Jughead

Lost season 5 continued to move along, although not at the same lightning quick pace established last week, in episode three, "Jughead." While the pace slowed a bit, the answers are still coming strong. We are starting to see characters in a different way, and the time travel elements of the show, while still a little confusing, are helping to flesh out the history of the island.

Charlie (Hume?)

We begin the episode with the birth of Desmond and Penny's son. They don't refer to him by name for most of the episode, but later reveal that his name is Charlie. This is a sweet gesture to remember the Drive Shaft rocker who sacrificed himself to save Desmond and everyone else on the island. But the way Lost fans are, theories are starting to develop over baby Hume. Who does baby Charlie grow up to be? I've read everything from Charlie Pace to Charles Widmore to Charlotte. Let's just let this one play out people. This is probably a case of the fans looking for something that just isn't there.

The Others

We learned a lot about the history of The Others during this episode. Last week, we had seen members of a military group capture Sawyer and Juliette and then get taken down by Locke. This week, another fraction of that group captures Miles, Daniel and Charlotte, after more red shirts are killed from a trip wire by the creek. They are brought to the Others main camp. During the capture, Ellie (more on her later) asked Daniel, You just couldn't stay away, could you?, making the audience wonder how many times has Daniel been on the island? But it turned out to just be that she assumes they were part of the American military, not that she recognized Daniel.

Meanwhile, Juliette, Sawyer and Locke learn that the military guys speak Latin, alerting Juliette that they are indeed Others. Juliette breaks out some Latin herself and lets us know that all Others can speak it. When one of the captives starts giving too much info, "Jones" snaps his neck and makes a run for it. Locke doesn't shoot at him because he's one of his people.

Lots of information to digest in these scenes. How do all the Others learn Latin? Does this have anything to do with Room 23 or are we looking into this too much? Also even though they are in the past, Locke feels like he is the leader of the Others.

Richard Alpert

During Juliette's dialogue in Latin, she asks the Others about Richard Alpert. We later see that he is the leader at the campsite. Locke asks Juliette how she knew Richard would be here, and she says that he's always been here. They confirm that he's really old. So Juliette and the rest of the Others know about Richard's agelessness. And he's always been there? That's a generic statement, but it may also mean a lot. Has he been there since the island was created? What's his connection to the island and why isn't he the permanent leader of the Others? Why does he take a backseat to Ben, Locke or whoever else?

Jughead

At the Others camp, we learn why this episode it titled "Jughead." Jughead is the name of a hydrogen bomb that the U.S. military had brought to the island. They had been testing these types of weapons in this area. The Others killed the soldiers and now have the bomb. Richard says that they were force to do this, but it looks like it wasn't his decision. He tells Daniel that we all answer to somebody.

Daniel convicnces Richard that he needs to disarm the bomb or they're all in danger. It turns out there's a crack in the casing and the way to solve that issue is to cover it with lead or concrete and bury it. Hmm, where have we seen a thick wall of concrete with some radiation and other weird properties going on behind it? Maybe the Swan hatch?

How does the bomb play out in the future of the island? Is it indeed buried in/near the Swan Hatch location? Does the radiation from the bomb have anything to do with the incident or the inability of women to conceive on the island? Also, how did the U.S. military know the location of the island? Did they just happen upon it? If they did know the location, have they tried to go back too?

Wow, would you look at that, more questions after watching a Lost episode. Who would have thunk it?

So we meet again, again, again ...

Last time Locke and Richard spoke, Richard gave him the compass and told him that the next time they meet, he won't recognize Locke. Well, here we see the next time they meet. Locke walks right into camp and to prove to Richard that he needs to listen to him, he says that Jacob sent him. This gets Richard's trust right away. So we learn that Jacob is a force even during this time on the island.

Locke gives Richard the compass, but Richard doesn't seem to know why. Locke tries to convince him that he's the Others' leader, but Richard mentions the selection process starts when the person is young. We learn that the year is 1954 and that Locke is born two years later. Richard seems to believe Locke, but he won't give him the piece of information that he needs, how to get off the island. Richard says that's privelaged information. We see the flash coming, and boom Locke's off to another time.

We learned a ton from this meeting. We now know why Richard was present at Locke's birth. Locke himself told him when and where he'd be born. We also know why Richard was so insistent on Locke picking the compass when he visited him as a boy. There's a big circle thoughout time forming with this compass. Don't even try to wrap your brain around how this compass can even exist. Future Richard gives it to Locke, Locke gives it to past Richard, who gives it to future Locke. It's just one big circle.

We also learn why the Others are so thrilled to see Locke and why they've been waiting for him. The Others first meet John Locke in 1954 and he tells them he's their leader, then he disappears. For years, they've heard about this man and then in 2004 he appears on their island again. Of course they are going to think he's special, they've known about him for 50+ years.

Jones = Widmore

Fans have long assumed that Charles Widmore had been on the island in the past, based on his and Ben's conversation last season. But what capacity he held on the island was an unknown. There was speculation that he was part of Black Rock or Rousseau's group, but we now know that he was part of the Others long before Ben was even a thought.

Locke's line was funny when he realized that he was Charles Widmore. So how did Charles leave the island and why? Was he banished? Did he have to move it? Why is he so eager to get back now? How long was he there? Questions, questions, questions.

Ellie

We were introduced to a new Other (or were we?) in this episode. Part of the Others group that captured Daniel and company was a young woman, who we later learn is named Ellie. Daniel is caught staring at her and mentions that she resembles someone, but doesn't say who.

