Emmy nominations snap judgement

The 2010 Emmy nominations have just been announced and there were some excellent surprises and some not so surprising omissions (it's still annoying even if it isn't a surprise). Here is a list of who and what I am happy with being nominated, the snubs that sting and the 'huh' they were nominated thoughts:

What I am happy about:

-Finally Friday Night Lights gets some love with both Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler getting nominations (Actress and Actor in a drama), these are long overdue and well deserved, they really are the heart and soul of this fabulous show. Very glad that 'The Son' has got a writing nomination, one of the best episodes of FNL.
-The final season of Lost being a nomination success; Matthew Fox (Actor in a Drama), Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn (Best Supporting in a Drama) and Elizabeth Mitchell (Guest Actress in a Drama) all getting acting nods. The writing and directing of the finale featuring, as well as a nod for Michael Giacchino for his score for 'The End' which made the show and the finale all the more emotional.
-The Pacific getting the most nominations with 24, though it not being included in the acting categories is a disappointment.
-Unsurprisingly Mad Men bagged itself 17 nominations and deservedly so. Those up for the acting gongs are Jon Hamm, January Jones, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss and Robert Morse (for actor/actress, supporting actor/actress and guest actor). Shame that Vincent Kartheiser and Jared Harris can't be included but I guess I can't be greedy. And whilst I'm surprised that 'The Gypsy and the Hobo' wasn't nominated in the writing category I'm pleased that both 'Guy Walks in to an Advertising Agency' and 'Shut the Door. Have a Seat' are nominated
-The Good Wife also favouring well in the acting categories with the both the women and the men being well represented: Julianna Margulies (Alicia Florrick), Archie Panjabi (Kalinda Sharma), Christine Baranski (Diane Lockhart), Alan Cumming (Eli Gold) and Dylan Baker (Colin Sweeney). I've really enjoyed this new show and after Margulies Golden Globes success it is great to see that her cast mates are also sharing in the award lime light, though it is a shame to see that Chris Noth (Peter Florrick) was overlooked.
-It's also not a surprise that Glee received 19 nominations, some more deserved than others, I was happy for Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) and one of the best father son combos on TV Chris Colfor (Kurt Hummel) and Mike O'Malley (Burt Hummel). Also nominated in the guest actor in a comedy category for Glee was Neil Patrick Harris who has two nominations (the other for How I Met Your Mother), Jon Hamm and Tina Fey both also share in the double nominations, Hamm for Mad Men and 30 Rock, Fey for SNL and 30 Rock.
-The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien getting the nod over Jay Leno, Team Coco all the way, loved the reaction in the room to this one when it was announced as well as the fact that the Emmys will be broadcast on NBC. Though The Daily Show normally wins this one, so it's a win/win really for me.
-Other shows that got some love that I love include; The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Dexter, 30 Rock, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, Nurse Jackie and Damages.


What nominations (or lack of nominations) made me go grr and huh?:

-Zach Gilford not getting nominated for the FNL episode 'The Son'. It was a long shot but after hearing Connie Britton and Kyle Chandlers nominations I was hopeful that he would be recognised as well, but alas. At least the episode got the writing nod.
-Tony Shaloub for Monk and Jon Cryer for Two and a Half Men just makes me say why?
-Even though he was presenting the nominations Joel McHale and Community came up with nothing, this was annoying, though he did a good job with the nominations. Loved when he jumped in to pronounce Mariska Hargitay.
-There seems to be a lot of unhappy writers out there about the lack of Parks and Rec nominations which has reminded me that I really need to get that show on DVD. I also need to watch my Breaking Bad DVDs before August 29th.
-Other long shots I would have loved to see but am not surprised by there omissions; Chuck, John Noble in Fringe and The Vampire Diaries. If I had an award show all of these would win.



For a full list of nominations head to the official Emmys site here

All photos courtesy of NBC

Normal transmission will shortly resume

So I took a holiday at possibly the busiest time in a TV season, right when all the finales happen and there is so much that I need to catch up on a write about. This will occur when my brain is less muddled and the jet lag has gone. Of course most importantly is the Lost finale which I loved and really need to see again before I can fully be happy to write about it. The same goes for Fringe and Bones, both of which I watched on the day of my arrival on holiday which was seen through a similar hazy jet lag mind, rewatch is needed for both. So to unpacking and the Chuck finale and then I will be set hopefully.

