LOST: Ab Aeterno

This was the episode many had been waiting for: Richard's backstory.Did it live up to expectations? People seem divided on that point, but I know where I stand: this was the best episode of the season so far, and one of my all-time favorites ever. Why? Well, okay, it didn't give too many answers, but it gave a few; as a stand-alone story, it was spellbinding; it had poignant moments we haven't seen the likes of in a while; and Nestor Carbonell is an amazing actor who, up 'til now, has been underused.

Unlike most episodes in Season Six, this one was almost entirely a flashback, and did not cut back and forth from past to present. It was framed with current island time on both ends, and showed a brief flashback with Ilana, but otherwise, this was Ricardo's story circa 1867. Was anyone else surprised to find he isn't centuries old? Sure, he was born before the Civil War, but I thought he might pre-date Columbus.

Another surprise: Richard hails from the Canary Islands, not some other Spanish country or even Egypt, as some people suspected. His backstory revolved around his wife, Isabella, dying of tuberculosis. In desperation to get her medicine, Richard causes a doctor's death in a freak accident. Rather than going to the gallows, he's plopped on a ship we all know as The Black Rock.

After a nasty storm, the ship crashes into Jacob's statue. (Jacob must be pissed. I hope he had Egyptian Mansion Statue Homeowner's Insurance.) It then belly flops in the jungle, where Richard remains until Smokey comes along. "Photographing" him (as it did Eko and Juliet), Smokey convinces Ricardo he is in hell and has to kill "the devil" - Jacob.

But the Man in Black and Jacob are both manipulative, and Jacob convinces Richard to join his side after granting him eternal life. Thus, the ageless Richard as we know him and love him is born. Oh, and the MIB and Jacob spar some more, make a lovely wine bottle analogy, and pique our interests even further regarding the island's mythology and legacy. What the hell is going on anyway?

Back in the present, Richard bolts from the group and runs into Hurley, who calms Richard by revealing Isabella's presence. When Richard closes his eyes, he can see his wife, feel that she's there. It's a tender moment, and Hurley is an appropriate guide. (Best quote of the night: "Your English is awesome.")



Also of note:

-Witfield is an awfully similar name to Widmore. Think there's a relation?

-The literal white rock presented is a nice juxtaposition to the ship, The Black Rock, eh? Is this good vs. evil or yin & yang?

-Did you know Nestor Carbonell is of Cuban heritage? No wonder his Spanish was so good!

-Since Richard has eternal life, that must mean he'll die. Right? For the sake of the island? Or something? I wonder if he'll turn up in the Sideways reality somehow.

-If Hurley is soooo good at being Haley Joel Osment, why hasn't he seen Libby? I'm sure he will in the alternative universe, if nothing else.

-Next week: Jin & Sun. And the return of Desmond, brotha! A

LOST: Recon

Like much of this season, the title of this episode has a double meaning. Is that recon, short for reconnaissance, or recon as in "re-con"? Since Sawyer went on a reconnaissance mission of sorts, and because he's, well, Sawyer, I think both interpretations are apt.

In the Sideways universe, he's a cop (!) partnered with Miles. It's explained that Sawyer could have gone two ways – lived life as a crook, or as a cop, in his mission to find the infamous man responsible for his parents' fate. In this universe, he chose the "good" side – but that doesn't mean his intentions are angelic.

Sawyer also goes out on a blind date – with Charlotte (!), a friend of Miles. Their chemistry is rather smoldering, and their tryst goes well until Charlotte peeks into his chest of drawers and finds a file folder with "Sawyer" written on it that was clearly intended to remain hidden. After throwing her out, Sawyer's attempt to apologize – complete with a sunflower and a six-pack – is rebuffed.

Sawyer also confessed his story to Miles, after which their car is smashed by a certain female fugitive. Back on the island, Lockenstein continues his manipulation of the Losties – or so he thinks. He convinces Sawyer to go on that recon mission to Hydra Island – where he finds the Ajira plane, lots of dead bodies, a crazy-looking Tina Fey survivor, and – lo and behold – Widmore and his sub.

Sawyer agrees to Widmore's plan to go after Flocke, but he tells Flocke the truth upon returning to the main island, revealing to Kate his true intention is to get the hell off the island – on Widmore's sub.

Of note:

-Sayid looked crazy sedated as Claire attacked Kate with a knife. And who else thinks Claire's "apology" to Kate was bogus? I think it's not long until there's another attempt on Kate's life.

-Flocke's story of his "crazy" mother to Kate was interesting. Clearly he's attempting to pit them against one another. But the question is, was what he was saying true? And if so, is that crazy mother someone we know?

-Sawyer's code word as a cop was "LaFleur." Is that a nod to the fact that the characters can't shake their island existence? Are these connections more important than we know?

-Since Sideways Locke is on good terms with his dad, does that mean perhaps he's not the guy Sawyer's after?

-Where the hell is Desmond? In that locked room on the Sub? He'd better be, 'cause why else is he still a series regular at this point?

Stay tuned next week for Richard's backstory. Oh yeah. B-

LOST: Dr. Linus

I guess hell just froze over. This episode actually made me want to hug Ben. His monologue to Ilana on the beach – about how he felt betrayed by Jacob, horribly guilty at killing him and failing to save Alex, etc. – was downright heartbreaking. Ditto Ilana's surprising response: "I'll have you." Whaaa?

This episode was all about Ben's redemption. In the Sideways world, he blackmailed the principal after finding out about a sex scandal – indirectly at Locke's suggestion, ironically – but decided to "do the right thing" when he learned his scheme could affect Alex's college acceptance. It was interesting, wasn't it, to see Ben's fatherly love come through, even though he's just Alex's European History teacher? (And I don't mean that in a gross way.) Think we'll see Rousseau pop up as her mom sometime?