With everything pointing toward Ms. Hawking as Daniel's mom (Widmore gives Desmond her address in Los Angeles, where we saw Ms. Hawking and Ben las week), does Ellie remind Desmond of his mother? In the enhanced replay of "The Lie," it was revealed that Ms. Hawking's name is Eloise. This has yet to be revealed on the show, so we'll have to see if it is true, but could Ellie be short for Eloise? Also, remember Daniel's mouse from "The Constant" was named Eloise too.

It would fit that Ms. Hawking was a member of the Others in the 1950s, but what role does she play now? Is she also trying to get back to the island or just protect it? What is her relationship with Charles Widmore? Theories are starting to form that Widmore is Daniel's father. I'm not sure if I buy that one, but we'll see.

Other Thoughts

The episode ends with Charlotte experiencing a major nosebleed and collapsing. Daniel tries to revive her and holds her in his arms. What will be her fate? Why hasn't Daniel told her what's happening to her? Does she need a constant or is this sickness something totally different, since we know/assume she was born on the island?

It seems as though Daniel knows exactly what's happening to Charlotte. Could it be because he saw the same thing happen to Theresa Spencer? We see Theresa in a vegetive state and her sister informs us that she's out right now. When she comes to, she'll think she's 3 or that she's talking to their father. Sounds a lot like the consciousness jumping that Desmond did in "The Constant." Two surprising things from this scene: Daniel left her like this and fleed to the states and Charles Widmore has been funding her care.

Not sure why Daniel would have left her like this, but obviously something serious happend. His lab is all packed up and basically hidden away and Oxford erased him from their history. We learn that Widmore had funded Daniel's research, so he knows all about time travel ... maybe from encountering Locke on the island or has he time jumped himself?

Another thing that we learn is that Daniel knows about Miles' ability to talk to the dead. When they walk over a fresh grave of U.S. soldiers, Miles tells Daniel. Not a big reveal, but an answer nonetheless.

Lastly, here's something that I wonder if they'll address. We've seen what happens when Locke and the group flash, but what is it like from the other people's (Ethan, Richard, the Others) perspective? Richard was talking to Locke one second, the next, does he just disappear right in front of him?

Next on Lost: The Little Prince

*Photos from Lost-Media.com

LSU Alumnus Choosen to Ref the Super Bowl

LSU graduate Terry McAulay has been selected to referee Super Bowl XLIII. This will be his second Super Bowl to officiate.

I was not aware that MsAulay was an LSU graduate, but it's great to see fellow alumni on such a huge stage as the Super Bowl ... as long as he doesn't blow any calls.

Drew Brees Named 2008 FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year

Congratulations to Drew Brees on being named the 2008 FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year today. This is the second time Brees wins the award.

The Vikings Adrian Peterson was named the Ground Player of the Year today as well.

Totally Lost

I've mentioned a time or two that I enjoy EW.com's Doc Jensen's Lost blog. Now he's doing a video preview, called "Totally Lost," on EW.com, where he gives theories, rehashes episodes, answers questions, and gives teasers for upcoming episodes. Check out the season premiere. Also, here's his teaser blog on tonight's episode, "Jughead."

Lingering Thoughts on Lost

Here are a few more random thoughts on the first two episodes of Lost, after a few days of checking out recaps and talking about the episode with others:

• Does the island move every 108 minutes? Since the hatch is gone and the energy has been released by the frozen donkey wheel, there's nothing to harness the energy anymore (i.e. someone pushing the button)
• In season 1's "Deus Ex Machina," Locke has a dream/vision where he see's the Nigerian airplane ... well, in "Because You Left" he's sees the plane crash after the island moved to that point in time. So Locke's vision really wasn't a vision, was it a memory?
• Desmond and Penny are now married, as they both are wearing wedding bands on the sailboat
• What did Ben have stashed in the hotel air conditioner vent? Just before he tells Jack to go pack his bag because he's never coming back, Ben retrieves something from inside the vent.
  
• A lot of people were wondering who Neil Frogurt was and why he was getting so much screen time. He was mentioned as a character in the producers' Podcast and was mentioned on the show by Bernard in "S.O.S." He was also featured an one of the online mobisodes with Hurley
• This was an interesting catch by some. When Sun's passport is shown on the computer at the airport, its just the Photoshop window where they created it in production. You can see on the botton tab that Photoshop is the only program open:

Have you seen Star Wars?

If you haven't seen Star Wars ... wait, there are people who haven't seen Star Wars? What's wrong with you?

Anyway, here's a funny take on the films from someone who'd only seen bits and pieces of the original trilogy:


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Long Live Locke's Lost Recap

My favorite Lost blog, Long Live Locke, has posted a recap/thoughts on "Because You Left," the first episode of season 5, and I highly recommend reading it if your a Lost fan.

Her recap gives great insight into the premiere and where the series may take us this season. She also points back to some things from season 1 that may have been the clues that the producers have talked about to prove that they were going to do a time-travel show all along.

So check it out at Long Live Locke. She'll post her thoughts on "The Lie" in the next day or so.

In other Lost news, ABC will show an "enhanced" version of "The Lie" on Wednesday night before the new episode, "Jughead."

Update: Here's the recap for "The Lie"

Because You Left/The Lie

Lost season 5 kicked off with the first two episodes, "Because You Left" and "The Lie," and did these episodes ever deliver! For two hours straight, Lost was in full-speed, blow your mind mode. Here are my thoughts on the start of season 5:

Opening Scene/Marvin Candle

So season 5 starts off with a similar montage as season 2, but this time instead of Desmond, we get Dr. Marvin Candle/ Mark Wickmund/Edgar Halliwax, or better yet Pierre Chang. He’s living with his family (including an infant) on the island. The baby is an important element. Was it born on the island? This could become a vital piece of information to discover when/how the infertility issue started. And don't overlook the fact that the record started skipping, that comes into play later on the show.

