Read more… or Read more right here… »

Wow — what a finale! I had high hopes going into the final two hours of the season, and I thought parts two and three of “There’s No Place Like Home” delivered on all fronts. Locke being in the coffin was a nice twist. When we first saw the funeral parlor scene last season, Locke was my initial guess due to Jack and Kate’s respective reactions, but I somehow managed to talk myself out of it over the course of the season. Does this mean Locke is going to experience an Island resurrection next season?

I appreciated that “There’s No Place Like Home” answered virtually all of the questions set up by the flash forward in last season’s finale. Now we know exactly how the Oceanic Six got off the Island, and we’re getting a better idea of why they need to go back. It’s interesting to see Sun align herself with Widmore, and one wonders if Ben is still planning to track down Penny and avenge Alex’s death. Could Ben’s plan to reunite the Oceanic Six be a roundabout way of locating Desmond and, by extension, Penny?

Michael and Jin’s deaths? Michael was far from my favorite Lost-vivor, but I’ve grown attached to Jin as the seasons have gone by. I would have liked to have seen both of them get a more heroic send-off, but I guess everyone can’t die saving the day like Charlie last season. Sometimes, you just get blown up.

I have a few more thoughts on the finale, but I think I’ll save them for the comments in the interest of actually getting some sleep tonight.

Oh, but before I get to this week’s scores, I wanted to remind everyone that merchandise featuring the logo for the Chalupa (an apocryphal Dharma station introduced a few weeks ago in a Lost-vivor recap) is now available via my online store. To the right, you can see the Vincent lookalike I hired for my big Lost Finale Party posing with the stylish Chalupa mug. Men’s and women’s t-shirts are also available. I’m not doing any markup whatsoever on the merch, so it’s not a moneymaking venture — just a chance for anyone as dorky as me to have their very own Dharma swag with a Mexican entrée on it. Here’s the link to the online store again if you’d like to browse around.

UPDATE: Well, it was fun while it lasted. One can only assume my Chalupa-adorned merchandise cost ABC several million dollars in lost revenue over the past 24 hours, so CafePress had no choice but to shut down my online store. My apologies to anyone else who wanted a mug or a t-shirt.

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the scores and crown ourselves a Lost-vivor champion!

