LOST - The puzzle is taking shape!

The last episode of LOST - '316' gets us to the point where the Oceanic 6 arrive back on the island. Season 5 of LOST has been one of the best seasons since Season 1 in my opinion. We are starting to not only get answers to questions that were asked as long ago as the Pilot episode, but the pieces of the LOST jigsaw puzzle are starting to fall into place. I have had my own ideas about what is going on in LOST and how it is going to end, and I am sure others have had the same if not similar ideas.

I thought it was a good time to lay out a few things that we now know, and how with a few assumptions and a little speculation, we may be able to figure out even more than we have been told directly.

First, let's start off with the Pilot episode and the crash of Flight 815. The show opens with a shot of Jack lying on his back in the jungle. We see a white tennis shoe hanging from a tree. Jack gets up and has to run a fair way to get to the beach and the crash site. That bothered me from the start. In my gut, I felt like Jack had not originated from the crash, but 'appeared' from somewhere (or sometime) else.

We now know a few important things:

1. That Jack put white tennis shoes on Christian when he brought his body on the plane.
2. That when Jack returns to the island on Ajira Airways flight 316, he appears in the jungle in virtually the identical way he appeared on Flight 815.
3. We know that Jack is back in the 1970's, we assume that being the time period the island is now 'fixed' in when Locke fixed the wheel.

My assumptions based on this are that in the final episode of LOST, we will see Jack wake up in the jungle and run to the Flight 815 crash - a repeat of the beginning moments of the Pilot episode. I have really always believed that this is how LOST will end (don't ask me why), and now am more convinced. The cool part about that (well - not everyone is going to think it is cool), is that it means that LOST never really ends - it is just one big circle. (Kind of like an Ouroboros.)

So what does that mean about what is going on in LOST?

Well another part of LOST that always really bothered me was Ben. I have always loved the Ben character, and still do. He was supposedly not supposed to be a major character, but TPTB have lied to us as much as Ben, so I would not really trust what they say. The thing that did not make sense to me is why did Ben go to near the Swan and get captured, tortured and then get Michael to let him go? The whole thing really did not make much sense. There are a lot of other ways Ben could have got Jack to operate on him. Ben could have played nice guy and negotiated with Jack to save him in exchange for freedom. Ben could have played evil Ben and sent his thugs to get Jack. But he didn't. Until recently I never really knew why. But now - I think I do.

What if Ben is the wild card? Remember what Eloise Hawking told Desmond about the universe - the dangers of changing things and how everything and everyone could be destroyed?

What if Ben is the one who has screwed up what was supposed to be from the start?

Ben was the main reason the Others were able to complete the purge. Ben was the reason that Locke doubted pushing the button which ended up destroying the Swan and letting the freighter find the island. Ben let the Oceanic 6 leave. Ben destroyed the Orchid's chamber and put the island into the time slips.

Ben is the one who is making changes that are not supposed to happen. We are being led to believe he is 'one of the good guys', but what if he is still giving us the 'Long Con'?

That explains a little better why he might have done what he did at the Swan.

So what has to happen to fix things?

The Oceanic 6 have to return to the island. They will join the Dharma Initiative and work on putting the universe back to it's proper course. As they live through the 1970's they will realize that they cannot be around in September 2004 when 815 will crash. LOST will be about them giving their lives in the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe and everyone in it. They were always Dharma. They were always the Others, they will realize that they are the key to restoring the order of the universe. Ultimately, Jack and Kate will die together and they will be Adam and Eve - likely in a Romeo & Juliet way, knowing that they must die. The other Oceanic 6 members will likely die saving others and working to make things right.

As for Ben - he may well become Jacob - and entrapped in his cabin by Locke so he cannot escape and cause any other changes.

Now - I could be wrong, but it does make a great story!

OK - let's get to some teasers we have been given.

