The 2008 Summer Olympic games opening in Beijing, China yesterday. And it was one of the coolest ceremonies I have ever witnessed in my (short-ish) life.
The ceremonies weren't just about people doing artsy interpretations of their nation's culture and heritage. These ceremonies were about telling a story, not showing performances. And if it was a little avant garde, the announcers made sure to tell you what was going on. The only time I needed that was when millions of LED and stage lights were flashing all over the stage in a performance designed to show that we must not waste the earth's resources. (Starting right after that performance, I'm sure.)
Speaking of LED, that "magic carpet" was sure incredible, wasn't it? With it's magical touch screen in the middle, it had some resemblance to an oversized Nintendo DS. While I'm sure it did nothing to save the earth, it was an incredible performance piece and added to the overall awe and mystery of the night.
The ceremonies had an amazing dignity and openness about them. I realize this is by design. After all, the Chinese want to try their hardest to make more nations like them, and not remember some of the crappier things they do. (Every nation does this when they host the Olympics, but China had to do even more, it feels like.) But these ceremonies were safe, familiar and entertaining. They did not scare me like the Nagano games. (I was only 11, but still, I remember the little devils skating all around, scaring up a storm. Creepy.) They were memorable, which is better than Sydney. (And much better than Turin, which I cannot remember, and that was two years ago!) And they were not even delightfully campy, like the terrific Salt Lake City ceremonies. This was like a great magician's act, full of technological wonders while making sure that you leave entertained and exit in good spirits.
I'm sure it could have taken "more chances" and been "edgier," but I don't think they had to. Not this year. The simple dignity was more than enough to give the games a terrific start.
Showing posts with label TV Recaps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV Recaps. Show all posts
The Middleman
Have you caught The Middleman on ABC Family? It is a superhero show, paying major homage to older comic books. And it does it with terrific quips and quirky style. It's like if the old-school Batman TV series met The Gilmore Girls, with maybe a dash of Buffy thrown in. It is a very, campy show, but it knows it is a very, very campy show and uses it to it's full advantage. The show's budget is about what'd you would expect for a show on ABC Family, but the low-budget special effects add to the overall lighthearted feel of the show, which can only be a plus. The characters are well fleshed out and have sufficient motivation and drive. The stories are well-thought out and executed beautifully.
In some respects, the show is almost a Chuck, having someone thrown into unfamiliar situations and having to deal with them, while balancing their top-secret life with their own personal life. (Chuck, of course, being the comedy variation on Alias, which had the same premise.) Here are a few lines which struck me funny during this week's episode. Out of context, and without the (surprisingly good) actors giving their terrific delivery, they lose something. But, I typed them up anyways:
- "I'm as serious as a Hefty bad full of rottweilers."
- "We need to consult someone." "Who?" "Our consultant, of course."
- "I thought you solved your female problems." "I don't think 'female problems' mean what you think."
- "Roxie, this is the middleman. I'm in the middle of a sticky-wicky, so I'll get to it."
- "Can't kill the dead, can I?" "No. But you're funny!"
- "So, what now?" "We have all the time in the world if you'd like to have some sort of emotional breakdown." "Kind of numb right now, but I appreciate the offer."
In some respects, the show is almost a Chuck, having someone thrown into unfamiliar situations and having to deal with them, while balancing their top-secret life with their own personal life. (Chuck, of course, being the comedy variation on Alias, which had the same premise.) Here are a few lines which struck me funny during this week's episode. Out of context, and without the (surprisingly good) actors giving their terrific delivery, they lose something. But, I typed them up anyways:
- "I'm as serious as a Hefty bad full of rottweilers."
- "We need to consult someone." "Who?" "Our consultant, of course."
- "I thought you solved your female problems." "I don't think 'female problems' mean what you think."
- "Roxie, this is the middleman. I'm in the middle of a sticky-wicky, so I'll get to it."
- "Can't kill the dead, can I?" "No. But you're funny!"
- "So, what now?" "We have all the time in the world if you'd like to have some sort of emotional breakdown." "Kind of numb right now, but I appreciate the offer."
Guys. The Mole. Is AWESOME.
I exaggerate the quality of television shows sometimes. But this current season of The Mole is so much fun. ABC.com has the entire season up for viewing - just two episodes right now! - so you can get caught up. I won't say who it is, but the person who I thought was the mole WENT HOME THIS EPISODE and now my mind is all confused. It's a detective/mystery/adventure/treasure hunting/exploring/strategy game! Watching The Mole put me in a great mood, no lie.
"The Mole" returns!!
I'm a few days late watching it, but here are my semi-"live" thoughts while watching the new incarnation of ABC's The Mole.
- I missed the music. The scenery. The fact that it is The Amazing Race and Agatha Christie all in one show.
- The new host is no Anderson Cooper. He is okay, not bad enough for me to stop watching. But, he is no Anderson Cooper.
- Immediately, after having met each other in a car ride, the host had everyone vote on who they thought the Mole was. After traveling together!! Crazy.
- The first task had contestants, attached to a bungee cord, jumping for a bag of money off of a waterfall. They were jumping off a waterfall. That is when I would resign from being a contestant on the show. NO JOKE. That is completely scary. And as the contestants jump, their raft goes over and crashes into pieces! L
"I see losing as failure." - the history teacher, who is slightly Michael Scott-esque, on why he wanted to win.
- Another reason why I love The Mole (non-celebrity editions) and had forgotten: the show does a great job capturing the human element. Not just the backstabbing staple of reality television shows. But it shows people's quirks and unique personality traits that helps us love or hate everyone. And that's the whole point of this show: who can you love or hate? You instinctively try to form a bond with everyone, but there's this complication that one of them - and you do not know who - is sabotaging everyone else But they have to work together to get money and win at the tasks. There are all these problems and complications, and the show deals with them in a (mostly) honest and refreshing way.
- Four people had to sleep outside. And for an Amazing Race-like, international journey show like The Mole, how did that one person expect that she would never have to sleep outside? For those who did not watch, she was told that the cabin was for people who were sleeping. And she was one of those unfortunates who lost out on being in the cabin. So she stayed up all night, inside the cabin, instead of sleeping outside.
- SECOND GROUP VOTE: Who is the group's biggest whiner? HA! Everyone said Nicole, the "I stayed up all night" girl. In the producer's interview, she then gives us this great gem of a quote: "What's wrong with being smart and gorgeous at the same time?" Nicole = Omarosa.
- SECOND TASK: On a beach (island?), the whiner had to pick out a few scavengers, time keepers and appraisers. 45 items were scattered across the beach. They had to pick out which 5 items would have been around in the year 1704, concurrent with the tale of Robinson Crusoe. Scavengers had to scoop up all the items and then figure out the right items, then present to the appraisers. Meanwhile, the Time Keepers had to keep scooping sand into a special hourglass, to keep the game running as long as possible. COOL! They only got 3 out of 5 items correct, after 3 tries.
- In honor of Robinson Crusoe, the Whiner got "stranded" on the beach by herself. What a great payoff! Normally, reality shows drag tensions like this out forever. But to have a nice little arc within one episode? I love it when that happens! So while the Whiner struggles to make fire, the other 11 contestants stay in a nice hotel.
- BEST QUOTE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT: "I don't want to go home." - the stay-at-home mom.
- BAD NEWS OF THE NIGHT: Since Nicole is stranded out on the beach, and not there to take the quiz or be there for the execution, she cannot be sent home. She would not have anyways, though. Because she is too suspicious, too soon, to be the Mole.
- The execution is four minutes of pure torture and suspense. People who you think will go home, don't. And everyone is nervous, you are nervous, the music makes you nervous... It's an amazing ride.
- Who went home? Marci, the stay-at-home mom, who everyone thought was the mole. I know! She was so nice, so sweet, and I wanted her to WIN THE GAME. And, for the record, she does want to see her family again. She does miss them a lot. So she still wins.
- I missed the music. The scenery. The fact that it is The Amazing Race and Agatha Christie all in one show.
- The new host is no Anderson Cooper. He is okay, not bad enough for me to stop watching. But, he is no Anderson Cooper.
- Immediately, after having met each other in a car ride, the host had everyone vote on who they thought the Mole was. After traveling together!! Crazy.
- The first task had contestants, attached to a bungee cord, jumping for a bag of money off of a waterfall. They were jumping off a waterfall. That is when I would resign from being a contestant on the show. NO JOKE. That is completely scary. And as the contestants jump, their raft goes over and crashes into pieces! L
"I see losing as failure." - the history teacher, who is slightly Michael Scott-esque, on why he wanted to win.- Another reason why I love The Mole (non-celebrity editions) and had forgotten: the show does a great job capturing the human element. Not just the backstabbing staple of reality television shows. But it shows people's quirks and unique personality traits that helps us love or hate everyone. And that's the whole point of this show: who can you love or hate? You instinctively try to form a bond with everyone, but there's this complication that one of them - and you do not know who - is sabotaging everyone else But they have to work together to get money and win at the tasks. There are all these problems and complications, and the show deals with them in a (mostly) honest and refreshing way.
- Four people had to sleep outside. And for an Amazing Race-like, international journey show like The Mole, how did that one person expect that she would never have to sleep outside? For those who did not watch, she was told that the cabin was for people who were sleeping. And she was one of those unfortunates who lost out on being in the cabin. So she stayed up all night, inside the cabin, instead of sleeping outside.
- SECOND GROUP VOTE: Who is the group's biggest whiner? HA! Everyone said Nicole, the "I stayed up all night" girl. In the producer's interview, she then gives us this great gem of a quote: "What's wrong with being smart and gorgeous at the same time?" Nicole = Omarosa.
- SECOND TASK: On a beach (island?), the whiner had to pick out a few scavengers, time keepers and appraisers. 45 items were scattered across the beach. They had to pick out which 5 items would have been around in the year 1704, concurrent with the tale of Robinson Crusoe. Scavengers had to scoop up all the items and then figure out the right items, then present to the appraisers. Meanwhile, the Time Keepers had to keep scooping sand into a special hourglass, to keep the game running as long as possible. COOL! They only got 3 out of 5 items correct, after 3 tries.
- In honor of Robinson Crusoe, the Whiner got "stranded" on the beach by herself. What a great payoff! Normally, reality shows drag tensions like this out forever. But to have a nice little arc within one episode? I love it when that happens! So while the Whiner struggles to make fire, the other 11 contestants stay in a nice hotel.
- BEST QUOTE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT: "I don't want to go home." - the stay-at-home mom.
- BAD NEWS OF THE NIGHT: Since Nicole is stranded out on the beach, and not there to take the quiz or be there for the execution, she cannot be sent home. She would not have anyways, though. Because she is too suspicious, too soon, to be the Mole.
- The execution is four minutes of pure torture and suspense. People who you think will go home, don't. And everyone is nervous, you are nervous, the music makes you nervous... It's an amazing ride.
- Who went home? Marci, the stay-at-home mom, who everyone thought was the mole. I know! She was so nice, so sweet, and I wanted her to WIN THE GAME. And, for the record, she does want to see her family again. She does miss them a lot. So she still wins.
American Boxing Idol
I loved the boxing theme to this week's American Idol performance show. It was slightly cheesy, but with all the energy from the massive Nokia theater - which amazingly carried over onto television - it felt just like a entertaining arena show.
Five minutes into the show and no one is singing.
Ten minutes. No one is singing. Oh no, this hasn't become a boxing show, has it? Is it still American Idol?
Clive Davis chose a song that would really "connect" with people today for David Cook. And for Archuleta, he chose a song called "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." So already Archuleta's song sounds desperate.
Production values are high for this episode, though. It almost feels like a modern reality show!
You know how everyone hated Andrew Lloyd Webber week? Yes, ALW is back to coach the contestants! Please tell the producers how to interpret fan feedback?
8:14 and we get our first song. We've just about burned through one-fourth of a singing show without any singing at all. Oh no, David Cook's song has him pleading "let me be with you." All this whining... However, it was a predictably good song by Cook. I didn't even have to listen to it to know how it sounded!
Archuleta is singing his first song with... two voices? He has some trouble slipping into his voice at first, but once he got there, he was great. If I ever need a sleepy CD mix, I'll download some of his MP3's.
If ever there was a justification for Paula Abdul's super enthusiasm, tonight is it. Live at the Nokia Theater, with thousands of people, in one of the biggest telecast for the year, for one of the most contested contest in recent history. (Democratic candidate contest excluded.) These kids are nervous. It doesn't matter how much training, how much coaching you get. You step out onto that stage, facing off against your friend, you are going to be scared inside. So having one of the judges giving them reassurance? Tonight I am totally cool with it. This week is nothing like they have ever experienced in their lives. Not even a regular concert will be watched by 50 million people.
I love the Nokia Theater set design. Very cool. ROUND TWO: Songwriting Contest. It's not the last song? Terrific!
- "Dream Big," David Cook. Stage lights are set to "random." I can see this song selling well, being played on commercials, at weddings, proms, and so forth. It is not the worst coronation song ever. And Cook 'sang' it well! Ooh... I'll agree with Simon, though. That didn't sound like a winning moment, did it? I never even thought of that while watching the performance.
"In This Moment," David Archuleta. A song about him making his own decisions? Ha! Kid, we all know you are a stage child. We feel sorry for you, okay? "I want to stay in this moment/No one can take it from me." Well, kid, the voters can. And your dad. Goodness, this may be the most insipid, dreadful coronation song yet. It was more of a "I won, I won!" song. But it is a song that he will probably hate to sing all the time on the summer tour, so, in the end, he loses.
ROUND THREE: Personal Choice
- David Cook: "The World I Know" - Technically great. A good song choice, IMHO. But goodness, if it isn't sleepy! Aw, Cookie is crying. He's taking lessons from Archie!
Randy is just Mr. Optimism tonight. I actually understand and appreciate Paula tonight - am I that tired? And Simon's unfair to Cook, or WAS, until he said that Cook was one of the nicest people on the show. Oh good, Simon agreed that the song was done. Simon has his own "personal choice," and, I know he's a judge, but, back off Simon! And OH NO, COOK LOOKS DEFEATED. NOOOOO!!!!!
- David Archuleta: "Imagine" - Archie is singing about this magical world he wants people to know more about. Big words coming from someone still on his probationary driver's licence! (Okay, he has a great voice, and my personal Idol fav, Paris Bennett, was his age. But she didn't look like she was 8!! These things look more unbelievable coming from someone who looks like Archie.) Again, technically great, but BORING. Just like this whole season. ARGH. Archie is crying now. He must be taking lessons from Brooke.
Randy gives the competition to Archuleta. Paula is stunned. Cowell, well, gives the entire season to him as well. All rounds, he claims, go to David A.
I hope both David's get to cry, run, punch, or do whatever it takes to relax their nerves after this show. I feel terrible for them just looking at them on stage. Even the producers seem to realize they look terrible; after the numbers are given, we barely see the two contestants before they are whisked backstage. You know, the contestants we are voting for.
Oh, hi, Rueben. He is singing to a video montage, which we don't get to see a whole lot of. It's probably all the b-roll that airs in the studio during commercial breaks, and showrunners are probably sick to death of it all, but it's the end of the year! Let me see the unfortunate auditions. Stir up those memories
Oh, Carly Smithson. I missed you more than I ever thought I would. And Brooke. This season belonged to you, gals!
I still want Cook to win, but I think the judges may get their way and have an Archuleta win. Which may be better, so Manager Daddy won't beat his kid up for failing him. I'll accept Archie winning if it means less parental abuse. Deal?
Five minutes into the show and no one is singing.
Ten minutes. No one is singing. Oh no, this hasn't become a boxing show, has it? Is it still American Idol?
Clive Davis chose a song that would really "connect" with people today for David Cook. And for Archuleta, he chose a song called "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." So already Archuleta's song sounds desperate.
Production values are high for this episode, though. It almost feels like a modern reality show!
You know how everyone hated Andrew Lloyd Webber week? Yes, ALW is back to coach the contestants! Please tell the producers how to interpret fan feedback?
8:14 and we get our first song. We've just about burned through one-fourth of a singing show without any singing at all. Oh no, David Cook's song has him pleading "let me be with you." All this whining... However, it was a predictably good song by Cook. I didn't even have to listen to it to know how it sounded!
Archuleta is singing his first song with... two voices? He has some trouble slipping into his voice at first, but once he got there, he was great. If I ever need a sleepy CD mix, I'll download some of his MP3's.
If ever there was a justification for Paula Abdul's super enthusiasm, tonight is it. Live at the Nokia Theater, with thousands of people, in one of the biggest telecast for the year, for one of the most contested contest in recent history. (Democratic candidate contest excluded.) These kids are nervous. It doesn't matter how much training, how much coaching you get. You step out onto that stage, facing off against your friend, you are going to be scared inside. So having one of the judges giving them reassurance? Tonight I am totally cool with it. This week is nothing like they have ever experienced in their lives. Not even a regular concert will be watched by 50 million people.
