Commentary with a Co-Ed: The Lost finale shockers

by Ashley Gouveia

I remember sitting down and writing my first column for Tube Talk about last year’s season finale of Lost. My poor Charlie’s demise left me clamoring for the Kleenex and the last five minute flash-forward cliffhanger was enough to leave any Lost fan saying, “Huh?” I can’t say that last night’s finale was any different for me. I laughed, cried and screamed at the TV. A typical viewing of a Lost finale.

It was really cool how the episode started right where it ended last season. That jaw-dropping cliffy makes a lot more sense now after watching this season. Life off the island doesn’t seem too cheery for the Oceanic Six. Although, I would probably want to stay on land than have to face anymore black-smoke monsters or polar bears. Kate finally said the name of the person who Jack had the obituary of in the flash-forward: Jeremy Bentham. *crickets* Yeah, I had no idea who that was either. Imagine my confusion when it was revealed who it actually was.

The team up of our Losties with Ben and the Others was weird, and the big shootout was intense. I thought that Richard had killed the guy in charge of the island murdering spree. But apparently he has nine lives, like Patchy McPatch from last season. When he showed up alive and well and told Ben how he had the explosives on the freighter rigged so if he died the bomb would go off. Ben did what I would expect from any villain that is worthy of the title. He killed him anyway. Then, he delivered one of my favorite lines of the night when Locke told him he just killed everyone on the boat: “So.”

I really liked that we got to see some revisiting of old relationships from the show’s past. For instance, the Michael and Sun scene when she told him she was pregnant was sweet and had a nostalgic feel to it. The Walt and Hurley conversation was great, after I got over the initial shock of how much older Walt looked. Leave it to Hurley to say exactly what the viewers are thinking at the moment.

There were plenty of ‘Uh-oh’ moments, like when Juliet thanked Daniel for helping them get to safety. That look on Daniel’s face when he turned away left me with a feeling that didn’t bode well for the people on the beach. Since Juliet wasn’t part of the Oceanic Six I figured she stayed behind. I initially thought Sawyer wanted to stay on the island, but it turned out he made the sacrificial swan dive off the helicopter so it wouldn’t crash. Not before he whispered something in Kate’s ear and gave her a kiss goodbye. Skaters everywhere rejoice!

I got teary after Sawyer jumped out and of course when Sun saw the freighter explode with Jin still on it. That scene was completely heartbreaking. The only thing that would have made it even worse was if Desmond didn’t make it off the boat. I kept hoping that somehow his character would make it safely off the island to return next season. Thankfully, Desmond and Frank survived the helicopter crash along with the Oceanic Six. When they all saw a boat approaching them I had my own flashback to when Michael, Sawyer and Jin thought they were rescued and then the Others took Walt. But it wasn’t the others this time; instead it was finally Penny’s boat. The Desmond and Penny reunion was really touching. It was great to see them get a happy ending at least for now.

The big shocker of the night came during the last five minutes when we returned to the flash-forward. Jack went back to the funeral home where he spoke to Ben about how Jeremy told him that terrible things happened after they left the island. He also said that the six of them had to go back. Ben told Jack he’d help him round up the others, but he can’t leave behind Jeremy. Pan over to the open casket to reveal Locke is actually Jeremy Bentham. I hate cliffhangers and this one was worse than the “We have to go back” one from last season. Don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of it. It’s just going to be a long summer until it returns.
Source: TubeTalk

LOST Episode 4x13 - "There's No Place Like Home" Easter Eggs, Screencaps, Audio

Wondering what the dude on the phone said to Kate?

"The island needs you. You have to go back before it's too late."

Easter Eggs:

Lost Ate My Life: The Inside Story of a Fandom Like No Other

My good friend DocArzt has just released his first Lost related book and it's available for pre-ordering at Amazon. Looking forward to getting my copy of this as I think I'll be able to relate to a lot of what Docarzt has to say about the fandom and being a Lost blogger myself. If you enjoy Docarzt's writing style and commentary on Lost then this is a must have book imho.

