LOST Episode 5×11 “Whatever Happened, Happened” - Screencaps, Easter Eggs, Audio, & Analysis

When we first heard this was a Kate centric episode, we weren’t thrilled.  However, despite already getting what seemed like 37 Kate flashbacks over the course of the series, we were curious to tie up Kate’s loose ends regarding  Aaron and what she was doing for Sawyer off the island, so we’re glad to have gotten those scenes.  Overall, we liked the episode and really enjoyed a few particular scenes.  Before reading our thoughts on the rest of the episode, leave us your thoughts at 920-626-6086.  OK, on to our thoughts:

• Our favorite scenes of the episode did not include Kate (big surprise).  That honor instead goes to two scenes: the time travel chat between Miles (essentially serving as a proxy for Faraday) and Hurley and the Richard Alpert scene.  Let’s start with the time travel discussion.  We’ve come to know that episodes written by Darlton themselves are either massively important or contain specific details surrounding the show’s mythology and rules (particularly when it comes to time travel: Flashes Before Your Eyes, The Constant).  Tonight was no exception as we were enlightened to a few new rules of time travel.  We absolutely loved the Back to the Future reference.  I think we’ve used Back to the Future 3 or 4 times on the podcast (including our most recent episode — all hail Biff Tannen) as a point of comparison.  The first new thing we learned concretely was that despite our Losties being back in 1977, they can die because, from their point of view, their futures haven’t happened yet.  Contrarily, the lives of the rest of the people they encounter back in 1977 will always lead to the same place in the future because, as the episode title suggests, whatever happened (already) happened back in 1977.  Basically, every individual has his/her own timeline that contains a past, a present, and a future, no matter what year that past took place in or what year it is in the present.  That past will always remain unchanged.  That present and future are up for grabs.  That takes a minute to digest, but makes sense.  The other thing we learned concretely was that adult Ben won’t remember being shot by Sayid while he was young Ben.  Miles was confounded when Hurley confronted him on this topic, but we came to learn via Richard in our other favorite scene that Ben will lose this memory, along with his “innocence” apparently.  Plus, he’ll “never be the same”.  What exactly Ben does and does not remember remains to be seen.  In any event, it appears Richard’s cryptic comments are tied into the nature or mythology of the island and the Temple.  We also loved hearing Ellie’s and Charles’ names mentioned when one of the Others was talking to Richard.  This seems to somewhat validate Widmore’s claim that he was leading the Others and mostly in peace (i.e., the truce).  It also suggests that Ellie and Widmore had a long running history together.  We’re just not sure if it was as lovers, peers, or siblings (remember the discussion earlier this season over whether Widmore and Ellie were Faraday’s parents?).  Of note was the fact that Richard made it clear that he didn’t answer to them (Ellie and Charles).  We’re really looking forward to a continuation of this story line.
• Speaking of Widmore and Ellie, by 1977, we’re getting to the point where Penny would be need to be born.  There are a number of possible scenarios here, including her being born on the island to them, her being born off the island to them where Ellie left the island to deliver her, Penny not really being their child, or if Widmore and Ellie are siblings then perhaps Widmore has a different love interest who gives birth to Penny.
• It turns out our readers’ hunch was correct on what would happen with Aaron.  In our entry covering episode 5×06 316, 52% of respondents thought Kate would give Aaron to Carole Littleton, 22% thought she’d give him to Cassidy, and 18% thought he’d be kidnapped.  What’s funny is the show teased options 2 and 3 as well before settling on Carole Littleton.  Will Carole make a public stink about Claire being alive?  I would guess not knowing that Kate is going to look for her.
• We found out that Sawyer’s whisper to Kate on the helicopter was, as many suspected, in relation to his daughter, Clementine.  It was nice to see her and Cassidy and know that Sawyer was making sure Clementine was taken care of, despite Cassidy’s continued bitterness toward him.
• Kate’s purpose for coming back to the island is to find Claire.  I was glad to hear that her reasoning had nothing to do with Sawyer, even if deep down part of it does.  Giving Suliet an honest chance might be tough, though, when Claire isn’t even born yet in 1977.
• Jack has become Locke, at least mentally.  He has no idea what he’s supposed to do next, but doesn’t seem to care.  He just knows that he was supposed to come back and he feels his path will become obvious at the right time.
• A note about the bullet wound on Ben:  It appeared last week that the wound was on the left side of his chest near his heart and that this week it was on the other side of his chest.  Was this a continuity issue or something more?
• Sayid must still be off in the jungle.
• After a brief hiatus, it was nice to see Locke again.  Now let’s see if Ben somehow manages to screw him over…again.
• Characters we miss: Desmond, Faraday, Ellie (Hawking), and Widmore
• We’re still waiting on the payoff episode for Miles.  He really hasn’t put his ghostbuster skills to much use, so that’s got to be coming yet this season.
• Based on the preview for next week’s episode, we’re going to predict that it’ll be one of the, if not the, favorite episodes this season.  We won’t comment on specifics for those who are sensitive to possible mild spoilers.