I love the Nokia Theater set design. Very cool. ROUND TWO: Songwriting Contest. It's not the last song? Terrific!
- "Dream Big," David Cook. Stage lights are set to "random." I can see this song selling well, being played on commercials, at weddings, proms, and so forth. It is not the worst coronation song ever. And Cook 'sang' it well! Ooh... I'll agree with Simon, though. That didn't sound like a winning moment, did it? I never even thought of that while watching the performance.
"In This Moment," David Archuleta. A song about him making his own decisions? Ha! Kid, we all know you are a stage child. We feel sorry for you, okay? "I want to stay in this moment/No one can take it from me." Well, kid, the voters can. And your dad. Goodness, this may be the most insipid, dreadful coronation song yet. It was more of a "I won, I won!" song. But it is a song that he will probably hate to sing all the time on the summer tour, so, in the end, he loses.
ROUND THREE: Personal Choice
- David Cook: "The World I Know" - Technically great. A good song choice, IMHO. But goodness, if it isn't sleepy! Aw, Cookie is crying. He's taking lessons from Archie!
Randy is just Mr. Optimism tonight. I actually understand and appreciate Paula tonight - am I that tired? And Simon's unfair to Cook, or WAS, until he said that Cook was one of the nicest people on the show. Oh good, Simon agreed that the song was done. Simon has his own "personal choice," and, I know he's a judge, but, back off Simon! And OH NO, COOK LOOKS DEFEATED. NOOOOO!!!!!
- David Archuleta: "Imagine" - Archie is singing about this magical world he wants people to know more about. Big words coming from someone still on his probationary driver's licence! (Okay, he has a great voice, and my personal Idol fav, Paris Bennett, was his age. But she didn't look like she was 8!! These things look more unbelievable coming from someone who looks like Archie.) Again, technically great, but BORING. Just like this whole season. ARGH. Archie is crying now. He must be taking lessons from Brooke.
Randy gives the competition to Archuleta. Paula is stunned. Cowell, well, gives the entire season to him as well. All rounds, he claims, go to David A.
I hope both David's get to cry, run, punch, or do whatever it takes to relax their nerves after this show. I feel terrible for them just looking at them on stage. Even the producers seem to realize they look terrible; after the numbers are given, we barely see the two contestants before they are whisked backstage. You know, the contestants we are voting for.
Oh, hi, Rueben. He is singing to a video montage, which we don't get to see a whole lot of. It's probably all the b-roll that airs in the studio during commercial breaks, and showrunners are probably sick to death of it all, but it's the end of the year! Let me see the unfortunate auditions. Stir up those memories
Oh, Carly Smithson. I missed you more than I ever thought I would. And Brooke. This season belonged to you, gals!
I still want Cook to win, but I think the judges may get their way and have an Archuleta win. Which may be better, so Manager Daddy won't beat his kid up for failing him. I'll accept Archie winning if it means less parental abuse. Deal?
American Idol Thoughts
David Archuleta said he had a hard time memorizing the song that he chose for himself. Most of the song consisted of him repeating the mantra, "with you." And I thought I was bad at memorizing. Also, he didn't really seem to believe what he was singing it; he was just saying the words with the emotions that he knew he had to project. Also, this is the Top 3. How does he not know when to walk to the stage? Even Kelli Pickler mastered that by the Top 11 round.
Archuleta's first song... how high was he wearing his pants? I know he sings older songs, but he doesn't have to dress older.
Syesha's If I Ain't Got You was actually very good. It sounded very much like Alicia Keys, which is an incredible, incredible feat.
David Cook's fist song was boring. Technically great, but it just made me doze off. If I were listening to a :30 second sample on iTunes, I would have clicked to something else after about five seconds.
Syesha's Fever was really good, too. I'm not looking at the screen much at all while watching this, but judging by the quality of her voice, she was good. Not "bad cabaret," as Simon suggested. It was better than that. I agree with him about choosing something more contemporary, but I don't think anybody looks to the "personal choice" song to see what an artist's album will be like. We've had a whole season to anticipate that. Not to mention, there are producers and arrangers who tell these people what to sing on their albums. So, I guess, shut up, Simon.
David Cook should get a tan. Even a fake one.
Today Never Happened. David Cook, what was that song? It was arranged terribly weird for that 90-second window. It was a slow build up, then suddenly the chorus? I think? So weird. I completely agree with Paula.
Archuleta's Longer. The kid's got a great voice, but he did not sound that confident with this song at all. Talk about a song that wouldn't be on his record! Not even a Soft Hits radio station would pick that song up. Okay, song's done, let's see what the judges say... Randy deflects and avoids the song, Paula panders, Simon thought the "song and lyrics were absolutely horrible." THANK YOU, SIMON! Oh man, I'm so glad he had the guts to say something.
GUARINI WAS IN THE HOUSE! :(
Syesha: Come Hit Me Up. I love the tune, but, overall hate the song. Not great projection, not that all into the song. The backup singers were better overall, I think. I liked her last note, though. If that means anything. (American voters: "No.") Randy agreed... Paula liked Happy Feet, judges debate if the song is about penguins? Seriously? Paula panders to producers, claims girl won't go into final 2. Simon does his best to get another all-guy top 2. (First since Rueben/Clay!) They've been trying since season five. Terribly hard, too. But we've had Kat McPhee/Taylor Hicks. We got Jordin Sparks/Blake Lewis.
David Cook's last song got violins. Oh, I love violins. I want them at my wedding. And drums, too. And... when did Cook turn from hard rock to soft rock? Is he Michael Johns? NO. He is David Cook. David Cook is HARD ROCK. He is NOT soft rock. He does this song well, but this is not what he's done for the past few months. Nothing tonight is. But do the judges comment on that? No, but Paula found a beginning, middle and end. So there's that.
How did David Cook win that night? I think it was more of a draw. A very boring draw. How disappointing, American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, Season Seven!
Also, the show ran four minutes over. FOUR minutes. And these are the producers that almost did the Oscars? Good heavens.
Archuleta's first song... how high was he wearing his pants? I know he sings older songs, but he doesn't have to dress older.
Syesha's If I Ain't Got You was actually very good. It sounded very much like Alicia Keys, which is an incredible, incredible feat.
David Cook's fist song was boring. Technically great, but it just made me doze off. If I were listening to a :30 second sample on iTunes, I would have clicked to something else after about five seconds.
Syesha's Fever was really good, too. I'm not looking at the screen much at all while watching this, but judging by the quality of her voice, she was good. Not "bad cabaret," as Simon suggested. It was better than that. I agree with him about choosing something more contemporary, but I don't think anybody looks to the "personal choice" song to see what an artist's album will be like. We've had a whole season to anticipate that. Not to mention, there are producers and arrangers who tell these people what to sing on their albums. So, I guess, shut up, Simon.
David Cook should get a tan. Even a fake one.
Today Never Happened. David Cook, what was that song? It was arranged terribly weird for that 90-second window. It was a slow build up, then suddenly the chorus? I think? So weird. I completely agree with Paula.
Archuleta's Longer. The kid's got a great voice, but he did not sound that confident with this song at all. Talk about a song that wouldn't be on his record! Not even a Soft Hits radio station would pick that song up. Okay, song's done, let's see what the judges say... Randy deflects and avoids the song, Paula panders, Simon thought the "song and lyrics were absolutely horrible." THANK YOU, SIMON! Oh man, I'm so glad he had the guts to say something.
GUARINI WAS IN THE HOUSE! :(
Syesha: Come Hit Me Up. I love the tune, but, overall hate the song. Not great projection, not that all into the song. The backup singers were better overall, I think. I liked her last note, though. If that means anything. (American voters: "No.") Randy agreed... Paula liked Happy Feet, judges debate if the song is about penguins? Seriously? Paula panders to producers, claims girl won't go into final 2. Simon does his best to get another all-guy top 2. (First since Rueben/Clay!) They've been trying since season five. Terribly hard, too. But we've had Kat McPhee/Taylor Hicks. We got Jordin Sparks/Blake Lewis.
David Cook's last song got violins. Oh, I love violins. I want them at my wedding. And drums, too. And... when did Cook turn from hard rock to soft rock? Is he Michael Johns? NO. He is David Cook. David Cook is HARD ROCK. He is NOT soft rock. He does this song well, but this is not what he's done for the past few months. Nothing tonight is. But do the judges comment on that? No, but Paula found a beginning, middle and end. So there's that.
How did David Cook win that night? I think it was more of a draw. A very boring draw. How disappointing, American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, Season Seven!
Also, the show ran four minutes over. FOUR minutes. And these are the producers that almost did the Oscars? Good heavens.
Sarah Connor Chronicles
I just finished watching the pilot for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a one-hour drama to premiere on FOX soon. It is based on the Terminator mythology, of which I know next to nothing, except there is Arnold in all three, that the first was cheesy fun, the second was a technological breakthrough (more so than #1, I think) and the third was cheesy fun. The TV series looks like it might, just might, be worth watching.
The show runners made excellent decisions casting Lena Headey and Summer Glau in this show. They carry any scene that they are in with such ease. And they play off each other well when together, too.
I don't want to say too much more, because I'll be writing a review for my upcoming TV blog (!!!), but already the show has a hilarious tendency to run over it's bad guys, has a slight sense of humor (which I hear amplifies in the future) and is actually interesting throughout the whole episode. (Plus, style-wise, it felt like an early episode of 24, back when they used tripods. But without split-screens. And it has the gay/not-gay friend of Claire's from Heroes, so it's like a best-of Monday night programming!)
I'm not completely sold on the series, but, I'm definitely, definitely intrigued.
The show runners made excellent decisions casting Lena Headey and Summer Glau in this show. They carry any scene that they are in with such ease. And they play off each other well when together, too.
I don't want to say too much more, because I'll be writing a review for my upcoming TV blog (!!!), but already the show has a hilarious tendency to run over it's bad guys, has a slight sense of humor (which I hear amplifies in the future) and is actually interesting throughout the whole episode. (Plus, style-wise, it felt like an early episode of 24, back when they used tripods. But without split-screens. And it has the gay/not-gay friend of Claire's from Heroes, so it's like a best-of Monday night programming!)
I'm not completely sold on the series, but, I'm definitely, definitely intrigued.
When all current TV shows dry up...
... these are the shows that I will truly miss:
Samantha Who? - A quirky half-hour comedy that I can already see in syndication years from now. It has some Gilmore-type fast talk and has a great variety of engaging characters.
Chuck - Sure, there are too many things that are implausible with the show. But the show does everything with such honesty that it all comes off as charming. The love stories are subdued but powerful, the comedy hilarious and the drama actually engaging.
Bones - Already a fun, quirky procedural, adding in a gruesome serial killer (known as Gormagan) has really made things interesting - and fun - this season.
Pushing Daisies - A completely offbeat program, everything feels as random as kitchen magnets thrown in a jumble. But the over-the-top style is the crime show's charm. That and the irreplaceable banter of Kristin Chernoweth.
Ugly Betty - The show has kept moving at a fast, feverish pace this season, refusing to succumb to a sophomore slump. Adding in deaths, twisted love triangles and a wedding, the show keeps ramping things up just when you think it can only go down. That, and Vanessa Williams and Judith Light add a eclectic comedic energy that keeps you coming back for more.
The Office - The half-hour kind, not the hour version.
These are the shows that I will miss, but not as badly:
House - The show has been fun this season, but nothing more. This season dealt with doctors competing to replace the magnificent three that got fired/left at the end of last season. I like this season, and I enjoy every new episode, but I can go weeks without a fresh installment.
Private Practice - Shut up. I like it. I know it's stupid, campy, plots don't make sense, whatever. Cooper and Violet steal the show. Seriously, Amy Brenneman and Paul Adelstein rock every scene they have together, and that alone is worth tuning in for. Holistic Pete, however? Not so much.
Brothers & Sisters - How is it that Holly, a manipulative temptress, winds up being the sole voice of moral reasoning on the show? Anywho, for all the show's many, MANY pitfalls (and I'm sure the 700 Club could never now endorse me because I watch this show), it displays some of the BEST acting on television today.
These are the shows that are probably best if they aren't on, because unlike their apparent target audience I can think:
24 - I love/hate this show. They can do really good stuff, like the Logan plot line in season five; that was phenominal television and made for one of the best season finales on any show that I have seen. However, there is also season's 3 and 6 to consider, plus parts of, well, 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Heroes - Soon enough, everyone in the main cast will have been killed off (or, so it seems), but then brought back to life. This season spent too much time in Japan, too much time with the Honduras Twins and fell victim to uneven writing and acting. We still don't know anything about The Company (except that they call themselves "The Company," apparently), but we do know pretty much why saving the cheerleader saves the world: blood!
Samantha Who? - A quirky half-hour comedy that I can already see in syndication years from now. It has some Gilmore-type fast talk and has a great variety of engaging characters.
Chuck - Sure, there are too many things that are implausible with the show. But the show does everything with such honesty that it all comes off as charming. The love stories are subdued but powerful, the comedy hilarious and the drama actually engaging.
Bones - Already a fun, quirky procedural, adding in a gruesome serial killer (known as Gormagan) has really made things interesting - and fun - this season.
Pushing Daisies - A completely offbeat program, everything feels as random as kitchen magnets thrown in a jumble. But the over-the-top style is the crime show's charm. That and the irreplaceable banter of Kristin Chernoweth.
Ugly Betty - The show has kept moving at a fast, feverish pace this season, refusing to succumb to a sophomore slump. Adding in deaths, twisted love triangles and a wedding, the show keeps ramping things up just when you think it can only go down. That, and Vanessa Williams and Judith Light add a eclectic comedic energy that keeps you coming back for more.
The Office - The half-hour kind, not the hour version.
These are the shows that I will miss, but not as badly:
House - The show has been fun this season, but nothing more. This season dealt with doctors competing to replace the magnificent three that got fired/left at the end of last season. I like this season, and I enjoy every new episode, but I can go weeks without a fresh installment.
Private Practice - Shut up. I like it. I know it's stupid, campy, plots don't make sense, whatever. Cooper and Violet steal the show. Seriously, Amy Brenneman and Paul Adelstein rock every scene they have together, and that alone is worth tuning in for. Holistic Pete, however? Not so much.
Brothers & Sisters - How is it that Holly, a manipulative temptress, winds up being the sole voice of moral reasoning on the show? Anywho, for all the show's many, MANY pitfalls (and I'm sure the 700 Club could never now endorse me because I watch this show), it displays some of the BEST acting on television today.
These are the shows that are probably best if they aren't on, because unlike their apparent target audience I can think:
24 - I love/hate this show. They can do really good stuff, like the Logan plot line in season five; that was phenominal television and made for one of the best season finales on any show that I have seen. However, there is also season's 3 and 6 to consider, plus parts of, well, 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Heroes - Soon enough, everyone in the main cast will have been killed off (or, so it seems), but then brought back to life. This season spent too much time in Japan, too much time with the Honduras Twins and fell victim to uneven writing and acting. We still don't know anything about The Company (except that they call themselves "The Company," apparently), but we do know pretty much why saving the cheerleader saves the world: blood!
Pushing Daisies Verdict...
13 million people watched last night as ABC showed the premiere of Pushing Daisies. But did I like it? Sure I did. It wasn't the biggest thing since sliced cheese, but, for the television medium solely I think it's a pretty clever, creative thing. (I've heard many people comparing it to Big Fish, which is an awesome comparison to make. What a terrific movie!) It was a little slow in parts, and I think they can ease up on the use of the narrator and how many days and minutes everyone is alive for (if you've seen it, then you know what I'm talking about).
The characters were all good. The cast includes Swoosie Kurtz as a socially-impaired/crazy aunt who is blind in one eye, which ended her synchronized swimming career with her equally insane sister. (So random!) And major props to the hair and makeup people for having the lead heroine not die her hair blonde. That alone is different and unique in the land of TeeVee!
It's tough to see how this will all play out over a season, but hopefully it will remain creative, witty and charming. And, no doubt, I'll let you know if it does.
The characters were all good. The cast includes Swoosie Kurtz as a socially-impaired/crazy aunt who is blind in one eye, which ended her synchronized swimming career with her equally insane sister. (So random!) And major props to the hair and makeup people for having the lead heroine not die her hair blonde. That alone is different and unique in the land of TeeVee!
It's tough to see how this will all play out over a season, but hopefully it will remain creative, witty and charming. And, no doubt, I'll let you know if it does.
Who Liked the Emmy's? Apparently, Just Me
Immediate reaction from the 2007 Emmy awards has everybody giving it a meh reception. I thought the middle part dragged a little, but overall it was a much more solid, enjoyable show than most award shows in the past. The theater in the round was a clever idea, although I'm sure the show could have been able to incorporate a few more cameras and prompters so the "biggest stars" didn't have to stare at everyone's back ends for three hours. The graphics were nice and slick, the televisions used in the auditorium very nicely placed.