Product Description
By catering directly to an increasingly rabid fan base, Lost bloggers have effectively removed all barriers between the artist and the viewer by hosting one of the largest officially-sponsored independent discussion forums in history. Becoming celebrities in their own right—even controlling the ebb and flow of fan sentiment—the most revered bloggers even affect plot and storyline decisions. Told by two members of the fan community who witnessed the spread and impact of such fervent fandom from the inside, this guide addresses the greatest questions fans have been asking for four seasons: Why does Lost speak so well to our collective unconscious, and why do we consciously endure such mammoth leaps of suspension of disbelief? By examining this unparalleled blogger phenomonen on near-academic levels, the authors successfully break down Lost’s archetypal themes and trace its evolution from the commercial cash-in it was intended to be to the high-concept mixture of philosophy, drama, redemption, science, and faith it became.

About the Author
Jon “DocArtz” Lachonis learned to read from the pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland and Starlog, and has been a prisoner of pop culture ever since. His writing has been featured on TheTailsection.com, BuddyTV.com, UGO.com, The California Chronicle, and The Seattle Post Intelligencer. His examinations have been quoted in TVGuide, Entertainment Weekly, E!Online, USA Today's pop watch, TVSquad, Television Without Pity, AOLTV, and many more.

Amy J. Johnston is a writer and part-time webmistress who runs a number of fandom-oriented websites, including The Evil Puppet Masters blog, and an official fansite for Lost executive producer Bryan Burk. Originally from Georgia, Amy currently resides in Indiana with her husband and two children.

Commentary with a Co-ed: Lost's Jack faces death

by Ashley Gouveia Source: TubeTalk

Doctor Jack was down for the count in the first five minutes of last night’s Lost episode.

I knew it was only a matter of time before all of his heroics caught up with him. He passed out from his appendix being on the verge of bursting. It was up to Juliet to save his life, and with any good brush with death, we had some revelations.

We got another glimpse into Jack’s future off the island. We also got a glimpse of some other stuff in the beginning of that flash-forward, but it doesn’t really pertain to the plot (Dr. Shepherd in just a towel, perhaps). I don’t know about you, but I was guessing that the woman in the shower was Juliet. But since she wasn’t one of the Oceanic Six I assumed it was Kate. That’s right, Jate was in the house!

Apparently, they were having a great time playing house and raising little Aaron. I guess Jack changed his mind shortly after Kate’s trial about being in Aaron’s life. He was living with them in domestic bliss, until he paid Hurley a visit in the mental institution. Hurley believes that they are all dead and that none of what they’re experiencing is real. Can you say creepy? He gives Jack a message that Charlie gave him that said, “You’re not supposed to raise him, Jack.” I don’t know what that is supposed to do with anything. Is this just playing into Jack’s daddy issues?

Speaking of Daddy Shepherd, he made a ghostly appearance to his daughter Claire on the island. That would creep anyone out. Claire conveniently disappeared after seeing her deceased dad. Sawyer was freaking out when he found baby Aaron alone in the jungle, with Claire nowhere to be found. I’m loving how protective Sawyer is of Claire. When Miles was staring at her, he made it perfectly clear he wasn’t to go near her. He even issued his own restraining order against him. But I have a feeling Miles wasn’t staring because he was interested in her.

I am firmly convinced that I was never a doctor in a past life because that scene with Jack’s surgery made me cringe. I just wanted Bernard to knock Jack out already, so I didn’t have to witness him watching himself get cut open. Thankfully, Bernard did shortly after.

When Jack was all sewn up and seemingly out of the woods, Juliet thought it would be good time to let Kate in on Jack’s suppressed feelings. Even though he kissed her, it wasn’t because of his feelings for her, but for him to convince himself he wasn’t still in love with Kate. Of course, he heard everything and Juliet knew that.