Jack:   Hey, look! It’s our old pal, Dr. McBeardy. Or should I say Fakey McBearderson?: -1 Slapped by Kate for saying his half-nephew’s name. Speaking of which, is there even such a thing as a half-nephew?: -1 Totally cool with leaving Locke behind on the Island. Can’t say I blame him. I’m still miffed about John blowing up the submarine last season: +2 Wasn’t even invited to tag along on Ben and John’s Orchid Adventure: -1 Apparently has magic ears, heard Desmond screaming about the bomb over the noise of the helicopter: +3 Assisted with the refueling process: +1 Convinced Kate not to wait for Jin, instead leaving him behind to go kaboom. Awkward: -15 Made it back aboard the chopper, escaped from the freighter: +5 Suggested looking for “Hydra Island” after the Mysterious Island disappeared. Nice bit of continuity there, Doc: +1 Survived the helicopter crash: +5 Saved Desmond’s life. Whew…I was sure he was a goner there for a sec: +8 Still didn’t believe that Locke moved the Island. Where do you think it went, Magellan?: -4 Offered a compelling rationale for lying about the fate of Oceanic 815: +2 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5 Broke into the funeral home to see “Jeremy Bentham.” First drugs, now breaking and entering. Oh, how the mighty have fallen: -1   Net gain/loss: +9 Current score: 133
Sawyer:   Bestowed nickname on Jack (”Sundance”): +1 Bestowed nickname on Frank (”Kenny Rogers”): +1 Used hacksaw to free Lapidus from his handcuffs. You know, James, if you had used your criminal knowhow to pick that lock, it would have been worth at least two more points: +1 Jumped out of the helicopter so everyone else could make it back to the freighter. If Season Four was all about redeeming Sawyer, I think this is officially the icing on the cake: +25 Made an impressive swim back to shore, saved enough energy to favor Juliet with a few wisecracks upon his return: +3   Net gain/loss: +31 Current score: 166
Ben:   Rescued by Kate, Sayid, and the Others: +3 Gave John the Orchid orientation film to keep him busy: +1 Line of the night: “If you mean time traveling bunnies, then yes”: +1 Killed Keamy…finally! I was getting so sick of that dude: +15 Of course, Ben triggered C4 on the freighter in the process: -12 Left a fork in the microwave, broke the time machine: -5 Apologized to John for everything he put him through: +1 Turned the frozen donkey wheel, moved the freakin’ Island: +20 Forced to leave the Island, presumably forever: -7   Net gain/loss: +17 Current score: 160
Jin:   Stopped Desmond from cutting the wrong wire: +3 Demonstrated his ever-improving English skills throughout the episode: +1 Left behind on the freighter, presumed dead (at least for now) in the explosion: -100   Net gain/loss: -96 Current score: NA
Juliet:   Vowed to stay behind until everyone else was off the Island: +5 Broke out the DHARMA rum. It’s mojito time, baby: +1   Net gain/loss: +6 Current score: 130
Sun:   Made it aboard the chopper, escaped the freighter before it exploded: +5 Survived the chopper crash: +5 Contacted Widmore in the future/present/whatever. I’m going out on a limb and saying that wasn’t such a hot idea: -3 However, she was wearing a very sharp business suit in the London scene: +1 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5   Net gain/loss: +13 Current score: 136
Claire:   ZOMG! Claire’s off the Island: +20 Wait…never mind. It was just Kate’s premonition: -20   Net gain/loss: +0 Current score: 89
Sayid:   Tackled Keamy in the jungle, fought the most kick-ass fight in Lost history: +5 Unfortunately, Sayid was about to lose the fight until Richard Alpert came along: -5 Killed the dude watching Hurley at Santa Rosa, busted the big guy out of the loony bin: +5 Made it back aboard the helicopter, escaped the freighter before it exploded: +5 Threw the life raft out of the chopper before it crashed: +3 Survived the chopper crash: +5 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5   Net gain/loss: +23 Current score: 164
Michael:   Dropped some science on Desmond and Jin, hatched the plan to freeze the battery powering the detonator with liquid nitrogen: +5 Sent Jin to be with Sun. Hey, it was a noble effort: +3 Below deck when the freighter exploded, presumed dead: -100   Net gain/loss: -92 Current score: NA
Daniel:   Tried to look out for Charlotte and Miles, neither of whom actually wanted to leave: +1 Got a kiss from Charlotte: +2 Was he stranded at sea when the Island moved? Worse still, was he stranded at sea in a raft with six “no-name” Losties? Every last one of them is a potential Nikki or Paulo, you know: -10   Net gain/loss: -7 Current score: 144
Kate:   Helped rescue Ben from Keamy and company: +3 Got one heck of a kiss from Sawyer: +3 Tried to wait for Jin…until somebody insisted it was time to leave: +2 Make it back aboard the chopper, evacuated the freighter before it exploded: +5 Survived the helicopter crash: +5 Somehow managed to keep Aaron alive through the whole ordeal: +2 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5   Net gain/loss: +25 Current score: 132
Desmond:   Trained in Explosive Ordnance Disposal. How convenient, brotha: +5 Oh, wait. Apparently, training in Explosive Ordnance Disposal mostly consists to identifying all the different ways a bomb might go boom: -5 Made it onto the helicopter, evacuated the freighter before it exploded (boom): +5 Survived the chopper crash. Barely: +5 Reunited with Penny aboard the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat. Yeah, I teared up when they kissed. I am human, you know: +30   Net gain/loss: +40 Current score: 154
Miles:   Decided to stay on the Island. Those DHARMA peanuts are addictive, aren’t they?: +1 Knows something about Charlotte’s sketchy past. Somehow: +2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 99
Rose:   Hey, just because Hurley isn’t around, that doesn’t mean you’re the Peanut Police all the sudden: -1   Net gain/loss: -1 Current score: 99
Locke:   An hour later and Locke still isn’t inside the Orchid? I guess Mr. Walkabout has never heard of anthuriums: -2 Unsuccessful in convincing Jack to stay on the Island: -1 Tried to save Keamy’s life to prevent the C4 from detonating: +4 All hail, John Locke — King of the Others: +15 Er…John was in the coffin? He’s Jeremy Bentham? Crap, it’s another one of those future deaths that basically tears the space/time/Lost-vivor continuum a new asshole. Let’s just call it minus twenty-five points. Does that sound fair?: -25   Net gain/loss: -9 Current score: 125
Charlotte:   Decided to stay on the Island. Considering how things have worked out for the Oceanic Six, that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea: +1 Kissed Daniel goodbye: +2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 105
Hurley:   Shared his saltines with Sawyer. I hope they have a canteen of water handy: +1 Lied to a puberty-stricken Walt about his father’s fate: -2 Beat Mr. Eko at chess. Cuckoo, cuckoo: -3 Busted out of Santa Rosa by Sayid: +3 Spotted the freighter from the helicopter: +1 Made it off the freighter before it exploded: +5 Survived the helicopter crash: +5 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5   Net gain/loss: +15 Current score: 134
Frank:   Freed from Keamy’s handcuffs by Sawyer. Didn’t get his hands sawed off in the process: +2 Failed to perform a proper preflight inspection of his aircraft before takeoff. Tsk, tsk: -4 Patched hole in the chopper’s fuel tank with duct tape. I thought Sayid was supposed to be MacGuyer: +1 Evacuated the Oceanic Six (and Desmond) from the freighter before it exploded: +5 Yikes…that’s one ugly emergency water landing: -10 Survived helicopter crash: +5 Picked up by the H.M.S. Actually Penny’s Boat: +5   Net gain/loss: +4 Current score: 131