Lost props Auction

Want to own a piece of Lost history? Well you can, for a price. This summer there will be a huge auction of props from the six seasons of Lost, ranging from passports, to weapons, to jewellery to Dharma equipment as well as many more props. There is a preview of a hundred of these items up at the Profiles in History auction site and it really is a treasure trove, and going through the pages there were many things big and small that I would love to own, highlights include:

Ben's Swiss and Canadian Dean Moriarty passport:

 

Charlie's acoustic guitar:

Desmond's photograph of himself and Penny:

Locke's Backgammon Set:

Sawyer's Letter and Penny's Letter:

          

Dharma Beer:

There are many, many other items that are on there which I would love, this is just a snap shot, now where to find all the money for these. What piece of Lost history would you like to own?

Lost fan art for sale

A while back I wrote about an artist Ty Mattson and his collection of Lost fan art, the good news is that these prints will be available for purchase on the ABC website, the first design to go on sale is the smoke monster:

There is a variety of merchandise available for each design, ranging from screen prints to t-shirts and mugs. This is really exciting and I am very pleased for Ty Mattson as these designs really do evoke what the show is about. If you want to check out more of his work head to his site.
I still think that a book should be produced to demonstrate the impressive volume of work that some Lost fans have put in regarding artistic renderings of their interpretations of the show, if this would be possible I would be first on board with buying as this site has shown that the work of fans has been truly brilliant and extensive. Would copyright infringement be a huge issue or could we get ABC on board?

Hurley and six seasons of 'dude'

The good folks over at Jezebel have compiled a video of all the many times that Hurley has said 'dude' in the six seasons of Lost, it's a pretty extensive video and it is pretty cool to see the 6 seasons in this montage and all the different occasions that 'dude' has been used. Hurley is probably my overall favourite character from the entire run and I am looking forward to how he will feature in the final two episodes. As I have done before I will do so again but I urge all big Lost fans to listen to his podcast which he produces every week with his girlfriend Bethany Shady, check it out here at Geronimo Jack's Beard. I must warn you that if you listen to it in public you may get some strange looks as I did as it is hard not to laugh too load whilst listening and I just ended up looking like a smirking idiot, but it's worth it all the same.

Lost: 'Across the Sea' and the issue of answers

Last night's episode of Lost seems to have provoked a heated debate on several of the message boards that I frequent (Television Without Pity, Entertainment Weekly and Hit Fix) with fans ranging from loving 'Across the Sea' to just as many crying foul on the Jacob/Man in Black origins story. I fall mainly in to the first camp as  I really liked the episode but I do understand that there were issues and I think that it could have come at an earlier point in the season.  This is the third from last episode and I like many others would have enjoyed spending it more with the characters we have known for the last six years, though it was a ballsy move to have this instalment here with none of the regular cast. As I have said I did enjoyed the episode as a whole but it has definitely left me with the 'something missing' feeling that was being expressed by several viewers on Twitter last night. One thing that wasn't missing for me which seems to have pissed off quite a few people is not knowing Man in Blacks name, at this point for me I think whatever name he is given will be a disappointment, much in the same way that when it was revealed what Big's name was in Sex and the City it was such a non exciting reveal, I'm fine with Man in Black.
What this episode got me thinking about was whether this season has been provoking a different reaction in the audience because we know that this is the final season? The simple answer to this is yes, of course episodes are viewed differently knowing that the end is in sight, but is this preventing some from enjoying this season as a whole and will there be more enjoyment when it can be watched back as a whole without the worry of what will happen at the end? This is another trend that I have been seeing recently is fear of what the final episode will bring, that to have spent six years invested in a show like this will not bring about a resolution that is satisfactory and there will be disappointment. What will be satisfactory any way? There are different parts of the show that viewers enjoy, some are rabid about the mythology side, others prefer the more character based stories and I'm sure there are some out there who just want to know who Kate will end up, once again I am a little of all of these (not so bothered about the Kate/Sawyer/Jack triangle, I'm all about Penny and Desmond), so I figure that I will be quite easily satisfied with the resolution.
There are obviously those who have the ending of the show written already in their mind and I don't think that they will ever be satisfied with whatever Lindelof and Cuse comes up with, in fact as they have already acknowledged there will be people that won't be satisfied. Should this give people cause for concern? What I think would be best would be to just go will the flow, enjoy these last 3 and a half hours of television and then either rejoice or bitch about it afterwards.
Lost as well seems to provoke such a strong reaction from it's audience, more so than many other TV shows and I find it hard to believe that people are crying 'Jump the Shark' and proclaiming that they are no longer fans of the show this late in the game (I have seen these sentiments on the various message boards today). The fact that people have spent so much time with this show and with these characters, whether it is watching them on TV or theorising online it is not surprising that there is such a strong reaction, passion is not in short supply when it comes to Lost fandom. This is a good quality to have, but could this passion in turn be ruining this season for some with a preoccupation as to how the show will end, what questions will be asked, what does it all mean? Is there too much pressure on this aspect of the show that some fans are finding this season hard to enjoy?
What I am trying to say really is this, there is still time for satisfaction, this season has produced some excellent episodes and it will interesting to see how people view 'Across the Sea' when it all ends, if it had aired where 'Ab Aeterno' was for example would there be this bother over this episode? I'm sure there would still be an unhappy contingent but timing definitely seems to be one of the issues, pacing being another problem that some have suggested with this episode.
To cool down from this polarising episode check out this sketch from last night's Jimmy Kimmel which features a very funny appearance from Jacob and Man in Black:

