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">SAWYER: Now you got it -- only three things a woman needs to hear. </p></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"></p><blockquote></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic;"></p>Ba DUM, <span style="font-style: italic;">ching! </span><br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Cork.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">79) Jacob tells Richard a metaphor</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Ab_Aeterno">6.09 - Ab Aeterno</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jacob tells Richard the purpose of the Island... and offers him a job<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Info, straight from the Island god's mouth<br /><br />"Ab Aeterno" was definitely the high point of the sixth season for me. Not only did it give us Richard's backstory, but it filled us in a bit on the nature of Jacob and Smokey's conflict. It also showed us the darker side of Jacob, hinting at what we were going to see later on in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Across_the_Sea">Across The Sea</a>" - this wasn't a pure and innocent Island God we had here. And after Jacob waterboarded Richard and determined he was an innocent pawn, he sat down on the beach with him and explained the nature of the Island. It was a great scene, one that if you were making a clip show of the entire series you could probably open with because it explains the central conflict of the show eloquently and succinctly.<br /><br />I do, however, think this scene neatly shows also why I was a bit disappointed with the ending of the show itself. Here Jacob presents Smokey as "evil, malevolence" - horrible stuff that would destroy the world if it escaped. And the sole purpose of the Island was to keep that evil contained. The first problem I have with this is that the Island existed long before Jacob threw his brother into the Source, thus the Island's original purpose was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> to contain Smokey, it was to contain whatever that red light was underneath the cork. Now maybe that red light was the actual evil Jacob was referring to, but if that's the case why doesn't he let his brother go free? Seems it would be easier than having to continuously dodge all the attempts on his life. Secondly, regardless of whether Jacob was referring to Smokey or the Source, this scene makes it seem that Smokey escaping would mean the end of the world. But would it really? After "Across the Sea," where Smokey was actually shown to be a somewhat sympathetic character and a product of poor choices by Jacob and Mother, I really don't think so. But regardless of later happenings on the show, this was a terrific scene and probably the mythological high point of Season 6.<br /><br />And, of course, it's also worth mentioning that right after Jacob's little story he offers Richard a job and makes him immortal. Minor details there. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackPutts.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">78) Jack putts for sunscreen<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Solitary">1.09 - Solitary</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The Losties bond over golf<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Maybe they can all get along after all. Plus: Sawyer joins the group<br /><br />The Island golf course that Hurley made was sadly never really returned to after this episode, which is a shame since I think it would have been nice to visit it every once in a while, like using "play a round of golf" as a euphemism for "have a serious talk" or "we need to make a plan somewhere no one will overhear us."<br /><br />And the final golf course scene in "Solitary" is terrific. It features most of the original cast together, watching Charlie and Jack play a round of golf. Jack's up to putt and needs to make it to win. Bets begin to change hands as he sets up for his shot, when suddenly Sawyer, who to this point has been <span style="font-style: italic;">persona non grata</span> on the show, bets "two tubes of sunscreen and a flashlight he chokes." It was really the first time Sawyer made the effort to integrate himself with the rest of the Losties and really the first time "classic" Sawyer appeared.<br /><br />The scene ends right after Jack hits the golf ball - we don't see whether he actually made it or not. I love that.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Arzt.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">77) Arzt explodes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_2">1.24 - Exodus, Part 2</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Arzt demonstrates how<span style="font-style: italic;"> not</span> to handle old dynamite<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: First surprise death of Lost, and by far the best<br /><br />I've put up a new poll asking which was the best Season Finale and I'm very curious to see the results. For me, I'd have to choose between "Exodus," "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Through_the_Looking_Glass">Through The Looking Glass</a>," and "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">The Incident</a>." All have their high and low points, but I think Exodus had a total of more memorable scenes than either of the other two. One of the best small scenes in any finale was Dr. Leslie Arzt, whose memorable demise made him a fan favorite. And one of the best things about it was the way the writers subtly introduced him. If you remember, Arzt first appeared the episode before in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Born_to_Run">Born to Run</a>" to deliver a lecture on ocean currents to Michael and his fellow raftees. It was a fairly seamless introduction of what we thought at the time might be a new, recurring cast member. And when he appeared again in the finale, I actually thought the writers might be setting him up to be a regular in Season 2 (or that he was another Other mole, like Ethan).<br /><br />His dynamite departure though was a complete shock at the time. In retrospect, it was necessary to effectively illustrate the volatile nature of the stuff they were moving - really this scene made every other scene on the show using the dynamite a lot more suspenseful than it would have been otherwise (even if there wasn't another accident until Ilana went boom). And Hurley's later quip "Dude, you got some Arzt on you" became one of the classic Lost lines of all time. R.I.P., Arzt.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackTestsSawyer.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">76) Sawyer gets glasses</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Deus_Ex_Machina">1.19 - Deus Ex Machina</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack gleefully fixes Sawyer's headaches<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Jack enjoys seeing Sawyer squirm<br /><br />Much like Jack's comeback to Ben, this scene is a rare case of Jack getting the better of somebody. Sawyer had been having frequent headaches, so Kate convinces him to go to Jack for help. Jack deduces the problem immediately, but in a rare display of quick thinking on his part, he manages to use the opportunity to put one over on Sawyer, asking him an embarrassing series of questions about his sex life in front of Kate.<br /><br />And the funniest thing is Sawyer was probably more embarrassed when he later got the actual glasses than he was from Jack's interrogation.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/TominManhattan.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">75) Tom Friendly recruits Michael</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Meet_Kevin_Johnson">4.08 - Meet Kevin Johnson</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Tom Friendly convinces Michael to take a job<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: A great last goodbye to a fan favorite<br /><br />Back in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities">A Tale of Two Cities</a>," Tom Friendly hinted that he was gay when he told Kate that she "wasn't exactly his type." And when he was killed off in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Through_the_Looking_Glass">Through The Looking Glass</a>," fans were a bit disappointed we didn't get to explore Friendly's life (and backstory) in a bit more detail. The following season, however, not only does Friendly return in Michael's flashback, we actually get to see his swank Manhattan apartment he shares with Arturo.<br /><br />Not only was this a great encore for Tom, but it also allowed us to get a glimpse into the other lives of the Others - seems Ben does allow them off the Island for some R&R once in a while. A fitting finale to a great character.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Danielle-1.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">74) Danielle and Locke share a moment in the Black Rock<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Brig">3.19 - The Brig</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Danielle and Locke run into each other unexpectedly<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Terrific moment of understanding between two great characters<br /><br />This is one of those little scenes I love, love, love. Locke has Sawyer in the Black Rock's brig with Cooper, when Danielle enters to gather some dynamite for Jack. They notice each other and barely any words are spoken. Locke doesn't ask her why she's gathering dynamite and Danielle doesn't ask who he's got in the brig. It's a terrific scene because it only works when you have two great characters (and character actors) that the audience knows and understands. And the looks Danielle and Locke give each other as Danielle departs are pitch perfect.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/CharliesList.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">73) Charlie finishes his list</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Greatest_Hits">3.21 - Greatest Hits</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Charlie finishes his Top 5 list<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Charlie's redemption<br /><br />I really hated Charlie starting at the end of the first season. I thought his "relationship" with Claire seemed forced, his drug addict storyline was tired and his flashbacks were boring. When Desmond told him he was going to die in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">Flashes Before Your Eyes</a>" I lept up out of my chair and applauded. But Charlie being told of his imminent demise totally rejuvenated his character during the third season.<br /><br />I knew I wanted to have a moment from "Greatest Hits" on the list, but it was really hard to pick a single one. I think GH is an episode that works better as a whole; it's one of the best overall episodes of the show, despite not really having any stand out moments. I thought about using the shot of Charlie's DS ring in Aaron's crib, but that's really not a scene, <span style="font-style: italic;">per se</span>, despite it being the most iconic image of the episode. But really the best overall moment of the episode is at the end, after he finishes his list. Before diving down to the "Looking Glass" Charlie tries to give his list to Desmond to give to Claire, Desmond refuses and tells him that he'll go in Charlie's stead. As he's getting ready to dive, Charlie hits Desmond with the paddle and dives down alone, fully embracing his destiny in the hopes Claire and Aaron will be rescued with his sacrifice. That's Charlie's moment of redemption and that's the scene that makes the list.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenKillsCharles.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">72) Ben kills Charles<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/What_They_Died_For">6.16 - What They Died For</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben gets his revenge on Charles<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Only Ben would choose revenge over saving the world<br /><br />If there's one thing you can say about Benjamin Linus it's that he's consistent. Everything Ben does is for the good of one person: himself. He had Jack kidnapped because he needed him to perform an operation to save his life. He shot Locke when he thought Locke was going to steal his power. He strangled Locke when he still thought Locke was a threat to his power. He had Charles Widmore banished because he wanted his position. He used Sayid to kill off all his enemies. He killed Jacob for not ever rewarding him. Most, if not all, these decisions were were to the detriment of the Island he always professed to be trying to save. And you would think that after killing Jacob and purportedly putting the entire world in peril Ben might rearrange his priorities a bit.<br /><br />But when Ben was presented an opportunity to do so - he certainly didn't have to tell Smokey where Widmore and Tina Fey were hiding - he instead chose to betray them and take his revenge on Widmore, even if it might mean the end of the world. And yes, Ben did end up helping Team Jack in the end, but only because he wanted to survive by that point.<br /><br />Ben's revenge on Widmore is a great moment for me because, given an opportunity for redemption, Ben stayed true to himself instead.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/KeamyAlex.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">71) Keamy kills Alex, then gets pummeled by Smokey</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Shape_of_Things_to_Come">4.09 - The Shape of Things to Come</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben pays a steep price, then reveals a secret under his house<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Brutal death of a favorite character. Plus: Smokey can be summoned?!<br /><br />This is the second moment from "The Shape of Things to Come" in the list (<a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html">the previous moment was #101</a>) though it's by far the more significant. First off, Alex's death at Keamy's hand was both brutal, shocking and, while it wasn't exactly out of nowhere since Danielle and Karl were both killed the episode before, it was one of those deaths you really didn't think the writers would follow through on. But Alex's death was the catalyst behind most of Ben's actions the rest of the show (like #72) and sadly made Ben realize just how much he cared about her. Seemed to profoundly influence his afterlife too, eh?<br /><br />But the second half of this scene was equally as shocking at the time, since Ben's reaction to Alex's death was to run to a secret room underneath his house and <span style="font-style: italic;">summon Smokey</span>? As cool as this scene was at the time, in retrospect it doesn't hold up quite as well because 1) it never really was explained why the heck the Others had a method to summon Smokey and 2) now that we know who Smokey is, it really doesn't seem plausible he'd be able to be summoned for anything that didn't result in Jacob's death.<br /><br />But at the time, this scene was one of the very best moments of the show in one of the best episodes of Season 4.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #71)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week Ben takes over the lead from Jack and Season 6 keeps its lead over Seasons Five and Three. Also, just to make note of it here, Smokey in Locke's body counts as Smokey in the tally. Thus pretty much any time we see Locke after "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Life_and_Death_of_Jeremy_Bentham">The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham</a>" it's actually a Smokey appearance even though we didn't actually find out it was really Smokey until "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Incident,_Part_1">The Incident</a>." Just FYI.