With season four at a close, here are your final Lost-vivor standings. Drum roll, please…

1. Sawyer (166) (+31)
2. Sayid (164) (+23)
3. Ben (160) (+17)
4. Desmond (154) (+40)
5. Daniel (144) (-7)
6. Sun (136) (+13)
7. Hurley (134) (+15)
8. Jack (133) (+9)
9. Kate (132) (+25)
10. Frank (131) (+4)
11. Juliet (130) (+6)
12. Locke (125) (-9)
13. Bernard (110)
14. Vincent (109)
15. Charlotte (105) (+3)
16. Miles (99) (+3)
17. Rose (99) (-1)
18. Claire (89)

That’s right — everyone’s favorite conman turned Mr. Nice Guy came from behind to edge out Sayid and become this season’s Lost-vivor Champion! What better way to represent the kinder, gentler Sawyer than with a shot of him cradling Aaron in his arms? Well, I suppose a photo of Sawyer hugging his BFF Hurley would have been ideal, but I couldn’t find one on short notice.

Sawyer’s ongoing “redemption” storyline this season steadily earned him points week after week, and his sacrifice in the finale was enough to push him over the top and surpass strong contenders like Ben, Sayid, Desmond, and Daniel. As we noted going into this week’s episode, it was anyone’s game, and Sawyer’s surprise victory certainly proved that point.

With Sawyer officially crowned the Season Four Champion, that brings us to the Fan Favorite Award — your chance to make your voice heard and vote for your favorite Lost-vivor. The race was tight early on, but a clear winner eventually emerged:

Yep, the lovably evil Benjamin Linus received a whopping 25% of the 210 votes cast in the Lost-vivor Fan Favorite Poll. Daniel followed close behind with 19%, and Sayid (last year’s Lost-vivor champ) came in third at 11%. Sadly, Michael and Jin were the only Lost-vivors not to receive a single vote. Oh, well…there’s always next year, right? Oops! Never mind.

That, my friends, brings Lost-vivor to a close. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and comment throughout the season. It’s been a total blast writing the recaps and hearing your feedback. I can’t wait to give it another whirl when Lost returns next season.

« Hide it

Posted by Jess | Filed Under Lost-vivor | 42 Comments

Read more… or Read more right here… »

Oh, yeah…that was classic Lost. I thought part one of “There’s No Place Like Home” did a superb job in terms building suspense for the big season finale in two weeks, and I can’t wait to see how everything shakes out. Here’s how I see it going down: Jack, Sayid, Kate, and Hurley flee from the Orchid in the chopper. Meanwhile, Sun and Aaron escape from the freighter in the Zodiac raft (presumably to avoid being blown up by the giant stash of C4). From there, I’m guessing they rendezvous and depart the Island on the raft as the Oceanic Six. Does the freighter actually explode? What does that mean for Jin, Desmond, and Michael? Hmm…curiouser and curiouser. I’ll officially go on record saying that I have a bad feeling about Desmond’s future. Then again, I’ve been fully expecting Sayid to get killed for two and a half seasons now, so what do I know?