1. Charlotte. We now know that she grew up on the island - likely as a contemporary of Ben in the 1970's. We know her mother was english and father was american. We know her mother left the island with Charlotte and the father stayed behind. We could guess that her mother may be Eloise Hawking as we know she is English and left the island. We can guess that Charlotte was not conceived on the island, or Eloise would have died while pregnant. That could lead us to believe that her father is an american who was off the island when Charlotte was conceived and stayed on the island later. Who is eligible for that? Richard Alpert? Actually the number of people is increased now due to the fact that the Oceanic 6 are in the 1970's. Technically it could be Locke, Sawyer or even Ben. (2004 Ben - not 1970's Ben :))

2. Babies on the island. Miles may be Candle's baby. What if Kate got pregnant by Jack just prior to leaving on Flight 316. Their baby could be born on the island and live like Aaron did. He or she would be born in the 1970's. Who could he or she be? Again the possibilities are many. Could he or she end up being some Dharma person or Other that we have seen? The fact that the O6 ended up in the 1970's opens up some really interesting ways to get new LOST connections. Watch for them.

3. Daniel. Daniel is interesting. If his mother is Eloise, then Charlotte could well be his sister or half-sister. Daniel taught at Oxford, yet he does not sound English. What is up with that? Did he spend more time on the island? Where did he grow up? Who is his father? Could his father be one of the Oceanic 6?

4. Christian. Is Christian Jacob? Was he from the island originally? Is he a big key to LOST. His name - Christian Shephard would make it look that way. The parallel to Christianity is obvious. He was 'resurrected' from the dead. His name is Christian Shephard. He is taking the role of the leader.

5. Locke. Locke has always been important to LOST. He is the main person who believed in the island and faith. Will he end up becoming Jacob?

There are a lot of ideas spinning in my head now, so I think I will stop for now, and post more later...

I'd love to hear some of your ideas about what you think is going on.

LOST - S5E01 & S5E02

After nine long months without LOST, it returned last night with a one hour recap and two one hour episodes. The recap was one of the better recaps, with limited goofiness from Damon and Carlton, and just the right amount of information to not bore diehard fans but get people who have missed some of LOST up to speed.

Getting into the epsiodes, we find two main storylines - the story of how the Oceanic 6 need to get back to the island - Ben, (and as we find at the end of S5E02) - Mrs. Hawking, seem to be the driving forces to make this happen.

The second storyline is what happened to the people left behind when the island 'moved'. We discover that the island is slipping in time. (or the people are - it's all relative - as Einstein would say.) We find put that Daniel and the redshirts on the Zodiac survive and move with the island because as Daniel says - they were 'within the perimeter'. Neil Frogurt from S.O.S. is one of those redshirts and we are all pretty happy when he meets his predictable demise.

I like the way Season 5 is shaping up. We have only two seasons left, so it makes sense that we have shifted more into answering questions rather than posing them. LOST is a huge jigsaw puzzle and in Season 1 it was all we could do to find the edge pieces. That really did not let us see any of the big picture. By now however, we have a lot less pieces to fill in the puzzle, so we are starting to see the picture take shape. You can be sure TPTB have deliberately left a few strategic pieces of the puzzle until the very end though.

I'm willing to bet that the Event Window Determined that Mrs. Hawking discovered corresponds exactly with the point and place that one Ajira Airways Flight 316 will be with our Oceanic 6 on board.

This season promises to give us some very cool moments as we relive events both that we have already seen on LOST, and those that we are dying to see - such as the arrival of the Black Rock, Henry Gale's balloon and Danielle's story. The cool part is that our Losties will be there as these events unfold again.

The time travel aspect of LOST is confusing to some, but fascinating to me. What if our Losties all along were the ones who caused the 'incident' and were not just visitors to this past, but an integral part of it?

As I have said from the day we saw 'Adam & Eve' in the caves, and Jack pocketed the black and white stones - at the end we will understand why, when Jack and Kate end up there in the past and Jack shows us those two stones as they end up finally resting in the peace that they have struggled to find.

15 days until LOST Season 5!!!

I can't believe it has been over 10 months since I posted in the OWA Blog! It has been a long, long, long hiatus, and like most of you, it seemed like January would never come, but it is here, and I am starting to get that old LOST excitement back again! Remember the good old days when every week we got so excited about a new LOST? I have a feeling this season is going to be a good one. I will promise to be more diligent in posting to the OWA Blog once LOST gets underway.