Ryan Seacrest was surprisingly good, for being Seacrest. But showing up in costume, being able to identify designers of ladies shoes... Not even Ellen would do that. And him saying "Hello, Teri" in his deepest, 'manliest' voice to Teri Hatcher, his ex-girlfriend (of what, four hours?) was so awkward and stupid it was actually very, very funny. That may be the most memorable greeting since Hannibal Lecter's "Hello, Clarice." "Hello, Clarice," "Hello, Teri"... Yeah, it might stick.
The cast of Heroes didn't really win at all, which is fine by me. It's a fun show, but when compared to the other people and programs they were up against, they didn't stand a chance. 24's losses are well-deserved, too.
What was up with them telling us the nominees for guest actors and actresses, but not telling us who won? Do we get to pick our own winner? Or did I just doze off when they announced the winners?
- Terry O'Quinn seems to be a lot more like his Alias character than his Lost character.
- Do not mispronounce Katherine Heigl's name.
Do not tell Katherine Heigle that she has no chance to win an Emmy, or else she will embarrass you on international television, mom. (Whom I really did feel bad for, she looked so much like she wanted to both curl up in a ball and die and slap Katherine upside the head. Which, after Gizzie, she'd get lots of help, I'm sure!)
- Props to the writer's from Conan O'Brain for this line: "Thanks to O.J., we'll have a show tomorrow."
- That duet with Xtina and Tony Bennett? Surprisingly really, really good. Christina has a really great voice for that genre of music. My entire world's foundation is crumbling.
- Speaking of Tony Bennett, he won three Emmy's tonight.
- Ellen's 'not knowing' her lines was one of the best presentations of the night. She and Seacrest could co-host and I'd be happy. (Which they did for Idol Gives Back, if you'll recall.)
- I had no clue the Beach Boys were now calling themselves the Jersey Boys.
- Helen Mirren gives the nicest acceptance speeches.
- Lewis Black: news crawls on cable nets really aren't that annoying. Also, what do news crawls have to do with the Emmy's?
- Masi Oka will now officially be stereotyped as "the geek" for life. Also, MySpace's Tom's profile pic really doesn't looked like him. He should probably update it.
- "If entertainers stop publicly congratulating each other, then the earth wins!" - Stephen Colbert, in a exchange with Jon Stewart on environmental responsibility and the Emmy's. (Colbert's leaf blower also ran on "Al Gore's tears," which are "surprisingly flammable" and abundant because he "is a crybaby.")
- Thank you, Ricky Gervais, for not stepping foot into America for the Emmy's, because having Steven Carrell rush up on stage to claim your award instead was one of the highlights of the night.
- Sally Field totally deserves her award for playing Nora Walker on Brothers and Sisters (Although Rachel Griffins deserved it more in the Supporting category, and lost), but really, was telling a (presumably) off-color joke that necessary? I like to be able to hear acceptance speeches, not see the disco ball.
- There were to "Brady Bunch boxes" showing the nominees for the category-of-the-moment this year, not that I noticed. I really liked that.
- America Ferrera's win was predictable, but deserved.
- James Spader beat out James Gandolfini? Seriously? James Spader?
- 30 Rock won Best Comedy, in perhaps the biggest upset for a struggling-but-funny comedy series since Arrested Development won that category a few years ago. Sometimes, ratings don't equal quality, and sometimes the award shows can actually recognize that and give it to a show that deserves it, rather than one that masses of people watch.
- The Sopranos won Best Drama. THAT was very predictable.
Ryan Seacrest was surprisingly good, for being Seacrest. But showing up in costume, being able to identify designers of ladies shoes... Not even Ellen would do that. And him saying "Hello, Teri" in his deepest, 'manliest' voice to Teri Hatcher, his ex-girlfriend (of what, four hours?) was so awkward and stupid it was actually very, very funny. That may be the most memorable greeting since Hannibal Lecter's "Hello, Clarice." "Hello, Clarice," "Hello, Teri"... Yeah, it might stick.
The cast of Heroes didn't really win at all, which is fine by me. It's a fun show, but when compared to the other people and programs they were up against, they didn't stand a chance. 24's losses are well-deserved, too.
What was up with them telling us the nominees for guest actors and actresses, but not telling us who won? Do we get to pick our own winner? Or did I just doze off when they announced the winners?
- Terry O'Quinn seems to be a lot more like his Alias character than his Lost character.
- Do not mispronounce Katherine Heigl's name.
Do not tell Katherine Heigle that she has no chance to win an Emmy, or else she will embarrass you on international television, mom. (Whom I really did feel bad for, she looked so much like she wanted to both curl up in a ball and die and slap Katherine upside the head. Which, after Gizzie, she'd get lots of help, I'm sure!)
- Props to the writer's from Conan O'Brain for this line: "Thanks to O.J., we'll have a show tomorrow."
- That duet with Xtina and Tony Bennett? Surprisingly really, really good. Christina has a really great voice for that genre of music. My entire world's foundation is crumbling.
- Speaking of Tony Bennett, he won three Emmy's tonight.
- Ellen's 'not knowing' her lines was one of the best presentations of the night. She and Seacrest could co-host and I'd be happy. (Which they did for Idol Gives Back, if you'll recall.)
- I had no clue the Beach Boys were now calling themselves the Jersey Boys.
- Helen Mirren gives the nicest acceptance speeches.
- Lewis Black: news crawls on cable nets really aren't that annoying. Also, what do news crawls have to do with the Emmy's?
- Masi Oka will now officially be stereotyped as "the geek" for life. Also, MySpace's Tom's profile pic really doesn't looked like him. He should probably update it.
- "If entertainers stop publicly congratulating each other, then the earth wins!" - Stephen Colbert, in a exchange with Jon Stewart on environmental responsibility and the Emmy's. (Colbert's leaf blower also ran on "Al Gore's tears," which are "surprisingly flammable" and abundant because he "is a crybaby.")
- Thank you, Ricky Gervais, for not stepping foot into America for the Emmy's, because having Steven Carrell rush up on stage to claim your award instead was one of the highlights of the night.
- Sally Field totally deserves her award for playing Nora Walker on Brothers and Sisters (Although Rachel Griffins deserved it more in the Supporting category, and lost), but really, was telling a (presumably) off-color joke that necessary? I like to be able to hear acceptance speeches, not see the disco ball.
- There were to "Brady Bunch boxes" showing the nominees for the category-of-the-moment this year, not that I noticed. I really liked that.
- America Ferrera's win was predictable, but deserved.
- James Spader beat out James Gandolfini? Seriously? James Spader?
- 30 Rock won Best Comedy, in perhaps the biggest upset for a struggling-but-funny comedy series since Arrested Development won that category a few years ago. Sometimes, ratings don't equal quality, and sometimes the award shows can actually recognize that and give it to a show that deserves it, rather than one that masses of people watch.
- The Sopranos won Best Drama. THAT was very predictable.
A "Bionic" Mess
I watched the pilot episode for Bionic Woman today and would recommend that none of you do the same. It was probably the most boring 43 minutes of my day thus far. It was highly stylized, super-glossy production and slick editing skills were employed to, presumably, help cover up the fact that the characters were flat, dialogue a snore and some scenes had absolutely no flow from one act to the next. By the time the action starts to ramp up for the final act, there is virtually no emotional interest spent on the characters, not even on the main character herself. (The actress does a decent job with her role, but she can't save the show, in my humble opinion. She is the episode's two bright spots, the other being the villianness' almost-pithy dialogue in the final showdown.)
Forgetting for a moment that it's supposed to be a "re-imagining" of the classic TV series, this episode felt very un-original. A young woman who is thrust unknowingly into a much deeper, darker plot than she ever thought possible? That's Alias there. So is the fact that the Bionic Woman works in a trashy nightclub/bar just a homage to all of Alias? (The show's later seasons were known for having the "eurotrash bar of the week.") The best un-original element of the show is that the main villianness smokes. (Smoking is, of course, now the universal way for TV and movie stories to tell us that this character is e-v-i-l.) The way the characters stood, facing one another often felt wooden and unnatural, as if they were trying to be cool, but couldn't pull it off.
NBC was wise not to pair this show with the ADHD-like Heroes. Watching a fast-moving disjointed show leaves little time to dwell upon the many shortcomings when you are actually watching it. Bionic Woman leaves you plenty of time to consider what else might be airing Wednesdays at 9 pm. Could the show get better? Pretty much, I think that's it's only option. But I don't care enough to find out.
3:50 UPDATE: I just finished watching the pilot for Chuck and enjoyed that a lot. It was so funny, it could almost be a show on the USA network! (Which, okay, NBC and USA are owned by the same parent network. But, as of late, USA has had much more enjoyable programming than NBC.) It's not a great show, but I think I'll probably give it a go for a few episodes to see if it can stay as fun and campy as the first episode was. (Chuck is made by the creator of The OC, so there might even be a "built-in" fan base for the show already! Plus, the geek talk? I didn't understand most of it but the way it was said made it really funny.)
(BTW, I'm watching these courtesy of NBC through AmazonUnbox, which takes as long to install as Apple's iTunes does, which is really not a great thing at all. But, these episodes were free so I'm not going to argue much.)
Not 3:50, but LATER UPDATE: I'll say one more maybe negative thing about Bionic Woman, and that it did actually have a very distinctive The Matrix-esque feel about it. Which, if there were only one Matrix movie and no franchise, this would have been extremely cool. (Even the show's opening "sound effect" is like the Matrix version of the Lost opening.) But in a post-Matrix Revolutions world, I'm curious as to why anybody would make anything that has even a hint of a Matrix feel to it.
Okay, I need to stop hating on it, because for all I know, it's just the first episode that's flat and the rest of the show is awesome. (It's happened many times over... Pilot episodes can sometimes be a bad judge of a series overall. They shouldn't, but, they can be.)
Forgetting for a moment that it's supposed to be a "re-imagining" of the classic TV series, this episode felt very un-original. A young woman who is thrust unknowingly into a much deeper, darker plot than she ever thought possible? That's Alias there. So is the fact that the Bionic Woman works in a trashy nightclub/bar just a homage to all of Alias? (The show's later seasons were known for having the "eurotrash bar of the week.") The best un-original element of the show is that the main villianness smokes. (Smoking is, of course, now the universal way for TV and movie stories to tell us that this character is e-v-i-l.) The way the characters stood, facing one another often felt wooden and unnatural, as if they were trying to be cool, but couldn't pull it off.
NBC was wise not to pair this show with the ADHD-like Heroes. Watching a fast-moving disjointed show leaves little time to dwell upon the many shortcomings when you are actually watching it. Bionic Woman leaves you plenty of time to consider what else might be airing Wednesdays at 9 pm. Could the show get better? Pretty much, I think that's it's only option. But I don't care enough to find out.
3:50 UPDATE: I just finished watching the pilot for Chuck and enjoyed that a lot. It was so funny, it could almost be a show on the USA network! (Which, okay, NBC and USA are owned by the same parent network. But, as of late, USA has had much more enjoyable programming than NBC.) It's not a great show, but I think I'll probably give it a go for a few episodes to see if it can stay as fun and campy as the first episode was. (Chuck is made by the creator of The OC, so there might even be a "built-in" fan base for the show already! Plus, the geek talk? I didn't understand most of it but the way it was said made it really funny.)
(BTW, I'm watching these courtesy of NBC through AmazonUnbox, which takes as long to install as Apple's iTunes does, which is really not a great thing at all. But, these episodes were free so I'm not going to argue much.)
Not 3:50, but LATER UPDATE: I'll say one more maybe negative thing about Bionic Woman, and that it did actually have a very distinctive The Matrix-esque feel about it. Which, if there were only one Matrix movie and no franchise, this would have been extremely cool. (Even the show's opening "sound effect" is like the Matrix version of the Lost opening.) But in a post-Matrix Revolutions world, I'm curious as to why anybody would make anything that has even a hint of a Matrix feel to it.
Okay, I need to stop hating on it, because for all I know, it's just the first episode that's flat and the rest of the show is awesome. (It's happened many times over... Pilot episodes can sometimes be a bad judge of a series overall. They shouldn't, but, they can be.)
Lost: 545877554376113 (Good Vibrations)
***MAJOR SPOILER WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON THREE FINALE OF "LOST". MAJOR SPOILERS.***
Oh. my. word. I, personally, didn't see that ending coming. At all. I'm just in shock! It's not like the biggest shock ever, Alias had twist that were much larger in scale and had more oomph. However, on a softer, more emotional level, this "game-changer" has huge implications for the show. Now I just don't know what is a flashback anymore. Has the entire series been a flashback and we're now just entering "real-time"? Or, was it a flash-forward? Wow. Just, wow... So, dispute the fact that my mind is racing all over the place, trying to absorb all of this information, I'll go through my notes and write down what I thought was interesting, weird or funny from the 2-hour finale, as I try to absorb what this all means... The more I think about it, the bigger, stranger and more awesome it becomes...
The Others (Main Camp)
- Richard Alpert, aka Mr. Eyeliner, will be leading the Others to "the temple." Apart from Ben, and the Others on the beach, this is as much as we saw of the Others this week, and the last we'll see of them until February.
- Ben said that he was brainwashing Karl so he wouldn't have sex with his "daughter," Alex. (For unexplainable reasons, pregnant women on the island die before the second trimester ends. This has been revealed this season and was the reason Claire was kidnapped in season one, to find out if she was at risk for dying or not.)
John Locke
- Last seen dying in a mass grave, Locke is... not dead! But he's unable to walk again; his legs just lay limp. Discouraged, he reaches for a gun and is about to commit suicide when Walt re-appears and says THIS ISN'T 24, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SUICIDE!!! Okay, not really. But Walt did appear! And boy, has the actor grown! He told John that he can walk and that he has work to do. And... that's it for Walt this season!
- Locke later appeared, having killed Naomi. He threatened to kill Jack if he made radio contact with Naomi's crew, saying "You're not supposed to do this."
The Losties (Trekking to the Tower)
- Before she left Bernard to go trekking to the radio tower, Rose made Bernard tell her "I am a dentist. I am not Rambo."
- Naomi had asked Jack what he did before he became "Moses." Ha!
- After the Losties became spooked from hearing only two explosions - not three - Jack started to give another speech. Rose immediately threatened to punch Jack if he said "live together, die alone" one more time. Heh. The FanVoice Award goes to... Rose!
- Jack kissed Juliet! Jack later told Kate that he loved Kate! Sawyer, right now, doesn't want Kate. Sawyer also did get to spend some buddy-buddy time with Juliet. And so the love square continues.
- Danielle Rousseau, the "crazy French chick," told Jack that when rescue comes that she'll be staying on the island. There's no one waiting for her at home and the island is now her life.
- Alex was reunited with her mom. Kudos to the actress who plays Alex for being able to portray disgust, confusion and a little bit of happiness during that scene. Especially the "are you serious? THAT?" look that she first had. Hee!
- In a one-on-one talk, Ben told Jack that Naomi isn't who she says she is, that she is part of the "bad guys" who are trying to find the island. So far, the only people that Ben has really referred to as being "bad" are the DHARMA folk. Could the freighter be a Lost Experience-tie-in? Is it Mittlework's folk? (Would they tie the Experience game in, though?)
- Ben also said that if they established radio communications, everyone on the island will die. Obviously that was a bluff and a lie. I think. Maybe. Possibly. I don't know!!!
- When Kate asked Jack why he tied up Ben, rather than killing him, Jack said that he wanted Ben to see them getting rescued so that he would KNOW that he failed.
- Crazy French Chick said that she recorded her message for help three days before Alex was born. I guess that means we could calculate how old Alex is, to-the-date, but that's just being geeky.
- Just as Naomi established a connection with her group, Locke threw a knife in her back. Thus ends the incredibly snarky life of Naomi. (Sadness!) Locke told Jack "You're not supposed to do this," that he wasn't supposed to save everyone. After a brief standoff, Jack went ahead and called for rescue. HELP IS COMING!!! THEY ARE GOING TO BE RESCUED!!!
The Beach Shooters (Jin, Bernard, Sayid)
- On their way to see what was up with the Beach Shooters, Sawyer asked Juliet why the Others had him and Kate break rocks all day. Juliet said that it was for a runway. "For what?" "For the aliens!" Ha! Jules then said that she's kept out of the loop a lot, too, and that she didn't know why they had to do that.
- Mr. Friendly & co. put three bullets in the sand, with the sound playing over Ben's walkie, to make him think that they killed the shooters. In fact, Mr. Friendly was debating the merits of fully going against Ben's will.
- Hurley tried to go with Sawyer and Juliet, but Sawyer told him that he's, well, too big and that he'd slow them down. It looks like Everybody Hates Hugo! Aw...