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 8<br />Sawyer - 6<br />Jack - 6<br />Locke - 5<br />Smokey - 4<br />Charlie - 3<br />Hurley - 3<br />Sayid - 3<br />Tom Friendly - 3<br />Charles Widmore - 2<br />Claire - 2<br />Daniel - 2<br />Danielle - 2<br />Jacob - 2<br />Jin - 2<br />Keamy - 2<br />Richard - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Alex - 1<br />Arzt - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Desmond - 1<br />Eko - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Frank - 1<br />Juliet - 1<br />Kate - 1<br />Michael - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Miles - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Pierre Chang - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Three - 9<br />Season Six - 9<br />Season Five - 6<br />Season Four - 6<br />Season One - 5<br />Season Two - 3<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#70-61</span><span>.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-89053254719248498882010-08-04T12:54:00.003-04:002010-08-04T13:05:30.739-04:00To DVD Or Not To DVD, That Is The Question...We interrupt our regularly scheduled Lost Moments list to bring you this important announcement:<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Complete-Sixth-Final-Season/dp/B0036EH3XE/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c">Season 6 DVD</a> comes out on August 24th, however there is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Complete-Collection-Naveen-Andrews/dp/B0036EH3WU/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1280939823&sr=1-2">Lost: The Complete Collection</a> set being released on the same day. This brings up a question. I wouldn't necessarily be against getting the Complete Collection and selling my remaining DVDs on eBay if the CC contained a lot of additional footage worthy of the additional expense of both time and money. I certainly don't need the following:<br /><br />• Special edition collectible Senet game as seen in Season 6<br />• Custom LOST island replica<br />• Exclusive episode guide<br />• Collectible ankh<br />• Black light <br /><br />However the two things that interest me are the "One full disc of never-before-seen content" and "30+ hours of bonus from Seasons 1-6." I think I'm going to wait for reviews to see if the additional footage is worth it. The one thing that does interest me (that's available on the Season 6 set) is <a href="http://seriable.com/lost-what-happened-after-the-end-revealed/">this</a>:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">The season 6 DVD, out Aug. 24, offers an original, 12-minute vignette called ”The New Man in Charge,” a tantalizing look at what Hurley (Jorge Garcia) and Ben (Michael Emerson, left) do as the new Island overseers. ”Ben is going around to Dharma installations and closing some down,” Emerson says. ”There are some good surprises.” And yes, ”it does answer questions.”<br /></blockquote>Now <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> I want to see. Check out this image:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://seriable.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lost-Ben-DVD-6_400.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://seriable.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lost-Ben-DVD-6_400.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Very cool. Really looking forward to seeing it. <a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/05/27/michael-emerson-teases-lost-epilogue/">Bit more info here too</a>. Now back to our regularly scheduled Lost Moments list (which should be up in a few more days).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-84257204865153874112010-07-29T08:27:00.001-04:002010-07-29T09:56:35.364-04:00Top 108 Moments: #90-81<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"So... when do we leave?"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Patchy.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the second part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #90-81</span> - keep in mind that most of the really powerful moments are reserved for the Top 50. A lot of the bottom of the list goes to humor and cool character pieces. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">90) Locke beats the crap out of Patchy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_Behind_the_Curtain">3.18 - The Man Behind The Curtain</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke makes his point to Ben... <span style="font-style: italic;">emphatically</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because it put the exclamation mark on the fact Patchy was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostface_%28Scream%29">Scream killer</a> of Lost<br /><br />Mikhail was one of my favorite characters from the third season, especially because of his hilarious propensity of bouncing back from a beating. First he was roughed up by Sayid at the Flame, then thrown through the sonic fence at low power, scrambling his brain and knocking him out. Later on, he ran into Desmond and crew in the jungle while they were looking for the helicopter pilot and got kickboxed into submission by Jin.<br /><br />When he finally reappeared at the Others' camp to report that Naomi had landed on the Island with a satellite phone, Locke was in the middle of trying to convince Ben to take him to see Jacob. And that's when Locke - the real Locke, mind you, <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> Smokey - finally let out all the anger and frustration that had built up over two seasons, landing it all squarely on Mikhail's face. It was hilarious because it was unexpected; Locke is not a violent man at heart. But seeing him finally let out some of his anger was one of those moments which made you stand up and cheer.<br /><br />And the fact Mikhail bounced back from that beating as well solidified his status as the "Scream" killer of Lost. For those of you unfamiliar, one of the running gags of the Scream series was that the killer was always someone who gets repeatedly pummeled by his victims as they're trying to get away, only to keep shrugging it off, bouncing back up and continuing the pursuit. And that perception of Mikhail is why so many people (including myself) expected him to have survived the grenade explosion that killed Charlie at the Looking Glass.<br /><br />But alas, it seems there are some things you just can't bounce back from anymore.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenSayid.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">89) Sayid works for Ben</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Economist">4.03 - The Economist</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sayid reveals he's become Ben's personal assassin<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: It's raining on Sayid's wedding day. Plus: It's a classic Ben move<br /><br />The Economist is another very underrated episode, IMHO, and it just might be Sayid's best episode. Lost really got its mojo back in the fourth season with the flashforwards which not only rejuvenated the Lost formula, but also gave us fresh looks at all our favorite characters. Sayid's episode was neat in that it featured a James Bond-like plot, with Sayid stalking his target in Berlin while romancing his prey's partner. I'm sure many people *ahem* didn't complain about the Sayid eye candy this episode either.<br /><br />But the ending, finding out Sayid was doing all of this for <span style="font-style: italic;">Ben</span> was simply mind-blowing. First of all, it told us that Ben also got off the Island somehow, despite not being part of the Oceanic Six. Secondly, it opened the possibility that all the rest of the O6 was in some sort of danger. But the best part about this scene were the character developments it brought about for Sayid for the rest of the show, all leading to him attempting to kill young Ben and briefly embracing his dark side when he kills Dogen and Lennon in the Temple.<br /><br />And then there's the great scene later in the season where Sayid professes he will never work for Ben, ever. Awesome.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenFuneral.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">88) Ben gives a blunt eulogy for Locke<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Substitute">6.04 - The Substitute</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Ben says a few words over Locke's body<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Again, classic Ben. Plus: Frank gets a one-liner<br /><br />This scene could be labeled as Ben Comedy, but it's really not. Ben was trying to be serious and genuine here. He was manipulated into killing an innocent man, one he really had no reason to hate as much as he did. His very blunt apology "I'm very sorry I murdered him" shocked the heck out of Ilana and the others and made us laugh with its honesty.<br /><br />But it's Frank who gets the punchline here with his "Weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to..." comment afterward. Comedy gold, Jerry.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Eloise-1.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">87) Young Eloise kills her son</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Variable">5.14 - The Variable</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Eloise completes a time loop with herself<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of the biggest shock deaths of Lost<br /><br />This was a total surprise to me and if certain elements of this scene didn't quite feel right with me it would be a lot higher up on my list. Still, as imperfect as the scene is, the idea that Eloise spent all her life training Daniel and pushing him in the direction of the Island to ensure he gets killed by her hand in the past was a pretty dark and brilliant idea by the writers.<br /><br />What bothers me a bit about the scene was how it all developed. Daniel's death in the Others' camp seemed a bit forced to me; he certainly didn't have to head in there waving a gun as he's not a violent man by any respects. Seemed there would have been better (and more tragic) ways of pulling this off without making it feel so contrived. But the shock was genuine and the scene fits perfectly with one of the major themes of the show: Free will vs. fate.<br /><br />Eloise was convinced that time couldn't be altered. That's why she sent Desmond to the Island, that's why she raised her son to be sacrificed at her hand. She believed in destiny - the the universe was ordered and set in stone and did everything she could to help it along. Was she right? Really hard to tell - the fact the Incident really didn't change history at all (all it did was create a Purgatory somehow) seems to suggest it really is immutable.<br /><br />Yeah Daniel believed otherwise, but look what happened to <span style="font-style: italic;">him</span><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span><br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/FishBiscuit.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">86) Sawyer gets a fish biscuit</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities">3.01 - A Tale of Two Cities</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer gets a tasty treat<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: One of my favorite humorous scenes. Plus: Tom Friendly gets a one-liner<br /><br />As bad as the bear cages were as the mini-series edged forward, Sawyer's initial introduction to them was hilarious. First of all, it did solve a major Island mystery for us: How did the Island get its indigenous population of polar bears? Turns out DHARMA was experimenting on them and they escaped after the purge. That in itself was pretty cool, but Sawyer figuring out the polar bear cage task was hilarious. And the fish biscuits became fan favorites too, even <a href="http://www.kungfoodie.com/lost-fish-biscuit/">inspiring fans to make their own</a> (presumably much tastier) versions.<br /><br />But the punchline to the scene just might have been the best line of the season by Tom Friendly. After noticing Sawyer had gotten himself a fish biscuit he blithely says "It only took the bears two hours." And with that line he completely surrendered the "major villain" title to Ben. Not that that's a bad thing.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BooneLocke.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">85) Locke's smokehouse vision</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Further_Instructions">3.03 - Further Instructions</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke gets a tour of the future with Spirit Guide Boone<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best of all the Lost dreams and visions. Plus: Stephen King reference<br /><br />Out of all the dreams and visions on Lost, Locke’s airport tour of the future with Spirit Guide Boone was my very favorite. First off, it was so well filmed; I loved the brighter-than-normal quality of all the shots, where all the colors are ethereal and incredibly vivid, especially Eko's blood at the top of the escalator that closed the scene. Reminded me a bit of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401792/">Sin City</a>" in that respect. And all the sequences with the various factions of characters were really cool, especially as they were paired with Boone’s comments to Locke (and I like that Boone wasn’t especially kind to Locke during the vision too).<br /><br />But I also love this scene because it's a direct reference to one of my favorite Stephen King novels of all time: "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_%28novel%29">IT</a>." There the young group of kids in the novel, who have been tormented by a malevolent force living in their town, decide to create a smokehouse in order to see if they can find some way to kill the creature. All the kids go in, but only one is able to stand the smoke and has a vision of IT arriving in the town, shown by a Spirit Guide who happens to be a turtle (as in the turtle with the world on his back).<br /><br />I can't do the scene justice, but it's one of my favorite parts of the book and that reference makes this vision my favorite of them all.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/CreepyAaronDoll.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">84) Crazy Claire's creepy Aaron doll<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighthouse">6.05 - Lighthouse</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Claire shows Jin something very disturbing<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best. Prop. Ever.<br /><br />When Season 6 began and we first saw Claire, we knew something was a bit... off about her. After all, she had been apparently living alone on the Island for the past three years (admittedly I wasn't totally sure she was some Smokey zombie or something, but we knew she was off-kilter). And even though the writers really didn't follow through on Crazy Claire's potential as the season went on (I mean, c'mon, not only did she not kill Kate, she actually left the Island with her), she was one of the best parts of early Season 6. But Crazy Claire's <i>pièce de résistance</i> was her Aaron doll, made out of some sort of animal skull with a body of black fibers, just like <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/04/lost-episode-review-512-dead-is-dead.html">the picture of Smokey on the temple wall</a>.