Easter Eggs (use the arrow keys to scroll from image to image):

 

HQ Screencaps Galore (use the arrow keys to scroll from image to image):

 

LOST Episode 5×10 “He’s Our You” - Screencaps, Easter Eggs, Audio, & Analysis

Overall, we thought this was a pretty good episode. What a killer ending (pun intended)! We were both pretty shocked when Sayid shot Ben. We both loved the introduction of Oldham; excellent job of casting. What did you think? Let us know at 920-626-6086. Some additional thoughts:

• To us, the big question is whether or not Ben is actually dead.  If he is, that would indicate that our Losties have the ability to change the future, rendering “whatever happened, happened” null and void. What do you think?  Vote below:

• We loved the return of MacCuthcheon whiskey that Sayid was drinking at $120 a pop.
• Another Geronimo Jackson appearance, this time on a poster in the cafeteria.
• The DHARMA Chef logo is priceless.  The chef hat / toque is nice, but what really makes it is the fork and knife crisscrossed below that.  It’s got a bit of a buccaneer or pirate feel to it.
• Roger Linus is a jackass.
• OK, so Ilana’s not a marshal.  We challenged whether or not Ben could’ve hired her and pinned it on Avellino, the guy he shot on the golf course, but the timing doesn’t seem right.  Ben would’ve had to know well in advance that Ajira 316 was going to be the flight so he could tell Ilana what flight to be on w/ Sayid.  Ms. Hawking had told Ben the night before that there was a window to get back, but not with any details and not with enough time to get Ilana mobilized.  In addition, Ben seems truly shocked when he sees Sayid on the plane.
• The introduction of Oldham was great.  Whether it was the ultra bizarre makeshift teepee, the phonograph, the truth serum, or the local neighborhood pedophile appearance, we were pretty captivated by this guy.  More of him would be a good thing.
• It was great to hear an Ann Arbor mention.  It seems the DeGroots have the final say in sensitive matters.  We can only hope they visit the island soon.
• It’s a bit off topic, but we can’t wait to see Desmond again.  We haven’t forgotten about him.  We now know that Sayid didn’t get Ben all bloody, so perhaps we’ll know soon enough what really happened and if it’ll drive Des to the island.
• We may add some more thoughts over the next day or so, but we’ve got to call it a night…

Easter Eggs:

 

HQ Screencaps Galore (use the arrows to quickly scroll from image to image):

 

LOST Episode 5×09 “Namaste” - Screencaps, Easter Eggs, Audio, & Analysis

OK episode this week. Seemed like more of a setup episode than anything else. Leave us your thoughts at 920-626-6086.   A few thoughts:

• Where the hell did Faraday go?  Is he experimenting with time jumping in an attempt to find a way to get the Losties back to the future?
• What are Faraday’s “interesting theories” on what the Losties can and can’t do back in 1977 Dharmaville?
• It appears Caesar and Illana didn’t know each other.  We had presumed they were working together, but maybe not.
• Great to see Radzinsky.  Reader Darryl Diamond pointed out that Radzinsky bares a resemblance to Hurley’s number spouting crony Lenny from Santa Rosa.
• Did you catch the Muppets on FlameTV?
• If the Swan station wasn’t built yet, why did Chang have a Swan lab coat?
• Honestly, for us it was a bit anticlimactic finding out that the baby boy was Ethan (Goodspeed?  Rom?).  He never seemed like a significant figure, but who knows?  Plus, didn’t he look a bit older than 27 in 2004?  Is there a different Ethan?
• You could hear the taxi receipt printer noise indicating Smokey was around when the trees were shaking upon Lapidus and Sun walking on the sub dock.
• More WTF from Christian.  Not sure what to make of that whole deal.  By the way, check out the Easter Eggs for what may be a Claire sighting in the background behind Sun while Christian is talking to her and Frank.
• Loved Hurley’s chef role (including what appeared to be a new chef hat DHARMA logo on his jumpsuit) as well as Jack’s workman role (”based on your aptitude test…”)
• The return of Jack, Kate, Sayid, and Hurley seemed a bit uncomfortable.  There appeared to be genuine animosity between Kate & Juliet and Sawyer & Jack.  Messy love quadrangle.  Go Suliet!
• Meanwhile, the return of young Ben was pretty sweet.  We’re anxious to see more from him.
• “Is that a runway?” - It seems like we got closure on the whole runway storyline.  Just how much is Linus (and others) going to learn about future events back in 1977?
• We got this season’s first appearance of the whispers.  We put together several versions of the clip (forward/reverse and slow/normal speed).  Have a listen and let us know what you hear:

Easter Eggs (use the arrow keys to go from image to image quickly):

 

HQ Screencaps Galore (use the arrow keys to go from image to image quickly):

 

LOST Episode 5×06 “316″ - Easter Eggs, Screencaps, Audio, and Analysis

Another great episode this week. For me, it wasn’t quite as spectacular as last week, but great it it’s own right. Highlights:

• They’re baaaaccccckkkkk!  Thankfully Darlton didn’t make it a season long trek back to the island. I like the way this storyline was handled, with the exception of finding out right away at the beginning of the episode that they had made it back. It took a bit of suspense out of the rest of the episode for me. Despite that minor grievance, the story arc back to the island was fairly quick and didn’t drag on. Yet, we were left with enough unanswered questions surrounding some of the O6’s motivation that we’ll still be looking forward to these details being filled in. For instance, who tipped off Hurley?  What’s the deal with Sayid?  What did Kate do with Aaron?
• I liked the parallels between the first trip to the island and this redux.  Hawking encouraged this, as the results become “unpredictable” the less familiar the return trip conditions are.  What was interesting was that it appeared some of the roles changed this time around.  Ben played the role of Hurley feverishly trying to make the flight.  Hurley toted the guitar a la Charlie.  Sayid filled the convict role as he appeared to have an escort with him.  Then once Jack was back on the island, the similarities to the pilot episode were blatant.  See our comparison screen shots below.
• I loved the mythology piece with Hawking. We finally got some answers surrounding why the island can’t be found easily. We got our first off-island DHARMA station, the Lamp Post, which uses electromagnetic energy to predict the comings and goings of the island.  It will be cool to see some of the other locations around the world that are connected via similar electromagnetic energy.  It would seem Tunisia is one while Uluru may be another.  And by the way, who’s the “fellow” that concocted this station in the first place?  A guess…Faraday.  Not sure the logistics make sense for that, but that’s who popped into my mind right away.
• Seeing Linus showered in blood on the pay phone at the marina brought on a sense of dread.  The groundwork is laid for a confrontation between Des / Penny and Ben.  If you recall, Ben told Jack that he made a promise to an old friend and that he had a loose end to tie up.  That old friend just may be Charles Widmore and that promise just may be to kill Penny after Widmore changed the rules and allowed Alex to be executed.  You could argue that the marina would be a likely spot to find Des and Penny, seeing how they live on a boat, but logistically,the path from England doesn’t conveniently end in California.  I’m very worried for Penny right now.
• I loved the “leap of faith” comment from Hawking to Jack as Locke had uttered those same word’s in Season 2’s Man of Science, Man of Faith.
• It seems like we need to be focused on the concepts of Resurrection and Reincarnation.  Ben elaborated on Jesus’ resurrection to Jack and how everyone is convinced eventually.  These concepts are in play as we find out what happens to Locke as his body returns to the island.
• Oh, so that’s why Christian had white shoes…
• Was Locke basically blaming Jack for him having to die?  It sure seemed like it.  Essentially he was saying that he wouldn’t have needed to die if Jack and others had never left the island, which Locke had told them that they weren’t supposed to.
• Jin appears to be entrenched into the Dharma Intiative as was Faraday as we saw earlier this season.  My hunch is that everyone is going to be stuck in that time frame right now and will have to work to be able to get…back to the future.