It was refreshing to finally see Richard Alpert and the other Others (ha!) that went missing lo many months ago. Oh, and Sawyer borrowed a term from the production staff and actually referred to the Barracks as New Otherton. Sigh…I guess that means I’ll finally have to retire “Othersville” and “Lockeville” as my preferred nomenclature (although I’ll continue to refer to the freighter as the H.M.S. Penny’s Father’s Boat come hell or high water). And how about Michelle Forbes as the Oceanic rep? ST:TNG represent, yo!

Alright, I’m rambling. Let’s take a look at the scores!

Jack:   I suppose it makes sense that Jack would be the one to orchestrate the Flight 815 cover-up, but who died and made him official spokesman for the Oceanic Six?: -1 Reunited with his mom: +2 Took initiative, grabbed a few guns, and set off in search of the chopper: +4 Ick…he’s still seeping blood: -1 Caught up with the rest of the world regarding Claire’s status as his half-sister: +1   Net gain/loss: +6 Current score: 124
Sawyer:   Bestowed nickname on Miles (”Genghis”): +1 Decided to accompany Jack to the Orchid after their little jungle spat: +2 Bestowed nickname on Frank (”Shaggy”): +1 Set off for the Orchid to rescue his buddy Hurley. So, was Sawyer just waiting for Charlie to die all along just so he could be Hurley’s new BFF?: +1   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 135
Ben:   Had a secret stash of saltine crackers hidden on the Island. He really does plan ahead for everything: +1 Sent secret mirror messages to, one assumes, the other Others: +1 Surrendered himself to Keamy, pistol-whipped for his trouble: -3   Net gain/loss: -1 Current score: 143
Jin:   Followed through on his promise to get Sun off the Island: +5 Of course, I don’t see this ending well for Jin. Call it a hunch: -2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 112
Juliet:   Didn’t know about the Orchid Station. It’s too bad the Losties got stuck with the least-informed Other in all of New Otherton — with the possible exception of Karl (may his eternal soul rest in peace) — on their side: -1   Net gain/loss: -1 Current score: 124
Sun:   Reunited with her family: +2 Including her jerkhole of a father: -1 Suggested using the satellite phone to, you know, call the chopper. That’s what I call thinking inside the box, but it’s still more thinking than everyone else at the beach was doing: +1 Used her Oceanic settlement to purchase a controlling interest in Paik Heavy Industries. I think that officially qualifies as “f - - k you” money: +9   Net gain/loss: +11 Current score: 123
Claire:   Good news, Claire! Your mom’s not in a coma anymore: +1   Net gain/loss: +1 Current score: 89
Sayid:   Got some smooches from Hurley’s mom. Call him L.L. Cool J (”Ladies Love Cool Jarrah”): +1 But why is he dressed like a reject from Miami Vice?: -2 Reunited with Nadia (I already dumped a big pile of points on Sayid for marrying her a few weeks ago, so consider this a token award): +5 Successfully followed bearing back to the Island: +2 Set off in search of Jack. Why even bother going to the Orchid? Sayid is so awesome that he could probably move the Island with a broken flashlight, a coat hanger, some duct tape, and sheer force of will: +2 Ambushed by the other Others: -3   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 141
Michael:   Fixed the engine on the H.M.S. Penny’s Father’s Boat: +6   Net gain/loss: +6 Current score: 88
Daniel:   Knew about the Orchid already, had a nifty sketch of the logo in his notebook: +1 Took charge of the evacuation. Look at Daniel go: +5 Gave Charlotte a cute little wave as he departed. I hate to admit this, but I think I might be a Daniel-Charlotte (Darlotte?) ’shipper. Kill me now: +1   Net gain/loss: +7 Current score: 151
Kate:   Sniff, sniff…nobody loves Kate at the Oceanic Six reunion: -2 Recruited for Jack’s expedition: +1 Never mind. Jack sent her back to the beach: -1 Oh, wait…she’s leaving again with Sayid: +1 And, hey, there are those magic jungle tracking skills they never explained: +2 Ambushed by Richard Alpert and the other Others: -3   Net gain/loss: -2 Current score: 107
Desmond:   Found the giant stash of C4 aboard the H.M.S. Penny’s Father’s Boat. So, had everyone else just been walking by and failing to notice the heaping pile of explosives until the precognitive Scotsman stumbled across it?: +1   Net gain/loss: +1 Current score: 114
Hurley:   Reunited with his family: +2 Asked Ben for details about the Orchid and the mechanics of moving the Island. Whoa…slow down there, Hugo. If you keep asking questions like that, pretty soon everyone else will start asking questions, and then it’s only a matter of time before we find out that the four-toed statue was built by mischievous imps from the fifth dimension that can only be tricked into returning home by reciting their names backwards: +2 Wow…Hurley’s driving a hooptie: -1 It’s a surprise luau-themed birthday party! And all his friends are there! Hooray: +1 Aww…Hurley’s dad finished fixing up the old Camaro. That’s kinda sweet: +3 ZOMG! The Numbers?! It’s a cursed Camaro! Run away, run away: -4 Correctly pointed out that Widmore’s men would move along with the Island. I actually hadn’t thought about that. Good one, Hugo: +1   Net gain/loss: +4 Current score: 119
Frank:   His plan to drop off the homing satellite phone doohickey at the beach worked: +2 He ended up cuffed to the chopper by Keamy: -1   Net gain/loss: +1 Current score: 127