<br /><br />When Jin looked in the cradle and saw that, we saw all we needed to know about Claire. <span style="font-style: italic;">"Run, Jin! Run for your life!"</span><br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/HoodedCharlie.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">83) Hooded Charlie admits to the con</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Long_Con">2.13 - The Long Con</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sawyer's con partner is revealed... and it's <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie?!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best use of Charlie in the first two seasons<br /><br />Season Two Charlie was fairly awful. His addiction storyline had run its course, his relationship with Claire was annoying and his flashbacks were actually worse than <span style="font-style: italic;">Kate's</span>; I spent much of Season 2 simply wishing him dead. But the one shining moment Charlie had in Season 2 was something where he did something so very un-Charlie like: Helping Sawyer pull a long con on everyone by pretending to kidnap Sun and drag her into the jungle. And his motive for doing it? Revenge on Locke for embarrassing him in front of Claire.<br /><br />The reveal that Charlie was Sawyer's assistant in the con, gave him a new, darker side that was, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">interesting</span>. And the touch with his hoodie was great too, made him seem like he changed into a different person under there. Sadly, Dark Charlie was never seen again and even though Sun eventually found out it was Charlie who kidnapped her, she even forgave him.<br /><br />Charlie redeemed himself in Season 3, of course, it's just a shame he had to die in order to do it.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/MilesHurley.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">82) Hurley writes "The Empire Strikes Back"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Some_Like_It_Hoth">5.13 - Some Like It Hoth</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Hurley tries to change Ewok history<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Even Lucas would have to laugh at this<br /><br />Miles and Hurley became the dynamic duo of geekdom during the fifth season, something that was greatly entertaining to watch. I really enjoyed "Some Like It Hoth" too - it's the only true Miles episode, had a very good flashback and I enjoyed the whole Hurley trying to get Miles to know his father storyline.<br /><br />But the second-best (yes, you read that right) set of banter between Hurley and Miles was Hurley re-writing "Empire Strikes Back" for George Lucas "with a few improvements." Now it's an entertaining scene enough in itself and you kinda saw it coming considering Damon and Carlton are about as equally geeky as Hurley and Miles and probably even bigger "Star Wars" fans; you knew they weren't going to set an entire season in 1977 and not ever mention it was the same year "Star Wars" came out.<br /><br />But the really great part about the scene is how later in the episode Hurley brings it up while trying to get Miles to talk to his dad, saying just like them Luke and Vader should have "communicated better." Yeah, it's a bit of a contrived stretch, but one that makes me laugh.<br /><br />And Ewoks do indeed suck. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/LockeAlive.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">81) Locke is "alive"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Life_and_Death_of_Jeremy_Bentham">5.07 - The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Locke is alive?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We didn't realize it at the time, but it's the true beginning of the end<br /><br />TLADOJB was a rather up and down episode for me when I initially watched it. I thought a lot of Locke's efforts at recruitment were lame and most his conversations with the Oceanic Six (except for Jack) kinda shallow and disappointing, though the episode was redeemed by Locke's death at Ben's hand and his rebirth on the Island. But now that the show is over, this entire episode is a true masterpiece to me.<br /><br />Locke's efforts at recruitment were lame because Locke was genuinely clueless. He was tasked with a quest that was destined to end in failure for the sole purpose of making him frustrated enough to kill himself, the seed of which was planted by Smokey himself in the future <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> Locke was already dead (<a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-100-91.html">see last week's list</a>). And the fact Ben ended up doing the deed himself, while all the more shocking to us, while it may not have been exactly in Smokey's plan, was welcome all the same.<br /><br />But the true shock of the episode was the fact "Locke" appeared alive, no different than before, on the Hydra Island beach. We didn't know it was Smokey at the time, so it kind of made everyone think Locke really was the mystical Island savior. And that's the really cool thing about this scene in retrospect. The entire show I had been arguing Locke really wasn't special - the only reason the Others considered him special at all was because he visited Richard in 1954, setting up his own destiny for himself. And the frustrated, Season 2 button pushing Locke was closer to the real Locke than anything we'd seen on the show.<br /><br />So when "Locke" appeared alive on the beach, all of a sudden he really did appear to be special to the Island. It was a brilliant move by the writers, not just to keep us all in the dark as to "Locke's" true nature, but to keep <span style="font-style: italic;">Terry O'Quinn</span> in the dark as well until the finale. Made the scene in the finale all the more powerful when we (and Terry) finally realize who he really is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #81)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br />This week Ben takes over the lead from Jack (it was actually a Jack-less week) and Season 6 keeps its lead over Seasons Five and Three. Also, just to make note of it here, Smokey in Locke's body counts as Smokey in the tally. Thus pretty much any time we see Locke after "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" it's actually a Smokey appearance even though we didn't actually find out it was really Smokey until "The Incident." Just FYI.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br /><br />Ben - 6<br />Jack - 4<br />Locke - 4<br />Hurley - 3<br />Sawyer - 3<br />Sayid - 3<br />Smokey - 3<br />Charlie - 2<br />Claire - 2<br />Daniel - 2<br />Tom Friendly - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Boone - 1<br />Charles Widmore - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Danielle - 1<br />Desmond - 1<br />Eko - 1<br />Eloise - 1<br />Frank - 1<br />Jacob - 1<br />Jin - 1<br />Juliet - 1<br />Kate - 1<br />Keamy - 1<br />Mikhail - 1<br />Miles - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Pierre Chang - 1<br />Richard -1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br /><br />Season Six - 7<br />Season Five - 6<br />Season Three - 6<br />Season Four - 4<br />Season Two - 3<br />Season One - 2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#80-71</span><span>.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-59161903672167341632010-07-19T16:55:00.000-04:002010-07-19T17:05:06.392-04:00Top 108 Moments: #100-91<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"Razzle freakin' dazzle"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Nikki.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the second part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Previous installments</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">Honorable Mentions are here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made and was excluded from the list.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-108-moments-108-101.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span></a><br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #100-91</span> - keep in mind that most of the really powerful moments are reserved for the Top 50. A lot of the bottom of the list goes to humor and cool character pieces. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100) Nikki and Paulo meet a satisfying end</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Expos%C3%A9">3.14 - Exposé</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Who the heck are Nikki and Paulo?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: The writers serve up some tasty fanboy service by offing the two most hated characters of the series in spectacular fashion<br /><br />"Exposé" is another one of those episodes that fans either love or hate. Personally I'm firmly in the love category because, as miscalculated as the addition of Nikki and Paulo was in Season 3, the way they were subtracted was both brilliant and inspired in its hilarity. First off, I loved the fact that the writers did string tidbits of the overall plotline to "Exposé" throughout the beginning of the first season. Secondly, The whole episode played light and loose with the fourth wall, with even Sawyer shouting "Who the heck are Nikki and Paulo?" at one point.<br /><br />But Nikki and Paulo's ultimate demise - with Nikki starting to recover just as dirt is shoveled on her - was an homage in tried and true fashion to a classic "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0508134/">Alfred Hitchhock Presents</a>" with Joseph Cotton, where Cotton plays a paralyzed car crash victim who everyone thinks is dead. It's dark, it's awful and it's a tongue-in-cheek <span style="font-style: italic;">mea culpa</span> to fans who had wanted them dead and buried as soon as they appeared on screen. Kudos to the writers.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Jackface.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">99) Jack needs Christian's coffin on board</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/White_Rabbit">1.05 - White Rabbit</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack delivers an emotional plea to get his father's coffin on Flight 815<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because we see it over and over again from so many different points of view. Plus: Party of Five Jackface!<br /><br />One of the signature moments of the first season, Jack's emotional plea to "Chrissy" to allow him to take his father home and bury him so "this can be over" was a fine piece of acting by Matthew Fox and was probably the first time in the series I thought - "Whoa. That was so Party of Five." But the moment is also neat in that we see it again and again from different points of view. Sun and Jin are standing in line behind Jack and we get to see it again in two of their flashbacks and we see Jack going up to the counter in the background of several other shots. It's also one of Jack's best monologues on the show - much better than his "Live Together, Die Alone" speech which comes later.<br /><br />It also comes in the midst of one of my favorite episodes - one of <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Episodes">my original Top 10's</a> - "White Rabbit" and the flashback is juxtaposed alongside Jack finding his father's coffin empty on the Island. That was a great transition and it led to Jack smashing the coffin to pieces and giving us our first clue that there might be something up with dead people on the Island.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DrManhattanDesmond.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">98) Desmond gets the Dr. Manhattan treatment from Widmore</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Happily_Ever_After">6.11 - Happily Ever After</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Desmond gets zapped for the second time in his life<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: It's a great reference to an even greater comic<br /><br />As disappointing as the ending of Lost was for me, the ramp up to it was pretty terrific, highlighted by "Happily Ever After." All Desmond and Ben episodes have been pretty much universally great throughout the show and Desmond in particular has two of the top episodes of the entire series in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Constant." HEA doesn't quite live up to those two, but it certainly had its share of great moments - the backwards Alt version of Desmond's office meeting with Charles, Desmond's flash of NOT PENNY'S BOAT and, of course, Charles' twisted little box experiment that sent Desmond's consciousness into the Alt in the first place.<br /><br />The entire scene was a direct homage to <a href="http://photos.bravenet.com/272/478/925/3/0FCEA642C9.jpg">the accident</a> that created Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen and I thought it was incredibly well done. Because they accidentally fried one of Widmore's henchmen right before they threw Desmond in, the look on Des' face as he entered the box was priceless. Not to mention, in a season where I was underwhelmed by the special effects, this scene stood out as incredibly well done from that standpoint. And to think, Des didn't even have to reassemble himself afterward. :)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Malkin.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">97) Richard Malkin makes an impression on Claire</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Raised_by_Another">1.10 - Raised By Another</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Claire gets a creepy ultimatum from a supposed psychic<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because it's one of the things that hooked me on the show<br /><br />This is a scene that could have dropped off my list entirely, largely because to me it's still an unanswered question as to why somebody hired Malkin to put Claire on Flight 815. <a href="http://ofredearth.blogspot.com/2010/06/16-questions-lost-actually-answered.html">Paula points out</a> there's a deleted scene where Malkin states he was paid $16K by a couple in LA to get Claire to give up their kid, but that's still kinda unsatisfying to me and kinda nonsensical (how did an LA couple hear about Claire?). I'd almost rather theorize that Jacob tipped off the couple to get Claire on Flight 815 because she and/or Aaron were candidates. That's a pretty plausible explanation given everything we saw in the final season and wouldn't it have been cool to see Jacob doing things like hiring Malkin, getting <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Hibbs">Hibbs</a> to lure Sawyer to Sydney, tipping Kate's <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Ray_Mullen">farmer friend</a> off as to who she was, etc...? Anyhoo, I digress...<br /><br />I kept this scene on here because for someone watching through Lost for the first time, this is a scene that grabs you. Not only does it suggest Claire and her unborn child are critically important to the show, but by extension it also hints might be an actual reason they - and all of Flight 815 - crashed on the Island (which is a theory the LA couple explanation would have negated). I still get goosebumps when I watch this scene and I wish it was something they could have returned to, perhaps from Jacob's perspective. This was one of the first season scenes that hooked me on Lost for good.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackWorkMan.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">96) Jack's a "Work Man"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Namaste"> 5.09 - Namaste</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jack gets his assignment from Pierre Chang<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Hilarious, brilliant touch by the writers<br /><br />Mid-season five was brilliant, with the dual storylines of "Locke" coming back-to-life in 2007 and the time-traveling quartet in 1977. The run of "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/This_Place_Is_Death">This Place Is Death</a>" to "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dead_Is_Dead">Dead is Dead</a>" just might be the best run of episodes Lost ever produced. "Namaste" is smack-dab in the middle of them and while overall the episode didn't have a lot of epic moments (largely because it was kind of transitory), it was action-packed from start to finish, highlighted by the Sawyer taking charge and trying to figure out a way to save all his friends from being discovered by DHARMA.<br /><br />But one of the best touches amidst all this chaos was Jack being given his assignment by Pierre Chang and finding out he's a "Work Man." Not only is it a terrific reference to Ben's father, but it's also the writers letting Sawyer get in a subtle dig at Jack, something he does much less subtly when Jack confronts him at the end of the episode. It's a great moment and the look on Jack's face when he gets his jumpsuit is perfect.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/TomFriendly.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">95) Mr. Friendly draws "The Line"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Hunting_Party">2.11 - The Hunting Party</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Mr. Friendly delivers an ultimatum to the survivors<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Lost got a villain for the first time and he was... <span style="font-style: italic;">competent!</span><br /><br />Sometimes it's easy to forget that before Smokey and Benjamin Linus there was Mr. Friendly, arguably the main villain of Season 2. He kidnapped Walt in "Exodus," then wasn't seen again until this scene in "The Hunting Party." And oh, what a scene it was.<br /><br />Lost always looks visually spectacular at night, but this was probably the best night scene of the show, moody and atmospheric with the dark jungle and torches. But the best part was the fact Mr. Friendly wasn't exactly the dirty rube he seemed to be on the boat; on the contrary, he turned out to be a well-spoken, smart and competent antagonist. The best villains to me are <span style="font-style: italic;">effective</span> villains, and this scene demonstrated that 1) the Others lured Michael to the jungle, 2) clearly knew everything about the survivors, and 3) seemed to have a plan as to what they wanted from them as well. It basically set up all the conflict for the next season and a half in terrific fashion and set Mr. Friendly on the road to becoming a fan favorite. It's too bad Lost didn't film more at night during its run - the cinematography is simply gorgeous with the jungle shadows and the torchlight.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SmokeyCave.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">94) Smokey comes roaring out of the Source</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Across_the_Sea">6.15 - Beyond The Sea</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Jacob kills his brother and a Smoke Monster is born<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: It's the Origin of the Smokey<br /><br />Am I really putting a scene from "Beyond The Sea" on this list, one of the most controversial episodes of the show's final run and one that I was personally disappointed with? Why, yes. Yes, I am. Origin stories, even if you don't agree with them (and I certainly was disappointed by this one), are always interesting to say the least and upon further reflection it might have been a good thing for the writers to leave open the question of Smokey's true nature - much of what has been speculated is probably better than anything they could have put forth on the show.<br /><br />And say what you will about the motivations of Jacob and Smokey, the cheesiness of the Source special effects and the lingering questions regarding what exactly the Source and Smokey could do, the moment where Smokey emerged from the Source was a terrific one. Smokey's special effects have always looked great on the show and this scene was no different. This scene also gave us a new perspective on the Jacob/Smokey conflict - one I'm still not sure I agree with, but one that grabs your attention for sure - in that Jacob is responsible for creating Smokey.<br /><br />In reviewing this episode, I stated I really didn't like that dynamic because it makes Smokey sympathetic and I kind of preferred it when he was simply evil incarnate. While I still think this, the flip side of that is it does make Jacob a more complex and interesting character.<br />If ABC was ever going to make a bit more Lost to fill in some of the blanks not addressed while the show was on, I'd love to see an episode set shortly after this one - with Jacob and MiB having their first conversation post-Smoke Monster. Now that would be <span style="font-style: italic;">awk</span>-ward!<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SmokeyTimeLoop.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">93) Smokey completes a time loop with Richard</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Follow_the_Leader">5.15 - Follow The Leader</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Smokey has Richard tell Locke he has to kill himself... while he's inhabiting Locke's dead body!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best use of time travel on the show<br /><br />This was exactly the sort of thing <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/03/time-and-again.html">I was hoping to see</a> when time travel was introduced on the show. The only reason Richard ever considered Locke special was because Locke visited him in 1954, giving him <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Compass">the compass</a> and telling him he's going to be their leader. But that whole scenario was put into motion because in the future Richard tells Locke he's special, helps him kill Cooper and sets him on a path to go back in time. It's really everything you want time travel to be, which is why I'm so disappointed they ended everything so abruptly and the only result of the 77ers causing the Incident was that they created a Puragtory for themselves when they died. *sigh*<br /><br />But the absolute pinnacle of that whole storyline was Smokey completing a time loop with himself (since he's in Locke's body at this point). When Locke was time traveling alone with a wounded leg, Richard came and found him (knowing exactly where he would be), gave him his compass back and told him he was going to have to die. Here we see the reason he knew where Locke would be - Smokey told him so, culled from Locke's own memories. Awesome. Doc Brown would be so proud.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/KateAaron.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">92) <span style="font-style: italic;">"Hello, Aaron"</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Eggtown">4.04 - Eggtown</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: We finally meet Kate's son... and it's <span style="font-style: italic;">Aaron!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: It's surprising, creepy effective and very ominous for Claire.<br /><br />Part of the reason I try to avoid spoilers at all cost are for scenes like this one. "Eggtown" wasn't the best episode ever, but I was surprised the reaction to it around the internet was so negative. But it seems a lot of the negative reaction stemmed from the fact people knew Kate's son was going to Aaron. I absolutely had no clue and it blew me out of the water. A lot of the speculation early in Season 4 was who the Oceanic Six really were - the fact Aaron was one of them changed things entirely (and there was also a lot of debate as to whether or not Aaron even counted as one of the six - that wasn't confirmed until <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Ji_Yeon">Ji Yeon</a>).<br /><br />But the best part of this reveal wasn't the fact Aaron left the Island or that Kate had been raising Aaron for three years, what was really great was that it implied something very, very bad had happened to Claire. All of sudden, the storyline of Season 4 changed from speculation of who the Oceanic Six were to what the heck is going to happen to Claire to make her give up Aaron? Turns out she got blown up, got mind screwed by Smokey and was slowly driven insane. Not a bad answer.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/DanielCharlotte.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">91) Daniel tells a young Charlotte she has to leave</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Variable">5.14 - The Variable</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Daniel full-fills Charlotte's memory of him<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: We had been waiting for it all season and it didn't disappoint<br /><br />Another very good use of time travel on the show, this was another foreshadowed event that didn't disappoint. Daniel was one of my favorite characters on the show and I actually loved the crush he had on Charlotte from the beginning. But that crush was made even better by the fact Charlotte knew Daniel as a child - she just didn't realize it until it was too late; in her dying breath she told Daniel she knew him as a kid and her last words were she wasn't "allowed to eat chocolate before dinner." Eight episodes later we finally got to hear those words from young Charlotte herself.<br /><br />It was a great setup, and when we did finally get to see the actual scene Jeremy Davies didn't disappoint. In fact, you could say the scene was given even more gravitas considering Daniel was killed by his mom shortly after - thus Daniel completes a time loop with Charlotte by telling her never to return to the Island, then Eloise completes a time loop with Daniel by killing him, thus completing the destiny she'd always prepared him for. Not exactly poetic, but very cool nonetheless.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (updated through #91)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br />Jack - 4<br />Ben - 3<br />Hurley - 2<br />Locke - 2<br />Sayid - 2<br />Smokey - 2<br />Aaron - 1<br />Charlie - 1<br />Charles Widmore - 1<br />Charlotte - 1<br />Claire - 1<br />Daniel - 1<br />Danielle - 1<br />Desmond - 1<br />Eko - 1<br />Jacob - 1<br />Juliet - 1<br />Kate - 1<br />Keamy - 1<br />Nikki and Paulo - 1<br />Pierre Chang - 1<br />Richard -1<br />Sawyer - 1<br />Tom Friendly - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br />Season Six - 5<br />Season Five - 3<br />Season Three - 3<br />Season Four - 3<br />Season One - 2<br />Season Two - 2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#90-81</span><span> (and maybe a link dump in between). :)<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-10760692615806900102010-07-14T22:07:00.002-04:002010-07-15T14:22:46.116-04:00Top 108 Moments: #108-101<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><br />"What if I don't? You going to beat me with your Jesus Stick?"<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JesusStick.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />Welcome to the first installment of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 108 Moments in Lost</span>! My Honorable Mentions <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">can be found here</a>, which you might want to read first to get some of my thought processes on what made or what was excluded from the list.<br /><br />Today we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments #108-101</span> - keep in mind that most of the really powerful moments are reserved for the Top 50. A lot of the bottom of the list goes to humor and cool character pieces. Namaste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">108) The Jesus Stick </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_23rd_Psalm">2.10 - The 23rd Psalm</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Eko forces a disgruntled Charlie to lead him to the beechcraft wreckage.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Favorite one-liner of the series<br /><br />Before I begin, remember that this is the moment that will be bumped <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-108-moments-honorable-mentions.html">when you insert “The End” somewhere into the list</a>. This really isn’t deserving of a slot of its own – after all, there are a lot of funny quotes and one liners that I’d love to include and the list already has a fair share worth of comedic moments. But I did want to at least acknowledge that Lost did a generally good job with banter, most coming from Sawyer and Hurley.<br /><br />But Charlie asking Eko “You going to hit me with your Jesus Stick?” was probably my favorite of them all, just narrowly edging <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sawyer%27s_nicknames">Sawyer's nickname of Ben</a> as “The Artist Formerly Known As Henry Gale.” It also helps that the Jesus Stick comment came in one of the best episodes right before one of the best scenes of the entire show (Eko confronting Smokey for the first time). In fact, you can kind of almost consider this an extension of that scene, but I really wanted to give the line a little bit of attention of its own.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Keamy.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">107) Alt Keamy Makes Some Good Eggs</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sundown">6.06 - Sundown</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Keamy makes the mistake of threatening Sayid<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Keamy makes an even better villain in the Alt than he did in the real world. Plus: Jin!<br /><br />Figuring out everyone’s role in the Alt was one of the most enjoyable parts of early Season 6. Just about everyone had changed to a degree – some for the better, some for the worse. Keamy really hadn’t changed at all – he was still as evil as ever – but his slick, Christopher Walken-like mafia goon impression was simply hilarious.<br /><br />This was also the first time the show really let us know for sure the Sideways Flashes were going to all intersect. Yes, we had gotten a glimpse of Ben in Locke’s flash, but there was no guarantee we’d come back to that. But Sayid finding Jin tied up and bloodied in the fridge without explanation told us for sure we’d be seeing this scene from Jin’s point of view later in the season. Lost has gotten had some really nice character actors in lesser roles and it was nice to see them bring Kevin Durand back in Season 6.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackLaughs.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">106) Jack tells Ben "<span style="font-style: italic;">At least you won't have to be disappointed for very long</span>."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/I_Do">3.06 – I Do</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Pretty much the only time in the show Jack gets the better of Ben verbally.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: When it comes to a war of words, Jack never gets the better of anyone, let alone Benjamin Linus.