Even more Lost fan art.

Here are some more Lost posters from gideonslife that I thought were so good that I needed to share and if you check his flickr stream daily there are always new additions:

Season 5: The Little Prince

Season 5: The Incident

Season 6: Happily Ever After

Lost finale news

No finale spoilers here of leaked pages, just the awesome news that the finale is now a whopping 2 and a half hours. This with a pre show 'previously on Lost' plus the post show Jimmy Kimmel special 'Aloha to Lost' means that Sunday the 23rd on ABC is going to be an all Lost night. I'm going to be watching at friends in Baltimore area and I'm very excited for this night (though I am sad that I'm not going to be watching the show with my usual Lost friends as I will be on holiday on the East Coast of the US) but I think that it will be a great night and I am looking forward to the group festivities. Lost for me has always been a show that I watch with friends and the few occasions that I have watched the show solo have never been as good as when a group is together. But it's almost over now and after the heartbreak of this weeks episode and next weeks 'Across the Sea' being an episode that will apparently be very special (that is all I know and want to know at this point) I am very excited (and sad) as to how it will end.
Also kudos to Lost for making Jack really likeable this season, I really did not think that was possible. You lose points for all the casualties this week, even if it was inevitable that some of the majors were going to bite it.

Twitter and Lost

A few weeks back I wrote about how Twitter has had an impact on television and how the writers of shows now have another platform to communicate with fans. This is no more evident than last night when both Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse tweeted in regards to the Lost finale:

"We're done. Amen."

I've not much to say on this other than thanks to outlets such as Twitter there is now a way for information to be passed between the creative forces behind these TV shows and those people that watch in a way that has not existed before. Also this tweet has made the end of Lost feel as close as this is; in under three weeks it will be done. Can't believe it will be over soon. 

More Lost fan creativity

So the Lost creative fan train continues, this time one viewer is creating a movie like poster for every episode of the six season run, so far there is one for the first four seasons.Each poster shows an important moment and quote from the episode. This extensive challenge by gideonslife can be seen at Flickr and should be checked out not just for the size of this project but for the brilliance of the collection, I have attempted to pick out my favourites (which was hard and I'm not sure if I've done the pictures justice), one from each of the four seasons that has been covered so far:


Season 1: White Rabbit

Season 2: Abandoned

Season 3: Par Avion

Season 4: The Shape of Things to Come

I'm looking forward to what is in store for the posters for seasons 5 and 6 and in a Lostless week I have really enjoyed looking through these posters.

I know there was the Lost art project that occurred before season 6 begun but it would be really great if there was a way to preserve and present all the work that fans are making to celebrate this final season of Lost. As this blog can testify there is a lot of cool stuff that is being done regarding Lost and I appreciate that the internet already can distribute these images to many and to preserve them, it would be super though if they could become something tangible that could be held.

I am a sucker for this, I would rather buy a CD or a DVD than download it, or buy a magazine than read the articles online, or buy a book than have a Kindle, am I the only one, or are there others that would like to see a Lost fan art book/collection happen?    