With only the two-hour finale left to go, here are your updated standings:

1. Daniel (151) (+7)
2. Ben (143) (-1)
3. Sayid (141) (+5)
4. Sawyer (135) (+5)
5. Locke (134)
6. Frank (127) (+1)
7. Juliet (124) (-1)
8. Jack (124) (+6)
9. Sun (123) (+11)
10. Hurley (119) (+4)
11. Desmond (114) (+1)
12. Jin (112) (+3)
13. Bernard (110)
14. Vincent (109)
15. Kate (107) (-2)
16. Charlotte (102)
17. Rose (100)
18. Miles (96)
19. Claire (89) (+1)
20. Michael (88) (+6)

 
It’s a tight race as Daniel moves back into first place — all the while with Ben and Sayid nipping at his heels. The biggest gain this week went to Sun, thanks to her post-Island buyout of Paik Industries. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Locke remain within striking distance at fourth and fifth place, respectively. I have a feeling next week is going to prove very interesting.

That just about wraps up this week’s installment of Lost-vivor. Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next time.

« Hide it

Posted by Jess | Filed Under Lost-vivor | 30 Comments

Read more… or Read more right here… »

“He wants us to move the Island” — definitely a great conclusion to what I felt was a mixed bag of an episode overall. Seeing Richard Alpert and Matthew Abaddon pop up in Locke’s flashback was a fascinating development; the notion that current events on the Island might have been put into motion literally decades ago certainly piques my interest. “Cabin Fever” also confirmed that Christian Shephard is not Jacob (assuming we can trust the presumed-dead physician). Oh, and if the creepy smile on her face is any indication, Claire seems to have officially drunk her dad’s Island Kool-Aid. It feels like a turning point for her character arc, and I’m curious to see where it takes her.

Did anyone else notice that the coversheet for Keamy’s “secondary protocol” (i.e. torch the Island) was emblazoned with the DHARMA logo? Does that mean that Widmore = DHARMA? If so, that means Ben and the Hostiles essentially stole Widmore’s Island out from under him years ago. It would certainly explain their mutual animosity. Very interesting…

Those revelations aside, however, I thought the episode came up short in terms of action. Furthermore, for an episode titled “Cabin Fever,” it was a definite letdown that we didn’t make it inside Jacob’s cabin until about 56 minutes into the episode. And why has Desmond been relegated to standing around in the background while Sayid makes important decisions and people get murdered on the freighter? And why has Michael essentially become a non-factor in the storyline after his “dramatic” return a few episodes back?