<br /><br />The early part of Season 3 was a mistake by the writers. A lot of stuff from the mini-series – Ben’s breakfast with Kate on the beach, Ben conning Sawyer for no apparent reason, using Kate and Sawyer to build the runway, Jack taking Ben’s kidney hostage – really didn’t make a whole lot of sense if you looked at the overall picture. But after looking back at those episodes again, there were a lot of diamonds in the rough once you scraped off all the polar bear poo. And of all the episodes of the mini-series, "I Do" was probably the worst of the bunch - the cliffhanger was kinda silly and Kate's flashback was boring, despite the fact she married <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Reynolds">Captain Mal</a>. But the start of the show had one terrific scene that holds a warm place in my heart today: Jack bluntly confronting Ben about his tumor.<br /><br />Jack never does well in confrontations throughout the show. He’s good at speeches and pep talks, but when he’s one-on-one with one of the other characters, especially Sawyer and Ben, he almost never gets the final word and is usually ends up with a despondent <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Jackface">Jackface</a> at the end. But in this scene, Ben confronts Jack about his x-rays and tells him his marvelous, nonsensical plan to manipulate him was “shot to shit” when he saw them. Jack understandably refuses to operate on him and Ben responds that he’s “disappointed” in him. And then, with one of the best expressions ever (it’s actually kinda evil-looking), Jack leaves Ben speechless with the line above. It’s a great scene not just because of the interaction between the two, but because it’s so much fun to see Jack confidently have the upper hand for once on the show, even moreso over Ben.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SayidGoesBoom.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">105) Sayid redeems himself</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Candidate">6.14 – The Candidate</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Sayid proves once and for all he’s not an Evil Smokey Minion<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because Sayid deserved to go out with a bang<br /><br />One of the big problems with Season 6 was the inconsistency in the writing. Early on in the season, Sayid looked like he was going to be Zombie Locke’s second-in-command – a darker version of himself from which there was no coming back. But as the season progressed, Dark Sayid started to wilt. He first saved Desmond, then rebelled against Locke by getting the other candidates to the submarine. Part of me really didn’t like this at all, partly because it became clear they weren’t going to explain exactly what happened to Sayid in the contaminated Temple Spring and partly because it seemed kinda weak to suddenly have Sayid become good again.<br /><br />That being said, I really did love the bomb scene on the sub. Yes, I saw the backpack switch coming from a mile away, so I knew the bomb was there. But I thought that whole sequence was very well done and I loved the shot of Sayid running down the sub corridor with the bomb after telling Jack “It’s going to be you.” Of all the characters on the show, Sayid is probably the one most in need of some redemption and it was really nice to see him get it in really awesome fashion.<br /><br />Now if he only ended up with Nadia instead of Shannon in the Alt. *sigh*<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BusPortland.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">104) Dr. Edmund Burke gets hit by a bus</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Not_in_Portland">3.07 – Not In Portland</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: The Others "bus" in a badly needed fertility doctor<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: 1) It literally came out of nowhere and 2) it showed exactly how ruthless the Others (and Ben) could be when there's something they want<br /><br />This is the surprise death scene that I really wanted to leave off, but kept laughing at every time I tried to drop it. I think “Not in Portland” is a rather underrated episode. It introduced us to Juliet and Richard, had plenty of Easter Eggs for the die-hard watchers (<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Mittelos">Mittelos Bioscience</a> and the <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Room_23">Room 23</a> video) and gave us a very solid return from the hiatus after the mini-series. But it was the sudden demise of Dr. Edmund Burke that gave us the best, most hilarious moment of the episode: Richard tried to recruit Juliet, but she resisted because she knew her ex-husband, Edmund, wouldn't allow it unless he was “hit by a bus.”<br /><br />Two scenes later it literally happened, with an Apollo Candy Bar ad on the side. Simply awesome.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Danielle.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">103) Danielle has Ben over for dinner</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/What_They_Died_For">6.16 – What They Died For</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Purgatory Ben gets a chance to start over with Alex and her mom<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Because the thought of Ben and Danielle together somehow... works<br /><br />Alt Ben was the most interesting character to me in Purgatory Land, largely because his ghostly self still had elements of everything that made him ruthless on the Island, but was reined in by his love of Alex. This one scene I thought was so perfectly done in its brevity, showing us that this version of Ben actually has a chance at happiness, not only with Danielle (since they seemed to hit it off so well), but also at a second chance at being Alex’s (step)father. Michael Emerson was great in this scene – his facial expressions have always been the best on the show, but when Danielle told him she'd make sure to "use less onions next time" his face was simply perfect. And even though it was only one scene, I really thought the two had some good chemistry. Too bad we didn't get more from them.<br /><br />One of my favorite little moments of the final season.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/BenandHurley.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">102) Hurley and Ben share a candy bar</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Cabin_Fever">4.11 – Cabin Fever</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Hurley shares an Apollo Bar with Ben outside Jacob's Cabin<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: Best of the Ben Comedy scenes<br /><br />This, to me, is one of the best of the Ben comedy moments, better than the burrito for sure. Nothing needs to be said here, just a quiet, solemn moment between the Future #1 and #2.<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Risk.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">101) Sawyer, Locke and Hurley play Risk</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode</span>: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Shape_of_Things_to_Come"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">4.09 The Shape Of Things To Come</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Synopsis</span>: Because Locke fell victim to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes">one of the classic blunders</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why it’s great</span>: It’s Risk, people, Risk! How could it not be great?<br /><br />The set up for this was great - after all the stress and tension throughout the season, the opening at first glance seemed serious - but then it turned into something wonderful in its hilarity. Honestly I'd love to see a blooper reel of this scene because I don't know how they kept straight faces filming it. Out of all the cultural references in Lost, having the guys play Risk was probably my favorite. And I so love this exchange:<br /><p></p><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><p>HURLEY: We're all gonna die. </p><p>SAWYER: Calm down, Chicken Little. The sky ain't falling just yet. </p><p>HURLEY: This is exactly what he wants--to fight amongst ourselves. You're making a big mistake, dude. </p><p>LOCKE: It's his to make, Hugo. (To Sawyer) Let's get on with it. </p><p>SAWYER: Right ... I'm attackin' Siberia. </p><p>[Sawyer and Hurley roll the dice, and then Sawyer laughs, picking off some of Hurley's pieces.] </p><p>SAWYER: Sorry. </p><p>HURLEY: Can't believe you're just giving him Australia. Australia's the key to the whole game. </p><p>SAWYER: Says you. </p></blockquote><p></p>I've now used that Australia line myself while playing. It never gets old. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moment Tally (through #101)</span>:<br /><br />I'll be keeping a running tally of the number of times main or recurring (not minor) characters appear in these moments, along with which seasons they came from. I might even do a Power List later on - giving each points based on where they are in the list (1 point for #108, 108 points for #1) and so on. Depends on how ambitious I am. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Main/Recurring Characters</span>:<br />Ben - 3<br />Hurley - 2<br />Sayid - 2<br />Charlie - 1<br />Danielle - 1<br />Eko - 1<br />Jack - 1<br />Juliet - 1<br />Keamy - 1<br />Locke - 1<br />Sawyer - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seasons</span>:<br />Season Six - 3<br />Season Three - 2<br />Season Four - 2<br />Season Two - 1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next installment</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">#100-91</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-54507327627667967612010-07-08T10:09:00.008-04:002010-07-08T14:08:31.023-04:00Emmy Nods...Lost <a href="http://www.emmys.com/nominations">got a haul this year</a>. The short list:<br /><br />Outstanding Drama (Expected)<br />Outstanding Actor in a Drama: Matthew Fox (Nice!)<br />Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama: Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn (Expected)<br />Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama: Elizabeth Mitchell, "The End" (Yay!)<br />Outstanding Direction for a Drama (Jack Bender, "The End")<br />Outstanding Writing for a Drama (Darlton, "The End")<br />Outstanding Art Direction for a Drama (For Ab Aeterno)<br />Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama (For "The End")<br />Outstanding Original Dramatic Score: Michael Giacchino, (For "The End")<br />Outstanding Sound Editing for a Drama (For "The End")<br /><br />Pretty sweet. Elizabeth Mitchell so deserves an Emmy for her work on Lost, even if it's only for her guest shot in the finale. Nice to see Matthew Fox get nominated too. I think Lost is going to win a bunch this year as a way for the Academy to send it off with a bang. Congrats to all. :)<br /><br />Also, a quick note: My Blogger polls have been acting funny lately - I'm going to delete this one and try again later.<br /><br />UPDATE: Yeah, Blogger Polls seem to be down, so I created a free account at <a href="http://polldaddy.com/">PollDaddy </a>instead. Really quick to set up, easy to use. Thanks to <a href="http://darkufo.blogspot.com/">DarkUFO</a> for the suggesting it in the Blogger help forums. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-70487661172749555832010-07-06T23:00:00.001-04:002010-07-06T23:13:41.364-04:00Top 108 Moments: Honorable Mentions<div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />"Have a cluckity-cluck-cluck day, Hugo."</i><br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Cluckity.jpg" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> and <a href="http://gallery.lost-media.com/index-39.html">Lost Media</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />And so it begins! Sorry for the delay - work simply buried me last month, ending with a week-long conference in sweltering Orlando. And so I return... to sweltering New York? Sheesh.<br /><br />I can't tell you what an undertaking this was for me, but it's really a labor of love and I'm fairly satisfied with the final list. Yeah, some of these can be shifted around a bit, but my hope is that this is a very good overall list that, with a couple exceptions (see below), most fans would probably agree with.<br /><br />My final list had over 150 entries and cutting it down was hard. Very hard. I realized after poring over it for a couple days taking various entries on and off, it that there were several types of scenes where I really just had to pick the cream of the crop and leave the rest out, even if those moments <span style="font-style: italic;">by themselves</span> were very enjoyable. So think of this list as a "wild card" - if there's a scene on here that's one of your favorites, feel free to substitute it in where you feel appropriate.<br /><br />Here I'll present what ended up on the cutting room floor, along with my train of thought in the snippings. I really tried to capture a bit of everything that made the show great and I hope I caught all your favorites. The first bunch are all categories of cuts, along with the specific examples:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10) Surprise Death Scenes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts</span>:<br />Frogurt gets "<a href="http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgsmenu.html">arrowed</a>" (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.02</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lie">The Lie</a>)<br />Ilana blasts off (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.12</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Everybody_Loves_Hugo">Everybody Loves Hugo</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/IlanaBlowsUp.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />Ah, the Arzt treatment. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of death scenes on the list - for the most part they're 1) shocking 2) memorable and 3) very well done on the show. But after Arzt blew up in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Exodus,_Part_1">Exodus</a>," the writers almost made it a running gag to off someone in a darkly amusing fashion once in a while. I have two of these I kept - one of which could have easily been left off except that every time I tried to remove it, I chuckled.<br /><br />In fact, it's making me chuckle right now. Heh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) Visions and Dreams<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts:<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Theresa falls up the stairs..."</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.19</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Deus_Ex_Machina">Deus Ex Machina</a>)<br />Claire's dream of Locke with the backgammon eyes (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.10</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Raised_by_Another">Raised By Another</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Have a cluckity, cluck, cluck day, Hugo."</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">2.04</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Hugo">Everybody Hates Hugo</a>)<br />Charlie dreams Hurley is Jesus (<span style="font-weight: bold;">2.12</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_%2B_Water">Fire + Water</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/M21lost-locke-weird-eyes.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />Lost tended to do the creepy dream/vision thing fairly well and fairly often, the latter largely because Smokey was so adept at inducing them. Of course, this was more prominent in the early seasons than later on since Smokey kinda left the vision inducing business once he took Locke's form.