Some of my thoughts on the new Season: (Warning - some of my thoughts might be considered spoilers, based on my viewing of trailers and sneak peeks. I have not and will not read any spoilers beyond those sneak peeks.)

So, we all know that somehow Season 5 is all about the Oceanic 6 returning to the island, it would seem via Ajira Airways. It is also about what happened to the people left behind on the island, and this is where I think things get interesting.

The island moved in space-time. That means that it is no longer in 2004/5, but in some other time. Based on some things in the sneak peeks, it would seem that the island has gone back in time, and that means we may have a very interesting repeat of the showdown between the Dharma Initiative and the 'Others', although this time I have a feeling that Sawyer & Company are now part of the 'Others'.

I am especially excited that we may get to live through some island events from the past such as the arrival of the Black Rock and the Beechcraft plane. Think of the possibilities if our 815 passengers are already there and considered 'Others'.

Danielle's story and what really happened to her scientific team will be told. The Swan station will still be there and will no longer be destroyed.

Some people may have issues with the time-travel / sci-fi focus of this Season, but I am pretty pumped about the possibilities.

You can't say that LOST is boring, and with a shift in focus each Season, it keeps fresh and new.

I can't wait....

Namaste,
Vincent D. Madison

LOST Answers & more from LOST Producers

Check out the latest official ABC LOST Audio & Video podcasts for insider information that answers the question about whether Aaron is Claire's Aaron and more.(He is.)

Click the player above this post to view the video podcast.

Also, if you want more insider information that clarifies that the bracelet that Naomi was wearing is not the same as the one Ilsa had on, and that sometimes we over-analyze LOST, read this great article from EW.com:

Vincent Madison on BlogTalkRadio

I was a guest on BlogTalkRadio this week. You can listen to the show here:

**WARNING - There are spoilers toward the end of the broadcast.**

S4E03 - The Economist

Well this week's LOST episode - The Economist was a treat! It amazes me how LOST can continue to deliver a punch like this episode after three seasons, with fans that dissect every minute detail. They keep surprising us and deliver action, comedy and mystery.

Kudos to writers Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz for this episode. I loved the comedic parts and the new characters are awesome. Miles cracks me up with his "What, these guys have day care?" comment, as well as his sarcasm. Daniel is so believable as the quirky nerdy science geek, with details like bumping into a low hanging branch and his nervous demeanour. Kitsis & Horowitz also gave us "Born to Run" from Season 1 and "Everybody Hates Hugo", "Fire + Water", "Dave" and "Three Minutes" from Season 2 as well as "Every Man for Himself", "Tricia Tanaka is Dead", "Expose", "D.O.C." and "Greatest Hits" from Season 3, so they are seasoned LOST writers.

Sayid still strikes me as the only Lostie that does not so far have that huge gap in character behavior that the others have shown. He is pretty consistent, always asks the right direct questions, and answers questions well -ex: Miles asking whether Sayid believes that the Freighter people are here to save them or kill them, Sayid responds by saying "I'll let you know when I decide."

We are being introduced this season to a whole new layer of intrigue, one that is based on a cover-up and conspiracy and apparently a power struggle between two groups - the one that Ben is in, and the one that Ilsa's boss is in.

The question is who are they and what do they want? Which group involves Widmore? Which one is Abaddon working for? Which one arranged for the Oceanic 6 to be paid off for their silence? Is Ben in that group, or is that the group he is getting Sayid to eliminate? Will he then try to eliminate the Oceanic 6?

The new information we get this episode makes one's head spin just thinking about the possibilities.

Sayid is one of the Oceanic 6. We learn that he does not need to work due to a large settlement - supposedly from Oceanic, but I am guessing the check came from somewhere else. The shocker we get is that Ben is off the island and seems to be the mastermind of the group that has Sayid working as an assassin. We also find out that Ben has a secret room in his Barracks home with currency and passports with aliases from many countries - the implication being that he travels off the island with ease lots of times.
We see Sayid take a bracelet from Naomi with an inscription that reads: To N, we will always be together, R.G. Is Ben R.G.?