Chang is part of the Dharma Initiative and goes in to film one of the orientation videos, but he gets interrupted by a worker from The Orchid.

Apparently, they are drilling in the area of the donkey wheel, and they hit some energy that melted their drill. Chang realizes what’s behind the rock and tells them to stop the drilling, stop the oil … stop the drilling, stop the oil. Wait, that was actually an episode of Saved by the Bell. Anyway, they stop drilling and Chang tells them that they are working with that energy to study time travel. Whoa! Then it gets even crazier as one of our favorite freighter folk, Daniel Faraday is posing as a Dharma worker.

Let the season 5 craziness begin. Based on what we see later in the premiere, we aren’t sure how this scene fits in with the rest of the show. The rest of season 5 may work toward how Faraday got to this moment, and this may be the key to them getting unstuck in time.
So what happened to the island after it was moved?

What was that I said about getting unstuck in time?

Well, after the island was moved, it started skipping around through time, going anywhere in the past, present or future. One minute the camp is there, the next, it’s gone. One minute the Swan Hatch is a creator the next, it’s in tact. The explanation, it hasn’t been built yet. WOW.

This is going to be a confusing plot element to follow and hopefully, it gets explained further. I have many questions about the time jumping.

Daniel said that no matter how hard they try they can’t alter the future. What was supposed to happen will happen no matter what (Remember the course correcting speech from “Flashes Before Your Eyes”). Sawyer tries to go in the Swan hatch, but Daniel said no one will answer the door because that event never happened … yet a few moments later, he knocks and has a conversation with Desmond, which present day Desmond later remembers. So was Desmond being entirely truthful with Sawyer or was he worried that Sawyer would do something that would negatively alter the future. Daniel tells Desmond that he can save them all, and that he has to go find his mom at Oxford.

Then there’s the demise of Neil, aka Frogurt. He has been a background character on the show and was featured in one of the mobisodes from last year. He has some screen time in season 5, complains a bit, argues with Rose and gets a flaming arrow through the chest. My question is, how can these people die in the past? Will this alter their futureselves? Looking at time as a straight stream, were they always meant to go to the past and die? Was that their “future” no matter what they did? My head hurts.

That brings me to our man Jeremy Bentham, I mean John Locke. He was standing around as the new leader of the Others when the island was moved and boom, he’s all alone in the raining jungle. He sees the Nigerian drug plane, runs into Ethan (who has no idea who he is) and shoots him in the leg, meets up with Richard Alpert (who seems to know what’s going on) and is gives him a compass because Locke won’t know him the next time he sees him.

So the next time Locke and Richard meet up, it will be before they met on the island … remember Richard met Locke when he was a boy off the island. Oh yeah, and one of the items that Richard had Locke choose from at that time was a compass. How will these meetings all tie together? And if Richard has been checking in on Locke his whole life, then how far back will their next meeting take place in time?

These time jumps are confusing but fun. It’s weird that the island is moving all through time or is it our survivors moving? Remember, Ethan isn’t jumping around, neither is Richard or the people who tried to cut off Juliette’s hands (who were those guys anyway? Good thing Locke remembered his knife throwing skills and saved the day).

The only ones being affected are the beach camp group, Sawyer, Juliette, Daniel and the raft group and Locke. So with everything else on the island seeming to remain the same, except where it is in time, could the survivors run into their past selves? Say the island stops on the day of the crash or soon after, will the see themselves on the beach? Could this be the source of the whispers? Is it their future selves sitting back and watching their past selves? Am I even making any sense?

Charlotte’s nosebleeds and headaches … The Sickness

We’ve seen some issues with jumping around in time before on the island. Desmond felt them, and Minkowski ended up dying from it. Now we seek Charlotte experiencing signs of this sickness, or is it THE SICKNESS? Daniel obviously knows what’s happening to her. Desmond needed a constant to avoid being killed by it, so who will be Charlotte’s constant? Does Daniel even know how to save her? Will he tell her what’s happening to her?

The Oceanic 6

Off the island, in more present day, Ben and Jack are formulating a plan to get back to the island. So far they have Locke’s body and need to get Hurley, Sayid, Kate, Aaron and Sun to come back with them. Sayid sprung Hurley out of the mental institute, but someone is after them. After some Jason Bourne type moves, Hurley and Sayid are on the run. Sayid is unconscious and Hurley becomes America’s Most Wanted. Eventually, Sayid is taken to Jack, who revives him. Ben confronts Hurley and heeding Sayid’s advice, he does the opposite of what Ben asks and turns himself into the police.

Kate and Aaron are on the run after lawyers of an unknown client (Charles Whidmore?) want a blood sample to prove that Aaron’s not Kate’s son. Speaking of Sun, we aren’t sure what to think of her yet. She meets up with Whidmore once again and shares with him their common interest, killing Ben. I doubt Sun will be easy to convince to go back to the island now. It’s even harder to read her based on her conversation with Kate, where she basically blames Kate for Jin’s death, then tells her, I don’t blame you. Whose side is Sun really on?

The Lie

Not only do we have the island jumping around time on the island and the “flashforward” future of the Oceanic 6, we also get the classic TV element of “3 Years Earlier” to show events in the past. It’s during this “3 Years Earlier” segment that we see the Oceanic 6 reasoning out why they have to lie. Hurley is strongly against lying, but no one will back him up, not even Sayid. They decide that lying is the best option, and Hurley regrets it ever since. He eventually tells his mom the truth and the entire plot of Lost is summed up in about 2 minutes. What a crazy, unbelievable story it is too? Hurley’s mom says she believes him, but I have my doubts.