<br /><br />Many of these were hard to cut, especially the first three. Locke with the backgammon eyes was probably one of the most disturbing scenes of the first season, if not the entire show. Boone's <span style="font-style: italic;">"Theresa falls up the stairs..." </span>vision to Locke was just a step behind that one and Hurley as Jesus was the only redeeming scene in <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_%2B_Water">Fire + Water</a>, one of my least favorite episodes of all.<br /><br />The one vision that did end up making the list was my personal overall favorite from the show, though any of these could be easily substituted for it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) Reunions and Meetings</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts:<br /></span>Hurley's family gives Sayid a hug (<span style="font-weight: bold;">4.12 </span><span>-</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_No_Place_Like_Home,_Part_1">There's No Place Like Home, Part I</a>)<br />Sun and Jin meet for the first time (<span style="font-weight: bold;">2.05 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/...And_Found">...And Found</a>)<br />Sawyer and Michael finally meet Bernard (<span style="font-weight: bold;">2.04</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Hugo">Everybody Hates Hugo</a>)<br />Alt Hurley finally sees Charlie again (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.17</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_End">The End</a>)<br />Alt Sun and Jin, Sawyer and Juliet wake up (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.17</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_End">The End</a>)<br />Alt Locke meets Dr. Linus (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.03</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Substitute">The Substitute</a>)<br />Claire meets her father for the first time (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.12</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Par_Avion">Par Avion</a>)<br />Jin talks to his dad (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.17</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/...In_Translation">...In Translation</a>)<br />Sun meets Jin's father (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.18</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/D.O.C.">D.O.C.</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Jin.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />Lost also did the emotional reunion/surprise meeting fairly well, though I think some of them lost their potency in the later seasons. All of these cut scenes had things I loved. The scene where the Oceanic Six is rescued is great, not just for Hurley introducing Sayid to his parents, but for Kate standing there alone holding Aaron (though I'm actually a bit surprised Jack didn't introduce her to his mom - too soon?) I love the scene on the waterfront where Sun and Jin bump into each other - Jin's looking for someone wearing orange and turns as a girl in an orange dress walks by only to bump into Sun. That whole flashback was much better than I remembered it being.<br /><br />Bernard's introduction was one of the best parts of the early second season once we met Ana-Lucia, showing us there were survivors from the tail section of the plane. And when he finally introduced himself to Sawyer and Michael asking if Rose was okay, it was a terrific payoff after a season of buildup.<br /><br />There are lots and lots of neat meetings from "The End" and, while I didn't agree with the ending of the show, I did enjoy all the reconnections. Hurley seeing Charlie in the hotel room and tranquilizing him was probably my favorite - Hugo's smile as Charlie opened the door was awesome. And Sun/Jin, Sawyer/Juliet were probably the two best emotional payoffs in the finale. Instead of all these, I chose one other meeting scene from the finale to represent them all. Alt Ben revealing himself as a European History teacher early in Season 6 was great as well.<br /><br />Claire meeting Christian was one of those big moments that was totally expected by the time it came around, especially since it was strongly hinted at in the "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lost_Connections">Lost Connections</a>" extra on the Season 2 DVD set. Plus, Goth Claire was cool. Jin's dad was one of my favorite flashback characters on the show. Loved the scene where he finally met Sun - that was a really hard one to leave out.<br /><br />All of these were cut because there's an excess of these types of scenes in the list already, but all are certainly worthy scenes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Ben Comedy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts:<br /></span>Hurley throws a burrito at Ben (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.02 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lie">The Lie</a>)<br />Ben asks Locke whether the rabbit had a number (<span style="font-weight: bold;">4.06</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Other_Woman">The Other Woman</a>)<br />Ben cheerfully says 'See you guys at dinner!" (<span style="font-weight: bold;">4.06</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Other_Woman">The Other Woman</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SawyerPerplexed.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />During the <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Jimmy_kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel, Live!</a> Lost special after the finale, Michael Emerson was asked what his favorite scene was to film. He responded with the one above about the rabbit and the number saying "That's when I realized I was in a comedy." I thought it was an amusing comment at the time, but after making this list I finally see that he was serious.<br /><br />Yeah, there are a lot of "Evil Ben" scenes on the list, but there are also a lot of "Funny Ben" - dark humor for the most part, but humor nonetheless. All the scenes above are great, the latter one especially for Sawyer's WTF look, but all were cut in favor of other Ben moments. I'm going to keep a running tally of character representation on the list and I suspect Ben will be at or very close to the top.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Locke Abuse</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts:<br /></span>Locke discovers his father conned him out of a kidney (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.19</span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Deus_Ex_Machina">Deus Ex Machina</a>)<br />"Henry Gale" plays mind games with Locke in the Swan (<span style="font-weight: bold;">2.19</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/S.O.S.">S.O.S.</a>)<br />Alt Rose tells Locke to accept who he is (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.03</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Substitute">The Substitute</a>)<br />Ben shoots Locke in the non-kidney (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.20</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_Behind_the_Curtain">The Man Behind The Curtain</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/EvilHenry.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />Locke (and Smokey as Locke) will also likely be near the top of the list in terms of appearances, but in Locke's case a lot of the scenes are heartbreaking ones. Locke had a screwed up life, largely because of Cooper, and Terry O'Quinn simply did an incredible job making us feel awful for John over and over again throughout the series. The hardest ones of these to cut were the scenes in <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Deus_Ex_Machina">Deus Ex Machina</a> where Locke learns from his mom that Cooper conned him out of his kidney and where the security guard refuses to let Locke into his father's estate. Thing is, that wasn't the worst thing Cooper would do to Locke (and, in fact, <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Man_Behind_The_Curtain">it actually saved his life later on</a>) and these scenes were cut in favor of others.<br /><br />Now we move on to three individual scenes - the last three I cut from the list.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) Assassin Sayid kills Ben's final enemy in Russia</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.10 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/He%27s_Our_You">He's Our You</a>)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) Sun wears a bikini on the beach</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.17</span> - <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/...In_Translation">...In Translation</a>)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) Kate interrupts Sawyer and Juliet in the sub</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.15 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Follow_the_Leader">Follow The Leader</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/SunBikini.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />These three scenes are all great - Sayid looks awesome in the first scene and his realization his life has no real purpose beyond killing for Ben at the end of it was some fine acting on Naveen Andrews part. Sun wearing a bikini on the beach is an iconic moment from the first season (one that was <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/McFarlane_Toys">made into a toy</a>) and a reminder of just how far the characters came over the course of the show.<br /><br />The final scene listed above wasn't really wasn't a great moment. In fact, it was an awful, sick-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach moment that made you feel so very sorry for Juliet. But it also, almost inconceivably, made me care about the outcome of the stupid love triangle and for that monumental achievement it deserved some consideration.<br /><br />Now we get to the last two moments...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) The Island is underwater in the Alt</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.01 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/LA_X,_Parts_1_%26_2">L.A. X</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/UnderwaterFoot.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />When I first saw this scene, I jumped up and clapped. Now it just saddens me because it's kind of meaningless - it really was shown for no other reason than to make us think the Alt was an alternate timeline where the Island was destroyed and Smokey escaped, greatly diminishing its potency. Probably would have been a Top 10 otherwise, which brings me to...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) The end of The End</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.17 </span>- <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_End">The End</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/Church.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />I know many of you would have this in their Top 10, if not first overall. And I did try and place it somewhere in my list, but in "the end" I just couldn't figure out where to place it, especially since there's so much disagreement over it, so I'm copping out and leaving it up to you. It certainly deserves a place on the list, but I don't think I'm qualified to choose the position.<br /><br />So think of this as a wild card - place it in your own list wherever you deem appropriate and bump #108 off, which is a guilty pleasure scene of mine put there as a kind of placeholder (as you'll see).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rest of the Rest</span>:<br /><br />Other scenes that were cut from the final list, offered without comment. They were all just father down the list for me and, well, we only have 108 spots here...<br /><br />1) Miles tells Ben Jacob hoped he was wrong about him (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.07</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dr._Linus">Dr. Linus</a>)<br />2) Locke asks Ben what the Monster is (<span style="font-weight: bold;">4.02</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Confirmed_Dead">Confirmed Dead</a>)<br />3) Jack sees the lighthouse dial (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.05</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighthouse">Lighthouse</a>)<br />4) Jae Lee takes a dive (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.02</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Glass_Ballerina">The Glass Ballerina</a>)<br />5) Hurley beats Sawyer at ping pong (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.11</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Enter_77">Enter 77</a>)<br />6) Hurley cons Sawyer into being nice (<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.15</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Left_Behind">Left Behind</a>)<br />7) Hurley gets a lecture from Ana-Lucia (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.02</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lie">The Lie</a>)<br />8) Young Ben brings Sayid a sandwich (<span style="font-weight: bold;">5.09</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Namaste">Namaste</a>)<br />9) Infected Sayid kills Dogen and Lennon (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.06</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sundown">Sundown</a>)<br />10) Smokey rampages through the temple (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6.06</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sundown">Sundown</a>)<br />11) The Hatch lights up (<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.19</span> <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Deus_Ex_Machina">Deus Ex Machina</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Upcoming Schedule</span>:<br /><br />So my plan for this list is to post them in groups of ten (except for #108-101). I'm also going to keep a running tally of character appearances and seasons all these moments were taken from so we'll be able to look back once this is complete.<br /><br />The schedule is going to be fairly erratic, but be assured this list will be completed at some point this summer - really the hardest part was deciding what was on it - now that I've got my outline the rest is semi-difficult-to-bake pie. But my goal is to try and post once a week until I'm done. See you soon! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-80609080739783751622010-06-03T11:44:00.003-04:002010-06-03T12:19:07.203-04:00An Excellent Question...I'm back! My <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-108-moments-in-lost.html">Top 108 Lost Moments</a> list is coming, although I'm still revising it because after looking it over I realized there were a couple important ones I left out. As a result, over the long weekend I read through the <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page">Lostpedia</a> synopsis of <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> episode again. Of course this drove my list up above 140 and I'm now working to pare it down to 108 with about 10 honorable mentions or so. Will probably take me a couple more days before the first post goes up. I'm also trying to find clips or screenshots for all of them and that's been adding a lot of time to the project.<br /><br />But Matt sent me an e-mail this morning on something else I've been meaning to address:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">I was looking over your list of top ten episodes, drawn up at the end of season three. I know that you've got the 108 moments list cooking, and that the more charitable thing to do would be to identify the ten best episodes from the last three seasons. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm curious, though. What would a top ten list for the whole series look like? Relatedly, are there any episodes on the original list that you see in a different light with the series as a whole in mind?</span></blockquote>I have been meaning to draw up a new Top 10 Episode list (<a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Episodes">you can read my previous one here</a>) for the series as a whole, although I'm unsure as to how to go about it. I could add reviews for new entries on the list and simply reprint any holdovers or just do a short, one-post update to the list itself. I'm currently leaning towards the former, likely after my moments list is finished.<br /><br />But the really hard part is that my opinions of some episodes have changed a lot. I didn't even include "<a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2007/06/lost-322-323-review-through-looking.html">Through The Looking Glass</a>" on my original list because at the time, while I thought it was good, I don't think it had sunk in yet just how good it was. I made my list shortly after that finale aired and I also think part of me didn't want to include it because it was too new. Also I already had two season openers and a season finale on there and I wanted to spread the love around a bit. Now I don't think you could have a Top 10 episode list without having it on there somewhere.<br /><br />Rereading all the synopses has also given me a new appreciation for some of the episodes too. For example, while the mini-series at the beginning of Season 3 was by-and-large still terrible with a lot of plot elements that didn't really work (Ben and Kate on the beach, Ben's tumor, Ben's "con" of Sawyer, Kate's wedding, Bear Cage Sex, etc...) that mini-series also contained a few of the best moments of the entire series (with the really prominent one being Ben showing Jack the Red Sox winning the World Series).<br /><br />All of this has really only gone in one direction for me - i.e. it's made me like some episodes more than I did before; episodes I really, really liked have continued to hold up pretty well. I don't think any episodes are going to be removed from the list on their own, I simply think they're going to be bumped off by better ones or ones I now hold in higher regard (like TTLG).<br /><br />I also put up a new poll. The results from "The End" were really impressive as 75% of you thought it was "above average" or better. Bodes really well for Lost's legacy overall and that's really nice to see. After all, we do want someone to eventually find the next "Lost," eh? :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-88278540066798495082010-05-27T22:36:00.002-04:002010-05-27T22:42:40.508-04:00What Could Have Been...One last thought on "The End" and I'm done. I was looking back through some of my old theories and such and came across <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2009/03/time-and-again.html">this entry</a>, and I couldn't help but think how much cooler (to me) a sci-fi ending to the show would have been.<br /><br />I know most of you disagree, but I think right up until "Across The Sea," I was still expecting an ending like that. That change in expectations after AtS definitely contributed to my disappointment in the finale.<br /><br />Makes me also realize just how wrong my predictions were about <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>, especially in Seasons 4 & 5. *sigh*Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-53029538403648463782010-05-26T09:29:00.004-04:002010-05-26T11:43:21.254-04:00Moving On...Few more thoughts from the finale, which I don't really want to dwell on, but there were a couple (positive) things I forgot to mention in my review. I'm a pretty optimistic guy by nature and I really hate being negative. I've read a lot of reviews the past few days and I'm happy so many people liked the finale, critics and fans alike. It's going to solidify Lost's reputation as one of the best shows ever seen on the small screen, a reputation I happen to agree with regardless of my feelings on the finale. I think if there was a positive review I agreed with the most, it was <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-end,41436/">The Onion AV Club</a>. While I dislike the fact the ending of the show was more metaphysical than sci-fi, I do like the idea that the friendships and connections these characters made was what helped them triumph in the end.<br /><br />- Best awakening scene, IMHO: Sawyer and Juliet. Yeah, Kate, Claire and Charlie was good too, but somehow James and Jules got to me the most.<br /><br />- Hurley's grin when Charlie answered the door was great too. Also loved his pose as he aimed the tranq gun.<br /><br />- And as wrong as it was that Shannon awakened Sayid instead of Nadia, it was great seeing Boone again, as himself instead of a trippy spirit guide.<br /><br />- As I mentioned in the comments, my favorite line of the night was: <span style="font-style: italic;">"You all head to your heart of the island and I'll go get the magic leprechaun out of the well."</span><br /><br />- I did love all the homages to earlier episodes. The Hatch shot, as Jack and Locke looked down at the Source, the sonogram Juliet gave Sun, Kate and Sawyer cliff diving together.<br /><br />- So when Desmond time-traveled in "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flashes_Before_Your_Eyes">Flashes Before Your Eyes</a>" and "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Constant">The Constant</a>" did he actually travel to the Alt? Maybe in the former, likely not in the latter. Desmond very well could have died in the Swan implosion sending him temporarily to the Alt universe where Alt Eloise (who seemed to be just as aware as the one who was married to Charles) tried to keep him on the right course. When he traveled in "The Constant" was was very clearly in the same timeline as present day Penny, so I don't think that was a trip to the waiting room. Not to mention, escaping the Island isn't quite the same experience as being thrown into a giant Em box or releasing a huge amount of EM energy.<br /><br />- So why was Smokey <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Cost_of_Living">so angry at Eko</a> for not preventing the destruction of the Swan? Two reasons. First of all, I think he knew that the Swan's energy could destroy the Island if it wasn't kept contained and since Jacob was still alive at that point, he knew he'd be destroyed along with it. Secondly, I think he was worried that even if the Island wasn't destroyed, his personal loophole, John Locke, would be. I think the reason he wanted Eko to "help John" was partially to protect his escape plan.<br /><br />- It's also fitting Michael wasn't in the final reunion. He didn't deserve to be there for what he did and he related as much to Hurley when he saw him on the Island. And the more I think about it, the more I really like Ben staying outside the church despite being forgiven by Locke. I really hope those two guys do get <a href="http://www.tvovermind.com/lost/losts-oquinn-and-emerson-shopping-new-series/21376">to work together on a project in the future</a>.<br /><br />- I'm currently editing my <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-108-moments-in-lost.html">Top 108 moments list</a>. Really hard to pare down and organize. Should foster some interesting discussion. I'm having a particularly hard time about where to place some moments from the finale because even if I disagree with some of the choices the writers made, they're too important not to have on the list. First installment will be up after the holiday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-7175403660988002832010-05-24T00:36:00.010-04:002010-05-24T10:45:25.500-04:00Lost Episode Review 6.17 & 6.18: "The End"<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the place you all made together so you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time you spent with these people. That's why you're all here.</span><span style="font-style: italic;">..."</span><br /></div><br /><img src="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/Jmast7/JackCheesyLight.jpg" width="400" height="225" /><br /><br />(Thanks to <a href="http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/">Dark UFO</a> for all the screencaps).<br /><br />I was going to simply use "See you in another life, brutha" as my quote, but it just seemed too obvious.<br /><br />Leading up to the finale, there was a lot of online discussion about where Lost's ending would fall among the ranks of the great and the not-so-great. On the great side, you have M*A*S*H, Newhart and Cheers; on the not-so-great (or at very least, controversial) you have Seinfeld, The Sopranos, St. Elsewhere and BSG. My gut feeling is that if you're one of the people who liked "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Across_the_Sea">Across The Sea</a>" you're going to put "<a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_End">The End</a>" in with the greats. If you didn't, it's going to fall in the latter group, possibly pretty far down.<br /><br />As for myself, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the narrative overall, but I'm greatly disappointed that 1) everything in the Alt was kinda made irrelevant by the fact it was really just an existential waiting room and 2) all the unresolved questions that were ignored in favor of the Jacob/MiB conflict this season made much of the previous seasons feel irrelevant as well.<br /><br />On some of the message boards, it's been suggested Lost would have been better if it ended with Season 5 - Juliet detonates the bomb and fade to black (or white, I suppose). The end. Dark? Sure, but dark is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/">always cool</a>. The same thing could be said for BSG, which could have ended in even a darker manner halfway through the final season (in fact, it could have gone down in history as the darkest, bleakest ending ever seen). But BSG instead chose to go out happy, giving most of the characters a fan-friendly send-off that treated them with reverence. Lost chose this route as well. There was also a touch of "The Sopranos" here as well, especially in the fact that Darlton chose to go out on their own terms.<br /><br />Darlton were kinda sensitive in their defense of "Across The Sea," especially in regards to the words "cop out." But there's really no way to spin this ending without mentioning those words. Even if you liked the feel-good reunion at the end and didn't care about all the unresolved questions, in order to make it all work and us in suspense all season they had to give us a big head-fake as to the Alt's true nature. And now, in retrospect, a lot of what we saw in the Alt this season doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. And for a show that prides itself on its intelligence and the intelligence of its viewers, this is extremely disappointing to me.<br /><br />I'm not going to be totally negative here, if you want that <a href="http://gawker.com/5545877/the-lost-finale-was-incredibly-dumb">you can go here instead</a>. Let's go through some of the individual plot elements from "The End" and take a look at what I liked and didn't like.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) The Alt is an existential waiting room where the Losties gather until they're all dead and ready to "move on." </span><br /><br />I did like this. Sorta.<br /><br />Is it creative? Yes. Is it schmaltzy? Yes. Were all the awakenings emotionally manipulative? Heck yeah. But I really enjoyed all of the Alt scenes regardless. The ending in the church felt a little too much like a self-congratulatory cast party, but it still tugged the heartstrings. And it didn't cheapen what happened on the Island because all these people really did die, just some much later than others. Kate, Sawyer and everyone on the Ajira plane really did escape from the Island.<br /><br />The problem with it is that because it was just a "waiting room," nothing in it was real. Everything we saw in the Alt this past season was fake. And in retrospect, even though all the awakenings were cool, it makes us question why they all had to wake up in the first place.<br /><br />Also, because they didn't want to give the ending away, they had to mislead us all season into thinking the Alt was actually an alternate timeline. Yes, Jack's cut on his neck and "appendix scar" (yay, more blatant Christian symbolism) were nice bits of misdirection, but there was so much about the Alt that now, in retrospect, just doesn't make a lot of sense. Showing us the sunken Island in "LA X" was a total head-fake, put there simply to make us think it was an alternate timeline and that kinda ticks me off. It does make me feel somewhat good that my <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/04/lost-episode-review-611-happily-ever.html">pocket universe theory</a> was somewhat closer to the actual truth.<br /><br />Also because the Alt is a total fake, a lot of the stuff we saw there this season just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. As I mentioned above, why did Desmond have to wake everyone up? How did he get woken up in the first place? Did he did actually die and come back when Charles Widmore tried to turn him into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characters_of_Watchmen#Doctor_Manhattan">Dr. Manhattan</a>? Certainly seems like it. But the weirdest thing was Aaron being "born" into the Alt. He certainly must have lived a full life in the real world with Claire and Kate. Must suck to have to then spend your entire afterlife as an infant because that's how these people remembered you. :P<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) The Island really is a cork to keep Hell in its place. </span><br /><br />It's not just a cork, it actually has a <span style="font-style: italic;">literal </span>cork too. And when you pull it out, it negates all rules on the Island or something. Jack and Smokey become mortal, everyone dies. Again I imagine anyone who liked "Across The Sea" liked this. I thought it was kinda cheesy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) You gain no awareness or knowledge whatsoever by becoming the new Jacob</span>.<br /><br />I think this is the plot element that annoyed me the most. Jack becomes the new Jacob and doesn't have a clue. WTF? Granted, this was only done because it was the only way to set up the ending, but this was emblematic of the episode itself. The awakenings, Jack being clueless, Jack and Smokey becoming mortal, Aaron being an infant in the Alt... all these things were done to get us to the reunion and the final shot of Jack's eye closing. Darlton knew the final shot was to be Jack's eye closing in the bamboo field and had to come up with some pretty silly plot devices to get him there.<br /><br />Jack's been stabbed in the side and has to cross the Island and climb down a rope? No problem. Jack gets blown out of the Source like Smokey and survives? No problem. After all that he's still able to stagger through the jungle to the bamboo forest? No problem. After all that he <span style="font-style: italic;">wants</span> to stagger through the forest to the bamboo jungle? Yeeesh. It was almost like you could see him thinking "I've... got... to... get... perfect... final... shot... before... I... die" while he was walking. Completely contrived and really, really weak.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) What happened on the Island, happened. Those who escaped, escaped.