Twitter and the impact on TV

I have been on Twitter for under a year now, getting to it a bit late after I stubbornly thought it was a giant waste of my time. It took me a while to warm to it, at first deciding that I was not going to bother posting but would instead just follow a handful of people, this has since led to tweeting over 400 times and now following over 200 people, not what I intended but I am glad that I have embraced this social network site.
The majority of people that I follow (that I don't actually know) seem to be people in the TV and film industry including actors, writers, critics, reporters and show runners so wherever a big TV news story occurs I get a feed full of comments on this one topic, for example yesterday the big topic that Conan was going to be on cable rather than network TV featured heavily on my feed for a few hours. This factor and an article in Variety about TV show runners becoming Hollywood stars in their own right has led me to explore the notion that Twitter has enhanced the relationship between the fans and those involved in their favourite TV shows which can have both positive and negative results.
First up the negative; a comment about an episode that has just aired in the US may spoil it for a fan in another country, or for simply some one who has yet to catch up with their DVR. This happened today on my feed; Mary Lynn Rajskub who plays Chloe on 24 retweeted another comment that mentioned a major characters death in the most recent episode. This has annoyed some who live in countries where it hasn't aired prompting Rajskub to ask "I guess I have to be careful commenting on others tweets that could be spoilers... Or is it fair game tue am". I am of the opinion that if you don't want to be spoiled then avoid such places as Twitter until you have seen the episode in question as once it has aired then it is fair game to be spoken about the next day. I will say that with last seasons Dexter finale I was glad that regarding the shocking ending that most people just wrote that it was a shock, and not what the actual shock was, but I normally take my own advice and stay clear of Twitter until I am caught up on shows that can be spoiled such as Lost.
There are many positive attributes that have come from Twitter in regards to the relationships between the fans and those involved with these shows and even with the people who write about these shows. A connection that previously was not this instant now exists (this too can be bad I imagine, as it now means that a fan can vent with a lot more ease at these people as well, requiring a thick skin to handle potential abuse). This can mean that satisfaction (and the ugly side which is dissatisfaction) can be shared immediately when an episode airs. It can also mean that sneak peaks can be given, whether it is a song shared by Josh Schwartz that will feature in a new episode of Chuck or whether it is a behind the scenes picture from shows like The Vampire Diaries (look to actor Ernesto Riley who plays Alaric) or Bones (creator Hart Hanson and executive produce Stephen Nathan are regular posters).
The promotional impact of Twitter for TV shows means that the ones that might be struggling with the ratings such as Chuck can have a further voice to show that there are many that do watch and will talk about these shows, thus endorsing them on another platform. As Julie Plec executive producer on Vampire Diaries stated in the article for Variety "In my opinion, watching a Twitter feed during an episode of our show is a built-in focus group. They react to everything -- and it's fascinating because (over time) you get to witness your fan community as it builds and grows." This community consists of both regular TV watchers and those reporters and critics that get paid to write about these shows, in the Twitter world each now has a voice when it comes to opinions on these shows that can now be seen as more than just a figure for Nielsen ratings. Though the Nielsen ratings are still important in keeping shows on the air, the phrase 'Hack Nielsen' entered the Chuck fan community vocabulary a few weeks back and was seen on Twitter a lot before the last episode aired.
The impact of Twitter on TV as a whole is hard to see at this point but it must be said that for something that I thought would be inconsequential a year ago is something I now use daily. It is also something that I might have written about in my academic career as when I wrote my Masters dissertation on authorship in TV and whether it is possible in this post network era Twitter had not really exploded at this point. If it was where it is now I wonder if some of my conclusions would have been different as Twitter really has further given an identity to some of those people who are behind the shows that are big on TV now and the factor of fandom was one that was important in the construction of ideas of authorship. I look forward to seeing where this is all going and whether I will be able to get another study out regarding the state of authorship in TV in a few years time when the impact of social networking sites such as Twitter becomes more obvious.

Lost: Happily Ever After

Warning spoilers for Lost 6.11 Happily Ever After:

"This doesn't matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it."

Desmond episodes are usually a special affair (Live Together, Die Alone, Flashes Before Your Eyes, The Constant) and this one certainly followed this pattern. It was 42 minutes of an exceptionally good Lost where partial explanations were given for what the sideways is (an effect of the nuke being detonated) and yet I am still confused as to what the hell is going on, which at this point I still like this brain seeping feeling that this show generates. I have no idea what Desmond's plan is after seeing this other time line and as to why he went  with Sayid so calmly after seeing him break that guys neck like a twig escapes me but I am excited for the path that this show is going on and I am glad that Desmond is once again the key to the whole time line drama as he was always the character that seemed the exception to the rule. 

