Observations: Episode 3.20-The Man Behind the Curtain

As I said in the live posting post, the digital tower for my ABC affiliate might not have been at full power so I watched via Dish Network and thus will not have screenshots for Episode 3.20, "The Man Behind the Curtain". Just watched the episode again via ABC.com so I'm ready to go...

1) What killed Ben's mom? Is her death what fueled Ben's desire to help pregnant women on the island?

2) What was with the visions of his mom? Why was Richard not so surprised but more interested? Is that a common occurence?

3) Does Richard not age? Ben said at the beginning "today's my birthday, do you remember those?" kind of like Richard hasn't had a birthday in a long time. Approximately, he should be 30 years older than Ben yet he looks younger than Ben in present time.

4) What were the problems between the Hostiles and Dharma? How did the Hostiles get the deadly gas? Did Ben get it for them? How involved was Ben? We're going to need another flashback for that and to explain Richard since he seems to be indigenous to the island...

5) Even though I don't really like present-time Ben, gotta feel for him with his father issues (a common LOST theme of course).

6) What is Jacob? How did all that work? What was with the painting of the dog? What was in those jars? What did he mean when he asked Locke to help him?

7) Why did Alex say Locke would need a gun? Did she anticipate Ben shooting Locke? Has this happened before? Did one of the Others, perhaps Richard, know of Ben's plan and sent Alex as to not be considered a mole?

8) What happened to Annie? Is she still alive? Did she die in the purge or before? How could Ben kill her?

9) How did Ben overcome his silence? After his meeting with Richard as a kid was he more talkative knowing he would turn out fine and things would be good?

10) Who really is calling the shots as "the man behind the curtain"? Ben said that everyone answers to someone, who does Jacob answer to?

11) Will Locke die? I have my doubts...

Great episode. Enjoyed it in both viewings. Would watch it again, and probably will when it's on DVD.

Any other questions or comments about my questions? Comment below!

Episode 3.21, "Greatest Hits", airs tonight at 10/9c on ABC. It is the last episode before the two-hour season finale which airs next week, May 23, at 9/8c.

There will also be a recap of LOST so far airing tomorrow, Thursday, at around 10/9c after Grey's Anatomy. The same recap will air again at 8/7c next Wednesday before the finale. I suggest that you watch it or record it and watch it later, always a good refresher...

Tonight's episode airs in 6 hours from this writing! Only two episodes left in 2007!

LIVE Posting: Episode 3.20-The Man Behind the Curtain

The digital tower for my local ABC affiliate is down, no HD screenshots this week...

Time to start!

9:07PM-Interesting first scene. Possibly the same Roger in the van Hurley found a few episodes back? Why were they in the woods? Hiking?...Finally, it's answer time! Can't wait for the origins of the island!...And Ben wasn't on the island all of his life. Possibly right after birth though...

9:16PM-Ben is lying, as Locke said he was, though it was about being on the island all his life. He was part of Dharma. And his dad was the Roger in the van...Was the narrator talking about the smoke monster or other wildlife?...I'm guessing no one likes Mikhail since they let Locke beat him down. That was sweet...Let's go see Jacob, the man behind the curtain!...

9:25PM-Still can't put together how Ben became a part of the Hostiles. Maybe they saved the children?...Are there any Hostiles left in the Others?...Why did Alex give a gun to Locke?...There's no scaring Locke off, he's determined to see Jacob...Getting some good answers so far...

9:36PM-Poor Ben. Seems like all the major characters have father issues, common theme...So that's the little statue looking thing Ben was holding in the beginning of the show...Maybe Ben left the Dharma group angry at his father and hung out with the Hostiles and became accepted...What happened to Annie?...Still don't know where Juliet stands. She seems like she's trying to help the survivors yet she'll probably return to the Others...I guess the Others will be attempting this kidnapping in the season finale...Back to the show...

9:48PM-So Ben wanted to become a Hostile and Richard is considerably older than Ben, though he doesn't look it. I would have guessed that Ben is older...Echoing Locke, "what was that"? I thought Ben was playing mind games but that was really strange. Almost too strange for my liking. I guess there's a certain limit of supernatural that I have for the show. Smoke monster has a possible explanation but Jacob?...

10:00PM-WOW! Is Locke dead?!?! I didn't think he would die before the series' end. Wow. That's a shocker...I suppose Annie died in the purge? How could he let her die? Does he have any good in his heart?...With his father issues I kind of felt bad for him until he annihilated his people. I'm not sure he can be trusted even the Others can't trust him. He'll do whatever it takes to keep him out of the grave even if he has to sacrifice his people again...What did "Jacob" mean when he said "help me"?

Though it raised some huge questions and possibly killed one of my favorites, this was a great episode. Explained some of the island mysteries but raised a huge one with Jacob. Maybe one that will last til the series' end? I'm still stunned that Locke is dead, if he is. Without medical help, he's pretty much a goner...