Ana Lucia

With Sayid unconscious, Hurley is freaking out and doesn’t know what to do. He even gets pulled over by the cops. Oh no, busted … actually, the cop turns out to be none other than season 2’s most hated character, Ana Lucia, who tells Hurley basically get his stuff together and get busy. Oh yeah, she also tells him not to get arrested. Uh oh.

And Libby says hi.

I get by with a little help from my friends

Off the island, Ben is back in his element of being the leader. He’s got Jack cleaned up and is working on a plan to get back to the island. But he’s not alone in his efforts. Just like Ben having a man on the boat, he has someone working for him at … the butcher shop? He leaves Locke’s body with one of his Others? at the butcher shop, while he and Jack rally the Oceanic 6.

Later in the episode we are revisited by another character from Lost seasons past, Ms. Hawking. You remember her from “Flashes before Your Eyes” right? After checking out the message boards last night, I can’t believe so many people were asking who the old lady Ben met was. Many thought Ben called her Annie Locke, when he actually asked her, any luck? As in any luck finding the island?

It looks like she did find it after working some Daniel Faraday-like equations and imputing information in a Dharma-like computer, but Ben only has 70 hours to get there. Not good considering Hurley just got put in jail for killing 4, no 3, however many people. On top of that, he almost got hit in the face with a hot pocket. Not one of Ben’s better days, to say the least.

Other thoughts

Wow, how do we digest all of that information? I touched on the highpoints of what I remember from the premiere, but I’m sure there’s a ton of stuff that I overlooked. Many fans are already speculated on who Faraday’s mom will be, with Ms. Hawking being the leader in the clubhouse. The way the episode was put together sort of insinuated that.

The way the island is jumping around reminds me of Jacob’s cabin jumping around. I think there’s a lot more to the relationship among the island, the cabin and time. Maybe now that the entire island is moving, the cabin will stay in one spot.

Ben is still up to his old antics. We aren’t sure who’s being played in his game. He left the island and put Locke in charge of the Others, but he still has a group of people working with him off the island. Are these people (including Ms. Hawking) part of the Others or a different group? Did they live on the island at one time?

One more thing on Ms. Hawking. She seemed to be in the basement of a church. Ben was upstairs lighting candles when she appeared. Remember the photo of her and Brother Campbell, the monk, in “Catch 22”? Not sure what it means, but here's the photo.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with one last question to ponder: Is Locke dead? Richard tells him on the island that he’ll have to die and it sure looks like he’s dead in the present day. But Jack asks Ben if he’s dead and Ben avoids responding.

Next on Lost: Jughead

*Photos from Lost-Media.com

SI Mock Draft

With the Senior Bowl practices taking place this week, the NFL Draft discussions are heating up. Sports Illustrated's Don Banks posted his first mock draft of 2009 today.

Here's his take on the Saints selection:

14. OLB Brian Cushing, USC:
The Saints defense needs playmakers and Cushing is a versatile talent who can hold up in both run defense and pass defense, and he has a knack for coming up with the key play at the key moment. This could be a bit high for Cushing, but he's the kind of winning player some teams are willing to stretch a bit for.

The Lost premiere from around the Web

So what did everyone think of the season 5 premiere of Lost? I'm still trying to collect my thoughts on "Because you Left" & "The Lie." I think we are in for a rollarcoaster ride of a season.

In the meantime, here are a few recaps and tidbits about the premiere:

• Damon and Carlton talk a bit about their thoughts on the season premiere
• Doc Jensen's look at "Because you Left"
• Doc Jensen's look at "The Lie"
• Things I Noticed by DarkUFO Lost recapper Vozzek69
• Easter Eggs/Screencaps from the premiere episodes
• Another recap, with some great theories
  

LSU Moves into First Place in SEC West

With LSU's victory over Miss State last night, the Tigers have moved into a first place tie with the Bulldogs in the SEC West. LSU beat the Bulldogs 81-57, just a few days after beating the other SEC school from Mississippi, Ole Miss, 83-51.

There's still a lot of basketball to be played, and Saturday's game against Xavier will be a big test for the Tigers to gauge if they really are a legitimate NCAA Tournament team. Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, one thing is clear, Trent Johnson has the program headed in the right direction.

Lost Mysteries: Wrap Up

It's been fun looking back on some of the mysteries on Lost, but the wait is over. Season 5 premieres tonight with a 3 hour event. So will season 5 deliver or will it feel like the ending of The Empire Strikes Back (a great movie, but an ending that just leaves you hanging), since this is just the set up for the last season?

From the non-spoilers that I've looked at, I think that this year will deliver. All indications are that the show's creators have kept their foot on the gas and we will zoom through the last two years of the show. We'll get answer after answer right away and open up a whole new can of worms to get us asking new questions or the same questions in different ways.

That's part of the reason why I wanted to look back at some of my favorite mysteries on the show. I wanted to see where the show has been before we know where its going. Here is the list of mysteries I have looked at over the past couple of weeks:

• The Four-Toed Statue
• Adam & Eve
• Food Drops
• Colleen's Funeral
• Libby
• The Runway
• Ms. Hawking
• The Numbers
• Black Rock
• Cindy and the children
• The Whispers

I hope to continue analyzing Lost's mysteries on this blog. I didn't really delve into a couple of the major ones yet such as Jacob, Christian Sheppard, the Smoke Monster, Walt and the ageless Richard Alpert. I feel like this season will give us more information on them and may force us to look at them in a different way. Plus they are among the most talked about mysteries, so there's plenty of theories and information out there on them.