The idea that it is love that is driving some of these characters could come across as trite but when you have characters such as Penny and Desmond the effect is the opposite and if these two can make it through the series I will be a very happy viewer. When Penny first appeared in the season 2 finale I was automatically hooked on these two being the one relationship that mattered in this show, forget the love triangle (or quadrangle as it became) it is these two that really matter and so to see them again in the sideways time line meeting for the first time was superb. The facilitators of this meeting being Charlie Pace and Daniel Faraday (or Widmore in the sideways) made it all the better, both of these character experiencing an intense feeling of love, with the island world bleeding in to the sideways world in some way. It made complete sense for it to be these two characters who influenced Desmond's sideways world considering how intrinsically they were linked on the island. Both Charlie and Daniel are favourites of mine and seeing the names Dominic Monaghan and Jeffery Davies in the opening titles ensured that this would be an excellent episode for me, for some reason I can't help but look at the names at the bottom of the screen which often ruins any kind of surprise but is something that I have no will power with.

I especially liked the call back to not Penny's boat and with the music used in this underwater scene incorporating the Michael Giacchino 'Looking Glass Half Full' track from when we first saw this message gave me goosebumps:

As a whole I really did think that this was a fantastic episode and I am so glad to see the return of Desmond and to see that he is as vital as I was hoping he was. Now for why he needs the passenger manifest in the sideways world, does he need to convince those on it that they need to get on a plane? For this I have no real clue but I am really looking forward to what is to come, and with next weeks episode being called 'Everybody Loves Hugo' (a call back to the season 2 'Everybody Hates Hugo') I'm guessing it will be a Hurley episode

and hopefully we will get some more answers as to what the purpose of the sideways world is in regards to the island time line as I believe that Hurley like Desmond is important to the island and what will go down when the war comes to the island. 

What we learned from this episode really is that even if you have anything, without love it is all kind of pointless (as Emily Nussbaum from New York Magazine pointed out Desmond's sideways story is much like George Clooney's in Up in the Air with added electromagnetism). Now that he has found Penny in both time lines what is the sacrifice that Widmore said that he was going to have to make, losing her in one time line or both? Or something completely different? What ever it is I'm sure it will involve stopping  Smokey from leaving the island and ensuring that every character is where they are suppose to be, but which time line is this? Hopefully all this and more will be addressed in the last six episodes. One final thing, Eloise was clearly aware that there is another time line and she doesn't want Desmond messing with anything but is Widmore aware of the other time line in the sideways world as he seems aware in the island time? How much of a mastermind are these two characters behind all of what we have seen? 

Now my brain hurts and I haven't even been placed in the 'microwave of mayhem'.  

    

If Lost was made in the 1960s

And if Saul Bass (Vertigo, North by Northwest, Pyscho to name a few) did the title sequence it might look like this:

Lost vs. Saul Bass from Hexagonall on Vimeo.

Geronimo Jack's Beard

I have been meaning to write about the Geronimo Jack's Beard podcast since I listened to the first edition after the season 6 premiere as it is a Lost highlight of my week and they make my walk to work more enjoyable. For those of you who don't know anything about these podcasts they are produced and performed by Jorge Garcia (Hurley in Lost) and his girlfriend Bethany Shady (also known as Sidekick 22). Instead of being reviews of the aired episodes the main bulk of the podcast are recorded when Garcia gets his script for the episode of Lost that they are filming and they discuss the episode in this sense rather in the recorded version that we see on the TV. The aired episodes are spoken about in both the introduction and the conclusions of the podcast as these segments are recorded just prior to and just after the episode has aired so sometimes events that are discussed in the podcast never make it in to the final version of the episode, bonus deleted scenes if you will through the form of discussion. Though sometimes this makes me think that I have missed stuff in the episodes such as the much talked about puking in this weeks podcast that never made it in the final episode or that Nestor Carbonell had drunk some fairly dirty water that also never made it to the final cut. The brilliant thing about the podcasts is that just like fans of Lost who have no involvement with the show both Garcia and Sidekick 22 also theorise and wonder what on earth is going on. It is really great to hear someone who is so enthusiastic about his job and the fun that both of them seem to have whilst discussing this show is a welcoming sight (or sound in this case). I also like that Sidekick 22 sometimes doesn't sugar coat some plot points that occur and reminds me of one of my friends that I watch the show with. This podcast is funny, entertaining and gives some great Lost behind the scenes information whether it be about the process of filming or from the behind the scenes pictures that are posted on the Geronimo Jack's Beard blog. There have also been two special guests so far this season; Michael Emerson discussing the episode Dr Linus and Nestor Carbonell discussing this weeks terrific episode Ab Aeterno and hopefully there will be more like this for the final half of the season (I'm rooting for Ken Leung).