</span><br /><br />I liked the fact that some people did manage to escape the Island, that Kate managed to bring Claire back and that all the Island stuff wasn't a dream. There's also a bit of fanservice in that Kate and Sawyer get to be together in real life while Kate and Jack (and Sawyer and Juliet) get to be together in the afterlife. Guess Kate got the best of both worlds, eh?<br /><br />I also cheered when I saw Frank was still alive. Makes me feel better knowing he didn't die a pointless death.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) Ben and Daniel stay behind to be with the people they love</span>.<br /><br />I kinda like this even if it doesn't make much sense. Daniel wouldn't go with them since Charlotte was here. Ben would stay for Alex (and maybe Danielle), not to mention, he always felt he was a bit of an outsider of the group - remember his pained speech to Ilana where he told her he was going to Locke because he had nowhere else to go? The scene outside the church reminded me of that. In fact, I think that would be the one scene from the episode that would make my <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-108-moments-in-lost.html">Top 108 moments</a> list - Locke forgiving Ben.<br /><br />But why would you want to stay in a waiting room when the real afterlife awaits? Wouldn't the real afterlife be so much better? Maybe there's a really juicy issue of People Magazine they haven't read there or something.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Rose, Bernard and Vincent did time travel to 2007 and lived out their lives on the Island.</span><br /><br />Yay. Just yay. :)<br /><br />Oh, and <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-episode-review-616-what-they-died.html">I totally called it</a>, by the way. In general I was pleased with several of my predictions: <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-episode-review-614-candidate.html">The Alt being Lost's happy ending</a>, <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-episode-review-616-what-they-died.html">Desmond entering the source</a>, <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/02/lost-episode-review-605-lighthouse.html">Juliet being Jack's ex-wife</a>, <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-episode-review-616-what-they-died.html">Hurley being Jack's backup</a>, <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-episode-review-614-candidate.html">Smokey using The Elizabeth as his escape plan</a>. Just didn't see the waiting room coming. *sigh*<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Hurley becomes the new Jacob and Ben becomes his #2</span>.<br /><br />I liked this as well. And props to Michael Emerson here too. Did you notice the way his eyes dropped when Jack chose Hurley as his successor? He so wanted the job himself, even though he knew he didn't deserve it. But somehow the thought of those two living on the Island for an eternity together after everyone else has left is kinda neat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) Eloise really was self-serving</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/04/lost-episode-review-611-happily-ever.html">I kinda predicted this</a>. Smokey had nothing to do with the Alt, but it does fit that all of Eloise's motivation was selfishness, driven by the desire to be together with Daniel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) The writers really didn't care about anything other than the characters.</span><br /><br />And this sucked. Yeah, they've been warning us all season, but it doesn't make it suck any less. And don't get me wrong, the characters were important, but Darlton knew the fanbase cared about the mythology as well and to just ignore it entirely in favor of heart-tugging schmaltz is a total cop out. You can almost hear <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Stop_Believin%27">Journey</a> playing in the background.<br /><br />Darlton will argue that they had no obligation to answer every question on the show, but the sheer magnitude of everything they've ignored diminishes every season of Lost outside of this one and the first. Why do all the Egyptian stuff in the first place? Why spend so much time on childbirth on the Island? Why tease us with giant statues of fertility goddesses if they're just there for show? I'm not angry, I'm just sad and incredibly disappointed they chose the easy way out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10) I have perfected the chicken wing. </span><br /><br />If there is one excellent thing that came out of last night, it's that I've perfected my chicken wing recipe. The breading was excellent, the sauces were incredible and they were cooked to perfection. I actually had to put the remaining Honey BBQ sauce into the fridge otherwise I would have eaten the entire bowl with a spoon. I wish I was eating them right now...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summary (and future blogging plans)</span><br /><br />I'm going to give this episode a <span style="font-weight: bold;">2.5/5</span>. The character stuff was a 5, but it gets a 0 for the mythology and overall I feel a little disappointed, about the same as I did after the BSG finale, but I do think on the whole I liked that finale a bit more because (with one major exception) I thought it was a bit more honest about it's intentions than Lost was.<br /><br />Next week, I'll start my Top 108 Lost Moments list. I'll probably post them in batches of 10 or so along with a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut. After that, I think I'm probably going to start a new blog, one that will touch on a variety of subjects I'm interested in, including science, the Mets, parenting and, of course, pop culture. There will be an announcement once that begins.<br /><br />As for Lost, it will still remain one of my favorite all-time shows. I'm just a bit saddened that it's legacy to television (which will still remain great, to be sure) is likely going to be diminished by the ending.<br /><br />What did everyone think? :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-3145387309847409972010-05-23T23:46:00.002-04:002010-05-23T23:50:42.786-04:00Thoughts?So.... what did everyone think? I'm working on my review - which will be up tomorrow morning - though I might need to marinate on this for a couple days before it all sinks in. Very curious to see the poll results on this one.<br /><br />Still can't believe it's all over. :(Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-45525598778849711382010-05-23T18:19:00.004-04:002010-05-23T18:36:04.898-04:00I Need A Countdown Timer...Less than three hours left. I've got three types of hot wings going. Some Honey BBQ, Mild Buffalo and the original <a href="http://www.anchorbar.com/">Anchor Bar</a> wing recipe (which is absolutely fabulous). I'm ready for a cluckity, cluck, cluck final evening of LOST. :)<br /><br />Of course, there might <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Countdown_timer">eventually be one up for sale</a>, although it's not currently in the <a href="http://www.profilesinhistory.com/items/lost-auction-preview">LOST Auction preview</a>. I think the timer is the one thing I'd really, really kill to have of all the memorabilia. Out of what they've listed though, I think <a href="http://www.profilesinhistory.com/items/lost-auction-preview/hurleys-winning-mega-lotto-jackpot-ticket.html">Hurley's Lottery Ticket</a> and the <a href="http://www.profilesinhistory.com/items/lost-auction-preview/ekos-signature-staff-with-bible-scripture-carvings.html">Jesus Stick</a> are my two favorites. <a href="http://www.profilesinhistory.com/items/lost-auction-preview/lockes-hero-backgammon-set.html">Locke's backgammon set</a> is tempting too, but it's just not distinctive enough. <a href="http://www.profilesinhistory.com/items/lost-auction-preview/faradays-journal-with-handwritten-inscription-from-his-mother.html">Faraday's journal</a> would be a neat thing to stick innocculously on my lab bench. :)<br /><br />What would all of you really, really want from the show?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-14792527439951392102010-05-23T09:47:00.002-04:002010-05-23T09:50:14.988-04:00In Tears...But not from sadness. Jimmy Kimmel's <a href="http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15166-Comedy-Examiner%7Ey2010m5d22-Jimmy-Kimmel-gives-LOST-the-Unnecessary-Censorship-treatment-with-hilarious-video">LOST-themed "Unnecessary Censorship"</a> had me laughing so hard I was crying.<br /><br />Less than 12 hours people... :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6448824486226424563.post-34121330078810573052010-05-22T13:13:00.009-04:002010-05-22T16:37:16.245-04:00Finale PreviewBefore the season kicked off, I made <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/01/minor-mysteries.html">several</a> <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/02/minor-mysteries-part-ii.html">lists</a> <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/02/poll-results.html">of mysteries</a> I predicted we would or would not get answers to before the end of the show. For starters, let's look at how we're doing on mysteries from <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/02/poll-results.html">my pre-season poll</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1) Who are Jacob and the Nemesis? </span><br /><br />Pretty much answered, although I'd still like to know whether they or Mother have any ties to Egyptian mythology (or whether all the Egyptian stuff was just a hobby of Jacob's).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2) What is the Monster?</span><br /><br />Again, pretty much answered and we'll certainly find out what the exact nature of the Monster is tomorrow night, i.e. Is he Smokey's soul or something Jacob released by throwing his brother into the Source.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3-tie) What are the Whispers?</span><br /><br />Answered. Restless souls trapped on the Island, incapable of moving on.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3-tie) What is the Island? </span><br /><br />Basically answered. It's certainly a prison for Smokey now, but we still need to know exactly what The Source is and why Mother was protecting it before Jacob came along.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">5) What's in the Temple? </span><br /><br />Answered. Too bad it was kinda lame. I am still curious as to whether the pool in the Temple bubbles up from The Source. If so, it seems The Source was corrupted with Jacob's death. Has it been restored now that Jack has taken over?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">6) Why is Aaron important? </span><br /><br />In the wake of the previous episode, this something I'm even more curious about. Since the end of last season, I thought Aaron had to be raised by Claire and Claire alone so that he would remain "good" and be able to replace Jacob. However, Jacob said he chose all the candidates because they were "flawed like him." Furthermore, he was raised as an innocent and railroaded into becoming Jacob against his will and I can't see him doing the same thing to another young, blond-haired lad.<br /><br />So was the whole Richard Malkin thing simply a ruse by Jacob to get Claire on the plane. Did Aaron have a destiny on the Island before Kate took him away. This is one of those big questions that hasn't been addressed. I really hope we get an answer to tomorrow.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">7) Why do pregnant women die on the Island? </span><br /><br />This <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> be addressed tomorrow. It's one of those things Darlton has been incredibly evasive on, so you know it ties into the nature of the Island itself.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">8-tie) Who are Adam and Eve? </span><br /><br />Answered. Even if (to me) the answer was incredibly disappointing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">8-tie) What's Libby's backstory? </span><br /><br />Unfortunately I think this is one of those things that's going to fall by the wayside, unless her Alt timeline counterpart reveals something in the finale. And the sad thing is how little we really know about her - we don't know why she was in Australia, why she gave Desmond the boat, who her husband was or why she was in Santa Rosa. And even sadder is the reason we don't know all of this is likely because Cynthia Watros decided to get go get herself a DUI and was written out of the show. :P<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">10-tie) Who are Ilana and Bram? </span><br /><br />Answered. Again they were both kinda lame, although Ilana did have one really good scene with Ben before she went boom.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">10-tie) Does everyone on Flight 815 have a specific destiny?</span><br /><br />Answered. The people who survived certainly did. It does seem that the majority of them were candidates, brought to the Island by Jacob. And you have to imagine he manipulated them to get them all on Flight 815. Much easier to have to bring just one plane to the Island then have them all arrive separately. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">12) Did the Juliet really change history by detonating the bomb? </span><br /><br />Kinda answered. She certainly created the Alt, but it remains to be seen how the two timelines are connected and how it's all going to be resolved.<br /><br />So out of the twelve listed here, we have five that have been fully answered, four more that we've gotten partial answers on and one that we've got nothing but almost certainly will be addressed tomorrow. The only two from this list that might fall by the wayside are Aaron (boo) and Libby (oh well). That's really not too shabby.<br /><br />But what about my <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/01/minor-mysteries.html">two</a> <a href="http://mistakingcoincidence.blogspot.com/2010/02/minor-mysteries-part-ii.html">lists</a> of Minor Mysteries (some of these do overlap)? How did I do on these?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mysteries That <span style="font-style: italic;">Will</span> Be Answered</span>:<br /><br />1) Claire and Aaron - Probably not<br />2) The Whispers - Answered<br />3) Walt's importance - Probably will<br />4) The Black Rock - Answered<br />5) The Supply Drops - Likely not<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mysteries That <span style="font-style: italic;">Will Not</span> Be Answered</span>:<br /><br />1) Ben, Locke and The Swan - Probably not<br />2) Kelvin, Radzinsky and The Sickness - Probably not<br />3) Henry Gale - Likely not<br />4) The Capsule Dump - Likely not<br />5) The Elizabeth - Answered<br /><br />Unless we revisit (and get to see) a bit of the aftermath of The Incident, I think most of the DHARMA minutiae are going to fall by the wayside as well. I definitely think we'll get a reason why they kidnapped Walt - Ben is going to say something along the lines of "we were trying to get him to manipulate the Island's energies for us" to wrap that up. We could conceivably get the same sort of answer about Aaron as well, but part of me thinks Walt is more likely.<br /><br />Regardless though, I'm really not that concerned. As long as they wrap everything up in a well-written, non-cheesy manner that does right about the characters, I'll be really happy. Lost has been a wonderful, imaginative, completely original trip for the past six years and I'm really happy I've been along for the ride.<br /><br />Don't forget that tonight at 8pm there's a pop-up version of The Pilot on ABC! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some wings to prepare. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475817897723801757noreply@blogger.com6