Bah, I shouldn’t complain. This season has given us way more good than bad. I’m just cranky ’cause Daniel Faraday didn’t show up this week. I know what will cheer me up. Let’s take a look at my homemade logo for DHARMA’s heretofore unseen subterranean Mexican cuisine research station, the Chalupa (introduced in last week’s Lost-vivor):

Wouldn’t that look great on a t-shirt? Now, let’s take a look at the scores!

Locke:   Born: +1 Wait, can I really give someone a point just for being born?: -1 Well, he’s the youngest preemie in hospital history to live. That’s worth something, right?: +1 Hey, remember those Cabbage Patch Kids Preemie dolls from back in the ’80s? Have you ever stopped to think about just how bizarre of a toy that was? “Hey, kids! How would you like your very own premature baby doll?”: -1 D’oh! Where was I? Oh, yeah…Lost-vivor. Here, just take the stupid point, John: +1 Apparently sees dead people. With nosebleeds: +5 Drew what appeared to be a rendering of the Smoke Monster as a child. Creepy: +2 Failed Richard Alpert’s somewhat puzzling test. I totally would have picked the comic book: -2 Found the DHARMA mass grave again: +2 Found Horace’s corpse, recovered the map: +2 Stuffed in a locker. Does that actually happen to people, or is it completely an invention of television and film?: -1 Turned down Mittelos Bioscience’s summer camp. Dude, that could have been your chance to ride in a submarine (assuming you didn’t blow it up first): -1 Found Jacob’s cabin: +5 Unfortunately, Jacob wasn’t home. Isn’t that just the story of Locke’s life?: -1   Net gain/loss: +12 Current score: 134
Jack:   Not following doctor’s orders: -1 Still, he seemed to be getting around rather well for a recent victim — er, “recipient” of sketchy Island surgery: +2   Net gain/loss: +1 Current score: 118
Ben:   You know things are bad when Ben is following Hurley: -1 Got a little whiny with the whole “I used to be the Chosen One” bit: -1 Line of the night: “Destiny is a fickle bitch.” What a coincidence! So is Kate: +1   Net gain/loss: -1 Current score: 144
Claire:   Joined Team Christian, seemed rather blasé about Aaron’s whereabouts. Isn’t this the same chick who spent the last three seasons wailing like a banshee every time the kid got so much as a runny nose?: -6   Net gain/loss: -6 Current score: 88
Sayid:   Rushed in to wake up Desmond and inform him of the chopper’s return. Once again, Sayid doesn’t sleep; he waits: +1 Hatched plan to evacuate Island, escaped on raft: +4   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 136
Michael:   Stomped on by Keamy: -2 Michael’s magic “I-can’t-die-yet” powers caused Keamy’s pistol to jam: +5   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 82
Desmond:   Decided to stick around on the H.M.S. Penny’s Father’s Boat. I know the Island kinda sucks, but have you noticed the tendency of people on the freighter to go batshit insane? I’d disembark at my first opportunity: -2   Net gain/loss: -2 Current score: 113
Hurley:   Actually bothered asking Ben about the Purge. Asking questions that matter is always worth a few points: +2 Distributed water to Ben and Locke. It’s always important to stay hydrated when going in search of a mysterious disappearing jungle cabin: +1 Shared his candy bar with Ben. It’s like one of those “Not going anywhere for a while?” ads for Snickers come to life: +1   Net gain/loss: +4 Current score: 115
Frank:   Piloted chopper back to the ship. He’s getting pretty good at that whole “Bearing 305″ thing: +2 Dropped off the homing doohickey for the Losties on the beach. I’m not sure what he’s planning, but let’s hope Keamy doesn’t find out: +3   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 126

Eleven weeks down, just a few more rounds of Lost-vivor to go. Here are your updated standings:

1. Ben (144) (-1)
2. Daniel (144)
3. Sayid (136) (+5)
4. Locke (134) (+12)
5. Sawyer (130)
6. Frank (126) (+5)
7. Juliet (125)
8. Jack (118) (+1)
9. Hurley (115) (+4)
10. Desmond (113) (-2)
11. Sun (112)
12. Bernard (110)
13. Vincent (109)
14. Kate (109)
15. Jin (109)
16. Charlotte (102)
17. Rose (100)
18. Miles (96)
19. Claire (88) (-6)
20. Michael (82) (+3)

 
Well, well, well…it appears we have a tie for first place between Ben and Daniel. Meanwhile, check out the slew of Lost-vivors within striking distance of the number one spot: Sayid, Locke, Sawyer. Even Frank and Juliet aren’t out of the running yet. It looks like this season is going to go down to the wire. Anyone care to make a prediction on the winner?