It really is worth a listen to and is available at iTunes and both Jorge Garcia and Bethany Shady have other blogs that are also worth a read with Shady also being a writer of both childrens books and some really excellent short stories (my personal favourite being 'Unwanted Donation' parts 1 and 2).

  

Lost gets the Simpsons treatment

This is all kinds of awesome:





Source: The Springfield Punx

Michael Emerson on The Soup and Jimmy Kimmel

Michael Emerson (Ben Linus in Lost) appeared on The Soup and Jimmy Kimmel this week to promote the new season of Lost. Both are pretty humorous and he mentions that he started out doing comedy which plays out here and in Lost as well. First up, The Soup which contains a spoilerific clip of the new season of 24 if like me you are a season behind, though having just seen this clip I don't think it really ruins too much, though I am intrigued as to why Jack is wearing glasses now (yes out of this entire clip that is what I pick up on which might be why I am a season behind):

Next up Micheal Emerson on Kimmel which is another good, funny interview where they discuss the show and of course he can't reveal much except that they only have four more episodes to shoot and how people react to him in public. Jimmy has a nice photo collection of the many beaten up faces that he has had throughout his five seasons on Lost. I'm very much looking forward to the scenes with Locke that he mentions and if only there would be a Lost spinoff sitcom called 'The Ben and Hurley Show', I'd definitely watch. There are some spoilers though for those that haven't seen the new episode 'The Substitute' so watch only after you have seen this (interview in two parts):

Lost eyeballs

In honour of the excellent new Locke centric episode of Lost I am going to post yet another excellent fan made video. This time it is a collection of the famous Lost eyeball shot that the first episode and many others after opened with. It is strange how some of them are much more identifiable than others and that it is the Locke eyeball close up that appears to have been used the most in the show and that Claire is the most used female eye, not sure what any of this means, if anything at all but it definitely makes for a cool montage video:

Lost 815 side by side

spoilers for Lost season 6 episode 1

An awesome person has already uploaded a video putting the original flight 815 conversation between Jack, Cindy and Rose versus the new season 6 version. It's kind of like a nerdy spot the difference:

Lost season 6 LA X parts 1 and 2

Warning spoilers ahead for Lost season 6 LA X:

Wow.

What a way to start the new season though I'm not sure where to start this recap except once again to say wow. This was perhaps my favourite season premiere (excluding the pilot of course) because the end of last season left the show with so many different directions that it could go in and I only guessed half of it. And the half I guessed wasn't even completely correct; I figured they would be on the original 815 flight but I hadn't really thought about the slight changes to character and actions that would occur. I must also say that I enjoyed the premiere because I watched with many more friends than normal, we got pizza, had wine and really enjoyed the show. There was much discussion after we had seen it as to what had occurred and I have done my usual post Lost ritual of reading Doc Jensen over at EW who as always blow my mind. Over at EW there is also a good interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse regarding the premiere. I am going to look at these openers in much the same way that I have reviewed the previous seasons and look at the moments that stood out to me and what these might mean. 

The name that has been given by the producers for the reality where the plane didn't crash is flash-sideways and I will just refer to the other reality as island present. 