That's not even to mention mysteries like what happened to Claire, is Jin alive, what's up with Room 23, how can an island really be moved and what happens when it is, and countless others. We'll have a ton of new questions and mysteries to discuss throughout the season as well.

Here are a few more articles to get you ready for tonight:

• One of the best Lost blogs around, LongLiveLocke, posted her season 5 preview by looking at her top 5 mysteries remaining.
  
• TV Guide catches you up on where all the characters are heading into season 5
• Here are some of the top theories floating around the Interwebs
• Here's an interview with Jorge Garcia, aka Hurley
• An interview with Michael Emerson, aka Ben
• More questions fans want answered here and here
• 10 Things to Know Before Season 5
  

LSU Baseball Receives High Rankings

LSU baseball is receiving high accolades in presesaon polls. The Tigers are ranked #1 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's poll. They are #2 in both Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls.

LSU opens the season Feb. 20 against Villanova. SEC play starts March 13 with a series against Kentucky.

The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama

It was a historic day for our country as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States earlier today. Almost everyone I know was watching the inauguration live, whether they were at school, home or watching it over the Internet (Thank you ITS for streaming the event for those of us at work).

The country is at a crossroads now and whether you voted for him or not, the changing of the guard to President Obama is a major milestone in our country's history. Now he has a lot of work to do, and it will be interesting to see what his first moves as president will be.

Lost Mysteries: The Whispers

Going back to season 1 of Lost, there has been the strange occurrence of whispers in the jungle. No explanation is given and the characters don't really address what they hear. (Sayid and Sawyer mention the whispers to each other, but that's about it). So what are the whispers all about?

Some of the whispers seem to be hidden tracks in the show. Since Lost has a crazy fan following and each episode is over analyzed, fans have found whispers hidden in the show's audio track, other than the obvious ones heard on the show. A full transcript of some of the whispers can be found on Lostpedia. They are interested to read through to see some of the character names mentioned and some of the voices used as whispers.

So what are they whispers? Are they a product of the island? The Smoke Monster? The Dead? Are they just something the show added to crank up the mystery and get fans talking? Do all the people on the island hear them or only one person?

When fans first heard the whispers in season 1, it was a sign that this wasn't your typically prime time drama. Now that we are approaching season 5, will these whispers come into play more and more?

Lost Mysteries: Cindy and the children

Remember Cindy? No ... well, think back to the Pilot episode. The flight attendant on the plane who gave Jack some extra Vodka, that was Cindy. Ok, flash forward to season 2, she was part of the tail section survivors. Later in that season, she unexpectedly disappeared ("Abandoned").

So what happened to Cindy, well, would you believe the Others took her? Yep. As we see in season 3's "Stranger in a Strange Land," she along with the kids the Others took in the first season, Zach and Emma, are living among the Others group. When Jack is being held hostage in the bear cages on the Hydra island, Cindy tells him that they are there to watch. What are they their to watch?

Jack also asked her how she had ended up with the Others, and she said its not that simple. What does she mean? She was kidnapped by them and now she freely lives among them.

She is seen among the Others a couple more times in season 3, but hasn't been talked about since then. So where has she been? Is she among the group that was moving to the Temple? Was she among the group of Others that Locke came to lead? Why does she seem content to live among the Others and not give any information to Jack? Has she been brainwashed in Room 23?

I hope we get some payoff on the Cindy storyline, as her story will likely reveal much about the Others back story.

Lost Update

We're just one day away from the season 5 premiere of Lost, so there are lots of Lost related articles and videos on the Internets today. But watch out if you want to stay spoiler free because a few Lost sites already have clips of the first 2-hours of the season.

Here are a few things I checked out:

• A good Q & A with Damon Lindelof in the N.J. Star-Ledger (A couple of spoilerish questions at the very end)
• A recap/photo gallery of all 82 episodes that have aired. Click on the episode titles for summaries and thoughts on a reviewing project, "We have to go back to Lost."
• An article about Lost's script coordinator, who tries to keep up with the show's continuity.
• Doc Jensen's video interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse ... this is good stuff.
  

CP3!

This guy is good:

Lost Mysteries: Black Rock

When the term Black Rock is first stated on Lost, it seems to describe a location on the island. While this is technically correct, when we see Black Rock in season 1's Exodus, question after question pops in our heads.

So the Black Rock is a trading ship that was carrying slaves, who were shackled and chained up. They also carried a lot of dynamite. They just so happened to shipwreck on the island. Of course its shipwrecked on the beach, right? Nope, it can be found in the middle of the jungle. Weird. But just par the course on this island.

So what's the deal with the Black Rock? Where did it come from and where was it going? How long has it been on the island? And most importantly, how does it tie into the overall mystery of the island?

Magnus Hanso is said to be the owner/captain of the vessel. On the blast door map, the Black Rock is identified as the final resting place of Magnus. So is this how the Hanso Foundation and/or Dharma came to learn about the island? Or is the Magnus Hanso information more for the online/alternate reality games like the Lost Experience?

With all the connections we seen so far on the show and the craziness dealing with time, there's a ton of speculation that we've seen one or more of the Black Rock's crew before. This guy, who may or may not be aging ? or maybe this one, who seems to have some kind of obsession with the ship? He did buy the ship's ledger at auction (but how did it ever get off the island anyway and what is in it?).

The Black Rock has deep roots in the mystery of Lost and many of our biggest questions can be tied in with it. There is a lot more to the Black Rock and seasons 5 & 6 will likely shed some light on how it landed on our favorite island.