That just about wraps up this week’s installment of Lost-vivor. As always, feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

« Hide it

Posted by Jess | Filed Under Lost-vivor | 28 Comments

Read more… or Read more right here… »

“Something Nice Back Home” wasn’t exactly an action-packed extravaganza, but I imagine it was a real treat for all the Jack/Kate ’shippers out there. That being said, I guess I’m glad Jack is still alive, and it was a pleasant change to see Juliet step up to the plate and do the whole doctor thing (considering she’s been somewhat underutilized this season).

I’m curious to see where the Christian Shepherd storyline is going — both on and off the Island. I wonder if Jack’s whole “get my father down here” rant from the Season Three finale wasn’t as nutty as it initially sounded. Factor in Christian’s appearance in Jacob’s cabin earlier this season, and I imagine things are about to get very interesting.

Meanwhile, I’m definitely enjoying the development of Sawyer’s character. Seeing him stand up for Hurley last week and take such a protective attitude toward Claire this week is a welcome turn of events. I’m sure Lost purists are filling up the message boards right now, demanding the return of the guy who used to horde asthma inhalers back in Season One, but I think his evolution makes sense in the context of his recent Island experiences (especially the attack on Othersville).

Anyway, I thought it was an okay episode — nothing earth-shattering, but a decent hour of television nevertheless. Let’s take a look at this week’s scores…

Jack:   Ew…Jack’s all sweaty and gross: -1 Passed out again, face-planted on the beach. Hey, I wonder if the “sickness” that Rousseau used to rattle on about was just ordinary appendicitis all along. If so, the whole “murdering her crewmates” thing seems like overkill in hindsight: -1 Slept in, late to an appointment: -1 Jack wears panties now? And he has Star Wars toys scattered around his house? I never realized how much the two of us have in common: -1 Oh, wait — he’s living with Kate. Way to go, Jack: +5 And he’s reading Alice in Wonderland to Aaron. And getting mucho kissy-face from Kate: +3 Failed to convince Juliet that he was suffering from food poisoning. It was an obvious lie; after all, DHARMA shut down its subterranean Taco Bell station (”The Chalupa”) last October: -1 Cooked up the crazy mirror scheme so he could watch his own surgery. If only he had tried to do it himself. As I said last week, that would have been worth fifty points at least: +2 Asked Kate to marry him; she said yes: +10 Stayed conscious for a solid minute his surgery. That’s not too bad considering using lidocaine as a local anesthetic for an appendectomy is like crunching up a few children’s aspirins and rubbing them on your stomach before cutting it open with a rusty steak knife: +3 Survived the surgery: +10 Saw his dad, who may or may not actually be there: -3 Hey, I’m pretty sure that combining your anti-anxiety medication with six or seven beers is contraindicated: -5 Got a little emotionally abusive toward Kate, still jealous of Sawyer: -4 And thus begins Jack’s descent into a drugged-up, suicidal, blubbering mess: -6   Net gain/loss: +10 Current score: 117
Daniel:   Totally called out Charlotte on her “attitude”: +1 Volunteered to go to the medical station, found all the junk on Juliet’s list: +2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 144
Claire:   Wandered off into the jungle with Christian Shepherd, seemingly abandoned Aaron: -7   Net gain/loss: -7 Current score: 94
Sawyer:   Bestowed nickname on Miles (”Donger”): +1 Check out Mr. Caretaker, looking after Claire and Aaron: +2 Issued a Mysterious Island Restraining Order against Miles on Claire’s behalf: +2 Slept through Christian’s nocturnal visit and Claire’s departure. In Sawyer’s defense, he was probably plumb tuckered out from running around like an action hero back at Othersville: -2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 130
Miles:   Apparently hears dead people, found Rousseau and Karl: +4 Targeted by Sawyer’s restraining order. Wait a second…doesn’t Sawyer need Mayor Locke’s approval to do something like that? Or is the jungle under Tribal Chief Jack’s jurisdiction?: -2   Net gain/loss: +2 Current score: 96
Bernard:   All up in Daniel’s grill: +2 Served as anesthesiologist for Jack’s surgery. Appeared disturbingly comfortable applying chloroform-soaked rag: +3   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 110
Charlotte:   Speaks Korean. Sure, why not?: +2   Net gain/loss: +2 Current score: 102
Hurley:   Stopped taking meds, isn’t sleeping. Looks more nutso than the last time we saw him: -3 On the plus side, he’s still getting visits from the Ghost Hobbit: +1   Net gain/loss: -2 Current score: 111
Jin:   Noticed Daniel has a crush on Charlotte: +1 Figured out that Charlotte speaks Korean. Very observant: +2 Brokered a deal to get Sun off the Island: +5 Then again, I’m not sure Charlotte is exactly the “go-to person” for these kinds of matters: -3   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 109
Juliet:   Remembered she was a doctor, started caring for Jack: +1 Saw through Jack’s clever food poisoning ruse: +1 Took charge of the camp; sent Losties off to boil water, fetch clean towels. That’s an OB/GYN joke. Well, kinda: +4 Doesn’t know precisely where to make the incision. Don’t worry, Jack; if your appendix is inflamed enough, it should be easy to find once she’s in there: -2 Successfully pulled off the surgery, saved Jack’s life: +10 Offered Jack back to Kate. My theory? Jack is a horrible kisser: +2   Net gain/loss: +16 Current score: 125
Frank:   Thought fast, told Sawyer and company to hide in the jungle: +3 Distracted Keamy when Aaron started crying. Stupid babies: +2   Net gain/loss: +5 Current score: 121
Rose:   Bestowed nickname on Charlotte (”Red”): +1 Correctly pointed out that Jack shouldn’t be getting sick on the Island. If anything, he should be growing a second appendix: +2   Net gain/loss: +3 Current score: 100
Sun:   Remembered where the medical station was: +4   Net gain/loss: +4 Current score: 112
Kate:   Since I didn’t give Kate any points for her fancy house the last time we saw it, consider this catching up: +2 Drafted as Juliet’s nurse: +1 Subsequently kicked out of the operating tent: -1 Accepted Jack’s marriage proposal: +10 Unfortunately, her financé is a pill-popping, self-loathing, hallucinating alcoholic: -5   Net gain/loss: +7 Current score: 109