First up: Flash-sideways

• The episode kicks off on flight 815, with a conversation between Jack and Cindy the flight attendant much similar to the one they had in the pilot, though this time round she only gives him one extra bottle of vodka instead of two- I guess he doesn't need the other one for his wound. This is followed by an equally similar conversation between Rose and Jack, though this time it is Jack that is feeling nervous during the turbulence, could it be that he has some recollection of the crash.
• Kate is still handcuffed with the air marshal, who in this reality takes a blow to the head from Kate rather than his case when she escapes him in the airport. She ends up hijacking a cab that has a familiar face in it; Claire who we cannot see if she is pregnant in this place. It is relevant that Kate ends up with Claire I think as she is the reason she gave for going back to the island, though this time Kate has the cab driver at gun point, this cannot end well.
• Boone is without Shannon having unsuccessfully not got her back from Australia, some asked if this was because they couldn't get Maggie Grace back, the producers deny that this is the reason.
• Also missing on the plane were Michael and Walt, why is the question. Did Walt's mother never die in this universe?
• Charlie is also on the plane, though this time instead of flushing his drugs down the toilet he swallows them, causing him to almost die and for Jack to save him. This action displeases him, he states that he was suppose to die, is this something he inherently knows? Instead he too gets carted off the plane in handcuffs, so much for the Driveshaft comeback.
• Hurley refers to himself as the luckiest guy in the world, no numbers curse for him. Sawyer shows in him when he hears that he is a lottery winner, is a con coming?
• Sawyer seems relaxed and happy, not like someone who has just killed an innocent man so it would be safe to assume that he has a different path in this life. He does enjoy some flirting with Kate and even offers her a helping hand when she has escaped the marshal.
• Locke still paralysed seems a lot more content than the Locke we saw before in his pre island life. He has accepted his condition and it appears that he was allowed to partake in his walkabout. He converses with both Boone and Jack, both which are poignant considering the events that we have seen between these characters; Boone says he would stick with Locke and Jack explains that nothing is irreversible. The conversation between Locke and Jack occurs in the lost luggage claim, Locke's knives have been misplaced, though more telling is that the airline has misplaced Jacks fathers coffin, could this be the link between the two realities? 
• Rose and Bernard are very much in love and are the couple that we have seen throughout the seasons, does Rose have cancer in this reality? Her longer hair would suggest otherwise.
• Not so happy are Sun and Jin, with Jin being just as douchey to her as he was when we met him in the pilot demanding that she do her top button up; how I don't miss this Jin. They problem at the airport with the large amount of cash in his luggage could suggest that they were going to start a new life in the US, not sure how long he will be detained for though. Also is Sun lying when she says she doesn't speak English?
• One person on the plane who wasn't on there before is Desmond, who ends up sitting next to Jack prompting another recollection from Jack, is this because they have met before at the sports stadium? Des seems pretty upbeat, does this mean that he managed to win Widmore's race and win back Penny? Maybe he proposed to her in this life? Eagle eyed viewers have said that if you slow down his scene you can see a wedding ring on his finger, is this further proof that all is happy in this universe for Penny and Des?
• The cut on Jack's neck also prompts him to have a look of confusion, is this from the other world? Lost  expert recapper Vozzeck69 points out that you only see the cut in the mirror and that maybe the cut can only be seen in the mirror reflecting to Jack what is really there.
• Red shirt alert: Froghurt and Arzt.
• Missing: Ana Lucia, Mr Eko, Libby (or unseen).
• Greg Grunberg alert: reprising his role of doomed Captain Norris we get to hear his voice in this episode so he still ended up flying even though Frank was meant to.
• Also in this world we see that the island is underwater including the Dharma barracks and the four toed foot, not looking good for someone like Ben or Richard in this universe.

Island present- on the beach:

• Jacob's body has disappeared, where it has gone to is anyone's guess though I'm thinking that it has to disappear so he can maybe inhabit someone else.
• NotLocke is now seems to be the smoke monster. When Bram and his men (Jacobs bodyguards) shoot at him, he disappears and returns as Smokey, killing them all. He apologises to Ben "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." At this reveal Ben was astounded and so really had no idea what the monster actually is. At this point I'm thinking that he is really sorry that he killed Jacob. He is also confused as to why Jacob didn't fight back which to me suggests that this is all part of Jacobs plan.
• We also find out that Locke's last thought as Ben killed him was "I don't understand", NotLocke calls Locke pathetic but that his redeeming feature was that he did not want to leave the island. NotLocke reveals that he wants to go home, not that we know where he calls home. This description of Locke being pathetic and what his final thought was makes me sad for this character and I really hope that out of everyone that his resolution is something positive and that he does get the answers he desires.
• Richard is noticeably horrified when he realises who NotLocke really is after he says to him that it is nice to see Richard 'without your chains'. This I'm thinking must refer to the Black Rock slave ship that Richard might have come from. NotLocke promptly knocks Richard out with some rather unfair blows to the neck and hoists him over his shoulder. He proclaims that he is very disappointed with everyone, I'm guessing for choosing Jacob over him.