- As Sawyer and Juliet were figuring out how to save the Shooters, Hurley came speeding into the beach in the VW Van, running over a couple Others, paving the way for the shooter's rescue. Sayid, using only his feet, knocked a guard down to his knees and snapped his neck. Sayid Jarrah is now officially cooler than Jack Bauer. Hurley later sent out a message over the walkies, threatening the Others. You go, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes!
The Looking Glass (Charlie & Desmond)
- The two women in the DHARMA Station "The Looking Glass" are Greta and Bonnie. Greta's the black-haired one, Bonnie's the blonde with a short temper.
- Desmond woke up on the boat and was almost immediately shot at by Mikhail. He dove underwater and into the station, where he hid for a good chunk of the finale. (It looks like he hid in a closet. I'm not sure if that's another Lost metaphor or not.)
- Mikhail thought Bonnie and Greta were doing work in Canada. Mikhail also had no eye patch for a while this episode, allowing us to see his scarred eye, or, the lack thereof. Kudos to the makeup people!
- Mikhail asked Ben why he lied about soo much stuff. Ben said it was necessary to "protect" the island, that it's what Jacob told him to do. Mikhail is mad. Ben tells him to kill Bonnie, Greta and Charlie. Mikhail succeeds in killing Greta and mortally wounding Bonnie.
- Charlie unjammed whatever was blocking transmissions to-and-from the island after putting in this code: 545877554376113. Each number represents a musical note. When played out, it sounds out the chorus to "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. Bonnie said that the code programmer was a musician. (Or, I would guess, just a avid Beach Boys fan.)
- After communications became unjammed, whatever frequency the Looking Glass was set to immediately picked up Penny Widemore, Desmond's girlfriend! She didn't really except to get a communique from this island and had no clue who Naomi was.
- Mikhail, from underwater, used a hand grenade to blow open a window, causing the communications room to start flooding. Charlie, presumably resigned to his fate, closed the door on Desmond and leaving himself trapped inside. He quickly wrote a short message to Des, "Not Penny's boat," then drowned. Aw!
Jack Shepard (Flashback)
There's a very important reason I'm saving the flashback for last. Because, well, it's the most creative use of a flashback yet.
- Jack returned home to LA after a flight on a Oceanic Airlines plane, now having a very thick beard. He saw something in the paper and became very distraught. He tried calling someone, but they didn't answer. He pulled over to the side of a bridge, climbed up and was about to jump when we heard cars crashing and an explosion. Jack the Doctor kicked in and he killed the suicide attempt. (Please pardon my ironic use of grammar.)
- Sarah, Jack's ex-wife, came in to check in on Jack at the hospital. Apparently, she's still listed as the first emergency contact. Jack wants her to give him a ride home, but she doesn't think it would be "appropriate." She leaves the room, saying "Good-bye, Jack."
- Jack met Dr. Ben Hamill, the new Chief of Surgery at the hospital that he works at. Jack wanted to do the surgery on a woman he helped pull out of the flaming car wreckage, but Dr. Hamill laid down the law - quite politely, too! - and said "no."
- Jack has a very beaten-down car and plays very loud, annoying rock music. And has retro sunglasses.
- The funeral parlor that Jack visited was Hoffs-Drawlor. Hoffs-Drawlor is a anagram for - get this - "flash forward." Apparently, the paper clipping was a obituary. No one, not even family or friends, showed up for the visitation. There was no funeral. Jack did not open the casket and we do not yet know who died. (Not until those with TiVo and HDTV's can freeze-frame the obituary!)
- Jack is now popping painkillers like Dr. Gregory House. He can no longer get a refill on his medication, so he's now stealing drugs from the supply closet.
- Dr. Hamill told Jack that the lady he helped save from the car crash - which made him a hero in the eyes of the media - is fine. But apparently, Mrs. Arlen was driving when she saw a man about to make a suicide jump from the bridge. She was so distracted that she drove over the median and boom!, the accident happened. Jack, possibly drunk and very medicated, goes into kind of a overdosed hissy fit.
- Jack's apartment is very messy and is full of maps. He's still drinking. (Like father, like son!) He tries calling the number again and is successful. He urges the person on the other end not to hang up, that he needs to see her. "You know where," he says. At the airport! By a gate, in the dark of the night, Jack waits for his contact. Who is this lady on the phone? Kate Austen. That's right, the Kate from the island! This isn't a flashback, it's a flashforward! We just didn't realize it yet! Meaning, they are safe. And (kind of) sound. And not married. (Sorry, Jaters.)
- Kate tells Jack that he looks terrible. Apparently, Jack's been using the Golden Pass that "they" received from Oceanic Airlines and is taking cross-continental trips every weekend, hoping to be in a plane crash. (He's no longer "almost an optimist," it would seen!) He's hoping to get back to the island. "I'm sick of lying," he says. "We made a mistake." Kate isn't so sure and has to get back to someone. "Good-bye, Jack." "We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!"
And... end Season 3. That's it until February, 2008!
Final Thoughts:
Halfway through the finale it struck me that they were using Jack flashbacks to show us that he used to be a very broken mess of a man and that now, here on the island he is a very strong leader. (It's been the trend on Lost, shifting from how their lives were very similar when they first crashed, to where they are now a much stronger person.) It turns out that he was a strong leader on the island but then became a mess after he was rescued. He became a drunk again and is addicted to painkillers. He was even going to commit suicide. His life was a mess before the island, it's a mess afterwards and he doesn't appreciate how good he has it on the island when he was there. But he seems to realize it now and wants to get back, desperately, even if it means riding on airlines every week.
Without knowing an end-date to the series, having a flashforward would have seemed to be kind of a stalling tactic, something to do when the flashbacks run out. But knowing they can write everything towards the end goal now, it's a fresh blast of creativity that will help keep the show fresh, new and engaging. Kudos for having the guts to do this, Lost guys!
BODY COUNT: I counted 13 people dying, including multiple Others, Mr. Friendly, Bonnie,Clyde Greta and Charlie.
Important Questions:
- What is the Temple that the Others are going to? Where is it, who made it and what is it's function? And does it perhaps have anything to do with the 4-toed statue?
- Who was the person in the funeral parlor that nobody came to see?
- Who did FutureKate have to get back to?
- Why does FutureJack have a horrible beard?
- Why did FutureJack, in a very drunken rage (possibly enhanced by too-many drugs), exclaim "Why don't you go ask my father upstairs," telling the new Chief of Surgery to see if his dad was more drunk than he was. By this time in Jack's life, Jack's dad has been long dead. Was it the fact that his mind was not clear, or is his father alive again?
- Was Sarah, Jacks' ex, pregnant, or was that scene filmed when Julie Bowen was still preggers?
(Or, was I just seeing things? Or, am I unknowingly being really mean to Mrs. Bowen?)
- Who are Naomi's people? Who are these Other Others? (DHARMA, perhaps?)
- Evidently, Jack doesn't end up with either Kate or Juliet. But did Kate really wind up with Sawyer? Or is it someone else? (Like her ex-husband, or a parole officer?)
- When Jack exclaimed "We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!", what - or whom - does he need?
- Will next season have more flash-forwards? If so, will it be with other characters or with just Jack and/or Kate? We know Claire gets rescued, too, according to Desmond...
- When the rescue boats/bad guys come, who stays on the island and who goes?
- Who made Jack and Kate lie?
- How far into the future is this flashforward?
- Is Mikhail immortal? (Is Richard Alpert?)
- What will Des do? Will he swim back to shore immediately and try to find the Losties and warn them about Naomi, or will he explore the Looking Glass?
- How soon until every single Other finds out that they were lied to by Ben?
- Seriously, how stupid was Bonnie?
Oh. my. word. I, personally, didn't see that ending coming. At all. I'm just in shock! It's not like the biggest shock ever, Alias had twist that were much larger in scale and had more oomph. However, on a softer, more emotional level, this "game-changer" has huge implications for the show. Now I just don't know what is a flashback anymore. Has the entire series been a flashback and we're now just entering "real-time"? Or, was it a flash-forward? Wow. Just, wow... So, dispute the fact that my mind is racing all over the place, trying to absorb all of this information, I'll go through my notes and write down what I thought was interesting, weird or funny from the 2-hour finale, as I try to absorb what this all means... The more I think about it, the bigger, stranger and more awesome it becomes...
The Others (Main Camp)
- Richard Alpert, aka Mr. Eyeliner, will be leading the Others to "the temple." Apart from Ben, and the Others on the beach, this is as much as we saw of the Others this week, and the last we'll see of them until February.
- Ben said that he was brainwashing Karl so he wouldn't have sex with his "daughter," Alex. (For unexplainable reasons, pregnant women on the island die before the second trimester ends. This has been revealed this season and was the reason Claire was kidnapped in season one, to find out if she was at risk for dying or not.)
John Locke
- Last seen dying in a mass grave, Locke is... not dead! But he's unable to walk again; his legs just lay limp. Discouraged, he reaches for a gun and is about to commit suicide when Walt re-appears and says THIS ISN'T 24, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SUICIDE!!! Okay, not really. But Walt did appear! And boy, has the actor grown! He told John that he can walk and that he has work to do. And... that's it for Walt this season!
- Locke later appeared, having killed Naomi. He threatened to kill Jack if he made radio contact with Naomi's crew, saying "You're not supposed to do this."
The Losties (Trekking to the Tower)
- Before she left Bernard to go trekking to the radio tower, Rose made Bernard tell her "I am a dentist. I am not Rambo."
- Naomi had asked Jack what he did before he became "Moses." Ha!
- After the Losties became spooked from hearing only two explosions - not three - Jack started to give another speech. Rose immediately threatened to punch Jack if he said "live together, die alone" one more time. Heh. The FanVoice Award goes to... Rose!
- Jack kissed Juliet! Jack later told Kate that he loved Kate! Sawyer, right now, doesn't want Kate. Sawyer also did get to spend some buddy-buddy time with Juliet. And so the love square continues.
- Danielle Rousseau, the "crazy French chick," told Jack that when rescue comes that she'll be staying on the island. There's no one waiting for her at home and the island is now her life.
- Alex was reunited with her mom. Kudos to the actress who plays Alex for being able to portray disgust, confusion and a little bit of happiness during that scene. Especially the "are you serious? THAT?" look that she first had. Hee!
- In a one-on-one talk, Ben told Jack that Naomi isn't who she says she is, that she is part of the "bad guys" who are trying to find the island. So far, the only people that Ben has really referred to as being "bad" are the DHARMA folk. Could the freighter be a Lost Experience-tie-in? Is it Mittlework's folk? (Would they tie the Experience game in, though?)
- Ben also said that if they established radio communications, everyone on the island will die. Obviously that was a bluff and a lie. I think. Maybe. Possibly. I don't know!!!
- When Kate asked Jack why he tied up Ben, rather than killing him, Jack said that he wanted Ben to see them getting rescued so that he would KNOW that he failed.
- Crazy French Chick said that she recorded her message for help three days before Alex was born. I guess that means we could calculate how old Alex is, to-the-date, but that's just being geeky.
- Just as Naomi established a connection with her group, Locke threw a knife in her back. Thus ends the incredibly snarky life of Naomi. (Sadness!) Locke told Jack "You're not supposed to do this," that he wasn't supposed to save everyone. After a brief standoff, Jack went ahead and called for rescue. HELP IS COMING!!! THEY ARE GOING TO BE RESCUED!!!
The Beach Shooters (Jin, Bernard, Sayid)
- On their way to see what was up with the Beach Shooters, Sawyer asked Juliet why the Others had him and Kate break rocks all day. Juliet said that it was for a runway. "For what?" "For the aliens!" Ha! Jules then said that she's kept out of the loop a lot, too, and that she didn't know why they had to do that.
- Mr. Friendly & co. put three bullets in the sand, with the sound playing over Ben's walkie, to make him think that they killed the shooters. In fact, Mr. Friendly was debating the merits of fully going against Ben's will.
- Hurley tried to go with Sawyer and Juliet, but Sawyer told him that he's, well, too big and that he'd slow them down. It looks like Everybody Hates Hugo! Aw...
- As Sawyer and Juliet were figuring out how to save the Shooters, Hurley came speeding into the beach in the VW Van, running over a couple Others, paving the way for the shooter's rescue. Sayid, using only his feet, knocked a guard down to his knees and snapped his neck. Sayid Jarrah is now officially cooler than Jack Bauer. Hurley later sent out a message over the walkies, threatening the Others. You go, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes!
The Looking Glass (Charlie & Desmond)
- The two women in the DHARMA Station "The Looking Glass" are Greta and Bonnie. Greta's the black-haired one, Bonnie's the blonde with a short temper.
- Desmond woke up on the boat and was almost immediately shot at by Mikhail. He dove underwater and into the station, where he hid for a good chunk of the finale. (It looks like he hid in a closet. I'm not sure if that's another Lost metaphor or not.)
- Mikhail thought Bonnie and Greta were doing work in Canada. Mikhail also had no eye patch for a while this episode, allowing us to see his scarred eye, or, the lack thereof. Kudos to the makeup people!
- Mikhail asked Ben why he lied about soo much stuff. Ben said it was necessary to "protect" the island, that it's what Jacob told him to do. Mikhail is mad. Ben tells him to kill Bonnie, Greta and Charlie. Mikhail succeeds in killing Greta and mortally wounding Bonnie.
- Charlie unjammed whatever was blocking transmissions to-and-from the island after putting in this code: 545877554376113. Each number represents a musical note. When played out, it sounds out the chorus to "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. Bonnie said that the code programmer was a musician. (Or, I would guess, just a avid Beach Boys fan.)
- After communications became unjammed, whatever frequency the Looking Glass was set to immediately picked up Penny Widemore, Desmond's girlfriend! She didn't really except to get a communique from this island and had no clue who Naomi was.
- Mikhail, from underwater, used a hand grenade to blow open a window, causing the communications room to start flooding. Charlie, presumably resigned to his fate, closed the door on Desmond and leaving himself trapped inside. He quickly wrote a short message to Des, "Not Penny's boat," then drowned. Aw!
Jack Shepard (Flashback)
There's a very important reason I'm saving the flashback for last. Because, well, it's the most creative use of a flashback yet.
- Jack returned home to LA after a flight on a Oceanic Airlines plane, now having a very thick beard. He saw something in the paper and became very distraught. He tried calling someone, but they didn't answer. He pulled over to the side of a bridge, climbed up and was about to jump when we heard cars crashing and an explosion. Jack the Doctor kicked in and he killed the suicide attempt. (Please pardon my ironic use of grammar.)
- Sarah, Jack's ex-wife, came in to check in on Jack at the hospital. Apparently, she's still listed as the first emergency contact. Jack wants her to give him a ride home, but she doesn't think it would be "appropriate." She leaves the room, saying "Good-bye, Jack."
- Jack met Dr. Ben Hamill, the new Chief of Surgery at the hospital that he works at. Jack wanted to do the surgery on a woman he helped pull out of the flaming car wreckage, but Dr. Hamill laid down the law - quite politely, too! - and said "no."
- Jack has a very beaten-down car and plays very loud, annoying rock music. And has retro sunglasses.
- The funeral parlor that Jack visited was Hoffs-Drawlor. Hoffs-Drawlor is a anagram for - get this - "flash forward." Apparently, the paper clipping was a obituary. No one, not even family or friends, showed up for the visitation. There was no funeral. Jack did not open the casket and we do not yet know who died. (Not until those with TiVo and HDTV's can freeze-frame the obituary!)
- Jack is now popping painkillers like Dr. Gregory House. He can no longer get a refill on his medication, so he's now stealing drugs from the supply closet.
- Dr. Hamill told Jack that the lady he helped save from the car crash - which made him a hero in the eyes of the media - is fine. But apparently, Mrs. Arlen was driving when she saw a man about to make a suicide jump from the bridge. She was so distracted that she drove over the median and boom!, the accident happened. Jack, possibly drunk and very medicated, goes into kind of a overdosed hissy fit.
- Jack's apartment is very messy and is full of maps. He's still drinking. (Like father, like son!) He tries calling the number again and is successful. He urges the person on the other end not to hang up, that he needs to see her. "You know where," he says. At the airport! By a gate, in the dark of the night, Jack waits for his contact. Who is this lady on the phone? Kate Austen. That's right, the Kate from the island! This isn't a flashback, it's a flashforward! We just didn't realize it yet! Meaning, they are safe. And (kind of) sound. And not married. (Sorry, Jaters.)
- Kate tells Jack that he looks terrible. Apparently, Jack's been using the Golden Pass that "they" received from Oceanic Airlines and is taking cross-continental trips every weekend, hoping to be in a plane crash. (He's no longer "almost an optimist," it would seen!) He's hoping to get back to the island. "I'm sick of lying," he says. "We made a mistake." Kate isn't so sure and has to get back to someone. "Good-bye, Jack." "We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!"
And... end Season 3. That's it until February, 2008!
