Did anyone else laugh when Rousseau came and got the dynamite from the ship? Back in Season 1 (which now seems soooo long ago!) everyone was so careful not to accidentally detonate the dynamite (the results of which were so brilliantly demonstrated by Arstz) and now Rousseau just waltzes in there, picks it up and strides back out again.
And what do we think she wants it for? Seems obvious that she's on a mission to get Alex out of the evil clutches of The Others. What with everything that's going on, it's shaping up to be a great finale.

OooooooooooKaaaaaaaaaay....

How can we even write seriously about LOST when they create an episode as off the wall and, frankly, fabulous as this one.

Ben is big fat liar, nuts and really evil. No wonder Ben is fascinated by people with Daddy Issues;he reeks of Daddy Issues. So far he's had Sawyer and Locke act out variations of Ben's own patricide. Kate did the same before she came to the island.

The guy we all thought was the second in command is apparently ageless and maybe not second in command after all. (NEAR USELESS ASIDE: Regarding the second in command, I finally figured out the actor and the LOST character's name....Nestor Carbonell (who was hilarious, by the way in "Suddenly Susan" the Brooke Shields late '90's sitcom) is the actor and his LOST character is Richard Alpert.)

Locke will probably heal nearly immediately or, in an odd role reversal, Jacob may come and help Locke. And what/who the heck is Jacob?

Questions seem superfluous with LOST. No matter how sane the question or how cogent the answer, it will have nothing to do with the next episode.

No matter, I love the show and will watch enthusiastically as long as it's on the air.

Questions seem superfluous with LOST. No matter how sane the question or how cogent the answer, it will have nothing to do with the next episode.

Agreed. I have absolutely no clue what the heck is going on. I don't know if Jacob is real or imaginary, if Ben is absolutely bonkers or just a liar and a nut. The ageless guy is an enigma. Next episode we probably won't find out anything more about Locke because the show will be focusing on other characters.

But at least stuff was happening.

I just watched an interview on Jimmie Kimmel of the actress who plays Kate and she said that in the two-hour season finale there was a "reveal" that gave her goosebumps (and she doen't even like television).

I also agree that it cannot be a dream -- because if someone was actually dreaming -- they generally dream in chronological order -- not in a way to supply backgrounds and flashbacks on all characters within the dream.

I think the question is not who Jacob is but what Jacob is. I also agree that Locke will heal, but Merry, a.k.a Charlie, can't die. Charlie and Desmond are the best characters on there. Why did Juliette tell them to flip over the tape? I still don't like, I don't know whether she's still doing Ben's work or not. And Ben! A Dharma Initiative employee. Mayhap we'll find out more about Dharma in the future. Why did he kill them all? Too many questions, and we have to wait a year! A year, to find out what happens. I guess we'll have to wait though.

...When they show flashbacks of Ben's childhood, what was the girl's name, the one he who made him the dolls? Is that his daughter's mother?

Susan

I think the little girl said her name was Annie. I'll look again tonight. I always thought the French chic, Danielle (now with dynamite), was Alex's mother. At least, that's what Danielle claims.

Uh-oh, the RJ board clocks are wacky again. I answered Susan's post, below, but I'm showing up before her.

What the heck was that?! Is Jacob real? Is he a poltergeist? Why would Ben get so mad that Jacob spoke to Locke?

Once again, there are more questions than answers.

There are themes/patterns that are becoming clearer:

1. Fathers suck and must be killed.
   
2. Dead relatives show up when you think about them.
   
3. Everyone lies.
   
4. Pregnancy/giving birth is deadly.
   
5. To keep your people in check you must make them fear "others" that are different than you.

When they show flashbacks of Ben's childhood, what was the girl's name, the one he who made him the dolls? Is that his daughter's mother?

And why does the "hostile" guy he met out in the woods look about the same age as Ben? LOL

I'm so confused. :confused:

Susan

I think the little girl said her name was Annie. I'll look again tonight. I always thought the French chic, Danielle (now with dynamite), was Alex's mother. At least, that's what Danielle claims.

Oh, yeah. Duh.

Uh-oh, the RJ board clocks are wacky again. I answered Susan's post, below, but I'm showing up before her.

How freaky is that? LOL

Susanita

Ben's flashback now needs to continue to his fathering a child and should include Annie or Danielle's story. I think Ben kidnapped the child to call his own (yeah, he's nuts) and that Danielle is telling the truth about her child being kidnapped.

The hard question is: Why does Jacob need help? Is Ben holding him/it hostage? Is Jacob the island?

Best episode so far this season.

AC

The hard question is: Why does Jacob need help? Is Ben holding him/it hostage? Is Jacob the island?

Good question. I thought Ben was full of hooey or a fraud at first and completely gone bonkers, but then I played it forward one frame at a time after Ben got thrown up against the wall and you could see Jacob sitting in the chair that was previously unoccupied and dusty-looking, though in shadow. He has a high forehead, long hair pulled back sort of like they did back in the 1700's or 1800's, and his clothes looked pretty darned old-fashioned. He was in shadow, though, so you couldn't really see any facial features.

"Help me!"

All I can figure out is that Ben discovered some secret about Jacob or the island and that it is real. Real enough that the other islanders believe him and follow his lead. I think Ben is able to keep Jacob prisoner with all that ash around the house, for some reason -- though that sounds a little more fantastical than I prefer. I think that maybe Jacob has had something to do with the island for a couple hundred years, based on his clothing. I think Ben cannot really hear Jacob, though he pretends to.

Something is up and I don't know what it is.

And I won't know much more before the season ends in two weeks, then it will be another 8 or 9 months before the next episode airs. I guess I'll also be practicing my patience skills.

...I played it forward one frame at a time after Ben got thrown up against the wall and you could see Jacob sitting in the chair that was previously unoccupied and dusty-looking, though in shadow.

I think Ben is able to keep Jacob prisoner with all that ash around the house.

I can't believe you saw Jacob! I must go back and look for him. If he's dressed like that maybe it means he came on that ship that has all the dynamite? But dynamite wasn't invented until the 1800's, so maybe not.

As far as the symbolism of ash...here's a totally deep Zen thought, dude:

Genjo Koan
(an excerpt)

[INDENT] Firewood becomes ash, and it does not become firewood again. Yet, do not suppose that the ash is future and the firewood past. You should understand that firewood abides in the phenomenal expression of firewood, which fully includes past and future and is independent of past and future. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression of ash, which fully includes future and past. Just as firewood does not become firewood again after it is ash, you do not return to birth after death.

This being so, it is an established way in buddha-dharma to deny that birth turns into death. Accordingly, birth is understood as no-birth. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha's discourse that death does not turn into birth. Accordingly, death is understood as no-death.

Birth is an expression complete this moment. Death is an expression complete this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring.

(Written in mid-autumn of the first year of the Tempuku Era (1233 A.D. by Dogen Zenji)

[/INDENT]I'm sure that means something! LOL

Pagans or wiccans believe ash can protect you from evil spirits and also help with fertility.

Susan