LA X Parts 1 and 2

Welcome back, Lost Losers! It’s been a long wait, but the final season is finally here. Only a few more months for me to entertain and astound you with my ridiculous obsession with this show. For me, it’s like reading a book, which, as though of you who know me know, is my true passion. Yes, I am super nerdy, and I like it!

I’m not sure how I felt about this episode; I was pretty ticked off about a couple of things (did they REALLY have to kill Juliet a SECOND time, for instance), and I don’t know how I feel about the Templars, but I’m hoping all will pay off in the end . . .

To refresh your memories, here are the questions I posed at the end of last season. Did we get any answers . . . a few . . . ok, not really.

Questions I’m still dying to find the answers to:
a. Where is Claire?
b. What role does Christian play? (Could he be the form that Nemesis took before John’s body arrived?)
c. Why can’t babies be born on the island after Dharmaville?
d. Walt . . . will he be back?
e. Why doesn’t Richard age?
f. Who built the statue?
New Questions:
a. Who is Jacob’s enemy (aka Nemesis)?
b. Why does he want to kill Jacob?
c. What is the loophole? How does Locke fit into it?
d. How does Jacob "bring" people to the Island?
e. Why did Jacob choose to visit each person at pivotal moments of their lives?
f. Who did Locke and Hurley see/hear previously at the cabin? (Nemesis?)
g. Who are Ilana and her crew, and why are they referring to themselves as "the good guys?"
h. For what and why is Frank a candidate?
i. Why had Jacob never met with Ben? (he seemed to imply cause Ben is an insipid whiner sometimes)
j. How did Jacob come to be on the Island?
k. Who are "they" that are coming?


Now on to the episode . . .


1. Title of the episode --LA X –this might refer to the Los Angeles airport, but apparently X is a comic book reference (Williams family?) for “alternate reality.” It might also mean the “Los Angeles 10” . . .

2. The Flight:
· Leaked four minutes were right . . .
· Rose and Jack reversed – in pilot Jack said, “It’s normal” Did Bernard call Rose Viv? Also means that Rose will die.
· Des on flight! What up with that? Plus, Jack recognizes him . . . but remember, he met Des in the stadium one night when he went for a run.
· Island undersea . . . that was some crappy CG.
· Artz! Chattin it up w/ Hurley – knows he’s the owner of Mr. Cluck’s
· Hurley – nothing bad ever happens to me; I’m the luckiest guy alive
· Shannon not there because she didn’t want to be saved from bad relationship
· Did Locke really go on a walkabout? He is paralyzed, after all.
· Charlie “dead” in bathroom . . . how very Elvis of him . . . choking on a bag of horse – “I was supposed to die”
· What about Michael and Walt?
· No coffin on the plane? It is “lost” . . . meaning that one way or another, Jack is gonna have to “seek” his father.
· Claire’s back!

KEY LINES FROM FLIGHT 815/LAX: “They didn’t lose your father, they just lost his body.” “Nothing’s irreversible.” Jack and Locke find each other, only in this reality, they may actually be allies. One will use teach the other faith, while the other will inspire with reason. Hmmm . . .

3.Island:
· Kate’s eye – deafened by explosion? Why is she hanging in the tree?
· Juliet alive?! . . . Yay! . . . Just to kill her again?!! WTF! What important thing did she need to tell him? Miles can hear her and passes along the message -- “It worked” Somehow Juliet knows that there is an alternate reality? When she was talking about “going dutch,” was she in the other reality, meeting James, and asking him to go for coffee? I hope so . . .
· Hurley can see Jacob because he is dead . . . will Miles be able to hear him?

We interrupt this flow of thought to hate on Kate . . . I knew I would find a reason . . .
· Why does Kate think that it would be at all appropriate for her to help bury Juliet?
· Kate swoopin in at the temple to try to replace Juliet. Classy. Almost as classy as the pics of her in her underwear in Esquire. Yeah, I know, she’s hot and I’m jealous.


Now back to the island and the temple . . .
· Book by Kierkegaard . . . Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives, focusing on the priority of concrete human reality over abstract thinking and highlighting the importance of personal choice and commitment.
· FA Cindy back in action with the Temple people. Also, note that the two children have not aged . . .
· In guitar case is an ancient Ank symbol with a note inside; what does it say? It also implies that Jacob knew he was going to die . . .
· Who is Ghengis Khan?
· Sayid in the Jesus pose coming out the well. And dead. To be resurrected . . . (hint, hint)
· Who’s the hippie translator dude? He looks familiar but I can’t place him. Can anyone help me out?


4. This Week in Bible Studies: Ashes scatted around temple; ashes used to keep Smokey/Nemesis away –

• According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, ashes were first used by the Jewish people in mourning rituals, connecting the living with the dead when the mourners rolled in the ashes. It was also seen as an act of purification.
• In Catholicism, ashes have also been used as penance for sins. My Catholic Losties perhaps can tell us more . . .

5. Under the statue:
· Locke/Nemesis /Smokey – He is a BAD MF’Er! Did you see how he overcame the ash system!
· Jacob nowhere to be seen – He is turned to ash. Will he return in another body, much as Nemesis took over Locke’s body. Could it be that Jacob is now in Sayid’s body???!!!! Could that be what the note said?
· “The only one who realized how pitiful the life he left behind was.” Fake Locke on Locke. Nemesis says he wants the one thing that Locke didn’t; to go home . . . could he be “Satan” (channeling the Church Lady)? Trying to re-enter heaven?
· “Hello, Richard. It’s nice to see you out of those chains.” – I think this is probably figurative, meaning being bound to Jacob, but could it also mean that Richard came on the Black Rock?

6. How about those wings on Lapidus’ head?

7. Everything That Rises Must Converge – The two realities will eventually collide. No matter which reality they exist, each of these people will eventually come to the same destiny – it’s just a question of how they get there. That’s my theory for the week.

I still hate Kate; Jack is still annoying as hell; James is hot; Hurley is finally embracing his “gift”; I want Vincent to make an appearance.

That’s it for now . . . looking forward to your insights!

Namaste,
LLL