Final Thoughts:
Halfway through the finale it struck me that they were using Jack flashbacks to show us that he used to be a very broken mess of a man and that now, here on the island he is a very strong leader. (It's been the trend on Lost, shifting from how their lives were very similar when they first crashed, to where they are now a much stronger person.) It turns out that he was a strong leader on the island but then became a mess after he was rescued. He became a drunk again and is addicted to painkillers. He was even going to commit suicide. His life was a mess before the island, it's a mess afterwards and he doesn't appreciate how good he has it on the island when he was there. But he seems to realize it now and wants to get back, desperately, even if it means riding on airlines every week.
Without knowing an end-date to the series, having a flashforward would have seemed to be kind of a stalling tactic, something to do when the flashbacks run out. But knowing they can write everything towards the end goal now, it's a fresh blast of creativity that will help keep the show fresh, new and engaging. Kudos for having the guts to do this, Lost guys!
BODY COUNT: I counted 13 people dying, including multiple Others, Mr. Friendly, Bonnie,
Important Questions:
- What is the Temple that the Others are going to? Where is it, who made it and what is it's function? And does it perhaps have anything to do with the 4-toed statue?
- Who was the person in the funeral parlor that nobody came to see?
- Who did FutureKate have to get back to?
- Why does FutureJack have a horrible beard?
- Why did FutureJack, in a very drunken rage (possibly enhanced by too-many drugs), exclaim "Why don't you go ask my father upstairs," telling the new Chief of Surgery to see if his dad was more drunk than he was. By this time in Jack's life, Jack's dad has been long dead. Was it the fact that his mind was not clear, or is his father alive again?
- Was Sarah, Jacks' ex, pregnant, or was that scene filmed when Julie Bowen was still preggers?
(Or, was I just seeing things? Or, am I unknowingly being really mean to Mrs. Bowen?)
- Who are Naomi's people? Who are these Other Others? (DHARMA, perhaps?)
- Evidently, Jack doesn't end up with either Kate or Juliet. But did Kate really wind up with Sawyer? Or is it someone else? (Like her ex-husband, or a parole officer?)
- When Jack exclaimed "We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!", what - or whom - does he need?
- Will next season have more flash-forwards? If so, will it be with other characters or with just Jack and/or Kate? We know Claire gets rescued, too, according to Desmond...
- When the rescue boats/bad guys come, who stays on the island and who goes?
- Who made Jack and Kate lie?
- How far into the future is this flashforward?
- Is Mikhail immortal? (Is Richard Alpert?)
- What will Des do? Will he swim back to shore immediately and try to find the Losties and warn them about Naomi, or will he explore the Looking Glass?
- How soon until every single Other finds out that they were lied to by Ben?
- Seriously, how stupid was Bonnie?
24: "Never Negoiate With a Sociopath" (Finale)
So it all comes down to this: one-hour's worth of action spread over 2-hours! Good to know that when the writers have the opportunity to raise the stakes they continue to lower them. Stupid 24, I hate you. Here are some random thoughts/recaps:
- Over at Bemusings, my TVGuide fan blog, I suggested some changes for 24 next season. Chief if which is LESS RECAPS! My word, only one thing happens per act, the rest is just an elaborate game of phone tag as people relate what happened at the beginning of the act.
- And I'm sorry, but I'm bitter, so bear with me... What was up with that weird synthetic choir voice? It was very distracting. Sorry, music folk. It just felt... odd and out of place. Which, I guess is in keeping with this season...
- Isn't Jack still technically under arrested?
- Doyle is now blind. (Or, partially blind.) That's what he gets for saying Bauer's sware word. No one else on the show really ever said his sware and they never became blind!
- Rena Sofer can act? She actually wasn't really bad at all this week, as Marylin Bauer. Shocking!
- We met Milo's brother, Stuart, who didn't look anything like Milo. (Honestly, he looked tons better. Well, it's true!)
- Chloe is pregnant. We go from machine guns to tasers to... pregnancy? This year's Chloe moment was definitely a let-down.
- Phillip Bauer was shot by his grandson, then blown up. I think he might be dead.
- Cheng, the Chinese antagonist, lives to see another day, this time in CTU custody.
- At 5:14, we were told the missiles had 22 minutes left before they would attack, bringing the timeline to 5:26. However, it wasn't until at least 5:30 before they attacked. I'm probably one of three people who noticed. I don't feel proud for doing so.
- Daniels realizes that Wayne may have been right about, well, everything today. Even Assad. Suvarov pretty much said that he liked Wayne better, too. Not me! Keep Daniels on for every season now, if it means having no Wayne Palmer... (Actually, D.B. Woodside has a role on a new CBS program this fall, so he'll probably be gone.)
- Remember when CTU was being internally investigated by Division? Yeah, me either. Seriously, what was up with them dropping that plotline?
- Lennox gave Daniels the tape recordings of the Veep and Lisa Miller conspiring to commit perjury.
- The best part of this season was a showdown between Jack Bauer and former Secretary of Defense James Heller, where they discussed how Heller was manipulative and how Bauer is cursed. They argued, Jack got angry and Keifer hopes for another Emmy. Jack went into Audrey's room. He touched her hand and she did nothing. (She's getting over PTSD quickly, then!) In fact, Audrey didn't respond to Keifer at all. It was kind of heart-breaking as Jack said that he had to start all over and part of that was letting Audrey go from his life.
- This year's closing moment was Jack, looking at the shoreline, having just decided to leave his former life behind. The scene faded to black. It was dramatic, which would have fit in fine if this season was dramatic and not, say, just the last 10 minutes. It felt cheap. Not to mention I wanted them to bring somebody back from the dead!
- Unless they deleted this scene, I heard that a previous draft of the finale had Marylin telling Jack that Josh was his half-nephew/half-brother. Ew!
- And... that's it. For 2 hours, I think even less happened than normal. What a letdown!
- Over at Bemusings, my TVGuide fan blog, I suggested some changes for 24 next season. Chief if which is LESS RECAPS! My word, only one thing happens per act, the rest is just an elaborate game of phone tag as people relate what happened at the beginning of the act.
- And I'm sorry, but I'm bitter, so bear with me... What was up with that weird synthetic choir voice? It was very distracting. Sorry, music folk. It just felt... odd and out of place. Which, I guess is in keeping with this season...
- Isn't Jack still technically under arrested?
- Doyle is now blind. (Or, partially blind.) That's what he gets for saying Bauer's sware word. No one else on the show really ever said his sware and they never became blind!
- Rena Sofer can act? She actually wasn't really bad at all this week, as Marylin Bauer. Shocking!
- We met Milo's brother, Stuart, who didn't look anything like Milo. (Honestly, he looked tons better. Well, it's true!)
- Chloe is pregnant. We go from machine guns to tasers to... pregnancy? This year's Chloe moment was definitely a let-down.
- Phillip Bauer was shot by his grandson, then blown up. I think he might be dead.
- Cheng, the Chinese antagonist, lives to see another day, this time in CTU custody.
- At 5:14, we were told the missiles had 22 minutes left before they would attack, bringing the timeline to 5:26. However, it wasn't until at least 5:30 before they attacked. I'm probably one of three people who noticed. I don't feel proud for doing so.
- Daniels realizes that Wayne may have been right about, well, everything today. Even Assad. Suvarov pretty much said that he liked Wayne better, too. Not me! Keep Daniels on for every season now, if it means having no Wayne Palmer... (Actually, D.B. Woodside has a role on a new CBS program this fall, so he'll probably be gone.)
- Remember when CTU was being internally investigated by Division? Yeah, me either. Seriously, what was up with them dropping that plotline?
- Lennox gave Daniels the tape recordings of the Veep and Lisa Miller conspiring to commit perjury.
- The best part of this season was a showdown between Jack Bauer and former Secretary of Defense James Heller, where they discussed how Heller was manipulative and how Bauer is cursed. They argued, Jack got angry and Keifer hopes for another Emmy. Jack went into Audrey's room. He touched her hand and she did nothing. (She's getting over PTSD quickly, then!) In fact, Audrey didn't respond to Keifer at all. It was kind of heart-breaking as Jack said that he had to start all over and part of that was letting Audrey go from his life.
- This year's closing moment was Jack, looking at the shoreline, having just decided to leave his former life behind. The scene faded to black. It was dramatic, which would have fit in fine if this season was dramatic and not, say, just the last 10 minutes. It felt cheap. Not to mention I wanted them to bring somebody back from the dead!
- Unless they deleted this scene, I heard that a previous draft of the finale had Marylin telling Jack that Josh was his half-nephew/half-brother. Ew!
- And... that's it. For 2 hours, I think even less happened than normal. What a letdown!
Lost: "Greatest Hits"
Woo-hoo!! Lost set up the season finale in a big way and suddenly, everything from this season - or, well, the show to-date - is coming together in a big way. The Losties remembered the radio tower, thought of where that cable on the beach might be connected to, Alex doubts Ben is her father and Naomi is still delightfully snarky!! Naomi is Ana-Lucia without PTSD. Anyways, here are a few things I gleamed from last night's episode:
- Charlie did not die, sadly. I mean, he's Hurley's friend! We all know what happened to Libby when she became close to Charlie. We know about his past. And I'm still not 100% convinced that Hurley broke his "curse" this season.
- Danielle Rousseau, aka "Crazy French Chick" is working with Jack and Juliet. Their grand plan? To blow up the Others. Juliet's apparently so sick and tired of being with the Hostiles that she just wants to blow them all up. (That makes her... good, then?)
- The flashbacks this week were the 5 greatest moments in Charlie's life. They were:
5. When he first heard his band, DriveShaft, being played on the radio.
4. When he first jumped into a pool.
3. When Ian gave him a family heirloom.
2. When he helped a lady who was being mugged and she called him a hero.
1. When he first met Claire. (Aw!)
- The lady Charlie helped save was, apparently, Nadia. Nadia was Sayid's love interest, a woman who he longs to meet again.
- Naomi told Charlie that, back home he was memorialized in a big way when he "died." DriveShaft released a "Greatest Hits" album and all the papers wouldn't stop talking about his death. He was pretty much canonized into the Book of Saddest Celebrity Deaths, right there with Princess Di and Aaliyah.
- Remember the radio tower that's transmitting Rousseau's cry for help? WAAAAY back in season one? The Others are blocking that signal at the underwater DHARMA station, the Looking Glass. (It's a Alice in Wonderland reference, which is wrong, because they did those on Alias. Lost is supposed to be about Wizard of Oz references, folk! Get it right!!)
- Desmond had a vision of Claire and Aaron leaving the island via a rescue helicopter.
- Rose and Bernard still exist. Rose, I don't think, likes Jack so much; she snarked "You're almost an optimist" when they were talking about the attack plan.
- Remember Alex Rousseau's boyfriend, Karl? He's alive and not brain-dead. He's still seeing Alex. Alex, after hearing Ben tell everyone to move up the attack to today, had Karl run to the beach to warn everyone. She also made a quip about not trusting that Ben is her real father.
- Sayid pretty much told Jack to shape up and ACT LIKE A LEADER ALREADY!!!
- Charlie didn't die at the Looking Glass. At least, not yet. It's not flooded, but well protected... He was immediately captured by a few gun-toting women.
- This was the first episode that I can remember that had a character flashback for both island life and pre-island life.
NEXT WEEK: The finale is from 9-11 pm ET. Some people are captured, stuff probably blows up, and Ben runs into Jack and all the Losties. Uh-oh... Also, we've been promised that some people will die and then there's the "game-changer" that even the SPOILER WRITERS are telling people to not spoil, because it is much more enjoyable that way. Reaction to the cliffhanger ranges from "pretty good" to "FANTASTIC!", so it shouldn't be bad, right?
- Charlie did not die, sadly. I mean, he's Hurley's friend! We all know what happened to Libby when she became close to Charlie. We know about his past. And I'm still not 100% convinced that Hurley broke his "curse" this season.
- Danielle Rousseau, aka "Crazy French Chick" is working with Jack and Juliet. Their grand plan? To blow up the Others. Juliet's apparently so sick and tired of being with the Hostiles that she just wants to blow them all up. (That makes her... good, then?)
- The flashbacks this week were the 5 greatest moments in Charlie's life. They were:
5. When he first heard his band, DriveShaft, being played on the radio.
4. When he first jumped into a pool.
3. When Ian gave him a family heirloom.
2. When he helped a lady who was being mugged and she called him a hero.
1. When he first met Claire. (Aw!)
- The lady Charlie helped save was, apparently, Nadia. Nadia was Sayid's love interest, a woman who he longs to meet again.
- Naomi told Charlie that, back home he was memorialized in a big way when he "died." DriveShaft released a "Greatest Hits" album and all the papers wouldn't stop talking about his death. He was pretty much canonized into the Book of Saddest Celebrity Deaths, right there with Princess Di and Aaliyah.
- Remember the radio tower that's transmitting Rousseau's cry for help? WAAAAY back in season one? The Others are blocking that signal at the underwater DHARMA station, the Looking Glass. (It's a Alice in Wonderland reference, which is wrong, because they did those on Alias. Lost is supposed to be about Wizard of Oz references, folk! Get it right!!)
- Desmond had a vision of Claire and Aaron leaving the island via a rescue helicopter.
- Rose and Bernard still exist. Rose, I don't think, likes Jack so much; she snarked "You're almost an optimist" when they were talking about the attack plan.
- Remember Alex Rousseau's boyfriend, Karl? He's alive and not brain-dead. He's still seeing Alex. Alex, after hearing Ben tell everyone to move up the attack to today, had Karl run to the beach to warn everyone. She also made a quip about not trusting that Ben is her real father.
- Sayid pretty much told Jack to shape up and ACT LIKE A LEADER ALREADY!!!
- Charlie didn't die at the Looking Glass. At least, not yet. It's not flooded, but well protected... He was immediately captured by a few gun-toting women.
- This was the first episode that I can remember that had a character flashback for both island life and pre-island life.
NEXT WEEK: The finale is from 9-11 pm ET. Some people are captured, stuff probably blows up, and Ben runs into Jack and all the Losties. Uh-oh... Also, we've been promised that some people will die and then there's the "game-changer" that even the SPOILER WRITERS are telling people to not spoil, because it is much more enjoyable that way. Reaction to the cliffhanger ranges from "pretty good" to "FANTASTIC!", so it shouldn't be bad, right?
"None of this makes sense"
"None of this makes sense." - Vice-President Daniels
"It was all for nothing." - Vice-President Daniels, referring to the Mark Bishop plotline that took up the past three episodes
That's what 24 was missing: a fan voice. Lost employs Hurley solely to acknowledge that message boards exist. Alias used Marshall Flinkman to voice fan complaints and theories as well. Now we've got the Vice-President of the United States emerging, in the 22nd hour, as the show's Fan Voice. Better late than never, I suppose. Anywho, let's talk about what happened:
Jack Bauer Power Hour
Milo is dead. A half-hour later, the hostages are allowed to cover up Milo's face with a... a hand towel? A head covering? Zhou sends Josh off with the Chinese which sends Marilyn into a hysterical fit. Which, is completely understandable and in line with her character, but also makes for really annoying TV. Zhou separates the hostages into two groups: Extras and Series Regulars. (Sadly, no extra earns a SAG card tonight.) Jack conspires with Nadia to attack the attackers and even gives Morris a heads-up, but, due to time constraints, leaves Chloe out of it. (Me = sad!) Suddenly, everyone fires guns and goes all kung-fu on everyone, because obviously everyone knows the martial arts. It's confusing. Jack chokes a guy and snaps his neck, while Nadia almost dies. Thankfully, DOYLE shows up with his team and they, well, attack their workplace and save the day. They set off on a foot race to get Josh back into custody. They have a very confusing gunfight.
(Sidenote: Does the lighting on 24 bug anyone else? How is it that whenever a gunfight breaks out there's all this surreal green or blue lighting? It's all very "dramatic." It's been especially dorky this season.)
After a not-so-exciting chase through a manufacturing(?) plant, Josh attacks Cheng, then falls down over a bridge. Jack gets Cheng to put down his weapon and for a second Cheng looks serious about jumping. But then Josh yells "Help!" and Cheng magically disappears. None of this makes sense! Doyle does a sweep and determines that the sub-circuit board isn't there. ("Sub-circuit board" sounded a LOT better back when they called it "The Cypress Audio" or "Cypress Recordings") Jack tells Marylin about Evil Grandpa. Jack tells Josh that everything will be alright when an agent distracts Jack with a phone call. Doyle then seizes Josh and drags him into a helicopter, with Jack yelling Walt! Walt! Walt! for an entire bloody season.