After his visit with Hurley in the flash-forward, I was pretty confident that Jack was going to freak out and bolt on Kate. Instead, he whipped out a ring and proposed to her. She accepted, but it wasn’t all hugs and kisses after that. Kate was secretly having contact with Sawyer. I don’t know exactly how that works. We did find out that Sawyer chose to stay on the island, and that Jack was the one to save her. Another revelation was that he’s aware that he is related to Aaron. There is still the unanswered question of what happened to Claire. Did she choose to stay on the island too? Let me know your theories. ‘Till next week.

Lost Season 4 Episode 13-14 There's No Place Like Home

Episode 4.12 - Easter Eggs and Audio

For easter eggs, audio clips, and analysis of "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1", check out Get Lost Podcast's entry here:


Source: DarkUFO

10 Things Every Manager Should Learn from "LOST"

An island full of plane-crash survivors and mystery might not strike you as the best place to learn management lessons, but the fact is that "LOST" has much to teach about leadership. A great deal of the story focuses on the struggle between leaders and their groups, and how the choices they make impact the entire island. Read on to find out what you can learn from "LOST," and how you can apply these lessons to your own management skills.

Make alliances. The survivors of "LOST" have found much help from outside sources by forming alliances. Sayid's relationship with Rousseau has been particularly helpful, as she's been the group's native guide to the island in many episodes. Even Michael, in a bloody and roundabout way, has worked with Ben to help protect the people on the island.

These sort of relationships can be translated into a management setting in the form of knowledge-sharing between departments, such as cross training. The bonds created by forming alliances between groups can prove useful when your team needs help.

Find success as a team. Throughout "LOST," Jack has constantly reminded the survivors that on the island, you "live together, die alone." In the days immediately following the crash, characters worked as individuals, fending for themselves unsuccessfully. But when they started to collaborate, their lives began to flourish. In a larger group as well as in small teams, the survivors have worked to find resources, overcome personal difficulties, protect themselves and solve some of the mysteries of the island.

As a manager, you should encourage your team to band together in this way so that they can achieve something greater than they'd be able to on their own.

Follow your instincts. On the island as well as in business, it's not always easy to see the truth behind the matter, so it's important that you trust your instincts. When Ben infiltrated the survivors under the guise of his own tragedy, many were easily swayed, but Sayid knew that Ben was not to be trusted. Without Sayid's good judgement, Ben could have caused much more harm than he actually did.

As a manager, it's important that you trust your gut when making decisions for your team. If something doesn't feel right to you, take a closer look.

Expect the unexpected. Perhaps one of the most common themes on "LOST" is that anything can happen. After all, who would expect a polar bear to appear on a tropical island? With all of its revelations, explosions, deaths and attacks, the show embodies the unexpected.

The business world can be filled with just as many ups and downs and unplanned events. One of your main suppliers could suddenly go out of business, or you could come into an office that's been flooded by a broken water main. Whatever happens, learn to stay calm and roll with the punches. Managers who can adapt to extreme and ridiculous situations will be the most successful in the long run.

Never assume you know everything. As a leader, it's easy to feel like you're aware of all the happenings in your workplace, but the fact is that a lot goes on behind your back. Juliet planned for Jack to kill Ben in surgery, stealthily communicating with Jack right under Ben's nose, and Locke and Boone had almost made it into the hatch before Jack found out what was going on. These are situations that Ben and Jack really should have known about, but didn't.

When working as a leader, you have to be ready and able to deal with secrets that come out, such as an unhappy co-worker or unknown inter-office romances.

Use available resources. The people on the island could not have continued to survive without taking advantage of the resources made available to them. Sawyer constructed glasses out of lost pairs found in the wreckage, and Sun found plants with medicinal uses. Everything from the fresh water stream to the Black Rock dynamite has contributed to the survivors' existence. Making use of these resources provided survivors with a healthier, safer life.

In business, it's important that you do the same and make use of every resource you can. Always be on the lookout for something that you can make useful, whether it's extra room in the budget for a new team member or a spare office.