Lost Myseries: The Numbers

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 ... THE NUMBERS!!! Every Lost fan knows them by heart, but what do they mean? That is one of the biggest questions Lost fans want answered on the show.

Sure there was that whole Valenzetti Equation explanation from one of the Lost alternative reality games (The Lost Experience), but if it didn't happen on the show, it isn't taken as Lost fact. The producers of the show have said that casual viewers won't have to do more than just watch the show to get information. Sure the online games, mock Web sites and fake ads are fun, but the key information for Lost is given during Lost episodes.

So what does that mean for the Numbers? Will we ever get a true explanation for them? Why do we keep seeing them in different places? Do they really have power and if so, what gives them that power? Are they bad luck/cursed?

Unfortunately for Lost fans, the producers have hinted that we may never find out the true meaning of the numbers. In 2005, Damon Lindelof said that we may never know what the Numbers mean, but there was a huge backlash from the fans over this. They've since used Star Wars as a reference to why we should be careful what we ask for.

Here's the way Damon Lindelof put it:
There are some questions that are very engaging and interesting, and then there are other questions that we have no interest whatsoever in answering. We call it the midi-chlorian debate, because at a certain point, explaining something mystical demystifies it. To try and have a character come and say, "Here is what the numbers mean," actually makes every usage of the numbers up to that point less interesting.

You can actually watch Star Wars now, and when Obi-Wan talks about the Force to Luke for the first time, it loses its luster because the Force has been explained as, sort of, little biological agents that are in your blood stream. So you go, "Oh, I liked Obi-Wan's version a lot better." Which in the case of our show is, "The numbers are bad luck, they keep popping up in Hurley's life, they appear on the island." ... But if you're watching the show for a detailed explanation of what the numbers mean—and I'm not saying you won't see more of them—then you will be disappointed by the end of season six.

So sadly Lost fans, I think we'll be left with the Lost Experience definition of the numbers, and we can then interpret them in our own way.

But its always fun to watch the episodes and try to find where they numbers have appeared. From kids jersey numbers in the airport to the Oceanic 815 seat numbers to the speedometer on Hurley's car, the numbers keep popping up.

NFL Championship Game Predictions

The NFL playoffs are winding down with the conference championship games this weekend. This year's playoffs have been surprising and the championship games give us some unlikely matchups.

Eagles at Cardinals:
Both of these teams won 9 games in the regular season, but they've gotten hot at the right time. I'm going with the underdog and surprising Cardinals to make their first ever Superbowl.

Prediction:
Eagles 21
Cardinals 29

Ravens at Steelers:
Will the third time be a charm for the Ravens? These two teams met twice during the regular season with Pittsburgh winning close games. I think the Steelers defense will rattle the rookie QB and their offense will do just enough to get by the Ravens monster defense.

Prediction:
Ravens 10
Steelers 17

Lost Mysteries: Ms. Hawking

Where do I begin with today's mystery? I'm not even sure I can explain what I want to know about her, but the character of Ms. Hawking is a complete mystery on Lost.

Ms. Hawking first appeared in season 3's "Flashes Before Your Eyes," and her only other appearance on the show has been in season 3's "Catch 22" episode. Both of these are Desmond "flashback" stories. I use the term flashback, but really, these are the first two Lost episodes that directly deal with time travel, a rumored big theme of season 5.

So what is up with Ms. Hawking? She is first seen in the jewelry store where Desmond buys Penny's engagement ring. When Desmond is ready to buy it, she doesn't let him. This is where one of the most interesting speeches ever given on Lost takes place. Here's the recap from Lostpedia:

When she shows him a ring and he tells her he'll take it, she seems upset and responds by telling Desmond he will not. After Desmond refuses to give the ring back she explains to Desmond that she knows his name, that he will break Penny's heart, he will not marry her, instead entering the sailing race to prove Penny's father wrong, and that he went to the Island and pressed the button for three years until he was forced to turn the failsafe key. She says that if he "doesn't do those things", that "every single one of us is dead".

Now keep in mind, this is a flashback for Desmond, but he has jumped back in time from the moment he turned the failsafe key in the Swan Station. He is in his past body, but has memories of himself on the island. Confused yet? Good. I think we're all supposed to be.

The show hasn't touched much on Ms. Hawking since then. The only thing that become a recurring theme was her course correcting line later in the episode (basically, you can't avoid death ... the universe has a way of course correcting), which sucks for Charlie.

So who is Ms. Hawking? Is she an Other, a manifestation of the island or something else? How does she know so much about Desmond and the island? Was she the original person in the jewelry store or was she just there after Desmond jumped back in time? Why is she in the photo with the monk in "Catch-22"?

Who is she talking about when she says every single one of us are dead, if Desmond doesn't go to the island and push the button? Does she mean us, as in everyone in the world? The Others? Time travelers?

At the time of its airing, this episode blew away the Lost audience. Years later, we are still trying to figure out what is going on in "Flashes Before Your Eyes." That, my friend, is the definition of a good television episode, and this was one of the best on Lost.

Saints Hire Gregg Williams as DC

Saints fans got some great news today, the team has reached an agreement with Gregg Williams to be the new defensive coordinator. While this most alone won't fix the Saints defensive issues, this hiring shows that the Saints are serious about getting their defense in shape.

Williams was one of the hottest coordinator candidates available and for him to go to the Saints shows that New Orleans is a viable playoff contender in the near future. With the league's most potent offense, Williams will have a chance to improve the other side of the ball.