CTU
After the raid, Nadia tells Doyle that Milo is dead. Nadia is still sad. Chloe tells Nadia that all her kung-fu was "really brave" and the two spend the rest of the hour getting things back online. Except, things get annoying when Ben Kram, a Division nuisance, comes in to assess CTU. After all, the attack WAS a big breach in protocol. Nadia points out that it's 3 am and that they're still cleaning up; couldn't this wait until next season? But Division lives to annoy CTU, so, no. Morris tells Nadia not to let Division bog her down and make her feel responsible for Milo's death and it's all "poetic" because he's telling her advice that HE should be taking to heart after helping to arm nuclear bombs for terrorists. It's a nice talk about preventability and responsibility that won't win either of them Emmy's, but it was nice enough. And... that was it for CTU! Maybe Division will close CTU LA down. That'd be exciting for next season!
The Big Bads: Cheng and Evil Grandpa
Philip Bauer talked to Josh early on, telling him "sorry" about "pretending" to threaten his life earlier on in the season. He wants to make it up to him by kidnapping Josh and forcing him to live in China for the rest of his life. (He justifies it by saying that in the States, Josh will forever be ridiculed by what Graham did.) Josh doesn't want to go, but Cheng tells him that he should be "honored," that his Grandpa is a "visionary." Stop flirting, Cheng! After he lost Josh, Cheng phoned Philip to tell him about what happened, if anything so they have footage for the previously on... for next week's episode. Philip says that without his son that the deal is off. Cheng tells Philip that the sub-circuit board isn't hit. Philip says "bite me!" (paraphrasing) and says that Cheng should never, EVER threaten him again, EVER. They are such teenage girls!
Philip Bauer later calls Vice-President Daniels, offering the sub-circuit board in exchange for A) Josh Bauer and B) Clear passage to any country of his choice. Judging by the fact that Doyle took Josh away from Jack, I'm guessing Daniels agreed to Philip's terms.
The White House
First, we didn't get the D.C. plot until 25 minutes into the hour. Karen Hayes - and the audience - were told all about Lisa Miller for about 2, 3 minutes. Karen points out that both Daniels and Lisa were single, so the relationship kinda wasn't that creepy! Daniels says that he trusted her to be truthful and that such a mistake may usher in a world war.
Meanwhile, in Alias, Lisa Miller and Mark Bishop have been..... yeah.... for a half-hour. Lennox has to listen. "And finally, we're done," he remarked all-too-gleefully. Lisa immediately leaves to give Bishop an opportunity to upload files from her PDA. Bishop has an epiphany and decides not to take the bait. He and Lisa fight and it ends with her smashing his head with a wine bottle, her spilling the guts on the whole operation and her getting choked. "Thankfully," the Secret Service move in quick enough to save Lisa's life. (But maybe not her brain!!) Lennox tells Bishop to upload the e-mails anyways, or else he'll face the death penalty. Bishop goes for it.
Later, Karen and Daniels teleconference with Russian President Suvarov (thanks to Cisco technologies!) and they pretend that the S-C.B. was destroyed. Suvarov isn't buying it, in part because Mark Bishop was HIS operative and he had his place bugged, too. So he saw the whole operation go down. Suvarov wants the S-C.B. recovered in two hours or else WWIII will start. Two hours? Why, that's about how much time is left in this non-imaginative season!
After the Philip Bauer phone call, Karen and Daniels debate whether or not to go along with Evil Grandpa's demands. They, along with Lennox, loosely connect Gredenko to the whole plot by pointing out that Russia has anti-American generals and that oh my word, Gredenko was anti-American too! So, am I connected to Kevin Bacon? Because, I'm American. I think that makes just as much sense as how they tried to explain how Gredenko fit into the whole picture.
Next Week: The show is two hours long! Buchannan is in, and let me tell you this: from the spoilers I've seen, his role is going to be awesome. The fact that he'll be back isn't nearly as cool as what he'll be doing. There's also something about a plane, Cheng, a oil rig?, Chloe falling over sick, oh, and there was still some money left in the budget for a huge EXPLOSION!!!
"It was all for nothing." - Vice-President Daniels, referring to the Mark Bishop plotline that took up the past three episodes
That's what 24 was missing: a fan voice. Lost employs Hurley solely to acknowledge that message boards exist. Alias used Marshall Flinkman to voice fan complaints and theories as well. Now we've got the Vice-President of the United States emerging, in the 22nd hour, as the show's Fan Voice. Better late than never, I suppose. Anywho, let's talk about what happened:
Jack Bauer Power Hour
Milo is dead. A half-hour later, the hostages are allowed to cover up Milo's face with a... a hand towel? A head covering? Zhou sends Josh off with the Chinese which sends Marilyn into a hysterical fit. Which, is completely understandable and in line with her character, but also makes for really annoying TV. Zhou separates the hostages into two groups: Extras and Series Regulars. (Sadly, no extra earns a SAG card tonight.) Jack conspires with Nadia to attack the attackers and even gives Morris a heads-up, but, due to time constraints, leaves Chloe out of it. (Me = sad!) Suddenly, everyone fires guns and goes all kung-fu on everyone, because obviously everyone knows the martial arts. It's confusing. Jack chokes a guy and snaps his neck, while Nadia almost dies. Thankfully, DOYLE shows up with his team and they, well, attack their workplace and save the day. They set off on a foot race to get Josh back into custody. They have a very confusing gunfight.
(Sidenote: Does the lighting on 24 bug anyone else? How is it that whenever a gunfight breaks out there's all this surreal green or blue lighting? It's all very "dramatic." It's been especially dorky this season.)
After a not-so-exciting chase through a manufacturing(?) plant, Josh attacks Cheng, then falls down over a bridge. Jack gets Cheng to put down his weapon and for a second Cheng looks serious about jumping. But then Josh yells "Help!" and Cheng magically disappears. None of this makes sense! Doyle does a sweep and determines that the sub-circuit board isn't there. ("Sub-circuit board" sounded a LOT better back when they called it "The Cypress Audio" or "Cypress Recordings") Jack tells Marylin about Evil Grandpa. Jack tells Josh that everything will be alright when an agent distracts Jack with a phone call. Doyle then seizes Josh and drags him into a helicopter, with Jack yelling Walt! Walt! Walt! for an entire bloody season.
CTU
After the raid, Nadia tells Doyle that Milo is dead. Nadia is still sad. Chloe tells Nadia that all her kung-fu was "really brave" and the two spend the rest of the hour getting things back online. Except, things get annoying when Ben Kram, a Division nuisance, comes in to assess CTU. After all, the attack WAS a big breach in protocol. Nadia points out that it's 3 am and that they're still cleaning up; couldn't this wait until next season? But Division lives to annoy CTU, so, no. Morris tells Nadia not to let Division bog her down and make her feel responsible for Milo's death and it's all "poetic" because he's telling her advice that HE should be taking to heart after helping to arm nuclear bombs for terrorists. It's a nice talk about preventability and responsibility that won't win either of them Emmy's, but it was nice enough. And... that was it for CTU! Maybe Division will close CTU LA down. That'd be exciting for next season!
The Big Bads: Cheng and Evil Grandpa
Philip Bauer talked to Josh early on, telling him "sorry" about "pretending" to threaten his life earlier on in the season. He wants to make it up to him by kidnapping Josh and forcing him to live in China for the rest of his life. (He justifies it by saying that in the States, Josh will forever be ridiculed by what Graham did.) Josh doesn't want to go, but Cheng tells him that he should be "honored," that his Grandpa is a "visionary." Stop flirting, Cheng! After he lost Josh, Cheng phoned Philip to tell him about what happened, if anything so they have footage for the previously on... for next week's episode. Philip says that without his son that the deal is off. Cheng tells Philip that the sub-circuit board isn't hit. Philip says "bite me!" (paraphrasing) and says that Cheng should never, EVER threaten him again, EVER. They are such teenage girls!
Philip Bauer later calls Vice-President Daniels, offering the sub-circuit board in exchange for A) Josh Bauer and B) Clear passage to any country of his choice. Judging by the fact that Doyle took Josh away from Jack, I'm guessing Daniels agreed to Philip's terms.
The White House
First, we didn't get the D.C. plot until 25 minutes into the hour. Karen Hayes - and the audience - were told all about Lisa Miller for about 2, 3 minutes. Karen points out that both Daniels and Lisa were single, so the relationship kinda wasn't that creepy! Daniels says that he trusted her to be truthful and that such a mistake may usher in a world war.
Meanwhile, in Alias, Lisa Miller and Mark Bishop have been..... yeah.... for a half-hour. Lennox has to listen. "And finally, we're done," he remarked all-too-gleefully. Lisa immediately leaves to give Bishop an opportunity to upload files from her PDA. Bishop has an epiphany and decides not to take the bait. He and Lisa fight and it ends with her smashing his head with a wine bottle, her spilling the guts on the whole operation and her getting choked. "Thankfully," the Secret Service move in quick enough to save Lisa's life. (But maybe not her brain!!) Lennox tells Bishop to upload the e-mails anyways, or else he'll face the death penalty. Bishop goes for it.
Later, Karen and Daniels teleconference with Russian President Suvarov (thanks to Cisco technologies!) and they pretend that the S-C.B. was destroyed. Suvarov isn't buying it, in part because Mark Bishop was HIS operative and he had his place bugged, too. So he saw the whole operation go down. Suvarov wants the S-C.B. recovered in two hours or else WWIII will start. Two hours? Why, that's about how much time is left in this non-imaginative season!
After the Philip Bauer phone call, Karen and Daniels debate whether or not to go along with Evil Grandpa's demands. They, along with Lennox, loosely connect Gredenko to the whole plot by pointing out that Russia has anti-American generals and that oh my word, Gredenko was anti-American too! So, am I connected to Kevin Bacon? Because, I'm American. I think that makes just as much sense as how they tried to explain how Gredenko fit into the whole picture.
Next Week: The show is two hours long! Buchannan is in, and let me tell you this: from the spoilers I've seen, his role is going to be awesome. The fact that he'll be back isn't nearly as cool as what he'll be doing. There's also something about a plane, Cheng, a oil rig?, Chloe falling over sick, oh, and there was still some money left in the budget for a huge EXPLOSION!!!
Ben's Birthday Gift
Lost is almost done for the season. Time now for some explosive answers, right? No! Then what would they do until 2010? But we did get a glimpse at more answers, plus there seems to be strong hints that many island inhabitants have superpowers. Locke? Healing. Desmond? Foresight. Ben? Puppet master. Alpert? Eternal youth. Anywho, here's some of what I took out of last night's episode:
- Remember when Mr. Eko used his last breaths to warn Locke that he was "next"? And remember hearing that there'd be a bunch of deaths on Lost during the month of May? And remember seeing how Ben kind of KILLED LOCKE and left him in a mass grave? You know, despite all of that, I don't believe he's dead. Could be, and it'd be a sweet way to kill him off. (He lived and died a gullible, too-trusting person!) And, quite frankly, his backstory is pretty well tied up. Not his island life, but we know his previous life pretty well. I dunno. I think he's alive, but, boy, I don't know!
- Nothing to do with this season, but apparently the 4-toed statue won't be dealt with until next season. So said the main dudes themselves. Also, Smokey will be one of the last mysteries to ever be solved on the show. Sad!
- Ben's parents were Roger and Emily Linus. Emily died after giving birth in a very clear allusion to the paternity problems on the island. (And/or, it was just a plain awesome - and tricky! - opening sequence.) The Linus family was picked up by some (unbeknownst to them at the time) DHARMA workers while 32 miles outside of Portland. It's such a huge Easter egg, my brain is about to explode!
- Jacob... exists? Ben took Locke to a remote house, where Ben began talking to a empty chair. Locke was bemused (so was I, Michael Emerson deserves an Emmy for that performance!), but when he left to go away, he heard a DEEP voice saying "Help me," then the room caught on fire, plates broke and the editor vomited up a bunch of images of stuff going wrong. However, the episode was a little heavy on the Wizard of Oz imagery, which could mean that there may or may not be a Jacob and that Ben can create the dog-and-pony show like Locke was saying. Or, Jacob's power may be Invisibility. Although, did anybody else notice those 3-4 glass bottles with oddly-colored stuff inside when they walked in? I don't think they were drinks... Maybe it helps keep Jacob, well, Jacob? Or maybe Ben is the man behind the curtain after all. Stupid episode, it "shows" us Jacob and we still don't know anything about him.
UPDATE: I blinked. They showed Jacob.
- The DHARMA Initiative people really did like saying "Namaste" to everyone.
- DHARMA and the island's creepy natives didn't exactly get along at all. BUT... How did Alpert get modern-ish clothing? After all, the submarine was at first DHARMA's, until the natives "purged" (ie Mass Murder!) them all. We came to understood a lot about DHARMA, but now, I'm really curious about the history of the "natives," of which Alpert was one. And Alpert? May not age at all. I'm not sure about that yet. (He loses hair, though. So maybe not.)
- There's a dormant volcano somewhere on the island. We learned that through flashbacks and Locke may have found a trial of old, ashen lava earlier. Either that or a trail of sand. At any rate, Ben was super mad that Locke noticed it.
- It was Ben's birthday. Happy birthday, Ben! Only Alex, his "daughter," remembered.
- Roger, the corpse in that VW van that Hurley found? Was Ben's dad. Also, Roger? Not a nice man.
- Without commercials, I'm pretty sure this particular episode was only 23 minutes long.
- Ben used to be in love when he was young, with a Annie. Whether she survived the purge or not, I don't know.
- Jack and Juliet reveal that the Others are coming for Sun. Why didn't Jack tell them all earlier? Because he wasn't sure what to do yet. Does he know what to do now? Does he? Wait a week to find out!
- Ben was quite the tricky person. At a young age he conspired with the "natives" to join them. He didn't like living with his drunk dad at all, and, by extension, the whole DHARMA initiative. After all, he grew up to be a janitor, too! What evil mastermind wants to make oodles of money as a work man?
- Next week, apparently, Charlie dies. Desmond says so. It's sweeps, after all. So why not?
- We saw another DHARMA orientation training video, explaining the barracks and the pylon fence. It is a real fence, and thankfully for Mikhail, the potency can be adjusted.
FUN FACT: The first DHARMA video seen was filmed on the set of Alias.
- Here's a teaser about the season finale from TVSquad: Try to interpret Damon Lindelof's teaser for the season finale: "It will make you realize that the house you are standing in actually has a lot more rooms than you thought when you came into it."
- Remember when Mr. Eko used his last breaths to warn Locke that he was "next"? And remember hearing that there'd be a bunch of deaths on Lost during the month of May? And remember seeing how Ben kind of KILLED LOCKE and left him in a mass grave? You know, despite all of that, I don't believe he's dead. Could be, and it'd be a sweet way to kill him off. (He lived and died a gullible, too-trusting person!) And, quite frankly, his backstory is pretty well tied up. Not his island life, but we know his previous life pretty well. I dunno. I think he's alive, but, boy, I don't know!
- Nothing to do with this season, but apparently the 4-toed statue won't be dealt with until next season. So said the main dudes themselves. Also, Smokey will be one of the last mysteries to ever be solved on the show. Sad!
- Ben's parents were Roger and Emily Linus. Emily died after giving birth in a very clear allusion to the paternity problems on the island. (And/or, it was just a plain awesome - and tricky! - opening sequence.) The Linus family was picked up by some (unbeknownst to them at the time) DHARMA workers while 32 miles outside of Portland. It's such a huge Easter egg, my brain is about to explode!
- Jacob... exists? Ben took Locke to a remote house, where Ben began talking to a empty chair. Locke was bemused (so was I, Michael Emerson deserves an Emmy for that performance!), but when he left to go away, he heard a DEEP voice saying "Help me," then the room caught on fire, plates broke and the editor vomited up a bunch of images of stuff going wrong. However, the episode was a little heavy on the Wizard of Oz imagery, which could mean that there may or may not be a Jacob and that Ben can create the dog-and-pony show like Locke was saying. Or, Jacob's power may be Invisibility. Although, did anybody else notice those 3-4 glass bottles with oddly-colored stuff inside when they walked in? I don't think they were drinks... Maybe it helps keep Jacob, well, Jacob? Or maybe Ben is the man behind the curtain after all. Stupid episode, it "shows" us Jacob and we still don't know anything about him.
UPDATE: I blinked. They showed Jacob.
- The DHARMA Initiative people really did like saying "Namaste" to everyone.
- DHARMA and the island's creepy natives didn't exactly get along at all. BUT... How did Alpert get modern-ish clothing? After all, the submarine was at first DHARMA's, until the natives "purged" (ie Mass Murder!) them all. We came to understood a lot about DHARMA, but now, I'm really curious about the history of the "natives," of which Alpert was one. And Alpert? May not age at all. I'm not sure about that yet. (He loses hair, though. So maybe not.)
- There's a dormant volcano somewhere on the island. We learned that through flashbacks and Locke may have found a trial of old, ashen lava earlier. Either that or a trail of sand. At any rate, Ben was super mad that Locke noticed it.
- It was Ben's birthday. Happy birthday, Ben! Only Alex, his "daughter," remembered.
- Roger, the corpse in that VW van that Hurley found? Was Ben's dad. Also, Roger? Not a nice man.