Wow, still can't believe that. Didn't see that coming.

edit: I forgot that last week they, the writers, did make a point to show that Locke's hand healed fast. Maybe he isn't doomed after all. Maybe that was put in there to show that he will come back. Or maybe he's done.

Next week's episode, Episode 3.21, titled "Greatest Hits", will be the final episode before the sure-to-be-stunning two hour season finale. Looks like we've got three great hours of LOST coming to close the season...Next week, May 16, 10/9c then May 23 at 9/8c to wrap up season 3.

Watch tonight's episode again tomorrow at ABC.com for free!

Comments, questions, comment!!!

LIVE Posting: Episode 3.19-"The Brig"

I'm excited and ready to go. We're in the last month of LOST Season 3...

9:07PM-So these flashbacks are island flashbacks. Those are always fun...Hurley's not so good at looking innocent, lol...Why would Locke want to say goodbye to Kate and not Jack or Sawyer?...How did Cooper get to the island?...Are the Others going back to "Alcatraz"?...

9:17PM-What makes Locke want to kill Ben?...Is the Others' kidnapping of the pregnant women coincide with the week that Ben told Juliet?...Where are the Others camping?...Will Sawyer kill Ben?...

9:31PM-Intense sequence there with Locke and his father. Thought Locke was going to turn around and cut his neck. But alas he didn't...As I originally thought, it's Cooper in "The Brig" instead of Ben. Going into the episode I thought it was Cooper by the description then I thought it may be Ben...Will Sawyer kill him?...How many people trust Jack?...How did they find the bodies of the survivors? Maybe they had decayed enough that they couldn't tell they weren't the actual people on the plane or maybe it's something else...Nice to see Sayid again after a few episodes off...

9:43PM-So there are seeds of dissension in the Others camp too (doubting Ben while the survivors doubt Jack)...Rousseau appeared briefly...Now it's apparent that Cooper/Sawyer is Sawyer's parents' killer...

9:53PM-So Sawyer did Locke's job. Will Locke return to the Others now? How will he keep Sawyer away? I don't think Sawyer will want him to go back...Return of the question posed in the pilot: Where are they?...Onto the final segment, solid episode thus far. Still didn't explain where Cooper came from though...

10:00PM-Locke is on his own now. How long will that last?...What did Juliet and Jack have to say to Kate? That's only going to raise suspicion against him. And with Locke giving Sawyer evidence, Jack's going to be in hot water...Why did the Others give Locke the tape? What good comes of that?...

Good episode tonight. I think next week's will be the great one I was expected. Due to possible spoilers I won't get into why...

To watch tonight's episode again, go to ABC.com tomorrow morning...

Next week's episode, Episode 3.20, titled "The Man Behind the Curtain", will air at 10/9c next week on ABC...

Observations: Episode 3.18-"D.O.C."

Great episode. Wasn't a simple plot being worked out but threw in some surprises such as Mikhail and Naomi (the girl from the sky) declaring that no one survived the crash of Flight 815.

You can see HD screenshots at the new home of my screen captures, Webshots, or by clicking the thumbnails below (to view full resolution on Webshots, click the Zoom icon, second from the left, below the picture)...

1. How did Mikhail survive and/or come back from the dead? Kate felt his pulse didn't she? Maybe the sonic fence only paralyzes for awhile? Maybe Jacob healed him?

2. Is Sun doomed to die?

3. What kind of sample is Juliet getting and what's it for?

4. What was Naomi really saying? Can we trust what Mikhail said? From what I've read, he didn't translate correctly after his “operation”...She didn't say “thank you”, she said ???

5. Did the Others, or those above the Others, fake the Flight 815 crash? Is it to prevent people from searching for the island?

6. Was Mikhail expecting Naomi? Or just looking for whoever fell from the sky?

As I said, I liked this episode a lot. Not one that I loved but good. I believe next week's will be one I love. I probably should lower my expectations...

Next week's episode, Episode 3.19, titled “The Brig”, will air at 10/9c on Wednesday, May 2. Only three episodes remain before the two hour season finale on May 23.

To watch “D.O.C.” for free, go to ABC.com.

Did I miss something? Get something wrong? Didn't clarify? Comment below!

LIVE Posting: Episode 3.18-"D.O.C."

Sorry I'm a little late. Had some technical difficulties...

9:16PM-Not gonna lie, I'm kind of tired of Sun-Jin flashbacks. They're interesting but I just don't like them too much. Interesting one here though...Silly Hurley launching the flare...Mikhail?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Is he alive? I thought it might be a moment in the past with Desmond but he has the scars...

9:26PM-Wow, how on earth is Mikhail alive? Perhaps Jacob healed him? Can he save the girl? Will Desmond stick to his word or turn on him and keep him hostage. I'd have to say I'd probably try to keep him and lie...Wow, Juliet was eerie there. Can Sun be saved?...

