“Follow the Leader” Redux

Well. I was wrong.  That was most certainly not a Richard Alpert flashback, although Mr. Eyeliner did play a linchpin role in both 1977 and 2008.  Perhaps we have yet to see his origins, in the two hour finale next Wednesday (boo, hiss). But I’m beginning to doubt it.

In any case, the episode sort of left me feeling dull — there was lot going on, but we didn’t learn much.  No big revelations, with the exception of the Locke-Alpert-Lock bullet removal scene. I think. Correct me if I’m wrong.

“Follow the Leader”: Mild Spoiler

Lately, I’ve noticed an uptick in the use of the word “penultimate.” Okay, maybe not in every social circle I frequent, just one: the Lost watching circle.  As it happens, tonight is the “penultimate” episode of Lost’s fifth season. Yay!

I used to think that meant “really, really important,” but as it turns out that’s not correct.  “Penultimate” actually means: next to the last.  So that makes a lot more sense.  Tonight is the next to last episode of the season, titled “Follow the Leader.” I have it on spoilery authority that this title aptly refers to the character whose flashback we’ll finally get a chance to see: Richard Alpert.

Oh. My. God.

Richard Alpert! Will we finally find out why he appears to be ageless?  Why Ben said he no longer remembered birthdays?  Why he always wear a nice pressed shirt and slacks from Banana Republic while the rest of his people run around in rags? Might we see the Black Rock? Magus Hanso? Or perhaps Richard’s been there longer, since the days of the Egyptians and the four-toed statue?

In many ways this episode should fit into my wrong-headed guess at the meaning of “penultimate.”  It will indeed be a “really, really important” look into the Island’s past.  I wish I didn’t know about the Alpert thing, but sometimes the Internet shows you things you do not want to see (no dirty jokes, please).  And you just have to take a deep breath and move on.

Thanks, Lostpedia

I would like to take a moment to give a shout out to the Lost blogging community. Silly? Perhaps.  But a trip over to Lostpedia gave me the warm and fuzzies, for much the same reason that the first Lost-blogging of Season 5 did — it’s wonderful to recognize that you are part of a community, no matter how intangible or geeky it is.  We are all looking for fellow travelers — in love, in friends, in career, what have you — and it is well worth remembering that in our digital age, some of the most fulfilling communities evolve between people who have never met.

Lostpedia has made a request for comments about a proposed change to how it numbers episodes of Lost.  There is a detailed explanation of the proposal, the potential effects, and a review of the good and bad that the change would entail.  They ask that Lostpedia readers weigh in on the matter.

My initial thought was, who cares? But then I realized that I would have wondered if they’d made the change without notice, and I do appreciate the call for comment.

Sure, it’s an esoteric issue.  But it’s reminder that for all of the worrying people have done through the years that the Internet would usher in an age in which we don’t care to make meaningful connections, we are instead capable of building bridges that would otherwise have never been possible.

Lost 5.10: He’s Our You

I’ve spent a lot of time mulling over what this episode meant, a task made more difficult at the moment because none of the recaps/theorizing I usually read by this point are posted yet. Curses!

Prehashing Lost 5.09: Namaste

In case you take more than a passing interest in the saga that is Lost, the show returns tonight after a two week break, with an episode titled “Namaste.”  The title, of course, refers to the sound off given by Pierre Chang/Marvin Candle/Mark Wickmund at the end of every DHARMA video.  I first heard the word namaste when I was a hiker/tourist in Nepal, used to greet passersby on the hiking trails.

According to Wikipedia, that great font of knowledge, namaste is:

a common spoken greeting or salutation in the Indian subcontinent. Taken literally, it means \”I bow to you\”. … When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. The gesture can also be performed wordlessly and carry the same meaning.

I\’m predicting we get a heavy dose of DHARMA tonight.  Perhaps even a little Pierre Chang in person, which would be only our second time meeting him outside of a DHARMA video. Hooray!

LOST 5.08: LaFleur

Oy.  I’ve been a terrible blogger this week.  I think I’ve written five posts since the last time I said something about Lost, which makes Little Choward on the Prairie more like a Baby Gawker than like a grown up blog about serious things.

Nonetheless, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about last night’s episode, not leats of all because it’s the last one we’re getting until March 18th.  Two whole Lost-less weeks.  You may think I’m kidding, but everytime this show comes back on the air I wonder what I did during the many months hiatus.  It’s very consuming.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Pierre Chang, if that names means anything to you.

Lost 5.07: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

Oh man. Confession: this episode left me feeling pretty down.  Or blase.  I’m not sure. Despite the revelations, and the eventual resurrection, I ended up feeling blue.

Lost: 316

I don’t have a time now to give my full coverage of last night’s episode, but I did get a chance this morning to peruse Lostpedia.  They pointed out some interesting things that I didn’t catch last night.

Lost: This Place is Death

I have to say upfront that I liked this episode, but it was heavily dragged down for me by constant nagging from the non-Lost Watcher and general irritant I share my house with.  Every three minutes I was either pausing to explain some complicated time travel concept to him, or listening to complaints like this: “Oooh it’s a time travel loop! How convenient! How stupid.”

That’s probably why I forgot to blog about the ep last night before I went to bed, and instead spent the night tossing and turning, wondering what in the hell is happening to our Island?

Lost: New Thoughts on an Old Season

I’ve been watching back episodes of Lost, now that the new season has started up, specifically some of the best from Season 4.  It’s an entirely different experience seeing Ben wake up in the Tunisian desert now that we know how he got there, or seeing Locke get a visit from Alpert at 6 years old.

Lost: Jughead 5.3

Oh goodness.  That might have been the most informative episode of Lost we’ve ever had.