Has anyone considered the use of Dopplegangers or is that too out there? Clones? The Dharma Initiative was crazy about the science; always felt like some massive 6th grade science fair to me. I always expected a baking soda volcano to show up somewhere…

Are we giving up on the Kate storyline? I’m ok with thinking she’s unimportant now, I was just wondering.

If David is in the first-verse as well as the alti-verse then it’s likely he’s the same age, since all the other characters have been presented as the same age in the Alti-verse. That’s why I don’t think it can be anyone Jack has already come in contact with on the Island.

St. E jokes aside, the creators have already said the ending won’t be something like a dream or limbo. I have to believe them. I also think Desmond’s reference to a snow globe was just an homage to St. Elsewhere… not a hint that all of it was a dream.

Rae, if I’m even 1/5th right about all this Shepherd family stuff, I’ll be thrilled. Oh and thanks for pulling up my sinking spaceship theory.

Man, do I hope it’s a spaceship.

As I said on tumblr last week,
if the anti-aging Richard Alpert business is simply explained w “Jacob’ touch” I am going to be pissed. I would rather go w the theory of healing Island water or radioactive matter blocking UV rays.

*sigh* I miss the science season. LOST never let us take leaps of faith before, so I cannot understand why they are expecting viewers to do so now.

That being said, I like the idea of the crew being united in the alt universe with a massive Deja vu… Unless it goes down some horrible Sliding Doors scenario, after which I would beg for a St. Elsewhere ending.

Also, of course the Temple is going to play more of a role. Silly. I doubt they’d build that elaborate set for just a few scenes in a few episodes.

Finally… on to Lost. I think a metaphysical explanation is pretty much a given at this point, no? Eternal life and smoke transforming into dead people. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. I’m much happier since they stopped trying to pretend otherwise as it’s given me time to get used to it and to accept that I can’t find a scientific reason for what’s happening.

Here’s my prob with the ageless thing and it being the gift Jacob gave them all… wouldn’t that mean Sawyer wouldn’t age at all? It doesn’t track for those who were touched at such a young age. But I do think there’s clearly some rule about not being able to harm yourself. Michael couldn’t kill himself just as Richard indicates he can’t kill himself. He CAN die, obvs, but it can’t be by his hand. Although, he should have known the same would be true for Jack and that something would stop that dynomite as a result, no?

I think you’re correct about Ray having a role in everything. And it would be kind of neat if it turns out he’s a now aging Jacob… if only because it’ll mean he’s traded one prison (of a sort, since he can come and go freely from the Island) for another. But if he’s truly Jack’s grandfather, does his death change future Shepards?

I’m not sure anything I just typed had anything to do with what you wrote in this post. Which is pretty much how I feel whenever I’m talking Lost with someone.

Regarding Jack’s son… the only thing I ever think about that is that he reminds me of a slightly older version of kid Faraday that we saw in a flashback and that they both play the piano.

This ep threw me a few times… I was with Kyle reveling in the Real Genius Reunion, wondering if Val Kilmer could somehow use Lost as his comeback vehicle or better yet, Michelle Meyrink. And then that HUGE plothole with the whole blackmail scheme gone wrong and Ben seeing the light. Yes, Ben needed redeeming but that info will be just as damning after Alex gets to Princeton… In my Lost fantasy world, I like to imagine Arzt holding onto that info until Alex gets to Princeton and then using it to get his parking spot.

Good luck with your crankshaft sensor.

I think you are (I’m sad to say) right about some metaphysical type ending. This week with Ben really seemed to push the whole redemption idea. Although it is great ti see that Ben has a good side, it is more fun to see the eye-popping evil Ben!

I was a little taken out of the episode when I saw the principal, and all I could think of was “Real Genius Reunion” when Ben’s dad also showed up

As much as you are pulling for spaceships, I’m thinking no.

I actually enjoyed the Alti-verse with Ben this episode. The fact that it did answer the question of the island ever existing. I wonder how much did happen though with Ben’s father still being alive. Did Danielle ever go to the island or was Alex born in LA?

I still think David is tied into the universe we have been following since the beginning. I also still hope it is someone we know that is his mother (Juliet!). Ben seemed to have no recollection of Alex or her mother on the island so what is saying that they would recognize each other?

The gift is confusing but I feel like Richard is warning Jack that while it may seem a gift in the beginning it turns out to be a curse. Very philosophical with the death of Jacob and Richard questioning his purpose in life.

Overall, this episode still left me with more questions than answers. Oh well, it’s almost Tuesday.

Jacob’s gift thingie? I’m sorry but when Richard was talking about this “gift” all I could think about was “the ultimate gift” as in a girl’s virginity i.e. the gift that can only be gifted once. But our boy Jake has been gifting all over the place. Was Richie REALLY so distraught because Jake was dead giving his life no further purpose or was his sudden suicidal mood be because he just found out that there were these candidates who were possibly more special than him? Maybe he figured out that they probably got Jake’s gift too? Which of course made me think about The Virgin Suicides… Well, because I just really love that movie.

And hey, why does MIB really want Richard to go with him? Were they old buddies or something?

Anyway, the whole not being able to kill yourself thing? Michael was unable to kill himself and he was probably a candidate. But was he ever touched by Jake? We don’t know. Maybe all the candidates are suicide proof regardless? (as you said about Locke) Maybe the touch is something else? Could Richie’s gift just be eternal beauty?

I’m slowly giving up on trying to figure it all out. I just want it to end with us finding out that Jake & MIB are friends who clock onto the island like WB cartoons Ralph and Sam. Then Team J and Team MIB engage in an epic battle where everyone dies. The last shot of the show would be a B&W montage of a big BBQ on the beach post battle with all past lost characters having a great time, laughing and drinking DHARMA beer… Kind of like a motion version of that photograph at the end of The Shining… all to the song The Warmth of the Sun… indicative that they are in a loop that just keeps resetting itself. And for you J, a spaceship that would buzz the beach as Jake and MIB go home for a brief vacation at the end of each cycle.