Here’s a comparison of Jack at beginning of the pilot episode and upon his return to the island in this episode…

Pilot:

 

This episode:

 

Check out our favorite easter eggs from the episode:              (thanks to Lostpedia.com for the Dharma logos)

 

Vote for this week’s LOST COW (clip of the week). Listen to the nominees by clicking below:

HQ Screencaps Galore:

 

LOST Episode 5×03 “Jughead” Easter Eggs, Audio, and Analysis

Given that Desmond and Faraday are two of my favorite LOST characters (and had already teamed up to give us arguably the best episode of LOST yet–”The Constant”), I expected myself to enjoy this episode more that I did. Not that it was bad by any means (see highlights below), but maybe my expectations soared a little too high when I realized the focus would be on the aforementioned chrononauts. Overall I found it enjoyable, and a nice departure from the O6 storyline.

Some of my favorite moments include:

-Meeting some new (old?) Others. The reveal of “Jones” as Widmore was very well done. Even though his screen time was limited up to that point, he had managed to move to the top of my “people who need a good beatdown” list. Finding out it was Widmore just seemed fitting. The “Jones” nametag was enough of a decoy to throw me off for the most part, however the scene where John “chose” not to shoot him did stick out a little bit–as if it wasn’t really a choice at all, but a necessity to keep the time continuum from becoming even more out of whack. On a sidenote, it was weird that Widmore had a fake name on his coat (Jones) but the Other with the Cunningham coat was actually named Cunningham (we hear Widmore refer to him by name when he’s telling Richard what happened). I’m assuming they had taken these from the US soldiers they killed, so how nice for Cunningham to luck out and have a distant relative in the bunch.
We were also introduced to Ellie, which it seems may be the mysterious Eloise Hawking in her younger years. It’s not a stretch to assume that Hawking is also Faraday’s mother (given the hints from last week compounded by further evidence from this week’s scene between Des and 2008 Widmore). It’s turning into quite the family circus. Speculation about whether Faraday and Widmore are related (and thus Widmore and Hawking if Hawking does indeed turn out to be Faraday’s mom) is bound to ensue. Widmore could either end up as Faraday’s father or uncle (”Shut up, Ellie” sounded like something a brother would say). Could we possibly see Brother Campbell return in the near future? Along those lines, it seems to make sense that if Faraday shared what he knows about Desmond (he’s special, needs to get to the island, but has the ability to deviate from the rules, etc.) with people in the past (Hawking, Widmore, etc.), that this would explain why Desmond has been “steered” along his path by Hawking, Widmore, Brother Campbell, etc.

-Miles using his ghostbusting skills once more (for more than just scavenging boar carcasses).

-The return of Faraday’s mullet. When he told Ellie she looked familiar, I think it was to the woman in the Oxford picture, who may end up being his sister. It would make sense that his sister would look like a younger version of his mother. Plus, with Widmore being such a prick, why would he take care of the sick woman just because he felt responsible. Perhaps there’s more to it like he’s secretly her father. Who knows.

-A heavy dose of Alpert. After being deprived last season due to Nestor Carbonell’s casting in “Cane” on CBS, it’s good to see him in a more prominent role this year. It appears that Alpert indeed is very old. Given the time travel element to the show, I wasn’t so sure that his apparent lack of aging wasn’t really just him traveling through time and thus always looking the same age. Time to shoot that theory dead. It’s all clear now as to why Richard kept showing up in Locke’s life. Locke told him when he was to be born and that he’d eventually be their leader (per Jacob), so Richard followed up on it. I’d consider this an “answer”. As to why Richard doesn’t age, I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

-The reveal of Widmore as Faraday’s benefactor.

-Da bomb. Faraday’s “bury it” suggestion makes me wonder if the burial site will end up being the hatch. We already know that the “limitless energy source” is really at the Orchid, so perhaps the purpose of the hatch is just to contain the h-bomb and it’s leaking radiation.

Time to hear what you think:

Here’s a few galleries of the scenes we thought were the most interesting and chock full of easter egg possibilities.

Desmond at Oxford:

 

Desmond visits Theresa:

 

Desmond and “Old” Widmore:

 

Young Widmore:

 

Jughead:

 

It looks like the name of the Department of Physics building was changed at some point from “Clarendon” to “Claredon”. Also, note the numbers making yet another appearance.

 

Make sure to vote for this season’s first LOST COW (clip of the week). Listen to the nominees by clicking below:

Next week’s preview looks pretty juicy. Look out for our episode 5×04 preview coming in the upcoming days. Can’t wait to start dissecting some more screencaps!