9:40PM-So did Mikhail save the girl's life? That was quite gruesome...Back to the medical hatch we go. Nice hidden room. I wondered where all that went. Wouldn't be too fun to haul that around the island...I still can't get past how Mikhail is still alive...So is Jae the father? Is Jin the father?...

9:52PM-So Jin is the father but the baby is from the island. Can Sun be saved? Will we see if she'll be saved? I mean we've seen 90 days in 3 seasons, can we get to the end of her pregnancy by season 5? Maybe the last episodes will be a time advancement after rescue or whatever happens?...Can't believe Desmond let him go. Maybe Mikhail will spare him. Maybe Desmond saw a flash and needed Mikhail to vouch for him. Why did Mikhail want the phone? Can it work?

10:00PM-Wow, what a finish. Juliet leaving a message for Ben. I liked her "I hate you" remark after the message...What's the girl talking about? Is it the work of the Others to prove the flight crashed and no one survived so no one would find the island? What will happen if Michael gets out and can prove he survived the crash and that there are other survivors?...

Great episode tonight. Better than I expected. I had some lower expectations just from reading the description and seeing the preview but it was a good episode. I think it's just the beginning of some great season enders. The ends of the seasons always seem to thrill and not disappoint.

Next week's episode, Episode 3.19, titled "The Brig", will air at 10/9c only on ABC...

To watch tonight's episode again for free, go to ABC.com...

Only three episodes + the finale remain...

Comment below...

Observations: Episode 3.17-"Catch-22"

On the eve of tonight's episode, I figured I'd finally post the observations for last week.

Some HD screenshots and, unfortunately, some non-HD screenshots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevincburns/tags/catch22/

I'll keep it short this week...

1) Who is the girl that crashed on the island? Does she speak English? Is she related to the Portuguese guys in the lab at the end of season 2?

2) What happened to the helicopter/jet? Why did the girl need high altitude gear for a helicopter? Was it a helicopter or was it a jet?

3) Did Desmond mess something up by saving Charlie? What will be the ramifications of that decision?

4) How does the flashback head monk know the lady from Desmond's past flashback? Are they in it together? Are they with Dharma? Is there a large plot against or for Desmond?

That's all for this week. Live posting begins in a few hours for this week's episode "D.O.C." which airs at 10/9c only on ABC...

LIVE Posting: Episode 3.17-Catch-22

Welcome to the live posting for episode 3.17 titled "Catch-22". We'll get started in about 15 minutes...

9:06PM-Great start to the episode. Looks to be Desmond-centric. I had a hunch that Charlie wasn't going to die and it was just a flash. A crazy flash. What's the red dot? What's the cable for? Is it the same cable Sayid found? That cable has been a question mark for some time now, perhaps some answers about it. Quite the way for Charlie to "die". You'd think he'd get off the wire or something. Back to the episode...

9:18PM-Where does Desmond's flashback fit in his timeline? I'm guessing it's before he meets Jack since he calls Jack brother and goes on the boat race soon after. And it's probably before his stint in the army/navy/whatever it was. What is the "Catch-22" that the episode title refers to? Will Desmond be able to save Charlie?...

9:30PM-Wow, what a sequence there towards the end. Was it a helicopter that crashed into the ocean? What is the red light? Is it the Others, Penny, or someone/something else entirely? Liked Jin's story around the fire and Hurley's reaction. How is Charlie considered a coward like Desmond mentioned? Back to the flashback, who was that guy that punched Desmond? Can't wait for the rest...

9:41PM-So it's Penny or someone sent by her. Did whoever it is survive? What is wrong with the phone? It said "internal error" not "battery dead". What does that mean? What is the significance of the book? Didn't catch the title, I saw it had 22 in it though. So when will they get to the person? Probably at the end of the episode in true LOST fashion with it being a surprise. When will Charlie trip the trap? Will Desmond overcome his cowardice?...

9:52PM-So he chose not to sacrifice Charlie to keep the flash perfect to see Penny. Does that mean they won't find her or whoever it was that fell? What comes next for Desmond in the flashback? Unfortunately that segment wasn't in HD here in Arkansas but nothing important for screenshots happened. Hopefully the last segment will be in HD and will be amazing...

10:00PM-Not a spectacular ending but good. Who is the girl? Was she sent by Penny? I liked how Desmond and Penny met. Good flashbacks on the whole. Storyline moved pretty well. A good episode. Not amazing, not spectacular but solid. And it leaves you hanging for the next episode.

That's all for tonight. Observations will come later with a few HD screenshots (and, unfortunately, some non-HD because of KATV, my affiliate).

To watch tonight's episode again for free, go to ABC.com tomorrow morning.

Next week's episode, Episode 3.18, titled "D.O.C.", will air at 10/9c only on ABC.