There are some nice NFL players on the Saints defense, but there are more areas that need to be improved. The secondary is still a mess and the defensive ends can't get consistent pressure on the QB. With free agency starting in March, it will be interesting to see what free agents decide to play in New Orleans in Williams' aggressive defense.

Saints Brown Added to Pro Bowl Roster

Congratulations to the Saints OT Jammal Brown for getting a trip to the Pro Bowl. He had been named as an alternate and was activated to go to the game, joining Drew Brees in representing the Saints.

Q & A with Lost Creators

Here's a good Q & A with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse from the Chicago Tribune. There are some juicy details about the show included, but the author took out all the spoilerish stuff and she'll post those answers after the premeire next week.

LSU News, Quick Change Tonight

Today, RB Charles Scott and OT Ciron Black announced that they will return to LSU next season. There have also been reports that WR Brandon LaFell is going pro, but LSU contends that he's still undecided. He has until tomorrow to declare for the draft. Lastly, QB Andrew Hatch didn't enroll at LSU this semester and won't be back with the team in the fall.

The LSU basketball team takes on South Carolina tonight and everyone I know is pumped up that Quick Change is the halftime entertainment. If you haven't seen Quick Chance, he is the best halftime show around. Words can't describe his act, b/c when you try to explain it to someone one it comes across as dumb and unbelievable. But believe me, it is worth checking out.

Here's a video of them on America's Got Talent:

Lost Mysteries: The Runway

In season 3 of Lost, Kate, Sawyer and Jack have been capture by the Others and are brought to a second island, home to the Hydra Station. Sawyer, Kate and a few other people are forced to do hard labor by breaking and moving rocks. Sawyer later asks Juliette what they were building and she replies a runway ... for the aliens.

So are they really building a runway? If so, why? With the island's properties, we've seen that flying near it causes the aircraft to do some crazy things. Maybe that's why the "runway" was being built on the second island and not the main one. I have my doubts that it was a runway though. What else could the work have been for?

Besides the beginning of season 3 ("The Glass Ballerina" and "I Do"), we haven't seen the runway area again. Sawyer asks Juliette about it in the finale "Through the Looking Glass" but the way she answers about aliens, the audience has doubts about what they were building.

So now that Ben has left the island, will there be more to the runway story? We'll just have to wait and see.

Braves Add Pitching

After losing fan favorite and future Hall of Famer John Smoltz to the Red Sox, the Braves worked toward actually having enough arms to form a pitching rotation by signing Derek Lowe and former Japanese Central League MVP Kenshin Kawakami.

After missing out on guys like Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett, the Braves had to settle for other options. With Smoltz gone and Tom Glavine still injured and unsigned, the Braves rotation will definatley have a new look next year.

I don't know much abotu Kawakami, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to playing in the United States. Derek Lowe is a name pitcher in the Big Leagues, but he has had an up and down career. The Braves have been known for their solid pitching and haven't really had to rebuild their rotation in a while. It's safe to say that times have changed in Atlanta, but will this new approach work at keeping the Braves as one of the most popular and competitive teams in MLB?

Doc Jensen's Season 5 Preview

Doc Jensen's column at EW.com is a must read during the Lost season, but today he posted a season 5 preview column. It isn't really spoilerish (he does give away one or two tidbits about the season, but nothing that hasn't been discussed elsewhere or can't easily be deduced from following the series).

To prepare for season 5, he recommneds rewatching five Lost episods from the past:

• ''THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (PARTS 2 AND 3)''
• ''FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES''
• ''THE CONSTANT''
• ''CABIN FEVER''
• and the video from this past year's Comic Con

Rewatching those should hold you over until Jan. 21. ABC will also reair, "There's No Place Like Home" on Jan. 14, so you can catch up on last season's finale then.

Lastly, Doc. Jensen leaves readers with a new theory that while a little out there based on the context of the scenes he talks about, makes a ton of sense for the show. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Lost Mysteries: Libby

There are numerous mysteries surrounding the character Libby on Lost, but unfortunately, the show's creators have indicated that her story on Lost is completed. To this I say, no it's not.

Libby was part of the tail section survivors, who we met in season 2. She claimed to be a clinical psychologist and on the island, she and Hurley formed a relationship. She was "accidentally" shot by Michael and later died on the island.

The biggest mystery with Libby is why was she in Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. We see her at the end of "Dave" sitting near Hurley. But when Hurley thought that he knew her from somewhere, she denied that they had ever met.

The other big plot point involving Libby is that she provided Desmond with the sailboat that he used in the race around the world. The "Elizabeth" was her late husband David's boat and after initially turning down her offer, Desmond uses the boat and eventually ends up on the island. ("Live Together, Die Alone").

After Libby was killed on the island, we've seen her in Michael's visions but it doesn't look like she'll be back on the show. We don't know her last name, don't why she was flying from Sydney, don't know why she was institutionalized, don't know who her husband was, or why she would give the boat to a total stranger in Desmond (or did she somehow know him?).

There are many theories about her, including that she worked for Charles Widmore (to set up Desmond). She is one of the other people who the Oceanic 6 claim to have survived the crash, but later died. There may not be any significance to this, but it was probably Hurley's way of remembering her.

Lost Mysteries: Colleen's Funeral

Today's mystery is one that caught my attention at the time, but it hasn't really been discussed or focused on much since. In season 3, one of the Others, Colleen, is killed by Sun and despite Jack's efforts, she dies. What follows in "The Cost of Living" is a bizarre funeral practice.

Jack is taken to the funeral site on the beach, where everyone dons loose white clothing. Colleen's body is placed on a raft and set afire. She is then pushed off to sea while the country song "I Wonder" by Brenda Lee is played. Can you say Wha?