Island present- the hatch and the Temple:

• The group who were stuck in 1977 and who were present when Juliet detonated Jughead all wake up in the jungle in the same time period as those who are at the statue, making this 2007.
• All is not well with Sawyer blaming Jack for killing Juliet as his plan does not appear to have worked.
• This is until a faint cry can be heard, Juliet is buried alive under all the junk from the hatch which looks the way it did after Desmond turned the fail safe key, in this universe it seems that all is as it was for the Losties.
• We get to see another heartbreaking farewell between Sawyer and Juliet which I found to be a little unnecessary after the end of last season but served the purpose to suggest that Sawyer and Juliet will meet in another life (when she asks about the coffee) and for Miles to show his dead speaking talents. Juliet communicates to him that 'It worked' meaning the bomb resetting time I would imagine. This message seems wrong to Miles and Sawyer considering where they are.
• Dead Jacob appears to Hurley giving him important instructions that he tells him will save Sayid's life who is still bleeding to death after Roger shot him last season.
• These instructions take our gang to the Temple, the often previously mentioned place that we have only seen the outer wall and the tunnels for. It is an impressive place and there are rather a lot of Others inhabiting this place including Cindy the flight attendant and Emma and Zach the kids from the tail section. Dogen (Sunshine star Hiroyuki Sanada) appears to be the leader of the Temple folk and seemingly tries to save Sayid by putting him in their big bubbling pool which I would imagine usually has healing powers but lacks them now I suspect because of Jacobs death. Instead it seems that Sayid ends up drowning.
• When they inform the Others of Jacobs death the whole place goes in to a kind of emergency procedure, sprinkling black ash every where and setting of warning flares. Whether this means that everyone in the Temple is protected remains to be seen as Bram had protected himself with the ash but old Smokey managed to get to him still. Also can Smokey get under the Temple as this is where the French guy was dragged?
• The episodes end in the temple with Sayid waking up, however is this still Sayid? When he says "What happened?" it does not sound like Sayid but he has what seems like a British accent. Speculation has ranged from it being a slip by the actor which I doubt and that he is now inhabited by someone else, someone like Charlie. The most popular theory is Jacob but that wouldn't explain the accent. Not that I think that it is Charlie but there were strong echoes when Jack was trying to resuscitate Sayid with when Jack resuscitated Charlie back in season 1, including the dialogue with Kate.

Overall, I was very pleased with how this season started and I think the two time lines could prove to be great from a story telling perspective. Once again I am going to not watch the episode promos for each week as I like going in to each episode not knowing anything. Also the finale date has been set as Sunday 23rd of May which as it happens is when I will be in New York. This means no big Lost viewing party for me so I will have to make the most of those before going away. I am however looking forward to what will happen between now and then and am enjoying all the post episode chatter.

Photos courtesy of ABC

Top 5 Lost questions I would like answered

With the sixth seasons start imminently upon us one thing I did want to do is outline the top 5 Lost questions that I would like answered this season, these range from minor mysteries to the more overarching questions that have been posed over the past five years. These mysteries are ones that I personally would like to see answered and I am sure that there are many more questions that others would want to see being wrapped up. I know that all the mysteries will not be solved and I am happy about this as I would much prefer to have some mysteries remaining especially in a show that is based on an enigmatic location. In no particular order here are my top 5 questions I would like to see answered:

1. Who is Richard and why does he remain ageless?

2. What did Claire's psychic really see?

3. What is the significance of the numbers?

4. Who do the Adam and Eve skeletons belong to?

5. All things Christian; who is the dead version and why does he appear to so many of the Losties?

With the exception of Richard Alpert all of these questions derive from season 1 showing that there are mysteries that were started in the beginning that have flowed through these five seasons and it is this that I believe to be one of the strengths of Lost, that even when there was doubt that the producers knew where the story was heading the basic elements of the show have always been there. I for one was never in the camp of 'they don't know what they are doing' and knowing that US television does not tend to allow a series to end of its own accord it was understandable that there were stumbling blocks along the way and that as soon as the end date was given the show was allowed to become a fully realised idea. That is not to say that there have been missteps on the way and that what the show was in the pilot and how it is now was a complete picture but as a feat in television it has been exceptional to me and whilst I am excited that the new season will  be starting sooner than soon, I will also be incredibly sad when it is over.

Also to reiterate something that Alan Sepinwall has said in his column today, it is the writing of the characters that made this programme what it is, would we care so much if the concept was what it is if these characters were not so fleshed out and if we weren't so invested in the fates of this group of people that we have been following for five years? He names FlashForward as a show which focuses more on the big picture rather than characterisation and I would say that this is the reason that I only like FlashForward  and don't love it, whereas I love Lost and character has a lot to do with it. 

So lets head back to Craphole island and enjoy the rest of the ride.

Photos courtesy of Mattson Creative and Lost Media