Take advantage of employees' skills. On "LOST," viewers learn that nearly everyone has a skill from their past that makes them useful on the island. For example, Jack is a doctor, Kate can track and Sayid is an interrogator.

It's your job to identify and make use of your team members' skills. Few thought that Charlie was very helpful, but he was able to use his musical ability to break the keypad code in the looking-glass station. Hurley was turned away many times because of his size, but he saved the day on the beach with the Volkswagen van he fixed with his mechanical skills. Make it a priority to allow your team members to contribute, and you just might be surprised about what they bring to the table.

Stay organized. Crash landing on an island in the middle of nowhere is certainly a chaotic situation. One way the survivors helped get things under control was through organization. They searched through the wreckage to find supplies, took inventory of food stores they found in the hatch and used the on-board passenger list to root out the Others.

Your office environment can be just as chaotic if you don't take steps to get yourself organized and pulled together. Whether you're leading meetings or trying to get resources together for a project, organization skills are essential to be an effective and respected manager.

Be trustworthy. Currently, Jack's status as the leader among the survivors has faltered because of his involvement with the Others, as well as his relationship with Juliet. As a result, the survivors have been split, with many opting to follow Locke instead of Jack. It still remains to be seen which group will be the safest, but the implication of Jack's loss of leadership remains.

Learn from his mistake and be careful about your actions and with whom you associate. It's vitally important that your team has faith in your ability to reason and manage them effectively. If they see you making what they perceive to be a mistake, your status as a strong leader will suffer.

Learn from the past. Many characters on "LOST" have troubled pasts, like Kate who killed her stepfather and was being transported in handcuffs back home, or Sawyer who has spent his life as a professional con man, or Locke who was paralyzed by his father prior to the crash. Even Jack has struggled with his demons, going through a divorce, dealing with the death of his alcoholic father and struggling to find happiness. The flashbacks on the show help viewers understand the backgrounds of each character and give reasons for their actions on the island. Some of these characters learn to grow and learn from their pasts, while others are nearly destroyed by them.

As a manager, you are in a unique position to let the past shape how you choose to deal with business in the future. The history of any business is riddled with mistakes, and while they may not be as sad as getting scammed out of your kidney by your deadbeat father like Locke, they can still weigh heavily on your team. Remember to learn from the mistakes that have been made instead of dwelling on them in the future.

While you may never find yourself stranded on an island in the Pacific, you can use the lessons from "LOST" to survive your own office jungle. Follow the characters' example and learn from mistakes as you make use of the people on your team and navigate the world of business. And no matter what you're doing, realize that it's still easier than trying to survive on a dangerous island.

Source: HR World

Mega Minute: Lost, Ghost Whisperer & Prison Break

Now playing in this weeks' Mitovich Mega Minute:
• How does one move the Lost island, anyway?
• Ghost Whisperer finale preview.
• Prison Break Season 4 casting news.

Also, Lost fans, check out our Previews blog for inside scoop from co-executive producer Jean Higgins.

Source: TVGuide

Matthew Fox in Smokin' Aces (Screen Captures)

More Screen Captures...

LOST Notes: Ben and Penny

A couple of tidbits to start the week. First, local “LOST” fans may want to make their way down to the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel tonight for the taping of the “NightTime with Andy Bumatai” show. Tonight’s star guest is Michael Emerson, a.k.a. Benjamin Linus. Head down to the S.O.S. Showroom at 6 p.m. to see if Andy’s easygoing style will be able to pry any answers out of one of the show’s most incredible actors. Secondly, of likely interest to “LOST” fans everywhere, a chance star sighting at the Halekulani yesterday. Pulpconnection reports that Sonya Walger, a.k.a. Penelope Widmore, is on the island. Does that mean she’s on The Island? Who knows. But I’m hopeful that this means we’re going to see long-lost lovers Desmond and Penny draw at least a little bit closer in the Season 4 finale.
Source: Hawaii Blog