While this may technically not be one of the big mysteries on the show, its one that I wondered about, and with all we've learn about Ben and the Others, stuff like this sticks out to me. The funeral practice is similar to those in Viking, Roman, Buddhist and Hindu burial traditions. But why do the Others employ this method? We've seen many Others killed since, but this is the funeral that they've had. So why was Colleen's death different?

Colleen is sent out to sea, so where does her body end up? Does it do like Desmond did when he tried to leave and just float around the "snow globe" or does it head for the correct bearing and leave the island's field? Is there something to the Other's connection with the island that they feel that they can't bury their deceased on the island and have to send them out to sea? And what's with the Brenda Lee song?

This is a mystery that will likely go unsolved. I'm sure we'll learn more about the Others, but I doubt they specifically address this funeral practice. This doesn't fall into the big mysteries on the show like the smoke monster, the numbers or what is the island. But its still a fun and interesting one to discuss.

Lost Season 4 Quiz

Want a refresher of Lost season 4? Try this quiz from EW.com. I only got 25 out of 34 correct, but a couple of those were b/c I can't spell.

Smoltz Leaves the Braves for Red Sox

A little part of my childhood ended this past week when I found out John Smoltz was leaving the Atlanta Braves for the Boston Red Sox. I've been a Braves fan ever since I started following MLB and for as long as I can remember watching the Braves, Smoltz has been part of the team.

I started following the Braves when I was young, mainly because of TBS. Being from Louisiana, we don't have a professional baseball team, so most people here follow the Houston Astros (since they are the closest to us), the Braves (b/c of TBS) or the Cubs (b/c of WGN). I chose the Braves.

In the past few years, TBS started to show other teams' games, so I didn't get to follow the Braves as much, but I am still a huge fan and I enjoyed watching no player more than Smoltz. Whether he was a starter or a closer, I always wanted to watch him pitch. He is a definate Hall of Famer and out of the Braves Big Three (Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine), he was the one who I always felt would play out his career with Atlanta.

Now he's off to the American League and the Red Sox. All I can say is good luck and I hope you beat the Yankees. From me being a 12 year old kid trying my best to stay up late to watch the '91 World Series to the you being moved to the bullpen to your comeback as a starter, I have enjoyed following you with the Braves. Thanks for all the memories.

Lost Myseries: Food Drops

Once the Flight 815 survivors found the Swan Station (the Hatch), they had food, shelter, showers, beds, etc. But surely that food couldn't last forever, right? Well, in the 17th episode of season 2 ("Lockdown"), the survivors discover that a pallet of food and other supplies has been dropped on the island.

There are many mysteries related to this food drop, but the main ones include: Who is making the drops since Dharma is longer in operation? Why was all the food labeled for the Swan Station, does this mean that there are drops for the other stations as well? How did a plane/helicopter find the island to make the drop?

In the episode "Enter 77" from season 3, the Flame computer is discovered to be the source of supply drops. It is part of the sequence that Locke discovers after winning at Chess. One of the first options the computer gives is "For pallet drop enter 2-4." He ultimately enters 77 and destroys the Flame Station.

This still doesn't explain who the computer communicated with. Does the off island company that ran Dharma still think Dharma exists? Do these food drops still landing on the island have something to do with the time difference off island and on it?

There are many questions associated with how the stations were updated and resupplied through the years, so hopefully, this is a mystery that will be cleared up once we learn more about the history and fall of the Dharma Initiative, both on and off the island.

Lost Mysteries: Adam and Eve

Think way back to Lost sesaon 1. Ok, remember that fun season when we barely knew anything about the island or our Losties? There was no Dharma initiative, we didn't know who the Others were, no time traveling .... wait, what was that about time travel?

Sure, they saved getting to the meat and potatos of time travel for a few seasons, but the producers have long said that they put stuff in the show early on to make sure fans knew that they were planning the direction of the series all along. One of the things that has been pointed to as proof are the skeletons of "Adam and Eve" from "House of the Rising Sun" (season 1, episode 6).

Remember Adam and Eve? Jack, Kate and Locke are visiting the caves that Jack had discovered in "White Rabbit" and then they notice a pair a skeletons in there, one male and one female. Locke gives them the name, Adam and Eve. They determine, based on the clothing deterioration, that they've been dead 40-50 years. On the bodies, Jack finds two stones, one black and one white, symbolizing the light and dark theme of the early seasons of Lost.

After than scene, the skeletons haven't received any other screen time on the show. Sure, they are still one of the most talked about and debated topics by the fans and in an interview with EW.com, Daman Lindelolf said, When all is said and done, people are going to point to the skeletons and say, "That is proof that from the very beginning, they always knew that they were going to do this."

So what are we to make of the skeletons, now that we know a lot more about the island? We know that the island can be moved and that there is an ancient history on it. There are many theories for who Adam and Eve could be, ranging from Jack and Kate to Desmond and Penny to Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot Fred Noon. Here are some more theories on who they might be, if you are interested.

I think the Jack and Kate theory is a good one, especially since Jack now has the black and white stones (where have they been for the past 4 seasons though?). It would be a huge whoa moment if they are revealed as Adam and Eve, but it would take some freaky things for it to happen ... freaky stuff like, I don't know, moving the island?

We'll see how this all plays out and it could be another thing on the show that is just in there to see what fans will latch onto and talk about, but I can't help to think that there's more to it. Remember, the producers keep bringing up that they have known what the final shot will be on Lost ever since they created the show's concept. Could this shot involve "Adam and Eve"?