The Sideways story, of course, was a sort of allegory for the Island word. Ben and Locke had both fought their way to the top on the Island, and for what? Ben finally seemed to realize if he just did something he'd never done before – told the truth – he could dig himself out of a hole (in this case, his own grave).

Meanwhile, we got some answers (finally!) – particularly concerning Richard. He took Jack and Hurley to his old stomping grounds, the Black Rock – all but confirming he arrived on the island as a slave, as Flocke said, "in chains." We also learned he was touched by Jacob and this is why he cannot age or kill himself. Jack, rather freakishly, put that theory to the test by lighting a stick of unstable dynamite like a cigar. Has he really morphed into a Man of Faith? Whatever his theory was, he was right – they didn't pull an Arzt and blow up. Is Jack crazy, or is Richard drawing a blank as to what's really happening? Or both?



Interesting tidbits:

-In the Sideways world, Ben and his father mention that they left the island when Ben was a boy. So it would seem the island sank at some point, since some people have been there before.

-Speaking of Ben's dad, how great is the writing? – On the island, he killed his dad by suffocating him in a gas-filled van. Off-island, he's providing oxygen to keep him alive. The daddy issues have really been turned around.

-Does Ben know what Richard said about those touched by Jacob being unable to kill themselves? If yes, that scene in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" takes on a whole new meaning: Ben killed Locke because he knew Locke was not going to be able to kill himself.

-On that suicide topic, if Jack had jumped off that bridge in the Season Three finale, "Through the Looking Glass," would he have survived? And remember how Michael couldn't kill himself in Season Four? Does that mean he was touched by Jacob at some point too?

-Apparently the March 23 episode will be Richard-centric and will contain flashbacks. Just what I wanted: answers. B+

Oscar's Glass Ceiling Shattered

You know the Oscars are predictable when the biggest surprise of the evening is an opening number featuring Neil Patrick Harris.

The awards weren't boring to be sure - hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin contributed admirable banter - but the year's winners were such locks, nothing could have stopped them. The acting winners - Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique - were favorites several weeks ago. The only possible spoilers were Meryl Streep or Carey Mulligan for Best Actress, and they went home empty-handed. All of the winners - from Best Picture, Best Director, and the actors - lined up with the Guild Awards exactly.

The real story here - even though it wasn't much of a surprise - was Kathryn Bigelow's win as Best Director for The Hurt Locker, the first female to claim the prize. Fittingly, Barbra Streisand, an overlooked director herself, bestowed the honor upon Bigelow, proclaiming when she opened the envelope, "Well, the time has come." Indeed.

A few observations:

-Anyone wondering about Mo'Nique's outfit? Thanks to a friend's research, we figured out it was a tribute to the first African-American Oscar winner, Hattie McDaniel (who won for Gone With the Wind in 1939).

-Did anyone else notice they changed the phrase "And the Oscar goes to..." back to "And the winner is..." ?

-I wasn't pleased with Sandra Bullock's win, but no one can deny she's a fun lady who gives great acceptance speeches.

-Meryl Streep has now lost 12 Oscars in a row. She's always had fierce competition, but the losing streak is a bit ridiculous. Who does she have to play (perfectly) to win her third? Adolf Hitler? (She could do it. She played a short male rabbi quite convincingly in Angels in America.)

-What's all the fuss about Farrah Fawcett being left out of the In Memoriam segment? She's notable, to be sure, but her primary work was in television. Ditto Bea Arthur. On the other hand, Michael Jackson's inclusion was questionable.

-Viewership was up 14 percent over last year and yielded the highest ratings in five years. I guess the 10 nominees for Best Picture will be a mainstay until the idea gets old.



What did you think? Were the winners deserving? Were the hosts decent? Were you tired by the end? (I was.)

LOST: Sundown

This seems to be the most polarizing episode of LOST in a long time. EW's Doc Jensen described it as one of the best of the season, while the Washington Post LOST gurus Jen and Liz pretty much hated it. I'd say I fall somewhere in between.

If you like action, you were probably on Doc Jensen's side, as this had shades of The Temple of Doom. Sayid was the focus, and Naveen Andrews did not disappoint. (But really, does he ever?)

In the sideways reality, Sayid had allowed his brother to marry Nadia, even though Sayid and Nadia were clearly in love. He felt he didn't deserve her, it seemed. After his brother got into a mysterious "accident" (and was treated at Jack's hospital), Sayid came face to face with… Keamy! Wow, wasn't expecting that one. Keamy proceeded to give a creepy monologue about how he's good at frying eggs. Sayid shot him in cold blood and discovered Jin tied up in a freezer. (Reading that last paragraph, you'd think I'm on crack.)

Back on the island, Sayid (cleverly?) allowed himself to be the pawn of both Dogen and Flocke (that's my new term for Fake Locke). Per Dogen's instructions, he attempted to stab Flocke to death, to no avail. Flocke, convincing Sayid he could give him whatever he wanted most (which Sayid noted "died in his arms" – is he talking about Nadia or Shannon?) got Sayid to go back to the temple, tell everyone Jacob was dead and advise them to flee by Sundown. Which they did, until Smokey killed most of them. Oh, and Sayid quickly killed Dogen and Lennon.

Claire, meanwhile, had been banished down a temple hole by Dogen, and her encounter with Kate was priceless. Her rendering of "Catch a Falling Star" during the most gruesome action was… well, pretty awesome and creepy.

The end – with alliances seeming to take shape – seemed ominous. Sayid seemed happy with himself, as evidenced by the Flocke smirk. What do you think – since he was "infected" has he been evil all along?

If this episode lacked anything, it was answers. We need more answers. If we don't get some in the next couple of weeks, I will start to worry. B