The same or a similiar bracelet is seen on Ilsa in Berlin. Sayid uses Ilsa to get to her boss - the 'Economist', but it appears that Ilsa and her Boss are trying to find Sayid's boss Ben. Ilsa shoots Sayid in the shoulder, but Sayid kills her.

Is the bracelet from someone we know? Is it the same bracelet? Is it a kind of organization i.d.?


Sayid goes to a veterinary clinic to get medical attention and that is when we get the shocker that Ben is apparently a Vet and Sayid's new boss.

Here is a really 'off-the-wall' idea, but would make an amazing LOST moment: What if Ben is Elsa's boss as well as Sayid's Boss? He is the master liar and manipulator. Who does he not end up using for his own purposes?

A few of the things in this episode that I think are very important:

1. Daniel's experiment that has Regina fire a small rocket from the freighter that arrives 31 minutes after it should.

This seems to confirm the theories that island time moves more slowly than the outside world. Remember how 815 looked like it came apart in slow motion when seen from the Barracks?


2. The emphasis that Frank MUST follow a specific heading "no matter what". 325 degrees I would guess.

3. The way the groups are changing and don't yet seem to match the Oceanic 6. I have a weird gut instinct that things are not how they appear to us, and we will be in for another shocker or two about who is really aligned with who. Don't be surprised to find out that Ben and Locke are partners in crime. You read it here first. (well maybe second :) )

I am betting that this Season will be focused a lot on the conspiracy surrounding the 815 disappearance and the Oceanic 6, which is complex enough that it will keep us guessing like a good Agatha Christie mystery.

It was great to see Desmond again, and yes I am also going on record to say that poor Desmond is going to be disappointed to learn that his love Penelope Widmore is a true Widmore and that Daniel and Frank probably have heard of her.

My favorite part of this episode that gave me goosebumps was the chopper leaving the island with Sayid and Desmond. Yup - that ranked up there with the opening scenes of the wreckage in the S1 Pilot.

I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

LOST Returns January 31st 2008

Well fellow LOST fans, we are getting closer and closer to Season 4 of LOST. If you have not already seen the new LOST trailer, head on over to OWA and watch it. We will wait for you...

OK - back? If that does not get you hyped, then you are not a real LOST fan!

So, it does seem like I was wrong in my assumption that Jack & Kate's Flash Forward was not real - we now know that it is very real.

I am looking forward to this season, and it will be very different with potential island time, flash backs and flash forwards and us not necessarily knowing who is where and when.

Based on what we know, and what we can speculate on from seeing the recent trailer, here is my guess as to what we are going to see in the first few episodes:

The freighter people are clearly not there to rescue the Losties, in fact they are there for something or someone else. The Losties will split into two groups - Jack's Group, consisting of himself, Kate, Jin & Sun, Hurley and Sayid. The second group will be Locke's group consisting of Locke, Bernard & Rose, Claire & Aaron and Sawyer.

This will be an even split of 6 losties on each team. Locke will lobby his group to stay behind and will likely strike an alliance with some of the others like Danielle and Alex.

Jack will cut a deal with the freighter people to rescue his team in exchange for giving them what they want - the remains of the Dharma/Others.

The rescue will not be so simple - there will be serious complications which in the end will result in Jack and his team being rescued, but not without a fight.

Sawyer's decision to stay is seen in the trailer when he tells Kate that he is just doing what he always does - surviving.

Some of the others will be captured by the freighter people as a result of Jack's 'deal', including Juliet.

The wild card in the whole deal will be Desmond, who I predict will also get off the island, but will find out that Penny is not who he thinks and his story will not end well.

We will find out a lot more about the influence and connection of characters who may no longer with us, particularly Libby and Christian Shephard.

Although we will only get 8 of the 16 Season 4 episodes for now due to the writer's strike, they are only going to get us more pumped for the last 8 episodes which hopefully will not be too far off....


And for you people who looked at the trailer very closely - what do you see here? Did Naomi survive Locke's knife wound? It sure looks like it to me.

What do you all think? Feel free to post your comments or ideas.