- Without commercials, I'm pretty sure this particular episode was only 23 minutes long.
- Ben used to be in love when he was young, with a Annie. Whether she survived the purge or not, I don't know.
- Jack and Juliet reveal that the Others are coming for Sun. Why didn't Jack tell them all earlier? Because he wasn't sure what to do yet. Does he know what to do now? Does he? Wait a week to find out!
- Ben was quite the tricky person. At a young age he conspired with the "natives" to join them. He didn't like living with his drunk dad at all, and, by extension, the whole DHARMA initiative. After all, he grew up to be a janitor, too! What evil mastermind wants to make oodles of money as a work man?
- Next week, apparently, Charlie dies. Desmond says so. It's sweeps, after all. So why not?
- We saw another DHARMA orientation training video, explaining the barracks and the pylon fence. It is a real fence, and thankfully for Mikhail, the potency can be adjusted.
FUN FACT: The first DHARMA video seen was filmed on the set of Alias.
- Here's a teaser about the season finale from TVSquad: Try to interpret Damon Lindelof's teaser for the season finale: "It will make you realize that the house you are standing in actually has a lot more rooms than you thought when you came into it."
Goodbye, Milo... Again
(I didn't take notes while watching 24 last night, so this is all based on memory. If there are any inaccuracies, please forgive me.)
- Milo is dead. Long may Milo stay dead! We first said "goodbye, I guess?" to Milo in season one when Eric Balfour left to film a pilot. (The story of his life!) He came back this season, for some unknown reason, and suddenly became super-agent man and took a bullet to the shoulder which required a soft-splint-sling for about two hours until the continuity kings lost their notes, again. Now he is most definitely dead, being executed by terrorist thugs.
- You know what's really creepy? The fact that Nadia and Doyle are now pretty much an item. Seriously, Nadia is one very forgiving woman if she has feelings for the sadist...
- Keifer Sutherland guest-starred in this week's episode.
- Speaking of guest stars, thanks for saying "James Cromwell" in the credits, show. Way to ruin your big end-of-the-hour surprise.
- The Chinese attacked CTU to kidnap a 15-year-old?
- We have two big bads this season: Cheng Zhi and Phillip Bauer. Both have the personality of a phone book, combined.
- Morris is handling his break-up with Chloe remarkably well. Chloe? Isn't. It's kind of hard to remember that the actress who plays Chloe is a comedian. She does sad so well!
- Lisa Miller played Sydney Bristow this week, lying to Mark Bishop about the Russian crisis and, well, yeah... with him in the process. Despite his limited range, Michael Vartan made a much better handler than Peter MacNicols. Sorry, Lennox.
- Next week: Um... Stuff? I don't understand FOX's promos for 24 anymore. I just wait until they release a new promo mid-week, those tend to be coherent. Only two more weeks left until this season is behind us! And until we get the cliffhanger that could either redeem the whole season, or it will cement it as the ridiculous season ever.
- My "I've Seen Spoilers!" Hint of the Week: Chloe was feeling really frumpy after Morris broke up with her. But, that's not the only reason she feels out of it.
- Milo is dead. Long may Milo stay dead! We first said "goodbye, I guess?" to Milo in season one when Eric Balfour left to film a pilot. (The story of his life!) He came back this season, for some unknown reason, and suddenly became super-agent man and took a bullet to the shoulder which required a soft-splint-sling for about two hours until the continuity kings lost their notes, again. Now he is most definitely dead, being executed by terrorist thugs.
- You know what's really creepy? The fact that Nadia and Doyle are now pretty much an item. Seriously, Nadia is one very forgiving woman if she has feelings for the sadist...
- Keifer Sutherland guest-starred in this week's episode.
- Speaking of guest stars, thanks for saying "James Cromwell" in the credits, show. Way to ruin your big end-of-the-hour surprise.
- The Chinese attacked CTU to kidnap a 15-year-old?
- We have two big bads this season: Cheng Zhi and Phillip Bauer. Both have the personality of a phone book, combined.
- Morris is handling his break-up with Chloe remarkably well. Chloe? Isn't. It's kind of hard to remember that the actress who plays Chloe is a comedian. She does sad so well!
- Lisa Miller played Sydney Bristow this week, lying to Mark Bishop about the Russian crisis and, well, yeah... with him in the process. Despite his limited range, Michael Vartan made a much better handler than Peter MacNicols. Sorry, Lennox.
- Next week: Um... Stuff? I don't understand FOX's promos for 24 anymore. I just wait until they release a new promo mid-week, those tend to be coherent. Only two more weeks left until this season is behind us! And until we get the cliffhanger that could either redeem the whole season, or it will cement it as the ridiculous season ever.
- My "I've Seen Spoilers!" Hint of the Week: Chloe was feeling really frumpy after Morris broke up with her. But, that's not the only reason she feels out of it.
Lost: Daddy Issues
For such a understated episode of Lost, I guess stuff did happen. It just didn't really feel like it, necessarily. At the least, they wrapped up two character's major past-life grievances, seemed to confirm that the outside world believes the survivors of Flight 815 died and why they may not be rescued at all. Some highlights:
- Anthony Cooper was the "real Sawyer," the man who conned Sawyer's mom, which resulted in a murder-suicide on the part of his dad.
- Locke knows the life story of James, read the file, but burned it.
- When Locke found his dad on the island and he said "Dad?" If that doesn't turn out to be an intentional shout-out to the famous Alias "Mom?" cliffhanger, I'll be sad.
- If the men are more fertile on the island, I'd say that it's a pretty good chance that Kate will be pregnant. (Yeah...)
- Cindy, the mysterious-but-so-friendly stewardess made another cameo.
- When discussing how Cooper got to the island, Locke mentioned the "magic box" that can apparently give anyone anything. Ben, enraged, corrected John that the term "magic box" was just a metaphor. This was so obviously a shout-out to Lost fans who spent days debating the "magic box" and whether or not it was an actual box.
- Ben also connected the dots for those who didn't do so already that Juliet is on the beach to figure out who is pregnant and who isn't. Then, later, the Others will be swarming the beach to "take them."
- The mystery jungle person is named Naomi Dorrit, who once again confirmed that Flight 815 was found in the ocean, off of the coast of Bali. They used robot cams to go in and check all the bodies. She wasn't looking for the survivors, though. She was looking for Desmond, and is part of a company used by Penny Widemore. She had no clue she would stumble upon an island - all the coordinates showed was water. (She mentioned thinking it was a "fool's errand.") The helicopter took off from a freighter. When she started to see the island, all the instruments went crazy and the helicopter crashed. Assuming Naomi is telling the truth, this triple-confirms that the island is invisible to the outside world and that the survivors have little-to-no hope of being rescued. Unless the Widemore-commissioned freighter comes in...
- Danielle Rousseau, the "crazy french chick," went into the Black Rock to get some more dynamite. Apart from a very funny scene with Locke, this is actually very monumental. In season one, she wouldn't go back inside the ship, saying it was the source of evil or something like that. (She had been on it before.) Evidently, knowing that the Others have her daughter changes things a little.
- How did Locke's dad get on Mystery Island? According to the Coop-man himself, he was driving along when he was rear-ended. He was on a gurney, being placed in an ambulance and was having an IV put on. Next thing, everything went black. When he woke up, he was on the island - and very surprised to know that Locke was alive and didn't die in Flight 815! His story, though, sounds more like a kidnapping, especially with the IV tube. But, if it was kidnapping, did it happen before or after the sky turned purple?
- Juliet misses cheeseburgers when living on the beach. A lot.
- Jack and Juliet know something... After Kate spilled the beans on the Naomi story, Juliet said that "we should tell her," but Jack said "not yet." It was very creepy and non-descriptive.
- Locke warned Sawyer that "Juliet is a mole," and that there will be a raid on the beach to get the pregnant women in threeweeks days. So far, we know Sun is pregnant and that Kate is at a high risk for pregnancy. So, they're going to have a full-fledged assault to take two people? Best sweeps stunt ever!
- Cooper theorized that the "island" was actually hell. "A little hot for heaven," he said. But, if that were so, then what's up with the smoke monster killing people who commit grievous sins, like pride, arrogance and stealing? (And if Smokey is so self-righteous, I wonder what the pilot's sin was...)
- Anthony Cooper was the "real Sawyer," the man who conned Sawyer's mom, which resulted in a murder-suicide on the part of his dad.
- Locke knows the life story of James, read the file, but burned it.
- When Locke found his dad on the island and he said "Dad?" If that doesn't turn out to be an intentional shout-out to the famous Alias "Mom?" cliffhanger, I'll be sad.
- If the men are more fertile on the island, I'd say that it's a pretty good chance that Kate will be pregnant. (Yeah...)
- Cindy, the mysterious-but-so-friendly stewardess made another cameo.
- When discussing how Cooper got to the island, Locke mentioned the "magic box" that can apparently give anyone anything. Ben, enraged, corrected John that the term "magic box" was just a metaphor. This was so obviously a shout-out to Lost fans who spent days debating the "magic box" and whether or not it was an actual box.
- Ben also connected the dots for those who didn't do so already that Juliet is on the beach to figure out who is pregnant and who isn't. Then, later, the Others will be swarming the beach to "take them."
- The mystery jungle person is named Naomi Dorrit, who once again confirmed that Flight 815 was found in the ocean, off of the coast of Bali. They used robot cams to go in and check all the bodies. She wasn't looking for the survivors, though. She was looking for Desmond, and is part of a company used by Penny Widemore. She had no clue she would stumble upon an island - all the coordinates showed was water. (She mentioned thinking it was a "fool's errand.") The helicopter took off from a freighter. When she started to see the island, all the instruments went crazy and the helicopter crashed. Assuming Naomi is telling the truth, this triple-confirms that the island is invisible to the outside world and that the survivors have little-to-no hope of being rescued. Unless the Widemore-commissioned freighter comes in...
- Danielle Rousseau, the "crazy french chick," went into the Black Rock to get some more dynamite. Apart from a very funny scene with Locke, this is actually very monumental. In season one, she wouldn't go back inside the ship, saying it was the source of evil or something like that. (She had been on it before.) Evidently, knowing that the Others have her daughter changes things a little.
- How did Locke's dad get on Mystery Island? According to the Coop-man himself, he was driving along when he was rear-ended. He was on a gurney, being placed in an ambulance and was having an IV put on. Next thing, everything went black. When he woke up, he was on the island - and very surprised to know that Locke was alive and didn't die in Flight 815! His story, though, sounds more like a kidnapping, especially with the IV tube. But, if it was kidnapping, did it happen before or after the sky turned purple?
- Juliet misses cheeseburgers when living on the beach. A lot.
- Jack and Juliet know something... After Kate spilled the beans on the Naomi story, Juliet said that "we should tell her," but Jack said "not yet." It was very creepy and non-descriptive.
- Locke warned Sawyer that "Juliet is a mole," and that there will be a raid on the beach to get the pregnant women in three
- Cooper theorized that the "island" was actually hell. "A little hot for heaven," he said. But, if that were so, then what's up with the smoke monster killing people who commit grievous sins, like pride, arrogance and stealing? (And if Smokey is so self-righteous, I wonder what the pilot's sin was...)
24: PTSD, Love and Spies
The final five hours of the season are now here, and things are starting to move somewhere, for once in this season. Which, it's kind of sad that it takes Cheng to speed the season up, but, I'll take what I can get. Here's what happened last night, play-by-play:
Act I.
Doyle and his men clean up all the C4 that Bauer implanted. Doyle talks to Audrey, asking if she knows anything about Cheng and his men. She just stares straight ahead and repeats, "Help me, Jack. Please don't let them do this to me!" The fact that she repeats that same line over and over, while looking blankly ahead, makes me think of Princess Leia's hologram message in Star Wars. Back at CTU, new honcha Nadia wants a perimeter sweep to find Cheng and his men. She also tells Morris that his request to be transferred out of CTU LA has been denied. Morris is mad, but Nadia will have none of it. (Her body language says "Bite me.") Doyle calls Nadia up, informing her of what happened last episode out in the field. Doyle laments that if he didn't interfere, the chip - and Bauer - would have been destroyed, and that he goofed it all up. Nadia says that he saved Jack, and that's what's important.
Lisa Miller arrives back home to find Mark Bishop, her [other] boyfriend. Lisa mentions that she has a half hour, and then blabs about her day at work. He tells her to "stop talking" as they go into the bedroom. Ew! Stop it, 24. I don't like this season of love. It's just creepy! In the White House, Acting President Daniels thanks Karen for firing Buchannan. "I appreciate your sacrifice." Lennox enters, telling him that there's a teleconference with Russian President Suvarov, and pronto! Apparently, the Russians already know about the chip, much to the surprise of Team Washington. Daniels points out that it was a Russian (Gredenko) that brought the chip - and the nukes - to American soil in the first place, but Russia pretty much threatens to attack the US base in Russia, which would, in affect, start World War III. (This teleconference brought to you by Cisco!) Meanwhile, Cheng tries to upload the chip to his techie, but the circuit board is damaged and they need someone "with expertise" to fix it.
Act II.
Um... Lisa and Mark Bishop are done... She goes to take a shower. Mark Bishop gets up and uploads all of Lisa's personal information onto his (cell phone?), all while in his boxers. (The cameraman, or woman, really liked that. Creepy season.) Basically, Lisa is being used by Bishop to help spy for the Russians, without her knowledge. At CTU, Chloe confronts Morris, where he tells her that it's "uncomfortable" working with her, which is the biggest understatement EVER. Morris is especially mad that she brought up the fact that he helped arm nukes for terrorists. Chloe is sad. Morris tells her that "It's over," which, they DIVORCED each other years ago, so, weren't they "over" in the first place? Chloe's still sad, and, according to Closed Captioning, she "sniffles," then "sobs quietly."
Karen talks to Nadia on the phone. Karen mentions that there's a mole either in LA or DC. Karen pretty much tells at Nadia to find Cheng, then Nadia yells at Karen that she shouldn't have fired Bill, and it's the most underplayed telephone cat fight ever. Karen basically tells Nadia to shut up, then hangs up. Milo then gets a 15-second cameo. A Dr. Bradley, from Division, comes in to talk to Audrey, who is now back at CTU and in the deadly medical wing. Audrey is still unresponsive and has sores all over her arm. Bauer wants to talk to her, but Doyle locks Jack up in a holding room. Bradley quickly diagnoses that Audrey has over 100 injection sites all over her body and is a level 3 catatonic, or something, and basically needs to be shocked out of her current state - with deadly drugs! Doyle and Nadia don't like it, but Bradley's from Division, so he outranks everyone, as Nadia acknowledges. Doyle is mad, saying that she should have stood up to him. "It's what Buchannan would've done." Nadia gets mad. Somewhere, some 24 fan is coming out with "WWBD: What would Buchannan do?" bracelets.
Act III.
Lisa gets a call from Daniels, telling her to come back to the White House, now. After she leaves, Bishop calls his handler, asking for his "next move." Lennox then informs Daniels that the source of the leak is from a lobbyist named Mark Bishop, who has apparent ties to Russian intelligence. And talks very frequently to Lisa Miller. Lennox pretty much has to spell it out for Daniels that Bishop and Lisa are sleeping together. This unsettles Daniels, who confesses to Lennox that he's been sleeping with Lisa as well. Lennox has this terrific look of absolute horror on his face for the next 3 minutes. Daniels says that after his wife, Nancy, died, he turned to Lisa for comfort and... yeah. Lennox quickly strategizes that they can use this dirty love triangle to their advantage.
Back at CTU, Doyle avoids filling out paperwork and field reports by going in to Jack's holding room and uncuffing him. He fills Jack in on the doings of the evil. Dr. Bradley. Doyle wants Jack to stop him, by any means necessary. So Jack fakes an attack on Doyle, steals his keycard, attacks people in front of Audrey, a PSTD victim, and kidnaps her out of CTU medical. Yeah, that'll help. Bradley and Nadia institute a lock down. Milo, getting his second cameo, asserts that if Jack were allowed to talk to Audrey in the first place, none of this would have happened. Nadia? Still mad at all her co-workers.
Act IV.
Morris has found Jack via CTU's security cameras. Nadia notices that Chloe is MIA. Nobody else cares. (Ha!) Nadia also figures out that Doyle conspired to help Jack break Audrey out of CTU medical. When asked why, Doyle pretty much says "because I'm difficult." Man, they are all such kids! Jack and Audrey hide in a room, which Jack locks and jams. Jack then comforts Audrey, telling her that she's safe. He then gives Audrey her bio and life history, to help her remember herself. Kim Raver does this absolutely awesome thing with her eyes darting around and trying to make contact with Jack, and it's also kind of sad, because this is by far the best acting I've seen from her. Meanwhile, Nadia and her men try to enter, using power tools. Jack asks Audrey about Cheng, but she's unresponsive. Jack tells Audrey that he loves her. They hug. She holds his hand. Aw!
