Oceanic Air Flight 815, You're Cleared to Land

I'm not really qualified to do a post for the final episode of one of the most examined TV programs of all time. There are people who have made a career out of figuring it out. There are Lost geeks, Lost maniacs and mathematicians who use it to write formulas. There are clubs, groups, and 3,892,302 fans on Facebook. Here I sit at 8:23pm Pacific watching "Lost" on Demand because I was too exhausted from worrying about a very sick pet to stay up for the live event on ABC last night. I'm not ashamed of that, but I do feel really, really bad that I've been AWOL from watching the series entirely for the past two seasons because I was so busy and had a new job and....ah heck there's no excuse, I just didn't see it. And now that I'm watching the miraculous series finale, I know I'm going to have a great summer catching up with all the episodes I missed.

It makes no sense for me to do an actual recap, since I'm going to get it all wrong anyway. Basically there are a bunch of people who crash land on a mysterious island that looks a lot like Hawaii. They've been there about 6 years. Some of them get married, some of them have kids. There's a yellow dog and a Volkswagen bus. There's a button that has to be pressed or the world will blow up, and a monster made out of smoke. A mysterious hatch, mind control and and the Dharma initiative are all very important. Don't blink about halfway through the second season. Sawyer looks awesome in a torn wet t-shirt. When the music plays you want to cry; doesn't matter if it's the first season or the grand finale. Everybody who you thought was dead isn't dead. But everybody dies. All characters are both on and off the island at the same time. Some are good, some are evil. The good forgive the bad. The island was a way station, a post crash purgatory.... I figured as much when I saw the beautiful interfaith stained glass window in the chapel right before the end.

For an incredibly complex series, Lost's final episode framed the most basic truth of human experience. Love one another. Help one another. We're on this flight together until it ends. A lofty message for any television show, but one that Lost pulled off with unprecedented originality. It will be missed.

"Lost" Season Five Premieres Tonight on ABC!

I've long since gotten hopelessly muddled in the complicated plotlines, but I am still eagerly anticipating the return of ABC's classy mysterious drama Lost tonight, beginning at 8pm with a lookback clip show, and then with a new 2-hour episode at 9pm.

Seldom has there been a show with such an attractive cast, even when mired in jungle muck or shackled in barred cages, and though I can't seem to remember anything past when that big scary noise blew everything up a few seasons back, I'm game for more.

There are countless -- and I mean that literally -- websites out there dedicated to lost, but for a fairly straightforward account, you might like to take a look at Zap2It's "Guide to Lost" here. If you are in the U.S., ABC's Lost site graciously provides HD video of all the episodes, but don't you dare try to watch if you happen to be outside the border -- it's like running into a brick wall, a really rude one, at that. I mean, not even a "Sorry"! (There are workarounds, of course, which we are happy to share if you drop us a line.)

This next promo is a longer version which was unveiled a couple of months ago to prepare us for tonight.

No matter if you are befuddled like I am or completely up-to-date on the goings-on on the Island and beyond, tonight's Lost event is a genuine thrill, television-style. After yesterday's incredible Inauguration coverage, we're back to earth again, but boy, what a ride we're going to have!

"Lost" Finally Delivers in an Action-Packed Finale

I waited a few days to post this because it is impossible to dissect such a well written and brilliantly directed episode without a small spoiler. Let me start by saying "Lost" has redeemed itself in a two hour season finale that is arguably the series' best episode yet. It actually made me understand and accept the out-of-control spin the series started to take toward the end of last season.

From the moment it started it was clear that this episode was going to tidy things up. Okay, let's lay it out there, clean up the mess. Within the first few minutes the writers cleared up the confusing time frame of one of the key story lines. Before the first commercial we learned when (and why) Jack's descent into despair happens. More explanations followed, but as the puzzle pieces started flying into place, I realized the finale did a lot more than sew up loose ends. It literally "reset" the series much the same way "Desperate Housewives" did in its season finale two weeks ago (a new trend in serialzied television?). Next season, we can expect "Lost" to start fresh, builiding on a new set of story lines that will lead to what is sure to be a climactic conclusion when the series ends in a couple of years. It's sort of a metaphor that The Island itself was physically moved to a new location (kudos to the special effects team).

They've left plenty of questions to keep us coming back for more. We've learned The Survivors left behind on The Island face big "problems." Jack and Henry are on a mission to get the "Oceanic Six" to return to The Island. What of Desmond and Penny's future? Just where did The Island go? Have we really seen the last of Jin? And that final shot in the finale-how the heck did John Lock wind up in a seedy funeral home? Tune in next January.

Destiny is a Fickle Bitch

A memorable line from last Thursday's well written episode of "Lost." One might use the same adjectives to describe this exciting but often frustrating series.