Ten weeks down, just a few more rounds of Lost-vivor to go. Here are your updated standings:

1. Ben (145)
2. Daniel (144) (+3)
3. Sayid (131)
4. Sawyer (130) (+3)
5. Juliet (125) (+16)
6. Locke (122)
7. Frank (121) (+5)
8. Jack (117) (+10)
9. Desmond (115)
10. Sun (112) (+4)
11. Hurley (111) (-2)
12. Bernard (110) (+5)
13. Vincent (109)
14. Kate (109) (+7)
15. Jin (109) (+5)
16. Charlotte (102) (+2)
17. Rose (100) (+3)
18. Miles (96) (+2)
19. Claire (94) (-7)
20. Michael (79)

 
While Ben maintained a very narrow lead over Daniel, there were some shakeups further down the scoreboard worth noting this week. Juliet posted major gains thanks to her successful surgery, and Jack didn’t do too bad for himself either by surviving the ordeal. It’s also worth mentioning that Frank Lapidus has somehow crept into seventh place over the past few episodes — and is now in easy striking distance of the top three. Could he be this season’s Lost-vivor dark horse?

That just about wraps up this week’s installment of Lost-vivor. As always, feel free to comment, complain, or offer your predictions below. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

« Hide it

Posted by Jess | Filed Under Lost-vivor | 25 Comments

Categories

• 100 Facts
• Apropos Comics
• Asides
• Blickity-Blog
• Geek
• In the News
• Life in a Nutshell
• Lost-vivor
• Photo Ops
• Pop Culture
• Random Musings
• Tales from the Classroom
• Web Slinging

Find It

Syndicate

• RSS 2.0 Feed
• Atom Feed
• LiveJournal Feed

Meta

• About Jess
• Email
• AIM: AproposJess
• Copyright 2007

Admin

• Log in
• Wordpress
• XHTML