Nadia's men break into the room. Doyle points his gun at Jack, Jack points his gun at Doyle and I think this is at least the third standoff between these two men in the past three episodes. Audrey utters "Bloomfield," which just could be Audrey trying to remember "Bloomingdale's," which means she just really wants to go shopping. Dr. Bradley says that Audrey is a raving lunatic and that "Bloomfield" could mean nothing. Nadia, estatic to finally have a lead, gets the courage to tell Dr. Bradley off. She promises Jack that Bradley won't touch Audrey again and has him put back in custody.
Act V.
The Russian army is apparently moving into striking distance of the US base. Lisa Miller comes face to face with Daniels, where they re-hash this hour's developments. Daniels plays a recent tape of Bishop talking to his handler, asking what his "next move" is. Daniels does this very intimidating circle-walk around Lisa, saying that he always knew she was a liar, he just didn't think she'd lie to him. Daniels says that lying to him is pretty much treason, which he's not okay with now, despite what happened a few hours ago. Daniels commands Lisa to make Bishop believe that they got the component. Lisa's sad. Daniels feels better.
Back at CTU, former Secretary of Defense James Heller just happened to be within an hour's drive of CTU and is talking to her in the medical ward. He then tells Nadia he wants to speak to Bauer. Doyle then trots up and tells Nadia that "Bloomfield" may be the location of Cheng's base of operations. Nadia is very happy, but tells Doyle that he was right. Doyle says that Nadia was good, too. Their eyes lock for a second. Uh-oh... (Ew!)
Bauer comes face-to-face with Heller for the first time in years, last hearing that he survived a fall from a cliff. (Don't ask.) Heller tells Jack that he's not allowed near Audrey ever, ever again, that what happened to her is a result of her loyalty to him. He says "stay away" about a hundred times. He tells Jack that he is "cursed," that everything he touches, one way or another, winds up dead. Jack is very sad.
Next week: Bauer wants to "clean his mess up." Lisa plays Sydney Bristow, but without the wigs. Marylin Bauer returns for some odd reason at 2 in the morning, and something happens, involving an attack by Cheng's thugs. But considering they showed flashes last week of armored men at CTU and Nadia surrendering, I'm pretty certain it's an attack at CTU. And the reason why? Well, from what I've heard, it's not just to repair the chip. And what happens as a result of this raid will help set up the final hours. Excited yet? Good. Because the anticipation is soo much better than what will happen.
Act I.
Doyle and his men clean up all the C4 that Bauer implanted. Doyle talks to Audrey, asking if she knows anything about Cheng and his men. She just stares straight ahead and repeats, "Help me, Jack. Please don't let them do this to me!" The fact that she repeats that same line over and over, while looking blankly ahead, makes me think of Princess Leia's hologram message in Star Wars. Back at CTU, new honcha Nadia wants a perimeter sweep to find Cheng and his men. She also tells Morris that his request to be transferred out of CTU LA has been denied. Morris is mad, but Nadia will have none of it. (Her body language says "Bite me.") Doyle calls Nadia up, informing her of what happened last episode out in the field. Doyle laments that if he didn't interfere, the chip - and Bauer - would have been destroyed, and that he goofed it all up. Nadia says that he saved Jack, and that's what's important.
Lisa Miller arrives back home to find Mark Bishop, her [other] boyfriend. Lisa mentions that she has a half hour, and then blabs about her day at work. He tells her to "stop talking" as they go into the bedroom. Ew! Stop it, 24. I don't like this season of love. It's just creepy! In the White House, Acting President Daniels thanks Karen for firing Buchannan. "I appreciate your sacrifice." Lennox enters, telling him that there's a teleconference with Russian President Suvarov, and pronto! Apparently, the Russians already know about the chip, much to the surprise of Team Washington. Daniels points out that it was a Russian (Gredenko) that brought the chip - and the nukes - to American soil in the first place, but Russia pretty much threatens to attack the US base in Russia, which would, in affect, start World War III. (This teleconference brought to you by Cisco!) Meanwhile, Cheng tries to upload the chip to his techie, but the circuit board is damaged and they need someone "with expertise" to fix it.
Act II.
Um... Lisa and Mark Bishop are done... She goes to take a shower. Mark Bishop gets up and uploads all of Lisa's personal information onto his (cell phone?), all while in his boxers. (The cameraman, or woman, really liked that. Creepy season.) Basically, Lisa is being used by Bishop to help spy for the Russians, without her knowledge. At CTU, Chloe confronts Morris, where he tells her that it's "uncomfortable" working with her, which is the biggest understatement EVER. Morris is especially mad that she brought up the fact that he helped arm nukes for terrorists. Chloe is sad. Morris tells her that "It's over," which, they DIVORCED each other years ago, so, weren't they "over" in the first place? Chloe's still sad, and, according to Closed Captioning, she "sniffles," then "sobs quietly."
Karen talks to Nadia on the phone. Karen mentions that there's a mole either in LA or DC. Karen pretty much tells at Nadia to find Cheng, then Nadia yells at Karen that she shouldn't have fired Bill, and it's the most underplayed telephone cat fight ever. Karen basically tells Nadia to shut up, then hangs up. Milo then gets a 15-second cameo. A Dr. Bradley, from Division, comes in to talk to Audrey, who is now back at CTU and in the deadly medical wing. Audrey is still unresponsive and has sores all over her arm. Bauer wants to talk to her, but Doyle locks Jack up in a holding room. Bradley quickly diagnoses that Audrey has over 100 injection sites all over her body and is a level 3 catatonic, or something, and basically needs to be shocked out of her current state - with deadly drugs! Doyle and Nadia don't like it, but Bradley's from Division, so he outranks everyone, as Nadia acknowledges. Doyle is mad, saying that she should have stood up to him. "It's what Buchannan would've done." Nadia gets mad. Somewhere, some 24 fan is coming out with "WWBD: What would Buchannan do?" bracelets.
Act III.
Lisa gets a call from Daniels, telling her to come back to the White House, now. After she leaves, Bishop calls his handler, asking for his "next move." Lennox then informs Daniels that the source of the leak is from a lobbyist named Mark Bishop, who has apparent ties to Russian intelligence. And talks very frequently to Lisa Miller. Lennox pretty much has to spell it out for Daniels that Bishop and Lisa are sleeping together. This unsettles Daniels, who confesses to Lennox that he's been sleeping with Lisa as well. Lennox has this terrific look of absolute horror on his face for the next 3 minutes. Daniels says that after his wife, Nancy, died, he turned to Lisa for comfort and... yeah. Lennox quickly strategizes that they can use this dirty love triangle to their advantage.
Back at CTU, Doyle avoids filling out paperwork and field reports by going in to Jack's holding room and uncuffing him. He fills Jack in on the doings of the evil. Dr. Bradley. Doyle wants Jack to stop him, by any means necessary. So Jack fakes an attack on Doyle, steals his keycard, attacks people in front of Audrey, a PSTD victim, and kidnaps her out of CTU medical. Yeah, that'll help. Bradley and Nadia institute a lock down. Milo, getting his second cameo, asserts that if Jack were allowed to talk to Audrey in the first place, none of this would have happened. Nadia? Still mad at all her co-workers.
Act IV.
Morris has found Jack via CTU's security cameras. Nadia notices that Chloe is MIA. Nobody else cares. (Ha!) Nadia also figures out that Doyle conspired to help Jack break Audrey out of CTU medical. When asked why, Doyle pretty much says "because I'm difficult." Man, they are all such kids! Jack and Audrey hide in a room, which Jack locks and jams. Jack then comforts Audrey, telling her that she's safe. He then gives Audrey her bio and life history, to help her remember herself. Kim Raver does this absolutely awesome thing with her eyes darting around and trying to make contact with Jack, and it's also kind of sad, because this is by far the best acting I've seen from her. Meanwhile, Nadia and her men try to enter, using power tools. Jack asks Audrey about Cheng, but she's unresponsive. Jack tells Audrey that he loves her. They hug. She holds his hand. Aw!
Nadia's men break into the room. Doyle points his gun at Jack, Jack points his gun at Doyle and I think this is at least the third standoff between these two men in the past three episodes. Audrey utters "Bloomfield," which just could be Audrey trying to remember "Bloomingdale's," which means she just really wants to go shopping. Dr. Bradley says that Audrey is a raving lunatic and that "Bloomfield" could mean nothing. Nadia, estatic to finally have a lead, gets the courage to tell Dr. Bradley off. She promises Jack that Bradley won't touch Audrey again and has him put back in custody.
Act V.
The Russian army is apparently moving into striking distance of the US base. Lisa Miller comes face to face with Daniels, where they re-hash this hour's developments. Daniels plays a recent tape of Bishop talking to his handler, asking what his "next move" is. Daniels does this very intimidating circle-walk around Lisa, saying that he always knew she was a liar, he just didn't think she'd lie to him. Daniels says that lying to him is pretty much treason, which he's not okay with now, despite what happened a few hours ago. Daniels commands Lisa to make Bishop believe that they got the component. Lisa's sad. Daniels feels better.
Back at CTU, former Secretary of Defense James Heller just happened to be within an hour's drive of CTU and is talking to her in the medical ward. He then tells Nadia he wants to speak to Bauer. Doyle then trots up and tells Nadia that "Bloomfield" may be the location of Cheng's base of operations. Nadia is very happy, but tells Doyle that he was right. Doyle says that Nadia was good, too. Their eyes lock for a second. Uh-oh... (Ew!)
Bauer comes face-to-face with Heller for the first time in years, last hearing that he survived a fall from a cliff. (Don't ask.) Heller tells Jack that he's not allowed near Audrey ever, ever again, that what happened to her is a result of her loyalty to him. He says "stay away" about a hundred times. He tells Jack that he is "cursed," that everything he touches, one way or another, winds up dead. Jack is very sad.
Next week: Bauer wants to "clean his mess up." Lisa plays Sydney Bristow, but without the wigs. Marylin Bauer returns for some odd reason at 2 in the morning, and something happens, involving an attack by Cheng's thugs. But considering they showed flashes last week of armored men at CTU and Nadia surrendering, I'm pretty certain it's an attack at CTU. And the reason why? Well, from what I've heard, it's not just to repair the chip. And what happens as a result of this raid will help set up the final hours. Excited yet? Good. Because the anticipation is soo much better than what will happen.
A Lost Recap
Here's some highlights from Lost, presented like few other blogs have, I'm sure...
JACK: Sun, you dead yet from being pregnant?
SUN: You creep... are you working with the others?
KATE: Nope, but Juliet is! Because, you see, she's an other.
JULIET: You're pregnant? Aw, congratulations! You might die very soon, though. Pregnant women on this island tend to do that. Often. Let's go to the medical station!
SUN: Alright, but this faux-kidnapping thing isn't exactly making me happy, considering I've been kidnapped before on this island. Thanks for inducing PTSD flashbacks, JULIET.
JULIET: *stares*
SUN: Hey, the medical station was empty last time we saw it!
JULIET: Yeah, but ABC coughed up some money for props and this secret room! It's where we kept the dying moms, so it'll be perfect for performing an ultrasound.
SUN: Boy or girl?
JULIET: Too soon. But it's healthy! Unlike you. You've got about 2 months to live.
SUN: The baby is Jin's! Aw... Thanks, Juliet. If we were on the mainland, you'd be in my Top 5 for sure!
JULIET: Excuse me a second while I conspire to commit evilness... Ben? I'm going after Kate next. And, I hate you. Still.
PERSON: *cough* *cough*
DESMOND: She's not Penny!
HURLEY: Dude... I shot off a flare.
CHARLIE: I'll just hog a bunch of screentime, so you won't miss me when the island eventually course-corrects my life.
MIKHAIL: Someone call for a multi-lingual field medic?
CHARLIE: Hey, aren't you the one who died?
MIKHAIL: So?
PERSON: "jsdgksgpkopkgfh"
MIKHAIL: She said, shut up Charlie. Now stand back as I perform surgery so gruesome it makes season one seem tame!
PERSON: *GURGLE*
EVERYONE ELSE: Gross...
MIKHAIL: Bye!
JIN: Radio, gone. Beat him up!
MIKHAIL: Um, here's the radio...
DESMOND: Leave. I'm a ex-monk, I can take a higher road, even if it means not getting answers. Just leave! Penny, where are you?
PERSON: Hey, Hurley, you survive Flight 815? Because they found 815, and the passengers, and ya'll were dead.
HURLEY: Dude...
FLASHBACKS:
JIN: I love you!
SUN: I love you!
JIN: I love you, madly!
SUN: I love you, madly!
WOMAN: Give me $100,000 or else I'll disgrace Jin.
SUN: Freakin'... Fine. Whatever.
JIN: Don't ask me about my father until I get my story straight...
JIN'S DAD: Sun! I recognized you from the paper!
SUN: I love you, father-in-law!
JIN'S DAD: Same here. But, Jin's mom was a "hired help" and dumped the baby on me. And that'll bring shame upon the family if he ever knows. So leave now and never return!
SUN: 'Kay. Hey, dad, can you spare $100,000?
PAIK: HARUMPH! I'm the Asian Mr. Scrooge! Of course I can't.
SUN: It's to prevent shame...
PAIK: Jin, eh? Fine. Have the money. But, Jin will work for me now. And that job requires lots of stain removers...
JIN: What's this money?
SUN: Oh, I just thought it'd be nice to buy $100,000 worth of furniture...
JIN: Hon, I'll make the money, okay?
SUN: Yes, dear...
WOMAN: Got the money?
SUN: I do. But next time, just say you're Jin's mom. And, never cross my family, because we are powerful. And we can ruin your life, or end it.
JACK: Sun, you dead yet from being pregnant?
SUN: You creep... are you working with the others?
KATE: Nope, but Juliet is! Because, you see, she's an other.
JULIET: You're pregnant? Aw, congratulations! You might die very soon, though. Pregnant women on this island tend to do that. Often. Let's go to the medical station!
SUN: Alright, but this faux-kidnapping thing isn't exactly making me happy, considering I've been kidnapped before on this island. Thanks for inducing PTSD flashbacks, JULIET.
JULIET: *stares*
SUN: Hey, the medical station was empty last time we saw it!
JULIET: Yeah, but ABC coughed up some money for props and this secret room! It's where we kept the dying moms, so it'll be perfect for performing an ultrasound.
SUN: Boy or girl?
JULIET: Too soon. But it's healthy! Unlike you. You've got about 2 months to live.
SUN: The baby is Jin's! Aw... Thanks, Juliet. If we were on the mainland, you'd be in my Top 5 for sure!
JULIET: Excuse me a second while I conspire to commit evilness... Ben? I'm going after Kate next. And, I hate you. Still.
PERSON: *cough* *cough*
DESMOND: She's not Penny!
HURLEY: Dude... I shot off a flare.
CHARLIE: I'll just hog a bunch of screentime, so you won't miss me when the island eventually course-corrects my life.
MIKHAIL: Someone call for a multi-lingual field medic?
CHARLIE: Hey, aren't you the one who died?
MIKHAIL: So?
PERSON: "jsdgksgpkopkgfh"
MIKHAIL: She said, shut up Charlie. Now stand back as I perform surgery so gruesome it makes season one seem tame!
PERSON: *GURGLE*
EVERYONE ELSE: Gross...
MIKHAIL: Bye!
JIN: Radio, gone. Beat him up!
MIKHAIL: Um, here's the radio...
DESMOND: Leave. I'm a ex-monk, I can take a higher road, even if it means not getting answers. Just leave! Penny, where are you?
PERSON: Hey, Hurley, you survive Flight 815? Because they found 815, and the passengers, and ya'll were dead.
HURLEY: Dude...
FLASHBACKS:
JIN: I love you!
SUN: I love you!
JIN: I love you, madly!
SUN: I love you, madly!
WOMAN: Give me $100,000 or else I'll disgrace Jin.
SUN: Freakin'... Fine. Whatever.
JIN: Don't ask me about my father until I get my story straight...
JIN'S DAD: Sun! I recognized you from the paper!
SUN: I love you, father-in-law!
JIN'S DAD: Same here. But, Jin's mom was a "hired help" and dumped the baby on me. And that'll bring shame upon the family if he ever knows. So leave now and never return!
SUN: 'Kay. Hey, dad, can you spare $100,000?
PAIK: HARUMPH! I'm the Asian Mr. Scrooge! Of course I can't.
SUN: It's to prevent shame...
PAIK: Jin, eh? Fine. Have the money. But, Jin will work for me now. And that job requires lots of stain removers...
JIN: What's this money?
SUN: Oh, I just thought it'd be nice to buy $100,000 worth of furniture...
JIN: Hon, I'll make the money, okay?
SUN: Yes, dear...
WOMAN: Got the money?
SUN: I do. But next time, just say you're Jin's mom. And, never cross my family, because we are powerful. And we can ruin your life, or end it.
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