Looking back, I realize that we've learned a lot, as this abbreviated fourth season comes to a close. All of the Oceanic survivors and "The Others" have had past encounters of some kind. There are "special" characters who have varying degrees of E.S.P. - primarily Desmond, Ben, John & Walt - for whom being a "Chosen One" has consequences (another line from last Thursday).

We also now know that the Island, or something that inhabits its very being (Jacob?), is alive. The human characters of this talented ensemble are not, and never have been, the stars of "Lost." They're the supporting actors. The Island is the true star and centerpiece of the show. Whether it's a protagonist, antagonist or anti-hero remains to be seen, but its very survival has become a paramount theme of the show and it's starting to drive the plot. Thank God something finally is!

One other observation. "Lost" has always existed in multiple time frames. The past two seasons have had three time frames: the present (the crash and months that followed), the past (flashbacks that reveal the characters' histories and common threads), and the very near future (the flash-forwards focusing on "The Oceanic Six"). That's about to change as the "near future" turns into the present next season (we're literally catching up to the "near future"). The one wildcard still out there is the hint of time displacement between the Island and the freighter. That has yet to play out.

Hopefully the writers will tighten up the show as it enters the home stretch. This season was moving toward a showdown between two groups who were NOT the original main characters- Ben (of 'The Others") versus Whidmore (the man behind "the freighter crew"). Last week the Island (through "Jacob") dominated the plot. That's good, because it seemed as if the series had taken an unexpected wrong turn when the whole Darma Initiative thing was reduced to a mere plot device by the end of season two. Please tie it all together and build to a climax Mr. Abrams!!

"Lost" + Me = Clueless

Though I love Lost, I am completely confused and already hopelessly hornswoggled only two episodes into the season...which is probably exactly the intention. Congratulations!

I will only advise others in my same predicament to take a look at ABC's extensive Lost web presence, and I'll also recommend The Lost Blog which dissects each episodes and attempts to divine the truth within. Of course there are countless outher Lost fansites out there, so those of not in the know have plenty of resources to help us crawl towards the light. And don't forget that ABC has all the previous episodes available for viewing online, too!

Others at The Flaming Nose have better kept up with the intricacies of the show than I, but through the web, there is hope for all of us! (I just thought it was time that I declare my ignorance and get on with it.)

LOST....In the Supermarket

I was pushing my cart through the aisles of Ralph's supermarket yesterday, searching frantically for paper plates. Somewhere between frozen food and hot dogs, I was distracted by a towering organic milk display. I reached out to grab a carton and tumbled through a space-time corridor. That roaring, airplane noise in my head made me realize before I even opened my eyes, that I was back. On the island. Nothing made any sense whatsoever and I didn't care a bit.

It doesn't matter that Hurley is now sometimes in a mental hospital. Whatever. We are not distressed that Charlie is a ghost. Lot's of excellent series have ghost characters these days. The dips, the dives, the about faces...the non-linear gorgeous mess that makes up the inexplicable plot line of Lost does not bother us in the slightest. The waves are lapping and new alliances are forming . Is John a bad guy or a good guy? Are all the bad guys good guys? Are some of the good guys, bad guys? And does it really matter after Hurley does a cannonball?

All hail the return of LOST.

It's the most maddening, engaging, stimulating yet soothing television show on earth. Many LOST fans spend hours spawning intricate theories on "what it all means". These are people who like math and Sudoku. The whole point of LOST is for it to never make sense. Blue water, white sand and a sweaty Sawyer strutting around without a shirt is what it's all about. Sun and Jin's baby, Charlie's heroism, Ben's pale evil eyes and the endless unrequited dance between Jack and Kate is the glue that holds it all together. This is a character series, plain and simple. Well maybe not simple. We LOVE the characters. Plot, action and advancing story lines are all secondary.

It sounds like a plane crashing in aisle #3. I look down and the paper plates are in my cart, nestled between some frozen pizzas and a bottle of ocean blue Windex. How did they get there? Doesn't matter. I'll be back on the island again in a nanosecond, and all will be right with the world.

"Lost" Episodes in HD Streaming Video on ABC.com

Lost fans among us -- and who isn't one? -- will be pleased to know that ABC.com has all three previous seasons of Lost available online in streaming HD, in anticipation of the new season coming up at the end of this month. The quality is great and if you've missed any episodes or just want a comprehensive refresher course, this is the place to go. The only problem I can see is that they don't have the episodes numbered, but if you go to the site and click on whatever season, if you scroll down the first episodes are at the bottom of the list, not the top. So, if you want Season 1, to get to the pilot go to the last listing. And pay no attention to the dates they have on there; must be the dates the videos were posted because they mostly don't seem to correspond with airdates (except for Season 3).

Not everybody likes watching TV on their computer but I think it's super. If you do too then enjoy this generous serving of Lost while you can!